274 (Complex Series, #4)

Chapter Forty-Three

 “So what’s Ellen like?” Theo says this in a light, conversational tone, as though we aren’t discussing a murderer.

I shrug, “Violent. Angry. You probably would have enjoyed the way Piper talked to her?”

“Yeah?”

“She spit in Ellen’s face and bit her.”

Theo sighs dramatically, “I wish I could have been there.”

The conversation loses all its humor. He doesn’t wish he’d been there. I was dragged away with a knife held to my throat. I saw two people murdered. I was sure I would die.

Theo says, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

I nod, staying silent.

After a minute passes, Theo speaks, “I’m sorry, for the way I treated you with the Ecru. I don’t know what I was thinking the entire time I was there…”

“It’s okay. The Nurses said they gave us some type of drug that messed with our emotions. It wasn’t really your fault.”

“But I’m immune. It wouldn’t have had any effect on me.”

I fall quiet again, unsure what to say. Did he really want power, or simply to be remembered? With the Ecru, you believe that your disappearance is your death. Knowing that you will die within a matter of days changes your entire thought process.

We reach the foggy glass doors with the word “Techs” stenciled across it. Derek opens the doors and everyone files inside. The place is deserted, no annoyed receptionists typing into their hologram. The air hums with an eerie silence.

Derek strides confidently to the far door.

One of the Councils stops him, “You won’t be able to get in there. It’s locked with a code that only Tech’s know. I’m the Tech Council so I can…”

The boy trails off as Derek punches a code into the pad outside the door. The door glides open, welcoming us into a long hallway.

The Tech Council’s face is full of confusion, “How’d you do that? How’d you know the code?”

Derek shrugs, feigning nonchalance, “I thought I told you this already. I know everything.”

The Tech Council pales, muttering something under his breath. Derek continues forward, navigating easily down the halls.

How does he know where he’s going?

Derek stops in front of a door, “This should be your supply room, correct?”

The Tech Council tilts his head into an astonished nod. Derek once again enters a code into the keypad, opening the door.

Inside are steel shelves, plastic bins stacked and pushed against each other. Little gadgets and large contraptions are spilled inside the bins, in what seems to be one big chaotic pile.

Derek taps his fingers against his chin. “Now, where are your multi-purpose defensive mechanisms.”

The Tech’s mouth slips open. “How do you…?”

“I thought we’ve already been through this. I know everything. I-”

“Yes. Of course. I’m sorry to say that we no longer have what you asked about. We had to disassemble them for parts to another machine.”

Derek spins on his heel to face the Tech. His voice is deathly low and quiet, “Don’t you try to lie to me. I know they’re here. You realize that you just risked the lives of everyone in the Unknown by saying that. These weapons could be the line between death and life for some people.”