She volleys her gaze between me and the guys, confusion drawing her eyebrows together.
“What’s going on? Who are you people? Why aren’t you wearing a mask and cloak?” She hesitantly accepts the proffered clothing and begins to dress, the material swallowing her gaunt frame.
“I told you. We’re not a part of this,” I whisper.
“You just need to survive an hour.” Beckett anxiously glances in the direction we came from, a frown tugging at his lips. “But we need to go. Now. I think people are coming, and if they see the dead bodies…” He allows the words to taper off.
I notice, somewhat belatedly, that Dominic and Zane have removed the cloaks and masks of the other two POP members as well. They drape the fabric over their arms.
As I stare at the dead bodies, I wait for guilt to bombard me. Maybe even pity or sorrow.
Instead, all I feel is disgust.
These people are—or I guess, were—murderous scumbags. Their deaths were warranted. Good fucking riddance.
“What’s your name?” I ask, averting my gaze from the dead bodies. They don’t deserve a second more of my time.
The woman fiddles with the mask on her face, looking absolutely ridiculous in a cloak three sizes too big for her. “Lenny. Short for Lenora.”
“I’m Ellie,” I tell her briskly. “And these are my boyfriends—Zane, Beckett, and Dominic. You don’t know us, I get that, but I need you to trust us. We won’t hurt you. I promise.”
Lenny shuffles from foot to foot. “I… I don’t…” She audibly swallows before weakly saying, “Okay.”
“Then, let’s go.” I extend a hand to her, and surprisingly, she takes it.
We file into the hallway, then hurry farther down it, taking a sharp right, then a left, then another right. I realize we’re trying to get as far away from the bodies as we can.
I didn’t pay much attention when I first entered the hallway, but I notice now that everything is painted in shades of dark blue and white. Sparse lighting—the glow more orange than white—illuminates the hall and rooms in intermittent intervals. Cloying shadows cling to the corners, where the light can’t quite reach.
“How did you get here, Lenny?” I whisper as we turn at another fork in the hall. I have no idea where we’re going, but I’m trusting my guys not to lead us astray.
Lenny sniffles. “I…I don’t even know wherehereis. I’m from Canada. I was visiting San Francisco with my girlfriend.”
I startle at that. San Francisco is hours away.
Then again, Beckett discovered that POP was a nationwide organization, with members all throughout the country. They make sure not to kidnap victims from the same town or even the same state within a close time period, so as to not draw suspicion.
Oak Grove may be POP’s headquarters, but it doesn’t end here. Not even close.
“My…my girlfriend… She…” Lenny’s grip tightens around mine. “They killed her. They killed her in front of me. After they…after they…” She can’t get the words out past the tears.
I give her hand what I hope is a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t have to tell us.”
“They raped her. They rapedus,” Lenny whispers, and my heart breaks at her confession, shattering. “They…they forced us to do things together while people watched. One time, she tried to fight back, and they…they…” She once again breaks off in heaping sobs.
I exchange a glance with my guys, and all their faces are hard as granite.
POP is going to pay for this.
My ears perk at the sound of fighting farther ahead—shouts, curses, grunts, and the telltale sound of flesh hitting flesh.
Dom’s lips straighten, compressing in a perfectly straight line, then he rushes forward.
I don’t know what I expect to see when I turn the corner, but it’s not…
It’s notthis.
Five “lambs” were selected to play.
