Chapter 3

Ikaros knelt in front of Lizzy, and examined her face closely.

"Well well... That's not very pretty, is it? We could have done much better. Well, maybe we'll have a do-over later, hmm? Doesn't that sound nice?" He laughed softly, bathing in the terror emanating from us. "Yes, later. I can't right now, because the pain might be too much, and my Lord said you can't die yet. So we'll have to wait just a little longer!" He said, chortling to himself. "For now we'll have to be content with... the smaller things..." He pulled out a short knife. He moved it slowly back and forth in front of Lizzy's eyes, the light from the bulb catching the blade and bouncing off, enhancing its deadly look.

"Look here little c**t. This is what I'm going to use on you. You see, it's not so terrible, is it?" He said quietly, smiling at her, a mad glint in his eyes. He approached the blade to her thigh, pressing it slowly into her skin, dragging it deliberately along her leg, down to her knee, the blood oozing out of the cut. Lizzy was screaming, the pain acute. He leered at her, as he took the knife out of her, then placed it at the top of her thigh again, just next to the first cut. He dragged the blade along her leg again, parallel to the first gash. Again and again, he took the knife out, and placed it back in again, making parallel lines down her leg. Her blood was running freely, already pooling on the floor around her chair.

"You see," He said, still dragging the blade down Lizzy's leg, over and over, "very few people realize this, but what I'm doing right now requires a lot of skill." He was talking louder now, trying to be heard over Lizzy's screams. "If you cut just a little too deeply, then you risk cutting the artery. But if you do that, then the fun stops very soon, because the little b*****s bleed out right away." As he said this, he inserted the knife just a little deeper into her skin; blood immediately flowing freely out of the wound. "You see? Even just that little bit deeper, and she's already losing more blood. But we can't have that, can we? No, we can't let you die just yet, c**t. I'll have to make it better... For now." He said, his malicious smile playing upon his lips. He took a small vial out of his pocket, tipped it gently, and allowed a single drop to fall onto his finger, which he then dabbed onto the freshest wound. At first I didn't notice anything happening. Then, the skin seemed aglow where the liquid had touchd, glowing a dull, angry red. It looked like it was burning, showing brighter all the time, until it reached a light yellow, almost white. The skin seemed to be sizzling, burning, steam rising from the spot. Lizzy was screaming, a scream so full of suffering that it was barely even human anymore. Despite everything that had happened in the last hours, the sound now coming from my friend was the worst. I had never yet heard anything like it. It was as if death itself was speaking through her voice, calling us to it.

The light from her leg faded, as did her screams. She now lay limp again, her head once more hanging on her chest.

I looked at her leg, and could see that where the drop had touched, the blood had stopped leaking. Had he just cauterized her wound with a drop? What was that stuff? I shook my head, trying to clear it. Maybe I was hallucinating. Maybe what he had injected in me was causing me to see things. How else could I explain what had happened?

But looking at her leg, I was forced to admit that the wound now looked exactly like a day-old burn, and not like a cut. What had he done to her?

Ikaros saw where my gaze was directed, and scoffed. "Handy trick, isn't it? My Lord gave this to me, in case of need. But I won't be needing this very often." He said, looking at the vial still in his hands, smirking. "No, we won't be healing here, will we?". I looked at him, at loss for words. My brain was shutting down again, not able to take in all the horror and suffering I had witnessed in such a short time.

One thought was bothering me though. It probably wasn't very rational of me to fixate on this one issue, but I was far beyond being able to be rational at this point. Why did he keep referring to my father as "Lord"? Ok, my father imposed respect. Always dressed in a sharply tailored suit, always impeccable, always clean shaven, hair clean, short and neat. He was one of those people who when he entered a room, everybody would shut up to see if he had something to say.

But still, Lord?

I opened my mouth, ready to ask him that question, then shut it again.

My father had just re-entered the room.

What was going to happen now? My brain was too tired to be properly frightened, but I still realized that I was in more danger now than I had been when alone with that Ikaros psycho.

"Well, Angel. I see that Ikaros has taken good care of you and your friends. He has kept you all alive, and" he said, upon examining me, "he hasn't deemed it necessary to punish you again, it seems."

He turned to Ikaros, who bowed to him. Why does he keep doing that?

"You have done well, Ikaros, and shall be rewarded when the new regime begins. You have served me faithfully, and shall not be forgotten. You shall soon be rewarded, our time is coming."

What the hell are they talking about? I guess I am hallucinating after all. I didn't understand anything of what they were saying, my brain just couldn't make sense of it.

My father turned back to me, and I shrank away from him. He smiled, satisfied by my reaction.

"Well Angel. It's time for us to talk about your betrayal. I must warn you that my patience is very limited right now, and every time your answer does not satisfy me, one of your friends will suffer for it. Once I am convinced that you have nothing useful to add, you will be able to choose which of your friends has her misery put an end to. You shall then be taken away, until I have decided what shall be done with you, permanently." He said the last word slowly and deliberately, putting every ounce of threat he possessed into it.

I looked at my father, the man who was supposed to love me, and who was standing above me, talking of my destruction with such obvious pleasure.

I know. My father had been absent during most of my childhood, but still. Despite the fact that he had spent most of his time on business trips, I was sure that he had cared for me. He brought me gifts after each and every trip, and made sure our domestics took care of me during his absence, when my mother was unable to. I know how it sounds, and yes, we were wealthy. And thanks to that, we had domestics who took care of me and of my mother, who was... let's just say that "she was mentally unstable". But in spite of his absence, I had always felt that my father cared deeply for my mother and for myself.

So how could he do this to me now? I knew that I had betrayed him, but I had had no other option. I couldn't have lived with myself if I had not done what I had deemed necessary. Looking back on that fateful day, that one moment where everything changed, and reliving it in my mind, I suddenly felt more at peace with myself. I realized that even now, retrospectively knowing the consequences of my actions, I knew I had done what was right. Even in the face of death I could not regret what I had done.

My eyes fell on the sorry forms of my best friends in this world, and my heart sank again. If only I had been able to keep everyone else out of this, everything would have been well.

I looked at my father again, determined to keep my friends from any further harm. I would answer his questions to his satisfaction, hoping that if I did, he would keep my friends from further harm. But even as this thought crossed my mind, I knew that it was a pointless hope. My father had said he would kill them, and deep down, I knew that was exactly what he was going to do.

I realized then that my father had succeeded in braking my spirits. I had no hope left, not for me, and not for them. He had won.

"Ok, Father. What do you want to know?" I asked, wearily.

"Well, let's start with an easy question: who are you working for, Angel?" His dark, almost black eyes bore into mine, searching my soul.

My mind went blank. What did he mean, who do I work for? I didn't understand.

"What do you mean, Father? My job? You know I'm a teacher. I don't understand your question What is it you want to know?" I asked, bewildered.

The effect of my answer was immediate, and my father flew into a dark rage, standing and throwing an empty chair against the wall, shattering it.

"Do not take me for a fool, Evelyn!" He roared. "Ikaros! Come here and remind my daughter that I requested immediate and satisfactory answers to my questions!" Spit flew as he yelled, his eyes bulging. I had never seen my father as furious as this, and it made me cower, fearing is wrath.

Ikaros came towards us, smiling malevolently.

"Gladly, my Lord." He approached Rox again, this time with gardening secateurs. Addressing himself to me, he said: "You're going to enjoy this, little girl. This tool is remarkable for gardening, but it has many other uses. My favorite way to use it, is like this."

He delicately took one of Rox's fingers in his, and placed it in the secateurs.

"NOO!" I screamed. "Please don't! I don't understand your question! Please don't!" I was pulling at the ropes violently, trying desperately to shield my friend. Rox hadn't yet regained consciousness, for which I was grateful. "Please!" I begged, sobbing now. "Please don't!"

Ikaros only smiled as he closed the secateurs on my friend's finger, severing it from her hand. It fell to the floor with a soft thump, blood from the fresh wound dripping onto it.

I wept, shivering uncontrollably.

"Well, Angel" my father said, having recovered is calm. "You understand now how serious I am, so answer my questions more carefully."

"I don't understand your question!" I screamed, terrified that her would hurt Rox again. "I don't understand! What do you want to know?" Tears were streaming down my face, my words indistinct, my distress blurring them together.

"Who - do - you - work - for" He repeated, saying each word carefully, his voice cold as steel.

I sobbed, despairing that I would find an answer that would satisfy my father. How could I? I had no idea what he was talking about. He knew exactly where I worked, with who and for whom.

"Answer me, Angel!" My father's voice was rising dangerously again. I needed to find something to say!

"Please, Father! I don't understand! Please believe me!"

He signaled to Ikaros again, who approached Rox again, and with less ceremony this, time, cut off another finger.

"NOO! Stop! Stop! I don't know what you want! STOP!" I shrieked, my throat raw from the exertion. "Leave her alone! I don't know what you want!" I could feel myself losing my mind, my eyes rolling, tears, sweat and blood still running down my face. My wrists had long since been rubbed raw, my constant tugging at the cords burning the skin off.

My father looked at me intently, fury easily identifiable in his eyes.

"Well, Angel. Let's try another question then, shall we? We can circle back to that one later. How did you find out about the Scheme?"

I looked at him, and felt despair take over. The what? My head fell to my chest, all strength leaving me. I still didn't understand him. Is he even asking real questions, or is it just so he can torture my friends a little more?

"I don't know what you're talking about, Father" I sobbed quietly. "I don't know."

He turned and nodded to Ikaros.

"No! Please, I'm begging you, stop!" I wept. Ikaros was approaching Rox again, his secateurs raised and ready.

My father looked at me, his eyes narrowed, pensive.

"Ikaros, wait." I lifted my head, hoping that he would finally put an end to this insanity. Did he believe me?

"I think my daughter needs more - motivation, to answer my questions." He turned to Rox, and said: "Wake her."

"No!" I begged again and again, pleading with my father. He merely looked on as Ikaros fetched another syringe, and injected Rox with it. She immediately stirred, and started screaming in pain, agonizing.

"Now, Angel. Answer the question, or she will be put in more pain through your fault." Said my father, no emotion what so ever transpiring in his voice.

"Stop!" I screamed hysterically. "Stop! I don't understand! I can't answer, I don't know! Stop!" I was shrieking, yelling, sobbing, pulling at the ropes, desperate for anything, any way, to have them stop.

To no avail. My father had signaled to Ikaros once more, and he came forward, closed his hand around Rox's, raised it, and snipped off another finger, quickly and effectively.

Rox was screaming at the top of her lungs, the torment unbearable. It lasted a few seconds more, before her brain shut down again, the black-out undoubtedly welcome to her.

My mind was racing, yet blank at the same time. What could I do? They were being hurt because of me. What could I do? I don't know! I was almost delirious with pain and fear, unable to make sense of my thoughts.

My father was looking at me intently again, eyes narrowed in thought, and it was a few moments before he spoke again.

"Ok, Angel. Let's try one last question, shall we? It's an easy one, one that you should be able to answer: why did you betray me?"

I let my head droop, exhaustion taking over. I closed my eyes, trying to think of a way to answer which was honest, but would not aggravate him enough to punish me through my friends.

"I couldn't let you do it, Father. I couldn't let you kill that boy without doing anything. I had to call the police." I raised my head to see how he accepted my words. He was still looking at me attentively, his eyes still narrowed.

"You don't know what you've done, do you?" He asked, incredulity transpiring through his tone. "You've destroyed years of careful planning single handedly, yet it really was an accident, wasn't it? And here I thought that you had somehow figured it all out, and found the only weakness in the Scheme. A weakness I admit I had overlooked, judging the probability of it occurrence too feeble. A great mistake on my part. But you... you..." His voice trailed away. He was silent for a while, deep it thought.

"You ruined it, Angel. Whether deliberate or not, you shall pay." Then, standing and turning to Ikaros, he said: "Kill one of girls, which ever my Angel wants, and make the other suffer."

He left, leaving me cowering in the chair, dreading what was to become of us.