Trial of identity, p.19
Trial of Identity, page 19
“No.” I said, truthfully almost at the same time James said, “That’s not possible, all of her shots fired hit their target... almost like a trained archer. This isn’t because of the glasses, it’s because of her enhanced vision.” Repeating the enhanced vision to himself again and again.
“I know... would you relax? I was just pulling her leg.” said Edward. James kept glancing at me as if he figured out something.
Edward volunteered to order our food mostly because only he could remember the huge list of food, he wanted to gobble.
“Eagle” I said before James could say anything, as soon as it was only of the two of us at the table.
“That’s phenomenal.” said James his words mirroring his expression. I knew, there was no point in hiding it from him now for we are at a stage where we knew a lot of things about each other without intending to. For the first time I let myself to embrace that undefined sense of belonging and did not tear away my gaze from his, and contently concentrated on his full smile without any second thoughts. The edges of his jaw squared out as his lips wrapped in endearing creases making his usual icy-blue eyes laced with coldness look childlike instead. Almost blissful.
After coming back to our hotel, Edward and I made it our goal to brag to Pearl about what she missed out today. And it seemed like it was getting on Pearl’s nerves, so to add fuel to the fire we decided to describe our gaming experience in detail.
As soon as we entered the game room, Edward swiftly ran past James and I and knocked down two from the virtual army.
“Wow, you are fast.” I said, it felt like a gust of wind brushing past when he ran past me.
“This is a piece of cake.” said Edward.
“You talk too much” I said taking back my small compliment towards him.
“What are you doing?! You don’t have to be jealous. I am sure there are more of them.” he said panicking as soon as he noticed James shooting the tentacles like wires towards him. The wires shot right past Edward and coiled around each of the three of the virtual enemies before they disappeared after bright lights of blue sparkled around them.
“She is right, you do talk too much.” said James with a smirk “We need to attack them and get out of the maze at the same time.” he added.
“This is a maze?” asked Edward confused at the lack of any wall barriers in the path.
“Force fields.” said James, understanding Edward’s confusion.
“How do we know where they are placed?” asked Edward.
“The hard way…if you find your path blocked, you will know.” said James as two of the virtual men jumped towards us from the ceiling. I shot one of them before I could shoot the other one, Edward pushed me out of the way expecting the other virtual attacker to fall to the ground and disappear.
“What? How did he survive?” asked Edward as the virtual attacker who fell got back on his feet and started to run towards us. I shot him immediately before James could shoot his tentacle like wires from his glove at the virtual attacker.
“They don’t die unless you attack them directly.” said James.
“Wait, hold on.” said Pearl, shutting her eyes forcefully.
“Why? What happened?” asked Edward.
“I can’t take it anymore, you guys are right I should have come along with you... now. I feel miserable for not coming out.” said Pearl, pouting in dismay
“You should have come.” I said, glaring at Edward to stop taunting her, before hugging her as she kept mumbling at herself for missing out.
16th December, 2154
“Wait, you are serious? You are actually flying to Singapore now?” asked Pearl as I continued packing frantically.
“Yes, he called me last night to say that he was heading there.” I said conveying the reason of my sudden change of plans.
“What? But why the sudden change of plans?” asked Pearl, pacing around the room.
“I don’t know he said it’s important for him to reach back there... it’s regarding the house lease papers.” I said.
“House lease papers? This doesn’t make any sense.” said Pearl, perplexed.
“I know, he told me the exact same words.” I said, zipping my bag hurriedly.
“Did you cross check about this with Mom.” Pearl asked Edward for the seventeenth time, biting her nails nervously
“Yeah, she isn’t picking her phone and neither is Dad,” said Edward, “I have called them 32 times now and not one of them is picking up.”
“Are you sure you need to fly back today? Can’t you go tomorrow after we confirm this? I have gotta really bad feeling about this.” said Pearl, pressing the ends of her palms on her closed eyes.
“Pearl... you are worrying unnecessarily I am going back to my own home not an unknown stranded island. Besides, he send me a ticket last night.” I said.
“Can’t we go along with you?” said Pearl, with deep concern.
“We may be rich but I doubt we can buy plane tickets just an hour before departure.” said Edward.
“What about our chartered flight? We can fly in that.” said Pearl, clicking the ends of her fingers in joy.
“Yeah, my mom told the pilots to not fly the chartered flight unless she approves it after our whole 18th birthday fiasco trip to Las Vegas. I think Kate is right, we are worrying for nothing.” said Edward with a defeated sigh.
“May be. It’s just this whole situation just gives me a really bad vibe.” said Pearl, frantically, bitting her perfectly trimmed nails, which would never happen under normal circumstances.
“Relax…Pearl. She is going to meet her Dad not her assassin. Come on, let’s drop her to the airport.” assured Edward.
“What are you doing here?” asked Edward, noticing James in the airport.
“Going somewhere?” asked James.
“Where?” asked Edward.
“Where are you going?” asked James trying to shift the focus from him.
“Kate is going to Singapore…we are staying here.” said Pearl.
“Really? You didn’t mention anything about that, yesterday” said James, shifting his gaze towards me.
“I got to know about this myself, yesterday.” I said.
“I mean your Mom is here, where are you going?” asked Edward, again.
“Somewhere near Malaysia.” said James.
“Malaysia?” asked Edward, puzzled and clearly not buying his answer.
“Yeah…I need to meet someone there.” said James, as Edward’s eyebrows shifted upwards even further.
“Have a safe flight. Call me as soon as you reach there.” said Pearl, engulfing me into a hug.
“You are coming along with me, aren’t you? I said, as James sat beside me and fixed his seat belt.
“Tommy called me last night to inform that your home in Singapore was raided yesterday. We installed a few of our newcomers around your home incase the cult came looking there to verify their suspicions with your actual medical files. I have installed a voice recorder on one of Pearl’s bags incase something happened to guys and I would know what was happening instantly.” said James.
“You lied to Edward.” I chuckled.
“Technically, I didn’t... I did tell him I was going somewhere near Malaysia and Singapore is near Malaysia. Let’s just hope it’s just some thieves who raided your home.” said James, with a small smile.
“You don’t know...”
“No,...the security of your home is pretty tight and the rookies don’t probably know how to crack the security code yet.” said James, with an apologetic face when he couldn’t guarantee the exact cause “The thing is that we haven’t received any other information from them after that, they aren’t responding to our calls, either.”
“What? It can’t be them…-”
“No,…I don’t think it’s them, if they figured out that it’s you then they would have attacked you already. They don’t strike as the patient kind.” said James, placing his hand atop mine and squeezing it gently in assurance, and it seemed to work.
“It’s good thing that my Dad is reaching there in the evening.” I said, as my racing heart started to beat at a normal pace.
“Yeah”
“Here.” said James handing me the same gloves we used to play in yesterday’s stimulation gaming room, during our ride to my home from the airport.
“You stole them from the gaming room.”
“No, I didn’t. You see. we actually went to one of our training centres so technically these are the Trial’s combat gears. So, I have the right to take these gears.” said James.
“You couldn’t spend enough time with your mother, because of me.” I said, feeling overwhelmed with guilt overlapping my fear.
“Hey...hey…look at me… it’s not your fault. None of this fault is your fault. I am not here because of a mission....I am here because I am worried about you. Besides, I know that my mom is safe, that’s what matters the most to me. Tommy is with her. I trust Tommy.” said James.
“Your Mom didn’t stop you from joining the trial?” I asked, trying not to think about the worst scenario that could be awaiting me.
“Of course, she did. She doesn’t appreciate their motives, either. She just likes Tommy because she knows he is a good guy.” said James “Don’t worry, it might not be them.” He added, reading my thoughts.
****
It was like all of my worst imagination were becoming a reality. I stood frozen in horror as I continued staring at the lifeless bodies of the security guards of my house sprawled in cold blood. James removed his combat gear gloves to check their pulse with the slightest hope. His expressions spoke volumes for me to know that they had been dead for hours. My phone vibrated in my pocket after switching off the airplane mode, a few minutes ago after getting out of the car. I frantically looked at the message on my screen which arrived a few hours go and read it again and again hoping that it wasn’t true.
“What’s wrong?” asked James, taking the phone form my hands and reading the message which arrived 5 hours ago, from my father.
‘I reached home earlier than I had planned. I will come to pick you up from the airport.’
“No…No…No!”
“Hey! Hey…Don’t think that even if they are in there, they wouldn’t do anything to him” said James, holding me from falling down as my knees gave away knowing what all of this meant. “Listen to me, I know they aren’t going to do anything to him. They are probably planning to use him as a bait to manipulate you... Hey... hey you can do this…you gotta be ready. I don’t think there will be a huge number of them in there because I think their main intention is just to take you to their main base. We will take them down. We are going to take your father safely from in there.”
****
James was right when he said a few of them, somewhere around thirty people will be in there. They had been expecting us the whole time, it was the Cult. My fear about what state my Dad might be in right now, my anger towards them for orchestrating the whole thing was boiling my blood. I didn’t wait to think before shooting anaesthetic-laced needle shaped darts at the unknown faces, as James rushed past me whipping his photon-laced tentacles sprouting from the knuckle ends of his Kevlar gloves at the intruder.
“My...my... what heroism. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting you to attack my men, Miss Parker along with your boy toy.” said a voice in a mocking tone with maliciousness evident in his voice from the top floor as his face stayed hidden by the chandelier. “I would suggest you to drop your weapons if you expect to see your father in one piece, Miss Parker.”
“Don’t listen to him, Kate. He isn’t going to let you meet your father if you stop attacking.” said James in one breath.
“Same applies to your boy toy, Miss Parker.” said the voice “I wouldn’t want to live the rest of my life knowing that I had the chance to save my father but I failed again just like I failed to save my mother, if I were you.”
That was more than enough for me to stop. He knew where to target to make me stoned. “NO!” James yelled beside him as more intruders rushed in to force me to get down on my knees as soon as I removed my gloves.
Before James could whip the tentacle at one of the men gripping my shoulders, the voice stopped him again. “Don’t test my patience, blondie. I need her, not her father. I am going to blast his brains if you don’t put down your weapon, at this instant.”
For me, my Dad mattered more than the entire world of humans but that wasn’t the case for James if he removed his gloves he would be putting the entire world at risk just to save one human for a while. His Mom’s life was one of those countless lives at risk, too. We looked at each other, as tears continued streaming down my face. I looked straight at his icy-blue eyes to convey that it was alright if he didn’t take of his gloves and put my Dad at risk, I wouldn’t hate him if he didn’t take off his gloves because…now I understood the gravity of the situation more than anything else. Everything came flooding back to me as I thought about how selfish I had been to consider that no one else’s lives mattered to me other than the ones connected to me. If my family was precious to me then so was every child’s family precious to them. I prayed that he didn’t take his gloves off as this was not his choice.
“Now we are talking.” said the voice, sneering as James removed his gloves. I looked at him unbelieving and frustration as he looked at the floor hopelessly as the remaining intruders who hadn’t been electrocuted knocked, down unconscious forced him on his knees.
“Knock both of them unconscious and bring them along.” said the voice, “I will take the girl’s father.”
“The boy too, Sir?”
“Yes, he is a bianthromorph. He will definitely come in handy.” said the voice, jeering maniacally “Oh yes, one more thing make sure you break their RTFQs before they entire our base.” He added, before my vision blackened out.
****
I opened my eyes to find myself somewhere in a confined space with my hands cuffed behind my back and an inhibitor anklet to suppress my anthromorphic abilities. As soon as my eyes fell on my cellmate who was in a similar state, I rushed over to yell at him. “Why did you give in? Why would you risk everything for me? You could have...”
“Don’t say it.” snapped James.
“This wasn’t your choice! I am not worth it. I just bought my father some time but he is going to be in risk too when they take my blood that is if they haven’t done that already.” I said, yelling in agony.
“They haven’t. They need to take fresh blood from your red bone marrow and I am not talking in millilitres here exactly 1.5 litres to be exact . And they would have taken you whether or not if I had let them take your father back then or later, so don’t you dare say that you are not worth it.” said James.
“It’s all a waste, anyways. I couldn’t overcome a lapse of selfishness once again and you are saying I am worth it. Either you are completely insane or just batshit crazy.”
I said, grimacing.
“Any sane person with a heart would have done the same in your place. It’s not selfishness to want to save your father over everything else, it’s love. So, colour me batshit crazy but I know that you made the right choice. I told you... You will know the right answer when the moment comes.” said James. I finally had found the answer I was seeking for. I knew what I wanted…I knew how I wanted to end this.
“I don’t want to lose you, either.” I blurted out, tired of manipulating my feelings because of my fear “It’s not just because of the project anymore.”
“Don’t worry, if we make out of this alive without killing anyone then I promise you that I will listen and follow your theory to keep my sanity. And this is why I think I am batshit crazy, I would be lying if I said I am not looking forward to excel in college, I would be lying if I said I haven’t started to picture my career after we completed the project, I would be lying if I said it was okay to look at my mother through locked glass doors and not recognise her, I would be lying if I said I don’t want to wake up to the breakfast table bickering in the dining hall and most of all I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t regret ever speaking or being beside you.” said James before walking over and falling on his knees in front of me.
“Do you think that what you think is right? I don’t think there has been a day when you failed to surprise me whenever you spoke bluntly to me. But most of all make sure that you stay alive, you don’t know how much you matter to me.” he smiled before closing the space between us and kissing me. Unlike the last time we kissed, I wasn’t surprised, maybe it was burden of the current playing circumstances and maybe it was an indication of my feeling certifying my mind that I did indeed like him. All I knew at that moment was that I never wanted to isolate myself willingly from this unknown territory of warmth. It wasn’t just my human side or just my bianthromorphic sides which felt that way. All of me was on the same page.
“For this Christmas, all I wish for is, to see you being happy, without feeling guilty about any memories, with me.” He said, pulling away and burying his chin in the crook of my neck, as I felt his smile resonate with mine.
****
The dehydration and lack of food was draining is slowly as hours passed by, as we sat beside each other with me laying my head on his shoulder and him resting his head lightly on mine. The door sprung open suddenly as an olive skinned man with a malice expression walked in with five other men, covering their faces, following behind him.
We didn’t get a chance to react as they pulled us to our feet and dragged us outside. They threw James in transparent box like structure beside the same prison like confinement where my Dad was. I felt extremely relieved seeing him unharmed so far “Dad..” The olive skinned man pulled me back before I would walk over to his confinement. The dehydrated state had made me too tired to fight back. I looked back at James and my Dad confined as to why I wasn’t thrown in a confinement like them. The olive skinned man kept like a vice grip on my arm until leading me to a man who resembled a lot like Brett Samuels.
