CHAPTER TEN
Cinder Block is the New Drywall
Six o’clock in the morning came way too fast for my liking. I had set a timer for me to go running at five but I had been up late studying the file, and I decided I would sleep a bit longer. When my roommates had gotten back from dinner last night I was very vague with my explanations of the file in my hands, only Evergreen and Redfern seemed to catch that something was going on besides the obvious being escorted and cuffed thing, but thankfully they didn’t insist on me telling them. Evergreen kept casting me worried glances, but I refused to talk to anyone, I didn’t want to get them in trouble. No one was awake yet seeing as how this was the only day a week they could sleep in. As I stepped outside I looked up just in time to see the sun appearing over the horizon, casting a glow over all it touched. It was like it had fingers reaching out trying to spread it’s light on everything it could. It colored the horizon like watercolors painting the sky. I froze the image in my head. After all with this mission, it could be the last thing good that I would ever see. I turned and walked towards E. and Mrs. Adams waiting by another car. This time I had a driver who stuck my bag in the trunk and helped me in. Then the long drive to the airport stretched out.I flitted in and out of sleep from the backseat. When we at last reached the airport, we went straight past all the security and boarded the small plane. The driver was traveling with me to make sure that I went through with this and didn’t run. I sighed, stared out the window, and tried to focus on the mission ahead of me.
There it was I had expected one of the bigger islands that I had seen on the flight, but instead we were taken to one of the minuscule islands instead. It was one of the smallest and farthest away from the bigger islands. We had taken a private jet after one of the many planes we had taken. I braced myself my stomach turning knots as the private jet landed on a small landing strip. The driver escorted me up to a tall building. It was like a castle, combined with a modern mansion. It towered far over the trees. It was well hidden and hard to get to but we finally arrived. The driver took me through the grand doors, that rose up at least a full story. I was absolutely amazed. I looked up and around at the wall carvings, then over the rest of the room. There was two grand staircases that were in the middle they wove up and up and up I couldn’t even imagine them stopping. I was lead down a long hall of white doors that had labels such as Gym and science and math and language etc. I realized that gym must mean something entirely different. I doubted there was any dodge ball here. If there was it wouldn’t be with balls. Bullets and missiles seemed more likely. I shuddered. The halls were deserted except for what I assumed were a few students who passed me buy. Their faces were blank, emotionless, and slightly cold even. Although I didn’t know them they seemed to know me. Every time I would look over my shoulder they would be staring at me, then they would turn their heads away in a very slow, almost exaggerated, motion. All except for one boy who had dark brown hair that was streaked with blond highlights. He had tan skin and beautiful blue eyes. Even though he had that blank look on his face stayed staring at me, even when I shot him a nasty look. I couldn’t help but notice a slight fluttering in my stomach. My face went red. I quickly turned my head away and started to pay attention to the labels on the doors again. I had my purse on my shoulder with all the gadgets I needed, and the travel makeup kit inside. We stopped at another grand door at the very end of the hall. The Driver didn’t bother to knock, he just strolled right in. The room was completely very dark. Rich fabrics, and colors, and woods were everywhere. The walls were painted a sort of black. I recognized Celcius immediately. He sat behind a large dark oak desk in a tall swirling chair.
“Ah, Miss Sally Greenpost, what a pleasure,” Celcius Zenwaler said. “I am Celcius Zenwaler I am afraid that I am quite busy at the moment but my assistant Ms. Bruce will lead you up to your room.” He gestured behind him. I hadn’t even seen her there, which was surprising seeing as how enormous she was. Ms. Bruce looked like a Bruce. I almost thought I had mistaken Ms. for Mr. Her face had hard angles and her hair was a buzz cut the top completely flat you could balance a plate on it. She had hateful eyes and a deceitful smirk that seemed to be the natural set of her mouth.
“Nice to meet you” I said politely.
“Humph” She huffed, then grunted. I forced a smile on to my lips.
“Follow me” She demanded. I did as she asked. The agent who had “escorted” me here started to follow when Celcius waved him off.
“No need” He said. The agent reluctantly stopped his pursuit and left me in the very large, very strong, and very unnerving hands of Ms. Bruce. Instead of leading me up the grand staircases I had seen before she shoved me through one of the smaller doors into a narrow staircase. The walls and stairs were made entirely out of cinder block. There was a dripping sound and rats scuttled around squeaking in harmony with the ominous drip, drip, drip, drip, of the leak. The door slammed shut behind me and there was the deafening sound of locks scraping and snapping into place on a thick metal door. Ms. Bruce noticed me hesitating and shoved me up the stairs. I looked at her and calculated my next move. I decided to play to my strengths. I screamed. She did what I had expected. She shoved her hand over my mouth. I bit down hard then I flipped her over her back snapping against the staircase. I ran swiftly to the door as fast as I could. I ducked, and spun around her, and threw myself against the back of her knees. I curled into a ball as she fell on top of me, and against the stairs. I threw myself against the door, testing it’s limits. It was tough. I slammed against it again, and it burst open. I wasn’t prepared for what was standing there before me. There were two guards with machine guns and all the equipment and weapons you could ever imagine. They towered over me. I gasped. They were everywhere lining the halls on built in balcony’s above me glaring down at me threatening me with their weapons. The two guards moved closer stealthily like a lioness sneaking up on her prey, ever slowly ever dangerous before she attacked. They stalked towards me. I decided that there really was no use fighting. They appeared not to know that I had, had any prior training. They seemed to think I was just some girl. I would have to play to that. The longer I kept my secret, the better. I wasn’t here for training like E. Johnson had told me I was here as a guinea pig.. Everything made sense now. The file, The gadgets, the smirk on E. Johnson's face. I gasped. The guards probably took it as a gasp of fright and they smirked. I Forced myself against my better nature to back up and cringe into a corner of the hallway a perfect trap for me and one that would get me killed if they had any intention to kill me but for some creepy reason I had a feeling that they had in mind something much worse. Would they let me keep my gadgets that they of course didn’t know were gadgets? I sincerely hopped so. “Come.” One guard said nudging me with his gun out of the corner. “Get a move on Renady Parks” The other sneered. I gasped.”Yes we know.” One said. Nudging me roughly. Now I was in trouble. They knew my real identity they did know my skills. I lashed out with my foot. And turned my fist to hit the other straight on the nose. They had expected this. The guy that I had attempted to kick grabbed my leg and threw me in the air. I whirled through it like a spinning torpedo. Then I fell landing barely on my feet. They approached again. One raised his gun I shuttered against the wall. They were going to kill me. I raised my hand in defense and cringed against the wall but it was too late. A sharp pain rippled through me starting at my head, and then I died. For real this time…I think.