Chapter 92 - A GREAT PERFORMANCE
I touch my ear, feeling the stabbing pain and the warm wetness that could be blood. But it doesn't matter now. It was my mistake, my mistake in thinking someone like Frank would fall so easily for my deceptions. Even if I didn't plan it this way, I can't believe I'm just inches away from my freedom and still can't take advantage of it. If only I could open this door...
"Don't even think of taking another step, or say goodbye to this world," his tone of voice is merciless, full of spite and hatred. I turn around slowly, careful not to cause any misunderstanding that will make him shoot again. I don't plan to die yet.
The silence is tense, interrupted only by the creaking of the wood beneath our feet and the hissing whisper of the wind outside the hut. Every movement is calculated, every gesture measured, in this deadly dance in which we are trapped.
I feel the pressure of his gaze on me, a gaze full of contempt and defiance. But I will not be intimidated. My eyes meet his, silently challenging him, showing him that I will not give up without a fight.
"You thought you could outsmart me? Your scent down there is so easily camouflaged by gunpowder, but not here. As soon as I went back out to look for you in the woods, I noticed that the cabin was free of your nauseating human scent. I didn't have to think too hard to know that you were cheating on me, so I decided to play along just to cause you more despair and make you suffer more. Tell me, how does it feel to be so close and still not be able to flee into the arms of your beloved Genrant? That bastard must be very worried about you right now, mustn't he? He must be due any minute now."
My heart flips in my chest as I realize that my escape won't be as easy as I had hoped, so I decide to lie. This may be my only plan now.
Frank's voice is like a whip cutting through the air, full of cruelty and triumph. His every word is like a direct blow to my heart, reminding me of my vulnerability and my desperate situation. My muscles tense, my body trembling slightly at the threat of death he represents.
Cautiously, I keep my expression neutral, hiding the fear that threatens to overflow into every corner of my being. I can't let him see my weakness, my vulnerability. I need to stand my ground, even as everything inside me screams to run away, to escape this endless torment.
"You're wrong," I barely manage to articulate, my words barely a trembling whisper in the rarefied air of the room. I try desperately to keep my voice steady despite the lump forming in my throat, but fear seeps into every syllable, warping them into an echo of vulnerability.
"Am I wrong, and what am I wrong about according to you?" Frack's voice sounds defiant, but I can sense the spark of doubt flickering in his eyes. I'm not the only nervous one in this room, and the tension hovering between us is palpable, like an electric current burning in the air.
"Genrant and I don't have that kind of relationship," I say, struggling to maintain my composure under Frack's piercing gaze. I try to sound convincing, though my own words taste bitter in my mouth, like the echo of a truth I'd rather not face. Every word is an act of resistance, a desperate attempt to cling to an illusion of normalcy in a world crumbling around me. But Frack's gaze does not waver, and I can see his skepticism transform into a dangerous mix of curiosity and distrust.
"Ha! Are you playing games with me? Do you seriously expect me to believe that stupid, vile lie?" Frank steps closer, his face contorted in anger as he keeps waving the gun in my direction. His personality is unstable, which could be an opportunity for me.
"I'm not playing games with you. I might be your partner, but neither of us feels anything more for each other. If you just let me go, I promise I won't even go back to Genrant. I'll go as far away as I can and pretend nothing happened," I implore, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear that consumes me inside.
"You thought running away from here would be so easy? How naive!" replies Frank with contempt, his tone full of mockery and menace.
"I'm just a human, and.... Genrant doesn't even like humans. What's more, he despises them! Or have you ever seen him interact with one?" I can see how he hesitates. I must go on and thus create a new distraction. "He has these silly traditions about hating humans that I find ridiculous - I'm just a hindrance to him! If it weren't for us being paired up, I wouldn't even be around him!"
The tension in the room is palpable, like a rope about to snap. Frack's eyes narrow with distrust, but I can see the hint of doubt in his gaze. This could be my chance to escape, to break free of this nightmare and find the freedom I long for.
Frank begins to clap slowly and sarcastically, his words coming out like painful thorns. "What a great performance! I expect nothing less from that fucker's partner. Do you really expect me to believe you?" his voice is full of contempt, each syllable like a blow that wounds my pride and my hope.
"You know, when I got back from burying that asshole who thought he was tougher than me, I was going to give you another chance to join me, but I can see now that you're just like Genrant. Better let me tell you a little story," Frank mentions as he approaches. My instinct tells me to run, but I have nowhere to run without a bullet in my body. I must act smart.
"You may not know this but I was the alpha of my pack, and you could say I was a medic of sorts. One day, Genrant just showed up and went about cold-bloodedly murdering each of my cubs. I helped birth each of the wolves in my pack, I chose only the best of the best to make up my pack," his voice booms through the room, filling it with an ominous aura.
"What do you mean by 'choose'?" I ask confused and afraid of the answer. I don't want to believe what I'm thinking. I can't.