Fate: An Action & Adventure Romance Novel (Sacrifice)

by A. C. Heller

  Still shivering I throw my pack over my shoulder and hurl myself into the exit door. My hands hit the security latch and the door swings open. Running as fast as I can I keep waiting to hear the alarm but the only sound I hear is the chattering of my teeth and the wind rushing past my ears.

  Once I reach the tree line I stop, drop my pack, and try to catch my breath. I'm so cold I have to do something to warm myself up. Crouching down I take a few deep breaths and focus. Soothing heat courses through me, calming my racing heart and chattering teeth. Within minutes my clothes are no longer wet and I'm wondering if I might have over-done it. Glancing back at the compound I realize that I'm not sure if I'm far enough. Shit! Not wanting to chance it I grab my pack and start running into the woods.

  Unsure of how long I've been running I slow down to a fast walk. Thank god I remembered the flashlight, as it keeps me from nearly falling on my face multiple times. Pointing it ahead of me I can see a stump protruding from the ground in the distance. That looks like the perfect place to take a breather.

  As soon as I reach the stump I find myself plopping down onto it. Digging through my pack I pull out a bottle of water. I take a few sips and put it away. I need to conserve what I have, as I don't know how long it will be until I find civilization. Knowing I need to keep moving has me standing up and putting my pack back on. There's a soft crunching sound to my left, so I swing the flashlight in that direction, and it takes everything in me to convince myself that I'm not hallucinating.

  Lying against a tree is a dirt bike. It looks old but the tires look like they're still in good condition. I know the chances of this thing being functional are slim to none, but at this point I'm willing to try anything to not have to walk the rest of the way. I've never really had good luck but it seems like things are starting to look up for me. Climbing onto the bike I find the clutch, hold it down, and place my foot on the kick-starter. Closing my eyes I give a silent prayer and give it a shot. The bike starts on the first try! I'm so excited I nearly tip over with the whole bike.

  The headlight works too, but still I slowly and carefully maneuver the bike through the trees. After about twenty minutes I finally exit the woods. A dirt road lies in front of me, and now I need to decide which way to go. Either way could bring me to a town but I have to hope I make the faster choice. There's only about a half of a tank of gas left. Before I get a chance to come to some rational decision I see the headlights of a car come over a hill in the distance. Shit.

  Rolling the bike backwards into the shadow of the tree line I switch off the headlight. My heart is pounding in my chest as the car comes closer and closer. It's possible they saw the light from the bike, but it's also possible they didn't, so I'm banking on the latter. I watch as the car creeps past me, it can't be going more then fifteen miles per hour, and I can see the occupants are staring out of the window, searching the trees, and there's not a doubt in my mind that they are looking for me.

  Sliding off the bike I step out onto the road. Spotting the car a good ways down the road I debate taking off, but I'm worried the noise of the bike will make them turn around, so I run over to the bike and start walking it in the opposite direction. Periodically I look behind me but there's nothing coming. The uneasy feeling I had is gone and I feel like it's safe. So I hop back on the bike, switch on the light, and take off down the road once more.

  A few miles down the road I can see lights in the distance of what looks to be a gas station. I'm absolutely thrilled, my ass is starting to go numb from the bike. I must have been riding down that dirt road for at least an hour. The bike starts to jerk slightly under me and instantly my eyes go to the gas gauge. It reads empty. Son of a bitch! Pulling off to the side of the road I push my now dead mode of transportation behind a tree, propping it up much the way I found it.

  I suppose I can't really complain. I got pretty far because of that thing, and the walk won't be so bad. The gas station is in clear view now. Swinging my pack around to hang in front of my chest I shove the flashlight inside. I don't need it now, and there's no sense in wasting the batteries.

  The gas station seems as though it's new. I was admittedly expecting a run down pit. But this is a pleasant surprise. The bathroom is in pristine condition. There's even soap in the dispenser. After using the facilities and washing up I search through my pack and pull out my wallet. All I have is five dollars and my credit cards. I've seen enough cop shows to know that using my cards would be really stupid, so five dollars is what I have to my name. Awesome...

  When I enter the store portion of the gas station the door chimes and the attendant, an older man, lowers his newspaper and smiles at me. I smile back at him and take my time looking through all of the drinks in the cooler. The chime over the door sounds again, and I peek over a rack of potato chips at the new comer. It's a tall white man, his hair is black, and so is the suit he is wearing. He lifts a picture up, and rudely shoves it in the old man’s face. I hear him ask if he's ever seen the girl in the picture before and the old man locks eyes with me.

  My eyes widen and I shake my head once, silently pleading with him to not give me away. He must have understood because he simply purses his lips and shakes his head no. The stranger pockets the picture and turns, walking out of the door. Rushing around to the side of his counter I hide next to it, trying to look outside through the glass door.

  “You in some sort of trouble, girl?”

  “You could say that.”

  “You need me to call the police?”

  Shaking my head I stare up at the man. This complete stranger unknowingly just risked his life to protect me. I've got to get moving. Like, NOW.

  “You've done more then enough. I have to leave now. Thank you, for what you did. Thank you, so much!”

  The dark car from the dirt road is outside, but the four men who occupied it are standing around the outside talking or arguing. Whatever, I just know I'm not getting close enough to find out! This is my chance. Bolting out the door, I make a run straight for the ice machine. It's a big open container with two silver doors on the front. The chime goes off and I can see the four men staring at the door. Shit! Shit! I forgot about the chime! My heart is pounding in my chest and I'm pretty sure I just fucked myself, but when I look back at the door the old man is standing there holding the door wide open. This guy just saved my ass, again!

  The four men continue staring for a moment until, in unison, they all begin walking toward the old man. Oh god. The old man, however, does not move. He raises his chin and keeps his eyes on the four men. When the men reach him their backs are to me. Slowly I slide myself against the ice machine until I'm in front of the silver doors. I open one as quietly as I can and crawl in. Just as I'm about to close the door the old man nods his head once, as if telling me I did the right thing. Please, please, let him be right.

  From inside the ice machine I can hear muffled voices. This goes on for what seems like forever. I can't make out what's being said, but what I do hear clear as day is a gun shot. Oh god, no! I want to burst out of here and check on the old man, but if I do they'll get me. Can I really sit here and be so concerned with my own well being that I let this man die? Fuck it!

  Throwing open the door to the ice machine I scramble out of it, gracelessly landing on my knees. The four men were folding into their car, but once they see me they immediately start running my way. Crawling on my hands and knees to the old man I plant my hand over the gaping gunshot wound on his stomach. Anger and adrenaline pulse through me, and even though I can hear the men getting closer I don't move. Focusing as hard as I can I will the wound to close.

  A wet hand trails along my cheek and causes me to open my eyes. The old man caresses my cheek, and looks directly into my eyes. His voice is strangled but he still manages to force the word out.

  “Don't.”

  He starts coughing and I can see that there is blood in his mouth. I know what that means. Please, no... no... His words are broken and his voice is weaker now. Just as the
four men reach me, the old man says one last thing.

  “Some... Sometimes... the hardest things...and...and the.. right things... are the same.”

  Strong hands lock around my upper arms, lifting me off of the old man as well as the ground. For a moment I can do nothing but stare at the lifeless body of the kind, noble old man who lost his life to save mine regardless of the fact that he had never met me. Blinking rapidly, I remember that I need to get out of this somehow. That man did not die for me to just give up.

  Struggling as much as I can I realize that I'm getting nowhere fast. It's four against one and one of them alone could probably take me. Time to even the odds. Fueled by anger and adrenaline I will my body to ignite. I want to burn hotter then I ever have. I want to make these men hurt worse than they ever have. The men holding me quickly rip their hands away and take a step back, dropping me to the ground.

  Landing on my feet I pivot towards them, and three of the four men are staring at me wide-eyed. They're scared. Good. The fourth man looks unimpressed, impatient even. As I take a step forward the three men take a step back. They start arguing back and forth about which one of them should grab me but not one of them makes a move towards me. When I am within arms reach of one of the men I raise both of my hands in front of me and I can see that my arms are completely surrounded in a luminous golden light.

  Thrusting my hands forward, my palms make contact with the man’s chest and he immediately starts screaming in pain. My hands start to literally burn through his clothes into his flesh, and part of me wants to pull away because of this. Mainly because it's gross, but my anger alone won't let me.

  The other two men reach for me, but never actually touch me. The heat coming off me is just too intense, and they would be insane to try to grab hold. Just as my hands penetrate the man’s chest deep enough to feel bone against my skin I'm hit in the side by a force so powerful it sends me flying through the air, landing on the cement with a audible thud. The fourth man slowly approaches me, and it’s then that I see his hands are shrouded in a black mist. He lifts his palm toward me and his words send a shiver down my spine.

  “This one has spirit. Take her to my domicile.”

  An orb of black mist forms at his palm and is propelled forward, hitting me directly in the chest. The force sends my head snapping back causing my skull to smack against the ground. A bright light flashes before my eyes, and that's when the blackness consumes me.

  When I open my eyes I see nothing but darkness. Goddammit, not again! I can hear the engine of a car, so I quickly realize I'm in the trunk. My wrists are bound behind my back and my legs are are bound at the ankles, so every time the car hits a bump I find myself smacking into the top of the trunk or the floor. My head is already pounding so this is only making it worse.

  The car comes to a stop and I hear four doors open and close. I know because I counted every time one closed. The trunk pops open and two men are standing there staring down at me. One of them pulls a gun from the inside of his suit and places the barrel against my forehead.

  “If you pull a stunt on us like you did back at the gas station, I will not hesitate to shoot you. Do you understand me?”

  I'm not a complete moron, so of course I nod. The bigger of the two lifts me out of the trunk and throws me over his shoulder. My head spins as the wind is knocked out of me. God, does this guy need to be so rough? From my new angle I can see the fourth man helping the guy I hurt. After the man is placed in the wheelchair, the fourth man pushes him into the building we are heading towards. Lifting my head up for a better look I'm slightly taken aback when I see the full building. It's clearly an old church. Stupid, irony.

  Chapter Twelve

  Inside the church looks, well, just like you'd expect a church to look. Stained glass, pews, a pulpit, the whole nine. However, we don't stay in the church. Through a door at the back we descend a long flight of concrete stairs. Once at the bottom I can see that there is a good possibility that I am screwed. Ahead of us there is a long narrow hallway, and on either side there are barred cells. This is a prison.

  As I'm carried down the hall I notice that all of the cells are empty. All except one, and inside there's a girl. She looks up as we pass, and instantly we lock eyes. Let me just say, the girl has incredible eyes. They are a brilliant bright blue, but even though I only saw her for a moment I wonder why she looked so defeated.

  At the end of the hall the man carrying me swings open and door, and we enter what appears to be a very luxurious bedroom. The man tosses me off his shoulder, and I land on a gigantic bed with an audible 'Oof'. Rolling to my back I glare up at the man, but he doesn't even look at me. He just turns around and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  With a lot of effort I manage to squirm my way to the edge of the bed. Sitting up I plant my feet firmly on the floor. I wobble a few times, but I am actually able to stand. Now moving, that's gonna be hard. Looking down at my ankles I'm surprised to see that the restraints binding my ankles look a lot like oversized metal zip ties. That seems like overkill.

  Hopping over to the door I'm startled when it swings open towards me. Dammit! The door hits my shoulder causing me to lose the little balance I had and fall flat on my ass. The fourth man walks in, and in this light I can finally see what he looks like. His hair is dark brown and long, long enough that he has it tied back at the nape of his neck. The left side of his face is scarred. It looks like a burn but I'm just guessing.

  He's a big man, but not nearly as big as Takeo or Damiano. The man closes the door behind him and smiles down at me.

  “Trying to escape already? Tsk. Tsk.”

  He takes a step over me and pulls a pack of cigarettes out of a drawer. After lighting one up he turns back to me.

  “Well, Miss. Leon, we finally meet.”

  “The pleasure is all yours.”

  The man throws back his head and laughs. His eyes are glittering when he drops his gaze to me and my instincts tell me I don't want this guy to think I'm funny.

  “Indeed it is.”

  He walks in a circle around me and I really, really do not like the way he's looking at me. So I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

  “They're going to come for me!”

  “No. They aren't.”

  Shit. He might be right but I have to make him think I know otherwise.

  “Yes they will! They love me, they'd never let anything happen to me.”

  “Let's go over who 'they' are, shall we? Let's start with the two Elioud. Aiden Ripley and Angelo De Luca. They aren't strong enough to make it through the gate without help. So who else is there? Hm. Oh, that's right. Takeo Collins. He is indeed strong enough, but he will not come. You see, Takeo and I have a lot in common. Our souls were corrupted long ago, each for reasons of our own, but instead of trying to right our wrongs, we've learned to coexist quite effectively with our... darker abilities.”

  The smirk that is on the man’s face turns my stomach. He's so confident he acts as if his words are gospel.

  “So who else is there, Miss. Leon?”

  I don't answer him right away, mainly because I can't remember if I was ever told Damiano's last name. Then again, I didn't even know Takeo's until this man just said it. He cocks his foot back and kicks me in shoulder causing me to roll to my side. Fuck, that hurt!The man crouches down at my side and splays his hand across my abdomen. His hand starts to rise towards my breasts and I'm suddenly flooded with the undeniable urge to throw up.

  “Damiano...”

  The man’s hand jerks off of me. Turning my head to see his face I can see his brows are drawn together and his jaw is clenched. He's still for a moment, seemingly staring at nothing, before a smile spreads across his face and his demeanor changes significantly.

  “My old friend, Damiano. Evidently you do not know him very well either. Damiano does not do anything without an underlying purpose. My best guess, he knew you would escape, and that we would find you. He used you as a de
coy.”

  “He wouldn't.”

  “Oh, but he would. Damiano only cares about himself.”

  He used me as a decoy? The very thought has me pulsing with anger. The man has been staring in my eyes, and I watch as his smile turns into a smirk.

  “Ah, ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you. The restraints you wear are made of a metal that when melted dries rapidly and splinters. The shards would slice into your wrists and ankles. Granted, I know you can heal yourself, but wouldn't it just be agonizing to have to pick each tiny sliver out of your flesh?”

  That actually stops me, because that does sound terrible. It's at this moment that Takeo's words come back to me. 'You're alone in this.' No one is coming for me. I know that now. Which means I can either let these people do whatever it is they have planned, or fight back. I'm tired of being afraid. I won't be afraid anymore, somehow, someway, I'm going to get myself out of this.