Chapter 1

The world slowed down in the now predictable fashion, as Levi’s elbow sailed past my head. The smell of the old sweat that permeated the dojo filled my nostrils. Beads of my own sweat poured down my face and soaked my shirt as I added to that stench. Levi liked to say it was the smell of hard work and dedication. We were pushing ourselves hard, trying to get the most out of our workout.

Ever since his change almost a month ago, he’d been working incredibly hard to work his new abilities to their farthest. Except me and the girls, who had what I was thinking of as the full transformation, he was the most advanced physically. From what we could tell, he was nearly as strong as I was and almost as fast. With the family back together, work starting to really pick up, school and Evolve keeping me hustling, along with the threat of the Syndicate hanging in limbo ready to raise its ugly head at any moment, I just hadn’t had time to work out to the extent I wanted to.

Even my training sessions with Levi were down to once a week. A fact that he had taken every opportunity to point out.

I had been enjoying the genetic advantage I had over everyone, and Levi was punishing me for my hubris. He wasn’t holding back as much as he once did. Thankfully, he didn’t make lethal choices that I was certain he was capable of, though he did use his vast experience to push me to my max. He’d made it clear if he wasn’t getting quantity then he’d have to settle for doing quality training with me.

Those thoughts darted through my head as I blocked a rapid fire set of punches and just barely managed to dodge a sneaky knee he threw in at the last moment, and the ankle hook he’d tried after that. I was still standing, but once again was on a continual retreat, not able to shift to the offensive.

I wasn’t upset by his more aggressive training style. To the contrary, I was actually kind of happy about it. He was right, I wasn’t getting enough physical activity, and it felt good to push myself. Plus, Levi was the only one I could take nearly all the limitations I normally put on myself off and really go full out.

Just as I thought that, a leg sweep caught me in the back of the knees and I crashed to the ground, bouncing the back of my skull off a mat.

“Holy crap,” I said, looking up at his smiling face leaning over me.

“You’ve gotten sloppy. You’re relying on your unique abilities too much.”

“Message received.”

“Good,” Levi said, reaching down and helping me up. “Let’s do that at half speed. I want to show you what you did wrong.”

Levi backed away from me, moving to the side of the mat closest to the door of the gym. He was preparing to show me what I had done when the chime on the door sounded. He turned, and we both looked to see who was coming in, since this training session was after his regular hours, to allow us to not hold back.

The pair of doors were thrown open with a man coming through each one, each with an automatic pistol raised and pointed in our direction. I instantly recognized them, it would have been impossible for me not to considering the beating I received at their hands. Although they were not in uniform, these were the two officers who had separated me when Zoe, Emily, Tina and I were being taken away by CPS earlier in the year. They had been arrested when Jawarski had found me in that warehouse. But, as with the other prisoners tied in with The Syndicate before them, both men had disappeared out of jail without a trace.

I started to move as soon as I saw them, but I was across the room, and both men were already moving into shooting stances. Levi moved fast, nearly as fast as I could. Before either man was through the doorway, Levi moved into them, grabbing the wrist of the gunman on the right. He continued moving, putting his shoulder into that upper arm, while beginning a turn, taking the man’s arm with it. As he connected with the man’s arm, the guy on the left fired; but Levi was moving fast inside the gunman, not giving them enough time to re-adjust their aim. The bullet traveled harmlessly over Levi’s shoulder and several feet away from me as I charged towards them.

Levi continued his turn, holding the gunman’s upper arm in place while pulling the man’s wrist with him into the turn, until with a crack the Elbow bent at a very wrong angle, out away from the body instead of towards it. The gunman howled in pain.

Levi continued his motion of turning, and kicked off the ground, rolling himself up on the slowly falling gunman with the broken arm, using the man like a Pommel Horse to get leverage as he wrapped his legs around the center of the left gunman.

I was still several feet away, and as I dropped into The Flow as we had practiced, I could see each move Levi was making, but I was still not moving fast enough to get to them in time. Levi’s push upwards continued with a semi twisting motion. Now, with his legs wrapped around the left assailant, he twisted himself off his makeshift fulcrum, who was at this point collapsing as he was reaching for his ruined right arm. Levi began falling, his body weight pulling the left-hand gunman down with him, his force was significantly increased by the added mass of his post-change muscles helping wrench the man off the floor.

Levi fell onto his shoulder, with the man projecting out over him and rolled, causing the man to arch toward the ground head first as Levi continued the roll, pulling the man underneath himself. I had a clear view as the gunman was brought head first into the mat. With the V created by his head and shoulders being connected along with his body weight pressing in on it, his head lolled to one side as he fell.

As Levi unwrapped his legs from around the man and launched himself up against the man’s chest, he pushed him harder into the mat, causing his head to bend much further to the right than it was designed to do, snapping the man’s neck with a sickening crunch.

By the time I got to Levi, which took just seconds from start to finish, he was standing up from his kneeling position on top of the clearly dead man at his feet, with the other gunman swearing, tears pouring from his eyes, holding his ruined arm.

Since the beginning of last year, I had been in several fights. Some deadly serious. Nothing I had done to that point came close to what Levi had just pulled off.

“Wow,” was all I could say.

“Call the police,” he said, going forward to kick the guns out of reach of both men but otherwise leaving both as they lay.

I headed into Levi’s office without a look back at the carnage at his feet. I followed his instructions and called 911 to report the assault, death, and injury. I let the operator know that no one was in immediate danger, but an ambulance was needed for at least one of the men, and I believed the other attacker was dead.

The operator wanted me to stay on the line, but I said I couldn’t and hung up. Next, I called Jawarski on the cell phone we had given her recently and told her what happened, making sure to mention who our attackers were, and that I had already called 911. She was on duty, but said she was in the area and would make sure she was on the call. My next call was to Jonathan. I knew this could go sideways for Levi, and wanted to ensure he was as protected as possible.

Thankfully, things went better than I expected. Jawarski was the first one through the door. Once she made sure it was ok, she removed and secured both guns and then radioed in for both an ambulance and the Coroner.

She was separating Levi and me when a second officer came in, and she had to give him a rundown. She was being very official with everything but didn’t seem overly worried. Jonathan showed up a few minutes later, followed by Detective Casper a few moments after that.

I decided my best course of action was to stay out of it. It did occur to me that I probably should have called Mom or the girls and let them know what had happened and that they were going to be pissed when they found out, and realized I hadn’t called. But there were enough people here, already. The last thing we needed was more confusion. I trusted Jawarski and Jonathan to handle it.

Eventually, the detective finished with Levi and came over to me.

“Kid, how come you’re always in trouble?”

I just shrugged.

“Ok, tell me what happened.”

“I was training with Levi, when the doors were thrown open. Those two came in with guns in their hands. I was half way across the room. Levi immediately saw the danger and charged at them. One man fired but missed, and Levi kept the other guy from shooting. It happened so fast I had barely moved when it was all over.”

“Do you know these two?”

“Yes, and you do, too. We both know they are former cops, both of whom were arrested when they kidnapped me and beat me a couple of months ago. And we both know that they disappeared from jail without a trace.”

“I’m going to put that down as a yes.”

“Seriously, are you guys going to accidentally let him go, again?”

“Look, Caspian, I know you’re pissed. I would be, too. But this is different. I mean, one of them is dead, for starters; and the other isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. I’ve never seen a break as nasty as that. Trust me, we’ll hold on to him this time.”

“I hope so.”

“So did you have any clue they were coming here? Was there any warning?”

“No. I thought we would never see them again, honestly.”

“Alright. I promised your lawyer I wouldn’t hold you long, but we’re going to have to take your friend to the station for more questioning.”

“It was self-defense!”

“I know. Everything should be okay, but we gotta follow procedure, ok?”

“What choice do I have,” I said and walked over to Jonathan.

“I want you to stay with Levi the whole time. Never leave his side.”

“Caspian, I need to make sure you get home safe.”

“I’m a big boy, Jonathan. I have my car. I can get home, no problem. Levi put his life on the line for me, tonight. We protect him! Is that clear?”

“Sure, I got it. Don’t worry. Please call me when you’re home safely.”

“Ok,” I agreed, although I was still not happy about being sent away.

Jonathan was right. As soon as I walked in the door, Mom and the girls were all over me, speaking at once.

“Whoa, whoa! Hold up! One at a time,” I said as they barraged me with questions.

“Girls, let’s give him some space so he can tell us what happened.”

“What did happen?” Zoe asked. “Jonathan called Mom and said you were attacked!”

I set my gym bag down by the stairs and found a seat in the living room, so we could all be comfortable. I got that they were concerned, so I didn’t begrudge them the twenty questions.

“Ok, so yes. I was attacked while working out with Levi. Two guys came charging in with guns. Before you freak out too much, I was perfectly fine. Hell, I barely took one step before it was all over. You should have seen Levi. It was ... pretty damned impressive.”

“I’m glad he was there to help,” Mom said, “But this is becoming a serious problem.”

“It’s no big deal. I’ve only been attacked like that, what ... two or three times?”

“I would say two or three times is enough to consider it a ‘serious problem,’ but let’s not forget all the other times people have threatened you or attacked you. I’m in a mind to just keep you locked in this house forever.”

“That’s not...”

“However,” she said, ignoring me, “I won’t do that. But this is not the last time we are having this discussion. We are going to have to make some changes around here. It’s not just you who’s in danger, Cas. What about the girls, or Tina and Judy? We all live here together, and we’re all at risk.”

“I see your point.”

“Good boy. Now, who were these guys.”

“Actually, we know them. It’s the two cops who abducted me when CPS came to take us away. I guess we know what happened to them after they disappeared from police custody.”