The Worst In Me (Ending to the Fault Line Trilogy)

Chapter Twelve

Letting the next screen load, I check the time just for fun. 2:28 p.m. on May 5th. What. I slept two days? Wow . . . I did good. Now I won't need sleep for the next four days. Sweetness!

"I have a question." I hesitate.

"Yeah?" The agent across from me asks.

I play with my hands. "How is my family doing?" Why am I asking myself this? Oh, that's right. Because they're my family and I care. That's why.

Agent Smith stops moving, his muscles tensing. He sets the paper he was reading down, watching me with wary eyes. Immediately I freeze, something bad has happened to them. "I'm sorry, Lana."

"What happened?"

"I'm so sorry-"

"What the hell happened?!" I stand in anger, knocking over the chair I was sitting in over. I breathe heavily, nothing good ever comes out of these situations when I'm around.

"They're dead, Lana." And right there, my entire world came crashing down. I bet if you were in the room with me, you could have felt the walls surrounding my heart weaken with just that one sentence.

"But . . . but they can't be. You-you're lying. They're all right. They're fine."

"I'm sorry, Lana." He says calmly before looking back down at his paperwork, telling me that he's done discussing.

"Stop saying that, they're fine!" I exclaim, backing into the corner of the room. I hate feeling so vulnerable about stuff like this. It makes me feel weak. Lana "The Brilliant Criminal" Carter can't feel weak about crap like her family which she gave up all those years ago. She forgot about them the minute next. Not hanging onto their memory ten some years later. Finally the truth sets in. They're dead. I was supposed to be there with them in their final moments, but inside I turned my back on them. I never returned their calls or went to their visits, out of my own grief. But I never gave up on them. I left them because my enemies would go after them. I gave them up because I care too much for them. They may have gave me to the police but I never once doubted them. I love them. They're my family. But family is all gold and silver. It's pain and misery and trust. And I never put my trust into them when all they did was trust me to come back to them. And in the end I didn't. I betrayed them when they really needed me the most. I'm a monster. A cruel, sick, perverted monster that only cares in what is best for her. I never deserved them as a family. I never deserved myself. My breathing becomes very quick, my heart pounding in my chest like it wants to escape. Fighting the tears, I run out of the conference room. "It's all your fault." I tell Agent Smith before I reach the doorway.

"How is it my fault?" He asks sincerely but also calmly.

I whip around, anger and pain controlling my movements. "Because you were supposed to keep on eye on them! You promised you would! I trusted you Agent Smith, and you didn't return the favor! They're dead because of you! I hate you! I never want to see you again!" I scream, running down the hall.

I reach the dead end that I was at a few days ago when I let my emotions take control of my body, just as they're doing now. They were supposed to be okay. Not this. I was there to protect them, I was blind behind my own hatred towards our actions. They're gone, because of Agent Smith. He promised! That jerk promised me that he would!

I watch Agent Smith carefully. "I have a proposition for you." I state, watching Agent Smith's reaction to all of this.

"And what would that be?" He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table.

A tear slips down my face.

"I'll be the best criminal you've ever arrested as long as you watch over my family. Health wise, emotionally wise, everything wise. Do it for those who employ you. Promise me that you will take care of them though I could never go back to them." I blink.