I dream, but not about Jason. This time a woman appears. “My name is Louisa.” She says, smiling. She is young. Her beauty is unflawed. I don’t know who she is or what she wants with me. I’ve seen her face before in my dreams, but I can’t remember what those dreams entailed. She extends her hand out to me. “Follow me.” Her words are soft and sweet. I reach for her hand, but before our hands meet, Tyler wakes me.
“Kris, get up.” Tyler stands over me. Kyle by his side.
“Why?” I whimper. “It’s not morning yet.” I cover my face with a pillow.
“Alright. I’m out of patience,” Kyle says.
Kyle lifts me up and throws me over his shoulder as if I weigh nothing. Tyler laughs and follows behind. “Put me down! What are you doing?” I yell. My voice echoes off the metal walls. I know it’s no good. My brothers used to do this to me all the time. You would think I’d come up with a way to get out of it. I give up and go with it. I relax and hold my head up placing my elbow on Kyle’s back resting my head in my hand. My dark hair falls in my face, shielding my eyes from the bright hallway lights, but at least my face isn’t laying against his butt.
“Give up?” Tyler asks. All I can see of him are his boots. I lift my free arm and give him the finger. “Nope. She still has fight left in her.” He laughs.
Kyle carries me to the gym and places me on my feet right before we enter the door. My head is spinning from being stood up so fast. I rest my hand on the wall to steady myself. The gym is dark except for the lights streaming in from the sides of the doors. I turn just as Tyler flips on the lights. I cover my eyes. “Geez, why are they so bright?”
“It’s one distraction they train us to ignore. Obviously, they are still a distraction for you,” Tyler says, walking back over to us.
“Why did you guys kidnap me and bring me here?” I ask, waiting for my eyes to adjust.
“For help,” Kyle says, shoving me backward playfully. “You kind of suck.” He jokes.
“That’s because I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.” I retort. I shove him back.
“Duh,” he says.
“You’re small, so it’s important for you to deliver powerful blows when you strike. Kyle says you’re good at thinking your way out of trouble when your paint balling.” A hobby I used to love to do back home. “This shouldn’t be any different. For some reason, you’ve trained yourself to give up when you are face-to-face with dangerous people.” I’m not sure that is accurate. My opponents are just more skilled and bigger than me. There isn’t a good reason to argue this point right now. I keep quiet and continue to listen. “Yet when you are with Kyle and your brothers, you fight them,” Tyler says, walking me to the Martial Arts station.
“Yeah, but they aren’t trying to kill me or really hurt me,” I say.
“Does that make sense to you? That you choose to fight family and friends and not the enemy?”
“I don’t viciously fight them,” I say.
“It doesn’t matter. You still do it,” Kyle interjects
.
“That’s what we are here to fix.” Tyler continues, “We don’t have a lot of time to wait for you to be comfortable with all this. There’s word floating around the government plans to start their attacks within the next couple of weeks. Focus and become stronger than your fear.” Tyler pushes punching gloves onto my hands. “Alright, now, put your hands up and hit my hands.” He stands in front of me with his palms out.
I clench my hands into fists and punch left, right, left. We do a series of uppercuts, kicks, and punches. I’m getting the feel for it. The anger I’ve held inside of me rises to the surface. I spin around on one foot and kick him in the stomach, sending him into the wall.
“Oh! I’m sorry!” I yell, running over to Tyler. He gets up with a smile on his face. “I’m not sure where that came from.”
Kyle claps, standing on the sidelines. “You are learning extraordinarily fast.” His excitement only intensifies my hope. “It would take an average person, months of training to send a kick like that.”
“That’s how I want you to fight.” Tyler coughs, he gets to his feet and helps me take off the gloves. “I told you that you needed to deliver your blows with force and I think that’s been accomplished.” Tyler rubs his stomach. “Now, blindfold her.”
“What?” I ask.
“You have to learn to use your senses even if they are altered,” Kyle says, placing the blindfold over my eyes. He ties it securely in a knot behind my head. It’s complete darkness. No light enters through it. I reach my hands out, trying to reach Tyler. There’s nothing. My breathing increases and I feel my heart thumping harder against my chest. I know I am safe with these two guys, but being in complete darkness is not exactly high on my list of fun things.
“Don’t let it consume you, Kris.” Tyler’s voice is calm. It comes from behind me. He’s moving around so I can’t find him. “Just relax. Try to focus on the sounds and vibrations around you.”
I close my eyes and calm my heartbeat as much as possible. I take deeper breaths in and out. I kneel to the floor, feeling for movement of feet. There is none. My hearing intensifies. I can hear breathing to the left of me and in front of me. A part of the hunter’s instinct is to listen, listen for the slightest movement. My father’s voice rings in my head. Those are the words he shared with me during my first hunt back home. I remain still, listening. I hear the whistling of something flying through the air on my left. I turn and block it. The squishy object hits my arm and bounces off. I slide the blindfold from my eyes and find a kickball bouncing back to Kyle.
“I think we can cross that one off the list too,” Kyle says, with a crooked smile. “I told you she knows what to do; she just doesn’t realize it.”
I don’t know where this power or ability is coming from. I’ve always been the clumsy, uncoordinated type. These unknown abilities and strengths come as a surprise, not only to Tyler and Kyle but to me too.
Chapter 9
We work well into the morning hours. I still can’t shoot arrows at the human targets. My reaction is to panic at the thought of the arrow entering the target. I do fine with the rock wall. By the time they let me go, I’m beyond exhausted. My body feels like a gigantic pile of Jello. Tyler stays back with Kyle.
I head down one of the never-ending halls to the bathroom. My clothes and hair are drenched with sweat. Once I’m in the bathroom, I turn on the water in the shower stall to warm and peel my wet clothes off my body. I slide into the shower and lean forward, resting my arms and forehead on the cool wall, letting the scorching water ease my muscles’ pain.
The kickboxing training made me use muscles I didn’t realize I had. This entire experience is making me use muscles I didn’t think existed. I clean myself up and dry off. Once again, clean clothes are waiting for me when I step out of the shower. I hear no one come in. I’m not sure if I should be leery or not. I’m too tired to worry about it now. I put the clothes on and admire my tattoo in the mirror. I’m happy I got it. It’s a part of this new chapter in my life.
◆◆◆
I get back to Tyler’s room and head for the bed. I slip out of my pants and fall over on the bed, on my stomach. I do it in one swift motion because I’m afraid of the pain I’d receive from bending any of my leg muscles. I lay on my stomach with just a t-shirt and underwear on. My head hits the pillow and I instantly fall asleep.
◆◆◆
Louisa finds me in my dreams. I’m a kid playing in Kentucky, gathering stones and flowers placing them in a circle. My mother comes to me and thanks me for the flowers but scatters the stones back into the woods. My reaction doesn’t seem to be one of joy. I seem to be upset. My dream shifts and goes to Tyler and how we first met on the plane bound for Illinois. Back when my life seemed simpler. As simple as it can be for a well-known actress, anyway. Excuse me, sir. I can’t help but notice you staring at me. I hear the thick southern drawl I used trying to keep him from recognizing me. I see his nervous smile.
The warm feeling I get even in memories of him overwhelms me. The pull of wanting and needing to be with him is even more apparent now. I still don’t understand how we are so drawn to each other. It is like a constant magnetic pull between the two of us.
A blood-curdling scream pulls me back to reality. I jump up and slide on my pants and run out into the hall. It’s crowded with people, pushing and shoving each other to see what’s happening. I make my way through and see my parents and Janet with their hands bound behind their backs with rope, kneeling on the floor. They’ve been beaten. Their faces are badly bruised and their wrists bleed from the ropes. Without thinking, I run to them and reach for my mom first. A blow to my head stops me in my tracks. My head feels fuzzy and I fall to the ground on my knees.
“Don’t interfere with this, superstar,” Jacks says. The sound of his voice awakens greater anger within me.
I feel heat filling my head. I scramble to my feet and lunge forward towards him. Hands stop me and pull me away. I scream in anger and try to fight my way out of their clenches. Tyler pushes me up against a wall, making my anger greater. “Let me go!” I yell. “That’s my family. They’re hurting my family!”
My eyes stare deep into Tyler’s. They are sad, angry, and worried. I don’t care I try to push his arm from my chest, anyway. “Stop, Kris,” he says, overpowering me. I can’t think my way out of this. I’m too angry. I stand there, Tyler holding me back. Kyle is beside him. The screams of pain from my family flow into my ears and I yell in return. Tyler moves his grasp to one of my arms and Kyle takes the other. They pull me down the hall to Tyler’s room. I kick and try to free my arms from their grasp. I can’t. They push me inside. Kyle shuts the door behind them. “Kris, listen to me. Your family won’t tell them what they want to know. Angela is trying to get you to give up. Her drive for control overrides her humanity. This isn’t the time to fight back,” Tyler says, blocking my way to the door.
“How can you just stand here and let them hurt my family? Do you hear them? Do you hear their cries?” I stand inches from his face. Tears are flowing down mine.
He shakes his head. “There isn’t anything we can do right now. Your brothers were drugged so they wouldn’t interfere, but Angela wanted you to hear.”
“Why?” I ask.
“You and your brothers don’t know what it is they are seeking. You don’t even know your true purpose here other than you have a special gift.” Tyler glances at Kyle and continues. “Angela thinks if they can break you down, then it will make your parents and Janet break.” Tyler’s eyes are full of worry. “Don’t let her break you. Don’t let her in.”
I collapse on my knees and cover my face with my hands. Tyler sits in front of me and takes my hand. I close my eyes. Tears flow down my cheeks. He presses my other palm to his chest over his heart and rests his hand over mine. I hear the cries of my family but see the calm of stars in the sky. The cries become quieter and the stars brighter. I’m back home by the creek, in the cabin my dad built for me, on a spring night listening to the crickets chirp. I feel my body calming and still feel Tyler’s hand on mine. I know he can see my fears, hopes, and dreams. He knows my heart.
This is our secret. I remember the first time we discovered this secret way of communicating. He was recovering from Jason’s brutal attack. He showed me how he saw me in his eyes. Beautiful, happy, and free.
◆◆◆
Minutes pass, or maybe hours. I don’t know for sure. When we communicate this way, it is as if time stands still. Tyler moves his hand from my chest. I remove mine from his. The room is quiet, almost peaceful. Tyler scoops me up and cradles me in his arms. He lays me down on the bed and sits beside me, his hand entwined with mine. “I’ll figure something out, Kris.” He rubs the back of my hand with his thumb. “Be strong. Okay?” I nod, but I don’t know how long I can withstand hearing my family’s pain. I’m not as strong as he thinks I am. Hurting those someone loves is the best way to get someone to react. Angela knows what she’s doing.
I remember Neiamiah covering a scar on his arm. “What she says goes.” His words send shivers throughout my body.
Tyler leaves the room. Kyle follows. I’m left alone. I don’t know what to do. I have to get to my family before she kills them. She will kill them. Eventually, her patience will run out and then what will I be left with? Who’s to say she won’t target my brothers next. “Your brothers were drugged.” Tyler’s words reenter my head. I shoot up in bed and go to the door. I peer out to find the hallway is clear now. I slide out of Tyler’s room and tiptoe down the hallway. I press my body against the cold metal wall. I peek around the corner and see no one. I move faster.
“Where are you going, superstar?” Jack’s voice echoes off the wall by my head.
I don’t like my new nickname here. “Why do you care?” I ask, wiping my palms on my shirt. If he intends to cause trouble for me, I’m ready for him this time.
“It’s my business. I’m one of Angela’s deputies, and I’m in charge of this hall. My job is to make sure everyone keeps the peace.” He presses his hands on the wall behind my head, blocking me from an escape, forcing me to make eye contact with him. He’s so close I see a faint scar on his cheek, stretching from his jaw up to his eyebrow.
“I’m not causing trouble.” I swallow hard and clench my fists so tight I feel the sting of my fingernails entering my palm.
“You weren’t going to go find your brothers?” He whispers. A smile stretching ear to ear. I knee him in the groin and follow it up with a right hook to his temple. He stumbles backward. Tyler’s right, stunning them with my hidden strength is the best way to win. I feel the anger of watching them cause my family pain. I grab his head and force my knee into his face. His nose bleeds, and he shoves me away. Jack comes at me, going for my head. I block his punch and return a punch to his head, but he blocks it. He grabs me by the waist and throws me into the wall, knocking the wind out of me. I lay on the floor coughing and try to regain some air in my lungs. “Getting kind of feisty, aren’t we?” Jack comes closer, rearing back his leg for a kick. I don’t see him. I see Jason. I take his foot and pull it across my body, forcing him to fall to the floor on his back. A move I knew he wouldn’t see coming because I just thought of it at that moment. I hurry to my feet, ready for his next move. Footsteps near.
Angela appears with four bodyguards dressed in suits. “Miss Goodman, come with me,” she says. I spit at Jack as I walk by him. He gets up and starts at me, but two of the guards contain him. I laugh at the sight of his frustration. He’s only mad because a small girl like me can beat him.
Angela’s combat boots thump against the floor drowning out my heavy breathing and the two guards beside me make me feel uncomfortable. Fighting with Jack is one thing, but I know I won’t be able to take down these two guards along with Angela. It is best to just follow her. Where is she taking me? The metal walls turn in to solid rock, like the walls of the cave Tyler brought me through to get here. Though now I don’t know if it was such a good idea to come. My family is in trouble. I’m in trouble. Tyler, Kyle, and my brothers are nowhere to be found. Not to mention Sarah and Vi. She leads me to a thick metal door with a spinning wheel on the outside. The outside resembles a door you would see on a safe.
She enters a four-digit code and pulls the door open. The inside is lined with a white padding from ceiling to floor. I turn to run, but the guards grab my arms. I try to bite their hands to free myself. One of them punches me in the temple. I’m dazed but feel my body land on the padding and hear the door shut with a click as it locks. My heart beats hard against my chest.
Angela’s voice enters the room. “We will tolerate no one breaking the peace. Your punishment is to spend a day in this holding cell. No one can hear you, so no one will come to your rescue. Maybe this will teach you to abide by the rules. Since you seem to be so tough, we’ve also added a little something just for your entertainment.”
A screen blocks the window that they would use to watch m
e, but I know there must be some kind of camera in here. I stretch my arms out beside me. I can touch each wall with my fingertips. My claustrophobia is the least of my concerns.
Angela’s voice is replaced with the screams of my family. They appear on the screen in front of me. I pound my fists on the window to break the screen. It doesn’t even shake. The window protects the screen. I cover my ears and curl up in the corner. I scream just to drown out their screams. I scream until my voice cracks. Until there’s nothing left. I’m left with having to listen. I bury my face in my knees and shield my ears with my palms.
Fighting Secrets: Unbreakable Series, Book 2 Page 6
