Chapter three: Restraints

Forgive me on this one; I screwed up on some phrases and it's a little choppy. (Ignore it even though it's irritating, yes I know) Please give me feedback if you're reading this... thx?

 

Chapter 3: Restraints

 

   The next day after the argument in the basement with Ian, Jaclyn went to her room. She cried there. Yates left yesterday without another trace. But she knew he was watching her. She could feel that tiny presence in the back of her mind, waiting for her next actions. Jaclyn’s mom, Cattie, came home a few hours later. She looked hungover, but Jaclyn didn’t say anything. She unpacked the groceries as Ian and Cattie shared a kiss. “How was it, sweetie.” He smiles a fake smile to look interested, and Cattie sees it was her opportunity to share her party. She didn’t notice, let alone she never noticed Ian’s falsity. “Babe, the party was great. I have never partied like that in my whole life.” She slurs some of the words, and her eyes were half-lidded. “That’s great! I wish I was there too, but I had to take care of Jaclyn sweetie here soo.” Jaclyn scowls internally to him but continues to put away food. They hug for a long time, Ian with his false love. Jaclyn could tell it was false even without her mind’s awareness to scope it out. “How’s business?” Cattie asks when they depart from the hug. Ian shrugs his broad shoulders and nods his head. “Everything’s going to plan.” He says, which makes Jaclyn look up at him from newly poured cereal. He doesn’t catch her looking at him. “Sweetie, I have to go work now, so why don’t you rest? I see you’re pretty tired right now.” She doesn’t respond, looking dull-fully past Ian. When Ian sees that, he guides her up the stairs and into their bedroom door, closing the door behind him with a soft click. He comes barging downstairs and waits for Jaclyn to finish her cereal, who takes her time. He taps his foot impatiently as he crosses his arms, a very generic look for him. “Yes?” Jaclyn says. After the argument down in the basement, Jaclyn changed her shirt and wiped away her tears. Her palms were scabbed, but healing well. Her head also gave Jaclyn occasional migraines, but she figured it wasn’t serious. “We're going to go out, with Yates.” And with that he walks away, not wanting to hear Jaclyn’s protests and snarky retorts. She could feel Yates’ presence in the back of her mind get piggy with excitement, ready for another argument, but she quickly turns the idea down, not wanting to give both Ian and him the satisfaction of her anger. “Fine.” She grumbles. “But, where are we going?” She calls out from the kitchen, hoping Ian would respond to her from his office. Jaclyn could feel his hesitation from a mile away like a bad stench that didn’t leave your nostrils. She also knew that Yates could feel what she was feeling, so she had to be precocious. She couldn’t trust Yates, even though she wanted to. He seemed trustworthy for her, but what he did to her yesterday was terrible. She hated and liked him at the same time, which caused a layer of debate over which side she should choose. Jaclyn didn’t choose either side.

“To the corporation. Don’t ask any more questions.” Ian basically growls at her. Maybe I should ask Yates what’s going on, after all, Yates is my personal trainer. Suddenly, alarms went off in Jaclyn’s head. Red lighted, blaring sirens that were planted in the middle of her head screeched inside. It made Jaclyn tremble, but she knew who it was. Apparently, she got a warning when Yates was walking through the door to her head, like a loud doorbell. That was very useful to her. She could feel a warm smile on his voice. Did someone say my name?

Funny. You know, you can be very talkative at times. Jaclyn walks upstairs and enters her room, enlightened by the conversation Yates was giving. He seemed to be into it too. She plops down on the bed and looks at her IWatch. 12:19. Ian and she would be leaving soon, but Ian didn’t work on Sundays. Jaclyn sighs internally and closes her eyes, fully entering her head to be in the conversation. She was getting the hang of her enhancements, working with them at night. Reaching her mind out farther and stretching her awareness. She also worked out at night as quiet as she could muster. Her strength was strong, more than any human could produce, she noticed. One thing Jaclyn noticed is that her eyes could see farther and were sharper if she focused them. Her senses became very efficient and detailed, along with the help of her mind’s awareness.

Inside her mind, Jaclyn could see Yates waiting for her. She always heard his voice, but when Jaclyn retreated fully into her mind, she saw a ghostly outline of him. She could sense a devious grin on his blank face. Yes, I am. How could you tell?

Your voice got me very annoyed. His grin widens, and Jaclyn could feel a smile on herself, but quickly erases it. She couldn’t trust Yates just yet, he could take advantage of her. But as soon as she swiped the smile off, Yates grin turned into a frown. Why can’t you trust me? Yesterday was just harsh introductions. You were a little upset. Jaclyn mentally kicks herself for being so retarded.

Because you are with my dad. You don’t know him as much as I do. He’s not the person he is with me. And plus, you were being an a*s to me yesterday, invading my own privacy and basically using me. How would you like that if I did that? Invading your life and commanding everything you do. Won’t be as much fun as more of a slave. Chris goes silent. She must have hit a nerve or something. Good, plus nobody would even care about me anyway, so why does he pay me too much attention? Chris is still quiet, chewing on something to say. Jaclyn knew that what she just said, Chris has heard. At first, she didn’t even think about it, obviously too comfortable with her own thoughts, talking to herself, but then she remembers and found she didn’t care. Let him hear, no one could change her childhood. Her mind flicks back to another memory, one so painful and heartbreaking it sometimes brought tears to her eyes. And the worst part was, she blamed herself for it.

Jaclyn was 12 when it happened. Ian was drunk and was sitting on the kitchen counter, Cattie nestled in his lap. He asked for another beer, and Jaclyn knew he already had 4 bottles. He chugged the last one. She denied him, feeling courageous for standing up to him for once. Whenever he got drunk, he would do something horrific to her or Cattie, and it was times worse when he was drunk than when he was sane enough. But Jaclyn quickly regretted her action when he pushes Catties off of his lap and throws her to the ground like a sack of sand, her head hitting the kitchen floor with a thwack. Jaclyn was terrified, her fear pulsing through her veins like blood. She was immobilized at the spot. Eyes half-lidded and sunken deeply in Ian’s skull, he slaps little Jaclyn across the face. She cries out and stumbles backward, her back hitting a wall with a thud. Tears stream down her face as Ian comes steaming up to her. Breathing heavily, drunk, sweating, face red, and his stench of BO was all she could see. His anger boiled up and out of him like his stench. The beer bottle he was holding was already empty, but he tries to take a swig from it anyway. It seems to intensify his anger as he realizes. “Turn the hell around Jaclyn!” He screams. She hiccups, trying to hold in her tears but bursts out sobbing. When Ian sees she won’t do what he asks for, his anger seems to ooze out of him like spewing lava. He grunts and slaps Jaclyn across the face again, causing her to ball her eyes out. Snot trickled down from her nose as it mixed with tears. Her face was already bloody and bruised from his slaps, and she figured if she turned around he would just whip her, and it was way better than what she just experienced. She turns around and lifts up her shirt, sobbing quietly. The sound came before the pain. The sound of glass breaking into a million pieces. A stabbing pain that came through her back made her scream. A blood curdling scream that made Ian stop for just a second before he threw another empty beer bottle at her back. The pain was searing through her back like knives cutting and digging in her skin. A white-hot flame that throbbed in her back as she felt blood trickle down her back. Jaclyn immediately pulls down her shirt and lets out another bloody scream. Tears were streaming down her face furiously, as her whole face was blood red mixed with black and greens from the bruises. She pounds her fists against the wall hard enough to break the plaster. “STOP!” Jaclyn screams through sobs. She doesn’t dare turn around though, knowing what would happen if she did. Blood was already soaking the back of her shirt and was dripping on the floor. Jaclyn didn’t know what to do. Ian was making no sign of showing he was there, and the only thing she could see was the blurred darkness of her eyes pressed against the wall. She dares to turn around, taking a peek at her mother, who was unmoving on the floor. She hit her head hard, and that brought fresh tears to her eyes as Jaclyn blames herself for her mother’s damage.

There was still no sign of Ian. Little Jaclyn looks around fully and sees no sign of him anywhere. She takes a step back and cries out in pain. Shards of beer bottles littered the floor all around her feet. He must have thrown all four of them at her back. Jaclyn tries to be strong as she hobbles on one foot to her mother, blood creating a trail behind her. “Mother!” She whispers urgently. Her mother remains unmoving. Jaclyn bites down a layer of fear that tries to freeze her thoughts as she shakes Cattie. “Mother! You have to get up before Dad comes ba�"“ Suddenly, a large, sweaty hand grasps her small shoulder. She’s flung backward and steps on glass, which causes angry pain to create flames in her feet. How much more could she take? And all she wanted was for this to stop, for all of this. She faces Ian’s angry eyes and sees he’s holding a stool. He throws it on the ground and yells, “Jump on that.” She looks fearfully into his eyes, his breath heating her face up like an angry bull. “But�"“ Her meek voice gets drowned out by Ian’s booming voice of him repeating the instructions. She closes her eyes and sends a silent prayer to anyone who was listening, but she knew no one would come and rescue her. Tears stream down her face. She was getting light headed from the crying, and she was hiccupping sobs now. “I don’t want to!” She whines. Ian’s eyes narrow and she saw he was on the verge of crossing the line between human and animal. She looks in his face. It amazed her how something so human can just become a vicious beast. Something that terrified her down to the core of her soul. He looks at her, the calm before the storm, as she fears he would do something so disgusting to her that he would even be scared. “You-“ was all Jaclyn could manage before he slaps her across the face and pushes her with all his might. The wind was knocked out of her as her bloodied back makes contact. The glass shards digging so deep they scraped bone. She didn’t even have time to cry out as Ian flings her around and rips her blood-soaked shirt apart, exposing her back. She was immobilized by pain, her back felt like it was on fire as the glass ripped through tendons and muscle. The deep gashes spewed blood and caused the wall to be streaked with her own life. Jaclyn could hear the whip being yanked out of a drawer. Ian cracks it and the sound makes Jaclyn jump. She sobs with no tears left to cry, making her whole body tremble with the effort. Then a pain so worse than the glass that just made Jaclyn want to tear her eyeballs out instead of feeling it seared through her back like a spreading wildfire. She screams so loud she swore she heard glass break, and even her voice croaked when she couldn’t scream anymore. She felt weak, and frail, that she thought her skin would fall apart at that second.

The second strike came down like lightning. Actually, she would welcome the lightning than this, a quick and painless death. But no, Ian had to make it a death so slow it hurt even when he wasn’t hurting her. Jaclyn cries out in pain and begs and pleads, but the pain kept coming until she was light-headed of all the blood loss. As Ian let loose the 7 strike, Jaclyn went unconscious.

 

Jaclyn’s memories were interrupted by herself. She retreats out of her mind and found that she was letting tears flow down her cheeks. Every damn time she relieved that memory. Blasted Ian. He would pay, even if she was in her grave, he would still pay for his beatings. The glass was taken out and she had lost a third of her blood that night. The gashes had healed, but they were so bad that she had to have several surgeries for it. The scars are a dark skin shade that never seems to lose their color. Her face has healed though, and luckily there was no scarring. She sighs and sobs at the same time, knowing she can’t blame herself for getting Cattie hurt. She had head trauma and had to spend a week in the hospital. Jaclyn couldn’t forgive herself for her careless words. She never watched her mouth.

“Jaclyn! Let’s go!” Ian calls from downstairs. She mutters a few curse words at him but goes downstairs anyway. Jaclyn scowls at him when she sees him, but he didn’t take notice. He hurries out the door with Jaclyn hot on his heels.

 

Ian pulls up the car by the sidewalk. The day was decent with a light blue sky, not a wispy cloud in sight. Jaclyn liked it out here. They both get out at the same time and slam the car door at the same time. It reminds Jaclyn about when she was younger, she used to time it perfectly so that her door would slam at the same time as the other doors. She didn’t know why she did it. The road was abandoned except for their own car parked to the side, and the sidewalks were lined with old warehouses. One of them looked so old it looked like it was falling apart on broken hinges. She didn’t ask any questions when they passed the corporation, but her mind started to spin on wheels. “Why are we here?” She asks as Ian leads the way across the street and knocks on a rusty metal door that belonged to a moldy red shell of a big warehouse. He doesn’t answer her question, just as she expected, so why bother? She hears light footsteps and hears metal scrape against rusty metal as a lock unlatches. Chris opens the door, (no figure), and has a very sympathetic face on. She could feel the pain radiating from him like sun rays. Ian doesn’t take notice, and strides right in the poorly lit warehouse, leaving them two at the door, standing awkwardly. Before Jaclyn could muster anything out of her mouth, Christ grabs her and bear hugs her. It almost set off her enhancements. He crushes her with his strength but she could manage. It was weird. Her head only came up to his chin, and Jaclyn was 6/1. He smelled of very expensive cologne mixed with flowers. He pulls her against his body with wandering hands under her shirt, his hands feeling her scarred back, making her very uncomfortable. His hands stop on a change of skin, the scars from the glass, and inspects it with his hands. She felt very uncomfortable about it as he buries his face in her hair, his hands on top of the scars. Why is he acting so weird? She could hear him smelling her hair as silently as he could muster, but it didn’t work out. And why do guys always love to smell a girl’s hair? That, she couldn’t answer. She felt awkward about it but welcomed the feeling since she started developing feelings for him, it made her feel giddy inside when he pulls her tighter against his body. She didn’t know why she was acting like this, but after a few mere seconds, she let her body melt into his embrace. He was lean and fit like her too, which made her heart ache. He squeezes his eyes shut and buries his head in her shoulder, lifting her off the ground a few inches. It was a long hug, and when they departed, Jaclyn felt cold. He grips her shoulders and stares deeply into her eyes, they were lit up and glassy. Is he crying?

“I’m sorry Jaclyn.” He whispers to her. She stares at him, waiting for an explanation. She didn’t want to use her mind’s awareness, given she wanted to live in the moment and not rush whatever Ian had planned. Ian could wait. “For what?” Jaclyn musters, still staring at his face. His eyes were hungry too, but she ignored the fact. “For what you had to go through. I-I, I never had s-seen that in my life. What did Ian do to you? With the b-beer bottles and whip. I didn’t know you g-grew up like that.” Jaclyn sighs and remembers she didn’t close the conversation when the memory surfaced like an ice cube. She could see he shivers. “I… Wasn’t much disciplined in my childhood.” She really didn’t want to talk about her nightmarish childhood with Chris, let alone anyone. She never really liked talking about it because it caused fresh pain to her, including making her scars throb with dull pain, though it was very surreal. But she still felt it in her mind, like scars on her brain. Chris pushes on. “I’m so sorry Jaclyn. What you had to go through with Ian, and his beatings. I didn’t even think about it. He must have hurt you so bad.” Jaclyn was glad of one thing about her thick hair. It covered her scar on her face, and she really didn’t need Chris to pamper her about it either. It was swooshed to her left side so that it gave her style and didn’t make her look Goth. “Look, Chris, I’m fine, you don’t need to baby me with apologies. What’s in the past is in the past. This is between Ian and me.” Chris’ face hardens, but softens after that. Chris was really getting on her nerves now. “Where did he hurt you?” He asks. One of his hands releases her shoulder and wanders her back, feeling the scarred skin. His reaction was all of horror. “What did Ian do to you?” He says a little too loudly. “Nothing, Chris. Just, I’m fine, okay? You don’t need to look at me, I can handle myself.” He tries to turn Jaclyn around so that he could see her scars, but she resents. “Obviously you couldn’t take care of yourself.” He says but regretted the words once he came out. Chris hasn’t lived her childhood. He didn’t live what she had to go through, with no love from alcoholic parents. He didn’t go through the beatings she mustered when she was 4 and ended 9 years later. She was on the verge of ripping her eyes out at that time. “Chris,” Jaclyn’s voice goes into a deep growl. “You haven’t lived what I have been through, you didn’t take the beatings I took, and you never, ever, been thrown aside like a pile of rotting trash. Let alone all the public humiliation you get when you go to school with a screwed up face and s**t. You didn’t live through my life, and I pretty darn think that I deserve something for being here right now. You never went through my pain, so I think you better back off here.”

Chris takes a step back at her aggressiveness. But he deserved it. He crossed a line no one crossed, and it was like getting stabbed in the back all over again. “Jaclyn, look I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry I said that I didn’t think…Well, uh….” Jaclyn stares daggers at him. Of course, she lets a boy she liked get near her personal life and they backstab her because of it. Jaclyn tries to walk into the warehouse but Chris steps in front of her. “Jaclyn, I-“ Jaclyn shoves Chris aside a little too hard. He slams against the wall with a quiet oomph. Jaclyn storms into the darkness that engulfed her. She could sense Chris trying to catch up, and she felt hot tears stream down her cheeks. She also found that she didn’t care.

“Jaclyn I’m sorry!” He cries out. Jaclyn felt numb, not knowing where to go in the complete darkness. “Ian let’s go!” She calls out, angry. She feels Chris’ presence behind her getting closer every step. “Jaclyn, stop!” Tired of running around in the darkness, she stops and turns around to see Chris panting. “Look, what you think and what you say are two different things. Keep your thoughts to yourself and if you want to say it well then that’s your own fault. It was your fault that you said it and if you blame me for blowing up well then oh well, it was my life.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to upset you, it just slipped out and I know that you are capable to take care of yourself. At the time I just thought about what of all the possibilities you could have done when you were taking the beatings.”

“Yeah well, you apparently forgot I was 12 years old when a 41-year-old man was beating me half to death’s door. Even if I tried he has more physical strength.” Jaclyn allows herself to calm down, but the anger only dies down to a candle flame, waiting to be unleashed again. It was a trait that she couldn’t shake off, let alone Ian gave it to her. “Okay, I’m sorry that I said that, I just forgot that.” The flame inside of Jaclyn explodes and she couldn’t muster it even if she wanted to, she just rode on top of the thunder. “You lived through my memory, and you knew I was young. You knew that I was 12 and I know that you didn’t forget. People never admit and always make stupid excuses to cover themselves up.” Chris’ face goes red, and he doesn’t say anything when a meaty hand grips Jaclyn's shoulder and pulls her backward, igniting memories from when Ian did that to her. He doesn’t move, just lowers his head like a naughty dog that got into the trash. Jaclyn immediately forces her enhancements out, looking around in the dark, everything getting lit up as her eyes change. She whips around, looking at her left and right, when the meaty hand pulls her around and lands a powerful punch in her gut, knocking the wind out of her with a dry gasp. A huge man dressed in black was her attacker. Jaclyn recovers quickly as adrenaline pumps through her veins fiercely. The man was huge and had broad shoulders packed with a stone face. But he was slow, which made Jaclyn take advantage of him like a baby with candy. The next punch comes to her face, but Jaclyn quickly dodges it and grabs his arm, twisting it at an impossible angle. It snaps with a satisfying crunch. He yelps but she wasn’t done with him. She high kicks his face which sends him stumbling backward, clutching his face with his good arm. She quickly slashes at his stomach, and when her claws come back, they were bloody with chunks of flesh hanging off. Blood spurts out of his stomach, leaving a trail behind him as he retreats into the darkness, his arm twisted so that his elbow was inwards, making an ‘L’. She didn’t want to kill him, but if she needed to she would without hesitation. She snarls, sensing someone to her right where the entrance was. She twirls around to see two other bouncers, dressed in the same identical black. The first one, with a large nose and angry eyes, stares at her. The other one was smaller but just as intimidating.

Jaclyn smiles her devilish grin, and for once likes the terror on both of their faces. She was the first to attack with a run an’ kick. She hits the bigger one and flies past the smaller one. It was like time was slowing down for Jaclyn, or more so the bouncers were getting sluggish. She whips around and attacks the smaller one from behind, lashing at his back with her claws. He screams in pain and trips and falls in his own blood. Jaclyn found that humorous, like a child’s cartoon. He lets out a groan of pain, blood spilling out of his back. Jaclyn stares at the man, unconscious now, when the other bouncer comes up behind her. She senses the punch to her head and dodges it, twisting her arms behind her to try to gouge him. He jumps back with a startled yelp and tries to grab her hand but instead gets clawed. He clutches his hand and stares at Jaclyn with intense anger that could only remind her of Ian. He cracks his neck and charges forward like a bull. Jaclyn dodges to the left but the man had fast reflexes, turning towards her in mid-drive. He strikes her and sends her flying back, spittle flying from her mouth. He charges again, but Jaclyn was ready. She times it perfectly and sends a roundhouse kick to the man’s head. She could hear his head crack, and he falls like a tree. Jaclyn’s senses turn off like they were drowned out by her bloodlust. She growls. A tiny part of Jaclyn, somewhere deeply smothered, knew the horror of what was happening, but it got ignored by instinct. Her mind shut off like a plug, everything she knew at that moment was replaced by one thing and one thing only: Bloodlust. She snarls, looking for a victim to take down, but finds none besides the injured ones. She didn’t want to take them down, they were already injured, and she needed fresh victims. Jaclyn hears a sudden footstep behind her, followed by a whispered, “I’m sorry.” Turning around a few seconds too late, hands grip her head, and what follows was a massive void that engulfed her entirely.

 

Jaclyn wakes up to her enhancements retracted, hands tied in thick rope, and an intimidating light above her head. She felt like she was in a cop show. It was a scene to take in, that Ian was angry (it was oozing out of him like goo), Chris with his head down staring at the floor like some punished puppy, and several bouncers who look just as angry as Ian, surrounded her. A man she didn’t recognize who had the same look and vibe as Ian but only twice as worse came up from behind her. The man laid a hesitant hand on her shoulder. She snarls at him happily. The chair that bounded her was metallic, which may come in useful at thwacking someone in the head. She couldn’t get out her enhancements and cut herself out of the rope because everyone would see. But the rope seemed okay, it was just she couldn’t rip it without them seeing too. She had her inhuman strength, hearing, and mind. She didn’t know what else to do, but she knew she couldn’t experiment anymore. She needed help in this.

Chris. She calls out, but there was no reply. Typical. Jaclyn shakes off the hand that was still on her shoulder. “And you are?” She spits. “To you, that is not important, but if you must know, I’m Drake Freeman, head of our little rogue party. Now if you don’t mind the introductions and tea parties here, I would like to know more about you, Jaclyn.” Ian snorts silent laughter at Drake’s speech. “You see, Drake, I’m no biggie on introductions myself, so why don’t you the hell tell me why I’m here and tied up so I can rip all of your heads off. Hmm? Did I do okay?” Drake merely replies to her snarky comment and continues on. “Why you’re here is because we want you to do some work for us. You see, Chris, as I must assume, has told you he is your personal trainer in all of the subjects. He will guide you through our place and you will corporate.”

“And, what type of dirty business am I doing for you guys?”

“You’ll be our number one hitman for the job. The blood will be on your hands, Jaclyn, if you don’t follow orders.”

“And if I don’t follow orders?” Jaclyn was weirdly curious. She wasn’t much worried because she knew she could slip out of this, but she still was cautious. “Cattie will be eliminated, and it will be all your fault.” Jaclyn was filled with freezing terror. Cattie was going to get killed if she didn’t kill for them. She looks in Ian’s brain, needing for a response, but only finds that was the truth. Tears threaten Jaclyn. Ian would turn on his own wife for his business. Jaclyn lets out a groan. S**t. What was she going to do? “Ah, there’s my girl,” Ian says when he sees the look of defeat on Jaclyn. Jaclyn yells at him, calling him various curse names and calling out he was a traitor to life.

I’m going to get my mother killed. Thought Jaclyn over and over as she for once cooperated with them, leading her deeper into the darkness and up a flight of stairs. There was so many twists and turns that she couldn’t count at that. There were working lights up here, and the air was less musty. The walls and floors were the same dull color of dirty white. Everything looked the same as they rounded another corner to find the hallway filled with doors. Chris was beside her, along with a hefty man dressed in black to her right. Ian and Drake were in the front, leading everyone like there was no one behind them. The rest of the bouncers were behind her, and Jaclyn honestly didn’t know how all of them fit through the hallway. Ian and Drake stop at a more modern looking door with it labeled at the top, “Training”. Drake turns to face Jaclyn, who was faking to struggle out of the man’s grip on her right arm. “Chris, take her into the training room, if she tries anything with you, you know what to do. And Jaclyn. I must say Chris is a wonderful tour guide for you, and to teach you a few lessons before you start your first day on the job.” Chris merely nods, and Jaclyn bites back a snarky retort before going limp. She couldn’t risk anything, given what she knew that Ian would allow it. Ian opens the door like a mindless soldier and walks down the hallway with Drake besides him. Jaclyn was too sick to see which door they went in, and instead, she was escorted by the bouncers into a room that looked like it was made for wrestling. A ring stood in the middle of everything, and what surrounded it was training equipment. A punching bag, weights, gear, training weapons, and what looked like real weapons laid in one corner. The other had fitness equipment and mats on the floor. It was every fit person’s dreams.

Jaclyn was shoved through the door and it slams shut, noticing two guards were outside of the door, armed by what she could only explain as real guns. Ian was a criminal. He was co of this rogue thing, and she was going to be high up on their wanted list once she worked for them. She just knew. It gave her a gut-wrenching feeling inside, making her feel sick. Someone clears their throat, and Jaclyn whirls to see Chris at the door. He looked scared. “You. You lured me into this, didn’t you?” He only nods, his eyes wide. Jaclyn scoffs, not wanting to argue anymore. It didn’t get her anywhere, but that feeling to just argue was strong. She mutes the feeling. “Tell me what you have to say.” She snorts. “We are part of this rogue group from G.E.B.I. What we do is something classified, but what Mr. Freeman wants you to do is to eliminate people for him that turned down his business. It was too risky to have them know about our group, R4G9, and spoil it for others. That is your job. And I am here to train you for whatever job you may handle. Today, one of our recent clients is in the city trading items from the black market. You will find him and ask to do business with us or eliminate him entirely.” Chris says, almost like he has rehearsed his speech for her. Jaclyn was terrified. Making people join them or she will have to kill them was something she couldn’t bring to. Jaclyn’s veins freeze with fear. Killing people to save her mother. But if it meant for her mother, one life over God knows how much people Drake wanted her to kill. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. Sure she would kill people, but if it was out of self-defense. Nobody deserved to die like the problem she was going to throw on their shoulders. Even if she refused and they killed Cattie, what then? She couldn’t escape, the guards would mow her down with their guns. And if she killed Ian or Drake? Jaclyn didn’t know, but she guessed someone would take their place and finish their dirty work. She couldn’t kill Ian now. She wanted him to pay, and a quick and painless death was something he didn’t deserve. Jaclyn was overwhelmed with horror at what her final choice came out to be. She shuts her eyes and prays silently to someone, anyone. Anything but this. Anything. Even if it meant to give up her own life, she would gladly do it with Ian at her side.

Jaclyn curses when she opens up her eyes. She screams and rants, punching the wall that made a hole the size of a watermelon. She looks up at anything to grab and break, but everything was bolted to the floor. She screams out a line of curse words at Chris who remains still and unmoving. Her world was falling apart, but hasn’t it always since Day 1? This time though, Jaclyn was capable of doing something about it, but she couldn’t bring herself to make sacrifices. She felt powerless like from the old days of her childhood. Tears stream down her face, everything becoming so clear. She had no choice but to kill for them. It only meant to protect herself and Cattie.

Jaclyn sinks to her knees, lips trembling. She looks up at the bare ceiling. “Why me?” She whispers so quietly, she could see Chris trying to hear what she was saying. “The torture, the pain, the suffering. All of it, why Ian? And now this, something far w-worse t-than that. Just kill me already.” Jaclyn didn’t know who she was speaking to, but she knew no one would answer, not anytime either. “Please,” She whispers again through a trembling voice. “Please, please, please, please, please!” She sobs. And now she couldn’t hold back the tears, hidden from years of pain and suffering under the hands of Ian. All of it just came down to that moment. She screams like she never has before, something mixed with grief and rage. A rage that it seemed so unearthly for her to possess it. Something that was hidden behind a cloak of sadness and falsity. Something that made her think she couldn’t possibly be human anymore, where she crossed a line between human and a demon that has been unleashed for once in her life. She tried to cover it up as the beatings went on, but each day a little piece of the covering, and herself, fell apart and shattered into a million shards, something where it could never be replaced. Until the covering and herself fell apart entirely, and this is when that demon emerges with revenge in its bloody breath. Where it commands for no more suffering, or she would just become a ghost in a broken shell. But if that does happen, she would be wiped out entirely, where her existence would be no mere than a glass bottle breaking on top off all of the other broken bottles. Millions of them, broken, that just make up herself. One human being. And would be doomed to be renewed.

This is the line when a human being would no longer become something or any form but would become a sinister evil. It was planted in us from the start, and it will always be there until the end. It was the demon that breathed death itself, where it would have blood on its skin, where it would be no monster, but us. We are the true monsters, and we’re killing ourselves from the inside out without even knowing it. This is no monster inside of us that you may think, the monster that is truly inside of you is you. You are the monster, and it was a matter of fact if you unleashed it upon wrath or if you kept it hidden deep down inside of you. Either way, it always found a way out. It always did.

 

Jaclyn screams like the animal she was. It was something that was inside of her that wasn’t her but was at the same time. Spit hangs from her teeth as she claws at her eyes. She digs fingernails in her forehead and lowers her head, still screaming something between a rage-full cry of despair and a blood-curdling sound. She knew what she was, she was the victim that played the monster. Because the victim was tired of getting killed over and over again. Jaclyn barely registers that Chris has his hands covering his ears, wincing in pain. She didn’t care. Nobody could have gone through this. She was making a new path for mankind, and she was sure no one would follow it. She would have blocked the path before anyone could. Jaclyn could feel blood dripping down her forehead as the last of the scream dies down, not because of herself doing it, but because the other side of her, the demon, was retreating behind the frailest cloak. Waiting for it to be broken again. Blood runs down her forehead and into her eyes, bathing her eyes a solid red color. Jaclyn bows her head to her knees and wrenches her nails out of her head. She didn’t acknowledge the pain. She cries softly from there, almost like when she was younger, crying herself to sleep. She hears Chris comes up to her and she could smell his confusion and sadness. He puts a hand on her back very slowly and lets it lay there for what seems like minutes. She didn’t care that she was showing weakness to him. Her time of weakness was lost in her first 14 years of life. She knew now that when she showed weakness to herself or to anyone, it was a sign of help when no one was there. Where her body or her mind broke down, it needed to be repaired by someone else because they couldn’t do it themselves. Weakness was only a sign of help, and right now Jaclyn needed it.

Jaclyn got lightheaded soon after. There were no more tears left to cry, and that only meant it was time to pick herself up again. Chris’ hand was still laying on her back, and he was sitting next to her, silent and waiting. Jaclyn takes a shaky breath and wipes away tears and snot. “Why are you still here?” She asks. Chris looks at her intently, noticing her body was still trembling. He moves his hand very gently from her back and strokes her hair. “I’m sorry I had to do this to you. I couldn’t refuse or else it would be me in the noose.” Jaclyn nods, not wanting to argue with him, and yet she understood. She couldn’t hold people accountable for their actions if she was a hypocrite. If Jaclyn had a choice between killing people herself or to bring it upon others, she would choose the second choice. For her survival and her mother’s. Jaclyn sighs heavily, trying to flush away the feeling of being sick. She couldn’t.

“I’m so sorry,” Chris says again, still trying to earn her trust. She remains silent, trying to pick herself up inside. “We have to do training,” Chris whispers. “or else it would not get us anywhere.”

“Why did you join?” Jaclyn blurts out. Chris gives her a surprised face. “Why? Well, Ian talked me into it. I had no clue what it was, and since we have known each other from business, he said he could use a kid like me with my talents. I didn’t know, and once I met Mr. Freeman, he sucked me into this whole mess. Now I’m working a double work life, one where it involves me in felonies.” Jaclyn didn’t want to ask what felonies he has committed working to, so she asks a little more about him, trying to shake off her feelings about what was happening all around her. “How did you get in G.E.B.I? You are pretty young to have gotten in there with your talents too.”

“You never know why the government agencies want you as their weapon of interrogation.” Jaclyn sucks in an air of breath. She inhales deeply and gets to her feet on wobbly knees. Blood was not dripping down her forehead, so it must have dried. Jaclyn knew she looked like a train wreck, and that she found embarrassing for Chris to see. But she knew that wouldn’t help, even though her mind flicked back to it.

Screw it. If Chris liked her, he wouldn’t care about her appearance right now. “What training are you exactly talking about?” She could feel Chris’ presence behind her moving closer to her. “I have to train you. For today’s event.” Chris sighs, and that made Jaclyn’s heart ache. She was stuck with Chris, for what seemed like it. And she was on a hell of a mood swing right now. Liking Chris and then hating him, it was weird for her. “Ok, but you didn’t answer my question, what type of training?”

“Sparring.” Jaclyn could feel Chris’ mood go dark. Though she couldn’t decipher what emotion he was feeling. Jaclyn knew how to defend herself, even without her enhancements. She had taken self-defense classes when she was 15. It lasted for about 3 years until she had enough and quit. That was a few months ago. A devious grin forms on Chris’ lips when she looks back at him. I’ll beat you in it.” He says. Jaclyn scoffs. “Dude, you literally have twig arms. I’ll snap them in half by accident.” Jaclyn knew what Chris was doing, trying to lighten up her mood, and it worked, even though the rain cloud was reduced and the demon was still behind the thin cloak. “Well, uh, you’re a girl, and,”

“So? Why do you have to set yourself up like that, along with that sparring practice you were talking about.” Chris struggles to say something, “We haven’t started it yet. How do you know you’re going to win?”

“I don’t, but all I know is that you’re going to get hurt until you tap.” Chris smiles, but still struggles to say something. “Yeah, well, you’re ugly.” Jaclyn scoffs, feeling bad for hurling what came next at Chris.

“Thanks, I was trying to look like you today.” Chris’ smile turns into a playful frown; he was defeated. “Now that I roasted you over the fire,” Jaclyn claps her bloody hands together, “why don’t we do a little sparring session?” Jaclyn may look calm on the outside, but inside her guts were rolling in fear. She was going to kill someone today. That didn’t sound good at all.

 

“Come on, let’s go.” Chris urges. Jaclyn keeps a straight face on and enters the arena, Chris right behind her. The arena was meant for wrestling, and it looked like it was straight out of a set. “So, what am I supposed to work on?” Jaclyn asks. Chris’ voice seems to get giddy. “Just see what you’re capable of without enhancements, is what Ian said.” Jaclyn laughs air silently mixed with a snort. “Is that so? Okay then Ian, let you see what you have raised.” Jaclyn takes a defensive stance, legs apart, and raises her arms. Chris does a similar stance, and Jaclyn bounces a few times to get blood to her legs. She balls her fists and smiles devilishly at Chris. His face goes hard, and his brow furrows. “Ready?” She asks.

“Bring it.” He answers. Jaclyn charges first. She didn’t know if Chris was better than those bouncers she defeated, but if he wasn’t, she planned to toy with him before she took him down. She also didn’t want to use her full strength on him or break anything. That was going to be hard for her.

Jaclyn flies at Chris with a punch to his side, but he parries, leaving him vulnerable. She quickly knees him in the groin and he crumples like a piece of paper. Jaclyn swiftly steps back from him. He was so weak. Maybe she hit him too hard. Oh well. He wheezes, clutching his crotch. Jaclyn lets out a silent laugh. “Yeah, we’ll see who’ll win.” She mocks. Jaclyn strides up to Chris and offers her hand, and he grabs it. She lifts him up like a sack of feathers, and there was a smile on his lips. “Round two? Or are you too hurt?” She looks at him as he shakes off the pain. She probably hit him too hard then. A little less, this time. Chris, without saying a word, takes the same defensive stance. Jaclyn does the same and lets Chris charge this time. He charges and does a quick kick to her face, but Jaclyn dodges easily. Instead, she takes his leg and twists, his body moving with momentum. But when she thinks he was going to fall on his side, he puts his two arms in front and pushes off the ground, twisting to his feet and facing her again. Jaclyn was impressed, but she couldn’t linger on the thought, she had to defend herself. Jaclyn throws a flurry of punches at Chris, and he parries all but two, which she lands in his stomach. The air gets knocked out of him as he clutches his stomach, bent down. She takes those precious seconds and gets behind Chris, putting both hands on his shoulders and flinging him backward. He flies backward and in Jaclyn’s direction, but is stopped short when she does a light roundhouse kick to his back. She was surprised she had enough time to back up. Chris falls face first on the mat, and Jaclyn tops Chris. With one hand, Jaclyn takes a shoulder and lifts him up like nothing. He tries to hook Jaclyn from the back as she was crushing him, and puts her other arm around Chris’ neck. Just like what she did to Ian. Her knees were digging into his back, and he wheezes. When Jaclyn felt it was her win, she releases her arm, and he falls on his hands and knees, gulping air as much as he could muster. Color returns to his face as he gets more air in his lungs. Jaclyn stands up, not even a scratch on her. She was unstoppable in a way. “You okay?” She asks from behind him. She could see a slight nod from him. Suddenly, Chris’ foot kicks out and swipes Jaclyn from her feet. She guessed he didn’t plan it out well because she landed on top of him. Limbs tangled, Jaclyn starts to laugh. “That backfired quickly for you.” She laughs. Jaclyn gets off of Chris and he wheezes again. Jaclyn was still laughing. “Jaclyn, wow, jeez, you’re, uh, great.”

“Thanks.” She says, a radiant grin on her face. “Come here,” Chris urges. “No way, you’re gonna pull up another trick and try to defeat me,” Jaclyn says, her grin gone. “No seriously, can you pull me up?” Jaclyn rolls her eyes and extends her hand. Chris grabs it, but instead of letting Jaclyn pull, he pulls her down with surprising strength. His strength also seems to make him come alive more, like he never got hurt. Jaclyn tumbles to the ground with a startled yelp. What the hell was he doing? Before she could pull away, their faces met, only inches apart. “I’ll help you get out of this, I promise.” He whispers. Jaclyn’s hairs stand on end, her heart starts to beat hastily, and her stomach feels giddy again. Is that what love was? “I promise.” He breathes again. And with that last word, Chris leans in ever slow slowly. Jaclyn felt like she was being magnetized towards him. She wasn’t ready for this, but then again she felt like she was, a long, long time ago. Her eyes flutter as their lips met, and Chris cups her cheek in his hand. He pulls her closer to her and presses hard into her lips. It was angry but also very passionate. Jaclyn smiles through kisses, breathing heavily. Chris treated her like she was fragile, doing delicate kisses but were also hungry. Jaclyn never felt like this before, and she wanted more of it. Jaclyn wraps her arms around Chris, their bodies touching awkwardly on the mat. “Chris,” Jaclyn gasps when she pulls away reluctantly. Chris sighs. “I’m sorry, I-I, uh.” Jaclyn shuts him up with another passionate kiss, Chris running his hands through her hair doing so. Jaclyn cups his head in her hands. “God,” Chris says when they finish. They share a smile. Jaclyn smiles and gets to her feat steadily. She helps Chris up, and they hug. “I promise I will help you out of here, for your sake and mine. But right now, we have to fake it till’ we make it.” Jaclyn nods. “I’m so glad I met you.” He says after they exit the ring. “I know I am too.” Jaclyn smiles. Right now, the only thing that could brighten her day, even today, was Chris. All she wanted was Chris at that moment. But when the moment passed, she wasn’t so sure at all.

 

Chris exits her to the door and they both exit side by side, surrounded by the two guards at the door. It was weird how they didn’t barge in when she screamed her lungs off in the room. Chris leads the way, twisting down another hallway and into what looked like the same hallway they were just in, except there were doors on the left side of the hallway. Chris leads her to the first door and opens it up. It was a bedroom. Though it didn’t look like a prison cell, it sure had the same vibe as one. It was much bigger and more modern. It had a lush bed with freshly made sheets, a nightstand with a burner phone on top, and a cabinet with what looked like it was full of food and water. On the other side of the room was a small kitchen with white marble countertops and modern looking stools. There was a small bathroom also. But what took everyone’s gaze was a black wall with gadgets and weapons. Jaclyn felt like it was straight out of a spy movie. It took her too much that she didn’t even notice Ian walking towards them until it was too late. “Jaclyn,” He puts a hand on her shoulder. She whirls around and shrugs it off immediately, her eyes a blazing fury of hurt and pain. “You.” She rasps out. “You, lying traitor!” She screams. She didn’t think she would react this way, but the sight of Ian made her blood boil and steam, and almost like a flick of a switch, her mood faltered. Maybe it wasn’t her after all. “Jaclyn, this was all part of our-“

“Our?! What do you mean ‘our’? This is your gig, not mine, that you sucked me into as your puppet.” She pokes a finger at his chest, hard. And this outbreak, she knew, wasn’t her at all. The cloak was broken in a whirlwind of pain and raging fury. “You can’t do this to me! You can’t do this to Cattie!” She slaps Ian across the face with a wicked snap, and his head snaps to the side like it was broken. All of the bouncers, (3, including one that followed Ian), raise their guns at her. Ian’s face for once looks hurt. But he doesn’t tell them to lower their weapons. It sent a quick bolt of fear in Jaclyn’s spine, but she quickly focuses on Ian, boiling everything down to blind fury. Chris looks like he was about to take down the nearest bouncer, but she could tell he was hanging on to the weakest thread. Ian’s face was red, and she could detect the slightest hint of blue on his cheek. Just like he did to her for what seemed like lifetimes ago. “You don’t think I won’t embarrass you in front of these people?” Ian growls. “Oh, so you think that you can embarrass a grown woman just because she’s your daughter? What is there to embarrass me about, Ian?” She could sense Ian’s anger double in matter. “No, wait. Let me tell you that I’m not your daughter anymore, maybe I am somebody completely different. Or maybe I can’t beat you because you beat me already to it. And what if I tell Cattie? Huh?” Ian still keeps a straight face on, but she could sense he was heating up pretty fast like he was in a pool of lava. “Cattie will never know!” Ian shouts. “No, she will find out pretty soon. And if you try to stop me I’ll put you in the grave like you did to me a lifetime ago.” Ian shuts his mouth, his jaw tightening. “Get inside.” He growls. “What? You’re gonna’ put me in this prison house? No way are you going to do that to me.” Ian steps forward, and Jaclyn does the same. “You have someone you need to deal with tonight. So I suggest you get in before Drake has to come out and beat your a*s up.”

“Not like the first time you beat me up.” Jaclyn retorts. She couldn’t, honestly, do anything. She wanted to get physical with Ian, but all the guns were trained on her. She couldn’t do anything. Chris was standing there, silent, though he was eyeing every bouncer like they were terrible food. She makes quick eye contact with him, and his face hardens when Ian makes eye contact. Jaclyn retreats into the big room and after she shut the door with a loud slam. Ian retreats down the hallway without another trace, leaving the bouncers with him. One of them attempts to lock the door and get Jaclyn her belongings, but Chris volunteers. “I got this,” he says. Even if the bouncer denied him, he still had a higher ranking in this place. The guy looked scared, almost of going near the door, which made Chris’ heart throb for Jaclyn. The bouncer nods quickly, almost relieved. “You guys have somewhere else to be? This chick’s pretty terrifying, I know one thing is that she can knock down doors like that.” He nods towards the thin metal door. The bouncers’ faces all look equally terrified. “Go, I’ll take care of her.” It was like a cartoon. All of the bouncers, even the biggest ones, scramble towards what they thought was the nearest exit, but what was really another hallway. They would all get lost, but Chris didn’t give a s**t. He looks at the door, it had three heavy duty locks, but he wasn’t sure if Jaclyn could beat it down. He knocks. “Get lost.” She sighs. He could feel the weight of her mission on him like he was her. She didn’t deserve this, not at all. A flame of anger surges up inside of him, but he didn’t know who to blame it on. Chris knocks again. “I said get lost!”

    Jaclyn yells though it was muted a little by the door. Those words made Chris’ heart hurt. If Ian never abused her, she would have been a totally different girl. Someone who didn’t have to keep their guard up all day. Chris opens the door anyway, seeing Jaclyn on her stomach, face first in a pillow. Chris saw Jaclyn’s nails grow at an amazing rate, taking his gaze away from her rear. “Ian I said, go away!” She screams. She turns around, her eyes a blazing death pool, something so demon, but so badass in a way. In a split second thought, her anger vanishes, along with her enhancements, as she sees Chris standing there. His dark brown hair covering his forehead and part of his eyes was the first noticeable thing that she saw about him. “Chris, what are you doing here?” She asks. Jaclyn seemed very amused at that moment. “I was just checking on you,” He smiles. She smiles. They shared that moment for a very long time. Jaclyn gets out of bed and walks past Chris, shutting the door. The room was musty but otherwise smelled clean enough. She turns on a small fan from the side of the room. “So, how long are they going to keep me here?” Chris shrugs. “I’m… Not sure. Drake, from all I know, wants you for as long as he could keep his hands on you. They’re scared of you.” Jaclyn scoffs. “Good.” She snorts. “Let them be scared, that way I can find a way out of this mess and tell Cattie everything.”

“What about Ian?” Chris asks. “Oh, I’ll find Ian one day, and when I do he’ll pay, for everything he did to me for the past 14 years of my life. Don’t worry, he won’t get far.” Chris nods superstitiously. “Maybe you should get cleaned up. You seem too beat right now.” Jaclyn nods even though her cheeks flush. She could feel the cloak that hid the demon after it retreated crack ever so slightly. She couldn’t get angry. It would just piss her off about the damage she did. Jaclyn gets up and looks in some drawers by her bed. She pulls out the only thing in there. “What the hell is this? Is this from Underworld or something?” Inside was a curve-hugging leather suit. It was all black, sleek, thin and stretchy, and looked a size too small for her. It had matching gloves and the suit had matching shoes. She didn’t know whether to be impressed or to be disgusted. They were shiny, punk high heels. How the hell was she, forget the mission, even walk in these. They weren’t thin though. They had more bottom to it than generic ones, and she saw that they had tiny grips on the bottom. Jaclyn was purely disgusted. She was in a prison full of guys and that was the only thing she had to wear. Who even picked this out? “Who picked this out?” She asks Chris, who stares at the outfit in her hand. “I’m not sure, but I think Mr. Freeman-“

“Stop calling him that. He’s not your master, you know.” Chris nods. “Drake, I’m sure of it. He said it was for the mission tonight. It’s equipped with secret compartments.”

“This tiny thing?” Jaclyn raises an eyebrow. She had no other choice though, her clothes were still bloody from the bouncers. She wondered if she killed them, considering she didn’t see them when she awoke. Her nails were crusted with blood, and Jaclyn focuses on picking most of it out. “S**t, I guess this is the only thing I have.” Jaclyn sighs and without waiting for a reply from Chris, she goes into the decent sized bathroom and turns on the shower. She leaves the door open a crack deliberately, and undresses. She lets her dirty clothes fall to the ground with a soft thump. They smelled of sweat, blood, and Chris. She could still sense Chris in the room, sitting on the bed, waiting patiently. And with that, she gets in the shower. It felt like heaven. The hot water ran across her skin and made her groan internally. She needed this. Jaclyn washes her hair and her body, scrubbing away the blood that stained her skin from the clothes. She smelled fresh and clean once she got out, and she takes a quick breath of fresh, less steamy air. The fan really outdid the musty air, and even though it made it chilly, she welcomed the feeling. She wraps a towel around herself and looks in the mirror. Her long and thick brown hair was wet and clean now, and it made her scar pop out because of her red face. She thought it made her look tough, but it really was just a reminder of all the terrible things Ian did to her. She quickly turns around from the steamy mirror and gets dressed. The leather was soft on the inside, and it hugged every part of her skin like a second layer of skin. Even though it had a zipper in the back, it was still tight without it. She couldn’t get it so she would have to ask Chris. That sent a giddy feeling inside of her, but she quickly suppresses her imagination. The leather suit was cut short though. It stopped a little above her calf, and it had an open front. The open was a long V-neck that went to a little too much if she was going to fight in this. The V-neck, on both sides of her shoulders, revealed the inner part of her shoulders and ran through her back, two identical slits that ran through her back and exposed skin. They ran all the way down, on the side of her hips and legs, and stopped a little short. But that wasn’t it. The part of leather that covered her shoulders crawled along her neck and made a wide choker. She liked it. The front had small cuts that were covered by thinner strips of leather, horizontally. The cuts were all identical, though they didn’t run long distances. They were wide though, exposing the front of her hips and thinned out up to the bottom of her breasts. Though nothing was shown. They were almond shaped basically, and Jaclyn liked that design. The sleeves were basic black and stopped at her wrists, leaving no skin to show when she put her gloves on. She zips up her matching high heels and wonders why she was going to fight someone like this. And the thought sent her other thoughts spiraling in a rain cloud. She was going to kill someone today. But she tries to convince herself anyway. It was for her own good. A life for her mother’s, right? Family was family though, and either way, you had to protect them at no costs. Jaclyn looks in the mirror, looking at her every curve and admiring how lucky she was. Jaclyn looks in the mirror, then at the sink and drawers. She opens the first drawer to find simple toiletries. There was a comb, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and what seemed to be expensive makeup. What the hell? Why would she wear makeup for one, in a prison house, and two, out to go fight someone? Where was she meeting this dude anyway? Maybe that was it. The expensive makeup, and the outfit that made her look inappropriate. Maybe she was to lure him somewhere with her looks? That would be stupid, but else would she explain it to be? The second drawer had other less, expensed cosmetics. Screw it. Jaclyn grabs some makeup and applies it hastily. But it still looked good either way, at least in her eyes. When she was done, Jaclyn wore a full face that made her edges cut. She added dark red lipstick to make her clothes pop. She also added smoky eyeshadow to match the clothes. Jaclyn wasn’t a fan of makeup or girly things, but she figured she needed to cooperate with them as much as possible. It only made it worse when she didn’t, including it would have her nowhere in escaping.Jaclyn combs her dry hair now, swooping it to the side to cover her scar. She thought she actually looked nice. When she was satisfied with her makeup, she walks over to the door and opens it. She didn’t even notice she was walking great in her heels. “Hey, can you zip this up for me?” Chris spins around from the bed at the sound of her voice, and his face absolutely lights up like Christmas. He stares at her for a little too long, his eyes lingering, but Jaclyn didn’t feel uncomfortable anymore about it. All she felt was the love at the way he looked at her. It was crazy only a couple of days ago, she met Chris. And now Jaclyn was in love with him. She put her trust in him so easily. She didn’t even know it was that easy to fall in love. It blew her mind away.

“Wow, Jaclyn. You look amazing.” Jaclyn smiles at a snarky comment but bites it down. Instead, she just keeps on smiling. “Thanks…. Uh, can you zip the back up for me?” Chris seemingly scrambles to get closer to Jaclyn, which causes her to laugh. He doesn’t take notice, or at least he doesn’t say anything. He stands behind her and admires her back a little too long, then zips it up quickly with a sigh. “Where am I going? It has to be somewhere nice, right?” Chris nods. “We are going to go to a restaurant tonight. It’s a really nice restaurant, and your target is going to be there. You will need to seclude him and corner him, then you tell him the options.” Jaclyn tries to go numb on feeling, and it works. She couldn’t deal with this until the moment was happening. Not here, and not right now. “We?” Chris smiles a devious grin. “Yeah, I’m coming with. Just me and you.”

“Then why can’t we escape? From there. No one will be watching us.” Chris sucks in an air of breath and his face comes to a painful wince. “Not, really. Ian and Drake will be watching us. The gear you are wearing, the gadgets, all have trackers in them. And even if you throw them away, we wouldn’t get far. It will be me and you in the mission together, but Ian’s guards will be crawling everywhere tonight. They’re going to keep a close eye on you.” Jaclyn curses. “Then we’ll have to make up another plan sometime soon. You know I can’t cooperate forever. I’ll eventually escape somehow.” Chris nods once again and turns away from Jaclyn, thinking. “Who’s this, target? What’s his name?” Chris turns around, tapping his foot on the ground. “John Vedder. Sells illegal equipment in the Black Market. He was going to be our seller.” Jaclyn nods. “Well,” She didn’t know what else to say, so she takes a step towards Chris. He steps up to her too, until their faces were inches apart. Jaclyn puts her arms around him, and she could feel his body tense up, then relax as he welcomes the embrace. “We’re gonna’ get out of here, ok?” Jaclyn whispers. He smiles. She leans in and their lips meet again. She was savoring every moment they had like this before her life would go back to hell again. She just needed to hold on to those memories. She smiles sadly when they part, and his eyes hold emotions in them. Jaclyn didn’t want to find out what those emotions were. Because she just wanted to be normal again, and if she found everything about Chris, it would just ruin everything. She couldn’t rush their relationship, and she wouldn’t even want to do it anyway. All she wanted was Chris. And she hoped he was the same way towards her too.

Author's Note

Please forgive me on this chapter. It's choppy and I know... Please just give me the feedback, or maybe, just maybe, you're reading this for your enjoyment. *gasp* Yeah... Probably not...