Abnormal {Book 1: Completed, Book 2: Ongoing}

Chapter 2

There are soldiers running after me. I can hear their yells as they pursue me down the alley. A gunshot is fired, and I duck, tripping over my own feet in the process. Suddenly, I feel a solid body slam into me, 180 pounds of pure muscle. The soldier stuffs a gag into my mouth. I whimper, and tears slide down my cheeks as someone else binds my hands and feet together.

I feel the barrel of a gun press against my head as a heavy boot connects with the back of my knees. My face slams into the ground, and the foul stench enters my nostrils as a soldier leans his face close to mine.

"Did you think you could escape, after what we did to your family?" He chuckles. "You stupid little piece of s..."

I open my eyes, gasping as I wake from my nightmare. 

I wipe the sweat on my brow with the back of my head and sit up slowly. For a brief moment, I can't seem to remember why I was brought here. 

Then suddenly, the memories start flooding back. I remember Adrius's easy smile. The heavy blow to my stomach. The prick of the needle.

I survey my surroundings warily, looking for any means of escape. There aren't any. I'm locked in room that has four concrete walls and zero windows. The only exit is the door, which is obviously locked. I am lying on a king sized bed with pristine white covers.

This room is a perfect example of an illusion of comfort.

I hate it instantly.

There isn't anything here except for the bed, and there is only one thing left for me to do here. I jump up from the bed, and walk briskly to the door. And just when I'm about to try to turn the doorknob, the door flies open.

The heavy wooden frame slams into me, and I fall backwards onto the floor.

Feeling angry and humiliated, my face turns red, and I look up to see who just barged into my room.

It's Adrius. 

I glare at him as he closes the door gently behind him.

Then he turns to me and smirks, crouching down to take a closer look at my face.

"You're pretty when you blush."

My fist flies upwards, aiming at his face, but he catches my arm easily. 

I ground my teeth in frustration as he rises to his feet in a smooth motion. His smirk is gone, replaced by a sober expression.

"You should really think twice before punching the commander's favorite son." He cocks his head. "Also, I saved your life."

My eyes widen in disbelief. "Save me? You kidnapped me!" I yell.

He rolls his eyes, then replies in a patient tone, as if talking to a child. "Why do you think you don't have bruises anymore? The chemical that Liam injected you with should give you a 105 degree fever for at least 72 hours. Do you feel sick right now? Do you feel like you're going to pass out?"

I shake my head. To be perfectly honest, I feel great.

Despite the fact that I'm locked in a room with my kidnapper with no means of escape and not the faintest idea where I am.

Sighing, Adrius offers me a hand to help me up, but I refuse to take it. I've already lost my freedom. I don't want to lose my last shred of dignity, too.

"Come with me," Adrius says. "We have a lot to talk about."

He opens the door with a dramatic flair, and steps into the hallway, motioning for me to follow him. I stare at him in shock, not understanding what he's about to do.

"Wait...so I'm not a prisoner?" I ask hesitantly.

He sighs again. "No. We don't take prisoners here at TCD."

"TCD? What does it stand for?" 

But he is already walking away from me, towards a set of double metal doors at the end of the hallway. I hurry to catch up, just as he stops in his tracks. He turns his head to look at me, and to my surprise, I detect a hint of worry in his blue-green eyes. I have never seen him look anything less than confident. 

"When you walk in there..." He trails off, then clears his throat and starts again. "When you walk inside, people are going to stare. They're going to whisper. Just relax, smile, and I'll introduce you to everyone. Don't panic or show any signs of weakness."

I nod nervously, and his face relaxes a bit. "Good."

He leads me towards the double doors, and just before he opens them, he speaks again. 

"Take a deep breath, Lyanna. Everything is going to be fine if you follow my instructions."

He punches a pass code into a pad on the wall, and the doors slide open automatically.

Then he puts a hand on the small of my back, guiding me into the room.

This is not what I expected. 

Hundreds of faces turn towards me, and I swallowed hard, taking a look around the room. Every single one of them are teenagers. Just like me. 

In a loud, confident voice, Adrius speaks up. 

"Citizens of the TCD! Welcome our newest member, Lyanna."