Chance: An Action & Adventure Romance Novel (Sacrifice) (13 page)

“Once Daethan is clear of the burning structure he realizes that this was no accident. Tomaal stood on the road watching the barn burn and Xanthia die. Daethan's rage overshadows his logic and he charges Tomaal. Daethan had all intentions of ripping Tomaal limb from limb, but he does not get the chance. Out of the shadows come three men on horses with ropes. They throw the ropes around him and circle as fast as the horses can move until he is bound from his neck to his ankles. Tomaal laughs in his face and pushes Daethan causing him to land on his back. One of the horsemen grabs a hold of all three ropes and takes off, dragging Daethan down the road behind him. Tomaal would find out how Daethan had these abilities, even if he had to torture him to find out.”

I gasp and Damiano smiles warmly at my reaction. I'm so enthralled with this story that I want to cry for Xanthia and Daethan and beat the tar out of Tomaal at the same time.

“
Despite everything that Tomaal did and all of the pain he inflicted, Daethan did not tell him what he wanted to know. This was not because he was trying to hide the information, but because he would not give Tomaal the satisfaction. The very next day, Daethan breathed his last breath due to his wounds from the torture he had endured, thus joining Xanthia once again, this time for eternity.”

“After Daethan's death, Tomaal spent months in search of others like him.  While doing so, Tomaal acquired many followers who had also witnessed abilities such as the ones
Daethan possessed. It could have been fear, or even pure blood lust that drove these people to follow him, this I will never fully understand.”

“One night as Tomaal and his minions were meeting, seven drifters made their way into town. They did not look around.  They did not look for a place to rest their heads. They waited outside for Tomaal. They waited for hours and when the doors finally opened and Tomaal and his men poured out, the battle began. At first they exchanged words. The newcomers explained that they were like you, different. They explained that Daethan was one of them and that they had seen what Tomaal had done to him and his beloved. They were there to seek vengeance for the brother they had lost.  The words escalated into fighting and soon it was the seven newcomers against fifty men. Their abilities were all different.  One was fast and one was strong. Three could manipulate the different elements. One was a tactical genius. Together they were a force to be reckoned with. But there was one newcomer who simply stood and watched. He did not fight, he did not speak. He just observed. Each side so focused on destroying the other, neither saw the destruction that they were leaving in their wake.”

“By the time their numbers had dwindled down considerably, there were only two newcomers left and ten humans, including Tomaal.  The nine remaining minions approached the bloody and tired newcomer. The newcomer did not move, he simply told the man not to pursue them any further. He told then that it would only lead to devastation.  The newcomer watched as the man fled knowing that this was only the beginning, except for Tomaal.  The battle weary newcomer forced Tomaal to his knees before turning back to the silent newcomer and asking if he would like to finish him.”

“The silent newcomer simply replied, ‘I will have no part of this.'

“The silent newcomer then watched as Tomaal was crushed between two boulders summoned by the other surviving newcomer. The two newcomers leave the destroyed village parting ways as they do. That was the day both The Sapient and The Order came to be.”

Wow
.

Damiano stands and moves back towards the door and I'm left with tons of questions.

“
Wait!”

He turns his face towards me and I catch a quick glimpse of the sadness that crosses his face before his emotional mask slips back into place.

“
What was the point in telling me this? Don't get me wrong, I understand. Sort of. I just don't understand why you'd tell me this.”

Damiano doesn't turn back to me. His shoulders rise and fall and I'm pretty sure he sighed.

“
Do not fall for truth with a lie.”

His words leave me searching my mind to try and understand, but when I look up to ask him what that actually means, he's gone.

Chapter Thirteen

Al

I should really get rid of that crane.

Nope.

It's not really necessary.

Leave it.

Why?

It's fun.

That's not a good enough reason to leave a giant crane next to the compound.

Best reason I have.

Fair enough.

Yep.

Sighing I walk past the crane and into the compound. The irrational part of me has won out once again, but I'm used to it. Most think I'm insane but what do they know? It never stops them from coming to me when they need something. They're always asking me to build things in half the time it would take any other contractor. I can't help that I'm brilliant.  It's just how it is. There were many times in my youth when I would wish I had abilities like the others.   As I grew older I found it far more entertaining to outsmart them. This is the first time I have been back to the compound since I created the cell for Dora and I'm not looking forward to it. I know I did what I was told.  Knowing Dora she isn't even upset with me. I just feel guilty. She doesn't deserve to be in there, regardless of what she is capable of.

I have known most of the men in this unit for many years.  I was both excited and pissed off to find out Takeo had found Chasca. Takeo deserved to find someone willing to give herself to him, to love him unconditionally. Hell, all the men here deserve that. But I had to admit I was pissed off because Chasca was amazing. And part of me wanted her for myself. I've never been a selfish person, so it was easy to dismiss those thoughts. If all I could get from her was friendship then I would gladly take it and keep my mouth shut.  Now I could say the same for Dora. She has a sweetness about her that instantly makes a man want to whisper, so as to not disturb the beautiful balance that lies within her delicate frame. However, I've come to notice one thing. No one, not even Aiden, seems to notice the strength that shows through her striking blue eyes. I've read her report.  I had to when they asked me to build the cell. I had to know what the chamber needed to be able to withstand. Dora is considered to be a weapon by both The Order and The Sapient because she is capable of mass destruction. Yet she refuses and she will not willingly hurt another human being.  How curious.

What would a soldier do if his gun refused to fire?

Get a new gun.

Precisely.

The Sapient have not come for their weapon which tells me one thing. They must have another.

Or...

No.

It is a potential outcome. You must acknowledge it.

No.

She is exactly where they want her. This is the most logical scenario.

I have to tell the others.

No.

Prepare the compound.

How?

You know how.
Of course I know how. A grin spreads across my face as I head towards the medical facility. Liza is the only one I come across as I make my way there. The only way she acknowledges me is by smiling and shaking her head at me as we cross paths in the hallway. She knows my intentions and considering she made no attempt to stop me, she must approve.
Right?

Liza

What a mess this is going to be. I do not like to enter a person’s mind without permission or just cause, but Al is someone I always have to keep my 'third eye' on and it is quite entertaining. His mind is constantly arguing with itself. The irrational versus the rational
and most of the time the irrational side wins out. There a few minds I cannot penetrate and one of those is Damiano. The few times I have attempted it there was no resistance, he made no attempt at blocking me, there was simply nothing to find. This is not normal. There is always something, broken memories, inner thoughts, something. But not with him, just black nothingness that made me feel uncomfortable. What caused me to feel even more uneasy was that each time I attempted it; he was staring directly at me. He was fully of aware at what I was doing and again he made no move to stop me. It almost seemed as if he wanted me too.

I walk past the front entry of the compound and I watch as the door opens and Aaron Feliciano steps in. He smiles at me and continues towards the training facility. There's something about him today that does not seem right. Aaron has never been an overly friendly man, but his movements are stiff and his eyes are searching. Allowing my mind to gently penetrate his I immediately come up against a brick wall. The first defense. Every agent is trained to know how to ward off psychic interference, but
its common knowledge that you would only use this if you truly had something to hide. What was Mr. Feliciano hiding from me?

I follow him into the training facility and notice that he is looking around. He's been here before, many times in fact.  There is only one thing he could be assessing. The cell. It is the only thing out of place in this entire room.

“
Can I get you anything, Mr. Feliciano?”

He turns towards me and shakes his head no. He's got his cell phone in his hand but isn't paying attention to it. His eyes however deceive him. He's concentrating very hard but not on the object in his hand.

“
Are you sure?  I know you travel quite far to get here. I could make you something to eat or some tea perhaps?”

“
No, Liza. I do not need anything. I'm here on business and I intend on finishing quickly.”

He stares at me and I back at him. Neither of us giving the other an inch. Penetrating his mind once more I mentally give his brick wall a good shove and watch as it comes crumbling to the ground. His eyes flare and his face starts to redden. Before I go any further, I have to give him the opportunity to tell me the truth.

“
What are you hiding from me?”

“
I cannot discuss it. I was given orders to keep this information private by any means necessary.”

There it is.
His tell.

His nostrils flare slightly when he is lying. I've seen it before. Granted at the time he was simply telling a white lie in a joking manner, but I saw it.

Penetrating his mind even deeper I come across the second defense. A vast ocean comes into view.  The waves are crashing into one another, appearing as if a storm is brewing. This is to confuse the mental intruder.  The pure chaos of it is supposed to distract us enough to withdraw. With a small smile playing at my lips, I part the vast ocean just as Moses parted the Red Sea. The vein in Aaron's forehead is protruding now and I know he doesn't have much more in him. The third defense is what I call 'The Facade'. It is information that seems vital and to the inexperienced it would seem that is what they were looking for. But no, it is simply the go to thoughts that they focus on to throw us off.

My turn
.

In his mind I plant an image so vivid that he has no defense against it. We are as we are at this moment, but blood is pouring from his nose, his ears and his eyes.  The pain he is feeling is intolerable. As always, this works. Aaron falls to his knees with his hands on his face and he is screaming.

Now the path is clear. Snaking my way through his mind I find what he is hiding and it is much worse than I suspected.

This man is a traitor.

Rushing over to the communication unit on the wall by the door of the training facility, I hit the panic button. Moments later Aiden, Takeo, Angelo and several of their most trusted men come running through the open door.

“
Liza, darlin', what happened?” Aiden says in a rush of breath.

“
I've seen his mind. This man is not what you think he is. He is a traitor.”

Aiden immediately turns his once concerned, now furious gaze on Aaron who is still writhing in pain on the ground.

“
Release him,” Takeo says through clenched teeth.

Nodding once at Takeo, I clear the image from Aaron's mind. He is still gasping for breath but when he notices who is standing around him his body stills.

“
Is it true?” Takeo asks Aaron while staring at him with a look in his eyes that I did not need to question. He is positively murderous. Takeo would never doubt my word, but I know he is giving Aaron one last chance to be honest.

“
I don't know what she told you but she lies. I've worked by your side for years.  I would never deceive you.”

Angelo steps forward and kicks Aaron in the stomach with his boot clad foot.

“
She would
never
fuckin' lie to us.”