Page 150 of Desecrated Saints
Seven and Brooklyn stare at each other, clasping identical paperwork.
“Brooke?” Kade frowns at them. “What is it?”
Enzo’s head falls as our excitement fades. He can’t look at us, nor can Theo. The only one staring straight ahead is Hunter, like he knew this was coming. Tension is rolling off him in waves.
“What Augustus did to you both will go down in history as a heinous violation of human rights.” Agent Barlow’s smile is tight. “Brooklyn, Seven, the charges against you make for grim reading. We acknowledge the role Incendia had to play in your actions. You’re victims, not perpetrators.”
“When?” Brooklyn interrupts.
We all glance between them, completely bemused.
“Forty-eight hours. The SCU will release your mother’s body. You can bury her before you go.”
“What… h-happening?!” I demand.
Everyone startles at the harsh lash of my voice. Brooklyn’s eyes slam shut, like she’s trying to will herself from this room. It’s Seven who answers my question, the papers bunched in his one hand.
“We’re being sent to Clearview.”
Enzo has to hold Hudson back as he shouts his head off, fists flying. The others filter through expressions of outrage and shock. While they spiral, I approach Brooklyn and cup her cheeks until her eyes open.
“Baby girl?”
“It’s okay,” she whispers to me. “We aren’t safe out there.”
“This isn’t a prison sentence,” Hunter chips in. “You’ve both been to hell and back. This is your chance to get better. Doctor Richards is taking over as the new head of clinical operations. He wants to help you.”
Brooklyn tears her gaze from mine. “What about Zimmerman?”
“He’s on his way to a lifelong prison sentence for aiding and abetting the Z Wing program for over a decade. We’ve connected over thirty transfers into Augustus’s care from Clearview, under his direction, for the purposes of human experimentation.”
“And you want to send her back to that fucking place?” Hudson rages.
“The facility is being repurposed to support victims of Incendia’s institutes. They will be receiving state-of-the-art, real psychiatric care.”
“That’s exactly the sales pitch we all received,” Phoenix adds angrily. “We’ve heard it all before.”
A heated argument breaks out. None of them are paying attention to the determination that’s brewing like storm clouds on Brooklyn’s face. She lays her hands on top of mine, savouring the tiny glimpse of the lives we could have. It’s floating away again, but not out of sight.
“I need to sort myself out before I can be the woman you all deserve.” Her eyes beg me to understand. “There’s still so much rage inside of me. So much hurt. I can’t start a new life until I fix what’s broken.”
She slips from my grasp before I can attempt to protest. I don’t need to scream and rave though. This is her decision, on her terms, for the first time in her entire life. She’s choosing to face this sickness head-on. I think that’s fucking brave.
“I’ll do it,” Brooklyn declares.
Agent Barlow nods, offering her the papers again. “Clearview will help those affected by Incendia’s Z Wing program. You’re not a prisoner there. These people want to help you. I suggest you let them.”
Ignoring the continued shouting, Brooklyn signs her life back over to the state with a sigh. Freedom is postponed, and our separation is now set in stone. Hudson turns his back before he hurts someone, fisting his black hair. Brooklyn doesn’t approach him, looking to Seven instead.
“I’m not going to leave you on your own,” he submits. “We can’t live out in the real world like this. I want to be the man Alyssa died searching for. Not just… Patient Seven.”
Brooklyn touches his arm. “We’ll do it together. Our family will wait for us.”
Nodding, Seven takes the pen and signs on the dotted line. That’s when the arguing and shouting stops. Kade looks on with bleak acceptance, seeming to realise he can’t take this decision away from them. Phoenix holds my hand for strength, his gaze stuck on Brooklyn’s face.
Hudson is the last one to turn around. “You can’t do this.”
“I have to,” Brooklyn responds gently. “For us.”
