Ok, guys, here's chapter eleven. I got a lot written over the past two days, so here's the next few chapters. starting with eleven.
Chapter eleven
Jasmine and Valentina finished off the last of the rookies and turned to find Chloe gone. They looked at each other in panic and raced for Jasmine's room, only to find the door locked. In a state of outright horror, Jasmine kicked the door in and rushed into the room.
"No!" she screamed, seeing the open window. "Chloe!"
Valentina followed her in and looked around warily. "No name, so she hasn't killed Chloe."
"But she's an assassin!" Jasmine cried. "She's going to kill her!"
"Jasmine you must calm down."
Jasmine tried to slow her breathing but thinking about Chloe in the hands of that masked killer was making it so hard. Jasmine's breathing sped up and she curled her fists as if strangling something. Taking a deep breath and forcing her breathing to slow, Jasmine looked up at her mother with pleading eyes.
"What do we do, Mom?" she asked. "She's gone and this killer is untraceable."
A note flew threw the window at that moment and Jasmine looked at it fearfully. Valentina picked it up and opened it, reading aloud. "'Not untraceable, Protector. I just merely cover my tracks enough to throw you off. Simply meet me at the old Jackal tunnels tomorrow night at sunset and you'll be reunited with your precious Uniter. Come alone or with your mother, but bring no one else or she will die on the spot. See you tomorrow."
Valentina looked up at Jasmine. "You and Chloe are dating?" she asked.
"No, why?" Jasmine asked in confusion.
"She called you Chloe's Protector. A Protector is usually a Mai that stays close to its loved one and ends up being mates with them. She seems to think that you and Chloe have affections for each other."
Jasmine shook her head. "It's just one-sided. She's too hung up on Alek to think of me that way."
Valentina nodded. "Do you want me to come with you to the warehouse?" she asked almost gently.
Jasmine shook her head. "I'll go on my own. Chloe was under my protection and I'll be damned if she dies."
Valentina nodded again and left her daughter to think in her room. Jasmine sighed as she thought of Chloe alone with that horrible woman, probably scared out of half her wits. I'm coming for you Chloe. The tan girl thought determinedly. I'll get you back.
Chloe slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Everything was too dark to see with human eyes. Slowly getting her bearings, Chloe opened her cat eyes and looked around. It looked like she was in a kind of bedroom except without windows. Slowly sitting up, the blonde stared around and found that she was on a bed and there was another bed beside hers a few feet away. Standing, Chloe approached the door and raised her hand to the doorknob.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice called from a chair across the room. Chloe turned to see the cloaked woman sitting there. "It's hotwired to set off an alarm if you turn it. It won't do that for me because it knows my touch. You however it doesn't know and will instantly shock you if you touch it."
Chloe cocked her head. "What do you want with me?" she asked softly.
"To study you. You are very interesting to me because I've never seen or met a target like you and your Protector."
"So you aren't with the Order?" Chloe asked, confused.
"Oh, I am, but I work on my own schedule rather than Whitley's."
"Whitley?" Chloe inquired.
"He told me you killed his son."
Chloe thought a moment and her eyes widened. "Brian's DAD is the head of the organization trying to kill me?" she asked, horrified.
"Yes."
"But… but I didn't kill him on purpose. It was an accident! He kissed me as I was coming back to life." The figure stood at this.
"You have nine lives?" she asked curiously, slowly coming closer.
"Y-yeah," Chloe replied nervously. "Seven now because the Order's killed me twice. W-why do you want to know?"
"Because, I-."
Just then, Alarms sounded and the figure nodded to itself. I have to go." She told Chloe. "Please, stay here and we will continue this conversation. For now, I must go meet someone extremely important."
She moved Chloe away from the door and opened it. From what Chloe could see, they were at the end of a long corridor of rooms. The door swiftly shut behind the cloaked figure and Chloe sat on the bed to await her return.
Jasmine stepped up to the entrance of the underground passages and waited as a cloaked figure stepped out as well.
"Where is Chloe?" Jasmine demanded.
"You'll see her soon. For now, I need to talk to you."
Jasmine's jaw clenched but she nodded, keeping herself carefully in check.
"Do you love the Uniter?"
Jasmine cocked her head at such an odd question to ask, but nodded all the same.
"Does she return your feelings?"
Jasmine shook her head.
"Did you tell her about your own feelings?"
Jasmine nodded.
"Would you die for her?"
Jasmine nodded slowly, thinking that was what the figure had waited for.
"What is her name?"
Jasmine sighed. "Chloe." She replied. "Chloe King."
"And yours?"
"Jasmine Valentina Garcia Ramirez."
The figure cocked her head to the side. "Valentina's daughter, of course. I should have known with how loyal you are to your Uniter. Now tell me, why is she a Uniter? Has she united anything between the different Mai prides or the Mai and the humans?"
Jasmine shook her head. "Chloe's not ready, she's only sixteen."
"But you've been doing much more than her at sixteen."
"Yes, but I haven't died twice lost, both my loves in one night, and then found out one of my boyfriend's cousins is also in love with me. Not to mention that she has all of the stress of becoming a symbol of hope for all Mai everywhere. That's a lot to put on one person."
The figure nodded. "And you are helping her get comfortable with the role of being the Uniter?"
"Trying as hard as I can, yes."
The figure took a step closer. "You are a very good Protector. You should be honored. Perhaps, when the Uniter traveled, you could have accompanied her on the missions and conferences."
"Traveled?" Jasmine asked curiously.
"She is the Uniter, surely she has to meet the many Mai prides in order to bring peace among them."
Jasmine nodded slowly. "I never thought about it that way. My mother only spoke of Chloe in San Francisco."
"Surely Valentina knew that she had to get Chloe to travel to the other prides?"
Jasmine shrugged. "She might have. She never really mentioned the other Mai prides until the Brazilian twins and the Jackals attacked Chloe."
"Yes, about these Brazilian twins. Who were they?"
"Lilli and her sister, Nikki. They came to see if the Uniter really did have nine lives and then report back to their leader with Chloe. They attacked her and it was only because of Chloe's quick thinking and natural fighting skills that she managed to run them off. Sadly, not before one was killed."
The figure cocked her head. "And what is the business with the Jackals?"
"Chloe met a Jackal named Kai and took a bit of pity on him. She bathed and clothed him and let him stay in her home for a night. It is because of that that they didn't kill my cousin Alek, Chloe's boyfriend."
"He was her boyfriend?"
"Yes, but my boyfriend, Zane, who was hired by the Order, killed him."
The figure took another step forward and Jasmine was instinctively preparing for an attack. Instead, the figure merely stared at her. "You are scared for your Chloe." The figure said at last. "And angry at me for stealing her. You were not lying when you said you would die for her. You are very honorable indeed. Come, Chloe is waiting for you."
Jasmine stayed in her fighting crouch as she slowly followed the figure into the tunnels, expecting an ambush. But none came as the masked killer led her down until they reached a room at the end of a long corridor filled with doors. Slowly opening the door, the killer let Jasmine go first and then followed after her.
"Chloe?" Jasmine called uncertainly.
"Jasmine! Don't let her close the door!"
Jasmine turned in the blink of an eye, but it was too late. The door shut and they were trapped in the room with Felina.
The whole Felina asking about Jasmine and her relationship to Chloe is just because she wants to know more about the two of them. You'll understand why later on... I hope. If not, inbox me and I'll explain it.