"Mmn." Axel groaned, face twitching as he stirred awake. He'd rolled over onto his side in his sleep, facing the window, and his wound ached from where he'd put his weight on it. The vague suggestions of early morning light were pushing their way through the closed blinds. Can't have been out too long. He gave another groan and rolled onto his back.
Someone was standing on the other side of the bed, looming over him.
Axel blinked. Oh shit. He tried to push himself up, opening his mouth to scream.
The person's arms shot down, one hand clamping over his mouth, stifling any cry for help he might have made. With a sharp snap, a switchblade deftly appeared in the other, the blade darting forward and pressing against his throat.
Feeling the bite of the metal, Axel stared up at the person holding him down and waited for the end. Much of the person's face was obscured in shadow, but he could see it was a man with a beanie hat pulled low and a dark jacket zipped right up. His eyes were dark pits. Couldn't you shoot me instead? Axel thought hysterically. He supposed it would be less painful than a blade through the neck.
"If you scream, I'll cut your head off."
The rat blinked again.
"Are you going to scream?" The man, his voice surprisingly soft, spoke slowly and carefully, as though speaking to someone particularly slow.
After a moment, Axel shook his head. "Nmphh."
The man took his hand away and withdrew the knife, although Axel noted uncomfortably that he didn't put it away. "What..."
"Come on, don't act dumb. You know who I'm with. What the fuck happened?"
Purifiers. Shit. "Alright, look, it wasn't our fault-"
"What happened?"
Axel pushed himself further away. "It was a... an ambush or something! They knew we were coming!" He gulped. "Look, I don't know what you guys got told but we followed this guy Methson or Metheun or something to this club but when we followed him in they were waiting for us and then the shooting started..." Axel could hear himself babbling, his voice getting higher. "There wasn't anything I could have done!"
The darkness enveloping the man's face shifted as his expression hardened. "Or you lured our people into an alley and killed them. You thought you could get away."
"No! I mean, look at where I am! Does this look like something I'd plan?!"
"Maybe our people fought back," the man muttered.
Axel felt a flash of anger and started to sit up. "Fuck you-" Before he could finish, the Purifier slammed the hilt of his knife against Axel's wound, clapping his other hand back over the rat's mouth to stifle his scream.
"It's okay," the Purifier said over Axel's muffled, agonised squeals. It's okay, because I know you wouldn't be that dumb. And why wouldn't you be that dumb?" When Axel eventually stared up at him with tearful eyes, hands clasped on his thigh, the man continued. "Because you know we're watching you. We're watching all of you. You know that right?" Axel nodded, air whistling through his nose, and the hand came away again. "Good. Who ambushed you?"
Axel gasped for breath, his eyes squeezed shut. "Don't know... don't know..."
"Then you should find out. Soon. Time's running out." The man reached into his pocket. "One more thing."
When Axel opened his eyes, the knife was shooting down. He jerked, too shocked to scream - but with a heavy thud the blade buried itself in the pillow next to his head. Speared to it was a sheet of paper with something written on it.
"Be seeing you." The Purifier slowly turned and made his way over to the door, unlocking it. Casually, he opened it and walked out of sight, the door closing behind him gently.
He body shaking, Axel reached up and pulled the knife from the pillow, freeing the piece of paper. Unfolding it, he blinked at the message written on it: GOOD LUCK! WE'RE COUNTING ON ALL OF YOU! LOVE, R. Axel collapsed back down, whimpering. "Oh fuck."