Left 4 Dead: Gemini Strain.
Chapter XXXV: Russian Roulette – Adam
I glanced at Latvia from the
corner of my eye, attempting to see if she was showing any hints of
being aroused from her forced slumber. I had spread her out on a
couch in what appeared to be an employee lounge from what I gathered
from the door we entered in. After Cassius released his foot from my
throat he instructed me to carry Latvia and follow him to a much
safer area. The whole way I glared at the back of the man in front of
me trying to figure out his intentions. Cassius did not say a word to
me even as he closed the door behind us. I had taken an empty chair
that would allow me to face him directly as he paced back and forth
and keep an eye on my partner.
A sound from above alerted
my attention as a soft then violent pattering on the roof indicated
what I was hoping would not happen again. "Dammit, its raining
again?" I asked into the air as I reflexively looked upwards.
"This weather is most likely going to continue." Cassius
muttered to me whilst continuing his pacing back and forth.
"Stop pacing and get to the point, what was so critical that you
had to tranquilize Lat and take us aside?" I demanded as harshly
as my aching throat would allow.
He stopped as I directed
and shifted his feet to face me. It was odd how his cocky grin was
absent and replaced by a stoic expression for such a long period of
time. Whatever the reason was that he had such a face it seemed to me
that expression made him look more human. His words to me came
meticulous and slow, differing from his usual sporadic words.
"There is something out there, Adam."
"Your
right. There is a murderous psychopath bent on making my life more of
a hell than what I am in now."
"Shut the fuck
up!" He yelled to me, a grimace replacing his former look and a
sudden hand launched to grab the chair's back close to my shoulder.
Cassius' voice became different, his words now coming out with a
heavier accent than I've heard from him. I was not sure how he
managed to get that close to me so quickly but I made sure that my
face contradicted my thoughts.
"I'm talking of
something monstrous in nature running around as if it were
unstoppable. Nothing seems to faze it, similar to a highly mobile
tank."
"Really now...?" I responded
questionably. If what the Russian said happened to be true then it
would explain--"those loud roars and sounds we keep hearing."
"I'm sure that you heard it, yes, but I have seen it. It was
brief but it looked formidable enough that it has become clear that
this is no simple viral strain."
"What are you
implying, Cassius?"
He brought his face to mine, his
eyes only about an inch and a half away from my own. He smelled
strongly of blood mingled with what could have been cologne for all I
knew. The metallic odor couple with the aromatic smell certainly made
me unsure whether or not to scrunch my face in disgust or breath in
mildly just to further identify the unusual smell.
"I'm
implying that we should work together in all this, моя любовь.
Something is out there that requires us to work together. We all have
a common goal anyway."
"What makes you believe
that I will not refuse your offer?"
"Because,
Adam..." He began, his voice becoming huskier with each word,
"Whether you believe it or not you cannot help but be
drawn to me."
"Agreed." I said as I reached
behind me and pulled out a small mic from my side pocket on my
backpack. "So much that I make sure that you are around me.
Thing is I do so to allow myself opportunity to kill you, believe it
or not."
My words did not faze him much to my
surprise, if any thing it lit a spark of humor in his eyes. His
response to me was something that threw me off. "I doubt that
you would kill me so readily. I believe that me being here only makes
you enamored with me."
"Thats not to far from the
truth, I will admit." I said slowly and with my own
disappointment at my admittance. "However, all that you have
done is not so easily ignored."
"I'm as human as
you are, Adam, granted I have some...problems. That does not mean I
cant change."
he took my hand and brought it to his chest, his heart beating
rapidly. "I cant help but feel excitement over what might happen
next."
"Really now?" I asked, quickly
bringing my hand away from his chest. I eyed him and noticed a weapon
in his gun holster. "What is this, a Colt?" I asked as I
unholstered the weapon and and emptied out all the bullets except
one. I spun the chamber and gave the gun to Cassius' out stretched
hands. "I'm sure that you are familiar with this game. Pull the
trigger five times to your skull to prove that you mean this joint
effort."
"Ahh, I love the way you are handling
this. I love it when someone tries to put me in my place. Very well
then, Adam." Cassius said as he brought the gun to his temple.
"Один."
Click.
"Два."
Click.
"Три."
Click.
"Четыре."
Click.
"...Пять."
Click.
"Very well done, Cassius. Considering it's a matter of chance
how fortunate for you!" I applauded to him as he handed me his
Colt with a satisfied smirk.
"Is there anything else
you would like for me to do?" He asked with a cocky smile with
all too many implications to pick just one. How was I going to
explain this to everybody?
