Family Business

Chapter 49.

Chapter 49.

I follow the guard down a long hallway and into an office. He refused to answer any of my questions, staring stoically ahead. His grip on my arm has not relinquished since he yanked me from the car. It is so tight that I can feel a bruise forming as he marches me through the door.. My heart is beating out of my chest at the thought of being sent to the colonies or hand back over to Xander.

It was a large room with military medals on the wall and a huge certificate at the center. The room had no windows and was lit with a large fluorescent light at the center of the room. There were bookcases lining the walls, filled with books, binders, and a few model planes. A small desk was shoved into a corner and there was a man in a green uniform writing. He looked up as we entered the room, standing quickly.

"Chase, thank you." He waves his hand, dismissing the guard before placing his arms behind him as he watches me. His uniform had pins, stripes, and badges, confirming his status as a leader. His age was indistinguishable; he could have been in his early twenties or in his thirties but the beard made it hard to tell. "Ms. Rossi, please have a seat," He gestures to the empty chair across from his desk once the door shuts behind Chase. The room smells of lemon.

My training from finishing school taught me to keep my face impassive even when confronted with the truth. "Rossi? I fear you have mistaken me with someone else," I said, remaining standing. He cocks his eyebrows and I immediately recognized him as the guard who had seen me in the trunk earlier. Why was a high ranking officer on guard duty?

"Ms. Rossi," He says pointedly, "Sit." There is a commanding tone in his voice and I walk to the chair, sitting down slowly. He sits once I am settled and he takes his mouse, opening a tab. "My name is General Sawyer. You can call me General, but you know that." He says in that same tone. The general types at the computer and then clicks something. The sound of the video Valentine took began to play. I bit my cheek hard, looking down. "You're saying that this is not you?" He asks, pausing and turning the screen to face me. The General's face is skeptical, perhaps annoyed, but my eyes are drawn to the computer screen. My hair is a mess and I am grabbing onto Xander's wrist, weakly trying to stop his assault. Nausea rises in me as my stomach somersaults. I look helpless. My face was upturned but even in the minimal light, it was me. "Be honest with me, sweetheart, and it will make things a lot easier for you," The general says in a soft voice.

The lump in my throat grew and I tasted blood, barely managing to swallow it. "Please don't send me to him! I beg you," I whisper. "He'll kill me."

"You're pregnant," The General says, minimizing the video on the screen. "Why would he kill you?" His jaw is tight, fists clenched, though I do not understand why.

I shake my head, "He'll kill me," I repeat. After the chip, the bombing. I knew if this man sends me to Xander, Xander will make me carry the baby to term before giving me a slow and painful death.

My gaze remained on my hands as they shook with fear. "Aria," The general says softly, leaning against the side of the desk. I refused to look up and he reached out, grabbing my chin lightly. I flinched and met his blue eyes, tears forming in mine. He smells good. His cologne smells of firewood, pine needles, and something else I cannot place. The touch of his finger burns into my skin but not in an unpleasant way. I swallow. "If you do me a favor, I will do one for you. You smuggled yourself into this camp and thought you could remain hidden from me. I keep a tight ship here and do not want to let chaos ensue with your presence here. Many people here still don't know who to support, your brother included."

I swallowed, "Please... I'll leave! Just forget you saw me here."

"I can't do that, Aria," He says, thumbing my cheek lightly. Despite his harsh tone and stoic face, the touch is so gentle it nearly puts me at ease. "You are much too valuable to the cause."