Alliances

Chapter 5

"So you really didn't look at the drive?" He asked when she arrived in her apartment complex parking lot

"No, I really didn't, but what did he mean by gaurdians?" She asked

"I'll tell you soon enough, for your own safety though, don't work, don't get on the Internet, don't contact anyone. We'll start training in the morning." He answered

Always answers a question with a question it seems.

He had told her not to contact anyone but she didn't know what would happen, she called her parents and said she'd be unreachable for a while but told her she loved them, she then skyped her best friend Elliot and filled him in. "How could you trust this guy?" He had asked, she didn't know but she did

The blood rushed to her cheek as a fist found its mark. The force know led her to the ground

"Focus! You lost focus! What were you thinking about?" Owen questioned while offering a hand to help her up

"The past, sorry" she mumbled

She grabbed his hand but instead of standing up she kicked his feet out from under him, as he fell she pushed his side and positioned that hand I his back, securing his other hand under a knee

"You trusted your openent." She mocked him

"Getting lost in your thoughts will be one of your down falls while mine is a weakness for those I care about." He said smiling through the slight pain she inflicted

"While I have you like this I have two questions"

"I guess I don't have a choice"

"One, what are the gaurdians, we've been training for months and you haven't told me much more about alliance, you won't let me work online so how do you make money to support us? AND you said you were falsely accused but we're on death row, why?"

"First off that was three questions"

"Don't test me Owen"

His smile broadened before answering

"The first two questions I'll tell you when your training is complete and you have the choice of fighting in my ear or living solo, which judging by your progress will be with in a week"

"Ok, and death row?"

He didn't say anything. His smile simply faded in the silence

"Owen?"

Still nothing. When she looked at his expression for an answer she saw him lost in his head.

She didn't move, just watched him

His eyes closed and his brow tightened, he started flinching from pain,

She got off his back and he moved his arms to his head

"What's wrong? Owen let me help!"

"Just a headache, it'll pass, just a second" he said with tensed muscles

She waited patiently until he was relaxed more

"I honestly can't remember, my life before alliance simply isn't there, and when I think about it I get the worst head pain imaginable, the truth is I don't know, I was forced into alliance but I don't know if I was a mass murderer or truest was framed, that what I was told.."

"No, listen, I've been training with you 4 months, I know who you are, even if you did kill people, that's not who you are, this is"

"I guess.. Ok"

"Ok?"

He sat up on the floor in her direction

"It's time for you to decide. In 4 months I've shown you basic computer encryption and programming skills, how to fight, how to live off grid."
He started

"But first, how do you make your money"

"Listen.. Alliance 'eliminates' targets by assassination, it's basically a government run asissins program. Jackson started it, now it's run by a group, there are two inside that are the face of it and run operations and there are 7 who are unknown. Like the Knights of the round table, and only two of 9 knights are known

She swallows her nerves as he continues.

"It's follow orders or be eliminated yourself. Once you're in there's no leaving, until I escaped. I support us because in one of my last missions I found a way to keep 2 million dollars."

"Oh.. Well.."

"It's my mission to shut alliance down without exposing it, if exposed it would cause a global conflict, world war 3. Join my fight or live as normal of a life as you can?"

"The gaurdians?"

"That's the 9 Knights"

"So that's why the drive is so important."

"Yes but it didn't have them on it like he said"

"I stole a pointless drive and was forced into this life on accident for nothing?" She asked her voice rising

"No, it doesn't have their identities, but it has 10 cases. 9 missions, I'm guessing that each mission connects to a gaurdian. Although, the last one hasn't happened yet.."

She stood up then helped him up

"I'm joining this. Not just for my freedom, but because it's the right thing to do. You can't do it alone. Partners?" She asked sticking her hand out to shake

He smiled from ear to ear. He looked at her for a second, searching her face for the smallest trace of dishonesty or doubt. When he didn't see any of that he didn't hesitate before embracing her in a bear hug

A small giggle escaped her lips as she hugged him back

"Partners" he agreed