I shake my head. “Do you know… what the big secret is about me?” I ask.
“The extent of the story I know, I’ve told you.” Tyler’s tone sounds irritated. I know I am asking a lot. I have the right to know the answers to these questions. Even if they aren’t the ones I want to hear.
I wish he knew. Just so it wouldn’t be a secret anymore. I feel like I don’t know myself. The only things I do know is that I love Tyler. The world as we know it is on the rocks. Angela is planning my family’s death by my hands, and fate has brought Tyler and me together for a reason. I know he holds back on telling me some things to keep Angela from knowing too much. No one knows for sure where Angela learns her information. Is it by the cameras she says she has posted everywhere, or does she have other ways of finding things out?
My head threatens me with the first signs of a headache. I rub my fingers in a circular motion around my temples.
“Your head is hurting,” Tyler says. He walks to the cabinet and takes out two pills for me and runs some water into a cup. “Take these and lay down with me.”
“Thank you,” I say, taking the medicine and water from him.
We lay down. I put my head on his shoulder and my hand over his heart. My favorite place to be. Tyler holds me close. He’s the only security blanket I have left. He runs his fingers through my hair and brushes them over my forehead. His touch helps ease the throbbing in my head. I feel his heartbeat and close my eyes to calm my mind and wait for sleep to take me away.
As I feel myself drifting off to sleep. It reminds me of finding the new realm I can put myself in. I think about talking to him about it, but I don’t want Angela to know. I don’t know where her cameras are, if she even has any. It could just be a mind trick she uses. Still, I keep it to myself.
Chapter 17
Louisa meets me in my dreams. This time I’m a spectator watching a Native American man administer medicine to Louisa, but I can’t see his face. She takes it gladly and smiles a smile of gratitude. We move through time. It’s a blur. Louisa takes my hand. I’m a small child in the woods behind my parent’s Kentucky home gathering flowers and stones from the creek. I hear my mother calling my name. I turn towards her voice and look back, but Louisa is gone. My mother finds me and I watch her reaction. She smiles at the flowers in my hand but scatters the stones back in the creek. “Come on, Kristina. Time for lunch.” My mother takes my hand and leads me home.
Now I’m taking a nap on our couch. My mother stands over me with a worried look on her face. She holds onto a small stone necklace and places her hand on my head, mouthing something I can’t hear.
We move again. My vision is blurry. Louisa is shaking the Native American’s hand. She is no longer sickly. I walk behind her to see the man. Its Tyler’s grandfather. He’s much younger but wears the same kind eyes I saw when Tyler was healing from the stab wounds Jason had inflicted upon him.
I awake and jump from the bed. Tyler is alarmed. He gets up, ready to fight. “What’s going on?” He relaxes, seeing there’s no threat. “Will you tell me now what’s bothering you?”
“I know who the gypsy woman is in your story,” I say. He climbs over the bed to me and kisses my lips. It surprises me and I try to push him away. He leans in close to my ear.
“Not here. Not alone.” I return his kiss. He speaks louder. “I told you it’s just a story about fate.” Tyler tries to cover my tracks in case Angela is listening. “It isn’t real. Come back to bed.” I lay back down with him and pretend to sleep. The images Louisa has shown me flash through my head. She’s the gypsy woman Tyler speaks of. I understand that. Why do the dreams of Louisa keep taking me back to my childhood with my mother? I remember the stone that was in the dream in my mother’s hand. She used to have it on a necklace around her neck, but now leaves it under the padding of her jewelry box. I’ve never questioned her about it. I’ve never had a reason to. In my dreams, she is rubbing it between her fingers as I sleep; there’s more to it than it just being a stone.
I hear Tyler snore, but my legs are restless and I can’t stay put any longer. I slide out of bed and make it to the door. “Where are you going?” Tyler asks, mid snore. I keep quiet, hoping he’s just dreaming. “Kris?”
“I can’t sleep. I’m going for a walk.”
“I’m coming too. You always get in trouble when you’re alone.” He throws the blankets off and slides into his boots. “Alright, let’s go.” Tyler opens the door and we start down one of the many halls. The buzz of the lights is the only sound. I walk softly and carefully, making sure to keep the “peace.” Tyler is sure-footed and keeps his steps quiet, too. I don’t know where we are going, but I do feel better having him by my side. I’m a magnet for trouble. He’s right. I don’t intend to cause trouble, at least not all the time, but it finds me.
Two guards stand like statutes, their guns positioned over their chests, staring at the wall in front of them. Tyler takes my hand as we walk by. Both of us are unsure of what the reaction will be. The door is solid metal with no windows. I stare at the guards, but they don’t notice. They don’t even blink. Tyler pulls me forward. I didn’t realize I’d stopped walking. Things here are odd. We get to the same room where Tyler beat up Jack, and he pushes the door open. We slide in.
“Notice anything? I know you do. I can see it, which means she can see it,” Tyler whispers. We stand in a corner away from sight in case someone comes by to check the room. “They aren’t human. The guards.” I feel a nervous feeling in my stomach. “Angela brought them here knowing we could fight back if we chose to, but with them, it would be a death sentence.”
“What’s behind the door?” I ask, leaning my back against the wall to keep steady.
“It’s the control room and Angela’s office. She manages all the guards through that room. Neiamiah, Kyle, Beau, and I have been trying to figure out how we are going to get in there to destroy it. We’ll need a distraction.”
“I can do it.”
Tyler shakes his head. “We’ll see. First, we have to get your automatic responses of anger and hate under control. Work on your combat skills. Then we can talk about it.” Tyler presses his lips to mine. I feel he’s only doing it so I won’t argue with him.
I follow him out of the room and down another hall. At first, they all look the same, but I notice slight differences, cracks in the floor or walls, number of doors. We wander the halls until the smell of bacon flows through them.
In the dining hall, Vi is sitting with Beau and Sarah. Tyler and I take our seats. Vi’s eyes are watery and she doesn’t seem to be all there. Kind of dazed. She smiles at us but looks confused. Beau has his arm around her shoulders to steady her. “She’s feeling better. Some of the medicine hasn’t completely worn off yet.” Sarah explains.
I raise an eyebrow at her. Vi is definitely still under medication. This isn’t Vi, the friendly, ever-smiling-girl I’ve come to know. Beau still looks worried. Sarah’s encouraging words don’t seem to work on him. “When will the meds wear off?” Beau asks, watching Vi’s reaction.
“Within the next couple of hours,” Tyler says. “She’ll be alright, Beau.” I hear Tyler’s words and watch as Beau tries to feed her. Vi opens her mouth and tries to chew her food when Beau places it in her mouth. She can’t keep her lips together and it falls back out. Beau tries again and begins to get frustrated. He slams the spoon down and glares at Tyler.
“I’ll do it.” I interrupt his gaze. “Beau, let me.” He hands me Vi’s plate and I take a seat beside her. She leans on my shoulder, unable to hold herself up. I smile back at her. She brings her hand up to touch my bruised face, she frowns. “I’m fine,” I say, guiding her hand back to her lap. I feel people’s eyes on me as I try to get Vi to eat. I cut the scrambled eggs in smaller bites and place a small amount on a spoon. She takes it and is able to swallow it. After a couple more bites, conversation resumes at the table and Beau is the only one still watching us. He holds her good hand as the other still lays across he
r chest in the sling. I know she’s just dazed, but it’s weird seeing her this way.
After she gets the eggs down, she turns her head away and won’t accept anymore. Beau picks her up and cradles her in his arms. He carries her out of the room. I sit back in my original seat and finish my breakfast quickly as the training bell rings. We dump our trays and stack them on a table next to the door and head to the gym.
Chapter 18
We enter the gym to see Angela standing with ten guards next to her. There is a girl on her left I recognize, Mykala, Tyler’s sister. My stomach drops. How could I be so selfish? All this time and I haven’t even asked Tyler about her. Granted, my run-ins with his sister haven’t been pleasant, but she is still his family.
The first time I met Mykala, she and her posse of friends decided it would be fun to surround me and cut off a chunk of my hair. She was angry because Tyler and I had been spending a lot of time together and she was jealous. I can only imagine how much she probably dislikes me now. After all, she told Jason where I was and who I was with. She even told him where Tyler lived.
Angela beckons us to come in closer. I stay near the back. It makes me feel better. At least it gives me a chance to run. I wouldn’t get far, but I could try. Beau enters last and stands behind me. The door clicks shut behind him.
“Good morning,” Angela says, “I thought we would try a new drill today. Much like the exciting one you took part in yesterday.” She continues, “This will help us identify our weak members. Once spotted, they will be eliminated.”
I swallow hard.
“With that being said, I believe we are missing someone. Can someone, please, locate Viola?” Angela’s evil sneer stretches across her face. The guard to her right springs into action. Tyler has his hand on Beau’s shoulder. The guard exits and the room falls quiet except for Beau’s strained breaths behind me. A growl escapes his throat and I know he is about to come unglued. I know if he could shift, the rest of the shifters would follow him. Angela glares at him. She folds her arms across her chest in a way that says, go ahead and try it.
The door opens, and the guard drags Vi by her good arm into the room. She stumbles and tries to regain her footing. The guard brings her up to Angela and steps to the side. Angela kneels down and helps Vi to her feet. “We are only as strong as our weakest member.” Her words fuel my anger. The heat rises from my stomach to my chest, filling my neck and face. “For this exercise, we will take knives and tomahawks and throw at a member. You’re to dodge them much like the sport of dodgeball. Except, if you misstep with this, you could find yourself severely injured or dead.” She waves her hand in the air. “Best of luck.” She stops mid stride. “Oh, and I almost forgot why I had Viola found. You, my dear, will go first.” I push through the crowd. I don’t realize what I’m doing until I’m face to face with Angela. “Is there something you want, Kristina?”
“I’ll take her place.” I concentrate to keep my voice level. “I’ll go first.”
“I’m sorry, but this isn’t up for debate.” Angela sneers. With a snap of her fingers, I feel hands pulling me back. “You have no choice in this matter.”
I’m not going to participate in this. It proves nothing. Jack picks up the first knife and the blade shines in the light. Members form lines on the sides of the gym. Jack stands on the end while Vi stands in the middle of the gym. She’s coherent enough to understand what’s about to happen. I see beads of sweat form on her forehead as she begins to shake. Jack smiles and lets the first knife fly. Beau steps out of line and shoves Vi out of the way. The blade protrudes from his bicep. He doesn’t even flinch, pulling it out from his arm. I take my place in front of Vi. Sarah, Tyler, Alex, and Neiamiah follow. The other members stare at Angela, afraid to defy her wishes. I hear Vi’s sobs from behind us.
“Very well. Take them all to the port,” Angela says. More guards appear and force us from the gym. I fight and struggle to stay with Vi. A guard’s fist meets my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I struggle to breathe. I see a guard who is following us pick Vi up and carry her. We get to a dim-lit room. The guards sit us in chairs side by side, lining a wall. They restrain us with the cuffs I had on once before. I recognize the shackles. I know not to fight them. They pull Vi’s hand from the sling and strap on the cuffs. Her fingers aren’t pointing weird ways, but the skin is still purple. The guards shut off the lights before they leave the room.
“You should’ve just let the knife hit me, Beau.” Vi’s voice echoes in the concrete room. “We’re all here because of me.” She sobs.
“Don’t talk.” Tyler’s voice is hard. I know he’s trying to keep us from giving Angela more information that she can use against us.
The room is damp. My bare shoulders against the metal chair makes me shiver. The tank top I have on does little to keep me warm. The door opens and Angela steps in alone.
“You may think what you did was brave. We find it a form of defiance. Defiance will not be tolerated.” She connects us together with a single. I tighten my fists but don’t move. Vi sits on my right next to the wall. Sarah is on my left; then Tyler, Beau, and Neiamiah. I watch Angela edge toward the door. She places her finger on a switch. “You may have been wondering why the lights were turned off.” She pauses. “The wire I just attached to you will carry an electrical current through it to each of you. Maybe now you will learn to respect my wishes.” She flips the switch and the surge of power flickers the light above us. Vi receives it first. She screams and holds on to the armrests.
“Vi, don’t fight it!” I yell. I feel the surge entering my body. I scream, yet it doesn’t sound like me. I hear Sarah’s cry. The guys hold back for a few moments after it hits them before succumbing to the pain. It feels like hours before it stops and Angela’s voice resounds.
“That was only a minute. If you still feel the need to fight with me, I can assure you it will be much worse next time. Release them.” The guards undo our restraints. I see that Sarah, Vi, and I have cuts on our wrists. I pull my arms from the blood-stained armrests and help Vi from her chair. She pushes me away and walks out of the room first. The rest of us follow. Beau tries to help her. She refuses. Blood drips from her fingertips to the floor, leaving a trail of blood. I’m not cut as deep as when I was previously restrained, but the blood still flows.
Sarah walks with me. The guys hang back. Probably to form some kind of plan to get us out. I don’t feel sad or scared anymore. I only feel determination and hope.
A fire burns within me even Angela and her tactics will not stifle. I will get my family and friends out. Even if it costs me my life.
I walk faster and reach the bathroom to put bandages on my wrists. I pull them tight and let the throbbing pain remind me of my mission. Sarah wraps her wrists in bandages, too, and stays quiet.
I need to see Sam. I want to make sure he’s alright. I walk towards the elevator and enter the four-digit code Tyler used previously. It flashes red and an alarm sounds. I run to the end of the hall to the staircase where I find it blocked with guards. Jack restrains me and the guards take over, leading me away. Sarah fights to get to me but is knocked out by one of them.
“You should’ve left things alone,” Jack whispers. I spit in his face and he returns a punch to my nose. It bleeds freely. “Stop.” he demands.
I’m thrown into a room that’s dark. My elbows and knees hurt from the abrupt landing. I jump up as the lights flicker on. I turn slowly to see a lifeless male body lying on a table. I shiver and walk slowly towards the body. I recognize the hands. Sam.
Chapter 19
I touch Sam’s hand. It’s cold. My heart aches. Tears sting my eyes. I fight the urge to cry. That’s what Angela wants. She wants to see me in pain. I’m not going to give in to her. The door shuts and I hear the familiar sound of her squeaky boots on the floor. I don’t turn to her. I keep my focus on Sam. He looks peaceful. I only hope his death was the same way.
“Miss Goodman, I’m truly sorry about your brother.” I hear
the smile in her voice. “He passed this morning.” I squeeze Sam’s hand. I know he won’t acknowledge me, but I’m hopeful he will somehow know I’m here.
Fighting Secrets: Unbreakable Series, Book 2 Page 11
