Black Equation - The Forgotten Ones

Black Equation - Chapter 23*

Chapter 23

 

Wishing for some sort of miracle, Faye tiredly searched the place for any signs of help, only to meet the strange gnarled shadows of the trees that danced eerily around them. There was not a single soul in sight, aside from the three of them. 

Wasn't this supposed to be a park, not an isolated forest?

Though rationally speaking, no person would stay outside in the dead of the night when winter was just around the corner. Still, someone should have heard and reported them to the authorities. The people of this area would've surely noticed the commotion going on. They weren't particularly quiet there, with all the noisy shrieks and Falcon's profanities that seemed to echo in the whole vicinity. 

Was there really no way out of this ditch? 

"I'm getting impatient," the woman said, miffed. Faye realized that she was waiting for her to move. Reluctant at first, she decided to follow the woman's order. She walked steadily, effectively controlling her wobbly knees. 

Help.

Where was their help? There was supposed to be some kind of knight-in-shining-armor that would save the damsel in distress. Where was he? Even if it wasn't a single person.

But this wasn't a film, she realized. This was real life. There was nothing that convenient in reality. 

Which reminded her…

Where was Alexey? He should be here! Why wasn't he present when he was badly needed? She recalled that before she lost the wireless earpiece, Alexey went over to some place called C3. Then... there were the bullets... a sniper... and an inevitable fight. 

Oh my god. Something bad must've happened.  

Faye quickly sat beside Hanade, and looked at him. His expression was unfathomable. Was he quiet because he was plotting something, or was it because something terrible took place? Was there some way to ask him without alerting the dangerous woman? 

The woman stood menacingly, watching their pathetic forms on the ground. Hanade was half-kneeling, half-sitting with his injured leg. Faye curled beside him like a ball, unable to meet the woman's gaze. The woman took a few steps backward. She drew something from her pocket and threw something on the thick grass without removing her aim on Hanade's head. 

It was a pair of handcuffs. 

"Put it on him," her strong, accentuated voice instructed. "No tricks, got it?"  

Faye's fingers fumbled over the cuffs as she wordlessly did her bidding. Hanade placed his hands in front of him when –

"No," the woman snapped, her brows arched incredulously. "Hands behind you." 

Hanade cursed under his breath as he complied. With his arms behind him, there was no way to assault Mikhaela. He couldn't do anything to create an opening for Faye to escape. Handicapped, he had no prayer against 04’s sister

When Faye finished, she returned to her former position.

"You," she suddenly directed her gun to Faye. "Who are you?" 

“I’m a student," she choked out, bile rising to her throat. 

"Not that." 

Something cold crept on her back, an uneasy tingling sensation that somehow made her confused.

"Faye Summers," she finally admitted after a few heartbeats. 

The woman snorted, "I'm not asking your name. I'm asking who you are."