7 Chapter 7

Garret's Point of View:

I am staring down at Jaycie. She is passed out in my lap, and the only reason why I haven't tackled Zachery yet. He is in the other room because he had made the mistake of following us. It took one look from Wilker for him to stop laughing about Jaycie's dancing episode. I had told Wilker, that if I moved Jaycie from my lap, she would wake up because she is such a light sleeper. A great excuse to keep me from being free to knock some sense into Zachery.

"Sir, can you hand me a washcloth." Wilker walks in, scowling. I just barely catch his last words to Zachery. "You think this if funny now? You wait until she wakes up and hears what you tricked her into doing. I will tell you now, I am not stepping in. Not even I will be able to stop her." Through the door I see Zachery's face pale.

"Serves him right. He want's to mess with my girl, wait until I tell her what he did. Because I will be telling her." I thought. Wilker gets a washcloth, wets it down, and hands it to me. "You know, I have never had to do this for her." Wilker says. "You would think on all the mission's she has gone on, and all the bars she has gone to, at least one person would have slipped something into her drink, but no. I have never seen her like that. Not even in her drunkest state, has she been that out of it."

I laugh, imaging a just plain drunk Jaycie. "I bet she won't like the fact that the whole guild saw her dancing with the courtesan's as she likes to call them. And the first one to say something gets clocked in the jaw if they are lucky." Wilker laughed. "You will find that she avoids the term 'whore.' She will use about any other name." I think about every time she has referred to that profession. "You are right."

I wipe her mouth with the washcloth, remembering it was in my hand. Then I wiped down the rest of her face, her hands, and try and wash what had fallen down the front of her suit. "Sir, who do you think drugged her drink, because I am willing to bet it wasn't the bartender." Wilker raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, my only guess is that it was Lee. Or maybe that assassin that she pointed out. Didn't you say that they where talking?"

I think for a second. "Well, if I tell him she took a sip of his beer, I am worried he will go ballistic, but if I don't, I could get in trouble." "Well, sir. She also took a sip of his beer. But I am not sure she was in her right mind then." "Then that assassin is definitely a possibility." We are both quiet for a while. "Put her in the shower, and turn the water to lukewarm, closer to cold. But take out her daggers first. Her suite will get soaked, but we don't have anyone to take her out of it, so she will just have to deal with it. The cold water should wake her up."

"Yes sir." I carefully lay her head on the tiles. She stirs slightly letting out a groan. "Her head is going to be yelling at her when she wakes up." I thought. I pull out her winger daggers, Lee's daggers, and her hidden ones. Then I pulled off the top half of my suite. "Something tells me when she wakes up, water is going to fly." I put all of it safely on the counter. I stand her up easily and carry her to the shower.

Sitting her up against the tile, I make sure she won't fall. Then I turn on the water. I shoot out very cold. Then only warms up slightly. As the water soaks her, I watch as she starts to fall. I immediately push her up, but I had to pass under the water to do it. "Holy hell. That is freezing." I immediately pull away from the water. Then I hear a small groan, and a loud, high pitched squeal that makes me cover my ears and jump away."

Jaycie's Point of View:

I slowly come to. The first thing I feel it cold. Freezing cold. I let out an involuntary squeal. My eyes fly open, and I see a topless Garret diving away from me. I jump up, hitting my head on the faucet, and then slipping on the wet floor, I start falling to the ground. Two arms catch me and pull me out onto a rug. In the background I can hear laughing. "And the whore wakes up." I look around. The water is being turned off and I am shivering. Everything is spinning. My head is throbbing.

I can't remember anything after taking the first sip of the first drink. I put a hand on my head and let out a groan of pain. "Garret?" I ask. "Yes." I hear in return. "What the hell happened. Why am I soaked? Why am I in the bathroom." Before he can answer my mind adds another question. "And why is his shirt missing? " Garret laughs, "Let's get you in dry clothes before we dive into that fun story." I don't like the way he says the word fun. "Can you at least tell me why you are shirtless?" He looks at me and reads my expression.

"Are you worried I did something to you. Or that you did something with me that you are going to regret?" I feel my face turn red. "No." "Yes." I think. "Nothing happened between us." He assures me. I let out a breath of relief, and he leaves the room. Through the door I see Zachery. He is smiling, but Garret says something to him, and he goes pale. "Did I say something to Zachery earlier. Did I do something or say I was going to? Why in the world would he go pale? " I think.

Wilker walks in, and I hand my head. "Hello sir. Can you just tell me what I did and how much trouble I am in?" Wilker laughs, "Why do you think you are in trouble." My head flies up. "Because I am sitting in a bathroom, soaking wet, and can't remember a single thing that happened after my first drink. I obviously got drunk." Wilker raises one eyebrow. "Just wait. You will hear everything. Garret is getting you clothes now."

After a few minutes, Garret enters with a pile of clothes. "Jaycie, you didn't have any clothes in your old room, so I am letting you borrow some of mine." He hands them to me and he and Wilker both walk out. Garret grabs a piece of cloth from the counter, a shirt. His shirt. I pull off my soaking wet suite. It falls to the ground with a loud splat. Then I pull on Garret's pants and a shirt. Both are way to big for me. The shirt is comfortable and just feels like a baggy sweatshirt. I actually like it. But I have to hold up the pants with my hands or they will fall.

I walk to the door, holding his pants up, "Garret, are you still out there?" "Yes." He answers. "Can I burrow a belt. Your pants are falling off me." I hear a snicker. Then a whack. "Who the hell is that. And why are they laughing at me? " I think. After a few minutes, a belt is handed to me through the small gap I have left in the door. I quickly wrap it around my waist. When the pants are staying up, I take a second to look at my outfit. I smile at the thought that I am wearing Garret's clothes.

When I walk out, I see Zachery. "What the hell is he doing here? What did he do?" I immediately blurt out. Then I add quietly, "Or what did I do to him." Zachery jumps up at the last sentence. "You tried to fight me when you were drunk, and I had to bring you to Wilker. I practically saved you from all those animals." I smile. "I can't believe I am saying this but thank you Zachery. I am surprised you didn't shove me to the closets one and sell me." Garret let's out an evil laugh. "He didn't shove you to the nearest man, but he certainly didn't bring you to Wilker." My smile drops, "What did he do." I try and move to fast to step up to Zachery and go crashing to the floor. Everything is still spinning.

Zachery laughs at me, and Garret sends him a scowl, and helps me up. "You okay?" He asks. "I am fine." "Here, lets go to my office." Wilker said. I go to head to the door, and everything goes tilted. A wave of pain washes through my head. The room starts spinning faster. "Looks like the after effect of the antidote is having it's affect." Garret says. He wraps one arm around my neck and hooks one around my legs and lifts me. My hands fly around his neck and I let out a cry, as the world tilts sideways for a second. My head throbs, and I bury my head in his chest.

He laughs slightly, and carry's me out of the room. I only pull my head away from his chest when I am being set down. I had just heard Wilker say, "Put her in that chair." I look around, and I am in my favorite chair. I send Wilker a grateful look. I notice Wilker tell Zachery to sit in the chair closest to the door. "Okay, why are you separating Zachery and I this much. Did I do something to him?" Garret shakes his head; he is sitting right next to me. Wilker sits in his chair and takes a deep breath. "Jaycie, if you wanted to hurt Zachery before now, you will want him dead now."

My eyes go wide, and I feel anger boiling in me. My words don't come out in a yell. I don't even raise my voice. I just turn to Zachary and ask calmly, "What did he do?" He looks like he has seen a ghost. Wilker starts talking. He starts with me going to the door, me drinking three drinks, then taking a sip out of the mans beer. Then Garret takes over, telling me about everything that happened on the roof, and in the alley. When he tells me about how I kicked him, I turn to him. "I did that?" He nods. I feel myself go red. He continues on to how he left me at the table. Then how when he came back, I was on stage dancing, stirring up the crowd. And how Zachery was right in front of me.

When he finishes his story, I slowly stand up. I turn to Zachery, and the whole world spins. He head throbs again, but after that I am fine. My headache goes away, and the room straightens out. Zachery is standing up to leave, but I get to the door, before he can. He lets out a small scream. My words are deathly calm. "I want to hear you say it." He shakes, "Say what?" I smile. It makes him take a step back, but I take one right up to him. "Tell me what you told me to do when you knew I was drugged. Or at the very least when I was drunk. When you knew I couldn't control my actions? Tell me." He shoots a glance at Wilker. I watch Wilker raise his hands, as I say. "Oh Zachery, trust me. Wilker is smart enough to not jump in right now. There is nothing he can do anyway."

Zachery takes another step back, and I take another one towards him. "Tell me now, and what I am going to do won't get any worse." His eyes go wide. "What are you going to do?" He asks. "Tell me what you did." "I told you that you belonged on the stage, and you went over there with my help. Then you started dancing." I laugh. He looks out right shocked. I laugh again. "Why are you laughing." He asks. "Oh, because you have found hell. Many people have asked if there is a place in this world where you can find hell without dying. And you have found that answer. You have found it." He whimpers.

I cock my head. "Now, I am giving you three seconds to run, because when I catch you, not even the bravest assassin would risk pulling me off you." He looks outright terrified. "Three." I sing out. He seems frozen in fear. I wipe non-existent dust off his shoulders. "Two." I say. This unfreezes him, and he runs out of the office. "One." I take off after him. He heads for the door of the guild, but all the other assassins are filing in, so he has to turn. As we pass them, I swipe someone's daggers. They don't even notice. I keep following Zachery. He tries to lose me, but I am gaining on him. He passes the front hall again, but the door is still crowded. He tries to push through everyone, but I catch the back of his shirt, and throw him to the ground. I pounce on him and pin him with my knees. He screams to his buddies. "One of you. Help me. Help now."

He is actually begging for help. I raise one eyebrow. My voice is still calm. Deadly calm. There is a crowd around us. Wilker and Garret have joined the crowd. I look up at everyone, and they are all staring. One of them notices the daggers in my hands and looks at his sheaths. He has anger in his eyes. "You stole my daggers." He takes a step towards me, but I ask him a question with my even, quiet but strong voice. "Did you watch me dance on that stage?" He swallows. "Yes." "Did you try and help me down, try and stop me? Because everyone in this guild knows that is, I were in my right mind, I wouldn't have been up there."

The assassin that has been trained for years to withstand high pain levels and to not break under interrogation starts shaking. "No. I...uh...didn't think...uh...you wanted help." "Now we both know that is a lie." He steps back into the crowd. "How many of you watched me up on the stage?" I ask. It is so quiet, that I don't need to raise my voice for everyone to hear me." Zachery is completely still, trying to get me to forget about him. Everyone in the guild raises their hand." "And how many of you tried to help me." Garret and Wilker are the only two who raise their hands.

I look up and laugh towards the ceiling. The movement away from me is almost comical. I look around. The only ones without fear in their eyes are Garret and Wilker. I look down at Zachery. "I have a proposition for you." He shakes his head. "You don't want a choice. You want to see what I am going to do?" He shakes his head. "That is what I thought." I look around again. Then I look back down at Zachery. "You can either take all of the punishment, or you can have my spread it over the whole guild, with the exception of the two that helped me." All around me, assassins urged him to take it to himself.

His words are a squeak. "Everyone. Everyone takes it." Some one hisses the word coward at him. I laugh. "Zachery, I have to say, that is the smartest thing you have ever done. Until it comes to everyone else, because after I am done with the lot of you, they will all hate you." I stand up and take a step back. This causes everyone to run for the door." "Everyone come back in this room right now." Wilker yells. They all return. "I am not making this a request. You will all listen to what Jaycie says. Have fun and good day." He turns to me and whispers in my ear, "Please don't hurt any of them beyond repair. I nod and he and Garret walk off. "Well, everyone to the training room. We are going to have some fun. At least I will."

Everyone fights to get in the farthest back reaches of the room. "I want announcement rows." I yell out. The yell is still in my calm voice. I can see that they don't like it that I am acting this calm. Announcement rows are rows of ten assassins. There are ten rows. They are evenly spaced across the room. Everyone tries to score the back row. Zachery manages one. As the rows fill in, back to front, ten assassins' decide to not fight the crowd, and take the front row. Usually when Wilker calls for these rows, they fill up the opposite way. When everyone settles, I stand at the front staring at them.

I am quiet for like ten minutes. I meet eyes with each of them in turn. When I get to

to then front row, they all look the most scared. I smile at the ones in the front room. "You are very brave to take the front row. Very brave." They are all nervous, glancing at each other. "I will start with you ten." They all go bone white. "All of you..." I trail off for a second and they all suck in a breath. "May go." This take a second to sink in. "What?" One of them squeaks. "You heard me. All ten of you in the front row may go. You risked the front row, knowing quiet well that you could get the worst of my anger, so you may all go." They all rush out the door. I realize Garret is standing in the doorway watching. I wink at him and turn to the rest of the group in front of me. "Just so you know, the last row will get the worst part. No moving." I meet eyes with Zachery, and he looks about ready to pass out."

I step up to the second row, "Now, why were you just watching me make a fool of myself?" I pin one of them with a stare. He wilts under my gaze. "I don't know. I just saw you there, and I froze. I have never seen you do anything like that, and I was shocked. I move past him and over a few to the third row. "Why didn't you try and stop me?" "Uh...I...I don't even have an excuse." I smile. "Everyone from row two and three will run laps around the room until I say stop. No breaks until I tell you. Go." They all take of running. I move to row four. "Now, what should I do?" One of them has he audacity to answer me. "Let us go as well?" My head snaps to him. He straightens.

"You are a brave one." I walk up to him and he immediately cowers back. "Ask me again." I say. He stays silent. "Well, don't you want to go?" I ask. "Yes." I smile. "Go on." His jaw drops. "Yes." He run out. "As for the rest of row four, you will go practice your...punching skills. Go." They run to the punching bags. "I am disappointed in all of you. You are cowering in front of me, and you have been trained to withstand intense interrogation." I shrug. "I am getting bored. Rows four through nine. Today is you lucky day. If I see any of you for the rest of the night, I will personally make sure you can't move." They all run out and now I smile at the back row.

"Now, which ever one of you can tell me for sure who drugged me, may leave." Half of them looked at me with no clue what I was talking about. I looked at mt runners, and they all looked tired, and I tilted my head. "Runners. Two minutes. Get water, whatever. Then you are back to running." You turn back to row ten. "Can any of you answer?"

Zachery raises his hand. "I...I can." My eyes go wide. "Everyone out of this training room now. If anyone comes in, they die." Everyone ran out, except Garret. He walked up to me. "Out." I scream at him. Then I turn and face Zachery. "How the hell do you know who drugged me. I swear if you did it-" "I did." He says cutting me off. My eyes flare in rage and I am about to lunge at him.

Something takes him down first. Garret. Garret leaps onto him and drops him to the ground. He is throwing punches before I can stop him. When I un-freeze, pull Garret back. But Garret is still yelling at him. "You drugged her drink. Someone from the same guild as you. Someone who saved you useless life less than twenty-four hours ago?" Zachery scrambles back right as Wilker come running in.

"Zachery. What the hell is this about you knowing who drugged Jaycie?" He sees me holding back Garret, and the blood that is on Garret's fists, Zachery's face, and the ground. "Who did it?" Wilker asks. I turn to him. I feel tears behind my eyes now. I try and blink them back, forcing them not to spill out. "Zachery."

Zachery immediately starts talking. "That mystery assassin asked me if I knew were to find any of the stuff, and I didn't want him to get suspicious, so I sold him some of my personal supply. I always keep some on me, especially on times like these when I know there might be someone who needs to be cooled down. Like if Lee had gone crazy. I didn't realize he planned to put it in her drink." Wilker looks back at me, "Go to my office Jaycie. I will be right in. Okay?" I nod. He is saving me the embarrassment of crying in front of everyone. As I walk out, I hear Wilker kick Zachery out to the guild. Cutting all ties to this guild "You knew he was under watch, and you sold to him. You knew he was under watch, because Jaycie pointed him out, and you sold to him. Never come back." I leave before I can hear anymore.

As I fall into my favorite chair in his office I start thinking. "Why did that guy want me out of it. He had to know I had others with me. What was he playing at? Oh god. And I can remember him saying he will see me later. What does he mean by that? Oh go no. This is really bad." I feel tears streaming down my face. I am embarrassed. I hadn't sensed the drug. I had practically let him give it to me. And Zachery had been the one to give it to him. I hear the door open and Wilker comes over to me. He pulls me into a hug without asking me anything.

This was the thing about him. When he knew I was truly hurting, he was more of a father than anything. He didn't shame me for my tears or make my go off till they were gone. He was always there to help my, even in my darkest hours. That is why he was the one I fully trusted. Ans the one that I could open up to about almost anything.

"Jaycie, what is wrong. Why are you crying?" I wipe away my tears, only to have new ones follow. "I should have sensed the drug. It was Calveis wasn't it?" I ask. He nods. "What else? I know that isn't all." "I don't know who that is, but I can remember him saying something. Everything is foggy. Someone was holding me, and he told me he would see me later. Like he was expecting to bump into each other again." He rubbed my back. "It is okay Jaycie. It is not your fault." I nod and back away. "I want a mission. One that will get me away from the guild for a while. I don't care what it is, but I want to be on my own."

Wilker's eyes go wide. "Jaycie, we never do completely alone mission's, there is always a backup, a guard, something." I feel everything welling up inside me. Everything from the past week, two weeks, everything in my life that I have worked so hard to completely shut out. Everything is raising to the top. "Wilker, I need this. I need to get away from everyone. Away from this town, from you, from my fellow assassins." He actually looks scared. "Jaycie." "Please. I can do something easy. Anything that will get me away."

He walks to his desk and look's through the files. "Jaycie, we only have one, that you could do. But if you get caught, you are on your own. We have no information on him. We don't know where he lives, or anything. There will be no me to save you, or assassin search party to find your trail." "What is the mission?" He sighs. "A pickup. He is paying for a mission that he made. All you have to do is take the money and figure out where he lives. That was the payment agreement. But he specifically said only one assassin is aloud to come. That is never good."

I think. "I know the probability of me getting caught is high, but I need to do this. I can't stay here. I will be careful, and if I get caught. I will get away. I promise." Wilker looks into my eyes. "You are serious, aren't you?" He asks. "Deadly." He looks slightly sad. "Okay. Have the mission, but please be careful." "I will." "Go home, rest up, come here tomorrow with an overnight bag. It will take one night to get there. You will stay in a hotel for a night, pick up the money, and head straight home." I nod. "Thank you." Then I head out the office door and out the front of the guild. As I get out, someone catches me in and alley. "Jaycie. What is wrong?" I is Garret.

I am flustered. "I am getting ready to leave. I am going on a mission on my own. I need a break from everything." He tries to pull me closely, but I pull away. "Jaycie, that isn't safe. Just think-" "I have Garret. But I need this break. From everything. From us, from you. I am almost at me breaking point, and if I break during a mission, it could cost someone their life. If I am on my own, no one will get hurt."

He takes a step towards me and tries to wrap me in his arms, but I push him away again. "Jaycie. Stop pushing me away. I am trying to help you. You aren't thinking straight. You are mad and confused. Stop." I shake my head and let a tear down. "If you care about me Garret, you won't follow me. Won't be at my apartment, won't try to stop me. You won't try and get in my way. You will let me go." He shakes his head.

"No. I care about you, so I am talking you out of it." He grabs my hand and pulls me to him. I shove him back, feeling myself close off to him. Everything he has done to make me open up, down the drain. "NO! BACK OFF!" I yell at him. "If you have ever really cared about, ever wanted to help me, you will let me go. Hold me at arm's length. You won't come near me. Will let me come back to you. Just back off and don't try and hold me back." I turn and run. He doesn't follow. I feel tears rolling down my face. I am breaking.

I have held everything back for so long, I was breaking. This image I had made for myself, was burning. I was becoming the Jaycie, before Wilker's training. Scared, weak. Needing space at all times. I run home and pack. My whole world was falling apart, and I needed to get away from it. Re-build it. Make myself whole again. And this was the only way. Even if it got me caught.