Bree's P.O.V.
The ride here wasn't too long; it felt like only a few minutes. But I'm not sure if we were in a super speed car or a regular one. Sebastian has his mask on again when he takes me out of the back of the van, but I know it's him. He doesn't try to force me out; he knows he doesn't need to. "Come on," is all he says as he holds out a hand to help me down.
I take his hand and step out of the van. He holds my arm, and I hold my wrists behind my back, giving the illusion of being tied up. The ground feels soft under my feet. I look down to see that we are on a beach. The beach looks familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen it before. Sebastian reaches into his pocket and pulls out a mask. The lense is blacked out so I can't see anything when I put it on. I can tell there is an oxygen tank conected to the mask. He pulls me and suddenly I am very wet. A wave rushes over my face, but I don't have time to react before he pulls me down, under the water. I hold my breath, but eventually I can't hold it any longer. "Maybe this is how I will die." I think to myself. But then I remember the oxzygen tank on the mask and breath in oxygen. I'm pulled farther down into the water. The next thing I know, Sebastian is helping me stand again. The mask is still on my face. I feel a lot of wind for a moment, and I'm dry withinn secnds. We walk a ways and Sebastian takes the mask off of my face. I take a deep breath and gasp for fresh air. I almost fall, but he steadies me.
We walk to a door and he unlocks it. He motions for me to step inside the room, so I do. The room is not well lit, so I can't see very well. Once I get a bit closer, I can see Leo sleeping on a cot a few feet away from me. I hear footsteps from outside the door, and Sebastian quickly throws me to the floor. I cringe, feeling the cold cement floor on my face. The footsteps are getting closer, and now I can hear voices. Sebastian whispers to me, "Stay down!"
I do as I'm told. I have no idea who is coming, and I don't want to act foolishly. I slowly turn over so that I can see the people who have entered the room. Two men in masks stand at the door, and Sebastian is blocking their way into the room. They are still able to see inside the room, however, so I pretend to be asleep. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" says the taller of the two.
"It's the little bionic girl." says the other.
"Hey, Sebastian, what do you say we give her a little taste of what's to come." says the tall one, trying to come inside the room.
"Come on, guys, you know the boss said not to touch the merchandise. He would be really mad if he found out," says Sebastian, pushing them back.
"But he won't find out. Come on, Sebastian! One little peek won't hurt." says the shorter of the two.
"Yes, it will. You know the boss has plans for her. If you mess them up, he'll have your head. And you know he'll find out; he has eyes everywhere." says Sebastian, looking at the ceiling.
"Yeah, but-" begins the short one before Sebastian cuts him off.
"Come on, guys! She's not even worth it. Trust me, I used to know her. She's not worth the risk of getting caught." he says.
To my relief, they shrug and walk out of the room. Sebastian follows them out and shuts the door behind him.
The loud noise wakes up Leo, who had been sleeping until now. I look up at him as he rubs his eyes. "Hi, Leo," I say quietly.
"Bree? How did you wake up so quickly? That tranquilizer dart made me sleep for hours." he asks, standing up.
"I wasn't tranquilized. Sebastian brought me. I came here to save you. He said they were holding you here, and if I came, they would let you go. So I came. You can thank me now." I say haughtily.
"Bree! They tricked you! It's you they want; I'm just the bait. Yes, I could leave now, but I can't really leave." He groans.
I'm confused. I thought he could leave once I arrived. "What do you mean you can't leave? Won't they let you go now that I'm here?" I ask.
"Yes, they will let me go, but they won't let you go. They are keeping you here for the big event. When everyone else gets here, they will bring you out for the others to see, and they will destroy you." he explains.
"But if you can leave, why don't you just go warn the others about the plan?" I ask.
"Because I can't leave you!" he says, letting out an exasperated sigh, "While we are waiting for the others to get here, you are in a lot of danger. These guards are mostly androids. They can think for themselves, but they're made of steel and other metals."
"Sebastian will protect me from them if he has to, but even if he doesn't, I can take care of myself," I say, flipping my hair.
"You don't get it, do you? Sebastian can't let them know that he loves you. If he can change a guard's mind about attacking you, then he will. But if the guards are set on hurting you, he can't do anything about it or his cover will be blown. You might be able to fight off a couple of guards, but if there are six or so, you might not be able to fight them all. I will stay here with you so that you don't get hurt." he says.
I nod and sit down on the cot. Before I can say anything, Dr. Gao appears at the door. "Leo, I am coming in. I'm alone, so no need to worry about getting hurt." He says, opening the door.
"Come in," says Leo, a hint of uneasiness in his voice.
"I see that Bree has arrived safely. Welcome to my home, Bree. As for you, Leo, you are free to go if you like." he says casually.
"I've decided to stay here until our family comes." says Leo, trying to act brave.
"Very well," says Gao with a sly smile, "I suppose I should tell you how things will work."
He walks closer to me as he begins speaking. "Bree, you will be kept here until your family comes for you. You are safe in this room with Leo. No one may enter this room without his permission, so you should be fairly safe here. Even I will announce myself before entering. My guards have instructions not to touch you, but sometimes they disobey. Leo is a good brother to stay with you. Your family will only be able to find you when I allow it. That will be in a week or so. When they arrive, you and Leo will be escorted out of this room by one of my highest ranking officials. It will probably be Sebastian, but it may be Marcus. You both will be taken to the arena room. Leo will no longer be free to leave. He must stay in the viewing box with the others. I have designed an android specifically for you, my dear. You will step into the arena with him and fight him. If you win, all of you may go free. I won't bother you again. But if you lose, you must participate in an experiment of mine and stay here for about a year."
I look at Leo, who is biting his lip, obviously worried. I don't see why, though; I can fight a single android in five minutes. "However, if you wish to opt out of fighting the android, you may choose a sacrifice from your family. Leo is not an acceptable sacrifice, but either Adam or Chase will do. If you choose a sacrifice, you must fight him until one of you wins. The loser must stay here for a period of a week. I hope you do understand that this will not be an ordinary fight, of course. There is only one rule: you must destroy or be destroyed."
