Is this destiny?

Trigger warning: This chapter depicts violence. Read it at your discretion.

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"Untie me.", Michael demanded.

Jesse looked at Michael like he asked something ridiculous.

Michael frowned. "You want answers? I want them as well. Untie me and we can have a nice conversation so that both of us acquire the information we want."

Jesse ignored his demand. She unhurriedly crossed her legs and spoke: "You thought that the whole team died, and you are here to find out why. We lost you in Sierra Leone and after some time, we assumed that you gave up on escaping assassins and that you died from the wounds or killed yourself, yet, here you are. Nightmaker returned. How did you find this location? I have difficulty believing that you did this on your own. Who are your allies? Or are you working for a different organization?"

With her every word, a lump in Michael\'s throat grew larger, preventing him from swallowing and obstructing his airways as the bits of information swirled in his mind revealing the possibilities he didn\'t consider so far. What are the chances that the woman who died in that hotel suite was not Jesse? When he called the base, they said that everyone died. Even if she was seriously hurt, she was not dead and that can only mean that she faked her death and the Shadow Ravens knew about it. Why did they send assassins after him? And here, Jesse ordered those people to leave after tying him up. And this does not look like a casual chat between friends (aka ex-lovers) who reunited, this is an interrogation. Why would a simple contact person between the base and the field team have such authority to order others and to conduct interrogations? Nothing made sense. Nothing, other than one thing… "It was you… You set us up. You set ME up."

Jesse ignored Michael\'s mumbling. She was irritated that he is unable to focus and that he is not answering her questions.

"Michael, I don\'t have the whole day. Answer my questions, or I will make you answer them."

Michael stared at Jesse as the last few years of his beliefs crumbled into nothing. Actually, it\'s more than just a few years; it\'s since she became his contact about eight or nine years ago. He was in high school at that time and she approached him with a smile and a handshake and… they shared so many memories. They became friends easily and she is the only one from the organization with whom he spent time outside missions. And then they became lovers and… All of it was a lie? Michael had difficulty wrapping his head around the fact that for such a long time he didn\'t see that she is acting. Everything was perfect. Maybe too perfect.

Michael struggled to inhale before asking: "Why did you betray us? You pretended to be my contact. You pretended to be my friend. Does our time together mean nothing to you? Why?"

Jesse exhaled in frustration. "You were always gullible, someone had to keep an eye on you. A brilliant operative who obeys orders is a great asset for the organization, but you believed whatever we fed you and that made us suspect that you can be easily persuaded by others as well. Look at you. Even now you can\'t accept that I am not the innocent girl you thought I was, and you are so lost in your denial that you are unable to comprehend your current situation."

"My current situation…", Michael repeated while his gaze swept around the room with tile flooring and bare walls. Other than two chairs they are sitting on, there is no other furniture. Michael nodded slightly at the confirmation that this is the room for interrogations. There is a drain in the corner, probably for the ease of washing blood and bodily fluids, and the ceiling has an opening for ventilation. The walls are probably soundproof, and the door looks reinforced as well.

Michael\'s gaze hardened as he looked at Jesse who smiled smugly at him.

"I\'m not going to answer your questions.", Michael declared.

In a split second, Jesse leaped from the chair and was by his side. Michael didn\'t have the time to be surprised by her speed because he was suppressing his scream due to the excruciating pain in his right hand. He breathed heavily through his teeth when he opened his eyes and saw that his pinky finger is bent unnaturally. Broken, probably.

"Are you ready to talk now?", Jesse mocked him.

Michael pressed his lips into a line and looked at her with hatred in his eyes.

"Fine. We can do this the hard way.", she said lightly before reaching for his next finger.

A few minutes later, all fingers on Michael\'s right hand were dislodged or broken (or both). His whole body was drenched in sweat from the pain.

"You know…", Jesse sneered. "The more you refuse to talk, the more I am curious to find out who are you protecting."

Seeing Michael\'s defiant gaze, she exhaled in frustration. "Fine. We can do it your way…"

Jesse walked out of the room and a minute later returned while pushing a two-level cart with a small device on it and Michael swallowed hard when he saw an accumulator on the lower shelf.

Jesse smiled smugly. "I see you recognize it. They say that the tips of the fingers have the most nerve endings, and that the smallest electric shock is agonizing. But you know that because it was part of your training."

She didn\'t wait for him to respond. She took one needle which is connected to the device and jabbed it under the nail of his left middle finger.

"Ah, you are still able to suppress the screams.", Jesse said while patting her chest dramatically. "Impressive. Let\'s see how you deal with this."

Jesse flicked the switch and watched Michael with a morbid expression while his face contorted from the pain.

Few seconds in, she turned it off. "Ready to talk?"

Michael spat in response and glared at her angrily.

Jesse shook her head in disapproval and flicked the switch again.

Sometimes later…

"Why are you so stubborn? Do I need to get my hands dirty?", Jesse asked with irritation obvious in her voice.

Michael panted, surprised that he didn\'t pass out so far. "You can break my bones, but not my will. I will not talk."

Jesse rolled her eyes. "You never cared much about yourself, but you were eager to protect your comrades… which brings me to my next point." Jesse winked at Michael and walked to the door.

Per Jesse\'s instructions, two men wheeled into the room a cart with the television on it.

Michael frowned at the sight in front of him. Jesse\'s smug expression gave him the chills and despite all his pain, he was alert.

The television was turned on and Michael\'s blood chilled at the sight of Oni tied up to the chair, just like him… in a room that looks like the one he is in. Oni is awake and by the way she is observing her surroundings freely and without focusing on anything specific, he can assume that she is alone in that room.

"I see we are getting somewhere...", Jesse announced victoriously. She didn\'t miss that Michael finally looks concerned.

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