I became a doctor to save people. This girl needs saving.
“Fine,” I say. I don’t like this. Not one bit. “Where is she now?”
Pleasure
“So that didn’t go well,” Electra smirks when I come to get her out of the same cell she was in before I took her out. I’m surprised and a little saddened that she doesn’t seem more concerned by the whole thing. This girl is used to being pounced on by droves of heavily armed men. She’s used to brutality, both as a recipient and a perpetrator.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that would happen.”
“Yeah, they don’t tell you much here, I know that,” she shrugs. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay,” I say. “Tell me, what did you do to get here, to be treated like this? It must have been something extraordinary.”
“I was born, Doc. That’s it. Sometimes that’s enough.”
I shake my head. She’s violent, but that’s because she’s been treated violently. I’ve dealt with some aggressive agents before. There’s not one of them that doesn’t calm down and straighten up when they realize I don’t intend to hurt them.
“I have problems,” she admits. “When I get angry, I can’t stop myself. I do things. I hurt people. I tried to tell you I wasn’t allowed out.”
“You did,” I agree. “The Head is setting up an area for us. It is on-site, but I am hoping we don’t have to stay there forever.”
Electra shakes her head. “You should step away. You should get as far away from this, and me, as possible. The Head is always playing mind games with me and anyone associated with me. I’m telling you now, Doc, this is going to end badly for you.”
“You’re probably right,” I agree.
Her brows rise in surprise. “I thought you were going to tell me everything was going to be okay.”
“I can’t promise that. I can promise I’m going to do my best.”
She cocks her head to the side. “You’re a good guy, Doc. You don’t belong here. You should get out now, while you still can because I tell you now, this place is going to change you. Nobody stays good here.”
“My brother works here. He’s a good man.”
“Yeah. You think so. But I bet he’s not.”
She doesn’t know Ken, so there’s little point trying to explain what an incredibly good man he is. I don’t even bother bringing up Mary. She’s in the gray area of good if anyone ever was, not exactly a good start for an argument.
Electra
That woman has hooked this poor sap into her scheme and I just know he’s going to regret it. He is a good guy. He’s proved that several times already. He tried to break me out of this place and I’ve already decided I’m going to return the favor. I have to get him out of here. If he won’t go, then I will make him. I’m experienced at running people off and this doc is soft hearted enough that it shouldn’t take too much.
No time like the present to start being a bitch.
“Well, you can do what she wants,” I say. “But I’m not going to. So you should get out of here before I hurt you.”
He lifts a brow at me. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m not going to do whatever it is you agreed to do. I’m not going to be a pawn in that bitch’s plan. So you should, you know. Get out of here. Because I am going to wreak havoc like I never have before, and you’ll get hurt. Everybody around me gets hurt. That’s just the way it is.”
The doctor smiles at me. That calm, kind smile, the one I definitely don’t deserve.
“You’re not going to, because I’m not going to let you.”
“Well, you’re not going to be able to stop me,” I shrug.
“Oh I think I can.”
I laugh and spread my arms, turn around and gesture at all the cages and the torture devices, the shackles and the masks and all the rest of it.
“If all this can’t stop me, you can’t, Doc.”
“We’ll see about that,” he smiles, squeezing my shoulder in a gentle, but firm way. “Come on. Let’s see what she has lined up for us.”
“Let’s not,” I grumble.
But I let him draw me out of that dungeon. I think about hitting him, but I don’t. Why aren’t I hitting him? I should kick him, yeah. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll kick him right in the kidneys. But I don’t. I just follow him. My legs don’t want to kick. My fists don’t want to punch. I can’t even muster a simple headlock. I just walk behind him.
He leads me back upstairs, back to the levels of this place where they pretend like everything is normal. Everyone has gone back to their routines, stomping around full of self importance and ego. It fills me with seething loathing. Every one of their faces makes my chest tight with rage. How dare they walk around as if everything is fine? As if their lives aren’t complete and utter lies? Each and every one of them slaves to that evil witch who lives in the tower above us and toys with us like puppets.