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Chapter 22

Casey...

Casey, get up.  Now...

Get up, Casey!

The words of Liam filled my head and I willed myself to come awake.  My eyes opened, but I was greeted with a stabbing pain in my temple.

I touched my head, and my fingers came back coated in blood.  Oh great.  After a moment, I had urged my head to stop throbbing enough for my vision to un-blur.  I looked around and saw that I was in yet another unfamiliar place.  Just like the good old days, I thought.  More like yesterday.  I rolled my eyes and sat up straighter.

On the bright side, I wasn't in a cell anymore.  Or at least any cell I was used to.  The room had a fluorescent light illuminating the contents of it:  Concrete walls, one huge mirror, a table, and two chairs- one of which I was sitting in.  That's all that was in the room.  It seemed eerily simplistic.  In fact, taking a closer look at the mirror, I began to get the feeling it was a one-way mirror.  That someone may be watching me from the other side.

If this theory was true, I was not going to say anything worth their time.  I bent over in my seat and focused inside my brain.

Liam?  Liam, where are you?  Where are we?

Casey?

I'm here Liam.

Oh good you're awake.

Yeah, I'm awake.  But where are we?  Is this another one of the Boss' hideouts?  Or cells?

Yeah.  The Boss brought us here.  Are you in what looks like a police interrogation room?  With a huge mirror?

Yeah.  I am.  What does that mean?

There was no response but that seemed worse than words.  I could tell he was thinking.  Thinking about something I couldn't know.

What?  What does that mean? 

I can't tell you, Casey.  I just need you to know that I'm fine.  The others are fine too.  They're in different interrogation rooms like yours.  It's gonna be okay.

Why can't you tell me?  I became frantic.  Liam?  Why?  Why did we pass out by the car?  What aren't you telling me?

Casey, listen.  I stopped spouting questions and waited.  The Boss met with me.

My stomach dropped.

Last night, after you fell asleep, she approached me.  She said I was the most powerful person with abilities she'd ever seen.  I know, it scared me too...  She told me I had a choice to make.  It was a trade, Casey.  You, Dustin, Cyrus, and Emily... or me.

My face turned white with shock and I struggled to get a word in.  What did you choose?

I- I love you, Casey.  You know that-

Liam... What did you choose?  My voice began to quiver with both terror and tears.

His thoughts in my head became riddled with emotion.  I could feel the tears streaming down his face.  And then he spoke one more thing.

I love you, C.

And the sense of him was gone.  I sat there, helpless.  Disconnected.  And then I screamed.

The goal I'd set of not giving the people behind the mirror any satisfaction was gone.  I just screamed.  I screamed because I was angry that I couldn't help Liam.  I screamed because he'd kept this- and who knows what else- from me.  I screamed because I felt betrayed.  And most of all, I screamed because it should've been me that the Boss approached last night.

It should've been me that fought off men to save Liam from being kidnapped.  I should've been me that found and saved him.  It should've been me that kept him safe...

But he saved me.  He saved my life, and I hadn't known it until now.  He gave me something to hold on to, something to fight for.  Something to love....

And now... I realized he'd given me something to lose...

That's when I saw a shadow from underneath the door.  Someone was there.  And that's when all my sadness and shock boiled down to anger.  Hatred welled up in my bones and I took a deep breath.  If there is any chance I can still save Liam, this is it.  And I'm not gonna miss it.

The shadow moved, feet shuffled, the door handle rotated, and in walked... the Boss.

You.

"Where is Liam?"  I yelled at her while she closed the door, "What have you done with him?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Ms. Thomas,"  She smiled coldly and took the seat across from me, "I'm just here to ask you some questions."

"Fine,"  I gritted my teeth, "What are they?"

"First question:  What is your name?"  Her sweet tone made the Boss seem even more sick and twisted than before.

"Casey Thomas,"  I answered slow and impatient.

"Good.  What are your powers?"

"I can read minds,"  Where is she going with this?

"Oh, but not just that,"  She patronized me, "You can talk in your head, can't you?  With a certain person too.  And who is that person?"

"Liam Walker,"  I looked down, beginning to lose the fight in me.

"Yes, that's right.  Let me just say one more thing,"  She falsely smiled and then her voice became such the opposite tone that my body froze, "You had your chance.  And now it's over.  You're too late."

"You witch!  What have you done with him?"  I jumped out of my chair and threw it at her head, but she dodged the blow with ease.

"You'll see soon enough, Ms. Thomas,"  The toying name rang in my ears, "Guards!  I think we're done here,"  She rose and exited the room to be replaced with two guards.

Breathing heavily, I charged both of them and struggled to get past.  I threw blows at them and sidestepped the oncoming tackles, only I knew I wouldn't get through.  Her plan was set into motion before she even sat down.  So, knowing this was not the way to waste my energy, I let them take me in peace.  I put my hands up and they plopped me down in the chair once more.

While this happened, I contemplated the recent events and what she had said.  I realized the Boss had added that I'd see soon enough what they'd done with Liam.  Maybe that will be my chance.  Maybe there's some hope that I could reach him and get us all out... Maybe.

Still while the guards prepared to leave, I replayed the whole conversation, and realized the Boss wasn't there to ask me questions.  She didn't learn anything new.  She was just toying with me and I'd let her.  I'd given her the satisfaction.  I felt the cut on my temple again, and wiped the blood away with my shirt.  Resting my head in my hands and, I picked up on one of the guards talking into their earpiece.

"...Alright, Boss.  Will do."

"Yeah.  With pleasure,"  The other one replied.

Before I could respond to their unsettling reactions, both guards were by my side.  Their hands gripped something firmly, and I felt too stickers jammed into my sides.

I sighed, absorbing the familiar shock, and let my vision fade to black.