“Don’t let them catch you slipping,” I called, providing a word of caution, a vital piece of advice. If given a chance, any person in this joint would use that vulnerability to crush her into the ground. For some unknown reason, I couldn’t stand the thought of that happening.
Her step paused, the only acknowledgement she’d heard the words as they drifted on the wind.
Chapter 6Micah
Ace joined me in my office, his lanky form dragging his feet along the floor. He had dark shadows beneath his teal eyes and his dirty blonde hair was spiked in disarray.
Externally, he portrayed a dishevelled teenager, which meant he was regularly underestimated. Ace was clever, his sharp mind constantly ticking over, hidden by his unimposing façade. He was quiet, however, extremely observant—seeing and hearing more than most.
His one tell was a worn silver lighter he was never seen without (empty of gas and virtually useless), which he compulsively flicked open and closed.
Ace slumped in the chair opposite, a constant rhythmic beat ticking between his fingers.
Click. Click.
He sat in a strange position, guarding his side from pain. Shuffling to get comfortable, his shirt sleeve lifted, flashing a series of bruises over his upper arm.
My brows rose. “Can you tell me where you got those?” His eyes leapt around the room, avoiding my gaze at all costs. “Shall I be more specific? Did you get those from Fern?”
Ace tensed at the guard’s name, not that I was surprised. Fern was a heavy-handed brute who found enjoyment beating on others. I gestured to the wound once again. “Was this because of what happened in the games room? Because I challenged him?”
Ace squared his shoulders. “Not a bother, Miss.”
Click. Click.
“I told you to call me Olivia,” I said. “Would you be more comfortable just referring to me as Doctor?”
He nodded. “You can call me Cooks, or Cookie, Mis—eh, Doc. Everyone else does.”
“Do you like that name? Cookie?”
“Not a bother.”
Click. Click.
“You say that a lot, ‘Not a bother.’ Is there anything that does bother you?” He didn’t answer, still choosing to avoid my questions. “What if you were released from Oakview? How would that make you feel?”
“Even if that was a possibility, there’s no point. No one out there is waiting for me. No family, no friends. All of them are dead,” he said with clinical accuracy, his voice void of emotion.
“Your file says you have a grandfather still living.”
His ritualistic movement paused. Teal orbs met mine and what I saw reflected back wasn’t a young seventeen-year-old, but more a hardened, matured man who had experienced a lifetime of despair.
“No one’s ever asked me about him before.” His head tilted. “When I said dead, I didn’t mean unalive in the ground ‘dead’. Technically, I have one living relative. Figuratively, they may as well not be.”
Ace hesitated, pondering his next statement. “I know I’ll never get out of here...I’ve come to terms with that. But in case I don’t remember in the future, I wanted to say thanks. For saving me from the basement. For a little bit longer, at least.” He was despondent, accepting his fate.
“What’s in the basement, exactly? Dr Mudlark’s treatment area, right? The one place I haven’t been yet.”
Ace shuddered. “No need to go down there, Doc. You’re not missing out on anything.”
I relented and referred to the clock, which completed our session. With my hand on the exit, Ace clasped my shoulder. “Promise you won’t go down there. That you won’t go searching.” Amid his touch came the overwhelming impression of obligation. He believed he owed me, and in doing so, gave me his version of a warning.
His concern was unwarranted. I didn’t give a fuck about Oakview. Or the mysterious Dr Mudlark, for that matter. As long as it didn’t affect my mission or myself, I had no interest in exploring more than necessary.
“Not a bother, Ace,” I reassured him.
He flashed a crooked smile, squeezed my shoulder and departed.
I’d surprisingly taken a liking to the kid. Surprising in the sense that I never liked anyone aside from my family. I never had the patience or desire to pursue a connection outside of them. Every other person was considered cannon fodder, my Variant an additional barrier that prevented others from venturing near.
Bewildered, I remained stunned. His physical touch hadn’t caused the world to upend into ruin. Instead, his presence was…tolerable.
What the fuck? This place is turning me soft.
The faster I left Oakview, the better.
Chapter 7Psycho
Ishovelled food into my mouth, not even registering what I was eating.
My next appointment with Dr Chaser was the next day. I was conflicted in my decision whether to accept her invitation or not. I hadn’t seen her since I’d caved earlier, my raspy voice breaking the strained silence between us.
Walter and his pack of mutts strode past my table, approaching the lunch line. They’re what gave Oakview its haunting reputation: pack hunters that thrived on the pain and suffering of innocents, claiming insanity to escape a real prison. Now their group ruled the majority of Oakview, kissing Burner’s ass to escape the mad scientist. Keeping order through violence and coercion.
Weak and pathetic. I loathe them.
Due to their cowardly approach, they never bothered with me. I was the apex predator, and they fucking knew it. They’d forgotten I was there (granted, most did). Regardless of my notoriety and past infamy, I kept to myself.
