The Underground

Pocket Knife

I walk carefully around the city, trying to get to my destination without hurting myself. I place one hand on the wall at all times and keep a slow and steady pace. 

"This is ridiculous." I mumble. It's bad enough that I have scars and bruises,but I was weak too? I'm still  a little surprised they let me go and didn't attack Melvin's bar to get to me. Why would they let me go? Most people don't return after ten hours of torture. And that's if they survive it in the first place. I've never seen a female Viper, though. I wonder why not?

Wait...is this a test to see if I come back? Or maybe how long it takes for me to come back? 

I take off in a run. The pain is excruciating and perhaps deadly. Just running one hundred meters has me ready to roll over and cry. 

I've slept for five days. I think I'm a little behind schedule. I have to infiltrate the gang to the top in the next two days, if I have any hope of finishing on time.

My stomach growls intensely, reminding me that it would have been a good idea to eat or drink something before leaving half dead after not eating for almost a week. 

Smart. 

"Ah! She's back!" The "leader" of the pack of rats laughs with delight as he takes me in, looking me up and down as if he created me. I say nothing, pretending like I was afraid of what would happen next. I knew what was going to happen. The would take to the real leader. 

"Congratulations on being our first female gang member. And congrats on coming back. Now we won't have to kill your family and friends in front of you. That's such a hassle, ya know?"

"A hassle?" I narrow my eyes at him. How could he call killing innocent people a hassle?

"Yeah! You see, you have to capture everyone one by one and tie them aaall up. Do you know how long that takes? We have to kill all of they're family. And I mean all of them." 

We places his hand roughly on my whip scared back and I do everything in my power not to wince. He guides me away from the torture chamber and down the street. The people of the Underground make room especially for him and give me a pitying look.

"Have a sister that lives in Wall Rose? Have to order a kidnap. Brother in the military? Ask one of the officials to assign them to patrol and boom! Ours." He pauses his explanation to gauge my expression and must've found the disgust he hoped he wouldn't find there.

 This world seemed a lot more twisted than I thought. Ordering a kidnap? Officials? Government officials? What the hell has the world come too? If they were involved, then why was I even here?

"A secret sister you hardly know and never told anyone about?" My eyes widen when he looks me in the eye. "Dead."

 No. No, no, NO, NO! THEY KNOW ABOUT ALYSSA! HE'S THREATENING ME! 

The message is clear: Step out of line, she's done for.

If they know her...then they probably know my name isn't Isabel.

"Isabel, correct?" His eyes become dangerously deadly.

"Yes?"

"You okay? You with me?" He turns his head to the side, eyes wide open. He looked like a demented owl.

I take a deep breath. "Yes, of course. Perfect. Fantastic. Specta--"

"Got it." He smiles and gives me a warning glare that sent a chill through my spine. This was the first time I was truly afraid of what I was doing. 

And he knew it too.

"Alrighty then. We're here." He opens a door for me and bows a little as if he was sarcastically saying , "Ladies first."

I was so caught up in the threat I didn't think of watching where we went. I had no idea where I was.

I walk into the three story high building. No guards in sight. What kind of gang boss has no guards? A long, only slightly lit, corridor stretches before me. This place looks mighty haunted.

Pack Rat opens a door at the very end of the corridor and it leads up to stairs. It looks like the only flight in the entire house. It's only takes us to the second story though which is strange. 

We walk down another corridor, turn right, left, then right again. It takes us to a hole in the ceiling with a rope attached. 

"Umm?" I point to it in confusion, waiting for him to explain. He just grabs the rope and climbs it about ten feet until he can grab the lip of the whole and pull him self up. I curse, knowing Melv would skin my alive if he had to redo my stitches.

"Fuck."

I take a running start and jump onto the rope, trying to climb as little as possible. I climb, palm over palm, not using my legs at all. My vision was blurry from the fiery pain coming from my arms and my stabbed hand, but I kept going.

I run to catch up to him as he opens a door for me to enter. I walk in and am surprised by the difference between the creepy hallways and this lavished room. 

The ceiling was high, the floors polished and sparkling, the furniture fancy and plush, from leather to wool. A middle aged man with graying hair sat on a chair by himself, not doing anything.

"Hi--"

"Don't speak." Rat Poisoning hushes me. 

"Come here girl." The leaders voice sounds sweet as if he was going to offer me a present. I nod and step forward. 

"Bring my daughter out." He says.

I look to a side door I didn't even notice to find two men dragging a kicking and screaming Reilly by her cuffed arms. Her mouth was stuffed with something and a gag went around her head. 

"Reilly?" I whisper as she makes eye contact with me. I see the message in her eyes: Run.

She is shoved to her knees in front of me.

"Kill her." The old man smiles at me. 

I step back. "You want me to kill your daughter?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" He glares impatiently.

"But she's your..."

"What of it?" His head cocks to the side the same creepy way that Rat Poisoning did. "I have plenty more."

A shuddering and loud breath escapes me as he says such a cruel thing. Does he have daughters just for this? I looked down at Reilly and I could tell she knew what her fate was the day she learned to speak.

He tosses me a dull pocket knife and I catch it. He makes a line across his throat, telling me he wants me to decapitate her.

"Please. Please not with this."

"Yes with this!" He yells, banging his hand on his chair, making me jump. He smiles calmly again. "It'll take a couple of hacks and she'll feel it all but you can do it! We believe in you."

"Do it or everyone dies." Pack Rat whispers, a smile in his evil voice. 

At least he made my choice easier. It was either her or Alyssa. I knew who I wanted to protect.

HACK

SPLURT

"MMMGH! MMMMM!" Reilly screamed against her gag. I have to keep going.

HACK

HACK

HACK

SPLURT

THUMP

CLANK

Her body falls to the ground and her head rolls and stops at me feet.

"Well done, Isabel! You can call yourself a Viper now. Look how easy that was!"

Her cold eyes stared into my soul as I fell to my knees in her pool of blood.

What have I done?