The Guardian Angel

Chapter-1: Leah

I stared down the barrel of the gun; my limbs frozen from shock. James moved to stand in front of me, his much larger body covering mine from Rachel. Or that's who she claimed to be.

"You eavesdropped on us?" James accused. "Why?"

"Move, James." Rachel warned. "I don't know how you're involved in this but stay out of this. I don't want to take an innocent's life."

James straightened from his protective crouch, surprise flashing across his face.

"You know my name?"

I lightly tugged on James' arm. He turned back, surprise still scrawled on his face. Yet, I could see the determination in his eyes, and I knew he wouldn't let anything happen to me.

I tried to move him to the side, but he refused to budge.

"Leah, no." He pleaded.

"James. I need to talk to her. Directly." I told him, adding the last part before he could cut me off.

I pushed him again and this time he moved.

Liv stood to one corner of the room, her sleek blond hair falling till her shoulders. She leant against the wall, watching the scene unfold.

I shifted my gaze, latching onto Rachel's jade eyes. They seemed to watch my every move, calculating. The gun stayed steady in her hands, finger ghosting over the trigger.

I straightened, pushing all fear and anxiety out of my mind, facing her with the determination I see her giving me.

"Who are you and how do you know us?" I asked.

The bitter laugh that followed my question made me lose my resolved stance. It was filled with bitterness and sorrow, something I hadn't prepared myself for. Then again, what was I prepared for?

"You know terribly little of me. Yet, you think you are me." She took a step closer to us, the gun lowering by a fraction. "As for how I know who you are, you aren't the only ones who have dreams."

"And here you are, threatening me with a gun despite having no idea who I am." I didn't know from where I got this confidence. I should be shaking with fear right now. And what did she mean by we aren't the only ones with dreams?

Rachel snarled, low and full of warning.

"Rachel." Liv interrupted, who had been quiet all this while. "We need to keep moving."

Rachel's eyes flew to her, and she hesitated for a moment, sparing a glance behind me at James, before nodding.

Multiple things happened then.

A bright headlight, shone from behind the blinders as the roar of many engines thundered outside the house.

Rachel's eyes flashed with fear, an emotion I hadn't seen out of her till then.

"Fuck!" Liv cried.

Both James and Stephen shot forward at the same time. Had they been planning this while I talked to Rachel? Stephen shot toward Liv, while James toward Rachel.

Liv, surprised, threw a punch at him. He deftly sidestepped it, emerging behind her and wrapped his arm around her neck, putting her in a chokehold. His biceps flexed, the large muscle mostly crushing the girl's windpipe.

"Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep." He repeated as she fought against him, trying to smack him with her flailing hands.

On the other side, James knocked the gun out of her hand with a fluid roundhouse kick. The gun skidded out of sight and under the table. Rachel though was far better prepared than Liv was. Or she was a better fighter, one of the two. I hoped it wasn't the latter.