Chasing Fate (Sentinel & Guide)

Chapter 72

[[Unedited]]
Over the next few minutes of reliving the interview everything became exceptionally clear. 

Fate had been abducted at 14, but it was a setup orchestrated by the NOGS to replenish guides for their operative. He burned through so many with his vicious nature and his work that they were running out of the guides they bought off of human traffickers. Blaming traditionalists had simply been a cover. Though the cultish clans were dangerous, they simply weren't powerful enough to be a societal threat, or a lucrative deal for human traffickers. No, most guides that went missing or were otherwise "obtained" ended up in a dark secret operation that linked to none other than the NOGS, at least in the US. 

The Blair Ellison schools were mostly above board organizations, as far as the regular staff knew, but like many shared-curriculum schools, they all answered to corporate. They were all given scholarship budgets and scouts sent by the central school to "find talent". 

Talent often equated to powerful young guides who perhaps didn't have the same backing as the rich scions of major clans. If these guides "dropped out" or "ran off" due to the pressures of rigorous school work, the snooty clan leaders wouldn't bat an eyelash as long as it meant their own children could continue to make connections.  Besides, a few of those scholarship grads went on to do great things, often working for the federal branch of the NOGS as thanks for the opportunity. 

Linnette Dorsey had been the perfect target for a scholarship. Dead parents, living with an elderly and dying aunt,  no direct affilation to her regional clan, and most importantly, starting to show significant power but still young and easily manipulated. 

Linnette was offered a full ride. Tuition, uniform and boarding, travel, even a stipend. Of course she went. She made friends, excelled at the curriculum, and got into all of the hijinks young guides were prone to do, including trying to sneak out on adventures with her other scholarship friends. 

The NOGS-paid mercenaries only had to wait to nab the three guides that snuck out that night. Witnesses stated that the children were lured by a young woman asking or directions. As they escorted her to the correct path they were pushed into a van that screeched off. The local police sent out sentinels to assist in the search but nothing was found until much later. Three bags. Three bodies. 

Two of the guides were still recognizable, but Linette had her funeral with a closed coffin. 

And that was only the beginning for the powerful young guide who became known as Fate. 

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"I remember waking up somewhere clean...too clean," Fate murmured ,"It wasn't a hospital but it was definitely industrial. It was cold too, an industrial type of bonding room.  They'd shaved all my hair, even my eyebrows!" 

She ran a hand over her head now, as if the milimeter of hair there was unbelievable in and of itself, "If a sentinel wants to bond with an incompatible guide, then any upsetting stimuli must be removed. They didn't want to risk a rejection. I guess he was off the rails already that time." 

Anton could feel his heartbeat rising as rage started to cloud his vision, but his body continued to docily write words he could make no sense of.

"My...predecessors had both burned out while he was on the job, so he was still reeling from that when they extracted him. He got the feedback from them as well. It was a mess." 

The way she talked about it, chuckling morbidly , set Anton even more on edge. He wanted to strangle every person involved in this, from the director down to the janitor who cleaned that bonding room. Fourteen. A child who couldn't even drive or open a bank account.