Project Jamboree

Chapter Seventeen

Cole's PoV

"Let's go," Liam jumped out of the car towards the gate, "She's not gonna wait forever."

I couldn't shake this feeling. Two feelings, actually.

One was fear or dread. I knew that this was where Natasha had been taken for sure- Ruby had forced it out of Clancy's head. But I also understood that she might be dead.

And the other was hope. What if she was alive?

Then she could be broken beyond repair. She could be dead or broken. And she would've chosen death over becoming a mindless drone.

I took a deep breath. Now was no time for emotions. I had a mission to do.

I strapped my gun holsters around my waist, checking the magazines were filled with bullets, making sure they were ready to fire.

Then, I willed myself into calm patience. This mission wouldn't work if I was worried about her the whole time. It would jeopardize my focus and ability to save her.

"Okay," I nodded, lying straight to Liam's face. I'd told him about my abilities, but it just felt so horrible to still be lying to him, "I'm okay, let's go."

We took off straight through the main gates, taking out all security and avoiding the cameras.

As we neared the main building, sirens went off. Some sort of detection system. We didn't see the cameras.

But we'd expected them.

"Lee," I nodded to his part of the mission. This was where he went to the electrical panel and killed the power.

He'd then escape and meet up with me. If I made it. But he knew I wouldn't leave without Natasha.

I saw it then, a figure at the main doors.

It had a muzzle on, with short cut hair and a black suit. A red. A weapon. My enemy. My potential ally.

I looked to Liam, who was right in the open, whereas I was hidden.

Two PSFs held the red by the wrists, holding them in place as they tried to fight. One of them took of the muzzle and played a frequency that I could barely hear.

Calm control for reds. This was the fear conditioning.

I hear their voices as the red regained their footing, "Kill the intruders!"

I saw the red bolt after Liam, moving so fast that it was only possible they were scared for their lives.

The building was on lockdown. I couldn't get in, not until Liam cut the power. I ran back over to him, hoping to protect him from the red that had tackled him.

A bullet hit my leg.

I collapsed, knowing they'd shoot to kill. I took one last look at Liam. The red had stopped hurting him. The fire had gone out. They looked- confused.

Then, I barely made out the words on Liam's lips, "Save him. Please, if you have any control, fight it! You are strong enough! Fight it with everything you have!"

What was he asking? He wouldn't try this with a random red.

Realization set in. This was Natasha. They knew who we were. They knew we were coming. And they were prepared to send our own friend to kill us.

"Please!" Liam pleaded, "Save him!"

She let him go and sprinted over to me as Liam ran away. She drew their fire and skidded to a stop next to me.

Why did she stop? Her best chance was to either keep running or grab me and keep running.

Her programming? No, then she'd be trying to kill me. Her face would reflect confusion.

Right now as she collapsed next to me, it reflected pain. I looked to where her hand rested, over her stomach, blood dripping out.

"No," I pulled her close to me, "No, no, no- stay with me, Nat. Come on."

She wasn't talking.

"Say something," I told her, "Please."

Her mouth opened and closed several times before I realized that the hissing noise coming from her throat meant-

I was interrupted by PSFs surrounding us, guns aimed at my head and Natasha's. I realized that by now, Natasha had passed out, her head leaning into my shoulder.

"Hands in the air!" The leader shouted.

"If I move my hands, she'll bleed out," I begged, "Please- I won't fight back, I won't do anything, just- help her, please."

It hurt me to be sat here in front of these PSFs, begging for help. But it would kill me if Natasha died.

And they knew that.

The leader ID'd me and ordered, "Take Prisoner 27 to a holding cell. 37 goes to the medical wing. The moment the doctor says she's ready for release, she joins him."

I let them drag me away. Natasha was alive. She was going to stay alive.

I don't know how long I waited in that cell in the dark before the door opened again. A PSF threw a limp figure to the floor and slammed the door. I reached out to the figure, feeling Natasha grab my hand and crawl towards me. Medical wing must mean something different here, because she was so badly beaten-

Fire sparked in her hand, illuminating the room.

They'd strapped the muzzle back onto her face, blocking her nose and mouth. She'd gotten so light and skinny over the last few months here that a single PSF had been able to throw her weight around with ease.

I pulled her close to me, noticing she was shivering as her flame flickered. I let my own brighten hers, knowing whoever was watching wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

A light flickered on. They didn't want us to suffocate on the smoke from the fire. How kind.

With her hands free, Natasha signed something to me.

They'll kill you. You shouldn't have come.

"I had to," I told her, "I had to see you."

The League needs you. They will make me kill you, and this time I won't be able to fight it. I can't live with that, I-

I cut her off, "Tangerine will take care of the League." We had to use code names. Otherwise, we could jeopardize the whole League.

How's the Viper?

I smiled faintly, "Still as cruel as ever. Mad at you for being an idiot."

You all got out of LA?

I nodded, "We can't say any more while they're listening. Why aren't you talking? You had started speaking to everyone when you came back from that Op with Tangerine, Viper, and Sunshine."

She looked down at her hands, not lifting them to sign.

"Natasha, what did they do to you?" I asked.

She pointed to her throat, then folded her fingers to look like scissors.