Chapter 1 Fire…that was all she could see. Sarah looked left and right. She couldn’t see anyone. Wait…she could hear someone. “Mommy! Mommy!” Sarah looked franticly around. Where was everyone? What was happening? The smoke was overwhelming her. She couldn’t breathe anymore. She felt dizzy and then everything went black. *********************** “Did you finish your job?” Mr. Richards asked patiently. “Certainly master. Nothing is impossible to me. But umm…” the second man seemed uncomfortable. Mr. Richards turned around and glared at him. The man stepped back. “It’s just that…there’s one remaining survivor…I couldn’t bring myself to kill her. It was just a child, about 6 years old.” Mr. Richards seemed thoughtful for a moment. “Very well, let her live. She might be of use to me. But I’m warning you, fail one more task, and you’re through.” ******************** Sarah yawned. The sun was already high in the sky. Something special was suppose to happen today. If only she could remember it. Of course! Sarah finally remembered. How could she forget? Today, she would be a part of them. Her induction ceremony along with 19 others was to be held at noon at the fanciest hotel in the city. Sarah was giddy with excitement. Finally, after all those long years of training, she would be a part of the most powerful protection group to roam this earth. Sarah quickly changed into an appropriate outfit for this special occasion. She looked through her clothes and came out with a long, flowing, lilac flowered dress. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was a girl of 16, petite with long, silky black hair. Her eyes were startling though; they did not match with the rest of her. Her eyes were big and amethyst colored. It matched with her dress perfectly. Sarah ran down the stairs to the main living quarters where she found her guardian, Mr. Richards, sitting at the round table. “Mr. Richards! Is it really true? Today I will be a part of your powerful clan?” Already, Sarah’s dress was wrinkled and her hair sticking up. Mr. Richards smiled at her affectionately. “Yes, dear, today is the day. Hurry now and please, act more like a lady than a wild monkey. We’re going to be late if you don’t. For that matter, I’ll just call Karleen.” Just then, Karleen entered the room. She exclaimed exasperatedly, “Sarah! Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Hurry up!” “Jeeze, sometimes I feel like I’m your maid instead of you being my maid.” Sarah scolded playfully. Sarah followed Karleen back upstairs into her room. There, Karleen fixed Sarah’s dress and hair. In no time, they were done. “Walk gracefully down the stairs please.” Karleen pleaded. Sarah tried her best to walk down the stairs gracefully with high heels on. However, Sarah tripped and nearly rolled down the stairs. Who ever invented high heels anyways? “Mr. Richards! I’m ready!” Sarah said brightly when she caught sight of him. “Much better! Alright then, I’ll call the chauffer to bring the car to the front and we’ll be on our way.” He winked at her and took his cane from the table. As soon as the car came to the front, they were on their way to the Sarmhan Hotel. Sarah could barely hold her excitement in. She chattered nonstop while Mr. Richards nodded along. About half an hour later, a tall, colorful, glass covered building came into view. Sarah gasped in surprise. It was her first time seeing the Sarmhan Hotel. The hotel was made from bottles of glass and odd objects that you would throw away if you see it outside. However, putting all these objects together creates a stunning masterpiece. The chauffer opened the door and Mr. Richards got out first. Sarah followed and wobbled up the to the door of the hotel. Once inside, they were immediately recognized and were lead to the biggest ballroom in the hotel. Sarah felt nervous. There were probably 200 people altogether. Everyone stood up and clapped when Mr. Richards and Sarah entered. Mr. Richards held up his hand and everyone sat back down. They were lead to the front of the ballroom. “Thank you all for coming. This is our 3rd annual ceremony. As you all know, we only have this ceremony every 10 years. Today, we will add 20 more members to our group.” All eyes turned to Sarah and the 19 other people standing next to her. They were all in their teens, 10 boys and 9 girls. Mr. Richards stood next to Sarah. “Sarah has worked hard all these 10 years to become the best fighter in the her group. If I must admit myself, I have never seen anyone with such determination and skills.” Everyone clapped at this and one by one, the rest of the group were introduced. Sarah studied each one carefully. They all seemed weak to her. She could probably beat them in any fight. Sarah’s attention was drawn back to Mr. Richards again. “Now we will start the induction ceremony. Sarah, please step forward.” Sarah nervously stepped forward. She felt self-conscious. He handed her a 6-inch knife. Sarah suddenly felt uneasy. Something didn’t feel right. “Sarah,” Mr. Richards gave her his most charming smile. “I have 3 special instructions for you. I want you to fight, fight, and kill. Remember, you are also fighting for your life because they will not spare you, so you must not spare them. The rules are…there are none. Go on.” Chapter 2 Sarah looked at him. Fight? Kill? What was he talking about? How come she’s never heard of this part of the ceremony? What happened to the cutting of the cake and their thank you speech? Sarah didn’t have time to think because they were pushing someone to the front already. Sarah looked in surprise. A boy about 18 was made to stand across from Sarah. He glared at her. She was speechless. Sure, she had killed before, but it was only animals, not actually humans. “I can’t...” Sarah choked. Soon however, they released the boy from his chains and he rushed towards her. Sarah dodged just in time before the knife could cut her. She kicked him in the face and instantly regretted it. She nearly tumbled and fell. Her high heels were in the way. She kicked off her high heels and resumed her fighting. Once again, the boy rushed towards her. She moved to the side just in time. He tried to trip her, but she kicked and her foot hit the boy’s hand. He squealed in surprise and the knife came flying out. Sarah relaxed a little. He was weaponless, what more can he do? She’ll try to reason with him. She was unprepared when she could feel hands tightening around her neck. Choking, she kicked back but missed. So instead, she kicked up and her foot landed with his head. She could hear a strangled choke and a soft thud behind her. She turned around to find the boy on the floor, but before she could react, Mr. Richards threw a knife and it landed right in the boy’s chest. “No!” Sarah cried out but it was too late. She sank to the ground beside the boy. She felt like she was in a dream. Everything was a nightmare. She picked up the boy gently and stared at his face. He shook and exhaled. His eyes opened a little. “Don’t join them…they’re evil…sarh…” he took one last painful breath and said, “Sarha.” His head dropped down and he laid still in her arms. Tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered something that happened a long time ago… ***************** Sarah was only 6, sad and lonely because the people in her group were making fun of her. She sat on the rock outside looking out into the sea. Her eyes burned painfully as she tried not to cry. She will not be a cry baby. A boy a bit older sat down next to her. “I can see that you want to cry. Why aren’t you crying then? It’ll help you.” He looked sympathetically at her. “What’s your name?” Sarah turned away but answered him anyways. “My name’s Sarah.” Why was this boy so nosy? If she wanted to cry, she will. Trying to remember her manners, she asked, “What’s your name?” “My name is John. What a beautiful name you have. Sarha.” He had a weird way of pronouncing her name and it made her laugh. She decided that she liked him. He smiled at her. “Let’s play!” Sarah quickly agreed and that day, she had the most fun ever. The only time she had ever felt happier was when her parents were alive. **************** Sarah looked up at Mr. Richards. She remembered how angry Mr. Richards had been at her when he found out she had been outside playing with John instead of practicing. She felt like the little 6-year-old girl again, scared and confused. She hadn’t meant to kill him. She wanted to turn back time and relive that day again, undo everything she had done. She looked back down at the dead boy in her lap. No wonder why he seemed so familiar. “John…I’m sorry.” Chapter 3 Sarah snapped back to the present. Someone was screaming and yelling. She looked at the center of the floor room. Someone had moved her to the side without her realizing it. Sarah slowly stood up, putting John gentling down on the floor. She knew she had blood all over, but she didn’t care. One of the girl who was suppose to be inducted today was crying and begging. She was arguing with Mr. Richards. Sarah tried to remember the girl’s name. Anna. The name clicked in her head. Of course, Anna, second best out of them all. “I can’t do it! I won’t kill ANYONE!” Anna’s voice shook and tears were drying on her face. She was kneeling on the floor. Her hair was messy and she had bruises all over. “You HAVE to kill in order to survive.” Mr. Richards’ voice was menacing. He pulled Anna up and shoved the knife in her hand. He motioned to someone in the back. Sarah couldn’t see who it was. Another person was brought up to the stage, this time, however, it was a girl around 16 too. Mr. Richards pushed Anna towards the girl. “Why? Why can’t I just leave? I promise I won’t tell anyone what happened!” Anna resisted Mr. Richards and struggled out of his grasp. She threw the knife down and backed away from Mr. Richards. The girl in the chains stared on with mild amusement. Mr. Richards tried coaxing her. “Come on Anna, you’re the second best in our group. We can’t lose you.” His voice was soothing. Anna shook her head. Mr. Richards threw his hands up in the air. His voice became hard and rough. “Fine, if that’s the way you want it, leave.” Anna looked at him in disbelief. Then she started running towards the door. Mr. Richards nodded at one of guards standing near the door. A split second later, Anna crumbled to the ground. Forgetting everything, Sarah ran across the room towards Anna. People tried to stop her but she threw them all off. Reaching Anna, Sarah turned her over with trembling hands. An involuntary scream escaped her lips. A knife was plunged deep into Anna’s chest. Anna’s body was already growing cold and her lips were turning blue. Why? Why was he killing everyone? Sarah turned back to look at Mr. Richards. He was already talking again, acting as if nothing has happened. Sarah finally understood. Mr. Richards was cold-hearted. He had no feelings. He was nothing more than a monster. The rest of the ceremony passed by in a daze. No one resisted after what happened to Anna. At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Richards toasted everyone. “As you can plainly see, we’re the most powerful clan ever.” His hand swept the room in a graceful manner, and he pointed at the dead bodies lying on the floor. “A toast to the most powerful group ever!” Sarah felt sick to her stomach. This was too much for her. How could he TOAST the crowd at this time? Just looking at the bodies was getting to her. The room was really starting to stink from all the blood. Mr. Richards, however, simply stepped over them, like they were nothing but bags of trash. They were once living, breathing people. To Mr. Richards, however, they were nothing but useless pieces of trash. Soon the ceremony was over. Sarah wondered what they were going to do with the bodies. There was no way to hide it. Sooner or later, the police were going to find out. Mr. Richards seemed to be reading her mind. He ordered the bodies to be brought into the back where they will be burned. Then coming towards Sarah, he took her by the arm and lead her outside. Sarah didn’t even want to be NEAR him, let alone touch him. She repelled at his touch. He seemed to understand and let go of her. “You better not try anything stupid.” Mr. Richards’ voice was icy now. It was no longer soft and silky like before. She didn’t know it was possible to learn so much in such a small amount of time. How one person could change so quickly was beyond her imagination. Mr. Richards pushed her into the car and arrange himself next to her. There was no escape for her. Chapter 4 They were quiet for most of the ride home. As they neared their house, however, Mr. Richards started speaking again. Once again, his voice became soft and silky. “How did you like it?” Sarah didn’t answer him. She looked out the car window, everywhere, except him. When he started speaking again, she was troubled by his voice. “You didn’t like it?” there was a soft chuckle. “Ah…this year was a success, none of the people in our group died. Hmm…Sarah, the best as always. You were the fastest in taking your opponent down. Don’t you remember him, the one you killed? I think you do indeed remember him. I might say though, that I was a tad bit disappointed in you. How can you not like the glory of killing? Ah, you are my favorite member if you must know, for I have raised you ever since you were a little itty, bitty thing. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.” His words were slow and mocking. Sarah turned to look at him, glare at him, more like it. “You manipulated me! How could you be so evil? The glory of killing? You found John just for this purpose huh? You FORCED me to kill him…like when I was little, and you gave me a puppy. I loved that puppy! But what did you do? You forced me to KILL it…or else you wouldn’t feed me.” Memories flooded Sarah’s head. “Hmm…smart Sarah! But just for your info, I didn’t find that boy. He found me. Ah, how do you think I felt when I opened the door one day, and sneaking around, was a young boy from the enemy side? Not happy of course, and when I questioned him, he held his silence. Then I recognized him. The little boy that took you to play, causing you to ditch your lessons. I knew he would be a threat.” Enemy side? John was on the enemy side? “All I did was take ONE day off, I needed a break! Did you really have to kill Anna though? She was part of OUR group…I thought we were a group who protected people, not kill them. That’s the only reason why I was so eager to join.” “Oh, but we ARE a protection group, we protect people by getting rid of the people that’s a danger to them. Ah, Anna, that was a pure waste though. She was very good you know, but I had to kill her, she resisted me! What was I suppose to do?” Mr. Richards feigned innocence even though behind his glasses, his eyes were shimmering and glowing. Oh my goodness, he finds this amusing. This man really was sadistic. They arrived at the big mansion where they all lived. Sarah jumped out of the car and ran into the house. She had to talk to someone about all of this. She knew she couldn’t just leave or run away, because Mr. Richards was powerful. She admitted that much, that he was powerful and evil. “Karleen, Karleen!” Sarah ran up and down the stairs but she still couldn’t find Karleen. “You won’t find her here. I called her and had her dismissed this morning after we left. People in our clan have no relations to anyone, they are not connected to anyone…except their master.” Mr. Richards pointed at himself. Chapter 5 The next day, Sarah was forced to move out into hiding. “We don’t want people finding out where our most powerful member is now do we?” Mr. Richards laughed. He called a meeting that day for all the new members. “It seems that Mr. Johnson at the Romary Club has been receiving trouble lately. Rivals from another group have been going to his club and destroying his things. He wants us to fix this.” He smiled at all of them. Everyone squirmed at this. Sarah didn’t like the way he was saying things. “What do we have to do?” Sarah questioned. “Ah, that’s simple. Kill the rivals of course…kill the members first and then the group leader later. I’m sure all of you can do this. So I’ll pair you up. Sarah and Andy will go together and have the special job of killing the leader…” Sarah interrupted him. “Kill the leader? Me? I don’t think I can do it!” Sarah was horrified; she didn’t want to take away another life. Mr. Richards seemed annoyed at this and answered briskly. “Of course you can, you’ll have Andy and you’re the best in our group.” He continued pairing up the rest of the group. “Now, we’ll head out at 10 o’clock tonight to finish this job. I want it done smoothly, no problems okay?” he clapped his hands together and everyone slowly got up. “Hmm…so you’re my new partner huh?” Andy grinned at her but she just ignored him. She was too deep in though. I have to get out of here soon; I don’t want to stay another day in this place…but how? He has the place guarded like we’re prisoners…if only I could get him to trust me more…and then I’ll break free… The whole day Sarah went around anxious. She was well prepared. Mr. Richards have given her two knifes and a pistol, along with some ninja stars which could be thrown from a distance. She was to wear a tight fitting black outfit with a bulletproof vest. Already, distaste for her was growing in the group. She was the only one who received the bulletproof vest and ninja stars. Sarah didn’t care anymore about what they though of her, though. At 9:30, Mr. Richards gathered them together and told them it was time to go. He loaded them into 4 different cars and they set off. Sarah looked out the window, deep in thought. “Are you ready? I’m nervous.” Sarah jumped at the sound of Andy’s voice. She had forgotten there were other people in the car. “Of course I’m nervous…I don’t like this killing thing.” Sarah answered gloomily. Andy nodded in agreement. The car slowed to a stop in front of a warehouse in which the words L & P Trading can barely be seen. Everyone got out of the car and they all looked at each other hesitantly. No one knew what to do. However, Mindy, one of the girls who was in the next car, told them they should enter the warehouse and catch them by surprise. Everyone agreed at this. The group advanced toward the door and John, who was closest, kicked open the door. Everyone had their weapons up and ready. To their surprise, no one was in the warehouse. They looked at each other in shock. What were they going to do now? Just then, Mindy, who stayed at the back of the group, let out a piercing scream. They were being attacked from behind. Chaos broke out as everyone ran in all directions and the fighting began. Andy pulled her arm. “Let’s go look in the warehouse. I have a hunch that the leader is in there.” One of the guys from the other group tried to stop them but Andy just stabbed him and he crumpled to the ground. Sarah wanted to help him but Andy pulled her along. Inside the warehouse, it was deathly quiet. There were boxes here and there. Dust covered the floor and cobwebs were everywhere. Why anyone would stay here was a mystery to Sarah. Andy and Sarah crept along. Sarah pulled Andy to the side just in time as a ninja star was mercilessly thrown at them. It landed right where Andy had been standing. He seemed startled but thanked her. Soon, 10 figures stepped out from behind the boxes. Andy nodded at her and soon they were fighting. Sarah tried her best not to kill any of them, but they weren’t as nice as she was. They tried countless time to kill her. Giving up, Sarah started throwing the ninja stars. It landed on its target every time. When they killed the last person, Andy and Sarah proceeded further into the warehouse. When they reached the middle of the warehouse, ninja stars came flying at them again. Sarah dodged in time. Andy, on the other hand, had one hit him right in the arm. Sarah tried to help him but then 20 people came out this time. Andy was hurt so he couldn’t fight. Sarah tried her best, but she knew she was outnumbered. Chapter 6 They surrounded Sarah and someone knocked her to the ground from behind. She blacked out and when she woke up, she found herself tied. Her head ached and her arms were sore. She looked around and saw that she was in some kind of van. There were boxes surrounding her. Scared that the boxes might fall on her if the van goes over a big bump, Sarah pushed herself to a sitting position. She was surprised to see that there was someone else in the van with them. It was a girl around the same age. The girl had been silently studying Sarah without Sarah realizing it. Sarah felt uncomfortable under the girl’s gaze. “You know, you look a lot like Mrs. Thompston.” The girl continued to stare at Sarah. Sarah’s knew she shouldn’t talk to the girl, but curiosity got the better of her. “My name’s Sarah, what’s yours?” The girl seemed to study her and grunted her approval. “My name’s Melody Shanh. I bet you want to know who Mrs. Thompston is, huh?” Sarah shrugged so Melody continued. “I don’t personally know Mrs. Thompston because she died years ago, when I was a little kid. I’ve seen pictures of her however. It was my dad’s biggest regret, not being able to protect her and her family.” Sarah wanted to hear more, but she could feel the van rolling to a stop. Melody stood up and then pulled up the door. Sarah winced as the sunlight hit her right in the face. Melody jumped down from the van and went to the front. Sarah peered out, looking for a way to escape. Several men came to the back of the van and pulled Sarah out. “Ah, not so strong and tough anymore, are we?” one of the man asked Sarah as the rest corrupted into laughter. “Leave her alone.” The men parted and another man came into view. He was older than the rest and more dignified. Melody appeared and stood next to the man. “See Dad? I told you she looked a lot like Mrs. Thompston.” He nodded slowly. “Yes, yes…those features look like Maggie, but the eyes look like Jim’s.” He cleared his throat. “Bring her inside and treat her with respect as you would treat a guest.” Several men grumbled at this but followed the order. Soon, she found herself in a nice room and untied. However, guards were posted out the door. Sarah didn’t know what to do so she sat on the bed and stared at her surroundings. The bed was a big, King size bed with an antique headboard. It stood against the farthest wall. Across from it was the door and to the side of the bed was a dresser. Probably antique to from the looks of it. In the far corner near the bed, there was a tiny bathroom. Across from the dresser was a make-up table. Right in the center of the room was a round, little table with chairs. Near the door, there was an oak table with a laptop on top of it. There was even a couch in there. The room was nicely arranged, with paintings hanging on the wall and fresh flowers on the little table, but it had a boring atmosphere to it. Everything was so organized here, unlike her own messy room at home. Sarah had to remind herself that it was no longer her home, Mr. Richards had made her move. Sarah sighed and prepared to lay down but then the door opened and a guard entered with a young girl carrying a tray of food. “Hello, I’m Kari. I’ll be your maid for now. Here’s your food and if you need anything, you can call me.” The girl smiled at Sarah and placed the food on the round table. Then she ushered the guard out and went out herself, leaving Sarah alone in her room. She stared at the food and heard her stomach grumbled. She realized that the last time she ate was yesterday. Sarah poked around in her food first, to make sure that there was no poison in there. You can’t be too careful in enemy territory. She nibbled a piece and deciding it was safe, ate all the food on her plate. Then she gulped down her drink. Feeling tired, she laid down and fell asleep, totally letting her guard down. ************************ Melody and her dad looked down at the sleeping Sarah. “Do you think she’s…?” Melody trailed off. Mr. Shanh nodded in agreement. “No doubt…there’s no doubt about it. She’s their daughter.” Melody looked quizzically at her dad “But how? I thought you said their whole family died that night. So if they all die, how can she be their daughter?” Mr. Shanh sighed. “I wasn’t sure at first. I thought the whole family died, but in truth, I couldn’t find her. So I assumed she died.” Mr. Shanh’s fist slammed down on the table next to the bed. Melody jumped and scolded her dad. “Dad! We don’t want to wake her up!” Luckily, Sarah just mumbled and rolled over. “How could John be so evil? How could he do something so cruel? Kill her family and then use her as a killing machine. It’s my entire fault that her family died. If only I had stayed there that night, if only I didn’t let them talk me into going home. John Richards, I will get you back for this.” Mr. Shanh’s voice was determined. “This time, you won’t escape.” **************** “Hmm…” Sarah rolled around in her bed and her eyes opened wide. She sat up and looked around. “Where am I?” she thought hazily as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Then the events of yesterday hit her. “Oh no…” she jumped out of bed and ran to the door. She yanked it opened and stared outside. She could tell by the looks of it that it was already late afternoon. There was no one around so Sarah sneaked out. “You’re up already?” Sarah turned around to see who was speaking. It was Melody. “Uhh…yea…I wanted to get some exercise.” Melody laughed. “Nice try, there’s no use escaping. I want to tell you something. Come in the room and we’ll talk.” Sarah reluctantly followed her back into the room. “Well…remember I was telling you yesterday about Mrs.Thompston? Well I’ve found out some information.” Melody’s dad entered and he gave her that look. “I’ll talk to you later.” Melody whispered into Sarah’s ear. “So, are you feeling better today? You slept for quite a while.” Mr. Shanh settled himself into a chair. Sarah sat down on the bed. “Yea, I’m feeling better. When can I go home?” Mr. Shanh was quiet for a while. “Are you sure you want to go home? You can stay here, you don’t have to do anything.” “No, I have to go home…I have to go back to Mr. Richards. He’s…my master.” Sarah looked down. Master. She didn’t even belong to herself anymore. She could feel Mr. Shanh sitting down beside her and she looked up. “No one’s your master. You’re your own master.” Mr. Shanh said quietly. Sarah wiped the tears away from her eye. She nodded. “I’ll stay.” Chapter 7 “I’m here! Can you move the table over a little? I have your food here.” Kari entered the room with a tray piled with food. Kari placed the tray down on the table. “I’ll go get you a new set of clothes and then you can go take a bath.” She looked Sarah up and down. “By the looks of you, you really need it.” Kari left and Sarah started eating her food. As she was finishing her rice, she found a piece of paper at the bottom of the bowl. “Come to the garden around 2 this afternoon. I have to talk to you. –Melody” “Wonder what she wants…” Sarah thought to herself. Just then Kari came back in with new clothes. “Here you go. I have to go tend to other chores now. I’ll see you later.” Kari left and Sarah picked up the clothes. They were all brand new and they fit her perfectly. She then realized that she didn’t know where the bathroom was. Her bathroom had everything but a bathtub. She’ll have to ask about that. Kari suddenly popped back in. “Oh yea, I was walking and I realized that I’ve forgotten something. Well, to tell you something. You’ll have to take a shower inside the big house. Mr. Shanh is going to install a bathtub in the bathroom soon so don’t worry. Well I better hurry along. Just wanted to tell you.” Kari left once again and Sarah picked up her new clothes. She might as well go now. She stepped out of her room and realized that she didn’t know where she was or how to get to the main house. She met some guards along the way who gave her directions. She finally located the main house and she looked at it in surprise. It was small, not what she expected. She went to the door and knocked. A guard opened the door. “What are you doing here?” the guard questioned her. “Umm…isn’t this the main house?” the guard started laughing hard. “The main house? Do you think the main house would be this small? This is the guard’s house. The main house is that way.” He gave her directions and she thanked him and left. Even with his directions, she still got confused so she walked around for a while until a large building came into her view. “This has to be the main house,” Sarah thought. The house was huge, bigger than Mr. Richard’s house. It was modern and looked fairly new. Sarah didn’t like it though. It was too big and it seemed too cold, not how a home should feel. She walked up to the door and knocked. No one answered so she opened the door herself. She found herself in the kitchen part of the house. This obviously wasn’t the main door. The kitchen was clean and gleaming. There was a small stair in the corner. There was no one in the kitchen so she wandered outside to the dining room. The dining room was grand. There was a long table that could seat about 50 people from her guess. A large, glass chandelier hung from the ceiling. Pastel paintings hung from the walls and the table was already set. China plates and glasses were placed at each seat and there were three large candleholders with unlit candles in them. There was no one in here either so she walked out to the living room. Sarah looked around in wonder. The living room was extremely big and it was filled with antiques. A stiff, Victorian style sofa set was set in the middle and a large T.V. screen was placed across from it. There was a big, Persian rug under the sofa set and table. There were too many things to look at so Sarah walked slowly around, taking everything in. The living room was neat and tidy. Greek goddesses and gods glared down at her. Statues and paintings were everywhere. Sarah could tell that Mr. Shanh loved art. Since there was no one in here either, she decided to move on. A high, spiral staircase stood at the side near what appeared to be a study room. In each direction of the living room, halls branched off into other places. The only side that didn’t branch off contained a heavy, wooden door. Sarah didn’t want to wander around because she was afraid that she might get lost. Sarah thought to herself for a moment and decided that she should go upstairs. The rooms would most likely be upstairs and (hopefully) the bathrooms will be located up there too. Sarah climbed the staircase and when she reached the landing, she paused for a moment. There was a game room directly in front of her. Pool tables, ping-pong tables, and various other game tables were arranged in the room. There was even a comfy looking couch, a big screen T.V., and a stereo set. The room didn’t have any paintings, instead, it contained hunting gears and trophies. The glossy eyes of a deer hanging on the wall seem to peer down at her, like it was judging her. There was even a glass case showing off different types of rifles. Sarah walked into the middle of the room and looked around with interest. There were two hallways leading off to somewhere else on opposite sides of the room. There was a smaller room against the corner and when Sarah entered, she squealed in delight. It was an arcade room! There were racing games, fighting games, everything she could think of. Sarah sighed. She hoped she’ll be able to come back here. This seemed like such fun. Sarah walked back out and decided to head to the hallway on the left. When she entered this hallway, she instantly found the bathroom. “Goodness.” Sarah thought to herself. The bathroom here was grand too. It had a Jacuzzi and everything she could need. After she was finished with her bath, she brushed her hair and started downstairs. As she going down the stairs, she could hear voices in the study. She recognized Mr. Shanh’s voice and she decided to ask Mr. Shanh about the game room upstairs. As she got near the study, she heard Mr. Shanh say her name. “Sarah will stay here for as long as she likes.” “But she’s from the enemy side!” another voice retorted. “I don’t care. This is the least I can do for her. After all, I killed her parents…John Richards killed them mercilessly and I couldn’t protect them. I at least owe this to her.” Sarah, however, didn’t hear the last part of the conversation because she ran numbly away from the house, all the while thinking, “Mr. Shanh killed my parents.” Chapter 8 “Hey, can I come in?” Sarah looked up from where she was laying on the bed and noticed Melody. “No, go away. I don’t feel like talking.” Sarah rolled over so she couldn’t see Melody anymore. “Close the door too.” Melody came in anyways and sat on the bed with Sarah. “What’s wrong? Are you sick? I’ll call my dad.” Melody got up to leave but Sarah leaped up. “No, it’s okay. I’m fine.” Melody looked at Sarah for a while. “Didn’t you get my message? I asked you to come to the garden at two. You didn’t come so I ended up coming to you.” “Sorry, I forgot. I was busy thinking of something.” Sarah laid back down on the bed. “I’m sleepy. Can you please leave?” A look of annoyance crossed over Melody’s face. “Why are you acting so rude? I’m just trying to help. I came here to tell you about Mrs. Thompston. If you don’t want to hear then fine, I’ll leave. She’s your mother you know.” Melody got up and walked briskly to the door. “Wait! What did you say? She was my mom?” Sarah suddenly sat up as the words hit her. Melody turned back around and said coldly, “Yes, she was your mom and Mr. Thompston was your dad. But since someone wants me to leave, I will.” “Melody! Wait, I’m sorry I was being rude. I’m just very tired. Tell me about them, please?” Melody finally nodded and she came back and sat down at the table. “Well, Mr. And Mrs. Thompston were your parents. You look exactly like Mrs. Thompston. Here, I found a picture of them. You can see for yourself.” Melody handed Sarah an old picture. Sarah stared at the woman in the picture. Sarah looked like a younger version of her. She had her dad’s smile and eyes, however. Tears formed in Sarah’s eyes. “How did they die? Or rather, who killed them?” Sarah questioned. Melody seemed uncomfortable. “Don’t worry about that.” “You’re telling ME not to worry? ME…my parents were the one who got killed. I’m an orphan and you’re telling me not to worry about their death?” Sarah was suddenly angry. “Well, you can keep the picture. I’m going to go now.” Melody left in a hurry, leaving Sarah inside the room by herself. “I bet her dad wouldn’t let her tell me. After all, her dad was the one who killed my parents.” Sarah laughed bitterly. “She has the guts to tell me not to worry. What a joke. She said her dad tried to protect my parents? I would have believed her if I hadn’t heard with my own ears Mr. Shanh saying he killed my parents. Fine, I won’t worry, but she should be the one worrying right now. Because I will get revenge…and no one can stop me.” Sarah laid down on the bed and closed her eyes, hugging the picture to her chest. She fell asleep and she had a troubled dream about her parents calling for help but she wasn’t able to help them. Sarah woke up with tears in her eyes. The picture fell down while she sleeping. She picked it up and wiped it. It was pitched dark in the room. Sarah glanced at the clock and saw that it was 3 a.m. She got up and went to the door. No guards. Sarah opened the door slowly and crept out. If she was right, the gate to leave should be near the main house. Sarah started walking to the main house. She got to the main house and walked around to the side. There! The gate! Sarah felt light and joyous inside. She grabbed the metal bars and tried to jump over them. Too low, she’ll have to aim higher if she wanted to go over. Suddenly bright lights flashed on from the house and an alarm started crying. Sarah was temporarily blinded from the light but when she could see again, she ran to the bushes and hid there. Guards from everywhere poured to the gate and she could see the door of the house open. Mr. Shanh stood there staring out. Anger and resentment poured through Sarah. She wanted to jump out and kill him but she knew that she wouldn’t be able to do it. There were too many guards. She waited for what seemed like half an hour before she heard a guard call out, “The girl! She’s missing.” Everything was chaotic after that. Guards were running everywhere and they even opened the gates. Sarah needed a distraction. She looked in her pockets and found a couple of ninja stars which she threw in the opposite direction. The guards started running in that direction and Sarah took off and ran through the open gates. She could hear guards yelling but she just ran faster until she was sure there was no one following her. She was out of breath so she stopped and looked around. Freedom finally! It was dark and she couldn’t see anything. Just then, she felt someone clamp a hand over her mouth and she heard someone whisper in her ear. “Shh…don’t scream! It’s me Andy!” Sarah relaxed and Andy let go. She followed Andy to the car and was surprised to see that Andy was going to drive. “What happened to the chauffer?” “They got tired of waiting here night after night so I was the only one who kept up with it.” Andy replied. They started driving away and for the rest of the ride they didn’t talk. Sarah woke up as she felt the car slow down. Her neck was stiff and she looked over at Andy. “Finally awake?” he glanced at her. “How long have I been sleeping?” Sarah yawned. “An hour or two. We have an hour left till we get to Mr. Richards. We’re stopping to get drinks. You can go back to sleep if you want. Tell me what you want and I’ll get it for you.” Andy parked the car and turned off the engine. “Um…Sprite will be fine.” Andy left to go inside while Sarah sat outside stretching her neck. Andy came back in a few minutes and handed her the drink. “Andy, I’ve been wondering how you guys knew where I was.” “That’s easy. Mr. Richards knew who we were fighting. That guy and him use to be friends.” Andy smiled at her. “You mean Mr. Shanh and Mr. Richards use to be friends?” Sarah asked him eagerly. “Mr. Shanh? Is that his name? Yea, they use to be best friends.” Andy looked quizzically at her. “Oh, well do you want me to drive back?” Sarah tried changing the subject. “Do you know the way back to drive?” he laughed. “No…but you seem tired. Maybe you should sleep for a while. Give me the directions and I’ll drive.” “It’s okay, I’ll drive. You were the one who was captured. Did they treat you right?” Sarah looked at him. He seemed worried for her. She turned away. “No, they actually treated me really good. Let’s go now.” Andy started the car and they drove off. In about an hour, Sarah started recognizing places. Not long after, they reached Mr. Richards house. Sarah got out and stretched her legs. Andy locked the door and led her inside the house. Mr. Richards was sitting up waiting for them. “Ah, Sarah, back so soon?” Sarah looked at him. “Yes…master.” Mr. Richards smiled a purely evil smile. “Good, I have a new assignment for you. Tomorrow…you will go back and kill Rick…or rather, Mr. Shanh.” Chapter 9 Sarah twisted and turned in her bed. She got the privilege to sleep in her old room for one last time. For some reason, Sarah couldn’t sleep. She felt uneasy. She knew she should be happy she got the assignment of killing Mr. Shanh, but for some reason she wasn’t. Images of her time there kept on flashing through her memory. She remembered how nice they were to her and how they treated her good. “No, I have to forget about all of it. After all, he killed my parents.” Sarah remembered Mr. Shanh. She couldn’t imagine him killing her parents. Sarah sighed and rolled over. She stifled a scream as she saw a figure advanced toward her. Sarah pretended to be sleeping and when she felt the person draw near, she leaped up and punched them right in the face. She saw the person stagger back with shock. “Who are you?” Sarah demanded. “It’s me Andy. You hit hard.” He groaned. “OMG! Andy, what are you doing here?” Sarah jumped up to help him. She turned on the light and sat him down on the bed. “Why didn’t you say anything? You scared me half to death!” Andy smiled. “Well, I was checking to make sure you were okay and you seemed to be sleeping. I didn’t want to disturb you.” “How can you still smile? Look at your eyes! It’s starting to swell.” Sarah scolded. Andy’s left eye was beginning to turn blue and purple and was growing in size. “I have to go get something to put on it.” She rummaged in her drawer and came out with a bottle. “Here you go.” Sarah poured some of the contents out and applied it to his eye. “OW!! OW!! What is this stuff? It’s burning! Not so hard!” Andy screamed and jumped up. “Shh…don’t yell! It’s suppose to help you. Here, let me do it, I’ll be gentle. It’s your fault anyways for sneaking in here.” Andy reluctantly sat back down and Sarah applied the liquid. “All done. See? It wasn’t so bad.” “Easy for you to say. You aren’t the one with the black eye.” Sarah punched him lightly on the arm and he winced. Sarah opened her eyes in surprise. “What happened?” Andy tried to squirm away. “If you squirm one more time, I’m going to give you a second black eye.” Scared of the threat, Andy held out his arm. Sarah rolled the sleeves up and gasped in horror at the big gash on his arm. “Where did you get this from?” Sarah ran her hand lightly over the cut that was still in the process of healing. It was one long, wide cut, about 3 inches in length. “Don’t you remember? When we were at the warehouse and that ninja star came flying out?” “Still, it couldn’t have made this big of a cut. This also came from something else. I see it now, the top part is where the ninja star hit you. This bottom part right here,” Sarah pointed to the lower part of the cut, “was made from something else. Tell me, what happened? Who did this to you?” Andy looked away and didn’t say anything. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll never talk to you again.” Sarah threatened. Andy finally answered after a while. “When I came back here and told Mr. Richards, I mean our master, about how they’ve taken you and how I couldn’t help you because I was hurt, he got really angry. He called me useless and told me to show him my wound. I rolled up my sleeves and…and…” Andy took a big breath and continued. “And then he took out the knife that he keeps around his waist and gave me another cut directly under the wound. He told me to be careful and never to fail him. After a while, the two cuts just kind of merged together, making it look like one cut.” Sarah sat there listening in horror. “How could he? That’s…cruel. He carries a knife with him?” “Ha, you’ve just realized that he was cruel?” Andy laughed bitterly. “Yea, he started carrying a knife with him after the ceremony.” They were both quiet for a moment. “Well, you should go back to your room. It’s late and I need my sleep for my assignment tomorrow.” Andy looked at her for a while. “Are you sure you want to do that assignment alone?” “Yea, I’m sure. Did you know that he killed my parents? I have to get my revenge.” “He? As in Mr. Shanh?” “Yea, of course. Who else?” Andy seemed troubled but he stood up. “Alright then, I’ll leave so you get your sleep. Be careful tomorrow okay?” Sarah nodded and stifled a yawn. “Good night Andy.” Sarah laid down in her bed and doze off to sleep. Andy stood outside her bedroom door. “Good night Sarah.” He said softly. He touched his arm where Sarah had touched him. “I hope I’ll get to see you again.” Andy started off towards Mr. Richard’s sleeping chamber. “It’s time to end this once and for all.” Chapter 10 Sarah sat up and rubbed her eyes at the sound of the buzzing alarm. She was half an hour late, on this important day too! Sarah found a pair of clothes at her bedside. She dressed as quickly as she could and went downstairs. No one was around so she helped herself to some leftover breakfast. Just as she was finishing, Mr. Richards came into the room. “You’re awake? Everyone else is on their assignments already. All except you. What makes you so special?” he grinned. Sarah blushed. “I overslept and no one woke me up!” “I sent a maid up there to wake you up but the maid said that you wouldn’t wake up. You just mumbled and rolled over. She spent 15 minutes up there trying to wake you up and then she just gave up.” “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll leave right away.” Sarah quickly got up but Mr. Richards shook his finger at her. “No, no. Go on eating. I’ll wait for you. So will your partner.” “Partner?” Sarah stood up and her voice shook. “I thought you said I could do this assignment alone! I told you how much it meant to me! And now you’re giving me a partner?” “Well, considering that you weren’t able to wake up on time this morning and other factors…I’ve decided you aren’t reliable. Therefore, how can I trust you to complete this assignment alone? This is a very important assignment to me.” Sarah kicked her chair out of the way and stormed out of the dining room. “Tsk, tsk. What a temper you have.” Sarah stopped and turned around to see who was speaking. It was a tall boy she’d never seen before. He was leaning against the wall, watching her. “Why would you care? Who are you anyways?” Sarah snorted as she turned her whole body around to glare at him. “The name’s Michael. I’ll be your new partner.” He held out his hand for her to shake. Sarah ignored the hand and grimaced. “What happened to Andy?” “Oh, he won’t be here anymore. He got…kicked out.” Michael smirked, withdrawing his hand. “I wish I could get kicked out. I don’t want to be in this stupid group anymore!” “Oh my, I wouldn’t say that if I were you. Getting kicked out…isn’t something you’ll want.” He winked at Sarah. Sarah gave him her coldest stare. Her words were slow. “What do you mean? What happened to Andy?” “You don’t have to speak to me in that tone. Nothing happened to him…that you should worry about. Come on now, let’s not worry about him. Time to start our assignment.” Michael took her wrist and started pulling her out the door. “Let go! I can walk myself.” Michael let go of her and Sarah rubbed her wrist. It was starting to turn red. She pushed him out of the way and walked to the car. Michael beat her to the car anyways. He opened the door wide and said, “Ladies first.” Sarah climbed into the back seat and Michael climbed in next to her. He sat extremely close to her and Sarah was getting annoyed. “Will you move over? Don’t sit too close to me.” Michael grinned. “Why not? Don’t you think I’m hot? Plus, there’s not enough space for me to scoot over.” Sarah laughed. “You? Hot? No. There is enough space over there! Look at all that space. Scoot over now or you’ll be sorry.” “I’ll be sorry?” Michael scooted even closer to her. Sarah tried to punch him but he caught her fist in time. Sarah kicked him right in the shin and pushed him over. He fell over and banged his head on the car side. Michael started cussing at her but she didn’t care. He finally moved all the way to the other side and Sarah relaxed. “What a jerk.” She thought to herself. The rest of the ride was quiet and Sarah could feel Michael sneaking looks at her. She ignored him and planned out her attack. She would sneak up on Mr. Shanh and pretended like she’s back for good and then kill him. No, that wouldn’t work. She forgot about Michael. The car slowed to a stop and Sarah got out of the car. She was in the country, about half a mile from Mr. Shanh’s house. “Let’s go.” Michael nodded to the road. “No. We have to come up with a plan first. We can’t just go and march in there.” “Don’t worry, I have everything under control. Let’s go now.” Michael walked confidently away from the car. “What do you mean you have everything under control? This is supposed to be a surprise attack.” “Sure it is.” “Will you stop being a jerk and explain things to me? I’m in on this too.” Sarah stopped in the middle of the road. “Well if you really want to know the truth,” Michael turned on her and glared at her. “I’ll tell you the truth. The truth is that Mr. Richards thinks, no wait, knows, that you’re not good enough anymore. You’re no longer the best in the group. I’m the best. Understand? So everything is up to me now.” He turned around and walked on. Sarah was speechless. Not good enough? Michael was the best in the group? What happened to Andy? He was suppose to be second best so if she wasn’t the best in the group, wouldn’t he be the best? “What happened to Andy?” Sarah caught up to Michael and took held of his arm. He looked down at her. “None of your business.” “If you’re not going to tell me, I’m not going.” Sarah stood firm on the ground. “Fine with me, but then you’ll never be able to get your revenge.” He kept on walking. “WHAT? Mr. Richards told you about that? That was personal business!” Sarah could feel tears forming. Gosh, why did she have to be so sensitive, why did she have to cry in front of this jerk? Michael stopped and turned around. He walked towards her and put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Sarah hit his arm and he drew his hand away. “Please, can’t you just listen to me this once?” Michael begged her. Sarah gave a slight nod and rubbed her nose. Michael handed her a tissue. What kind of a guy still carries tissue around? He sure didn’t look like the type. Sarah gladly accepted anyways and rubbed her nose. The rest of the walk to the house was quiet and uncomfortable. When they reach the house, Michael put a finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet. “We’re going to go through the gate and up to the main house and find him. Then we go for the kill…you can kill him if you want to.” He whispered. Sarah nodded but she was confused. How were they going to go through the main gate? There would be guards all over and they would be dead before they could reach Mr. Shanh. They crept up to the gate and Michael entered. Sarah prepared to be attacked but to her surprise, there was no one there. Where was everyone? Why was the gate even opened? Sarah was bewildered. Michael continued to walk forward at a steady pace without stopping. Sarah followed his lead and soon they were directly in front of Mr. Shanh’s house. Michael opened the door and entered. The whole house seemed empty. Sarah was all prepared to fight and she lowered her arms when she saw how deserted it was. Things were thrown everywhere and there were signs of a recent fight. “Why did you take me here? There’s no one in here. What happened? Where is everyone?” Sarah tried to keep her voice under control but she could feel it breaking. Michael didn’t answer her nor looked at her. Sarah started shaking him. “Look at me! Answer me! Tell me!” “Stop it!” he jerked out of her grip and she fell on the floor. “You don’t understand do you? It’s not what it seems! You’re not on this assignment anymore! And you got your wish too! You’re no longer a part of this group! Do you know what the price is for getting kicked out?” Sarah was in shock. She was kicked out? How come he didn’t tell her until now? Michael kneeled down next to her. “The price for getting kicked out…is death. I’m suppose to kill you.” Chapter 11 “You? ” Sarah’s voice came out helpless and soft. She hated it. She hated this whole situation. Why was he telling her? Why didn’t he just kill her right then and there? She was stupid enough to leave all her weapons in the car. Then the reality hit her. She was about to die soon if she didn’t do anything. Sarah leaped up and Michael, who was surprised, fell over. “No one’s going to kill me. If I have to die, I’ll die fighting.” Sarah put her arms up. Michael stood up. He tried to advance towards her. She backed away. “Don’t you understand Sarah?” “No I don’t understand. Why don’t you explain?” Sarah threw back, backing away. “GOD! Why are you so stubborn? If I wanted to kill you, I would have killed you out there on the road, not here! It was my job to kill you out on the road where no one will find you, but no! I was softhearted and I couldn’t bring myself to kill you.” Michael started crying. Sarah was getting more perplexed by the second. She let her guard down and Michael pounced on her. “You lied to me!” Michael just smiled and said, “Of course, how else would you let your guard down?” Michael tied her up and stood up. Sarah’s hands and feet were tied up. She couldn’t do anything. “Good job Michael” Mr. Richards entered the house and clapped his hands. “Poor, helpless Sarah.” He kneeled down next to her. “No one, NO ONE fails me. Is there any last wish you would like to make?” Sarah turned away. “You’re cruel. What happened to Andy? And Mr. Shanh and everyone else?” “You’re still worrying about other people at this time? That’s why you failed. You cared about other people, you were too softhearted. Well, I’ll tell you. Andy is dead. That stupid boy came in my room last night. You know what he asked me?” Mr. Richards stood up. “He asked me if he could leave, if you could leave with him too. When I told him no, he threatened me. Can you believe it? No one threatens Mr. Richards. Then he lunged at me. Even if he is second best in the group, no one can compare to me. I took him out with one swipe and I told Michael,” he pointed to Michael. “To go and finish the job for me, then burn his body. Hmm…Andy’s ashes are out there mixed with the dirt. You’ll be joining him soon, so don’t worry.” Sarah was burning mad. He killed Andy! She remembered how Andy had tried to help her and how he’d waited on her. Now he’s dead. Sarah closed her eyes and said a quick prayer for Andy. Sarah spoke coldly. “Well, what about Mr. Shanh and the rest of them?” “You’re still worrying about Mr. Shanh when he killed your parents? Just for your information,” Mr. Richards bent back down to look Sarah in the eye. “I killed your parents, not Mr. Shanh. He was trying to protect your parents.” “Sarah, oh, Sarah! How could you be so stupid?” Sarah thought to herself. Sarah spat in Mr. Richard’s face. Mr. Richards simply stood back up and wiped his face where Sarah’s spit landed. “Michael, tell her the rest of the story. I’m too tired to.” Mr. Richards walked toward the door. “When I come back in here later, I hope the job will be finished.” He left and slammed the door shut behind him. “Well, before we got here, Mr. Richards sent a group of assassins down here to lure Mr. Shanh away from the house. They’re probably still out in the other side of the land fighting. Mr. Shanh was seriously injured when they left the house, from what I heard. A bullet hit him in his shoulder. Whether he’s alive or not, I’m not sure. About everyone else, I’m not sure either.” “Why would he want to lure Mr. Shanh away from the house? Why not kill him here?” Sarah slowly edge away, trying not to let Michael see. She was trying to find something sharp to cut the rope. Michael shrugged. “Mr. Shanh has something Mr. Richard wants.” Sarah could see a piece of a broken vase on the floor. She was almost there but Michael started speaking again. “I wouldn’t move if I were you.” Michael sat down on the chair and stared at her. Time seem to drag on and on. After what seemed like an eternity, Sarah heard footsteps outside the door. Michael leaped up from the chair he was sitting and pulled out a gun from his pocket. He leaned down to where Sarah was laying and whispered in her ear. “Play along if you want to live. This is a fake gun, it might burn a little, but it’s harmless. It’ll look like I really shot you when I didn’t.” Sarah nodded. She had no idea why he was saving her. She’ll never be able to figure him out. Mr. Richards entered the house and looked down at Sarah. “You still haven’t finished the job?” Mr. Richards glared at Michael. “I wanted you here before I do the job.” Michael replied without a flinch. Mr. Richards chuckled. “You’re becoming more and more like me, son.” Michael beamed. “Thanks, but I can’t compare myself to you, Dad.” Chapter 12 Dad? Mr. Richards was Michael’s dad? If Mr. Richards was Michael’s dad, what if he was lying to her and he was really going to kill her? She looked up at Michael and Michael gave her a stern look. Then he mouthed the words, “Ready?” Sarah had no choice but to nod. “Well, hurry up and finish the job.” Mr. Richards sat down on a chair and looked at Michael. Michael took the gun and pointed it at Sarah’s head. He leaned down and held it an inch from her head. Sarah closed her eyes and she heard Michael pull the trigger. She expected to be blown away, but instead, she felt something like a rock hit her head. Then she felt a wet and thick liquid slide down the side of her head. “Good job Michael! Even though I haven’t seen you in 17 years, I can still tell you’re my son. You work exactly like me.” Sarah could hear Mr. Richards getting up from the chair. “Of course Dad, at first you didn’t believe me, but I gave you proof, didn’t I? We raided Mr. Shanh’s house and you saw the letter and necklace for yourself.” Michael was speaking now. Sarah longed to open her eyes and see what was going on but she knew that if she did, she’ll be dead for sure. “A person like me has to have their suspicions, of course. You never know who’s your enemy.” Mr. Richards sighed. “Of course, Dad. Even the person right beside you can be your enemy. Like me.” Sarah almost opened her eyes, but she stopped herself in time. Like me? What did he mean by that? Sarah could hear some struggling and then she heard a gunshot. Her eyes flew opened and she looked at the scene around her. Michael was sitting on the floor, his left arm bleeding. Mr. Richards lay crumbled to the ground. There was blood everywhere. Sarah tried to sit up but she was tied up. Michael staggered over to her and cut her ropes. Sarah freed herself and turned to Michael. “Are you okay?” Michael shook his head. “Andy, he’s not dead…I didn’t kill him…he’s on the other side…fighting. Mr. Shanh…take him to the hospital.” Michael passed out. ************************ “Don’t sit up. I’ll help you.” Sarah helped Michael sit up in his hospital bed. “How long have I been out?” Michael winced as he accidentally hit his arm. “A day. Careful with the arm. It’s broken. You’ll have to wear the cast for a while.” “What about Andy and Mr. Shanh? Are they okay?” Michael leaned eagerly towards her. “Well, after you passed out, I found Kari. She was hiding in the back of the house because she was overlooked during the raid. She was unharmed so I loaded you into a car and I had her drive to the hospital. Then I ran out to the back part of the land and there, I found bodies everywhere. I thought they were all dead so I almost gave up hope but then I felt someone tugging at my leg.” Sarah fluffed up Michael’s pillow and laid him back down. “It was Mr. Shanh who was extremely hurt. He had blood all over him. There was a car parked at the back so I pulled him there and put him in the backseat and drove away. I drove about a mile or two and someone jumped out at me. It turned out to be Andy who was stranded.” “Stranded? Why was he stranded? I thought he drove away in a car.” Michael sat back up again. “Yea, well after you told him to escape, he took a car and drove away, trying to get to Mr. Shanh’s house in time. In his haste, however, he forgot to check for gas. He ran out of gas halfway and ended up walking until he saw me. I took him to the hospital too. Except for being a bit dehydrated, he’s okay.” Michael cracked up. “How stupid of him, running out of gas!” he laid back down. “I guess I should tell you my part huh?” “Of course! I’ve been waiting all day to hear your side of the story.” Sarah leaned closer. “Are you really Mr. Richard’s son? I’ve been dying to ask you.” “No, I’m not Mr. Richard’s real son. Andy is his real son.” Chapter 13 Sarah got the second biggest shock of her life. “Andy is Mr. Richard’s son? Does he know? How come Mr. Richards believed you were his real son?” “Slow down, I’ll answer all your questions if you’ll just let me talk.” Michael sat up again. “Well, Andy’s mom was Mr. Shanh's best friend. Mr. Shanh and Mr. Richards were half brothers. Did you know that?” Sarah shook her head. How can there be so many coincidences? “Go on.” “After Andy’s mom found out how evil Mr. Richards was, she left him and came to Mr. Shanh because she knew that he was the only one that can protect her and Andy. She lived in Mr. Shanh’s house for a while. Mr. Richards tried getting to Andy’s mom a few times, but he never succeeded. He finally gave up and Mr. Shanh and Mr. Richards became enemies.” Michael took a break to cough. “Before Andy’s mom died, she gave Mr. Shanh a letter and a necklace to show Andy when he’s grown. She believes he has the right to know who his real dad was. Mr. Shanh decided that the safest place for Andy was the most dangerous place, which was with Mr. Richards. Mr. Shanh had it planned so that Andy ended up with Mr. Richards. The planned worked out well until Mr. Richards found out he had a son. He tried without success to find out who his son was.” Michael coughed again. “A maid for Mr. Shanh a long time ago told Mr. Richards without realizing who Mr. Richards was, that a mysterious lady lived in the house for a while and had a kid. Before she died, she gave Mr. Shanh a letter and a necklace that had something to do with the dad. Mr. Richards knew without a doubt that it was Andy’s mom and that the letter held the key to who his kid was.” “So where did you come in?” Sarah listened to the whole story with interest. It was funny how they all fitted in to the story. She wanted to know how Michael fitted in. “I’m getting there. Well Mr. Richards demanded that Mr. Shanh give him the letter. Mr. Shanh refused because he knew that Mr. Richards would raise his kid thinking bad was good and good was bad. Little did Mr. Richards know that he had raised his own kid, Andy.” Michael stopped to take a drink of water. He continued. “I’m Mr. Shanh’s son. I wanted to leave that for the last part but apparently I can’t.” Michael smiled. “Sorry about being a jerk, it was part of my role.” Sarah gasped. “I never knew he had a son! I thought he only had Melody. He never talked about you. Melody never did either.” “Melody’s my half sister. By the time you came to live with them, I was sent off to pretend to be Mr. Richard’s son. They didn’t want the plan to get ruined, so they didn’t talk about me. Not many people knew he had a son. I lived with my mom in another city.” Michael seemed angry at this. “He sent for me and then he had the letter changed so that it had my name in it, instead of Andy’s. I came to Mr. Richards about a week or two ago. He didn’t believe I was his son so I told him to raid my dad’s house and get the letter for himself. He agreed and when he told me to kill Andy, I told Andy the whole story and Andy agreed to help us. He hated Mr. Richards too and he doesn’t consider Mr. Richards his dad. Andy was suppose to warn Dad, but he never got to it. So when Mr. Richards attacked, it caught my dad by surprise. Luckily, he’d already replaced the letter and he got everyone out in time. Unfortunately, he was shot in the shoulder. The rest of the story, you know.” “Wow, what a confusing story. I wouldn’t believe it if it happened to someone else. You should go to sleep now. I’ve been bothering you.” Sarah got up and stretched. “I’m going to go visit Andy and Mr. Shanh now.” Michael nodded and Sarah left. When she got to Andy’s room, she found him sleeping. She sat down next to him and pulled the blanket higher. He caught her wrist and opened his eyes. She opened her eyes in surprise and he laughed. “Scared you didn’t I?” He sat up and looked at her. “Are you okay? I was worried for you.” Concern showed on his face. “Yes, I’m worrying about you now. Are you okay? I heard the story too…” Andy’s eyes dropped. “I’m not sure I did the right thing. After all, he was my father. He wasn’t the kind I expected though.” Andy sighed. Sarah touched his eye which was starting to heal. “I think you did the right thing. Sometimes you have to sacrifice someone or something you really want to save other people. If you hadn’t done what you did, then Mr. Richards will still be alive and we’ll still be stuck with no escape.” Sarah withdrew her hand and Andy nodded. “I guess so. You’ll come and visit me often won’t you?” he looked up at her and she stood up. “Of course, anytime you want. I’m going to visit Mr. Shanh now.” When Sarah reached Mr. Shanh’s room, he was sitting up reading the newspaper. He smiled happily when he saw her. “Come read this.” He pointed to the newspaper. Sarah pulled a chair next to his bed and read the headlines. “Rick Shanh’s Mansion Burned Down During the Night Because of Careless Teenager.” Sarah looked at him. “You did it on purpose didn’t you? So it’ll cover all the bodies and the police won’t get you.” Mr. Shanh smiled. “My, you’re a smart girl. I told Melody to burn it down and she sure did a good job of it. I’ll have to rebuild everything though. Maybe I’ll move to a new city.” Sarah started crying. “Mr. Shanh, I’m so sorry! I was confused and I thought you killed my parents. I wanted to kill you and yet you still treat me so good.” Mr. Shanh patted her on the head. “Now, now. I should be the one saying sorry. I didn’t explain everything to you. I caused you to lose your parents.” Sarah sniffed. “It’s not your fault. Mr. Richards will find ways to kill anyone that gets in his way. It’s not your fault.” Mr. Shanh seemed thoughtful. “How would you like it if I became your new guardian?” Sarah looked at him in disbelief. “Do you mean it? I would like nothing more! But…if you move to another city, I’ll never see Andy again. I’ll miss him.” Mr. Shanh smiled again. “That’s no problem, we’ll take him along. After all, he’s my nephew.” Sarah couldn’t believe her ears. “But he’s Mr. Richards’ son! You would still trust him?” “True, even though he’s John’s son, they’re nothing alike. He’s more like his mother, gentle and softhearted.” “Michael, what about him? Will he come along too?” “My dear child, you do ask a lot of me!” Mr. Shanh chuckled. “Imagine that, taking care of 4 teenagers. I’ll have a headache. Of course he’ll come with us. I’ve done him wrong. All these years, I’ve never taken notice of him. It’s time I repay him.” Sarah hugged Mr. Shanh. “Thank you so much! I can’t believe my luck. I’ll go tell Andy and Michael the good news. I’ll tell Melody too if I can find her. Thank you again!” Sarah ran out of the room lighthearted. She would start all over, she’ll forget her past. Sarah skipped happily down the hall. She’ll finally get the life that she wanted.