Leaning down, I pressed my eye to the keyhole.
"Please don't hurt him… please!" Clementine's voice cracked as she cried behind the closed door.
A man in his late thirties moved quietly toward the sound, a hammer clenched in his hand.
"Sweetheart," he whispered, "don't make a sound. I'm punishing the monster who took your mother from us."
He shoved the chair tighter beneath the doorknob, then turned slowly toward Lee.
"He needs to feel the pain we felt."
The hammer swung down, slamming into Lee's thigh. Lee cried out, straining against the ropes binding him to the chair.
"What the hell do you want?" Lee shouted through clenched teeth.
"Your suffering," the man replied calmly as he perched on the edge of the desk. His gaze drifted to the pistol beside him.
"Slow. And painful."
"I haven't forgotten you thieves," he continued. "I know every one of you. You'll all pay. She called me a monster after our son died on that hunt. Never forgave me."
His eyes locked onto Lee.
"Tell me," He said softly, tilting his head. "Do I look like a monster to you? Huh?"
He turned toward the table where two severed heads snapped and snarled uselessly.
"Tess… if you couldn't forgive me," he muttered, "how could I forgive the people who took you and our daughter?" He smiled creepily.
"You're sick," Lee spat. "Let Clementine go."
"She is my daughter now. I will raise her like my little Elizabeth," the man said, patting his daughter's head.
"She's not your daughter," Lee growled. "And you're not her father. Let her go."
The hammer came down on Lee's hand.
Lee screamed.
"Don't you ever talk about my family," the man snapped, his voice suddenly cold.
"Please…" Clementine cried, pounding weakly on the door. "Please let him go. I'll stay. I'll be your daughter. Just… please."
The man turned toward her, his expression softening.
"That's good," he said. "You finally understand."
He removed the chair and opened the bathroom door. Clementine stepped out, her wrists bound. When she saw Lee, battered and bleeding, she broke down sobbing.
"Hey… hey," the man said gently. "Don't cry, sweetheart. I didn't want to be so hard on you. I'm sorry I locked you in there."
Clementine nodded shakily, wiping her nose.
"Go stay with your mother and sister," he said. "I need to finish this."
Clementine flinched.
"Please," she said again, her voice small. "Just let him go. I'll do anything."
"You know I can't," he replied. "This man tried to tear our family apart."
He pulled a homemade pipe bomb from the drawer.
"See? He was going to destroy us again."
"Please don't," Clementine begged, tears streaking her face.
"Clementine," Lee said, forcing calm into his voice despite the pain. "It's okay. Don't listen to him. You're gonna be okay."
Clementine was almost kneeling at the man's feet as he picked up the gun from the desk.
"I don't think so," he said, smiling.
Seeing this, my eyes widened with fear as I began to panic. I waited for an opportunity to kill him, but every second made the situation more dire. I desperately wanted to open the door and kill him, but his eyes never moved away from Lee—not even for a few seconds—making it impossible to enter without being noticed.
I hoped he would turn his back on Lee for just five seconds. That would be enough. But the opportunity was never presented.
The man raised the gun as I saw him reaching toward the trigger. My heart was beating fast. Gritting my teeth, I decided to barge in—even if I got shot. There was a much higher chance of me surviving than anyone else.
Just as I was about to do that, Clementine spoke in a timid voice.
"Daddy?" She said quietly. "Can I have a hug?"
He froze. A smile crept across his face.
"Of course," he said. "Anything for you."
Clementine raised her tied hands, hoping he would free her, but he didn't. He bent down and hugged Clementine.
"AHHHAAHA!" the man screamed as Clementine bit into his neck blood poured down his collar. Clementine scrambled to Lee, fumbling with the ropes.
"I gave you love…why?" the man gasped, grabbing his neck as he stood up, pointing his gun at Clementine, who was desperately trying to release Lee.
"Clementine, look out!" Lee shouted.
Bang!
The gun exploded in the man's hand.
Then the man screamed.
"AHAHAAA!!"
Staring at his shattered fingers. He looked at the broken gun on the floor; a knife protruded from the barrel.
He quickly looked toward the door at me. Fear and shock flashed through his face as I punched him in the face, breaking his jaw and sending him flying onto the table unconscious.
Lee looked at me, a surprise flashing on his face.
Clementine quickly untied him. She looked at me, her eyes teary.
"Max!" She cried, throwing her arms around me, and started crying. I patted her back, "It's okay," I murmured, trying to calm her down, but she cried harder onto my shoulder.
"Both of you. Before guards come." Lee said. Fear and panic were clearly on his face as he tried to get up despite the agony.
"They won't," I replied flatly. "I killed them."
Lee's eyes froze, unable to process what I had said. Even Clementine stopped crying. The room fell into silence.
"What?" Lee whispered in disbelief.
"All of them in the library," I said calmly, pulling Clementine away and tying the unconscious man both his legs and arms with a rope.
I looked at both of them, who were still shocked.
Lee swallowed hard as he came to his senses.
"Then you need to get out—now," he said, panicking.
"Not until I make this shit wish he was never born."
I had suppressed my anger for too long. Now I needed to let it all out. How dare this shit try to take my things?
Angrily, I punched the unconscious man in the chest, breaking several ribs. The pain woke him up. He struggled to breathe or even tried to open his mouth with a broken jaw. I didn't care.
I broke his legs. The man whimpered and cried, looking at me with pleading eyes.
Clementine gasped in horror. Even Lee was horrified.
I moved toward his arm, about to break it—
Clementine quickly hugged me tightly from behind.
"Max, please… please calm down. We need to go. Please… I don't want to stay here," she begged, crying.
Once again, I forced myself to calm down. She was right—we needed to leave quickly.
"Max, you need to hurry. You need to leave," Lee said. His face was filled with pain.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, looking at him.
"My legs are broken, along with one hand. I'm bleeding internally. I don't have much time, so leave me here and go."
"No," Clementine sobbed. "Please don't say that." She grabbed Lee's hand and begged.
"Be a good girl and don't cry. Stick with Max. He will take care of you," Lee said softly, squeezing her hand.
He looked at me.
"Take care of her."
I lifted him onto my shoulder.
"We're not leaving you here. You are coming along with us."
"Max," he said quietly, "you can't save everyone. I will not survive without immediate medical attention."
My hands were shaking as I remembered my mother. Then I quickly focused.
"Shut up," I snapped, grabbing the knife and pipe bomb.
I looked at the man, who was dying slowly as blood poured from his mouth. Leaving him there, I quickly moved toward the door.