Black Equation - The Gifted Ones

Number Sixteen

“It’s our father’s Gift – my Gift – that scares the shit out of everyone in the Light. And I could kill you. Fry your brain cells one by one. Like right now. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“I’m not afraid!”

The muscles on the boy’s face were tense, and there was a twitching going on in the corner of his mouth. Richard offered him one of those deceptive smiles of his. “Lying is an art, mind-reader. Don’t do it in front of a master like me. I can read your face’s microexpressions like words written in font size 72. You’re scared shitless. You’re about to piss on your pants, but you’re holding out ‘cause you think Krad will make it here and save you from the scary bad man named moi. Well, reality check kid, I have all the right cards. Abcidee is as good as mine, and I will lead the dumb blonde on a wild goose chase. Oh, and you know the rest, right? Why am I even talking?”

Richard laughed as he stood up and dusted himself from the debris. “Make yourself presentable. I expect you out in three minutes.”

His smile dropped when he entered the kitchen. Abcidee was washing the dishes. Barehanded.

“I have a dishwasher.” She looked over her smooth, creamy shoulder, seemingly surprised to see him leaning against the counter. He added dryly, “Or you could have used gloves.”

“It’s okay. I’m nearly done,” she stated, trying to sound indifferent, but her face was pink.

He hated to think that her soft hands would be calloused with housework. No. She was too precious. Far too precious. She should be treated like royalty.

He shook his head, clearing his mind from stray thoughts. “Krad is coming. Do you want to stay and have a chat? You know, clear things up with him. Baby and all. After all, you were his ex-girlfriend." He shrugged, before adding, "Or we can run.”

Abcidee paled, but she moved past him to get her things packed. “You’re his brother all right, but don’t you think you’re laying the sugar a bit too much? You’re obviously trying to make me patch up things with him. If you think that’ll work, you’re being hilarious.”

I was actually going for the opposite, and look, it worked.

He faked an apologetic smile and followed right behind her. The mind-reader was already in the living area, sitting so quietly Richard almost missed his presence.

Abcidee knelt in front of the squirt. “Are you okay?”

The boy nodded woodenly, following Richard’s mental orders without a word. She turned and asked with a knotted brow, “Can he come?”

“I don’t think he’ll like that. He’s very attached to my brother.”

She nodded in understanding. From the few days she’d spent with them, she knew without doubt that Krad was very close to the young boy. She could actually feel that he’s quite good with kids… so then why did he abandon her when she was with their child?

Tears sprung up her eyes. “Atom, I hope you’ll understand. I don’t want to see Krad right now. He’s coming and I have to leave before he arrives. Please don’t tell him that I know.”

Richard had an internal transmitter built delicately inside the silver bracelet. He knew – and of course that translated to the mind-reader knowing as well – that one slip, even a minor blip about Richard’s secrets would immediately result to the boy’s death.

 “I – I’ll miss you,” was all the mind-reader could say.

“I will too.” Abcidee hugged him. “Bye Atom. See you again. Next time, I’ll treat you ice cream, okay?”

Richard rushed her out before things could get dramatic. They’ve wasted enough time getting emotional.

Through the back doors, they went out into the driving lane and then brisk-walked towards the main street. In less than a minute, they managed to get into a cab and sped away before an eye from both organizations could see them

Or so they thought.

Richard, who was sitting shotgun, turned to the driver with a relieved expression. “Drive us to the Sun Frame Hotel in the 5th– “

Without looking away from the road, the black-haired driver lifted a can and thickly sprayed sleeping gas on the young Underwood’s face. Abcidee gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth.

“Arashi!”

Her boyfriend scowled at her as he parked the cab on one side of the street. He hastily tied Richard’s hands behind him and made the same knots around his feet.

She was still in a state of shock when he finally drove away. “I don’t – how did you – I mean…”

“You don’t seem happy to see me, Dee.”

“I – I… you are an agent of Creed," she said accusingly.

His lips formed a snarl. “How much do you know?”

She didn’t know what to say. Her heart was hammering in her chest; it felt like a ticking bomb. Arashi is here. He is a liar, like everyone else in her life. But why was it that her eyes swell with tears at the thought of hating this man?

Arashi was angry. It was apparent by the way his face loses all emotions, like he was the personification of a Japanese Noh mask.

“Quick advice. If you don’t want to be found, avoid letting your face be caught by any wireless camera, cellphone, laptop and all.”

Her throat closed up. “I’m not – “

“If you don't – “

“Krad is the reason – “

That name set him off. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel. “I,” he growled, “don’t give a flying fuck about him, and if you don’t want to be hurt by my words, you’ll shut the hell up, Dee. I’m a breath away from exploding, especially after seeing his bullshit excuse of a brother’s hands all over you while you were fucking asleep in his fucking room!”