by Noah Michael
She gazed out the clear glass wall. Past her reflection, she saw a park across the street. She watched as the children swung happily on the swing set. She could almost picture herself back at the park near her orphanage. Her face may have been younger, but she was still the same underneath. Nothing could change who, or what she had become that day. She remembered as if it were yesterday…
Sundown was approaching as Alia and Bella climbed to the top of the slide, trying to get one last ride in before dark forced them back to the orphanage.
“We should go,” eleven-year-old Bella said, looking nervously at the crowd of children being heralded back to the orphanage by the caretaker.
“One more time? Please?” Alia pleaded. “Mrs. Mackenzie would never notice us gone.”
“Fine, one more time,” Bella submitted. “But then we really have to go. It’s dangerous here at night.”
Alia laughed and was about to slide down when two older boys walked over and blocked the exit of the slide.
“You’re in our way,” the boys said.
Bella pulled Alia back up the slide.
“Move please.” Bella said.
“Or you will move us?” The shorter one mocked, “What happens when we beat you up? You gonna call your mommy?” They laughed.
“Let’s go,” Bella said, grabbing Alia’s hand and pulling her down the steps.
At the bottom the boys blocked their path once again.
“That was rude,” the taller of the two boys said, “You should apologize.”
“Sorry.” Bella said, “Now let us go.”
Bella pushed past the boys, pulling Alia by the hand. But Alia refused to move.
“I’m not sorry, you bullies!” Alia shouted angrily.
“Your sister seems to be even stupider than you,” the taller one said, “She deserves to be taught a lesson.”
Alia watched as her older sister’s expression grew from fear to anger.
“You call my sister stupid one more time, and you will be the ones getting the lesson.”
The boys’ smiles vanished. “You have five seconds to run. Five... four... three...”
Bella grabbed Alia’s hand and darted off to the right.
“Two, one!” the boy screamed, and both boys gave chase.
“If we go fast enough, we can lose them in the forest!” Bella told Alia, panting as they ran.
“Okay,” Alia answered, “but where did the other boy go?”
Bella looked back and saw that the taller boy had disappeared. She barely had time to wonder where he’d gone when he reappeared riding a bicycle. He would catch up to them within seconds.
“Run, Alia!” Bella shouted “I’ll stay behind. Run!”
Alia ran on, confident Bella would be able to beat up the boys. After all, Bella was her big sister. Bella was the one who taught her to be tough. Alia found a place to hide and watched.
The boy on the bicycle pedaled full speed at Bella, not swerving or stopping. She dove out of the way just in time. Slowing down, the boy jumped off and he and his friend closed in on Bella.
The shorter boy struck first, slapping Bella hard enough to draw blood. The other boy grabbed her arms, holding her back. As the shorter boy raised his hand to strike again, Bella lunged, latching onto his forearm with her teeth. He screamed as he withdrew. Bella spit blood into his face. She kicked backwards, nailing the boy behind with her full weight, forcing him to release her. Hardly waiting a breath, she threw herself at the shorter boy, tackling and punching his head. Alia’s spirit rose, until the second boy got back to his feet.
“Behind you!” Alia shouted too late as the taller boy kicked Bella in the back. As she fell forward, the boy she’d tackled slipped away. Bella tried to stand also, but the taller boy kicked her back down. Alia saw him lean down and speak, then he grabbed Bella by the hair and smashed her head into the cement. Bella struggled as the other boy returned and held her again so the taller boy could rain punches down on her repeatedly.
“No!” Alia screamed. As tears streamed down her face, Alia ran out from behind the dumpster.
“Let her go!” In their frenzy, the boys ignored her.
“I said, LET HER GO!” Alia shouted, connecting a kick to one of the boys’ legs. They turned around, releasing Bella who fell to the ground, motionless, her eyes closed.
“Well, look who it is,” the taller boy said, “The chicken who let her sister take a beating for her. You see that on the floor?”
He pointed towards Bella.
“That’s your fault, coward. I don’t like cowards.”
As he approached, Alia thought about running, but looking at what the animals had done to her sister, any fear she felt was replaced with fury. Alia glared into the face of her enemy, her eyes burning with rage. She knew she couldn’t fight them. She had to find another way.
She looked over the monster covered with her sister’s blood and she knew everything about the boy. She didn’t know how but his face spoke to her. Every movement he made told her a story. Even as the boy continued to move forward, Alia felt a new sense of power, and with it, a renewed sense of rage.
“It’s funny how you’re calling me the coward, when you’ve been hiding your whole life!”
Unaffected, the boy continued to close in on her. She had to take it to the next level.
“Would you be so brave if your dad was here?”
The boy froze. His grin was replaced by anger.
“You don’t know anything about having a father!” he said, “You’re a stupid orphan! You’re all a bunch of spoiled rats! It’s time to feed poison to the rats!”
Alia raised her voice, knowing that she would either have to control his anger or feel his fist in her face.
“You’re no better than him! That girl right there, that’s my big sister. And you know what you are? You are the drunken evil father who beat her and left her on the street to die! You’re no better than he is!”
“Ahh!” the boy lifted his fist, yelling with rage.
“Go ahead, hit me! Just like your father would!”
The boy hesitated, his fist shaking.
“Come on, Brandon,” the shorter boy called. “They’ve learned their lesson.”
The boy lowered his fist slowly, staring into Alia’s fierce gaze.
“Next time you won’t get off this easy,” he snarled. Then he turned back towards his bike.
Alia ran over to where her sister lay bleeding. She began to shake her.
“Bella! Bella! Wake up!” Alia sobbed. “Bella, without you there would be no one left who loves me.”
Alia gave Bella a kiss on the cheek and cuddled with her, holding her hand, as Bella would do to her when she had bad dreams. She dug her head into Bella’s chest and cried. “Bella, please...”
“Alia,” a voice said, soft and weak. Bella’s right eye opened but the left one was too bruised to budge.
“Alia,” she repeated.
“I’m here Bella, I’m here and I love you!” Alia managed to say as tears of relief clogged her throat...
“Excuse me, ma’am,” a voice said impatiently beside Alia, knocking her back to reality. Alia looked up at her waitress as she waved the credit card and bill in her hand. “As I said before, the card didn’t go through.”
That’s probably because I spent every last damn penny on my sister’s medical bills, not that you care, Alia thought hopelessly to herself. She pulled out two pounds from her pocket.
“Here,” she said, handing the money to the waitress. But before she could take it, a man’s voice interrupted them from behind.
“Don’t bother,” he said, handing the waitress some cash of his own. He shot Alia a teasing wink. “It’s on me.”
Alia looked up in surprise at her savior. He was young and handsome, dressed stylishly in a slim-fit, button-down shirt and tie, his smooth, black hair combed neatly to the side. As the waitress walked off with the money, he slipped into the cushioned seat across from her.
&nbs
p; “Thanks, but I can take care of myself.” Alia leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms.
“I can take it back if you’d like.”
“Nah, it’s good to see a pretty boy like you playing nice.”
“You think I did that to be nice?” the man chuckled, staring heatedly into her eyes. “Everyone has an agenda.”
“Yeah, and what’s yours?” Alia leaned in closer, her lips curled into a playful grin.
“You strike me as a girl with many talents, and I’d like to see just what you’re capable of.”
Alia’s heart beat faster as she stared into the man’s tempting eyes. She’d had a long day, and a bit of fun certainly wouldn’t hurt. She studied his face, searching for his thoughts and desires. His expression was interested and very eager. But to her astonishment, she couldn’t read his eyes. It was as if they were cloaked behind a layer of darkness.
“Something wrong?” the man asked, noticing her distraction.
“No, it’s just…” Alia paused, the man’s eager expression setting off an alarm in the back of her mind. “You have very dark eyes.”
The man leaned in closer. An unsettling grin crept across his face.
“Well then, perhaps this will help.”
Before she could utter another word, a shockwave surged through the café, knocking out all the lights. Alia watched in horror as the man’s eyes glowed brighter and brighter, as if absorbing the energy.
“Can you see me now?” he growled.
Alia jumped from her seat and ran for the exit. She darted for her car, only to notice a suspicious-looking man leaning against the front door, dressed in a suit and shades. She spotted another one approaching from down the street. She picked up her pace, walking quickly down the boisterous city block. The man followed suit, pushing through crowds of busy pedestrians.
What the hell is going on!? What do they want from me?
Suddenly, she felt something tug at her arm, pulling her backwards. She spun around, but there was nobody there. She struggled but couldn’t break free of the invisible force. Her pursuer held out one of his hands, focusing on the watch on her wrist.
He is pulling at my watch like a magnet, Alia realized, despite how crazy it sounded. She quickly unfastened the watch and, to her bewilderment, it flew straight into the man’s hand.
Now completely panicked, Alia broke into a sprint, her heart beating out of her chest. She pushed through a crowd of businessmen and took a sharp right into an alley. Just before she could reach the end, another suited man stepped into view, blocking the alley exit. Alia turned around, but the previous man had caught up as well, blocking the other side. She was surrounded.
Alia turned to face her new attacker. Her mind raced as she scanned his thoughts and emotions.
Calm, confident, believes he has the advantage. But for some reason, he’s not looking for weaknesses or planning an attack. He’s only looking at my face…
And then it dawned on her.
He is reading me, just like I am reading him.
The man glared at her with a cold, amused grin.
Alia charged at him, pretending to attack, then dove to the ground in an attempt to roll behind him, but he saw it coming. He smashed his foot into her ribs, sending her tumbling into the grimy alley wall. Alia groaned and hopped to her feet just on time to receive a punch to the face.
“You’re no match for me,” the man sneered. “You’ve got a lot to learn.”
Alia spit out a mouthful of blood and glared heatedly at him. “You’re gonna regret that, whatever the hell you are,” she panted, her head searing with pain. “I can play this game too.”
Eager to break my will. He wants me to attack first and fail so that I won’t try again. I should-
Alia stopped, remembering he was reading her thoughts as well.
Suddenly, the man threw a punch at her head. Alia ducked, having seen it coming, and pushed hard against his ribs, knocking him backwards just enough for her to escape. As she darted for the exit, a crashing sound resonated from a fire-escape on the side of the building beside her. She glanced back to see the magnetic man with his arm raised as he tore the metallic staircase from its place. Heart racing, she sprinted as fast as she could and dove, just barely rolling out of the alley as the fire-escape crashed down behind her.
“You let her get away, you idiot!” she heard the other man yell.
Alia walked quickly down a few more blocks, trying to catch her breath. Her bloodied face was beginning to draw attention. She walked over to a group of hooded teenagers hanging outside of a convenience store.
“Damn, woman,” one of them said, seeing her bruised face. His friends laughed.
“Shut up and give me your sweatshirt,” Alia responded impatiently.
“What?” he chuckled.
“Now!” Alia snapped, her voice hypnotic and commanding.
The laughter stopped immediately, and the boy handed her his sweatshirt. Alia threw the hood over her head and continued to walk, trying not to draw any more attention. And then, just when she thought she’d lost them, she spotted the man from the café walking in her direction.
Dammit!
Alia scanned her surroundings for options. She saw a policeman enter into the bank across the street, and she quickly followed suit.
“Excuse me, officer,” Alia said quickly, walking up to the policeman just as her stalker entered the bank.
“Everything alright, ma’am?” the officer asked, looking at her injuries.
“No, actually. That man attacked me,” she said, pointing.
The policeman looked over at the man, standing calmly with a smug grin on his face, and laughed.
“Ma’am, you’re telling me that you were assaulted by James Booth, the owner of this bank?”
Alia’s jaw dropped.
“It’s alright, officer. The poor woman probably suffers from mental illness. I saw her chatting earlier with a bunch of hoodlums,” James said, walking over to them. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a wad of cash. “For your good service,” he said, handing it to the officer. The policeman nodded thankfully and carried on with his business.
“You won’t get away with this, you freak,” Alia seethed, glaring into his eyes.
“Ma’am, please relax,” James replied coolly. “You are making a scene.”
All heads in the bank were turned towards them.
“Why don’t you all just mind your own goddamn business!” Alia yelled in aggravation. Following her command, they all turned away immediately.
“You’ve got talent, that’s for sure,” James said with a malicious grin.
“Next time, you’d better send your best goons,” Alia growled, “Because I will find out what and who you are, and I’m going to take you down.”
“Good luck with that. But before you get on with it, you got some blood on my floor. Please clean it up,” he said, motioning towards a drop of blood beside his shoe.
Alia looked at him with disgust and disbelief. She opened her mouth to protest but noticed the police officer was eyeing her intently.
Swallowing her pride, Alia bent down at his feet and wiped the blood droplet with her sweatshirt sleeve. She leaned in close on her way back up, whispering coldly into his ear.
“This isn’t over.”
As she walked out of the bank, Alia heard James laughing behind her, but she didn’t care. With a victorious grin, she slid his cellphone out from under her sleeve into her hand.
Arrogant Scumbag.
Chapter Three
Discovery
Chicago
July 3
7:30 a.m.
Raiden found his way onto a main road, only to get stuck at the first light. He struck his steering wheel in aggravation and turned to look out the window. To his left stood the biggest building in America, the Silver Tower. The skyscraper was over 3500 feet tall, boasting a good 200 stories. Its security rivaled that of a military base with guards and soldiers stationed everywhere
. The doors were solid steel and remote-control operated. The walls were double-layered, bullet-proof, tinted, silver glass. You couldn’t see in, but they could see out.
The embodiment of the modern American dream, Raiden thought sarcastically. If the new economic plan goes through, they will have a monopoly on everything from military equipment to energy. The only spark of innovation left in this country sits in the dirty hands of Jimmy Roko.
Raiden’s thoughts were interrupted by a honk behind him. Startled, he looked up to see that the light was still red and realized the car had been honking at an enormous sea of people crossing, not at him. Even as the light turned green, the street still flowed with pedestrians. Losing his temper, Raiden let out a loud honk himself, only to be answered by a tomato splattering against his windshield.
“Really!?”
Through the smudge, he saw signs saying “Roko-feller! End the monopoly!” and “I lost my job because you needed a trillion dollars instead of one-hundred billion!” The crowds of people were angry protesters. He’d be sitting here for at least another twenty minutes. He turned on his windshield wipers and calmed down as he tried to sympathize with the protesters. They were brave to picket the Silver Tower. They were right, too, for what it was worth; Discover had practically monopolized over fifty different American industries and counting.
Raiden watched as protesters were forced back by the Tower’s guards, the tension growing.
“We have as much of a right to walk into that building as you do!” a woman shouted. A noise drew his attention to a man who had managed to slip past the guards and was now pounding on one of the steel doors with a hammer. Suddenly, a hidden garage at the center of the wall opened, revealing at least a hundred guards with very large guns. Raiden’s heart began to race. People in the crowd began to scream and curse.
“Mindless robots!”
“Any job so long as the money’s good, eh!?”
Without warning, gunshots sounded. Raiden ducked under and closed his ears with his hands. A bullet whizzed through his windows, just barely passing over his head.
