Chapter 5 - Cindy

How dare he push me around like a rag doll. Glancing around, I saw the man sitting in the furthest corner. Stepping closer, I recognized him. It was Mike. I was right; I had met him at the lab. His hand was wrapped where Leon had removed his two fingers, but the bandage was soaked red.

"Mike?" I whispered as I neared him. "You are Mike, right? Are you okay?"

Looking up at me, he smiled faintly. "Yes, we met at the lab. Glad to see I'm not alone, at least." He breathed out, holding his chest. "We need to escape." I realized he had no recollection of our journey here. Why would he? He was passed out.

His one eye was swollen but not completely closed. The brow above it was cut open and could get infected if not treated. His light brown curls were crusted with dried blood on the side, and in all honesty, he looked a bit disheveled.

Looking over my shoulder at the closed door, I felt some of my fear replaced by anger. How could he do this, I wondered. He beat Mike up and now left him without treating his wounds.

Mike tried to stand but was a bit weak and just slid back down the wall. His complexion seemed whiter than usual, and I expected it was due to blood loss. Glancing at the door again, I replied to his last statement. "We can't. The doors don't have keys, and this room has no window."

He looked at the room through narrowed eyes. The red under his eye was turning a bluish haze. "Why were you being tortured?" I inquired pulling a chair closer and assisting him onto it. "Or am I mistaken?"

Mike looked away as he replied. "I don't know what he wants." He breathed in slowly before continuing. His breathing sounded strange. It was almost as if he had a hole in his throat or chest, but I couldn't see one. "I was just about to put away some samples when that man stormed in and dragged me to a room in the basement."

‘Basement' I didn't know there was one. That's why I got lost. Looking back at the door, I wondered what Mike had been working on. "The samples," I said. "The ones you were working on, could that be what they were after?"

"They?" Mike asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes," I replied, moving closer. "There is more than one out there, and I think there may be others. They were talking about dangerous drugs. Do you know anything about that?"

"No," he spat back at me. Mike let out a moan as he tried turning his body sideways, away from me.

"Please, Mike, if you know anything, tell them so we can go home," I begged, kneeling before him. He smelled terrible, like a dump truck or something. But I needed to get the information so I could get home. All I wanted was to get out.

He wouldn't look at me as I spoke. Every time I moved into his view, Mike shifted or turned his head away. "I know nothing." He grumbled, lifting his eyes to the ceiling.

"Mike, please, there must be something you know. Why else would they take you? What do you know?" The way he was acting made me suspicious. Maybe he did know something.

"Nothing, I told you, I don't know what they want." He replied, sounding annoyed at me.

Now I felt sure he was hiding something. Why wouldn't he look at me? Why was he raising his voice? Maybe Leon was right. Maybe there was something about the company I didn't know. "What are you hiding, Mike?" I asked as I rose to my feet, anger pushing up in me. After all, he was the reason I was here.

"You're new. Just keep quiet. You don't know what you're saying, okay?"

I could hear irritation and anger in his voice. Something was going on that I didn't know of. My stomach turned with alarm as I tried to make sense of the situation. Suddenly, I had to know. Was the woman I admired into something terrible? No, I was sure she had no part in this. Something was going on behind her back, and I had to make sure it was what it was.

"Mike," I exclaimed as I took hold of his shoulders and made him look at me. "What is going on at the lab? What were you working on?" My voice rose as I spoke. There was a hint of anger and fear mixed together.

Pushing me back with his good hand, Mike glared at me. His eyes narrowed, and was filled with annoyance. So was his voice as he answered loudly. "Nothing, I told you nothing was going on. Now stop your nagging, woman." I could feel his fury filling the room with heat fueling my own.

"You're lying," I spat back. Before I could get another word out, Mike had risen from the chair and lunged at me. I tried to retreat, to get out of his range, but Mike caught my ankle as he went down to the floor.

I rolled over onto my stomach, trying to crawl out of his grip. I couldn't believe he still had so much strength with all he's been through. He pulled me towards him with a power I hadn't expected. He kept on yelling at me as I felt his weight on my back. "I said leave it alone. Nothing is going on."

Mike grabbed hold of my hair at the back and slammed my head into the ground. Pain shot through it from the front to the back. I screamed for him to stop; I didn't want to die here, not this way. It seemed he was the real danger and not Leon.

Pulling my hands up and placing them between my head and the floor, I prevented my head from connecting to the hard surface again. A burning sensation shot through my neck and arms as he pulled back, and I struggled. Kicking back, I felt a pain in my foot as I kicked the chair.

There was a loud bang as the chair hit the wall. Suddenly, the cell door swung open, and Leon stepped in. "Hey, what the hell is going on?" he shouted as he came over.

He pulled Mike off me in one smooth motion and threw him across the floor like an old rag. Turning onto my back, I caught Leon staring at me. For a split second, I felt my breath catching in my throat as our eyes met. He turned and focused on Mike.

I quickly receded backward away from them. But I couldn't pull my eyes off the two men. Leon was holding Mike up by his collar as he towered over him. He was smashing his face in with his other hand. Blood splattered with each blow, and soon Mike hung lifeless in his grip.

Opening his hand, Mike dropped to the floor. Seated against the furthest wall from them, I held my breath as he turned to face me. Mila stepped into view, her face instantly filled with what appeared to be dread. Leon glanced at her and then left the room, pulling the door behind him.

I sat in disbelief at what I had just witnessed. Biting down on my fingers, I felt a coldness enter my body. My head was still throbbing. Closing my eyes, I could feel Mike's hand on my neck and him pulling my head back. A cold sweat broke out over my body, and it seemed to shake at its own accord.