Continued from Prey.“This is a huge mistake,” Lisa-Joe Hampton yelled. She was still dressed for combat. She wore tight but stretchy jeans, with combat boots and military style body armor. Her dazzling red hair was styled in a single long braid, ending at mid back. Her makeup and nail polish hinted at a softer side, but those present in the room wouldn’t see anything that could remotely be described as soft. Her hands were placed on her hips, and her face expressed a tidal wave of anger.
“That’s not your decision to make,” Jake McCloud said back, his tone seeming much calmer than his Brujah companion. He was tying rope absentmindedly, only half present for the conversation.
“Well it may not be mine to make hun, but you sure are fucking us over by not listening to me,” she spat back. “You two made quite the little scene with your screaming and crying. I had to wipe thirteen humans memories.”
“You didn’t wipe anyone’s memory,” Jake observed. “You don’t have that skill.” He kept tying ropes. His tone was petty and shallow. He threw a length of cord over a steel chair and wrapped it around back. The individual being tied up was unconscious.
“Oh, so you want to pull that high clan bullshit, because you know that there is zero logical reasons to bring that thing in here.” She pointed at the thing, and Jake narrowed his eyes hatefully as she did.
“If you’re not going to help me get out,” Jake said softly. He was no longer calm with her, and there was a certain shakiness in his tone that said he too was moments away from screaming.
“And leave you alone with the monster who nearly killed you,” she said in disbelief. “As if I’d listen, and you wouldn’t dare Dominate me little boy.” She was right. He wouldn’t dare try, and more important than that he knew that she knew he wouldn’t try.
“And besides your rope skills are garbage your highness. Get out of my way.” Lisa-Joe took over tying up the captive. Her skills with knots were much better than Jake’s, and she added enough layers to hold down even most Kindred. This guy wasn’t going anywhere, and if he tried he’d rub himself bloody. Lisa looked satisfied with her work, and stepped back to take it in.
“He’s a human you know,” Jake said, looking at the monster of snaking ropes and complicated knots. His youthful face looked at Luke with sadness and regret. He wasn’t sure if Luke was going to wake, or if in his arrogance he’d damaged him beyond repair. He felt an impulse to hug him, to get wrapped up in his arms. Why did he care so much?
“I think you are forgetting that this human just cleaned your clock in under five minutes. Spar with me more chump.” Only one person could be this flippant with Jake, and Lisa knew it was her. Her own anger at him was coming out in barbs, but she had to admit she was curious about this man. Jake had told her very little, but anything or anyone that had the ability to affect her leader the way this man had was worth knowing more about. “Sam and Scott coming,” she asked.
“Sam is on her way. Scott has been informed. I’m unsure if he’ll be here. He’s been having trouble adjusting to a life without Conner,” Jake responded, letting the chump comment pass for now. He was already planning to jump Lisa in an alleyway when he got the chance. They had a very special kind of friendship.
“You men and your feelings,” Lisa-Joe hissed. “At least with Sam there will be two sensible people here.”
Jake heard his friend speak, but said nothing in reply. He was in his own head again. The lab, the men wearing masks, the pain, they were all still in there. Jake had joined him in that pain for a few brief seconds. He realized that for Luke it must’ve gone on much longer than that. He looked innocent, all tied up. Before his current moment, he’d been showered and placed in new clothes. A simple t-shirt and comfy shorts replaced his rags. He wore socks but no shoes. All cleaned up, he was even more handsome. Jake wanted to tell Luke how sorry he was. As to what he was sorry about, he wasn’t exactly sure. He hadn’t made that vault. He hadn’t broken his mind in the first place. However, he had made it worse, and he wanted to apologize for that very much indeed. He had changed into simple age appropriate clothes. He wore blue jean shorts and Converse. A tight blue T-shirt with the words “Ptown” written in a fun form of calligraphy completed the look.
Wake up Luke, he thought, eyes looking at the captives face.