KIA: Keri In Action

Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

            Will came back just like he said he would and I was dressed, ready for a fight. I wasn’t a fan of those yoga pants all the girls wore in school. I am more of a sweatpants and a tank top kind of girl. My hair, now a few inches longer than it was at the alcove, was tied back in a tight ponytail. My sneakers were tied tight and I had stretched while Will was gone. A girl just never knew when she would need her fight-or-flight response and which option she would choose.

            “Ready for a fight, as usual. Keri, as long as you are here, everyone is under strict orders from both Hansen and me to leave you and Aaron alone. You are not to be touched. You don’t have to be scared,” he sounded like he was trying to reassure himself rather than me.

            “Will, I am not scared. I am just always prepared,” I said. Almost always. The one time I wasn’t I ended up in the restricted area of the alcove…

            Will and I walked to the door, he opened it for me, and we set off on what would turn out to be trap number two.

            Jaide stood just a few yards down the long white hallway. “Will, stay behind me. This is one bitch you really don’t want to mess with,” I heard myself saying. I was ready for a fight but the more I took the scene in, the more I realized we were in deep shit. Jaide had the three best assassins, after Hansen of course, with her.

            “How did you get in here, Jaide? What do you want?” I wanted answers from her. I knew she was there for me. John probably sent her.

            “Well, I was invited. By the man you stand to protect. William Tyler Santigo. Hello, darling. It is so nice seeing you again. Please enlighten little Miss Princess how I got here and why she shouldn’t expect Hansen or her little boyfriend Aaron to come save her,” she said Aaron’s name as if it were dripping with venom and malice. What the hell was I missing? Will invited her here? Maybe he thought she was a different person… please let that be the case.

            “Now, now Jaide. Let’s not rush this. I thought you were one for torture. Wouldn’t ruining the whole plan now impair her reaction when it all unfolds?” Will was actually coaxing her into torturing me?!

            Bam! Will fell into my shoulder; I thought he was attacking until I saw such pure hatred in Jaide’s eyes. I pushed Will onto the floor and turned to see Aaron and Hansen standing behind me. Aaron had a gash on the left side of his forehead, as if someone clubbed him in the head with something heavy and Hansen had a growing bump on his forehead. Will wasn’t going to take me on a tour, he was trading me over to the Creed!

            Aaron calmly rolled Will over. “What the hell are you doing? Do you know who they are? I thought you were supposed to be keeping us safe. That girl right there,” he pointed toward Jaide, “tried to kill Keri. On more than one occasion,” Aaron brought his arm in front of me as if to shuffle me behind him.

            Aaron, you idiot! I am trying to protect you! “Aaron, Hansen. I can handle these guys. Why don’t you take Will inside and ask him a few questions,” I had to protect my friends.

            Thinking I was distracted, Jaide lunged at me. I dropped into a side stance, and stuck my leg out with a swift kick to her stomach. She had so much adrenaline or is it anger that it barely phased her. She reached out and grabbed me by the throat. Jaide shoved me against the wall with enough force to bounce my head off of it. This wasn’t like Aaron’s headlock, she didn’t apply pressure slowly. It was like one second I could breathe, and the next second there was no air available. She was going to kill me. John probably told her to bring me back alive but she would find an excuse to explain why she didn’t.