“Can’t what?”
“Go outside.”
“Of course you can. I’m with you. I assure you that no one on this compound will bother us.”
Aaliyah glanced at Kaitlyn; her face was confident and left no room for questions. Who was this woman?
“We’re only going across the lawn to the training facility. We’re wasting time.”
Aaliyah moistened her lips. “I’m scared.”
“I was scared once, too. You cannot let fear rule you. Don’t let Dasvoik take anything more from you. Once you take a step out this door, you’ve taken the control away from him.”
Aaliyah didn’t think it was quite that easy, but she knew Kaitlyn was right. She couldn’t stay locked in her room forever.
“Are you sure you can protect me?”
Kaitlyn’s eyes lit up and she gave her a crooked grin. “I’m the best there is. You are safer with me than anyone else.”
“How did you get so confident?”
“They made me that way.”
“Made you that way? Through training?”
“Something like that. Come on. We don’t have much time.”
Aaliyah stood there for only an instant, hopefully portraying an outward calm. She found herself wanting to impress Kaitlyn.
Shaking her head in disbelief, Aaliyah took a step outside into the cold. The air felt good against her skin, and the sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky. Soon it would be spring, she realized in surprise. A part of her thought she would never set foot outdoors again, never smell fresh flowers or pine needles again. Never hear birds chirping.
Kaitlyn didn’t bother to glance over. “Are you okay?”
Aaliyah thought about it for a moment. She’d expected to be terrified, but for some reason having this woman by her side made the fear lessen. “I think so. It’s not as bad as I expected.”
“It rarely is.”
Aaliyah was surprised by the large fence and noticed the barbed wire. Odd for a hospital, she thought. But somewhat comforting. Everyone kept telling her she was safe at the facility. They passed through towering oaks and winding paths with stone benches. She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but this was not it.
Moments later, they entered a large room with padding on the floors and the walls. There was some equipment, but not much.
“We’re going to start with the basics. Things you can do quickly to get out of a bad situation. But first, you need to warm up.”
“All right.”
Kaitlyn led her through a series of stretches and a couple of laps around the gym. She grabbed a pad and placed it under her forearm. “We’re going to work on a few different strikes. The easiest is hammer fist, using the padding of your hand near the pinky. Hold the pad and I’ll show you.”
Aaliyah gingerly held the pad in her hands. Kaitlyn shook her head and showed her the correct way to hold it to protect herself from the blow and how to plant her feet to get more leverage. She went through the motions, explaining the different ways to strike from the front, side, low, from the back and where to strike for the most impact: neck, temple, chest. Strike hard and fast.
Even with her feet planted, Aaliyah still tumbled back a couple of times. Then it was her turn. To say she was hesitant was an understatement. Awkwardly, she swung her arms like limp noodles.
“Harder. Tighten up. You want to cause as much damage as you can, as quickly as possible.”
Aaliyah thought of the man throwing Darrius over his shoulder and how she stood helplessly watching. The next strike was much more forceful. Kaitlyn encouraged her, and before long, Aaliyah forgot about everything around her and only focused on hitting as hard as she could.
They went over several more strikes and kicks. Aaliyah was exhausted, but also exhilarated at the same time. For the first time since she was taken, she felt like the fog from her brain had been lifted.
“Time’s almost up, but I want to end it by showing you how to get out of a hair grab hold from behind.”
Still zinging from the kicking and punching, Aaliyah nodded in agreement, eager to learn more.
Kaitlyn went behind her and pulled her hair back, and suddenly, it wasn’t Kaitlyn, it was Dasvoik. She cried out loudly and sunk to her knees.
Kaitlyn looked down at her, not speaking, as Aaliyah held the back of her head and sobbed.
She didn’t know how much time passed before the tears started to subside.
“We’re going to do that again. This time you are going to learn to escape from Dasvoik. Understand?”
“I can’t do it!” Aaliyah wailed.
“Just do what I tell you ok? If you still feel like you can’t, we’ll save if for another day. When I place my hands on your hair, I want you to reach back with both hands and apply a lot of pressure to my hand and knuckles while you lower your body at the same time.”
“Okay.”
Kaitlyn placed her hands on her hair, but did not pull and Aaliyah did as she was told.
“Now, turn your body inward and add pressure to the back of my hand.”
As she did that, Kaitlyn’s body dipped back as her arm was hyperextended. “Now place your arm around my throat and jerk me to the ground.”
Aaliyah was surprised at how easily Kaitlyn fell to the ground. She was probably just doing that to make her feel better.
“Okay, now lets do that again, but faster this time. Remember reach back, apply pressure, turn inward, hands around my throat and jerk back. Easy as that.”
Aaliyah looked at her skeptically, but when she grabbed her hair, she focused on the steps, and within seconds, Kaitlyn was flat on her back. Could it really be that easy?
“You did it!” Kaitlyn pushed herself back up to sitting. “Let’s go over it ten more times until you feel comfortable with it.”
The young girl smiled, her narrow chest lifting and falling as she tried to catch her breath from the adrenaline rush.
Aaliyah was drained when she finally made it back to her room. Exhausted, she slumped back. The bed sagged beneath her, and she slept.
CHAPTER 24
The next day, Aaliyah looked up when the doctor entered her room for the hypnosis session.
Can I really go through with this?
Dr. Chambers took the seat across from her. “Thank you for agreeing to this. I know it wasn’t an easy choice for you.”
“Are you sure this is going to work? I really don’t think I know anything,” Aaliyah stated uneasily. The idea of hypnosis freaked her out. Never in a million years would she have thought she would allow someone to pry into her mind. But after the way Kaitlyn helped her yesterday, she felt it was the least she could do. Plus it might lead them to Darrius.
“We always know more than we realize.” Dr. Chambers said with a warm smile. “I truly believe this will help your healing process. I promise you won’t recall any of it when you open your eyes.”
Aaliyah looked down and bit the corner of her lip. “Could you make me forget everything?”
Dr. Chambers sat forward, picked up a pen, and tapped it on her notepad. “I could. It would take time, but I don’t think that is the right path to take. Something horrible happened to you. It has changed who you are. Even if I took away the memories, your personality would still not be the same as before. Unfortunately, I think it’s best you work through it the hard way. I promise you will be stronger in the end.”
“Okay. Let’s get it over with.” Aaliyah said softly. She was scared, terrified really. The thought of giving up control again was enough to make her want to bolt.
Dr. Chambers held out her hands, palms up. She tilted her head slightly towards her hands. Aaliyah hesitated, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, placing her hands on top of the doctor’s she was surprised by the warmth that radiated from them.
“Look into my eyes.”
Aaliyah opened her eyes and stared up.
“Do not look away. In a moment I’m going to count to three. Press down on my hands as I press up o
n yours. One. Two. Three. Press harder.” Her voice was soothing.
The doctor removed one of her hands and placed it above Aaliyah’s eyebrow, slowly pressing down. “Your eyes feel droopy, closing, closing, sleep!” In one smooth motion the doctor pulled her hand from under her palm. Aaliyah’s hands slid limply down to her lap, and a comfortable darkness overtook her mind.
The next thing Aaliyah registered was a snap of someone’s fingers. She was once more wide awake and blinking her eyes.
“Are you done? Did it work? Did you find out anything useful?” she asked anxiously.
“I think we might have. You mentioned a location that had not crossed our radar yet. A childhood retreat in Slovenia. I’m sure Harrington will be pleased. You also rattled off a list of numbers.”
“Numbers? What were they?” Aaliyah leaned forward. It was bizarre that she couldn’t recall anything after placing her hands on the doctor’s. A part of her thought she wouldn’t be able to be hypnotized.
Dr. Chambers looked down at her pad and recited the numbers out loud. Something tugged at the edge of her awareness, but she couldn’t quite reach it.
“Do you know what they mean?”
Her shoulders sagged. “I have no idea.”
“Don’t worry about it. Lucas can run the numbers through the database. They might be able to come up with a hit.”
“I guess that’s good.” It pissed her off that she didn’t know what they meant. They got in her subconscious somehow.
“How do you feel?”
Aaliyah took a moment to consider the question before replying. “Oddly relaxed. For the first time that I can recall, I feel rested.”
Dr. Chambers nodded and smiled. “Good. That’s how you’re supposed to feel.”
A sudden thought occurred to her. “You didn’t do anything to my mind did you?”
“No. I would not do that without your permission.”
Aaliyah shuddered. “I can’t believe you can even do that through hypnosis. It’s kinda creepy.”
Dr. Chambers smiled. “The mind is an incredible thing. Yours is amazing, Aaliyah. I’ve never seen someone with a total recall like that, except for Kaitlyn. You were able to remember every detail I asked for. Everything you saw, heard, smelled. It’s a gift to have a memory like this.”
“I guess.” Aaliyah’s mind scared the hell out of her. She hated falling asleep because she knew the moment she did, the nightmares would return. She had to relive the torture, the fear and always woke up trembling with her heart racing. She’d tried to avoid sleep but it always snuck up on her somehow. And in the shadows of her mind Dasvoik always lurked, waiting for her arrival. Maybe she should ask the Doctor to at least have dream free nights. Before she could get up the courage to ask the doctor spoke.
“I need to talk to Harrington and tell him what we’ve learned. This could be the big breakthrough they have been waiting for. I also think he’ll be interested to discover what you’re capable of.”
“Can I go with you?”
Dr. Chambers looked up, surprised. Aaliyah had never asked to go anywhere or talk to anyone. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Kaitlyn said if I help find my brother, it would help me get past this. I think she might be right. The thought of living while my brother’s life is unknown…” She hesitated. “I just need to find him.”
“Okay, you can come with me, but Harrington might not like it. If he insists you leave, you have to listen.”
Aaliyah didn’t like the sound of that one bit, but she nodded.
“I’m proud of you, Aaliyah. This is a big step.”
She wasn’t sure about that, but at least it was better than sitting in the bed all day long.
The facility was huge. They walked through many hallways and across a large lawn down winding footpaths. Her heart race accelerated when Dr. Chambers stopped in front of a building with a large glass door. The doctor must have sensed her hesitation.
“Are you okay? I can take you back to your room, if you’d like.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Aaliyah was too freaked out to take in her surroundings.
When they finally entered the room Aaliyah was relieved to see Kaitlyn standing there along with two other men and an older man sat behind a desk. The men made her uncomfortable, but something about Kaitlyn made her believe she would be okay—that Kaitlyn would not let anyone harm her, at least while she was around.
Kaitlyn offered her a warm smile that Aaliyah attempted to return, but it didn’t quite reach her lips. She blinked her eyes, not quite sure she believed what she was seeing. What was running down Kaitlyn’s arms? It was too shiny to be a tattoo. And who would tattoo a teal strip down both of her arms? Why didn’t anyone else in the room think this was odd?
“Dr. Chambers, this is a surprise.” The older man said in a crisp voice. His eyes flickered to Kaitlyn.
Before Aaliyah could ask what was wrong with Kaitlyn, Dr. Chambers spoke first. “Harrington, I think we might of had a breakthrough.”
The man behind the desk perked up. “What did you find out?”
Dr. Chambers delved into detail about a childhood home and the town where it was located. Aaliyah found it strange that the information came from her head but she had zero recollection of it. One of the other guys sitting in the seat wearing a rumbled white lab coat frantically scribbled notes.
“She also kept repeating this number: 8524505-JDEI2”
“You don’t know what the number means?” Harrington asked, looking at Aaliyah.
Aaliyah cast her eyes downward. “I’m sorry. I have no idea.”
“It’s okay, Aaliyah. We’ll figure it out.” The younger man with dark hair said, looking up from the pad he was writing on. “Puzzles are my specialty.”
“Aaliyah, I should have introduced you to everyone,” Dr. Chambers said. “Harrington, Lucas, Erik and you already know Kaitlyn.”
“What’s wrong with Kaitlyn’s arms?”
Silence fell over the room.
“Nothing is wrong with my arms.” Kaitlyn sai,d breaking the heavy silence.
“They’re teal.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Kaitlyn looked at Harrington, as if seeking help or maybe permission. He gave her a slight nod.
“Remember how I told you I once had something bad happen to me, and my mind refused to remember?” Kaitlyn started.
Aaliyah nodded.
“Harrington saved my life, and now I’m enhanced.”
“Enhanced?” Aaliyah unconsciously took a step backwards. What the heck were they talking about?
“She’s gifted,” Dr. Chambers said. “Like you, Aaliyah. Something we need to discuss later, Mr. Harrington, if you have time.”
“Of course,” Mr. Harrington replied, curiosity on his features.
Aaliyah’s gaze was glued to Kaitlyn’s arm.
“It’s really not a big deal.” Lucas said to her with a smile. “You know how people get prosthetic limbs after being in an accident? It’s similar to that. Kaitlyn just likes a bit of color.”
She felt the tightness in her chest ease. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
Kaitlyn smiled. “Want to touch it?”
“Umm, I guess.” Aaliyah shifted on her feet. She didn’t really want to touch her fake arms.
Kaitlyn came closer. Aaliyah reached out and ran her fingers down Kaitlyn’s arm. It felt like normal skin, only the teal part felt like plastic. Apparently they had come a long way in prosthetics. She didn’t want to make the conversation any more awkward then it already was. “It’s pretty.”
“I think so, too.” Kaitlyn’s face lit up.
“Okay, we have work to do. Lucas first narrowed down the location of the childhood residence. I’ll get Adams on decoding the number sequences. Aaliyah, thank you for agreeing to help us. It was very brave of you.” The older man introduced as Mr. Harrington said, his voice sincere.
“I hope it helps,” sh
e replied meekly.
“I think that’s our cue to get out of their hair,” Dr. Chambers said, turning to leave.
“Olivia, good work.”
Dr. Chambers nodded and held open the door for Aaliyah.
“I didn’t know your name’s Olivia.” Aaliyah couldn’t think of anything else to say about the odd exchange.
“Yes, it is, but we have a doctor-client relationship so it’s best to keep it at Dr. Chambers.”
Aaliyah bristled slightly. The comment wasn’t meant to be malicious, but it still stung. A reminder that she was screwed up and needed a shrink.
“What ever happened to Henry?” Aaliyah asked curiously. She recalled how surprised she was to learn of his name. No one had mentioned him since that day and she hadn’t given him much thought until now.
“He went back to his home. We’ve been hoping that Dasvoik would contact him, but so far he hasn’t. He checked in on you every day while he was here and he has called a few times to check up on you.”
“Oh.” Aaliyah didn’t know what else to say.
“You did great today, Aaliyah. You should be proud of yourself.”
Whatever. All she did was sit there. Dr. Chambers did all the work.
“How was Kaitlyn hurt?”
“I think that’s a story she should tell you on her own.”
“I think it’s kinda brave for her to flaunt her injuries.”
“Kaitlyn is the most courageous woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
And I am probably one of the weakest. She kept that thought to herself. Maybe if she continued to work with Kaitlyn, she, too, would one day be brave.
CHAPTER 25
“I got it!” Lucas punched a fist in the air.
Kaitlyn and Erik rushed forward to peer over his shoulder.
Lucas tapped his finger on the monitor. “It’s a massive compound, two hundred and sixty-three acres. From the satellite photos, a stone wall goes around the full length of the property. As you can see over here along the coastline the wall does not continue. I’m no expert, but that would be my best guess as point of entry.”
Kaitlyn and Erik glanced at each other and nodded in agreement.