Birdie came back later that day with my dinner and didn't leave the room. He looked a little nervous when he sat down on the floor.
"When Che was 13, Ryan moved out of the house. He made a message board just for the three of us so we could keep in contact. I sent him a message there. About you."
"He won't reply. He knows it's a trap."
"It's not a trap. I'm losing myself in this, and I don't want that. I used to believe in the system. The system used to work. I didn't get into this because I wanted to beat eighteen-year-olds. Or watch eighteen-year-olds get beat up. I'm helping you back to your family if you'll help Che back to his."
"I can't decide for Che. He chose to come with me. You don't understand, Aidan..." The use of his actual name put an emphasis on the seriousness of this. I hoped. "Our animals react to each other. I don't know how to explain it any other way, but we're kind of connected. We're not going to get separated. When I get out of here, I'm out, and I'm gonna stay with Nat and Che."
"Nathan, you're eighteen. Che is nineteen. I know this is your first real relationship and it's probably Che's too, but... You guys are so young. What happens if you break up? Then Che has nothing."
"You don't understand, Aidan. We're not going to break up. He's part of my team. He's mine."
"And does he feel the same way about you? I know my brother. I know how he is. He's not... The most serious guy. He likes girls more than anything."
I snorted loudly. I knew the truth there. Che had been with five girls before me. I bet everyone thought the number was way higher. He was extremely attractive and kind of arrogant too. He had the appearance and identity of a womaniser. But he wasn't. It was just a façade. It was easier for him to be sarcastic and arrogant, rather than being vulnerable.
He could be vulnerable with me, just like I could with him. Neither of us needed to be anything we weren't when it was just the two of us.
Che had once said, everything would be perfect if it was just him and me, and I realised he was right. If we could just be alone, everything was perfect. The small moments we had had of freedom were pure bliss.
"I don't think you know Che very well anymore," I said and leaned back against the wall, finished with my dinner. It was nice. Dean was a good cook.
"We'll see. If he chooses to stay with you... I'll have to accept that."
I didn't believe him at all, but if this could get me out... Playing along? I knew Che would choose me. I trusted him when he told me, he would always choose me. Birdie didn't need to know that.
The days went on without Che replying. I hoped he would, and I hoped he wouldn't. If he didn't, he was still safe. If he did, there was a chance I could get back to him.
I wish I could pace. I needed to move. I really did, but the collar-chain wasn't long enough. Instead, my leg was bouncing up and down constantly, and I kept glancing at the door. It finally opened, but it was just Dean.
"Need the bathroom?"
"Sure," I muttered and moved away from the radiator, so he could remove the chain without me scaring him or some shit like that.
I was just happy to get walking, and Dean would let me get privacy sometimes. Just a bit of time outside of that room. My new cage. It was an upgrade for sure, but I was slowly losing my mind. I knew that.
Trying to go back to old prison tactics didn't work for me. Thinking positive was killing me because I could only think of Nat and Che. When I thought about Nat, I grew colder and colder. Like something was dying inside of me.
I finished up in the toilet and joined Dean outside. "Where are all the other agents?" I asked as he followed me back to my room.
"Around when you're not," he just replied. I glanced up at him and frowned. "Aidan and I are your handlers. Supervisors, if you want."
"So I'm only allowed to be in contact with you? Why isn't Ryan on this mission?"
"Don't worry about that."
I sat down on the mattress and watched Dean put the chain back around the radiator. "But I do. Worry."
"I doubt that." He looked up from his handy-work.
"Why?"
"Because it seems you only have interest for one brother." He kind of smirked, but it wasn't really a smirk. It was a weird facial expression, to be honest.
"I... I love Che, but... I liked Aidan and Ryan too. They were nice to me."
"Then why did you just run? Do you know how much trouble they got in?"
"So I should have stayed to keep them out of trouble? I should have let the Academy force my sister into submission?" I shook my head. "I didn't run for me. Or for Che. My sister was breaking apart."
"Why are you telling me that?"
Totally not to distract you from actually locking that lock, securing the chain.
"Because it feels like you have a perception of me that isn't true, and since I only have two people I can communicate with, it would be nice to be on the same page." I shrugged a bit.
The lock still wasn't locked. Dean narrowed his eyes when mine for a second drifted down to his hands.
"You're a slimy bastard," he muttered and secured the lock.
"Can you blame me for trying?" I leaned back against the wall and pulled my legs up, placing my arms on top of my knees. "What's going to happen to me?"
"We're keeping you here."
"Where is here? Am I still in Canada?"
"What do you think?" He gave me a bland look.
"We crossed the border in the van. I'm in America..." I closed my eyes and buried my face in my hands. In Canada, the government at least hadn't been completely against us. Here I was back at being a legal minor, and Birdie was probably still my guardian, him having adopted me. Or something like that.
Dean didn't reply. He just pulled tryingly on the chain and was satisfied with it. And then he left me.
"Nathan."
I jerked back far into the corner, growling loudly.
"It's me, relax."
My heart was pounding, and I couldn't grasp reality. It was even harder in animal form to calm down. I barred my teeth, and then my vision cleared. Birdie was squatting not very far from me, completely calm. I calmed myself down enough for me to shift back to human.
"You gave me a fright," I said, my words a bit slurred by my still too large fangs. They were always the last thing to shrink back to normal.
"Sorry, I tried to wake up you several times, but you're one heavy sleeper. Now that you actually sleep." Birdie shrugged a bit.
"What is it, then?" I yawned and scratched my eye.
"Che has replied. He sent me a phone number. I figured you wanted to talk to him."
"And prove to him, you have me."
"And that." Birdie rose to his full height of at least 6'6'', the collar-chain in his hand. We walked out in the small living room/kitchen and sat down by the table. Birdie punched the number into his phone and waited. I glanced up at the clock. It wasn't even remotely night. It was 2 pm. When did my daily rhythm fuck up so much?
"It's me," Birdie said quietly. I bit down on my lip. Birdie didn't say anything else, just handed me the phone.
"Nathan?"
"Che?" I whispered.
"It's me, stay on the line, okay?"
I nodded and realised he couldn't see me. "Okay."
"Are you okay?"
"No." My throat was burning. Just hearing his voice made the animal go crazy.
"I'm getting you out, you hear me? This isn't over. Just keep being so strong for me, okay?"
"Okay," I said again.
"I love you, you know that. Always remember that. Never forget it. I love you."
"I love you too," I said with a very thin voice. I glanced up at caught Birdie's gaze.
"Can you tell me anything about your surroundings without making it obvious to Aidan, you're telling me about it?"
"No," I said hesitantly. "I'm back where we started, Che. I'm losing it just like last time. I'm back where we started. My mental state's not good." I really hoped he understood that.
"Are you in the States?"
"Yes..."
"We're coming, Nathan. Just stay on the line, okay? Stay on the phone."
Birdie twirled his finger around, motioning me to end the call. "I can't. Our time is almost up..." Insanity hit me out of nowhere and I couldn't stop myself. "I'm in an abandoned factory, and I see mountains and a forest! It smells like oil!" Birdie was on me and snatched the phone out of my hand. He slammed me down on the table.
"This was not part of the deal!" Birdie growled into the phone. He snorted loudly. "Because I'm your goddamn brother, Che!"
Birdie was holding on to the chain keeping me down. I wasn't fighting him. I just kept glaring up at him.
"Che! You're not... No! Because we want you to come home, how hard is that to underst-... No, he's not. No! He's not!" Birdie looked down at me. He held the phone next to my mouth.
"Tell him you're not hurt."
"They've put a collar on me," I said while giving Birdie the death stare. Birdie sighed very deeply and didn't say anything for a while. I could hear Che shouting on the other end.
"I'll... I'll meet you there," Birdie said quietly and hung up the phone. He slowly let go of me. I rose from the chair and followed him back to my room. He secured the chain and looked up at me. "We're leaving in two days. Don't tell anyone."
Who would I tell?
I slept so much, I felt dizzy when I woke up. I sat up and tried to stretch, but the chains were holding me back. I lied back down again and waited for Birdie or Dean to come along with food. My stomach was growling at me.
Birdie finally came into the room and left the door open behind him. He didn't say anything, but unlocked the chain and motioned me to follow him. Neither of us spoke as we walked through the big room, I had been tortured in. Where were all of the other agents?
"Aidan!" Dean yelled out from behind us. Birdie swore under his breath and turned around. "Where are you going?"
"Turn around, Dean. Just turn around and go back," Birdie said, dead serious.
Dean swallowed something and shook his head. "Don't do this. Don't destroy everything you've worked so hard for. The FIB-"
"Fuck the FIB," Birdie interrupted.
"You don't mean that..."
"Turn around and walk away. Now." His free hand moved down to the gun hanging on his hip.
"Aidan..." Dean took a step back and raised his hands in the air. He flicked his eyes to me. "We can help you and your sister, Nathan. There are better ways than this."
Birdie had the gun in his hand and pointed it at Dean. "Last warning; walk away!"
I glanced up at Birdie. He was serious about this. He was ready to shoot Dean.
"Are you going to shoot me?"
Birdie didn't flinch an inch. "Go, Nathan, the car is outside." He walked backwards, not taking his eyes off Dean. Dean didn't move either, but a pained expression was painted on his face.
We ended up outside, and I felt blind. Everything was too bright, and it felt like my skin was on fire. Birdie opened the door to the massive SUV and closed it after me. He jumped behind the wheel and hurried out on a small dirt road.
We were surrounded by trees, but I couldn't look. I hadn't been outside for so long. Hadn't felt the sun on my skin. It was overwhelming.
"You alright?" Birdie asked through his clenched teeth, as we finally made it out to a real road.
"No..." I replied and leaned forward, burying my face in my hands.
"We have to disappear until we can meet up with Che tomorrow."
I nodded.
"Your father should be there too."
"You don't want to meet him. He'll kill you," I muttered, my voice muffled by my hands.
"We'll see," he just said.