“Take me,” I plead. “Please don’t hurt her. She’s one of your best racers.”
“You’ll have to wait your turn,” he answers.
He slams a gun into my head and I wind up on the ground. I watch as he presses the barrel into Amy’s temple and leads her away.
I’ve just lost the only true friend I had, I realize. Gabriel attacked Amy only because she tried to protect me.
“Get back to your training!” Joan yells, approaching me with her whip. “Come on! Move it!”
I hurriedly scramble to my feet and continue jogging around the track.
***
Once the training session is over, I stand under a hot spray of water in the showering facility, crying my eyes out. Afterwards I head to my room and cry for a good hour longer. I lie on the bed, pressing my face into a pillow. Martha, having witnessed everything, is also sobbing and rubbing at her eyes. But even while I’m weeping, part of my mind continues to search for a solution. I know I can’t let Gabriel kill Amy. I have to do something to save my friend.
Somebody knocks lightly at the door. I flinch, startled, but realize that Gabriel or Joan would just enter without knocking. I open the door and Tanya slips into the room like a small gray shadow.
“I know what’s happened to your friend,” she whispers to me. “I was washing floors in the house and saw her.”
“Is she alive?” I ask in a panic. Tanya nods. “Did he hurt her?”
“Very badly,” the little girl sighs. “Gabriel has her locked up inside the basement. They have cages down there for disobedient servants. I spoke with her. Amy said that Gabriel promised to kill her in the morning. She believes he will. She also said to tell you that you should leave without her.”
I don’t question Gabriel’s willingness to kill Amy. I thank Tanya for the information before she leaves.
I stay awake into the night. When Martha finally falls asleep and the building becomes silent, I pull on my gray uniform and head toward the mansion.
CHAPTER 14
The night is moonless and dark. I walk toward the mansion, concealing myself behind trees and bushes as I approach. If I hope to survive and rescue my friend, I must not be seen or heard. Surprisingly, I don’t feel much anxiety, instead feeling calm and determined.
Approaching the mansion, I drop onto my hands and knees. A couple of guards quietly stroll past my cover, not noticing me in the darkness. I hold my breath until they’re gone, then rise to my feet and proceed.
Step by step, I finally arrive at my destination. I stop, staring up at the dark windows, trying to guess which one is Gabriel’s room. The mansion is enormous and reminds me of an ancient castle. It’s hard to orient myself because I was only inside once and then just briefly. Long twisted vines creep along most of the walls.
I do my best to distinguish which is Gabriel’s window, grab a vine and begin pulling myself up. I press my feet against the wall as I climb, holding the vine tightly. I feel exposed, realizing that a guard could easily spot me now. And there wouldn’t be any sensible explanation I could offer as to why I’m clambering up the outside of the master’s home at night. The guards would probably lock me away till morning, then report to Gabriel or Samuel about the incident.
I don’t let the dark thoughts distress me. I climb as fast as I can toward a black window on the second floor. Fortunately, the weeks of hard training makes my task really easy. I approach the window, listening for any noises before carefully pushing it in. The window is unlocked. I’ve no idea what I’d do if it wouldn’t open. But no time to think what could go wrong, so I pull myself up and inside the room.
I calculated everything correctly. This is the very room where Gabriel was strangling me. I recognize the furniture. I close the window behind me and take a look around. There are two doors inside this room. I know that one leads into a corridor which leads to a staircase. I open the second door, stepping into a smaller room. Inside is a bed, dresser, small table and a couple of chairs. I realize I’ve just entered Gabriel’s bedroom. He lies on his back in bed, covered by a blanket, eyes closed. I stand unmoving for an instant, allowing my pulse to slow, and cross the room on tiptoes.
His keys lie on the table. I pick them up cautiously, trying not to make a sound. I start walking back toward the door and stop, turning to look back at Gabriel. I don’t know what I should do about him.
Finally, I approach his bed, not really breathing. I take one of the pillows and stand beside his head, hesitating. My arms begin shaking. I envision myself pressing the pillow against his face and holding it down hard. I imagine him struggling and grunting as I’m smothering him, then watching as his body becomes limp. But what if he overpowers me? What if I’m not strong enough and he manages to call for the guards?
Adrenaline hits me and I feel like all my bones turn into mush. My thoughts start racing.
Easy, easy, I tell myself. You don’t have to risk it.
I draw in a shivery breath and let the pillow fall to the floor. I quickly exit the room, heading toward the corridor. I’m not willing to become a killer, at least not yet.
Descending a staircase, I run into two guards. There’s no point in running now because they both saw me. I freeze, looking downward and hiding the keys away inside my pocket.
“What
