“Even the higher ups don’t seem to know, or want to talk about where they took them, let alone if they are still alive,” I say.
“While we were in there, we came across a coded file from outside The Force complex. It was marked T.E. We had to leave then, but I went back yesterday, and decoded the file.”
Jake pulls a cluster of papers from his back pocket. “I printed them out, but I think that prompted this guy to show up,” Jake says, while pointing at the man in the suit. “I saw him in the lab poking around, and he was talking to Sam and Cole today at lunch.”
He hands the papers to me, and I lose my breath when I read the cover page.
“What’s it say?” Leah asks.
“T.E. stands for… The Elected.” I say, reluctantly.
Mar and Leah look like they are going to cry at any minute. I don’t judge them, because I feel the sting of tears in my own eyes, prompted by fear.
I used to be afraid of The Force when I heard those words spoken, but now I cringe at the words The Elected. We all know from experience what they‘re capable of, and I know that most of us are all thinking about poor Shawn laying half dead in the medical compound because of them.
“Then, this guy is from The Elected?” Derik asks, sounding angry.
“I think so,” Jake answers,
“Then why were Captain Samuel and your dad talking to him today?” my brother asks. “And letting him run around the complex like he owns the place?”
“You’ll find out. Read on,” Jake says, to me. “But no one say anything until she’s done. There will be lots of things to discuss then.”
The phase leader in him is coming out at the moment, and it helps me to feel calm. His ability to take control even in the middle of chaos is enough to stabilize me.
“Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath, then I smooth the pages out in my hand before beginning to read. “From: The Elected, to: The Force Head of Staff… Thank you for your cooperation in hosting a few of our members this year. We feel it will better help dissolve The Force in the near future. We also appreciate the crossover of some of your already established members and leaders. Accepting them on the side of The Elected has been most exciting.” I pause, looking up at Jake.
“Go on… when you get to it, the list of the members from The Elected who have been put into The Force this year is on the last page… Just read,” Jake says.
I take another breath.
“We would like to thank you, Captain Samuels and Second in Command Maxwell Cole for your loyalty to our cause, and your change in membership. Switching from The Force to The Elected has shown great promise for you both.” I pause yet again and look at Jake.
“I know. My dad. Please, go on,” Jake urges, with a break in his voice.
“We would also like to take this time to say how thankful we are for your shipment of the youth of The Force to our facility. The Methrodine epidemic worked beautifully in making that transition. They will make a wonderful army as soon as they are trained. We will be corresponding with you again soon. The trajectory of the dissipation of The Force will be by the end of July, two months from now. Signed, Presidential Board of The Elected and Intelligence.”
I turn to the last page where there are three lists.
“Do you want me to read the names out loud?” I ask.
“Yeah… I think you need to,” Jake says.
“List one…” I say. “The Elected members placed into The Force. Tommy Coffman, James Avery, Shane Rodriguez, Malachi Aldridge, Levi Pratt, and Sampson Mathews, three remain in active duty in The Force complex as suspected phase members, the three youngest were withdrawn when we received our shipment of young phase members.”
I am so sick to my stomach at this point. To know that the three boys that nearly killed Shae and Syl, belonged to The Elected. They are so young. And Malachi and his goons…
“I should have known,” Jake mutters, as he shakes his head.
“None of us did,” Eli says.
“List two…” I interrupt. “Transfers of members of The Force to join The Elected. Captain E. J. Samuels, Second in Command Maxwell Cole, Phase leaders, Hannah Addison and Mitch Rand, and the addition 29 members transferring.” I pause again.
“When will this madness end?” Mar asks, through tears.
I pretend to not hear her and just continue reading.
“List three, The Presidential board of The Elected, and Intelligence. Board Member Lei Chi, Board Member Chantal DuBois, Board Member, Anastasia Lilly, and Board Member Stephen Winooski. Intelligence, May Clarkson, Intelligence, Mark Prescott, and Intelligence, Robert Towers.”
I drop the papers and they fall to the ground, scattering in all different directions. It has to be a coincident. It has to be.
Robert Towers was my father‘s name.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Panic rises up in me, and all at once I want to kill the man in the suit.
Eli must have the same idea, because I catch him moving towards the man at a break neck speed. Just before he plows into him, the well-dressed man leans to the side to avert the impact, but it’s too late.
Eli is on top of the man, screaming at him and grabbing at his shirt. “Who are you?” he yells as he shakes the man violently. Eli pulls the gag from the man’s mouth. “Tell me who you are now…. or I‘ll kill you.” Jake is already on his feet and trying to pull Eli off of the man.
“We need him alive,” hollers Jake, trying to break the trance of anger my brother seems to be in. I stand bewildered at the sight of the man being shaken by Eli. I wanted to do the same thing…
But he got to him first. With the help of Derik, he and Jake get my brother off the man.
While holding Eli back, Derik stares down at the man on the ground, and Jake who kneels beside him.
In a voice that would suggest an evil calm I know Jake does not possess, He speaks to the man slowly. “You’re going to tell us who you are, and why you are here… or you’re not going to be here much longer. You got me?”
“Okay. Okay. I’ll tell you who I am, just don’t kill me,” the man cries.
“Alright,” Jake says, pulling the man to his feet. “Talk.”
The man’s once nice suit is now tarnished with flex of tar from the roof, and red dots of blood from his nose. I’m not sure when it started bleeding. Probably somewhere between being hogtied by Jake and being pummeled by Eli.
“My name is Morimoto Chi, I am Lei Chi’s brother. He is in charge of The Elected, and the President of these Corridors. He will kill you kids if you don’t let me go.”
“We’re not kids,” Eli says, pulling away from Derik. “I could have killed you if I wanted to. Know any kid that can do that?”
“Well, let’s just pretend for a minute that’s true, when I don’t show back up at The Elected Headquarters three days from now my brother will send an army here to find me,” Morimoto says, calmly. “And he will kill whoever stands in his way.”
“You tell us what we need to know, and you just might make that deadline,” Jake says, pushing the man back down to a sitting position, and walking away, back towards out group.
“It’s not safe here,” I say to Jake.
“I know,” Jake answers.
“Where can we take him? We can’t stay out here for long,” Eli offers. “Someone will come looking for us.”
“Maybe we should have not gotten involved,” Leah says to Derik.
“Hey!” Jake yells. “We gave you the choice to get out of this.”
“Yeah, we’re in too deep now,” Derik says, to Leah.
“Yeah well… I didn’t sign up for kidnapped kids, and a death trap,” she retorts.
“None of us did,” Mar says, sounding stronger than I have ever heard her sound.
“What’s the plan?” I ask, hoping to change the subject.
“I think we’re going to have to leave the complex,” Jake says. “For good.”
“What about Shawn?” Eli asks.
; “We take him with us.” I say, dryly.
“What?” Mar says.
“Yeah,” Jake whispers. “It’s our only option.”
“And what about this guy?” Derik asks, pointing at Morimoto.
“We take him with us too,” I say, with a devious grin. “After all, we have three days to return him. He is the only way we can find out where The Elected Headquarters are.”
“Not a chance!” Morimoto Chi yells.
My brother grabs the man by the collar of his shirt.
“First of all you never talk to my sister like that, and second, you will tell us what we want to know or you do die…,and I don’t care who comes looking for you. They won‘t find what they‘re looking for.”
We spend the next hour deciding on a plan. When we escape, we will all jump the fence and run to the old green truck. The hard part, was deciding how we would get an unresponsive Shawn and Morimoto over the fence, and away from the dogs.
“We will just have to kill the dogs,” I say.
We also divide jobs, things that have to be done before we leave.
“We leave tomorrow… at nightfall,” Jake says. “We’ll meet at the back of the building then and go from there.”
We all agree to our tasks and go our separate ways, leaving Morimoto Chi alone on the roof.
I am exhausted, and I know my family is too, so it is important that we try to get some rest. While Eli, Mar, Derik, and Leah walk into the dorms, I stay behind with Jake.
“Is this going to work?” I ask.
“Yes,” he says, as he wraps an arm around my waist, and pulls me close.
“I don’t want to die,” I whisper.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Jake says, as he puts his forehead to mine.
“Tomorrow.” I say.
“Tomorrow,” he replies, and then we kiss.
As I walk to the dorms, I think that this might very well be the end of life as we know it.
When I get back to the dorms, everyone is asleep except my brother and Mar, who lay wide eyed on their cots. I don’t want to talk in here because, even though they look like they are sleeping, Malachi, Levi, and Sampson are in ear shot… So, I lay awake wide eyed too.
Sleep finally finds Mar, around two a.m.,
My brother and I lay on our cots communicating to each other, in only a way we can. I know we are brother and sister, but not only are we that… we are twins, and I think with that, comes an even stronger connection. Even without words, I know what Eli is thinking, and I feel his every fear and worry.
I fall asleep sometime after four in the morning, and sleep seems brief, when our watches go off at six thirty. However, I sling my legs over my cot, knowing, if all goes as planned, this will be the last morning I spend in this place.
I look around and notice that Mar and Eli are gone. I startle for a moment, but then remember that our plan began with them getting up thirty minutes early. They are the ones who are responsible for getting as much Methrodine as possible.
Shawn will need it, and our monthly doses are coming due in a few days.
I don’t know how successful they will be, but I pray for their safety in what they are doing. They plan to get Magi involved, and I think she will be more than willing to help out, but…
What if her and Paul have switched over to The Elected?
Derik and Leah are in charge of finding food and water to bring with us. Enough for eight people, for a couple days. I don’t know how that is possible, but I remain hopeful. What I don’t remain hopeful for, is the job that will be mine and Jakes’
We are going to break into The Force complex arsenal and get as much weapons and ammunition as possible. We know it will be easy to get the guns from boot camp, but those are only rifles, and we need something automatic.
I feel sick to my stomach as I see Leah and Derik leave the room, because I realize… that leaves me alone with the three amigos. And there’s not a guard in sight.
Since today is Sunday, it is a free day at the complex, but we still are being watched. Even more so know knowing that the eyes of The Elected are on us at all times, and I feel like I am being watched right now.
I need to stay calm.
Feeling overwhelmed, I finish getting ready, and head for the door. Who was I kidding? Thinking I could leave without trouble. Sampson steps in front of the door, blocking my only exit.
“Move,” I say.
“Yeah right,” Sampson says as he crosses his arms across his chest.
“Move,” I say, again.
“Not a chance, girly,” I hear Malachi say from behind me.
When I spin around, he and Levi are only a foot away from me. Sampson steps up behind me, and I can feel his hot breath on my neck.
I am surrounded.
“What do you want from me?” I say, calmly.
“We want Morimoto,” Levi says. “Where is he?”
“Who?” I ask.
“You know who, girly,” Malachi says. “Morimoto Chi, the man your boyfriend was seen with yesterday.”
My heart pounds in my throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie.
Malachi slaps me across the face, open palmed. It stings, and I can feel the heat rise in my jaw. I don’t say anything.
“Tell me what I want to know, and you can walk away,” hisses Malachi. “It’s your choice… live or die.”
I will never tell him anything… I guess that means I die. “Tell me.” Malachi yells, as he hits me again. I stand my ground. I will not let him think he has gotten the best of me. I am much stronger than the last time we fought, but I know I can’t take all three of them.
“She’s not going to talk,” Sampson says, from behind me as he puts his hands on my shoulders.
“Oh… she’ll talk,” Malachi says as he inches closer to me.
He pushes his body against mine, and I feel the bile build up in my throat. I have been in this situation before, and I never wanted to be in it again.
I can get away. I can.
Malachi starts to push me towards a wall, trying to grab my arms along the way. This time, I’m ready.
I fall to the floor, spin on my hands, back flip towards the door, and roll over and over until I am a good six feet away from him.
Before I can get to my feet, I feel a foot to my ribcage.
This again? I ask myself.
I flip up on my feet without using my hands and throw a punch to Levi’s nose.
He’s the one who kicked me.
While grabbing at his face, Levi tries to kick again, but I pull his leg, taking his feet out from under him. He hits the ground hard, and groans in pain.
I take the chance to run but am surprised when someone grabs me from behind.
It’s Sampson.
He takes an elbow to the throat and a knee to the groin before backing off. I finish him off by using the roundhouse kick my brother helped me perfect. He joins Levi on the ground where they both writhe in pain.
I have to get away before they regain composure, but that still leaves Malachi. If I run, he will chase me, but if I catch him off guard…
As soon as Sampson hit’s the ground, I thrust an uppercut to the side of Malachi’s jaw before he even knew what hit him, I plant a right hook to his ear.
He spins around, holding the side of his face, but now it’s my turn to be caught off guard. He kicks me in the stomach, and I flail backwards, several feet.
Regaining my balance, and through blurry vision, I see Malachi rush towards me. I lunge to the left just in time, and grab a lamp from a nearby side table, jerking the cord from the wall in one swift motion.
I lift the lamp into the air and bring it down onto Malachi’s head.
Hard.
He falls backwards, hitting the side of his head on the concrete wall. Now in front of me, Malachi is crumpled in a pool of his own blood.
He doesn’t move.
Chapter Thirty
I run out of the dorms unsure of Mal
achi’s condition. I don’t even know if he was breathing. I don’t think he was, but…
I can’t be sure. I didn’t check.
Running down the hall, I feel the overwhelming feeling of dread. What if he’s dead? It would all be my fault… Or would it?
No, he, Levi and Sampson have tormented us all from day one, and besides, they are from The Elected. They deserve to die.
I begin to slow my pace, because I know I don’t need to bring any more attention to myself.
If only I had my necklace, then maybe I could find the strength inside me to handle all of this, but I am weak without it.
When I around the corner, I run right into someone.
It’s Jake.
“I killed him,” I say, breathlessly.
“Killed who?”
I don’t say anything, I am trying to catch my breath. “Who?” Jake asks, again, shaking me a bit to catch my attention.
“Malachi,” is all I can say.
“Are you sure?” he asks.
“I’m not sure of anything,” I say.
Jake shakes his head in disbelief. “Come with me,” he says, as he pulls me with him. My surroundings are clouded, and I’m not registering my path. All I feel is Jake’s hand on my back, and my heart in my stomach, and there is a blinding adrenaline that is filtering through my body every time my heart beats.
Heart beat? Is Malachi’s heart still beating?
Jake pulls me into a small holding room. There are no cameras in this room, but I don’t really care if there are or not…
I just try to gain my composure.
“I think I killed him,” I sob, into Jake’s shirt.
“Tell me what happened,” he says.
“He and the other two attacked me. I got them down, but Malachi just wouldn’t let go. I hit him over the head… and I think he’s dead,” I cry.
“It’s okay. You’re okay,” Jake says, as he runs his hand through my hair. “We need to get out of here, though.”
Jake allows me a few more minutes to gain my composure, which is not as easy as I wished it was. My stomach is rotten, it feels hollow, and I remember that I didn’t eat breakfast.
I laugh out loud because I know that breakfast should be the last thing on my mind, but if I didn’t laugh I would cry, and again, I am not a crier.
The Force (Fighting Freedom Book 1) Page 15
