Breaking Their Hold

Jimmy and Melissa had only been in the small, hidden cave for ten minutes or so before they heard voices coming closer. Despite the fact that Melissa knew they were safe in their small hideaway, fear gripped at her heart, causing it to skip several beats. She was afraid that the Security team that was coming after them would hear it, and find them.

“No one is back here.” A very deep voice sounded, obviously displeased with that fact. Both Melissa and Jimmy realized that he’d meant to kill them if they’d come across them.

“We’re looking for a girl, too. Dr. Hastings just sent me the notification. That Baker boy’s sister is with them.” A second deep voice said.

The other one laughed heartily, and then spoke. “I’m sure she’s going to love finding out that her brother has been executed for helping her disappear.”

Melissa was just about to scream when Jimmy clamped his hand tightly over her mouth, pulling her head to his chest and hugging her tightly. Hot tears squeezed out of her eyes and fell onto his hands, and he too wanted to cry. He didn’t want to believe that Zacky was dead; that the Government had executed him. But he had no way of knowing for sure, and he wouldn’t put anything past Schlagger or the Hospital doctors.

“Let’s get back; it’s getting dark.” The first voice said. The footsteps started walking away from the tunnel they were hiding in, and Jimmy waited until they could no longer be heard before he let Melissa’s mouth go.

“He can’t be dead!” She sobbed, hitting the rock wall of the tunnel with her fist, not caring if any bones got broken. “Tell me he’s not dead, Jimmy!”

Jimmy sighed, and knew he couldn’t tell Melissa that her brother wasn’t dead unless he knew it was absolutely true. He couldn’t lie to her like that. Especially if down the road they did find out it was true. He’d never be able to live with himself for getting her hopes up only to have them sink lower than they had been before. “I can’t lie to you, Mel. He might be, but we just have to hope that he’s not.”

Melissa couldn’t reply as she just sobbed against Jimmy’s chest, thinking that the worst had happened, but trying to find hope that it hadn’t.

-x-

At Haverly Hospital

-x-

“It is very nice to see you again, President Schlagger.” Dr. Hastings said to the President, shaking his hand with a firm grip. He smiled pleasantly to Alonsa Schlagger, Erich’s wife. She nodded back politely, before looking around the room.

“You have immaculate taste, Gerald.” She said approvingly. Dr. Hastings smiled, and then nodded before Erich coughed, signaling that he wanted the pleasantries to be over and for their business to begin.

“My personal assistant said this was an urgent matter, Gerald, and I’ve no doubt that it is important if you’ve requested my presence.”

“It is quite urgent, indeed.” Dr. Hastings told the President and his wife. “Two of our inmates have managed to escape the Hospital, and took along with them one of the females that was on your list.”

“Which girl was taken?” Erich asked, cocking an eyebrow curiously.

Dr. Hastings frowned. He was aware that Schlagger had been particularly keen on having Melissa Baker executed. He’d read into all of her files, and found her an abomination. “Melissa Baker, Erich.”

Fury formed on the President’s face immediately upon hearing Melissa’s name being spoken, and he only calmed down when his wife gently touched her hand to his shoulder.

“Do you have any idea where they are heading?” Schlagger asked. Dr. Hastings pulled down a map from behind his desk.

“We think it’s highly unlikely that they’re going to Canada; the risks of being caught highly outweigh those of Mexico, which is only a few hundred miles from here.”

“So you assume they are going toward Mexico?” President Schlagger asked. “That will be an easily solved matter. The Mexican president and myself have formed an alliance of sorts to prevent runaways from seeking refuge in his country.”

“We have already sent two teams of Security out to patrol the vicinity of the area. They cannot be far from here yet; they only left last night.”

“Very well. Now, there was another item of business to discuss?”

Dr. Hastings nodded, and then motioned towards a Security in the corner, who left the room briefly and returned with Sophia. She struggled against the Security’s arms, and shot a hateful glare at Schlagger and Alonsa when she saw them.

“Pigs!” She yelled at them in disgust.

Upon hearing this, the Security hastily punched her face, making it a warning for her to be quiet. She didn’t, and continued struggling.

“Who is this vermin?” Schlagger asked Dr. Hastings, who looked at Sophia.

“We do not know her real name; however, she was discovered in Melissa Baker’s room by our head nurse.”

Schlagger rubbed his chin a few times, and then walked over to Sophia, the heels of his spit-shined leather shoes clicking on the white tiles of the floor. “Your crime is a serious one, imposter.” Schlagger told her coldly. “Are you aware of the punishments of such a serious felony?”

Sophia didn’t reply, but instead spat at him, earning herself a slap from Schlagger.

“I do not tolerate such behaviors, particularly from a rodent like yourself.” He told her. “However, there may be a bargain to be made within this situation. It would seem to me that you know the whereabouts of Melissa Baker and the two boys that escaped from this Institution. Melissa Baker is of particular interest to me. If you will tell me where she is, I will have your life spared.”

“You’ll have to kill me,” Sophia said angrily. “I have nothing to say to a pig like you.”

Schlagger sighed, and then turned around, walking towards Alonsa. “I think I shall very much appreciate seeing this vermin executed in the manners of old.” He told Dr. Hastings. “Have your patients gathered on the courtyard in a half an hour, along with a cameraman. This imposter shall be executed by firing squad.”

Sophia didn’t say anything, just continued glaring at Schlagger and Alonsa as she was led out of the room by Security to be prepared for her execution.

-x-
One Half-Hour Later
-x-

“You have all been gathered here to see what will happen to each and every one of you, should you do as this parasite has done. Watch carefully, and learn from her mistake.” Dr. Schlagger said to the group of some six hundred Hospital patients gathered in the courtyard of Haverly Hospital. It was a rare occurrence that they were allowed outside, and most of them had been in bright spirits until they had seen Sophia tied against the brick wall of one of the Cell Blocks, a group of eight sharpshooters facing her with their military-issued rifles. “The Security will not stop firing until their rounds are completed.”

With that, several other Security, who were watching the patients carefully for any sign of disobedience, stood on the outer perimeter of the group of teenagers, all of whom were looking on in horror, though not one tear fell out of their eyes. Schlagger sat in a comfortable chair on the balcony of Dr. Hastings’s personal home with Alonsa next to him, watching onward with a smile on his face. He was truly sadistic.

“Ready…Fire!”

With no more hesitation, and no request for Sophia to give her name, the firing squad let off their first round of bullets, most of them hitting Sophia within minutes. She didn’t fall immediately, and didn’t cry out in pain as the bullets hit her body.

“Ready…Fire!”

Less than fifteen seconds into the second round of bullets, Sophia’s body, now devoid of any life, fell to the ground, dust being stirred from where she landed. The bullets didn’t stop, and continued to pound into her lifeless body.

“Ready…Fire!”

The third and final round of bullets left Sophia’s body completely unrecognizable as a human being. What had once been a complete body now resembled a horrifying, sadistic version of Swiss cheese, her body riddled with so many holes that they couldn’t be counted. Blood spilled out on the dust around her body, leaving small puddles in the indents where the sharpshooters’ heels stepped.

No sound came from the six hundred teenagers, who’d watched as a girl no older than them had been mercilessly murdered and maimed in front of their jaded eyes.

“Take them back to their Cells.” Dr. Hastings said, before looking up at Schlagger, who motioned for him to come up to the balcony. He did, and when he reached the President, the man was standing, a maniacal expression on his chiseled face.

“Bring me Zackary Baker.” He told Dr. Hastings. “He no doubt has a clue as to where his sister and those boys have gone to.”