t a y l o r
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Isn't it scary to be ready to die at such a young age?
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My knuckles crack once they make contact with his face. The sound echoed through the silent room. The fucker whimpered in pain yet I didn't feel anything. My fist didn't sting, and my chest doesn't ache with guilt.
It was these moments that I lived for.
I sat down opposite to him, scanning my eyes over his swollen face. His gaze was tired, and slowly broke apart before our very eyes. His cheeks bled and his lip cracked open.
His breathing came out in brutal pants, the sound leaving his lips was almost too strangled to understand. "I don't know who he is."
He.
"So you know it's a guy?" I push, making sure no one around me could see any shred of hope in my eyes.
He visibly gulps, "Boss doesn't see a need for chicks unless he's boning them."
He'd been tied to the chair for at least 5 hours now, with each of us taking turns interrogating him.
But at them words, Scarlett sent a callous punch to his already fucked up face.
He winced as his head flew back, "Just because my boss does that, Doll, doesn't mean I do."
Her lip curled back, and she pulled the pistol from her back pocket and held it to his head. "Call me Doll once again. I dare you."
"Don't be like that Dol- Shit! What the fuck, Woman?!" He swore as she whipped his across his head with the gun. I smirked, watching as a malicious grin painted across Scarlett's face.
Her dark streak didn't show often but when it did, it was beautiful.
"I'm sorry, is the gun at your head making you uncomfortable?" She snaps, almost cutting him with her eyes.
My eyes lock with Hayden's, and I gesture for him to get her away from the enemy. He complies easily, pushing her from the room.
It had been one week since Devil had stabbed Jayce. One week since Becca had revealed that she thought Astrid was a traitor.
I couldn't like a traitor.
She slaughtered her parents. Who says she couldn't betray a group of people she barely knows?
Catching Shae's and Jesse's attention, I nod at them.
They knew what that meant.
Kill him.
I strolled out the room with Jayce by my side. How could anybody ever assume he was a traitor? He was my best friend, my brother.
He had proved his loyalty with shattered glasses and tears of blood.
"We can tick genocide off our 'To do list'" I comment bluntly, wiping my blood stained hands on my jeans. I welcomed the sweet taste of death, biting the inside of my cheek in a bid to stop the cruel smirk begging to embed on my face.
Shae kisses his teeth, looking back into the opposite cell. Dozens of contorted body's lay deafeningly just moments away from us.
"Hm to think, that could've been me." Jayce's voice was callous as he spoke, his blank words obviously aimed at Scarlett.
His eyes studied her reaction carefully.
Her brows raised slightly, amused by his statement. "Be careful. If my brother tries to kill you again, he'll make sure you're dead."
Jayce chuckled darkly, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Doll."
I sense the sudden tension in the room. My tone came out clipped and unquestioning. "Stop fucking about. Burn them and tell Lexi what we found out."
A hand shot out and grabbed my shoulder before I could move back into the room.
Jesse, Shae, Scarlett and Jayce had gone.
Hayden stood in front of me, his arms crossed as he stared at me questioningly.
"Why are you avoiding her?"
Astrid.
"Who?" My voice was empty as I replied to him. I physically felt the wall rebuild itself in my eyes.
"You know who, dumbass." He deadpans. "Why?"
"I'm not talking about this now, Hayden." I snap, attempting to walk past him. He blocked the way out. "Get the fuck out of my way before I break your nose."
"You quit smoking for her." He observes, not bothered in the slightest by my threat. "And I know why."
My eyebrow raised, "Oh yeah?"
"You can only handle one addiction at a time, Tay."
I swallow quietly, "I haven't spoke to her. So what?"
"You don't get to mess her about and then break her apart just because she isn't who you expected her to be."
"She killed her parents!" I force out, raising my voice. "Becca thinks she betrayed the gang! She's a monster!"
"Becca hates her!" Hayden scoffs at me, "She's a monster? What are you? What am I?" He points to the cell covered in bodies. "You think Arry's ever done that? You think she's ever killed that many people?"
He shook his head at me, scoffing again when I didn't reply. "If she's a monster, then we must be fucking Devil's then. We've all got monsters inside of us. You don't get to judge her for acting on hers when you've never had yours switched off."
"She belongs here, you know that. She's one of us."
***
46 people.
46 people had been killed by my orders in the past 6 hours.
"What's in your hair?"
I turn around, noticing Astrid watching me from the living room. A cup of coffee rests in her hand for a change, insomnia obviously keeping her awake. Jesse sits further behind her, with his earphones in. I could only assume he's been placed as her guard.
"Trust me, you don't want to know." I mutter, grabbing the stair rail.
"Is that blood?" Her question makes me stop. I look back at her.
Her blue eyes were wide and her lips rested open as she stared at me.
"Leave it." I order, yet I knew she wouldn't listen.
She sighs, her eyes diverting to the coffee. "You can't avoid me forever, Taylor."
I can try.
Ignoring her, I walk up the stairs until her voice sounds again.
"I'm not the traitor."
I wish I could believe that.
Heading straight to Rebecca's room, I find her sat on her bed silently.
"How are you and Shae?" I ask, examining her expression carefully.
Her lips tugged up unwillingly, a small smile breaking out on her stone cold features. "You know how people talk about love at first sight? Feeling sparks fly and you just know right away that you're in love with them?"
I swallow unconsciously.
Astrid.
And yet I painted a teasing smile onto my face, "And it was like that with you and Shae? You believe in love at first sight?"
"Fuck no." She chuckles, wrapping her arms across her stomach. "I think it's a load of bullshit."
"Oh?"
"I didn't love him at first. I didn't know what love was. Loving him...It crept up on me. I know I want to be with him for the rest of my life. But now, everything we have could be destroyed." She bit her lip, tightening her grip on herself. "I'm scared, Tay."
"Anybody can have the joy of killing us but they won't ever have the satisfaction of seeing our fear." I quoted naturally, letting the words roll off my tongue.
Her dark eyes flickered with fear I had never recognised before. Even as children, Becca never shown or expressed any form of fear.
It was almost unnatural to us.
"That's the issue." She muttered uncomfortably, "They wouldn't just be killing me."
What?
Her voice came out soft, as if the words were almost too difficult to say. "I'm pregnant, Taylor. Me and Shae...We're gonna have a baby."
"Oh my god." I whisper, completely frozen.
I run to her and pick her up, grinning as I spin her around in circles. She laughs with me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"I'm gonna be an uncle." I smiled, "How long have you known? When's it due? Is it a he or she? Does Shae know?" I question rapidly, honestly not being able to focus on anything other than my sister.
She's going to have a baby.
"Calm down." She slaps my shoulder, but I can tell by the gentle smile on her face that she's just as excited as me.
"I've only known for a few weeks. The bump started showing a bit so I've been stuck wearing these hoodies until we finally decide to tell everyone. Shae knows, he did the ultrasound." Her eyes diverted to the ground, a faint blush lingering on her cheeks. "We're having a baby girl."
***
"Taylor?"
I grip the edge of the sink, my knuckles whitening from the pressure. Looking up, I stare at Becca through the mirror.
"Don't hesitate, brother. No matter what." She bites her lip, hesitation showing in her eyes.
"Do you think it's her? Honestly?"
"I don't know. It could be Jayce. How he acts, Tay...I watched a similar process with his father." She admits, but I dismiss it instantly.
Jayce is my brother, one of my closest friends. We may not speak often but I've known him for a long time.
"Jayce isn't his father. We are not our parents."
I could understand why he was a suspect, as his dad betrayed Becca's old gang. We were only young then, and he was our supplier. He betrayed everything we stood for, murdering an innocent child in cold blood.
So Becca executed him.
"C'mon. And just to warn you, both Jayce and Astrid spent a night in the cells."
I follow her from the bathroom, meeting everyone in the Dungeon interview room.
"I recommend torture interrogation, it works." Rebecca fires in the moment we walk through. One of the best thing about The Vipers is that we can judge the best thing to do, rather than using the same technique for each situation.
Despite the burning sensation in my chest at her words, and the idea of Astrid hurt, I knew why it was her first suggestion.
Humorously, people tend to have a way of telling the truth when you set them on fire.
"No." Lex disagrees instantly, shaking her head. "Anyone can tell that she's been through enough as it is. I refuse to have us responsible for her relieving any childhood trauma."
Devil's eyes flash at Lexi's words, making me question whether he has more knowledge regarding the subject than I.
"Bu-"
"No." The raw power in Alexi's words silence Becca instantly.
"Lexi..." Becca warned slowly, "You are not in charge here. We do things my way."
Alexi scoffs loudly, surprisingly Bec considerably. "You might be the leader, Becca. But I'm the one in charge. We are not torturing her and you are not being the interrogator. You're biased."
"This isn't the time to argue." I cut in, making both their glares turn towards me. "Devil, Jesse and River can question and Hayden, Scar and I will witness. For Jayce, Sawyer, Xander and Oli can question and Addy, Erin and Shae can witness."
"Fine. She's already ready in Cell #4."
I almost flinch at the callousness of Rebecca's words, and then the shock of the Cell number.
Cell Four was reserved for our most dangerous prisoners. The walls were decorated with a wide range of torture devices and chains forced into the ground to keep the Prisoner still.
I nod my head, not offering a verbal response. We walk towards the cell, and step in to find the chairs already set up and Astrid already in place.
She sits on the wall furthest from the door, chains are attached to her ankles, her wrists and her neck. The metal highlights the scar on her neck even more. It looks too tight. The bags under her eyes are clear, even in the dark light. It's obvious she hasn't slept.
I swallow the lump in my throat, tearing my eyes away from the sight.
Hayden sets up the tape recorder in the centre of the room, taking a seat next to it. He speaks into the recorder, "This is Hayden Silva, Fourth in Command of The Vipers. Interrogation of Astrid Cleveland on suspected treason. Interrogators: Devil Keller, River McCaffrey and Jesse Cooney. Witnesses: Hayden Silva, Scarlett Keller and Taylor Valentine."
"Cleveland, please state your full name, age and plea to the tape."
"Astrid Isabella Cleveland. 16, nearly 17." Her voice is hoarse, as if she hasn't had water for days. "Not guilty."
Hayden doesn't look at her as he speaks, "Questions will commence as of now."
"Why did Rogue attempt to kill you?" River asks, keeping a blank expression on his face.
Astrid closes her eyes, leaning her head back. "Because I tried to kill him first."
"Why?" He pushes further.
"He's a traitor." She breathes out shallowly, "He betrayed my entire family. He deserves to die."
She offers no further explanation, so Jesse gives the next question.
"Why do you travel alone? Has it always been that way?"
"People run in gangs and groups because they don't feel safe alone. I've always ran alone because I feel safe in groups. I've been running alone for five years."
The war ended 5 years ago.
As Devil didn't go to ask his question, River speaks up again. "What happened with your brother?"
She pauses for a few moments, taking deep breaths. "We're safer apart." She finally replies almost inaudibly.
"He's your brother."
"Trust me, we've better off separated."
"Why'd you kill your parents?" Devil moves his eyes away from Astrid's fragile form, fixing his eyes upon the knife collection on the wall.
"It was a mercy kill." She sounds so broken as them words are breathed from her lips. So soft, so quiet.
The words hit my straight in my gut. I can feel Hayden's stare on the side of my head as he knows just how deeply it's affected me.
Devil doesn't offer any further questions, so Jesse goes next.
"Where does your allegiance lie?"
"With myself and my family." One of her hands starts moving around, until the inside of her wrist is completely facing us. The chains rattle as she moves. "A Viper will never lie or give false information. Familia super omnia."
Family above all.
She doesn't speak anymore, but instead leaves The Viper tattoo glaring right back at us.
Devil storms out of the room before we have a chance to leave. I follow him out of instinct. I knew this was hard on him. I knew he admired and related to Astrid.
"Devil?"
"I believe her, Taylor." He reveals before I have the chance to ask. "I've met bad people, I know so many fucked up, treacherous people that I forgot there was any good in the world until I came here. She's not the traitor, I just know it."
"It's not as easy to just feel like she's not the traitor, we need proof."
"You know she's only in there because Rebecca hates her." He shoots back, "It isn't her, Valentine. It isn't her."
"He's right." Another voice adds, "Jayce has the lies tattooed on his tongue. The interrogation was too easy, too planned. Astrid is not the traitor."
And then I'm left alone, with Devil's and Xander's words engraving themselves into my conscience.