Page 15 of Killer (Project)

“I didn’t think you would blame me.” He sounded like he knew me, like he understood how I would feel when I woke up. For some reason, it didn’t settle with me. I didn’t want to be close to anyone.

“Now, I did some talking with Jaxon. He told me about your behavior at the bar and with the woman. At first, I wanted her as far away from you as we could get her, but now we think it would be a good idea for you to talk to her.”

Talk to her?I was off the bed and pacing the floor in a second flat. Just like the fire burning in my veins at the simple thought of talking to her again.

“Talk to her?” I laughed like the evil fucking man I was. “I almost killed her. More than likely, I’ll do it again. I have a short temper, and I don’t do talking. Fucking. I can do that. Fighting. Beating the oblivion out of someone. Perfect... but talking, no fucking way.” I growled at Gauge.

The look on his face said he didn’t give a shit what I said, and chances were, he didn’t. He would do whatever he saw fit for our people. There was no official name for those who had been rescued or escaped, but Jaxon and I could only describe it as a colony. Society knew of us, the super-men. The people who helped protect others. At least that was what the corporation made them think we were made for.

They turned a blind eye to what the company did to us thinking it was for the better good of the people. If one person had to die for others to live, they didn’t see a problem with it. After all, most of us were going to die anyway.

“You will, or you won’t be allowed out of confinement.” Gauge narrowed his eyes at me. I had never asked him about his time with the corporation. We never knew the name of the company and he never told us. Thinking about it now, it was for the better. Had we known, we probably would’ve ambushed it by now. There would be no need for a safe haven like this—like Gauge had created.

“You can’t keep me in confinement. I’ll go insane.” I was losing it just thinking about it. My fists were clenched, my black t-shirt sticking to my chest. I felt like I was in a box already, and all he had done was mention it.

Gauge shook his head smiling. “Then I suppose you pick option number one?” I turned, shooting a dark look at him. Of course, he would feel smug about it. He had been bringing up talking since I got out. He wanted me to get in touch with my emotions. To learn to feel. Most of all, he wanted me to talk about them.The memories.He thought if I were more open to them, then I would understand them more.

“I don’t want to fucking do this…” There was pain in my words. I was trapped with no way out. I hated Gauge for putting me in this position, but I hated the corporation even more for doing this to me.

I should’ve died.

“Number one it is,” I growled slamming my body down onto the bed. I had to learn to overcome this shit, and Gauge knew it. His idea of doing so was taking it head on, but only time would tell if I could become more than just a man, genetically altered to kill.

eight

two days later

maggie

I could hardlyanswer the questions Gauge was shooting at me. The second I gave him the answer to one question, he was asking another.

They still hadn’t told me where I was or why I was still being kept here. It had been two days, two days of being held up in that room. There were no windows, no breeze, or sun. The rooms were nice, but they weren’t the same as having my own freedom. They brought me meals, made sure I had fresh towels, and Gauge had even sent someone to my place to grab some of my things, but every visit always lead to the inevitable. The questions. The accusing looks. I wondered if I would ever be able to leave…

Then again, after having just found Diesel, I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave. Unless he was leaving with me.

“I told you everything already,” I said for the third time or maybe it was the fourth. I couldn’t remember. All the questions started to blur into one. My voice was still very much hoarse and talking only made it worse.

“You work for PGI Corporation, yet you don’t know what they do there besides find cures for things such as cancer and other diseases?” Something in what he said caused me to tilt my head sideways at him. Either he didn’t believe me or he liked listening to me talk.

“That is exactly what I told you, what I have been telling you, and what I will continue to tell you. The company comes up with miracle drugs and shit. I don’t know what else they do. I’ve only been there six months. I was planning to work my way up into the curing sector.” Gauge watched me intently as if he thought he could catch me in a lie. His eyebrows rose and then came back down as he digested what I had said.

“Until what?” he questioned in an accusing tone as if he had found a hole in something I had said. I shook my head in astonishment. What the fuck was he talking about?

“What do you mean until what?” I ran a hand through my hair, fully intent on ripping it out. I didn’t understand what I had done wrong, and all his questions made me nervous. My stomach rolled in fear, and tension filled my muscles. Of course, I wanted to run. I didn’t understand what it was that I was doing wrong.

“I mean, you made it sound like there was going to be an ‘until’ or a ‘but’ somewhere in your sentence.” He was definitely trying to find me in a lie. I wanted to ignore him but couldn’t because he was standing right in front of me. Instead, my mind automatically turned to my thoughts on Diesel. How he was still alive. How I had taken that shit job just to get closer to doing something for him. Now he was alive, and I felt like finding a cure was the last thing I needed to do. He didn’t even know who I was or what it was that made us who we were.

“Until Diesel.” I let the name roll off my tongue like I hadn’t said or thought the name a million times over. As if it wasn’t him who made my heart beat.

“Hmm….” Gauge scratched at his chin, allowing silence to fall between us before speaking again. “I want you to know you aren’t going to be leaving this place for a while.” He paused, a dark look showing in his green eyes. “And when you do end up leaving here, it will be to do a few things for us.” It was as if he was warning me, but about what? What was their plan, and where did I fit into it.

A film of sweat formed on my hands, and I wiped them off on my jeans. My saliva felt like sludge sliding down my throat as I swallowed. I could do this.Right?

It was then I realized what he had said and anger shot through me like it never had.

“What do you mean I can’t leave? I have a right to leave. I’m a human. I’m a US citizen. I have rights, damn it.” I tried to keep my voice strong, attempting to get my point across. Gauge pushed out of his chair away from the table only to lean on it. His body was pure muscle. His face a mask of anger.

“Well, yourrightsare now useless. Yourrightsare gone. The fact that you work for the very company that put these men here takes those rights away. You deserve nothing from us,” he hissed. Long gone was the negotiating.

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