The men's voices grew closer and closer and their direction was becoming more and more obvious.
"Uh, Peggy," she whispered. "I think they're coming from straight ahead."
"Oh really, Angie?" I slightly snapped at her and instantly regretted it. "Sorry, I get snippy in tight situations."
"No harm taken, English," she said, slightly shaky.
I prepared myself for the worst and bravely strolled my way up to the intersection of the hallways, prepared to take the worst from these men. Their footsteps came closer and closer and when they were in view I fired two warning shots above their heads that ricocheted against the walls and cast off a small light show of sparks. I mainly gave them the warning shots because I wasn't able to aim very well, but I wanted a good fight. They immediately took cover, but they surprisingly didn't shoot at me. I heard Angie yell something from behind me but the next thing I knew, I was on the ground.
"Bloody Nora," I grumbled, thrashing against the two men that held me down.
"Fabulous, Ms. Carter," the strange man from earlier made a reappearance. "You did exactly as I predicted you would."
"What?" I groggily said due to the hard blow I had just received. Two men came out from the locked door and seized Angie.
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" He slightly smirked and then squatted next to me, a bit out of my reach if I were to escape. This small gesture gave away the large fact that he was intimidated by me. It was all I needed.
"What? That you're stupendously mad?" That slightly stirred him up a bit. He quickly regained his composure, however, and remembered he had the upper hand.
"You will comply, Ms. Carter, and we're going to begin now," he stood up and looked down at me, obviously feeling a bit accomplished for some reason. He pulled a gun out from his black overcoat and held it at his waist.
"What happens if I don't cooperate? You'll kill me? How terrifying." My sarcasm was making even nervous Angie crack up.
"No, Ms. Carter," he white knuckled his gun, frustrated by my comment. "We'll kill her, but I feel that your theory and my actual threat are one and the same thing."
I could actually feel the color gently, yet suddenly flood from my face. He pointed the gun at her temple for effect but I doubted he would kill her there and then. She was the only leverage he currently had. He would use her until there was absolutely no use for keeping her alive. She slightly flinched when he raised his arm. Killing Angie would be the most terrible thing he could do to me and he knew it. I already blamed myself for the death of one great person, I couldn't bear it to have two.
"What do I have to do?" I looked at him hard right in the eyes. I didn't take Angie's life lightly. He slowly dropped the gun from her head, but the fear never left her eyes.
"Cooperate," he was gaining confidence, confidence I couldn't afford to give him but I didn't have a choice. From then on, I would devote my captivity to keeping her alive. "All you have to do is give us information and then go through our experimental programs and we will let her walk free when you're-"
"Dead?" I interjected because I knew where this would end up. I wouldn't get out unless I was rescued. There was a rare, helpless feeling that ran through my veins.
"Yes," I couldn't tell what he was hiding but I knew it couldn't end up well whether I survived or not. "Essentially, yes."
"But Angie will walk free?"
"Peggy, no don't do this," Angie gently said to me and I looked over to her, just a slight glance but just seeing her broken set my decision.
"I'll do it," I answered, slightly defeated. After all, I was great at stalling. I was determined that the SSR would come and get me quickly and I had a plan to make sure I wouldn't give away important and possibly detrimental information about the SSR and what they had acquired over the years. My final decision upset and angered Angie. I couldn't read her face and that's what I liked about her. Out of all the readable and predictable men and women, there was her. When I thought I had her figured out, she surprised me and made me question her again.
"Alright then," the man's confidence was outrageous. "Let's begin."