Project X - Agents & Assassins [COMPLETE]

Chapter 18

'This is all your fault,' Scarlett mumbled as she tried to pull her arms out of the tight ropes. 'No, it wasn't,' Kalea abruptly answered, 'I didn't know- I thought that I-'

Scarlett tried to roll her eyes but discovered that was a lot harder to do when hung upside down. 'Yeah sure, you thought your legs were broken or at least paralyzed, but then they weren't,' Scarlett stated, 'and you want me to believe that?'

Kalea shook her head. 'No, I really couldn't move my legs. And I'm ever so sorry that I punched you,' she paused, 'and kicked you, bit you and probably pulled your hair.'

Scarlett ignored the apology and irritated looked at her feet. 'I can't believe they stole my shoes,' she mumbled after a long time of silence. The ropes were slowly starting to cut in their feet and both girls could agree on that it was a burning pain. 'What's so special about your shoes?', Kalea asked.

'They had knives in the heels. I could've cut myself loose if I had them on.'

Kalea nodded and turned back to herself. She needed to find a way to let the blood stop streaming to her face, which she was sure was already purple by now. 'So, who is Richard?', Scarlett asked, 'you know him?'

Kalea tried to nod but found out it was getting more difficult to do so. 'He's my brother,' she said, 'not really though, since he's adopted and I'm not even a biological being on this world.'

The door opened and Richard walked into the room with music coming out of his phone. He silently walked up to Kalea and started to cut her loose with a blunt knife. She fell to the ground with a thud. When she was loose she needed some time to gather herself back together and let her purple face turn back to pink. 'Come on,' Richard said as he hinted to the door, 'this is none of your business.'

Kalea slowly stood up on her feet and bravely walked up to Richard. 'Where is Felix?', she said with a lump in her throat. 'Go to your room and perhaps I'll tell you,' Richard said with an irritation to his voice, 'then you'll find out what you did.'

He brutally grabbed Kalea by her shoulder, pushed her out of the room and closed the door behind her. After that he turned back to Scarlett.

He took out his phone and put out his music. 'What can you tell me about your father?', he started, 'your adopted father, I mean.'

Scarlett kept silent and looked the boy in his eyes. How dared he asking about her father? He had nothing to do with anything. All he did was sit in the background drinking coffee while trying to finish a good book. And this boy, who was he? He didn't look older than twenty but he didn't seem like a high school student to her anymore. He had the guts, no this whole household had the guts to mess with her and she knew that when she found a way out of this room, she wouldn't leave the house until everyone in it had been killed. They crossed her, and that was a mistake. 'What can you tell me about yours?', she answered with malice. Richard grinned. 'I know they left me to die when I was younger. Raphael, your dad, took me in and raised me,' he said.

'He didn't raise you well, then,' Scarlett answered. Richard pulled out his knife and started cutting down Scarlett as well. 'Finally,' Scarlett mumbled.

'Shut up,' Richard answered. Once Scarlett had tumbled to the ground she quickly stood up in a fight stand. 'No need for that,' Richard said. Scarlett lowered her defence but wasn't completely convinced. 'All I need is your address and then you're free to go.'

Scarlett sniffed and calculated her chances. The guy in front of her was strongly built and surprisingly had a good taste of music. He was tall but not too tall for Scarlett to take down. 'Why'd you want my address? So, you can finish this fight later?'

Richard shook his head. 'No,' he said, 'I just want your dad.'

'Why?', Scarlett asked confusingly. 'Because Raphael has some unfinished business with his brother,' Richard stated. Scarlett frowned her eyebrows. 'Brother?', she asked. It was already a bother to her that this guy called her creator her father. And suddenly everything in her head became a mess. Was her adopted father her uncle or what? She wasn't thinking straight. 'He's been lying to you, Scarlett,' Richard said. 'All he ever wanted was to make you strong. So, you could fix his problems by fighting them.'

Scarlett shook her head. 'No,' she mumbled, 'that's not true.'

'Do you remember that golden griffon? In the church?', Richard asked. 'Do you know why August destroyed it?'

Richard sighed. 'Sure, why would you trust me?', he stated, 'we kidnap you, hang you upside down and demand to know your address. All of that while you don't even know my name,' he said, 'I'm Richard.'

'Do I look like I fucking care?', Scarlett angrily yelled at him. 'I don't care if he just wants me to fight. I don't care if I'll have to kill every last person in this household, I'll never betray my father!'

Richard leaned back. It was as if he suddenly felt the anger instead of Scarlett and his blood pressure raised instantly. 'I'd have to admire your loyalty to him.'

Scarlett didn't know why but her head started feeling hotter and hotter. Her anger flowing through her veins as she spit fire out of her eyes. Her father was the only thing she had ever cared about in her entire life. And she would not betray him.

'There doesn't pass a day where Raphael doesn't talk about you, y'know?', Richard asked. 'All he wanted was to see you again.'

'I don't care.'

'But he does.'

Scarlett sighed and took a step back. 'He already has a replacement. Why doesn't he spent more time with uh-'

'Kalea,' Richard filled in. 'Right yeah, Kalea,' Scarlett said.

'Because,' Richard said, 'she didn't turn out the way he wanted her to be. She's only a few months old so everything she thinks she knows about this world was implanted in her, like a cyborg. He doesn't give himself the chance to give any attention to her, because she isn't you. All he ever wanted was to have you back.'

Scarlett grinned and raised her eyebrows. The tension grew between the two and Scarlett could feel it. This was the moment to use her trump card.

'That's some heavy shit your throwing on me.'

'Are you going to tell me where you live or not?', Richard asked.

A shudder went over Scarlett's body. 'No,' she answered.

Richard nodded in agreement and walked to the door. 'Wait here,' he said with a lump in his throat, 'I'll be right back.'