Larson is heading up Adi’s group, which I’m not sure is the best idea because she will absolutely hold a grudge if he accidentally hurts her or allows one of the guys to hurt her.
Kage is taking responsibility for Dani-Jo's group, and he’s left me in control of Tova’s group.
I pull out a few mats for us to run through drills on, hopefully preventing too much pain from the blows I know we’re all about to sustain. Next, I place a tight blindfold over Tova’s eyes and instruct her to plug her ears until I let her know we’re done discussing our strategy. I gather my group of men, walk to the other ends of the room, and discuss quietly what assaults we are to execute. Apologizing in advance, I’m sure to give them some inclination of her powers. With any luck, they won’t get maimed too severely.
Removing Tova’s fingers from her ears, I inform, “There are a group of intruders approaching the camp. You don’t know how many. Tune in your ears to hear in every direction around you. Drown out what’s going on with the other groups. Focus on the noises about ten to fifteen feet around you.”
Tova bobs her head up and down. “Got it.”
I motion for my men to proceed.
Kaden and Kole are the first to creep toward Tova to assault. Snaking her head slowly back and forth, I’m confident she senses something is about to happen. Kaden is about two feet from grabbing her when she sideswipes his legs out from under him. She jumps upright and bends her arm at the elbow. Not seeing what she’s about to hammer down on, she jumps down with her elbow and delivers a full-force blow to his ribs, knocking the breath out of him completely. He scrambles to his side, gasping for air, but she doesn’t let that distract her.
Kole is next to reach for her. She must have heard the movement to know what direction he was coming from because she jolts to the left as he goes for her right arm. Crouching down, she keeps her arms bent but close to her chest. Kole regroups then comes at her from the front again, but this time she delivers an open hand strike to his cheekbone right below his right eye, knocking him off balance. She lunges forward and pushes him all the way to the ground, then kicks him in the gut.
Two more men set off to capture her. One of them rushes in and grabs her from behind. He’s so forceful he lifts her feet off of the ground, and he’s squeezing her pretty hard. I’m about to intervene, but she smashes his head with hers, causing blood to gush down his face. She’s busted his mouth and nose open. He immediately drops her, and she falls to her hands and knees, catching herself.
The next guy is a little more cautious. Now that she’s on the ground, he takes advantage of her in this position. He sneaks up, grabbing her around the neck. She backpedals on all fours to get out of his grasp. He clutches harder, and her face turns red; unsure if she’s able to breathe, I start to interfere again. You’d think I’d know by now that she’s got this, but I can’t stand to see her struggling. Right when I’m about to yank the guy off of her, she jams her chin into his ribs, forcing a grunt out of him. Lifting her inside arm off of the ground, she delivers a backhanded blow to his cock. He instantaneously lets go of her as he falls to the ground guarding his manhood, moaning, and she falls to the ground gasping for air.
She reaches for the blindfold to take it off, but I grab her wrists, preventing her from removing it.
“Leave it on, baby. You are kicking these guy’s asses. You’ve only got six more to go, and you’re done.”
Splaying out on her back with all four limbs spread out, she protests, “Are you freaking kidding me? I’ve only fought four, and I’m about to die.”
“No, you’re not. You’re listening better than I knew you could…with all the yelling and other mêlées going on in here, there’s no way I’d be doing as good as you. Keep up the excellent work.”
“Oh, for all the love that is good in this world, can’t we be done now?”
Reaching down, I grab her hand to help her up. “Come on, Spitfire. You’ve got this.”
The other guys aren’t as brave as the first four. They quickly get put out of commission. Tova, sweat beading down her face, and all the Protectors who are entirely worn out in our group are now sitting on the floor watching Adi and Dani-Jo hash out their drills. It’s dark outside, indicating that we’ve been preparing for a good half day.
After everyone’s completed their coaching, we grab our towels and water bottles. Tova throws her towel around her shoulders under her ponytail, drying the wetness underneath. Adi takes her water bottle and drenches herself with it from head to toe. Dani-Jo guzzles hers between panting for air. Now that everyone has their belongings, we amble toward the lodges.
Understanding that everyone has missed dinner, I ask, “Does anyone want to grab a bite to eat before we go back? We walk right past the cafeteria on our way.”
Dani-Jo is the first to speak up, “If I eat now, I’ll throw up. I just want to shower, pack up, and hit the bed.”
Adi concurs with her, “I agree.”
Tova mentions, “I’m not that hungry, but if you guys want to go grab something, I’ll go with you.”
Most of the guys say they want a small snack, so we make a pit stop by the cafeteria and let them grab some fruit, granola bars, and nuts to munch on.
Arriving back at the cabins, we drop off Adi and Dani-Jo first. There are two Superior Protectors already there outside, prepared to keep watch for the night.
Moseying over to our chalet, we wave bye to the guys as we depart the group. Once inside, I lock the door and ask, “How do you feel things went tonight?”
Dabbing the dampness from her neck, she answers, “I feel like it went great. Even Dani-Jo and Adi did fantastically.”
I walk over and take her soggy towel, giving her a dry one. “Are you nervous about luring the attacker this week?”
She gives me a stern look, as if I should know the answer. “Of course. But I know that I’ll be much better off once everything is done and over.” Peeling off her sodden tank over her head, she muffles, “We’ll all be able to sleep better, that’s for sure.” Now struggling to take off of her saturated pants, she hops out of them, steadying herself on the footboard. “At least I know I will. What about you; what’s your take on this?”
“I’m ready for it to be all over with as well. I’m not looking forward to putting you girls in harm’s way, but like I said before, come hell or high water, we’re taking this asshole down.”
Looking at the door, she takes in all the food, weapons, tent, and other camping supplies. “I’m guessing the other Protectors gathered all of this up for us already?”
“Yeah, Kage had some of the guys stay back and put together all the things we’d need so we can load up the backpack in the morning.”
“Sounds good. I’m going to shower and get ready for bed.”
Reaching for my pajama bottoms, I say, “Okay, angel, I’m getting ready for bed now. I’ll be waiting for you.” I already showered before we went to practice because I was pretty disgusting when we got back from finishing up the loft, and I didn’t really break a sweat watching her kick those guys' asses.
Hearing the water flow in the bathroom, I turn out the lights and crawl under the covers.
I’m almost completely asleep when Tova bounces onto the bed to my right, scaring the shit out of me. Jolting my arms out, my eyes fly open. “Babe, you trying to give me a heart attack?”
Leaning over to kiss me, she cackles, “No love, but you have to admit that was pretty funny.”
Turning over to her side, she asks, “You know you’re pretty cute when you’re half asleep like this?”
Spooning in behind her, I mumble, “Good to know.” I begin caressing her arm idly. God, she feels so soft. I can’t believe that we’ve come so far in our relationship. Fantasizing how our future will look, it’s not long before I’m out like a light.
37
Tova
Hearing that blasted alarm, I grab my pillow and throw it over my ears. The sun’s not even out yet. Pierce removes his arm from m
y side and turns away to silence the alarm. He tosses his cover aside but refusing to move, I complain, “No, you can’t get up. You’re so warm.”
“Believe me, babe, I’d stay in bed with you all day every day if I could. After this Saturday, we have an entire week that we can sleep in and cuddle.” Reaching over nudging my shoulder, Pierce urges, “C’mon baby, let’s get the show on the road.”
Kicking the covers off, I gripe, “Ugh, fine.”
After we’ve tidied up the cabin and packed our camping supplies, we exit. Standing on the porch, the sun finally peeking over the mountain, we scan the area and walk to the center of the circle of log cabins toward the other Protectors. Once everyone is gathered, Kage instructs where we’ll hike to and camp for the next few days. It’ll take most of the day to arrive at our destination. Taking in a deep breath, I close my eyes and tell myself, it’s going to be ok, everyone will be okay, we’re going to end this bastard and make it back here safe and sound.
Sensing my tension, Pierce steps close to me and takes my hand in his, twining our fingers and reaffirms, “Baby, just breathe. Don’t fret. We’re all on your side. Remember, you’re not in this alone.” Squeezing his steaming hand, I open my eyes, staring at the pathway before us.
Arriving at the Iron Gate that separates the outside world from our territory, two Protectors unlock and open it, allowing us to exit. They’ve got their eyes peeled on any suspicious activity outside the opening. Careful not allowing anyone or anything in behind us, they slam the gate closed, locking it after we exit.
Walking into the unknown, I begin to tremble. I clutch Pierce’s hand tightly. Leaning over, he pecks my cheek. “I’ve got you, babe.”
Practicing my breathing techniques, I do my best not to hyperventilate. I can’t let my nerves get the best of me. Hearing some rustling leaves behind me, I glance back, noticing Adi and Dani-Jo are hurrying to get to me.
Dani-Jo pats me on the back. “Girl, I’m scared too, but you know I’d do anything for you. Right?”
Unable to speak, I hum, “Mmm-hmm.”
Adi steps to my other side and takes my left hand. “We’re all in this together.”
At this point, I curl my fingers into the sleeve of my shirt and close my eyes, fighting back the burning tears from erupting in my dreaded fear and anticipation of possibly seeing the attacker, whoever that may be. My mind is processing a thousand different scenarios all at once, causing my emotions to run wild. My breathing is coming in fast, shallow breaths, and my entire body tingles all over. I can feel the blood draining from my face. Forcing my eyes open, the ground beneath me sways, and so do I. My legs barely function as I try to put one foot in front of the other. My eyelids are heavy, too heavy as I try to redirect my attention to the footpath in front of me.
Unable to focus on my surroundings, my feet falter, as everything tunnels, I stammer, “I think I’m gonna…”.
38
Pierce
Shit! Shit! Shit!
Tova’s gone completely limp. Adi and I grab her under her arms, preventing her from face planting in the rocky terrain. Whistling to Kage to stop walking, Adi and I remove her backpack then place her on her back on the ground. Dani-Jo tosses me a water bottle to give to Tova when she comes to.
Holy shit, she looks as white as a sheet. Patting her cheeks, I plead, “Tova, babe. Wake up. Please wake up.”
Adi shakes her shoulders. “Tova. Come on now. It’s ok. We’re all here.”
Tova turns her head slightly with leaves and pine needles stuck in her hair and blinks slowly. “Wha… what happened?”
Cupping her face, I sooth, “Baby, you passed out on us. Can you drink some water for me?”
Adi and I give her our hands, helping her to a sitting position. She reaches for the canteen and sips some ice-cold water. Placing her hands on her forehead and rubbing down to her cheeks, she recalls, “I blacked out. I’m so sorry. I… I just haven’t been outside these walls, and all I was thinking about was what could go wrong.” Tears forming in her eyes, she peers into my soul, beseeching, “Pierce, please… no one can die out here, please not because of me.”
“This person or persons will not stop until we stop them. I can’t promise that no one will get hurt. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”
“I know, and that’s what scares me the most. I can’t live with myself if something happens to you or anyone.”
Adi looking sympathetically, tries to console, “Tova, we all took the position of Protector with the understanding that at some point we’re going to be put into harm’s way. There are no promises that nothing bad will or will not happen. We take the risk, do our best at what we’re trained to do, and go from there.” Pulling her hand, she helps Tova stand, “Now let’s get going. I want to set up camp before it gets dark. Those wild beasts prowl at night, you know?” Reaching over, Tova takes her backpack from Dani-Jo.
Most of the hike to our destination is made up of crunching leaves as we march, squirrels scampering from tree to tree, and birds chirping as they fly in the canopy above us.
As we come up on a clearing, the sun is setting behind a mountain to our west. While there’s still a little sunlight left, we pitch our tents in a circle. Once our tents are erected, we gather stones to make a circle in the center for a fire pit, then we collect kindling and logs for a fire tonight. Once the fire is going, Kage assembles us all together around it to discuss the plan to lure the attacker.
Kage addresses all of us, "Each night we will have six guards rotating watch over the campsite. There will be two men taking watch for three hours at a time, between the hours of nine PM and six AM. Every man will be awake at 6 AM to prepare for the fake hunt. After we eat, we will pack our guns and get ready for the hunt. Around seven AM we will dispersion in different directions. A few men will go in search for quail and vegetation to give the impression that we really are on a hunt. This will also ensure we have dinner each night. The guys that aren't hunting will stay within one-hundred yards of the campsite. We need to be hidden in trees, in the underbrush and staked out in various locations as we wait for whoever is causing the threat." Looking at the men sternly, he continues, “Do not reveal your position until the attackers raid our camp. If you have an ability that you can use on the attacker, then by all means, do so.”
Larson asserts, wrapping his arm around Adi’s shoulders. “When the person assaults our girls, I hope you know we’re going to start an extremely hostile defense tactic to protect them.”
Kage places his hand on Dani-Jo’s knee and consents, “I’d expect nothing less.”
Tova glances at Kage’s gesture, then looks back at me. I’m doing my best not to squeeze her as my arm encircles her waist. I can see that Tova is trying to process what his body language is expressing. I candidly shrug my shoulders. I have no idea what’s going on, but if he’s into Dani-Jo, then obviously that makes this mission more personal for him as well, and that means… no matter what may come our way, this fucker is going down. Understanding that now three of us men are sorely protective over these girls, I let a mischievous smile creep up my face.
Tova pries as she slits her eyes at me in a half-smile, “Hm, I’ve seen that look before. What are you thinking?”
Looking pleased, I inform her, “Oh, just that I’m damn glad that at least three of us see this as a personal mission to eradicate this asshole.”
She glances at Kage, then back to me. “Three, huh?”
Nodding in Kage's direction, I point out, “You and I both know that whether or not Kage admits it, he likes Dani-Jo, and I know him well enough to know that he takes his position seriously. No one in our group is going to let any of you girls get seriously injured, not on our watch.”
"Well, I hope y’alls plan works," she says, wringing her hands together. "Like Adi said, y’all can’t promise anything. We just have to trust that we possess the skills and knowledge we need to fight and defend ourselves against the invader.”
Trying not to
look antsy, she leans back, propping up on her elbow and forearms, and tilts her head up to the clear night sky. Mimicking her position, I lay beside her. She points out with despondency, “You know the stars always shine brightest in the darkest nights.”
I flip onto my side and mention, “That goes for life too, you know? Without the darkness, we’d never fully appreciate the stars.”
Letting out a deep sigh, she turns to face me and reflects sorrowfully, “You know the stars that are shining the brightest are the ones about to burn out?”
The full moon above breaks the blanket of darkness and illuminates Tova’s sticking features. The dejection in her voice and the deep set sadness behind her eyes is tearing my heart in two. I have to help her see that she’s a fierce fighter and is unstoppable. I gently lay my hand on the side of her face and look sincerely into her gaze. “Tova, you’ve been beaten, violated, and shattered into a million pieces. But there’s nothing you can’t do. Day after day, year after year, you’ve always found a way to pick yourself up, stare fear in the face and prove you’re indestructible.”
Dropping her head low, she dissolves back onto the grass saying nothing at all. She only stares upward into the dark abyss watching with heart-wrenching eyes, the delicate dance of the infinite stars that sweep the sky.
Kage stands, instructing everyone to call it a night except for those that’ll be keeping watch. They’re to keep the fire going throughout the night as well as warding off any animals.
I heave myself up to a standing position, bend over and reach out a hand pulling Tova up as well. We crawl inside our tent, get our sleeping bags out, spreading one down to lie on and the other to cover up with. Getting situated on the ground, I open my arms up to her and she curls up against me. I hold her close and graze the hair on the top of her head with my lips. She snuggles in closer to me. I slowly stroke her arm and chill bumps cover her as I lean over, kissing her neck while whispering, “You make me so unbelievably happy. I can’t believe I got so lucky to have you in my life.”
Protecting Tova (Iron Mountain Book 1) Page 22
