Five Minutes

All it takes is a matter of seconds for what is to become what was. I have forgotten where I have heard these words, but they come back to me now in a haunting whisper. Fitting, I suppose, for the scene that was unfolding before me.

Kaiah was knelt on the floor, both arms held in vise-like grips by two of Reed’s men. Reed stood over her. I had only ever seen him in the photographs the Guild had taken, and seeing him so up close was somehow unnerving. “Where is she?” He growled, low. “I don’t know”, Kaiah said, her voice calm, eyes never leaving his. “Tell me, and I’ll let you go,” he cooed. “Humph.” “Kaiah snickered. “I don’t know what sort of ego trip you’re on, Reed, but if you think I’d sell her out, you obviously didn’t know as much about me as you thought you did.” A vein in his temple ticked. He grit his teeth. “I see.” He pulled his gun, and pressed it against her forehead. Cocked it. “Then, let this be a lesson to you! This is what happens when you shit on my kindness-” and with that, I watched as a bullet was loaded into the brain of the only true friend I had ever had. Blood, flesh and bone splattered the floor and their clothes. 

That’s when I blinked. The breath I had been holding came out in a strangled gasp. I was running. Faster and faster. I had five minutes. I had to hurry. “Rayne!” I turned my head. Jax. I had forgotten about him. I didn’t know what my face looked like, but I guessed it didn’t look good, judging by the pained expression he gave me. He tried to hide it, but that wasn’t something easy to do. “You saw her, didn’t you?” I nodded. He kept pace with me as we ran down the hall. “I’m not sure what it is that you saw, but regardless, once this is all over she’s going to kick your ass, you know that right?” I nodded again. 

He sighed. I knew that what I was doing was selfish. And dangerous. I had sworn to Kaiah that no matter what happened, I wouldn’t turn around. I would keep going, no matter what. What we had to do didn’t change if one of us died. “Though,” she had told me, “if anyone is going to die, I would rather it be me. There are still things that only you can do.” I hadn’t agreed lightly. It wasn’t that I didn’t know that she was right. I did. But it seemed that I could never think clearly when it came to her. I knew that I should never let personal feelings get in the way of things, but it was my own stupid brain’s fault for realizing recently the way I really felt about her.

She was the first one I had ever told about what I could see. Not by choice. During one of our first jobs together, one of my-Visions- or whatever, managed to be the only thing that had kept us from death. It was around that time I could confidently say my ability was allowing me to see up to five minutes into the future. Though the mechanics were far from being completely understood. Kaiah, in all of her bewilderment and excitement, had said that she believed that the things I saw were triggered by impending threats within about a fifty foot radius of myself. 

Originally, I had questioned her credentials, to which she turned her nose up at me and said, “You were in a drug induced coma for a year! There are still so many unknowns about the drug itself, y'know. I wouldn't be surprised if the things you see now are a result of that." “You actually believe that?” I asked, dubious. For all I knew I was nothing short of psychotic. Being asleep for so long, it was possible that I hadn’t adjusted to being awake and I was confusing the things I had seen or heard while asleep with reality. 

Her gaze had burned me up then. “I do. I mean, there’s so much we don’t know about Reed’s new drug. As far as I know, it’s uncommon for people who wake up from a coma to experience a chronic case of amnesia so severe that they are unable to remember their own names. Yet, you are. By all rights you should have been brain dead, yet you manifest this incredible ability to see the future?” I had snorted. “Incredible, really?” She stared at me for a moment. Then, “Ah, my friend, how is it not?” she said, while raising one eyebrow and stroking her chin like an old man with a beard. She even made her voice deeper. I couldn’t help it. I laughed.

Despite her young age, Kaiah was a neuropsychologist the Guild had assigned to me. Turns out I was somehow a walking miracle and it wasn’t because of my ability or the malnutrition and drugs in my system. I learned that Reed was one of the Seven Gang Lords that struck fear into the heart of the Capital. They practically ran the place, and had many government officials in their pockets. Though Reed was the First and the most dangerous. My condition seemed to be proof that I had somehow pissed him off, though none of us were sure what my connection to him was, so I guessed that the Guild had hoped Kaiah could help me figure that out. 

I’m sure they thought by doing so, they would have a chance of bringing Reed down for good. His drugs weren’t the only things causing problems. Supposedly, there were nasty rumors going around… I stopped. We had reached the end of the hall, and I could hear the faint sound of voices from around the corner. “...Is she?” Damn it. It was Reed. I had about thirty seconds. It wasn’t that I was scared. I mean sure, he was a dangerous man and supposedly we knew each other, but this man was about to discharge a firearm into Kaiha’s face. 

Either my presence startled him enough into lowering the weapon, or amused him enough to pull the trigger. Which means… “Fuck”, I breathed, clenching my fist. That was when Jax did the unthinkable. “Thanks for this, Rayne”, he whispered, and before I could stop him he was already moving into Reed's line of fire. Gah, you stupid lover boy! I screamed mentally. If anything happens to you, she'll kill me twice over! I closed my eyes and rested my head back against the wall. I breathed in. Out. In. Just as Kaiah had taught me all those months ago. 

Okay, Rayne. Think. Just think. It’s not that hard, you have a brain, afterall. “Oh, and who might you be?” Reed sounded like a lone wolf snapping at a stray rabbit. It was honestly chilling how only his words could send shivers down my spine. Then, I heard the click of a hammer. Stupid idiot. Jax must have readied his weapon. “What the hell, Jax!” Kaiah barked. There was a momentary pause that seemed to stretch for eternity before I could tell it all clicked for her. I flinched at her words, “Oh no, don’t fucking tell me-” “Sorry, Kai”, Jax said. A pause. I could feel Reed's twisted smirk through the wall that hid me from view. “Oh, so that’s what’s going on-”

A bullet came whizzing past with a loud bang. “Jax!” Kaiah screamed. There was a thud. If you died just now Jax, I swear I’m going to- “Shit!” Jax snarled. Oh, never mind. Good. He’s alive enough to swear. That’s when I heard the tap, tap, tap of footsteps against tile. “Wynter.” Wynter…? Who was he talking to? “You’re there, aren’t you? Why don’t you come on out and play a bit? It’s been forever since I’ve seen your face.” My head spun. Oh. He was talking to me. Was that… my real name? How ironic. Despite his words, I didn’t move. Which was odd. I wasn’t usually so awful at making split second decisions. It was obvious Kaiah was in the clear, at least for now, so what was my problem? 

That’s when I noticed I was trembling. That couldn’t be right. Me? Tremble? You have got to be joking. “Hurry up now or people are going to start getting holes in them.” I grit my teeth. The images of my earlier vision flooded into my mind once more. I could almost smell the brain matter. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. No. I wouldn’t let that happen. At least, not without a fight. “Hang on to your hats, kids…” I mumbled, as I cocked my gun.