Not The Last {Rough Draft}

Chapter 21: Empty And Not So Empty Threats

  "She won't talk! We've tried everything!" Darwin said angrily. Parks was staring at me intensely. That's when a smile crossed his face and I felt my gut twist.

  "Not everything," Parks said and in one quick movement he had Nile around the neck and a gun to his head.

  "She has enough minions to spare," Parks growled. I sprang towards Parks but Darwin grabbed my shoulders and held me back.

  "So. What's that big secret you have, Astrix? It would be a shame if I had to shoot your boyfriend, wouldn't it?" Parks asked.

  "I don't have one!" I yelled and struggled against Darwin.

  "Astrix, I suggest you spill, unless you want Nile's brains spilled," Parks said and his finger moved to the trigger.

  "I'm not-,"

  "Astrix!" Ashley interrupted me.

  "Tick, tock," Parks growled. I could see him apply some pressure to the trigger.

  "Fine!" I yelled. I could have sworn I felt Darwin squeeze my shoulders as soon as I yelled that.

  "We knew you'd cooperate. So what's the secret, sweetheart?" Parks taunted. I took a deep breath.

  "The apocalypse started from the disease, which got into food that someone ate," I mumbled.

  "Where did that disease come from?" Parks asked.

  "I don't-,"

  Parks put his finger back over the trigger.

  "A lab test. It came from a lab test that someone conducted. The disease was made on purpose," I said quickly. It sounded unrealistic when I said it out loud.

  "Why were you so hesitant to share this with us?" Parks asked.

  "Because my-," I whispered.

  "I can't hear you," Parks snapped.

  "Because my dad helped make it!" I yelled. Pure silence coursed through the room.

  "So it's your father's fault that all this started?" Parks pressed he still had Nile in a head lock. Nile wasn't struggling to get away or anything.

  "No he-!"

  "So we have with us, the daughter of a man who destroyed the world," Parks said.

  "No! You don't understand!" I said urgently, trying to get them to listen even though I knew there was no point.

  "Maybe we should kill you. Maybe you are carrying out your father's dirty work for him!" Parks said. He dropped Nile and the gun was on my forehead instantly.

  "Where's your father?" Parks whispered.

  "He's dead. He died the same way a lot of people died. He paid for what he did. I had no part in it," I said quietly.

  "I'm aware," Parks said and then everything was in slow motion.

  I could see Parks move his finger to shoot me but before he could, Nile and Trent tackled him to the ground with extreme force. I elbowed Darwin in the gut and he let go of me. I knocked out the third man that I still didn't know the name of with an unnaturally hard punch. Ashley and Van went for the man who had attacked Ash the day before.

  I heard Darwin behind me before I saw him. I swung around and high kicked but he grabbed my leg and held me there.

  "I have information you might want," Darwin said.

  "It's probably false," I said and punched him in the chest. He let go of my leg and shoved me into the wall.

  "The girl-,"

  "Works for you?" I asked. I had made the connection between the girl who knew who I was and these people who knew who I was.

  "Is an assassin that works with us," Darwin said. I shoved him off of me and we were back to hand to hand combat.

  "Why doesn't that," I ducked as Darwin threw a punch. "Surprise me?"

  "Astrix finish him off and let's get out of here!" Ashley called.

  I saw my chance and I punched Darwin in the nose. He landed on his back and I bent down to him.

  "We'll meet again," Darwin said as I opened my mouth to talk. I squinted at him then stood up and walked out the door.

  "What was that?" Ashley whispered.

  "Why do you care?" I hissed. I felt like I had put my friend's lives in danger, especially because the CIA were the ones that now knew. Now I didn't have any choice. I had to leave whether I wanted to or not.