Haunting Darkness by Jordan Wadley (e book free reading txt) 📖

quietly through the metal doors. He knows he didn't make a sound yet she knew he was there without a second thought.

 

"Very observant of your surroundings, I see why you're here. It's been quite some time since I've slept in a cell, can't possibly imagine how you handled that." She still remained emotionless. Viper could detect a slight English accent, old habits die hard.

 

He tried to jump start the motor, possibly angering her, to see if she truly was capable of any emotion other than anger.

 

"Wasn't bad, though I miss the quiet." He heard the warning clear yet continued.

 

"You know what I don't get," Striker drifted off with a possible thinking face. His eyes traveled around the room as if by habit.

 

"No, I don't care." Viper replied blunt and sharp. The boy in front of her seemed taken back by her blunt reply. She didn't expect anything less considering everyone she'd came across didn't expect shut coldness and blunt replies.

 

"You're quite interesting. Though you seem strangely calm with your environment." Striker studied her a moment in hopes of finding any emotion, then he muttered almost silently. “It’s almost like you enjoy it here.”

 

"Don't care." She turned her back to him sharply and walked toward the attack range. For the rest of their time period she continued to throw swift and harsh punches through the air. Sometimes, if not most of the time, she'd swipe at the old punching bag across from her.

 

Viper cleared her mind of every thought and all her anger as she inhaled and struck out. The bag swung violently at the impact but she used the swing to her advantage and spun, kicking the bag effectively. The bag fell from the taped up chains, something that happened frequently when she attended the bag.

 

"You're different girl, what's your name?" A new voice joined the room.

 

"Isn't it obvious?" Striker asked his sibling with bluntness. "She's the famous Viper! The one murdering one after another in the ring, the girl Razel talks about all day. Don't you see the resemblance, black hair and blue eyes not to mention the same height as you!"

 

Viper stopped for a moment to look the boy dead in the eyes. The darkness and harsh whisper hidden in her eyes startled him for a moment. He felt as if her dark eyes pierced through his soul, seeking out every secrets and hidden lie.

 

Viper didn't spare him another glance when her eyes landed on a female no younger than herself. The pair sized each other up making Striker slightly uncomfortable as he shuffled.

 

"Would you stand still? You're annoying me." The blond spoke to her brother harshly. Not a moment later a few others piled into the room with sleep deprived eyes.

 

Ash stared at the girl again before trailing off toward the other punching bags. She noticed Viper setting a new punching bag in its place yet she had no problem hanging it from the chains. Ash had a problem with this and it seemed like it wasn't rare for the punching bag to fly off the chains for Viper. It was no doubt the raven haired girl was stronger than Razel led on to be.

 

Just as the thought occurred, Razel walked through the door with a beaming smile upon his wicked face. The siblings snarled silently at his eager face, it seemed like only Viper could make him react in such a way.

 

Striker felt sorrow every time Razel's face came into view. Him and his sister watched Razel murder their parents before them; yet they were both silent when he pointed the gun at his mother's and father's head. At the time Striker was too shocked to speak up or attack and Ash went into panic mode shortly after the gun rang through the air. They were only twelve.

 

Devial walked into the room with a smile yet Ash could tell she was still shaken with the encounter. Nobody had the nerve to lay a hand on her considering she was Razel's niece. Nobody wanted Razel's wrath when they messed with Devial. It shocked more than just the siblings when Razel simply smiled at Viper for her actions. She heard Viper yell angrily at Devial, which was the reason she woke, before Devial ran to her room crying. Ash liked Devial for her kind heart yet she didn't comprise herself with the girl, nobody did.

 

Everyone was used to Devial's silent sobs but she could tell the encounter with Viper shook her, hell, it shook everyone!

 

"Alright, we're going to try something new!" Razel clapped gleefully. Striker felt his fingertips twitch at his cheerful voice.

 

"Today, we'll be battling. Height against height, strength against strength, and minds against minds." Someone would be getting hurt, and the sick bastard was going to enjoy it. 

 

Viper stalked toward the forming group and listened to his silent words with a glint in his eyes.

 

"No worries though, if you get hurt we'll send you to get fixed up. I can't wait for you all to see Viper's talents. You'll be thankful to have her on your team just as-" He started.

 

"Just tell us what to do." Viper all but growled. Ash and Striker stared at her in horror when a venomous growl left Razel's lips.

 

"Don't interrupt me girl!" He shouted outraged with her demand.

 

The glare she gave him sent a cold chill down everyone's spine. She had a cold and dangerous vibe that made the others aware of her appearance.

 

"You will be punished for your behavior!" He screeched when he noticed the challenge in Viper's eyes.

 

"With what? If I remember correctly, you're torture no longer works." Ash stared with a new curiousness at the raven haired girl. She was brave and fearless but there was something about her words that startled her. How could torture not work on someone?

 

Something in Razel's eyes nerved Striker. He suddenly feared for the stupidly brave girl standing surprisingly close to Razel.

 

"I guess we'll have to see about that." He stated with a sick smile. If the determination in Viper's eyes didn't accept the challenge, then the cannibalistic growl that left her lips did.

 

Everyone jumped at the ferocity in the rumbling sound. Not a sound was made and not a breath was heard other than the challenge in front of them.

 

"Outside." Razel suddenly shouted to everyone in the room yet still keeping eye contact with Viper.

 

Viper ignored the pitied stares as she walked with everyone in a scattered line to the door. Razel walked ahead and dialed random numbers into a keypad before a piece of the wall moved. Viper realized it was a door when it opened to reveal the brightening sky. It was only five in the morning considering the sun hadn't even decided to peak over the colorful mountains.

 

It seemed as if the view was painted by hand, even the birds gliding above seemed to be still in the sky. The large grass land continued on before them, no signs of any animals nor any houses in the distance.

 

"Viper," Razel suddenly sounded gleeful once again. "you'll be battling Ash, Knight Crawler, and Devial."

 

Viper stalked forward, no fear in her eyes. There was nothing in her eyes but a cold darkness that stared back at the three. Ash stood a few feet from Viper yet only a foot from K.C. and Devial. Razel always paired the three on missions. Ash's strength, K.C.'s speed and Devial's conniving combined in one could take down even the strongest.

 

Ash didn't care for Viper; from the look she gave the pair the feeling was mutual, so hurting her would be no problem. Devial, however, seemed a bit frightened of the girl standing before them.

 

 

 

 

Chapter Four

Viper stood tall and dominant as the three took her in and did the same in return. She'd known Devial's name from the moment she'd woken from her slumber. She turned to meet the eyes of the girl that stood next to Striker in the gym but she didn't worry too much. However the tall man next to her, K.C. from what Razel had said, looked strong and much more advanced. Viper knew taking her eyes off of any of them would possibly cost her humiliation.

 

Ash turned to look at Razel, a smirk implanted firmly on his face. Ash knew from watching Viper in the gym she'd have a tough time taking her on alone but K.C. might match Viper's pace.

 

"Go." Razel shouted. They all spread out further waiting for an opening shot yet nobody pounced first.

 

Suddenly Devial inhaled deeply and a smirk crossed her face, sickly similar to Razel, before slowly stalking forward. Viper felt fire burn in her lower stomach and took a lethal step toward the girl. She could tell Devial was frightened; her steps were rushed and sharp.

 

K.C. took that as his opening shot, seeing as she had focus on Devial, and stepped toward Viper. Yet before he got even two feet passed Ash, an iron grip wrapped around his bicep. K.C. felt rage boil inside of him at the contact and turned to face the blond sharply.

 

"No," She whispered harshly yet quiet enough so Viper couldn't hear. "She’s smarter than that K.C., she'll see you coming before you're in range."

 

He scowled at her and turned to face the dangerously scary girl not further than ten feet from him. He noticed how confident and sure her steps were, her shoulders squared back ready for attack and chin jutted out defiantly.

 

K.C. and Ash watched Viper as she closed distance between them. Devial finally realized neither Ash nor K.C. was going to use her distraction so she pounced on Viper in panic.

 

Viper noticed Devial's hand aiming for her throat and blocked the shot with her left hand with a tight grip. Devial didn't notice Viper's hand flying up toward her face until it was too late, the impact knocked her back slightly.

 

Viper could tell she wasn't trained like the others; she didn't have an ounce of defense in her system. Deciding to end the fight quickly, she jumped at Devial faking a punch to the face and at the last moment swept out her foot. Viper's combat boots came in contact with Devial's knee cap thus creating a sickening crack.

 

K.C.'s eyes widened when he realized what the snap was when Devial fell to the ground screaming and cradling her knee. He'd always taken a liking to the girl, she was innocent and different, and something that seemed rare in the compound. He turned to the dark haired girl with hatred but nearly jumped when she stood no more than two feet away. The grip on his arm tightened.

 

"Will you fight?" She snapped sharply in their faces. There was no regret or guilt in her eyes, simply darkness.

 

Ash shuddered but none the less stepped further to the side. Viper's eyes followed the motion out of the corner of her eye just as K.C. slowly slithered to her other side. The pair blocked Viper between them making no escape.

 

Viper's lip almost twitched at the action, she'd done this multiple times in training. She didn't move from her position but instead stared ahead at the mountains. She could spot both K.C. and Ash in her peripheral vision but they had yet to make a move.

 

She noticed the twitch of Ash's head off to her right just before K.C.