Freedom Is My Redemption

Chapter 5

Just after the shaking stopped, we felt it again and that's when we heard it, "damn it!" Kai yelled and pulled me to the ground, he covered my head just as debris fell around us. I coughed as some of the dirt and dust got in my lungs but didn't dare move otherwise.
After a moment, he stood and helped me stand as well, "you ok?" He asked quietly, I nodded not sure if I could speak, who was doing this? Why, and how- my thoughts were cut off as yet another explosion sounded through the building. I heard someone cry out but Kai grabbed me and held me close, the room was dark now, I couldn't see five feet in front of me. "What," I said quietly and felt his fingers on my lips, "shh," was all he said. I nodded once to show I understood.
As his hand dropped I saw something flicker down away from us in the dark. I felt my hands tighten at my sides, if anything, I could hurl a blast of wind at them knock whoever off their feet. Or they'd see it in an instant and kill us. I grimaced but pushed that dark thought down, there were footsteps coming closer to us now. I grimaced and held my arm back ready to blow them away when I felt Kai's hand like a vice on my wrist.
He squeezed twice letting me know he was letting go before I felt his hand leave altogether. Slowly I heard crackling and felt as the hair on my arms stood on end, the electricity in the room was at an all time high. Instantly, I relaxed "Davi," I whispered as I saw his hands light up. Little yellow lightning bolts danced between his fingertips and his eyes glowed a burned gold color.
His smile was radiant when he saw us, "good I was worried about you," he pulls me into a hug and looks at Kai as he releases me. "The explosions- they're in the main room." Kai nodded and gestured for us to follow, me in center and Davi just behind. As we came to the end of the hall I felt my heartbeat pick up.
Just as Kai turned he jumped back and slammed into me narrowly missing being hit with what looked like a Boulder. "Sorry," he says trying to wipe the shock from his face. I nod showing my understanding but don't answer, "oi oi, was that- Kai?" My eyes go wide as I hear the voice. I see Kai tense slightly before relaxing again. He looks over his shoulder past me, to Davi. I can't force myself to turn and see them but I know in that look they share a full conversation.
What are they saying? Who am I kidding, he's probably telling Davi not to let me get killed. I don't need protecting, I can do this! Oh god- what about Timothy and Jason? Where's Julia? I felt a hand on my arm and my inner panic instantly died. I turned and saw Davi watching me intensely, I lick my lips and force myself to be calm.
"Come out, come out wherever you are!" I grit my teeth at that voice, it's lightly accented and it grates on every nerve I have. Johnny. "I'm here," Kai says catching me by surprise. Slowly, he steps out around the wall and I see him slide into boss mode. It's a quick transition from the sweet boy I know to the grown murderous boss of my nightmares. It's almost beautiful how quickly he can change. Beautiful- and terrifying.  As he does, though, I feel Davi's hand squeeze mine, I turn to him in confusion and he whispers to me. "Kai is gonna try and buy us time. We're g-"
He was cut off though by Johnny, "Aw mate, I think it's cute you came out here by yourself but you and I both know you weren't alone. Davi?" He raised his voice at the end indicating he wanted an answer. As he did, I felt Davi stiffen beside me.
"You and I both know you don't go anywhere without him trailing behind you. Come on out, mate." I bite my lip as Davi grudgingly stands, "I'm not a patient man," there was only a moments pause but when he spoke again his voice got low, dangerous. I tugged on Davis' arm and nodded to where Kai had gone.
He frowned and shook his head to say no, I sighed, "I'm sorry. They need you." With that, I blast him with air and knock him back down the hall and turn towards where Kai had gone.
I took a deep breath and stepped out. This room was our 'front' it was a plain white room with a big desk that sat in the center of the room. It served as our mutual grounds where we'd bring new prospects through. Doris always sat at the desk ready to greet anyone that came through. The door and front windows always had some form of decoration painted on them.
Timothy, we'd learned, was an excellent painter who loved holidays. It helped keep us 'normal,' no one took a second look at it. It's why no one ever thought to look here for me when the boys effectively kidnapped me. Our building looked just like any other building in the area here.
Plain, unassuming, commercial. Now, though, it looked like a war zone. The doors and windows had been blown through, glass was everywhere. You could still see the paint on some of the bugger pieces here and there, the desk was covered in cracks and debris.
The walls had pock marks where glass had bounced up and off of it. As I stepped, you heard the glass crunch under foot. I walked and stood beside Kai, as I did I felt his shock at my boldness.
He didn't physically react, but I could feel his shock coursing through him to me. He had a damn good poker face, though. Johnny, on the other hand, he didn't hide his shock.
"Of course it's you, cowering behind his leg like the little bitch you are." He said with a sneer before turning back to Kai, "Kai, I've told you," his tone was almost playful. As though they were discussing the weather or why one doesn't wear socks on their head. He barely even acknowledged me, except to glare at me, "you shouldn't take strays home. It never works out."
He drops his gaze and shakes his head as though he's truly disappointed with Kai, but I can see through his act. "Look at the mess you've made."
Kai looked at me and I felt my body shaking ,I was trembling and on the verge of tears. As he looked at me, though, he saw it: the lack of fear. I saw a spark of recognition in his eyes, before I ducked my head. "We're all strays here, Johnny, you know that." I heard as his voice carried calmly across the now open space to the other boy. Kai hardly ever raised his voice, it was one of the many things that made him so scary. His whole demeanor was based solely off his ability to read situations and be calm. I could feel it radiating from him as he spoke.
"Besides, you yourself are about to be a stray if you don't back down. We had an agreement." Surprisingly, Kai's voice went down slightly and I heard Johnny give a wry chuckle at that. I took this as an opportunity to observe Johnny, he was in a suit still with his hair slicked back, he looked like an old school mobster. "You've been lying to me," his voice is deadly serious and he even glared at Kai. But Kai just barely raises a brow at him. "That's not what family does."
He moved his hand to his chest in mock hurt, "why, after all I've done for you. I brought them to you," he throws his hand out gesturing to  me and the building and Kai chuckles. "Doris found her actually, felt bad for her."
Johnny grimaced but didn't break speech as he continued on as though Kai hadn't spoken. "I gave you the info and you kept things from me." I noticed now beside Johnny was his right hand Nate. I'd met him once before when he'd been hurt. Johnny had brought him to be patched up.
His head had been bleeding then and he'd been awfully pale, I feared he wouldn't make it through the night but, here he stood. He wore a plain black long sleeve shirt and pants with simple black shoes. His hair was slicked back just the same as Johnny's and he held a gun. My blood ran cold at that, I glanced to Kai and saw he barely flinched or gave notice to the gun. I guarantee he had it in his sights though. To Johnny's left was another man, he was tall with jet black hair that spiked out from his head, he wore the same clothes as Nate.
Instead of holding a gun though he had, "rocks," I say under my breath. Johnny smirks, "I see you've noticed Edward."
I feel Kai stiffen beside me slightly, not good. "He worked for you Kai, operative word being worked." He says it with a smile that splits across his face and I feel my stomach flip.
"As a mercenary, if I'm not mistaken," at Edward's nod he continues. "He got tired of being jerked around too though, decided to change things up." He smirked now, just then Timothy and Jason came out on either side of Johnny. Kai pulled me to him just as Edward moved. I closed my eyes for just a moment and heard a cacophony of sound and then, silence. When I opened my eyes I saw Johnny laughing and Timothy and Jason were being held by Nate and Edward.
Around us though was a sphere-like wall of rock. I gasped at the sight and watched as Kai muttered something. "Come on out you two," Johnny called. After a moment, I heard slow footsteps behind us I turned and saw Julia and Davi. They both had their hands up and both looked pissed.
"Honestly," says Johnny "a sneak attack? I thought we were better than this." He didn't sound mad, just genuinely disappointed. "You," he says pointing to Davi, "I want to see your hands at all times." Davi glared but kept his hands up nevertheless. "What, you don't trust little ol' me?" When Johnny turned to Julia I saw his eyes wander. He looked at her as though he were undressing her, it made me feel sick.
He winked at her and she smiled, "I wanna see more of you," he told her quietly before turning back to me and Kai.
He heaved a sigh and walked closer to us, until he was standing directly in front of me. I felt Kai's arm go tightly around me, "what do you want, Johnny? To show you're a force to be reckoned with?" He smirked and leaned around Johnny to look at his two henchmen. "Without Edward you wouldn't have made that grand of an entrance,"
Johnny reached up and slapped me so hard I saw stars. I tasted blood in the back of my throat and felt as I was ripped from Kai's grasp. He snarled just as I heard cracklings around us. "Johnny," I heard Edward say quietly, "I can't guarantee I can cover everything. Try not to piss the electricity user off too badly, yea?"
Johnny nodded but smirked at me, "you've no idea how long I've waited to do that. You've been a thorn in my side since he first set eyes on you and your tragic situation." He mocked a sniffle and dabbed at his eye before sneering and I couldn't help but spit at him.
He stepped back momentarily to wipe his face and I heard sounds of approval. When he got close again, though, he cracked his hand across my face so hard I thought my neck would snap. His voice was emotionless except barely contained anger now, "I told him to let you die, but he wouldn't. You're useless, you think they care about you?" He asked with a pause, "I'm going to prove they don't." I felt the anger welling up inside of me but didn't otherwise react.
I remember what Kai had said, let him. It was my mantra. It was keeping me calm. He spun me around and held me in front of him with his hand around my neck.
I looked at each of my friends in turn, from sweet Timothy who looked so angry he'd explode, to Jason who was visibly shaking with anger. Then Julia who looked pale and like she was going to be sick, and finally to Kai and Davi.
Kai was keeping his poker face better than Davi and he was looking at each of us in turn. But, when he looked at me, I saw it. In his eyes I saw determination and a calmness I hadn't expected. It was almost as if he was saying be calm let whatever happens, happen.
"You, are nothing." Johnny said whispering in my ear, I felt my lip tremble and my breath came out shaky. "I-I'm not. I'm-" his hand snaked up so fast I don't have a chance to even react. Suddenly, I'm seeing stars again. He wrapped his hand around my throat just as I hissed in pain and sucked in my breath, the crackling around us intensified and that's when Johnny laughed.
"You all act as though you want to protect her, why? She's useless, look at her! Is it giving flashbacks to the first day you saw her?" As he says it, I feel a flush of  understanding run to my mind but can't react. His knee comes up to my stomach twice knocking the wind out of me.
I cough and struggle for air as he twists my arm back behind me pushing it with his weight leaned against me. I scream in pain as I feel my arm snap. The pain is white hot in my mind and I feel the bile rise up in my throat.
"That's a little closer," he said as he pulled away from me. I heard someone call him, they sounded far away from me. I coughed and felt as something wet comes up and coats my hand. "Johnny, get on with it. Either ask them what we came for, or get on with it." The voice sounded genuinely troubled but I couldn't be sure. Pain danced through my body as black spots danced in my vision. He scoffed, "right. Sorry, I got carried away." He hauls me up by the scruff of my shirt and I see through the haze that Davi looks absolutely feral. After a moment, Johnny spins me so I see everyone, they're all at different states of angry or scared. Julia even has tears in her eyes.
"I know one of you has the power of the Grim. You can control death. Do you even understand what we can do with something like that? Obviously not," he says distastefully answering his own question. "So, I'm going to give you an option." His eyes lock with Kai's and I see the smile spread across Johnny's face. My blood runs cold in my veins at that look. He turns back to me and I feel his utter joy for the situation.
He liked being in charge. "Ya know, I never understood what they saw in you. Why you were so 'valuable' not even your file gave me any insight. Even when I checked your family out- no powers or anything fun like that." He almost sounded disappointed. I internally frowned, how can my file be clean? Shame or not, my father had to register me as having powers- right? Maybe, maybe Kai got to the file first.
"It did, however point me in a lovely direction of a family business. That's when your relevance came around." He pats the top of my head as I try to find meaning in what he's said, "now then," he says turning back to Kai and composing himself. "Option one:" he says ticking it off on a finger "you give up and hand over the one with the Grim."
He pauses and looks around the room half expectantly, as though someone would materialize before him. When they don't he drops his head in mock sadness, "I figured you wouldn't take that one. Option two:" he says ticking it off again, "I do something that makes the person fold. Trust me, you won't like it." He drops a wink to Davi and I can feel as the electricity builds. The hairs on the back of my neck stand but I feel altogether calm.
I do my best to keep a terrified persona out but on the inside I'm completely calm. I know Julia will save me. I know she will. I've faced my father, and died before. This- this is nothing.
"Any takes for option one? No? Ok," he sighs and pulls me in front of him. His arm is across my throat and his right hand is at my neck, my breathing is cut off quickly and I feel my body scream for air. The wounds from the kicks he'd administered earlier were now screaming in pain and I clawed at his arm. He chuckled as I did and I could tell he was looking between Kai and Davi when he spoke, "I told you, you wouldn't like this." Quick as a flash, I felt his arm move away and that's when I felt it , a quick searing pain at my throat. I coughed and felt as something wet and warm spilled down my front and I knew what was happening. My life was spilling from my body. He slit my throat, I was going to die. The last thing I saw was a bright flash of yellow and Davi. He looked like an avenging angel sent from heaven itself.