"This isn't working."
"Alex, perhaps if you tried just a bit harder—"
"Doctor Connor," his voice grew eerily calm for a moment. "We've been at this for six days, and we've hardly made any progress. At noon tomorrow, our time will be up, and the CIA will charge me with the murder of Joe Byrnes." Alex glanced down. "This whole thing is pointless,"
Six days.
Six days, and he hadn't managed to remember much of anything. He probably wouldn't remember anything tomorrow. Heck, he may never remember what he was doing in that blasted alleyway.
Six days, trapped in this bloody cell, with its bare walls and artificial, blue-tinted lighting. Alex felt like a caged animal. He was treated like one, too.
Six days, and he hadn't heard a word from the Pleasures. That female interrogator was doing an excellent job of keeping him isolated from the rest of the world.
Six days, he spent suffering through Doctor Connor's tedious mind-games and petty pep talks.
One day, and he would be either a fugitive or a prisoner.
Despite Doctor Connor's best efforts, there was little hope of Alex regaining his memories in the time that remained. It was possible, of course…but was it likely? No, not really.
I'd be better off handling this situation on my own.
He glanced up to see the doctor sitting stiffly, spectacles resting on the tip of his nose, as he jotted down some scribbles in his worn notepad.
Alex shook his head.
With the seconds passing relentlessly, it was time to make a decision. The longer he spent imprisoned, the more he felt his sanity slipping. Captivity did strange things to the mind.
So, should he stay here and risk everything, only to cling to the hope that justice would prevail? Or should he escape?
Escape would be difficult, yes. There were many factors to consider, many of which he'd already thought out. But his plan was prepared. All that he had to do was make the final decision to flee.
It was not an easy choice.
I'm having more trouble making this decision than I should be.
A part of him felt like a coward for wanting to run. Surely, staying to face trial would be the courageous thing to do. If the judge ruled in his favor, it would be easy to say that he had been brave for trusting the system. But if the judge found him guilty…
Perhaps staying would be foolish. Sometimes bravery and foolishness went hand-in-hand, after all. Escaping, no matter how risky it may seem, may be wiser.
"Alex? Please, just focus for a few moments more."
Doctor Connor's voice snapped him out of his brooding, and he took a deep breath, exhaling harshly. "I'm done, Doctor Connor. I don't want to waste my time on this nonsense anymore,"
Not when I could be using this time to work on my escape.
"But Alex, I'm confident that if you—"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Doctor," a guard said as he stepped through the door. "But the prisoner is permitted to have a visit."
Alex shot him a glare, but the man didn't react.
"We're in the middle of a session—" Doctor Connor began, but fell into silence under the guard's hard stare.
"He has thirty minutes, and the timer has already begun."
Alex glanced between the guard and Doctor Connor, hesitant to get his hopes up, but desperate to see if it was anyone that could help him. "We can finish this later, Doctor Connor. I need a break, anyways."
There was a pause.
"That's fine, I suppose," he said, resigned. "Hurry back,"
The guard seized Alex and shackled him. It was degrading, the way the man treated him like some sort of animal, but his thoughts were focused on other things.
"This way,"
He led Alex down a long hallway to an elevator, where they traveled down to the floor below.
Despite his excitement, Alex still managed to take note of everything around him. He'd need to know as much about the building as possible, if his escape plan was to actually work.
After a few more minutes of walking, they reached a heavy door with an electronic lock. The guard swiped his key card, and forcefully escorted Alex into the room. He shoved him into a chair, stepping into the corner to make a call on his radio.
The room was boring, with little furniture and dreary lighting—there was nothing spectacular about the place. Of course, he didn't really care about the décor. He was far too curious about his visitors to care about such things.
Alex began to lose himself in speculation, only to be pulled from his thoughts a few moments later as he heard footsteps in the hallway.
His muscles were rigid with anticipation. His eyes were fixed on the door, eager to see who was behind it. It felt as if the world had stopped spinning, time had died out, and that he only existed in this single moment.
The handle turned, and then slowly, the door creaked open.
He felt a rush of relief so great, that he even managed a small smile.
Finally.
The Pleasures were here.
A/N: There are a few different ways that I can take this story from here. My original plan was to have Alex regain his memories before the deadline, and walk out of the CIA's HQ a free man (or, more accurately, free teen).
But instead of that, I could have Alex escape. He would probably end up proving his innocence on his own, but it would take a while. Which would mean that this story would be much longer than I originally intended. I'm not even sure if I'm capable of pulling this off, but I'm considering it. I make no promises, however. :)
It would be really nice to hear your thoughts on this (ghost readers, included-that is, if I have any). So if you wouldn't mind, please drop a review or PM me with any suggestions. I'd love to hear from you guys!