"Diane will show you where everything is and then you can go and clean yourself up. You look like you haven't eaten in what, days?" Caine asked.
"Weeks," I murmured. Caine showed a look of sympathy, but it disappeared before anyone else could notice. I followed Diana down the hallway and into a bathroom. The bathroom seemed to be the only thing at Coates that wasn't destroyed.
"Everything you need is in here. There are clothes in there as well. You're probably the same size as me." Diana said. She gave a friendly smile and then turned to leave. I took a long, refreshing shower and then brushed my teeth three times with a spare toothbrush. I combed out my long, blonde hair and stared at myself in the mirror. I hadn't realized my hair was so long. It used to be a little past my shoulders, but now it was a little above my hips. I blew dried my hair until it was shiny and all the knots were out. I looked at my face in the mirror and put on make-up and then finally I got dressed. Diana's clothes were just the right size; maybe even a perfect fit. I walked out of the bathroom and realized that it was getting dark. I was walking along the hallway when a voice a mile a way made me jump.
"Hey," a voice called. I turned to see a familiar boy rushing toward me. The boy had dark glasses and blonde hair. He was holding a computer under his arm as he made his way toward me. "I have been looking for you." he puffed out of breath. Why did he look so familiar? I must have seen him before. Wait a second . . .
"Weren't you in the dining room early?" I asked.
"Yeah. I'm the only one who got hit," he said spreading out his left arm. He had a long line of dried blood up his arm and a deep gash.
"I'm so sorry," I said gently. I felt horrible that I had hurt this kid. He was younger then I, but not by much. Still, he was little to me and looked so innocent, so weak.
"Its fine," he assured me. I frowned. "Really."
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Jack. Well, everyone calls me Computer Jack actually." he said matter-of-factly.
"I'm Alex," I said.
"Do you know Sam Temple?" he blurted. It took me a second to register the name. Did he mean the Sam Temple in Perdido Beach? The Sam Temple that I knew when I was younger? That Sam Temple? It had to be. What other Sam Temple was there in California?
"Yeah," I said.
"How do you know him?" he asked curiously.
"Sam and I used to be really good friends when we were little. When I was five, I used to live in Perdido Beach, but then a few years later, we moved and I never saw him again. When I heard Caine say Sam's name I was wondering if that really was you know, the Sam I knew." I began. "It is, isn't it?"
"Yea, that's him." Jack said.
"What did Caine mean when he said, 'she could be working with Sam'? I wondered.
"Sam and Caine are brothers. Well, twins actually. They hate each other with a true passion. Caine wants to take over and make everyone under his rule while Sam just wants peace with everyone. Caine will never give up and Sam is a smart guy. He knows that he can't back down." Jack said.
"So you're on Caine's side?" I asked quietly.
"I was forced too. It was either that or I die," Jack gulped.
"Do you have any powers?" I asked. "And what about Caine and Diana?"
"We all do. Diana can read people by touching their hands. She can tell how powerful their power is like when she told you that you were a six bar. Caine and Sam were both the most powerful bar there was, but now that you came along you beat them. Caine can move things with his mind and I have super strength. Didn't expect that, huh?" he smiled. I laughed.
"And what's the deal with Drake?" I asked.
"Drake," Jack said and almost trembled. "Drake doesn't have any powers. He only has that whip hand. Sam fried his arm off a few months back and then something we call; The Darkness gave Drake a replacement. Drake is sorta on his own side. He has to listen to Caine or else, but he hates doing that. He has anger management and is a psychopath. He can severely hurt someone or kill someone and not care the slightest bit. There is something seriously wrong with him." Jack said. I nodded as I took all this information in.
"Jack," I finally said. "You have super strength and are probably the smartest kid here, but yet you can't escape or is it because you don't' want too?" My question took him off guard. He didn't seem to know what to say.
"I could escape, probably. I mean, it won't be easy, but I am sure I could do it. If Caine or Drake . . ." he shivered. "ever found me, I don't even want to think what they might do to me."
"You have the power of strength. Strength is a very powerful thing and if you keep on helping Caine, he's just gonna become more powerful and sooner or later something bad is gonna happen." I said quickly.
"I know," Jack sighed. "I just don't know what to do at the moment. What about you? What's your plan?"
"I don't know. I was thinking of staying here for a while until Caine trusts me and thinks I am loyal to him and whatever. Then I guess will run off and go to Perdido Beach and help Sam out, no matter what the consequences are. Sam used to be my best friend and Caine doesn't seem like the type of guy you want to hang around with." I said. Jack opened his mouth to response, but was cut off by a booming voice down the hall.