Bulletproof (Agent #1)|WATTYS2019

》33. It's time for answers《

Chapter 33: It's time for answers

I woke up to the door banging open.

And then a harsh slap to my face.

"It's time for answers."

My eyes flinched open and my bruised cheek stung. I was still sat and restrained on the wooden chair. My skin was so cold that I couldn't feel it anymore, especially from all the blood loss.

I glanced up at Valentin warily. A slow grin spread across his sharp features.

"I'll keep this simple, sweetheart. I'll ask you questions. You'll answer. If you don't, or I don't like your answer, I'll hurt you."

I swallowed, although my throat was as dry as sandpaper. I could hear the vicious truth in his words. I kept my steely gaze on him, unrelenting.

After I had been left alone with what I assume was all night, I began to think, in spite of my pounding head and aching body. I was trained for this – this type of kidnapping and interrogation and torture.

Though fear ran cold in the little blood I had left in my body, I willed myself to not be scared. He would torture me whether I said the truth or not, and I knew that. I just had to wait, survive, for as long as I could until I was saved.

Because I knew people were coming to save me. HAC agents, Derek's people – though I didn't know what had happened to him after I last saw him in the forest.

And Sebastian.

"Your parents took a drive with all our files in it. Our entire network, all our branches across the world, is on it. Where is it?"

My brows furrowed at his question. A drive? Realisation dawned on me at how little I knew about my parents' involvement with this organisation that led to their deaths.

"I don't know."

My answer was not liked.

My neck cracked to the side at the hard punch across my face. Tears stung my eyes, and I drew blood from biting my lip to suppress the scream lodged in my throat.

"Think of a better answer," Valentin growled.

I glared at him through my cloudy vision. "HAC must have it," I spat out.

It was just a guess, but it was good enough for him to not hit me again.

"Where would it be?"

"I don't know."

This time Valentin yanked out the knife still stiff in my thigh. I screamed, and felt sick to my stomach at the blood pouring out. I had managed to ignore that stupid knife all night, but the pain came back tenfold now.

I heaved out breaths. "At the main HQ," I seethed.

These were all guesses. The drive could possibly not even be in the hands of the agency, and mum and dad could have hid it. And I knew it was wrong to be spouting out answers to survive, but that's exactly what I had to do. Survive. Long enough to be rescued, and then anything I said wouldn't matter because they would all be caught. The bastard in front of me would be imprisoned.

Or better yet, dead.

"So London?" Valentin said, and I nodded rigidly. "Where is it?"

I faltered. The location of all HQs were secure. And I realised Valentin was asking because even in three years, he couldn't find the location.

Valentin must have sensed my hesitancy because suddenly he was inches away from me, gripping my face in his rough fingers. His hold was so tight that I felt and tasted my gums bleed.