I open my eyes and see Tyler. Everything about him is uncertain. His stance, his expression, and all it does is add to my jitters.
“I have little time to help you, Kris.” Tyler frowns. “I didn’t mean for anyone to really challenge you already. I was only joking.”
“Just tell me what to do,” I say, wiping my palms on my pants. Beau stares at me, his blue eyes sizing me up. I look back at Tyler, hoping for a little encouragement. I know I can’t beat Jack but if I could just hold him off for a while maybe I could gain some support from the others here, or at least from Tyler’s friends.
“Jack is quick and his blows are hard.” Tyler’s voice is sharp. “He won’t take it easy on you just because you’re a girl. Your best bet is to strike him before he does you. Keep moving, don’t stand still and whatever you do, make sure you keep your hands up to protect your face,” Tyler says, putting my hands up. I have a thousand questions, but I can’t seem to get myself to speak.
“Alright. Time’s up,” Angela says, entering the gym. Jack follows close behind her. There is no way an hour has passed. I can tell this woman doesn’t like me very much. The room fills with people. My body trembles, but I try to keep it from being too noticeable. I shake my hands out and move from side to side. I don’t know what point this proves. It’s obvious I don’t know what I’m doing. “The two of you in the center.”
The crowd grows quiet. I stand in the middle of the gym, Jack takes off his jacket and stands in front of me. His buzzed head shines in the light, the glare is almost blinding. I stand up straight and meet Jack’s eyes, cold and dark. No remorse. He smiles a thin-lined smile. I swallow hard and raise my tightfisted hands up close to my face just as Tyler had instructed me. All I have to do is keep myself moving and out of his line of fire and I should be good. Angela’s boots squeak on the gym floor as she walks up beside us. Just like a referee in a basketball game. If only that was all this was.
“Go!” Angela’s voice sounds far off, even though I know she’s right next to us. I panic. My breathing quickens. My heart pounds in my chest. I see Jack’s hand coming towards my face. I react, but it’s too late. He’s struck my jaw, I stumble to the side but stay upright. He comes at me again. This time his fist hits my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I fall to my knees. Jack stands over me with the same sarcastic grin. He pulls his fist back. I wince, waiting for his blow, but it doesn’t come.
“That’s enough,” Tyler says. I open my eyes and see Tyler holding on to Jack’s arm, pushing him away from me. “There’s no need to knock her out.” Angela watches but says nothing. If it wasn’t for Tyler, she’d probably let him kill me if he wanted.
I vomit from the blow to my stomach and stand slowly. Sarah runs to me and helps me out of the gym. My arm is around her shoulders and her arm is around my waist. I’m not incapable of walking on my own, but I welcome the help. My jaw pounds. I know it’s not broken, but it will be sore. Sarah gets me to Tyler’s room and sits me on the bed before lifting my shirt enough to look at my stomach. Her face tightens a little, but she doesn’t say a word as she leaves the room. I hold my stomach with my hand. Hoping to ease some of the pain. A moment later Sarah returns holding a handful of ice. I watch her wrap it in a towel. “Here, hold this over your jaw.” She says, handing the towel to me. The cold brings out the sting or my face grows too numb to tell. I’m fine with either.
Tyler walks in and his face is tense. I try to smile at him, but he won’t look at me. I didn’t do what he told me to do. I didn’t move around and I didn’t keep my hands up. If he wouldn’t have stopped it, it would’ve been worse.
Sarah puts her hand on Tyler’s shoulder and gives a light squeeze. “I’ll leave you two. Keep that ice on.” Sarah says, letting go of Tyler’s shoulder and meeting my eye. I nod and watch the door close behind her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t do what you told me to,” I say.
“You didn’t know what you were doing,” Tyler shakes his head and sits next to me on the bed. “Did you learn anything?”
“I suck at fighting,” I say.
A grin forms on his face. “It can be taught.”
“Do you guys just do this for fun?”
“We are all constantly training, bettering ourselves. Trying to be prepared for anything. There’s more to training than just the hand to hand combat.”
“Why is Angela in charge and not you? It’s your land and you are the grandson of a Chief. Shouldn’t that count for something?”
“Angela’s in charge because she is the president of our organization. There are more of us spread out in different places, all training. Each has their own president. I couldn’t stop this from happening to you. Anyone who challenges the orders of the president is up for capital punishment.” Tyler strokes my arm with his fingertips. “Being the grandson of a Chief would only matter if this were a tribe. Most of the people here are not Native Americans. Plus, my grandfather is still alive and is the Chief.”
When he explains it that way, it just makes me sound dumb, but in my book, being the grandson of a Chief would make you important. Especially if a place like this existed on your tribe’s land or family’s land. I decide to change the subject to my family. I believe there is more to all of this. His family. My family. Something is going on here.
“What’s really going on with my parents and Janet?” I ask.
“We believe them to be withholding information from Angela. I’m not sure exactly what kind of information. Only Angela and her deputies seem to know that. I’m not trusted enough to have that information. Mainly because I speak my mind and because I’m involved with you.” Tyler keeps his gaze from mine. I can guess they aren’t being treated well. If Angela is okay treating me this way, and I’m supposedly important, I can only imagine what my parents and Janet are going through. “If I would’ve known this is how you, your family, and Janet would be treated, I would’ve tried to find somewhere else to take everyone.” He shakes his head. “The way they’ve talked about you, I thought it would be different. Now we are stuck here. At least for now.”
“I have to get to them,” I say.
“You can’t help them until you get stronger,” he says. I know he is right, but it doesn’t help to calm my worries at all. Tyler kneels down and looks up at me. His eyes are full of hope. “This whole thing is a lot bigger than what either of us can understand. Promise we will stick together,” he takes my hand in his. “We have to stick together to get through this.” The emphasis he puts into his words is both comforting and nerve-wracking at the same time.
“I promise,” I say, as I lean forward to kiss him. I know he thinks I’m strong, but I don’t know how strong I really am. I can take being beaten. I’ve been beaten enough to know the pain. I’m just not used to having a way to fight back. That’s something I’m going to learn. I won’t let anyone beat me anymore, not Jack, Angela, or this government agency. I’m going to learn to defend myself, but most of all to defend the people I love.
“Let me help you,” Tyler says, gesturing to my stomach and jaw with his eyes. I lay back and raise my shirt enough for him to see. His face hardens and I hear a slight growl come up from his throat. He takes a step back and turns away from me for a minute. He shakes his head with his hands on his hips. He takes a deep breath and turns back around to face me. “This will help a little, but it will be a day or two before you are completely healed.”
I nod.
Tyler places both of his hands on my stomach. He closes his eyes and begins to chant. As he does, the pain lessens. He finishes with my stomach and moves his hands up to my jaw, a hand on each side of my face. I reach up and hold on to one of his hands.
“Please, leave it,” I say.
“Kris.” He argues with me. His eyes plead with mine to let him help more.
“Please.” I insist. “I have to have battle wounds to mark my progress.”
Tyler nods understandingly, though I know he doesn’t agree with me. He lies on his side bes
ide me, keeping hold of my hand. He rests his arm across my stomach but is careful not to bother my bruised area. I know it isn’t bedtime yet, but I feel tired from all the adrenalin I needed in order to deal with Jack. I close my eyes and the pull of sleep enters my mind.
◆◆◆
I awaken from a dream again, soaked in sweat. I jump, causing pain in my stomach. Tyler is awake and grabs my arm. “It’s alright. You’re okay,” he says, pulling me to his chest. I’m shaking and try to force myself to stop before the questions start. It doesn’t work. My body uncontrollably trembles on its own.
“What is it, Kris? What keeps waking you like this?” he asks.
“I still see him,” I sigh in defeat. “I still see Jason. He keeps finding me. A group of people are with him, but they don’t have faces,” I say, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
“He can’t hurt you anymore,” Tyler says, still holding tight.
“Can’t he? I still see his body lying on the grass.” I squeeze my eyes together, hoping to get rid of the last image of Jason I have. He was no longer a threat to me, but I still feel the pain he caused me physically and emotionally when he almost killed you. He may be gone, but his memory is still scary.
“Kris, don’t feel guilty for what you did.”
“How can I not feel guilty? I took someone’s life!”
“He was going to kill you. Don’t you understand that? He was going to stand by and watch as someone tortured you and killed you,” Tyler says, shaking me gently.
The tears come and I can’t stop them. I feel guilty for what I’ve done, and maybe that’s why the dreams keep coming. I’m not trained like Tyler. I’m not okay with taking someone’s life, even if he was planning to take mine. Wasn’t that obvious in the gym? I just stood there and let Jack hit me. I did nothing.
Tyler’s rough and calloused hands dry my tears and help me to my feet. I slide my boots on and walk with him to the dining hall. I wish I could just stay in the room, but I know it is dinner time. The smells from the kitchen were leaking into Tyler’s room. The dining hall is full of cheerful voices. I don’t know how everyone can be so happy, but I guess not all of them got beat up today. I sit down slowly at our table, careful not to disturb my stomach muscles.
“There she is. How are you doing superstar?” Beau asks, setting his tray down on the table.
“Great.” I force a smile. I know he’s making fun, but I don’t want to talk about it.
“Someone explain to me again why she’s the key,” Beau says, looking around the table. No one speaks.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I say. Maybe if I pick on myself some, they will leave me alone.
“So, you don’t know either? Well, this all looks incredibly promising.” Beau rolls his eyes and takes a bite of his fried catfish.
“Shut up, Beau,” Tyler says, placing my tray in front of me. “Kris, eat something.”
I break off a piece of fish and eat it. Tyler watches. I don’t know how I’m supposed to eat when I feel like my stomach is up in my throat. Still, I try to comply and eat at least one piece of fish. I sip water. I get one piece of fish down and Tyler finally stops watching me. I wish I knew what I’m meant to do here. What it is I’m supposed to change. I just feel lost. My parents are being detained in a secure room. My brothers are across the table from me, laughing and joking with Kyle as if they don’t care that our parents are being tortured.
Chapter 6
I enter the gym for more training. This time there are different stations set up along the sides of the gym. Everyone is training today, not just me. That’s a relief. I spot Jack practicing with a punching bag. I touch my jaw. It’s a little sore and stiff, but I can handle it. My stomach is better today. I wouldn’t let Tyler help me up this morning like he wanted to. He says I’m stubborn, but I don’t want him babying me. If I’m supposed to get stronger, I’m going to have to do things on my own even if I am injured. Plus, it’s just a couple of bruises, nothing serious. Jack smiles his sickening smile. I ignore it and walk past him to find a station for me to practice at.
I find one for archery. Finally, something I’m good at. Sarah is there with some other members shooting. The targets move quickly, sliding in and out of sight. I stand and watch them shoot for a minute. They are all decent and seem to know what they are doing. None of them miss the target, but only Sarah shoots them dead center. “Come up here and shoot with me,” Sarah says, letting an arrow fly. I still don’t know how she and Tyler know when I’m around. It must be a shapeshifter thing.
“Alright,” I say. I step forward and take a bow from the wall. The bow is made from wood and not from fiberglass like my bow at home. I run my fingers over the grip. The wood is smooth and light. I feel a smile forming. I slide an arrow from the container between Sarah and me. They are also handmade. I take my stance and draw back the bowstring.
“Ready?” Sarah places her front foot on a button on the floor.
“Ready.”
I hear the click of the button as her foot presses it. The targets appear. Some are in the shapes of animals; others are human shapes. I let my arrow fly, hitting a squirrel in a tree. I grab two more arrows and fire one, then the other without hesitation, hitting two human targets dead center. Jason’s body appears in front of me, falling to his knees. I can’t breathe. I step back and put the bow back on the table. The room dims. Darkness fills the sides of my vision. I put my hand around my throat as I gasp for air. I feel hands on my back. “Sit down.” The faint voice says.
I take a seat on the floor next to the table. The hands move from my back to my head, pushing my head down between my knees. Another set of hands, bigger, stroke my back. It helps. I seem to catch my breath. My hearing comes back slowly. I look up to see Sarah, Tyler, and Kyle beside me. “You okay?” Sarah asks.
“Fine,” I say, wiping sweat from my forehead. “Don’t coddle me.” I stand and walk to the next station. Many eyes are on me. I feel them follow as I stop in front of the knife-throwing table. I don’t know how to do this, but I can’t just sit around and let them think I’m worthless. Tyler’s hand covers mine, keeping me from picking up the knife. I hadn’t noticed him following me.
“Kris, what are you doing?”
“Tyler. Not now. Let me do this.” I push his hand from mine. I pick up the knife. It’s smooth. The blade sparkles in the bright blue-white lights in the room. I run my finger on the edge carefully to avoid cutting myself. A twinge of danger enters my body. I haven’t been on this side of danger before. It feels good. Powerful. To see how it’s done, I watch two members to my right throw their knives. The guy throws his with a spin, and it rotates slightly, hitting the target. The girl throws hers without a spin, but still hits the target. I decide to follow the girl’s route. It looks less complicated. I step up and throw the knife. My first one hits the target but falls to the ground. It’s followed by my second that does the same. A snicker comes from behind me. I feel my face warm in embarrassment. I know I look ridiculous, but I’m determined to get this. I take a deep breath and exhale, releasing the knife. It hits the target in the center.
I smile. “Third time’s always the charm,” I say, turning to face Tyler.
His proud smile puts greater confidence in me. He kisses the top of my forehead before walking towards Neiamiah.
I stay and watch others train. Observing and then doing seems to be the best way I learn. Many of them look to be about my age. Some are older. I’m not sure how much time passes before I decide to see what Tyler is working on.
I find him in the Martial Arts section with Neiamiah. I watch from afar as they fight. Neiamiah punches twice. Tyler blocks with his arms and kicks him in the stomach. Neiamiah stumbles but comes back faster, returning a kick. Tyler grabs his foot and knocks him to the ground. Neither of them seems to give it their all. It’s still interesting to watch. Neiamiah gets Tyler in a headlock and tries to choke him out. It doesn’t work. Tyler elbows him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him
. Neiamiah releases his grasp. Tyler punches him twice, hitting both sides of his face before dropping back on one foot and kicking Neiamiah into the wall. The move is so powerful. You wouldn’t think the two of them were friends. Neiamiah coughs for a few seconds. Tyler walks over and offers him a hand up. Both of them are laughing. Guys are strange.
Fighting Secrets: Unbreakable Series, Book 2 Page 4
