Page 59 of Chosen
I prepare myself for my confrontation with Braeden, hoping Magnus and his team will arrive before things get too out of hand.
I style my hair in one long braid and bind it was an elastic band. I put on my battle uniform, a plain black jumper, with a dagger on one hip and a laser pistol on the other. I don my black beret with a golden snowflake in the center that represents my sector. This signals my readiness in the face of an impending battle.
I’ve noticed that my cousin has kept out of my way these past several days, but I can no longer hold off this confrontation.
When I leave my room, the first thing I notice is that he Enforcers who are usually stationed down the hallway are not at their posts. An uneasiness settles in and I run to Jamie’s room and place my hand against the sensory pad to open her door.
I look around to find it empty. I check her bathing room and her closet but there are no signs of her.
I press the communicator button on my collar to get in contact with Willa, but I’m met with static. Someone has jammed the signal.
Fear seeped into my heart and my only hope is that Ayla had managed to evacuate the fortress with Jamie.
I walk down the hallway which is eerily empty. I immediately go to my private elevator and attempt to access it through the heat sensory pad. The door doesn’t budge. I try again. “Door open,” I order hoping a voice override will work.
My cousin has seems to have made his move already. Seeing that I was still able to get into Jamie’s room I think he may have only cut off my access to the back exits thinking I would use those routes.
If he could contain my movements then it would be easier to figure out where I am. I’m certain he has the security monitorsturned on me. But there’s one secret hiding place he doesn’t know about.
I head back to my room and go to my closet. There’s an escape panel that I rarely used but it leads to some stairs that go directly to the garage level.
I press the button on the inside of my closet. The wall splits open. I run down a dark narrow hallway and down an even narrower set of winding stairs, with my heart pounding.
I can find a way to get off the fortress grounds and wait for reinforcements. Despite having grown up here, Braeden doesn’t know all of the secret spots on the grounds because he’s never taken much interest in getting familiar with the land.
That was the one thing my Uncle was correct about when it came to my cousin, he was lazy in many aspects and expected things to be handed to him. That I’d even made him Chancellor when I became Sector Leader is because of our family ties.
When I finally make it down the several flights of stairs and open the door to the garage I’m met with five Enforcers and my heart plummets because this is a trap.
They don’t give me a chance to react before one of them charges at me. I’m reminded of my days in the pit where there were times when I’d have to face multiple opponents at a time
I morph my hand to bring out my claw and slash his face just as he reaches me.
He lets out a loud scream and grabs his face. I then grab the dagger on the side of my hip and slash his throat. As he collapses to the ground, the other four run toward me at the same time. I kick the closest on the knee with enough force to make his leg cave in.
One of the Enforcers grips me by my braid and slams his fist into the side of my head causing me to drop my dagger, but I barely register the pain because of the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
I send an elbow to his throat making him release the hold he has on my hair. I turn and rip him by the head and twist it to snap his neck.
I see one of the Enforcers reach for his laser pistol but I manage to slap it out of his hand and stomp it. With his weapon disabled, he throws his fist in my direction but I manage to sidestep the blow.
One more Enforcer brings down his dagger into my arm. I pull away just in time for it not to go to deep. I then catch him by the arm and grab the Enforcer who had tried to shoot me, by the collar.
I slam them together, and their heads collide making a sickening crunch.
I yank out the dagger in my arm and then collect the one I dropped. Now that they were all disabled. I head toward the exit but I’m halted when I hear clapping behind me.
I turn to see Braeden with four more Enforcers behind him. “Bravo, cousin. You live up to your reputation. You are truly the Beast.” He smiles at me.
“How?” I growl in frustration that he had somehow found my secret path.
“Oh, you didn’t think I knew about that exit in your closet. I’ve known about that for a while. Your maid Willa has been such a big help. It took some convincing on my behalf to get her on the winning side. I’m sure she realized the inevitable.”
“You’re lying.”
Braeden smirks. “I have no reason to lie about this. You can ask her yourself.” He hits the communicator button on his collar. “Send out that maid.”
Moments later, Willa appears and stands by Braeden’s side. “Yes, My Lord?” she directs her inquiry in my cousin’s direction.
