Shields

Chapter 22: Grace

I woke up strapped to a bed. I forced my eyes open and looked around. Immediately I wished I hadn't. Everything that had happened before I'd been knocked out came crashing down on me.

I closed my eyes and tried to shut everything out. When that didn't work, I focused on trying to figure out what exactly I'd done when trying to save Harry and Brikan. What was it? I wondered, trying to lift my arms again. They were still firmly strapped to the table.

What do they even want from me?

I jumped slightly when someone poked me in the ribs. My eyes flew open and locked with the misty grey eyes of a young woman. She stared at me for a few moments and I stared back. After a moment, she blinked and turned to a tablet where she wrote a few notes.

She looked back at me and seemed to be considering something before she clicked off the tablet and pulled up a chair next to me. She watched me for a moment before she said anything. Finally, she spoke, breaking the silence that hung over us. "Why are you so important? They told me your name was Demetriot Shields, but all of your files are either hidden really well or don't exist."

My voice was hoarse when I spoke. "I'm someone who got caught in the crossfire and tried to do something about it."

"You're more important than that. They never bring anyone to me unless they're special. So what is it about you? What makes you special?"

"I don't want to talk right now," I muttered, closing my eyes again and wishing that I could turn over.

She poked me in the ribs again, relentless. "Please. I have to know."

"Do you want to know why I'm here?" I snapped. "Well fine. I'm here because Julius wants to torture me and I turned myself in so that he wouldn't hurt others because of me. That's why I'm here and why Brikan is dead. And you know what? No one cares that a good man died, because all you guys care about it power!" Calm down, Demetriot. I told myself. Just relax a bit. You aren't dealing with this properly.

The girl's eyes widened and sparkled with tears. "You must be really hurting, then, because no one else sees this the way you do."

"What does that even mean?" I pull at my restraints again, trying to sit up. I wanted to punch something. To take out my anger on the wall or a punching bag so I didn't explode at someone. But that already happened.

"Don't you even know what the man you're fighting against is working towards?"

"Yes! He's trying to pull the world into a war and he doesn't care who gets caught in the cross-fire so long as he comes out as supreme ruler of the world," I yelled. "Can't you see that?"

"What have you seen that makes you think we're getting ready for war?" she accused.

"He killed the president and took over!" I shot back.

"I know that they put you in a simulation for a year, and they told me you might be a bit funny in the head from that, but he never killed anyone. We elected President Julius," the girl hissed.

My breath hitched. What? "That's... it doesn't..." I stopped, utterly confused. Julius was elected by the people? Then why would Brikan, Narian and pretty much everyone tell me that he took over?

I thought about that. Had they really ever said that to me specifically or had they just said we needed to take him down?

The girl looked at me, suddenly concerned. "Are you alright?"

I stared into her eyes. "No. You're lying. He wasn't elected; he killed the president and took over."

"Why would you believe that?" she exploded. "What makes you think that Julius would do that to anyone?"