The Stolen

Chapter 31

Nico liberates us from the handcuffs. "Okay, we're going to leave so someone will heal Chrix."

Jade and I are sitting in the bench, arms crossed, looking up at him. She squints her eyes. "Are you taking us all by yourself?"

"Please." He laughs. "You're pathetic. Chrix's foot is almost facing the wrong way-"

"And what about me?" Jade asks.

"-and there are over a thousand soldiers solely on this floor. There's no way for you to escape."

I shrug. "Okay, but that means you have to carry me all on your own."

He rolls his eyes, but slides one arm under my legs to lift me in the air. "You try to do anything, I break your ankle even more."

"Always the gentleman. I didn't expect any less from you."

Nico carries me through what seems like thousands of corridors, all white and completely clean, like we're the first people that have ever walked on them. I can't see Jade, but the clicking of her heels on the floor tells me she is right behind us.

I don't know what is going to happen to me after they heal me. Whoever they is. If they heal me. Because I don't know anything anymore. Nico might be lying to me. Maybe when we get to wherever we are going he'll just shoot me and Jade in the head.

I don't think he'll spare Jade. Not after trying to help me.

I don't know how I ever thought Nico was a good person. It might have been how he seemed so sad after Olympia died, or maybe how at the beginning he supposedly hated me and then I thought he started to like me better.

I'm such a fool. How could I buy everything that everyone said to me just days after meeting them? How could I decide who I thought were the good guys in seconds?

I don't even know if there are good guys and bad guys in this crazy nightmare I've got stuck in.

At the end of the last corridor is a black door that seems to be made of glass, and it stands out greatly in this sea of white. Nico pushes it open with one foot and sets me down on the first stool he finds, which is next to a bathtub with water in it. "Okay. You look like absolute mierda, Chrix - no offense, so tell this bestie of yours to clean you up."

"I'm right here, you know," Jade says.

"I'll come back in an hour, and you better look at least... presentable." He doesn't even say goodbye, he just leaves through a different door.

Jade looks around like she doesn't remember I'm here, and I dip my hand in the water, finding that it's surprisingly warm. My hand looks cleaner instantly, having lost the first layer of dirt.

"Have any masterplan, Chrix?" Jade's voice startles me. She's still looking around, mostly at the ceiling. "There aren't any cameras, but we might have a microphone somewhere."

"Good," I say.

"But just in case there are any, I'm just going to make it clear that I absolutely hate the people that are doing this to me." She looks at me. "To us."

It might seem like a little thing, but it's a great chance she's taking because of me. She has just assured anyone who might be listening - and also me - that she's fully on my side. I look up at her and nod in approval.

"Now, let's get you cleaned up." Then, she adds. "Not because Nicolas said so, but because you should start looking like a human person from now on." Jade is only joking, but in my head, I know what we're both thinking:

You should at least look like a human person if you're going to get us both killed.

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Half of the hour Nico gave us is almost up, but at least the first three layers of dirt are gone. There are many, many more to go, but I can feel myself get less disgusting.

It took us about five minutes to get me into the bathtub, and another five to turn on the hot water. The technology from here is way more modern than the one we had back on Opportunity, and that's saying a lot.

Jade is barely helping me, since I decided I want to at least be able to take my last bath by myself, but she's told me the dirt on my limbs is the least of my worries. The biggest problem I have right now is my face, and mostly all the blood on it.

She didn't even have to tell me: just by scratching my cheek dried blood gets stuck on my fingernail.

It's kind of disgusting, but at least I'm alive.

When I decide I need some help, Jade rubs some water into my forehead delicately, and frowns after a few seconds go pass.

"Is something wrong?" I ask. I hope I'm not badly wounded.

"Well..." Jade doubts before continuing. "There's this big, hard piece of... metal, I think, that won't wash off."

A chill runs down my back. "Metal. On m-my forehead?"

"Yeah. And it spins, for some reason," Jade says. The movements her fingers make above my eyes indicate she's spinning the piece of metal, but I don't feel anything. No pain, not even slight tickling.

I swallow. "And is it bad?"

"No," she says immediately. "It's like it's part of your head. Here, you touch." Jade leads my hand to the spot the metal is in, and suddenly everything comes back to me.

I know what it is. I know what's happening. And for once since this madness started, I know something for sure.

It was all a trap since the beginning.

A/N: Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long! I was busy with stuff, mostly preparing for NaNoWrimo, which I'm doing this year (search me up: I'm cuneiforming) but here it is! I'm going to be busy in November as well, but after that I'll start posting my new story, of which the summary is already on my profile! Feel free to comment or hit me up on my profile, I always have time to talk to you!