Page 6 of The Institution

My hand swept down Holly’s back, soothing her - calming her in a way that I knew she needed. While I didn’t want to know their stories - what they had survived, I had a pretty good idea - it was what we had all survived, in different ways, forms, and measurements.

Holly sought physical contact - skin-to-skin connection in all forms, while Mia was repulsed by it.

But if Holly was goading Mia, it meant that something had happened - something had set off my friend.

Don’t ask. My voice of reason whispered in the back of my mind, guiding me towards the path of safety and survival.

Mia’s blue gaze turned icy, flashing in anger and disgust, and something about the way she looked at Holly had my hackles raising because no one looked at herlike that.

And despite my better judgment - despite knowing that I shouldshut the fuck up-stayout of it. Icouldn’t.

My mouth spoke the words that my brain told me to swallow - to suppress.

“Don’t look at herlike that- like you’re better than her - thanus. We arealljust trying to survive this place, and we don’t get to judge one another on what that survival looks like - not when we already get so much goddamn judgmentfrom them.”

I felt Jack stiffen next to me. He was the most non-confrontational person I had ever met, although, who even knew if that was who he truly was - who he would have been outside of this place. Holly stilled beneath my touch. It was nothing more than platonic - we both knew that, but I didn’t look at her - not when I needed to see if Mia understood what the fuck I was saying.

Her pretty porcelain skin blushed, and I watched theembarrassment- the understanding - etch across her skin. Yeah, shegot it- she may not like it, but Mia understood.

It was that exact moment that our pagers all vibrated unanimously - calling us each to our respective corners of this Society shithole - demanding we report for duty.

I watched once more as Mia’s face blanched. None of us asked what her duties entailed. Officially, she was one of the maid’s at this place - cleaning the rooms, tucking away The Society members depraved secrets, but it was the unofficial tasks that fucked us up - the ones we each had nightmares about.

I didn’t ask - couldn’t. Not when I had my own laundry list of fucked up shit I was responsible for.

It was all to keep Gemma safe.

It was the only reassurance I had.

We had pagers because people like us couldn’t be trusted with a cellphone. Of course, some of us smuggled them in - bartered for them, but, in the end, we had nowhere to turn to. Worse still, I didn’t have to smuggle or barter, they simply handed me one. And that was the kicker - because they knew I wouldn’t leave - not when they had Gemma under lock and key. Sure, she thought she was safe - thought she wasfree, but her perceived freedom came at a cost - one that I paid daily.

I slid my pager into my pocket, nestled next to my phone, as I pushed off the wall of the stairwell, leaving the others to take up my position in the basement below.

We dispersed, but I couldn’t think about the others - not when I needed to present the O’Grady they were accustomed to - the one they molded.

By the time I stepped into the hallway, my shoulders were straightened in that way that exuded arrogance, and I marched with the swagger of a soldier - the kind that had gone to war, looked death in the eye, and returned victorious. Only, victory didn’t feel so sweet, not when I still endured their shit daily.

I didn’t pass a single soul on my way down to the basement - not one other person like me, because they all used the servants corridors, but, for my task, I wasn’t a servant -couldn’tbe when I held such fucking value.

My boots hit the stairs, echoing throughout the basement, announcing my arrival. Not that it fucking mattered - I was the only one down here. The Society members would never stand around andwait for me. No - that wasmy job. I was here to set shit upbeforethey arrived. After two summers in this shithole, I knew the drill by now.

How many military missions had I gone on for The Society? How many soldiers had I put down? How many different places in the world had I seen?

The answer wascountless. Not all soldiers I had been instructed to eliminate were foe, either - some had been on the same fucking team as me.

Hell, at one point, those sick fucks had even made a game of it. After I survived, I understood that there had been betting - gambling involved, andIhad made ahandfulof those Society pigs a shit ton of money.

And even then - in the midst of gunfire and grenades, I hadn’t felttrapped- hadn’t felthelpless. Not like this place.

I exhaled through my nose, willing all my anger to course through my veins and exit my body in that one breath. Of course, it didn’t work - not really, but the imagination was a really powerful fucking tool.

I scanned the downstairs gym, taking in the current setup. With a few adjustments, it could work.

The shooting range, sealed off and hidden on the other side of the basement sat in darkness. I doubtedGeneralPaul Mae would want to explore the shooting range during his time here.

The fact that he had been labelled aGeneralwas almost laughable - the fucker hadn’t done one expedition - hadn’t seenonewar, which - when you considered how many fucking wars The Society waged, was ludicrous. Most of their military moves weren’t publically documented, and, if they were, it was by The Society’s hand - always with a reason behind the information released.

And even after checking andrecheckingthe equipment, I still had thirty minutes to kill - waiting forthem.

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