Chapter 193: Fainted

Mina felt like she was in a spy film. She was seriously planning on using that code if she was ditched, but Dom's warning straightened her thoughts out. Normally Mina would have had a hard time believing such nonsense, but the look in Dom's eye when he warned her told Mina he was telling the truth. She stayed close to him and, although they had already entered the warehouse-like building, they still had to pass several checkpoints, each with its own codeword. It seemed like they had walked an entire mile before Mina saw another person. The man greeted Dom cheerfully and Dom once again spewed out a number and letter sequence. Mina was relieved that despite all the lethal weaponry and death traps pointed out to her, there was still a human who controlled them.

Mina heard a loud buzzing sound as the man she assumed was the elevator guard, did something on a hidden consul and motioned for the pair to continue into the lift. There were no floor buttons or call switches in the metal box, and Mina felt her heart race at the thought of being trapped without an escape.

"Where are we going?" She asked. She was clearly frightened by the surreal environment. Everything was so monotone it gave her the impression that she was walking into a real prison.

"Weren't you so tough back at the Lee mansion? Are you actually scared now?" Dom teased.

"I'm just tired of surprises," Mina replied dryly.

"There is something different about you," Dom said. He could not explain it, but the spark that used to shine brightly in Mina's eyes had dimmed. He knew she was not living under ideal conditions and he wondered if the stress was finally getting the best of her.

Mina did not reply to Dom, she too felt that there was something off about herself. Her entire thought process had shifted from 'stay safe and stay alive' to 'if you're going to die, do it quickly.' There was only so much anyone could take, and she was no exception. Mina knew that in a short while, she would be back in that beautifully decorated jail cell without so much as paper or a pencil to write with.

Mina did not understand how a man who had a facility so advanced could not have avoided the situation that occurred between them. She was beginning to think that he may not have been drugged at all, and if that was the case, had he been keeping her as a toy? Perhaps he was the one who arranged for everything.

Mina felt her own face darken at the thought, but she did not realize that her expression had reflected how she felt.

"Hey, calm down. I was just joking," Dom said. Mina glanced up at the man embarrassed by her own behavior. Not wanting to explain, she shifted the topic.

"You still haven't told me where we are going," she replied. Dom stayed quiet as he led her out of the elevator and into a brightly lit hall with light blue walls. It was strikingly similar to a floor of a hospital.

They passed several rooms before Dom stopped in front of one. He knocked on the door and the voice that sounded on the other end, made Mina's ears perk up. She stepped backward many paces, unwilling to come face to face with the person she knew was on the other side.

"I can't," Mina said. She was not ready. If the man blamed her, she could only agree and she was not sure she could take it.

"He asked to see you," Dom said and he gently guided Mina along.

----

Mina stood staring at the emaciated figure of Brother B. She did not even know if he were Samuel or Bressaw, she just knew that he had suffered because of her foolishness. Yet no matter how she shaped her mouth, and no matter how many times she tried to speak, she could not apologize. How could sorry mean anything to a man who looked as if he had been pulled back from the brink of death? There were no words she could say to console him or herself. At least now he was alive and free, there was another person who was neither. That poor young maid who aided Mina in her time of need, was not so lucky.

----

Bressaw could see that Mina had been doing well, but her distant gaze told him that she suffered, and was likely still suffering. He held not an ounce of regret within him. His original opinion of the girl was spot on. Despite being in a position where she could have easily broken out from under his boss' thumb, Mina chose to give up her freedom for his, and while she probably did not know, it was because of her that Tara was not only still alive, but from what he had been told, she was thriving in a private university.

"Don't look so sad to see me," Bressaw said. "You're not allowed to look like that ever again." Mina wiped the tears on her face that she had not known were falling. The man in front of her may have meant his words as a joke, but she took them to heart, and she straightened up quickly. He was right, she was not a person who deserved to cry.

"I don't know how to face you," Mina said plainly. Dom liked that about her. She was not very complicated, and she often spoke exactly what she was thinking. Instead of staring blankly, she was honest and allowed Bressaw to take the lead.

"If you think I'm bad, you should see Samuel," the man in the bed said as he stood. It was only then that Mina realized that brother B was Bressaw and she felt her heart throb with his words.

When Bressaw was close enough to touch, Mina cautiously reached out her hand. She extended it in jerky motions, and Bressaw could tell she was trying to figure something out. He gently stretched his arm and took her hand in his.

"I am really fine," Bressaw said, and Mina fainted.