Jack of Hart- Wild Card

by Violeta Bagia

  ‘Not yet.’ I focused harder. ‘They’re trying to fight me.’

  ‘Can they do that?’

  ‘Well they can try, they won’t succeed. Give me a minute.’

  He nodded and stepped back.

  Xiao and Liu relaxed into my hold and both men slumped back in their seats. ‘What is in this safe?’

  Xiao spoke first. ‘Plans for a biochemical weapon.’

  Matt’s eyes shot to me.

  ‘Whose?’

  ‘I don’t know. I only caught a glimpse.’

  ‘What else did you see?’

  ‘Something about a girl.’

  ‘What girl?’

  ‘Ace Hart.’

  I pushed back from the table and ran a shaky hand through my hair.

  ‘Hey, you okay?’

  Ignoring Matt, I moved back to Xiao. ‘What did it say about the girl?’

  ‘She is the key.’

  ‘To what?’

  ‘To Project Adam.’

  My eyes snapped back to Matt. This was not happening.

  ‘What do you know about Project Adam?’

  Xiao looked at me, his eyes vacant and unseeing, Liu’s too. No. Come on. Just a bit longer.

  ‘What do you know about it?’ I asked again, pushing deeper and deeper.

  Xiao’s eyes began to twitch, and his hands shook. ‘It is a part of…the Legion.’

  ‘The Legion? What is it?’

  Matt grabbed my shoulder and I pushed him back.

  ‘What is Project Adam designed for?’

  ‘Ace!’ Matt hissed, ‘You’re killing him. Stop.’

  ‘No.’ I ground out, pushing through Xiao’s mind. ‘I’m almost there.’

  His mouth began frothing and I pushed even harder, dangerously close to the simmering pit inside me, just a little more and the Darkness was right there…

  ‘Ace!’

  There had to be something else…just a little more…

  ‘Ace.’ He gripped my arm again and I slapped it away. ‘Let go. It’s over.’

  ‘Don’t.’ I snapped my eyes to his and he jerked back.

  ‘You need to stop.’ He said cautiously.

  Turning my eyes back to Xiao, I ignored Matt and focused on the blubbering man in front of me. He was mumbling incoherent sentences, and words both in English and Mandarin.

  ‘What does the Legion have to do with Project Adam?’

  His eyes snapped up to mine and I knew I had him.

  ‘It is what her path has been leading her to. Project Adam will end it all and the Legion will begin it.’

  ‘That doesn’t make sense!’

  ‘The Legion will help her, if she allows it.’

  Matt stepped closer, but he didn’t touch me and when I felt Xiao tense under my hand and start convulsion, I stopped, yanking my hand away.

  Oh God. What had I done?

  Both men slumped forward and looked up at us with confusion.

  Before they could say a word, and before I could see whether I’d done any permanent damage, I grabbed my purse and left.

  Matt ran after me and nothing but the horror of what I’d allowed my mind to do, ran through me.

  Tears stung my eyes as the wind from outside caught my hair in a vice and twisted it around my face.

  ‘Wait!’

  ‘Get back.’ I muttered. ‘Stay away from me.’

  ‘Ace, look at me. Stop!’

  ‘You don’t understand.’ I shook my head, wiping the tears. ‘You can’t understand, I’m dangerous.’

  Ignoring his pleas, I rushed through the small crowd, past the limo Aurel pulled around and slipped into the small street leading out behind the hotel toward Hotel d’Evreux.

  Matt ran after me and I heard the car door open and close, and then hurried footsteps. God, Aurel was coming too.

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘Nothing.’ I snapped. ‘Get back in the car and take Matt.’

  ‘Yeah, not going to happen.’ Aurel gripped my arm.

  Pulling it back roughly, I turned on my spot and shoved him back.

  His eyes widened, and his lips pursed into a straight line.

  ‘What is happening?’ Matt came to a breathless stop beside us.

  ‘Get back to the car, Matt.’

  When neither of them moved, I turned and stormed off, unfortunately for me, Aurel had other ideas. He gripped my hand again and this time when I tried to push him back, he pulled me against him and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

  ‘Don’t.’ I whispered.

  ‘You need to let it out, okay? Slow breaths, let it out.’

  Matt pressed a gentle hand to my arm and when I flinched, he pulled back.

  ‘Christ, Ace.’ Aurel muttered in my ear. ‘Your aura is all over the place, you need to calm down.’

  ‘I know.’ I relaxed in his hold. ‘What have I done?’

  He looked back at Matt and then at me. ‘This is why you’ve stopped using it.’

  The realization was a shock to him, I guess no one really knew how bad it could be, how addictive and consuming.

  I pulled back and averted my gaze.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Matt.’

  His eyes found mine and softened and the look I thought I’d see, wasn’t there. There was no shock, no disgust, just sympathy. I didn’t deserve him.

  ‘We need to get back to DC,’ Aurel said softly, ‘Belfort’s about have an aneurism, he’s been on the phone nonstop.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘He didn’t like what just happened.’

  Of course, I had officially become a complete liability. All that shit I said to Riley about being fine had been a blatant lie. Now he knew and now he would see me like everyone else. Unhinged and unstable.

  ‘Come on, let’s get you back to the hotel, you can rest for a while and then we’re getting the next plane home.’

  Nodding, I composed myself and before I could say a word, a strong, sickening feeling swept over me.

  ‘What is it?’ Aurel’s gaze swung back following mine.

  Collectors. Dozens of them were heading our way.

  ***

  Aurel turned around, pulling his weapon free from his pants and pressed his back to mine. He’d sensed it too.

  ‘Guys, what’s happening?’ Matt said quickly.

  ‘Get behind us.’ I ordered. ‘Now.’

  I slipped my hand into my purse and pulled out the concealed gun and when Matt shifted beside me, casting me a surprised look, I remembered that he was unarmed, and I would have been too had it not been for our clandestine prep work. Shit.

  ‘Stay behind us.’ Aurel warned.

  Both Aurel and I were sweeping the quiet street. Something was coming, and I didn’t know if Aurel could tell, but they weren’t the run of the mill Collectors.

  Matt moved behind us and stood frozen.

  ‘This would be a great time to tell me you have one of your hidden weapons.’ I cast Aurel a quick look.

  ‘Not today,’ he cursed. ‘Just stay behind the live firing, Price and you’ll be fine.’

  ‘Funny.’ He muttered, moving back as Aurel and I spread out, moving in formation.

  The feeling intensified and in a little less than half a minute, we were surrounded, from both ends by at least a dozen Collectors and just as I thought, they we’re something a little more sinister than the usual scum we came up on. Glad that this purse had a long strap, I slung it over my body and shoved it to the back.

  ‘In hindsight, the street probably wasn’t a good idea.’ I muttered, releasing the safety.

  ‘Probably not.’ Aurel bit.

  ‘And neither was my clothing of choice.’

  Aurel cocked his head looking at the very high pumps I had on and the very tight dress. I hiked up the skirt and ripped the seam at the side, allowing whatever movement I could. I kicked off the shoes and frowned. What a waste of Lou Boutins.

  ‘How far is the nearest fire escape?’ Matt asked, his back pressed flat to mine.


  ‘We’re in the most prestigious part of Paris.’ I muttered. ‘There’s nothing but hotels.’

  ‘What about that?’ Matt nodded to the back of the d’Evreux.

  Glancing up and behind the six Collectors on my end, I spotted the stairs leading up along the side of the building. ‘It could work. The ladder is about ten feet behind them.’

  ‘There’re too many to take on.’ Aurel shook his head.

  ‘What about the limo? If we can clear a path, we can get out?’

  ‘Too far.’ He shook his head again. ‘We have six bogies on my side.’

  ‘Six on mine too.’

  ‘And we just got another two on the roof.’ Matt added.

  ‘Fuck.’ Aurel ground out, ‘I’ll clear a path for you two, get to the roof and run.’

  ‘You know I can fight.’

  ‘Unless you’re going to go dark side, you can’t take them all out.’

  Shit. He was right. I couldn’t do it, after Xiao, I was reluctant to ever get that close again.

  ‘Might not have a choice.’ Aurel said quietly. ‘If it comes to it.’

  ‘It won’t.’ I bit. ‘Without the Darkness I’m still a skilled fighter, all three of us are.’

  ‘Yeah, but they’re armed with Serum rounds and if any one of them hit either of us, regardless of your abilities and mine, we’re screwed, and Matt is on his own.’

  ‘Don’t worry about me.’ Matt shook his head against mine. ‘I can handle it.’

  ‘No offence, kid, you wouldn’t last a second on your own against these guys. And, not to mention, we have no back up.’

  ‘Yeah I got that.’ Matt muttered.

  ‘What about the contact?’ I said to Aurel.

  Matt’s eyes shot back to mine and I ignored the look of betrayal he was throwing me.

  Aurel grit his teeth and shook his head. ‘I’ve called it in. He’ll be at least fifteen minutes out and we don’t even have three by my count.’

  Matt didn’t say anything, but the turmoil inside him rose to the surface. He was pissed but he was focused on this fight.

  The Collectors closed in.

  His eyes darted between the black-eyed Collectors and us. They were cold, emotionless, each step closer was one step closer to death.

  ‘You’re quicker than me. You need to get on the roof.’ Aurel said, speaking to me. ‘I’ll provide cover, you get Matt up there.’

  ‘Okay.’ I turned to Matt and gave him my gun. ‘Follow me, stay close.’

  ‘What are you doing?’ He tried to thrust the weapon back into my hands.

  ‘Don’t argue with me.’ I shot. ‘I can fight them hand to hand, you cannot.’

  ‘Fine.’ He conceded, releasing the safety. ‘Go.’

  ‘I’ll take the ones on this side.’ Aurel nodded to the street off to his left while I got ready for the ones edging closer to me and Matt.

  ‘I’ve got the two on the roof.’

  Aurel pressed his back into mine reaching behind and linking his arm through mine. ‘Ready?’

  ‘Ready.’

  He spun us around, reversing positions wasting no time to open fire. The advantage of our training meant that speed was something we were incredibly gifted with which also meant it gave us the upper hand.

  Bullets sprayed past me as I used my super speed to dodge them and launched into a full offensive with the Collector closest to me.

  Right beside me, Aurel threw another to the ground and Matt dropped, shooting up at the two on the roof.

  I took that opportunity to push past the group directly in view of the fire escape and covered Matt while he ran for the ladder.

  ‘Go!’ I yelled, and ducked as another came right for me, narrowly missing Matt.

  Running for it, I tackled two to the ground and fired at one who was coming at me.

  Focusing solely on the task at hand, I dodged and evaded bullets and Collectors alike, taking another down while the one closest to Aurel pulled him down, pinning him to the ground, I freed myself and threw my weight into him, knocking him over.

  Aurel fired, hitting him in the shoulder buying me time.

  He freed himself, taking down the next one in line.

  ‘Now!’ I shouted, keeping the path clear. Matt jumped up, and in no time, he reached the roof taking the second shooter out.

  Aurel ran past me, jumping for the fire escape, and within seconds he was shooting behind us at the Collectors gaining on me.

  ‘Go, Ace!’

  I ran for the ladder and rushed up past him. He continued covering us from below as I climbed up.

  The street seemed to get smaller, and the Collectors stronger. And with each shot and pulse of adrenaline shooting through me, I felt the Darkness rising. Bile filled the back of my throat and I pushed it back, a sudden feeling of dread rolled through me. Something bad was coming, quickly.

  My ears rang with each bullet that sprayed past me and as I leapt up for the railing, a loud shot, far too close for comfort, exploded near me. All at once, Aurel’s shout sounded and I felt the piercing, white hot pain exploding in my arm, causing me to let go. There it was.

  As I fell backwards, Aurel caught me against his chest.

  ‘Get her up!’ Aurel yelled and Matt reached down for my other arm and pulled me up.

  As he pulled me back behind the cover of the roof, I couldn’t help the scream that escaped my lips with each, painful step.

  Aurel took the last few steps up with ease and then fired off another round.

  Through the excruciating pain lacerating through me, I saw Matt boot the metal ladder, breaking it free from the rest of the railing, stopping the Collectors from coming after us.

  Aurel and Matt wrapped one arm under each of mine and dragged me to my feet.

  With each pump of my heart it spread the Serum further and further through my veins, and when I couldn’t go any further, I collapsed, feeling the poison weigh my limbs down.

  ‘We have to keep moving. Get up, Ace! Get up!’

  Forcing myself from crying out, I breathed through my nose when he hauled me up against his side.

  ‘We need to keep moving.’ He ground out, keeping me upright until he stopped us at a large, steel door, probably the rooftop entrance to the hotel.

  Aurel tried the latch a couple of times before throwing his weight into it, splintering the lock.

  ‘Come on.’ He murmured, taking over from Matt. ‘See if you can find something to use, we need to stop the bleeding.’

  Matt disappeared, and I felt my legs give way.

  ‘No, no, no. I need you to stay awake. I know it hurts, but you have to keep your eyes open.’ Aurel caught me and whispered in my ear. ‘Come on, stay with me.’

  Realizing that I couldn’t really speak if I wanted to, I settled for a quick nod. Somewhere off in the distance, Matt shut the steel door, barricading us inside and then the tremors started.

  First it was coldness, like my body was dipping into hypothermic territory and then came the violent shaking.

  My arms hung limply at my side where he’d sat me down and then came the shortness of breath. When he tried to reach for me, I jerked back and somehow, through the doubling of my vision, I didn’t miss the look of fear in his eyes.

  Matt dropped to his knees beside us and pressed a large, white rag over my arm. Aurel quickly tied it into place and pressed his fingers to my pulse. I could barely feel it over the burning inside me.

  ‘Keep your eyes on me.’ He said quietly, tilting my chin up. ‘Ace. Don’t fall asleep.’

  Struggling to keep my head up, I managed to crack my eyes open, but his voice was drifting, and my vision was fading. I didn’t know if he was moving in front of me or if I was swaying, but his hand was firmly clasped around mine, holding me down and somewhere inside me, every feeling of fear, every moment of horror I’d ever experienced, mounted and tore through me at a million miles an hour and all I could see was Dalca’s face and his friends who’d come that night.

  Aurel rea
ched for me again and this time, when Matt tried to help, I let out a pleading sob and squeezed my eyes shut. ‘Please don’t… I can’t…can’t do it anymore.’

  ‘Ace.’ Aurel gripped my arms. ‘It’s me. It’s Aurel, no one’s going to hurt you.’

  My eyes shot open…what was happening to me?

  When the next wave of Serum induced effects took hold, I bit down on my tongue to stop screaming out.

  ‘I need an extraction. Now!’ I heard him say. ‘Agent down. I repeat, I need an extraction. Agent down.’

  ‘Ace hold on.’ He stuffed the phone back in his pocket and cupped my cheeks. ‘Eyes on me. Good, keep them open.’

  With each painful wave of burning, I felt myself growing weaker, this wasn’t something you could prepare for, not like traditional methods of torture. You couldn’t will yourself to get over the pain, you couldn’t will yourself to think about anything other than the searing heat burning you up from inside.

  ‘Ace!’

  My head dropped and that’s when I knew the shit had hit the fan. This wasn’t a regular dose; this was something far more sinister. This was nothing General Simmons could have ever prepared me for. Nothing Grimes did to me in that desert came close.

  Matt held me upright and against him when I couldn’t keep my head from dropping.

  Blood, my blood was dripping onto my arm and I couldn’t tell where it was coming from…why was everything red?

  ‘They’re coming but you need to stay awake, keep focused on me and don’t fall asleep.’ Aurel said quickly, keeling beside me.

  When I tried to tell him that I didn’t know what was happening, a warm, metallic taste filled the back of mouth and my throat seized up.

  ‘Jesus, Aurel, her eyes.’ Matt whispered.

  ‘What’s…my eyes…’

  ‘It’s okay,’ Aurel pulled my arm down when I tried to reach for my face. ‘Just stay awake.’

  This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t like the other Serum, what the hell was this? Tears spilled from my eyes and Aurel’s hold on me tightened.

  Tipping my chin up again, I saw him flinch and through blurry, red vision he got up, pulling me into his arms.

  ‘What the hell is happening to her?’ Matt pleaded.

  Whatever it was must have scared Aurel because we were no longer waiting for the extraction, we were moving.

  ‘Take my gun, we have to clear a path and get to the car.’