G.U.A.R.D. Book #1: Clandestine

-22-

    I woke with a start. I was in the car again. The back chairs had disappeared, and I lay on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Glancing around, I saw Knife in the driver's seat, but her hands weren't on the wheel. She was just sitting there, as if waiting for something. Jay sat next to me on the floor, arms around his legs. I looked down to see my stomach wrapped in white cloth. Other bandages, blotched in red, lay next to me. The sight made me sick.

"Jay?" I whispered, looking up at him.

He glanced down to me with a start, and relief flooded his eyes.

"Jay..." I whispered again, reaching for his hand. His familiar touch was overwhelmingly comforting, and I hugged it with my hands, feeling tears come to my eyes. I used it to drag myself forward and throw my arms around his waist, burying my face in his stomach. Heaves and sobs came up my throat.

Jay wrapped a strong arm around me, and another around my head. "It's okay. You're fine now. You're safe."

"It hurts," I whimpered, stomach contracting with my convulsive crying.

"Don't strain yourself," he told me hurriedly, trying to push me off, but I just clutched him harder.

"I was so scared," I murmured into his shirt. My head buzzed with the pain in my stomach, but I was so emotionally distraught I couldn't do anything except cry. Jay sighed and embraced me again. I felt so safe in his arms.

By the time my crying had begun to subside, my stomach was tumbling over itself in pain, and my throat was dry. Snot and salty tears dazzled my face. Yeah... it had been an ugly cry.

Breathing deeply to calm myself down, I settled my face on Jay's leg, his hand resting on my head. My cousin. I had a cousin. Knowing that somehow made me feel even safer.

Knife pressed her palms to the sides of the front chairs and propelled herself to the back. I stared up at her, fingers clutching Jay's pants.

"It hurts," I told her. "Why does it hurt so much?"

"You were shot," Knife said. "It's gonna hurt for a while, rookie."

Tears of hurt and anger welled in my eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? About Wing and you and the metahuman file and why the League's after me?"

"It was classified information-"

"Classified?" I started pushing myself up, but I yelled in agony and collapsed back on the ground. Jay put his arm on my shoulder to ensure I wouldn't try that again. Knife watched with conflicted eyes. I buried my face, running a hand through my hair. "Why am I not dead?"

"Because... Wing didn't want to kill you."

I slowly glanced back to Knife.

"She planned that whole thing from the beginning. The League hired her to kill, and she wanted information concerning the file. When she pointed the gun at you, she switched it to your abdomen and shot. Didn't hit a single vital organ. She was never going to kill you, but she needed to make it look legit. Your blood needed to be on the scene, even if your body wasn't."

"Why didn't she want to kill me?"

Knife gave a helpless shrug. "I don't know."

For once, I believed her.

"So she's the other kid Jordan was referring to."

Knife nodded.

"Why did the League hire her? What is she?"