Trellis

16

It is with malicious intent that I knock down the door to Rima's prison, suit on, wings spread, holding a gun in each hand. The few guards there see me and start firing, the bullets ricocheting off the wings. 

I walk, slowly and purposefully, to the officer with the red patch on his uniform. 

'Let me through.'

He obeys, and with fumbling fingers slot in his access card. The moment I step into the elevator, my mind becomes completely blank. Good. I will have to feel nothing to be able to carry this out.

The cells in the basement are empty. I look for the one that isn't, the one that holds Blair's only leverage over me.

There are so many rooms. All empty. Lights flicker from time to time, and I swear I hear running water.

I stabbed him twenty-seven times in the chest, once in the throat. He tried to scream, but only made a gurgling sound. My mind was completely blank then. I was running on a program, and it had only one purpose.

When he finally stopped moving, I cleaned everything up, still blank.

And then Rima found out, and it all cracked.

I fight the urge to scream as I ran past another row of empty rooms.

I could have prevented Intiga's death, if I had just thought things through and outsmarted Blair. 

I took the easy way out instead. 

I am sprinting now, uneven gasps escaping my lips, wings dragging along.

Why is every single one of those rooms empty? 

And then I see a familiar-looking landmark. A door, tucked away in a dark corner, the very door Blair led me through after showing me—

I turn, and see him.

Sprawled on the floor, bullet wounds peppering his chest, blood leaking onto the floor. Placed where he could easily be found, like another boy five years ago, under a pile of furniture.

And in that moment, I collapse.

There are other footsteps behind me, but I don't care. All I know is that he is dead because of me, and I have a gun in my hand.

I drag myself closer to him, give him a kiss on his already-cold forehead.

I put the gun against my temple.

I hear her laugh as I pull the trigger.

The basement is silent, apart from the buzzing that seemed to come from the flickering lights. Wendlis Blair extracts a phone from her pocket, dials a number.

'Asset fifty-three. She is dead, along with the boy.'

She runs a hand through her hair, rolling her eyes at whatever the person on the other end is saying.

'Yes, I know. She will be dead within the week. You didn't have to remind me of our—' her eye twitches, '—bargain. I know the costs.'

She hangs up and puts it back into her pocket. Sighing, rolling back her sleeves, she gets back to work.