<div class="floatleft">(https://66.media.tumblr.com/9b81e07ef4491e705dea3de355e17996/tumblr_ov20fgHQZq1uvlkofo7_1280.jpg)</div>Karina heard him laugh softly at her response, but he thanked her as well and she saw...a smile? She hoped the would be something she would see more often in the future. He had a nice smile.<br/><br/><em>Wait... What future? I'll most likely be dead soon.</em>She frowned as the thought crossed her mind. However, she had to be realistic about the situation. James couldn't keep her safe forever. It would only take her employers a matter of time to find them. They had resources -<em>a ton</em>of resources. It's entirely possible that they had other assets Karina didn't even know about for situations like this. Plus, she was just a regular person in comparison to James. He was an enhanced lethal assassin. She'd only slow them down, get them caught quicker. It'd be better if he dropped her and ran on his own. He deserved a fresh start and a better life after everything they'd done to him.<br/><br/>Everything<em>she</em>helped do to him...<br/><br/><em>"There's a couple rooms here. You should probably see which one you find more comfortable and try to get some rest."</em>He suggested. Karina suddenly realized how exhausted she was when he mentioned sleeping. The adrenaline rush she had already started to wear off while they were in the car. Sleep sounded heavenly, even if it probably wouldn't be the best night of sleep she ever got. Food sounded good, too. But her body seemed to favor rest at the moment.<br/><br/>"Sleep sounds like a winner." Karina replied. "My head...is a mess right now." She rubbed her temples and sighed. "Probably make some sense of this after I rest." The last part wasn't really aimed at James specifically, it was just her talking out loud. A habit that had gotten her into some trouble in the past, and would continue to do so in the future.<br/><br/>"...Thanks." Karina said softly, debating on whether or not to tell him each individual thing she was thanking him for. Not murdering her was the first thing that came to mind. But she left it at that, keeping it short and simple. She felt like he knew everything she was thanking him for. Silently, she wandered off to sleep.<br/><br/>Karina barely remembered her head hitting the pillow. It was her vain hope that she would be able to get some good rest, but that wasn't in the cards tonight. Her dreams weren't even her own. She was back in the snow, looking down at James. She watched as he was taken away, dragged through the snow without care. Physically, she was tossing and turning in the bed - unable to wake herself. Karina had to watch them mutilate his arm and then attach the metal to his skin. They were rough and abusive.<br/><br/>"Stop! Why him?!" She found herself yelling at them. But nobody answered. She didn't exist, because what she was seeing wasn't from her memory. The scene shifted, and she watched helplessly as she saw James restrained to some strange chair. The sound of electricity crackled through the air, accompanied by the poor man's agonizing and muffled screams. Nearby, a man was reciting seemingly random words from a book in his hands. Karina was as confused as she was enraged at the site of seeing him be tortured.<br/><br/>Suddenly, everything stopped and a tense silence filled the room. The restraints on the chair unlocked and James stood up, his eyes locked straight ahead. It almost looked like he was staring right at Karina. She felt a chill sweep up her spine. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks.<br/><br/><em>This... This is how they've kept him obedient to them! Torture and brainwashing!</em>She barely had time to register the thought when her blood ran cold.<br/><br/><em>"Kill the target."</em>The man who had been reading from the book instructed James. Without hesitation, James - no - the soldier grabbed a nearby gun and aimed it at Karina.<br/><br/>"...W-wait!" Panic and fear washed over her. There was a loud bang as the gun went off.<br/><br/>"James!" Karina cried out and bolted up in the bed, her hair sticking to her face and chest. The loud pounding of her heartbeat echoed in her ears and made her head throb. She stood up from the bed and made her way to the nearest bathroom. She flicked the light on, still panting to catch her breath, and ran some cold water to splash on her face. Her reflection looked unfamiliar, but it didn't surprise her. She looked like hell, given what she had been through, and there was a faint bruise already visible on her neck.<br/><br/><em>Well... It could be worse, I suppose.</em>