The cold machinery in my hands makes me feel powerful and I squeeze out another bullet, the sound still getting through to my ears despite the earmuffs. The target across the room shreds as it's penetrated and I drop my arm, satisfied that I hit where I wanted. I haven't used a gun in ages, but it feels good, and I'm glad that I haven't lost any of my skill. I figure I'll need it whenever I find the people that kidnapped Lost.
"You done then?" Cas asks from behind me.
I turn to her and put down my gun then slip off my earmuffs. "Yeah. I feel better."
"Good, because Mariam told me to get you."
Immediately I leave the training area to go back to the room we commandeered and set up to use as a command center. Cas follows without a word and her footsteps are almost non existent compared to my stomps.
"Do we have something new?" I ask as soon I step through the doorway. There are our own private detectives talking and chatting in front of an evidence board, photos and papers everywhere. Mariam is talking into her cell, a finger held up for me to give her a second.
I trail my eyes over the evidence board as I wait and sigh at all the leads. This organization that took Lost has so many branches that everyone we've pursued so far barely counts as a twig. Sick puppies that kill for a vengeful God or traditional values or something just as stupid. I don't bother listening when common sense doesn't exist for them. All I care about is finding that branch that has Lost hanging on it.
"Kahlan," Mariam calls, and I turn to her. "Your profile was right. They're bringing him in."
"I want to talk to him," I demand. It was easy enough to find these goons when I begun profiling them as a terrorist organization. Multiple perpetrators, counter surveillance, hierarchies. I think I can get more out of the guy they're bringing in.
Mariam lifts her glasses to rub her tired eyes. She's been up with me for almost three days. "You know you can't. Not after last time."
"That was..." I broke his nose and three of his fingers, and was aiming for more blood. "... an accident."
Cas snorts and says something about not thinking I had it in me while Mariam guffaws and tells me, "You can't be trusted. Let the professionals deal with this. We'll get the information, okay? We'll find her."
I thought that, too, the first night. But it's been two whole days since then and I'm getting desperate. I've never been without Lost for so long and I want her with me again. I don't care if I'm acting irrationally. I want her back.
"Are we sure he's high in the chain?" I ask softly, my jaw tight. "He's the one?"
"I'm sure. They found three bodies on the property along with innumerable evidence that the cult bunked there. He ran the place, brainwashed a handful of kids to believe in monsters."
"They're real," I mumble, putting my arms over my belly to hold my elbows. With all that's happened I believe now. I believe Lost and her witches and goblins and whatever else. "But go on."
"Right. Well, they were being trained to kill people. They had weapons in every room of the house. This guy and all his little friends are twisted, I say."
"Lost wasn't on the property? Was there a trace of her?"
"No, but we found invoices to somewhere upstate. It was deserted but they're not sending goods to the trees."
"Maybe Lost is there. This guy has to know. He has to!"
"Okay, okay." Mariam motions for me to follow her out of the room, and I do when I notice the detectives trying hard not to stare at me. "You've got to calm down," she whispers when we're in the hall. "You don't know what's happening with Lost."
Raking my hand through my hair, I nod and place a hand on my hip. "I know, I know. I just... What if she's not..."
"She's fine," Mariam assures me. "She knows how to stay alive."
"Mariam, some of the bodies we've found were tossed only hours after being kidnapped. She could be one of those bodies. It's been two damned days, three."
Mariam stays silent for a minute, her face pained. "Don't think like that," she eventually tells me. Then walks back into the command center with a heavy exhale.
I stay out in the hall to let myself relax. I understand why I can't be in on the interrogation, and I'm not proud of the reason, but I'm just so frustrated. I miss Lost so, so much. I miss her cute smile and her witty observations and that shy way that she grabbed by hand. I miss her so much that I've been tempted more than once to tell Mariam how deep our relationship is.
God, I hope Lost is alive.
-------------------------
Screams and cries and pleads of mercy no longer prevent me from sleeping. I only care long to enough to make sure it's not Tiffany, then I return to slumber.
For almost three days now I've been trapped here in this evil place. I've seen more needless deaths in that time than ever, and with every passing I grow more weary. My cage is a hopeless place to be. Every moment I think about ways to escape, to save Tiffany and the other poor souls still alive, but I haven't had an opportunity yet. My cage is sealed with defensive magic and only a witch or someone with a blessed key can open it. I've already tried breaking the bars and lock to no avail. My strength means nothing now.
I've tried playing depressed so that someone will come close to my cage and I could snatch them along with a blessed key, but no one has come near me. They haven't acknowledged me other than to throw the bare minimum of food between the bars of my cage. They don't even give me water. They simply hose down all the cages every night, to get rid of the stink, and if you're not up to catch some droplets in your mouth then you're out of luck. It's annoying but at least I'm still alive.
When not eating stale bread or sleeping, I keep a watchful eye on the routine of the building. The doctor stays for most of the day and cuts open innocent victims, taking blood and bone and organs from them. The muscle, the guys who brought me in, come and go sporadically to either leave or take bodies. Most people brought in barely last a few hours before the doctor has at them.
My eyes flick to Tiffany, still trapped in her own cage, and I'm thankful that she has an angel guarding her. There were one or two scares where I thought she was next to be strapped to the death bed, but she always seemed to be looked over. Perhaps it's because of her son, who could be used as leverage to get her to do horrendous things against her will. Whatever the case, I'm glad she's still alive, even if she's weak and drained.
As for myself, I've been a wreck. Kahlan continues to make me feel a range of overwhelming emotions that I can't control. She's felt depressed and angry and vengeful and nothing within short periods of time. It hurts me to know I can't help her and that I'm causing her to spiral out of control. I feel worse because I sense how tired she is, how little she's slept since I was taken. She's ignoring her needs because of me.
A cry of utter defeat makes me look towards the doctor, and I see the wolf that used to be in the cage across from mine now strapped to the death bed. He's half shifted and fighting the best he can with the little strength he has left. I'm rooting for him but I know he won't win. The doctor's scalpel is already hovering over the bits of matted fur on his scrawny chest.
"Hurry that up or wait," a commanding voice booms, causing the doctor to jump and slice the wolf's skin the tiniest bit. It's better than being ripped open, I suppose.
The doctor palms his scalpel and blinks rapidly at the woman coming towards him, her boots sounding around the building like death bells. "Why?"
She stops where the plastic barrier is and where the walls of cages start. She sniffs distastefully at the half formed golem near her head then locks eyes with the doctor. "We're moving," she states simply. "Pack up. Bring everything."
"What about all the subjects?"
"They're coming, too. I'll have people to transport them. You take what you need."
The doctor huffs and throws his barely used scalpel on a tray by his hip. "Why?"
"We've been compromised."
I perk up and listen intently.
"Cells everywhere have been raided," she goes on. "Someone's trying to prevent us from our mission and it won't be long before they find this place. Now pack your things and get moving. Leave no samples behind. We need them."
Is it Kahlan? Is she looking for me? It would explain how I felt her get closer to me only to retreat. Maybe she's the one raiding these monster's hideouts.
I smile and let out a low, triumphant chuckle, and end up catching the attention of the woman in charge. Her eyes land on me but I don't look away or pretend to be afraid. This is my chance to escape, during transport. I'm ready.
"Why is that one still here?" she asks, making her slow way to my cage.
The doctor clears his throat. "Uh, well, we don't know what she is yet."
The woman squats down in front of my cage and studies me. She's too far for me to grab her. "What are you?" she hums, cracking a superior smile.
I bare my teeth at her and growl, feeling brave.
She only snickers. "What a fancy collar you have there. Are you a doggie? I know what you did to my people, doggie. That was very bad of you." She leans in towards my cage and tuts at me. "Very. Very. Bad."
One of Kahlan's bursts of rage barrels into me and I lash out as a response, shoving my arm through the bars of my cage to try to claw at the woman outside. The magic lacing the cage burns my skin but I don't stop. My fingers don't even touch the air around the woman.
"You need to be retrained," she says, sighing, then pushing off her knees to stand. "Maybe when I have the time."
I growl again and pull my bleeding arm back to myself. The side of my face aches but I ignore it and glare at the woman as she leaves.
I'm going to get out of here, and I'm going to show her how bad of a doggie I really am.
-------------------------
"You're too late," the gruff man behind the glass chuckles. His greasy hair falls into his eyes as he leans forward to mock the interrogator. "They know you're coming."
I curse to myself and just stop from punching the glass. My skin is hot with held in anger that I'm not so sure I can contain. I'm tired of this damned interrogation going round and round in giant circles. We're wasting time letting this joker play with us.
"Kahlan," Mariam calls as she enters the observation room. "We've got something."
"What?"
"One of the kids he was trying to brainwash is talking. Says there's a place upstate they visited once. It's near where the invoices were traced to."
"This is it," I blurt excitedly. "This has to be it. We need to get there. Now."
"We're sending a team as we speak."
"I want to join them. I want to be there if Lost is there."
Mariam sighs and touches the edge of her glasses. "Kahlan..."
"I'll stay out of the way this time," I promise, holding up my hands. I screwed up last time and almost got a soldier killed, but I won't make that mistake again. "Let me go."
Narrowing her eyes, Mariam eventually nods. "Don't make me regret this. I'll cover for you to the General until you're gone then I'll follow. Hurry up. The team is already prepared to leave."
I thank Mariam with a quick pat to her arm as I rush out of the observation room. Cas, who was waiting outside, jumps out of my way before I crash into her. Then she speed walks to my side and gives me a wink.
"You ready for this?" she asks.
I turn my light jog into a full on run, knowing Cas can keep up easily. "I'm going to bring Lost home," I vow.
-------------------------
The doctor has already gathered all of his tools and taken away his bed of death. All that's left behind in what was his area is blood. Lots and lots of blood, both dried and relatively fresh.
Cages have already started being carried away. The empty ones are going first, but its not long before the filled ones will be focused on. I watch combat boots come and go in front of my cage, men and women carrying off empty cages. None of them step close enough for me to snatch an ankle but I keep hoping. I need a blessed key.
A strange sensation overcomes me as the cages with people inside begin to go, and I recognize it as Kahlan's excitement. Something's happening, and I swear I feel her getting closer. My heart thumps harder in my chest at the thought of Kahlan being near me again, but I don't want her around these dangerous people. I don't want her to get hurt.
Muscles tightening, I wait and watch as the cages across from me are handled one by one. It takes three people to move one cage out of the building- two to carry it and one to threaten the detainee in compliance with one of those rods of electricity. Thanks to this the movements are slow going and I grow agitated with every second. Kahlan is getting closer and closer and I still haven't escaped from my prison. I need to be free to help her and ward off magic users from harming her and whoever she's brought. I trust in her abilities but magic is not something to be taken lightly. I have to be there to help.
It takes forever but eventually the wall across from me is empty. Cold shelves stare back at me. Next to be emptied is Tiffany's wall, and I groan. I was hoping my wall would be next so I could try to get a blessed key and escape. No such luck.
My skin starts to tingle as Kahlan's anxiety travels through me and my fingers itch to strangle something. The goons are taking too long to transfer everyone on Tiffany's wall, but they're making no mistakes. I hold my breath as Tiffany's cage is finally slid off its shelf and she sobs softly to herself. The man with the lightning rod definitely doesn't need his weapon to keep Tiffany in line. She's so scared she'd do anything right now with just a stern word aimed at her.
As the last cage on Tiffany's wall is carted off, I stretch my limbs as much as I can to get myself ready. My body has been kept in this little cage for so long that I'm stiff. But I know I can do this. I have to.
Finally, thankfully, the cages on my wall are next. The top row is the first to go and I allow them to be taken away. I don't want to grab a goon and have him drop the cage he's holding only to hurt the creature inside. It's not my goal to cause any more pain to my Brothers and Sisters.
The other levels above me are emptied slowly but surely and I continue to let the transfers happen. I'm not going to attack until my cage is being moved. But as the cage next to mine is taken away and I'm next, my body thrums with the sensation of Kahlan's being nearby. I can sense her somewhere around the building. Not just outside, but maybe a mile or so away. My breath comes quick and I hide my face in my hands, pretending to pray. I don't want the guards to get suspicious.
Three pairs of combat boots approach my cage and I'm slid out so that I can be picked up easier.
"Boss says to watch out with this one," the guy with the rod says. He points the thing at me and sticks it between the bars to tease me. I don't react so that he'll get it away from me.
My cage lifts into the air, the two guys picking me up grunting with effort, and I pick my moment. I shake out my hands and wiggle my fingers, then growl and reach out of my cage. But just as I do, there's an explosion outside that shakes the ground, and my cage is dropped carelessly to the floor as the guards drop to the ground, startled.
I panic as another explosion sounds and the ground rumbles again. The event happened at least a mile away, as far as Kahlan is.
And there's a searing pain in my arm that's not mine.