I could feel the water heating my skin and flowing down my limbs as I scrubbed in the steamy shower. Earlier, I had woken up to a small room before an enhanced guard led me to this bathroom. But before then, I could only remember laying beside Lyla in the squealing train.
After the hot bath, I blindly grabbed a towel from the sink and vigorously rubbed my face with it. Then I wiped the foggy mirror and stared into my reflection of deep, brown eyes. My once meaty face was now left with bony features caused from the stress of the past few days and my long, brown hair rested on my collarbones, dripping water down between my pale breasts.
"You must feel relieved."
I jerkily wrapped my body and turned and saw Jake leaning beside the door.
"Have you been standing there the whole time? Watching me naked?" I asked desperately.
He smirked and straightened himself. "Just a coincidence, Elena. I was just passing by. Anyways I'll make sure your clothes are brought to you in no time. We have a lot to do today."
"Oh so you suddenly give the orders around here huh?"
"It's best you keep calm," he muttered.
Angrily, I approached him and inhaled his soothing scent, trying my best to avoid his seductive stare. "You're wearing SpiderSilk, just like Sergeant Brooks. And you were able to command Jennifer Anderson effortlessly... tell me, are you one of them now? What did they do to you?"
"You have every right to be confused," he said calmly, and held my chin. "We sedated you and we were able to reconstruct your jaw—"
"Just tell me the truth Jake! For fucks sake! What happened to you!" I yelled and slapped off his hand. Then he slowly squatted and folded his arms with his eyes welling up. "Jake... you can tell me anything—"
"Do you think it's fucking easy?" He sparked.
"It's not been any less tough for me too—"
"They beat me up." He sniffled. "They beat me to stupor and took me far away from the prison. I woke up and saw myself in a lab with Jennifer giving orders to her workers. She then told me how my body rejected the vaccine and how I was fit to be their new 'lab rat' for some strange experiment..."
"What experiment?" I interrupted.
"I don't know. All I'm sure of is that as soon as I was injected, I felt deep burns beneath my skin which drove me mad for hours. I couldn't think clearly and everything around me seemed to be... haunting me. And she was present while all this happened. Jennifer, she was there, laughing and telling me how successful she had become..."
"She's really who they say she is." I stiffened, remembering how she ill-treated me in the train.
"She's a spoiled bitch full of pride," Jake said bitterly.
My body had already dried up as I moved my way out of the bathroom, walking into a narrow passage with algae-ridden tiled walls and dull fluorescent lights.
"So that was all?" I asked Jake who was walking behind me.
"That's only just a portion of the story. According to Jennifer, what was injected into my head altered my brain functions and enhanced my cerebrum, giving room for x-ray vision, faster reasoning, sharpened hearing, and a list of unnatural abilities," he explained.
"Just like a 'sixth sense'," I said, "only Logan can allow such so long as it benefits him. So can you show me these abilities?"
"No. It has to be triggered by some pills I am unauthorized to take," he answered.
"This is not just an experiment, Jake. This is a milestone," I muttered.
Jake halted and faced me as we reached my room door. "After my successful experiment, Lord Logan saw me as a highly valued asset. He made sure all my needs were met and he gave me some authority as well."
"Did you get to meet with him?" I asked, wondering what a dreadful tyrant would look like.
"I never met with him. Nobody does," Jake answered before leashing out smile that strangely hardened my nipples. "I am coming in with you."
I held the cold door knob with one trembling hand and gripped my towel with another, looking into his seductive eyes. "What gives you the audacity to think you can get with me Jacob Fox?"
He gave his usual smirk and swept his hair like some fake charming prince. "You're a convict, just like me. You're going beyond the wall, and so am I. We both have one life to live, Elena Jones. And I know you never stole from a mall. My recent redemption allowed me access to your files. You love chocolate, you revere driving and you value art. You paint, write, and you play the violin. Your daughter is your greatest treasure, and I believe you never killed Brentford Jones. You're the strongest woman I've known and I know you can survive anything. So yes, I might not have the audacity..." he moved closer to my pounding chest and placed his soft hands on my waist.
How can a guy of his age be so mature with his words and traits? And how comes he turns me on? No, this is not you Elena! I thought loudly in my head before he let his hand slide beneath my towel, giving me that tingling rush I had not felt in years.
"Enough, please," I shivered and clasped his arms as he fingered into my soppy wetness. Then he released himself and regressed.
"Go in and get dressed. I'll be back with some food for your hunger. Jennifer and Sergeant brooks will be waiting. Your friend, Lyla, has fully recovered and she will be among the four recruits you'll be formally introduced to. We have a day before we finally leave for the Darklands."
"Just a day?" I asked, feeling a chilling dread that came with the thought of fighting undead beasts and leaving with the possibility of never seeing Ally again.
"Just a day," Jake answered.
And he left, just like that, without saying a single word about what just happened. I opened the door and walked into the tiny lighted room and sat myself on the soft bed, smiling foolishly about how he made me feel some minutes ago, and also wondering how I let him get to me that easily.
***
I was anticipating Lyla and walking toward an open door which let part of the sun pierce into the passage. This SpiderSilk was skintight, but lightweight enough. It's fibre was laced with nano sensors which allowed for skin weather adaptation. Only the Section 1 army could tailor such masterpiece. As I neared the wooden door, I unwrapped the last piece of sausage Jake had brought, and bit into the hot bread and chew along with the tasty stew. Then I drank off the bottle water on my other hand and finally stepped out into the sunny morning which had numerous standing and busy soldiers. I could sense distinct shouts, grunts, and gunfire from the large shooting range at my right hand side. There was a giant white tent mounted ahead and there he was; Jake, standing and observing my steps from afar. It didn't take long for my eyes to catch the historic Perimeter Wall far behind the endless dry land. I never knew we were this close to the Darklands. The grey metallic wall was tall with bluish laser beams of more than 5,000 trillion watts mounted above it. This was what was protecting us from horrible deaths but some of us still intended going beyond it.
"Give me your hand," Jake stretched a palm and smiled. Without hesitation, I flung the empty water bottle and obeyed. Then we began walking directly toward the tent.
"Quite nice of you to bring me some food Jacob," I said.
"Don't call me that," he snapped.
"Don't call you what?"
"'Jacob'. Simply call me Jake or keep your mouth shut."
I yanked myself and parted from him, silently.
"Elena... I didn't mean to be rude. I'm sorry. I just feel cringe whenever I'm being called Jacob," he said with a rueful smile.
"I never complained, Jacob." I smiled. But deep down I felt like kicking him in the balls.
He moved himself closer now. "Look at the sky and tell me what comes to your mind."
I raised my head and stared into the blue clouds, and straightened myself. "Hope..."
"Hope. So you see, everything will be fine. Your daughter will be proud of you. And I cannot promise but I'll always be by your side to support you through tough times," he said.
"Thanks," I replied, "but I don't need you trying to make me feel better. I don't need anyone."
"I'm not saying you need me."
"You just said it right now."
He guffawed and pinched my wrist. "Good times are coming, Elena, but we must always prepare for the worst."
"I never knew you were so naughty... you know... earlier today, at the front of my room door." I called out with a pounding heart, anticipating his reply.
"I want more than that, I want you, the real you."
"Me? You must be out of your mind. We're literally on a suicide mission Jake. Go find someone ready for some teen love," I jested.
"So that's what you have to say?" He asked with widened eyes.
"Well—"
"Fuck you. You just made me regret voicing out my feelings." He left my hand and entered the tent before I could find the words to reply him.
Why was he mad? Could I have offended him? Was he even being serious with his words?
A horn pulled me off my thoughts and I turned behind and saw a black tinted van. The door slid open and to my surprise, it was Lyla who alighted with one robotic metal leg.
"Elena oh my god!" She delighted, before running and giving me a warm tight hug, with her body smelling like shea butter.
"I'm glad you made it Lyla," I said as she released herself.
Then she stroked her nose ring and fretfully folded her arms. "Believe me anyone would be glad to make it here alive. How did you even survive?"
"I got lucky." I sighed, remembering the deadly dogs that chased me into the train. "Your leg... how did it happen?" I asked.
"What do you think?" She laughed. "It's the bomb. Leg got so maimed it had to he amputated immediately."
"Damn... I'm so sorry about that," I said.
She turned and so did I. "I'm not alone. We got company."
And just then a man in his forties alighted; short, hairy, brawny, pink skinned, with hazel eyes and long brown hair. "Elena freaking Jones," he called, wrinkling a smile. "I heard a lot about you."
I didn't know why but I couldn't find the words to reply him.
"I'm Rick," he said and walked away.
"He's a fucking cunt," Lyla whispered beside me.
Another male SpiderSilk-dressed recruit stepped out of the van; moderately tall, medium built, bright skinned, with flinty black eyes and short hair black as coal. "Well hello fellow ladies— I mean fellow recruits fuck! Anyways, I'm Lee and I'm glad to meet you both." He let out a broad smile. "I know the swords behind my back make me look like a ninja, well I actually am. I'm skilled in karate, Judo, kung fu—"
"Nice to meet you, Lee," I cut him off.
Lyla guffawed before grabbing hold of his arm. "You talk too much for a man!"
"Haha. Very funny, Lyla the beautiful one legged princess." Lee pushed her and moved off.
Then a curvy red-haired lady quietly came down and walked past us without saying a single word.
"I'm not gonna lie, she's very beautiful," I uttered, watching her move stylishly into the tent.
"She's Barbara."
"Why didn't she speak with us?"
"For god's sake Elena because she's a snob and she's full of herself. I keep wondering how she got here," Lyla spoke with absolute bitterness.
"We all still have time to get to know each other I guess—"
"Not until we get eaten. C'mon, Sergeant Brooks is in the tent waiting for us." Lyla gestured and we started toward the tent.
Hey there! Thank you for reading!
This is my first time writing science fiction and chapters will be updated from time to time. This is an ongoing story so please do expect some editing here and there.
Thanks for reading!! XO.