My heart sank at his ominous words, the sound of my name full of venom from his lips. Swallowing, I felt rooted to the spot for a moment as Ash strode to the door; at his sharp glare, I pushed back my apprehension to follow him out of the room. I watched as he tied his long hair back, his heavy strides echoing against the long, sleek walls of the hallway.

Walking through the compound with Ash, the tubes of neon lighting run along the ceiling creating a pale blue halo against his glossy dark hair, I stayed a step behind him in apprehensive silence. Those we passed in the hall quickly lowered their heads respectfully; too afraid to meet Ash’s critical gaze. His ruthlessness terrified the members of his faction- but it was also what made it strong, one of the most powerful in the city, and we accepted the risk to earn his protection; Ash’s cruelty and unpredictable temper as a leader were still safer than the streets.

My tension rose as Ash stopped in front of a thick metal door, placing his palm against a scanner built into the wall. The screen flashed green, the door hissing open to reveal the building’s control center. Large screens glowed on every wall, displaying security feeds or various programs, operated by men and women who fell into silence at Ash’s arrival. I glanced over the banks of computers which had amazed me when Ash had first taken me in, before looking back to the man with dread. 

He led me to a large reclined chair, leather padding added to support my arms and legs. Wires tangled along the ground, connecting it to the monitors and servers. I felt my muscles tense, gaze locked on the complicated system with bitter reluctance. Ash’s red eyes reflected the stuttering lights of the screens as he initiated the protocol to begin downloading sensitive information. Once the files and program was ready, I watched as Ash took a seat in a metal chair, folding one leg over the other as he lifted a singular master cable, threaded through the base of the head rest. “Have a seat, Destry, and I’ll brief you on your mission.” 

I ground my teeth, knowing I had no choice in the matter- and that the longer I made Ash wait, the more unpleasant this process would be. Stepping forward, my thighs had barely touched the seat before Ash’s hand shoved against my skull. Pinning my head against the back of the chair, he shoved the master cable into the port at the base of my neck, holding me down as agony lanced through my nerves and spine. My eyes shut tightly, teeth gritted as my hands grasped the arms of the chair; my nails dug into the fabric in search of release from the pain and discomfort drawing up recent memories. Ash had no concern for my comfort- both in the control center and his bedroom- and my throat was sore as I swallowed whimpers again to bear the pain.

The sudden rush of downloaded files was dizzying, my head throbbing as I struggled to make sense of the information. What I expected to be drawn out suffering took only a few minutes; the files were sparse compared to the mountains of information which usually overwhelmed me. Even with so little, it was hard to understand during the download, only a few words and images standing out- enough to fill my stomach with a sinking sense of dread.

When the flood of information ceased, my strained muscles relaxing, I looked up at Ash with a tearful gaze. “What do you want from Purgatory?” I asked, my voice painfully rasping in my throat. Images of the facility had stood out among the rush of data; the high security prison was near impenetrable, a veritable fortress. If members of the faction were caught and imprisoned there, Ash left them to rot- helping them wasn’t worth the risk. Fear and apprehension filled me as I questioned what exactly he expected of me.

Ash leaned over me, a cruel smirk on his face as his eyes kept me still.  “There’s a man imprisoned there, you’ll find his records in the files you downloaded,” his voice was quiet as he spoke in my ear, the sharp smell of drugs still lingering in his breath and his gaze narrowed. My skin crawled, teeth gritted against the urge to flinch away from him. “Soon, I’ll need you for a mission larger than any you’ve undertaken before…and he will be invaluable to us. His name is Luko Wescoff- I need you to break him out for me.”