Chapter 50
Chapter Fifty
Eva
After propagating the bleeding hearts into five pots, I sifted through the supply box.
I didn’t know what my situation would be like in an hour or the next day.
I had to prepare. The act of it calmed my nerves.
I took a pair of garden shears, a few paperclips, a bent metal stick, a lighter, and rope.
My fingers trembled as I tucked the tools into my socks, which were hidden under my bootcut jeans.
I never imagined I’d be in this dangerous situation.
Almost like something I’d watched with my grandfather.
Was Grandpa okay? He was probably worried sick about me.
I felt the muscles tightening in my back and released a slow breath, reminding myself I had to survive if I wanted to see Kain and my grandfather again.
Despite the anxiety, hope and the will to see those I loved pushed me forward.
Had this been what Kain experienced? Tears slid down my face, blurring my eyes.
It had only been hours for me, and I was near a breaking point.
How had he survived all those years? I admired his unmatched resilience, determination, and courage.
What was he doing now? Was he searching for me?
I wished I could call or send him a text, but I didn’t know where my belongings were.
After wiping away my tears and cleaning my hands at the sink, I said a silent prayer and stepped out of the greenhouse. Straightening my posture, I tried my best to look confident, as though I was a member of this chapter by choice and not by force.
I gave the wooden pendant from Tony a squeeze and made my way down the hallway. I passed a room where a man in a navy outfit was repairing a boiler. He shifted, saw me, glanced at my pendant, and nodded, revealing the word Maintenance embroidered on his uniform.
“Not sure if I can get this thing fixed tonight,” he said, pushing the chin-length brown hair away from his face. “Gonna need to order some parts.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Oil leakage here, some water leakage there. The pipes are all rusted. It’s an old boiler. I told them they needed a new one, but no one has ordered a new boiler.”
“Tell Tony. I’m sure he’ll get a new one.”
“He’s too busy, but yeah, I’ll try to catch him to approve the order.” A hissing sound erupted, and he cursed, grabbing a tool to fix it.
I walked away and came to the door with a metal plate that read Packaging on it. Voices came from the room across the hall. I glanced around and didn’t see any cameras in the hallway. The noises sounded like singing, but that couldn’t be right. Who would sing or celebrate here?
Curiosity led me over to grab the doorknob, but it was locked.
Shit. Then a thought popped into my head.
I rushed back to the boiler room, where the repairman was looking at his phone.
From that angle, I saw the cross tattoo on the side of his neck.
His face brightened while glancing at his phone, telling me he was probably looking at a woman’s text.
“Excuse me, I forgot my key to that room down there. Can you please open it for me?”
“Sure.” He rose and followed me.
“You have phone service here?” I asked.
Fear splashed onto his face, and he held a finger to his lips. “Please don’t tell anyone. I’m not supposed to use my phone here. The internet connection is poor here. I was just missing my girl, so I was browsing my photo album. She’s pregnant. We’re having a boy.”
I zipped my lips with my fingers. “That’s wonderful news. Congratulations!”
“Thanks. We get to meet him in two months!” Excitement glowed on his face.
“So close. What’s your name?”
“Shawn.” He unlocked the door. “And you? I haven’t seen you around.”
“I’m Eva. Tony brought me in to help with the greenhouse. I was at another location.”
“Yeah, he’s obsessed with the bleeding heart flowers.”
When Shawn opened the door, I stepped inside, heard chanting, walked closer to the window, and glanced down into a room full of people dressed in black with their backs facing me.
“Can they see us?” I asked.
“Nah.” Shawn stood and watched them, sighing. “If I didn’t need the money, I wouldn’t be here.”
He shouldn’t say things like that out loud. The wrong person could report him.
I heard the guilt in his voice and hoped he’d share it with me. “Me too. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to in order to survive.”
He looked at me for a moment and nodded. “You’re right.”
“Do you have a picture of your baby boy?”
“Yes. Hold on.” He swiped and gave his phone to me. “Here.”
“Look at those hands and feet!” I looked at the black-and-white ultrasound photo. “How precious!”
Shawn beamed, and a part of me wondered what had made him join Hawthorne’s group. Did he want his innocent child to grow up so close to danger?
An idea formed in my head. “I want to buy your baby a gift. Is that okay?”
“That’s so thoughtful. Sure! Megyn would love that. We’ve been saving up for a new place, and babies cost money.”
“Does she have a baby registry?”
“Yes, you can look, but you can’t get anything. The connection is erratic. Most of the time it doesn’t work.”
“It doesn’t hurt to try, right? May I see your phone?” When he gave it to me, I pointed to the screen. “It has one bar of connection.”
“I think it’s this room.” He shrugged. “Maybe they have something turned on for the ceremony.”
“That’s okay. I’ll take a look.” Nerves churned in my stomach as I browsed the baby registry and copied five links, sending them to Kain’s cell phone number with the text message: to get the nice repairman Shawn for his new baby boy.
“I’m sending the links to myself so I don’t forget what to get him.
I’ll buy the stuff tonight when I get home. ” I returned the phone to him.
He looked at the five items. “Wow. That’s so generous of you.”
“A baby is a new beginning. I hope he has a healthy, happy, and safe life.”
Shawn looked at me. “Thank you.”
When he returned to his repairs, I prayed the text message to Kain would go through as soon as Shawn got to an area with reliable reception. I didn’t know if it would work, but I had to try.
I stared into the glass, looking at the audience below.
The chanting increased about heaven, God, and what sacrifices must be made to satisfy God.
I wasn’t sure what God they were referring to because the one I believed in didn’t hurt people.
Tony entered the room, and a tall man wearing a dark cloak walked to the front.
When he turned to face my direction, I recognized Senator Falcone.
What was he doing here?
Someone knocked on the door and startled me. I turned to see Avery.
“You shouldn’t be here. Come before they find you.” She waved me out.
I followed Avery into the packaging room with a strong sterile smell, reminding me of a surgical suite in the hospital. I shivered from the drop in temperature. She offered me a mask and latex gloves.
“We need to show you how to do this before Tony comes back to check.”
Putting on the mask and gloves, I walked over to the long table with several Yeti coolers. Farther back in the room were more tables occupied by younger people, looking like teens.
Oh my God.
I leaned into Avery and asked, “Are those teens?”
She nodded. “They’re packing drugs.”
Hailey moved to stand across from me, holding up a checklist.
I glanced at it, and nausea rose in me, making me feel lightheaded. It was a list of organs with ID numbers and who they were going to.
“At least we don’t have to cut them out this time. Just package them.” Hailey jerked a chin at the cooler in front of her. “These organs have been flushed with a cooling solution to sterilize them.”
A stream of sweat slid down my spine. I didn’t dare look into the cooler.
Avery continued, “They have been infused with a specialized chemical mixture to minimize cell swelling, prevent acidosis, and supply nutrients to the cells during storage and transportation.”
“They taught you all of that?” I asked.
“No. I’m a medical student. Organs like the heart and lungs only have four to six hours to get to the buyers.” Tears welled in Avery’s eyes as she described the process to me. “Kidneys are more resilient. They can last up to thirty-six hours.”
“I’d rather die than get a transplant this way,” I said.
“Me too,” Hailey agreed. “Ready to package your first organ?”
“No,” I said, but I knew they were just doing their job. If they failed to teach me, they’d be punished.
I closed my eyes, trying to steel my body for the sight.
Then I peered into the cooler and saw two bloodied human hearts that looked more maroon with purple sections than the red usually seen in pictures.
The tissues pulsed slightly, and I stared at the thick vessels—the arteries and veins—jutting out like tubes.
Heat flooded my body, and bile climbed up my throat.
My body trembled, and my vision blurred.
Someone called my name, but I couldn’t hear it clearly.
I swayed and blacked out.