“Wha’ about the fourth team sir,” the words came from the same girl Lena saw wiping her eyes. “The team chasin’ the young girl across the rooftop?” Lena’s heart dropped as she peered beyond the door at the image projected from the girl’s insignia. She’d never heard this part of the lecture. In fact, she felt sure it wasn’t part of the lecture at all.
Wetsel raised his eyebrows. “Now we have someone who knows how to catch detail. Never in my three years teaching have I seen a student catch that before. In fact, let’s bring it up on the screen, shall we? You may follow along on your own projections if you’d like. Birdee, would you like to continue?”
Lena peeked around the doorframe again. There she was, in her beautiful pink lace dress her mother bought her, running barefoot across the rooftops.
“Now ya see her here, dartin’ across the roof. She’s smart see, cause she’s familiar with the territory,” Birdee used a laser to point to the spot on the hologram. “She gets ta the exit door before the tactics team in charge of her can scramble up the quartz building to the roof. It takes them a few minutes to find where she went. They probably should have done a little more research about their young target but it seems like luck was on their side that day.”
She stood frozen in the doorway, struggling to breathe as she watched from the sky the scene that so long lived in her head. Her heart raced, and she felt her nails digging into her palms.
“Well, ya can’t see much. See, the smoke blocks the satellite imagery. But if you look here,” She pointed to a small opening in the smoke. “You can see she’s on the ground now, running towards something or someone. Now I personally seem to think that it’s a someone. Her action seems to indicate that it’s someone she trusts. Look how she runs toward the person without hesitation.”
Lena moved out of the doorway. Leaning against the wall she closed her eyes as memories of that run flooded her mind. Gideon’s eyes, filled with worry, and his strong arms wrapping protectively around her. Then seeing the Priestess’s insignia on his shirt. Wetsel would say his infiltration also had been perfect. Lena’s chest tightened thinking of him. She wanted to both scream and cry at his perfect betrayal.
“Now once again everything is obscured by smoke and debris. But there is a moment, though not clear, you can see an outline of a body on the ground.”
Without thinking, she touched the spot on the left side of her chest where the bullet went through. Thora told her the bullet missed anything vital and came clean out the back of her shoulder. The shock of the impact had left her unconscious. Thora told her she was in and out of consciousness for a week.
“Now here comes the tactics group, converging on the site of the body I just pointed out.”
“Hmm, mostly well done,” Wetsel replied, “Can anyone tell me what Recruit Birdee left out?” He paced in front of the class between the image and the first row of seats, looking down his nose at the group in front of him.
The students sat, silent, as heavy footsteps tromped down the stairs towards the front of the class. “Captain, perhaps you’d like to show us.”
Lena glanced around the corner. The Captain faced away from her with Wetsel standing between them. Looking to the image, a thick layer of smoke concealed the girl. The Captain sped up the feed until the smoke cleared. The body was gone. In its place, several black-clad figures lay motionless on the ground. It didn’t take a genius to know that they were the tactics team following her.
“Captain. I don’t suppose you can tell us where the tactics team went wrong?” Wetsel questioned.
“That sir, is the million stars question,” The Captain responded. “It seems like you, of all people, would jump at the opportunity to use that piece of information to your benefit.”
A chuckle spread through the classroom at the jab. “This is an image of the girl,” The Captain announced.
Still standing at the edge of the doorway, Lena stared wide-eyed at her younger self. The image showed her standing next to the lake, smiling her big toothy grin as her hair hit her shoulders in a wave of brilliant messiness. Lena knew her hair always looked that way when she let it dry without fixing it. Moving away from the door she continued listening.
The Captain continued. “The big question is, what happened to the girl of Everleigh?” Pausing for a non-expectant answer he continued. “From the view Recruit Birdee showed us, to this one, all that can be seen is dust and ash. When the air clears enough, the body is gone, replaced by the tactics team responsible for her capture. The Priestess has launched an extensive search for this girl that all of you will be involved with upon graduation. The Priestess has promised a place in her court to anyone who finds the girl.
Waves of excited chatter filled the classroom as Lena’s soul soared in unbridled alarm.
“Whoever has her, sure’s gone through a lot of effort to keep her hidden,” Birdee’s voice alleged, catching the attention of the class. “Which means fer some reason they think she must be a threat to the Priestess.”
“That’s why we must find her,” the Captain replied.
Chapter Thirteen
Lena pushed away the panic growing steadily inside her and quickened her pace through the shadowed servants’ halls. Since hearing the Captain announce the reward for her capture, the day had been filled with the constant fear that someone would figure out her true identity.
“Oh girl,” Thora told her after hearing the news. “They will not find you here. Because they will not think to look at what’s right in front of them.” Then, with the eyes of a tender mother, she placed her hands around Lena’s shaking ones. “You are brave and strong. Be prepared for anything but do not let fear control you.”
She’d promised Thora not to let the fear control her, but walking alone, at night, down a dark hall didn’t make it easy. Her nerves kept her feeling jumpy. Glancing over her shoulder, Lena surveyed the hall. She thought she heard voices but couldn’t see beyond the curve in the wall. She flexed her hands, trying to relieve the tension she felt. It didn’t work. “Surely this is my imagination,” she told herself. Moving faster, she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. The whispers grew louder. Not only louder, but they now came from both directions. Sharpening her senses she pressed herself against the wall, “Ok, this is definitely not my imagination.”
From the sound of approaching footsteps, she knew they were just around the curve out of her sight. The nearest exit was past them, at the end of the hall’s arc. Her mind scrambled as she forced herself to reason. “How did they get in here?” Taking a calming breath she continued her line of thought. “They couldn’t possibly be part of a tactics team coming to get me. That would require real soldiers. Whoever is surrounding me is too loud. This group screams amateur. It screams Lucius.”
Just as she thought it, Lucius stepped into her line of sight. Stopping in the middle of the corridor, his three friends surrounded him followed by several others he must have recruited. Lena need not turn to know the whispers behind her blocked any chance of escape.
She stepped away from the wall, determined not to show fear. “Can I help you with something?” she asked, relieved her voice sounded stronger than she felt.
Lucius walked toward her, evil in his eyes. Without a word he grabbed Lena’s arm, slamming her against the wall. Pain seared through her back and the snickers of his equally horrible followers echoed across the hallway.
“I’ve had enough of you, Servant,” Lucius growled. Grabbing her other hand he pinned her arms to the wall on each side of her.
Lena gasped and struggled against his grip. Laughter surrounded them as she looked around wildly for help. The crowd stood unmoving. Their eyes looked wild in nervous anticipation for what Lucius would do. No one stepped in to help. Defense training flooded her memory. Her eyes locked on Lucius as her bottled rage slowly bubbled to the surface. She pulled against Lucius’ grip. “If I were you, recruit,” Lena said, moving her eyes to his, “I’d leave now.”
Laughter f
illed her ears as Lucius moved in closer. He pushed her harder against the wall. Leaning in so close his foul breath hit her face as he spoke, he answered, “And what if I don’t?”
Lena’s rage exploded. Kneeing Lucius between the legs, she twisted free of his grasp and plunged her elbow into the side of his head. From the corner of her eye, she saw Boarde coming at her from the side. In one motion she grabbed Lucius’ arm and kicked her legs into Boarde. The rebounding force made it easy to twist Lucius arm behind him until he let out a strangled cry. Throwing him to the ground Lena looked around the crowd surrounding them. They stood unmoving. Lena put her knee in the center of Lucius’ back and leaned in close to his ear. “Don’t you ever, ever, mess with me again.” Furious, she drew her breath. “Do you understand?” She pressed her knee harder into his back.
“Attention!” A voice commanded.
Lena turned to ice. His voice. The voice. The exact one she searched for, stood unseen behind her. And like a puzzle coming together she knew where the voice belonged. The Captain’s voice and the voice that came from Thora’s room belonged to the same person.
With her heart pounding, she raised her eyes towards the soldiers standing silently around her, desperately searching for a way out of this one. Lucius, still beneath her, groaned. Releasing her hold and rising from the floor, she saw Jonah, standing at attention, and recalled his voice yelling her name moments before.
Lena stood tall. She still faced away from the Captain and wondered if she should turn to face him like the rest of the soldiers. He answered by stepping in front of her. All she could see now was his back.
“What is going on here?” he shouted.
“The girl attacked me,” Lucius panted, rising to a seated position.
“That’s not the whole story and you know it, Lucius,” Jonah yelled.
Fury broke out as each soldier yelled the story, all making Lena sound the attacker. All but Jonah. His eyes filled with worry as he looked into hers.
Lena stood still, not daring to speak.
“Attention!” the voice yelled. All soldiers snapped back into place.
“Let me get this straight,” he said. “The girl, who by the looks of things is no more than a servant, attacked you?” the disbelief in his voice was obvious.
“Yes, sir,” Lucius spoke. “This girl needs to be shown her true position and be disciplined, Captain.”
“What’s your name, Soldier?” his voice sounded young, yet full of authority.
“Lucius, Captain,” he said now rising tenderly off the floor.
“Son of Nagar, of the Priestess’s Court?” he asked.
“Yes, Captain” Lucius smirked, standing taller and more arrogant.
“Tell me, Lucius, how one of such high class and training came to be in the servants’ wing, with all his friends?” the Captain commanded.
Lucius choked, unprepared for such questioning.
“And tell me how a tiny-waisted servant girl was able to get through your group of fellow soldiers, close enough to attack you, and was then able to pin you, a soldier, to the ground?” His words started to hold anger.
“Captain, it’s not fair. I am a soldier. She is a servant. You should be listening to me, not her,” Lucius whined.
“If I recall correctly,” the Captain fumed, “the servant has said nothing.”
“Servant,” the Captain spoke. He turned towards Lucius. Lena saw the side of his face, his jaw looked chiseled. “This soldier says it isn’t fair and that you caught him unaware. Do you have a response?” His arms crossed in front of him. She couldn’t see his whole face without moving.
“Captain, what the soldier says is true. I did catch him unaware,” Lena responded. She heard the recruits around her gasp at the unexpected answer.
“And did you think your attack on the soldier was fair?” He continued his questioning.
Lena took a steadying breath, “No, Captain. It was not fair. He had no idea of my abilities and, therefore, was far out skilled.”
Jonah chuckled, making her smile.
Sneaking a glance at Lucius she saw him, turning purple in anger. “That is not fair Captain,” Lucius stuttered. “ My skill is far above…”
“Silence recruit,” the captain demanded. “It is clear to me what happened here. But if fairness is what you want, soldier, let’s make it fair.”
“It’s about time,” Lucius huffed.
The Captain paced in front of her. Looking towards the recruits he declared, “In order to quell this recruit’s anger and even out the fighting field,” he paused, and turned to face Lena straight on. “Servant Lena, you are now recruited as a volunteered soldier in the Priestess’s Defenses."
Lena’s heart stopped beating. Her breath caught in her throat. Instinct told her to run. But shock kept her feet firmly in place. Deep brown eyes stared emotionlessly back at her. And though older, his face was burned into her memory. She forced herself to take a breath. “Gideon?” she whispered?
Chapter Fourteen
Gideon showed no signs of recognizing her. He just stood in front of her with his arms crossed over his broad chest, glaring. No one around them spoke as a sea of questioning eyes bore into them. Panic swept through her.
“Dismissed,” he barked, breaking their gaze. “Recruits, return to your rooms,” the anger in his voice left no room for argument and the recruits dispersed to different exits. Lucius moved more slowly than the rest, staggering past the two, glaring at her as he walked behind the Captain.
The Captain filled his chest with air, then without saying anything more, turned on his heels and walked away.
Lena held her breath as she watched him leave. He looked different than she remembered. His once lanky body was now chiseled with muscles. His long hair, cut short. And he somehow seemed shorter than she remembered, but realized it must be how she’d grown. There was no way he was going to just leave her without explanation. She took a step after him at the same time someone grabbed her arm.
“Lena, are you ok?” Jonah questioned, eyebrows raised in concern.
Releasing her breath, Lena looked at Jonah. Her brain felt so overloaded she didn’t know how to respond.
“I can’t believe what just happened.” Jonah hooted. “And I can’t believe you never told me you were so tough. Man, to see Lucius thrown to the ground like that. It was priceless.” Laughing out loud he added. “ Did the Captain really just volunteer you into the Priestess defenses?”
Lena felt tongue-tied. She didn’t know how to answer.
“Soldier Jonah,” the Captain shouted, turning back toward them.
Both Lena and Jonah jumped to meet their Captain’s gaze. Lena’s heart pounded, looking at her childhood friend. She felt conflicted. He had betrayed her, and then shot her, and then hid her. And now he enlisted her into the Priestess’s army. Part of her wanted to punch him, the other to hug him.
“As it seems that you and the servant are already acquaintances, I am making it your duty to accompany the new recruit back to her room,” he spoke, glancing toward Lena.
She saw a brief catch in his breath before he continued speaking, “I’ll send someone to you with further instructions. I’m afraid I may have caused some uproar among the new recruits. And though it is obvious Recruit Lena can take care of herself, it would be much to my satisfaction that she is not cornered and attacked again.” He glanced at Lena before spinning on his heel and marching away.
***
Lena sat on her bed. A fog of anger and confusion swirled uncontrollably through her thoughts. The memory of Gideon’s betrayal reopened a wound she hoped never to feel again.
A knock came at her door. “Go away!” she yelled. Falling into her mattress she put the pillow over her head. The door slid open. Thora walked in. A stack of folded clothes rested in her arms—uniforms for new recruits. Thora set them on the bed next to her. Lena sat up clutching the pillow.
“I’ve been asked to bring you these and tell you to report tomorrow morni
ng at six,” Thora said. Lena stayed silent, her eyes focused on the floor. She felt Thora’s eyes studying her. “Do you have any questions?”
Anger welled within Lena and she jumped off the bed. “You’ve known Gideon this whole time, and you kept it from me,” she yelled. Turning away from Thora, she wrapped her arms around her waist. Holding tight, she fought the tears she felt coming. “You knew he shot me, Thora.”
“He saved you, Lena. Gideon is not your enemy,” Thora said.
Lena didn’t believe her. Wiping her nose on her sleeve she looked away.
“Lena, you’re angry. A lot of unexpected things happened tonight. And even more things are happening that I can’t explain.”
“Can’t? Or won’t” Lena snapped back.
“The Priestess still looks for you, Lena, which makes you very valuable.”
Mistrust filled her. “Is that why you chose to hide me? Because I’m valuable?” Lena’s voice shook.
Thora stared back at her, a look of determination on her face. She leaned towards Lena and pointed a finger at her face. “Taking you into this facility against the Priestess’s knowledge was treason. If she found out, all our lives would be in serious danger.” Dropping her hand, she continued. “Not just yours or mine or Gideon’s, but this whole facility. The Priestess would destroy everyone. Everything. She doesn’t take betrayal lightly.” Thora held Lena’s gaze. She saw fear in Thora’s eyes.
“There are people here I’ve vowed to keep safe. If you do anything that will threaten their safety, the Priestess will be the last of your concerns.” Thora paused for a moment, then continued. “The rules remain the same, Lena. You have to find a way to stay hidden in plain sight or you’ll have the death of hundreds of people on your hands.”
Thora looked different to her now. Thora was no longer a servant who helped her because she hated the Priestess. Thora was now a fighter, a protector. Lena’s thoughts were cut short as Thora took a step towards her. Lena couldn’t help but jump back. Thora grabbed her arm and clamped an electronic cuff around her wrist, the kind of cuff that kept you confined to a certain area.
The Angel and the Warrior (The Mir Chronicles Book 1) Page 7