Trained To Kill

twelve: his girl.

Karma,

Sometimes I go to a place by myself and say it quietly. Sometimes I go into the darkness and whisper it to no one. Sometimes I shout it to the heavens. Sometimes I find myself chanting it over and over again, hoping and praying that maybe if I say it enough times it'll happen:

"Remember me!"

-j.p

--

I gasp in horror and immediately try to run to her, but time seems to move in slow motion and my feet are molasses.

When I lurch forward, a big paw snaps in front of me, gripping my shoulder harshly, pushing me backwards. “Stay back.” Jacob says lowly.

“Imani.” I gasp.

“I’ll go check on her. You don’t move.” He says seriously. He eyes Matthew’s body on the ground, and I can tell he wants to go check him first. But he heads to Imani, glancing back at me to make sure that I’ve followed his instructions.

He reaches her body, completely ignoring all the screaming and running around him. I see him put his fingers to her neck. Checking her pulse. He looks at me and I brace myself.

He nods his head.

I finally let out a deep breath and I slouch against the wall, in desperate need of an inhaler even though I’ve never had asthma. She’s alive. Jacob checks her out a little bit more and then goes over to Matthew. He looks at me and motions with his index finger. Come here. He mouths.

When I reach him and Matt, Jacob’s talking to him. I can see that the blood is coming from Matthew’s leg. It’s forming a swimming pool on the floor and I’m right in the middle of it. The metallic smell wafts through my nostrils, but by now I’m used to the smell. “What the hell happened?” Jacob asks him.

“I don’t know. I honestly don’t fucking know.” Matt groans in pain. “I’m walking to a table to eat some damn lunch and next thing I know someone’s shooting up the place.”

“Was it one of the students?” He says quietly.

“No. It was someone who came in from the entrance.” He groans.

“Karma, you stay here with him and I’m gonna go get your friend before she bleeds out, okay?” Jacob turns towards me and I nod. When he walks across the cafeteria, Matt laughs painfully. “Jacob doesn’t give a shit about that girl, kitten.”

I just shake my head. Even when he’s been shot he still has to comment on everything. “And your point is?”

“No point. Just didn’t realize how much of a soft spot he’s got for you.” He smiles before lying his head down and closing his eyes, still groaning out from the wound in his leg.

When I look over again, Imani’s slung over Jacob’s shoulder like a rag doll. “Matt get up.” He says, leaning down and grabbing his arm. Matt yells, but he stumbles to his feet anyway. Holding on to Jacob’s free shoulder for support, he limps.

I follow and try to help Matthew as much as I can, but he’s too strong and heavy to lean on my shoulder. So I just follow behind them trying to make sure nobody stumbles and falls.

When we reach the infirmary, Jacob puts Mani in one room and a nurse appears. She immediately begins to tend to her. He walks out and then helps Matt to another room. He pulls up a chair for me and then one for himself. My hands haven’t stopped shaking, and they’re covered in Matthew’s blood. Jacob leads me over to the sink, turns the water on, and then washes them for me. I mumble my gratitude.

I sit down in a chair and wait for Matt and J to start talking, which they will.

“So, you said someone came in from the entrance? Did you even see who it was?”  Jacob asks.