Chapter 2- Secrets

TWO YEARS AGO...

JULY 22ND, 2094.

(MEL'S POV)

I sharpen my knives, looking at one of them with a satisfied grin.

So sharp...I could—

"Mel?"

I let out a yelp, the knife flying out of my hand and right next to my foot when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay? You seem shaken up..."

I drops my arms at my sides, eyes moving to his.

"I could've stabbed my eye out, Ray. Where did you come from?! You always seem to come out of nowhere."

He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, picking up my knife from the floor and carefully putting it on the table in front of me.

"I came from the front door? You left it open again."

I rub my eyes, brows furrowing.

"I left it open for Max...he never came?"

Ray shrugs and I stand up, yawning.

"Beats me. You shouldn't just leave your door open, someone could just—"

"Hey losers!"

Max slams the door shut behind him, making me jump again.

He pulls down his sunglasses, before raising an eyebrow.

"What's with you Mel?"

My eyes shoot to his, and I shake my head.

"Like hell I know...today I feel dead."

Max slides into my kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out a slice of pizza.

"I assume this is for me?"

"That's for my—"

He takes a bite out of it and I cringe, looking away.

"You're eating it cold?! And that was mine bitch!"

"Pizza's pizza darling, and besides..." he gives me a once over with a grimace. "You could lose a few pounds."

"You bastard—"

Ray grabs my arm right when I'm about to lunge at Max, motioning I settle down.

"Now, now, you two...don't you have a mission to get ready for? They're supposed to be at Sophia's in twenty minutes."

Max makes a face.

"Are you sure I have to come? I'd rather sit here and do my work."

I look at him blankly, before picking up my knives.

"No need to be lazy. You only have to sit and watch from afar while eating Italian food. If anything it should be me and Ray not wanting to come. We're the ones who have to pretend to date to talk to Everett and Connie."

Max snorts.

"This is gonna be hilarious."

*********

AN HOUR LATER...

I awkwardly walk hand in hand with Ray, who smells strongly of pine.

"Did you change your cologne?"

He looks at me from the corner of his eye.

"I didn't realize you noticed."

"It's pretty damn strong, Levine. Usually you have cedar wood."

"I changed it for our special date today, Mel."

I look away, not letting him see the red on my face.

We walk into the restaurant, and the woman looks at us.

"Name?"

"Ray Levine. Table for four. I made my reservation."

She looks down at her tablet and nods.

"Go on ahead to table three. Your waitress will be there shortly."

We both nod, and her eyes catch the glint of my knife through the slit in my dress briefly before she looks away.

Good thing she decided to mind her own business.

Otherwise we would've had a problem.

*******

After ten minutes of me and Ray sitting in silence staring at the menu, and Max already eating the bread appetizers a few booths down from us, a man and a woman clad in black make their way over to our table, sitting down.

The woman showcases a megawatt smile, green eyes sparkling.

"You must be Melanie Bronze. And you must be Ray Levine. I'm Connie Hawkins and this is my partner Everett Black. It's nice to meet you."

The man's face stays hidden underneath his black hat, and I suppress a small grin creeping up my face.

I know why.

He was one of the men I shot with an arrow.

Hit him right in the eye.

The only thing I can see is his mouth, stretched in a smirk.

"Nice to meet you Melanie, Ray."

My eyes move to him, and I smile.

"Great to finally see you in person, Everett. Connie?"

Her eyes meet mine and she cocks her head to the side.

"Yes?"

I lean over the table, and Ray looks to the side at Max ordering food briefly before back at us.

I gently grab Connie's ear, bringing it towards my mouth.

"Connie, could you be a dear and tell your partner that it's quite rude to have a hat on with guests around? I would but I wouldn't want to get him so upset...I know what he's capable of."

I pull back and a small grin marks her red lips as she nods.

Connie taps Everett's shoulder, and he turns his head to her.

"Hmm?"

"Take off your hat, Everett. It's quite rude."

"Of course, sweetheart. Anything for you."

I release a small laugh at the bitterness and disgust in his voice when he spits out the word sweetheart, watching as he takes off the hat.

Dark brown waves are released that fall loosely over one side of his forehead, and an eyepatch is right where his right eye should be.

His left is a haunting blue, that pierces through me.

I cock my head to the side.

"May I ask what happened to your eye?"

He scoffs before quickly grabbing me by the sleeve of my dress.

"I don't know what game you're playing at, but you better stop before I set you and this whole place on fire, Melanie. You know what fucking happened to my eye you two-faced bitch."

He releases me, sitting back down next to Connie.

Ray sighs, leaning forward.

"Let's cut the act already. We all know we aren't two couples on a double date. Connie and Everett, you two work for the government, am I right?"

Connie nods slowly and Everett doesn't do anything besides stare at Max.

"Who is he?"

His blue eye snaps on mine, and I hold my hands up.

"Like hell I know."

I feel metal on my leg, trailing up my dress to my stomach.

"Who is he, Mel? I'll shoot."

I drop my hands, sliding one under the table and grabbing my knife.

"Maxwell Trinidad."

"Tell him to leave."

My eyes shoot over to Max, who's shoveling pasta into his mouth.

He realizes I'm staring, looking up at me blankly.

"What?!"

He mouths after finishing chewing, and i purse my lips.

"Leave."

I mouth back, and he opens his mouth to say something when I narrow my eyes.

"Go. Now."

He nods, standing up and leaving Sophia's.

I look back at Everett, who smiles.

"Good. Tell me, Mel. What were you planning to do tonight?"

"Finish the job, get in a few hits. Killing is a rush, Black. I like that rush."

Ray looks at me, Everett, then Connie.

"What is going on?!"

"I'd suggest you leave too, Ray. If you don't want us to tell her what you've been hiding."

"Huh?"

My eyebrows furrow as he quickly stands up, slipping me something behind his back.

Ray leaves as quickly as Max did, and the thought that they set this up with Everett and Connie crosses my mind one too many times.

I'm not dying today.

I pull my knife out, hiding it behind my back before looking down at what Ray placed in my hand.

An arrow.

How did he—? Whatever. I don't even have a bow.

"What's that in your hand, hmm?"

I look at Connie.

"You're not getting away with this."

"What?!"

I throw my knife and it pierces through her neck easily, and I watch as Connie falls face first into the table.

A few people in the restaurant let out screams, and Everett's eye widens.

"Connie-? You—you bitch!"

He lunges at me from over the take, knocking over the glasses of water onto me in the process.

He grabs me by the neck, and I struggle with the arrow, trying to stab him when he easily grabs it from me, holding it over his head like he's about to bring it down full force.

My eyes snap on his, then the arrow, and my lips begin to turn blue.

"Get...off...of...me!"

He grins, cocking his head to the side.

"I personally think you'd be way more attractive with one eye, Melanie."

"What?!"

He brings down the arrow full force at my eye, and I feel a sharp stab of pain through my face before everything went black.

*******

PRESENT.

(RAY'S POV)

I slide into the chair in front of him, black bangs covering the most of his hazel eyes.

"Max."

He looks at me blankly, before grinning.

"Ray...fancy seeing you here. I'm surprised you're the one who was giving all the information away to the FBI. You seemed to like Mel a whole lot by the way you were talking to her. And touching her. Also heard you threw her off the roof. She's gonna haunt ya."

I open my mouth to say something but then shut it when Fox, Devin, and Aaron come through the door, sitting next to me.

Max looks between us before leaning back in his chair, chains dangling from his wrists.

"It's a whole party in Max's interrogation room...I wonder who else is gonna join us."

I sigh, holding a file labeled with the abbreviation MVB.

Melanie Vanessa Bronze.

Max looks at it before back at me.

"You have her file why? She's dead, Ray. There's nothing you can find out now."

Aaron leans forward.

"Actually there is. From you."

********

"What?!"

Fox rubs his forehead.

"Listen, kid, we need your information on her to get closure for all the people she killed. We have to solve this mystery."

I raise my hand.

"Fox, let me speak."

I look at Max.

"Max. I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you just because your only eighteen. We need to know what the hell Mel's end goal was for killing people. If you tell us everything we need to know, we'll get you knocked off death row."

He raises an eyebrow, before looking behind him.

"Guards?! People who look after me?!"

Some guards come in, and he rolls his eyes.

"I'm done talking to them."

They nod, and I hold out my hand.

"Wait! You can't just—"

"Our prisoners have their rights too, Levine."

Max stands up and begins walking away with the two men when he turns around to look at us with a grin.

"I'd rather get my head chopped clean off my neck then tell you Mel's secrets. Have fun, agents."

The door slams shut behind him, and I release a breath.

If we can't do it the easy way, I guess we'll have to do it the hard way.

***********

(MEL'S POV)

Lars smiles, taking a step back.

He turns around to leave when I shake my head.

"Oh no, no, no. Where do you think you're going Lars?"

He turns around, smiling.

"Look at you, starting to think you're in charge. Just because I took the duct tape off your mouth doesn't mean I can't put it right back on. You aren't on my good side yet, cherie."

I glare at him, subtly yanking at my wrists.

He turns back around, beginning to open the door when I yell out again.

"Who ever said I thought I was in charge?! I was asking a simple question. Where are you going? Do I need to spell it out for you?!"

I immediately regret it when he drops his arm at his side, turning his head to look at me with a sinister grin.

He quickly advances, grabbing me by my throat.

"I'll cut out your tongue and swallow it if you don't be quiet. I don't like when my hostages talk back, Bronze. You don't get to speak anymore. Unless I tell you to."

He releases me again, turning around and walking back to the door.

I open my mouth to say something when I shut it, seeing the amused smirk tug at his lips when he notices my struggle.

"Goodbye for now, Mel. I'll be back."

He slips out the door, shutting it behind him.

I hear the click of the lock in the door, and I lift my wrists to my mouth.

I try to bite at the leather belt to pry it from my wrists, only to end up whacking myself in the face.

"Ow..."

I drop my arms, looking around the room.

Dark. Like any room in this town.

Way cleaner though, he obviously takes care of the place.

My heart drops to my stomach when I see a wall full of weapons and what looks like torture devices...he isn't planning on using those on me, right?

Right.

Hopefully.

*********

FORTY MINUTES LATER...

It had to have been at least thirty minutes until I heard the click of the lock again, seeing the door fly open.

I let out a gasp then a small screech when he comes in, drenched from head to toe in scarlet red blood holding a white plastic bag.

********

"What?! Lars what is that?? Why are you—"

He shakes his head slightly, dark eyes focusing on me.

"No talking, Mel. I'll let it slide this time."

I glare at him and he rolls his eyes.

"Alright, alright, you can speak."

I release a breath.

"Why are you soaked in blood?!"

He looks down at himself, then back at me.

"Take a guess. I'll give you a hint. Spree."

"Spree—you went on a fucking killing spree?!"

"I had to. Multiple reasons. One being our escape, Mel. You aren't, chickening out, are you?"

I shake my head rapidly and he grins.

"I thought so. Now I'll explain to you once I don't look like I walked out of a horror movie. Shut your eye, Mel. I wouldn't want you seeing anything just yet."

I grimace, shutting my eye until a feel a tap on my shoulder.

I open my eye and look up at him, completely clean.

"How—"

"I don't share my secrets. Once you kill mass amounts of people and are drenched in blood for so much of your time, you learn how to get rid of the evidence. We obviously have to get to Town A to escape here, which would be pretty easy since I just killed a Town A couple who was sneaking down here. I stole their clothes so we can disguise as them."

"Surely they'd notice we look nothing like them, Lars. You can't be that dumb."

He gives me a look.

"I'm not that dumb, Mel. We just have to make up a story. Which is why you're gonna stay quiet while I do the talking, alright?"

I nod.

"Alright."

He undoes the belt around my wrists, then the ropes tying my ankles to the chair.

I stand up, looking up at him.

"You're taller than I remember."

Lars makes a face.

"I was bending down when you saw me, cherie."

"Why do you keep calling me that?!"

I look at him expectantly and he smiles.

"I don't know. You seem like a girl I'd call sweetheart. But sweetheart in itself sounds quite boring, does it not? Cherie is only the French version of sweetheart, Mel."

I look at him blankly as he hands me the pile of clothes, and I look down at them before back at him.

"Your turn to close your eyes."

I turn him around, quickly changing into the clothes before clearing my throat.

"You changed?"

"I did."

He turns back around, smiling.

"Now you're my little Town A girl. You can't go by Mel anymore. Not until we get out of here. Your new name is Aster Willows."