Legacy

A new deal

Astor

It was too late when I recognized the man. It was that bastard I had a run-in with at the hospital. When I connected the dots in my head, he had already shown up with campus security. I expected they merely escort me away from the area, but I quickly realized the error of my thinking. They were bringing me to the backside of the building. I did not like this unexpected development. It was clear whatever they wanted was going to be more than a stern talk and then send me off. I firmly stood my ground, refusing to move any further.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded to know.

The guards looked nervous, looking at the larger man for guidance. The man, in turn, mostly seemed annoyed and gestured for the guards to keep moving. Hesitantly one of them grabbed my arm. I gently pushed them away.

"I am not going to willingly follow you if you do not inform me of where you are taking me," I calmly explained.

The leader gave me a cold stare down. I meet the man's gaze. We stood there for a bit at a standstill, but then the man noticed the attention we were gathering from the people passing by. Like a child not getting their way, he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms: "Are you two going to do your job or not?" he looked at the guards before continuing: "And we are taking you in because you are infected."

"And on what legal grounds are you doing that?" I challenged him.

He huffed and replied: "Look, we are acting nice here, but if you keep being stubborn, then I can also get actual police involved. We have the right to take you in, and the fact you have not reported the truth of your condition has already made you a criminal. So you better behave and not mess up more."

"I see so on the same grounds you burned down Brightstone," I snidely remarked.

The man got very quiet after that before coldly adding: "You are not helping yourself here, so please just shut up, and for you, two just bring him and drag him if need be," he gestured to the guards. They responded by doing just that. I slowly followed, making sure that the people around the campus were watching us. I was not going to let them bully me and make me disappear as they had done to the people of Brightstone and Garrick. So I dragged my heels in, ignoring the rougher pushes the guards were giving me. I looked out at the people watching us, forcing eye contact even if people tried their hardest not to meet my eyes. It took a while, but we made our way to the backside of the campus. From here, I was taken inside the school to what looked like a storage room. This whole operation seemed somewhat shady I highly doubted the man wanted the police involved either. The room was a mess filled with various items needed to do reparations around the school. A single chair in the backend of the room stood out as rather neatly placed compared to the mess.

"Just tie him down over there," the man ordered.

The guards did, and then they left. I moved a bit testing the restrains. The tape was layered and very tight. Getting out of here was not going to be easy. Then again, I doubted they were going to keep me here long-term. The room was not suited for it. I then turned my focus on the man left: "So care to tell me why exactly you have brought me to such a shady location?" I tilted my head before dryly adding: "I do not assume this is up to legal standards."

"You sure like to be a pain in the ass," he replied, leaning against the wall. "I am trying to not make this worse for you, but if you keep giving me that attitude, then I might reconsider."

"Oh well, I am sorry if I am a bit impolite here, but you have had me roughhoused and tied to a chair without explaining much as to why or even introducing yourself," I bit back. Then added: "And last I saw you all you did was throw a bunch of paperwork on me and a strict deadline while I was may I add hospitalized." I took a shallow breath before concluding: "And you were also insulting to miss Shine."

"To whom?" he asked, confused.

"The nurse you dense person," I snapped back.

A blissful silence followed the last sentence. The man was gathering himself looking strangely thoughtful for once. While he was considering his next move, I tried to see if I could spot any useful items nearby. Anything sharp would do to help with the tape. My hands were tied, so I would need to get creative, but I had nothing but time for that. I was so focused on planning my possible escape I did not notice the man was talking again: "...but can we try and move past that" I did my best to keep my face neutral even if I was slightly baffled. "You need help, and so do I with something. I suggest we could help each other," he proposed. "What do you need help with?" I asked.

"I need to find a cure for the infection, but the government keeps rounding up anyone they find. It makes it a bit tough to get any real testing done," the man explained.

"And why do you care about that? And why can you not just let the government work on making a cure?" I swiftly asked.

"You sure ask a lot of questions," he replied, shifting his weight a bit.

"I like to make sure I know the conditions of a deal fully before committing to anything. I have had bad experiences with not knowing enough and just having faith in people," my latest failure comes to mind.

"Fine, the government is not working on a cure because they think it cannot be made. They are just keeping people for now to observe the effects of the infection. And why do I care? Well, that is personal," he added the last part in a somber tone.

"I see well personal motivations can be quite motivating, so what do you want from me? And what will you give me?" I gave in and then asked: "Oh and I would like a name if we are going to work together"