Lynn stirs awake from the darkness. Her eyes flutter open unevenly. She felt her motionless legs slide across the floor. To her side, two men held her up from her shoulders and dragged her through a corridor.
Lynn groggily looked around. She noticed the blue wallpaper, red carpet floor, and immersive paintings. It looks like a top-notch mansion.
The men stopped and opened two large wooden doors. The men took a couple steps in and roughly threw Lynn to the ground. She landed with a harsh thud, the carpet not helping at all. The two men stepped back into the corridor and slammed the wooden doors shut.
Lynn pushed herself off the floor. She noticed a desk in front of her and a formal man seated behind it. He was a skinny, handsome lad with a sharp look. He was suited up, had a thin stubble beard and greased hair.
He looked down at Lynn with a dry cigar between his lips. He inspected the athlete from head to toe and chuckled a little.
The man's lips curled in disgust. "So, you're the snot that's been gumming my work." Lynn did nothing, only staying idle on her hands and knees.
"You killed 4 of my men and a leech." The man got up from his seat with a bothersome sigh. He paced around the desk, his hands behind his back and his chest out. He stood in front of Lynn and looked down at her.
"I hate to admit it, but you've really got me all riled up." The man casually turned around, reached over his desk and pulled out a gun. The man kept his hand behind his back and the other pointing the gun at Lynn. He made the prospect of death look graceful. "No matter. Your life ends here."
Lynn's eyes widened. She jumped in fear and landed on her rear. She backed away and raised her hand to her face in defense.
"N-no, please. I swear I have no idea what you're talking about." Lynn pleaded.
"Oh come on now, don't play dumb with me. I know you're the goon that's been killing my men, ruining my business. My men found you in that factory with two dead. I know it's you." The man pulled the hammer and steadily aimed. "Everything in the city was going all nice and dandy until you showed up."
"No, no! I swear it wasn't me." Lynn uselessly shielded her face with her hand. She needed to help herself. "But I know who they are. I followed them around all day."
The man raised a brow. He lowered his gun, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Who are they then?"
Lynn's mind scrambled. She couldn't rat out her own brother. "He was a tall man, had a thin mustache and greasy hair." What was that name again? "His name was Francis, I think," Lynn hesitantly stated.
"Francis," repeated the formal man, stirring the name in his mouth like a fine wine. He nodded. "And the other?"
Lynn recoiled. "W-what other?"
"The other bastard. You said 'them'." The man pressed.
"Uh, no," Lynn said nervously. "There's no other."
The formal man growled. He raised his weapon in frustration. "Don't lie to me." He said with a scary calmness, as if he was disciplining a child. Lynn's heart skipped a beat and her mind ran wild.
"H-his name's Lincoln." Lynn suddenly snapped. "I-I didn't get a good look at him. That's all I know, I promise," Lynn begged. Her eyes stung. Tears dared to escape.
The man glared at her with narrowed eyes. He hummed and contemplated his next action. He nodded and lowered his gun again. He carelessly tossed the gat on his desk.
"And what were you doing in the factory?" The formal man asked.
"Sorry, I thought the place was abandoned. When I saw cars parked outside, I got curious." Lynn said with a hint of honesty.
The man snarled. "Fair enough." He strolled back to his seat. He dropped into the chair and leaned back. He closed his eyes and held his chin. "Now, how am I going to kill those two bastards?"
Lynn tensed up. "No!" She shouted. "You can't."
The formal man opened an eye and looked at Lynn. "And why not?"
"Cuz' he's my brother goddamit," Lynn cried. "Please don't hurt him."
The formal man's eyes widened. Then his eyes lowered to a calm look. He couldn't just let some measly goon mess around with his business and go unpunished. He could kill Lynn then go for the bastards, but despite how heartless he is, he couldn't bring himself to killing an innocent child.
A twisted smile stretched across his face. He had a better idea.
"What's your name, kid?" The formal man asked.
"Lynn," The athlete raised her head and spoke timidly. "Lynn Loud."
"Well, Lynn, I hate to say this, but your brother and I have a little problem." The man sharply said. "You see, he's been killing a couple of my men."
The formal man stood up again. He walked over to Lynn and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Nice, hard working, innocent men."
Lynn opened her mouth, but no words came out. She tried to defend her brother, but how could she?
"And the most recent kill was the last straw." The formal man walked back to his desk. He sighed and feigned somberness.
"His name was Douglas. Really nice man. A close friend of mine. Father of two. Loving husband to the missus."
"You see, he was on his way to the theatre, was gonna meet his family there. His two daughters were looking forward to it." The formal man fell silent. His eyes scanned his desk with unusual interest. "Then he was hit. A bullet went right through his throat." Lynn's eyes widened.
"Oh, but he didn't die, though. People… said he was begging for help." The man's voice was shaky, tears at the corner of his eyes. "Your brother was watching him struggle the entire time, playing with his life like a demon."
"Then another bullet right through the head." The man shot up from his seat and slammed a fist on the desk. He breathing was heavy and uneven. "He killed my best friend!"
A short silence filled the room. Lynn was shaking. Her stomach threatened to empty.
"But that's not the problem. You see, Douglass owned a farm down south. But with no one running the farm, the workers were laid off."
The formal man lifted his head and looked at Lynn's cowering state. "Now where do you think all those workers went? Hmm?"
Lynn didn't answer.
"To their other jobs? To their homes? To their families?" The man fiercely asked. "We gave them food and a home, everything." The man snapped his fingers. "And just like that, you're brother ruined it all. Ruined tons of lives."
Another silence filled the room. The man fell into his chair. He leaned back again, his head dipping back. He scanned the ceiling, looking for heaven.
"I know you don't want to hear this, but he's not the brother you know and love." The man narrowed his eyes. "He's a monster."
After a minute of silence, the man lifted his head and looked at Lynn. She was down on her knees, her head bowed. She was shaking and silently weeping.
The man smiled.
He got up, walked over to Lynn and kneeled down. He placed a gentle hand on Lynn's shoulder. The athlete looked up at the man. Her eyes were glazed and lost.
The man looked at her with pitiful eyes. "Go home kid. You've had a long day."