Shadow in the Dark

Chapter Eight

Kiera cried out and fell on the floor. She lay there for some time, sobbing. All of her life was a lie. Everything she had been told. Amelia Marino was her true name. Her mother had loved before her father. Now her mother was dead, without knowing her first love still lived. Her precious mother and father were gone. Now Kiera was all alone, no one to be there, no one to trust.

Eventually, Kiera cried her fill and stood up. She still had all of her weapons, the gun and sword on her back, the quiver at her waist, the staff beside her. Kiera pulled off the gun and turned it slowly over in her hands. She cocked it.

Suddenly, she felt a fit of rage and fired at the wall. Over and over again. Then she swung the gun onto her back, pulled off the sword, and beat it against the wall. She had considerably shredded the wall until she had let out her anger. She looked at the floor, breathing hard.

"You done?" asked Deadstreak behind her.

Kiera whirled around. Deadstreak and Thunderice were standing in the doorway. Kiera felt a sudden rush of anger at them, and threw her sword at them. Both Deadstreak and Thunderice ducked. The sword hit the door.

Deadstreak slowly stood up, his hands out, palms facing Kiera. He was shaking. Kiera pulled out her gun and cocked it. Deadstreak threw himself back onto the ground. Thunderice pulled out his own gun and pointed it at Kiera. She raised her own gun and aimed. She didn't know what had gotten over her.

"Did you know?" she asked.

"Kiera, this will help nothing," Thunderice said.

"Did you know?" she yelled, her finger tightening on the trigger. Deadstreak slowly stood up, raising his own gun at Kiera.

"No. Giuseppe never told us. But we guessed," Thunderice replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kiera asked. She turned to Deadstreak. "You said you didn't know how he found me. And you said he found me a year ago!"

"He showed us you a year ago. If I had told you in the car you would have killed me! Please put the gun down," Deadstreak said.

"You lied. You lied to me. Why should I not kill you?" Kiera asked.

"We were trying to help! We didn't know the hologram would tell you!" Deadstreak exclaimed. "We were waiting until we thought you would be able to handle it!"

This helped a bit. Kiera breathed deeply and closed her eyes, slowly lowering the gun.

"Get. Out. I don't want to hurt you. Leave before I change my mind. Go." she said. She heard a scuffle and the door open, then close. The lock clicked. Kiera slowly opened her eyes.

"Is the holograph still running?" Kiera asked quietly.

"Holograph running," said a kind female voice.

"Can I run more simulations?" Kiera asked. She needed to fight something.

"Fifteen simulations left," the voice replied.

"Run first simulation." Kiera heard the holograph starting up all around her. Gear whirred, hidden in the walls. Slowly, an image appeared.

Kiera was standing in a dark room, alone. She was standing on a small platform.

"Instructions. Kill all of the men as they come near. Use any weapon you wish." This was a different voice, one Kiera recognized. She whirled around, looking for the familiar face.

"Dark Tide?" she called.

"Here," replied the voice, but there was no person. Kiera realized that the voice had been programed, but the image had already disappeared out of the program.