She stared at the flash of John's knife dancing in his hand, reflecting off the red light scattered around the room. Instinctively, she was looking for a way out, something that would give her a little hope. But her body was still sore and stiff, so even if Iriba could somehow slip away she would have to fight with herself and her unfavorable physical condition. John stared at her intently, the delicate, ominous smile dancing on his face. The woman leaned back even though she felt the vertebrae of her spine painfully sticking into the wooden back of the chair.
- No. - She said sharply, swallowing hard. She knew that she was walking on a very, very thin ice. She could almost hear how it cracks... - You won't hear any confession from me. It doesn't matter what you would do.
John stopped rotating the knife between his fingers, but he still held it in his hand. He let the air out of his lungs slowly, never taking his eyes off the woman. He attacked her again with his look, forcing her to submit, to change her mind. She had the last chance to do it, but she didn't take take it. Despite being aware of being in a lost position and carefully trying to conceal her fear, she didn't lower her eyes. Carter only tried to gently change her position on the chair, although she didn't have much room to maneuver.
- Well, you just did in, in a way. - He said, licking his lips almost imperceptibly. He was a predator and she was a victim. Again. Practically every meeting of them could be described by this simple analogy and it made the woman boil in rage. Each time she was unable to defend herself, because he had an advantage over her. She didn't know what was worse - being an object of blackmail, or simply a victim of a kidnapping tied to a chair. - So, your pride prevents you from opening your soul to me and confessing your sins. But don't worry, I'm here to help you. To free you from this pride.
- No, you're here to satisfy your sadistic lust. Do not try to fool me with the sweet words that your damn brother put in your mouth. - She hissed icily, then pressed into the chair even more. John suddenly jumped out to her, and in three long, quick steps he leaned over her again, clenching his left hand on her throat, while the knife kept in the right was approaching her chest. - You can't break me. No matter how hard you try.
- Oh, can't I? - He teased, his teeth clenched. He was furious, she saw it in his blue voice was low, dripping with menace like a venom. - I will break you. Even if I had to do it for eternity and pay for it with my own blood. I will break you, you will curl at my feet and beg me for forgiveness, for salvation. You will tell me everything, every sin you ever commited. I will pull it from you and make you scream.
- And you consider yourself as someone qualified to give people absolution? You think you deserve being called the Baptist? You are full of wrath. You are full of pride. You are full of greed, as well as lust from what I remember. You aren't a sinner, no. You are the DEFINITION of a sin, you are all of them combined! - She scolded, gasping for breath. A warm hand tightened on her throat more and more, although the woman felt that John himself was not sure whether to silence her or let her finish her speech. He was breathing hard straight in her face and Deputy could have sworn that she felt a very subtle but distinctive smell of alcohol in it. - John Seed, the ultimate sin. This is who you are. And no matter what you do, you are unable to change it. Because being a sinner is in your nature, just like it's in mine.
The man burst into her face another dose of hot air. He raised his lips slightly, flashing the tips of snow-white teeth like an irritated wolf. She saw his Adam's apple twitch nervously and move with each swallowing of saliva, as well as tiny drops of sweat glistening at his temples. He was thinking about something. He analyzed. The grip on her throat eased slightly, but the woman still had difficulty breathing. As if that was not enough, she truly felt trapped, threatened. She felt hot, because of the aura from John and his monstrously heavy breath, stroking her face like a summer wind.
- Confess. - He murmured, staring at her face, into the abyss of brown eyes. Irina tried to tilt her head slightly, raise her chin. But John wouldn't let her do it, though. He clenched his fingers even harder, more violently. The woman opened her mouth, gasping for breath. The blue eyes of the man involuntarily wandered towards her open mouth and stopped at them for a second too long to be described as an accident. - Say yes.
- Why do you care so much? - She barely whispered, losing her strength with every moment. The grip on her throat was too much. - Why do you care so much about the salvation of the sinner's soul? A sinner who doesn't even believe in the existence of any god, or in the any kind of interference of higher power? Why do you care about a heathen?
He hissed at her words and flinched his head back, as if with contempt. The knife held in his right hand began to slowly break through the skin on her chest, from which a narrow trickle of blood flowed, carving a delicate pattern. He let go of her throat, which allowed her to breath normally again. She felt burning and pain, cold blade digging into her body. She only clamped her teeth. She didn't intend to make a sound, didn't want to give him that satisfaction, to allow him to enjoy her pain.
- Why would God give you permission to live? - John asked in disbelief, shaking his head slightly. He stabbed the knife deeper. Irina's body shuddered, fingers clenched into fists. But she didn't make any sound, clenching her teeth to the limit. - You are a fucking abomination who deserve nothing, but hell. No mercy. No salvation. No pity. You should be thrown into the fire.
- You can't kill a demon using a fire, Baptist. - She said with amusement, licking her bottom lip. - More than that, from what I recall, Joseph described me as hell personified. Not literally, but the meaning remains the same. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm really not. You can't do anything. Your brother gave you a task you can't complete. You still believe in his unconditional, true love? - She chuckled darkly, accepting an invitation to his game. She didn't intend to be submissive, oh no. Irina wanted to give him taste of his own, deadly medicine. John lifted his head and pulled the knife out of the woman's body. The blood slowly stained her chest and soaked into a black shirt. A shadow of a dangerous smile appeared again on the man's face. He liked it, he liked this game. Although Deputy got on his nerves like no one else, he liked it. She knew perfectly what strings to pull, where to stab to inflict the biggest pain. He respected this because it made her an intriguing opponent. And aroused him, in a way.
- Well, I think I have something perfect for you, little wraith. If you are truly a creature from hell, or even hell personified... This is really, really gonna hurt. But I have this strange feeling that you're gonna like it as much as I will. - He smiled even more, leaning closer to her once again, looking her straight in the eye. - We're gonna have so much fun, Deputy. So much fun... - His voice was nearly a purring. Irina was shocked in how fast his emotions changed. This man was a goddamn emotional rollercoaster. Which could be the reason of her death in the future, if she would take one step too far.
- For me the best form of entertainment will be the view of your head nailed to the stake. And if the rest of your family joins the set, I will become the happiest person in the world. - She responded sharply, bobbing lightly in her chair. Her body ached even more than it had when she was regaining consciousness. Now the woman was on the verge of her endurance. John apparently noticed.
- Say yes, little wraith. Confess. You will not avoid the pain in this way, but you will certainly ease it. - He whispered close to her ear, gently grasping it between his teeth, brushing it with the tip of his tongue. Irina shuddered. She could bear everything, but not this form of physical contact. Not one that was so similar to the lover's delicacy. It frightened her. It frightened her because John was a man. - What's wrong? You are so quiet and peaceful when there is a knife under your skin, but you're acting like an ashamed teenager when someone brushes your ear? Such innocence... It doesn't fit you, wraith. There is no place for such emotions like shame or fear in a demon.
- ... Go to hell. - She whispered in a trembling voice, closing her eyes. It was too much. Irina wasn't able to withstand such an incredibly sophisticated attack on her psyche. John knew what he was doing. He could do it, he mastered this art at the highest level. She was just a young student who barely understood the basics of it and was immediately thrown into the deepest water. And it was truly horrific experience. And this bastard knew it, he knew how she felt and it amused him to a great level. She wanted to punch him, to drive her teeth in his throat, to stab him straight in the heart. Anything just to end this damn misery.
- Not without you, wraith. - And suddenly John just moved away from her, smiling enigmatically. He threw the knife back on the table, far beyond the reach of the already imprisoned woman, just to leave the room without a word of explanation. As he closed the door behind him, Deputy heard the quiet melody whistling by the man. And after that there was only silence.
From the heavy sleep she was awakened by the sound of cutting something with a knife, next to her. The cool metal gently nibbled on her wrists, but did not pierce the skin. Irina opened her eyes slowly, expecting to see John again after raising her head, but it wasn't him. The woman saw the battered face of Hudson. Her black hair were still bound in a braid. And unlike Carter, her uniform was not removed. Unless...
- C'mon, we have to get the hell out of here... C'mon, Rookie. - She whispered hurriedly, helping the woman free her other arm and legs. Irina moaned when, with the help of Joey, she got up from her chair. All bones, like on cue, spoke with dull pain. - Can you walk?
- Yeah, I can manage. - Irina murmured, looking around the room. She immediately saw the knife that John has left before and took it. Good. It seemed like Hudson got hers somewhere else, but Deputy prefered not to ask when and how. - How did you get in here? You weren't in the helicopter after the crash, I thought that they got you, or something. Or that you've run away and tried to contact National Guard.
- I wish. - Hudson's voice was quiet, but there was clearly anger in it. - They pulled me out of that wreck and gave to John, just like you. I managed to escape, though. This fucking moron tied me to a wheelchair near a flight of stairs. You probably know how it went from there. I managed to get away when he left, probably going to visit you instead. He didn't looked interested in me to be honest.
- Lucky one. - She said with a sad smile. Irina was ready to pay any money, so long as John was bored with her too. How much easier it could be. - Do you know which way we should go? We don't have much time, John will probably be back soon. I would prefer to be outside by then.
- I don't, really... But it can't be THAT hard, right? It's not a fucking maze. I guess. - Uncertainty trembled in Joey's voice, but Irina still enjoyed the current turn of events. They were in much better position now, with knives in their hands and no ties around them. There was a small spark of hope offering an escape. They just had to use it in a good way and have a lot of luck at the same time. After all, this place must have been full with Peggies. - Alright, let's do this. Stay quiet, it'll be better if we won't kill anyone. If they find any bodies, we're screwed.
Irina nodded and followed the black-haired woman, stepping cautiously on bent legs to minimize the noise. The knife was surely held in her right hand, while left one was ready to defend her in case someone jumped on her unawares. The door creaked softly at the opening, but fortunately there was no one around who could hear it and could try to see what was going on. Irina's body echoed with more pain, and the bones were screeching like if she was an old man. Carter swore softly under her breath, hoping that the escape would not fail just because someone would hear the creaking of her bones. That would be embarrassing, as well as give John new reason to mock her.
The corridors of the bunker were quite wide, crammed with cardboard boxes and empty barrels, which gave a fairly good hiding place. The women slowly moved forward, trying to avoid Peggies as much as possible. The problem arose when they came across two of them talking to each other, certainly not intending to go in another direction in the near future. Irina motioned to Hudson to take care of the man on the right. Both men stood sideways to them, which didn't help in the current situation. And the Deputies raced against time - if someone noticed that they disappeared, an alarm would sound in the whole bunker, and the main exit would be closed. Carter slowly approached her target, using a stack of cardboard boxes to hide behind. A man was leaning against this stack, his back turned to her at that moment. She had to been extremely careful. One wrong move, one small mistake and everything would went for nothing. One scream of the attacked man would be enough to alert the rest of the bunker residents, including its damn owner.
As soon as the occasion arose, the woman jumped out of her hiding place, pressing her left hand against the man's lips and thrusting the knife into his throat. She heard a soft crack and then nothing. Silence. Blood spurted from the man's artery like from a fountain, instantly flooding the floor and the clothes of the Peggie, who was rapidly losing his life. A few drops of red, life-giving liquid ran down Irina's face, but it didn't bother her at all. She let the body flop to the ground. Hudson also had no problem with quiet elimination. The problem was in the fact that they killed somebody.
- There is no point in hiding these bodies, they will notice this puddle of blood anyway. We must hurry, c'mon. - Irina said and moved on, pressing against the right side of the corridor. She hoped that no one would come around the corner now. She wasn't sure whether she would be able to eliminate the target quickly enough in her present situation. Hudson, on the other hand, gave her a signal that it was safe to turn around and follow this passage, so Carter didn't intend to wait any longer. They were walking next to each other again but just for a brief moment, then they would enter the large room, resembling a bedroom and a small warehouse at the same time. A tall, muscular man sat on the chair, brutally pressing the bald head of a struggling woman into a barrel with a greenish substance pouring out of it. Carter immediately recognised it. It was mentioned by Whitehorse. Fucking Bliss.
They moved slowly, noiselessly. The sounds of a woman struggling for breath were certainly helpful, as much as disturbing. Carter wondered if it would be worth trying to help her, but she quickly gave up on the plan. The man was dressed in some kind of heavy armor and was armed to his teeth. Deputy saw two pistols, a large knife, a rifle, and a spiked mace. She imagined her head being smashed by a it and shaked involuntarily. Hudson had to think about the same, because she turned even more pale. They hurried out of the room, letting out the unconsciously stopped air. They didn't know how far it was to get out of this accursed place. After they managed to continue their escape and turn left into the next corridor, they heard John's voice echoing throughout the bunker.
- You can run girls, but I'll find ya'. - He said with amusement, and then he spoke to his devotees. - Get those sinners back where they belong!
- FUCK. - Hudson hissed and stood up. - We've got to run!
Irina didn't need any additional encouragement. She followed Joey, with little difficulty keeping her pace. Sore feet needed a moment to get used to such sudden physical exertion. But this race with time brought a kind of relief. The women parted, Carter went the right side of the corridor and both of them quickly entered the main hall with stairs at the other end of it. There it was, it surely had to be the exit. However, Peggies soon came out and tried to catch them and prevent from getting out. But they didn't even aim at them with weapons, which meant they couldn't shoot at Deputies, they couldn't harm or kill them. Well, those were some good news, after all.
Irina managed to avoid approaching enemies and quickly jump on the stairs, bouncing and ramming into few Peggies. Her body hurt again, much more than at the beginning. She clenched her teeth, not letting tears run down her face. The stairs leading to the top seemed endless. From the lower level, it was suddenly possible to hear the scuffle and the cursing Hudson. She didn't make it, but Carter didn't intend to return and try to help her. It was totally pointless, she had no chance. The only option was to run up the stairs, as it was the only way to freedom.
- Let her feast on her sin, let her CHOKE ON IT! - John's growl was heard once again. He was clearly furious at this point, she could almost see his face, twisted in rage. She was breathing heavily from fatigue, but she didn't stop. She managed to squeeze through the closing entrance and run outside. The sudden breeze of the cool wind was initially a shock, as was the sharp light of the sun, depriving her of sight for a moment. She ran even by then, blindly, doing everything she could to avoid getting caught. One of the men chasing her jumped out from behind the container she just passed and managed to grab her by the edge of her shirt. He stumbled, however and fell to the ground, holding a piece of torn, black material in his hand. Irina lost her balance for a moment, but kept running, down the road.
- Drive the sinner from this place. Let her run, let her hide! She won't escape justice of God,, no matter where she will go!
She didn't even listen to his voice, echoing in the distance. She practically jumped on the motor, probably abandoned by Peggies at some point and moved forward. She heard screams and warning shots behind her, as well as barking, angry dogs, which only encouraged her to drive faster.
Soon she left the place, driving towards the Fall's End.