Temporary Alliance

Chapter 11 : Played

An odd look passed over Victor's face but he didn't say anything as both of them made room for me in the middle to look at the device. The device was actually a medium sized tablet. The screen was already turned on and it displayed a video that was ready to play.

I pressed play and we all watched in silence.

*

When the video finished, no one talked in the room. My features stayed blank but inside, my heart threatened to beat out of my chest. My father, one of the few people in the world I loved with everything I had, being treated like dirt ripped my heart to shreds. Everything around me began to disappear as I couldn't think of anything but what I saw. Every detail running through my head.

Whoever they were, they were all wearing black, including ski masks, beating him up mercilessly. My father was standing in the beginning of the video but near the end, he had collapsed to the ground as if his legs couldn't hold him up any longer.

"Simmons." I heard Victor and saw the shadow of his hand reaching towards me.

"Touch me and you'll lose that arm," I growled deeply. My threat resonating in the silence.

Victor's hand retreated slowly and he soon stood up.

If only I was faster in finding the location-

My thoughts broke off when I heard Victor's voice once again.

"Do you hear that?" Victor spoke up.

Alexander and I froze absolutely still in place and tried understand what Victor meant.

In just a few seconds, I began to hear a consistent ticking noise in the room. Distinguishing that the ticks were coming from underneath the coffee table, I crouched down on all fours and checked underneath the table. Ice seeped into my veins when I saw red numbers counting down.

"Bomb." I warned everyone through the earpiece as I tried to examine the contraption right in front of me.

The homemade bomb looked small enough that it wouldn't obliterate everything within miles, but there was no time to try and figure out the wiring. So, we only had one choice.

"Everyone out!" I yelled and Victor grabbed the tablet. Everyone seemed to trust my judgement because they followed my lead. We all sprinted out of the cottage and into the forest.

Everyone stood behind the trees, using it as cover from shrapnel. Moments after everyone found cover behind thick trees, the house exploded and was soon consumed by flames.

I looked around the forest and counted heads. Everyone seemed to be present and unhurt so I let out a silent, deep breath of relief. Looking over at Alexander, he had pulled out his cellphone and was calling someone. The call was very short and the moment he finished, his eyes met mine for a second.

"Back to the vehicle." I heard Alexander order.

I looked around and saw that there was no way we could stay here any longer because the flames were beginning to lick the trees of the forest. All the special forces unit members and Victor followed Alexander's order immediately and ran back towards our bulletproof van. I took one last look at the burning cottage. Knowing there was nothing left for us here, I followed closely behind.

*

Alexander slipped into the driver's seat while I went into the passenger seat. The others opened the back of the van and sat down on the bench-like seats. I slipped off the earpiece and saw Alexander do the same. He passed his to me and I put both of ours into my pocket.