3.103 – Piecing it all Together
Isaac and
I, haven’t talked much since the trip. We’re not avoiding each other but there
isn’t much to say. Tonight, he asked me where I was going and I told him he
couldn’t come. Still, he’s been following me through the woods for almost an
hour, pretending I can’t hear him or maybe he thinks I can’t hear him. I keep
hoping he’ll get tired and stop following me, but he’s probably lost and I’d
rather nothing happen to him in the next few days.
Destiny’s
journal mentioned an shed that Granny and Old Ben didn’t let anyone go near. I
spent the last few days looking around the property and from the rooftop, I
could just barely catch a glimpse of something through the woods. I decided
that I’d try to check it out when nobody was paying attention; but that’s hard
to do when you live on a plantation with a bunch of vampires that rarely ever
sleep. I think I’m the only one who actually tries to sleep every night. I
figured at night, at least the few humans around here wouldn’t notice me
sneaking out. I was wrong, I made sure I was out of the room all day so Isaac
wouldn’t know when I was leaving. I guess he was looking out of a window or
something when he saw me leave.
The old
shack is just that, an old shack. But the door and the lock are new. There’re
bars on the windows and someone has gone through a lot of trouble to repair
spots that were damaged. The new wood stands out in places, a much lighter
shade than the original wood. It isn’t long before Isaac joins me, lurking in
the shadows.
“You can
come out now,” I call out to Isaac who scurries up.
“Why are
you out here visiting a creepy old shack?”
“Because
Destiny said it held the secret to what Granny and Old Ben were doing.”
“You
realize you sound crazy when you word it like that. It makes it sound like you
talked to her yesterday and we both know that wasn’t possible.”
“Her
journal, her journal said it.”
“So you
came all the way to the middle of nowhere, a place called Dulac that nobody
ever heard of until they tripped, fell and landed here. Just so you can solve a
mystery she left you in a journal?”
“That’s not
why we came here. It’s coincidence she mentioned it in her journal. I wasn’t
feeling right about this place for a while.”
“So, are we
going to go in?”
I step up
and grip the lock, it’s nothing but a regular padlock. It’s not meant to keep
us out, it’s meant to keep something in. The lock snaps easily when I tug at
it. I push the door open and there’s complete darkness. Isaac feels around on
the walls until he finds a light switch. The shack is as expected, dust and
dirt cover every inch of the place, the windows are frosted with dust and impossible
to see through. A single toilet and sink, no fridge or bed. But the part that
sets off my danger sense is the cages. Not just regular cages, but cages large
enough for humans. I saw enough Marson workings to know that this place caged
humans. With the lock being so new, probably recently. Sometime during my stay
there were people being held captive in this building and I had no clue about
it at all. Destiny was here for years and couldn’t figure it out. They didn’t
even hide it, you just had to know where to look.
“What do
you think was in these cages,” Isaac asks.
“People.
They’re human traffickers.”
“How do you
know?”
“I’ve seen
it before. The cages, the locks, but only on the outside. Terrible living
conditions. Space heaters but no actual heat, and there’s probably a small
generator providing the light out back.”
“You’re
serious,” Isaac takes a different tone. “Who do you think is behind it.”
“Granny and
Old Ben. The others might know too.”
“What if
it’s like, a hideout for The Underground Railroad?”
“They were
never slaves and this was never a hideout. Look at it, modern plumbing and
electricity, those cages are worn, but not slavery worn. It’s all for show,
just a damn cult.”
“I don’t
know yet, burn it all down. Kill everyone here, I don’t know.”
“Well, wait
until the ceremony.”
“That’s
what you’re thinking about?”
“Yeah,
you’re already Adze. I’ve put up with shit before you came along. James made us
drink blood, and eat leaches. All kinds of shit. My goal is in sight. I’ve
compromised a lot of who I am for this. Give me a couple of days before you
start building bombs.”
“Fine, but
when the time comes you help me.”
“Alright,”
Isaac extends his hand. “I’ve got your back.”
The walk
back is silent. There’s nothing to talk about, both of our minds have been made
up. I’ll let him turn, and he’ll keep quiet about my plans. For a moment, I
swear I spot Isis looking at us from the house as we approach. It might just be
my imagination, or paranoia. The mystery of how the Marson family knew about
killing Adze is solved. They probably met Granny and Old Ben at some
trafficking convention. I’ll deal with them too eventually.
“You coming
in,” Isaac asks as he opens the back door.
“Nah, I’m
going to stay out here and think for a moment.”
“Okay,
nighty night.”
“Night.”
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