JADE COLLINS

FIVE YEARS AGO

The first thing I felt was a throbbing pain as I came to. Groaning, I sat up slowly to massage my ankle joint where I had a dislocation. I cut out part of my dress to try tying it around my ankle to minimize the pain. In a day or two hopefully, the injury should heal.

"That's not going to help you young lady" I heard a voice to my right.

"What?" I said automatically, my heart throbbing violently. Was he one of the rogues I was running from? Was this guy a killer? What if he was one of Ronan's relative that found me and he was going to take me back?

I automatically dropped the torn off piece of cloth and picked up a twig immediately sliding backwards,

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"Whow whow, calm down. I'm not going to kill you and I'm Samuel by the way, I just noticed you as I was walking by. I actually thought you were dead until you just....woke up I guess"

I took another curious glance at the man standing before me. He had brown hair, kind of shaggy. Dark brown eyes which are bright by the way. Infact, he looks like a puppy.

"Puppy" I said involuntarily under my breathe. He must have heard though because he replied

"Yeah, many people would say I look like a puppy" he shrugged distastefully, lighting a cigarette as if to show he wasn't a cute puppy.

One more thing I noticed was that Samuel was most likely human, or not. But I'm sure he's definitely not a rogue so my wall of defense crumbled.

"Hmm, you seem like a brave girl" he said, squatting to my level.

"Would you like to come with me? I could help you treat your leg" He extended his hand to me to take it.

It's either I was reacting to the smoke or my injury was too severe because all I remember was Samuel's creepy smiling face and falling into the darkness again.

When I woke up for the second time, I discovered that the pain in my ankle had reduced drastically, I could actually jump gingerly now if I wanted to.

I opened my eyes and looked towards the metal I was smelling. I sat up in shock, looking around me. I was in a cage, or a cell or dungeon, whatever you call it.

The cell wasn't the messy types usually described in books but still, my freedom had been taken from me.

"Ahhh....The princess has awaken" a yawny voice said to me. I looked at the owner of the voice and I discovered she was also in a cell like me. Contrary to her sleepy voice, she looked bright, very bright Infact, her hair was black, her nails were painted black, her lips were rosy. I mean, this girl was stunning.

I stood up, "what is going on here?"

Yawny, laughed, moved deeper into her cell and sat on her bed, fiddling with her fingers. It looked like she was peeling off excess skin from her fingers and that was very important, compared to my question apparently.

Another voice replied, taking my attention away from her fingers. "So typical of Sam to just kidnap vulnerable people". This guy looked extremely handsome, muscles in the right places and his hair cut low. He looked like a sexy soldier except his hair was silver or white. I think at this point, you should know I'm terrible at describing people.

He had a drawling voice. I think I'm beginning to notice a pattern here but I can't call it a pattern as I've just met Yawny and Drawly. Drawly spoke up again "Wow, you're very pretty" I was shocked, who says that when they're in captivity.

"Ummmm, how am I here? What is going on?" I asked, starting to panic

"Ughhhhh, you're a fool Silver." Yawny stood up, finally leaving her fingers, she paced around her cell looking me up and down.

"Yeah, she's pretty alright. Though she looks very wimpy, and small. I think Sam made a mistake with this one"

I think I get the pattern now, she also looked like a sexy soldier.

"My name is Black, and that is Silver" she pointed at the guy opposite our cells.

"Violet just got a promotion, so obviously he can't stay with us peasants anymore. He has earned a place in The House" She continued speaking like I understood what she was saying.

"Just back up a bit, what are you saying?" I asked.

"I think she's also slow" Silver looked at me curiously.

"Hush now Silver, she's just shocked that's all.... I hope" I nodded vigorously to show them I wasn't stupid. Though, there's something I'm forgetting. I can't place my mind on it.

"What's your name dear?" She asked me so sexily that I wanted to give her everything she wanted.

"My name is... my name is..." I can't believe I forgot my name, I tried thinking so hard but I just couldn't remember.

" It's no use, Sam has blocked all of your memories prior to entering this cell. Why did you ask her that question Black?" Silver said.

"Honestly, that bastard is too meticulous" she slammed her hand on the bars of the cell.

"You were most likely kidnapped" Silver said

"Duhhhhhh" I said already cranky, rolling my eyes and going back to sit on my new bed.

"Ohhh cool, I like her already, she's funny" Black said.

" What Silver is trying to say is that Sam coerces people to join the boot camp, but for him to kidnap you, you must show so much talent. Though, I can't see it" She frowned.

"So many people come here to get vengeance but after they get here, they forget everything and everyone from their lives before."

"What is this place?" I asked.

"Why by now, you should know it's a Underground company... scratch that, people that know it call it The Underground company. Rich people contract fighters and mainly assassins to get rid of their enemies. Some come to watch the interns fight, that's how we move up the ranks to become professional assassins."

"The Underground expanded to academies that are known as boot camps. Sam believes anything worth doing is worth doing well. So many future recruits are kept in the boot camps." She finished.

"So this is one of the boot camps?" I asked.

"Yes, doll. And we all forget our names from our past lives anyway so Sam just gives us the name of a color he feels suits us, and we go with it. We even have to dye our hair and stuff. " She pointed to Silver.

"He obviously scouts very good looking people and strong people, but I don't get why he even kidnapped you. No offense, you're pretty but you don't look strong" She looked at me worriedly.

" They're going to chew you out there and spit you out. So many recruits want to move up the ranks" Black frowned.

"Is it only by fighting you get to move up the ranks?"

I asked.

"Umm, not really but it's almost always by fighting" she replied.

"I really hope you win your matches dear, it would be such a waste for you to vanish from earth" Black said so casually.

"WHAT?" I screamed.

Silver chuckled "Princess, it's not a big deal, you get used to it after a while, except you get killed first"

I was actually warming up to the idea of fighting to earn a spot in The House so I could finally escape, but I didn't expect we would kill or be killed.

"That's why Sam scouts for future recruits every other day" Black said.

All these information were too much for me already, the other thing I had to do was cry, I rolled my back towards my new companions and cried my heart out. I can't believe this was my new life right now.

"I guess she's not taking it well" Silver drawled.

"Thank you for that excellent observation Captain obvious" Black yawned.

"Princess, it's not so bad. You just have to make sure you don't get killed and then you rise up in the ranks. Funny thing is you get to train normally before you get into the Life and Death matches. You might not get sent to work as an assassin later but trust me, it's the only shot you have of leaving this place"

"What did I tell you about telling our future recruits more than necessary Black?" A familiar voice said in the background.

Black looked around in alarm, ran to her bed and stayed silent.

Into my view stepped Samuel, he kind of looked powerful right now. He still looked like a puppy though, a cute one. But for Black and Silver to cower to their beds all silent, it means he's actually dangerous. Sam offered me a smile and I looked around nervously.

"Yeah, we kill people but only those that deserve it.

And I selected you because I know you have a purpose. I'm really sorry for kidnapping you but you're a rare find. Your aura, your beauty. Even your voice, we would have to refine the way you speak though and dye your hair, I've finally figured out your name. Red" He said like he had been contemplating on it all day.

"Yes Red, so get ready, in 10 minutes, you're going to hair and makeup. I don't like unnamed people staying too long in my cells see, I forget about them and they die off, such a waste of time and effort" He said in thought.

Ughhhh, just my luck, I'm stuck with crazy people. Protesting right now wouldn't help me, besides, I don't want to die. So I got up as Sam left the cell area, went into the nook that was carved out for privacy, it looked bigger than I thought, and dressed up in the beige t shirt and trouser that was placed on my bed.

I removed the wedding dress on me, trying to remember why I had it on in the first place. It was quite dirty around the leg area and apparently part of the dress was torn. I tossed the dress into the bin. And hurried up to my cell gate that was now open.

"Hmm Red, I think it actually suits her" Silver finally found his voice again after Sam left.

"Yeah, Sam knows how to pick our names" Black said as I followed the guard leading me to hair and makeup.