Captive (Igniting the Flame Book 1)

by Dani Matthews

  The elevator doors open on the first floor, and Cassius leads me out into a small hallway. I look around with interest, because I’ve never been on this floor. Much to my disappointment, there’s not much to see as I’m lead around a corner and down another hall. There are doors on each side, but the doors don’t distinguish what’s inside.

  We come upon a door that has ‘medical’ stenciled on it in black letters. Cassius opens the door and ushers me inside. I look around the large room that has a medical bed in the center. Along a wall is a counter with a sink, and above are cupboards. There’s a curtain on the other side of the room, and it seems to be blocking off a section. Underneath the bottom of the curtain, I can see what looks to be machinery lined against the walls.

  Anton’s standing by the bed, and a small table has been situated next to it with an assortment of medical instruments laid out upon it. He smiles warmly when he sees me. “Arista, have a seat and show me what I’m stitching today,” he says lightly as Cassius leaves.

  I step forward and sit on the edge of the bed as I hold my left hand out to him. He moves closer and gently eases the paper towel back to inspect the cut. Blood drips onto my lap, and he quickly moves my hand over the table. He replaces the paper towel again, and I reach out to hold it in place.

  “You definitely need a few stitches. How did this happen?” He moves to the far side of the room and begins washing his hands in the sink.

  “I was slicing cucumbers,” I reply as I study him. He’s dressed casually with a white lab coat over his clothing, and he appears to be very familiar with this room.

  After he dries his hands, he snags a stool on wheels and walks back to me, pulling two gloves from the box on the table. He sits and tugs them on before inspecting the cut once more. I wince as he cleans it, and then I sit and watch as he picks up a curved needle and begins stitching the cut from the center moving outwards. He’s being as gentle as he can, but it still hurts. Instead of focusing on what he’s doing, I try to distract myself by letting my eyes roam over his brown hair and features. He’s actually kind of cute, in a nerdy kind of way.

  The door opens, startling me, and I hear Anton mutter a curse as he steadies my hand.

  Lethe stands there, his eyes locked on me. “Cassius said she needs stitches,” he says to Anton.

  “I’m almost done,” Anton informs him.

  Lethe’s eyes narrow on me almost suspiciously. “What did you do?”

  “I went to combat with a cucumber. I lost.”

  He just gives me a look and refocuses his attention on Anton. “Has she received a physical yet?”

  Anton briefly glances at him. “Actually, no. That’s a good idea, though.”

  “Do I get a say in the matter?” I cut in with irritation.

  “No,” Lethe answers. “Give her a physical,” he tells Anton. Before I can protest, he disappears back into the hall, and I glare at the now empty doorway.

  “He just wants to make certain you’re healthy,” Anton murmurs, drawing my attention back to him.

  “You don’t need to do any tests. I can promise you that I’m perfectly healthy,” I say flatly.

  He looks at me, his eyes serious. “I was given an order, Arista. Please don’t make my job any harder than it has to be.”

  “Fine,” I mutter, giving in. “But just a physical. And you’re not looking at anything below my waist,” I warn.

  “Agreed,” he says lightly.

  “Do you have an assistant?” I ask curiously, switching the topic. Maybe he’ll forget about the physical.

  “No. Why? Do you think I need one?” he asks.

  “It wouldn’t hurt.”

  He secures the bandage around my finger and looks up at me with interest. “Are you suggesting yourself?”

  “Me? No. But Tenley would probably be good at assisting. Have you guys considered trying to integrate women further into the clan?”

  He turns thoughtful. “No.”

  I shrug. “It’s something to consider.” I’d like to add that women aren’t living, breathing sex toys. We’re not here just for the sole purpose of their pleasure and carrying their seed, but that would ruin our conversation. I can save those arguments for Lethe.

  Anton nods and focuses his attention back to my injury. “I would suggest keeping the bandage and cut dry as it heals. If the pain worsens, let me know immediately.”

  I nod.

  He rises to his feet and slips off the gloves. “I should probably get a complete medical history from you as well.” He tosses the gloves in the small, waste bin and looks at me.

  “There’s not much to tell.”

  “Let’s start with how many times you’ve been to a clinic,” he suggests as retrieves a tablet from the counter and sits back down on the stool. He turns it on and swipes the screen before looking at me expectantly.

  “I’ve never been.”

  He looks at me with surprise. “Really?”

  I nod. “Any injuries were taken care of by my mentor.”

  “Who was your mentor?”

  “It doesn’t matter. She’s dead,” I say in a toneless voice.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “Was she related to you? I’m not trying to pry, but if she’s a relative, I would appreciate her medical history,” he says kindly.

  I shake my head. “We weren’t related by blood.”

  “It was stated in your information when we ah…brought you here, that you don’t know who your parents were?” he questions.

  “I have no idea.”

  “Is there anything you feel I should know about your health?”

  “No.”

  Twenty-two

  Arista

  I wake abruptly.

  Something had wrenched me out of a deep sleep, and my first instinct is to make certain that I’m all alone in the bed. When that’s been verified, I frown and reach over to turn on the lamp. The bright light blinds me for a moment, and once my eyes adjust, I look around the room. Everything is the way it should be, and the door is closed and likely locked.

  Gunfire echoes loudly from somewhere below.

  The ricocheting sound has me scrambling out of bed, and I run to the door, checking the doorknob. It’s still locked, and I slam my palm against the unforgiving surface. “Hey! What’s going on?” I yell.

  More gunfire echoes down below, followed by a loud boom that has the walls in my room shuddering. The warehouse must be under attack!

  I pound harder on the door. “Tenley!! Let me out! What’s going on?”

  The only sound I hear is more gunfire.

  Damn it.

  That’s when I realize that I’m just standing around in a camisole and panties—my typical nightwear. I need pants. I rush to the dresser and yank open a drawer. After digging around for something I’ll be able to move around in, l snatch up a pair of satin lounge pants and slip them on as fast as I can. I’m going to need shoes, because I’m certain Cassius will be retrieving us soon. I can’t imagine him keeping us locked up here when there are bombs being set off somewhere nearby.

  I’ve just slipped my feet into a pair of sandals when I hear my door slamming open. I look up and see Cassius looming in the doorway, his expression grim. “Let’s go!” he barks out to me. He’s dressed in dark clothing, and I count three guns on him. He’s ready for combat, and that means our situation is quite serious. Thankfully, I don’t panic easily.

  “What’s going on?” I ask as I hurry towards him.

  “We’ve got it handled,” he tells me as he ushers me into the living room. I see Evie and Tenley standing there, both of them looking frightened and rumpled from being woken up.

  Gunfire sounds down below, and Evie lets out a yelp and huddles closer to Tenley.

  Cassius glances at the two terrified women, and his expression softens. “We’ll be fine,” he assures. “Let’s go.”

  He leads us across the living room and into the small foyer. Instead of going to the elevator, he heads for the stairs and typ
es in the passcode. The steel door opens, and after peeking inside, he turns his attention on us, motioning us forward.

  Both Tenley and Evie stand there, frozen.

  I grab Tenley’s hand and hurry through the doorway, pulling her with me. Evie has a death grip on Tenley’s arm, so she has no choice but to tag along. The door slams shut behind Cassius, and he pulls out a gun and starts going down the stairwell in front of us, being careful to keep us safely behind him.

  “Where are we going?” I ask him.

  He holds up a hand when we come to the corner of the stairwell, motioning for us to stop. I come to a halt, and Tenley and Evie do the same. I watch as he pivots around the corner, gun ready in case anyone is coming up the stairwell.

  “It’s clear,” he tells us. “Let’s go.” We follow behind him down the rest of the stairs until we reach a door that has a B on it. “Backs against the wall,” he orders.

  The three of us flatten ourselves against the wall, and Cassius grips his gun and then flings open the basement door. Gunfire sounds from nearby, and Evie screams. I quickly move towards her and clamp my hand over her mouth. We don’t need whoever’s attacking the stronghold to know where we’re at.

  She glares at me and bites my hand.

  I curse under my breath, removing my hand. “Fine, get yourself killed,” I mutter to her.

  “Basement seems clear. C’mon,” Cassius says to us.

  We move into the doorway, and I see that all the lights are on. The basement level is huge, and I mean really huge. A vast variety of vehicles are parked down here, and I realize the basement level is being used as a garage.

  My eyes try to take in every detail as Cassius quickly leads us across the open space of the garage, his eyes alert as he looks around.

  “Where are we going?” I repeat in a low whisper.

  “To a safe house until this matter is settled,” he replies.

  “I thought you said you had it handled,” I retort.

  “We do. At this point.”

  We reach the opposite side of the large room, and Cassius pauses in front of a steel door that has a passcode panel. He’s just typing in the code when another explosion rocks the warehouse, and the basement level is thrown into darkness.

  Evie screams.

  I hear movement, and Evie gasps. “Shh, I’ve got you,” Cassius soothes. “Everything’s going to be okay,” I can hear him promising her.

  Now would be a great time to try to escape, but it’s pointless since I’m not sure where this door leads. It’s best to know the surrounding area first before I try anything.

  I hear the door open in the darkness. “Nobody move,” Cassius warns. More movement reaches my ears, and then I hear a click and a flashlight turns on. I watch as Cassius retrieves two more flashlights from a shelf just inside the door. Beyond the darkened doorway is a steep staircase leading into blackness.

  Cassius looks at Evie, whose face is streaked with tears. “I’ll keep a hold of you. Nothing’s going to happen. I promise.” He then holds out one of the bulky flashlights to Tenley. He hesitates with the extra flashlight before he reluctantly hands it to me.

  I accept it and switch it on.

  Now that we have light, we begin to creep down the stairs as the steel door closes behind us. The air is dank and cool, and something stinks up ahead. My nose wrinkles, but I stay close to Tenley as we follow Cassius down the narrow stairwell.

  “This leads to the safe house?” I ask a bit doubtfully.

  “Oh my God, are we in the sewers?” Evie asks with horror.

  “It’s the best way to travel unseen, especially with the warehouse surrounded,” Cassius replies.

  I tilt my head and peer up at the top of the tunnel we’ve entered. There are pipes all along it, and as I shine the flashlight on the floor, I see it’s wet with puddles. The stench is worse now, and I try to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose.

  My ears strain in the darkness as I listen for any of the commotion we’d heard earlier, but it’s dead silent down here other than the sound of dripping water.

  “This is disgusting. I’m never going to get this foul scent out of my hair,” Evie whines, and she moves closer to cling to Cassius.

  I mentally roll my eyes. She’s worried about her hair, and I’m worried about my life.

  Something skitters across the floor up ahead, and Evie lets loose a shrill scream that has us all wincing.

  “It’s a rat! You’re fine!” Cassius hisses, clamping his hand over her mouth. Her eyes widen in the light from the flashlight. “Can you stay calm?” he asks. She mutely nods, and he releases her.

  “Well, if no one knew we were down here before, they do now,” I mutter.

  Evie turns and gives me a death glare.

  I silently stare back.

  “Let’s go, we’re losing time,” Cassius says, aiming his flashlight down the tunnel.

  As we continue walking, it begins to sink in that this would be a great opportunity to escape Lethe. If these are sewer tunnels, they’ll lead all over the city. I could follow one of these to the street level. This is perfect! Now all I need is an opening to knock Cassius out with the flashlight. It’s imperative that he not see it coming though, so he needs to be distracted. For once, I wish Evie would freak out again.

  Time seems to pass slowly, and we’re all silent as we walk. Tenley’s quiet beside me, and I know she’s frightened, but she’s smart enough to keep silent.

  Something scurries across the floor, and Evie shrieks, “Something touched my foot!”

  Cassius turns towards her, and I know this is my opportunity. While he leans over her, I tighten my hold on the flashlight and slam it against the back of his head as hard as I can. He topples into Evie as he collapses, and she lets loose a scream before falling to the floor beneath his unconscious body.

  “What are you doing?” Tenley asks in a strangled voice, her eyes wide with shock.

  “She’s insane!” Evie cries as she tries to wiggle out from beneath Cassius. Tenley quickly moves to her side and begins helping her clamber to her feet.

  “He’ll come to shortly,” I assure them. I feel bad leaving them temporarily unguarded, but it has to be done. They’ll be fine, I confidently tell myself. My eyes swing to Tenley. “I’m leaving. Are you coming with?”

  She stares at me. “It’s too dangerous out there, Arista.”

  “I’ve lived free for twenty years, I’m not giving that up,” I tell her, trying to convince her that I’m making the right decision.

  “I can’t. I like it here,” she says softly.

  Evie steps forward and glares daggers at me. “Just go already,” she snaps angrily.

  I ignore her and give Tenley a sad look. I’m going to miss her. “Good luck.”

  She doesn’t say anything, and I know she thinks what I’m doing is wrong—yet it feels right to me. I know I have to get out of here before reinforcements come, so I turn and begin running without looking back. The beam of my flashlight bounces through the darkness, and puddles splash as I run through them. I have no idea what is drenching my bare feet in my sandals, and I don’t want to know.

  I come to a skidding halt when I see this tunnel suddenly branches from one into three. Which tunnel do I choose? I guess it doesn’t matter, all three will lead to street level. I decide to choose the middle one in hopes that it’ll lead me further away from the warehouse than the others.

  Something darts across the floor in front of me, and I ignore it. Little rodents don’t scare me, and instead, I think I’m scaring the crap out of them.

  After what feels like forever, I come across a ladder leading up to a manhole. Very carefully, I painstakingly climb to the very top while keeping a hold of the flashlight. I use my free hand to try to push against the sewer cap, but it won’t budge. With much regret, I let the flashlight drop down to the floor below, and I hear it crack on the pavement. The light goes out, and now I’m in darkness except for a hint of light coming from the manhole
above. After I’m certain my feet are secure on the ladder, I push both my palms against the cap as hard as I can. Finally, the manhole shifts, and I grit my teeth and continue pushing until it scrapes aside. I then dare to peek out into the night.

  The street is abandoned, and unfortunately, it looks like I’m still in a bad area of town. Damn. I quickly brace my hands on the pavement and pull myself up. My eyes scan the area while my ears strain for any sounds, but all is silent. I study the dilapidated storefronts running up and down the darkened street. How can there not be anyone around? This is a prime area for squatters.

  There has to be.

  And I need to get out of here before I’m seen.

  I bend down and lift the manhole cover, my arm muscles straining as I try to slip it back in place without much noise. Once it’s secure, I glance around one more time before choosing a direction to run. I need to hide in the shadows, so it’s best to stay near the buildings.

  My heart is racing in my chest, and as soon as I reach the nearest storefront, I hurry around the side and try to catch my breath. This was all last minute, so unfortunately, I have no plan except to run.

  I bite my lip and curse myself. I have nothing to barter with. Shit. I had to take this chance though, because what are the odds that I’d ever get this kind of opportunity again?

  Something moves behind me.

  I spin around, my hands lifting in self-defense, but I can’t dodge the fist that slams into my temple.

  Twenty-three

  Arista

  Pain blossoms along my left cheekbone, and I’m abruptly brought back to consciousness. My head feels like it’s been hit by a sledgehammer, and I wince. What…?

  “¿De dónde es usted?” an unfamiliar voice asks. The voice has a rough textured sound, kind of gravelly, and I can’t place the voice. It is however coming from somewhere above me, and that doesn’t bode well for me.

  I draw in a deep breath and try to sort out what is happening. I recall escaping the warehouse through the sewer tunnels… Shit. I blink a few times and try to look around, but my vision is completely black.