Chapter 12
Timothy’s POV
We hurry onto the plane, and I turn one last time to look in the direction of where we left Madi. Her body is gone, and from our distance, I can see a large shadow. Turning away, I wipe a tear from my eye. I need to be alone, for a few moments, but this isn’t really that big of a ship. Seth looks at me, with sorrow in his eyes. I feel the urge to wrap myself in him. His arms are so strong, and warm, and everything about him is so comforting, but then I think of Sean.
I break the gaze I’ve been holding, and race across the room, into the bathroom. I bolt the door behind me and just slide to the floor. This war has taken so much from me, and I feel like I’m beginning to run out of things to lose. I force myself to my feet, and gaze at the empty face in the mirror. I look soulless, and my eyes are as empty as my heart feels. Everything is dimmed, and my hearing is muffled. Madi is dead, and we just killed so many more people.
As I sit on the bathroom floor, a few voices carry through the walls, and I listen to a muffled argument. I can hear the two voices distinctly, and I realize immediately that Seth and Sean are talking to each other very heatedly. I squeeze my eyes shut, and try to concentrate on what they’re saying.
“Stepping on my toes all the time” Sean says, using the voice he usually saves for our enemies, or Wesley. What could they be arguing about? I listen again, catching the next sentence.
“I don’t know why you’re acting like such a jealous little bitch. Everyone knows Timothy loves you, and only you. “Seth responds with a hint of sadness in his voice. My face droops even further, when I realize that they’re arguing over me. I clap my palm to my face, and close my eyes stressfully. What am I supposed to do? My friend just died thirty minutes ago, and there are two grown men fighting over me like middle school boys. What has my life become?
I stand up, and unbolt the door, before slowly leaving my one and only sanctuary behind. Walking back into the hazy hostile environment that is my group. Seth rushes past me, and head for the cockpit. I look the way he came, and Sean is nowhere to be found, so I walk back to our room. Opening the door, I look at the empty bed, and even though a part of me is wondering where he is, another part is wondering how long it’ll take me to fall asleep in the soft bed awaiting me.
Sean’s POV
I slam the door behind me, as I leave Seth standing defensively in his bedroom. I can’t stand the smug look on his snobby face for one more second. I need to release some of this anger, but we’re flying through the air, and there isn’t really too much to do. I head to the interrogation room, and find myself face to face with Bruening. He’s still hanging from his wrists by a chain, and there are dried blood tracks all the way down his arms. He has two black eyes and a swollen lip, from when timothy attacked him.
“It’s time to give up some more information” I say, and he smiles evilly. For some reason the look unsettles me. Why on earth would this piece of garbage unsettle me, when he’s the one whom is a prisoner? “You’re going to tell me something that we can use, and you’re going to tell me just how to avoid a trap” I demand, and his gloating smile grows larger by the second. In that moment, I see why Timothy lost his temper. I pull back, and slap him across the face.
Bruening spits a couple shattered teeth from his blood filled mouth, and smiles up at me with those sickening sea green eyes.
“Sean, I’m sorry that you have this guilt on your conscience, but it is in no way my fault” he says, and I freeze. What’s he talking about?
“What the hell are you talking about?” I demand, and his smile just grows smugger by the second. Other than an undistinguishable murmur. Confusion flows through me.
“All those people needlessly killed. Your parents, your friends, your sister” he says, and my eyes lock on his. Before I know what’s going on, he twitches his eyes, in a strange sort of way, and everything slows down tremendously. The room around me is filled with nothing other than Bruening. All I can think about is his last sentence.
“You know they died because of you, don’t you?” he asks, and I freeze once again, but this time I’m not confused.
“How many?” I ask, and his smile seems to brighten the entire room, as he looks into my frozen face, and he answers my question, with no difficulty.
“Two hundred-forty seven people were killed due to your criminal behavior, and you ran. You ran like a coward, and your family burned for it. How does that make you feel? I bet you don’t feel so much like a hero now, do you?” he asks, with a shallow croaky voice, that hints at just how evil he is.
“Two hundred f-“ I begin, but he cuts me off with a low whistle. The room begins to spin strangely, and I realize that he had to have done something because I can feel my consciousness slipping away too quickly.
“You want to avenge them. You want my men to die. You want to rip them apart. You’re so angry that you want to kill them all by yourself”. He tells me, and for some reason, I do. I can picture it all going down.
I can see myself running down the slope, and killing the army of men, before me. As each man falls at my hands, I feel the weight of guilt leave me little by little. I need to do this. I need to listen to Bruening.
“Yes sir” I mutter, as my body, and mind take control. I can feel the influence of someone else in my mind, but my consciousness won’t let me think about it for more than a second. Something weird is going on, and I can’t figure it out.
Bruening smiles at me, as we stand there looking at each other, for another moment. I realize that he’s controlling me, but there’s no way to fight it. There’s a tugging sensation, pulling me toward my destiny. A rope pulling me into battle, so I can kill two hundred-forty seven men. I turn away from him, and walk from the room not even remembering the reason I went in there. I head in the direction of my room, so I can somehow think of a plan to get away from Timothy.
I love him more than anything, but if he even gets a hint of what I’m planning then he’ll try to stop me, and he’ll succeed. Timothy is a very stubborn person, and he will get what he wants. I close my eyes briefly as I realize what I’m going to have to do. I’m going to have to hurt him, in order to save his life. I’m going to have to shatter his heart into a million pieces, and I’m going to have to pretend that I don’t care. The only way to physically save Timothy’s life is to kill him emotionally.
