The Protector

by Stormi Lewis

  There was a deafening silence in the abandoned warehouse until Clarice’s hyena cackling broke it. Sophie opened her eyes to find the woman before her with her head tossed back laughing as she celebrated the life she had just taken.

  Mario’s life. The last living guardian Sophie had. The man who had raised her when her parents had been taken from her.

  “Sophie,” her mother begged in her ear. “You can’t!”

  Sophie wiped the blood of her loved one away from her lips. “Watch me,” she growled as she took off like a bullet to take out the murderous woman before her.

  Chapter 12

  T he atmosphere changed immediately, as excitement coursed through Clarice’s body like an electrical current. She quickly kicked off her heels and took aim for the girl rushing towards her. Clarice fired the gun and watched as Sophie simply side stepped out of its path as she continued to charge Clarice.

  “Interesting,” Clarice said as a smile curled up the end of her lips and she took stance in preparation.

  Sophie jumped and jammed her left heel into Clarice’s face, swinging her body around to sit on her shoulders. She yanked the string out of her hoodie and held it over Clarice’s neck to strangle her, but Clarice bent over and flung Sophie’s body against a pillar in front of her. Sophie groaned as she hit and slid down to the floor.

  “I think you underestimate me,” Clarice chuckled.

  “Not as much as you do me,” Sophie whispered as she got to her feet.

  She yanked a button from her jacket and launched it into Clarice’s throat, fracturing her windpipe and forcing her to stumble back. Sophie stood up studying her as she grabbed her throat and gasped for air. She was in no hurry to take this woman’s life. She deserved to be tortured as she had tortured Mario before Sophie arrived.

  Clarice started to break into a gasping laugh. She knew the look in Sophie’s eyes. It was the same look Clarice had when she took her own first life.

  “We’re not so different, you and I,” Clarice gasped with a smile as she stood up straight and she stared into Sophie’s eyes. Adrenaline took over her body, and she no longer felt pain coming from the cracked pipe inside her throat. “You think you’re better than me, but really you’re just like me,” she wheezed as she took stance.

  Sophie looked at what remained of Mario’s body as it laid in the middle of a lake of blood. “I beg to differ,” Sophie said flatly. Her emotions completely numb and lost from her body.

  “If you say so,” Clarice shrugged, waiting patiently for Sophie to come for her.

  Sophie took off running towards Clarice, doing a summer sault, and picking up more speed as she ran. She jumped to kick Clarice in the face again. Clarice countered grabbing her foot and twisting it before flinging her across the floor.

  “Is that really the only move you’ve got?” Clarice asked sarcastically.

  Sophie rolled and was quickly back on the balls of her feet with one hand balancing her and the other arm up in the air. She smiled her Cheshire smile. “I guess we’re going to find out,” she said looking at Clarice with determination. She stood up and took stance.

  “You’re just as cocky and wrong as your mother,” said Clarice with a wicked smile. She quickly grabbed an ice pick from the table next to her and charged Sophie.

  In what felt like slow motion, Sophie blocked every attack and jab Clarice had given her. However, it was the speed that caught Clarice’s attention.

  She quickly dropped to her knees and sliced Sophie’s side as she slid across the floor. Sophie was too numb to feel the blood that now oozed down her side. She simply tilted her head and studied Clarice.

  “Sophie, please!” her mother begged inside Sophie’s mind. Her daughter was no longer with her. “Jack!” Sophie heard Jess call out, but she didn’t care what her mother had to say. She only cared about making the woman before her feel the pain she felt just moments ago.

  Sophie walked straight up to Clarice as she swung wildly to push Sophie back. Sophie just raised her leg and kicked Clarice in the chest hard enough to push her into the pillar behind her and crack it.

  “Sophie, STOP!” her father demanded.

  “She killed Mario,” Sophie responded with no emotion in her voice. She grabbed Clarice by her hair as she prepared to jam her skull into the concrete floor.

  “ENOUGH!” she heard her mother scream.

  A female hand grabbed Sophie’s hand and pushed it high into the air, forcing Sophie to let go of Clarice.

  “Go!” Jess snapped to Clarice over her shoulder.

  Clarice staggered to her feet and took off running. Sophie was right. Clarice had completely underestimated her. She smiled wearily as she staggered out into the dark empty streets, got into her car, and drove out of the city. Sophie was special indeed, Clarice thought to herself as she eagerly headed home to tell her father.

  “She’s getting away!” screamed Sophie at her mother.

  When she attempted to chase Clarice, a bright light filled the warehouse and pushed Sophie all the way to the other side of the building. It took a moment for Sophie to get her bearings.

  “You’re choosing HER?” Sophie cried out to her mother with rage like she’d never felt before.

  “No,” her mother snarled. “I choose YOU!” Jess snapped back at her daughter. “And now I have to see if I can reverse the damage you have already caused.”

  Sophie went to yell a response, but Jess was already gone leaving Sophie to scream into the emptiness. A cry that was heard all the way into the streets of downtown, as she sobbed hysterically for the lifeless body before her.

  He heard the elevator door open and got into position. James’ heart raced uncontrollably out of his chest. The room was covered in candles and rose petals, thanks to Tina. She had bought him a nice button-down white shirt and some khaki dockers so he was a little more dressed for the occasion. James took slow deep breathes as he focused on the pattern on the hotel carpet below him. The door before him opened and closed.

  It didn’t register to Sophie that James was on the floor on one knee with a ring box open in his hand, or the words that would be coming out of his mouth.

  “I know that this is not an ideal situation,” James started, keeping his eyes focused on the floor so that his nerves didn’t get the best of him. “But I have loved you from the first day we met,” he pressed on. “I don’t care who or what is after us, as long as we are together. I want to grow old with you. I want to sit on rocking chairs on a porch watching the sun go down,” James rambled on. “I want to have the love that our parents have, and I know I can only find that with you. Sophie,” James said taking a deep breath, “will you marry me?”

  When he brought his eyes up to meet hers, he stopped breathing. Sophie was covered in blood, and she looked like a traumatized animal trying to escape its hunter.

  “Sophie,” James said slowly. “What happened?”

  Her eyes darted around the room wildly as she kept her back pressed up against the door.

  “Soph,” James whispered softly. “Whose blood is on you?” he asked trying to keep his own panic under control.

  Sophie started to gasp for air and continued to look around wildly. Then she ran towards the waste basket and threw up what felt like everything she had ever eaten in her entire life. James dropped the ring box on the floor and rushed over to hold her hair back. He gently rubbed her back until her body stopped heaving.

  Hearing the commotion, Tina and Ben came through their adjoining door. “What’s….” was all Tina got out. They both froze at the sight of Sophie gasping for air over the waste basket covered in blood.

  “Grab the bag,” Ben ordered Tina. When his wife didn’t move from shock, Ben used a softer tone. “Go get the bag, Tin. Sophie needs us.” Tina backed away in horror and rushed to get the medical bag.

  Sophie’s eyes finally came back to focus as she leaned her head against the side of the bed. The light flickered softly from the massive collection of candles that engulfed t
he room. She felt the soft rose petals beneath her sweaty palms. However, it would be the blue opened ring box and the shine that came from the diamond ring inside that would catch her full attention.

  Tina came in with the medical bag, and Ben ordered James to get a wet rag as he sat down next to Sophie. “Where are you hurt, Soph?” Ben asked gently.

  “My heart,” Sophie said letting out an uncontrollable sob. Ben went to raise her shirt to look, but Sophie grabbed his hand and stopped him. “It’s not mine,” she said blankly staring at the ring on the floor.

  Ben’s stomach dropped immediately taking a good guess on who the blood belonged to. He heard Tina drop to her knees behind him. James rushed in and handed Ben the wet rag.

  “Let’s get you cleaned up,” Ben said softly as he went to wipe the blood from Sophie’s face. Sophie used her free hand to stop him. “We need to wipe your face,” Ben said a little more firmly, fighting the urge to violently throw up himself.

  Sophie continued to stare at the ring box. She let Ben’s hand go free. She still held onto the hand above her heart. Sophie was as cold as death itself. James pulled her hair back as Ben gently wiped away death from her face. She was obviously in shock, but so was everyone else.

  “Sophie,” James whispered.

  Sophie just started to violently shake her head no. James reached out to pull her into his arms, but she crawled forward quickly out of his grasp. Sophie was mentally numb as tears fell silently down her freshly cleaned cheeks.

  His stomach dropped immediately. James knew what was coming, and he couldn’t let it happen. He waited a minute before trying again.

  “Honey,” James whispered softly as his voice cracked.

  Sophie looked each of her loved ones in the eyes. Clarice’s voice rang in her ears. “Love gets people killed.” Panic consumed Sophie’s body and soul as her bottom lip quivered.

  “Sophie,” James begged. “Don’t…” he pleaded reaching out for her.

  Sophie scrambled to her feet and she began slowly backing up towards the door. “I can’t…” she choked out before she grabbed her bag, flung the door open, and was out of the building before any of them could stop her.

  James fell silently to his knees still reaching out for Sophie as he rocked back and forth in silence. His heart completely shattered, and his body an empty shell. He curled up into the fetal position unable to respond to Ben shaking him and calling out his name.

  Tina took one look at her friend and took off running after Sophie. “SOPHIE!” she called desperately to a girl that was long gone. Tina stood in the dark and empty street looking frantically around her. “SOPHIE, PLEASE!” she screamed as long as she could before falling to her knees and bawling as life spiraled out of control around her.

  Sophie was already three blocks away when she heard Tina’s cry of pain wake the dead, but she couldn’t go back. She couldn’t keep anyone safe. They were all going to die regardless. They had a lesser chance of doing so without her.

  Sophie used the crowbar out of her bag to unlock the car and yanked the door open. She threw her bag in the backseat and quickly hotwired the car like Mario had taught her, before heading down the empty street towards the highway.

  “Do you remember the coordinates?” she heard Mario’s voice ask her in her ear.

  Anger built up inside Sophie. “Of course,” she retorted.

  “Sophie Lee,” she heard her mother warn.

  “One ghost at a time, please!” Sophie snapped back sarcastically.

  “How about no ghosts at all!” her mother scoffed in return.

  “Let her be,” she heard Mario interject. It remained silent for the rest of the trip to Colorado.

  The vision of James on one knee, nervously confessing how he wanted to spend forever with Sophie, flashed before her eyes. Sophie gasped at the image as devastation consumed her soul. She numbly reached over and turned the radio all the way up. Britney Spears’ “Oops, I Did It Again” blared from the speakers as Sophie sped down the empty highway, desperately blinking away the tears that streamed down her face.

  Clarice didn’t bother to obey the law as she drove frantically towards the private airport. She was only a few minutes away. Her father would be so pleased with what she had discovered about his precious Sophie.

  The old man had made claims over the years that Sophie would be unlike any other team member, but there had never been any actual proof. Jess interrupted Clarice’s order to drown Sophie on her birthday. Although Clarice had always known Sophie to be faster and more graceful than any human she had ever fought with, it wasn’t until now that she could confirm her father’s suspicions.

  Sophie was able to fling Clarice against the pillar as if she was nothing. Clarice took a shallow breath through her cracked throat and ribs as a reminder. The only question was, did they have to tap into her anger issues to make her “gifts” active, or did she possess them without a trigger?

  Clarice raced up the tarmac, grabbed her bag from the back, and rushed onto the plane. “Go!” she ordered the pilot who waited for her to return. When Clarice sat down, she found herself suddenly extremely exhausted and needing a nap. She pushed back the seat, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

  When Clarice opened her eyes, the same wooden door as before was in front of her. “You’re too late,” Clarice yelled. “Your secret is out!”

  “Open the door,” Jess ordered.

  “Screw you!” Clarice yelled to no one.

  “Open the damn door!” Jess demanded.

  Clarice wasn’t sure what possessed her to actually open the stupid thing, but when she did, she was flooded with light straightaway. Once her eyes adjusted, Clarice found Jess standing before her with her arms crossed and mad as hell.

  “I’m telling him!” Clarice blurted out, knowing exactly what Jess wanted.

  “You know you shouldn’t and why,” Jess said glaring at Clarice. “It will be so much worse for her.”

  “I don’t care about your stupid spawn!” screamed Clarice spitting while she yelled. The venom obvious in her tone.

  “That’s fine. Considering I just spared your life I’m pretty sure you owe me,” Jess said staring at Clarice with heat.

  “I don’t owe you a damn thing!” Clarice hissed.

  “Please tell me what it was that I ever did to you,” Jess said exasperated. “I have done nothing but love you like a sister, Clarice, and you know it,” she said laying on the guilt.

  “Yeah, OH so loving,” Clarice grimaced at her.

  “Seriously?” Jess asked as her anger grew. “I know you didn’t have the best upbringing, but all things considered I did my best to fill your mother’s shoes.”

  “My mother?” Clarice accused. “You know NOTHING about my mother or what she did!” she yelled.

  This screaming match was getting Jess nowhere. She was going to try and have to figure out how to reason with Clarice. The surroundings changed to the training room. A younger version of both of them were practicing their fighting skills.

  “Your ghost tricks have no effect on me,” Clarice immediately retorted as she refused to take in what was being showed to her.

  “That’s fine,” Jess shrugged as she turned to watch the two practice. Young Clarice knocked down Jess before instantly holding out her hand to help young Jess get back to her feet.

  “You were always there for me,” Jess said softly. “What happened to us?”

  “You know exactly what happened,” Clarice snapped. A button that still had a sensitive trigger.

  “I couldn’t stay forever,” Jess whispered. “You should have gotten out too. I’m sorry I didn’t take you with me,” she added.

  Clarice heard the pain in her voice, so she turned away. It was too hard to look at her like this anyway.

  “But you did,” Clarice said quietly.

  “Did you know what he did to me?” Jess suddenly asked her.

  “No,” Clarice responded honestly, unable to look Jess in the eyes.
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  “I didn’t think so,” Jess said.

  Clarice was surprised by the response.

  “He never played fair,” Jess added softly.

  Clarice didn’t move. She knew exactly what Jess meant.

  “You were always the favorite,” Clarice mumbled.

  “You were my favorite,” Jess said with a smile.

  Clarice froze. She’d never been someone’s favorite. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Part of her began to feel warm like never before. The other part was guessing it was a lie to try to manipulate her.

  “I’m not trying to manipulate you,” Jess added.

  “Get out of my head,” Clarice warned.

  “I’m not,” Jess shrugged innocently. “I’m just being honest.”

  “I can’t save her,” Clarice said flatly.

  “Yes, you can,” Jess replied just as flatly. “It won’t bring you what you want,” she added bluntly. “He’s not capable. He never was.”

  “You don’t know anything,” Clarice retorted, although she knew Jess was right.

  Jess sighed heavily. “I can’t make you do the right thing,” she finally said. “It won’t bring you what you want, and Sophie will pay the ultimate price, greater than either of us ever did,” Jess warned.

  “She’s a pain in the ass anyway,” Clarice shrugged, but her heart oddly tugged for the girl knowing Jess was right.

  “Do what you have to,” Jess said full of sorrow. “He’s not going to stop once he has her, though…If I have to choose, I won’t be able to choose you if you continue to try to destroy her,” she said firmly.

  “I know,” Clarice said in a low voice.

  “I will always love you,” Jess added before she walked away.