Killed...and...Stuff

 

Chapter Four

 

Once we get into the parking lot Chase looks around, looking confused.

“Tell me you didn’t forget where you parked.” I say, my exasperation coming through my words.

Chase looks over at me and smirks. “No, I haven’t forgotten. My car is right there.” He says and nods towards a sleek back car, which if I’m not mistaken is a Porsche. I roll my eyes. Of course he has a Porsche.

“Then what’s the hold up?” I ask him, and take a step towards the car. Chase throws out an arm to stop me.

“Do you see that man standing by your car over there?” He asks me and nods again towards my old Honda. I squint and see a middle-aged man standing next to my car, talking into his cell phone.

I turn to Chase. “How do you know that’s my car?” I ask him curiously. He lets out a sigh.

“I saw you drive to school this morning.” He explains. I start to say something but he cuts me off. “Listen, we’re going to have to leave your car here. That guy is looking for you, and we can’t let him find you. Got it?”

I frown. “No, not really. But you can explain this to me later.” Chase nods in agreement and we sneak up to his car. He unlocks it with a beep and we both look, paranoid, to the man by my car. He’s looking at us, yelling into his phone. Chase yells at me.

“Get in the car!” And I do. As soon as my door closes Chase starts his engine and we gun it out of the parking lot, leaving no chance for the man to follow us.

I turn around while Chase speeds down the street, yielding onto the highway.

“Chase…” I say. Yeah, this whole bad-guy-after-me thing is so not what I signed up for when I agreed to be a Talent Trainer. I thought I would be helping people. Chase ignores me, pushing the speed a little higher until we’re going way past the limit. “Chase.” I say again, but he still ignores me. “Chase!” I finally yell. He glances over at me and I yelp. “No, look at the road, not at me!” He grins and turns his eyes back to the road.

“What’s wrong?” He asks me, still grinning. I roll my eyes. I’ve known him for less than a day, but it’s clear to me that if he’s not living in danger, he’s not living.

“I just…never mind. Where are we going?” I ask.

Chase speeds up; passing a car that is going much slower than us. (Who isn’t?)

“My house,” he says as if it was obvious. “My mom and brother might be able to help us.”

This is a surprise. Nobody is supposed to know about our Talents. We’re not supposed to tell our families, our friends, anyone. Unless they are other Talents, we’re not allowed to talk it with anybody. I stare at Chase in shock.

“You told your family?” I ask him, still surprised.

“Oh, calm down. I didn’t break any rules. They’re Talents, too.” He tells me. My mouth falls open. A family of Talents? That’s never happened before!

I get the feeling Chase doesn’t want to talk about it though, so I don’t pry. Which, might I say, is a very difficult task for me.

So instead, I ask another question. “Hey, you never did tell me. What is your Talent?”

Chase glances over at me, and grins again. “I’m a Controller.” He says. I know I’m gaping at him now but I can’t help it. So he’s a Full-Talent Controller. You’ve got to be kidding me.

“A Controller,” I repeat. “Like…a mind controller, right?” I ask. The Company has always said that they have never found a Controller in all their time. So how can Chase be one? The Company would know, surely. Unless he’s lying to me! That’s it!

Chase looks at me again and nods. “Yes, a mind controller.” He says. Liar. “Don’t tell me you don’t believe me.” He feigns hurt. I shrug.

“The Company tells everyone that they’ve never met a Controller and that…” I trail off, not finishing my sentence. Chase notices, and I turn to look out the window.

“And that what?” He asks me. I press my lips together and say it in one big breath.

“And that if we’re ever to meet one to stay away from them because they’re dangerous.” I close my eyes, knowing he’s going to laugh, waiting for it. Nothing. Huh. Tricky liar.

“Well, I am quite lethal.” Chase says to me and when I open my eyes he winks. “And the Company is right. They have never met a Controller before.” He tells me.

I can tell that my expression is giving off my confusion. Chase sees it and further explains. “The Company doesn’t know I exist. They don’t know that my family exists, actually. So when they say they’ve never met a Controller, it’s true. They’ve never met me, because they’ve never found me.”

I’m staring at him, at a complete loss for words. “So, what, you’re in hiding?” I ask him.

“You could say that.”

“And that’s why you’re my guard, right? Because nobody knows you exist, so it’s like…like you can help me and nobody will know to look for you.” See, I’m not so dumb.

Chase nods. “Exactly.”

“But what do you need to uh, guard me from?” Is it me, or does it sound stupid to say that out loud? No, it definitely does.

“The Company.” He says with such determination that I almost fall for it.

“You’re not serious.” I say but I can tell that he is. What, is he on drugs? The Company is the reason we haven’t all been discovered…and…killed…and…stuff. Right?

“Of course I’m serious. The Company isn’t what you think they are, Skye. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows.” Chase says. I glare at him.

“Well, obviously. You can’t have rainbows without rain, and you can’t have rain when you have sunshine. So that’s completely implausible.” I tell him. Chase groans.

“Are you always like this?” He asks me.

“Like what?”

“Irritating.” He says. Now it’s my turn to laugh. I’ve successfully irritated the arrogant grumpy guy! It doesn’t get better than that.

“But, seriously. The Company isn’t like, devil worshippers. Me thinketh you’ve gotten some wrongeth information…eth.”

Chase glances over at me and almost cracks a smile. So he’s not completely humorless, I think.

“I think you’ve been the one getting wrong information. Listen to me, Skye, you’re going to have to trust me, okay? The Company has changed. They may have once been good people, trying to help Talents, but that’s changed. They’re not like that anymore. In fact, they’re the opposite of helpful now. They’re destructive.” Chase sighs and rubs his face with his free hand, keeping the other hand on the steering wheel (Thank God).

“So…why are they so destructive?” I ask, curious. I’m not exactly sure I believe this schmuck.

Chase ignores my question. “Have you talked to any other Talent Trainers lately?”

I shake my head and then realize he can’t see that, since he’s driving. “Nope.”

“That’s because they’re being experimented on.” Chase informs me. I blink once. Twice.

“What??” I ask him, confused.

“The Company is taking all the Talents they can find, starting with Half-Talents, ending with Talent Trainers. They’re taking them to the Company headquarters and injecting them with a formula.” He pauses and takes another glance over at me. I’m biting my lip.

“What’s the formula for?” I ask him, surprisingly calm.

“They’re trying to create a formula that will turn Nontalents into Half or Full Talents. So they’re taking DNA from Talents and injecting them with a stabilizer, which keeps their Talents under control.” Chase stops and waits for me to say something.

“Yeah, um, what?” I ask. My vocabulary is in a wide range today, isn’t it? Chase nods, as if he should have expected I wouldn’t understand. Ouch.

“Basically, they’re taking our Talents from us and making them into a formula so they can give it to Nontalents in the hope that they adapt to it and have a Talent.”

I press my lips together and then pull them apart, making that little pop sound. Chase looks confused.

“Oh, sorry.” I say. And then I try to form some more words. “So…what happens to the Talents when their Talent is taken from them?”

Chase frowns and looks as if he doesn’t want to tell me. “Oh, come on. You basically have to tell me now.” I say.

“Most of them die.” Chase says and I wince. What the hell, what the hell, what the hell.

“And the humans that are being injected with our Talents?” I ask cautiously. Chase speeds the car up.

“None have survived the injection so far.” He tells me. Then he parks the car in front of a lake and turns off the engine. I sit, unmoving. He turns to me. “We’re here.”

I look around. All I can see is a lake.

“Your have a family of mermaids?” I ask. Chase laughs and the sound warms me a little bit.

“Come on, I want to show you something.” He says and I nod. I get out of his car and he walks around to my side. We start walking to a large clearing beside the lake. What does he want to show me? Dirt? Very romantic, but unnecessary. Really. “Brody!” Chase yells.

I look around, looking for someone…something? And then I see a guy, close to the same age as Chase, walking lazily towards us. He’s built just like Chase: toned muscles, tall, arrogant. This guy is smaller than Chase though, more lanky. They even look slightly alike. But where as Chase’s hair is short and brown, this guy’s is blonde and longish. He reaches us and grins at me.

“What’s our rule about bringing pretty girls to the house, Chase?” The guy asks, still grinning. Chase rolls his eyes.

“Brody, this is Skye Dawson, the Talent Trainer.” He says. I smile at Brody. “And Skye, this is my big brother Brody.”

Brody takes my hand and kisses it lightly. I chuckle. “Who said chivalry is dead?” Brody’s grin widens.

“My point exactly, Skye. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He says in a silky voice not unlike his brothers.

“The pleasure’s all mine.” I say and smile back. Brody and I turn our heads at the sound of a throat clearing and look to see Chase, with his eyebrows raised.

“We all need to talk.” Chase says and Brody’s smile fades. So does mine. Oh, lord. What next? Chase really is an axe murderer? I honestly can’t think of anything that would surprise me more at this point. So, with a sigh, I follow Chase.

 

Reviews

[Anya]

o.o I can't wait for the next chapter! Honestly, I can't say it enough, it's an incredible plot written wonderfully well. I could only see one, very minor mistake
""Your have a family of mermaids?"" Your should be you I guess...

I love it so much! Please can you message me every time you put up a new chapter? Thank you :)

Well done, great write.