––––––––
Castiel
The heavy pounding of feet alerts me to his proximity and what is to come. His frustration is palpable through the walls that keep us from seeing each other eye to eye. Furthermore, I know why he comes to me this early in the morning.
He wants answers and only I can provide those for him.
Gerard halts in front of the rectangular-shaped panel and punches in the security code that will unlatch the door to my room. A trio of loud beeps signals the deactivation of the locks to the large, steel hatch, which slithers into the opposing wall a moment later.
“Castiel.” Gerard’s gruff voice fills the otherwise silent room. “Solitary confinement really does not suit you, my friend. You are nothing but skin and bones.” He steps inside, but lingers near the exit. “Also, you are much too quiet lately. Could it be because you miss your friend?”
My long, white hair falling over my face prevents Gerard from witnessing the cringe I hide at the word “friend”. Tiger is so much more to me, but I cannot reveal this to him. Showing emotional attachment gives him the perfect opportunity to use it against us.
“Am I met with total and complete silence? Perhaps I should increase the dose to see if that will get you in a talking mood. What do you have to say to this?”
His condescending tone is meant to provoke a response, but we have been down this road before. I am not easily manipulated anymore. I lack the strength to speak, much less become angered, over a few well-chosen words. He can no longer spite me.
“I find your disinterested demeanor very troublesome.” Gerard takes slow, deliberate steps toward me.
“I have nothing to say that will be of value to you,” I respond, hoping it will keep him from prying.
“Is that so? Well, you might not comprehend the enormity of the situation then.” He clears his throat—an action which is meant to keep his temper in check. “Seeing as you have quite an unusual gift, I find it hard to conceive the idea you could not see Tiger’s escape forthcoming.”
Since Tiger fled, Gerard has done nothing but vent his anger on us. But every one of us here knows that it is quintessential to remain patient and passive against his aggression. If Tiger succeeds, we will be freed soon.
“The future is not always certain. Things change. Nothing is written. The human mind is very complex and Tiger is not the exception to the rule.”
“Don’t give me that,” Gerard bellows as he marches up to me and tugs on the chains restraining my arms to the ceiling. “He must have been planning this for a while. He knew exactly where to go. He even found people willing to help him out. This is not something he would have picked up all on his own. I’ve raised him specifically so he would be defenseless out there. Tiger, as big and strong as he is...deep inside, he’s nothing but an insecure pup.”
This egotistical man thinks he has outsmarted me by pointing these things out, but I have been preparing for this conversation for weeks.
“Tiger may not recognize how vulnerable he is in the human world, but he has the amazing ability to learn at a much faster pace than most. Especially so when he sets his mind to something. He is very observant. Therefore, he can put what he learns to good use.”
Gerard’s hand moves down my arm, to where the first of the five needles embedded in my right arm is, and pushes it down until a single line of blood begins to drip to the floor from the pressure he puts on it.
Unwilling to show weakness, I hang my head and decide to bring to mind the image of Tiger and the girl I often see him with. The future is an uncertain thing, but my visions have not changed as of yet. As long as she shows him the way, they should do well, but I see an unexpected bump in the road. A series of events will test their ability to work as a team. Unless they do, all will be lost.
“Say I believe you, have you seen what he plans to do next? Or where he’s going?”
I will not reveal what my visions have shown me. “I see Tiger traveling. The images are not at all that clear, but I see many others helping him.”
“Can you name people and locations?”
“His course constantly changes. He is yet unsure of where he needs to go and how far to travel to get away from you.” All lies. For once, I hold the advantage. I am informed of the when, why, and where, but this is my secret to keep.
Gerard marches up to me, curls his fingers around my white hair, and yanks so that I’m forced to meet his gaze. “I am aware of who this girl is. The truck she left on the scene was easy to track to a small farm not far from where Samuel picked them up. We found the farmhouse empty, save for a few animals and a stray dog.”
The vision revealed all this to me. I also anticipate for Tiger and the girl to be entirely caught up with the circumstances they are to undertake. However, I am confident in their ability to handle things. This girl is of strong body and mind. I knew she was the perfect match for Tiger when the first image of her invaded my mind.
“I have men assembled in several locations already. It doesn’t matter where they go. I doubt this girl will be able to outsmart me. If she gets anywhere near any of the areas where my men are, they’ll find her. They’ll find Tiger. And when they do, I will make sure that little slut wishes she’d never crossed my path.”
“You underestimate her. She has something to fight for. She has something to live for, too. Often, the innocent ones are the most dangerous.”
Gerard’s expression darkens. “I thought you knew nothing of Tiger’s little helper.”
“I have seen she is a fighter,” I admit with a grin.
Worry lines crease Gerard’s forehead as he glares down at me. “Is she? Well, then I will have twice as much fun getting rid of her.”
He releases me, but I continue to glare at him.
“How long do you plan to keep Tiger’s father’s identity a secret?”
The question unsettles him. His pulse picks up slightly as he stares into my eyes. Gerard has made Tiger believe the man who fathered him is dead, out of convenience. The secrets Gerard and his Institute hide are numerous, and just as deadly.
“If you think of it as such an important topic of conversation, why have you failed to inform him of his father’s whereabouts? You know him well.”
The corners of my mouth creep into a sardonic smile. “The truth will be revealed in good time, Gerard.”
His jaw tenses. “And who, exactly, will be in charge of this truth-revealing?”
“Tiger,” I murmur in exhaustion. The loss of blood, though but a small drip, drains me of stamina quicker than I am able to recover. With five needles in each arm pumping all types of modern medicines to keep my heart beating, organs functioning, and the rest of my body numb, and six others constantly draining me of blood, my inability to put up a fight is a foregone conclusion. “He has always been the answer to your deepest, darkest desires.”
“Eli!” Gerard shouts in the direction of the dark hallway beyond the quarters I have called home for five years.
A tall, slender man in his early thirties marches into the room, carrying a loaded shotgun in one hand. “Yes, sir?”
“Take a small team out and bring our albino friend here a new meal. He’s looking a little grayish. We wouldn’t want him to go under before we find out where Specimen 30589 is.”
“I’ll get right on it, sir.” Elliott turns on the balls of his feet and disappears down the hall again.
“Get prepared to feed once your meal gets here. It might be the last you eat in a while.” He leaves me alone with my thoughts after that.
I glance up my arm to the leak. It won’t be long before it begins to drive me insane and pushes me over the edge. I am strong of mind, but after many years of enduring this treatment, there comes a time when even the most powerful of wills begins to waver.
This is why Tiger loathes the idea of spending a night in here.
However, if he succeeds in the mission, he will never have to worry about being mistreated, or tortured, or spending a night in one of these cells. He will be free. We will all be free.