by A. C. Heller
Al
The chain wouldn't release. I didn't do that.
Who cares?
I do.
Everything worked out.
Did it?
Upon entering the training facility I'm taken aback by the sight laid out before me. The Sapient men are all dead. Even those who were already dead are just like the rest, skeletons. Skeletons and guns. All of the flesh and organs and blood gone. Even their clothing. Eaten away by Dora's abilities. But there in the center of the room is Dora. The pools of blood around her body still remain and I have to turn my eyes away. I can't stand the sight.
NO!
She didn't deserve to die.
She saved us.
Tragic.
Yes, Tragic.
Running around the back of the cell I light my blowtorch and begin cutting the door off the hinges. It takes about twenty minutes before I hear multiple boots slamming into the piece of steel I have cut out. The door is kicked out and everyone pours out of the cell, but immediately stops once they see the horrific scene before them. That is, all except Aiden.
Aiden
God no! Please no! Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!
Dora is lying in the center of the room with puddles of blood around her. Racing to her side I cup her face in my hands and look her over. She's been shot four times, but her face is still warm under my hands. Somehow, by some miracle of fucking god, she is still breathing. Lifting her in my arms I run from the room. I can hear the footfalls behind me. She called us her family and family sticks together.
In the medical facility I lay her down on the examination table. With the help of Al, we hook her up to the heart monitor and see that it's very faint. She's lost a lot of blood and need's bullets removed and wounds closed.
“Takeo!” I yell.
“I'm here, brother.”
“Can you close her wounds?”
He shakes his head.
“Not alone. Her wounds are too severe. She needs Chasca's help and she needs it now.”
Without another word he digs his phone out of his pocket and calls the safe house we sent both Chasca and Liza to. It will take about thirty minutes for them to return and I'm not entirely sure Dora has that much left in her.
“Aiden I need you to leave.”
Whirling around I stare at Al as if he had grown an extra head. He must be out of his fucking mind. “I'm not leaving her.”
“Are you going to be able to keep your shit together while I pull the bullets out?”
Angelo's arms suddenly band around me, holding me against his chest. “I got him. Do it.”
Al removes each bullet and each time he does I watch Dora wince. Even unconscious she can feel the pain. Even though I know he has to do it I still can't fight the urge to beat the fuck out of him for hurting her. He knew this would happen which is why he asked me to leave and why Angelo is barely letting me breath.
Just as I said, thirty minutes later Chasca comes running into the room with Takeo and Liza closely behind. Chasca's eyes meet mine and she has that look that I know so well. She wants to hug me but she knows I won't have it right now. Liza's trembling hand is over her mouth. Her eyes are fixed on Dora and are shimmering.
Takeo takes Chasca's hand and they work together, placing their hands over each wound, mending them from the inside out. Chasca's power was so potent that she was more than capable of sealing Dora's wounds alone, but with the small amount of healing ability Takeo possessed, he lightened Chasca's burden considerably. The last wound they closed was the least severe, the graze to her neck. After Takeo removes his hand, Chasca's remains. She leans down next to Dora's ear, but I still hear her words.
“He needs you. Come back to him honey. Come back to us,” Chasca pleads.
Takeo takes a very spent Chasca out of the room but she still manages to give me a sad smile before exiting. Now all there is to do is wait. I will wait forever if I had too.
Maddix
My mind is foggy and this ice pack on my jaw isn't doin' shit for the pain. Don't even get me started on the fact that my little brother is in the next room. My little brother who I was told was dead. My little brother who is in pain and scared because someone he loves might be dyin'. It's all so familiar. But how can I go in there and reassure him? What right do I have? I told him as children that we had to stick together. I told him it was just me and him. And what did I do? I left him.
Their housekeeper, or whatever the hell she is, sets a cup of coffee down next to me on the table. Beside it she places two white, oblong pills.
“Those will help with the pain dear. Your jaw is not broken, but eating is going to hurt for about a week. You've also got a concussion. So no naps for you young lady.”
I'm not used to people tryin' to take care of me but there's somethin' about this lady that makes me want to smile. She's warm and kind. Even after all of the shit that just went down she's solid. Gotta’ have respect for that.
“Thanks....”
“Liza.”
“Thanks, Liza,” I amend.
“You're welcome, dear. You look so much like your brother. Your eyes are far more beautiful though. Do not tell him I said that,” Liza chuckles.
She smiles at me and without a second thought I smile back at her. When the big Sapient fuck back handed me I lost my Aviators. Guess I don't have to hide anymore. Everyone already knows I'm Maddix Ripley.
“Smoke!” I hear Angelo's voice call out.
I look up to see both Takeo and Angelo standin' three feet away from me. They look like they've been through the fuckin' ringer. Then my foggy brain and ache in my jaw reminds we all have been.
“Boys?” I ask.
“You should go to your brother.”
“He doesn't want to see me. Besides, he needs to be with his girl.”
As usual Angelo looks pissed off. He crouches down in front of me and looks me dead in my eyes. “After the last time I saw you, your brother figured out who you were. He wanted to leave that fuckin' second to go find your ass. He wants to see you. He's been searchin' for you for as long as I've known him.”
“What he says is the truth,” Takeo informs me before continuing. “The night I gave you my card, I did not know who you were. But I do know that one of the first things I learned about Aiden was that he had a sister who was missing and he would stop at nothing to find her. Now he has found her. Do not take that from him. Go to your brother.”
What could I say to that? Nothin'. So I slowly got up, swaying slightly until I suddenly felt a hand at the crook of my arm, steadyin' me on my feet. It was Angelo, so I gave him a chin lift implyin' I was good. He let me go and I walk into the medical facility where Aiden is sittin’. I walk in just as he's arching back in his chair and draggin' his hands over his face in frustration. I should have said 'Hello' or somethin' like that but instead I said the first thing that came to mind.
“Dad used to do that.”
Before I can register what is happenin', Aiden has his arms around me and he is huggin' me so tightly breathin' ain't an option. I unintentionally let out a little squeak noise and he loosens his grip. He steps back and our eyes meet for just a moment before he plants a kiss on my forehead and he's huggin' me again. My feet are off the ground and he's spinning me around like a fuckin' fairy tale before he gently lowers me back to the floor, leaving me facin' the opposite direction I once was. Tears are streamin' freely down my cheeks and I'm forced to close my eyes to clear my vision. When I open them I see both Takeo and Angelo standin' in the doorway. Takeo smiles and turns away givin' us our time, but Angelo just gives me a chin lift and walks down the hall until I can't see him anymore. What-the-fuck-ever.
Aiden releases me from his embrace but keeps his hands on my shoulders. His cheeks are wet and I know those tears are for more than just me. With all the shit he's goin' through, I'd be bawlin', too.
“I thought I'd lost you forever.”
“I was told you were dead,” I responded.
“What?”
<
br /> “I came back for you. Six months after I left the safe house... You weren't there. The kid who used to hit on me all the time said you went out on your own and went and got yourself killed. I... I thought you were dead.”
“Was it Feliciano?”
I nod my head at him because my throat won't allow me to speak. I'm barely keepin' a loose fuckin' hold on loosin' my shit.
“That motherfucker. If I had known that I'd have prolonged his suffering.”
“What?”
“Found out about five hours ago that he was an informant for the Sapient. He betrayed all of us and was going to hand Dora over to them. That's how they found us,” Aiden explains.
“You give it as good as you got?”
“You know it.”
“Thank fuck.”
Aiden chuckles and crushes me into his side and we both turn back to the bed where Dora is layin’. Her eyes are open now and it's clear to see there are tears in them. Aiden releases me and rushes to her side.
“Shh, it's alright darlin'. I'm here.”
She shakes her head at him and looks directly at me.
“Beauti...ful.”
Her voice breaks in the middle but I understand her still. She saw the exchange between Aiden and me. All this cryin' is takin' a toll on me and I have to look away from her. Turnin' to Aiden I lift my chin and smile.
“Take care of my sister in law,” I tell him with a grin
Walkin' out of the door of the medical facility Aiden calls out to me.
“It's not just you and me anymore, but we still need to stick together.”
His words stop me in my tracks so fast it feels like my heart stopped beatin'. I can tell by his tone that he's afraid I'm goin' to leave. He doesn't know me anymore and that actually hurts. He'll learn. I ain't goin' anywhere.
Turnin' my head back to him I smile and call back to him, “Always.”
Chasca
Takeo had brought me to our room to relax for a bit after healing Dora. Even with his help I always ended up exhausted afterwards. While walking back to the medical facility I decided to step outside for a breath of fresh air. What was weird was that there were close to twenty black cars outside. Some were trucks and some were SUV’s. My best guess is that these were what The Sapient showed up in.
I was admittedly a little pissed off that I was forced to go to the safe house when all the shit went down, but I also understand it. Takeo and I have been actively trying to have a baby. The possibility alone had me shutting my face and doing what I was told. For once…
“Oh my god! This is so cool!”
A tiny army of Al’s robotic animals march out from under all the trucks and SUV’s. Not just kittens. There are little dogs, bears, squirrels, and I think I saw a giraffe. It’s an adorable little army! The door opens behind me and I hear my beloved’s deep voice sound from behind me.
“What are you yelling about, little one?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Before Takeo can make it to me, I run over to the vehicles and scoop up a tiny robotic panda and run back over to him.
“Look. Aren’t they precious?”
Takeo looks at the tiny robot in my hands and then back at the cars before his face drops. He growls deep in his throat and snatches the panda from my open palms.
“Hey!” I snap at him. That’s my panda, damnit!
“Quiet!”
Takeo hurls the robot back at the cars and in one swift movement, steps in front of me, lifts me off my feet and runs full force towards the door. Just as it slams closed and I’m about to lay into him there is a violent explosion, followed by a series of smaller but still impressive sounding explosions. What the shit? Takeo tips his angry face down at me. As I open my mouth to comment he beats me too it.
“Quiet.”
Whatever.
Aiden and Angelo come running towards us and stop when they see Takeo’s face.
“What the fuck was that?” Angelo snaps.
“Al!” Takeo calls at the top of his lungs, which let me tell you is fucking loud.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Al hesitantly make his way towards us. He’s wearing that sheepish smile that I love so much.
“Alright, alright. Before you gentlemen get all pissed off, allow me to explain.”
All three men stare at him in silence, each with their own disapproving expression. I really wanted to laugh, but I know they’d turn their stares on me if I did.
“I spent a good portion of my morning planting AER’s all around the compound. They were programmed to intercept any intruder.”
“So what the hell were they doing while we were getting shot at?” Aiden asks.
“Well… you see, when AER’s are placed in large groups like that, they tend to get…distracted.”
“Distracted, how?” Takeo asks the next obvious question.
“They were playing.”
Even though I had pressed my lips tightly together to avoid it, a giggle still escapes as I watch all three men bring a hand to their faces in a collective face palm. Al and I make eye contact and we both burst out laughing. When we finally get it together I see that Takeo is smiling down at me and Aiden and Angelo are glaring at Al.
“Get your ass out there and clear up the mess you made. I’ll be out there when I’m done,” Takeo says, still smiling at me.
“Get done with what?” I ask. He hadn’t told me he had something to do.
“With you.”
“Oh.”
He he. Awesome.
Chapter Sixteen
Dora
The next day Aiden is waiting on me hand and foot. I have to admit, it feels nice. I can tell that he is kind of making Liza mad. That's her thing and he's totally stealing her thunder. She gives him a dirty look and he just glares back at her. If it didn't hurt so much I'd be laughing at them. Everyone had come to see me a few times, even the guards I didn't know. It was all very sweet and I really hoped they kept me around awhile. A part of me felt really foolish. When I thought I was going to die I confessed to Aiden that I loved him and he hasn't spoken of it since. I think the expression is “the elephant in the room.” From my perspective the elephant was overweight and crushing me.
In the middle of the night I wake up because my side is aching and as soon as my eyes open I search the room for Aiden. He is sprawled out on two chairs. One chair is at his back and his feet are resting on the other. He looks dead to the world. I know he's beyond exhausted. He did not sleep at all the night before. He was awake with me. Even though my side aches, I decide to bear through it and wait for sleep to claim me once more.
Just as my eyelids begin to grow heavy a deep, male voice wakes me.
“Ones capabilities do not define them. It is their actions that make them deserving.”
My eyes snap open and I jerk to a sitting position and instantly regret it. Groaning, I fall back against my pillows, but I've already woken up Aiden.
“Are you okay?”
“I'm fine... I heard... I swear...”
“What did you hear?”
“Never mind. It must have been a dream.”
Aiden doesn't say anymore, but he's alert and smiling over at me. His smile makes me shift a little in my bed. I can feel my face flushing as I smile back at him.
“What you did... I know... I understand why you did it...” Aiden starts, but hesitates as if processing his thoughts while speaking.
“I...” I manage to get out before he cuts me off.
“But do not ever do that to me again, darlin'.”
“It was the right thing to do.”
“No. You do not tell me you love me for the first time when I don't have a chance to say it back to you.”
My mouth drops open and I'm gaping at him. He leans forward and takes my hand in his and whispers softly to me.
“I love you, darlin'
“I... I love you too.”
“I know.”
Aiden leans over and kisses me so deeply
, so sweetly, that I'm a little dizzy when he pulls away.
“We're gonna’ have to keep that cell of yours. It's a good place for you to learn how to control your abilities. Can't have you stubbing a toe and killing us all.”
“You want me to stay?”
“Of course we do. Why wouldn't we?”
“Because I'm a...because I can hurt you.”
“Dora, I know how you see yourself. But I can promise you that no one here sees you that way. You are not a monster or a plague. Your abilities weren't something you chose. We all love you and to us what you can do is irrelevant. We are just hoping that you would want to stay with us.”
They want me here. They want me... He wants me. Warmth rushes through me just as the tears hit the back of my eyes. I choke out a sob and I'm instantly surrounded by Aiden's arms. He's even careful not to hurt my side or my shoulder.
“Is my Dora gonna stay?”
“Try and stop me.”
Liza
What an interesting turn of events. I am quite pleased to see that Aiden has found his love. Dora is utterly perfect for him. She is indeed the other half of his soul and it is very easy to see that they will flourish from one another. What I am not particularly pleased about is the mess that was made of our compound. Those insufferable Sapient practically destroyed our training facility and the front drive is still littered with various debris from the explosion. Granted that was all Al’s doing, but who can really stay mad at him for an extended period of time?
I am very lucky that my abilities are not obvious and more often than not dismissed as coincidence. When I chose to halt the moving vehicle so that Aiden could apprehend the Sapient, I willing revealed myself to him. There was no need to tell him that when we were in the parking lot that day that I caused the Sapient's bag to split. I know he is not suspicious. Some things are better left unexplained.
The physical mess is inconvenient but the plethora of emotion turbulence residing in the compound has left me feeling uneasy. It is not what is on the surface that is the issue. It is the secrets locked away. More precisely, the secrets she would never admit that have the potential to change things. Or more accurately, someone.
