Intentional Killer - Book 2 In The Jessie Series

Chapter 27: Three Questions

Of course Thomas was going to go with her. I growled in frustration. So much for his panicked design making and impulsive ideas. Following an unknown woman through a herd of Cranks further into a strang was definitely not a good idea.

I gripped my knives tighter and followed reluctantly at the back of the group. We had to walk single file through the middle of the cranks, so I lost Minho somewhere in the middle of the crowd.

"Come on, keep up." The young woman called again.

She had stopped infront of a big slidding door, and yanked it open. What I saw was not what I was expecting. The huge open building was crowded with people. Mostly middle aged and older. No one really in the youth. Everyone was crowded around little campfires or fires inside barels, people eating from tin cans. There were makeshift tents and other sleeping arrangements everywhere.

It was some form of community. Where these some of the locals of the town? Were they cranks not yet turned into animals, like the two assassin's sent to take me back? My curiosity peeked. Many of the heads turned to see us. Many of them looked at us curiously. We seemed to be quite young compared to everyone else here.

"Where are all the kids?" Aris asked, looking around.

Minho had slid to the back, and slid behind me. "Something's not right." He whispered in my ear.

"No shit." I muttered back. But I was glad Minho was behind me. His presence was reassuring. But like he said, something was very off about this place. I just had to figure out what.

The woman's face turned hard for a minute but it slipped back into her flirtatious smile so quickly I almost missed it. She ignored Aris's question and led us around the outskirts of the make shift community and over to a set of metal stairs.

"Jorge wants to meet you." She said batting her eyelashes

"Who's Jorge?" Thomas asked. He was right at the front drooling for answers. I glanced at Newt and could see his trepidation and unease with the new female as well.

"You'll see." She winked, back at him over her shoulder. I saw Newt's shoulders stiffen and his eyes narrow slightly.

"Not good." I muttered.

"No one's come out of the Scorch in a long time." She called with a smug smirk. Her eyes raking over each boy again. "You've just got him curious." She paused and turned around standing on a few stairs up.

"And me, too." She said, her dark eyes now on Minho again, like she was trying to size him up. I felt his hand slide to my hip, and gripped it tight, his body tense as well. He pulled me towards him. Newt glanced at me as well. My knuckles were white, holding my knives so tight. My pain of being zapped by lightning momentarily forgotten with my anger flaring up and feeling very territorial of what was mine. I growled and narrowed my eyes. She didn't even seem to see me, just right through me to my Minho.

"Anyone else starting to get a bad feeling about this place?" Newt asked quietly.

The young woman let her smirk linger for a second to long. Minho looked away and had reached, grabbing into my jacket pulling me closer to him. But she had turned away and was marching up the stairs. I growled again.

"Let's just hear him out." Thomas shrugged, still watching after the woman. "See what he has to say."

"Bad idea." I warned. "Let's just stay here."

A group of huge dirty men had appeared at the bottom of the stairs. I now felt very trapped. Teresa had glanced behind her as well. The dirty huge men grinned at Teresa and I. They slowly advanced, forcing us up the stairs.