Enchained (Enchained Trilogy book 1)

Chapter 12 The Factory

A man stalks out of the steel door that melds into the factory building, stopping a few feet away, his eyes never leaving us, his simple uniform a stark contrast to the others who surround us dressed in full body armor. He stands at attention, his muscular arms by his side, his scowl growing by the second as we approach.

Commander Vye stops in front of him and salutes him. Renal and I do the same. "Commander Vye reporting as requested."

As requested? She did not set this up? It was set up for her?

The man's scowl could curdle milk, and for the first time, I saw a trickle of sweat ooze down Commander Vye's temple.

"You are two seconds late." His sharp tone could slice through a beet with ease.

Commander Vye says nothing, maintaining a rigid posture and I mimic her stance.

"My name is Commandant Gazini. All within this facility answer to me. You are here by invitation only."

I know that last bit is a lie. We are here, because, as has been explained numerous times to me, every new arbiter must learn all the aspects of the sector they're assigned to, and that includes any that are considered off-limits most days. This means that he was instructed to have us here, but is saving face, which is no surprise, because I have caught Commander Vye doing the same, pretending that she is in control, when in reality, she isn't.

"You will do as you are instructed," Commandant Gazini continues in that punitive tone of his. "Touch nothing. Speak to no one. And do not wander off."

He walks around us, checking the tattoos at the base of our necks and the authenticity, for each tattoo has a code written within it that cannot be duplicated or forged. Doing my best not to fidget under his sharp gaze, I keep my eyes peeled straight ahead, not daring to glance in any direction for fear that I will incur his wrath, and it occurs to me that his might be far worse than anything I have suffered under Molers or Commander Vye. He pulls out a scanner and runs it over our wristbands without a word and I control my desire to flinch when he snatches my wrist, his strong fingers digging into my skin and leaving a few bruises. Both Renal and Commander Vye maintain stoic expressions when he seizes their wrists to scan their bands.

"Enter," he barks.

We all march inside, passing through the smooth, steel doors as they crawl open before us and seal shut once we are on the other side, entombing us in a darkened interior where despair and hopelessness pours from the cold walls and hollow ceiling. Two guards await us, falling in next to us as we walk down the eerie hallway to another steel door that swings open upon our arrival, shutting on its own, like its predecessor, locking us in as we delve deeper into this sepulcher of fear, the unnerving silence broken only by the marching of our feet. I study our escorts, while pretending to not be interested in them at all, and notice something familiar about one of them. I would recognize that pompous gait anywhere.

"Trevors?" I whisper, forgetting to control my mouth. It travels throughout the corridor, bouncing off the walls and the ceiling, intensifying in its volume, despite the soft voice I had used to utter the name. In response to my unchecked outburst, the guard I have accused of being one of my fellow recruits rams the butt of his weapon into my stomach, causing me to double over as the world fades around me. A high-pitched squeal escapes my lips as I try to inhale, finding it difficult to breathe.

Within seconds, while I roll on the metal-plated floor, Commandant Gazini yanks the firearm from the guard I accused of being Trevors and strikes him in the head with it, knocking his helmet off, proving that I had been correct in my guess. I watch from my fetal position as Trevors falls to the floor, holding his head and trying to remain conscious, not daring to look into Commandant Gazini's callous eyes, while fresh blood dribbles from his mouth. He remains on all fours, and I almost do not recognize him as he seems to have lost his confident and cocky persona, one that I had come to know full well while at the training facility. I think it odd that he is here because I remember him being assigned to one of our wealthier sectors.