Audacious

Chapter 12: Finding Jeffrey

Jace POV

I stare at her beautiful, pale face in complete shock. Deaf? There's no way. So many thoughts fluster through my mind. My mind completely rejects the fact that she can't hear a word I say. I think of what to say her and then remember that it's no use. It's no use to even be here right now. I can only think of one thing keeping me alive. Her.

Her face is full of fear and terror. Fear that she will not live and terror of how she will live with this new disability. Her dark brown hair is twisted up into a disheveled ponytail and her face is flushed and covered with ash and dirt. I wipe the soot from her torn face as a tear slides down her cheek. I grab her small, dirty hands and observe the emotions flying through her eyes. I realize that if I kind some sort of paper and writing utensil that I communicate with her that way. I reluctantly let go of her tiny hands and run to a nearby closet. I rummage through books, band-aids and bandages until I find a rather empty journal and pen and sprint back to Kiera. I quickly write down Are you okay? Do you need anything? I flip the page around to her and she raises her hands, shaking both them in her head. I flip to a new page, ignoring the firing sounds of death behind me. Can you stand up? We need to find Jeffrey so we can end this. Yes. She can stand. I grab her arms and stand her back up on her feet. With no time for error, I hoist her up onto my back. She worryingly ties her arms around my neck and creases her eyebrows inwards, crinkling her nose as if to ask, "Will we make it?" I nod to her, lying to both myself and her.

I run as fast as I can with her on me and find myself once again, walled by terrifying guards. Without Kiera's help, we're basically done. None of them move. They don't even look at us. Standing completely still, they hold rifles in their hands, ready to aim and fire if and when they need to. I slowly put Kiera down, off my back, leaning her up against the wall in a pile of ash. I stand, facing the center guard about only two feet away and concentrate on the crescent of men and women surrounding me. I then leap into the air and kick my foot out to the right, spinning as I land, kicking about three guards in either the forehead or jaw. Seeing about four soldiers left unharmed, I swing a hard punch at two of their jaws and kick the shins of the others. With all soldiers groaning in pain, I throw Kiera back over me and hurry to the West room.

I find Lacey and Arianna, stuck in the same dilemma as us. I do the same to their guards as I did to ours. They both gasp in disbelief and I grab their elbows, dragging them away from the mess of blood.

"Where are the others?" I ask to no one in particular.

"Raven, Samien and Jackie are in North, London and Kyle in South and Roland and Tyler are in Upper North," replies Lacey. I nod assertively and we undecidedly head towards the North room.  

I run in and see Raven and Jackie, shaking and squeezing each other. Samien has his fists in front of his face, ready to go crazy if one of the seven guards moves. I shake my head, disappointed and again, I set Kiera down so that I can take down the guards and get Jackie, Raven and Samien.

Although this time it doesn't go quite the way I pictured it.

I take down six of the seven soldiers the same way I did with ours and Lacey and Arianna's. When I throw my fist at the seventh guard, he grabs my fist in return. I stop in shock and look up to Jeffrey Kingston, mockingly smiling at me.

"Hello there," he says calmly. "I think you chose the wrong person to throw a punch at, huh?" His eyes are coal black and his lips and dark purple, making him look like a vampire with his pale white skin.

"I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that one, sir." I twist his arm, forcing him to lean over, giving me a clear shot at his back. I kick down his spine and he is on the ground. He looks up at me, slightly surprised.

"I'm impressed, I am. I just think that you may value a friend slightly more than yourself. Am I right?" He taunts, sliding across the floor to Kiera. He hoists her into the air and holds her against his torso. Reaching into his holster, he pulls out a pistol and holds the barrel against her forehead. "I'd play this the right way. One little move and BANG!" I shake. "Off with her head." Kiera looks at me, desperately wanting to be released from the arms of the deadly man that is Jeffrey Kingston. "So tell me. How is this going down? You let me finish my job here and your special friend lives, or you come after me and she dies. It's all in your hands."

"I am disgusted," I reply. "Why are you even here? How are you even here? I thought you were dead?"

"Why am I here? Seriously? Sector one was the most dominant source in the demolishing of Sector 0. Of my home. As for the how. I've been lurking around the Sectors in disguise for 35 years, planning my revenge on this awful place." He looks around, grossed out by what once was beautiful colors only two hours ago.

I remember the gun I had retrieved from the one of the guards I took down after Kiera was taken away. I slowly move my head behind me, making sure Jeffrey doesn't see me, and pull out the small pistol. I quickly swing it up, facing him. "Move even a finger and you're done. Choose carefully, I know what I'm doing."

"And you think I don't?" He laughs, not believing that I'd pull the trigger. And trust me, I will. I look for a widely opened space on his body, farthest away from Kiera so I don't trim her on accident. He has his left foot about four feet away from Kiera's and I decide that if I have to, that will be my target. "I think you're slightly underestimating just how much strength I have. I hope you make the right decision, whoever you are. Because I sure would hate to have to kill another person." He swiftly moves his thumb to the hammer of the handgun and I keep my word.

I pull down the hammer and move my index finger to the trigger. Aiming at his foot, I push down and BANG! Off with his toe. He releases Kiera and his gun, screaming and grabbing his foot. Kiera grabs the gun and runs to me. I fold my arms around her, kissing her forehead. "You're okay. It's okay. Shhhh." I say, rubbing her forehead, knowing that if only she could hear me it would bring her a tiny bit of comfort.

"You...You shot me!" He yelps.

"I told you I knew what I was doing." He looks at me, sweaty and overwhelmed knowing that he now has little power.

"I'm sorry that I have to do this Jeffrey. I'm sure you're brother and uncle would be proud, but you're long wait for a triumph has failed and it's come to me to serve you justice." I re-aim my handgun on him, this time towards his sweaty, evil head.

"No...No this is a big mistake. You don't want to do this. Please," he begs, holding his hands up to show mercy.

"I'm afraid it's a little too late for that, Jeffrey."

Ready. Aim. Fire.