Sweeter Than Heaven and Hotter Than Hell

Chapter 17 - Switching Sides

Garish didn’t quite know what it was he was doing. He just told Reeve he had a plan to make her feel better, but he knew she was smarter than that. They roamed the halls aimlessly, but he tried to look like he was looking for something. Reeve had a suspicious look on her face the whole time. He hoped it was because she wanted to know his imaginary plan.

There was one step to his plan; call Mandrake. He had done that, and Mandrake was on his way with a helicopter and several men, ready to bombard through Blanche’s establishment. Past that, though, he had no clue. Getting Reeve on the helicopter as well and getting her to safety wasn’t going to be on Mandrake’s schedule. He wouldn’t let him kill her, though, and he wouldn’t let him leave her here. If Reeve stayed here she was damned; Blanche would rip her limb from limb. But then again, Reeve looked ready to do the same, if not worse; the wide scar above his left eyebrow proved she could be much worse than Blanche.

Holding Reeve’s hand as they ran, he was forced to stop at a dead end and quickly chose to turn left. Seeing his unsure expression must have sent her off because she yanked her hand free of his. He stopped and turned to look at her, “What?” he asked, annoyed.

“Where do you think you’re going? That’s the way to Blanche’s office.”

He frowned, “How do you know?”

“I’ve been there enough times to know.” Without saying another word she turned on her heel and began striding down the hallway, back the way they came. Since she seemed to know where she was going far better than he, he decided to follow.

After a minute he asked, “Where are we going now?”

“Outside; how else do you expect to get on the helicopter?” he suddenly felt stupid. “God, sometimes I wonder why they sent you to find me.”

He smirked and rushed to her side, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer to him, still walking. “You’re glad they did, though.”

He watched as pink rushed to her cheeks. She hated it when he made her blush, but he loved it. “Shut up.”

They continued through the building, Reeve leading them down dark hallways with no one in them. She was very good at avoiding people, Flint noted. He remembered the way she seemed to sense his presence when he was about to attack her in the forest. She seemed to just know when people were around. She was a tracker, and very good at it. He wondered where she learned this ability; in prison, in her life? Garish didn’t know where he was until they reached the basement of the building, having rushed down empty stairwells. When they were in the white hallways with blinding lights, he knew where she was going. He dreaded it, after hearing what had happened, but he followed anyway to the incineration room.

Reeve threw him a glance over her shoulder, her eyes soft and probing. She’s asking permission. He nodded, surprised, and followed her as she busted open the door.

The smell of putrid flesh and rotting corpses filled their lungs as they stepped inside, closing the door behind them. Their eyes took in the sight with horror. They never cleaned it up…

Bodies lay strewn across the floor; their eyes were wide open and glossy, their faces twisted in horror – the last emotion they ever felt. The bullet holes in their bodies were rotted over; blood was dried all over them. Garish had never seen so many dead bodies in his life; he wished he never had to see them. He grabbed his nose and breathed through his mouth, but it only seemed to make things worse. His stomach flipped; he demanded of himself not to throw up. Reeve looked straight ahead, trying her best not to look at the bodies or even acknowledge their presence. Then she breathed in.

She lurched forward as she gagged, sending Garish forward to help her. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice nasally from pinching his nostrils closed.