After Dawn (Book 3 of the Into the Shadows Trilogy) (3 page)

Paivi desperately wanted to escape the scene. It could not end well. She wanted to run as far from this horror as she could, around the world far, far away. But she knew she had to stay, to watch, to witness.

Because no one else could.

The hum of the electricity floated in the air above Paivi’s dad’s head, increasing in volume as Sylvia cranked the knob higher. “We’re at medium power doctor.”

The line of brain activity vibrated violently up and down. Paivi’s dad’s face tightened, eyes still wide and staring.

“Please put it all the way up Sylvia.” Dr. Todesengel folded his arms over his chest and watched the monitors.

Silent tears slid down Paivi’s transparent cheeks, disappearing into the air.

“It’s up to the top level, doctor.” Sylvia’s voice was breathless as she stared at the screen in awe, completely ignoring the seizing body of the man on the table in front of her.

His teeth chattered so loudly Paivi feared they would shatter.

Paivi screamed in silence and grabbed at what little hair she had on her head. She wished it was real and she could pull it out. She could only imagine it might lessen the pain she was feeling in her soul at that moment. She wanted to rage through the room and destroy everything there. The computers, the gurney, Dr. Todesengel, Sylvia, the two guys in lab coats.

There was so much at stake, she had to use restraint. Everything depended on the proper timing or her plans with the guys in Mexico would be in jeopardy. Millions of lives could be lost. Their time would come, and as much as Master Gendun and Master Song had preached peace and restraint, there would be no compassion given to these monsters.

The monitor hooked to the metal cage on her dad’s head blazed to life. A raging inferno raced across the screen. The orange, red, and gold of the flames were reflected in the stainless steel surfaces around the room. Screams of horror hissed through the screen’s speakers and floated to Paivi’s ears. She strained to see images of people, but could see nothing through the fire. Dr. Todesengel and his staff surrounded the monitor.

“That’s amazing. I wonder what it means.” Dr. Todesengel stroked his chin.

A maniacal laugh ripped through the room, startling them all, even Paivi. She pressed her hand to her heart, forcing the pieces back together as her dad lunged forward on the table, the electrodes and patches pulling free. His thin lips were stretched across his face in a terrifying grin, his eyes finally showing life. “It’s for you, Doctor Death. It’s for you! You can’t escape it.” He pointed a bony finger at Dr. Todesengel, whose expression melted in horror.

*

Paivi came to in her cot and lunged over Molly, not caring if she woke up the whole barrack. She tripped at the end of the bunk row and grabbed the wooden post of the frame to steady herself. She spotted the bucket in the corner. The nighttime toilet. Racing across the barrack, she collapsed to her knees and heaved the meager contents of her stomach into it. She wished she could do the same to her mind, purge it of the wretched things she had seen in that room.

Paivi slumped against the wall, holding the putrid bucket in her lap. Her eyes struggled to hold focus. Molly crept to her side, tugging the bucket away from Paivi’s hands and placing it back in the corner. She wiped Paivi’s mouth with the corner of her ragged shirt and pulled her into her lap. Heads rose from the bunks, sneaking looks in their direction.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Deep breaths.” Molly murmured into her ear, gently brushing her short hair back.

Paivi’s eyes gained focus as they landed on the window. The mountain. It stabbed the early dawn sky above, the rising sun bleeding flames onto its peak.

I know what’s in the mountain
. Paivi pushed the words into Molly’s mind and watched as her eyes widened.

And then she lunged for the bucket a second time.

Chapter 4

Paivi's entire body ached when her group returned to rock detail the next morning. Her hands shook as she lifted a rock the size of a basketball. It slipped free and dropped to the ground with a clatter, which drew the attention of some of the other workers. The vision of her dad had scraped her clean of any sympathy for the people that held them captive. Her rage floated around her like a cloud. She wondered if anyone could see it. At this point she didn't care.

A truck pulled up to the group, the roar of the engine echoing around them. The women barely acknowledged its arrival, steadily moving rock after rock as they were dumped at the mountain entrance.

A stubby ATC agent jumped from the cab to the ground and eyed the group as he approached the truck. Agent Dean rolled down her window.

"These women are being reassigned," the ATC agent said.

Paivi met Molly's eyes over the pile and exchanged a worried glance.

"Take them back into the camp. They're going to assist the building crew," he commanded. Agent Dean saluted the man and he returned to his truck. He disappeared with a roar and a cloud of dust. Paivi had tried to read his mind, but couldn't act fast enough. If only he had stayed a few minutes more.

"You heard the man. Line up," Agent Dean shouted.

The women dropped their rocks and turned to stare at the pit-stained agent. It was nearly lunchtime and the prospect of a mile walk back to the camp under the blazing sun with no water since breakfast was not a pleasant one. They trudged slowly into a three-column formation behind the truck.

"Can't we please have some water first?" A voice floated quietly through the crowd.

Heads spun on swivels to find the offender.

Paivi groaned, knowing this would not end well.

"What did you say?" Agent Dean growled, her beady eyes roving over the group. The hand at her belt twitched.

"It's just that it's nearly lunch, and it's a long walk. We would be more productive for you, ma'am, if we had some water." The voice came from a woman at the middle of the line. She was petite, her look as non-descript as the others. Same dirty tanned face, same tattered clothing. She was not from Paivi's barrack. Paivi had never learned her name.

Agent Dean heaved her bulky body in the woman's direction. No words crossed her lips, but rage was clearly clouding her eyes as she unhooked the whip. With a quick flip of the wrist, the whip cut through the air and sliced into the EOS woman's arm, leaving an angry red gash.

Paivi wanted to avert her eyes, but forced herself to watch every wretched strike.

The other prisoners moved back, leaving the woman completely exposed to Agent Dean's wrath. Blow after blow rained down upon her, the crack of the whip reverberating off the mountainside. Shrieks followed every strike as the woman sank to the ground. Thrashed again and again, her clothes shredded and blood oozed from her wounds. It dripped down her arms, legs, and face. The shrieking soon stopped and the woman was nothing more than a silent, bloody pile of rags.

Agent Dean wound the whip. The woman's blood left streaks across the agent’s hands. She pulled a rag from her pocket and attempted to wipe them clean, but a stain remained.

"What are you looking at?" she shouted. "Back in line."

The line reformed. Those near the bloody mass on the ground were careful to avoid the body.

Agent Dean jumped into the truck and it roared to life. "March."

The tires kicked up dirt as the truck started off. The head of the line jumped to life and attempted to follow. Paivi wanted to look, but didn't want to draw Agent Dean's wrath. They marched on and followed the truck back to camp.

The small pile of rags and blood faded into the distance.

*

The group trudged through the gates of the camp. The hum of the soaring electric fence welcomed them. Paivi's tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She was certain the incident by the mountain had lost them all lunch, and had cost that poor woman so much more.

They followed Agent Dean's truck to the back of the camp, beyond the barracks, into a newly fenced area. Multiple crews of men were already busy working on erecting three large buildings. The crack of hammers echoed through the air as they nailed thick wooden beams together.

A stocky ATC agent in khaki camouflage pants and shirt and a matching hat approached Agent Dean. Paivi couldn't hear their conversation from her position in the line.

Agent Dean turned to the group and shouted orders over a megaphone she had in her hand. "Each of you is to replace a man on the crew. Do it quickly."

The columns of women broke, rushing over to take the men's places holding up beams. Some of the men remained to continue the precision work while the others gathered at one end of the construction site to collect their lunch.

Paivi and Molly took the place of two men who held up a corner beam of the building. Paivi forced herself to keep her eyes off the men enjoying water and food. Her stomach growled in protest.

The man working with them was tall and slender. He was a little older than her dad. His face was slightly familiar, but Paivi couldn't place it. So many faces in this camp could have been familiar. Friends, neighbors, famous people. But who would know them? Their features had withered away in the desert heat, leaving nothing more than a shell behind.

They were silent as they worked. The man stopped a few times and looked at Paivi and Molly quizzically before returning to hammering in a row of nails.

I would give anything for something to eat or drink right now
. Paivi pushed her thoughts toward Molly.

I hear you. Not much we can do. Just stick to the work and hope dinner comes quickly.

Another man tapped the tall man on the shoulder to relieve him for lunch. He walked slowly toward the edge of the construction site. He looked back at Paivi again. She met his eyes and looked away. She was pretty sure she didn't know this guy. She wondered why he kept looking at her that way.  Probing his mind was out of the question. He had his guard up.

When he returned ten minutes later to resume his position, his hand brushed against her side. Paivi felt something weighty fall into her pocket. It was too dangerous to look now, though. She didn't dare give Agent Dean any reason to notice her.

The women were then called to the end of the construction site to help organize the construction materials and be runners for the site. Not all of them were needed, so Agent Dean took half of the women with her to another task, leaving Paivi and Molly at the work site. When the men's guard wasn't looking, she pulled the lump out of her pocket.

It was a piece of bread.

Her mouth watered and she longed to eat it, but it wasn't possible without being seen. Besides, how fair was it for her to eat something if all the others around her were starving. It would be something extra to share with Molly later.

After three more hours toiling in the blistering sun, Agent Dean returned to march them all back to the main courtyard for the evening count.

The minutes ticked by in her head. Paivi would count to sixty and then start again. The sun hung very close to the horizon. At least forty-five minutes had passed, she figured by her count. Her legs swayed under her and threatened to give out all together. She had to hold on just a little longer.

Molly nudged her elbow.

Are you okay?
Molly's words floated into her head.

She nodded her head.

"All clear. All accounted for. Dismissed," a voice shouted over the speakers that hung on posts above the courtyard.