Haunting-Adeline
He admits he’s never seen their faces before, and all communica on hasbeen through a video feed where they’re shadowed in darkness.They’re some type of secret underground government, and based onMark’s ramblings, they have far more control over our government than Ithought.The President is just a puppet, and these people who refer tothemselves as the Society—they hold the real power.“Tell me why you did this, Mark. Why did you insist on going a er Addiewhen you knew she was mine?”His chin trembles, the waste of flesh the epitome of a pathe c old man.“She was already marked.”My heart drops, thudding down my spine like a deflated basketballrolling down a staircase.“I took a picture of her because she looked familiar. And when she toldme her name, I realized that she was a target of the Society’s. It workedout perfectly that they happened to call me, and I told them everything.She… she’s worth a lot of money, man. And the Society wants her. Itdoesn’t ma er to them who you are—it doesn’t even ma er who I am.When the Society wants someone, they get them. And if I was the one tobring her in… I would’ve been highly rewarded.”He sniffles, though it doesn’t prevent the snot from leaking out of hisnose.“Why did they target her?”Mark spu ers out a wet, humorless laugh. “Why do they target anyone?If they’re young and beau ful and happen to be no ced, they’re on theSociety’s radar. She brought a en on to herself in one way or another. Itcould’ve been from her books, or you know how women are these days.With the way they dre—” I snatch his hand again and flick off another nailbefore he can finish such a stupid fucking sentence.As if showing any amount of skin is a goddamn invita on to be rapedand kidnapped.His answering scream does li le to lessen the fury.“I-I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. Look, you just don’t ignore the Society’sdemands. And they’re going to come a er you, Z,” Mark warns, his voiceght with pain but also grave.I hope they do.
They’ll be saving me the trouble of coming to them.Knowing that Addie was marked doesn’t only spark anger, it sparksgenuine fear for my li le mouse.It never ma ered if I came into her life or not—Addie was des ned forhuman trafficking, and the fact that she happens to be the girl I’mabsolutely crazy about feels like kismet.It feels like fucking des ny that the man who haunts her is the same manwho dedicated his life to destroying the people set out to take her life.“I know you don’t care,” Mark forges on, no ng the look on my face.“But the second they find out I’m dead, they’ll up and move.”I’ve accepted this.I look over at Sibby, the girl now having moved onto Miller. She could bea scapegoat.If the Society gets word of a deranged girl killing these four men—a girlwho’s killed before—they would chalk it up to the par al truth. Wrongplace, wrong me. An unhinged girl who swears she can sense evil sniffedthese men out and decided to murder them in cold blood.She’s the perfect scapegoat, actually.But the thought of using her—it doesn’t sit right with me.She’s a lonely, fucked up girl who helped me carry out these murders.Doesn’t ma er that she would’ve done it anyways had I not been there.Without her, I wouldn’t have go en the informa on I did tonight. And Ican’t let that go unrewarded.So, I resign myself to protect Sibby. I’ll clean up the evidence, dispose ofthe bodies and do everything I can to infiltrate Savior’s before theyrelocate.“Will they demolish?”“Yes,” Mark answers quickly. I let out a slow breath and nod. By savingSibby, I’m giving up the first lead I’ve truly had.“I-If you let me go, I can get you in,” Mark barters desperately. “I’ll helpyou and you can do whatever you want. Just as long as you let me live.”“The other three are already dead,” I say. “They’re going to relocateanyways.”“Not if you pin everything on this girl. That’s what you planned, right? Tolet her take the fall for it?”
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They’ll be saving me the trouble of coming to them.
Knowing that Addie was marked doesn’t only spark anger, it sparks
genuine fear for my li le mouse.
It never ma ered if I came into her life or not—Addie was des ned for
human trafficking, and the fact that she happens to be the girl I’m
absolutely crazy about feels like kismet.
It feels like fucking des ny that the man who haunts her is the same man
who dedicated his life to destroying the people set out to take her life.
“I know you don’t care,” Mark forges on, no ng the look on my face.
“But the second they find out I’m dead, they’ll up and move.”
I’ve accepted this.
I look over at Sibby, the girl now having moved onto Miller. She could be
a scapegoat.
If the Society gets word of a deranged girl killing these four men—a girl
who’s killed before—they would chalk it up to the par al truth. Wrong
place, wrong me. An unhinged girl who swears she can sense evil sniffed
these men out and decided to murder them in cold blood.
She’s the perfect scapegoat, actually.
But the thought of using her—it doesn’t sit right with me.
She’s a lonely, fucked up girl who helped me carry out these murders.
Doesn’t ma er that she would’ve done it anyways had I not been there.
Without her, I wouldn’t have go en the informa on I did tonight. And I
can’t let that go unrewarded.
So, I resign myself to protect Sibby. I’ll clean up the evidence, dispose of
the bodies and do everything I can to infiltrate Savior’s before they
relocate.
“Will they demolish?”
“Yes,” Mark answers quickly. I let out a slow breath and nod. By saving
Sibby, I’m giving up the first lead I’ve truly had.
“I-If you let me go, I can get you in,” Mark barters desperately. “I’ll help
you and you can do whatever you want. Just as long as you let me live.”
“The other three are already dead,” I say. “They’re going to relocate
anyways.”
“Not if you pin everything on this girl. That’s what you planned, right? To
let her take the fall for it?”
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