Arji Kale quietly cursed himself. How could he have been so stupid? Asked around, trying to find Her. Arji straightened his shoulders. He would not accept defeat. He couldn’t. His boss would kill him if he came back empty handed. Arji still did know who She was, he had only Her description and the order to find Her. Arji never questioned his boss, because every time he carried out an order he got paid. And every time he got paid his little sister could live a little longer. Arji faltered at the thought of his sister. His sister who he hadn’t seen in almost seven months. His sister, Skyler, who’d just turned 10. Arji squared his shoulders. He would find Her, bring Her to his boss and see his sister again. If his mother would let him. No. Not mother. She may have given birth to me, but she is certainly not a mother. Arji thought darkly, his memories flashing to when he’d carried his little sister home unconscious that fateful night. When his mother looked at him with such disdain and told him to get out. That he was no son of hers. Arji shivered. He took full responsibility for his sister’s condition. There were too many things he could’ve done. He could’ve been more careful. Could’ve have protected her better. Could’ve been quicker and jumped in front of the man who’d attacked her. You wouldn’t have been able to stop it. There was nothing you could have done. He was almost triple your size. Arji’s mind tried to convince him. “Arji! Keep moving. I need Her by tomorrow at midnight,” Arji startled as his boss came through on the comms in his ear. “Yes sir,” Arji muttered, and resumed his brisk walking pace. She couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air. Arji would find Her, he had no other choice.
***
Skyler was 8 when she was attacked. Arji was 14. Arji had been trailing behind his sister, as they walked into town when the man appeared out of nowhere. He was running from the palace, glancing behind him every few minutes, cursing himself. Skyler stepped in front of the man, blocking his path. “What are you doing?” She’d demanded. Skyler had a tendency to protect justice and peace, to her this man was the opposite of both her moral obligations. The man had a gun. It was dark that night and Skyler hadn’t seen it. Not until it was too late. Arji wasn’t fast enough. He sprinted after his sister, trying to get between her and the man, but before Arji got to her the man growled. “Move,” When Skyler didn’t he shot her. Twice. Saying, “You’ve seen nothing. You’ve heard nothing,” When Arji got to Skyler, she’d already lost a scary amount of blood. They got to the hospital in time, and for two years Skyler has waited in the hospital on life support waiting for the moment that her brother can earn enough money to pay for treatment.
***
Arji shuddered as the memory came back to him. The hospital should have already gotten her the proper treatments, if it had been a normal hospital. Arji’s family was far from wealthy and the hospital they’d ended up in was basically a scam. Without the money she wouldn’t even be put in surgery. And the hospital didn’t allow transfers to other hospitals. His boss’s voice startled him back into the present. “Arji? Your mother called, and said your sister is worsening. You know almost never let you out of a mission, but you need to go, I don’t need your Mom snooping around here,” His boss said gruffly. Arji froze, terror paralyzed him. Skyler? Worse? Arji whirled around, heading towards the hospital. Arji ripped his ear piece out that connected him to his boss as he ran up the stairs to the hospital and flung the front doors open. The lady at the front desk looked up. “Are you here to see someone?” She asked in a bored voice.
“Skyler Kale,” Arji said quickly. The woman sighed, glancing at her computer.
“Room 21-” Arji was headed for the door before the woman finished talking.
“Arji?” Arji winced at the sound of his mother’s voice.
“So you really came?” Her voice was part taunting and part patronizing.
“Yes. Now let me see her,” Arji said through clenched teeth. His mother crossed her arms.
“There’s a man in there with her. Said he was your boss. I think he might donate the rest of the money,” His mother glared at him.
“Which is more than you’ve ever done,” His mother snapped. Arji barely heard the last statement and didn’t bother to add that she hadn’t contributed even one penny to Skyler ’s treatment. Said he’s your boss. Rang in his head. His boss? Here? Arji ignored his mother’s protests and entered the room. His sister lay sleeping on the hospital bed. His boss sat next to her. Arji had only seen his boss once before, yet he immediately recognized the man. “What are you doing here?” Arji asked skeptically.
“Giving money. I can’t have you getting distracted, Arji,” His boss answered. Suddenly Skyler stirred. Arji moved closer to her as she blinked her eyes open. “Hey Mare,” Arji murmured. Skyler grinned at him. “Arji. Hi,” Then her gaze landed on Arji’s boss, and a scream tore from her lips.
“Arji! Help!” Skyler tried to move closer to her brother.
“Skyler? Sky, what’s wrong?” He asked. His sister was shaking, her terrified eyes locked on Arji’s boss. “It’s him. Him, Arji,” Skyler whimpered. Arji frowned.
“What do you mean?” Arji asked his sister.
“He’s the one that- that… did this to me,” Skyler cried. Arji glanced back and forth between Skyler and his boss. “The guy that… attacked you,” Arji clarified, not believing his sister. Skyler nodded. Arji’s boss shook his head. “I’m sure I just resemble him,” Arji’s boss told Arji. “I don’t know what she’s talking about. I’ve seen nothing. I’ve heard nothing,” His boss said. Arji froze at the words. The sick, familiar words. “It is you. You said those words just before you… you,” Arji couldn’t get the words out. His boss glanced over at Arji’s white face then gave him a little smile. “Guess you found me out,”
***
Arji should have been shocked. Shouldn’t have been able to move. To talk. Instead years of rage that had been built up inside him came out at that moment. So much anger that he had to hold back from strangling the guy. “It was always you! I’ve just been doing your dirty work for two years!?” Arji yelled at him, moving between his boss and Skyler.
“Who is this girl that you wanted me to capture anyway? What were you going to do to her!?” Arji demanded. He needed to keep the boss talking until he could form a plan. His boss shrugged.
“Guess there’s no harm in telling you. I needed you to capture Rosaline Ashwood, my daughter. And, yes, I was going to kill her. I had too. She knew too much,” His boss said. Arji shook his head.
“You are insane,” Arji muttered. His boss shrugged.
“Maybe I-” Suddenly he slumped to the ground, unmoving. Arji scrambled back.
“Hello Arji Kale,” A voice behind him, made him jump. A man stood in the doorway.
“My name is Silas Khan, and we need you. Don’t worry I will explain everything on the way,”
***
Arji arrived at the HQ for the organization that Silas had explained to him in the car ride. The organization is called The Midnight Riders “We found people a lot like you. Young. And have a connection to our cause,” Silas had said. Arji hadn’t said anything at first. Just stared at Silas, shell-shocked. Then he asked, “Is he dead?”
Silas frowned, “Who?”
“My… boss. The guy in the hospital,”
“No, I didn’t kill him. This organization… we don’t want to kill people,” Silas said slowly. Arji nodded slowly. “Oh,”
The second Silas and Arji arrived at the HQ, Silas let him into a meeting room with five other teenagers. Silas led Arji to meet each of the teenagers. “June Keller,” The first one said. “It’s great to meet you,” she said. The next one nodded.
“Hi, I’m Melina Grey,” another girl told him. The boy next to Melina held out his hand.
“Jinx Chims,” He grinned at Arji. Another boy, this one much shyer, greeted Arji next.
“Wylie Jones,” he whispered. Arji turned to face the last girl. She took a step away from him.
“I- it’s you,” She whispered. Arji frowned.
“What?” Then he recognized her.
“Are you… Roseline Ashwood?” He asked softly. The girl nodded slightly.
“Are you here to hurt me?” She asked cautiously. Arji shook his head.
“No. I worked for you father, but I don’t anymore. I’m… sorry. I had no idea he wanted to kill you,” Arji told her as gently as possible. Rosaline sighed. “Yes, my father is very manipulative. Good at convincing people to do his dirty work,” She mumbled, disdain in her voice.
“I’m Arji,” Arji told Rosaline. Rosaline smiled.
“It’s nice to meet you, Arji,” Suddenly Silas cleared his throat, everyone turned to attention.
“All of you are here for a reason. All of you have connections to this organization,” Silas looked each of us in the eye. “Now I need to tell you the reason for this organization,” Silas paused and took a deep breath. “We are going to stop Queen Elizabeth Aplin, who you probably know better as Queen Bess of Malaik,”
To Be Continued…