Cadence's face remained perfectly impassive through my outburst, there wasn't even a flash of guilt in her eyes as she met my furious gaze.

She yanked all the trust I had in her from my heart and crushed the delicate feelings in the palm of her hands with a smile on her face. It hurt more than any bruises or cuts I've received. Just like that, the trust I had gathered from all those years of friendships slowly disappeared from my consciousness.

Efren burst out laughing, but I simply ignored him while I fiercely glared into Cadence eyes. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that she was standing alive right in front of me, but even more so, I never thought that she would be the one who would betray me.

"Where's the USB, Simmons?" Efren demanded, but I didn't give any indication to him that I was listening.

When he realized I wasn't paying attention to him, he immediately slapped me and pinched my chin between his forefinger and thumb to force me to look at him. "Look at me when I'm talking to you. If you don't have it, it's still not too late for me to call my men to put a bullet through your parents' skulls."

I copied the emotionless mask that Cadence held tightly over her face and looked at Efren. "You're wrong. You are too late."

My mask fell for a second and I let out a dark chuckle.

"Why are you laughing?" Efren narrowed his eyes at me.

"You won't get past Alexander."

Efren's face started to become red due to fury. "Search her." He took a few steps back as Cadence walked towards me until she was right in front of me.

Physically, she looked mostly the same as she had a few months ago. However, one thing that drastically changed was that Cadence's blue eyes were now flat and empty, like a piece of her died long ago. Cadence commenced patting me down to search for the USB and when she reached my combat boots, she slipped a finger in the edges of each boot to check if I was hiding the USB there, but she didn't find anything so she straightened up.

Efren saw that Cadence was unable to find the USB so he stomped over towards me and landed a solid blow to my stomach, the impact forcing me to slouch forward a little bit. "If you had brought the USB per our agreement, I could have saved you the torture with a simple bullet through your skull, but you didn't bring it." He screamed closely at my face as he slapped me twice. "Unbelievable." Efren narrowed his eyes at me.

"We could use her as a bargain, Efren." Cadence spoke up. "What you can achieve with the USB is far more important than some petty revenge. You can always kill her later."

Her words ripped me apart and I couldn't look at her anymore. Betrayal, what a bitter pill to swallow.

"Get out." Efren sneered and Cadence obediently did as she was told without another word or look towards me.

"Maybe Cadence is right. Though your death is important, what I can achieve with the USB is of greater importance. Anyways, with the USB I can always kill you later." Efren taunted me as Cadence disappeared from sight. "Curious what's on it, Vita?"

I stared at him with a bored expression on my face, making it seem like I wasn't paying attention but in reality, I couldn't help the pique of interest that formed. I wasn't able to open the USB so I was curious of the importance of what it contained because so many people died protecting or trying to retrieve it.

"It is something that will bring down everyone that wronged my brother and I. Remember that." He had a sinister smile on his face as he beckoned one of his men standing near the door to come closer.

Efren's henchman handed Efren a large bottle of clear liquid along with scissors and walked back to his original spot by the door.

As soon as he unscrewed the lid, I knew exactly what it was.

"You smell that, Simmons?" He smirked as he put the bottle down and reached out towards me with the pair of scissors.

Efren cut my jeans in a large circle around the bullet wound I had on my left upper thigh. The bullet was still lodged in my thigh and continued to bleed slightly.

"I can't have you bleed out and die prematurely on me." Efren snickered darkly. "Your life is in my hands. You die when I let you die."

He dropped the scissors to the ground and grabbed the bottle filled with alcohol. The pungent smell pierced my nose as he came closer.

Then, he poured.

I clenched my teeth as my leg flared up in excruciating pain. He glared at me as he realized he had failed in forcing me to scream out in pain.

He tossed the empty bottle aside and grabbed my neck in his hands. When one hand wasn't having the effect that he wished to see, he used both hands to squeeze my neck tightly. I had no choice but to gasp for the precious air I couldn't seem to get enough of into my lungs.

A sinister smile appeared on Efren's face as he felt the satisfaction of seeing me starting to lose consciousness.

"Efren, you have a call." It was Cadence's voice that interrupted him.

Efren's crooked smile was wiped off and he became pissed. He held on for a little while longer before letting go and giving me one last glare before he stomped his way towards Cadence who held a smartphone in her hands.

"Rough her up a bit, I don't like the look in her eyes."

Two of his men walked in while he and Cadence left, shutting the door firmly behind them.

There was a smirk on one of the guy's lips while the other remained blank.

I felt pain before I saw his fist land on my stomach.

*

I don't know how long they were beating me up, but there wasn't a place on my body that wasn't in pain. Their fists weren't enough so one of them left and came back in with a steel bat, aiming mostly at my back and legs.

Some places were already swelling but from what I can tell, they haven't drawn blood yet, other than my leg and shoulder what were already bleeding from before. Right now, it hurt to even breathe and I could only hope that they haven't broken a rib yet.

My thoughts became hazier and my eyes started to close from utter exhaustion and unbearable pain. Black dots started to appear in my vision, but I didn't dare succumb to the darkness that beckoned me so sweetly. I forced myself to remain awake.

Suddenly, the door creaked open and I could tell it was Cadence.

Cadence came back into my confinement with her eyes darting around and it almost seemed as if she was sneaking in here. Closing the door tightly behind her, she looked at me from where she was standing. The impassive mask she had on her face earlier was gone and her eyes glistened from what seemed to be tears.

"Oh Vita." She gasped softly and regretfully.

I didn't trust her, not one bit. My walls shot up sky high so that I could become unmovable by her words and sympathy. I glared at her icily as she approached me. She untied my arms and I couldn't help but wince as my they fell to my sides.

"Sit, Vita." Cadence eyed me carefully and flinched as she saw my unwelcoming glare. "Please, Vita. I'm going to patch you up."

Grabbing the wall behind me for support, I slid down to the floor, wincing as the pain flared up.

"I probably can't do much for you, but I can help clean the wound at least and stop the bleeding."

Before touching the first aid, Cadence pulled out a phone and held it towards me.

I stared at the device first, then looked over at her questioningly.

"You can use it to call. The line is secure, I promise." She looked at me with sincerity, but I didn't believe it.

She frowned sadly and took back the phone, unlocking it to the home screen. I didn't look at her as she fiddled around with it. Closing my eyes, I tried to rest a little bit while I could.

The phone began ringing on speaker as a call was put through. I sighed and looked over at Cadence.

"I know you don't trust me, but you don't need to talk about classified things." Cadence mumbled while staring at the phone screen.

"Speak." I stiffened when I heard Alexander's baritone voice on speaker.

"She's here," Cadence answered back, took the phone off speaker and placed it in my hand before opening the first aid box.

I held the phone to my ear and twisted my upper body away from Cadence. "Red?" My voice came out in a soft whisper.

"Vita," he answered back stiffly.

"I see that you're still upset with me." I couldn't help but smile a little, which quickly turned into a wince when I felt Cadence cleaning where the bullet grazed my shoulder.

He paused and there was only silence for a little moment. "You will be out by tomorrow night."

I sudden chill went down my spine and I frowned with confusion. "What have you done?"

He didn't answer and my mind raced with all the possibilities of what he could have done. Each possibility worse than its previous.

"Whatever you're planning, stop." I hissed out through clenched teeth. "This was my decision. My choice."

Alexander did not give me an answer this time either. He was so damn quiet that I didn't know whether or not he was still listening.

"Alexander, no matter what happens to me, it will not be your fault." I tried a different approach, hoping by keeping myself more composed, it would convince him that I was doing fine.

However, he didn't answer like I expected.

"Do you trust me?" His voice was flat, low and unexpectedly emotionless.

I was stumped by why he was asking this question until I realized that he was basically trying to manipulate me into agreeing with whatever his plan was.

"Can I not answer?"

"Angel, do you trust me?"

I looked down at myself, the bruises from the ropes digging into my wrist while they were hung from the ceiling was starting to turn very dark and visible even in this dim lighting. Looking around this metal room, I realized that there was always an unexplainable flicker of hope within me. Now I knew why.

"Yes."

"Tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night," I whispered back softly, repeating his words. "Red, how are my parents?"

"Your mom is still unconscious, but the doctors have been doing tests and she seems alright. Your father is still in surgery." Alexander spoke cautiously and gently, as if he didn't want to alarm me.

"And your dad?"

"He will be released in the morning."

"That's good."

"Should I ask how you are doing?" Alexander sounded hesitant and weary.

My thigh felt like it was burning and I couldn't move my body properly, but I wasn't going to tell him that. "I'm okay, Red."

My answer was met with silence. I knew that he definitely did not believe a single word from that sentence, but he didn't say anything. "Red?"

I heard him sigh softly. "I trust you, Angel. I trust that the courageous woman that held onto life and escaped hell eight weeks ago is still in you. You can do it again."

"Vita," Cadence spoke up quietly from the door, "the guards are changing soon."

"Angel..." Alexander trailed off, waiting for some kind of response from me.

"I have to go, Red." Without waiting for his answer, I ended the call and handed the phone back to Cadence.

"I need to tie you back up, Vita." Cadence looked apologetic, but I stood up silently and held my wrists towards her.

She placed something in my hands and I stared at the object only to realize that it was a very sharp piece of metal that was barely an inch in length.

Cadence held my gaze firmly. "For when the time comes."

I closed my fingers around it and looked away. "Just hurry."

She tied my wrists together and placed them where they were before she had freed me. Cadence also bent down and loosened the chains around my ankles to the point where I could slip out of them, but still looked tight enough. She stood up and met my eyes, flinching once again from with the fury still burning in my eyes.

"Vita, I..."

"You put my family in danger. No matter your reason, I can't forgive you." I held her gaze and told her with steel reinforcing my voice.

Cadence nodded and with one last look at me, she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving me alone in the dim lighting once more.

*

I am not sure how much time had passed, but I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. Each time I almost fell asleep, I forced myself awake. This cycle happened continuously as the hours passed by.

When the door opened, Efren stepped in with a triumphant smirk on his face. "I made a deal with your dear Alexander. He's says he has the USB and is going to show it to me. Don't worry, I'll kill him as soon as I know it's real and I'll come back. I'll make sure to video tape his death so that you can enjoy it with me before I kill you off too."

He came closer to me and yanked on my hair to pull my face closer to his. "Can't wait to extinguish that fire in your eyes."

Efren roughly let go of my hair and with a laugh, he left the room.

*

Some amount of time had passed since Efren's last visit when the door creaked open again, revealing a man wearing a simple black t-shirt, black pants and thick boots.

He closed the door firmly behind him and pulled out a handgun from the waistband of his pants. "I don't understand why he's still keeping you alive because there is simply no point."

He pointed to gun towards my head.

"Going against your boss' orders I presume?" I eyed him impassively.

The man shrugged. "Whatever the consequence, as long as you are gone, it doesn't matter."

I could see his finger tightening on the trigger when the room tumbled into darkness.

There was no way for the whole place to lose power so someone must have instigated it. The only person that has enough knowledge to shut down this compound was Cadence. This meant that whatever Alexander's plan was, it has begun.

Thinking back to Alexander and I's conversation, I realized he was right. I survived before; I can survive again.

With a newfound resolve, I sliced through the rope and lunged towards the man in the pitch-black darkness.

No way in hell was I going to die in this damned metal tin can of a room by Efren's henchman.

****

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