Page 34 of Tell Me Why
The sun would be coming up, but the van was well-equipped to block it, as mobile shelters went.
Tina was expecting a wave of incapacitating force to hit her as the van rolled to a stop and the back doors opened, but there was just artificial white light and more men.
None of them were armed.
They wereconspicuouslyunarmed.
“Welcome,” Isabella said as Tell climbed down and turned back to offer Tina a token hand down.
“I have guests lined up who will be disappointed,” Tell said as Isabella motioned with a sweeping arm that they ought to walk with her.
Tina found this an odd topic to spontaneously bring up as they were being led away.
“I’ll make sure that none of them are left without an invitation,” Isabella said. “None of them knew where they were going, anyway.”
That’s right.
How had Isabellafoundthem?
Tina was watching Tell for any clue what he thought was going to happen next, or when they ought to make their attempt at fighting their way out, but he gave her nothing.
“This is impressive,” Tell said. “You’ve been working on this for longer than Keon realizes. Is Daryll around?”
“Always nosy,” Isabella said, unoffended. “You’ll see him when he’s available, I’m sure.”
“Human muscle upstairs,” Tell said. “Lots of heartbeats. This is a big project.”
“It is as big as it needs to be and no bigger,” Isabella said, indicating that one of the men ought to open a door for them. They’d been walking through something that had felt like a cross between a garage and a warehouse, but with cement up twelve or fifteen feet overhead that kept the sun off marvelously. Going through a gap in one of the walls, they were a short way down the hallway when Isabella had stopped them.
Tina wasn’t sure how Tell knew that there were humans upstairs; whether he could hear them or smell them, but Isabellawasn’t trying particularly hard to disguise anything about where they were.
They weren’t going to get out again.
And Tell remained completely calm.
Maddeningly calm.
The man unlocked the door at several points - big, strong, metallic noises clicking as he turned beefy keys and then put in a passcode - and then stepped back as Isabella led them in.
The room was nice.
It actually was.
“Are you two…?” she asked, pointing from Tell to Tina and back.
“Not even a little,” Tina said, and Isabella laughed.
“I’ll have them bring in a second bed, then,” she said. “The bathroom is spare, but as pleasant as I could make it. Please refrain from attacking the guards. They know how to win, and I’d hate for everyone to get hurt.”
“You won’t have problems from us,” Tell said, and Isabella nodded.
“Do you require sustenance?” she asked.
“Not today,” Tell said. “But Tina will want to lay down soon.”
She was getting wobbly, in point of fact.
Isabella nodded.
