Chained to a chair, her face barely recognizable, swollen and covered in blood, Olivia started to put two and two together. From Ben's constant interrogation about her mission in Russia, to the set up in Paris. Could he be behind all of it? The AA agent's heart didn't want to believe her friend could go rogue like that, but she had to face the facts. She knew it couldn't be anyone on her team, so it had to be someone from MI6. And who had been questioning her about her mission for the past few days? Someone who wanted out of MI6 a couple of years ago and who surprisingly 'changed his mind'. It couldn't be a coincidence.
- Tell them the names, Liv, Ben said with begging eyes, interrupting her train of thoughts.
- I..., the girl started to say, looking for her words.
It couldn't be real. Ben couldn't have betrayed her like that. And worst, betrayed his country and everything he used to stand for. He was one of the best agents she knew, how could he have done something like that?
- How did I not see this?, she added, pain rushing through her damaged face as she struggled to move her cut lips. You're with them, aren't you? Fuck, I'm such an idiot.
- What are you talking about?, he answered, looking at her as if she had lost her mind. Give them the names before they kill us!
Liv moved her attention from Ben to the two men in front of her. What kind of psychos wait for their hostages to finish their conversation? She swore at herself for not putting two and two together sooner and turned her head back to Ben.
- Drop the act, she said, her eyes full of disgust for the man who used to be her friend. Next time you plan something like that, tell dumb and dumber to act better, maybe even throw a punch or two your way to make it more believable.
Despite the evidence, she still hoped she was wrong. But the look on Ben's face as she finished her sentence destroyed all hope she had.
- Seriously, Liv... All you had to do was give out those fucking names, he said before signaling to his guys to let him free.
Hulk nodded and untied him from the chair. Anderson got up and rubbed his sore wrists as he walked in front of the American girl.
- I tried everything I could to not get to this point, he said, shaking his head while sincerely looking sorry. I really did. But you wouldn't say anything about your fucking mission. I really didn't want things to get to this, Liv.
- You piece of shit, Liv said as she realized she'd been played.
- Oh come on now, Liv, Ben answered as he crouched in front of her. You can't blame me for wanting more in life than those bloody missions. Aren't you tired of living for your agency? You're being used for their benefit. I'm done.
- You want more in life so you decided to betray everyone you know? I hope however long this lasted was worth it because you're not getting out of here alive, she answered, making the rogue agent smile.
- You're the one chained up, Liv, he said as he pushed a strand of her hair away from her bleeding face. And I am really sorry about what they're gonna do to you now, but you leave me no choice. I need those names, and you're gonna give them to me, one way or another.
- You know me better than that, Olivia answered. You know I won't give you the list. You can try anything you want, but you won't get it.
- You're really not making things easy. All you have to do is give the names, but of course you have to play it difficult. Well suit yourself, Liv. We'll see how you feel about that in an hour.
On those words, Ben stood up and told the two men behind him to get started before he left the room. Olivia's heart started racing again in her chest as the tall man grabbed an instrument from the medical tray. Hulk walked around the chair and stood behind the girl, placing his hands on either side of her head to keep her from moving too much. Her breathing became increasingly jerky as the other man approached her mouth with what she recognized as extraction tools in his hands. She started to move on her chair, pointlessly trying to delay the moment she'd feel excruciating pain.
- Front or back?, the man asked with a sadistic smile.
Olivia felt like she was about to throw up, but swallowed it down, trying her best to remain calm despite the circumstances. Because even though she had experienced torture in the past, it wasn't something anyone could get used to, or stop being afraid of.
- Let's start with the back ones, shall we?, the guy said before nodding at his partner behind Liv.
Hulk moved his hands on the girl's face and forced her mouth open. There was nothing the agent could do to stop what was about to happen. She was powerless, at the mercy of her captors. The man proceeded to grab one of Olivia's molars with the instrument in his hands, and started to pull on it with all his strength, making the American agent scream in agony. The pain was such that the girl started feeling like she was about to pass out. Her vision progressively went black, and voices started to fade in the background.
- How was that for a little taste of what's coming for you if you don't start giving out names?, the man in front of her said as he proudly displayed her tooth covered in blood in front of the girl.
A faint laugh escaped the brunette's lips. She knew he wouldn't get any names from her, no matter what type of fucked up torture he'd come up with.
- Sorry, was that supposed to make me talk?, she said, faintly as she choked on the blood coming from the new open wound in her mouth.
- I promise you, you're gonna talk, the man answered with a confident smile before turning his head towards his partner. Get one of her hands. We'll see if she keeps her mouth shut after losing her fingers.
Hulk followed the orders he had been given and freed one of Olivia's hands, keeping hold of the second one. The AA agent tried to escape their grip, but was too weak to properly fight back after what she had already been through, so she stopped even trying. What was the point? There was no way she could turn the situation around this time. She had no choice but make peace with the fact that she was going to be tortured until she died of her injuries.
The taller man took hold of her hand and placed it flat on the arm of the chair before grabbing a knife from the tray beside him.
- Last chance, he said as he started to tease the girl by gently running the knife over the base of her pinky finger.
Olivia didn't bother answering, and instead spat on the guy, covering his face with her bloody spit. Contrary to what she expected, he didn't hit her, and simply wiped his face with his sleeve.
- I'm gonna enjoy this so much, he said as he spread Olivia's fingers on the arm of the chair and placed the knife at the base of her pinky again.
And just as the blade started to dig through Olivia's finger, a loud explosion resonated in the building.
- What the fuck was that, the man said as he lifted the knife from Olivia's knuckle. Stay here, he added to his partner before walking towards the door.
He didn't have time to open it that it slammed open and a bullet came flying straight in-between his eyes. The man dropped dead on the floor, under the eyes of his partners standing next to Olivia. The girl was struggling to stay conscious, blood still running down her face where she had been hit again and again, down her lips after her tooth had been ripped out of her mouth, and now down her hand where an open wound was on display. She closed her eyes for a second, a short second, just to rest a little before she'd try to escape now that one of her hands was free. But the short second quickly turned into minutes. Minutes of peace and quiet. She was finally pain-free after the hell she had just been through.
- Miller!, she heard faintly before she started to feel someone shaking her. Miller, answer me!
As she started gaining consciousness, the excruciating pain also made its comeback, making the girl pray for whoever was shaking her like that to stop.
- You better not die on me, the voice said and she suddenly felt the pressure of the chain on her wrist being lifted off.
She was finally free. A pair of arms caught her just in time as her motionless body started falling off the chair, and she found herself nested against someone's chest.
- Olivia, please wake up, the voice said, almost begging as a hand gently stroked her hurt face.
- First name basis?, Olivia managed to say faintly as she recognized the voice. I must be dying then, she added before coughing more blood.
She finally opened her eyes, not without struggling, and noticed that she was in her partner's arms, fear and worry clearly apparent on his face.
- Bloody hell, Miller, I thought you were dead, agent Simpson said as he held his partner close to him.
Olivia couldn't help but smile at his words. She was surprised by his reaction. Did he actually care about her?
- You mean you wish I were dead, she answered with a faint smile.
- Shut up, Brad said, not releasing the pressure of his arms around Liv's body. You scared the shit out of me.
Olivia didn't answer, and simply looked at the BA agent next to her. She had never been so happy to see him, even after everything that happened between them since the day they met. And as she looked at her partner, Liv could only notice that something felt different between them. Maybe it was the worry she could see in his eyes, or the way he was holding her close to him.
- We need to leave, Brad added as another explosion echoed in the building. Hold on to me, he continued, bringing Olivia's arms around his neck before he stood up, carrying the AA agent in his arms.
Olivia wanted to argue, and tell him she was perfectly fine walking on her own but the truth was, she wasn't. She was already struggling to stay conscious, there was no way she was going to make it out of the building without help. As Brad carried her out of the room, she noticed the two bodies on the ground. She remembered seeing a bullet land straight into the tall man's head, but as she looked at Hulk's body lying there, his face deformed and covered in blood she could only wonder what happened. Did Brad do that to him when she blacked out? It looked as if someone attacked him with a hammer. Olivia moved her head so that she could see Brad's hands holding her in his arms. They were covered in blood, his knuckles cut open. It didn't look pretty.
The duo made its way out the room and into a cold and dark hallway, shots resonating in the building.
- Wait, Olivia said before coughing some more blood. Anderson... We can't leave, we have to find hi..., she started to say before Brad interrupted her.
- No, Brad answered as he kept walking down the corridor. My priority is you right now. We'll deal with him later.
- Brad, Olivia tried to interject, but she was so weak her voice sounded like a whisper. We can't let him go.
The BA agent suddenly stopped, and looked into Olivia's eyes.
- I promise I'll make him pay for what he's done to you, he said, his jaw clenched. But I need to get you to safety firs...
He didn't have time to finish his sentence that a shot was fired in their direction, missing them by only a few inches. Brad quickly looked up to see a shadow standing at the end of the hallway, his gun pointed towards them. Another shot echoed, missing them again. It was too dark to see the man's face, and considering how he kept on missing the agents standing in the middle of the hallway, it was obvious that he also couldn't see much. Brad didn't hesitate a second and gently sat Olivia down against the wall before grabbing his gun from his belt and shooting towards the shadow. The man took cover in the room the hallway was leading to, leaving Brad no other choice but to leave his partner there while he took care of the guy. Before going towards the room, he looked at the girl now lying on the floor, her eyes closed and barely breathing. Was he making the right decision by leaving her there? She needed urgent medical care. But he couldn't take the risk of dragging her out of the building with an active shooter in the other room. He kneeled next to Olivia, bringing her back to a sitting position, and tried to quickly wake her up.
- I'll be right back, okay?, he said as she struggled to open her eyes. I promise.
On those words, he held on to his gun and hurried towards the door where the man kept shooting blindly. The minutes went by, shots fired everywhere in the other room, until it went quiet. But still no signs of Brad. Olivia started to understand that something was wrong. She needed to do something if she wanted to get out of there with her partner and alive. She gathered all of the little energy she had and managed to stand up, taking support on the wall, and started walking towards the room. As she got closer, she started to hear faint voices. The closer she got, the more distinct they became. Ben. There was no doubt it was him talking. He was still there, she could still save her mission. She quietly made her way to the entrance of the room and noticed the body on the floor next to the door. She grabbed his gun before walking across the room towards where the voices came from, and hid behind a gigantic industrial machine apparently left there to rust.
- And how exactly do you plan on killing me right now?, she heard Ben say. You're the one standing with a gun pointed at you, mate, he added, a chuckle escaping his lips. For all it's worth, it wasn't supposed to be her. They were supposed to get you, but I've been teamed up with useless pieces of shit. I knew she would never give that bloody list. She's too good for that. She really didn't deserve that... While you, well... I would actually have enjoyed seeing you on that chair.
As Ben was finishing his sentence, Olivia made her way closer to the pair, trying her best to point her gun towards the MI6 agent, barely able to focus and see, her vision more and more blurry by the second. Brad caught a glimpse of the girl, and quickly brushed off the surprise on his face. He couldn't let Ben know Olivia was behind him.
- So what now?, Brad asked, trying to keep Ben focused on him. You're gonna kill me?
- First you're gonna give me the names, and then maybe I'll give you a quick death.
A small laugh escaped Brad's lips.
- I really admire your confidence, mate, Brad said just as Olivia's gun made contact with the back of Ben's head.
The unexpected contact with the cold metal made the MI6 agent jump, almost dropping his own gun.
- Drop it, Ben, Olivia said, trying her best to keep her balance despite how dizzy she felt.
Instead of following her order, Ben laughed, but didn't move, his gun still pointed at Brad.
- I'm really glad to hear you're still alive, Liv, he answered. I know you won't believe me, but it's true. I'm really sorry about everything. Nothing personal.
- You're sorry?, Liv answered in irony. Then put the gun on the floor.
- You know I can't do that, he said, Olivia's gun still glued to the back of his skull. Don't fucking move, he added to Brad who took a step back to get closer to his gun on the floor a couple of feet away.
- And you know I can't let you leave, Olivia said, her gun starting to feel like Thor's hammer in her hands.
She needed to handle the situation quickly before she passed out again.
- Don't make me do this, Ben, she added as she realized she'd have no other choice but shoot the man who once was her friend if he didn't surrender.
- You're sure you wanna take the risk of me shooting your friend here?, he said as he looked at Brad with a superior smile. I know there's something going on between you two, so I'm sure you're not gonna do anything stupid, are you, Liv?
The AA agent gave a quick glance at her partner standing a couple of feet away. What Ben had just said was true, she couldn't take the risk of him shooting Brad, despite nothing happening between them.
- Do it, Miller, Brad said, looking straight at Olivia.
- Be very careful what you do next, Liv, Ben said, calmly.
- Drop the fucking gun, Olivia answered, barely able to hold the metal object in her hands anymore.
The room was dancing around her, walls stretching in every direction. She was on the verge of blacking out.
- Alright, I've had enough, Anderson said, about to pull the trigger on Brad.
But before he could do so, Olivia pulled hers, a loud bang echoing in the room. Ben's body dropped to the floor, motionless, a pool of blood running out of the fresh hole in his skull. Olivia didn't have time to realize what she had done before the room went black and she fell on the floor next to Ben's body. She didn't hear Brad screaming her name or see him run towards her. Everything was simply black and quiet again.
A/N: Very long chapter to make up for the fact that you might have to wait a while before getting the next one 😬. I am so grateful for the love on this story!! Thank you guys so much for liking the chapters and leaving the most adorable comments. It means the world to me! ❤️