* EiGhT * Never Easy and Never Obvious

A Chapter by Allison

So you think you got it?

After we started the path, I stopped abruptly.
"What?" Koki and Kei said together.
Everyone looked in front of me and saw nothing.
"Why did you stop?" Koki asked.
"I think Dan should be leading us," I finally said.
"Geez, sis! You had us all scared, like some monster was waiting for us somewhere!" Tai yelled.
"Ha! Sorry," I said, smirking.

We followed Dan for some time and soon stopped to take a break.
"So is our dad with your parents then?" Kei asked.
"I saw Elias first, then Sir Ohayashi passed by quickly."
"When we knocked you out, Taryn, Elias told me he was going to some other Rulers," Koki said thoughtfully. "Why didn't I think of that, too?"
"Elias? You knocked them out?!" Kei asked with supreme shock.
"Elias is another Ruler. And when I was kind of disguised as you, I knocked them out. Then they ended up getting free, meeting you, and having you come capture me," Koki explained with amusement. "And here I am!"
"Whoa, what a magician!" Tai said sarcastically.
Shylo and I giggled.
"That is a very strange story. Now that I think about it," Kei replied.
"We all agree," I said, patting his shoulder.

We soon continued on and eventually made it into the very large city of Rin Wind. Tai and Shylo looked around with awe at the tall buildings. Kei and Koki were both looking at Dan, who was still leading. I was eying the sky and its color. Then Dan stopped and turned to us, "My parents live with security. I'm not sure if you'll pass going by . . . " He looked questioningly.
"We'll just see how it goes," Koki said, barging through Dan.
So we ended up following Koki into the center of the city. Where eventually we were placed in front of a simple house. Tai looked at it as though it was impossible, "This is where they live?! In a simple house?! I was expecting another mansion."
"We lived in a simple house, Tai," I said as though it was obvious.
"Well, usually rich power-obsessed freaks have mansions!"
"Like I've said, my parents aren't very power-obsessed," Dan butted in offensively.`
I started toward the entrance; and Kei yelled, "Wait, Taryn, don't just barge in!"
"I'm not," I said with a calm face.
Dan walked ahead of me, opened the door, and said, "Mum, I'm home. I brought some friends."
A distant voice replied, "Oh, friends! Come in, dear!"
"Some security," Tai whispered while passing Dan.
I watched them all walk into a beautiful kitchen and said, "Yeah, very high security here."
Then Dan stopped and turned to me, "Really?"
"Well, yeah. I see all the hidden cameras easily," I said, eying the ceiling.
"Are you being serious or joking?" he said with strained confusion.
"You tell me," I said simply and started walking to the rest.
I then felt a firm grip on my arms and turned to see Dan with a serious expression.
"What?" I said calmly.
"Come with me or else."
"What?!" I asked with anger.
He pulled my arms harshly but at the same time gently, "Just come on!"
"You're really evil! Is that it?!" I yelled.
He did not answer.
"Let go!" I yelled louder.
"Taryn?!" I heard as either Kei or Koki yelling urgently.
"Are you guys getting ambushed?!" I shouted, trying to pull out of Dan's grasp.
"Just run, Taryn!" Tai yelled this time.
"I can't! Dan's got me! Let me go!!!" I yelled right into his ear.
I then heard a squeal and guessed it as Shylo. Then Dan started gripping tighter on my arms.
"Just get out of here, you guys! I'll be okay!" I yelled back and gave up on struggling against him.
"That's good. Now this will be easier," he said coldly and tied my hands together.
"I don't know what you're planning, but it's not gonna go past me," I said darkly.
"Pfft, sure it isn't. Your friends won't be able to find you," he said with a growl.
Gah! I think I might be screwed! Acting tough and fighting is always my last options! I thought over with a calm face. Then Dan flipped me over his shoulder with a mighty huff and I accidentally managed a small squeal of pain.
Right then, I saw Koki emerge from the kitchen as Dan was rushing to the door. He had a large cut on his forehead and a gash on his left arm. "Stop right now!" he yelled, pointing his Uzi at Dan.
"You think you're going to shoot at me, when I could use her as a shield," Dan asked, releasing his hand from the door knob.
"Why would you want her dead?" Koki asked with gritted teeth.
"Her brother is still alive, no?"
"I doubt he knows what you want," I said with annoyance.
"Hmph!" I felt him grabbing at my boot and realized he was grabbing one of my small knives. I looked behind me as far as I could and yelled to Koki, "Light!"
Dan opened the door and was rushing out of it. So at the time, I watched Koki go down to the ground clutching at my knife in his stomach. I watched carefully as he pulled it out slowly and watched it light up, and I sighed in relief.

I only thought my tracking knives would just be used to be able to find the other, but this could help them in finding wherever I am being taken. I could not really tell where Dan was taking me, but he shoved me into one of those motorcycle carts that go on the side.
With nothing else to do, I thought of outcomes. I would be taken to another Ruler, perhaps his father, and be questioned on how to manufacture my weapons. Or simply be tortured until I give in . . . or I could just say "I don't know" a million times, but I do not think that would go well either. So after thinking about the possible outcomes, I decided to do the annoying approach.
"You know it's not gentleman-like to just grab a girl harshly and then throw her into a cart."
"Oh, shut up! You shouldn't trust others so easily, by the way. See what it has done?" he questioned calmly.
"I never trusted you, I just always lean into things to see which way is best," I said offensively.
"Well, maybe even leaning on things is bad."
"You're leaning on your bike aren't you?"
"Stating the obvious doesn't prove anything is good," he said, huffing.
"But your voice is very soothing to my ears. Does that work?" I said, holding in a laugh.
"That could be good. Does it sound soothing even when I'm speaking darkly?" he said calmly.
"Sometimes it sounds very seductive when it's dark."
"Flattery gets you nowhere, Taryn," he said with a smile, while the motorcycle came to a stop.
He pulled me out and let me stand. I looked around to see another large city, and in front of us was another mansion.
"So who's here? Your father? Elias? Koki and Kei's dad?" I asked, leaning at him for an answer.
"You'll just have to be surprised."
"Great, a 'Which Evil Guy is It?' game," I said sarcastically.
He roughly pushed me into the mansion, which the inside was very pretty. Then he simply said, "Droi." I heard the sound of a door opening and heavy footsteps. A man appeared, his features looked familiar to me. He had jet black hair, a calm jaw set, but he was thin and pale. Then I remembered Koki and Kei's father.
"You're-what was the name?-Rio?" I said in wonder.
"Rio? Oh, no, I'm his twin brother," he said calmly.
I looked at him, "Is there any other sets of twins in your family? If I may ask."
"No, Rio and I, and there is Koki and Kei. That is all," he said still with a calm face but was walking toward me.
"So you're a Ruler, too. Just a guess," I said kind of bugged out that I can't just shoot him where he stands. "Another guess, you want me to tell you how to create weapons like my own."
He was still calmly walking to me.
"Well, then if that's not it, I will just be leave-" I started, but a sudden air made me stop short.
"You think you can leave so easily, dear girl?" the man said icily. He had moved so fast and had placed a hand under my chin so I was looking at him-at his eyes with nothing but pupils with bright white surrounding them.
"What's up with your family?! You're all weird!" I shouted out of anger. "First you want power, then you kill my parents, and now you have to bug me!! As if I would tell you anything!!!"
After the outburst, I slouched my head with gritted teeth.
"Dan!" yelled the man.
"Yes, Droi?" Dan responded.
"Take her somewhere. Like a place to think," Droi said back into his calm self.
"Okay," Dan answered and pushed me into some other room. The room was pitch black, but Dan turned on the lights to reveal a room with crystal-like things on the walls. The light was dim, but the crystals helped light up the room a bit more. In the middle of the room were chains and a chair. Dan removed my weapons as I looked at the scene. So I'm gonna be stuck to chains, great way to ruin my wrists. Dan pushed me toward them, and once he got me close to them he untied my ropes. With that moment, I twirled around to kick him in the face. He did not see it coming and got knocked down from the blow. I reached for my weapons, but my arms were suddenly grabbed and pulled harshly to the chains. I felt the cold clasps go around my wrists then around my ankles. I grunted with anger and looked up to see Droi's face in my view.
"For not being a good little girl, you will have no chair," he said with his dreary eyes. "Dan go find something to do with your face."
They both left the room and shut the door. I stared in shock. Can't someone show up already? Someone nice and good? I thought, starting to feel depressed.
With nothing else to do, I slouched onto my knees with my arms being held high by the chains from the ceiling and hoped Koki and the rest were all right. And if so, they could figure out where I am and help me.

prev chapter