Part 5

Levi kept his word and so did I. I kept my grades up and I followed his exercise plan which was rigorous. I started jogging ten miles a day. He sent me self-defense videos, videos on assembling firearms, and reading material on psychology.

He sent me studies on gunshot residue, fingerprints, and behavioral studies that the FBI used. I had no idea how he’d gotten his hands on that, but I studied it like my life depended on it. Levi pushed me hard but I pushed myself harder.

When he was in Boulder, we would go deep into the woods and he would teach me how to fight, how to handle a knife, and he taught me how to shoot. I was a fast learner and I did him one better. I jogged twelve miles a day and I spent about four hours a day practicing alone. He brought me a wooden dummy on one of his visits and after three months, I broke the first one.

For my eighteenth birthday, Levi visited us in Boulder and he brought his daughter, Tala, with him. He spoke of her often and by the time I met her, it felt like I’d known her for years. Levi’s eyes would always soften and he always smiled when her name was mentioned.

They met us at the restaurant and Tala walked in behind Levi. She had on black leather pants, biker boots, and a black T-shirt with a dead bride on it. She turned heads, not only because of how she was dressed, but because she was exceptionally beautiful too.

She was oblivious to the stir she caused and she was very confident. I guess being Levi Sinclair’s child had something to do with that, but she was funny and intelligent and most importantly, she treated my mother with respect. Somehow, she had disdain for the rest of the world, except for her brother, William, who couldn’t join us and later, also me.

Levi had a special glare for anything male that looked in her direction and it was obvious that blood was going to be spilled. Tala’s eyes also softened when she looked at Levi and you could see the close bond they shared with each other.

The next morning, Levi took us into the woods and that’s when I became a little afraid of Tala Sinclair. She had me tied in knots about five times in ten minutes, each time with a knife to my throat or a thrust to the underarm that would have me bleeding out in seconds. Levi had just smiled as he watched us.

Tala and I exchanged numbers and we talked almost every day. She approved of my plan to track down all those responsible for my father’s death and that day, after Levi had left us in the woods to train on our own, we talked about it.

“I understand your need for vengeance,” Tala said as we both sat on the ground, catching our breath.

“Did Levi tell you that?” I asked her. I was a bit surprised that he would share that with her since he was so big on trust and everything.

“No, I saw it in your past,” she said and I cocked my head to the side. Tala wasn’t evil either but I sensed the same darkness in her that I had seen in Levi.

“So you saw what the lightning did to me,” I stated and picked up a leaf and started breaking it into smaller pieces.

“I think you’ll be magnificent when you learn to harness and control it,” she said. “Just be careful, revenge can be a very lonely road to travel.”

“What would you do if someone killed your father?” I asked her.

“Do you really have to ask me that?” she asked and smiled at me. “I’d hunt down every single one and make them suffer before I killed them and I’d smile as the light left their eyes.” That same glint reflected in her eyes and I shivered involuntarily.

“You do know you scare me a little, right?” Tala laughed and the sound didn’t fit with how lethal she could be. She had an infectious laugh but I wouldn’t dare tell her that.

“I scare most people because I’m like my father,” she said. “But I like it.”

“So what do you really think of your dad and my mom together?” I was curious how it would affect her life.

“I love Levi. I want him to be happy. After my mom died, it took him a very long time to get over it. I was ten when he finally packed her clothes away, so if your mom’s the one that gets him to smile more, then I’m all for it,” she said honestly.

“I guess I’ll have siblings then,” I said and she laughed again.

“One more brother can’t hurt,” she said and nudged my shoulder with hers.

That night, Levi walked into my room and handed me a printed list with twelve names on it. It was the list of all the male pack members at the time of my father’s execution along with their current addresses, telephone numbers, and pictures of what they looked like now.

I couldn’t believe that he’d actually kept his promise. I hadn’t put too much hope in him acquiring this information, but what I held in my hands was worth more than all the gold in the world. I swallowed past the lump in my throat and looked at him.

“Thank you, Levi,” I said emotionally. It was probably the most important thing anybody had ever done for me and I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

“You’re very welcome, Alex, just remember the rules,” he said.

“I know. I’ll establish guilt before the time, clean up after myself, never leave any evidence, and don’t get caught,” I said and Levi gave me a rare smile.

“Listen, if you run into trouble, call me. I’ll always come to help you,” he said and that sentence meant the world to me. I knew he would do it too.

“Thank you, Levi, but this is something that I need to do,” I said.

“There are two members that live in Chicago, call me before you head there. I know a guy that can set you up with everything you might need from a place to sleep to weapons, information, and even an alibi,” he said and I laughed.

“What does it feel like to kill someone?” I asked him and he sat down on my bed.

“It depends on why you do it. Some people need to die and some people are born to kill them. If you kill for money, you have to see it as a job. If you kill for revenge then that’s what it is, when they’re all dead, then you’re done. If you kill because you like it, well, then there’s something wrong with you.”