Eyes of Time - 6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Yielding

The car comes to a stop a few paces in front of me. The park is almost deserted at this time of night. I can hear the voices on the other side of the bridge, where the city lights drag shadows over the night life. People enjoying themselves mostly; friends hanging together, joining to go to bars, the cinema, or just to cause trouble. I wish I could trade with any of those people.

But I know I can’t and so I take a deep breath and prepare myself for what is to come. The engine is off and the interior lights too. From behind the windshield I can feel the heavy gaze of the man whose life I saved earlier in the day.

I’m so tired, but I know my day is far from over. I just hope I can at least have a comfortable bed wherever I’m going. Either that or a quick ending.

I keep quiet, meeting the direction of the steady gaze, trying to not give my weaknesses away. He must have realized I’m not moving anywhere because the door opens and he walks out to stand in front of the car, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Rhina.” A little mocking tone in his voice. “What? No running away from me this time?”

“For someone who claims he wants to help me, you sound a bit too cocky.”

His look is assessing, intrigued perhaps? He breaks the visual connection, changes his stance a little. I’m guessing he’s choosing his words.

“You’ve got my family!”

“Look, I...”

Our voices interlope, I’m not sure either of us actually finished our sentence. I choose to let him start, because I need to have some measure of control, to have the upper hand in something. I have no choice but to do as he wishes, but I’m not going without a fight.

My silence instilled him to go on. His demeanour changes, becoming less threatening, his voice calmer. As he sighs I realize, given his previous attitude, that he feels hurt by my actions earlier, actually offended for my lack of trust.

“Like I told you earlier, and in case it missed your attention I’m going to repeat it to you,” and now he’s being condescend, I just keep liking him more and more, or not. “I’m here to help you, to take you to a safe location. I’m not sure you noticed but that bastard was trying to kill you. His friends had tried it before as well; they almost succeeded by exploding my car. I was a target too, you must come with me.”

“And what makes you think I trust you?” I know he can hear the hostility in my voice, I made damn sure he could. No one messes with my little brother, and James and his friends just did. “I’ll need more than your word for it. As you so eloquently put it, you must think me very stupid not to have realized someone was trying to finish me off. Actually I was so out of it that I was able to randomly avoid every situation with a minimal of harm to my person. Jeez, I guess I’m just that lucky to avoid getting killed a number of times, save your hide in the process, just out of sheer stupidity and silliness.”

“That is not what I meant...”

“Now, you’re going to listen to me, and listen to me good.” I’m pissed and I hope he knows it. “You show up out of nowhere, in a moment where I feel there are no safes places, or anyone I can trust. Which, I might add, has to have some level of truth in it considering the number of times I had a gun pointed at my face these last two days. Not only that but you meddle with something you are not allowed to. I want my family and my friend, I want them now, and I want them safe. Whatever you want to do with me, you handle it with me. Do not dare disguise your pressuring methods as concerned measures. Got it?”

“I understand you feel that way, but you have to trust me. Your family and friend, they are safe. If we were able to figure out whom and where they were, more importantly, where you were hiding, so would they. If I wanted to kill you Rhina, I’ve had plenty of chance to do so today.” His eyes are boring deep into mine, conveying his honesty, and I can’t tell I don’t believe him. He does have a point. But I feel cornered, out of places to go and I have to lash out at someone.

“Now please, will you come with me?” He extends his hand in my direction, silently pleading for me to go to him. To trust him with my life and with the life of those I love. But I can’t, not yet.

“Who are you?” His expression turns puzzled, a glimpse of confusion that momentarily renders his face less edged, more child like. A grown up cherub staring at me, exasperated by my stubbornness.

“I already told you, my name is...”

“I know your name. That’s not what I asked you.”

He drops his hand, resignation building with a deep sigh. He looks around us, edgy. “I could force you, you know? Threaten you. Drag you kicking and screaming inside the car.” He snorts. “Hell, I could even put you to sleep and you would be none the wiser. But I won’t Rhina, because I respect human nature and free will more than that. I guess in a way I respect you more than that. You’re a strong girl, you must be to have faced all that you did today and still be here, facing me the way you are, knowing you have no choices left. But handling whatever hand was dealt to you in any way you can. Facing me head on. It just so happens that I’m not your enemy here.”

“That’s all nice and good but it doesn’t answer my question. It’s true, you could do any number of things, but if you’re not going to, than these are my rules. Answers first, friendly chit chat later.”

“Could we at least get inside the car, go somewhere safer first?”

“No.”

“Damn, you’re a stubborn one aren’t you?”

“So are you apparently. Now James, who are you and what do you want from me?”

“Aren’t you more interested in who they are, and why they are trying to kill you?”

“I know why they are trying to kill me, the question is, how do you know?” He redirected the conversation, that much is obvious. For some reason he’s going in circles over who he is. I think it bothers him that I’m giving chase like this. I bet the idiot is used to weakling girls falling at his feet.

“Ok, I don’t know much about it. Only that they’re after you, and that they are bad people, who kill for a living. In my book that’s enough to try and help you escape them. That is why I was sent, to get you to safety. But you seem to have a death wish, because you keep making it so hard on me to do my job.”

The silence stretches after this, but I won’t be fooled this time. “Keep going,” is the only response he gets out of me. Were I to have the clarity of mind to look on this situation from the outside, I would be able to realize how tantrum like my posture is at this moment. Arms crossed, weight on one hip, eyes narrowed on him, hostility in every bone of my body. All of it directed at the one person that actually seems to want to help me. I guess women really are strange beings, but I’m tired of running. I need the answers or despair will get its grip on me. I take a deep breath.

“Please?” Maybe giving a little will get me more in the end, I already have enough enemies.

He relents, even if just a little, that’s something already. “I was sent by a group of people. Their purpose is to help people like you. Help them improve their abilities, and protect them from those that might want to .. take advantage. I don’t know much about the training part, I’m more the muscle part. It’s my job to make sure the students are safe.”

Wow. Next thing and I will be inside a Marvel comic book. Maybe I am a fictional character, and someone just forgot to tell me? “There are more, like me?” If he wanted to throw me out of the loop he did it. I’m not self-centred enough to believe I’m the only gifted person on the planet. But to actually get to know them, share experiences, points of view.... most importantly, share the burden of my last vision. Get help? A deep sense of relief fills me. I have been looking everywhere these last few days, for a light to cling to, and now, in the form of this very rude man, here it is.

I have half a mind to just give up and enter that car, but I wait. It doesn’t hurt to see what else I can dig from him. Knowledge is power after all.

“Yes. There are more. I don’t know enough about what they can do, or what you can do for that matter, but I know you’re not alone.”

“Who were those men?”

“They are the bad guys...” Yeah, like that will be enough.

“They work for a powerful man, who thinks all kinds of knowledge are power. A man that has no problem in using any means necessary to get to that knowledge, or to get rid of whatever it is he perceives as a threat.” A shiver goes down my spine at the absolute loathing etched in his words. The same I had just thought a few moments ago, only weighted with the stench of corruption and hate.

“How did you find me? How did they find me?”

“I was just told to come and pick you up. I don’t know more.” A strange emptiness fills the air, like there were supposed to be more sounds spoken. A dizzy filling weights in my head as a glimpse of something crosses my conscious vision: me and James, some other place. He’s talking, telling me, his eyes red, emotion marring his child like features into a twisted mask of hate and sorrow, so much pain...

“Liar.”

Absolute silence follows my statement, a stunned feeling that surrounds us both.

“I mean, you do know more, but you’re not telling me...”

“What? Look here miss..”

“It’s ok.” I have again rendered him speechless. I’ve surprised myself too actually. The pain on his face, when he finally trusts me enough to talk, to open up, that gave me pause to realize this human being obviously has more layers than I gave him credit for.

I’m suddenly so tired. I just want to go somewhere, anywhere, lay down and sleep.

“You swear to me that my family is safe and that absolutely no harm will come to them? That you and your buddies haven’t laid a finger on them? Cause if I find out you lied to me in that regard, you are so dead. When I’m done with you, you will wish you had never heard my name.” The threat is empty without being so. I know I lack the resources to hurt him if I so wish it, but I also know I will stop to nothing to make him pay if anything happens with Adam.

“They are safe Rhina, I promise. I know how it hurts to have those you love hurt. I would never do that to anyone. If you trust me on nothing else, trust me on that one thing, ok?”

I nod, and just let numbness guide me. The landscape passes fast on our way, which I have absolutely no idea where it is supposed to be. I stopped recognizing the scenery half an hour ago, when we were passing the furthest outskirts of the city. We are in no man’s land, lost somewhere after an area I recognized as some sort of closed mines from the 30’s. I remember studying them as the economical trigger to the city development. Now it’s just scenery of struggle between wild nature and wasteland for chemical products. Every minute is equal to the next, and my numbness is starting to get it’s clutches on my awareness. Some deep ingrained sense of survival tells me to stay awake, just a little more.

“So, what would you do if I had not agreed to come with you? I must say I’m surprised you were so patient with me. You seem the kind of guy who shoots first and asks questions later.” I had promised friendly chit chat after my answers after all.

“Yes, I’m surprised myself, you really are a pain in the ass.”

Ouch. Not so friendly after all.

“Hmmm, such a gentleman.” I’m trying not to pout, I really am. “That doesn’t answer my question, how much pain were you willing to take from me.”

“You want the truth?” At his look in my direction I nod. I really am curious as to what lengths he would go to save me, or at least whatever it is he calls saving.

“I had half a mind to shoot a numbing dart at you somewhere after you called me, and I quote, ‘cocky’. Still don’t know why I didn’t, it would have saved me so much trouble.”

“You were going to drug me?” My indignation shows, and I have to intentions of concealing it, the little shit.

“Ok, as I have made plenty clear so far, my mission is to make sure you’re safe, even from yourself if it comes down to it. If you won’t help me do my job, Rhina I will have no qualms about making you cooperate. Got it? I’m not here to be your friend, I’m here to protect you.”

“Yet you took the time to assure me.” My words show what my mind is wondering. Even after all his manly superior talk, his words do not match his actions. He says he doesn’t care what I want. Yet he took the time to convince me, instead of outright forcing me. It doesn’t mean he was any good at it, but at least he tried. The realization calms me a little. Maybe James isn’t as much of a cold hearted bastard as he likes to think of himself. I can live with that, and in some deep inner corner of my mind, usually the same one that gets me into trouble, I feel strangely compelled to dig through this façade and see the person that hides inside.

He chose to ignore my comment, and I choose to whistle the rest of the ride, content in the knowledge that somehow I had gotten the upper hand in this little quarrel.

“I’m going to give you two options now. I can either drug you like I said I would, or you’ll have to close your eyes and promise me you won’t open them. Promise me over your...over what you hold dearest.”

“What? Is this some sort of game to you?”

He stops the car, right in the middle of nowhere. Darkness all around us, except for the small blue glints from the dashboard and other car paraphernalia. Glints that help emphasize the reflection of his eyes staring at me, deadly serious. Deep and so dark it would be hard to say they are actually such a nice hue of light blue.

“This is definitely not a game. This isn’t just about you. Where we’re going there are several people whose lives depend on the utmost secrecy and security measures. Lives I have sworn to protect, for whom I’m responsible for. I will not risk a stubborn little girl like you that decides to run away on a whim, getting caught and spilling the beans under torturing tactics. This is definitely not a game Rhina.”

I should be offended, I really should. Or amused over the way he’s so serious. Could it be that the situation is that dire? But all those reactions are swallowed by the determination and ferocity I can see in his eyes. I know in this moment, that no matter what he thinks of me, the moment I entered his car I became his responsibility, and that there was nothing that would stop him from defending my safety. I wonder what brings this fervour into his words, what lies hidden in the dark. I’m almost compelled to ask but I settle with nodding and closing my eyes.

“You can trust me, I won’t open them. Just wake me up if I fall asleep.” And true to my words I don’t open my eyes again until he tells me so. I have no idea which direction he went, or how much time it took him to get there. I made sure to fill my head with everything I could in order not to notice. Mostly they were wonderings, reviews of the last days, of my actions and reactions. I was in the middle of digging into the reasons for James behaviour when his hand tentatively touched my shoulder. Such a small caress I barely noticed, barely a whisper, “Rhina? We’re here, you can open your eyes now.”

And I do, to find myself inside some sort of garage, metal covering everything, walls, floor, ceiling. There were other cars in here too, mostly jeeps and trucks, but some fast cars as well. I’m glad the lights aren’t all on, or my eyes would have hurt with all the light reflecting on the cold surfaces. The way it is I can see the corridor ahead, on the other side of the big room. Presence lights showing the way, in a nice ambient setting.

We leave the car and he steers me in the right direction. As we proceed from what I labelled the garage, the walls loose the metallic look to become that of a dark rock. But not fragments of it, its solid stone that makes the walls, reminding me of a mine. Maybe we are underground, that would explain the lack of natural lighting points, being night time I can’t be sure. It is truly a maze, and I would be lost in no time if it were not for James comforting presence at my side.

We pass several rooms, each its own kind, its own purpose. Rooms giving way to more corridors, more stone walls. In almost all the places the lighting is only enough to see where you’re going, I’m assuming because of the late hour. The way James tries not to make noise confirms my deduction, for such a big place there must be a lot of people sleeping.

He finally stops indicating a door. “We’re here. This is where you sleep. You should find all you need inside. We brought you some things from your apartment, hope it is enough. Anything you need you can ask in the morning, to the person assigned to this wing.” He’s talking in low tones, and I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s so carefree about the way he just mentions trespassing and invading my privacy like that. To be honest I’m just too tired to care. But I need one last answer for the night.

“Why did you take the time to answer my questions? You were in such a hurry earlier in the day. But now, it was like you were willing to stay in the open, waiting for the fight I was going to give you.”

“You saved my life today Rhina. I may not know much about what your gift is or how it works, but I know you knew enough to escape danger several times. If you were staying put I assumed there was no danger nearby.”

“What if my instincts failed?”

“They wouldn’t. Good night Rhina.” He leaves, just like that, more questions than answers to wonder about.

As I enter the room I find myself smiling a little, surprised that James had somehow warmed his way into my good side. I’m too tired to pay attention on my whereabouts. I recognize some familiar objects of mine, some basic furniture and that is it. I take of my clothes and drop on top of the cosy bed.

But as I get ready to sleep, balancing myself between the realm of dreams and that of conscience, it isn’t James, or his eyes, that cloud my thoughts, nor my dreams.

As the weight of sleep gets heavier on my eyelids, my spirit gets freer to wonder and my memories take me to that moment, between struggle and mesmerizing. That of a heavy body close to mine, of eyes intent, clear, liquid thrills scolding my warm skin with awareness.

A sense of dizziness envelopes me, that of numbing the senses in all white and nausea. A feeling I’m all too aware. Were I not sleeping, and had I the clearness of mind to do so, I would say it was remarkably similar to the feeling of a vision waiting to happen.

I’m lying in a bed that is not my own, inside a room that I do not recognize. Someone is here with me. I can feel their weight on the mattress, even through the fuzziness and blur of sensations.

“I was wondering when you would show up.” The deep velvet voice startles me. I look to my left to see its owner, even though I would recognize that voice anywhere. “Or if you would come at all,” he continues, his eyes clear and warm, boring into mine.

“This is a dream,” I can hear myself stating. So sure in my perfect and simple explanation of why I am suddenly here, with him of all people, laying in a bed, his bed? What else could it be? I was dreaming and now I’m here, next to this man that intrigues me so.

“I’m dreaming.” I repeat, probably more for my benefit than his.

He laughs, whole heartedly, his entire face open and carefree. How I wish he would always laugh like that, like he truly means it.

“Keep telling yourself that. Tell me little girl, if this is a dream...”

“I’m not a little girl!” My outrage is obvious, and he laughs some more, clearly amused by my discomfort. I take the time to look around, it’s dark, but some lights seeps through the window. The edges are blurry, and if I try to focus too much my head hurts, but I can see enough to recognize it as the city, the fancy part.

In my distraction I almost miss how much closer he became, how my whole body is aware of his now.

“If this is only a dream, then why can I feel your shivers on my skin? Why can you feel my breath on your face, warming you?” He speaks the truth, I am entirely too aware of all of this, even through the grogginess that are my senses at the moment. I can see the dark texture of his face. The clear eyes of unnamed gems and rainbows, watching me with the awed expression of a little child on a Christmas morning. It’s interesting how he is the only thing that isn’t blurred. Actually, by contrast, everything about him seems so sharp and vivid, even in the pale light. His palm is absently caressing my bare shoulder, another shiver.

“Are you going to kill me?” The question surprises even me, but it shouldn’t, not really. That is after all the most pressing question, maybe the only reason why I’m having this twisted dream. I need to know where I’m standing.

The carefree look left his features, in its place is the vacant, empty look. It’s almost a sin that his hand keeps so warm, in such a stark contrast with this cold expression.

“Yes.” The sound rings hollow through the air just like a cold blade creating pain in its target. “You should run away from me, the next time we meet. And I’m strangely compelled to believe we will, you should run, as fast as you can. He won’t let me do anything less than kill you. I can only promise to be swift and precise about it. I don’t rejoice in pain as much as they will tell you I do.”

“Who is he? Who are they?”

“They haven’t told you much have they? No, don’t talk, don’t tell me anything.” He stops me when I’m about to talk, to explain. “Trust me, you don’t want to let me know anything. I’m too dangerous to know of their secrets.”

He talks in riddles, everybody does, and it frustrates me to no end. After a long silence his hand comes to caress my face, so softly I almost miss the stark contrast of ink on his skin. The symbol. I grab his hand to look at it better, there, stark, bold and scarred, a brand for the world to see.

“This is him isn’t it? The one that orders you? The one behind all of this?”

He simply nods, staring me in the eyes. “You are a smart girl. If you want to get out of this alive there are only three things you must learn: first, run away from me whenever our paths cross, no matter how harmless I might look. Second, gather as much information as you can from those that claim they want to protect you, you are but a weapon to them. And third, always trust your instincts; they have saved you plenty of times now.”

“It’s all so confusing, I don’t know what to do.” I’m starting to feel dizzier, nausea is taking over me.

“And I’m not the person than can give you the answers. I just gave you all the advice that I could.. You’re starting to fade. Give me just one more second, there’s something I want to do before you leave, just this once.”

His request sobers me, trying to rein my emotions in some balance. He’s so close, so warm, so.... All time stops, I no longer know what is dream and what is reality, what makes sense and what doesn’t. Here I am, in a place that should be a dream but isn’t, being perfectly kissed by the one that should be my enemy but that has shown me more concern than anyone else. Yet keeps telling me to run away from him.

The moment is perfect, our breathings on hold. The mere soft touch of lips warms its way into desperate need for being closer, inside the other. The warmness overwhelms me, the senses dizzy, liquid, ungraspable.

The next thing I know I’m falling on top of a bed, startled, in a room where I fell asleep moments earlier. The only difference from when I went to bed is that instead of the silence and darkness, big red lights are flashing and an overwhelming buzzing sound is screaming in the hallway. So much for keeping it quiet.