Storm of Shadows (Lumineers 1)

CHAPTER 19: LAGHOLLOW

Theo hitched his horse beside a tree, keeping to the shadows of the woods. He watched the carriage trundle through wide gates and eyed the chainlink fence surrounding the premises. The gates swung closed. Guards stepped out of the darkness to wrap a chain around it, effectively sealing it.

An old factory? He gazed up at the smoke stacks. They were dormant. But the place was lit up and blazing in the dark, each of its windows glittering with light. His eyes swept over the imposing brick edifice and surrounding landscape. Guards paced the grounds with riffles slung across their backs.

Laghollow was a small town thirty miles outside of Chroma. It glittered in the valley farther down the hillside. He'd ridden hard to keep up with the barred carriage—to see where they were taking the rats they pulled from the streets. Now he knew. But like before, he had yet more questions than answers. Why here? What was this place?

He checked his pocket watch. Nearly one in the morning. The horse beside him snorted with exhaustion. He patted its neck and whispered a quick promise of rest before stealing off into the night.

He circulated the perimeter, keeping to the shadows. The guards appeared more intent on making sure whatever was inside the building didn't get out. They didn't notice him using light to dig under the tall fence. He could have climbed it, but didn't want to contend with barbed wire. It wasn't that he minded blood, he just didn't want to leave a trail of it.

He paused in his efforts as each patrol passed, then started up again. The courtyards and surrounding paths were lit with torches. So he kept to the shadows as he made his way to the back. There were doors, he noticed. A number of exits. But he was certain they were locked.

He caught sight of shadows moving into and out of view at the windows. Factories generally ceased operations by midnight to allow their workers time to rest. This one didn't appear in use for the means it was intended.

He froze as a scream ripped through the air. It was muffled, but loud enough to signal him forward. He waited for a patrol to pass then crept to a nearby window. His heart skipped.

It was some sort of...hospital? There were beds. Everything was white and sterral. But inside those beds, he saw males and females. They looked to be late teens, perhaps early twenties. All about the same age.

The gang rats.

"Light!" He swore under his breath when he saw the glint of metal. One of the patients had lifted an arm. His eyes widened. What were these...monsters?!

Another scream. One of the patients nearest the window was strapped down. The one screaming. His legs weren't legs at all. They were all metal and gears and cogs and...an abomination. What had they done to him?

"You there!" A weight barreled into him, pulling him from the window and pushing him against the brick facade. He didn't struggle, not at first. He'd gotten so distracted by the horrors within that he hadn't heard the patrol. Taking a deep breath, he maneuvered out of the grasp of the nearest guard. His companion swore and shot forward. Perhaps they'd think him someone from the building who'd tried to escape. A few scenarios worked through his mind. He eyed their uniforms before making up his mind.

He struck.

In two quick strokes, he slit their throats before they could sound the alarm. Breathing hard, he glanced around before looking down at their dead bodies. The nearest patrols were far enough away to remain oblivious. Making quick work of their bodies, he pulled them further away from the building and into the darkest shadow. Then he stripped the taller one and quickly changed out of his own clothes, keeping his weapons stashed beneath the uniform. He shouldered the riffle.