by C. C. Monö
Axel froze.
“I agree,” the woman said, “but even so…”
“Enough!” Professor Jackson snapped, his Irish accent thicker and more aggressive than usual. “I don’t trust Mr Hallman. We need to protect the Academy no matter what, which means you will do as I tell you!”
Perhaps he should have been upset, frightened, or maybe even angry, but, more than anything, Axel was confused. What reason did Professor Jackson have to distrust him? The two had barely spoken to each other. And what did he mean by “wild-card”?
The questions gnawed at him the entire afternoon, making it impossible for him to focus on Professor Alessia de Mare’s Vision and Marketing class. Nor did he impress Professor Peter Williams who taught Economics and Leadership, a topic that, at least to some degree, should have fitted Axel well.
“What’s wrong?” Izabella asked between classes. “You seem a bit distracted today.”
“It’s nothing,” Axel muttered. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“If you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me,” she said with a hint of playfulness in her voice. Axel wasn’t sure if she was teasing him or not.
For the first time since his arrival, Axel had dinner in his apartment, alone. He tried to study for a few hours, but gave up around eleven and went to bed. Lying under his thick duvet, staring at a hologram universe that rotated slowly above his bed, Axel dwelled on Professor Jackson’s words: “There’s something fishy about Hallman. … We need to protect the Academy no matter what.” Protect the Academy against what? Against Axel? In what way could Axel be a threat to the E.K.A?
An hour later, Axel exhaled his frustration and rolled over. He pressed a button by the bedside table and the universe vanished. Darkness engulfed the room.
This is madness, he thought. Why waste time on things I can’t control? If Professor Jackson doesn’t care for me, that’s his problem, not mine. I’m doing this for Talk Thirteen, not for him.
CHAPTER 33
Three weeks had already passed since Axel first arrived at the Academy. It was Saturday evening and Izabella was curled up on his sofa with a big bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine. Her normally professional-looking hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, and her classroom business attire was replaced with casual trousers and a T-shirt that was tight enough to show off her female curvature without exposing too much.
She’d knocked on his door an hour earlier, wondering if he wanted to watch a movie with her.
“I brought my own wine,” she’d laughed, holding up a bottle. “Perhaps you want to share it with me?”
Axel admitted he couldn’t stand the taste of alcohol, but he did fancy a movie. Now the two of them were watching a bizarre, dark comedy that Axel found insufferable. Izabella seemed to love it though. She was laughing out loud, making sounds like a seagull in a scuffle. It wasn’t a very attractive laugh, but her company was enjoyable nonetheless.
Outside, the sun had long since set behind the city horizon. A carpet of thick, foreboding clouds began to roll in from the east, and by the time Axel turned off the TV, the rain hammered against the windowpanes.
“I wonder what the Belgians did to piss off God?” Izabella sighed. “Doesn’t it ever stop raining in this damn country? I know it’s supposed to be the centre of Europe but why did they have to choose Brussels of all places?”
Axel smiled.
“Do you want me to make you a cup of hot cocoa?”
Izabella stared at him. “Are you making fun of me?”
“No.” Axel leaned against the windowsill. “Would you prefer tea?”
“Don’t you have coffee?”
“Sorry. I’m not much of a coffee fan. But I can order up a cup from the restaurant, if you want.”
“No alcohol or coffee? What are you, a child?” Izabella giggled.
The comment stung but Axel pretended he didn’t care and shrugged. Why people considered certain beverages childish was beyond him.
“My grandmother used to make hot cocoa for my sister and me when we were small and the weather was bad. She would light a fire and we would sit on the carpet in front of it eating homemade cinnamon buns and drinking our cocoa while she read us a story. It was nice.”
Izabella laughed. “You make it sound cosy and nice.” She reached out and touched his arm. “Tell you what; why don’t you make us a fire and I’ll order us some hot cocoa and cinnamon buns?”
Making a fire wasn’t very difficult. All Axel had to do was put some wood in the fireplace and then press a button. Lighter fluid drenched the wood and a spark ignited the whole thing. Within ten seconds, a warm fire crackled in the fireplace.
While they waited for the cocoa to arrive, Izabella began telling Axel about herself, a topic she seemed to enjoy more than he did. She came from a wealthy family, she explained, with great influence in politics and business. One of her brothers was a well-known politician in Brazil and another ran the family business. What kind of business was unclear, but it appeared to have something to do with transporting goods.
Axel had a feeling that Izabella was trying to impress him, so he listened despite the boredom, trying not to yawn. When, at last, a waiter arrived with their hot beverages, Axel and Izabella settled back in the armchairs, gazing at the flames while sipping their hot liquid.
“You’re very different from the others,” Izabella declared after a while.
Having no idea what she meant by it, Axel gave her a fleeting smile.
“Why? Because I don’t drink coffee?”
“That’s not what I meant, silly. And you’re not different in a bad way, the opposite actually. All the others are so obsessed with themselves, but you…” She put her cup to her full lips and tasted the chocolate. “One might almost think you didn’t care about becoming a leader.”
Axel’s smile faded. The darn woman was like a bloody mosquito. Not only did she make a lot of annoying sounds, she seemed to have a natural gift for smelling blood. Was she on to him, or what?
“Of course I care.” He took a mouthful of hot cocoa and burned his lying tongue. He bit back a yelp and coughed in an attempt to cover his blunder. “I’m here to become a leader.”
Technically, that was true; he was here to become a leader. The fact that he had no desire to become one was a different matter.
Izabella’s eyes gleamed in the soft light.
“You don’t sound very passionate about it. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were lying to me.”
In that instance, Izabella’s presence felt oppressive. Axel wanted her to leave at once, but he kept the charades going with a grin.
“And that makes me all the more mysterious, right?” he said.
Izabella laughed, placing her hand on his.
“I suppose.”
Squirming under her touch, Axel threw a quick glance at the massive aquarium where the shark made its slow circle, scaring the other fish.
“Sorry,” he mumbled and yawned, “but I’m exhausted. It’s been a long week.”
Izabella pulled back her hand.
“Oh,” she said. He could see she was trying to read his face. Maybe she thought it was an invite, for she lingered a little, waiting for him to say something more. When he didn’t, she ran a hand through her ponytail and got up.
“All right, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Axel put on his best smile.
“Of course. Can’t wait.”
He woke up panic-struck. The room was pitch black and smelled of sweat and blood. Strong hands held him down while someone shoved a large piece of cloth into his mouth. Axel gagged as the rough material reached the back of his throat. He kicked and wriggled the best he could.
Years of going to the gym had made Axel both lean and strong. He felt his attackers struggle to hold him down and for a moment he managed to get his right hand free. Without thinking, he threw a punch and both felt and heard his fist hit the target. Someone grunted and for a second the pressure around
his left arm weakened.
“Merde,” someone swore.
A strong hand grabbed Axel by the throat and held him pinned down on his back. Axel gasped for air, clawing at the hand with all his might. Then someone pulled a bag over his head.
“Hurry,” a voice panted.
In an instance, Axel was on the floor, his feet tied and hands cuffed behind his back. The attackers grabbed him by the arms and began dragging him through the corridor, out of the apartment and into the elevator.
“How long before the security cameras are turned on again?” a voice whispered as the elevator began to descend.
“Three minutes and twenty seconds,” someone replied with a thick, French accent.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened.
“Se dépêcher,” someone yelled from outside.
Axel heard the sound of an engine and someone opening a car door. Pain shot through his arms as his assailants dragged him out of the elevator. They threw him onto what had to be the floor of a van. Axel could feel the rumbling of the engine beneath him.
“Don’t move,” a voice growled.
The door closed and the van took off.
CHAPTER 34
TWELVE YEARS EARLIER
It was clear that he didn’t like her. Sarah could see it in his eyes; the disapproval. He always found reasons to scold her or to punish her with extra homework, and Sarah knew why. It had nothing to do with her ability to learn. She grasped and retained information faster than any other student. Nor did he consider her ignorant because of her background. He didn’t care if a student was poor or rich. No, Professor Jackson didn’t like her because of her questions.
Sarah lay on her back, staring at the hologram universe circling above her bed.
How can he hate me because I question his theories? Is he afraid I might be right? Sarah rolled over to her side and stared out into the dark room. Or am I the one who’s wrong? Have I misunderstood the reasons we’re here? Will the world not change without rulers?
The thoughts slashed through her head until they gave her a headache. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The Eagle King’s Academy turned young men and women into heroes and sent them into the world to make a difference. So why did the teachers talk so little about helping the world and so much about gaining power? It made no sense.
Sarah had tried to discuss these questions with Lorena on a few occasions, but her friend just laughed at her.
“You don’t get it, do you?” she would say. “If you want to make a difference in the world, you have to unite people, and to do that, you need them to love and obey you. Only then will they listen to you, allowing you to help them change the world. It’s that simple.”
Well, if it was that simple, maybe that would explain why Professor Jackson hated her questions. He would be of the opinion that she made everything complicated. Of course, just because Professor Jackson and Lorena thought it was simple, didn’t mean they were right. And another thing: making people obey and love you seemed selfish, unethical somehow.
Sarah closed her eyes and let out a long, depressed sigh. Maybe things would make more sense to her in a few weeks’ time.
CHAPTER 35
PRESENT MOMENT
Axel sensed someone leaning over him. The soggy cloth in his mouth seemed to swell with every passing second, making it hard not to retch. Breathing through his nose was almost impossible as the bag seemed glued to his face. He fought the approaching panic by shifting. Immediately, someone slammed his head against the floor.
“Don’t try to be a hero,” a dark voice whispered. “Next time you move, I’ll smash your head in so many times, it’ll look like a Rubik’s cube when I’m done. Got it?”
Nearby, a different voice snickered.
After what seemed to be hours, the van came to a stop. There was a low murmur of people talking, and then the back door opened.
“Get him out,” a new voice ordered.
Someone cut the rope around his ankles before pulling him out, scraping his chin and bruising his knees in the process. A pair of strong hands grabbed him by the arms and began leading him through what seemed to be a maze of damp and earthy-smelling corridors. He heard doors opening in front of him, before slamming shut behind him. At one point, his attackers forced him to climb stairs, and on a few occasions, they told him to duck. He couldn’t see anything, so all he focused on was the intimidating sound of heavy boots echoing against the concrete floor.
“Stop,” the dark voice commanded. Axel obeyed. He heard another door open and the powerful hands that had held him now gave him a brutal push forward. “Kneel!”
Axel lost his balance and fell forward, hands still behind his back. Someone caught him by his lower arm and yanked him up. The pain was excruciating.
“On your knees, I said!” Axel shook as much from fright as from cold. He was still in his underwear, and the air around him was icy and damp. “Don’t move!”
The cuffs were unlocked, the bag pulled from his head. Axel blinked. Behind him, the door closed and locked. Silence fell upon the room.
Axel sat motionless for a moment. Listening. When he felt confident that he was alone, he snatched the sodden cloth from his mouth and swallowed hard so as not to vomit.
He was in a tiny, windowless room. Above his head, a pale light bulb swung back and forth, ghostly, its movement giving life to the shadows around him.
Like a trapped mouse, Axel sat on his knees, too afraid to move. On some level, he realised he should be analysing the situation. Who had taken him and why? Could he escape? What would happen now? These were all questions he should be focusing on, but he didn’t. Instead, he just stared at the wall in front of him and his shadow swaying back and forth with the movement of the light bulb.
He watched. He listened. He waited. Then there was movement.
Axel heard footsteps and the door opened. Still on his knees, staring forward, he heard someone enter.
“Stand up,” a thick, aggressive voice ordered. A large man, dressed in black clothes and a ski mask, cuffed Axel’s wrists behind his back and pointed at the door. “Let’s go.”
They walked through dark, concrete corridors, just wide enough for the two men to walk side by side. Axel felt like a death row prisoner, making his way to the gallows. None of them uttered a word until they reached a dark, depressing cell, no bigger than the one they’d just come from. A wooden chair stood under a naked light bulb in the middle of the room. The man removed the cuffs.
“Sit,” he demanded and left.
Axel sat shivering in the dark. Still he thought of nothing. He simply waited until the room unexpectedly exploded in bright, white light. With a cry he covered his eyes. Then came a loud voice that shredded the silence to pieces.
“Your name?”
With his eyes still shut, Axel gave his name. His voice sounded small and pathetic.
“Why are you in Brussels?”
“I…I’m here to study.”
“Study what?” When Axel hesitated, the voice grew agitated. “Answer me!”
“I’m studying communication, economics, and politics.”
“What school are you attending?”
This time, Axel remained quiet. He kept his head down, shielding his eyes from the bright light. Professor Jackson’s words echoed in his head: “I don’t trust Mr Hallman, and you will do as I tell you.”
“I asked you a question,” the voice roared. “Give me the name of the school!”
“Who are you?” Axel demanded with attempted defiance in his voice. He held his breath as he waited for a reaction. None came, and after a while, he exhaled in relief.
With a loud crash, the door flung open and three masked men rushed in. The lights in the room faded. Axel wasn’t a fighter but he leapt out of his chair, ready to defend himself. When the nearest attacker, a massive man, reached out for him, Axel threw a punch. He missed as the man moved his head out of reach without much effort.
The second man moved in. A
xel swirled and threw himself over the attacker. Someone cursed as both he and the man fell to the ground with a loud thud. The attacker groaned as Axel’s weight pushed the air out of his lungs, immobilising him for a moment.
It was all Axel needed. He rolled over to the side in an attempt to get up. The first attacker now approached from the front while a third man came in from the left. Axel was still on one knee. With a cry, he pushed off towards the first attacker, hitting him square on the jaw with his shoulder. The man tumbled back, pulling Axel with him.
There was a moment of complete chaos. Arms and legs seemed to be everywhere. Axel tried to punch the man and get up at the same time. In the confusion, he got hold of the attacker’s mask and pulled. A face he recognised stared up at him.
“You!” Axel shouted, before the other men yanked him back with brutal force.
They pinned him down, once again cuffing his hands behind his back and placing a bag over his head. At least they didn’t shove a cloth in his mouth. Axel was now more angry than frightened.
The brutal men hauled him out of the room, through a set of corridors.
“You better be quiet,” one of the men whispered. “If you so much as breathe a sound, we’ll kill you.”
Axel didn’t reply, but he didn’t object either. They seemed to be entering yet another room. His attackers forced him to his knees once more, and left without a word. Axel was still panting from the fight. His right shoulder and left arm were hurting, but, on the positive side, his mind was awakening. He had exposed Mr Linch, the E.K.A. guard with the wolfish grin. The man had betrayed the Academy but…Axel froze. Deprived of his eyesight, he turned his ear in the direction of where he thought he’d heard a sound. Holding his breath he picked up sounds of others in the room; faint sounds of breathing and quiet snivels.
