Page 13 of Ravage
Instead, the recruiters kill the family and steal the gifted child.
They drop children off at a facility and collect their paycheck based on the age and type of gift.
Rinse. Repeat.
They may not actively participate in what happens to the children from there, but they sniff them out and steal them away. They take everything away from the kids so they have nothing and no one to return to if they ever escaped and found out what happened.
Like how I found out that Grams was dead by the time I made it off the island.
“Time’s up.” I nudge his forehead. “How can I get in?”
“Invite! Steal someone’s invite or get invited yourself! That’s the only way.”
I roll my eyes. “If this is a common event, I can’t impersonate someone that other people know. Strike two.” Also, no way in hell I can get my own invite. I’m not entirely sure if I exist anymore. No license and no legal ID. I don’t even know the day of my own birthday; just the month and my age. It’s why I rely on more creative methods for making money and getting a place to stay for a few weeks or a few months at a time.
When he doesn’t offer an alternative, I tsk, and my finger pulses over the trigger.
“W-wait! Wait! Guest! Be someone’s guest! They get a plus one.” He’s hyperventilating now, sweat streaking down his face and into his eyes that he has to blink away while his hands are tied.
I shift the barrel back enough to see the small circular impression on his forehead. “That’s not a bad idea. I think I can work with that. So, who are some of the invitees?”
“I don’t know any names, I swear! I always worked in the back kitchens or as a valet. The servers aren’t recruiters, they’re guards. They are the ones who know.”
Even if I had a guard’s name, it wouldn’t help. My search engine skills are basic, and most name searches return nothing true or accurate unless the person is in the spotlight. An investor with a lot of money? Yes. A person meant to hide in the shadows for illegal activity? Definitely not.
“So, basically, you have nothing more for me,” I conclude. His eyes widen just before I fire a shot between the eyes. It’s a clean kill and more than what scum like him deserves, but I now have a deadline of two days to get things in order for this gala.
Find a place to stay.
Find someone with an invite and somehow get the guest spot.
Find a dress.
Make money.
I flip the chair back with my boot, forcing the dead recruiter over to the ground. I’d clean this up, but I’m hoping to keep Jack and the others busy to avoid any other run-ins. I’ve already got Gifted Enterprise looking for me, which is why I avoided using my gift on this guy and leaving my signature. I’d do it if I planned on leaving right away, so I’m long gone before there’s anything they can do about it, but now, it looks like I’ll be staying here at least a few days longer.
It means there’s a chance I’ll run into Jackson and the others if this guy already gave them the information on the gala, but that’s a risk I’ll have to take if it means getting closer to my end goal. It’s been a slow process on my own, trying to take them down, and I’d be an idiot to look this gift horse in the face.
Hopefully, this isn’t some long game to get back at me. I don’t know why they would go after GE after they escaped them, though. The best idea is to stay hidden and try living a normal life. I’m the reckless one trying to get my revenge on them for what happened with Vera and the year after because I have nothing and no one left anyway.
They still have each other.
Chapter five
Jackson
The gunshot echoes through the open warehouse without any insulation to buffer the sound. I’m sure it can be heard clearly from outside if anyone were walking by, but I’ve already set up a perimeter to be sure I’m alerted if that were the case.
Since Raegan isn’t aware of that, or me, it was a reckless move. A knife could have taken care of the guy just as easily without the noise if she doesn’t have a suppressor for her gun.
My lips twitch to a smirk. None of that matters anymore. It’s concerning that she lived this way for the last five years and could have been caught by either the police or the GE scum, but that’s in the past now. I don’t get hung up on something that’s already passed, and I had no control over.
Now that she’s in my sights again, I’ll be the guardian angel she always should have had.
Though, maybe guardian demon would be more accurate.
I stroke my thumb over the smooth wing of the paper crane I created as she uses wet wipes to clear away any blood or dirt on her skin. The temptation to send the crane down to her fills me with adrenaline at the sweet nostalgia of being able to share something between the two of us again.
