The Memoriam Files: Hearts ✔

| Chapter 22, The Crank Palace

|I'm only a man with a chamber who's got me, I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me

|Song: Monster Imagine Dragons

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Dawn's P.O.V.

Exactly twenty minutes later the Berg landed before the Crank Palace.
Jorge told us to let him do the talking, it turned out he was good at it.
I let the others make the plan while checking my arrows for the fifth time. I knew Lisa was still throwing worried glares at me and so I did everything possible to avoid her gaze. Something was different, not just with me but with her too. Ever since she got back she had this spark in her eyes...Like she knew something I didn't and it was making me nervous. Whatever had happened inside that city, she wasn't the same person anymore.
But I couldn't deal with any of that right now. All that mattered was getting Newt back. I was going to fight for him, like I always had done and I always would do.

Finally the cargo door was fully opened and we made our way outside.
I squinted against the sudden sunlight and tightened my grip around my bow. Trying to keep my breathing steady I followed the others outside. As soon as my eyes had adjusted to the light I noticed two guards walking towards us, guns ready in their hands.
Jorge held up his hands and we followed his example. As we walked closer I got a good look at the guards. They were filthy and covered in bruised and scratches. Whatever was going on inside those walls, it wasn't good and the thought of getting Newt out of there as fast as possible was like a steady beat in my head.
We stopped walking at the gate and one of the guards with black hair and a mustache stepped forwards. 'Who the hell are you people?' His tone was one that demanded respect and honest answers.

I didn't take my eyes of the guard as Jorge did the talking. 'We're from Wicked, one of our guys got captured and taken here by mistake. We'll be picking him up.'
What Jorge had said was more or less the truth. He just left out the part of there being no chance we would leave here without him. The guard didn't seem all that impressed.
'You think I give a crap about you and your fancy Wicked jobs? You wanna come hang out with the Cranks? Be my guest. Especially after what's been going on lately.' He stepped aside and made an exaggerated gesture for us to enter. 'Enjoy your stay at the Crank Palace. No refunds or exchanges if you lose an arm or eyeball.'

I felt a shiver crawl up my back at those words and bit my tongue to hide it.
'What do you mean "what's been going on lately"? What's happening?' Thomas asked.
The guard shrugged. 'It's just not a very happy place and that's all you need to know.'
I was growing impatient. We were here for Newt and I had was done playing nice. 'Do you know if any new people were brought in here in the last day or two?' I asked. If I hadn't known it was me talking I wouldn't have recognized my voice at all. It was still a bit hoarse from all the screaming but besides that there was something else. An icy edge that could have cut through cement if it wasn't heard. I didn't even know I could talk like that but right now there wasn't any time to waste with thinking. We'd been standing here too long for my liking.

'Who you're looking for? A he or a she?' The guard asked.
'A he,' I answered. 'His name is Newt, few heads taller than me, blond hair, has a limp and a thick accent.'
The guard narrowed at us. 'I might have seen him somewhere.'
I heard Jorge beside me let out a huge sigh and watched him take a few banknotes out of his pocket.
The guard nodded and opened the gate. 'Follow me. And remember, if any of your body parts become detached due to an unfortunate encounter with a Crank, I highly advise you to leave said body part behind and run like hell. Unless it's a leg of course.'
My blood ran cold from his morbid sense of humor. I threw the guard a quick glare before following the others through the gate.