Chapter 2
When the plane’s hanger opened fully and landed on the grass with a soft thud Charlie felt her insides recoil as she looked at the building. Ground floodlights lit up the Institute like it was a palace but it looked more like a cross between a hospital and a military school for juvenile delinquents than anything suited for royalty. With unforgiving dark stone and black window frames, the floodlight under lit it like a scary mask in a Halloween movie. Whether she was projecting her own fears on to the building or whether it looked as scary as she thought, she didn’t know. At the top of the building, underneath an empty bell-tower, was a large circle window. That window was the only one on the face of the building that wasn’t lit from the inside.
Even from the hanger Charlie could see people walking around inside the building. Too hazy to make out any discernible features she shifted her attention to the half dozen men walking up to the plane. Judging by the stiff gait they walked in, they must be the greeting party and the one in front was the leader. As they got closer to the dimmed lighting coming from the plane, Charlie saw they wore green camouflage military fatigues complete with shinning black boots instead of the black combat uniform of the guard next to her. But Charlie noticed that they too were all armed with the big gun attached by a shoulder strap across there backs. In this light they almost looked like the old hunting rifles you used to see in African safari pictures. The angry guard to her left tightened his hold on her already bruised upper arm then nodded to the leader of the soldiers walking up.
“You’re late.”
The tight voice came from the leader as he came to a halt just outside the ramp of the loading dock of the plane. His accent was European, maybe Germanic or Belgian. Charlie felt the angry guard next to her stiffen.
“We had a little trouble over the Atlantic,” the guard replied curtly, his eyes flicked across at Charlie who could practically feel the hatred coming off him.
“Don’t tell me she was giving you more trouble even after you captured her? Next time they send an extraction team out, I think you should put in some sick time. Get some R’n’R, because obviously capturing this little girl was too much for you,” the leader said mockingly.
“And get you to do some of the hard work for a change,” he guard bit back sarcastically, “You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself. Chances are you would get killed taking down a level 5.”
The soldier leader’s mocking eyes went darker as he replied, “How’s your brother?”
Charlie could feel the hand gripping her arm begin to shake with tension.
“Enough,” Mr. Collins said tiredly as he stepped around the guard and faced the armed greeting party. “Can we get on, please. I’d rather get this business over with.”
The soldier stood taller and nodded to Mr. Collins. His polished Italian shoes thumped loudly as he descended the metal ramp off the plane. After Mr. Collins walked past him, the soldier threw a dark smirk at the guard.
“Oh,” Mr. Collins halted as he began to walk into the shadow between the plane and the building. Turning around his dark eyes looked up at Charlie.
“Welcome to your new home, Miss. Gordon,” he said.
With a guarded look in his eyes, Mr. Collins gave a meaningful look at his youngest son, Jake, who remained by Charlie’s side. Then turned away and walked towards the Institute.
The soldiers who had barely even registered her being there, now looked up at her with recognition. All but the leader raised their weapons and aimed their sights at her. Looking down at her chest she saw that next to the dried blood stains from where her lip split, there were a cluster of red dots from the laser sights. All of them were steady and aimed at her heart. Behind her she could feel the guards from the plane surrounding her. And judging by the clicking of metal, her back was also covered with the sight lasers from the guns.
