The brain is such a strange specimen, if you think about it. Sometimes it baffles me how astounding it can be. How many emotions it can hold, or how perceptive it can be. Or how it can cause the adrenaline that rushes through your body in an instant.
I was in a dreamlike state, half awake and half dreaming until Eli woke up again. Most of the kids were passed out, lying flat on the ground like nobody’s business. The Fishermen were all huddled in the corner, and they had been having a heated discussion ever since it happened.
Madame’s body was placed on top of the bed. And yes, we all double checked. She had no pulse. No heartbeat. Those icy blue eyes would never give me that piercing look ever again.
The second the Fishermen witnessed her take her final breath, they instantaneously stopped hitting us. They just retreated to the back, talking about something.
John was by my side the entire time. I had cried myself out already to the point where tears seemed foreign to me, although my clothes were still wet with droplets.
The second I realized Eli was alive, and that Eli wasn’t going to die, every thought I had about killing myself was wiped clean completely. These recent events forced me to realize that I just couldn’t leave Eli behind. Or John, for that matter. The way I acted when I thought Eli wouldn’t make it was completely insane. And I knew that if it was John lying there, I would have reacted the same way.
Which brings me to my next point. Where was John? He had disappeared for an awfully long time. Was he the killer? I mean, I knew it was a guy from the body shape. And John would have had just enough time to leave, change, come back and perform operation sneak attack on Madame’s ass, sneak away again to change….again, and come back as baffled as anyone else.
But I couldn’t bring myself to ask him. Because part of me didn’t want to know. I had this perfect image of him as a rescuer, my savior. One of two knights in shining armor. Seeing him as a killer would pop that bubble, and after all I’d been through, I wanted it intact.
We were all leaning against the wall. My left hand was wrapped tightly around John’s, and my right was clasped against Eli’s.
I notice Jesse, who was passed out a few feet away from us, start to stir and rub his head, moaning. I also saw Gwen comforting Charlotte, who was sobbing softly through her bloodied lips. After taking a quick head count, I could account for thirty-nine people. Which means her killer was back.
Since I had a lot of time to deliberate this with myself, I had automatically ruled out Aimee as the killer. I mean, why spy for someone and then kill them? It didn’t make sense. I felt a twinge of pain in my chest as I thought about Aimee.
I never really had the time to register her betrayal. I had trusted her. Treated her as a friend. Hell, I even cried for her when I thought she was being disposed of like trash. And this entire time, she’s been acting as a double agent? Which reminds me, she was nowhere to be found. Did she even know her mother was dead?
I feel a slight twitch in my right hand and my eyes snap to Eli, who was slowly but surely coming to. Letting out a deep sigh of relief, I clear my throat.
“Ahem,” My hoarse voice breaks the silence, getting everyone’s attention, even the Fishermen.
“Can everyone please come here?” I try to say normally, but it comes out raspy. I lock eyes with the Fishermen, beckoning for them too.
It seemed that they had been following Madame involuntarily, and now that she was dead they didn’t seem like much of a threat. I wait for a few minutes as everyone drags themselves over next to the three of us. The Fishermen come to us as well, but don’t sit down.
“I don’t know if you all realized, but we’re free.” A tear rolls down my cheek, but this time it was from happiness.
Two of the Men exchanged quick looks, and I remember some frustrating news.
“I know you all heard what I said to Madame. About our parents giving us up?” I look over the faces of everyone who were too bruised to talk. Their expressions shone with hopefulness. I was reluctant to pop their bubbles.
“It’s true. I found at least thirty letters, all addressed to Madame and thanking her. The signed names were all encoded…” I trail off as my eyebrows furrow in concentration.
Fools Gold
Distinctly, that name rings a bell in my head. Was it from my family? I mean, it could be decoded as ‘Goldsworthy’.
Remembering that everyone was still looking at me, I snap out of my momentary lapse.
“My point is that, I don’t know if home is the safest place for us to go right now.” I say slowly.
“But we still have time to talk about that. Right now, my main concern is to you guys.” I gesture to the Fishermen, all standing next to each other awkwardly.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Explain yourselves.” I state bluntly.
The one I recognized as Martin was the first to speak.
His gravelly voice was rough, with a hard edge to it.
“Well, we didn’t really choose to be here. We were recruited as teenagers; chosen from the local high school football teams and such. Basically, they wanted bulky guys. We were all trained and eventually sent to one of the branches of the-“
“The DIO.” I finish, cutting him off. He looks at me in surprise.
“I saw it in the letters. What the hell is that?”
“The DIO stands for the Discipline Institute Organization. It was formed over twenty years ago by… well, we can’t say his name.” My mouth forms a grim line. “But there are dozens of branches all over the world. Branches meaning, places just like this.”
A gasp was heard from everyone in the room, including Eli, who was alert and listening intently.
“How long have you worked here?” I drill, wanted every drip of information.
“It depends. We can get replaced or relocated. Never fired though. Once we come into the business, there’s no getting out. I’ve been here five years, since this specific Institute opened.” Martin answers.
“So you’ve been with Madame since the beginning.” I summarize. He nods.
“And that’s why she trusted you?” I ask. “And him?” I point to William, the one standing next to him. They nod simultaneously.
“And you did all her dirty work, no questions? Like the kidnapping?” I ask solemnly.
“We had no choice.” Came the answer.
I processed this information internally. I was about to ask them another question, but I was interrupted.
“So that time when I heard you in the janitors closet…?“ Maya’s voice rang out louder than anyone else’s, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
“Completely rehearsed, and fake. We knew you were there.” William responded, looking a bit uncomfortable.
“Why?” Maya asked.
William and Martin looked at each other.
“Honestly, we don’t know. She didn’t tell us much, only what the DIO allowed us to know. Maybe she wanted to confuse you. Maybe she didn’t want Vivienne to figure out the truth.” Martin responded, sounded a bit sad.
“So what’s going to happen now? With you and us?” Gwen asked shyly.
This time the reply came from Georgio.
“We have to report back to the DIO as soon as possible. But as for you, I would suggest leaving. We could say that you all escaped somehow beneath our noses.”
An unsure look crossed Martin’s face. “No, I don’t think you get it. Once the DIO finds out you all escaped, they’ll hunt you down and send you to a different branch in a different country, definitely not in the same ones. You’ll never see each other again if they catch you.”
“So what are we supposed to do?” I probe.
“Our parents are against us, so we can’t go home.” John chimes in.
“Where will we go?” Tristan mutters.
“We have no money or phones.” Naomi adds.
“Can’t we just change our names and rent an apartment somewhere far away from here?” Charlotte asks.
“Not all of us are eighteen, you know.” Leah says.
“Guys, stop. We can figure that out later. Right now, our priority is the corpse that is now rotting on the bed.” I say pointblank.
Everyone looked at each other.
“Do we hide the body?” I ask, more directed at the Fishermen.
“It depends on where you go next.” Martin starts.
“If you run away, you killed her. If you stay, you still killed her. But the DIO will find out either way eventually.” William finished.
“So if they find us, why won’t they just kill us?” I question.
“Like we said, once you get into the business, there’s no getting out.” Martin said sheepishly.
We all spent the next few moments in silence, contemplating what was at stake.
I was at a loss for words, and needed to think.
I felt a squeeze coming from both hands at the same time and I sigh heavily.
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A/N: Bet ya weren't expecting such a fast upload mwahaha. Well it is Independence Day, so whatevss. What do you think about how the story is turning out? :D :D