VIRUS - Redemption

NINE

12.08.2038

"Get up now." My eyes flicked open as I was pulled from my sleep in shock, someone's hands shaking my body. It was dark, the morning still early. "You need to come with me."

"What?" My mind was still asleep, my eyes struggled to make out any shapes. I felt a hand grab my arm, pulling me up from the floor where I laid and onto my feet. At this point, I didn't recognise the man's voice, nor anyone from the group who would grab me like that. Patrick also wasn't beside me like he was when I fell asleep. "Who are -"

"Shut up." The man hissed, pulling me by my arm through the bedroom and out the door. The windows in the hall let in the moonlight, lighting up small squares against the moulded-white walls. A feeling of panic set in as he dragged me to the stairs, my feet slipping and tripping on each other as he quickly led me down them in the dark.

"Robert?" I called, as I was led briskly into the loungeroom which was lit up by candles. In the lounge sat Patrick, East and Drago. No one else was there, they all stared at me. "What's going on?"

"Hey – don't." East whispered. I looked down at her hands to see them cable tied together, her ankles the same. My eyes drifted from Patrick to Drago, both in the same state of hostage as East. The man beside me threw me down next to East, a woman half his size stepping in to begin tying my wrists together with more plastic cable ties. My heart was thumping so loud, I swore I could hear it. Where was my Brother? And who were these people?

"Get Earle." The guy who led me downstairs said to the woman kneeling in front of me, tying my ankles.

"Sure you can handle them, Diaz?" The woman clapped me on the calf with a smile before standing and turning towards the man named Diaz.

"That's why I need Earle." He sighed. She scoffed loudly, walking off into the kitchen and disappearing. Diaz stared at me, a soft smile across his lips. He was a big man, taller than anyone I had ever seen; his arms were the size of tree trunks, his neck as wide as his face. His dark skin showed smooth in the candlelight, a light beard covered his jaw and neck.

"Don't talk." East whispered to me. I frowned, staring back at this man. This was the first person I had ever met outside of a group I was aware of. He was truly the first stranger I had ever seen. The Outsiders don't count as I knew their names, their stories – this was a stranger. Diaz was a stranger, a big one at that. And he was staring at me.

"I don't remember Mama taking new people in." Diaz said, his words aimed for the others, but his eyes remained on me. "She turned us down."

"She's an orphan." East shook her head, looking over at me. "Mama took her in as charity. She was by herself, it was a life or death situation."

"What do you call us, East?" Diaz raised his eyebrows.

"You're still alive." She swallowed hard, moving slightly in her seat, "Aren't you? You're still here, no bad blood."

"If Mama's letting random orphans into the group, we gonna' have bad blood." He walked forward, bending over and squatting in front of me so his eyes were at level with mine. "What's your name?"

"Isa-"

"Let her answer." Diaz interrupted. East nodded, looking across at me desperately. There was a reason East was lying, covering for me. There was a reason this Diaz guy couldn't know my name, how I knew this group. I need to know the reason, but it felt impossible to get it out of East with this man's eyes never leaving my face.

"Isabelle Odem." I finished the name East began, following it with the name of my first dog, Odem. Diaz' eyes finally fell from me, going to East, Patrick, Drago then back to me. He was assessing, watching to see any falters in our body language. "Can I ask what the problem is?"