Orphan Veil: The Stray

Chapter 1 - Containment Breach

// This is a small sample of the book Orphan Veil: The Stray, written by Lucy Annette Nitz. If you enjoy this sample, please consider purchasing the book on Amazon here - https://a.co/d/56JkPC7 . If you would like to learn more about Orphan Veil, find our socials, or join our discord server, you can do so by visiting orphanveil.com . //

"Maximilian, why are you dragging me down here?" the tall woman barked as she stepped from an elevator. Her voice held depth, exuding a naturally intimidating tone, enough to make even the snarkiest people straighten their postures. Her mere presence was threatening. The halls even thrummed with the booming thuds of her heavy-footed steps.

"Level 6 is hardly a floor I'd visit for fun," she growled. "Especially at three in the goddamn morning."

"Come now, Diana," the lanky man walking in front of her hummed with a slight chuckle. As he spoke, his arthritic fingers endlessly fiddled with his white mustache. "Have you no heart?" he cooed, stuffing his hands in his lab coat.

Diana squinted, irritated; he couldn't get away with fibbing discouragement in front of her. "There's nothing special about the sad children you've collected here," she commented.

She then shot a sharp glance to her left at a smaller man with glasses who was silently following alongside them. With so little as a scowl and a judgmental glare into his pathetically submissive eyes, he almost immediately cowered behind his clipboard. "And tell your creepy brat to stop staring at me."

"Come now, he's simply admiring you," Maximilian spoke with a feigned plea. "And as for the girls, I'd beg to differ. What other orphanage possesses children capable of what they are?"

Diana muttered a curse beneath her breath before stating, "None. For good reason."

"None indeed." Maximilian grinned.

She watched as the smaller man retreated back toward Maximilian, almost using the doctor as a barrier between him and Diana, like a frightened puppy cowering between its mother's legs. She dryly huffed before peeling her eyes from him.

She crossed her black-sleeved arms over her ballistic vest. Her right shoulder was embroidered with a strange, sterile-white symbol: a circle with a symmetrical cross in the center that stretched out to its edges. She looked like she was prepared for war, and working here, she felt obligated to be. A handgun was holstered on her hip and pouches of spare ammunition dotted the belt around it. Mace, handcuffs, a two-way radio, and a flashlight joined them on the opposing side. Despite all the gray, dark equipment, her hair greatly outmatched them: it was deep, dark, and black, almost devouring all the light that shined upon it. Most of it was tied into a meticulously well-kept bun just below the rear of her baseball cap. But apart from the bundle, one stray thin veil of hair rested against the right side of her face. It seemed as though the only color on this woman was her pale skin, and dull, heavy, tired blue eyes.

"Oh fear not, Wilson, she's quite charming, albeit difficult to speak with," Maximilian remarked, briefly stopping to place his hand on the shorter male's shoulder.

Diana's face twitched with sudden irritation at his words. His gall to act so ludicrously carefree while wasting her time on some stroll was twisting her nerves. "Why are we down here!?" she fumed, frustratedly turning to face the man.

Maximilian cracked a sly grin and tilted his head slightly to the right. "For this, of course." He chuckled, gesturing toward the door they were standing beside. It shared the same strange symbol as Diana's shoulder, and below that was the number 19. "I figured this would be someone you'd like to see."