Free - Jonah Marais

Chapter 1

Jordan

I stood motionless, utter shock spreading across my face as the tears began to build. I didn't let them escape, I refused to believe the truth that was evident right in front of me. My mouth agape, I stared in silence, the pain tearing at my heart. I was so young that many would believe that I wouldn't have understood the truth of the pain, but how can one not? How can someone not understand the true pain in seeing their own mother collapse on the floor, motionless as blood trickled to the ground beside her? The pain of hearing the echoing scream as their mother takes her final breath. Even if I was only six at the time, I knew the pain that I was refusing my own right to. Before I could even take a step towards her now lifeless body, I felt someone grip my wrist with determination, distress and... fear. I was dragged from that room, the tears finally releasing down my cheeks as I realised that I never even got to say goodbye.

"Jordan?! Are you ready yet?!" I blinked once, twice, three times, wiping the tears from my eyes as I sat the photo frame, with a picture of my mother, down on the dresser beside my bed. Even though it was thirteen years ago, my heart still felt a sharp pang every time I looked at the photo.

"Almost!" I lied. Rifling through the pile of clothes sitting in the basket at the end of my bed, I grabbed a black high-waisted skirt with a sheer trim across the bottom, and a tight fit white singlet top with a simple criss-cross pattern across the top of the front. Quickly putting them on, tucking the top into the skirt, I paired them with a pair of sheer black stockings and black ankle boots, as well as my mother's old necklace. I raced into the en-suite and tossed my hair into a stylishly messy ponytail and applied some makeup.

"Jordan! We're going to be late if you aren't in the car in five minutes!" I called out my lie again, claiming that I was almost ready, as I shoved my makeup bag frantically into the cupboard beneath the hand basin. Taking one more quick look in the mirror, I raced out of the en-suite, grabbed my stuff and raced down to the front door.

"Jordan!" I remained quiet, waiting for my dad to turn around and realise that I was already waiting at the front door. "Jordan!?" My dad called out again before Kyle, my dad's best friend and main guard, alerted him of my current whereabouts.

I knew that I had to go for safety but, I hated going to my dad's meetings. Ninety percent of the time, my dad's meetings are truce meetings with the Red Skulls. I hated those guys. I had every right to hate them too. The Red Skulls were the gang that killed my mother. I get that the boys 'running' the gang now were only kids when it happened but still... They still take orders from one of the senior members that were in charge at the time.

"You ready sweetheart?" My dad's tone immediately shifted when he realised that I had been waiting.

"No..." I spoke dryly as I looked at him. Did I mention that I was in a gang and my dad was overprotective about everything? Including every aspect of my life? Guess I just did.

"Look... I know you hate coming to these meetings, but I can't risk leaving you behind because I can't risk losing you." I sighed with guilt filling my head, almost strong enough to make me sick to my stomach. All my dad ever did was try to protect me and all I ever did in return was wish for a chance to leave.

"I know dad." I lowered my head slightly as Kyle grabbed his keys out of his pocket and walked us out to the car, ensuring that all surroundings were checked first.

"Now... This meeting is a BP only meeting. We have some plans we need to discuss." BP was my dad's gang, the Black Pythons. Nodding in response, I hastily put my earphones in, not wanting to waste a moment more with speaking about something I didn't care for.

My dad usually didn't mind that I blocked him out because I always did it. Every meeting that I have to go to, I put my earphones in, blast my music and sit in the back corner. Every now and then, I'll pause my music and listen in on what's being said but, only when it's a strictly BP meeting. If I even get a glimpse of one of those boys from the Red Skulls, I immediately look away and blast my music until they're gone. I just can't stand them.

"Jordan! Not this time!" I could only just hear my dad but, his words were very clear. Hearing his words made it blatantly obvious how important this meeting really was. My heart sunk as I pulled the earphones back out of my ears and anticipated his explanation.

"You need to be listening at all times." He looked over his shoulder a few times to make sure that no one was following us before continuing on to tell me that we were going to be talking about an interception of the Red Skulls that I was going to be a part of.

"Dad? What if I don't want to be a part of any of this?" My heart sinking deeper, I got a glance from my dad, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion but, no answer left his lips as he turned to face the front of the car. I wrapped my earphones around my phone and shoved it into the pocket attached to the back of the seat in front of me having immediately given up, knowing that there was no point arguing.

After a short while, we had pulled up at HQ. Kyle turned the car off, pulling the keys out of the ignition before opening my dad's door and then walking back around to my side of the car to open my door.

"After you ma'am..." I wanted to scream hearing him refer to me that way. I hated being referred to as 'ma'am' or 'miss'. I just wanted to live a normal life but, there was absolutely no chance of that happening. Especially not anytime soon. Either way, I grabbed Kyle's extended arm and pulled myself up out of the car with a soft smile.

Straightening my skirt, I followed close behind my dad and Kyle. As we got inside, all I wanted to do was pull my earphones out. I felt more and more sick the closer we got to the meeting room. A slight ease washing over me as we entered the room, confirmation of what my dad had previously told me evident with the lack of presence of any Red Skulls members.

***

Having sat in the meeting room for a short while now, I was struggling against my urge to fall asleep or pull my earphones out. None of what was being said was in the slightest bit interesting to me.

Just as I was about to make an excuse to leave the room, even just temporarily, I heard a loud bang from the front and back of the building, voices being raised outside the room before Kyle came running in.

"Mr Whittle... we have to go." His voice seemingly calm, a great comparison to the facial expression evident. My dad stood and nodded once before walking towards the door. Leaving the room, I watched as he continued to walk not turning his head back once. So much for his overprotective tendencies. Something serious happens and I'm immediately left behind for his safety to come first.

"Wow dad! Great job protecting me! It's fine! I'll protect myself!" He was already out of sight by the time I spoke but, I had not a single doubt that he heard every word. Standing from my seat, I directed everyone out of the room with as much respect as I could muster before closing the door behind them all and resting my back against the wall beside it.

"This way!" I heard someone call out and sighed in relief as I noticed the voice disappearing in the opposite direction. Just as I thought I was safe for a moment, the door swung open with ample force, slamming into the wall with a rambunctious crash as five Red Skulls' members barged into the room. The five members that I hated most, of course.