G.U.A.R.D. Book #4: Tracked

-22-

    I was too stunned to do anything for a full minute. I took in her new appearance: the long, blonde hair, the lack of freckles, the red sun tattoo around her right eye.

With a deep breath, I turned from the glass pod Cindy rested in, trying to clear my head. Petrov tensely stood guard, making sure no one came in the tent, as well as making sure the two snoozing guards didn't wake up.

"It is her?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No. This is someone... someone completely different."

I glanced back to Cindy, leaning my hands against her glass prison. Wondering why the League had her in there. I swallowed, closing my eyes. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I was supposed to find Ally and rescue her. And if Cindy was here, then she should have been up, awake... awake enough for me to shoot the traitor hiding behind those irresistible eyes.

But nothing turned out the way it should have. None of this should have happened. I took a short breath, then straightened, going around Cindy's pod and examining it.

"Whatever you are doing, make it quick," Petrov warned me.

I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew it would be.

The pod had two silver caps, one of the top, one at the bottom. The one at the top had a computer screen on it, showing Cindy's vitals, and numerous buttons surrounded said screen. I began pressing them at random. I didn't care what I was doing, as long as it hurt her. I was sick to the head. She had caused us so much suffering. She deserved whatever I was doing to her.

I spotted an important-looking tube connected to the silver cap, and I wrapped my hands around it, pulling. It was stuck fast. Licking my lips, I grabbed a knife from my boot and began running its sharp edge along the tube's thick side. Petrov glanced over to me nervously, then hit both the guards in the head again. The yelling outside was dying down. I continued working, gnawing at the tube with all I was worth.

Finally, it broke.

A thin stream of air shot out of it. I had hit her oxygen supply. My stomach felt heavy. I didn't have any time to dwell on it, though. The tent flap opened and in stepped two guards. I quickly flipped the knife and held it in a fist, stepping over the tube and occupying a fighting stance.

The man and woman were surprised at first. Petrov took advantage and knocked the guy across the face. They both woke to their senses and came at us with full speed. I blocked an attack, then swiped the knife across the girl's forearm. If I had been paying attention to my surroundings, I would've heard an audible crack of glass cracking. But I was too busy defending myself.

I feigned and then punched, dodged and jumped. More cracks. When she had snaked her arm around my neck, going for a choking hold, glass shattered. Petrov and the man glanced over. The woman and I froze. All eyes went to Cindy's pod. The glass had fogged up, but it was rapidly losing that appearance due to the fist-sized hole at the top. I could see Cindy inside, chest heaving, face red. For one moment of despicable weakness, my heart gave a flutter, and my head felt light. It was all the woman needed to smash my head to the ground.

I disorientedly flailed, trying to get back up. More glass shattered. The woman kicked the side of my head with her boot, and I groggily fell back down. My eyes rolled up until I could see Cindy forcing her way out of her pod. A year ago, I would've said it was like seeing an angel. Now, it was like seeing a demon claw its way up from Hell. That is, until Cindy jumped from her glass cocoon and tackled the League woman.

I thought she was attacking me, and my heart pounded. I realized what was happening by the time she stood up. The woman was unconscious on the ground.