The Color of Jade (Jade Series Book 1) (33 page)

“He's gone and it's over. Let it go,” Damian ordered.

“I'm trying. It's not that easy.”

He sighed as he sat next to me. “It gets easier,” he said, and I wondered what he meant exactly. I watched him. His tee shirt grew taut against the swell of his biceps and lean muscled back as he leaned forward and then rested his forearms against his thighs. With his brows furrowed, he stared out into the bright day.

It became increasingly difficult to judge him for his cruelty. I tasted only a bite of what it had to be like to grow up in this sort of environment. He couldn't have always been a cold-hearted abuser. He was a child once, maybe like Corby. His build was strong with striking, dominant features and even though it was Gage's face that I longed to see, it wasn't as hard to look at Damian anymore.

“There was nothing you could have done about it.”

His tone grew softer and for a brief moment, I thought I saw a sliver of sympathy. He wasn't always mean or abusive but his amount of sensitivity was extremely shallow and rare. For some reason, I felt this was his way to say sorry for my loss. He would never come out and say it. For Damian to say sorry would be to acknowledge he had a weakness, an admittance of being wrong and he would never do that. I forced a weak smile.

“How long have I been here?”

“Almost three months. It’s the end of September.”

“When can I go outside?”

He glanced back over his shoulder, sincerity I hadn't seen before surfaced in his eyes. “I’ll talk to Morrison about it.”

“Thank you.”

A fleeting smile grew faintly at his lips. “Maybe I’ll take you outside tomorrow.”

“I would like that,” I said, as I tried not to sound too eager and smiled back to thank him for his generosity. 

“Let’s go inside.”

“You go ahead. I think I want to stay out and watch the sunset.”

Damian’s unusual casualness instantly turned dark, as if never present. “No… I said let’s go inside.”

I sighed and I looked up at him as he stood over me, my hopes for tomorrow, suddenly drowned by his weighted stare.

“Okay… But do you think we will be able to go outside tomorrow?”

“I doubt it.”

***

The sounds of gunshots ricocheted through the air, pulling me from my dazed stare at the window. They were closer than before but the kids hardly noticed them as they took turns reading around our little circle. They weren’t bothered by them at all and strangely, seemed to look forward to them, were comforted by them. The shots must have caused a bit of alarm for the woman because at that time, she walked briskly out the door and neglected to say when she would return.

Four-year-old Maya jumped in my lap when she left. Her small size fit comfortably. She looked up at me and smiled as she pulled my arms around her. Her tiny bony arms reached around my sides as she attempted to give me a hug. Starved for attention, I felt her body relax as I hugged her back. I rubbed the soft golden fuzziness of her buzzed hair, grown about an inch since we first met. She gave me a half-hearted smile. Her cute round cheeks disappeared into a pouty frown.

“You’re beautiful Maya,” I told her. I squeezed her tight as her hand wound through a strand of my hair and she started to twirl it around her little fingers. “You can sit with me until she comes back, then you have to jump off quickly, okay.”

Maya nodded her agreement as Lainie asked me a startling question. “Jade, are you pregnant?”

“What? No! Why would you think so?”

“Because, all the girls your age that come in here are pregnant. That’s what Brea, my sister says.”

I was stunned by Lainie’s question and even more stunned at how smart she was for being only eight.

“How old is Brea?”

“Thirteen.”

“Is she?”

“No, not until she’s seventeen she says, but Corby's sister was,” she said, as she glanced at him next to me on the rug.

“I’m not seventeen yet.” My words shocked me as I realized what Morrison had planned. He had already asked when I turned seventeen. The thought of being pregnant terrified me, especially from Damian. I glanced back out the window. The gunshots stopped and the letdown of a scarce possibility of a rescue was heavier than before.

“Jade?” Maya interrupted. “When the men with guns come for you, will you take me with you?”

The three of them stared at me as they waited for a response. The sudden knot in my throat squeezed tight, constricting my air as the glassiness in my eyes gave away my dashed hopes. It was one thing for me to dwell on hopeless dreams but it was another to tell them someone would come when they might not. I wanted to tell them I would take them all, but the harsh reality was, I along with them, would probably never get away from Morrison.

“Don’t give up hope Maya, someone will come and I’ll do whatever I can to get you kids get out.” I gave her a forced smile as I felt suddenly sick inside.

If Morrison succeeded, my life would cease to be my own. I would just merely exist as the other women in the compound and unfortunately, for the kids, their future, just as bleak.

I walked out to the patio and looked into the inky darkness as I pulled the blanket tighter around me. The stars slowly faded into the night as thickening clouds blanketed the sky. Pressure in the atmosphere grew tense as the smell of rain grew heavy in the air. The unusually quiet night added to the eeriness and I couldn't shake the concern from my mind.

Morrison called for Damian and they left about an hour ago. I hoped he didn’t return until morning, if he had to return at all. Apparently, Kane caused problems for them over the last few days and I looked forward to the day he made it to the compound. The last few nights I heard constant gunshots, but tonight not one shot roared and I worried if something happened to my brother.

A sigh escaped me as I moved into the room and set the blanket at the end of the bed. The faint squeak of the springs gave way as I crawled inside and felt the cool sheets against my skin. My energy drained as my eyes drifted closed and felt weighted to the bed. I lifted a heavy arm to rub the ache in my head.

I tried to see Gage’s face in my mind as I imagined him with his arms around me. A tear escaped and trickled over my temple into my hair. Pain crushed my heart from how much I missed him. Slowly, I turned to my side and pushed my face into the pillow, angry that I couldn't make out his face. I couldn't see his heart melting smile or his beautiful, soft blue eyes. His face faded further until only a blur remained. The tears came and let myself fall into a restless sleep.

A swift crash of thunder jolted me awake in a disoriented state. I found my bearings and paused to listen but there were no sounds of rain or wind outside as I waited for a flash of lightening and another crash.

Then, a blinding flash displaced the air with a thunderous rumble that shook the compound and rattled my insides. Gunshots popped like firecrackers, splitting the once calm night. I jumped out of bed and burst through the doors out to the patio to peer through the fence just beyond the borders of the compound. Golden streaks flashed through the black sky as gunshots fired not more than five hundred yards away.

“Let’s go!” Damian said, as he crashed through the doors behind me. I spun around, panicked.

“Where are we going?”

“Away from here!”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? They’re after you!”

They weren’t after me! They were coming
for
me! I didn’t want to leave! I wanted to stay right where I was and let them find me! Guards scrambled for their weapons as he pulled me down the hallway into the chaos. The charred smell of something burning grew strong and I frantically searched for where it came from, as the hallway grew cloudy with smoke. My eyes stung. I caught sight of Morrison who walked swiftly out of his office, carrying a large case. Two guards behind him, carrying two more each.

“Set off the charges!” Red-faced, with eyes as sharp as daggers and neck veins that pulsated at the base from rage. He barked orders to a guard as he moved down the stairs, while the plump woman followed behind him.

“Not everyone is out yet!” She yelled, wild eyed with her arms flailing as she ran after him. He stopped on the staircase and blocked the way as we rushed to the stairs. Shocked, I watched as she pleaded for more time with no avail.

“Then I suggest you hurry! You have five minutes to get out!” He yelled at the woman, and then he turned to the guard. “Go set them off!  Time the first three for seven minutes! Set the others for ten! ”

I watched Morrison move down the stairs, concerned only of his own escape. “Wait!” I stopped abruptly as his words stunned me. Damian’s forward momentum and strong grip on my wrist jerked me forward and with a whip of my arm, I pulled it from his grasp.

“What?” He glared furiously through the thickening smoke as I coughed from the toxic air. My lungs burned as I tried to breathe.

“What about the kids?”

“Who cares about the kids?”

“I do!”

“The only one coming with me is you!  We need to hurry. Morrison won’t let this place stand for long. It's going to come down!”

My heart raced and panic set in as my throat tightened further. Blinded by a bright flash of light, I grabbed the railing for support as the ground shook underneath me. Dust settled from the ceiling as the blast jarred the compound.

“Jade!”

A little voice echoed from down the hall as it called out my name. I barely saw Corby and Maya run towards me. Mt heart sank into the pit of my stomach. I turned from Damian and ran towards them with him cursing as he clamored after me. The deafening gunshots thundered loudly from every direction outside. I reached them, hugging them both in my arms.

“Where's Lainie?” I yelled above the confusion.

“I don't know!” Maya cried, wide eyed and panicked as she grabbed me. She gasped for air, choking on toxic fumes. Corby’s cries grew vocal in my ear as he clung to my neck.

Damian reached us and grabbed me as a guard grabbed the kids. They pulled us apart. Their arms stretched out, tears streaked down their smoke stained cheeks as they screamed, wild eyed and scared.

“Stop! We need to help them!”

“No we don’t! We aren’t! The women will. They don’t have to take them far, they’ll get out.”

The plump woman appeared, frantic behind him and took Maya from the guard. Their high-pitched screams sounded above the gunshots, taken back down the hallway, away from me, away from the stairs, away from the way out.

“I want to go with you!” Maya screeched at the top of her lungs. Tears flooded her eyes as she tried helplessly to get away.  Corby watched with wounded eyes by my inability to help him. They couldn’t understand and they both looked hurt, like they were abandoned, betrayed by me. Damian practically carried me as I unwillingly stumbled down the flights of stairs with him. Panic set in. Afraid I would never see them again.

We passed by the door through the front entryway. I felt an overwhelming urge to open it. An orange glow flickered through the side window, evidence of the war on the other side. I’d never been this close to it, and I’d always wondered when I would get to walk through it. I tried to resist him as I reached out for the doorknob and grazed it with my fingers, twisting it slightly. His strength, too much for mine as he locked the deadbolt and ripped my hand from the knob.

My heart sank as it moved farther out of my reach. Men’s shouts just on the other side drew my attention. A sudden jolt and a loud thud crashed against the heavy wooden door. I looked back, the side window a fractured web of glass as they tried to break in.

Damian’s eyes darted towards the door then he covered my mouth and pressed his hand against my lips as I started to scream. He carried me through another door and down more stairs deep, down into the earth. I gasped for air when he finally removed his hand. Hopes of a rescue faded as he forced me down a hidden hallway.

Barely visible, the earthen walkway dimmed from poor lighting that hung from wires draped along the height of the wall. I ran my hand along the cool damp walls and disturbed cobwebs collected from the lack of use of the passageway. The stale dank air, heavy in my lungs added to my difficulty to breathe.

Suddenly, the ground shook violently as a muffled explosion rumbled above us. I grabbed the groaning walls for support as the lights flickered. Fragments of the dirt ceiling crumbled as dust filled the air and settled slowly around us. I stopped suddenly. Afraid of tons of dirt and cement, collapsing and crushing me underneath. I froze in place as he covered my head with his arms.

“Come on! We need to keep moving!” He gripped my arm tighter and pulled me along faster as he started to run. “There’s going to be two more, this could come down.”

Minutes seemed like hours as we made our way down the narrow earthen corridor. The second charge rumbled but weaker than before and a third immediately after as we came to the end of the hallway to a door. The ground shook again and small pieces of dirt crumbled from the ceiling as he opened the door with a burst of fresh air that pushed my disheveled hair off my face. I pushed a stray strand to the side and looked through the dark sky as he led me outside. Somewhere on the other side of the compound walls, we crossed a road and pushed through the trees along a river.

The compound, still magnificent in size, raged, totally engulfed in flames. The vicious orange glow of the inferno, sharply contrasted against the black night like a pumpkin at Halloween. If anyone were inside before the explosions, there would have been no way to make it out alive. The urge to vomit threatened, as I thought of the kids, desperate and scared I prayed they made it out.

Branches whipped at my arms and I shielded my face as we scrambled through the trees. Men’s voices resonated louder, closer, and I screamed with sheer desperation for someone to hear me. Furious with my outburst Damian grabbed me into the crook of his elbow and pulled me close with a hand over my mouth.

“I wouldn't do that again if I were you!”

“I'm sorry,” I cried, desperate to be free. Once satisfied I would behave, we continued to trudge up an embankment through the thick underbrush. He squeezed my wrist tighter to warn me.

I stumbled from the uneven ground. He lost his grasp as I fell and slid down the steep incline. Jagged rocks cut at my flesh as the unstoppable momentum carried me tumbling towards the river.

I grasped for anything I could reach but failed and screamed as launched off a ledge. Rock and gravel broke my fall as I landed at the bottom. My breath, forced from my lungs as if punched in the gut. I gasped, desperate to breathe. My eyes darted to the ledge above me as I watched for Damian. Maybe a ten-foot drop off and possibly the only barrier between him and me.

Pain shot through my body. I rolled to my side as I sucked in air, still unable to cry out as the distant sounds of men's shouts neared behind me. I staggered to my feet and ran blindly in the inky blackness, along the river’s edge towards them.

“Kane!” I cried, hoarse and raspy. I ran, stumbling over rocks and fallen logs.

“Jade!” Kane yelled from somewhere through the trees. Too far away.

Footsteps pounded the hard ground behind me.

“Kane!”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Damian snarled, and then grabbed me.

“Let go of me!” I yelled as he knocked me to the ground. He grabbed my wrists. I screamed jagged wild cries as I struggled to get free, desperate for Kane. I swung frantically and hit him. He grabbed me and pulled me closer to the swift raging river. It crashed against rocks and drowned out our voices. I let out a muffled sob as I realized the river could have aided my escape, if I only thought about it before. I would rather risk drowning over confinement.

“You’re not leaving, Jade!”

“No! I don’t want this! I will never accept you! I will never love you! Even if Gage is dead!”

I fought to get free as he squeezed my body close to his. His face inched closer to mine, his breaths heavy. Strangely, I saw hurt in his eyes as he hovered over me. Pain I caused as if I betrayed him. For a fleeting moment, his icy bitter eyes looked confused, and then turned angry as he flipped me onto my stomach. He pinned an arm behind my back and covered my mouth. Razor sharp shell rock cut into my cheek as he pressed my head into the ground at the river’s edge.

The only sounds heard were his jagged breaths and my muffled cries as the sounds of men neared. My heart pounded rapidly as I tried to catch my breath. Kane called my name. He tightened his grip on my mouth. My chest felt tight and I couldn’t breathe as I heard the click of a pistol next to my head.

“If Kane finds us, I will kill him!” He snarled. His jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth. He removed his hand from my mouth. I sobbed quietly and listened to the sounds of my brother, not far from where we were.

“Quiet!” He said in a forced whisper. The only thing that kept him from killing Kane right then was the dozen other men with him. He didn’t stand a chance against all of them. I also knew the first one he would aim for, would be him. As much as I wanted to cry out, I knew I couldn’t risk it.

Kane’s voice grew distant and my body collapsed as I gave up the fight. He forced me to stand and I walked, void of feeling. Numb to the shouts and gunshots in the distance behind me as we walked upriver and under a bridge where a truck waited. He shoved me inside. I made a failed attempt to shield my face. A jagged cry burst from my lungs as he struck me with a violent swing of his hand. Blood, thick and metallic tasting instantly dripped from my nose. My shirt stained with droplets of bright red.

I sank back against the seat, worn and tired as I resorted to knowing I’d lost, again.

“You shouldn’t have crossed me, Jade,” he said, as he pulled a rope from the back seat and tied my wrists together. He pulled out a syringe.

“You are going to wish you didn’t do that.”

“No! Please!” I begged as he injected me with the drug. My head grew heavy and it lolled to the side. He blurred before me just before everything went black.

***

Startled suddenly from sleep, three guards barged into the room and bagged my head. I felt a barrel pressed sharp against my temple. I jumped as I heard the click of the engaged hammer. I screamed and begged them not to shoot me as the trigger snapped. Nothing! They laughed and pulled the bag off my head. I lay there on the floor and cried. Damian walked in and stood over me.