Protected Slaves

4. Abandon

I was stronger and faster and willing to run everywhere I went. A month had passed since I met Miles and in that month I discovered that I had so much potential. Miles was impressed with my improvement; he seemed to enjoy having someone to spar with and to show all of his secrets to. It felt nice to feel some sort of freedom as I ran through the streets of the Protected Zone at night with the cold winter breeze flowing through my hair.

Snow started to fill the streets as Christmas drew closer. The snow added to the excitement of running for Miles, he said it was because the ice made the paths slick and added to the adrenaline rush he always seemed to feel. The snow also meant that school was cancelled because the teachers knew that the students couldn't focus on their schoolwork. Since there was no school I was able to train all day with Miles and be back to my dormitory room before Emily grew too suspicious again.

Emily still hung around Tom Davidson and I gave up on trying to stop her from being around him. There was no point in arguing with a girl that was in love with him, there was no way I could persuade her to leave him.

With Emily on his side, Tom was making my life worse than it was before I met Miles. He persuaded Emily to ask me as many questions as he wished to know the answer to. Tom would follow me wherever I went and it made it difficult for me to get to Miles, especially after the snow began to stick onto the ground. My feet would leave footprints disallowing me from going to the abandoned warehouse that Miles called home. I had to wait until the early hours of the morning to sneak out of my room and to go to Mile's home. I had to make sure my footprints were covered even in the early hours because there was no guarantee that the Officials were tucked into their own beds.

Throughout the month, Miles had been gathering information on the whereabouts of my mother. He hadn't told me directly but I had seen several maps pinned onto his wall with a large X over the Protected and Danger Zones. He had various lists of information pinned besides them with some string connecting the important ones to the map. I had tried to read the information but Miles had either come into the room or his dog, Diego, would growl when I got too close to the maps.

Right now I pushed myself to run as fast as I could around the running track in Miles's gym. Miles watched from the sidelines with a stern look on his face but I ignored him and continued to run until I stumbled over my feet and landed on the ground with a thud. Miles didn't move an inch as I pushed myself up with my arms, breathing heavily. I turned my head to see that Miles was watching me curiously but he had no intentions of helping me. After the night I had cried he had stopped trying to shelter me and he forced me to do so much more but he always asked how I was when I fell.

My whole body shook as I made my way across the gym to where Miles stood; his arms were crossed over his chest to show his power. He continued to watch me with his curious eyes but he made no moves to come closer or move away from me.

A strange pain shot up from my left ankle and I did my best not to limp, I could not show weakness. Miles let his eyes move over my body but not in the creepy way as some of the men in this place. His eyes were analytical as he tried to search for the injury I was trying to hide. The closer I got the more the anger began to seep into my body.

Why was I angry? I was angry because Miles had been so caring when we first met and now he was just as arrogant as Tom Davidson. Miles used to help me once, he used to encourage me and ask if I was okay but for the last week he had grown colder towards me.

I swung my arm back and slammed my fist into his jaw, causing him to stumble back. I clenched both of my hands into fists preparing to hit him again if I had to.

"What was that for?" Miles demanded.

"So you do feel something," I growled.

"Of course I do! I'm human, Rayla, I'm not like the cold-blooded Officials that roam the city," Miles snapped.