Chapter 19: Gobsmacked
ELENA
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A sharp, raspy gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it. The sound echoed across the courtyard. Every head turned toward me. I didn't notice. I didn't care.
I couldn't. My eyes remained locked on the woman standing just inside the shelter gates, my heart pounding so violently it felt as though it would burst through my ribs.
No... It can't be... She looked different.
Older. More exhausted. Her once neat appearance had been replaced by dirt, snow, and fatigue. Her military style suit was worn and weathered, and the braid that held her hair together was beginning to come undone. But I knew that face.
I'd never forget it. My injured leg protested as I instinctively stepped forward, a dull ache still lingering from where I'd slammed it into the dumbbell moments earlier. The pain barely registered. I whispered, almost too quietly for anyone to hear, "...Leila?"
Thousands of questions exploded inside my head. How is she here? How did she escape? Did she escape? What happened after that night? Before I could move again, Leila looked up. The instant our eyes met, something inside her broke. She hurried toward me. I closed the remaining distance without thinking. Then she wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back just as tightly. For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. She was alive. Against all odds...
She was alive. Only then did I become aware of the silence surrounding us. I could practically feel Caine's gaze burning into the back of my head. "You two know each other?" His voice was calm. Measured.
But beneath it lay unmistakable suspicion.
I slowly stepped back from Leila, wiping the tears threatening to spill from my eyes.
"Yes..." I swallowed. "Caine..." My voice faltered. I forced myself to continue. "She..."
I took another shaky breath. "She was a record keeper... a reporter... for the Reestablishment." Every face around us changed. "They made her document everything the Reestablishment did." The silence that followed was suffocating.
Only then did I realize how terrible that sounded. A woman who handled firearms like a trained soldier... Who worked directly under the Reestablishment... Who kept records of their operations... It painted a picture none of us wanted to believe.
Leila realized it too. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Hi..." "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself honestly right away."
Her voice trembled. "I got scared."
She looked around at everyone gathered in the courtyard. "I thought you'd judge me..."
"...or throw me out." Her eyes drifted back toward me. "Finding Elena was my last hope." A small, bittersweet smile appeared on her face. "I knew she was here."
"I don't know why..." "But I knew it in my heart." She looked around the shelter.
"This place..." "It feels warm." "It feels safe."
"I knew... if Elena survived..." "...she would've ended up somewhere like this."
She smiled through exhausted eyes.
"And I was right." She drew another slow breath. "It is true..." "I was a record keeper for the Reestablishment." Her expression darkened. "But you have to believe me."
"It was against my own will." "And Elena knows that." Caine didn't interrupt. Instead... He studied her. Carefully.
Thoughtfully. Curiosity slowly replaced suspicion across his face. Before anyone could continue . More footsteps echoed through the courtyard. The rest of the shelter had arrived. Ian. Doctor Briar.
Hog. Katherine. Several guards. A handful of civilians. Ian's eyes immediately found mine. He didn't say a word. He didn't need to. His gaze traveled over me, searching for any sign that I'd worsened my injury. I offered the smallest nod. I'm okay.
His shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly before his attention shifted toward Leila.
Doctor Briar and Hog remained focused on Caine, waiting for his next decision. Katherine, meanwhile... Couldn't stop staring at Leila. Seeing her standing there pulled me somewhere else entirely.
Back into memories I wished had stayed buried.The Reestablishment. Night. Its endless concrete hallways swallowed every sound.The darkness itself felt alive.I moved as quietly as I could, pressing my back against the cold wall as I crept toward the staircase. Nowella hasn't been given dinner. Not because she'd done anything truly wrong. She'd shoved one of the Commander's sons after he'd spent the entire afternoon mocking and humiliating her. Nobody cared why she'd done it.Nobody listened. They only punished her.My blood had boiled with helpless rage.If they wouldn't feed my sister... I would.I tightened my grip around the small cloth bag I'd planned to hide the food inside.Just as I reached the stairs leading to Level Three as I had to go to level two because that's where the kitchen was , My shoulder slammed into the concrete wall. Pain shot through my entire arm. I bit down hard on my lip to keep from making a sound. Then... A scream echoed from below. Female. Terrified. "I don't want to go with you bastards!" Another scream followed. "You guys are monsters!" The cries bounced through the empty corridors before slowly fading away. Heavy footsteps. Men shouting. Someone was dragging her. Away. My heart pounded violently. Every instinct told me to turn around. To run back to my room. But then I thought of Nowella. She was hungry. She was waiting. I couldn't fail her. I forced myself onward. As I reached Level Three, a faint glow caught my attention. One of the doors hadn't fully closed. Curiosity got the better of me. I stepped inside the room pushing through the door making a slightly cracked noise , The room was in complete disarray. Furniture had been overturned.Blankets lay scattered across the floor.Papers covered the bed. I picked up the nearest file. The first page contained a photograph. A young woman. Beautiful.Older than me. Her expression was determined despite the formal identification picture. Below is the photograph of Leila. My fingers lingered over the name. Just beneath it... Another identifier. #790 A number. Not a name.An identity assigned by the Reestablishment. Another life stolen.I turned the page. Every detail had been documented.
Age: 26 Years Old
Mother: Unknown
Father: Unknown
Status: Orphan
Background: Raised by her aunt before being abandoned due to financial hardship.
Education: Achieved academic excellence through scholarships.
Occupation: Reporter.
I flipped another page. It was filled with medals. Certificates. Professional achievements. Recognition earned through years of relentless work. But none of that held my attention for long. One section stood out above everything else.Specialized Skills Digital engineering. Device construction. Advanced technological design. She could create sophisticated electronic devices from scratch. I remembered staring at the page. That's why they took her. Not because she was a reporter. Because she was useful.Hatred burned inside me. The Reestablishment didn't recruit people.They harvested them. They found talent...Then turned it into another weapon.
The memory shattered. Reality rushed back. Everyone was staring at Leila. Waiting. Watching. Judging. Caine finally broke the silence. "How about we continue this discussion in the meeting room?"
His voice remained calm. "I imagine you'll feel considerably more comfortable speaking there." Leila nodded gratefully.
Then Caine looked at me. "I'm sure..."
His expression grew thoughtful. "Ms. Elena also has a few things she'd like to add."
Every face turned toward me. I felt their eyes settle on me. Waiting. Expecting answers. But mine found only one person.
Ian. He hadn't spoken since arriving.
Yet the curiosity written across his face was impossible to miss. He wanted to know. Just like everyone else. And judging by the weight settling in my chest... I was finally going to have to tell them everything.
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