The Rising (final book of The Call series) ~ TMNT Fanfiction

Chapter 8: Trades

Considering where I'm being held, I'm being treated really well. Okay, not really treated well, but well enough. They provide me with food three times a day, although most of the food that they give me is stale and they only provide me with only the smallest portions possible. Sometimes, my cell will be too cold and sometimes it's too stuffy. But I am too afraid to tell anyone about it. I doubt that they would change it anyway.

They never provide me with the time of day, or the date for that matter. I wake up when I wake up and that's it. Although by the bitterly plain taste in my mouth, I assume that it has been a few days. I don't feel too great.

I haven't spoken much to Laney. She mostly just sits there and mumbles to herself or stares at the wall. I stopped trying to get more details about her story after probably the first day. I quickly decided that it wasn't worth the energy.

The door begins to open up and I immediately lift my hand to cover my eyes, as the light that streams in is strong. It's practically pitch black in here and they never do anything about that. I worry that if I ever get out of this place, I'll be blinded for life.

The door does open though. And in walk two mutants.

One of the mutants is gray and looks like a wrinkled mutated snake. Its facial features are scrunched up and its right eye is twitching. The second mutant is big and bulky and reminds me somewhat of a big red bull on two legs.

They rip open my prison cell and the gray one latches onto my arm. They both escort me out of the cell and into the hall. My heart is thumping inside my chest so hard that I am positive the entire building can hear it. The gray mutant's hands are bitter and frosty against my one arm, and the bull's are scorching hot on my other arm. It reminds me of the whole 'cell temperature' situation all over again.

I continue to fear that I will trip over something, but it doesn't seem like there is anything to trip on beside my own feet. The ground feels bare. So I continue to walk forward (not like I have a choice anyway) and eventually, we reach a stopping point. The bull reaches out and opens up a door, shoving me inside. They shut the door with a loud slam, and I find myself looking straight ahead at a table.

On one side of the table sits a man with goggles and frizzy hair, appearing to be the exact example of the stereotypical mad scientist. Across from him sits my worst nightmare.

"Alexandra King," Melinda Crespo hisses, her mouth strings into a straight line. I feel myself reach out to grip onto something, but there is nothing to hold onto. So I reach for the wall. It's bare, but it's something to hold my weight for a moment. Right on the other side of Melinda is none other than Sullivan.

"Don't worry Lexi," the scientist-looking man begins, making me grimace. I hate when they call me that. I know that it's my name, but they don't deserve that. They abducted me twice. "My name is Russell Burgess. I'm the second in charge of the RBMC."

Second in charge? But he's the first in charge...why is he lying?

I catch a smirk from Melinda's face. Do they know something about this? They don't seem too surprised. But as if sensing my confusion, Russell smiles and continues.

"The person in charge will show herself to you eventually, don't you worry. But for now, we need to gather some information from you."

I inwardly snort. Right, like they're going to get any information from me. I'm going to make a fresh comment, but I bite my tongue to prevent it. Instead, I flicker my eyes from the open chair, back to Burgess. He understands immediately, and motions to the chair.

"Please, have a seat."

I do.

"Now," he begins, leaning forward. "We just need you to tell us a little about your mutant friends. Lexi—"

"Don't call me that," I snap, crossing my arms tightly around my chest. All I want is to be back in my cell right now. I'd much rather be sitting there in the almost complete darkness, in either the freezing cold or boiling heat, rather than here, staring at these people.

Russell looks perplexed.

"Would you rather I call you something else? From the information I've gathered, Lexi is your most common address," he says, and I can't help but snort at that.

"From the information you've gathered..." I mutter, rolling my eyes and glaring up at him. "I'm called Lexi, just not by psychopaths."

Before I have the chance to stop it, I am pinned down against the table by Melinda. I'm surprised; it's usually Sullivan to do the dirty work.

"You will show respect to Doctor Burgess. Do you understand, Alexandra?" she hisses, and I bite my lip.

My neck feels like it's going to snap right off, and I know that I can't nod as a response, for that exact reason. So I simply croak a "Yes." She lets go after a moment and I straighten back up. For some reason, her calling me Alexandra isn't that bad. At least she isn't trying to adapt a bond that will never happen.

"Alexandra, we will not hesitate to kill you," Melinda threatens.

"Then why haven't you?"

She doesn't respond; she just shoots me a sick glare. She can't kill me, because they need me to find the turtles. I almost laugh at the thought of that. I'll never give away that information. Not in a million years.

"Now, Melinda," Burgess says. "It's alright, we don't need answers right—"

"Listen, old man," she storms, slamming her fist against the table. "For months we've been trying to find these filthy mutants and now we have the chance to. We can get it out of her."

"Yes, we can," he responds slowly. "But not right away."

"We can beat her. Torture her! Your stupid old ways of compassion and coddling aren't going to do the trick. She is a human, not a mutant; she can't be trained to tell us our information. But we can make her." The way she says this gives me shivers. "Your ways are useless."

Well so much for following your own advice on respecting the guy...I think, mentally shaking my head. This girl is some hypocrite.

But that isn't what scares me. What scares me is that Burgess looks like he's considering it. I hold my breath, hoping that he won't go with that Melinda is saying.

"We've had her here for four days." Four days. "And she hasn't been easy to get any answers out of. If you truly do feel like your methods will work better..." I freeze and my heart stops. No. No! I want to shout for him to please just not give in, but I can't.

"They will," she promises.

"Alright. Take her away."

Melinda reaches over and forces me to stand up. She gathers both of my hands and pulls out some thick, rugged rope from her pocket. She binds my hands together behind my back and it burns. Burgess looks somewhat sympathetic.

"I'm sorry," he says, shaking his head. "My only hope is that you give in before they hurt you too badly."

Before they hurt me too badly. Thanks, old man.

I'm roughly led out of the room and back into the utter darkness of the hallway.