Freedom

Chapter 9: Yasmin

Trent buckled forward onto the ground grasping his ankle. Pain expressed on his face. The South American man quickly glanced at me before he strode out and locked the iron door, shaking with rage. I looked over at Trent. He was curled up on the floor groaning in agony. I banged at the thick iron door, screaming out that if they didn't let me free today I would kill everyone of them. I've always had a problem controlling my anger, ever since the incident.

The door had a small fuzzy window about head height. There were cameras in the four ceiling corners as well as speakers, a toilet in the corner, a bed. One bed. It was a dark room with concrete walls, a concrete floor and a concrete ceiling. There were no windows and only one dim tall lamp, about chest high. The lamp was of plain design, between the base and the lamp shade it was just a thick metal poll. In the room it was the only object not bolted to the floor. Possibly a weapon to use in my escape? Yes my escape. I wasn't about to risk my life in a dual bolt for freedom. I was going solo, I can't trust anyone now. Especially the man that once tried to kill me. Trent.

One of the men shut the door to the corridor that lead to our room door with a deafening bang and locked it in a complicated manner. That settled it. I was stuck with Trent in here until they needed me, or needed to kill me. I hope they took Trent out first. Then I could escape while they were busy with him.

I watched him as he grimaced on the floor. He was in so much agony. I liked seeing him in pain, it made me feel good. He looked like an insignificant bruised and beaten worm.

"Why are you laughing at me? I didn't think you'd be so sadistic." he strained to speak.

"You look like a squirmy worm." I chuckled.

"What. The. Hell." he seemed taken aback. He didn't expect me to be so bizarre. I didn't expect it. I needed to snap out of this. I couldn't be going crazy already.

"You seem to have an enemy in this sh*thole." I say a few minutes later, to break the deathly silence that had acquired after my brief stunt with craziness.

"Hey no." he whispered, he put his finger to his lips and started to commando crawl to my side. His cracked ankle dragging limply behind. About a metre away from me he gave up. His face screaming discomfort.

I ran over and helped him sit up. His strong large male frame suddenly all weak and limp. I put my ear to his mouth. It suddenly struck me that this is the closest I've been to him since the awful events of the past. I get a wiff of his smell. It somehow reminds me of pleasant times. It calms me. How ironic. The smell of a man that once tried to kill me is pleasant to my senses. Ha I really am losing it.

"Don't say anything bad about this place Yasmin they would have bugged this room," he whispered, exasperated. Like I should have known that. I roll my eyes, pissed off.

"Yeah, me and Alexis, that South American guy, don't get on very well. You can't make everyone happy. I must admit I did tell a secret association enemy that he was trying to kill me, and that he kept on cutting the ears off of people while they were still alive to make an ear necklace. Those damn Chileans."

"Yuck. What did they do to him?"

"Nothing. The secret association protects all their members extremely well. Alexis just hates the fact that I know so much, about him and his brother. Too much. He wants me dead but he knows he can't do it here, not now. He's worried that I'll speak out again, and this time the association won't be able to protect him and his brother."

"Wow. What's the worst they can do though? Surely it's nothing extreme, this is 2096."

"Yasmin you're underestimating the secret association. That is one of the most deadly mistakes you can make. They know everything and anything about this country, this area, this building and you. Your deepest darkest secrets will soon be uncovered. You can not hide anything from them. Chances are they can hear us right now. There is no escape from them, they are everywhere. They own planes, boats, trucks, tankers, cars and warehouses. They are in some parts of this country, more powerful than the government. Which is how they stay secret. How up until last year you had had no contact with them. It's how they exist. They live off other people's fear and the knowledge that no one is going to open their mouths and dob them in on all their illegal practices. That would be suicide. They are expanding and taking over. If the government finds out what they are doing to achieve this, they will hopefully be destroyed. But there is nothing we can do at the moment. We are slaves to them now, and we will be slaves to them until they decide that we are no longer of any use." I stared deep into Trents eyes as he was speaking, trying to get a sense of what emotion he was feeling and most of all, if I could trust him. His eyes were sad and old looking. Like they had gone through hell and back.

"How do you know so much and yet the government don't?" I contradicted.

"Because I was one of them." Guilt and fear covered his face, as if regretting what he said.

"Oh dear god," I whisper back. Fear takes over. I collapse and start sobbing, almost falling asleep on the cool concrete floor as Trent stroked my hair. Our bodies lying next to each other.