The Institute (Falling Ash Chronicles #1)

by Kira Lynn Farnsworth

  “How can you know how this feels? You’ve never lost any friends. You don’t have any friends to lose,” she retorted.

  “Thanks for that,” I drawled, calling on my limited patience. She was grieving. She was striking out, and I was just the nearest target. Who was I kidding, it was Chardonnay. This was her being nice. “Look, I didn’t come here to fight with you. I may not have lost any friends but I did lose my parents. You’re going to need someone to talk to. I just want you to know you can come to me. To talk,” I clarified.

  Chardonnay didn’t respond, staring mutely. I shifted uncomfortably, starting to regret my decision to come after her. She slowly shook her head. Figuring she was rejecting my offer, not entirely certain I could blame her, I turned away.

  “Why are you being nice to me?” she asked, stopping me in my tracks. I turned back, casting her a puzzled look. “I mean, I’ve been a beast to you. Why are you being nice?” she asked wonderingly.

  “It seems like you could use a break,” I said. When she only continued to stare, I shrugged. “I really am sorry. I didn’t know Sarah like you did, but she didn’t deserve this,” I said, waving my hands expansively. Chardonnay shook her head.

  “She didn’t,” she said, sniffing. “She was shallow and vain and entitled, but she was my friend.” A single tear trailed down her face. I shuffled towards her, laying a sympathetic hand on her arm.

  “They won’t get away with this,” I said. “We’ll find out who did this,” I promised.

  “I’m going to make them pay,” Chardonnay swore, fire lighting in her eyes. I murmured an agreement, in that moment pitying the mole. I didn’t want to be there when Chardonnay got her hands on those responsible.

  Chapter 9

  By the time morning rolled around, rumors were running rampant. It was harder and harder to fend off the curious stares, everyone seeming to assume I knew more than they did. They were right, but I wasn’t about to confirm their suspicions. Tension rose higher the longer the day went on until I was ready to crawl out of my skin. I was almost relieved to receive Meredith’s summons.

  I walked into the waiting room connected to her office, stepping up to the desk. The receptionist was on the phone, but she waved me in. I smiled my thanks as I went through the door.

  It was the first time I’d been in Meredith’s office. Typically that right was reserved for troublemakers, and I was more of a keep your head down and nose clean kind of girl. I got the impression of clean lines and no nonsense furniture, no personal touches marring the immaculate surfaces. There wasn’t even a photo.

  My gaze fell to the other occupants of the room. It seems I wasn’t the only one who’d been pulled from class. The entire Scorpion team was assembled, sprawled out on the grey chairs set up around the edges of the room.

  “Elsabeth. Thank you for joining us. Have a seat,” Meredith instructed from behind her glass-topped desk. I sank into one of the plush-but-not-quite-comfortable chairs, shifting several times before settling in.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. Based on the baffled expressions of the others in the room I wasn’t the only one currently clueless.

  “You each saw my message last night,” Meredith said. It wasn’t a question, but she waited for our confirmation to continue. “The five of you were assigned to a mission before this…. situation,” she said delicately. “We have decided to keep you on active duty in order to investigate the murder of Canda Barnes. It has become our top priority as we believe she may have a connection to the mole through her associate, Tim Murphy.” Her words were met with disbelief. Someone had died and she was still allowing students to go on missions?

  “Isn’t it too dangerous?” Kate burst out. Meredith silenced her with a glance.

  “If it weren’t a matter of such importance we wouldn’t consider it. However, the council has decided, and I agree, that this matter must be dealt with immediately. The trail is still warm. The longer we wait the colder it gets. We have a slim window of opportunity to identify the mole. If we miss this shot we may never get another.”

  “What’s she doing here then? She’s not on active duty.” This came from Jose, directed at me. I would have scowled but I was wondering the same thing.

  “I am sending Elsabeth with you to investigate the warehouse where we believe Canda was killed. Elsabeth is the only one who could identify the building,” Meredith said. I swallowed. First she had me interrogate a witness, now she was sending me out on a mission? And, by my estimation, the most dangerous mission any student had ever been sent on.

  Her statement was met by uneasy silence. Meredith sighed, leaning back in her chair. “You won’t be going alone. You have been assigned a security team. They have been instructed to intervene at the first sign of danger. We’re trusting you all. Your work today will save lives,” she said.

  “We’ll do it,” Jonathan said. Tye, Kate, and Jose offered nods. They would do what needed to be done.

  “Ells? You’ve had quite an experience over the last couple of days. Are you ready for this?” Meredith asked. I swallowed my trepidation and nodded.

  “Sign me up.”

  We shuffled out of the room. As we exited, the Soothsayer entered. I shivered as his cold gaze passed over me, seeming to sear through me before he swept past us and entered Meredith’s office, closing the door behind him.

  “That guy creeps me out,” Jonathan murmured. I nodded my agreement as we headed down to the mission center. Jeremy was waiting for us, instructing us to load up with whatever weapons we could hide. We were going in plain clothes, not wanting to draw too much attention.

  Kate, Tye, and Jonathan went for the guns, strapping them on. Jose picked fighting stars, hooking them to his belt. I went for the knives, wrapping one to my calf and grabbing a second pocket blade I stuffed into my pocket. I tucked my necklace into my shirt, hoping that the weight there would help settle my nerves. Lastly Jeremy assigned us each a sensor, made to look like a watch. It allowed the retrieval team to listen in on everything that happened. If worst came to worst, there was a built in panic button.

  Twenty minutes after we left Meredith’s office I found myself leaving the Institute for the first time in nearly a decade. I sat in the back seat of the black SUV, bouncing down the road. A second black SUV followed us from behind; the security team assigned to us. They would be seconds away if we came across any trouble.

  “How’s our newbie handling her first trip?” Kate asked. I looked up, carefully releasing my white-knuckled grip. I offered a smile, turning it into a grimace when Tye ran over a pothole. Did he have to try to hit every one? This was the first time I’d been in a car since my parents died and Tye wasn’t making it easy on me. He drove like a maniac.

  “I’m surviving,” I said dryly. Jose snorted, not bothering to glance in my direction. He was busy making one of his stupid paper swans float outside of the window, keeping up with the car. I grit my teeth, folding my arms over my chest. What a welcome wagon.

  “I threw up my first mission,” Tye announced.

  “Gee, thanks,” I drawled. Just the imagery I needed.

  “Just saying. We’ve all been in your shoes,” Tye said. That gave me a pause. I studied his profile, wondering for the first time if I’d misjudged him. Maybe he wasn’t the misogynistic jock head I thought he was. That line of thought lasted a whole of thirty seconds before he careened around a corner going forty five miles per hour. He didn’t even tap the brakes.

  “It can’t be legal that you have a driver’s license,” I complained. I didn’t realize I’d spoken out loud until Jose chuckled.

  Finally we reached the wharf. Tyler pulled into a parking lot, throwing the SUV into park. I saw the other SUV park a few spots down. Warehouses lined either side of the congested inlet, nearly a mile in length. My heart sank. How were we supposed to find where Canda died? It would take days to search each building. We all piled out. I wrinkled my nose, overwhelmed by the stench of fish and fuel.

  “Ells, any
thing that could help narrow it down?” Kate asked. Her hands twitched. I knew she wanted to pull out one of her concealed weapons, but it was too risky. It would only serve to draw attention.

  “Nothing yet,” I said apologetically.

  “Great. We’ll take them on one by one,” Jonathan said. “Ells, you take lead. If you see anything that looks familiar we’ll investigate. Kate, Tye, you watch her back. Jose, you’re on lock duty. Remember, we don’t want to attract any notice. We’re just a couple of teens messing around,” Jonathan said.

  We fell into order, walking down the pathway that connected the buildings. I found myself wedged between Kate and Tye, Jose ahead of me and Jonathan behind. I knew they were overcompensating, not trusting my ability to protect myself. As annoying as I found it, I was also grateful for the added sense of protection. I had an idea that I’d be a puddled mess without their support, begrudgingly given as it was.

  A few times a dock worker looked in our direction. We quickly fell into fits of giggles, leaning on each other. The minute we could, we leapt apart, returning to formation. We were constantly moving. We couldn’t stay in one area for too long, lest we draw undue attention.

  I discovered quickly I was able to reject most of the warehouses offhand. The building I’d seen in Canda’s memories was old and derelict, smelling of must and disuse. I’d had the distinct impression that it was abandoned. A lot of the buildings were too new; others were obviously still in use. After nearly an hour I had a line of sweat trickling down my spine, but we’d eliminated almost half of them.

  More time passed without success. I was starting to get frustrated, doubts plaguing me. Nothing looked remotely right. What if we were at the wrong dock? What if I had misinterpreted something I’d seen? I was about to give up and suggest we head back when I saw it.

  “That’s it! That’s the one!” I cried. That was the building. That was where Canda died. It was slightly separate from the other warehouses, surrounded by trees. I burst into a sprint, ignoring their sharp reprimands to stop. I was beyond caution, eager for this day to end. I knew that building. I knew what I would see inside. I ran up to the door, tugging off one of my gloves and grabbing the knob. Images rushed through my mind, settling on a single face. Canda. She had been here.

  I twisted the knob, unsurprised when it fell open in my hand. I burst into the warehouse, casting a brief glance around. The main area was a wide empty space, chains dangling from the ceiling. The chains that had broken her fall. On the far wall there were two levels of rooms, split by the rickety metal staircase. That’s where she’d been pushed.

  I’d found it.

  Chapter 10

  I rushed over to the staircase, running my hand along the railing. I felt her. She’d been here, running up the stairs much as I was now. She’d been so eager to meet up with Tim. She didn’t know that she’d come here to die. I pushed further back, trying to see the other person who had been in the room with her, but came up infuriatingly blank. They’d hidden their tracks well.

  I stopped on the top level, standing in the same spot where she had stood before she’d been pushed. I took a step forward, then another, coming against the edge of the railing. The chains were just within my reach. I reached out, pushing them into motion. They hauntingly jangled, the same sound I’d heard in my vision.

  I looked down to the ground level to see the Scorpion team cautiously enter, weapons drawn. Jonathan gestured to the others on the team who split up. Kate went one way, Jonathan the other, while Jose and Tye slipped back out the door. I could have told them they needn’t be so cautious. We’d succeeded. We were going to find Canda’s killer and, with any luck, the mole. Or at least something that could lead to him.

  “We found it,” I called down to them. I was exhilarated. I practically danced from foot to foot as I spotted a scrap of fabric caught in one of the links. It was just out of my reach, tauntingly close. If I pulled on the chains I might be able to swing it close enough to grasp it. I pushed onto my tiptoes, regretting my minimal height. I grasped hold of the railing with my still gloved hand, grabbing hold of one of the chains and pulling it towards me.

  Everything she’d been wearing when we found her had been wiped clean. It was possible they had missed that small scrap. It could prove to be their undoing. I was certain of it. I felt almost giddy, watching as the fabric fluttered in the chain, coming nearer and nearer. If I could just get the fabric I would get the answers I needed.

  “Ells,” Jonathan called uneasily. He came to a stop at the bottom of the steps, holding his gun pointed towards the ground. “I don’t have a good feeling. We need to leave. Now.” I snatched at the fabric, frustrated. Every time it seemed close, it swung just out of my reach.

  “Give me just a second. I’ve found something. I think it’s a part of Canda’s shirt. I’ve almost got it,” I said, the entirety of my focus on getting that fabric. I wasn’t about to leave now without my prize. I leaned out further, balancing precariously as I tried to reach the chain.

  A trickle of awareness ran over me. My sense of euphoria suddenly dissipated as a sense of fear rushed in and took its place. I looked down and nearly screamed, realizing just how close I was to tumbling over the railing and meeting the same fate as Canda. My arms were shaking as I pushed myself back, settling my feet firmly on the ground.

  This wasn’t right. Jonathan was right. It had been too easy. The minute my senses returned I felt it, a power pushing through me, manipulating me. Urging me to fall over the railing to my death. There was a Special nearby, one who had the power to Influence.

  “Do you feel something?” Kate asked uneasily. She glanced back at us, her gun held firmly in both of her hands.

  “Nothing. That’s what worries me,” Jonathan said grimly. “Ells, forget the mission. We need to go,” he called up to me. I was already moving, taking the stairs two steps at a time.

  “Someone’s here,” I said. I was certain of it. I could feel them. My words came too late.

  The doors were thrust open with a bang. A half dozen men flooded in, each clothed in black, wearing masks. I saw red dots on Jonathan’s jacket, a quiet ping, then he fell.

  I gasped, staring at where Jonathan lay. There was a stunned expression on his face, his hand pressed to his shoulder. He wasn’t moving.

  “Get the girl,” their leader called. The girl? What girl? Oh crap, they meant me. I saw two men separate from the group, heading up the stairs in my direction. I spotted Kate raising her gun. She didn’t get a chance to take a shot. There was flash of red light, a quiet ping. Kate’s hand slowly released the gun as she fell.

  Where was Tye? Where was Jose? The last I’d seen they’d stepped outside. I fumbled with my wristband, frantically jabbing the panic button that would alert the security team that there was a problem, if they weren’t already on their way.

  I could feel the men closing in. I was breathing heavily as I reached the top of the stairs, dashing towards one of the back rooms. If I could just close myself in, barricade the door, I might buy myself enough time for the retrieval team. I might have a chance.

  A body slammed into me from behind. I slammed down into the ground, my elbows catching the brunt of my fall. I flipped over, grabbing my knife from the sheath on my calf and slashing in the direction of my assailant.

  The blade of my knife made contact with the side of his masked face, slicing through the fabric. I heard his cry as blood splattered. I stared in shock as he released me to clasp his face. I’d drawn blood. I’d drawn another human’s blood. And if I didn’t get moving now, his partner would be on me.

  I scrambled back and to my feet, making a mad dash towards the safety of the door. I careened in, grabbing a hold of the knob and slammed it behind me. I could have cried when I saw the door had a lock. The door was made of a sturdy, heavy duty wood. It wouldn’t be easy to break through. I twisted the lock with a decisive click.

  Then I backed away, staring at the door. I fumbled for my phone, dialing the numbe
r of the Institute before pressing my phone to my ear. I waited, but the call was dropped. I looked at my phone screen and could have cried. No service. The knob was jiggled, a curse heard from the other side. I flinched when something, or someone, heavy slammed into it.

  The room was dark. That could be to my advantage. I closed my eyes and ran my hand along the wall, capturing images of people long ago. My heart sank when I realized the room was sparsely furnished. That door wouldn’t hold forever and there wasn’t any place to hide.

  My life was in the hands of the retrieval team. I trailed my hand along the wall, avoiding desks and chairs that were scattered around the room. My shoulders tensed each time I heard the door thud. I wedged myself into the space between a desk and a cabinet, trying to make myself as small as possible.

  None of Martin’s lessons could have prepared me for this. I pressed my fist against my mouth, wrapping my arms around my knees and rocking myself back and forth. I felt like a scared child, hiding under her bed in the hopes that the boogeyman wouldn’t find her. I wasn’t prepared for this kind of violence; for the knowledge that these men were here to kill me.

  I squeezed my eyes shut when I heard the door crack, wishing I could just fall through the wall and slip away. My eyes sprang open as the door broke free from its hinges, falling to the ground with a crash.

  A huge body loomed in the doorway. There was a pause before he stepped in. I sucked in a deep breath and held it, my petrified gaze pinned to him. Inwardly I was praying the retrieval team would get here. Any second now they’d come in, guns blazing. They would swoop in, destroy the Rogues, and bring us home….

  Bring some of us home. I sucked back a sob; Jonathan’s stunned face filling my vision. Kate’s. They hadn’t stood a chance. The man stepped in front of me, a malicious smile on his face as he stared down at me.

  “You’re a lot of trouble for one little girl, aren’t you?” he sneered. I scrambled to my feet, determined to go down swinging. I swung the knife at him, but his massive hand came down. I cried out as he crushed my hand in his, forcing my fingers to release and drop my knife. His hand closed around my throat, lifting me off my feet until I was dangling above him.