Chapter 40 - Callahan

Don't let them take you alive.

I stared at Eleanor blankly, taking in what she'd just told me.

They want to know if she's pregnant.

They wanted Milton's genes to live on, and they wanted Eleanor to be carrying it. They wouldn't find his DNA if they looked.

They'd find mine.

"I don't know what to do," Eleanor confessed. "They'll kill us both."

I squeezed her hand. "We need to leave. Hurry, pack a bag, get your medicine – anything else you need. I'll do the same."

"Where are we going?" she cried out.

"Where else? We'll have to go above."

We ran back to our quarters.

"Only take stuff that's not going to weigh you down, but know that we are never returning. I'll be back." I directed her before heading to the door.

"Where are you going?"

I paused.

Should I tell her my plans? Was I ready to reveal all my cards?

No, I decided. If we were caught they'd torture her until she told them what they wanted to hear. For now, my Young Lady had to stay in the dark.

"I need to grab some things. Hurry and pack."

I stormed out and immediately ducked into a hall that didn't have cameras in the corners. As DITs we'd learned the ins and outs of our area, and most importantly, where we could sneak around. It was how Milton met Eleanor late at night so often. I'd been upset every time he told me about their late-night trysts, but right now I was glad I'd learned the paths.

I sped down the halls, waiting for someone to pop out and stop me, but thankfully, I didn't see a single person on my trek to the room labeled: ARCHIVES.

The door was locked, which I'd prepared for. The door had a frosted glass window, so I pulled the handkerchief from my pocket, wrapped it around my hand, and punched it. It took three attempts to break the glass. I shoved my hand inside, wincing as glass dragged against my shirt as I inserted my arm and unlocked the door.

I hurried in, knowing my time here was limited. The sound of the glass shattering was sure to alarm someone. I flicked the lights on and looked around the room full of filing cabinets. They were all labeled accordingly, and I hurried to the one that said Young Ladies.

I let out a breath of relief as I pulled on a drawer and it opened with ease. Manilla folders lined the drawer, each with a girl's name on the tab. I looked through and found what I was looking for. Riot wasn't lying; there was a Young Lady named Myrtle. I opened her file and my breath caught in my throat. The photo inside was a smiling woman who looked like... Eleanor.

I scanned the file and, piece by piece, everything Riot told me over the last few weeks revealed itself. I went to another cabinet and looked for everything else he'd told me. I found it. Everything was right here in front of me: the experiment, the selections, the forced pregnancies - all of it. I took the files and put them under my arm. I couldn't stay here all night. We had to go.

I slipped out and ran back to our quarters. Eleanor asked about the folders, but I brushed her off.

"I'll show you later. It's too much to explain tonight. This place isn't safe. I didn't know until recently just how bad it was. Tonight, we have to go."

I went to my own room and hurriedly packed my bags. I stuffed only one set of clothes and boots, and filled the rest with my pills, gun ammo, the stolen files, and food and water provisions. Riot said he was only a few miles away, but just in case something happened, I needed to keep us alive until we reached it. Taking one last look around the room, I left it, my mind deep in thought over what I'd read in those files.

What experiments were they actually running?

Bags slung over our shoulders, we waited. The warden was going to wait until morning. I knew his tactics too well. He was currently in his office or private quarters, planning it all. Ten Daddies, all armed, ready to shoot us the moment they discovered Eleanor wasn't carrying Milton's child.

I doubted she was even carrying mine, but it wouldn't matter. The moment they realized she wasn't producing an heir, she was useless. She'd been defiled and that didn't make for a good Young Lady.

We waited until the middle of the night and quietly left her room. Eleanor had put on the dress she'd worn for her birthday.

"It's my most cherished item," she'd explained sadly. I wondered, for a brief moment, if Myrtle had worn it on her birthday too.

There was only one way out of the bunker and they could be waiting for us in that room. Much to my relief, we were alone. I took a PARA suit, a gas mask, and a gun. Then we went up.

"He said that?" she asked as we climbed the ladder. "That he was going to do that to me?"

While she'd only heard the truth earlier this evening, it felt like ages ago.

"He did. They normally didn't invite DITs to join but considering his status and his relationship with you, they decided to include him."

"Status?"

"He's related to the warden," I explained. "That's the only reason this is such a big deal. If it had been me, they wouldn't have cared if I was dead."

She grew quiet. It was true. People went missing all the time. It was a part of the job. But never had there been such a long search for them after. Everyone knew that once you stayed above for long enough, you either became a creepie or a crawlie. Or, if you were lucky, you'd just die.

"You saw him, that day at the tram. What did he say?"

We reached the ground and began our trek to the vehicles. I didn't want to tell her the truth. Despite all that I had told her, I knew she didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to face the fact that the man she'd crushed on for years was a predator.

"He lured you out to finish the job. Milton was in the mid-stages of turning into a creepie. He took his mask off and told me to do the same, hoping I'd start the change too. And when I didn't he turned on me. It was either him or me, and if I'd died, when you got up to the platform, he would have killed you too."

Clouds thundered above us and I looked up. The sky was dark, even more than usual for nighttime. A bright light flashed in the sky, and then slow, small drips of rain began to fall from the sky.

Oh no, acid rain .

I reached for her and looked for the nearest roof to shield us.

"Ouch!" Eleanor squeaked.

I reached for the arm she was holding and examined it. Where the rain had touched her, a small red mark remained. Only a small red mark. She was immune.

"Ouch! The rain is pinching me!"

"It's acid rain. Don't let it get in your mouth or eyes."

I hurried her along and then stopped in my tracks when we reached the gates and found the lot empty. Completely empty.

"Nice try, Daddy."

We spun around to see the warden and all the other Daddies. They'd followed us out here. Or, maybe they'd been out here before us and had been waiting. I shoved Eleanor behind me.

"Just let us go," I said. "Just let us leave, and there'll be no trouble."

"No trouble?" The warden stepped forward and laughed. I pulled my gun over my shoulder, and in sync, all the others did the same, aiming their weapons at me. "You see, soldier," the warden said, "It's too late. We know how it went down. Milton had a camera on his person. You're already in trouble."