K: The Awakening (The Shadow Chronicles Book 1)

by K. R. Fajardo

  He continued on at his current pace, finally arriving at the edge of town around late morning; there a band of patrols waited to greet him just as he had expected. “Good morning,” the new chief greeted, stepping forward shakily, “we were not aware you would be paying us a visit today.”

  It was apparent by his awkward behavior and nervousness that he had been informed of what happened to the prior chief. “Is that a problem? I was not aware I needed to notify anyone prior to my coming.” He straightened to his full height and spoke in a low tone, further intimidating the already nervous crowd before him.

  “No, no, sir. You misunderstand me, I was only saying if we had known, we would have been better prepared for your arrival, to make you more comfortable during your visit.”

  “Oh, you mean like the hospitality I was showed on my last visit?”

  The paled expression on the chief’s face was actually bringing him a great deal of pleasure. Crossing his arms, he continued to frown down on the young, inexperienced man as he struggled to find a way of justifying the actions of his predecessor. “Sir, I assure you nothing like that will happen on this visit. I will find you a place to stay myself, and will personally ensure you have everything you need.”

  “No need,” Jarod responded, blowing him off. “I am here to complete a task and be on my way. All I need from you is assistance in transporting two prisoners back to the Tower.” He continued walking through the mass of patrols, parting them as he went. The young chief did his best to keep pace with him, but his small stature coupled with Jarod’s now quicker gait, forced him to nearly jog to keep up.

  “Of course, not a problem. If you wish I can arrange for the cars to take you back so it won’t take as long.” He hesitated, unsure if he was allowed to ask the next question, but after a few moments of gathering the nerve, he went for it. “May I ask who you are in town to get?”

  “The innkeeper and his daughter.”

  He could hear a frenzy of whispering begin amongst the cluster of the patrols following along behind him. Apparently they didn’t like the idea any better than he did. The chief, who seemed to have lost his zeal for conversation, took a moment to process what he had said. “His daughter, too?” was all he managed to muster after a lengthy silence.

  “Of course,” Jarod answered sharply, cutting his eyes toward him. “She is the one who told her father the lie, wasn’t she?”

  “Well yes, but she is just a young girl and still very naïve. Perhaps we can talk to them, there has to be a good explanation for what happened.”

  “A good explanation,” Jarod growled taking ahold of the chief’s jacket. The squad behind him moved as if they were about to intervene, but a harsh glance quickly stopped them dead in their tracks. “You want to let them give you a good explanation? Their lie cost your chief his life, but if you wish to talk go right on ahead and do it. I, however, am here to do a job and don’t really care to hear excuses.”

  A mumble in the ranks of the squad caught his attention. He released the chief and turned on them, scooping up a large officer in the back. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe I caught what you said since I was all the way over there. Would you care to repeat it?”

  The officer shook his head franticly. “No, sir.”

  But Jarod wasn’t taking that as an answer, and reached into the liner of his jacket to pull out one of his blades. “No, I’m afraid I must insist,” he said, placing the blade against the officer’s throat.

  The officer swallowed, his brow covered in a cold sweat. “I-I said how do we k-know it was a l-lie.”

  His blood boiled as he hoisted the officer into the air, his head so focused on the insult and the man who had welded it, he could hardly hear the chief pleading with him in the background, “Sir, sir, please put him down. Let us continue on with the task at hand. Don’t waste your energy on him, he will be properly reprimanded for his insubordination, I assure you.”

  Darkness clouded his vision and his thoughts. Every bone in his body wanted to snap this man in half. Yet somehow, through the blackness enveloping his mind, an image of Maya pushed through. And with it came the faces of K and the others in the clinic. He could only imagine what they would think of him after hearing the first thing he did once he came back into town was to kill someone.

  Yet his pride would not let the insult go completely unanswered. In a swift, fluid motion he threw the officer across the road, his body slamming into a building on the other side, before crashing to the ground. The lifeless body laid there unmoving as his companions surrounded him, checking for a pulse. “He’s alive,” one of them shouted, “but I think he hit his head pretty hard.”

  “Take him to the infirmary,” the chief instructed, motioning to three of the men standing around him. “The rest of you come with us to the inn.”

  Silence descended over the squad as they resumed their journey and it wasn’t long before they neared the center of the town. Judging by the fact that the streets ahead were still congested with people, Jarod had to assume the messengers had yet to travel this direction. It was a little girl holding her mother’s hand that spotted him first and immediately began to pull on her mother’s skirt. Her mother tried her best to ignore her, but the little girl remained persistent.

  “What is it?” the mother asked, annoyed at having her conversation interrupted.

  “Look at that man, Mommy, he is really tall,” the little girl said innocently as she lifted her hand and pointed down the street to the approaching Enforcer and the band of patrols behind him.

  “Honey, it’s not nice to point at …” The mother began scolding her little girl, then she spotted the subject of her daughter’s interest. “Oh no.”

  The rest of the street fell silent as one by one people spotted the group coming up the road. The crowd panicked and people began piling into the various stores and shops. Shopkeepers packed in as many people as they could before locking their doors. In the mayhem of people trying to get away, the little girl became separated from her mother and stood in the middle of the road crying and calling for her. Jarod continued his approach, stopping in front of the crying child as she looked up at him.

  “I can’t find my mommy,” she hiccupped between heavy sobs. “Will you help me find her?”

  Jarod stared down into her innocent grey eyes, nearly the same shade as Maya’s. She was such a tiny thing, with long dark hair neatly plaited into a braid behind her. And as she looked up at him, asking him for his help, it wasn’t with fear in her eyes, but with hope. This little girl didn’t see him as a monster, she had no idea who he was and therefore didn’t fear him. Behind him, however, he could feel the eyes of the patrols, as well as those of the people hiding in the shops. watching on, anxious to see how he would respond.

  “Did you see which way she went?” he asked softly, kneeling down in front of her.

  “No, everyone started pushing and shoving, then I lost her,” she sniffled. “Why did they do that, why did everyone run away?”

  His lips quirked. “Maybe something frightened them, but I bet your mom will be back shortly.” He stood up and looked around; he knew chances were that her mother would not return until he left. “Stay here and I am sure she will find you.” Jarod started around the little girl only to feel a small hand grab his pants. Gasps filled the air surrounding him.

  “Don’t leave me here,” she motioned for him to come back down to her, “I’m scared they will take me away like they did my dad,” she said quietly, pointing at the patrols behind him.

  He peered over his shoulder at the nervous squad. “They won’t hurt you, I promise.”

  “Can’t you wait here with me until my mommy comes back?” More tears had filled her eyes as she spoke. “I don’t want to be alone.”

  The chief, noticing he needed a hand, or perhaps afraid for the little girl, approached from behind him with another officer. “We will take her back to the station; her mother can pick her up there.” He reached down to pick up the little girl, w
ho responded with a fit of panic and latched herself onto Jarod’s neck.

  More gasps could be heard in every direction, one of them might have even been his own. “Please don’t let them take me. If they do I will never see my mom again.”

  Jarod was in a state of shock. No one ever got this close to him, not on purpose anyway. Unsure of what else to do, and afraid of hurting her by trying to remove her, Jarod carefully wrapped one arm underneath her and scooped her up as he stood.

  “Child, I have to go, they won’t hurt you, they will help you find your mother,” Jarod told her as he carefully tried to pull an arm loose.

  “No! I won’t go with them,” she screamed, attaching herself even tighter.

  The chief appeared to be as lost about what to do as Jarod. He was starting to think they were going to have no other option but to force her off, when a desperate voice cried out from down the street catching their attention.

  “Haven, where are you?”

  “Mommy!” the little girl cried. “I’m over here.”

  Haven’s mother came running into view, but froze when she spotted Jarod with her little girl in his arms, tightly clinging to his neck. “Is that your mom?” Jarod asked, kneeling down to place the child on the ground … but to his dismay she would not let go.

  “Yes, but she is scared of them, too,” Haven answered, scowling at the chief. “Will you take me to her?”

  “I don’t think that is a good idea,” Jarod remarked as he continued to try to gently pry her loose, “she might be scared of me, too.”

  “Please,” Haven pleaded, giving him her saddest face.

  He took a deep breath; shooting a brief glance at the mother, twisting her hands anxiously in front of her. “Wait here,” he demanded turning back to the chief, then headed down the street toward Haven’s mother. Despite the obvious fear she was in, to his surprise she remained fixed where she stood. By the time he reached her the woman was almost in tears.

  Haven, still maintaining her death grip on his neck, tried her best to comfort her mother, “Don’t worry, Mommy, he won’t let them hurt us, will you?”

  “No, I won’t,” Jarod replied, lowering Haven down to her mother. She hesitated for a moment, before slowly reaching out and taking her daughter from his hands. “Be more careful with her next time,” he cautioned as she embraced the little girl tightly.

  “Yes, sir, I’m sorry,” she said shakily, “I won’t let it happen again.” The poor woman, terrified to move, looked from him to the patrols behind him. “May we go?”

  “Of course.”

  He watched them as they headed back down the road into the distance, Haven smiling and waving from her mother’s grasp. “Thank you, ’bye, ’bye.”

  As they continued to move further away, Jarod could see the mother was lecturing her little girl sternly. He couldn’t make out any of what she was telling her, but as they disappeared in the distance, Haven glanced back at him, with a confused expression on her face.

  “Let’s go,” he commanded.

  The chief nodded slightly and they continued down the now empty street toward the inn. The rest of the trip went without any further incidents; even the chatterbox chief remained silent as he followed a few steps behind. Jarod could feel the uneasiness as they trudged along, each one of them struggling to rationalize how the man who had lifted and thrown their comrade against the wall like a small pebble, could turn around a few minutes later and be so gentle with a child as small as Haven. He wasn’t sure he understood either, maybe he just had a soft spot for grey eyes.

  “Can I ask you a question?” the chief asked. Jarod figured he had stayed quiet for as long as he could stand.

  He wanted to say no, but instead with a sigh replied, “What is it?”

  “Do you have a child?” Jarod turned around so quickly the chief jumped backwards. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry, forget I asked.”

  The expression on his face made Jarod certain that there was no malice meant in the question. “No, I don’t.”

  “Well I do, a little girl. And watching how well you handled that child back there, it seemed like you had experience.” Jarod remained silent. The chief, seeing that he wasn’t going to continue to talk on the subject any more, continued himself, “Well, if you ever do, I think you might make a good father.”

  Jarod scowled down at the young man whose easy going manner made him feel strangely relaxed. “I doubt that will ever happen.” In the back of his mind he was trying to imagine a life in which he would be a father. The world would have to be much different than the one they lived in now, free of tags and forced labor, formula rationing and slums, only then would he entertain such ideas. The very notion seemed impossible and he shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind of such a ridiculous thought.

  They rounded a corner and Jarod found himself on the street that he had been attacked on. Knowing the inn was around the next corner, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of anxiety in the pit of his stomach as the gravity of what was happening began to become all too real. At the end of the street the garden came into view, where the officer and his steed remained frozen in their valiant charge. Jarod could feel his unmoving eyes locked on him as they made their way to the other side of the garden, shaming him for what he was about to do. Forgive me, he apologized silently, continuing past him, while trying to avoid the fixed stare.

  Behind him the chief was muttering something about a tactical plan, how cute. Without missing a step he barged through the door with the pack of them piling in behind him. The few customers inside jumped to their feet, startled by the sudden intrusion. It didn’t take them long to figure out what was about to occur, and like rats from a sinking ship, they scurried out the door behind them.

  Behind the counter stood Maya’s mother, her face garnished with a massive black eye as well as several other fresh cuts and bruises. The knot in his stomach wrenched tighter as he scanned the room trying to find Maya, but she was nowhere to be had. All he could think about was what abuse she had been forced to endure during the night because of him sending her back to this place. If the damage done to her mother was any clue, and knowing what she had looked like at the clinic, he could only hope he wasn’t too late. He approached the counter, struggling to keep his temper in check. “Where is your husband?”

  She didn’t appear to be either unnerved or surprised by the question. Actually, she was so calm it made him wonder if Maya had not already told her of what was to occur today. She raised a hand and pointed toward the back. “He’s back there, getting ready to go to the factory.”

  “Would you go get him for us, Lila?” the chief asked quietly. Silently she turned and disappeared into the back room.

  “Is there a back door or any other way he can get out?” Jarod asked, surveying the rest of the room.

  “No, this door is the only way in or out from the ground floor, the upper rooms have windows, but he has no way to get to them,” the chief answered, watching the doorway to the apartment.

  A crashing sound came from the back followed by a scream, suddenly Sam appeared behind the bar holding Lila in front of him with a knife pressed firmly against her neck.

  “Sam, have you lost your mind? That is your wife!” the chief shouted as he motioned for the patrols to block the door. “You know we can’t let you out of here, so stop this foolishness and drop the knife.”

  “So you can hand me over to him?” Sam bellowed and gestured toward Jarod. “We all know what happens to me once I leave here with him, and you’ve lost your minds if you think I am going down without a fight.” He pressed the knife harder against Lila’s throat, causing a trickle of blood to make its way down her neck. Lila made no move to fight him. Instead, she maintained a blank expression, her body relaxed, and her gaze locked on some invisible point. It was the face of a woman who knew her fate and accepted it.

  Casually Jarod strolled over to the bar and took a seat. Reaching behind it, he pulled out a bottle of formula. “Kill her
,” he remarked airily as he popped the top and took a drink.

  “No, don’t do that!” the chief protested. “What are you doing? Why would you tell him that?”

  Jarod remained seated, turning the bottle upside down and taking another drink. “I don’t need her, I am here for him and his daughter. Besides, if he kills her in front of me, by law I can execute him on site and then there won’t be any need to arrange for transport.”

  “Shut up you leech,” Sam demanded angrily. “I will do it.”

  Jarod set the bottle down on the bar. “Then do it already,” he goaded, “or be a real man and try doing to me what you did to this woman.”

  “I’m no fool,” Sam smirked. “I think I will hold on to her until I am safely outside, then good luck finding me after that.” While Sam talked, Jarod reached into his jacket and drew out a blade. “What are you going to do with that?” Sam challenged smugly, moving further behind his wife. “You can’t hit me without going through her.”

  “You’re not as dumb as I thought.”

  Sam’s brow narrowed in confusion then rose in disbelief as Jarod sent the blade flying across the bar. It flew straight and true, hitting its mark in Lila’s thigh just above her knee and causing her to collapse to the ground, leaving a stunned Sam without cover. It was the window of opportunity he had hoped for; immediately he sailed over the bar grabbing ahold of Sam and throwing him against the mirrored wall behind it. The force of the impact brought huge chucks of mirrored glass and several shelves of bottles crashing down around them.

  Sam, despite bleeding all over from multiple small gashes, was otherwise unphased. He quickly regained his footing and knock Jarod away. He then leapt over the bar heading straight for the door, tossing patrols in various directions as he went. But Jarod wasn’t about to let him go that easy; he sailed over the bar behind him, and being much faster than Sam, blocked his path. With one swing of his fist, he knocked Sam flat on his back.