Chapter 42: The Games Begin

Chapter 42: The Games Begin


Jake had conditioned himself for suffering. He had conditioned himself for chains, for torture, for threat. He had conditioned himself for suffering.

This?
This wasn't bad at all.

Lisa wasn't hurting him.

She was doing this nicely.

He sat at a big table scowling at the unopened plate before him. Grilled steak, hot and newly cooked, roasted vegetables, a glass of good wine. The sort of meal he could never have afforded while he was in prison.

Lisa sat at the far end of the table listlessly twirling her wine glass. "Eat, Jake. You'll need your strength."

Jake would not eat the meal. "What do you want?"

Lisa cocked her head to one side, a smile poised on the edge of her lips. "Poisoning me? Don't be ridiculous. I want you to perform at your best."
Jake's fists curled around the edge of the table. He recognized this was her tactic.

She took a deep breath. "You always think the worst of me. And look around you." She swept her arm around the tasteful dining room—high ceilings, ornate chandeliers, beautiful silverware. "Does this seem like a prison to you?"

Jake's face hardened. "You can put a leash in a golden box. It's still a leash."

Lisa smiled and her head jerked back and forth. "That's where you're wrong. I'm not keeping you here out of a sense of duty. I'm keeping you here because, in your secret mind, you know that I am right."

Jake attempted to keep a straight face. "What about?"

Lisa stepped closer, burning eyes. "That out there? In the world? You'll never be free. They'll hunt you down, over and over and over, until there's nothing of you left. But here? With me? You could have power. You could have purpose."

Jake smiled. "You want me to be your pet?"

Lisa's face didn't change. "I want you to wake up. Stop fighting the inevitable."

Jake pushed back from the table. "I’m not playing this game."

Lisa sighed, standing gracefully. "It’s not a game, Jake. You’ll see that soon enough."

She stepped toward the door, pausing just before exiting. Then, without turning, she spoke the words that made Jake’s blood run cold.

"Oh, and for an extra thrill, just in case you're wondering? Zane lives. At least, for the moment. But if you continue torturing me long enough. well, let's just say he's not as immortal as he believes."

Jake's air ceased, but before he could move or say anything, she vanished.

Zane's Prison & The Warning

Zane rested against the cold face of his stone cell wall, screaming muscles and searing wrists from the silver cuffs.

He'd already hashed out all the options for escape in his mind. Every air vent, every weak spot in guard rotation. If he could time it right, he could escape.

And then there was Max.

His father came in, slowly and surely, as if he had nothing better to do. "Still at it, I suppose."

Zane didn't move. "Still wasting your time, I suppose."

Max smiled, still walking. "Oh, Zane. You'll never get it."

Zane clenched his teeth. "You'll never get it. I'm not you. I never will be."

Max folded himself up in front of him, chin on knees. "Aren't you?"

Zane said nothing.

Max's voice was curt. "You think you're tough because you disobey me? Because you disobey orders?"

He gasped for breath, glaring. "That isn't toughness. That's stupidity."

Zane's fists tightended.

Max strode back and forth. "You could've been great. You could've been a leader. But what did you do? You were weak. And now? Now you're just going to sit back and watch the only one who ever loved you lose their mind?"

Zane bristled. "What are you talking about?"

Max smiled. "Lisa does not have to break you. She only needs to break Jake. And besides, kid…"
He kneeled once more, his whisper barely audible.
"He's half there already."

Zane's heart was pounding in his chest.

Max straightened up, ironing his sleeves. "Go ahead, then. Make a run for it. Attempt to fight back. But do this: when you do, Lisa will strike back at Jake."

Zane's lungs were pumping, his chest constricting with anger.

Max slapped the back of Zane's neck, his sneering voice. "Stay there, son. It's all over."

And then, with no hesitation at all, turned and walked away from Zane in his rage.

Flashback: Zane's Rebellion

The last time Zane had defied Max was when he was sixteen.

He stood in the center of the training square, gasping, perspiration running down his back. The enforcer in front of him was half again larger, a veteran fighter.

Max stood off to the side, arms folded, watching with cold detachment. "Again."

Zane wiped the blood from his mouth. "No."

Max’s head tilted. "Excuse me?"

Zane spat blood onto the dirt. "I’m done fighting for you."

The enforcer stepped forward, waiting for Max’s command.

Max raised his hand, stopping him. "You're 'done,' huh? Good." He waved to the pack members standing in front of him. "But listen, Zane. If you can't protect your pack, you fight against them."

Zane growled back at his dad, fists balled with anger. That was when he knew—there was no break. No peace.

Unless he burned it all down.

Mia, Rico, and Tom – A Locked Door

Mia shut down her laptop. "Lisa's locked everyone out. In or out. No sign."
Rico swore under his breath. "So what do we do? Wait around for her to kill him?"
Tom sat on the bed, his fists around his knees. "No. We don't wait. We come up with another plan."

Mia sucked in a deep breath. "All doors are shut. Security on her property is tighter than a drum. Even her regular black market contacts won't touch her."

Rico rubbed his temples. "So we manufacture our own door of entry."

Tom's tone was cold but merciless. "We're going to need an insider. Someone who knows Lisa's vulnerabilities."

Mia's gaze settled on hers. "Someone like Lena."

There was no sound in the room.

Rico sighed. "So we're really doing this? trusting the same woman who double-crossed us?"

Tom swallowed hard. "If she can get us to Jake, does it matter?"

Mia took a deep breath. "Fine. But if she double-crosses us again? We take her out first."

The plan was in place.

And so the revolution against Lisa began.