up pink all the way to the top of the tower.
When the doors opened, Oren motioned for me to walk out first. I thanked him and took a left. Considering we didn’t really have anything to deliver except a bunch of empty canisters, I still felt obliged to pop in and say hello to Roe. Besides, I hadn’t seen him for a while and Ebony said he asked about me every time she dropped in.
“Ms. Fox, it’s so good to see you!” Roe was already waiting behind the hole in the wall where he received, signed for, and then allowed access into the Collection room. His tooth-gapped smile was always the brightest thing about this place, and I’d actually missed him.
“Roe, it’s great to see you too. How are you?”
He shrugged. “I’m okay, I suppose. I missed you around here. You really should drop in more often.”
“You know how I feel about this place.”
“What have ya got for me today?”
I looked up and down the empty corridor. “Actually, I don’t have a deposit. I’m just pretending I do because I needed access into the building.” I showed him the bag.
“Well, either way, I’m glad you dropped in because I’ve been meanin’ to speak to you for a while.” Roe worked and lived in this building. No one knew much about him, but he was surrounded by secrecy and rumor. The only thing I knew for sure was that the Council considered Roe to be their property.
I despised the way they took ownership of their staff.
“Roe, you know you can call me any time. You’ve got my number.” Ebony made sure she gave it to him as soon as we’d purchased matching mobile phones.
He lowered his voice and leaned forward, making the patchy hair on the top of his ashy skin move awkwardly. “I’ve tried to call ya many times, but none of the calls go through.”
“That’s strange.” Though it wasn’t so strange when I thought about it. This place mostly existed separate from the rest of the world.
“Yes, it is. But it’s okay because you’re here now.” He beamed, though his black eyes noticed Oren loitering behind me. “Who’s this?”
“Excuse me for being so rude,” Oren said as he stepped forward and extended his right hand in front of him. “My name’s Oren McKee. I’m an associate of Sierra’s. We’ve worked together on a few cases. In fact, that’s why we’re here.”
Roe shook Oren’s hand but looked at him suspiciously.
“Listen, Roe, I was hoping you could help me with something.” I paused long enough to collect my thoughts. “Have you noticed anything strange lately?”
He nodded. “Oh yeah, lots of strange things happen all the time. Remember how I told you about Daisy dying last month? Well, Mara’s still in the hospital. I call every day to see if she’s getting better, but she’s still in a coma. There have been other girls going missin’ as well. But after Mara was rushed to the hospital, the Council decided to keep the others within these walls.” Roe looked at the ceiling. “I can hear ’em screaming at odd hours of the night. It’s so sad and hurts me to feel ’em suffering so much, because I know what they’re going through.”
I placed a hand on Roe’s and was surprised to find his skin was warm. “I’m sorry. Do you know what’s going on? What’s happening to them?”
He peered into my eyes, shaking his head. They were so dark I could see myself reflected in them. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I suspect what they’re doin’…” His eyes widened. “They’re coming, and they’re going to escort you out. They must’ve seen us talkin’ on the cameras.”
“I don’t want to get you into any trouble, so I’ll get going.” I gave him the canisters. “Take them so it looks like you signed—”
“No, you take them for another time.” He grabbed a hold of my hand when I tried to pull it away. “Ms. Fox, they’re hurtin’ those young girls and in the process are toying with things no one has the right to muck around with.” His
When the doors opened, Oren motioned for me to walk out first. I thanked him and took a left. Considering we didn’t really have anything to deliver except a bunch of empty canisters, I still felt obliged to pop in and say hello to Roe. Besides, I hadn’t seen him for a while and Ebony said he asked about me every time she dropped in.
“Ms. Fox, it’s so good to see you!” Roe was already waiting behind the hole in the wall where he received, signed for, and then allowed access into the Collection room. His tooth-gapped smile was always the brightest thing about this place, and I’d actually missed him.
“Roe, it’s great to see you too. How are you?”
He shrugged. “I’m okay, I suppose. I missed you around here. You really should drop in more often.”
“You know how I feel about this place.”
“What have ya got for me today?”
I looked up and down the empty corridor. “Actually, I don’t have a deposit. I’m just pretending I do because I needed access into the building.” I showed him the bag.
“Well, either way, I’m glad you dropped in because I’ve been meanin’ to speak to you for a while.” Roe worked and lived in this building. No one knew much about him, but he was surrounded by secrecy and rumor. The only thing I knew for sure was that the Council considered Roe to be their property.
I despised the way they took ownership of their staff.
“Roe, you know you can call me any time. You’ve got my number.” Ebony made sure she gave it to him as soon as we’d purchased matching mobile phones.
He lowered his voice and leaned forward, making the patchy hair on the top of his ashy skin move awkwardly. “I’ve tried to call ya many times, but none of the calls go through.”
“That’s strange.” Though it wasn’t so strange when I thought about it. This place mostly existed separate from the rest of the world.
“Yes, it is. But it’s okay because you’re here now.” He beamed, though his black eyes noticed Oren loitering behind me. “Who’s this?”
“Excuse me for being so rude,” Oren said as he stepped forward and extended his right hand in front of him. “My name’s Oren McKee. I’m an associate of Sierra’s. We’ve worked together on a few cases. In fact, that’s why we’re here.”
Roe shook Oren’s hand but looked at him suspiciously.
“Listen, Roe, I was hoping you could help me with something.” I paused long enough to collect my thoughts. “Have you noticed anything strange lately?”
He nodded. “Oh yeah, lots of strange things happen all the time. Remember how I told you about Daisy dying last month? Well, Mara’s still in the hospital. I call every day to see if she’s getting better, but she’s still in a coma. There have been other girls going missin’ as well. But after Mara was rushed to the hospital, the Council decided to keep the others within these walls.” Roe looked at the ceiling. “I can hear ’em screaming at odd hours of the night. It’s so sad and hurts me to feel ’em suffering so much, because I know what they’re going through.”
I placed a hand on Roe’s and was surprised to find his skin was warm. “I’m sorry. Do you know what’s going on? What’s happening to them?”
He peered into my eyes, shaking his head. They were so dark I could see myself reflected in them. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I suspect what they’re doin’…” His eyes widened. “They’re coming, and they’re going to escort you out. They must’ve seen us talkin’ on the cameras.”
“I don’t want to get you into any trouble, so I’ll get going.” I gave him the canisters. “Take them so it looks like you signed—”
“No, you take them for another time.” He grabbed a hold of my hand when I tried to pull it away. “Ms. Fox, they’re hurtin’ those young girls and in the process are toying with things no one has the right to muck around with.” His
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