Prologue
Kain
I typed the names of the most recent victims into the spreadsheet, saved it to the shared file, and copied it to my flash drive. A few more clicks, and I safely pulled the little black device out of my laptop.
I jerked back in my seat when Tony Hesselberg dumped a box filled with papers onto my desk. “He needs them donetoday.”
Tony had tired brown eyes, probably from the constant drinking and smoking, and habitually used too much gel to slick back his brown hair. He wore a black suit today—attire that looked out of place for a man who typically wore T-shirts and jeans stained with blood. At twenty-four, he was two years older than me, but smoking had made the skin on his cheeks sag and deepened the lines around his eyes and mouth, making him appear like a man in his forties.
My heart raced as I pretended to adjust the piles of paperwith my flash drive still tucked into my palm. Tony would kill me if he caught me stealing information. My death would no doubt earn him points with Victor Hawthorne—the devil incarnate. The serial killer who got richer with each death. Like many others, I was a prisoner in this carefully guarded underground complex, forced to commit illegal and inhumane acts. But not for much longer.
I stared at the box of documents that was probably assigned to Tony. It wasn’t news that the lazy prick often gave his work to me. The only reason I never called him out on it was because the information from his boxes was pertinent data.
“What’s the rush?” I asked.
“We’re traveling tonight. Victor wants everything documented.”
That meant more names of people he’d killed for their organs. Keeping a list of the deceased and the respective buyers was Victor’s insurance if something were to go wrong with his clients. Me stealing that data was my collateral for when I escaped.
Hope surged, knowing they’d be gone tonight.
“Where are you going?” I asked, even though I knew he wouldn’t tell me.
Tony had already been here when I arrived at this heinous place. He’d sold his soul to the devil and was now one of Victor’s trusted men. It was hard not to give in to the daily pressure. Victor wanted his victims to be broken and hopeless, so they would regard him as their only option. But I remembered my life before this—it gave me strength to hold on to hope. My mother was probably worried sick about me. Was she still searching for me? Did she think I was dead?
“Mind your own business, Kain,” he huffed. “Don’t you remember anything Hawthorne taught you? Dothe job, don’t ask questions, keep your mouth shut, and you will live another day.”
“All right,” I replied, not wanting any confrontation that would put me in the spotlight. “You’re the lucky one who gets to go out and see the city.”
Though I’d wanted to pound his face over the five years I’d been here, I had to play this game cautiously. I didn’t need Tony to suspect me of anything.
“You’ll get your turn soon enough.” He shoved my shoulder with a force that had my body shifting, disrupting the soreness in my back. “No one is better at logging data than you.”
“Just trying to be like you, Tony.” I forced a smile and winced from the pain, which he probably thought resulted from me hauling bricks for the recent addition being built somewhere near this complex.
He smiled proudly. “Keep working hard, and you’ll be rewarded. Maybe he’ll even let you see your family.”
I doubted that. I wasn’t on the same shiny list as Tony or the others. These men kidnapped, killed, and did anything Hawthorne wanted. Tony had mentioned visiting his sister several times, but I wasn’t sure if Hawthorne gave him permission or if Tony did it regardless.
How was my mother doing? The thought of her brought on a wave of anxiety and sadness. So I turned my attention back to showering Tony with compliments.
“Doing my best,” I said, maintaining my serious expression. “Victor trusts you. I hope to be like you one day.”
He beamed, adjusting his suit. “I’m a trustworthy asset.”
“You’re the man.” I pretended to sound disappointed. “How long will you be gone?”
He shrugged. “Maybe two days? He has a big meeting in New York.”
I wanted to ask who they were meeting when Andrew Snow and Ben Tilling entered the room, also dressed in suits. Andrew sported short blond hair, while Ben’s was brown. Tony immediately straightened his posture, nodding to them. I scowled at his response as bitterness formed in my mouth. Andrew and Ben were former military men, now part of Victor’s security team. They had no trouble shooting people dead on the spot. I’d seen it happen twice already. At least Tony acknowledged and spoke to me, whereas these guys thought they were better. I’d never forget how Andrew and Ben kidnapped me. They were the reason I was here in this hellish place. The desire to kill them soared in me. I’d get my vengeance soon.
They were dragging two large coolers on wheels, each about twenty-two inches long, twenty inches high, and sixteen inches in depth, the kind you’d see at an outdoor event. These coolers held organs ready to be packaged. The men stopped near us, and I studied the labels on the coolers. One cooler had J. Masterson, while the other had C. Loomer. Two more people had succumbed to Victor’s profits. The man had several bank accounts to which I didn’t have access. The documents I saw had the account numbers redacted.
“These are next in line,” Andrew said to Tony, ignoring me.
I wasn’t an important figure, just a prisoner forced to work for a psychopath who killed people only to remove their organs and sell them on the black market.
“Got it.” Tony opened the door to the other room where my friends were working. I couldn’t believe I had made three friends in this dark place where friendship seemed surreal. Andrew and Ben wheeled the coolers through, dropping them with a loud thud.
