“I’m sorry, Miss Goodman, there are rules. We also know of the outing the two of you had. Just another strike against you,” Angela says, stepping away. I don’t know what the liquid does or is, but it can’t be good if she has it. I watch the liquid make its way into his arm. Tyler fights off the pain. He focuses on me. He bites his lip as his body becomes tense. His fists are clenched tight. He’s sweating profusely. “Let’s quicken the flow.” Angela orders. Jack moves the lever all the way open.
Tyler screams and flails around. The restraints are strong. He can’t break them, at least not in human form. I think maybe he might shift into something else for a chance to save himself but; he doesn’t. I don’t know if it would even do any good. I fight my restraints, trying to get to him, but I can’t get out of them. I’m forced to listen. I turn away. Angela comes to me and forces my head back over to the side. Jack secures my head with a band, forcing me to watch. I yell as tears flow.
“Interesting, isn’t it?” Angela holds my arm. “It’s a pain-inducing liquid, makes your blood feel like red hot fire pokers.” She laughs. The hate raises inside me. I know I’m defenseless. I can’t do anything but take this. I stop fighting and listen to Tyler’s yells. I focus on the bag of liquid and watch as it diminishes. When the liquid is gone, Angela removes the needle from his arm but leaves us restrained. Tyler doesn’t look at me. He keeps his head turned away, his fists still tight and his body tense. The liquid is still in effect.
Angela leaves the room, but the deputies remain. Watching us. Expressionless. Their eyes don’t seem to be their own. They move like clockwork only when Angela orders something. All of them except Jack. He moves like a normal human.
Jack removes the restraint from my head and I spit in his face. A slap across my face is returned. It stings, but I hardly notice. My anger is greater than my current discomfort.
“Don’t be stupid,” he replies.
“Let me go.” I hiss. Jack undoes my restraints and I run to Tyler.
Tyler’s breathing is heavy. I reach for his hand and he jerks at my touch. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper. I remove the restraints from his arms first. I do it slowly to keep from hurting him. Then I move to the ones on his legs. I slide my arm under his back, my other hand holds on to one of his for support. I help him sit up. He moans and growls in pain, but I get him sat up. I move his legs so they hang over the edge of the table. He slides off the table onto his feet, but his legs buckle under his own weight. He punches the floor with his fist out of frustration.
“We have to get out of here. Come on.” I put his arm around my shoulders and help him to his feet. Tyler leans most of his weight on me, but I can take it now. He’s exhausted. Jack watches my every move but says nothing.
Tyler and I stumble down the hall back to his room, stopping a few times for him to rest along the way. I get him to the bed and help him with his boots. He moans, raising his arms above his head. I pull his shirt off as fast as I can so he can put them back down. My heart sinks when I see the bruising on his body from trying to keep them from taking me after Sam’s accident. I had no idea he was this hurt before the serum.
“Tyler.” I gasp, kneeling down. I slide my fingers gently over his chest and stomach over his chest and stomach.
Tyler cups my cheek in his hand. “I’ll be alright.” I know he is trying to make me feel okay, but it isn’t working. His eyes are dark and I see every last ounce of pain behind them. He is trying to hide it, but he can’t keep it all from me.
“Help me lay down,” he says.
I stand and put one arm around his back for support as he starts backward. I get him situated with pillows and then lean down to kiss him. Our lips meet and a small smile comes across his face. He pats the side of the bed next to him. “Come here,” he whispers. “Lay next to me like you always do.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I say, my voice catches.
“You won’t.”
I sigh and walk around to my side of the bed. I know if I hurt him, he won’t let on. I slide my boots off and gently position myself next to him. I keep far enough away that I’m not actually touching him.
“If anything, you being beside me helps me heal faster. There isn’t anything that love cannot do.” He says with his arm outstretched to me. “Please, Kris. I need to feel your touch.”
I scoot myself over and rest my head on his chest. “I’m right here,” I say, placing my hand in his. I feel his body begin to calm. He sighs. I know he is exhausted. I do my best to comfort him by just being with him. I don’t know how much of a help I truly am. I know his touch helps me, but I’ve never thought of him needing me in this sort of way. He is always the strong one. In a way, it reminds me that even though he seems to be unstoppable in my eyes, he is human just like me.
I feel responsible for this. If I’d warned my brother about what I saw in my dream, we wouldn’t have had to go and search for him. I put my arm around Tyler’s chest and try to get as close to him as possible. He rests a hand on my side and the other on my arm. I need to find answers to my questions soon. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take. I don’t know how much more of this my loved ones can take.
Chapter 14
I wake before Tyler. We are still laying the same way as when we fell asleep. I was afraid to move in the night because I didn’t want to hurt him. From what I could tell, he was too tired to move anymore. I keep still so I don’t bother him. I see the bruising on his stomach and chest has started to fade. I know he heals quicker than a normal human, and I’m thankful for that. I don’t want to see his body injured anymore. I know he kept it from me and hoped he would heal enough before I noticed, but he didn’t.
I sit up slowly and slide out from under his arm that was around my waist. He stirs some but doesn’t fully wake. I place my feet on the floor and walk around to his side of the bed. I kiss him on the cheek.
I need a shower and I need to sneak away for a second. I tiptoe to the door and ease it open to keep it from squeaking. In the hall, I shut the door behind me and proceed to the bathroom. The hall is empty. I assume everyone else is still asleep. I still do not know how they can tell what time it is around here.
Once in the still blinding white bathroom, I remove my clothes and catch sight of my naked body in the mirror. My muscles are more defined, but my ribs show a more dominantly through my skin. I need to eat more. I turn on the water to the shower. While I wait for it to warm, I peel the gauze off my wrists and toss it into the trash. I get in the shower and let the warm water wash the paste and dried blood away. They’ve healed enough that blood doesn’t resurface. I wash my hair and body twice. To be honest, I think I need to wash a time or two more, but I still don’t know if I would feel clean enough. I pat dry and slide into some clean clothes I find waiting for me. I can’t prove it is Sarah who always leaves me clothes, but how else would they appear? It is a mystery I don’t care to solve at the moment. I braid my hair to the side and try to cover my bruised face with some of my loose strands. Not much use. They shine through.
◆◆◆
When I get back to the room, Tyler is awake but moves slowly. I’m guessing he is the one who told Sarah I was missing and where to look. He sits up on the bed with his legs over the side. I walk up to him and stand in front of him with my arms wrapped gently around his neck. He smiles and kisses my chest.
“I don’t think you should get too excited, country boy.” I smile.
“Ah, I could handle it.” He says, grabbing ahold of my waist with his hands. He pulls me onto his lap. I laugh because I know he is just teasing me. He kisses one cheek and then the other and lingers with a kiss on my lips.
“We have to get to the gym,” I say, pulling away from him. I stand and continue to get ready for the day. While I wait for Tyler, I get my combat boots pulled on my feet and tied. His movements clearly show he is stiff and sore. I know if I try to help him too much, it’ll cause an argument. I want to help him, but I know from past experience he doe
sn’t like to show vulnerability. With what we are up against, it is probably a good thing he is stubborn. But then again, we both can be rather hardheaded.
He walks past me and pats my shoulder. “See you in the gym?” he asks.
“Okay.” I smile and head out the door.
I don’t know when all of these people wake up, but they are already hard at training. I’ve missed breakfast since I took a shower, but that’s all right. I’ll catch lunch. Beau and Vi are throwing knives. Sarah is climbing the rock wall with Alex. Neiamiah and some other members are throwing tomahawks at targets. I walk over to them and watch for a while. I try to figure out how they do it. “It’s much like throwing knives,” Neiamiah says, without looking at me.
“How did you know I was watching?” I ask.
“I could sense you,” he replies. That must mean he’s a shapeshifter. The only people I’ve heard say that are shifters. “You’re not alone here, you know.” He turns to face me, a tomahawk in hand. “Some people here are unhappy with the way things are being run. We’re planning to retaliate.” His voice is quieter now. He brings the tomahawk handle up to my hand, making it look like he’s teaching me the technique. “Are you in?” he whispers in my ear. I nod. A part of me wonders if I should trust him, but the other is positive he is a good person. After all, he is Tyler’s friend. “Meet us in the library tonight.” With that, he walks away.
I don’t know who “us” is, but if they are planning on getting back at Angela and there’s a possibility they could help me get my family out of here, I’m going to take it. I take my stance and hold on to the end of the handle, tossing it. The tomahawk spins end over end and hits the middle of the target.
“Not bad for a beginner,” Vi says, standing next to me. “It’s better to be skilled with many weapon choices than not enough.” She winks. “I think people underestimate you.”
“I guess it’s better to be underestimated than overestimated,” I mumble. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint anyone.” Her expression falls. “I’m sorry,” I say, tucking my loose strands of hair behind my ear.
“It’s okay.” Vi’s smile returns. “I know you haven’t had that great of an experience here. It wasn’t always like this. Our leaders before Angela weren’t so… aggressive with their methods.”
I nod. I’m afraid to talk about the subject anymore. If Angela is listening, there could be consequences.
I partner up with Vi for the rest of the day. We climb the rock wall twice, practice throwing knives and tomahawks. We even do some hand to hand combat. I’ve improved, but I don’t hate this girl. I hold back from hitting her face and work on my footwork. She does the same. My face is bruised enough without additional help. A part of me fears Angela will see this as I’m not trying, but I work at every station trying to get it all down.
Tyler pairs up with Neiamiah once he gets to the gym. He moves a little quicker, but his movements aren’t fluid. I wouldn’t want to mess with him just the same.
Preparing me physically is one thing. Preparing me mentally is another. Physical training is easier for me than mental. Maybe it’s because I have so much on the line and I can’t concentrate on just one thing at a time. I never have been able to.
“Want to run with me?” I ask.
“Let’s do it.” Vi smiles and gives me a thumbs up. We head out of the gym at a steady pace. The hallways are long and never-ending. My physical strength is stronger. It takes longer for my legs to ache and my lungs to burn. To make it harder, we decide to do the stairs. Side by side, we run up and down the ten flights, twice. Once at the bottom, we collapse and I pay for it. I cramp up, again. I know better. I didn’t have anything for breakfast and hardly ate the night before. Vi laughs at my calf muscle spasm. “Straighten your foot out,” she instructs between giggles.
“Ah. I’m trying!” I yell back. It finally releases and Vi helps me to my feet. We walk back to the gym. My calf is now sore from the spasm. I rub it gently and try to stretch out a little before taking on my next challenge.
Angela is in the room now with all her expressionless deputies. There’s something going on with them. They don’t seem to be human. Their guns are positioned across their bodies, ready to shoot if instructed.
“We are going to do a team-building exercise,” Angela says, eyeing us all. When her gaze meets my eye, she pauses for a second before moving on. I watch her pace in front of the gym. “As you guys know, there are plans that a secret government organization is planning an attack on us all. They’ve grown tired of our hatred and self-centeredness towards one another. They believe we are all incapable of learning to care for others again. They wish to inscribe the values they deem important into that ten percent.” She pauses and folds her arms across her chest. “That is where you all come in. We will join with our other Arrowhead members from around the United States to locate and destroy the agency along with their plans to destroy us. They are human, like us, but that doesn’t give them the right to act like God.” The room is quiet except for the echo of Angela’s voice. She’s a fine one to talk about caring for others. She hasn’t been too caring for me or my family since we got here. I understand the plan, but I still don’t see where I really come into play.
“Now for the team exercise.” She waves to Jack.
Jack motions us forward with his hand. “Follow me,” he says before he turns and starts out of the gym. We form one very large single file line and follow him through the halls, deeper into the headquarters, deeper than I’ve explored. I feel my palms getting sweaty. This can’t be a good idea if Angela thought it up and Jack is implementing it. Vi is in front of me and behind Jack. We were in the back of the room, so we will be going first in whatever this is. It gets colder the farther down we go. I can almost see my breath, but I’m still sweating. I try to hide my shivering. I know it will just make things worse for me.
The lights are dimmer here. There is just enough of it for me to see Vi’s silhouette in front of me. “You will be tested here.” Jack’s voice sounds as cold as the air around us. “The test is on bravery. How far will you go to help others? Will you protect them in the line of danger or will you only think of yourself?” I wipe my cold, sweaty palms on my pants. Jack shines a flashlight ahead of us. A large rock wall with freezing water gushes below it. “You and your opponent will move up the wall as fast as you can to the top. It’s that simple.” Jack’s unpleasant grin tells me it’s not that simple. If I’ve learned anything here, it’s that a smile means trouble.
Chapter 15
“Superstar, you’re up against Viola. Let’s go. Move!” Jack demands.
I jump at his aggressive voice and run with Vi to the wall. We cross a bridge placed over the vigorous frigid water. The water splashes up against the rock ledge. I try to keep my eyes on the back of Vi’s head. If I look down, I won’t be able to cross and I’ll pay for it. We make it across the bridge. I shake Vi’s hand and it’s cold and shaky, like mine. We position ourselves at the foot of the massive rock wall. Vi is on the right side of it and I’m on the left. I take a moment to slow my breathing and try to get my mind wrapped around what is coming. Sam’s falling body flashes in my head. I shake it off. I’ve done this many times and with Vi by my side. This time is no different. I’m not scared of falling. I can do this.
“Go!” Jack yells. I worry I’m taking too long. I move fast, putting one hand up followed by the same foot. Vi is faster than I am and more agile; she takes the lead. I know if I rush, I will fall so I move quickly but am sure of my footing before I let go. We are about halfway up when water starts to pour down on top of us. Cold, freezing water.
“Ahh!” Vi slips on the wet surface. Hanging on only by her fingertips. She tries to plant her feet,, but she’s panicking and can’t do it.
“Hold on, Vi!” I yell. “I’m coming!” I hear her screams, but if I fall, we both fall. I feel a rumble in the wall as it shifts from side to side.
“Kris!” She exclaims, her grasp slipping. Vi’s only
supported by the fingertips of one hand. She can’t grab hold of the wall. The wall is slick with water and now it’s moving! She can’t hold on any longer. Vi screams as her fingertips slide from the wall. I grab her hand with mine, just as she falls past me. I have to support both of us now. I can’t let her fall.
“Come on, Vi,” I say, holding on tight to her hand. She presses her feet to the wall and I pull her arm up around my neck. Her fingers that were holding on to the side of the wall are discolored and I believe them to be broken. She can’t climb anymore. “Hold on!” I yell over the sound of the rushing waters. Vi wraps her legs around my waist and has both arms wrapped around my neck. I continue my climb up the wall. Every muscle in my body burns as they strain to keep us both from falling. I keep going. I push myself forward. One hand, one foot, one hand, one foot. I stop only for a second, every few movements to catch my breath, then continue on. I slip once but quickly regain my footing.
Fighting Secrets: Unbreakable Series, Book 2 Page 9
