Chapter 14

 

FREI TOOK A deep breath. One of the guard’s shoes was in one hand and the keycard in the other. The keycard wasn’t disabling the alarm system but it was flicking the latch on and off. It was something.

If it could have turned off the buzzing volt of electricity, that would have been more useful.

She took another breath, braced and reached out. She rammed the keycard into the reader. Slammed the shoe to the door, shoving as hard as she could.

The shock hit her. Punched her hands away. Shoved her backward.

The door swung open.

She dropped to the floor. Cracked her knees on the hard surface.

The door started to swing closed.

No.

She scrambled through the doorway. Hit the opposite wall. Collapsed onto her front. 

A voice in the distance. Suz. Suz? What?

She fought to open her eyes. The hallway flickered. She was in the hallway. She was out.

The voice mumbled something. It was Suz. How?

It couldn’t be her.

Disconnected. Hazy. Flickering. She didn’t even feel much pain.  

Not good.

She slumped to the floor, gripping her pocket. Jessie needed her inhaler.

 

Huber’s voice drew her from sleep. Frei peeked open an eye. Where was it coming from? She rolled onto her side, wondering if she was dreaming. Weird dream.

“In your drawer.”

Frei followed the sound. She pulled open the drawer and pulled out a large chunk of . . . well . . . a plastic brick.

“It’s a phone.” His tone was impatient. What was new there?

“It’s not connected to anything.” She looked for the wires, confused. Huber had a desk phone. The staff had phones and radios.

“It’s a cell phone. Put it to your ear.”

She did as told. It smelled strange, plastic. “How are you talking when I didn’t answer it?”

“Auto-answer . . .” He sighed. “I don’t have time to teach you. This isn’t a social call.”

Frei shook her thoughts free. “I’m listening.”

“Suz.” He almost sneered the name. She drove him crazy. She drove Frei just as crazy. Although Suz looked to her more and more for reassurance now. “She’s in trouble.”

Frei looked at the unmoving, snoring form in the bed opposite. “She’s asleep.”

“Not when Jäger gets there.” Huber sounded irritated now. Her shoulders rose at the tone. She got to her feet, ready, primed. “You need to get her out. They’ve failed her.”

Her knees buckled at his words. Failed?

“What will happen?”

He tutted at her. “Crespo is on his way. Get her out.”

Frei nodded.

“Put the phone back in the drawer.” His voice cut and she stared down at the lump of plastic in her hands. She put the phone away and took a breath. Get Suz out. How did she do that?

Frei shook Suz awake. Her eyes focused, her hand raised to protect herself.

“It’s just me. Suz, we have to leave. You have to go.”

Suz didn’t ask why. Didn’t argue. She’d known. Her eyes showed it. She knew she’d failed and said nothing. Frei grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out into the hall. Suz was light on her feet so the monitor was no problem.

“Where?” Suz asked.

Frei bit her lip. “Garage.”

They hurried along the wall of the dorm, crept along the main building of the school. Her gaze was drawn to Jäger’s quarters.

“He’s at the principal’s place,” Suz muttered. “Dinner.”

Frei nodded and they hurried past the humanities block, the boys’ dorm, up the road to the garage. She peeked between the buildings. In front, on the lawn, stood the state-of-the-art “visitor center.” It was called that but it wasn’t. No, it was the center for gala night. The center that the auctioning of slaves would take place in. It had a huge glass statue inside loaned by some rich buyer. They would open it officially when Suz’s age group were auctioned.

Frei tore her gaze from it. Huber would have kept Suz if she’d made it to the auction. He’d promised he would. She’d just had to keep Suz’s nose clean enough that she didn’t fail.

“It’s not your fault,” Suz whispered.

Frei couldn’t bear to speak. She swallowed back the heavy ache in her gut and flicked the lock off the garage door in seconds. They hurried inside. A car was waiting. A man was waiting. His lapel pin said he was one of Huber’s.

“Shave her head.” The guy was armed, vest on, glint in his eyes. She’d only seen him once or twice but he had never spoken.

“I don’t have—” He threw a razor at her. She caught it even at the speed he’d hurled it.

His response was a respectful smile.

“You have to sit down.” She turned to Suz who shook her head.

“Why? I don’t want to shave my head.” She glared her way.

Frei shut her eyes. They had to be quick. Truth. She opened them. “You’re a slave, Suz. We’re all slaves. You’re being sold.”

Suz laughed. She looked to the man who dragged on a cigarette. His eyes were hard. Cold. Jaded.

“You’re kidding . . .” She searched Frei’s face. “You’re not, are you? How long . . . how . . . ?”

Frei gripped her shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. We have to get you out.”

Suz set her jaw. “Do it.”

Frei switched the razor on. Suz’s eyes filled with tears as she worked. Her glossy hair fell to the ground in heaps. “Think of it as freedom.”

Suz flicked her eyes to the guy. He pulled open the door to the car. “They’ll know, won’t they?”

He shook his head. “Delivered a slave.”

She gripped Frei by the shoulders. Held on. “I love you.”

“Stay safe. Listen to him.” Frei pulled back. If she cried, they’d know. They would see the redness. Huber was risking so much.

Suz climbed into the back of the car. The guy threw a blanket over her. He turned. Frei hurled the razor. He caught it as deftly as she had.

“Keep her safe.”

He nodded and got in. She turned and slipped out of the garage. She didn’t want to watch Suz leave. She needed to cover their tracks. She snuck back along the same route, back up the stairs, past the monitor, into her room. She stared at Suz’s bed. Empty.

Frei looked out of the window, Jäger was wandering down from the principal’s place. He had some woman under his arm. One of the newer staff members. He would charm her. He did it often.

The woman under his arm didn’t have a clue that when he was bored of her, she’d see his other moods. She shuddered. She heard the crying sometimes, the pleading, the screams. He liked ones “full of fight.” She’d heard him bragging to the principal. They’d share a laugh over it.

Jäger wouldn’t get his hands on Suz, neither would Crespo. She smiled. It would be worth seeing the smarmy grin wiped off his face.