Intentional Killer - Book 2 In The Jessie Series

Chapter 1: Little Wolf

The door in front of me opened and someone walked in. They were huge, like a giant. I couldn't see their face, it was in the shadows. And when they sat down everything was fuzzy, like someone did a hastily sloppy job of erasing.

"Welcome to The Hall, Jessica. We are glad you are here."

"I didn't have a choice." I whispered.

"Hmm. Everyone has a choice Jessica."

"I didn't." I said quietly, my voice wobbled, trying hard not to cry. "Marcus made me come. I didn't have a choice. He's bigger than me."

"Are you angry at Marcus?"

I glared at the man dressed in shadow, my jaw clenched and my hands formed tight fists; they were so tight my nails dug into my fists. I ground my teeth. I felt the anger burning in my chest.

"Yes." I spat.

"So...tell me little wolf." His voice was deep and smooth. Even at eight I could hear the amusement behind it. "Do you want to punish those who have wronged you?"

I sat and thought for a moment, chewing the inside of my cheek. 

"I asked you a question, Jessica. Are you mad at your uncle?"

"Yes." I whispered bitterly.

"Do you want revenge?"

"Yes." I whispered even quieter.

"Good little wolf." The shadow man purred.

The room faded.

I was screaming, it ripped through me and out of my throat. The screaming was pure raw pain. It started from my mind and radiated down into my body. Every nerve in my body was being ripped apart and spliced back together. I tried to curl up on myself, but the cold metal bit into my skin kept me strapped down.

Then from behind me, a voice. It sent more fear through me than the pain. It read the words. And I cried harder.

"No!" I screamed.

"Red. Night Walker. Four."

"No!" She wailed louder, "Stop! Please, no!'

The voice kept reading, louder over my pleading to stop.

"Dashner. Two hundred fifty. Lost. Run. Wicked. Comply."

I had stopped struggling. I lay still, every single muscle coiled and tense, like a spring ready to explode. I was panting hard, the tears still wet on my face. But I didn't belong to myself anymore. He had my mind now. I was at his mercy. I was nothing more then a tool. A weapon.

"Assassin?"

"I am ready to comply."

My voice was flat, my eyes were blank. I looked straight ahead, my mind full of a thick fog. I belong to them now.

"Good."

The dark cold room faded. I was covered in sweat, and panting hard. I was laying on her back, in the middle of a large floor mat in the corner of a large training room, the room was dark, the walls were roughly cut stone. It was cold and damp. Having just had my legs swept out from under me. A huge man with short cropped dark hair was standing over me. He wore a black mask, only his dark eyes showed, they were dark and calculating. 

"Try harder Little Wolf." 

"I AM trying! You try fight a grown up when your only 10!" I snarled.