The Purity Project

Chapter 7

Lorenzo crossed the street toward the sewage plant, careful to avoid the traffic cameras. Marolo had a strict curfew, and he had heard terrible things about the punishments of those who didn't follow it. He walked around the fence, but he couldn't find Halona anywhere. Suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder. He turned around quickly and was about to punch the stranger when he saw their face.

"Don't hit me!" Halona shrieked.

"Halona? We're sneaking out after curfew in the dark, and you thought it was a good idea to grab me?" Lorenzo snapped, but Halona's smile melted away his anger.

"It's not my fault you're such a chicken," Halona replied, her eyes glinting with humor. "I found an entrance on the other side, and there aren't any cameras there." Halona ran off, Lorenzo on her heels.

 They climbed over the fence and ran toward the building, hiding in the shadows. Lorenzo looked around for a door, but he realized that there weren't any.

"Great plan, Halona. Did you think we were just going to walk through the walls?" Lorenzo said, feeling annoyed.

"Nope. We're going up there." Halona pointed to a second story window.

"You've got to be kidding. How are we supposed to get up there?" Lorenzo considered going back home. If he injured himself or was caught, he would be kicked off all his sports teams. Even worse, he would face both the penalty for breaking an entry and being out past curfew. He glanced at Halona and sighed. I'm doing this for her, not me. Why he felt the urge to help her was beyond him.

"We'll climb up the pipe. You're an athlete, aren't you?" Halona threw her bag to Lorenzo and started to climb up the pipe, her hands gripped tightly as she hoisted herself up.

Lorenzo watched her anxiously. A fall from that height would cause critical damage, and it would also alert the security guards on the other side of the sewage plant. Halona reached the window sill and pushed up the window. She disappeared into the building. A few moments later, she reappeared with a proud smile on her face. Lorenzo threw both of their bags up to her, then started to climb up the pipe. It was more difficult then he expected it to be, and his injured leg didn't help make things easier. When he reached the window, his foot slipped and he fell face first onto the floor. He groaned in pain.

"Well that was graceful." Halona smirked and dropped Lorenzo's bag onto his head.

"Thanks for your concern," Lorenzo said as he stoods up, rubbing his head. Once again, he wondered why he felt the need to help Halona. There was something about her that made him want to fight by her side. He shook away the thought and looked up, only to realize that there were two different hallways.

"Which will it be? Hallway number one? Or hallway number two?" Halona asked, gesturing toward the hallways as if they held some great prize.

Lorenzo glanced down both hallways. He took a deep breath, then pointed at the one on the right. Halona nodded and the two of them walked together. Halona glanced up, making sure there were no cameras. Lorenzo felt awkward in the silence.

"So, how long have you known Braden?" he asked her. Halona responded with a scolding glare.

"Since when are you allowed to ask me questions?" she replied coolly.

"I just think that if I'm risking my life to save the guy, I should know a little more about him," Lorenzo replied, ignoring the anger in her voice. He noticed that, if he put aside her menacing tone, Halona usually sounded scared, as if she were worried that saying too much would get her into trouble.

Halona looked him up and down, as if she were checking for any signs of a lie. She smiled and nodded her head. "I've known him for years. He would stop by my house every evening, and we would create art together. I never told my parents about him. They would have just taken him to child services. His parents weren't exactly good role models." Halona's smile faded away. "Just like mine."

Lorenzo didn't say anything. He didn't want to start another argument with her. He simply nodded sympathetically. A flash of movement caught his eye.

"Halona. Hide!" he whispered urgently. They ducked into a storage closet. Lorenzo peeked out into the hallway. He watched a man emerge from a room and rush down the hallway in the other direction. Lorenzo waited before pushing the door open and walking out.

"That was a close one," Halona said. She turned her head quickly, making sure that the hallway was clear.

"Hold on. I want to check something out." Lorenzo ran down the hallway and to the door that the man had come out of. It was labeled Civilians. He opened the door and stepped in. 

Lorenzo turned the lights on and his jaw dropped. The room was filled with dozens of filing cabinets. He opened some and realized that they contained information on every single person living in the city. He gestured for Halona to check it out.

"They don't need all this information to filter the water supply," Halona pointed out.

Lorenzo shrugged and continued searching. He noticed a file sticking out of one of the drawers. He pulled it out. It was labeled The Purity Project. He opened it and scanned through it's contents. The document was full of names that were labeled as test subjects.

"Test subjects? For what?" Halona asked. She was reading over his shoulder.

"I don't know, but it can't be good." Lorenzo looked at the names, but didn't recognize any of them.

"Lorenzo, look! Braden Smith!" Halona exclaimed as she pointed at the name.

Lorenzo pulled out the other document that was in the file. It was a copy of the confirmation for the shipment of the test subjects. It was printed out yesterday. 

"Halona, I'm sorry. It looks like they moved Braden out of the city yesterday." Lorenzo frowned as he looked at the bottom of the document.

"No, he can't be gone. Why would they take him out of the city. Who's using them as test subjects?" Halona voice cracked. 

"Well, it's much bigger than we thought. This document was signed by the mayor." Lorenzo said. His heart was racing and his hands shaked nervously.

"The mayor? He kidnapped Braden? Why would he-" Halona stopped talking abruptly.

Lorenzo looked up and followed her gaze. She was staring at the doorknob, which was slowly turning. Lorenzo looked around for somewhere to hide, but it was too late. The door was already opened.

"Who the heck are you?"