Bundle of Branches

Chapter 8

Reid stares down the man. "You took Chance and you hurt Dante," he says. "Why?"

"My intentions are none of your business," spits the man. He reaches into his belt and pulls out a knife, the sound of scraping metal grating against Reid's ears. "If you keep being nosy, I might just have to get you out of my way."

Reid takes a step back, adrenaline flowing through his veins. "Ooh, dark," he says, trying to sound brave, but his wavering voice almost giving him away.

The man's face twists in anger. "Shut the fuck up," he growls, holding the knife tighter.

"Why did you kidnap Chance?" Reid steps back more, but he hits the wall. A chill runs through him as he realizes that he's backed himself into a corner. "Why did you shoot Dante?"

The man steps closer to Reid, so close that he can see beads of sweat on the man's forehead. "I shot the kid because he was a nuisance." He squints. "He was in my way, just like you are now."

Reid swallows. "Get the fuck away from me." His hair stands on end as the man delicately traces the tip of the knife down his torso, stopping when it's poised above Reid's thigh. "M-my team is coming."

"Oh, your team, huh?" The man smiles slowly. "You did a stupid thing, coming here alone. Rushing ahead, trying to get all the glory for yourself. I wouldn't be surprised if your team decided that you were too much trouble."

"They would never abandon me." Reid's glare is fierce, but inside a seed of doubt is growing.

The man roughly clamps one hand around Reid's neck, squeezing until stars swim in front of his eyes, until his mouth is open, expecting air that doesn't come. "Oh, it looks like they already have." He takes his hand off of Reid's throat, brings the knife back, and pushes it into Reid's thigh, down to the hilt.

Reid screams, a hoarse sound that hurts his chest. Pain rips through his thigh, blood welling up and surrounding the hilt of the knife that's still in his leg. It burns, bringing tears to his eyes. Flames of pain lick his skin, shooting their tendrils throughout his body.

The man smirks. "It doesn't matter if they come, anyway. I just pierced your femoral artery. You're going to die." He tears the knife out. "You bastard. I hope you're fully awake as you bleed out."

"F-fuck you," Reid manages to gasp out. He falls to his knees, pressing his shaking hands to the gushing wound in his thigh. Blood rushes past his fingers, staining them red and puddling on the floor. His head starts to go fuzzy.

"Oh, well that's not very polite, is it?" The man turns, slowly walking around the room. "You really are selfish, you know that? Quite possibly the most selfish person I've ever met. And rude, too. You shouldn't be using that language around your elders." He brings his hand to his neck, taking off his necklace. A key hangs on the end.

Reid leans back, panting. He strains to put pressure on his wound, but he's getting weaker and weaker, and he can no longer feel his hands. "I'm n-not rude," he gets out. "I'm not s-selfish, either. Y-you-" A wave of pain streams through his body, cutting off his words and filling his head with sparks.

"I what?" The man grins as Reid gasps in pain, shaking with the effort of keeping his hands on his wound. "That's what I thought." He turns his attention back to his necklace, lifting the key up to the thick glass case on the wall and sliding it in the lock. There's a click, and he pulls the door open, running his hands down the handles of the weapons that hang there. "Hmm, what should I choose? They're all lovely instruments, you can't argue with that."

Reid bites his tongue as hard as he can to keep from yelling as another bolt of pain shoots down his leg. He will not give this man the dignity of a response - he doesn't deserve that. Hell, he doesn't even deserve to live, but that's a problem that the team will take care of when they arrive. If they arrive. He feels nauseous at the thought that the man might be right - maybe they did abandon him.