Project Trouble X Three

Dedicated to, well, you know who but I will let everyone else know too, right oddball, Penumbra, Jo Jo Sprout, and N.Y.O.B.? Thank you to everyone who is reading. Please drop a comment when you can.

Recap

I walked to the pantry and grabbed two granola bars, eating them quickly. I made sure to grab a coke and drink it too. My stomach wasn’t satisfied but it would do.. “Need some help, Mom?”

“Can you set the table and put a couple of hot pads down too?” She asked. I nodded and grabbed plates, silverware, napkins, and two hotpads. I had to put them on the island and take them to the table a couple of times, but by the time I was done making sure everyone had drinks the food was ready. I helped my mom carry everything to the table. I walked to Sophia’s room and checked to see if they were hungry. Sophia was coming to and she nodded her head, Doc doing the same. They followed me back to the table and took their seats.

“Where’s Cruz?” My mom asked as she looked around the table. I shrugged my shoulders, the others doing the same. My mom sighed and got up to look for him. I started eating the plate of food Martim had fixed me when I heard my mom yell. My dad jumped up and ran out of the room, Madrid running after him. I didn’t care what he did as long as I got to eat.

“Holy shit! Cat’s going to be pissed,” I heard Madrid say.

Still Cats POV

“Holy shit! Cat’s going to be pissed,” I heard Madrid say. Everyone got up from the table at the same time, but I ran before any of them could move. I came to a screeching halt outside of my room, my eyes bugging out of my head. I was sure I looked as if I were a cartoon character.

“What the hell? I’m going to beat his ass like a drum when I find him!” I yelled, stepping into my room even more. My brother had written on my walls. He wrote bitch, whore, dead woman walking, and cheater. He had cut up my comforter and my pillow. My clothes smelled as if someone had pissed all over them. He had destroyed my rucksack and clothes. I was more than pissed but I had to keep my head calm or I would have killed him. I have had enough of his shit, his baby fits, and his thinking. He wasn't any better than the rest of us.

“Where is he, Cat?” My mom asked. I pulled up the cameras in the bunker and went through every one of them. About halfway through I found him hiding, his face in his knees. I didn’t say anything, I ran, hearing ever one following me.

I came to a skidding halt when I saw a trip wire, making sure no one hit it. I stuck my head around the corner and looked to see how he had set the wire up,, noticing a hand grenade attached to the wire. I pulled out my all purpose knife and cut the wire, making sure to let the grenade down easy. I handed off the grenade to my mom and walked over to Cruz.

“Well, you’ve got yourself in a bit of a pickle , haven’t you?” I asked sarcastically. “Did you really think I would care about material things or worry about my clothing? This place is temporary. What you have only accomplished was fucking up any chance you had of not having your ass beat by mom.”

He looked up at me, a sneer gracing his face. “But, it was so satisfying. I tore up your weapons too. Now what are you going to do?””

“Dumbass,” I muttered, clearing my throat. “Well, I guess I can go grab my favorite weapons out of the place where I hid them. I knew you were going to do something amazingly stupid, so I replaced my weapons with weapons that didn’t work.”

My mom chuckled and smiled at me. “And, it’s why she beat you at your own game. Now, you are in a lot of trouble and you get to come with me if Cat will show me where the cells are.” I nodded and watched as my dad and mom grabbed Cruz in a tight hold. They followed me down another corridor, one they hadn’t seen before. I put in the coodes, making sure Cruz couldn’t see. The wall opened and the cells appeared.

“I wasn’t sure if we would need them or not,” I commented when Madrid gave me a look as to say ‘what the hell’. I shrugged and walked away. Cruz was screaming profanities at me but I let them slide off my back. I didn’t like it but I knew I could shrug them off.

I was worried about him doing something to get me caught when we left the bunker. He didn’t care about his actions as long as he got revenge. The problem is he wouldn’t get me killed, he would get me raped and anyone with me killed. I hoped my parents talked to him. I didn’t want to lose Martim because of Cruz’s actions. Hell, I would take Sophia with me this time.

Sophia walked to me and gave me a hug. I wasn’t too keen on anyone hugging me other than my mate, but I let her be. “Don’t listen to him, Cat, he’s jealous. You can sleep in my room tonight if you want.”

“I’m worried about him getting me caught on purpose. He’s idiotic enough to do so. You know I would be beat and raped over and over again. I don’t want anyone to touch me other than Martim,” I whispered.

“I know. You need to ask uncle Madrid to put him on their team and make sure he keeps quiet. Hell, I would take his radio away so he can’t call the cartel leaders and let them know where you will be.”

I nodded. “I listen to their channel, so he can’t tell them where I will be if he doesn’t know where we will be,” I told her as a smirk appeared on my lips.

“Ooh, I like. You wouldn’t have a problem with me being on your team?” She asked in a small voice.

I smiled at her. “Nope, not any. You can shoot and I know you are training as hard as you can, so we will do well being on the same team.” I paused and smirked again. “And, this way Cruz can’t shoot my ass.” We both chuckled.

Sophia went back to her plate and I started eating my food. I was wondering where the guys were, but I shrugged my shoulders and ate my food. When they still weren’t back I got worried. When they still weren’t back I got worried. I waited for a few more minutes. I was worried about my family. I wasn’t sure what Cruz was capable of if he got mad. I waited for a few more minutes but I couldn’t take it any longer. I had to see or hear what was going on.

I got up from the table and took my plate to the kitchen to wash later. I walked towards the cells, not knowing what was going to happen. I could hear voices as I got closer to the cells, so I stopped and listened.

“What is wrong with you? You were doing great with training and now you want to slack off, blaming Cat for everything. Do you realize you are being the princess Sophia had been?” I heard Madrid ask as I eagerly waited for his answer.

“It’s always been Cat. She’s your favorite child or neice. You never showed me you were proud of me as you have her,” I heard Cruz whine. I rolled my eyes at the idiocy of his answer. He was always lazy and didn’t want to participate in any training. I couldn’t help it if he didn’t want to get up at seven in the morning.

I heard a sigh. “We don’t play favorites.” He paused. “We praise hard work, loyalty, initiative. Which one of these have you done? Even Sophia is putting in the hard work to make herself stronger and you’ve taken the place as princess.”

“No I haven’t. Sophia’s only doing this to get attention!” He yelled, causing us to wince.

Sophia walked around me. I knew she was being me but I didn’t want to risk anyone hearing. She walked towards the cells. “I’m not doing this for attention. I want to be able to protect myself and my family. I realized I had been a brat for too long. I wanted to change, no, I needed to change. I don’t want to be that weak little girl who fails to protect her family,” I heard her say. I was proud of her. I knew she was doing this for herself and not for our family. She just needed a push to get her going.

“You are here, so your shadow has to be close. Come out, Cat, if you dare,” Cruz taunted. I rolled my eyes and walked around the corner. “There’s the favorite. I can’t wait for our surprise to show up and do with you what they want.”

“You, asshole, they will kill everyone else off, including you! It doesn’t matter if you have a deal with them or not!” I yelled, mad as hell at his stupid move. “How about we leave you to them?”

I pulled up the cameras and rewound the one following Cruz’s heat signature. I almost gasped at him.