Chapter Twenty Six
“What the hell, Katra?” James questioned as soon as Tash pulled me out of the cell. “You don’t want to see the mess we made? I was quite proud of myself this time. Because, honestly, this is the one mess you would not scold me for!” and his brothers chimed in their agreement.
I could hear the rest of the gang running with us. Someone was in front of me and Tash and they kept the soldiers away from us. Probably Griffin with his shield and Coleen and at his side with her fire. And the triplets were behind us. Drew and Steven were on my right while the sisters were on my left. And I frowned when I heard a smaller and softer footsteps.
“You brought Annie!?” I asked in horror.
I felt Zoi run in pace with me and Carly and Annie were right behind me. “It’s not like we could leave her,” Carly answered.
“I want to help,” Annie pressed.
Before I could even speak again, Tash stopped running and I almost bumped into her. My ears twitched as I listened to my surroundings. I heard the sounds of the guns being pointed at us but I knew it was useless since Griffin was protecting us. Then, I heard a laugh that sent chills upon my spine.
“Are you really going to escape with that blindfold on, kitty?”
I started to roll my eyes but I stopped myself when I realized he won’t even be able to see it. “Don’t you get tired with the ‘kitty’ nickname? Because I do,”
“Your shield would not be able to stop my ability, my dear kitty,”
“He’s a person,” I answered with gritted teeth.
He only laughed at me and I twitched as I tried to listen to my surroundings. Tash leaned towards me and whispered to me what was happening. It seemed like that dad was thinking. Looking at my companion one at a time for a few seconds in the eyes. I realized what he was doing later than Zoi did. He shouted to everyone not to look at him in the eyes but it was too late. Griffin had fallen victim to his control. I knew because I felt his shield went down.
“Griffin’s out!” Steven shouted and the rest of the group formed a new formation to protect each other.
I was pushed in the middle with Annie and Carly. I felt Tash left my side and I tried to look for her but Annie told me that she was positioned outside the circle, talking to Griffin. I drew my breath slowly as I prayed for everyone. We were in a pinch and I was useless because there was nothing I could see.
Suddenly, we were all threw back by an unseen force. I tried to reach for Annie to protect her but I was suddenly ripped away from the group and I hit a metal pole before I fell and rolled to the ground. The group screamed my name but I was tackled by three soldiers who kept a tight hold on me.
“Now, how will you fight one of your own?” My dad asked.
“By taking him down,” Drew answered.
I could just imagine the shock on my dad’s face at Drew’s answer. For someone who doesn’t know us, it would mean that we were going to kill him. But we knew each other like the back of our hand. We knew a lot of ways to take one down without killing them. It was our training.
I heard the growing of vines and by Griffin’s shout of shock, I bet they got him. I heard someone being dragged across the floor. Dad shouted for his soldier to shot but Coleen took care of those near her and Jack in the other side.
I kicked the soldier on my right and he went down. I then spun in lighting speed and the other two flew away. Then, I removed my blindfold. I saw from my peripheral vision that Tash was above the thrashing Griffin on the floor and was forcing him to look at her in the eyes. And in a moment, Griffin was back in his usual self.
I saw dad’s eyes grew in shock. He wasn’t expecting one of us to be a mind controller. And one who managed to defeat his hold. Then, I turned back to the others and they all nodded at me. I smiled at them and I dashed.
I had dad inches above the ground by holding him in his neck before they even realized. I gritted my teeth at him. All the anger and hatred was taking control of me. I wanted to kill the man in front of me. I wanted to make him suffer for using and killing my mom. I wanted him gone for playing with my life. For killing the lives of thousand innocents Reins just so he could make me to something he wanted.
Suddenly, I fell to the ground as electricity attacked me. I gasped and thrashed on the ground as I tried for the umpteenth time to remove it from my neck. I could faintly hear the sounds of gunfire ceasing as people dropped to the floor with a thud. Then, from blurry eye sight, I saw Drew and Carly running towards me.
Suddenly, the equipment fell off my neck and Carly was healing me. I breathlessly thank both of them as they helped me on my feet. I saw that there were bodies lying around but thankfully, no one from my family. They told me that my dad had managed to run away from the commotion and none of them had managed to stop him.
“Did you saw Saori?” Steven asked.
I couldn’t form the words but I needed to, “Steven, I’m-I’m sorry,”
“Is. . . is she dead?” he asked, his voice breaking.
“No,” I breath. “But it’s worst,”
We navigated through the base using only my memories as a map. When dad had brought me to the room where Saori was, I counted all the turns and timed all the straight we made. We reached the room and I opened it first. Then, I gestured the one way window to Steven and he took tentative steps towards it.
And as soon as he could see, his breathing hitched and he broke down in tears at the sight of his sister. The other gasped at the scene and I could feel Zoi’s stare at me but I refused to look at him or the others as I closed my eyes in pain. I could hear the anguish in Steven’s cry for his sister. I could hear him promising that he’ll make them pay for what they did to her.
“Steve,” I called but my voice broke. “Steve, they didn’t do that to her.”
He turned to me and so did the others with a questioning look on their faces. I just discovered that I could look at them in the eyes for a few seconds. But I didn’t dared to try to look at them for more than five seconds since I was afraid of doing to them what I did with Saori.
“You’re on their side now?” He asked me, aghast with the idea that I was covering them.
I shook my head, “No, I’m not. I want them dead more than anyone in this room.” And something in the tone of my voice sent goosebumps to myself. The tone was something I thought I would never hear from myself.
“Then who did this?!” Steven screamed as he broke down once more for a sister he thought he would never see again and who would never be the same again.
I closed my eyes and I sucked in a breath before I answered, “I did it, Steven,”
“You?” He asked, dumbfounded. And so was the rest of the group except for Zoi who had a clue about what had happened.
“I did it,” I repeated, “I know I would never be forgiven for what I did to her but still- I’m sorry,”
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