The Cost for Freedom

Chapter 23

One holds him at his left ankle, another one firmly grasping his right. He is completely horizontal, looking barely conscious despite his body flailing about attempting to break free. His hands, neck, torso and back are all connected in sickeningly tight chains around him. The sheer strength he showed surprised me, as I watched even the six vampires struggle to hold him still. There were seven total, as the one in front was ordering them, leading them down the hall.

Once they had made it around the corner, I then watched Cecil walk in the same direction Tyler had been taken. A shorter man next to him seemed to be telling him something but it was too quiet and they were moving too fast for me to hear.

My heart was beating out of its chest. Derek would have to wait till tomorrow, I raced back to the exit of the smaller hallway I was in as I began to walk back in the direction I'd seen Tyler. It was getting close dinnertime so the hallways were annoyingly crowded as kids were heading to the showers. That was why I would visit Derek during this time, because who would miss me while I was, or wasn't showering? I just showered after dinner and it worked out the same.

"A little anxious, are we Miss Germaine?" A voice behind me caused me to stifle a shiver.

I swung around, "Cecil!" Plastering as pleasant a smile as I could manage on my face, "I didn't even hear anyone around. Apologies."

He only squinted at me. "Your heart rate was up even before you saw me. Why?"

Taking a breath, I shook my head in denial. "Must have been the training today. Had me so hungry I was racing over here."

When he didn't immediately respond, I had to fight to keep my heart calm to not make my lying so obvious. "Fine. But you're here too early. You know the drill. Showers!"

Nodding my head, I turned to my right and headed for the locker rooms. It was abnormal for me to be in the showers now, so I was surprised to run into Elizabeth again.

"Alexis, hey!" she called me over.

"Oh hey, Elizabeth. How are you?" I hadn't talked to her since she last helped me with training weeks ago. Course I had seen her doing her own separate training since then, but I was still surprised she was talking to me now.

"Oh me? I'm fine, more curious about you. I thought you always stayed and trained longer than us, to improve. What has you back here so early today?"

Tyler. Being dragged through the halls in chains. "Well, normally I do... but uh, t-today I just didn't feel like the extra time was helping me. So I just came back here. Quit while you're ahead, ya know?"

"Mhmm," she barely seemed to believe me. Or just didn't agree with my reasoning's. "Is it getting any easier?"

"Is what getting any easier?" My heart skipped a beat.

"The target practice. At least I assume that's what you've been taking the time training longer for..."

"Uh yeah, only a little though. I can't seem to get a system down. It's almost like hitting the target is out of luck," I admit to her honestly.

"Hmm, well I can stick around tomorrow and help you. If you want."

Well there goes another day with Derek, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. She was one of the best knife throwers here. "Actually, yeah! If you could, that would be great." I smile at her, "maybe I'll actually be able to figure it out."

She smiles back at me nodding, "of course, see you tomorrow then."

I took that as my leave, nodding back to her in return before turning back around to shower.