Burning Willow

XXI

"You..."

"Although not long at all, I suppose." He chuckled.

A fishing hat laid neatly on the table separating us. A pair of glasses under old blue eyes... white hair and a lean body.

"Mr. James..."

My hands were still tied, so my movements were limited.

Chase and Daniel regarded him with looks of scorn.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble, darling, I just had to make sure of a few things about you."

My brain is still registering what's going on.

The old man at the grocery...

No...

"Could you do me a favour and untie me?" Daniel said in a voice that hinted at sarcasm.

"I would, but I trust you know how to."

Mr. James- Gregori, folded his arms. Daniel sighed, rolled his eyes and began fidgeting his hands. In a few moments, the rope came undone.

"Now refresh my memory. How many knots do you know of?"

Daniel gritted his teeth. "Forty-seven."

"You're being modest." He shook his head.

"I don't believe you kidnapped us to ask Daniel about boy-scout knowledge, did you?" Chase spat out.

"No dear. Quite the contrary. I wanted to check up on you, make sure you were doing alright ever since you ran away."

Chase went cold.

"You know, Daniel was quite obedient before he met a boy like you."

"Yeah? He was normal before he met you."

"Normal is just an illusion. You must realize that by now."

He came forward towards the boys, then rested his lower back at the edge of the table.

He stared at Daniel intently. "I treated you like my own son. Tell me Daniel, what didn't I give you?

"There's a difference between a son and a dog." Daniel replied.

"Ah yes, but one of them is loyal."

"What do you want, Gregori?" Chase's voice rang through my ears.

"Ah, Zev, always the fiery one."

Zev.

I heard... I heard Daniel call him that last night.

"You both broke the oath. That's punishable by death, and you know that."

"If you wanted us dead, we'd already be dead." Said Daniel.

"Oh no, not you. You're one of a kind. Him however," he eyed Chase. "Is something I'm still debating on."

His eyes turned towards me. "And then, the girls. Two of them, yes? One Brien's daughter, the other no use to me."

"If you even try--"

"Oh no, don't worry. I won't lay a hand on them. The other one, I've already sent her back to the city."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"You should. I'm not lying. I will however, tell you that she's going to be detained in the time that this matter had been resolved. So even if she does blabber to the police, we'll be far gone."

"How do I know that she's safe?"

"You don't. But you, Daniel, always had a knack for liars. So tell me, do you think I'm lying?"

Daniel didn't say a word. Gregori smirked.

"Did you bring the USB?" He asked.

"No. I'm not stupid." Said Daniel.

"Obviously you're not, or we wouldn't be here. Now this is the part you tell me that Brien's daughter is better than any USB you could have handed me and all that bullshit, but I simply don't care."

"You said it yourself, his daughter or the drive--"

"I lied." He uncrossed his arms. "Simply put, our values have changed. Now that her stepfather's project has more to do with politics than business, I don't think anybody would care if we used her as ransom."

My head spun. I was hearing everything, but not quite understanding it.

"Where's the drive, Daniel?" 

Daniel didn't respond. 

"Don't make me want to hurt Maya." He said. His voice sounded like laced poison. "Or this pretty young thing here." He looked at me.

The guard that was next to Gregori came towards me with a knife. I retreated as best as I knew how, but tied up, I couldn't go very far.

He pressed the sharp side of the knife to the right side of my abdomen. It was over my shirt, but I could still feel the cold metal. Something in Chase's expression changed. He looked both angry and scared at the same time. Like he had been forced to back into a wall.

"Where's the—"

"I told you!" Daniel screamed. "She had no part in this!"

"Oh, but she did." He said. He nodded at the guy, who pressed his knife further into my skin. Then, a second later, he glided it as fast as it could across my skin. For a moment, I felt nothing.

And then it came. A sharp shooting pain, and a sting which felt like if a hundred bees had attacked me at once. I pressed my hand to my stomach and doubled over.

The pain took over my body, my brain. I screamed. I wasn't sure I heard myself.

Through a ringing in my ears, I heard Chase scream though. Maybe it was louder than mine. I didn't know. I didn't remember.

"It's not fatal." Gregori's voice rang in my ears. "But it will be if you don't tell me—"

"My apartment." Daniel said. His voice sounded so shaky. "Under the headboard."

"Excellent." He turned to the two guys standing behind him. "Get the drive. Put these two where they belong. And her..." He came towards me and bend down. "I quite like you, you know."

Whatever he said next, I didn't hear. His form turned into a blurry figure. I remotely heard Chase struggle through and yell my name, but I couldn't respond.

My eyes felt heavy. Something warm dripped on my hand that was so close to my stomach. The metallic smell of blood.

Then, I passed out.