Few of a kind

A "short story".

The few of a kind 

 

 

 

The room was dark and my legs shook. I stood there silently, waiting for the Master. A metal table stood there too, a red light blinked giving me enough light to see the screen.

                “I have a mission for you.” His voice bounced off the walls as the screen flashed on showing his dark figure.

                “I accept.” My voice stayed steady despite my shaking. I had trained for this. My hands were covered in the blood of those who faced me.

                “You are strong.” Master commented.

                “Only because of your power.” A packet with instructions sat on the table along with the drugged food I am to eat so they could drop me off without me knowing the location.

“Dismissed.” His voice faded and I shoved the food into my mouth. The meeting was short, but important. My mind blurred and I fell.

 

                I woke up rubbing my head. They could at least be a little gentle. The facility I needed to enter was lit up. Guardhouses scanned the ground with beams of light. The bag they dropped with me was small. Inside was a map, some rope, and a small dagger.

                “This will be harder than I thought.” I said to myself.  A note told me what I am to get, The Files, is all it said. I looked at the map and the vents and doors were labeled, the red X was in the control room at the end of what looked like a hallway of cells. I got up and started to near the facility. Waves crashed on a shore nearby. It made listening harder. Only being 194 months and 27 days old my concentration was short. The blood pulsed in my ears, but I could sense something. I grabbed my dagger and turned around. The man was fast, but I was faster. He cried out as I slammed my blade handle against his head. Leaving me with a limp body. I dragged him into the nearby woods and struggled to sit him upright. The rope was only long enough to tie his hands together, but that would have to do. The sun was rising and this was a night mission. My pack didn’t include camping supplies and the floor was wet from an earlier rain. I had to suck it up and be brave.

                The man’s clothes were damp from sleeping on them all day”, on the cold, wet ground.  My mind became clear and I remembered where I was.  He was biting the ropes and trying to free his half-naked body.

“Good luck trying to free yourself.” I smirked.   He glared at me, but after a few seconds, he smiled. 

“The name is Allen.”  The man said attempting to put out his hand, but my ropes held him back. 

“Well, I am nobody you need to know, except that you should be scared.”  I pointed my blade at him.  Allen made a strange noise, a noise that I had never heard before. 

“You don’t scare me.” He tilted his head back and made the noise again. 

“Can you stop making such strange sounds?”  I raised my voice.  Allen looked puzzled. 

“What sound?” 

“The sounds you were making after I threatened you.”  My frustration showed.  He made the noise again, this time until his face became red.   

“You mean this sound?”  He continued. 

“Yes, now stop it!”  I yelled, and he continued. 

“I was laughing.”  Allen stopped.   

“Lau Fling? Is that some kind of Chinese war cry?”  His jaw dropped. 

War cry?  I knew you were deprived, but this is just sad.  Allen’s hands, despite being tied back, attempted to gesture. 

“Tell me what it is, or I will hurt you.”  Again, I waved my knife at him.

“I was laughing.” He said louder. 

“Loathing, you hate somebody? What are you trying to say?”  I started to yell.               

“Say it with me, laughing.”  He said is slowly and I did too. 

“Laughing.” I smirked.

“Good job.”  Allen said enthusiastically. 

“I did a good job!”  I felt somewhat happy. 

“Yes you did!” 

“Now what does it mean?”  I needed to know. 

“It is how we humans express joy.”  He made the noise, called laughing and I copied him. 

“Did I just…” 

“Yes, you just laughed.” He laughed.   I looked around to make sure no other living thing saw.

                “Now that that’s over, I need to go and I’ll be back when I’m done.” I packed up my meager supplies.

                “Wait, you’re just going to leave me here?” Allen said shocked.

                “Of course I will. What am I going to do? Drag you around with me?” How could he think that I needed him with me? I started to walk away.

                “Wait, before you go please loosen my ropes there kind of tight.” I guess a small act of kindness wouldn’t kill me. The rope I tied was pretty tight, but I only loosened it a little bit. He gave a sigh and told me to get on my way, I did. I didn’t look back and he took that to his advantage. Allen now faced me holding my blade. My hand ran along my side and found the sheath empty.

                “You sly piece of dung!” I spit at him. He held the blade steady at my throat. Allen was frowning.

                “I didn’t waste years of my life just to have you walk away.” His voice reflected his anger. He was following me!

                “What do you know?” I felt so stupid.

                “Let me think, Kevra… How’s the Master?” Allen smiled like he had won.

                “How do you know those things? I never told you my name.” I said confused and angry at his knowledge. He laughed and looked away, that’s all the time I needed. My hand struck out fast as a cobra and snatched the knife. I then kicked his stomach and made him fly back hitting the ground with a thud. He scrambled to get up and fight, but my weight landed on him pinning him to the ground. We wrestled and rolled on the ground in desperation to win. He paused and I saw a dart sticking out of his neck. The weight of Allen fell onto me and I couldn’t breathe. I felt a prick in my neck and my mind shut down.

 

                “Kevra, wake up.” Allen stood over me. I kicked him out of my way and sat up.

                “Where are we?” Bars surrounded us on each side.

                “Prison. What did you think it was?” He crossed his arms and walked the perimeter of the small cell.

                “You! You took John! Why is the ground there? Mr. Potties is alive!” Someone next to us started to yell. I looked over to the next cell and saw a man crouching on the floor. He pointed at me and started to babble.

                “Who…No, what is that?” I backed away from the bars that separated us from it.

                “Well, it’s Loolan from Canada. Didn’t you know?” Allen’s voice dripped with sarcasm. He burst out laughing.

                “What happened to him?” I felt disgusted at the sight of such a strange being. Loolan sat on the ground grunting and every now and then he would burst out random words and phrases.

                “Too much red juice for mine. Please don’t eat my house dollar bill. Good no come to those who eat my mom.” Loolan started to bang on the bars.

                “So, you’ve been out for about…three days now. By the way you talk in your sleep.” He said like it was a matter of fact. I slapped a hand over my mouth and glared at him.

                “Why are we in the same cell?”

                “They thought we were love birds. They found us in the woods on top of each other.” He seemed angry. I grabbed the bars of the cell and shook them as hard as I could.

                “Get me out of here!” I yelled and it was answered by a harsh laugh.

                “Nobody gets out. Not on my watch at least.” Another man stepped out of the shadows.

                “Agent Jalken.”  I knew him, the traitor. Jalken could sense my discomfort around him.

                “Ah, young Kevra, I see you found a new ‘partner’.” His voice was like nails on a chalkboard. I took a swipe at him. Jalken smashed my hand with his club.

                “Leave her alone!” Allen ran up to him and punched him through the bars. Jalken fell on the floor rubbing his head.

                “Why did you do that?” An act of kindness rarely happened to me.

                “I could tell he’s not a nice person.” Allen shrugged his shoulders. Jalken got up and stormed away.

                “Run, run you club bashing baboon!” Loolan screamed at Jalken as he walked by.

                “Something tells me you don’t like him either.” Allen said to the both of us.

                “I can rescue me self, but I don’t. That bad head be lucky to have me.” The crazy guy said it seems to someone we couldn’t see.  This guy was really crazy.

                “You know how to escape?” I asked Loolan hoping for a real answer. He stared at me.

                “Pretty face, hair as black as the shadows, skin as white as snow, she speaks to us. Pretty face, pretty face I know not how not to escape.” He stopped and stared at me like I was a god. Uncomfortable at the attention I flipped my hair.

                “What did he mean?” I asked Allen.

                “He says he knows how to escape, and that you’re pretty.” He stood in the corner with his arms crossed. Allen grimaced.

                “Thank you, Loolan. Now tell me how to get out.”

                “Pretty Face must distract Club Swinger and Big Man knock him out of his orbit.” Loolan swayed back in forth like in a trance.

                “Ok, who’s big man?” This guy made no sense.

                “That’ll be me.” Allen flexed his arms.

                “You’re doing well, Loolan.” I praised him trusting that he would continue.

                “Then Pretty Face makes hand grasp the jangles that open sesame the walls.” Loolan kept swaying. Allen walked up to me.

                “He says…”

                “I know what he means.” I snapped at Allen.

                “Fine I see how it is.” He put his hands up and walked to the corner. I rolled my eyes.

                “Loolan, what should we do after we get out?” In my mind I knew Loolan would be helpful.

                “Loolan, Pretty Face, and Big Man run to floaty wood thingy. We escape to water.” His hands waved like water.

                “Floaty wood thingy?” I asked Allen.

                “Don’t look at me!” He put his hands out.

                “We need to get out as soon as possible. Lets try it tonight.” I told them both even though Loolan probably wasn’t listening.

                “Sounds good, in a few we’ll eat, then get lots of sleep.” He pointed to me and I felt like I should laugh.

                “How do you know when the foods coming?” I asked him.

                “I knew you’d have a plan, and I have a lot of free time. My memory is pretty good. I memorized the guard, food, and testing schedules.” Allen tapped a finger on his head.

                “Testing?” My voice shook. I looked at Loolan squatting on the floor shivering.

                “Yeah, every other day. So, tomorrow we go.” He said it like it was nothing. I glared at him and he cocked his head.

                “Testing! You see anything wrong with that?” I screamed at him. Testing ruined my childhood. When I think about it, what childhood?

                “I grew up with testing. Every week.” Allen crossed his arms again. Two plastic trays slid under the bars and stopped at our feet.

                “What is this?” I held up a square of what looked like grain and raisins. More packaged stuff sat on the tray. The guards stood silently outside our cell.

                “That’s a granola bar, and don’t look at the guards. They can hurt you and not get punishment.” Allen looked down at his tray and I did the same. My heart beat so fast I thought I couldn’t eat. The wrappers were plain old aluminum. By the looks of what was inside I’d rather have the aluminum.  I choked it all down and managed not to taste it. My stomach still growled.

                “What now?” I asked Allen looking at my empty tray. He slid the tray back under to the guards and grabbed mine to do the same. The guard struck him as soon as Allen touched it; he fell back facing the ground. He didn’t move.

                “Let the girl do it herself.” The guard who struck him sneered. I steadied my shaking body and slid it under. They picked it up, but still stood there.

                “Allen are you ok?” I whispered to him. He didn’t answer. I stared at the still Allen and turned around to face the guards.

                “What do you think your doing?” One of them said as we made eye contact. The other guard stood in a defense position.

                “What did you do to him?” I ran up to the bars that separated us and viciously attacked them. They backed up and started to laugh.

                “That ones a fighter. I call having her after testing.” The guard to the right said.

                “What about her boyfriend there?” The left guard asked him.

                “He’ll be knocked out in the back. Won’t hear a thing.” They walked away down the hall still laughing.

                “Allen they’re gone. Wake up.” I was worried, and a little scared. He still didn’t move.

                “Big Man got a big whack.” The crazy guy next to us commented.

                “Shut up unless you can help!” I screamed at Loolan and he to backed of and glared at me. I glared back until he turned away murmuring to himself.  Using all my strength I flipped Allen onto his back. He still didn’t move. I yelled for help it was answered, by silence. After staring at his body for longer than needed I heard footsteps coming from down the hall. His shadow reached the cell before he did, Jalken.

                “What’s wrong tough girl?” Jalken mocked. He checked out the scene and laughed as he went through his keys.

                “What’s so funny about this? Open the god damn door and help him.” I yelled at the one person I hate more than anything.

                “Hold your horses. He probably passed out from your extreme ugliness.” He chuckled. Jalken found the key and slowly opened the cell door. As he walked in I heard an ear splitting screech from Loolan as Allen got up and threw Jalken to the ground. He used my knife to slit his throat. Blood covered the floor. I was confused by my surprise, I lived for death. Allen stood I front of me panting.

                “Lets go before someone comes by.” He put the knife in his pocket and grabbed the keys. I stared at him.

                “You pretended to do that?” My voice cracked. Allen smiled.

                “Yes, now lets get Loolan and get to the boat.” He ran to the cell next to us and opened the lock. Loolan ran out and gave a shout of triumph.

                “I free! I free! Take that Club Swinger.” He ran in circles.

                “Loolan, stop. We have to go right now.” I went into mission mode and then I remembered why I came here. The files, I looked down the hall and saw the heavy doors that led to the control room.

                “Kevra, come on!” Allen yelled. I ignored him and started to walk toward the doors. Voices sounded from around the corner.

                “There they are.” A guard ran around the corner, a gun grasped in his hand.

                “Kevra, what are you doing?” Allen grabbed my arm. I shook him off and ran to the doors.

                “The files.” I screamed over my shoulder. The guards were running toward me and I was prepared. I slid under their legs and kicked up when I reach the one with the gun. He flipped back onto the hard ground and rolled into a ball. The gun was light and easy to point. With my finger on the trigger I neared the door. A great force knocked me down and the gun flew out of my hands.

                “What do you think your doing?” Allen’s voice came from above me. I struggled and squirmed to get out from under his great mass.

                “The files.” I screamed again banging my fist on the floor.  He got off me and I flipped over. Allen was covered in blood, not his. I gasped.

                “We have very little time to go a long distance. Get up now and follow us.” He offered me his hand, but I jumped and glared at him.

                “Little time, far to go.” I reminded him. He turned away and started to run. I kept up with him easily. We turned the corner and found the doors wide open. Loolan stood there holding them.

                “Good job, Loolan.” I yelled as we passed through. He closed the doors and followed us.

                “No, oh! No, oh!” Loolan yelled and I turned my head to look at him.  Mobs of gun wielding guards were swarming around the open ground between the door and us.

                “Run for your life!” Allen screamed at us and we sped up. My arms pumped and my legs were sore, but my fear pushed me forward. Allen grabbed my hand and led me toward the boat. I heard gunshots and yelling. Don’t look back, I told myself. My head turned and saw something that made me stumble. Loolan crouched on the ground screaming.

                “We have to go back.” I told Allen. He looked back at me, his face showed understanding and sadness.

                “He’s gone, Kevra. We can do nothing.” Allen sped up. I still heard the screams as we ran onto the dock. Allen hoisted me up onto the boat and pushed us off. A lone tear ran down my face, but I kept an emotionless face. I stared out at the mass of water before us. Allen had his hand on my shoulder. We didn’t talk.

“Are we far enough out?” I asked.

“Yes, I can’t see any land?”  

“Good.”  I sighed. 

“We are alone.”

“What do we do now?” 

“Whatever you want.”  He winked at me and I smiled. 

“You saved me, you choose.” 

“Well, if you insist.”  He walked toward me.  My instincts reacted to it by jumping onto the edge of the ship. 

“Allen!” I yelled.  He broke out laughing.

“Come on, you know that we’re safe.”

“I’m not ready for that.”

“To be safe?” He asked.

“I don’t know what it’s like.”

“I’m a super spy. Safe isn’t always an option.” Allen chuckled.

“So? I killed people for a living. It’s all I knew.” My past confused me every time I thought of it.

“Until you met me.”

“Actually until you hunted me down and tried to kill me.”

“You need money these days.” He looked off the side of the boat.

“If someone paid you right now to kill me, would you do it?”

“No!” The way he said it confused me.

“Why?” I asked. Allen looked away.

“I need you.”

“Why do you need me?”

“I just do.”

“Tell me why you need me.” My voice rose.

“I…I feel for you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Love.”

“What’s that?” 

“You don’t know what that is?”  He stared at the setting sun in frustration.   My mind searched for the word, but before I could say anything he walked to the other side of the ship.  His head in his hands.  I felt like I should, what was the word, comfort him? 

“Allen, I am sorry.”  My legs carried me to him.  He turned away and I felt something pull at my chest painfully.  I looked down searching for what had caused that.  There was nothing.  No lasers, no knives, nothing.  Allen got up and walked to the other side again.  

“It wouldn’t work anyway.”  His voice was filled with a familiar emotion, pain. 

“What wouldn’t work?”  I sensed that something was wrong. 

“Us.” 

“As a team?” I asked. 

“I want to be more than that.”  He stared at me with red eyes. 

“Friends?”  I guessed.  Again he looked away shaking his head. 

“It won’t work. You…I can’t explain how I feel when you don’t even understand me!”  Allen yelled at me and I flinched. My stomach churned and I gasped. 

“Please, I need to know what you mean.”

“Love, Kevra, Love!” I didn’t like the desperate tone he had.  It didn’t seem right.  Something made me feel happy around him, actually happy. 

“What is love?”  I asked. 

“Love is being together.  Love is looking into your eyes and seeing the happy, brave, beautiful, wonderful person you are.  I love you. I need you Kevra!  These past however many days we spent sitting in that cold, dark cell listening to a crazy person babble, and you talk in your sleep, I fell for you.  I saw the real you.  You are not what you were trained to be.  You are not a killer, you are curious and all you need is the push and you can be free.  We can be us.  Just tell me if you feel anything, anything!  If you love me, tell me so.  If you don’t love me…. Well, tell me.  Love is hard to resist and I can’t hold it in.  I love you Kevra!”  Allen’s eyes produced tears and so did mine

“It is all clear to me now.”  My hands shook and I felt dizzy.  “I love you.” The ship lurched and turned sideways. Allen was slowly sliding into the water. I reached to him, but we were sinking fast. I was scared. The small wooden boat we had been sailing on creaked and groaned as the hull filled with water. His hands and feet moved wildly in desperation to reach my hand and be pulled to safety. One arm held to the mast tight as I reached out to him again.

                “Kevra, I love you!” He screamed and he knew that we wouldn’t make it. Allen gave up and started to slide freely down the deck as the water engulfed us both.

 

                I woke up screaming his name. My hands were strapped to a metallic table and I couldn’t get out.

                “Allen! Allen!” I screamed with all my might. Men swarmed in wearing white lab coats. They murmured and whispered as I flailed around trying to get loose. I looked at the men closely. What will they do to me? One reached toward me and I bit him, he jumped back yelling. He distracted me as another man quickly slipped a needle into my arm and injected a drug. I blacked out.

                “Hello?” Someone stood over me shaking my shoulder. My vision became clear and I saw who it was. His hair close cut and dark, eyes a dark blue, and arms muscular.

                “Allen!” I screamed and sat up quicker than I should have. My head gave a pulse of pain and I realized that I was not strapped down.

                “Wow, take it easy there.” His hand supported my back.

                “You’re alive!” My heart gave a leap out of my chest. He gave me a puzzled look.

                “Since when did you care?” Allen said.

                “You love me. Why wouldn’t I care?” What happened?

                “We just met. What are you saying? You are the one who tried to kill me!” He motioned to the cast he had on his arm. My vision was blurry, but I thought I saw a smirk.

                “The boat and…and I love you. You fell in the water, I couldn’t save you.” I hated to yell at him. Allen looked confused.

                “What are you talking about?” He stood up.

                “You don’t remember?” My heart that I worked so hard to create shattered.

                “I remember. Boy, do I remember. Oh, and I think I forgot to do something before we went down” He leaned into me and our lips met.

                “What was that?” I asked.

                “It was a kiss.” He smiled and gave me another.

                “I think I like it.”