The Candles

7

Ava rushed forward to see the "animals" and she froze.

"We have to leave," she said. At that moment, Jane tuned into the com devices, speaking in both of the agents' heads.

"I got two pieces of info," Jane said. "The first is I downloaded the files containing the German's record. He was given a forty year prison sentence for kidnapping and cannibalism. But he managed to escape after three years." There was a pause and both agents looked at each other.

"My second piece of info is that two people have been reported missing in Port Augusta."

"I think we've found them," Ava said slowly. The two people rushed forward, looking desperate.

"Please, get us out of here," cried the woman. Her hair was messy and greasy and there was mud on her face. Her arms were covered in bruises and she looked to be in her mid-thirties. Her shirt was ripped and dirty.

The man had dark hair and a tanned skin and the suit he wore was also torn and dirty. He had a nasty cut on his left cheek. "Where did they take us?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"The middle of the Outback," Logan answered. As a JAYES agent, he had to keep his head cool and think quickly.

He finally heard Jane speaking in his head. "Guys, speak to me. How's everything?"

It was Ava who answered. "We found the people missing. Kendall is planning to... to eat them."

"They're cannibals," Logan added. "That's what their animal state of mind meant. They eat their own." A shiver went up his spine. He pushed back the creepiness that was slowly invading his mind and took a deep breath. Suddenly, he realized why Riley had posters of The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal Lecter was a cannibal, as was Riley. And Hannibal Lecter was in The Silence of the Lambs. His mind was racing.

"Wait, what?" The man gripped the fence, his hands shaking. "You're going to eat us?"

While Ava reassured them, Logan looked over the cage, which was a fenced-in area, not a real cage. The fence was all linked together besides one place where two portions met. This portion was closed by a heavy chain and a thick padlock.

"We need to find a way to get them out of there," Logan said.

"I took my lock gun but it's in the tent. I'll go get it,," Ava said and hurried away.

Jane spoke: "What are you two doing?" Logan looked around to see if anyone was looking. They were too busy picking up wood.

"We're getting them out of there," Logan said.

"No," Jane said firmly. Logan could hear a commotion on her side. The team of ASIS members were growing agitated at the news of cannibals. "It's too risky. They'll catch you and your cover will be blown."

"They'll think we freaked after we realized they were cannibals and decided to free them," Logan argued.

"And then they'll chase you and realize a whole team of ASIS agents is backing you up. Your cover will be blown," Jane said, turning angry. "Get out of there before they catch you trying to free them."

Logan was torn between freeing someone's next meal and saving himself and Ava. "Logan if you don't get out of there right now, I can assure you that there will be consequences." Jane's voice was shaking from anger and fright.

Ava arrived. She'd heard the whole conversation through her own ear piece.

"Two lives are at play here," she said, crouching besides Logan.

"Who are you kids talking to?" asked the woman curiously, but also freaked. "And who are you?" Ava was carrying the lock gun.

"And your lives are at play too," Jane said. "Get out of there before I tell the campus director you're disobeying my orders. I'm your mission controller so listen to me: get out of there before you're injured." As much as Logan wanted to free the two prisoners, he understood why Jane was acting like this. If they rescued them, they would blow their cover and news would circulated about the existence of JAYES.