The casual conversation I overheard about movie night seemed mundane, but it was Langston's mention of another treatment that caught my attention. His laugh, despite the lightness of the topic, couldn't mask the underlying tension. As Langston excused himself and headed towards the medical area, I felt a sudden urge to follow. Clarke, despite our earlier disagreement, seemed to be on the same wavelength. We may have had our differences, but when it came to investigating something potentially sinister at Mt. Weather, we were in sync. I watched as Langston entered a room, and Clarke discreetly followed, slipping in behind him. She had always been resourceful in tense situations, and I trusted her instincts. I hissed to her, "Only patients are allowed in medical," and, with a wince, I reopened my stitches to blend in as a patient. It was a desperate and painful move, but necessary under the circumstances.
The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the infirmary, the dull ache of my stitches a stark reminder of the night's events. I was in a bed next to Langston, who was hooked up to a strange machine. His condition seemed dire. "Langston. Langston. What are they doing to you?" I whispered, my voice laced with concern and a growing sense of horror. Hearing my whisper, Clarke emerged from her hiding spot beneath a nearby bed. We exchanged a look that spoke volumes - it was time to uncover what was really happening in Mt. Weather. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I got out of the bed and followed the tube connected to Langston, crawling through a vent in pursuit of the truth. The sight that greeted us was shocking and appalling. A person, drained of blood, lay motionless. It became horrifyingly clear - the "treatment" involved taking blood from the Grounders, who were immune to radiation, and transfusing it into Mt. Weather's residents. They were exploiting the Grounders for their own survival.
As I looked around, the extent of this operation became evident. Countless Grounders were caged like animals, their life force being siphoned for the benefit of others. My heart raced with anger and disbelief at the inhumanity of it all. We moved silently down the aisle of cages, each step revealing more of this horrific scene. Then, amidst the sea of faces, my eyes locked with a pair of familiar ones. "Anya?" I exclaimed, barely above a whisper. The recognition was instant, and the impact of finding someone I knew in such dire circumstances hit me like a physical blow. Anya's presence here, trapped and used, was a stark testament to the dark secrets Mt. Weather harbored. My resolve hardened in that moment. We had to act, not just for our people, but for those who had been suffering in silence in this hidden hell. The truth had to come out, and we had to find a way to put an end to this atrocity.
***
Determination coursed through me as I looked at Anya, trapped and weakened. "I'm gonna get you out of here," I promised, my voice low but resolute.
Scanning the area quickly, I spotted a metal bar - a potential tool for escape. I grabbed it and wedged it between the arch of the padlock, leveraging all my strength to pry the lock off. With a final heave, the lock gave way. I ripped open the door, and Anya, though hesitant and weakened, grasped my outstretched hand. Clarke, ever resourceful, assisted by taking some of Anya's weight, wrapping her arm around her shoulder. Just as we were about to make our escape, the sound of approaching footsteps halted us. "Get back in!" I whisper-shouted, pushing myself and Clarke back into the cage with Anya.
I noticed Anya tensing up, ready to confront Dr. Tsing as she walked past our hiding spot. "Hey, no," I whispered urgently, shaking my head and holding her back. Any act of aggression would jeopardize our escape and put us all in danger. We couldn't afford to be caught now. The Grounders in the adjacent cages sensed the tension and began to reach through the bars, their movements causing Dr. Tsing to panic. She hurried down the aisle, visibly shaken by the contact from one of the Grounders.
Seizing the moment, I urged, "We've got to go, now!" I quickly opened the cage door, and the three of us hurried out.
We rushed through a door, and immediately an alarm blared, echoing through the corridors. Anya's confusion was evident. "What is that?" she asked, her voice tense.
YOU ARE READING
Against All Odds (Silent Moments Series: Book 2)
FanfictionKegan Foster is now inside of Mt. Weather. He had no idea if his best friend, Finn Collins, is alive or dead. All he knows is that his sister is safe here with him. But there's something off about this place. And he's going to find out what it is.
