Chance: An Action & Adventure Romance Novel (Sacrifice)

by A. C. Heller

  “How long were you with the Sapient?”

  Dora pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and her eyes fall to the floor, obviously in deep thought. “Truthfully, I’m not exactly sure. I can tell you that I was young when my parents died and the next thing I knew, I was with those people.”

  Aiden manages to keep his facial expression blank when all he really wants to do is look disgusted. “I take it they didn’t let you watch a lot of TV.”

  Dora shrugs her shoulders as if it’s no big deal. “They gave me some books and magazines sometimes but otherwise I was never allowed to leave my room.”

  Before Aiden can even stop himself he blurts out, “Why?” And to his even bigger surprise she doesn’t hesitate in answering.

  “Because I’m dangerous,” Dora says.

  Part of Aiden wanted to burst out laughing at her ridiculous statement but the other half was floored by how serious she looked. Regardless of the truth, she genuinely believed she was dangerous.

  “Why are you dangerous darlin'?”

  Her face lightens at the endearment and for a moment she looks very pleased. “Do you know the story of Pandora?”

  Aiden smiles and nods his head. “Of course I do, Pandora was given a box that held the world’s evils and due to her curiosity she opened it to see what was inside, unknowingly releasing true evil into the world.”

  Dora sits silently for a moment, her eyes on him, but her mind was far away. “I’m named after her, but it’s different. I know the evil I unleash.”

  Aiden finds himself at a loss for words. She sounded a lot like Maddy, his sister. Her abilities were simple, she had extremely heightened senses. She could see better and farther than the average Elioud and her reflexes and hearing were off the charts. Maddy didn’t see her abilities as a good thing, she rationalized it by saying the only thing she could do with her abilities was hurt people. That wasn’t very long before she disappeared.

  “Dora, no matter what your abilities are you are not evil. I’ve just met you and I can tell that about you.” She gives him a faint smile and stares back at the TV. They sit in silence for a while until something happens in the movie and Dora jumps scooting closer to Aiden. He wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but he wasn’t going to stop her. Aiden extends his arm out, giving her an open invitation to come sit near him. “You can sit with me if you’re scared. I don’t mind.”

  Evidently she didn’t have to be asked twice. Dora launches herself at Aiden and tucks herself beneath his arm against his ribs. The first thing Aiden notices is her scent. She smells like strawberries. He knows that the shampoo Liza bought for her was strawberry scented but right now he doesn’t care that it came from a bottle. On her it smells amazing and with her body pressed to his he is in heaven. Not wanting to freak her out or cross any boundaries, Aiden rests his arm on the back of the couch and settles back into it watching the movie with her.

  The movie was distracting enough to keep his mind out of the gutter. He really couldn’t help it. There was something about this woman that just made his blood boil. Any man in his right mind would look at her and want to keep looking at her because she is simply beautiful. She fell a few inches shorter than his six-one and her frame was thin, not malnourished thin but perfectly so. The black hair that fell around her shoulders was the perfect contrast of colors with her pale complexion and cobalt-blue eyes.

  Dora lets out a soft sigh causing Aiden to leave his thoughts and glance down at her. To his immense satisfaction he sees that she is asleep. He knows he should really pick her up and take her into her room, but she looks happy. Who was he to take that from her? Shifting lower so that he could sprawl out a bit he settles back into the couch and wraps the arm that was on the back of the couch around her sleeping form. She snuggles further into him and Aiden tilts his head to look at her face. She looks so peaceful, not worried and sad like she did before.

  The protective instincts in him were going insane. Aiden knows he doesn’t have the right being as he barely knows her, but to her sleeping face and to the heavens above he makes a vow. “I don't know what happened to you but you don’t have to be afraid anymore, I’ll protect you.”

  In the dark hallway Damiano stands silently watching Aiden and Dora. Once their breathing evens out and he knows they are both asleep he walks into the room. He looks down at their sleeping forms and narrows his eyes, trying to interpret the thoughts that are coursing through his mind. He isn’t surprised to discover that they are both dreaming of each other. Damiano always hated the song and dance that went with courting. He never understood how two that were so meant for each other could be so oblivious to it.

  He would leave them to their peace for now. They were going to need it.

  Chapter Five

  Bang! Bang! Two gun shots rip a young boy from his dreams. His eyes snap open as he stares into the darkness of his room. There's a rustling near his bedroom door just before it slowly creaks open and a small form slowly closes it behind its self. Moments later the small form reaches the boy and with great relief the boy embraces his sister. “Maddy, what's going on?” the boy whispers to his sister who looks just as afraid as he is.

  “We just have to stay together and stay quiet Aiden. Everything will be alright.” The two young children sit silently staring at the closed door through the darkness, both praying it will and will not open. They both want their parents to burst through the door but deep down they already know if it does, it will not be their parents.

  “Maddy, I'm scared.”

  The young girl holds him tight to her chest and whispers, “Me too.”

  Aiden's eyes snap open and he stares at the empty living room before him. He hated having that dream even though it didn't come to him every night. When it did come, it left him missing his sister and reawakening the questions that linger about his parents’ death. There was no question who committed the crime. The Sapient had been after his family for years. Not because they were Elioud but even before they had been part of The Order. But that didn't explain how they were found. His family was under the protection of The Order. It was almost unheard of for those hidden to be found. Almost.

  A light tapping sound draws his attention from these thoughts to where the sound is drifting from down the hall. Aiden moves down the hall making a small mental note that Dora must have gone to bed since her door is closed. But once he reaches the end of the hall he sees that the sound is Angelo tapping away on his computers keyboard. He leans against the door frame and checks his phone for the time.

  “The fuck you doing on that thing at three in the morning?”

  Angelo visibly jerks but when he sees that it's Aiden he simply turns back to the computer and continues what he was doing. “Just a little pet project of mine.” Angelo and Aiden have been close since the day Angelo was brought to the compound. And this was mainly because Aiden barely managed to best Angelo. It only happened once, but that was all it took for Aiden to earn his respect.

  When Angelo arrived his abilities were completely out of control, or more to the point, out of Angelo's control. There was no doubt that he would be an asset to their team but first they needed to get his shit sorted. Takeo wanted to sedate him and be done with it but Aiden had a feeling it was going to take more than that. The moment Angelo walked into the training facility he immediately started running his mouth. “So lemme see if I got this shit straight... I'm here to be trained by a pussy and a giant? Fuck this noise...” Angelo didn't get to finish because as he turned to stomp off a gust of wind hit him so hard in his back, that it sent him on his face and sliding across the padded mats underneath them.

  Once he gained his feet it was clear to see that Angelo was officially slipping into what was referred to as “Rampage”. His eyes were darker and more intense than they had previously been and his body was totally locked, awaiting the next assault. Aiden wasn't a huge shit talker but he had a feeling that Angelo would respond better to that, so he gave it a try.

 
“This pussy just put you on your face.” When Aiden was finished speaking, he watched with avid attention as a sinister smile spread across Angelo's face. He looked, for lack of better phrasing, fucking scary. “You got one on me, but that'll be the last.” And with that he pulled a sword of sorts out of a sheath attached to his hip and charged. Aiden did not move. He stood his ground and even mentally noted the distinctive luminous blue engravings that covered the entirety of the blade. Just as the blade was to connect with Aiden's chest, a gust of wind propels him up and over landing on his feet behind Angelo in a crouched position low to the ground.

  Angelo growled and spun to face Aiden just as he is hit by a much more powerful gust of wind that lifts him off his feet and slams him into the stone wall of the compound. A low chuckle sounds through the room and Aiden smiles to himself knowing Takeo is enjoying the show. Despite his best efforts, Angelo quickly realizes that he is in fact pinned to the wall by the force of the wind. Aiden's hands are outstretched in front of him making it obvious what is controlling the wind.

  “Your rage makes you sloppy. I'm unarmed. There's no reason that blade didn't meet my flesh aside from your arrogance. Get your shit together and we'll talk about you joining us.”

  The wind is suddenly gone causing Angelo to stumble forward a step before watching both Aiden and Takeo walk out of the training facility. There was never any talk about that day between them, but every chance Angelo gets he's in the training facility. Aiden tilts his head trying to catch a glimpse of Angelo's screen without making it obvious but quickly realizes it's pointless. “What kind of project?”

  Angelo lets out a sigh and scrubs a hand over his face. Sitting back in his chair his eyes connect with Aiden's and he shrugs. “I've been looking for an Elioud that's eluded us for years. Got word that she's meant to be on our team but I can't find this bitch. She's like vapor. No records anywhere and we only have an alias to even go off of.”

  Aiden steps into Angelo's room and takes a look at the file spread out across his desk. He's never seen so many 'N/A' fields on a report in his life. “Fuckin' shit man, either this chick seriously does not want to be found or we need some better employees.”

  Angelo chuckles and nods in agreement. He shifts through the paperwork and hands Aiden the only photo in the entire file. The photo is in black and white and looks as if it's from a security camera. It's a profile shot of a woman, but aside from the quality being shit it was obvious the girl did not want to be identified. She was wearing a leather jacket over a hooded sweatshirt. The hood was up hiding the majority of her face and she had a pair of aviators on. The only thing truly discernible about her was that she had full lips and had a fair complexion.

  “There's a witness report that said she dropped a guy three times her size. Apparently this bitch has some moves like we've never seen and she's on some vigilante shit. Witness also said she had brown hair, looked to weigh about a buck twenty and was around five-five or five-six.”

  “So, what's her alias?”

  Angelo shifts through the papers once more and skims over it with a finger before leaning back in his chair. “Smoke. Not sure why but the witness said as quickly as she appeared she was gone.” From the sounds of it they definitely wanted this girl on their side.

  “Keep looking, if anyone can find her it'll be you and we could really use her.”

  Angelo chuckles at Aiden’s authoritative tone and nods his head. “You got it boss.”

  Wandering back into the hall Aiden finds his thoughts drifting back to the beautiful woman who fell asleep in his arms. There was truly something strange about her but even with his incredible judge of character he couldn't seem to keep her at arm’s length. There was just an overwhelming urge to protect her. Aiden was logical enough to know that these thoughts really made no fucking sense but that doesn't mean he didn't acknowledge the truth in them.

  Aiden flicks the lights on in the training facility and immediately takes his shirt into his hands and pulls it up over his head. He knew he should go into the locker room to change into his regular gym clothes, but at the moment he just needed to work out his pent up energy. He chuckles to himself thinking 'Yeah energy' as he makes his way over to the heavy bag suspended from the ceiling. After taping up his hands, he lays into the bag with relentless fist throws that cause the bag to bow out and swing towards him.

  Just as his knuckles begin to get sore his phone chimes in his pocket halting his next blow in mid air. Sighing heavily he pulls his phone from his pocket and see's that he has a new message from their director. Aaron Feliciano was the middle man between Aiden’s team and the Order. This way if they were ever fully compromised, The Sapient couldn't get to the inner circle. Hell, even Aiden didn't fully know who was in the inner circle. The message was short but it was something that caused Aiden to groan out loud and raise his eyes to the ceiling in silent prayer.

  “Al Rosenvelt arrives at 0800.”

  Al Rosenvelt may very well be the bane of Aiden’s existence, when he was around at least... The sad part being the man was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. However, as with most geniuses, he was also fucking whacked. There was a very high likelihood that something would blow up and/or spontaneously combust while he was present. Whenever you were around him you had to constantly be on guard but Aiden knew that if the Order was sending him they obviously had a good reason. Aiden just has to refrain from strangling him and all would be well.

  The next morning at 0800 Aiden watches as a shiny black Escalade pulls into garage. Al steps out and a smile spreads across his face. A smile Aiden knew all too well. A smile that meant he brought his toys.

  “Fuck.” Aiden mutters under his breath as Al walks towards him, two duffel bags hanging from both shoulders.

  “Long time no see, Rippy.”

  Aiden gritted his teeth at the annoying nickname Al had given him. “Not long enough, Radio. Not long enough.”

  Al barks out a laugh that even Aiden had to admit was contagious but he simply smiles in return. Aiden often referred to Al as Radio because several months ago Al had been working with radio frequencies using himself as the test subject resulting in Al nearly passing out whenever someone turned on a radio.

  “So where's my little Chasca?” Al asked grinning while staring ahead at the compound.

  “She's inside; though I wouldn't let Takeo hear you call her that.”

  Al chuckles and shrugs his shoulders as if Takeo's massive form didn't intimidate him in the slightest. Since the day Chasca and Al met they were instant friends. Her foul mouth and quick wit mixed with Al's insanity and stroke of genius made for some hilarious interactions.

  “RAAAADDDIIIOOO!!” They both hear screams from inside the compound as they both froze just inside the door of compound. Soft but rapid footfalls cause Aiden to take a large step to the side being as he knew what was coming next. Chasca rounds the corner and throws herself at Al in an embrace so intense they both slam into the door. Aiden shakes his head smiling at how happy his very presence makes Chasca and looks up to see both Takeo and Angelo grinning at her as well. The smile fades slowly from Aiden’s lips as he notices Dora standing partially hidden behind Takeo's bulk, taking in the scene with sad eyes.

  Al puts Chasca down on her feet and lightly taps the tip of her nose with one finger in obvious affection and Chasca smiles back at him. Al tilts his head to the side and smiles at Dora. “And who is this beautiful creature?”

  Dora takes a hesitant step forward and offers him a small smile. “Hi... I'm Dora.”

  A flash of recognition flares in Al's eyes but he immediately locks it down. “Well Dora, you like kittens?” Dora looks completely confused at his random question and her brows snap together. “Kittens? Yeah... I mean... I think I do. I...” She doesn't get a chance to finish because he reaches into his bag and pulls out something shaped like an egg. Aiden, Takeo and Angelo visibly brace and Al motions for Dora to come forward.

  When Dora reaches him, Al takes her hand placing the eg
g in the center of her palm. Al grins up at her and whispers, “Speak to it.”

  Dora raises an eyebrow and softly whispers, “Hello,” to the egg shaped object in her palm. The egg instantly splits, twists and turns, until finally a tiny robotic kitten stands in Dora's hand. Chasca and Dora are both staring open mouthed at the tiny robot and even Aiden has to admit he was a little impressed, especially when the robot looks up at Dora and in a ridiculously adorable voice asks, “Momma?” The girls gasp and Angelo bursts out laughing.

  “It... It can talk?” Dora asks clearly floored by the robot.

  “Sure it can, you can hold conversations with it if you want. Just no baths for this little guy.” Al zones out for a moment and continues muttering “Learned that the hard way.” Both girls laugh and the men simply shake their heads at Al's ridiculousness.

  Angelo steps forward and takes one of Al's bags. “C'mon man, let’s get you set up so you can do what you're here to do.”

  Al follows Angelo and Aiden walks up next to Dora. Standing with Takeo, Chasca and Dora, Aiden watches them walk away and turns to Takeo. “Got any idea why he's here?”

  Takeo doesn't move a muscle and replies in short, “nope.” Takeo tucks Chasca into his side and they head into the living room.

  Aiden turns to Dora a moment later. “Like your new friend?”

  Dora smiles brightly up at him damn near causing his heart to stop. “Very much.”

  Aiden smiles warmly back at her and nods his head once. “Good.” Dora moves towards the kitchen and Aiden watches her walk away and comes to a realization, “I'm fucked.”

  Chapter Six

  Smoke

  Aim. Breathe. Execute.

  I took the shot and heard the glass shatter. I watched as my target, a monster of a man, crumbled to the floor and took his last breath.

  Justice.

  I pack my sniper rifle away and hoist it onto my shoulder. The building I chose was mostly abandoned with the exception of the homeless people residin' here but they didn't give a fuck about me. It was just after ten at night and I knew gettin' my weapon into my car could be tricky, but most people aren't goin' to assume a small girl like me would be wieldin' any weapons, let alone a sniper rifle. Poppin' open my trunk I toss the rifle in and climb behind the wheel of my car. Takin' a deep breath I stare at the skyline in front of me. This city is still so corrupted but I know I'm goin' to have to move on soon. It's almost time. Glancin' in my rear view mirror I see the familiar black SUV that I've seen around a lot lately. It didn't take me but a day to figure out the Italian hottie inside was looking for me, but he had another thing comin'. He ain't gonna find me. I'm only parked three cars ahead of him and that fool has no clue I'm here. Part of me wants to fuck with him but the survivalist in me knows I need to turn tail and get the fuck out of here. But I don't.