Good and Deadly

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 ~ Caleb’s P.O.V.~

They lead us through a long corridor and into a large room. We were pulled into a line side-by-side and left there waiting for something to happen. I let my eyes wander around the room until they landed on a giant rock throne settled on the far wall. It was freshly carved and the cushion was unused. It looked more like the middle ages than the 21st century in this room.

A young woman, a few years older than me, with long, black hair and blue eyes. Her blue eyes were dull and black outlined the iris with branches fanning deeper toward the pupil. It was bizarre and creeped me out every time I looked into her eyes. She held her head high and glided, rather than walked, toward us gracefully.

“Report.” she demanded from the General who was standing a little ways in front of me.

“Yes, Ma’am. These six were captured in the forest of Sector 23 Subgroup 8 by Regiment 14’s camp.”

“Hmm… General, I want detailed reports about each of their captures and any suspicions.” the General nodded slightly. She looked us over one by one and then turned to her assistant; a woman with short, curly red hair. “Grace, please scan each refugee.”

“Of course, Maura.” replied Grace.

Grace stepped toward Emma, placing her hands on either side of Emma’s face. Emma tensed immediately and seemed to tremble but still managed to stay on her feet. Her eyes rolled back and I could see Scottie tear up. I struggled against my chains, trying to get to Emma, but it was no use.

“Stop! Stop it!” I yelled, but the woman didn’t seem to hear and continued to ‘scan’ my dear friend. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the site of it, though. They both looked in pain, even Grace who was causing it. Emma collapsed on the ground when it was over.

“She is weak, both body and mind. She is useless to us, Maura.” Grace said breathlessly.

“Very well,” Maura swallowed, “take her away. Dispose of her.” Two guards unlocked the shackles around Emma’s wrists and picked her up.

“NO! NO! Get your hands off her!” I shouted at them. They walked out of the room and the last thing I saw before she was carried out of the room was a tear sliding down Emma’s cheek.

I honestly didn’t know what to feel. I mean, I felt angry and sad but I also felt so numb. I knew Emma all my life and I felt broken. She was my mother’s sister, and was there when my mother wasn’t. I remember going to her house every summer and that’s where I was when this started. I was there for her when she needed me. When Joseph started to drink more often and hit her for speaking her mind, when she had a miscarriage, and when she became depressed. I was there. Seemed silly that a sixteen year old boy would help his twenty-eight year old aunt but it just always felt right. Now she was being carried away to be ‘disposed of’. Now, I only had Scottie, and I wasn’t going to let them get him. He was the closest thing to a brother I’ve ever had. Scottie was only ten, too, so going through this was definitely traumatizing.

I readied myself a little as Grace came toward me. I looked her straight in her black eyes and as her hands rested on the sides of my face. I flew forward and head-butted her head with mine. Never, ever, under any circumstances, will I do that again. It hurt like hell and I honestly regret it because it didn’t even faze her. She just wiped the blood from her nose and motioned for the guards to hold me back as she placed her hands there again.

There were no words to describe the pain I felt, but that won‘t stop me from trying. My brain felt like it was being flipped around, then through the shredder, then set on fire. My head throbbed and the blood in my veins felt on fire, too. My heart was beating faster and my vision went black. And although I felt numb and the pain was excruciating, I was able to feel something else. I felt like someone was poking around through my brain, looking for something. I searched for whatever it was in my mind, trying to block where it was trying to go.

“He’s putting up a good fight, Maura.” Grace said with what sounded like a smile. I couldn’t tell as I was focusing so much on winning back my mind. Then all of a sudden, I felt drained, like I had no more power left. And then Grace’s laugh echoed through my mind, like a memory that came back to haunt me. But I knew it was her telling me she won my mind… or so she thought.

Mind-reading (as I like to call it) is a two way street. While she was searching my mind, I searched hers, even though it amplified the pain twice as bad as before. I didn’t care, though, because as Grace pulled away from my brain and let go, I felt a wave of relief and the pain was gone. I remembered what I pulled from Grace’s brain, but before I could relish in it’s sweetness, I collapsed and everything went black.

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~Maura’s P.O.V~

I watched as Grace stepped away from the teenage boy, entirely breathless. She was sweaty and fell to her knees. “What happened, Grace?” I asked innocently when really I was laughing on the inside. Grace was usually so stern and in control so seeing her like this was amusing. Although, at the same time it worried me. I mean, I have never before seen Grace so out of breath after only two people. The first one, that woman, didn’t even faze her, nor did that boy’s head-but. Only after scanning that teenage boy did she fall to her knees, all weak and sweaty.

“Maura…” she managed to breath out, “He is useful… very, very useful. But….he has a powerful mind that won’t… give up easily. I was just able to peek into his vast mind.” After speaking so slowly she wiped her forehead and stood unsteadily. She was helped over to a nearby chair.

“I see… did you find anything else? Like if he is compatible or skills he may posses?”

“Only a few,” Grace nodded. Her black eyes were duller and I could see some color coming back to them. That wasn’t good. I watched as she twitched and strained to keep control of her body. “Maura, I need to rest to gain control of this body once again. The mind that once controlled this body is awakening and causing chaos in my head, we’ll talk more later.” With that, Grace was helped to her room to rest.

I stared at the boy on the ground, blood lightly flowing from his nose. “Guards, unchain him and put him in cell block B3. Don’t leave him unattended.” I saw the little boy next to him squirm a bit. Obviously, they know each other.

“Yes, Ma’am.” they carried the teenager out. “Anything else, Ma’am?”

“Bring someone else who can scan the refugees.” They nodded and left.

A few minutes later another one of my ‘employees’ entered the room and continued to scan each of the refugees brains. The little boy turned out useful, as was the man with little intelligence to begin with. The man’s companion, however, was not, so we put her aside to later be disposed of. The young teenage girl, also proved useful, but seemed to lack supernatural ability and low strength. The whole thing bored me entirely, but I had to attend to hear what was said about each refugee. My mind lingered a bit on the teenage boy again. He was around the age of what Gwen would be, if she is even alive. I’ve missed her a lot more lately, thinking back to all the good times we had together. No, you are not allowed to think about her, demanded the thing inside me. She is the enemy now, not your sister.

I mentally nodded and could sense the thing’s approval. I ignored it and decided I needed a good nap before I did anything else today. I also mentally kicked myself for thinking about her.

“Thank you…”

“Brian.” the older man who was scanning the refugees brains said.

“Thank you, Brian. You are dismissed. Order some guards on your way out to take the humans to their cells. Don’t let me in the same cell and make sure they have food regularly.” Brian nodded at my directions then left through the double doors. I briefly glanced over each human, laying unconscious on the floor. In a way I felt sorry for what was to come for them. They had no clue what they were going to go through. I went through it and believe me, it wasn’t going to be a picnic.

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A/N~ what do you guys think? comment? how about some votes while your at it? pretty please????