Page 95 of Scarred Sins
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I don’t have access to that sort of information. All I know is from the conversations I’ve overheard. Nelson doesn’t tell me anything.’’
“Where are the girls?”
“Currently, they’re in a warehouse. I don’t have the address, but they’re moving them soon because most have been sold and their organs have been harvested. Their next victims have already been selected, and they change locations each time.’’
Blood runs cold in my veins, and the amount of anger that builds inside of me is massive. I’m barely holding onto the last bits of sanity, trying to suppress the rage that threatens to spill and toss me over the edge.
Blair squeezes my hand, and the effect is immediate. The anger doesn’t vanish, but the thread of sanity thickens, and I’m able to shove it aside and think rationally, no matter how insane that sounds. That’s what Blair’s presence does to me.
I pull out the small phone and hand it to Zoe. She takes the device, glances between it and me, then puts it in her bra, hiding it from being seen by her husband.
“Try to get the next location and send me the message once you do.’’
Zoe nods, then turns around, walking back to the venue.
“And, Zoe?”
She turns to look at me over her shoulder.
“What you’re doing is incredibly brave. Thank you.’’
TWENTY-EIGHT
Guilt almost eats me alive. I never should’ve let my insecurities get the best of me, and now that I’ve faced Zoe, I feel like shit. The poor girl is so young, so thin to the point I’m concerned for her health. I’m unsure if she’s even being fed proper meals.
Arlo didn’t mention her much after we left the venue. He was too busy thinking about everything she told him, and he’s patiently waiting for her to contact him. In the meantime, we continued with our training sessions, and even Aria joined a few. To say she blew my mind would be an understatement. The girl can shoot, and she can shoot hella good.
She also enjoys being praised. Whenever Arlo would compliment her, she'd have this look of pride and pure excitement on her face, and it’s only then that I realized just how alike the two of them are. Visually, she looks like Hudson while Arlo looks like Noelle, but personality-wise? They’re basically the same person.
Noelle sent Hudson and Arlo off to do something for her, which she didn’t tell me what it was about. Instead, she took me out and drove us to the base. I’m not quite sure what we’re doing here just yet, but soon enough, I get my answer.
We don’t enter the remodeled factory, and she takes me for a walk around it. Behind the massive building is a small botanic house. My brows narrow, and she just motions with her head for me to follow. With a million questions swirling through my head, I oblige and keep my footsteps close to hers, steady and unwavering.
The closer we get, the more I realize why she took me here. Well, a part of the reason. The other part remains unknown.
We stop outside the glass door, and Noelle presses a button on the small keypad. She types in a password, and we’re let inside. The small hallway is closed off, and there’s a pair of metal doors separating us from the botanic garden itself.
On the right side is a tall, narrow wardrobe. Noelle opens it and pulls out two pairs of disposable protective clothing.
“Take your shoes off and put this on.’’ She hands me one, and I oblige, though a bit weirded out. It feels like I’m a doctor about to step into an epidemic scene, and I’m not sure how to feel about it.
Once she secures her clothes, she helps me secure mine tightly, paired up with masks and four pairs of gloves. She then looks at me before pushing the door open.
“Don’t touch anything. Half of these are poisonous.’’
I don’t need to be told twice. But as we walk, I can’t help but be amazed by the sight. Except for the small hallway at the entrance that seems to be a metal box, the rest is made out of thick, durable glass. It’s very tall, and the herbs, flowers, and even some sort of trees are all around us.
It’s a beautiful sight, my eyes skimming through it. Noelle takes the lead, walking a couple of steps in front of me. I don’t ask anything – I’m too mesmerized by the amount of different things in here. From small herbs that resemble grass to big, beautiful, and colorful flowers that I’ve never seen.
Each plant has a small card next to it, with some dates, a name, and the purpose.
Noelle and I reach another pair of doors and step inside, the door automatically slamming shut behind us. Then, something starts sprinkling all over us. It starts as rain droplets, then it turns into mist, and eventually into something like clouds – yes, it sounds stupid, but I’ve never seen anything like that.
It all lasts around ten minutes, and when the loud buzzing noise comes, a green light flickers above us. Noelle’s the first one to strip out of the protective clothing, then tosses hers into a small bin. I follow suit, watching as she pulls out a pair of shoes for each of us.
“I’m assuming I’ll be meeting Freya?” I ask.
Noelle nods.
