The door opened painfully slow.
Bright light from the hallway invaded Nick's dilated pupils and he took in a sharp inhale of air and closed his eyes. Blue and green spots danced on the back of his eyelids.
"Huh?" Ellis slurred as he awoke from his deep yet restless slumber. He squinted against the bright light and look up at the two men that stood in the doorway.
Miller and Sanchez looked down at the two men on the floor. Miller's eyebrows quivered in anger and he scowled. Sanchez shook his head in disapproval and put his hands in the pockets of his doctor coat.
Nick slowly opened his eyes and glared at the men in the door way.
"Going to shoot us now?" he spat out.
Miller squared his jaw. "Not this time. You got lucky."
Before Nick could demand an explanation, Miller yanked both him and Ellis to their feet. He shoved Ellis in Sanchez's direction.
"He's all yours," Miller growled.
"What's goin' on?" Ellis asked, still groggy.
Sanchez grabbed his arm and started to lead the young Southener down the hallway. He pulled something black out of one of the pockets of his coat. He pressed it just under Ellis' ribcage.
"If you try anything, I will blast your guts down the hall."
Ellis swallowed and nodded, feeling the cold barrel of the gun press into his side.
Nick watched as Ellis willingly went down the hall with Sanchez.
A hand clamped around the conman's bicep like a vice. He was dragged down the hall by the big military man beside him.
Nick tried to pull away until he noticed Miller's hand twitch to the gun on his hip. Not wanting to be blasted all over the walls, Nick went quietly.
He was led up multiple flights and down a familiar hallway, passed a familiar cafeteria and to a familiar door.
Miller swiped his key card and shoved Nick inside.
Nick turned and continued to glare up at him. "I don't get it. I coulda swore you were going to shoot us." he said.
Miller gripped the door until his knuckles turned white. He squared his jaw and ground his teeth. "Trust me, I want to," he said. "But I got a request to give you and your hillbilly friend another chance. So don't fuck it up!"
Nick looked at the man in camouflage, his eyebrows raising in confusion. "Who made that request?"
"She'll be in shortly." Was Nick's reply followed by the door slammed in his face.
Nick stared the door down for another minute before he sat on his bed. I got a request to give you and your hillbilly friend another chance...
Who? Who requested?
Nick immediately thought of Rochelle, that seemed like something she would do. As soon as she noticed that Nick and Ellis had not joined them for breakfast, she would have started to freak out.
But why would Miller listen to her? She hated Nick at the moment anyway.
Nick groaned and set his head in his hands. Miller had said that whoever it was would be in shortly. All he could do was wait.
He didn't have to wait long.
The door gave that all too familiar beep and the door opened.
Nick looked up. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the figure standing in the doorway.
"You don't look too happy to see me," Rachael said, a smirk spreading across her glossy lips. She toyed with a single blonde curl and met Nick's eyes, challenging him. "I mean, after all, I just saved yours and your buddy's lives."
Nick remained still, his facial expression not changing. "Why would you do that?" he asked.
In one swift movement, Rachael moved from the door to his bed and sat beside him. She left the door wide open like the idiot she was.
"C'mon, Nicholas." She lifted her hand to set it on his leg.
Nick grabbed her wrist tightly in his fist. "Don't touch me," he growled.
Rachael looked up at him and batted her fake lashes. She leaned in until her lips grazed his ear when she spoke. "I can get you out of here."
Nick glared at her out the corner of his eye. There was a catch, there always was a catch with her.
"I can take you to the base up North. Things can go back to normal, the way they should be. Just you and me." Rachael said softly.
There it was.
Nick turned to glare at her. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked.
Rachael looked at him. "What? I'm offering you freedom! Why are you... unless..." she narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me you actually care about those other carriers."
Nick stood and pointed to the door. "Get out."
Rachael stood up. "You're going to throw your freedom away for some random people you met a few months back?" she shook her head. "You've gone soft, Nicholas. Let me guess, you actually care about, Rochelle, is that her name?"
Nick took a step closer. His nose almost touching hers. He spoke in a low, dangerous tone. "I'd rather die here with her than live my life with you, now get the hell out."
Rachael narrowed her eyes. "You'll regret this." On that note, she turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her.
Nick closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. The only thing he regretted was not shoving her out of the way and running out the open door.
Rachael stormed down the hall the best she could in six inch heels.
Miller stood waiting just outside the cafeteria where the other carriers were having lunch.
"Didn't go well?" Miller asked.
Rachael bristled at the comment but let it slide. She opened and closed her mouth multiple times, too angry to talk. Finally, she found words.
"Do whatever you want to him, just don't kill him. That's too easy." She said pointing down the hall in her ex husband's general direction. "I want him toregret what he just did."
Miller raised an eyebrow. "How?"
The blonde through her hands up in the air. "I don't care!"
"And the kid?"
Rachael glared up at the man in front of her. "I don't care, torture him, test on him, whatever you and Sanchez can think of. Go beat the shit outta him for all I care!"
A smile tugged at the corners of Miller's mouth.
Rachael closed her eyes and spoke through gritted teeth. "I just want them to suffer!"
Miller's smile grew wider.
Ellis sat on the bed. He hugged his knees to his chest and rested his head on them.
Sanchez stood beside him, a clipboard in his hand. He asked another question.
Ellis was sick of questions and clipboards. He groaned and buried his face into his knees.
Before Sanchez could re-ask the question, the door beeped and opened.
The doctor turned to look at the door. "Miller, what are you doing in here?" he asked.
Ellis tensed up at the name. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a chill ran down his spine when he heard the gruff voice speak.
"Taking care of something," was Miller's reply.
Ellis forced himself to look up at the big man that had entered the room. Miller was red in the face, eyebrows twitching in anger and a sadistic smile on his face.
Ellis swallowed, his throat dry. "What's goin' on?" he managed to ask.
Miller reached down and grabbed Ellis by the collar of his shirt and dragged him off the bed. "What did I say about that accent? It annoys the shit outta me!" Miller growled.
The Southener swallowed. Miller had the same crazed look in his eyes that Zoey had had a few days ago. "Ah... Ah can't help it..." Ellis swallowed.
Pain exploded in the left side of his jaw and he fell to the ground. Ellis gripped his jaw and whimpered. "What the hell?" he cried out.
Miller growled and kicked Ellis hard in the stomach.
Ellis grabbed his stomach and coughed as Miller continued to kick him. One kick hit his partially healed ribs and he cried out.
"Shut up!" Miller growled and kicked the kid on the floor again.
Ellis curled into a ball. "Stop! Stop please!" he whimpered.
Miller gave him one last kick to the ribs and Ellis cried out again.
"Miller, what the hell?" Sanchez cried.
The man in camouflage turned to the doctor. "We can't let what happened the other night happen again, so we need to set an example to show what happens when they try to escape." The man turned back to the trembling form on the floor. "Are you done trying to get out?" he asked. When Ellis opened his mouth to answer, Miller kicked him again. Ellis just nodded and hugged his throbbing ribs.
"And what happened the other night won't happen again will it?"
Ellis shook his head.
"And I'm never going to have to hear that accent again will I?"
Ellis shook his head again.
Miller turned away and started for the door. "Good, because if any of it happens again, I won't hesitate to shoot you this time." And with that, he slammed the door behind him.
Sanchez just looked down at Ellis and shook his head sadly before he followed Miller out.
As soon as the door was shut, Ellis broke down. He curled into a ball and sobbed. His last shred of hope leaving him as he cried. They were never getting out and he was going to die here.