After The Awakening | ONC 2023

Chapter Five

The door slammed shut behind Xavier and the agent at the desk looked up from his screen.

'Kowalski?'

'Davidson. I need to talk to the girl from the Grange estate.'

'You want her sent back to the interrogation room?' the agent asked.

'No. I want to show her the priority containment.'

'Hoping a bit of fear will convince her to talk, huh?' The man smiled, getting up from his chair.

'Something like that,' Xavier answered vaguely.

He followed the agent through another set of doors until they stood in front of a large metal cell. The agent stepped forward and rapped his knuckles on the door.

'Step away from the door,' he shouted, flicking down the grill so he could see the prisoner inside comply.

The girl flipped him the bird from where she lay on her bedroll. 'Not near the door, arsehole.'

Davidson glared at her, but swiped his card over the screen, and the door opened smoothly.

'Agent Kowalski has requested to talk to you,' he said curtly.

Ray's eyes locked with Xavier and she swung her legs so they dangled off her bed.

'I'll take it from here,' Xavier said. 'I'll buzz when we need to go through.'

'I'll be watching on the monitor,' Davidson confirmed, throwing the girl a nasty look before he left.

Xavier stood by the door as Ray stayed perched on the edge of her bed.

'Can't sleep?' he asked.

'Insomnia,' she replied. 'I only manage a few hours a night.'

'If I ask, would you tell me the truth?' he said finally.

'Maybe. If it's you and just you,' Ray said.

'And why do I get the special treatment?'

'Because Mari trusted you.'

Silence fell between them as they stared at each other. It was an uneasy truce, but it was more than Xavier had expected. At least the girl was willing to talk.

'Come on.' He stepped out of the cell and waited for her to comply.

'Where are we going?'

'A place we can talk where no one can hear us.'

Her gaze locked with his, and slowly she made her way towards the door.

The clothes they'd provided after her examination hung off her slight frame with one bony shoulder sticking out of the too large neckline. She'd tied knots into the waistband of the trousers and folded up the hems so she wasn't tripping over the material as she walked. Her head only came up to the middle of his chest.

She may have said she was seventeen but she looked years younger.

They walked past more cells until they came to a door thicker than any they'd seen up till now. The hinges were wider than Ray's arms and at six foot two even Xavier felt small standing next to it, but it was necessary considering what they kept behind it.

He looked at the security camera and raised his hand. The door beeped and slowly rotated open.

'Stay close,' he warned her.

She glanced at him before looking at the long corridor ahead, not too dissimilar to where they'd come from.

After stepping in, the door closed firmly behind them.