Nightingale: The Vigilante || EDITING

Chapter Four

Flashback:

I spring up, gasping for breath. I begin to take notice in the medical equipment around me. From what it looked like I was in some sort of hospital, and I had been laying on a small medical bed. An IV needle was injected above my forearm. I hear a voice to my left asking me if I was okay. I pull my knees to my chest, taking shaky breaths. I feel a hand brush my back as I sat there. I buried my head between my chest and legs, feeling as if I were to cry.

"Liv," the voice called my name. "Liv, your okay now. It's over."

"No," my voice trembled, "It's still there. It won't leave! It won't leave me alone!"

"Olivia, look at me," a hand brushed my cheek, tenderly pulling me to face the voice. Dark matted hair plastered his forehead, his stormy blue eyes showed kindness as he admired me. I recognized him immediately and felt safe. "The simulation's over. This," my close friend clasped my hand, our fingers intertwining. "This is real. Do you trust me?"

"I trust you," I whisper. He stood up, delicately pulling the IV needle from my arm, then offered his hand. I graciously took it and attempted to stand. He held me close as we left the room. I begin to realize shortly I wasn't wearing shoes, but I was wearing a soft v-neck tee and a pair of baggy sweats. There was a logo running down my right leg, reading "HIEP: 021". I look down to my shirt to see small printing on the left side of my chest. It read, "HIEP: Alpha 021 O. Johnson".

"What was it about this time?" he asked. "You don't have to tell me. These things are supposed to be top secret according to Commander Scott. But you know, YOLO and all." I managed to smile as we walked past several rooms that appeared as dorms. Other teenagers were hanging out in their rooms, finding things to occupy themselves with. We had past one room where a kid was slouching on a beanbag chair stuffing potato chips in his mouth.

Where did he get those?

"Hey, Earth to Liv!" The teen waved his hand in front of my face. I must have been staring at the boy in the beanbag chair too long.

"Sorry. I just - I haven't seen junk food in forever." Part of being apart of HIEP meant a strict diet consisting of everything healthy imaginable. It wasn't bad, you just got tired of eating the same food over and over and you start to miss a can of soda or even an ordinary chocolate bar in your life.

"Ha," he chuckled. "I totally get it. Well, you gonna answer my question or not?"

"Hmm? Oh, yah! Umm... Well it was practically the same as last time. I'm still in these dark woods with the moon acting as my only light resource. It was the same stalker guy following me in the shadows. Only this time, he was shooting at me!"

"What he shoot you with?" My friend pressed his palm to a touchpad outside of a barricaded door. The screen flashed a bright green, then slowly, the door began to slide open. Computers perched on tables in several rows, each occupied by an agent of HIEP. He led me to the farthest computer down, a man with the worst buzz cut sat in front of it. His cold eyes scanning the computer screen.

"Gun," I whisper back.

"I beg your pardon, Miss Johnson?" The man stood from his seat and began to adjust the collar on his uniform. "I didn't catch that last bit."

"I apologize, Commander Scott. I was speaking with Mr. Thompson about our last course exercise," I lied. "He did very well with his previous weapon of choice."

"I thought you despised firearms, Thompson?" Commander Scott glared at my friend, causing me to shudder. His voice always reminded me of a U.S. General with a scruffy Texan accent you'd see in the movies. He held his hands behind his back and his chest puffed out, showing authority. Lucky for me, my friend is an outstanding liar so he was able to back me up.