The Classified Files

Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Celeste Sanders

            “Now remember, Celeste, you just got to do what you do best, okay?” his voice penetrated my thoughts briefly.

            I turned to look at him, his dark features watching me warily. “Yes, Cody, I got it,” I say, “no running off, no trying to get home, watch over the girls, and complete the assignment.”

            “Good girl,” he patted my hand condescendingly. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off as soon as he turned around.

A crackly voice broadcasted through the room. “Cody, Celeste, report to the main room,” it announced from the hidden speaker.

“Let’s go,” he took my hand and forcibly dragged me to the door. “Remember what I taught you, okay?” he bent to whisper before entering the cold room.

Imperceptibly, I nodded. He typed a sequence of numbers into the lock next to the reinforced steel, and the doors slowly hissed open. Straightening my posture, I stalked into the center of the room, where Luke and Lena were already waiting. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Renee and Ryan come in, followed by Rochelle, Brianne, Blaine, Ryden, and Zoe. “Where’s Zach?” Luke questioned, observing the newcomers.

Zoe shrugged slightly. “He said he’d be here in a moment.”

I assessed the other girls. They looked to be fine, although their eyes were… empty. Lifeless. As if they had given up already. Especially Rochelle, which scared me, as she was one of the youngest and most innocent in the lot. Lena’s eyes held pain, the depth of which I couldn’t fathom, in Brianne’s, determination.

Luke’s voice broke through my judgement. “Today,” he paused for dramatic effect, “today is the day that you all will be released to the outside world.”

The girls gave no response, showing that they had already been informed. He continued, “On a mission, that is. To be precise, your very first mission. Now, this will be important, because you all will have the chance to take your first kill today.”

His eyes gleamed with something sinister, deadly. “Lena, you will be in charge,” he addressed his student. She nodded, blankly. “The rest of you know your roll, I presume?”

We nodded. “Good,” he said. “We will not be accompanying you, but the trackers implanted inside your skin will deliver a deadly dose of drugs through your body if you attempt to escape. It will be a slow and painful death, of that we can assure you.”

“Now,” he waved his hand towards us, “go! You are free. The door is out on the right, Zach will take you there.”

As we filed through the door again, there was a wall that held weapons of all sorts. “Celeste, take the dagger and smoke pellets,” Cody instructed. I grabbed a few of each, along with some throwing stars and tucked them in the specially designed pockets of my outfit.

The rest of the girls took their own unique equipment. Brianne had a knife and a small stun gun, Lena had a couple pistols and a dagger, Renee had a long rod with sharp spikes at the tips, Rochelle took a dagger and a pistol, and Zoe had a knife and small bombs.

We each received a communications unit, every one being a different design and ‘function’. Mine happened to be hidden inside a gorgeous ruby necklace, matching my clothes and special ability.

Seduction.

The door slowly opened, filling the hallway with natural light, light we had not seen in months. Bright sunlight hurt our eyes as they adjusted from the cold, artificial lighting indoors. Hesitantly, we each took a small step outside.

And we were free.                                                                                                                                     ~

So um, I deeply apologize for the length of this chapter and also for the wait... this is quite possibly the worst thing I have ever written, so sorry. But hey! It's an update, right?