Heart Pangs

Chapter 19 - A Place To Belong

Benji shoots Brandon a quick text saying he'll be back late, that he thinks he's onto something with Camille. Other than that, he and Camille spend the rest of the afternoon catching up, having all the conversations they should have been having the past five years. Deep down, Benji is nervous for what Camille supposedly has to show him, so he's glad for the distraction.

When night comes, it's time for them to leave.

Benji's mouth is dry as Camille drives them to the quiet part of town. They park behind a meeting hall, and Camille leads him down into the basement. The entrance is blocked by an intimidating prey man.

"Camille Marotta," the man says, "who's this?" He nods towards Benji.

"This is my brother," Camille explains. "He's looking to join."

"You vouch for him?"

"Absolutely. I trust him with my life."

Benji is very much not looking to join and he is very unsure why his sister needs to vouch for him, but he keeps his mouth shut. He keeps telling himself all will be explained soon.

The inside of the basement is nicely finished and far more packed than Benji is expecting. Prey of all ages and backgrounds meander about, talking, laughing, scheming. It feels almost like a party. Almost. Nearby prey cast him furtive looks and there's a serious undertone coursing throughout the room.

"What is this place?" Benji murmurs to Camille.

"This is the group I was talking about," she answers. "The place I belong. The one that's helped me."

Before Benji can ask her to expand, she's waving someone over. He appears to be an older man, though he moves with a sense of power and strength more befitting for someone much younger. He throws Benji the same suspicious look everyone else has been giving him, though the man relaxes a tad when Camille pulls him in for a greeting hug.

"Who is this?" the older man asks after pulling away from Camille.

Camille gestures towards Benji. "This is my older brother, Benji. I think he would be an excellent asset to the organization."

Benji shakes the man's hand, trying not to look as confused as he feels. He doesn't like the way Camille just referred to him as an "asset."

"Benji," Camille says, "this is Arthur McMullen, leader of Epomis."

Benji freezes. His hand falls limply away from the older man's.

"This is Epomis?" he balks.

If this is what Camille's been getting involved with, it's no wonder she's been acting strange and secretive. Epomis is a brutal extremist group that's been rising in notoriety the past few years. Their self-proclaimed motto of, "Equality, by any means necessary," plasters their propaganda, promoting an ideology with which a surprising amount of prey agree. Until recently, they've been mostly regarded as an unusually large fringe group. However, a year or so ago, they made their first big move of assassinating more than a few preds of influence. Their boldness spurred a sudden growth in their numbers, causing them to be reported as the nation's current largest and most dangerous terrorist group.

If these are the people Camille's been getting involved with... Benji forces the thought from his mind.

"Yes," McMullen confirms, "this is Epomis. Or, at least, one sect of many. But this is our main base of operations. We are ever growing."

Benji looks between McMullen and Camille.

"And you're a part of this?" he asks his sister.