“Go get some dinner. And remember, my door is always open to you, Angel.” She gave him a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, before returning to her room.
Chapter Eighteen
The training gym echoed in emptiness as Lena arrived for her first extra-training session. Shivering, she looked across the room, wondering where to start and whom she needed to report to. She felt tired. She didn’t sleep well, instead, her mind ran with thoughts of the last days. Of Dorry, Thora and Gideon. Mostly Gideon. How she would act towards him. If she’d choose to let anger and mistrust lead her, or take control of her life. She’d decided that Dorry was right about anger. She wasn’t going to let it control her. But she didn’t trust Gideon either. The only person she truly trusted was herself.
Not wanting to be reprimanded, she stretched and started running laps around the room. “Stars, this is not going to be easy,” she spoke out loud to herself, hoping to relieve some of the pressure building inside of her.
“Recruit Lena,” the Captain’s voice barked across the gym. Her heart jumped at the sound of his deep voice. She hated that his voice held such power over her. Sprinting across the room, she stopped in front of him and stood at attention.
Neither spoke and Lena wondered if he always woke up this early. Surely, running extra training sessions fell below his rank. Yet he wore a training suit. It was black, like Lena’s, but had large red circles across the front. Lena’s only had the insignia on its shoulder. Looking in his eyes, she remembered the last time she looked at them in Everleigh. His eyes still swam with worry but now showed a glint of some unidentifiable purpose.
The Captain eyed her up and down without showing any emotion. Lena stood at attention waiting for orders.
“Good to know you’re smart enough to warm up,” he said. “You may stand at ease recruit.”
Lena relaxed her stance. Lowering her gaze from his, she looked into the wall behind him. Moments of silence passed between the two before he spoke.
“Since I took the opportunity to enlist you in the Priestesses Defenses, the responsibility is mine to make sure you’re up to speed with the rest of your group.”
“Where do you want me to start, Captain?” she asked.
“We start with running,” his face melted from stern to almost relaxed, and he took off running.
Lena’s confusion skyrocketed as she took off after him. He ran out of the facility, across the dusty training fields. As they approached the gates that led from the facility they stopped. Grabbing her wrist with the cuff, he ran a small scanner over the top of it.
“This will let you exit the facility,” Gideon said. “Once outside, this will let me control your cuff,” he held up a rectangle with a button on the top. “If you go anywhere but where I say, I’ll shock you.”
Lena nodded and Gideon opened the gate leading from the facility. Gideon started running without saying anything further. Catching up to Gideon’s stride, she ran by his side. The smell of the dusty training ground soon vanished as the sweet smell of wet grass filled her nostrils. Neither talked as they paced long and rhythmic. Running away from the black looming facility, across the golden wild grasses, Lena felt alive. For the first time since arriving here, she sensed freedom. Cutting a corner, they turned and started running alongside the border of the forest that encircled the facility. Its gnarled trees looked as foreboding as the Defense Facility itself. Stretching her lungs, she drew in the frosty morning air.
Gideon pushed himself ahead of Lena. She forced herself to keep up with him. As soon as she caught up, Gideon pushed ahead of her once more. How long they ran like that, Lena didn’t know. But she found herself disappointed when they turned towards the gates of the compound again. Gideon slowed his pace, stopping just before the gates.
Both breathed heavily. Lena put both hands on her hips and bent over to catch her breath. She looked up at Gideon. His eyes shone clear and bright as he looked back at her. He had fun running with her, she could tell.
Lowering her eyes, she studied the dirt until she caught her breath. “Gideon, why am I here?” she uttered, raising her eyes to meet his.
His eyes softened for a moment and looked almost sad to her. Gathering his thoughts, he spoke, “You will need to address me as Captain.”
Taking a breath, she pushed away the annoyance and asked, “Fine, Captain,” she annunciated the last word. “What am I doing here?”
He looked at her, opened his mouth to say something then closed it again.
“Captain Merak,” she forced the words to be quiet, but this time couldn’t quite control the anger within them. “What am I doing here?”
“If I were you recruit,” he spoke his words hard and direct. Stepping forward he closed the space between them. “I would stop talking now. Dorry isn’t the only one who watches this facility. And frankly, I don’t want to clean up another one of your messes. This session is over.” Grabbing her arm he led her toward the gate. She pulled her arm from his grip.
“This session may be over Gideon, but I am here and real and in your life. And you may not want to talk about it now, or ever, but there are things you and I are going to discuss at some point because I am done being your pawn in a game I don’t understand.” Staring him down, she saw a whole range of emotions pass over his face.
“We are all pawns in this game Lena, and if you don’t want to be destroyed, you’d best put yourself in a position worth saving,” his words no longer held harshness but carried a sadness. They only looked at each other for a moment longer before Gideon swiped his hand over a hidden identity reader and the gates opened.
***
“This is the Control Room,” droned Wetsel, as he opened the door to the class. “Enter and immediately find a seat.”
Stepping inside, Lena gazed at the familiar room. She’d never seen it in such a whirl of activity. Holographic maps lit the walls. Islands of desks projected images from their surfaces. Blinking yellow and blue lights flashed from every image.
She took a seat between a wall and a soldier named Corgy, the latter, giving her an unwelcome stare. Gazing wide-eyed at the holo-screen already flashing with names, she ached for the information within the Priestess’s systems.
“Ah, welcome Captain,” Wetsel said.
The Captain filled the doorway of the control room. His forehead furrowed as his scowling eyes caught Lena’s. Gideon turned towards the class, his gaze commanding the attention of a room.
“You will use this room only with mine or Wetsel’s instruction,” Gideon called. “Otherwise it is restricted access.” His deep voice spoke with neither anger nor kindness to the class. It almost sounded scripted, in Lena’s opinion.
“This room shows every city on Mir, where the Priestess’s troops are stationed, and any areas of resistance.” He marched around the room as he spoke. “You can also look up any information on anybody who’s lived on Mir, and information on some people who’ve never lived here at all.” He paused and held up his hand. “Those who have the Priestess’s infused tattoos also can be located using the Priestess’s system.” Nodding towards Wetsel, the Captain stepped back.
“I have given each of you an assignment that corresponds with the attack on Everleigh,” Wetsel explained. “You can access your assignment on your insignia. Though you will need to use the system in this room to do your research, if you have any questions, I, or the Captain will be here to answer them.”
Lena opened her assignment.
Map areas of former resistance.
Record their leaders and the effective ways they were terminated.
If they have children, research where those children are now.
Lena started at the center of the resistance, Everleigh. Typing in the commands, the screen started flashing images of the horror that once she called home. Orchestrated with perfection, the bombing of Everleigh seemed like an opening number in a play that continued with execution, torture, and more bloodshed than she had ever imagined. Graphic images flashed ov
er the screen until her eyes burned in the horror of it all. Slamming her hand through the hologram, she angrily shut off the images. Leaning back in her chair she rubbed her eyes, wishing it’d wipe her memories away.
Corgy nervously glanced towards her and immediately back to his screen. “Try something smaller,” Corgy whispered from the side of his mouth, still typing at superhuman speed. Not sure what he meant, she just stared at him. “More specific,” he added annoyed. “Type the name of that girl were all suppose to be looking for.”
Turning on the hologram, she punched in the letters to her name. E-V-A-N-G-A-L-E-N-E. The computer flashed with screen upon screen of information. On the top of each page, a bold message flashed in blood red writing. “Wanted by the Most Honorable Priestess.” A young photo of her accompanied it. She compared the photo to her current self. Her cheekbones now sat high on her face and her jawline formed, distinct and sharp. Her untamed frizzy hair of her childhood, she now wore pulled back in a tight bun. But when loose it hung in waves down her back. Not to mention she’d grown at least three inches taller and no longer carried the form of a child.
Snapping back to the present, Lena scrolled through the defense’s information on her. Maps of places the defenses searched for her, theories of how she’d escaped, and people outside Everleigh connected with Lena or her family.
Thora told her that the Priestess’ pride kept her from looking inside her own military for Evangeline. If that theory held true, the places searched for her as a child must hold resistant forces of some kind. She figured she’d start mapping those places first.
It took all she had to keep her emotions in check as she mapped the towns and their leaders. Every one of them Lena knew personally. Running her fingers over the names Lena froze on one. Jirou Menkar and his daughter Suki Menkar. Lena read that after Jirou’s capture, the Defenses tortured and killed him. Skimming the information on Suki, Lena scooted to the edge of her seat. The information was incomplete. It showed the video of Suki and Migel in the Everleighan square, drawing the troops away from Lena, then no more information.
Lena’s fingers worked as fast as possible. Where was she now?
“Corgy,” Lena whispered out the side of her mouth.
Not stopping what he was doing, he turned his eyes to look at her.
“Is there any way I can search the database for people in the Priestess’s prisons? I mean, is there a record somewhere of where people are taken?”
He rolled his eyes but slid his chair next to her, and easily opened a screen that searched prisoners.
Lena typed in the name, Suki Menkar. The screen was blank. The priestess didn’t have her. Nor did they have information of where she went. The Priestess kept track of everything. Why didn’t she record this? Lena’s mind raced with possibilities. The only one making sense to her was that Suki somehow escaped the attack on Everleigh. And the Priestess never records her weaknesses.
“Shhh,” Corgy hissed next to her. Lena realized she’d let out of laugh of relief as she grinned at the screen. Biting her lip she rolled closer to her hologram screen and continued her search.
The excitement from Suki grew dim as she continued her search. Death, torture, photos so graphic the imagery haunted her.
Scrolling across the names, she paused again. Gideon’s name was nestled amongst the names of people associated with Everleigh. Clicking it, Lena saw a photo of Gideon. She guessed it was taken when he’d become an officer. His eyes stared straight into the camera with haunting clarity. He looked younger than now but wore the full uniform of the Interplanetary Military Academy. Her eyes jumped over the screen.
Pledged allegiance to the Priestess.
Infiltrated the enemy as a child.
Shot Evangeline Adhara.
Left for off planet training per Priestess’s arrangements, the morning after the Everleighan attack.
Currently serving as Captain of the Defense training facility.
A geyser of questions about Gideon burst from the corners of her mind, drowning out any other worry of the day.
A dark shadow crossed her screen, giving Lena a painful shiver. After all she’d seen, she felt somewhat jumpy. The Captain stood over her, looking at his photo on the screen.
“See something you like?” he said reaching over her to turn off the image. “That information is restricted access.”
Glancing around, Lena saw the empty room. So absorbed in her assignment, she had failed to hear the class’s dismissal.
“How did you pull if off, Gid?”
“You may call me Captain, and clearly you don’t understand the concept of not talking where others can hear.”
Lena felt beyond frustrated. She wanted to scream at Gideon to talk to her. To tell her something. Anything. She bit her bottom lip in an effort to keep calm.
Gideon stared at Lena’s screen, silence simmering between them. After a moment that seemed like years, Gideon spoke. “Someone is waiting for you outside.”
“Who?” she asked. Gideon, no longer listening, walked away.
Chapter Nineteen
Lucius waited for Lena outside the classroom. The hall buzzed with activity. She walked past him, ignoring his glare, and into the crowd.
“Recruit.” Lucius stood behind her. Hiding her annoyance, she turned as if meeting a friend.
“Lucius, to what do I owe this pleasure?”
Looking at him, Lena wondered if his face held any other expression besides the squished malicious one he always wore.
He didn’t answer her jibe. He placed his hands behind his back and started pacing back and forth in front of her. Lena thought he looked ridiculous.
“As you are well aware, I’m working toward a position of leadership among the recruits.” His haughty, arrogant voice grated Lena’s ears. The hall gradually grew silent, and several recruits closed in on them to hear the conversation.
“Are you now?” she responded. Annoyed and frustrated, Lena turned and started walking away. She scanned the hall, looking for any escape option available. Lucius caught up to her, matching his stride with hers.
“Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to find out as much as I can about my fellow soldiers,” Lucius added, keeping in step with her.
“No doubt to manipulate and mastermind their lives,” Lena thought annoyed.
“Oddly enough, no one has any information on our little servant girl, including the Priestess’s own system. And why would she really, have information on someone as insignificant as you? Nevertheless, it is my duty to find out all I can. Therefore, if you would answer my questions…”
Lena tried to interrupt and make an excuse to leave but Lucius didn’t give her the chance.
“Where are you from?”
Lena stopped walking and turned towards him. “The kitchen,” she answered with a snarky tone. He glared, un-amused but took a step backward.
“Where did you come from before the kitchen?” He already sounded exasperated.
“Usually my bedroom, but sometimes the halls, or the courtyard. It all depended on what I needed to accomplish that day.” Lena replied.
“Don’t play with me servant. I know you’re not what you seem. If you don’t tell me what I want to know of your own free will, you’ll regret it. I have ways to get the information I want.” He stepped towards her in a poor attempt to show power, then back again when he noticed how close he was to her reach.
Lena knew she still held all the cards. No one knew about her here or anywhere. Well, no one but Gideon and Thora, and probably Dorry. With her mind spinning, she came up with a plan that she hoped would satisfy him.
“I can’t say where I came from,” she held up her hands and shrugged her shoulders.
“Who are your parents then?” he demanded
“My parents?” she raised her eyebrows in amusement. Behind Lucius and through the crowds, Thora stood at a servant’s entrance, her eyes penetrating Lena’s. Sending her a message not to let Lucius get the best of her.
“Lucius, my parents died when I was young. I’m a servant; I wouldn’t be able to give you information on them, even if I had it. As for the person who raised me, that would be Thora.” She nodded through the crowd towards the door where Thora stood. As mad as she felt towards Thora, she knew Thora wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Not today anyway.
Any patience Lucius had earlier faked dripped away as his face started to turn red and blotchy with anger.
“How did you learn to fight?” He shouted, moving in front of her, stomping his foot into the ground. “Servants aren’t normally taught to fight. Yet you seem to know well beyond the basics.”
Raising her chin, she looked at him with fury in her eyes, refusing to be scared. Lucius’s friend’s gathered in a tight ring behind him. “Lucius, it’s just like I told Ameena, I programmed a hologram to spar with me.”
“You’re hiding something and I’m going to find it.”
Lena felt sick. The whole hall looked on with eager anticipation as her mind raced for a solution. She stood alone. And while a few recruits stood with Lucius, the rest acted too scared or curious to stand against him.
“Luciu….”
“I’m going to find it,” His face slipped from anger to malice bordering on excitement. “And then, I’m going to destroy you.” Standing in front of her he looked like a devil. No love or kindness sizzled from anywhere inside him. He stood on pure hatred and fear and loved the power of it all.
Her blood raced, but she wasn’t going to let Lucius scare her. They stared each other down, neither saying a thing as the tension rose like smoke in a volcano, threatening to explode.
“Recruit Lena, Recruit Lucius,” Thora called through the hallway. Lena snapped her head toward the direction of the voice. Thora stood tall, her arms resting on her hips as she watched at the two.
“Thora,” Lena responded. Lucius glared without saying anything.
“Recruit Lena, I assume you are on your way to your room to study during your free time. Though spoken as a question, it rang clear as a command to leave. “I suggest you get there, before I report this incident to the Captain,” Thora ordered. Several in the crowd chuckled, as the recruits started to disperse towards their classes.
The Angel and the Warrior (The Mir Chronicles Book 1) Page 10