Page 104 of Ramshackle
I slip the gaiter down and remove my hood as well. “I’m looking for a young girl. Five or six years old, and who can change her appearance.”
“That sounds like Mallory. Is everything alright?”
I nod, slipping my hands into my hoodie pocket. “I have a few questions.”
Claudia’s brow knits. “Oh. Well, she’s been through a lot. I’m not sure—”
“I won’t push her,” I remind her, and her face clears. Claudia’s seen me with kids before. I may have no qualms about hurting other people, but when it comes to children, I won’t harm them.Aiden thinks I have a soft spot in my jet-black heart for kids because I was once an ignored or feared foster child, but that’s not it.
Children are innocent of the crimes and immorality of adults. That’s worth protecting for as long as they have it.
“Right. I’ll take you to her now. She’s had a difficult time sleeping, so she’ll most likely be awake. If she is asleep, however, you’ll have to come back.”
I give her a curt nod of understanding. She smiles and leads the way through a long hallway. This area has a kid section that the Tower and bunker didn’t have before to help us accommodate younger children we’ve rescued. The FBI agent Elias put us in contact with for protective services has limited us to only one child a week that they can handle, so Aiden and Cibrina put this together for the children waiting their turn.
Claudia pauses in front of a door. “Just wait here. I’ll bring her out if she’s awake.” She goes inside and returns with Mallory a minute later. “Mallory, this is Jackson. He just has a few questions for you.”
Round blue eyes peer up at me. I can see the moment she recognizes me as some of the fear fades from her gaze, and she offers me a small smile. “Hi.”
I squat, as I had on the island where we rescued her, and this time, pull out a lollipop with a smile. “Hello, Mallory.”
Chapter thirty
Raegan
The lead Aiden receivedon my father brings us to another island. We split into two teams again, following the same protocol as the last mission, but this time the gifted kids aren’t sleeping soundly in bedrooms.
The prisoners here are cuffed to beds and hooked to various medical bags and machines in an open room. There are no curtains. No privacy between them as their lives are slowly sucked away from them.
I look on in horror at what Gordon had once threatened me with. At what others have had to endure for however long they’ve been here. The ages range from preteen to adult. The ones who couldn’t be controlled or brainwashed were sentenced to spend the remainder of their life experimented on for GE’s pleasure.
It’s sickening.
Tinsley releases another sob into Reid’s chest, clinging to his shirt and hiding away from where he probably would have ended up if they hadn’t escaped.
Reid lifts his gaze to mine over her head, our eyes connecting with knowledge and understanding. Somehow, he must have found out about this because while we’re horrified by what we see, we’re also not surprised like the others.
“What the hell is this?” Kellan growls at my side.
He and Reid were supposed to have moved on to seek out threats in the building, but we’ve all been frozen in the doorway of this room.
“It’s where the non-compliant wind up,” I murmur, my voice fighting to remain stable.
“Is it safe to move them?” Evie asks solemnly.
“Safer than leaving them here,” I reply. I walk to the nearest bed, eyeing the IVs and machines and then the girl asleep on it. None of them have stirred since we entered. Are they tired from what they’re going through or in some sort of coma?
The girl looks like she’s in her early teens. Her dark hair is cut short below her ears in ragged and uneven lengths. Like someone took a pair of scissors to her hair while she was lying here.
Jackson inspects one of the bags on the other side of the girl’s bed. “Propofol,” he reads aloud.
I frown. “What is that?”
“It’s a general anesthetic,” Reid answers instead. “It puts them to sleep.”
“Bring the tub in here, Evie.” Kellan surveys the room. “Shrink them and put them in the tub as they are. Cassandra and Claudia can figure out what they need from there.” He turns and puts his hand on my arm. “We’ll figure out who everyone is once we’re back at the bunker.”
Right.
