None of the guys around me had suits on, even though I had made some for my guys. They wore masks instead. I was beginning to wonder at first if it was a real attack. I knew though once I counted how many there were around me that it was my guys. I also knew that meant that I couldn’t use my blades, even if they did. Well at least I couldn’t use them on them.
I put my right boot firm on the ground and twisted around once. I heard the click and gave them an evil grinned. They closed in on me and I lifted my left foot. I threw my arms out and tightened my fists so that as I spun around it hit each one. I had fixed my boot so that when clicked into place it would spin me around at a fast pace allowing me to do more damage in a shorter amount of time.
I stopped and fought off the urge to puke. That was something I was going to have to practice at. I heard a blade sing as it shot out of the cylinder. I hit the side of my thigh and watched as their eyes widened in surprise. I loved this.
I had outfitted the back of my suit with a metal shield only with a twist. When I hit the button the shield spread out and emerged from the back looking like wings. I was able to use them not only to shield my back but the front as well. Bringing my titanium blades with me came in handy after all. They froze in place. For a second anyway.
One of them lunged at me and I ducked bringing one of the wings around to take the blow. The metal against metal clang rang through my head but I was up and giving him a round house kick before he could think.
I listened as gasps sounded around me from the ones in front of me when my eyes changed colors and I opened my blade. Slinging it up through the tile I embedded it into the concrete. When I pulled on it, the cord attached to my wrist pulled me up out of their way causing the two that was behind me to fall to the floor.
I had found someone online that knew how to create certain contact lenses. The ones I had in, changed colors to allow me to do certain things without carrying equipment around with me. I could see body heat, live camera feeds, and the view behind me as long as I had my suit on.
I swung myself to the wall and yanked on the blade forcing it to come loose and retract back, allowing me to catch it in my hand. I was still crouched on the wall when they came after me. I heard the call from Dean to restrain me once I was caught. He knew that would send me into a panic.
I crawled up the wall as fast as I could and made it over to the ceiling. They weren’t able to reach me. Once I got a little way past them I stood up and began running as fast as I could along the ceiling. I knew this would freak them out and I hoped it would give me enough of a chance to get away from them.
I could see Dean heading straight for me and knew that if he tried he could pull me down. I wasn’t going down and I refused to be restrained again. We reached the doorway to the downstairs at the same time. I dove forward shoving myself through the ceiling tile and crawled until I knew I was past the locked doors.
I didn’t need to go down there; I just needed to get behind the door so they couldn’t get to me. Dean’s office was on the other side of the wall in the stairwell, so if it came to it I could jump up and go through his office into the panic room. They wouldn’t reach me there.
“Marissa, get out of there now!” I jumped to the floor and stood in front of the door. The smile was gone from my face and I could feel the blank stare that covered it now. How could he tell them to do that to me?
“Marissa, if you come out now your punishment won’t be as grave,” I couldn’t tell anymore if he was serious or not. The tone in his voice said he was but I also knew this was planned. The moment he said it my facial features changed and I could see my reflection in the window of the door. It was scary.
They had always told me that when attacked or feeling threatened my looks changed. I no longer looked like the girl everyone knew but the killer no one wanted to meet up with. My features would relax as if I were calm. There wouldn’t be a smile nor frown on my lips but the look in my eyes let you know the end was coming. I had never seen it. At least not until now and my eyes were focused straight on Dean.
My heart was pounding harder than it ever had. I thought it would beat out of my chest if it didn’t stop. My body felt as if it was humming as the blood pulsated through it. I knew the others were nearby but was uncertain as to where. I hit another button and looked around me. I could tell that on the other side of the door someone was crouched down and trying to unlock it.
There were two on each side of the doors waiting for me. Above me were two more. Shayden must have told them what I had done to my suit. I hit another dial and held my palm out knocking them away from the door. I raised it to the ceiling and began pushing them back away from me. I was trapped.
I only had three options; fight my way out, give myself up, or go downstairs with the dead. I turned and looked down the stairs. I did not want to be down there. I had wanted very badly to see Dad but that wasn’t a journey I was willing to make alone.
I turned back to see Dean pointing the gun at my head. He had unlocked the door while I had zoned out. I felt as if I were going to pass out. How could I have let myself get caught? Even more how could Dean do this to me? I hit the button on the other thigh and a blue glow surrounded me. Even if Dean shot it wouldn’t get far.
I looked around him and could see the guys staring. Each had a deadly look to them. For some reason this felt like it went from play to a serious standoff. I hit the dial and shot up into the tiles again. The gunshot ricocheted and grazed my ear. I hollered out and when I went to grab my ear I hit the dial and fell straight into the arms of one of the guys.
He had known what I was going to do. He knew I was heading for the panic room. And he waited for me in Dean’s office.
I struggled to get out of his arms. I could hear him yelling something and froze. It had done me no good. Handcuffs were snapped around my wrist and held my arms behind my back. This was it, they were going to punish me or kill me one.
The pounding in my chest accelerated and I heard a call come through telling them to stop before I passed out. Even that was too late. I could see the blackness edging my vision, crawling toward the center. My body felt heavy and my head lolled. One thought comforted me as the blackness engulfed me, at least I wouldn’t feel it when they made the final shot.
I opened my eyes to total darkness. My breath caught in my throat and I tried to wipe my eyes to clear away the cobwebs. I was still handcuffed, only this time to the bed. My heart rate picked up. I hated darkness.
“She’s awake. Go let her loose,” Braydon told someone else. Braydon was back?
I was able to take a slow calming breath knowing that not only was I with the guys but I wasn’t going to be restrained much longer. It had been part of the plan.
“You let her loose. I’m not getting killed,” Lorik said in a slightly high pitched voice.
I relaxed my body against the bed and slowed my breathing farther. I had learned this trick from Dad. I was able to slow my heart rate a little at a time. I heard the little beep across the room.
“Guys, her heart rates slowing,” Gabe said from somewhere in the room.
“Do you think she passed out again?” Shayden asked.
“No, her oxygen levels just dropped too!” Gabe said in a panic.
“Crap!” I could hear them scurrying across the room. I could see the lights switch on from behind closed lids. Then I felt the pressure beside me on the bed. Someone touched my arms and I felt the handcuffs come off.
I jumped and screamed at them causing Lorik to fall in the floor and the others to almost jump out of their skin. I couldn’t help but laugh. Although I had never had a tracker like this one on me before the guys should have known I’d do something to get them back.
I got out of the bed and stretched. “Did you guys really have to tie me up?”
“We thought you were going to hurt Dean, Rissa,” Sage told me. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
I walked past the boys, to the door an
d down to Dean’s office. I didn’t even bother knocking. I opened the door and let it hit against the wall.
“Did you really think I was going to attack you?”
“No, the boys however weren’t so trusting.”
I turned on them. “How dare you think I would do anything to hurt one of you?” I spun back around on Dean, “And how dare you shoot me?”
“I figured with all the tattoos and body piercings you have that a slight graze wouldn’t hurt you.”
My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t believe what he was saying. Nor could I believe that he knew of all my tattoos and piercings.
“You could have killed me!”
“No Marissa, I could see you plain as day. Even in the crawl space. You were lit up like a Christmas tree.”
I knew my face was burning bright red. I can’t believe I had forgotten to turn that off. It should have however redirected the bullet, so something had went wrong with it.
“And guys I was trying to get away from Dean not hurt him. If I had wanted to,” I stopped I couldn’t finish that sentence let alone think it.
“She’s right. If she had wanted to kill me, I would be dead. I believe you are all forgetting that I personally trained Marissa.”
I turned to look at Dean. He had stood from his seat and had his arms crossed.
“But it is my guess that is the reason she refused to fight me,” he looked at me with his jaw set and a stern look in his eyes. “Do not ever hesitate to fight me. I do not tolerate my assassin’s running from me. So for punishment you will have to train with me tomorrow for two hours.”
I gulped. Two hours with Dean was torture.
“Would it make a difference if I said I didn’t because I love you?”
“So are you telling me that if you loved someone you would refuse to defend yourself?” He walked around his desk and towered over me. Most of the time I’m not scared of Dean. When he’s angry or when he’s in the directors mood as I call it, he terrifies me.
“I don’t really know how to answer that. Would I allow myself to be abused, no? But.”
“But nothing. If you are attacked, no matter whether it is I or one of them, you will defend yourself. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes sir.”
“Now go back to your room. I will be down shortly for dinner.”
I nodded to him and backed up so I could turn around and leave. When I looked back from the doorway he smiled and winked at me. Dean was strict when it came to business but he was still like a Dad to me and didn’t have the heart to make me fear him completely.
No one said a word as we made our way back to the room. I was glad because normally Lorik’s cockiness would kick in right about now and get on my nerves.
“Do you need to go clean yourself up? I’m sure you pissed your pants when Dad scolded you.”
Yeah, so much for the silence. I wanted to turn around and slap Lorik. When I heard the thud and ow right after that, I knew Shayden done it for me. I just smiled to myself and walked into the room to begin making dinner.