Author's Note:

Okay…remember how I told you guys to keep in mind some of the stuff I mentioned in the earlier chapters.

Well, this chapter deals with it a bit.

Thank you so much for the previous reviews and I hope you will find this chapter to your liking too.

If not, remember I'm always open to critic.

xxx

Staring at it almost mesmerized she was unable to prevent herself from moving closer and before she knew it she was leaning across his body with her one hand wrapped around the handle of the knife.

Chapter 14

Her fingers started caressing the handle…up and down…up and down they moved across the blood-wet leather exterior of the hunting knife.

Her face was now mere inches away from his. She could see his eyes moving frantically underneath closed eyelids, his face was scrunched up in pain and every so often a moan would escape his lips.

"Look at me," she whispered close to his face.

Her only reply was another soft moan followed by some muffled words being uttered by him.

Tilting her head slightly to one side, pursing her lips, her fingers played a silent beat on the handle before wrapping themselves around it in a solid grip.

"I said…" she started off in a soft tone, "LOOK AT ME!" and with those words she pulled the knife out from underneath his shoulder blade with one swift attempt.

"Arhhhhhhhhhhh!" he screamed out loudly, his whole body went stiff with his back arching in response to her action.

She could feel his blood streaming through her fingers and she found herself suddenly enjoying the power of life and death that she had over him.

'Don't let him die,' she could hear the voices, something she sometimes considered as a cursed ability, whispering in her mind.

"Why in hell shouldn't I!" she yelled out loudly and when a shocked murmur sounded up behind her she turned her head around slightly to see Angelo and the Asian girl staring at her with wide eyes.

She started to open her mouth to say something, to tell them that there was nothing to be concerned about, but when she could not find the correct words to offer them she merely shook her head and turned her attention back to her brother.

'He is important to your future,' this time she could clearly hear her mother's voice in her head, before it faded away until she was once again left alone with her own thoughts.

"Yeah…like he won't try coming after me again if I let him live," she replied sarcastically and waited for any reaction from her inner voices, but her only response was silence.

For a few moments she was frozen in the same position, seriously considering to let her brother's life-giving blood just drain away, but as she happened to turn her gaze back to his face and saw that his eyes were opened she realized that there was no way that she would be able to let it happen. Despite what she had to endure under his hands she was still no cold-blooded murderer.

Uttering a curse under her breath she turned her head around and when she laid her eyes on the clothes that he brought her earlier on she reached out and pulled it towards her.

She could not be bothered with trying to make him a make-shift bandage so she merely bundled the shirt up and pushed it against the wound, before turning him carefully around on his back so that he could lay on the piece of clothing and as such act as a way to stem the flow of blood.

"Don't move," she said when he tried to resist her turning him on his back and when it did not appear as if he was about to comply she added, more harshly, "I said DON'T move."

When she was finally finished she picked up the pants to wipe away at the blood on her hands. "This is just perfect," she snorted disgustingly as she struggled to clean her fingers with angry swipes across the skin. "You tried to involve me in some sick, pathetic twisted plan of yours and now I have to sit here and try to get your filthy blood of my hands."

Turning her gaze towards him, she could see his eyes staring at her impassively, she snapped, "Just look at what a sorry state you are in now. Did you really think you would be able to get away with it?" She knew that she was not telling the whole truth, that unless it was for Angelo things would have turned out much different and for the worst, but it made her feel good to utter those words, even if it was just in order for her to regain some of her former inner strength.

To her surprise and shock a smile started forming across his mouth.

Narrowing her eyes she shoved the blood-stained pants to one side, before hissing, "What are you smiling at asshole?"

He coughed once, a few drops of blood formed at the corner of his lips, before murmuring, "I already have."

"You already have…what?" she asked, her forehead scrunched up in confusion.

His breathing was becoming shallow and a strange whistling sound was heard with every breath that he took. After a few moments he finally managed to say, "I…already…got away…with it."

Moving a bit closer to him she scowled, "What are you talking about you miserable excuse for a living being. As far as I can see it you are the one dying here…not me."

He tried to laugh but immediately his face twisted in a painful grimace. "It's…already in you…working its magic...transforming your mind to-" before he could finish his sentence a coughing fit raked through his body.

Her eyes widened slightly in shock and her mind raced through all sorts of scenarios as to what he could possible be talking about. Eventually she clenched her teeth and merely said, "You're lying."

"Am I?" he replied and tried to wipe away at the blood on his face, but before his hand could even reach his lips he moaned in pain before letting it fell back into position. "Your kidnapping…they wanted to see…if you could reach…your full potential."

"And here I thought you merely wanted me to play out some sick fantasy of yours," she replied sarcastically, still not able or willing to believe a word that he was saying.

"That was…just one of my perks," he managed to say after a few seconds of trying to force more oxygen to his lungs. "From our mother…they knew that…strong emotions… brought out…inner sense. Reason why…our fa…Mr Parker…raised you to be…cold and emotionless. He was scared of…what you were capable off. They are not."

He paused his talking for another coughing fit.

She did not try to interrupt him again, merely stared at him with uncertainty, confusion and shock in her eyes.

"I was given…permission to have you…in exchange…have to make sure…you get the chemicals…in you. Was told to…use whatever…means to break you…to bring intense emotions forth…works better that way with the stuff you now…have in you."

Realization slowly started to light up her eyes. Diverting her gaze from his she whispered, "The water…the almost unnatural thirst I had all the time…" After a few seconds of appearing to be deep in thought she moved her eyes back to his now ash-white face, "You put something in my water?"

He nodded his head slowly, "Yes. I also injected you with the first, heavier, doze when I took you from your home."

"I don't believe a word you are saying," she said angrily, but from the horrified emotion on her face it was clear that her thoughts and words were two different things.

"Why should I lie," he replied. "I've got nothing…to lose…only to win. Like I said I have gotten away…with it. Not long now…and you will start…to feel the result." As he finished the last few words a soft laughter tore through his body followed by another coughing fit.

Shaking her head in denial she only managed to hiss, "Think whatever you want. I'm getting out of here with Angelo and that poor girl. You can stay here and rot for all I care."

"Don't you wanna know…who gave the order," he replied just as she was about to turn around and make her way to her companions.

Turning her attention back to him she was unable to prevent herself from saying, "Who?" Despite what she had indicated to him inwardly she was beginning to believe his farfetched story and it was scaring the hell out of her.

Grinning he waited a few seconds before replying, "Our father."

Frowning, sure she had heard him wrong, she asked, "Which one. Mr Parker or Mr Raines?"

Shaking his head slowly he said, "No. Our real father."

Uttering a snort she replied to his statement, "Now I know you aren't only certifiable mad. You are also downright dim-witted. I had Broots checked it out and…so help my god…that oxygen pushing, Centre laky had turned out to be our biological father."

"The Centre has eyes and ears everywhere. They…can make you believe…anything they want to," he whispered almost inaudible before closing his eyes.

At first she thought he had died on her, but when she touched the side of his neck with two fingers she could still feel a steady pulse and she realized that he must have just lost consciousness.

For a long time she could only stare at him. She wanted to feel sorry for him, to acknowledge that he was just another product of the Centre, but only hatred, disgust and loafing revealed itself in her heart. All that she managed to see in front of her was a man that had torture, tried to rape her and tricked her into consuming human flesh.

At the thought of the last she could feel nausea returning to her in full force and she barely managed to bend over before all the remains of her previous meal was expelled from her stomach.

After a few seconds her stomach finally decided to calm down a bit. Feeling horrible, uttering a soft groan, she wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand.

A soft hand came to a rest on her shoulder and due to her already fractured nerves she spun around and was just about to shot out a fist when she registered that it was the Asian girl standing behind her.

"Thank…you. You are…a very…brave woman," the girl spoke with a heavy accent and in broken English.

"Not as brave as you are," Ms Parker replied back in her native tongue and then added, "I am so very sorry for what you had to endure at the hands of that madman." Upon saying, 'madman,' she turned around and pointed a finger at the now still body of her brother.

"I am…save…now…right?" the teenager asked and her eyes moved away from Ms Parker to that of Lyle.

"Yes you are." Standing up slowly, refusing to acknowledge the protest of her aching body, she reached out a hand to the girl. "Come. We better get you to a hospital. I also know someone that will be able to provide you with a new identity just in case my brother ever recovers and get the bright idea to try and come after you again."

The Cambodian teenager nodded her head in reply; her whole face stated that she trusted Ms Parker with her whole life. Without any hesitation Ms Parker wrapped her arm underneath the girl's one shoulder so that they could provide mutual support to each other and turning her head to where Angelo was still sitting she said gently, "Come on my hero. Time to go home."

xxx

So…what do you think?

My plan is to write another two chapters and then to let this story lead into a sequel, but only if you guys are interested.

Otherwise I'll end this story on another note.

On a last note…for those of you that wonder where the hell Jarod and Ethan is – they will definitely be in the next chapter.