Project 6

Chapter 8: DANI

CHAPTER 8
Dani

The breeze up on this roof knows to even tug at my short blond hair. I focus my gaze on the outer fence. A roaming creature glances at the buildings inside the fence but the fence is yet very far away for the creature to detect any humans, let alone to signal it to go into attack mode. It is foolish. That is how I view them, at least.

   Some claim they are humanoids. They look like humans and have their instinct for durability. Yet they base their understanding of any wild creature. Hunting will bring you food; attacking will hurt and in the worst scenarios kill your enemy; fires are critical. Though I guess the last one is nevertheless in the back of their minds, as I have observed some of them by the fence when the torches were lit. When the fire was in sight they backed off. And they better. We cannot have them moving through our fences.

   ''Come back inside. You will go cold up here.''

   A low voice breaking the silence causes me to jump up some inches and I shift to confront my brother. He has his arms crossed around himself even yet he has a gray coat on that he had found somewhere lying around. I look at him, my brows furrowed as I am still half in thought.

   ''I need to think, Evan. If we want to leave for the Cabin let me at least get my mind into place.'' I return him grumpy.

   ''That is great,'' he bows. ''But training is necessary.''

   ''I can fight.''

   ''Not Project-patrols. They are security; buff men. I have observed them when strolling by the barrier of Section L.'' Evan explains.

   ''That does not mean you have come in actual bodily approach with them,'' I raise an eyebrow and a puff of gas escape my lips, which are purple by now. ''Maybe they put stuff in their sleeves to force it to look like that. Or they got Botox, you remember Botox?''

   ''That does not imply. We require to be qualified for everything. No matter what weapons we have, they will consistently be one step ahead with them,'' Evan sits on a ruined wall, a ninety-eight feet drop behind him. ''There could be traps surrounding the Cabin. Every door opening inside could have an explosive trigger behind them. You learn that still, Dani, it is essential to not belittle your enemy.''

   My face bends down because I realize he is correct. Only his speeches could subdue me but that could again be because I am his little brother. Now he is our leader after Tyler got arrested. I nevertheless cannot conclude, how could they see he was leading us? He was likewise our greatest.

   ''I will consider coming down in a minute,'' I tell him, kind of blowing him off to go away and leave me alone, just for the slight moment I still have for myself. ''Tell the others to leave me a spot at the table.''

The only person who I see at our regular table when I walk in is Mason, who is silently reading a book while chewing on an old piece of bread. Crumbles fall on the table below it but it too focuses Mason on his reading he does not notice. I join him silently before getting offered a cup of tea by one cafeteria - well you cannot really call this a cafeteria, a more old gym with tables and a bar which serves food - ladies and even though it is hot and burning my tongue, I still pour it back fast. The taste of mint leaves is something glorious.

   ''Where are the girls?'' I ask Mason as I hold the cup in my hand, staring at him.

   Mason lowers his book, revealing his eye black and his nose looks like it has bled.

   ''Holy sh-... Mason, what happened?'' I put the cup down. ''Who did this to you?''

   ''New guy,'' he shrugs. ''Tried to feed him, all he did was freak out of me.''

   ''Who is it?'' I frown, as I recall no one being brought in as a prisoner.

   ''Some ex Project-recruit,'' Mason sighs. ''He said he had been hiding for weeks. With a little help, he knew to sneak through the Sections. Until our patrol found him running through the streets.''

   ''That is impossible, Mason.''

   ''Not when you know to manipulate the system.''

   It set me to think. Many of those in the inner Sections are mindless. They only care about the good the future of the Project and the Dominion can give you. Interesting. We have not seen most of the taken ones again the moment those trucks drove through the corrupted pavements of our Section. I wonder if they have been hypnotized that much.

   ''Report if he does something else,'' I tell my old friend. ''Meanwhile, I will discuss with the others how to get the taken ones the hell out of there.''

There are so many lights that flicker around my head the moment I enter the laboratory. The focus mostly lies on taken ones from our Section. Claude, a young trainee of our main worker Ramon Cordon, is bent over the files of the new arrivals. The Project is not careful about checking the arrivals in without notice. Because of that, we can see exactly who we need to save. Many of them are from more outer Sections. Only some interest me.

   A girl with charcoal-colored hair, who goes by the name of Neila Winnicker. She has quite a high score, seventy-eight, and some criminal past. Like, what a criminal is to the Dominion. Probably dropping a gum aside of the trash bin on accident. Our Neila is from Section D. No wonder, in that case.

   The redhead boy, Joseph Crampston. Sixty-seven percent out of hundred. Though not as high as our Neila, I can see why he would be sent to the Project. By his information, it says something about muscle masses. If only we could get this kid. If only.

   After scrolling, I stop when something amusing catches my eye. A girl with somewhat lighter hair as Neila yet still dark. Theresa Gardener. A hundred percent. This is the one. It definitely is. She could help us as she can help others.

   ''Quite unique, right?'' Claude spoke without looking up. ''Ramon wants her first, no matter the doubt.''

   ''Crazy son of a bitch,'' I say as my father would. ''Have you found out what is in the blood they want?''

   ''Not yet,'' Claude now takes a second to glance up from his work. ''Though from some tests, it turns out to be a virus. For all, we can see.''

   ''It is,'' I murmured. ''Let me know if you find anything more interesting than that. Now, can you show me the Cabin program?''

   ''Dani, that is a strictly forbidden file I am unable to reach -''

   ''You ought to better do it, Claude,'' I nearly slammed my hand to harsh on his desk. ''We need exact locations, numbers of securities, traps and various ways to enter and escape.''

   Claude, exhaling before accepting the fate and consequences, moves his mouse over to the secret file that holds a password. I turn away to let him type it in and quickly some document shows up with about then more files. Claude clicks on the first and a map shows up; well, about five. That is what I assume the levels of the facility they keep the teens.

   I bend towards the screen more to get a better view of the facility. It has four floors above ground and one basement area. Either to keep weapons, train the trainees or for both. A light smirk appears on my face.

   ''Bingo.''