Page 46 of Resistant

“Brynn! Hurry up! Get in here.”

I scramble to the kitchen, still naked, and stop in front of a small panel on the wall that is flashing red.

I never noticed it before. It’s about the size of an outlet, and I’m confused at how this light is flashing out from the wall. Declan opens the panel and we both hear telltale notification pings from his laptop in the lab.

We scurry into the lab; I’m stumbling over my own feet and almost face plant into the desk.

Declan pulls me back and settles me in his lap.

The first message reads, “Welcome to your new prison home. This was the best we could do, under the circumstances. You are still being watched, just not as closely. You will need to report regularly to the superior. Do so in person.”

Declan closes the message, and another appears.

“The alarm will always silence itself after two beeps. Write messages in your email program [email protected] they will automatically send the next time the internet connects. Keep your messages short.”

He closes the message and a third appears.

“We are sending people to help you. Know that there are others helping you who need to remain anonymous. Make sure to send your laundry out via Sasha, she will relay messages when the internet is down.”

The final message reads: “Food will be delivered weekly. Brynn will be getting new clothes today, and a med kit is coming today as well. Expect to have frequent power outages. Brynn is the key, keep her safe. More instructions will be sent as needed. All incoming and outgoing messages will automatically erase from your laptop and any servers they connect to.”

Declan scoots his chair back from the desk.

“Angel, this is fucked up. I don’t know if we can trust this.”

We stare at each other for another moment, and I startle when I hear a knock at the door.

“Get dressed, I’ll get it,” he commands.

I run for the bedroom, throw on a t-shirt and shove one leg into Declan’s sweatpants as I hop out into the living area, pants around my hips.

“Stay back Angel, we don’t know who this is.” Another knock sounds and a female voice comes through the door.

“Housekeeping.”

Declan snorts and opens the door a few inches, talks quietly and opens the door wide.

Sasha comes in, dragging a large linen bag behind her. She glances over her shoulder and speaks loudly,

“We need to empty out all these clean things and get your dirty clothes and linens in here. I’ll be washing them and bringing them back to you on Wednesdays.”

She huffs, steps into the bedroom, and shuts the door behind us, and says,

“I’m working on getting something organized so we can talk at length.”

She leans close to Declan and mutters, “Did you get the messages?”

The expression on my face must be one of shock, and maybe stupidity. I don’t know what to make of any of this, and my brain has not caught up with what is happening.

Declan runs a hand through his hair, making it stand on end.

“What the fuck is going on, what kind of pawns are we in this crapshoot that’s happening?”

Sasha grimaces, “Listen pretty boy, I don’t have the time to explain it all to you today. The guards are outside waiting for me. I’m on your side.”

“Whose side is that?” Declan whisper shouts.

“Hers!” She points at me.

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