“Clever.” Brooke twisted the doorknob, but nothing happened. “Not again. How much time do we have left?”
“One minute.” I scanned to see if anyone was coming for us.
“Step aside. I got this. We win this one.” I’d never seen Justine’s smile reach her eyes before. She pulled the door off. “Oops.” Justine shrugged and flung it across the room.
I wasn’t sure what sound echoed first—the door slamming against the floor or the unexpected sound of the bullets being fired from the doorway. Justine, Tamara, and Brooke fell to the ground, but before the enemy soldiers could turn the gun to me, I hurled the blue ball at the first guy. The impact of the ball on his forehead knocked him out. Then I took down the other two with my Taser.
Thirty seconds left. I picked up the blue ball and dragged my friends, one by one, through the exit door in four ... three ... two ...
* * *
I heaved a deep breath as my eyes adjusted to the light.
“Well done.” Russ clapped his hands.
The vision of my team getting shot kept replaying in my head. How many times had I done MM? It was silly of me to think they would get hurt.
I relaxed in my seat when Brooke gave me the thumbs up. Tamara smiled victoriously, and Justine lifted her middle finger when Russ faced me, making Tamara giggle.
Russ’s green eyes met mine, gleaming with approval. “You brought your friends through the door. Now that’s teamwork. That’s one reason you were assigned as their leader.”
I kept my lips tight. I didn’t want to be their leader. I didn’t want him to praise me in front of my team. We worked hard as a unit.
“Now. Can you smart ladies tell me why you didn’t anticipate anyone behind the door?”
“Umm ... because there wasn’t one last time.” Tamara shrugged sheepishly.
Russ cocked an eyebrow. “You’re joking, right?”
“Sure.” She laughed nervously.
Brooke gently peeled the tag off her temple. “If you gave us more time, maybe we would have.”
“Not a good enough answer, Brooke.” Russ shook his head disapprovingly and shifted his attention to me. “You need to be a step ahead. Anticipate the worst in every turn, every door, above or under. Wrong moves like that and you’re gone.” He swiped across his small TAB. “Thankfully the dosage of Helix was fine for everyone. Let me know if you have any side effects. Tonight, you’ll be practicing combat with Mitch.”
Hearing Mitch’s name left a foul taste in my mouth. I didn’t know why, but there was something about Mitch I disliked.
Russ continued, “He’s going to review and drill you on self-defense and offense, things you already know how to do. Your team has been designated for a very important assignment. You’ll get more updates tonight. You’re excused.”
“We’re not getting any feedback?” Brooke adjusted her shirt and combed her hair with her fingers.
“I just did. You did everything right, except at the end, when you got shot because you were too busy worrying about getting out on time.” Russ’s voice increased in volume. “You think you’re safe? You’re not safe until you’re home. Understand?” Russ bored his eyes into hers.
“Got it. Jeez.” Brooke craned her neck as if she couldn’t stand to be stared down.
“I’m thinking of your safety. You shouldn’t be ...” Russ stopped, seemingly distracted by something.
If I could fill in the words for him, I would have said, “You shouldn’t be here. You should be out in the real world with a family who loves you. You should be worrying about fashion, gossip, and what other girls your age worry about.”
I would never know what his true words might have been. I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to say what I’d thought. It would only break my heart, because I would’ve agreed with him. My destiny was irrevocable. I had to make the best of it. But again, the hole somewhere inside me, as if I lost a piece of my heart, reminded me I belonged elsewhere.
I wondered if I would have found that missing piece if I had run away with Sniper. Crazy thought. I would not let a whacko and his friends ruin my life. But his words, disclosing we had a past, crazy as it sounded, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
I felt his lips on mine, smelled his earthy scent, and pictured his toned body and handsome face. Then I chastised myself for having such thoughts about a stranger who had tried to kidnap me.
I’m not giving up. This isn’t over. His words echoed in my mind.
Sniper haunted me while awake and in my dreams. My gut told me something wasn’t right. And the what ifs nagged at me. I shoved Sniper out of my mind.
“You’re dismissed,” Russ said. “It’s time for lunch.”
I didn’t say a word to my team as we headed to the cafeteria. On my way, two medical personnel dressed in blue with masks over their noses and mouths pulled a gurney. A white sheet covered it, framing and confirming a body lay beneath it.
Brooke gawked at me, and her bulging eyes asked if I saw what she saw. I picked up the pace to pass the personnel. Justine and Tamara caught up with Brooke and me, and they gave me the same expression.
My thoughts ran wild. Assuming the dead person was a girl, I wondered how she had died. Had she been given more Helix than her body could handle?
“Don’t stop.” I kept my head low and rushed ahead, “Keep your eyes on the floor. You didn’t see anything.”
Surprisingly, they listened.
I entered the cafeteria. Groups of girls sat together, leaving few spaces available. I checked out the selection: salmon sandwiches, salad, and chicken soup.
“I’m starving.” Justine slid her tray next to mine. “Smells delicious, but I’m not a fan of salmon.”
I took a step with the moving line. “Grab it for me. I’ll take yours if you don’t want it.” Beyond starving, I could have eaten two of everything.
After I filled my tray, I scanned the room for seats since our usual spot had been taken by a group of newbies.
Justine growled, marching toward the girls. I stopped her and told her to let it go.
“Here.” Tamara found empty seats and planted herself in one.
“Roxy’s team used to sit there.” Brooke shrugged and sat next to Tamara.
Knowing it was where Roxy’s team used to sit made me uneasy, but since my team didn’t seem to mind, I let it go. The conversation softened, and the forks clanking the trays and glasses contacting with the tables sounded louder than the voices.
“I can never get away from this protein shake, but I wish I had something other than water to drink.” Justine grimaced, taking a sip. “At least give me flavored water once in a while.” She picked up the salmon sandwich and set it on my tray.
“Thanks.” I agreed with her about the water but didn’t voice my opinion.
One of the girls at the table reminded me of Sniper’s friend I had seen at Shooting Stars. They both had dark skin, similar closely cropped hairstyle, and both had heart-shaped faces.
While I ate, I tuned in to the conversation at the table where the dark-skinned girl and her friends sat. I couldn’t help myself; their English accents were adorable. I loved listening to every word they spoke.
“Did you hear?” the blonde asked her friend. “They say one girl got dosed with too much Helix and her body couldn’t handle it. She keeled over and died. With all this advanced technology, they couldn’t revive her. What a shame.” She took a bite of her sandwich.
“Are you sure?” the girl with short hair asked. She scooped up a spoonful of chicken soup and slurped it.
The blonde glanced around and then leaned in. “She was a member of my team. So is Jackie.” She pointed to the girl sitting next to her. “I didn’t know her that long. She was new.”
“How long have you been here?” the girl with short hair asked.
“A few months,” the blonde answered.
The dark-skinned girl took a sip of her drink. “I’ve been here longer.”
“Have you been on
an assignment before?” the blonde asked.
The girl with short hair nodded. “I have with my team, but it wasn’t a big one. Not like the team behind us.”
“Ava?”
“Huh?” My attention snapped back to my friends.
Brooke looked past me to the group of girls and then came back to me. “I called you three times. Were you trying to listen to their conversation?”
Try? I was surprised Brooke hadn’t heard any of it. Their voices were clear as day.
“Sorry,” I said.
Hearing about another death had made me lose my appetite. It could’ve been one of my team members. It could’ve been me. My team had had a higher dosage last time around, but we were safe. Would they triple the amount of serum?
“Anyway ...” Brooke stabbed her salad with a fork. “It wouldn’t be so boring if there were hot guys to admire every day. I’m tired of having crushes on Russ, Mitch, and the celebrities on the net. If I ever tell you Mr. Novak is hot, then you know I’ve gone over the edge. Just shoot me. I’ve been locked up so long any male looks good to me now.”
“Mr. Novak?” Justine schooled her face as if she ate something sour. She stuck her finger into her mouth and pretended to gag. “You’re really desperate. I just lost my appetite.” She pushed her finished plate away.
“Are you guys done? I think I want to rest before we meet with Mitch.” Tamara got up and waited for me.
“I’m done.” Brooke dropped her napkin onto her tray. “Let’s go.”
I went back to my room. The dimly lit hallway seemed as though the walls caved in with loneliness, mistrust, and confusion. Guards lurked everywhere. I thought at one point there could be a sense of home and belonging at ISAN, but I had accepted it was impossible, especially after the encounter with Sniper and his friends. I had been lying to myself.
I gazed around the room where I had tried to make my home for the past six months and the only thing close to making me feel a sense of home was my TAB. Would it have been too much to ask for pictures in my room? I wondered if others did. I knew I shouldn’t complain when kids in juvie had it worse, but at least they didn’t have to kill to stay alive.
Russ would never admit it, but I was almost positive if I ended my contract with ISAN, I would be terminated. Why would they let me live knowing I had a bunch of classified information stored in my memory? But I would never share my thoughts with my team. They had enough to worry about.
I should have been reviewing my notes for history class, but I turned on my TAB instead. A part of me wished for a message from Sniper, and another part of me wished I’d never met him. His words haunted me. His face and his intense, tortured expression stayed with me. I wanted to forget him, but I couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried. Every silent moment, my thoughts were of him. I needed answers but I had no idea what questions to ask, or how to ask without giving him away. My need to protect him boggled my mind.
Obviously, he thought he knew me, but he wasn’t the only one. His friends, though seemingly indifferent, seemed to know me as well. Either they were crazy or I was, but it didn’t make sense. Unless I went searching for answers, I would never know.
I jumped when a message popped at the bottom corner of my screen.
Disappointment flushed through me.
A face appearing on my screen made my heart leap out of my chest.
“What the hell, Russ?” My hand flew to my chest protectively as breaths puffed out of my mouth.
Russ rubbed his face with his hand and sighed. “You told me to give you a warning. What do you want me to do, make some noises, too?”
Russ had called me from his room. His room seemed bigger and the color scheme similar—white walls and a metal door. Boring. I searched every corner of the screen, but no pictures could be seen. Maybe pictures were forbidden. I hadn’t seen any in Lydia’s office either. After all, I wasn’t allowed to have family contact anyway, an unnecessary rule since it seemed none of us had family.
I straightened in the chair, folded my hands on my lap, and gave him a polite smile. “I need more than one second to move away if you’re asking me if I’m undressing. Unless your intention was to see me without clothes on?”
My cheeks burned, and so did Russ’s. Why the hell did I flirt?
I cleared my throat, composed myself, and smiled. “So, how can I help you?”
Russ cocked an eyebrow. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Are you going to answer my question?”
“It’s time.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I powered off my TAB. “Your favorite phrase.”
* * *
My room was the farthest from the classrooms, and I was always the last one through the door. My team was already seated on a thick black mat with their legs crossed and hands on their laps. Their faces seemed to shine brighter with my presence.
“You’re late,” Mitch said.
Mitch wore a black training outfit, something similar to the gray one I had on. When he wore that type of outfit, he seemed less threatening.
“I’m right on time.” My tone was cold as his.
With a knowing smile to my team, I found my place on the mat.
Mitch glanced at his watch that projected out from his chipped arm. “You’re right.”
My eyes widened in surprise when he acknowledged his mistake.
Mitch locked his eyes on each of us, pacing back and forth on the length of the massive mat. “As Russ mentioned before, I’m here to reteach what you already know. The mental training helps you contain your fear and think faster on your feet. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can conquer terror in real life situations, as you have already experienced. I’m going to drill you, knock you down, and continue to knock you down until you knock me down. Now all of you stand and surround me.”
“I didn’t get Helix.” Tamara shrank in her seat.
“You don’t need it.” Mitch craned his neck, cracked his knuckles, and rolled up his sleeves. “If you train without it, you’ll be much faster when you do have it. Who wants to go first?”
Justine stood, lifting her chin with a cocky smile. “Me.” Her eyes grew dark and hungry. Bouncing from side to side, she raised her arms in front of her.
Mitch gestured with a curl of his finger, eyeing her flirtatiously. Lust replaced the fire in her eyes, and her gait was too casual. Justine swung and missed. Mitch had crouched and sprung up to grip her neck with his hand. When Justine swung again, he blocked it with his free hand, then he put her in a choke hold from behind.
“That’s what you get for lusting after me instead of anticipating my move.” Mitch held her firm, his grip unwavering. “How are you going to escape now?”
When Justine’s face reddened, Mitch shoved her. As she coughed, she brought up her knee, trying to reach his stomach, but Mitch jammed her with his elbow. He then swiped his leg, slamming her onto the ground. A hard thud echoed in the room. Justine moaned in pain and rolled onto her stomach. Cursing softly, she crawled on her hands and knees away from Mitch.
“Next?” Mitch said nonchalantly.
Brooke stood with one leg behind her, arms bent at the elbows, fists hard as rocks in front of her chest.
Mitch yawned and glanced about the empty room. “Any time now, Brooke. I don’t have all day. What’re you going to do, bore me to death?”
Brooke’s expression turned baleful, then she kicked high. She missed when Mitch shifted his body and caught her leg. He shoved her, causing her to fall flat on her back. At Brooke’s heavy grunt, I folded my arms and winced.
“Get up.” Mitch’s harsh tone resonated in the room. “You fight like a girl. What kind of assassin are you?”
Brooke growled like a wild animal and charged at Mitch. She jabbed at his face. Mitch blocked each consecutive blow and drove a hit to her chest. Her body curled as she sucked in air hard and collapsed to the floor.
“Better than Justine,” he said. Then he gave her his back, as if knowing she would not rise
.
Tamara stood and did her best. She stood longer than the other two, but she was no match for Mitch.
“Might as well admit defeat, Ava.” Mitch smirked. “Let’s make this easier for the both us. Get down on your knees and beg.”
My body boiled, and not from the humid heat of the training room. He was full of shit, and his chuckle made me want to give him pain. Flexing my fingers, I strategized. He’d never said I had to fight fair.
I swaggered, swaying my hips. Keeping my distance, yet staying close enough to jump at him, I did something he would never expect me to do. I crossed my arms and tugged my shirt off in one smooth pull. He blinked in disbelief and lost a precious second.
I leaped. He assumed I would go for his face when my arms went up, and didn’t block my leg that went for his groin. Unfortunately, I missed his jewels, but I got him good on his thigh—good enough to bring him down. When I turned away in victory, he grabbed my leg and slammed me to the mat. I should’ve seen that coming. I’d given him my back when I shouldn’t have.
Mitch crawled up my leg, using his weight to keep me down. He flipped me over and pinned my arms above me. “Not bad, but not good enough.” His hot breath puffed on my face. “How’re you going to get out of this one?”
As his brash words came out of his mouth, he moved his body to a straddling position. I kicked upward to get momentum and swung forward with him over me. I rolled, and ended up on top of him.
“Just like this,” I said smugly.
Applause got my attention. I peered up to see Russ and Lydia. I got off Mitch, caught the shirt Brooke tossed me, slipped it over my head, and sat next to her.
“Maybe you should be training Mitch,” Russ threw in casually, striding across the mat.
Mitch flashed a dangerous, heated look at Russ as he straightened his shirt. “Why are you both here? I thought you were going to meet with them afterward?”
Lydia’s lips curled with a hint of a smile. “To watch you get distracted by a half-naked girl. Ava, good job, by the way. Also, to discuss tomorrow’s assignment. Might as well do it now since you’re all together. Russ also wants to do another round of mental missions with the girls.” Lydia moseyed halfway down the mat to focus on us. “Ladies, always remember to center your attention on the hands and feet.”