Page 12 of Cut Her Strings (Fractured Puppets #1)

Chapter 11

The Shadow

L ife moved differently for me after Jayce and my sister's betrayal, after I woke up from my coma. There were no longer waves; instead, it was reminiscent of a metronome. The steady pulse of my heart beating if only for my Faction. There weren’t any crests, nothing positive. My only motivation was the possibility of one day being able to question Jayce for his role in my betrayal and revenge.

The time blurred into one endless loop. I would pick a persona, be “caught,” gather as much intel as possible, and escape. Rinse, wash, and repeat. Due to my upbringing, I found it very easy to fall into the role of the Shadow. I had long since learned how to play hide-and-seek. It was one skill I would forever be grateful to Anadil for.

After a few years passed, the Shadow became well-known not only in my Faction but also in the entirety of the Resistance. They were accredited as the most accomplished in my Faction and, unfortunately, due to this attention, it did not take long before the Government caught wind of my persona. The information I provided was used to rescue thousands from the Government-run facilities akin to the one I grew up in. It did not leave me a shortage of enemies. But no one in the Resistance or the Government knew who the Shadow was. Or so I thought.

In the five years since Nightingale's attack, the Government devolved quickly.

The first was this game show. While not outwardly sanctioned, many knew who was behind it. The first year, it was essentially a public execution for those involved in Nightingale’s attack. I didn’t witness it, but I heard enough to place the blame on my sister’s shoulders. The following years showed that anyone could be chosen if they garnered the wrong attention. It was a highly accepted rumor that most of the Sponsors chose members of the Factions that had personally wronged them.

The second was the strengthening of the Government's control. Laws were passed that allowed Government Officials to take regular citizens if they were even thought to be related to a member of the Resistance. This had never been so openly accepted, and the change came with an uptick in missing persons, specifically in the lower classes that lived outside of the Government buildings.

The third was that leaving the country, which was difficult before, became nearly impossible. I learned this personally because after my last job went wrong, I attempted to see if I could escape. The next thing I knew, I woke up in this game.

"Raven!" The screeching noise startled me in the darkness, followed by my body shaking.

"Ease up, man, she'll wake up soon," a voice sounded.

"You keep saying that, but she still hasn't. I can't keep seeing her like this!" the speaker's voice cracked.

I did my best to move or do anything to indicate I was awake. I felt my body tremble again.

"Wake up! They said you should be up by now, open your fucking eyes!" I recognized Jayce’s voice this time; I could tell he was the source of my body's movement.

Finally, after much difficulty, my eyes fluttered open, the brightness causing immediate stabbing pain, and I was acutely aware of how dry my mouth was.

"Thank fuck.” He launched himself onto me, crushing my body as his arms wrapped around my frame.

I grunted and lifted my hands gingerly to push him off. Looking around, I could see I was back in our apartment in what appeared to be my bedroom. "I'm fine. You know they’re going to keep doing this."

Jayce lifted and glowered into my eyes. Based on the dark bags, even visible through the mask, he hadn't slept in days.

"Wait, how long has it been?" my voice came out hoarsely. He grabbed a glass of water from next to the bed, guiding it slowly to my lips for me to sip.

He paused. "Three days."

That got my attention, and I jolted up, knocking the water from his hands and onto the floor. It was then I noticed that I was hooked up to medical equipment.

What in the hell had happened?

"From what I could gather, they had an incorrect medical history for you. Whenever they went to knock you out, they had been administering too much of the drug, and the build-up caused your brain to swell and for you to remain unconscious," Maverick chimed in from the foot of my bed.

His voice grabbed my attention, and I noted that Maverick, Levi, and Enzo were all present in my bedroom. Their attention was laser-focused on me, causing me to squirm under its intensity. There were emotions I could not quite understand in all their eyes.

"Whoever oversaw that is most likely dead by now; your health put a wrench in their plans. They have filled it with more interviews, but the energy turned hostile. I doubt you had much more time before they decided you were unfit to play," Maverick continued, scribbling in his notebook as he spoke.

Apprehension crept down my spine. Unfit to play was essentially a death sentence; no wonder Jayce was incredibly frantic.

"You gave us all a scare, sweetheart," Levi chimed in.

Enzo remained silent but offered up a sympathetic shrug.

They were all haggard. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry everyone," I stated emphatically. I hadn't known these three men for long, but I was beginning to form a bond with all of them, and I needed to continue to do so if we were going to be the ones to win this.

Jayce deflated before me, shadows cast across his eyes. "I can't keep seeing you like this. I can't go through this again."

I reached for him, but he pulled away from me and stormed out of the room.

"He didn't leave your side the entire time," Enzo informed me. "Barely ate anything and kept watch anytime the doctor came to check on you." He paused and gave me a soft smile. "I know we are all practically strangers, but for what it' s worth, I am happy you are okay." He shot Maverick a knowing look, and they both exited the room, leaving me with Levi.

I gave Levi a soft smile as he approached my bed. "Are you okay with me sittin’ in for a chat, or do you prefer I give you some time? I promise to be on my best behavior."

I knew trusting these men could end in my demise, but what choice did we really have? They would make formidable enemies, and honestly? They made me feel more than I had in years.

"Sure thing, let me just get a bit comfier." I yanked the cords and tubes off of me, ignoring the pain when the IV came free. A siren sounded when I removed the last cord connecting me to the medical machines, and my bedroom door clicked behind Levi as it was locked shut.

The TV screen flashed on in my room, and we both turned to it as all the other light sources, including medical equipment, were shut off.

The Host's face illuminated the screen. "I hope you rested well, my dear 20, the Sponsors have missed you."

The Host's tone was off, more so than usual. He wasn't singing, he wasn't angry, he wasn't scared. He was reading from a script. And this was further proven by his eye movement as he went on.

"20, you have been unable to participate the last few days." He paused, letting air flow out his nose quickly, before taking a deep breath and continuing. "You caused a delay to the games and, in doing so, a suspension in entertainment." While the Host's voice continued in the same zombie tone, his anguished eyes stared directly into mine.

I pushed myself to stand out of bed, needing to be prepared for whatever was to come. I stumbled a bit, and Levi caught my arm, tugging me to his side. He turned us to lean against my bed, keeping hold of me. His calloused fingers wrapped my forearm's full circumference, leaving goosebumps in their wake. I shook off the unwarranted sensation that left my body and rational thoughts at odds.

Our gazes returned to the Host on the screen as he started up again. "This is a game that was voted upon. They want to see if your allegiance is a facade or if you truly wish to work together until the end." The Host paused; this time, emotion flooded his tone; he was nearly snarling. "182, you called her small and vicious. Well, now let's see how true that is." The Host let go of one more breath. "The rules are minimal. Fight or fuck. You can fight until one of you is seriously incapacitated. Or 182, you can fuck her until she can't stand." The Host's voice returned neutral. "You have two hours. Best to provide top-notch amusement." The Host's face was replaced with a timer counting down in its place.

Fucking timers. Fucking games. Fucking all of this shit. I would never again use a timer or play a stupid game after I make it out of this. Correction, if I make it out of this.

Banging startled me out of my internal raging. "What is going on? Raven! Talk to me; we all received a pre-recorded message that another game was in progress, but nothing else. Are you okay?" The knocking became more frantic as Jayce continued his rant through the door.

"I'm fine," I rasped out, my voice still raw from the lack of use.

Levi had not spoken or even moved a muscle, but his jaw ticked, and the hand that had saved me prior now held me in a painful grip.

The pounding stopped, but Jayce sounded even more anxious. "Talk to me, sweet Raven."

"Levi, you good dude? Are we about to die? I'd like a heads up if so." Enzo's voice was calm, only breaking at the very end.

"We're…" Levi finally spoke and turned to me, thinking about it for a moment before finally settling on, "...going to live."

It was Maverick's turn to chime in. "I was afraid this would happen; I just didn't expect it to happen so soon. 20's health upset the Sponsors, correct?"

"Seems to be," my words strengthened this time as I resolved myself to what we needed to do. "We'll be fine. Just give us some time to work it out." I pulled my arm from Levi and put my hand before him. "Truce for now?"

He tilted his head, obviously confused, but then he gathered his bearings, shaking my hand. "Sure thing, darlin'. You heard her, boys; give us some time, and we will come out of here alive."

I noticed the way he said alive and not good or anything else. Was he planning on hurting me? I knew better than to think he wouldn't break my trust if it came to life or death. He had said as much during our interviews.

"Let's talk? It's what I wanted to do before all of this." His words held nothing to betray his intentions.

As before, I knew this man could outmaneuver me. He had the mass, the skills, and the intellect. He was an attractive man and I found myself intrigued by what made him tick. I finalized my plans and put on one of my past personas. Raven couldn’t do what needed to be done to continue this game, but the Shadow had done much worse.

I reached up and undid my mask, tossing it onto the bed, thankful I could remove it for this.

"Agreed." I began stripping off my clothes. "Join me in the shower, hot stuff?" I threw my pants at his shocked face and mustered up my energy reserves to make it to the shower. I remembered Maverick's information that the bathrooms did not have microphones. The shower would provide a show for the Sponsors while we devised a plan.