by A. A. Dark
“We have to leave. Someone is going to see that girl if he hasn’t already called the guard to come get her. We’re running out of time.”
Moaning had me looking toward the Master on the floor. Panic at Nineteen’s words registered, but I couldn’t erase those dead eyes I had stared into…those hallow, yet restricted breaths. These men…they weren’t just sick. What they were doing went far beyond that. Whitlock was the elite landfill for the diabolical garbage dump.
“Mmmm.”
A groan filled the space and I reared back, sending the steel toe of the boot smashing into his mouth and nose. Once. Twice. A growl poured from Nineteen, but he didn’t stop me. I kicked at the man’s face like my life depended on it. And in some twisted way, it had. If I got caught, I’d return to Slave Row. Some Master or Mistress would kill me for their own enjoyment.
“Fuck, this isn’t happening. None of this is right.”
Nineteen’s fingers fisted in his hair and he spun as I stomped on the man’s throat with all my might.
“No, it’s not. None of it. You…” I growled. “You should be dead like him. You knew. You let this continue and did nothing. Even now, you do nothing!”
“Do you know where you are? Do you know who runs this place, or who occupies it, for that matter? No. Whatever you think you may accomplish by getting out, you better think again. Whitlock…there’s no bringing it down. The very people you’d run to are the same ones who are looking to own you. To kill you. If you ever did manage to escape, your best bet would be to disappear. Never breathe a word of what you know or what you’ve seen. A mere mention is a manifestation of your worst nightmare. They hear. They see. Even now, they watch.” Nineteen stepped closer, pointing to the dead Master on the floor. “What you just did is the death sentence you escaped. You fool! You were cleared, and now you’ve put yourself back in the White Room. Do you know who you just killed?”
“If you think I care about this piece of shit—”
“A major archbishop, Eleven. One of four in the world. Do you think just anyone can come here? Each door you cross is accompanied by our country’s rulers, corporate gods, and celebrities. Anyone who is in a position to matter is here. Do you see? Can you even grasp what I’m telling you?”
“The media? What if I went public and exposed everything?”
A small laugh followed the shaking of his head. “You really are clueless. I’m assuming you’re referring to major media outlets, in which I’d tell you, they’re bought and paid for by our government to control what the public knows. You’d be dead the moment Whitlock left your lips.”
Tears burned my eyes and I forced myself to swallow back the helplessness that took over.
“What about other countries?”
“Are you seriously asking me that? Where were you before here? We’re networked. These places are everywhere.”
“No.”
“Yes. There is no winning. The best chance you have for change is to change it here. Bram Whitlock knows that. Everleigh Harper knows as well. Why do you think they fear her return?”
Before I could think to answer, heavy boots sounded from the outside.
“Not a word,” Nineteen rushed out.
“They’ll just pick up the body, right?”
“Shhh.” Nineteen slowly locked the door, moving closer to me. “They should. We’ll be fine. Remember, if anything happens, let me handle it.”
I threw him a glare, but stayed quiet as light talking began. My heart raced, and I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the stench that kept turning my stomach. For a man of purity, of supposed cleanliness of the body and soul, he was dirty in not only his actions, but his lifestyle.
“You grab her. I picked up the last one.”
“Fuck that. I’ve been here longer than you. It’s part of the job.”
“This part sucks. I want to be on the search.”
“Grab the damn slave.”
Knock. Knock.
“Go away!”
Nineteen’s voice was deep as he yelled out.
Silence was met with his order and the seconds dragged out torturously before he eased to the door and looked out the peephole. When he waved me over, I went forward with emotions I couldn’t process. So many things were going through my mind. So many hopes died with each step to his side. Layla and I would never be free. Even if I did manage to pull off a miracle and get her off Red Island, we’d be like the Mistress they searched for—always on the run. Never free. Forever hunted by the people meant to keep us safe.
Chapter 22
Scout 19
From the moment I walked into my Main Master’s office to confess Master Barclane’s proposition, I was doomed. This mission was doomed. Everything was shit. This part was supposed to be the easiest. One task: protect the slave. Right. I had all but failed. And not by letting people get to him, but protecting him from himself.
“Slow down.”
My command came out harsh, but Eleven obeyed. He was wired. Balancing on the deep end of some episode I didn’t even want to consider. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him the truth about how this place worked, but I figured, deep down, he already knew. Besides, I doubted he would ever leave these walls. The Main Master wasn’t stupid. He may have been letting Eleven run around now, but if he wanted us captured for real, we wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Where are we going?”
I glanced over, unsure how to answer. Slowing at the next intersecting hall, I stayed quiet as I peered down the length.
“Nineteen?”
“Just…wait.”
“You have to have some idea. We can’t just stay in these halls.”
“There’s a place, but…I don’t think we’ll be safe there. I’m not sure we really are anywhere.”
My teeth clenched, and I pulled out the phone. The background lit up at my push and I cursed. Bram told me he’d contact me later. His message was cryptic as fuck and left me more confused than ever.
“Are you working for him? For the Main Master?”
At my silence, he only got angrier.
“Don’t play stupid with me. He told me I was going to help him, and I wouldn’t even know it. Are you working for the Main Master? It’s a simple question.” A moment passed before Eleven shoved into my shoulder. “That’s what I fucking thought. What is his goal for allowing this right now? Is it supposed to help him with the Mistress? Is my running around meant to draw her in? Just…tell me. Tell me what you know.”
“That’s the thing, I know nothing other than to keep you safe.”
“Why don’t you fucking ask him then? You’ve got a phone. Call him.”
“Are you crazy? I can’t just call him. He’s the Main Master. He gave me orders. I plan to follow them.”
Eleven’s hands came to his hips as he eyed the phone and glanced over to my gun. Training had me taking a step back.
“You try going for either one and I’ll break your hand. Don’t be any stupider than you already have been. If you try to hurt me or go off on your own, we both know you won’t make it far. You don’t know where you’re going.”
“Then lead. Preferably to the fucking exit of this shithole.”
“It’s not that simple.”
I began to walk again while Eleven followed. For the life of me, I couldn’t return the phone to my pocket. I needed to speak with the Main Master. I needed to tell him about the major archbishop Eleven had killed, and how Barclane exposed who I was.
The elevation began to drop, and I veered us left toward my grandfather’s apartment—the one that should have been mine. We weren’t too far from Slave Row or Medical, more on the opposite side of the White Room. Just as we made it to the entrance of more apartments, voices had me jolting to a stop. My arm shot out and I pushed Eleven to the opposite side of the entrance.
“Pull guard. Stare ahead and don’t say a word. Don’t look at them,” I said, almost inaudible.
Eleven mirrored me, stiffening his posture as a Master, two
guards, and a woman holding a child’s hand came around the turn. The boy caught my attention and I recognized them instantly from being in the Main Master’s quarters.
“Two guards? Here? What is this?”
The Master slowed, and the guards eyed me questionably.
“Code orange, sir. The slaves have yet to be recovered. The high leader fears they may be in the immediate area.”
“Orange? Odd. I didn’t authorize that.”
The man’s voice clicked, and my adrenaline spiked as I recognized it from the abandoned lobby. The Master—the CIA director. He was the one who had Everleigh Harper’s location in Crete. He wanted her dead.
“I’m just following orders from the high leader. I think something may have happened.”
“But he just left me, and he didn’t think to mention anything. Unless…” Anger flashed, and he let out a sound as he threw the guards a look.
“Perhaps we should get the woman and boy back, Master Hunt.” The dark-haired guard didn’t take his eyes off me as he spoke. “The Main Master will be upset if he finds out the high leader left their side. They’re not to be parted.”
“But parted under the circumstance for good reason. Did you not just hear the guard? Something’s happened, just like I told the high leader it would. Be glad he went to check headquarters like I suggested. These prisoners are obviously very dangerous. The boy is safe with me. Once I grab some stuff from my apartment, we’ll take him back.”
“We were only supposed to go to Medical. Alvin shouldn’t be roaming the halls like this.”
“Are you speaking, slave?” Master Hunt threw the woman a glare, silencing her. I could see all their discomfort and knew the guards weren’t comfortable putting their foot down. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
“Actually…” I glanced at Eleven. “Didn’t you say the high leader mentioned a transport?”
Eleven’s lips parted as he took in the group. “Yes. He did mention that.”
“Now it makes sense.” I shrugged, shaking my head to Master Hunt. “New guy. I swear to God, he’s going to get me in fucking trouble. The high leader must have meant for us to transport the boy and woman back. You can go get your things. We can take it from here.”
“Absolutely not. The boy is fine. We’ll get him back.”
“I’m sure you could, but an order is an order, Master Hunt.”
“Do you know who I am?”
I nodded as the guards shifted behind him. “I do, actually, and I’m sorry, but I follow my high leader and Main Master, and this boy is his, not yours. Shall we go?”
“You can’t talk to me like that.”
I ignored Master Hunt as the guard eyeing me nodded in approval and pushed his hand to the middle of the older slave woman’s back. We headed in the opposite direction while I prayed Eleven kept his cool. Two doors went by before the guard’s suspicion grew and he moved back between me and Eleven.
“Take my place.”
He didn’t wait for Eleven to obey. He grabbed his arm, shoving him in the front. My fingers twitched to grab my gun, but composure came as he moved in closer.
“I know you. You’re Nineteen. You’re a scout, and he’s no guard. What the hell is going on? False patrols, whispers between the Masters? What are they not telling us?”
“I don’t know,” I said, honestly. “My position is confidential. But I do need to see the Main Master, and I need you both to get me there without shit getting crazy. What happened with the high leader?”
The guard let out an exasperated sound. “Fuck if I know. One minute we’re leaving Medical. Then he and the snake start whispering. The next thing we know, the high leader is taking off saying it’s urgent.”
“You called Master Hunt a snake.”
“Damn right I did. If you ask me, he purposely ran our high leader off. Can you think of another reason he’d want to get a little boy alone in his apartment? You know they don’t run this young here anymore. I think he caused that diversion.”
Eleven glanced back at us, but thankfully stayed quiet as we headed down a new hall.
“The boy will be safe now, and I’ll let the Main Master know to keep his eye on Master Hunt.”
“Be sure to do that. I don’t know what the hell is going on with all of this, but if this were real, we would have had y’all within an hour of your escape. Mateo, the scout leader, advised us to stick to the halls versus the room. He said this behind the high leader’s back. That in itself threw a red flag to most of us.”
“It’s complicated. The entire thing is.”
“Well, when you figure it out, you owe me an explanation. I don’t get any of this. The last few months have been a fucking roller coaster. People who run this place are dying every damn day. Masters, guards. It’s out of control. All because of her—a slave.”
“Slave?” The guard who had remained quiet turned to throw the other behind him a look. “Did you ever meet that slave? Did you see what she went through with Master Harper? I did. That slave turned Mistress has more backbone than anyone I’ve ever met. The price she paid married to Master Harper was one you couldn’t imagine. So, the Main Master loves her. I don’t blame him. I can see why he would.”
“Are you on her side too?”
The disbelief rang out in the guard’s tone next to me, but with no answer, he just shook his head.
“See. Everything is going to shit. Everything. This is not the Whitlock way. This is not what I signed up for.”
Guards appeared in the distance and I pulled Eleven’s sleeve to bring him closer to me. The man at my side took his place in the front and it was almost impossible to remain calm. It was the first checkpoint before we entered the numerous halls leading to the Main Master’s quarters. Every intersection after that was sure to have posted guards waiting to find something not quite right. We were sitting ducks, headed to the one place we shouldn’t have been going.
Chapter 23
Bram
The bedrooms, the living room, the kitchen…Alvin and Ms. Pat where nowhere to be found. I spun in a circle, heading to the stairs and taking two at a time as I called out their name. Everleigh’s voice echoed behind me, but disappeared just as fast as I burst into the hallway and started throwing open the doors. I knew she had headed back down, but I couldn’t think about anything but the safety of the little boy I was now responsible for. Fear twisted in my gut, and I pushed myself faster as I headed back to the main floor.
“No. The boy. I want him found, and I want him found now.” Everleigh paused from talking on her phone as I rushed into my office and threw on the light. For having one of the fastest computers, my fingers weren’t working nearly as quick as they usually did. A child. A child who was mine in every right here at Whitlock, and he could be amongst the monsters. One could be hurting him this very second.
“Yes. Alvin. He’s with the older slave woman, and maybe, more than likely, the high leader. That’s right.”
Cameras popped up on my screen and I browsed the last ones I had up: Master Barclane, Master Hunt, and Master King. No Alvin.
“What do you mean he’s there with you?” Everleigh asked, shocked.
“Who?” My head shot up. “Who’s where?”
Everleigh shifted nervously on her feet. “The high leader is in the barracks. He’s talking to some of the guards. Yelling at them. Alvin isn’t with him.”
“No,” I growled. “Fuck. Fuck! He’s not supposed to leave his side.”
Blue disappeared as Everleigh closed her eyes, resting her palm against her forehead. “No. Walk it back.” She paused, looking at me. “You too, Bram, walk it back. Rewind the tape and find when he left. Trace his steps and do it fast.”
She was talking, but I was already in the process of typing in the time I went into my room. Black and white appeared and blurred through the high speed as I hit fast-forward. My throat nearly closed as I saw Ms. Pat lead him into the kitchen. The meal lasted seconds before she got him ready and they left
with Derek and two guards.
“Wait. You’re sure?”
Medical appeared as I tracked their steps. Alvin was getting seen by his doctor. Ease began to take over as Everleigh hung up the phone.
“They’re almost here. Alvin is okay. I’m afraid there’s a situation concerning the guards escorting him, though.”
I hit the button, stopping just as they began leaving the medical room. My breaths were heavy, and my hands were shaking. Concern masked Everleigh’s face. I didn’t need to know her thoughts to read them. Alvin wasn’t safe at Whitlock. Not without added precautions. Derek. I had trusted him to stay with Alvin and he hadn’t. That was something I was going to have to deal immediately.
“I could take him,” Everleigh said, softly. “We could take him…leave here forever.”
“You know I can’t allow either of those.”
Full lips pressed together, and her eyes dropped to my chest. Before we could speak again, the front door opened. I didn’t wait to rush out so I could see Alvin for myself. What I wasn’t expecting was for two guards to accompany Ms. Pat inside. I barely gave them notice as I met her with a hard stare.
“You didn’t inform me Alvin needed to go to Medical. Is he sick?”
Her mouth parted in fear as Alvin broke away and ran to my waiting arms.
“He has a slight cough and congestion. I didn’t think it was anything to worry you over. I…I…” She sniffled, looking down.
“You what?”
“Main Master, if we may…”
Irritation almost had me snapping, until I realized I was looking at familiar faces.
“Well, isn’t this a surprise.”
Nineteen came forward, but my attention wasn’t on him. It was on Eleven’s shocked face as Everleigh left my office and walked past me.
“You’re here.” A ragged breath left him, only for the slave to shake his head. “I can’t believe you’re here. He found you? You’re at Whitlock for good?”