“Should we get up early tomorrow?” Tohoak asked as the attendant at the motel’s front desk handed Rebel two keys for their rooms. He regarded her with a sideways glance.
“If you want to keep Hunter from sending a patrol out for you than probably,” he said. In the back of her mind Tohoak knew that could only happen if her mentor had made it back to camp. She prayed he had. The attendant pointed to their rooms: the two on the end. “We can get up early and make it to your camp by seven,” Rebel explained as they walked through the parking lot.
Tohoak nodded absently. Her mind was going through the events of the day: how she had spent the morning practicing and the walk through the city not less than two hours ago. She sighed and wondered what things would’ve been like if she hadn’t gone. Rebel stopped walking, breaking her from her thoughts. They were in front of their rooms.
“Here,” he handed her key over. “I’ll be right next to your room so if you need anything just call,” his eyes looked weary as he said that, but it was so brief Tohoak knew she had imagined it. With that he started to his room unlocking it and opening the door. “Night,” he closed the door leaving her standing there.
Slowly Tohoak walked over to her room door and turned the key in the lock. Pocketing the key she walked into the room and closed the door. When she flicked on a lamp, its light revealed peeling blue wallpaper. It smelled like wet dog, but she didn’t mind. There was a clean bed and that was all that mattered.
She didn’t even both to get under the covers. As soon as her head hit the pillow she felt sleep overcome her. Maybe she would sleep as well as she had the other day. In her dream she was in a thick forest. All around her deep green leaves hung from dark limbs. There was a soft pitter patter and a sprinkle of rain fell around her. She laughed and stuck her tongue out trying to catch its droplets. Holding her hands out she enjoyed the gentle coolness the sprinkle provided. There was a loud boom and the ground shook under her. Lightning flashed through the sky splitting in several different directions.
It stuck the ground next to her burning her arms. She screamed and tried to run only to find she was unable to move. The rain now came down in a fierce shower stinging her face and exposed neck. Water lapped at her ankles and rose around her. She tried to scream again but it caught painfully in her throat. Someone grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her free.
Rebel held her wrist tightly trying in vain to free her from her watery grave. She tried to say his name and tell him he was hurting her but no words came. When she tried to pull away his grip tightened and he pulled harder. “Please!” she mouthed her eyes starting to water from the pain. His eyes widened as he stared at something behind her.
Her eyes flew open as she jerked away. The pain didn’t leave her wrist though. It took her a moment to realize she wasn’t alone. There was a metal cuff on her wrist. It dug into her skin painfully. “She’s awake!” the woman who had just clipped on the cuff said. Two others stood waiting at the end of the bed.
“Are you the apprentice of Hunter?” one of them demanded. He was scrawny, but threatening. Beside him stood a bigger man with a deadly look. Tohoak stuttered. She didn’t recognize them as Protectors which meant they were either Unabilitied or Decimators.
“Speak!” the bigger man snarled. Tohoak shook her head knowing better than to tell the truth. Her eyes were wide and cold sweat ran down her back. Shadows clung to the back of the room but she found she couldn’t move them. Then it struck her. This was the same cuff Lacy had had on when they first met. It had prevented her from using her powers. The smaller man laughed.
“You’re a horrible liar. Get her and let’s go,” he said dismissively. Tohoak jerked away from the woman beside her and rolled out of the bed. She would have to rely on her fighting skills alone. The scrawny man was next to her in an instant slamming her against the wall and holding her throat. Tohoak gasped and saw stars. He tightened his grip with a smile.
“Kane wants her alive!” the woman growled warningly. Tohoak tried to scream, but just like in her dream she couldn’t. All that came out was a strangled gasp. “Keep her quiet Rebels in the next room!” the woman hissed. Tohoak didn’t have time to wonder how the Decimators had found her or how they knew who Rebel was. The man let go of her throat and she gasp for air. Before she could call for Rebel something soft was shoved against her mouth. A rag. She screamed into it with all her might but just made a muffled sound. Rebel would never be able to hear her. She kicked out with her legs and arms thrashing and fighting with all her strength to get free. The Decimators held her tight.
“Someone knock her out!” the bigger man ordered.
“Rebel!” she screamed into the rag. It was useless. Her vision started to blur and her movements became weak. She was being smothered. “Rebel, please…” she whispered her eyes fluttering close.
“She’s almost out,” the woman said relieved. Tohoak fought as hard as she could, but she needed air. She heard the door open and the Decimators yell something. They had to be taking her back to the base now. She was jerked backwards and suddenly she could breathe. There was a soft texture under her fingers. She was laying on the carpet. Her head hurt. Things were moving too fast or maybe she was just moving too slow.
“Are you okay?” the world slowly came into focus. “Tohoak, are you okay?” Rebel knelt beside her. She blinked slowly and took a deep breath. He helped her sit up. “Are you okay?” he asked for the third time. A nod was all she could respond with. He seemed relieved and turned his attention to the cuff on her arm. “Just take deep breaths,” he said. He stopped and looked around. His sword was laying a few feet away. Tohoak looked over at it and was relieved to see it was free of blood.
Rebel picked it up with careful hands and sheathed it. “How did you get rid of them all?” Tohoak finally asked finding her voice. He sighed and went back to looking at the cuff.
“They’re too scared to fight me because they know there will be repercussions,” he said quietly. “They just went to get reinforcements and tell my parents where I am,” he was avoiding her eyes. There was a sharp pain in her wrist and the cuff fell to the floor. She didn’t notice it though. Her mind fought hard to understand what Rebel was saying.
“Your parents?” she asked in a small voice. There had to be a mistake. Rebel’s parents weren’t Decimators.
“Come on, they’ll be back soon,” he said standing up. He held a hand out to her, but she didn’t take it.
“Who are your parents?” she demanded. He drew his hand back and started toward the door.
“We need to go,” he said an edge of agitation to his voice. She stood up, but didn’t move. “Tohoak please. I’ll explain later,” there was something in his voice that made her give in. It was almost like desperation. He led the way out of the room and onto the street. “We’re going to your camp now. They must have found us with a tracker,” he explained shortly. A tracker was someone with the ability to track others whereabouts. Tohoak shivered.
“How did you know I needed help?” she asked. There was no way he had heard the Decimators.
“It’s my ability. You yelled my name didn’t you?” he said solemnly. Tohoak nodded confused.
“It was muffled. I yelled, but they had my mouth covered,” she said. He shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter. If someone says or yells my name and they need help or are just desperate enough then I can hear them. It doesn’t matter how far away they are,” he said.
“Can you also tell where they are when they yell your name?” she asked. It was a strange ability, but very unique. His eyes clouded and he shook his head.
“No,” he turned away from her keeping his eyes focused on the street. Tohoak felt a pang of sympathy for him. It would be awful to know someone needed you, but to not know where they were.
“Where do you think you’re going?” a man who was leaning casually on the alley way looked over at them. Everyone on the street now seemed to be looking at them. Rebel made a growling noise.
“Decimators,” he hissed his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword.
“Your father has wanted to see you for quite some time Rebel. He also has taken an interest in your friend Tohoak. You two will be coming with us,” the man stood up straight and revealed to them that he had a gun. Rebel reluctantly dropped his hand from his sword. Tohoak tensed and remembered the last time she had seen a gun. It was a dangerous weapon she didn’t want to see again. Rebel held his head high refusing to show fear about this weapon.
Tohoak focused on the shadows behind the man. If she could just get the gun away from him they might stand a chance against the rest.
“No powers,” the man scowled. Something snapped onto Tohoak’s wrist. Another one of those cuffs! She jerked away from the Decimator that had put it on and brushed up against Rebel. They hadn’t put a cuff on him. “Your father gave us specific instructions not to restrain your power,” the man chided. Rebel didn’t seem surprised.
“Let’s not keep Kane waiting then,” he said coolly.