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I could get behind her line of thinking. Her hands moved south, working the button on her jeans, but it didn’t matter because I couldn’t stay stationary any more. I tackled her to the couch, delighting in the squeal that flew from her lips.
We remained in my safehouse for ten days, fucking and eating, eating and fucking, playing Playstation, and taking bubble baths. It was bliss, and I wanted this with her always. But just as we got comfortable, The Society called us back. They begged the return of a few of us, but for Marissa and I, it was to ‘discuss our future within The Organization.’
Chapter Twenty-Nine : The Return
Marissa
WesteppedintotheAustin basecamp as a united front, and when I dragged my feet by the front door, Mack wrapped his arm around my waist and simply lifted me over his shoulder because for as long as we could dothis,wherever one of us was, the other followed.
He knew our time was limited, and I only hoped that he would be okay. Mack made a show of kissing me on my neck as he hurried us towards our old rooms. He wanted everyone here to see that we were united - that they hadn't broken us, and that they’d unknowingly made us stronger by pairing the two people in this place that were working on dismantling The Society.
I had laid the groundwork before returning, detailing exactly what I wished to achieve in the short timeframe that we had. And Mack, true to his word, accompanied me into the dark hallways that sat in the underbelly of the building. I didn’t have much time to explore these areas, but I knew that Leila Oswaldo, The Society’s resident doctor, worked down here. She also happened to be on The Warden’s kill-list.
Mack’s body pressed against mine, and I allowed him to push me into the wall, tugging at my shirt periodically, in view of all the cameras. Let them think that he and I were sneaking off to find someplace private. His lips made the perfect cover, and each time he slid his hands beneath my shirt and pressed his lips to mine, I was left panting and achy.
The start-stop process of making out and walking a couple of feet only to stop and make out again was slow going, but we finally found our way into the medical hall. The door to her office was unlocked. Mack crept in first, his savior complex annoying me, but in the end, there was no need for stealth for the room was all clear. I got to work almost immediately, skimming through files. She seemed to have two different systems - one for the actual paper files, and one for the digital ones. Her computer sat open - no code required for access, and I was floored by how lax they were down here. Did she really assume that all her files were safe? That no one would touch them?
Or perhaps we were simply stupid for thinking that we could get away with it. I plucked Aria’s and Raquel’s paper files from the pile, shoving them deep into my tote, but when I searched for my own name, there was nothing to be found. The male information didn’t seem to be stored in the same pile, leaving me to eventually discard the lot. Mack rifled through cupboards and drawers, grabbing medication and syringes where he could. Whilst living in our cocoon at the safehouse, Mack had told me that he did some sort of medical course in uni, and I could only assume that he was stocking up forwhat if.
I tore my attention away from him, sliding the mouse across the screen as I searched through folders untilfinallyI found one with a list of students. I opened the first folder - Grace Abrahams. Her genetic information started popping up, highlighting which family she could breed with - after years of ensuring that The Society remained secret, it was no surprise that a lot of cross breeding had taken place, meaning that members now had to be even more careful when choosing a partner - the last thing you wanted was to end up having kids with your second cousin.
I worked on autopilot, clicking through the files of those I considered friends. The digital files seemed to house both male and female members, and just as I suspected, Aria had been paired with Ajax, Raquel had been paired with Josh, but when I clicked on Mack’s folder, his pairing came up blank.
… Because they hadn’t expected him to survive the Cartel? It was the only answer that made sense. And then, suddenly, I foundmyfolder, and it was so much worse that what I expected because the file wasn't just about me, it was also about Chantal.
There, on the screen were old video recordings of her locked in some room - curled up on a beanbag next to a boy as they watched a movie. No recent videos existed of her here, and I had long since accepted that she was no longer alive. But seeing her there made me long for my youth - for a simpler time - for a space where laughter was easy and friendships weren’t hard.
I scrolled through everything I could find - the photos I had submitted when I joined the Sorority; the medical exam I had to take before they accepted me; there were even grainy snapshots of me the night I walked through campus after winning the diamond choker. A short video of me tripping Kylie down the stairs and hurrying past her as she died played on a loop. It was all fuckinghere.
I must have made some sort of sound of distress because suddenly Mack was right there, looking at the images with me.
They had known exactly who I was from the moment I had applied for their program.
There was still one more video I hadn't seen of mine, and as the scene played out in front of me, I realized that when it came to The Society, it was almost always so much worse than you thought it was.
Mack held me as we watched. I knew the video - knew the moment, for it was the thing that The Warden held over my head -my surety. And it was stored within The Society’s data system.
I was on all fours, the man pressing in from behind as he broke through the barrier that separated me from being an innocent to…not. Looking back, I understood far more about sex now. He hadn't warmed me up - had not ensured that I wasreadyfor him, in fact, he wanted to make it painful because then I wouldremember.
Mack watched the image of my crying as I allowed it to happen, aware that I was being recorded.
“This,” I spoke, my voice wavering with emotion, “...this was the video he filmed for my surety - the one he threatens to release if I don’t comply.”
I didn’t have to say anything more - Mack understood, he knew what I was saying without me having to utter a single word. We had been played, The Warden was as much a part of The Society as Benson was.
A slow clap sounded behind us, and I turned swiftly to find Doctor Leila Oswaldo standing a few feet behind us.
“Very well done,” her tone was filled with sweet syrupy praise. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to find this.” She grinned manically at me, never once relenting on the speech she soclearlyhad planned. “Do you know how many loose ends members of The Society leave lying around that we have to clean up?” It was nothing more than a rhetorical question. “Take your cousin, for instance, she was a loose end that we needed to handle. That kind of work falls under the division of TheOrganization.” Her smile softened, and that was more frightening than her manic behavior. “And I must commend you - taking all thosedifficultSociety members on our behalf - we didn’t even have to get our hands dirty. Although, you left the most troublesome ones alive.”
I shut my eyes at the implication. The bulk of the calling cards I had left behind with The Warden’s seal on them were people who would have been ourallies- who hadn't believed in The Society. Sure, there were a few that I got lucky with, but most were on The Warden’s list. It was the very reason he put Raquel’s name down.
The good Doctor raised a gun towards us, but I was done playing games - done being the victim. I flung the knife at her, hitting her in the shoulder, and while the blade grazed and cut her, it wasn’t embedded in her flesh - my throw had been off. She laughed at me - as if my efforts amused her somehow, and her mockery served as fuel for my rage. I moved quickly, pouncing on her as I brought the needle down into her neck. She frothed and heaved beneath me, throwing me around in her struggle. Mack wrapped his hand around her throat and twisted her neck before she slumped to the floor instantly. My hands itched to pull the seal from my bag, the need to brand her nagging at me. Mack seemed to sense what I wanted, plucking the syringe from her neck, and before I understood what he was doing, he was scraping his own design across her face, branding her with something completely different.
“Let’s go.” He spoke with an urgency that resonated within me, and for once, I didn’t argue, we just fled.
I shook my head as we walked. “I’m going tokillthat fucker.”
“Leave it alone,” Mack hissed at me, serving as the voice of reason. “They are going tokillyou for what you’ve discovered, and there’s not a fucking chance in hell I can protect you.”
