The Siege of Haniya [ONC2024] ✔

11. A Grave Crime

CHAPTER ELEVEN : A GRAVE CRIME

*Reader discretion is advised. Some mention of violence.

"She knows too much. There's no need to waste our energy by forcing her to tell us where the document is. The best and fastest way is to eliminate her," one of the officers standing in front of my cell said.

"Yes. Besides, King Emir Shah just wants the manuscript out of the kingdom's sight. If someone outside the kingdom finds it, they won't bat an eye. They don't know the value of the document," said another officer, agreeing with the first one.

The third officer hummed. "Eliminating her is such a waste of intelligence. You read her works. Even the vizier was mesmerised by her research. We can treat her as our own. She'll be a great contributor to the kingdom."

The words made me scrunch up my nose in disgust. There's no way I would be working for them. There's no reason I would turn my back on my people.

"Would she do that, though?" The second officer said, glancing at me in between the cell bars, to which I responded with a death glare.

The third officer laughed out loud. "Ah, we can always use the pill. It always works. What she can't remember won't hurt her."

As he finished his words, the others laughed with him, making me feel sick in my stomach. The haunting sound of their laughs made me want to vomit. I felt a hand touching my arm.

"Aimi," I muttered as the red-eyed face of my friend filled my sight.

"What are they going to do to you?"

"It's alright. Everything will be fine," I reassured, although my heart had been beating heavily since the first step I took into the prison.

The door of our cell plunged open, and the scraping of the thick metal against the uneven concrete floor echoed in the dim prison. The three officers thumped into the cell, making their way to where I was sitting. Ugly, sinister smirks plastered on their faces as they looked at me awakened a fire in my heart.

I gave each of them a death glare, one that was reserved only for the people who deserved it. Two of the officers, the first and second talkers, walked closer to me and seized each of my arms.

These disgusting officers didn't even have the respect to have female officers take me out.

Holding my head straight, I kept my protest in silence, not giving them any pleasure to see my distress. None of them deserved it.

"Let her go! Where are you taking her?" Aimi cried out as more tears streamed down her chubby cheeks.

My heart constricted against my chest as I took in her state. She was the most gentle soul I had ever met in my life. Even the tiniest prickle of a needle could bring tears to her eyes. She didn't like seeing living beings—humans or animals—being hurt. But those things fueled her passion to help everyone, heal every wound, and be kind to everything. 

The third officer bellowed a terrible laugh as he glanced at her miserable state. He trotted closer and reached to touch her cheek, to which she responded with a flinch and cowered against the wall. "Should I take you, too?"

"Don't touch her," I warned, putting all the poison I could muster in my tone. 

Ignoring my warning, he scooted closer to the trembling Aimi and blew on her face. I hissed at his indifference as I balled my fists. Aimi's terrified whimpers were the last straw of my rage. Gathering all my strength, I ripped my arms off from the officers' hold and kneed one of them in between his legs, making him plunge to the ground as he clutched the place. Before the other officer could recover from the shock, I took the gun that was strapped to his waist and hid the side of his neck with the holster. The officer fell unconscious beside his colleague, who hadn't recovered from the pain, and gaped in shock.