Same Day Workhouse Board Member's Headquarters, 2:45 p.m.
*
Yoleta nudged an unconscious human male under her desk, hiding him.
Her watch flickered on, and she stood inside the Kill Home, watching herself, but no one saw her. Everyone within the room was a frozen mannequin version of themselves. Copies of herself popped into the room, walking around the still forms. Doppelgängers held documents in their hands.
"Vex fooled us, and he plans to expand his Kill Home spree," her copy said.
Yoleta took the papers and found herself in a pink-walled room with Sean-Mack, Rodrick, Vex, and Trent. She slipped the file into the stack.
"Rodrick, I understand you're angry at me for defying your orders, but the law requires a second signer," Trent said.
Vex smacked Trent across the face. "Your contract will be flagged because Yoleta suspects he is younger than you. She won't do the background check if he doesn't sign." He slid out a knife. "Why did you attack Quig? Isn't he one of your other children? Junior is furious and made it impossible for us to toss Quig inside a workhouse."
Trent said nothing.
"Borrow my pen." Rodrick slid out a fountain pen that resembled a knife. "Stanton might co-sign."
*
Yoleta's temporal watch turned on, and she was back at her desk. "Rodrick signed, didn't he?" She sipped mint tea and answered Quig's texts in code, but then called him.
"My personal shopper dropped off everything that could be saved, including the additional tea set you ordered. I have to go. One of Vex's low-level assassins attempted to kill me. He is in my office right now, and we're having a polite conversation over purple dragon mint tea."
Madd-Ox entered. "Chase is controlling my sister."
"Yes, Zill is probably a victim or at least I think she is. My memories keep changing. It's this stupid watch."
The man's hand fell out from under her desk, and Madd-Ox squealed.
"He isn't dead." Yoleta handed Madd-Ox a postcard. "My boss, Lana, knew she was going to be killed."
On the back of the postcard was a child's drawing of sunshine. Madd-Ox turned over the card and began reading.
*
Dear Yoleta,
Don't worry, I have had help.
Lana
*
"Flirty, there was infighting, and four board members ended up dead because my supervisor's postcards exposed their thieving and murdering, and I didn't have to maim any of them."
He nodded, 'yes.' "Ma'am, could you cancel me in the press? I plan to marry my girlfriend."
YOU ARE READING
Conform or Suffer
RomanceNever say I love you. If Grew-Ella tells her best friend, Quig, she loves him, they'll come for her, or worse, him. Quig and Grew-Ella have been one step ahead of the system, but one wrong move could lead to a fight-to-the-d...
