Jacob
Damn it!
I just can't believe that she just left like that. And for who? That stupid Christian. Ugh! That guy gets on my last nerve. Why is she even with him? He isn't that big of a deal. I really do wonder why she loves him so much. What's so good about that guy?
And now, because of her, I'm searching through Gibson Black's files on my own.
Until now, I found nothing, absolutely nothing. I searched through the papers on his desk, glancing behind me each second in case he returned to the office. But I found nothing important or suspicious. I only found some papers about new students attending this school next semester.
I was still angry and upset that Ariana left me like that. She's too hung up on that guy. So what if they had a fight? They're a couple. It's normal. She agreed to help find out what Gibson was up to before she got together with Christian.
She should have known that this is more important than just some stupid fight with her stupid boyfriend.
And now I'm angry at her and at myself for letting her go after him. I wonder where she is right now. Is she with him? Did they make up?
Well, I don't care if they broke up or not.
Actually...I do.
Damn! I still want her for myself. Is it why I've been so angry? Was it because I was just jealous?
Yeah, that's right. I still don't want her to be with that guy. I still want her for myself, myself only. I actually regret telling her to confess her feelings on the date, but if I hadn't, she would be sad. And I don't particularly appreciate seeing a sad Ariana.
I sighed, deciding that I should probably go since I didn't find anything.
Before turning away, my eyes caught something strange outside Gibson's window. The window had a view of the school's main entrance. My eyes widened when I saw a huge bald guy that looked so familiar. That's Carl! What is he doing here? My heart sank when I noticed that he was carrying a small body over his extensive shoulder. I didn't see her face, but I recognized her golden hair and the pink dress.
Shit! Ariana!
Next, I saw Carl and a red-haired woman, Natasha, place Ariana in the back seat of a black car. Then a man with a black suit that obviously was Gibson went to the driver seat as his two companions got in. Soon, he drove outside the school gates until the car disappeared into the dark forest-way.
"Shit," I cursed silently, reaching out for my phone in my pocket. I dialed my brother's number, impatiently tapping my foot on the ground. After a few more rings, my brother finally picked up the phone.
"Hello, Jacob."
"Samuel, this is bad! Ariana has been kidnapped. By Black! What the fuck do I do!? They will kill her!"
"Settle down, Jake." The clam voice of my step-brother came through the phone. Settle down!? How can I just settle down? How can he be so calm about this?
"But-"
Samuel cut me off. "It just means that Ariana has finally figured out what Gibson is up to. Why else would he kidnap her? He wants her. Now calm down, here's what I need you to do..."
Ariana
I groaned, feeling the stinging pain as I tried to place my hand on my throbbing head. But even though my eyes were shut, I could feel that I couldn't move my hands. It was then that I realized that my hands were tied behind my back. Finally, I slowly opened my eyes, scanning around me to see where I was.
At first, I saw nothing but darkness. But then, I realized the room was dimly lit. And cold, as if there was a draft somewhere. However, something about it made my skin crawl, and there was a strong chemical smell in the air. Just where the hell am I?
All that I remember was following Mr. Black and that red-haired woman named Natasha. They talked about a drug that seemed to work on a girl, who I theorized to be Anna Evergreen. But unfortunately, without me paying attention, I was knocked out by that huge guy, who I'm guessing was Carl.
And now, I'm sitting on a wooden chair, with my hands tied, in the middle of this creepy room. It might have been a basement, though.
Was Mr. Black planning to kill me? No, I don't think that's what he wants. If Black wanted me killed, I would have been dead by now. He obviously wants me for something. And my stomach twisted at the reason.
"Oh, Ms. Holmes, you're finally awake." I heard his voice fill the empty basement as I watched him emerge from the shadows with Natasha and Carl behind him. He had a calm expression. While the other two were glaring at me.
However, I noticed that Natasha held a syringe in her hand, with some strange grey liquid in the container. Instantly, I shuddered by just looking at it.
That must be the drug...
"I hate kids that stick their noses into adults' business." Carl spat, his small sharp eyes never leaving me.
So, this was Carl. The one who set the fire in the greenhouse. His ability was fire, but as Jacob assured me, he couldn't use it on a human body. So, I guess I was safe from that.
"Now, now, Carl. Ms. Holmes is a guest here. She was interested enough to know what we were working on. Isn't that right, Ms. Holmes?" Gibson Black turned to me, a calm smile placed on his face that made me shudder again.
I didn't say anything. I just glowered at him.
He chuckled, ambling towards Natasha and Carl. "Oh, Ms. Holmes, you have always been a girl with an attitude." He stopped near Natasha, and she handed him the injection needle.
Gibson Black stood ahead of me in a clear distance. My eyes focused on the syringe in his hand, the grey liquid almost gleaming. What kind of drug was that? And what was Black planning to do with it? What would it do to my friends and everyone at the school?
"I suppose you are wondering what is this drug Natasha and I were talking about?" he said and held the syringe to my face. "This, Ms. Holmes, is the key to a new world."
Confused, I listened to his words.
"A world where only people like us have the control. Ms. Holmes, I've spent more than twenty years trying to create this drug, and I finally did it. If this drug is injected into the human body, it energizes the cells. And over time, it becomes stronger. The mind, as well as the senses, become sharper. The human body becomes abnormal."
He went on. "Now, as it changes, the mind slowly becomes unaware of what the body is doing. The body has control, causing it to follow its instincts. This means humans will soon become inhuman. And the first thing the body does is satisfy the urge to kill. I've tested it on a normal human being, and it worked just perfectly. But sadly, we had to dispose of the girl while you were sleeping..."
I swallowed. That means Anna Evergreen was dead.
"Since it worked on normal humans, imagine what it would be like on people who were already unordinary? It would bring chaos, disorder, and power to our kind. We would regin over those who subdued us for years. Before, I wanted each one of those ordinary pigs dead. But now, they will be controlled by us."
Something dark and twisted glinted in his black eyes, and the smile he showed was even sicker. "They would be slaves, and we as their masters. Now, isn't that beautiful, Ms. Holmes? A world of our own."
By the time he was done, I could not believe what my ears had just heard. I looked at him in horror as a wicked leer curved on his lips. His eyes darkened, and they filled with eagerness. The eagerness to create this world he was talking about.
A world where just people like us lived in, controlling the normal ones and treating them as slaves. A world where there is no humanity left because of that drug. This is disgusting. Absolutely disgusting!
"You're insane! This is madness! How can you take away other people's humanity? How can you take their freedom!?" I spat, my raging eyes never leaving him. He is mad! There's no way I would let him do this!
"Freedom? Those disgusting people have taken my freedom ever since I was a child. They have killed my parents in front of my own eyes, simply because they were different!!" he snapped, losing his calm temper.
I just stayed silent, staring at him while he stilled himself. "Now, all I need is to use that drug on our kind. Which is why I've been taking those kids from their miserable lives."
My body stilled, and I could feel the room growing colder.
"Which one should I use first, Ms. Holmes? Mr. Jenson is an excellent candidate, don't you think? Ah, someone as powerful as dear Christian is just what I need. Just imagine, I would have him murder the entire school. Those good-for-nothing humans would cower at his feet."
My blood was boiling, and I'm sure my entire face was red. My fists clenched tightly, and I felt my nails slightly piercing my palms. I wanted to launch towards him and snap his neck for saying this. But my hands were tied, so I just imagined the scene.
"I swear, if you lay a hand on him or any of my friends, I will stab you in the heart. I will make sure you suffer, you disgusting son of a bitch!" I hissed through my gritted teeth.
But I didn't even see it coming when Carl hauled towards me and slapped me hard on the cheek.
"Fuck!" I cried, my flaming cheek hurting like hell. What a fucking asshole!
"Fucking bitch! Learn to respect your elders!" he spat.
"Now, Carl, that wasn't necessary," Gibson calmly said. Carl scowled at me as he walked back to stand next to Natasha. On the other hand, I was still trying to ease the burning pain on my cheek.
That dickhead!
I focused my attention on Gibson, who had a composed but terrifying smile on his face. He shook his head. "Oh, Ms. Holmes, you have always been the kind of girl who fights for her friends. It's quite admirable."
"Gee, thanks." I drawled out.
"Knowing your weakness from my comrade was an easy thing to do," he added. I looked at him questionably, recalling what he had just said. Comrade? What did he mean by that? "However, you are easily fooled. You trust people too much, and you choose to always see the good in them."
"What...what do you mean?"
I had a bad feeling about this. I suddenly felt myself twitching, and my heartbeat became faster. I was confused at what Black was saying, but he was right. My weakness was my loved ones. They were the only people I was ready to risk my life for.
But how did he know?
And what did he mean by comrade?
Does that mean....
Was Gibson Black spying on me? Did he have someone to watch me? But who? I remembered what Jacob said about the greenhouse. Carl caused the fire at the greenhouse, and I was the real target. He was right, and it was me they were after.
I just don't understand any of this. My mind was full of many questions.
"Sadly, you just won't die." He sighed.
I snapped my head from the ground to look at him. Why won't he just kill me if he wanted me dead? Though, I think the real question was, why did he want me dead in the first place?
I feel like there's something more to this. Something that I wasn't paying attention to.
"Father, I believe that I don't need to hide anymore," a familiar voice snapped me out of my train of thoughts. The voice echoed through the empty basement as my eyes scanned around till they landed on a shadow, not far away, near a dark corner.
I squinted my eyes in an attempt to determine who that person was, but it was no use. Though, that voice...it sounded so familiar. Wait...
Father?
I saw Mr. Black's lips turn into a smirk as his eyes went to the figure near the dark corner. "Yes, I believe so," he said.
The shadowy figure slowly emerged into the faint light, and I felt the breath empty out of my lungs.
Seeing them, I felt a weight sink onto my chest, felt my eyes as they misted with tears. And I realized how stupid I was, how utterly naïve. I hoped to God that this was a dream and that I would wake up any moment now.
But it wasn't...
Because I was looking at a person I had trusted, someone I saw every day, a person I wanted to be friends with. A person who I once saved their life.
Gibson Black squeezed an arm around their shoulder. "Ms. Holmes, I believe that you have met my daughter, Lena Hart. Or, I should say, Lena Black."