“You wanted to see us?” Helena stood steely in front of the dark mahogany desk and Reid had to admire her for the unflinching glare she levelled on the woman before them.
Across from the desk sat Evelyn Jekyll, another cold woman who despite ageing well manage to look haunting. Maybe it was the way she stared everyone down, a piercing gaze that looked right through you. Reid had never asked but was sure her less amiable qualities were why she was in control and the three of them were standing there at her beck and call. Eric seemed the most comfortable in the office, but he didn't look a thing like his mother. Despite his size, Eric was warm and inviting when he wanted to be, the opposite of the chilling woman before them.
“Yes, I wanted your opinions of this woman.” Evelyn slowly removed her glasses and motioned for them all to sit.
Not a one took the offer.
She did it all with a casual air that didn't fit. Her office was immaculate and perfectly normal; normal for before infection. Everything about it was at odds with the world they lived in now, even the potted plant that flourished by the window.
“Seeing as all three of you have very different motives, I wanted a wider understanding.”
“She's not evil.” The words tumbled from Reid's mouth but he felt no regret for them. “Ashley has gone out of her way to help us despite everything we've done.” His lips curved into a cynical smile as he scratched the side of his head. “To be honest, I have no idea why.” He glanced up to see Evelyn's cocked eyebrow and Reid straightened himself out. “I mean, she had no reason to.”
“I disagree,” Helena said. “She's ill, needs medical attention and supplies. I think there are a dozen reasons she'd help. Probably some we can’t even guess. However, that's not important.”
“It's not?” Evelyn smiled devilishly.
Reid's gut churned as he listened to Helena. Always a fucking fight. But that's why you fell for her, isn't it? He pushed the thought aside.
“Helena, maybe what you mean-” Eric tried to recover.
Helena remained unmoved or shaken. “Her motives and personality don't matter to me at this point and shouldn't to anyone else. She needs medical attention and any meds I give her will be wasted while she rots in a dank fucking room at the ass end of the camp.”
The humour left Evelyn's lips as Helena swore. “I don't appreciate that kind of language.”
“I'm sorry,” Helena offered. “But I'm frustrated. One way or another she needs to survive. Either as a way to understand the infection or so we can trade her like a fat cow for safety.”
“She's dangerous,” Eric added. “She tried to bite you yesterday!”
Helena spun around and Reid winced knowing the fire of her ire was coming down on Eric.
“She was reacting to her environment in a fevered state! She's not a wendigo.”
“That may be the case,” Evelyn interrupted and the three fell silent. “I'm aware of the hostilities towards her in this camp. We’ll have her placed somewhere I believe is safer than say your offices or near one of our residential areas.” Picking up a clipboard, Evelyn drew the pen across the page, striking one thing off her list. Then she scribbled some more in silence.
For Reid, the futility of paperwork in this day and age swarmed him with frustration.
“We can see about preparing a more suitable place for her to stay. A bed and some amenities now that the infection seems to have...” Evelyn paused, her eyes looking up to Helena was a questioning stare. “She really has shown improvement? And Reid, you're sure she was bitten? Not scratched or-”
“I watched the wendigo bite her. I cleaned her wounds myself. There was no doubt, she should have died and turned several days ago.”
“And she's only gotten better,” Helena said. “If her living conditions were improved I wouldn't be surprised if she completely recovered in a matter of weeks.” Daring the step, Helen approached the desk and leaned forward. “Evelyn, this could be bigger than just a trade. If we can find out why she's recovering-”
“You know we don't have the facilities or the expertise.”
Reid’s fists balled in some lingering sense of protection at the dig Evelyn laid at Helena’s feet.
“But,” Evelyn said quickly. “I will ensure her health is maintained.”
Helena sucked in a breath, her fingers visibly coiling back into her palms. She’s furious, Reid thought, but as always she contained the anger well in front of others.
“Can I have her moved to one of the residential areas during lunch today to clean her up?” The words pressed from Helena’s lips, nearly through gritted teeth. “She needs a proper cleaning. A rag with warm water isn't enough.”
“Fine,” Evelyn exhaled the word. “But be careful. The last thing we need is infection spreading within our walls.”
“Thank you.” Reid motioned to leave when the door burst open.
Abigail, one of the younger council members hurried into the room, worry smeared across her face.
“Evelyn,” she gasped. Abigail slipped around the desk and whispered to the older woman.
Evelyn jumped to her. She reached for her coat rack and lifted out a shotgun from behind a red cardigan and slung if over her shoulder. Without another word, she walked from the office, Eric and Helena trailing behind her.
Reid turned to Abigail. “What the hell is going on?”
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Abigail didn't even look at Reid for a few seconds, her eyes locked on Evelyn until she was out of sight. Finally shaking herself from the shock, Abigail sighed. “You better catch up.”
Her severe voice sent a shiver down Reid’s spine. He ran out of the room, taking two stairs at a time until he walked astride the stalking Evelyn.
“It appears Monte and a few of his friends are paying our guest a visit.”
The words hit Reid harder than he thought. His heart, he couldn’t think it could pound harder. Eric swore and, this time, the gesture went un-scolded by his mother.
Helena huffed. “This is exactly what I was afraid of.”
“Please remember to keep calm, Miss Black.” Evelyn checked the shotgun. It, like every other weapon in the small camp, was already loaded.
Word travelled fast and a small crowd had already started to form in the quad after seeing Evelyn armed.
“This is going to be difficult,” she said, eyes glancing to the concerned faces. “Reid, I suggest you stay here and control the crowd.”
“Like hell I'm waiting around out here.” Without another word, Reid ran ahead. He could hear Evelyn instruct Eric to follow and his footsteps weren't far behind.
With a heave, Reid pushed open the unguarded outer door and hurried down the dank corridor. Outside the service room where Ashely had been kept, two men stood watching.
“You shouldn’t be here, Reid. Just stay out of it,” Gabriel said as he moved to block Reid’s path.
“Get the fuck out of my way!” Reid threw the punch while still moving forward. His fist connected with Gabriel’s chin and knocked him into the cement wall. Reid didn’t stop to see if he was going to stay down.
Behind Gabriel, Brendan came out swinging but the shy, and lanky young man missed. Reid hit him once, in the stomach, and Brendan doubled over. With a shove, Reid’s path had cleared.
Pushing the door open, light poured into the room and illuminated the gut-churning scene. Andre stood by the door, pale-faced and trapped in a kind of shock. He didn’t even move when Reid stepped inside. Across the room, Greg had his hands on Ashely; one on her left arm the other against the same shoulder, both pinning her back. Monte held Ashley’s right hand high, pressed against the wall.
At least what was left of it.
Blood pooled down her arm and stained her clothing. The mangled flesh of her hand glistened in the fresh light and Monte carved a new deep wound down her forearm. A gag covered her mouth and at first Reid thought she’d passed out, but her head leaned back, she groaned through the cloth and met Reid’s eyes.
There was fury there; determined and focused rage.
Monte glanced back at the frozen Reid, a weird glimmer in his eyes. Before Reid could force himself to move, Monte brought the blade back to flesh and dug it into the meat of Ashley’s palm.
Reid launched forward but Andre snapped from his haze and tackled him by the waist. The two men collided into the corner. From out in the hall, Gabriel reappeared and paid Reid back in kind, his fist hammering into Reid’s cheek.
The room went dark as his eyes adjusted, Ashley’s groans of pain muffled by the fabric and bodies between them. Andre or Gabriel, Reid didn’t get a good look at who brought a knee up into his gut, sending Reid to the floor with a cough.
“This bother you, Reid?” Monte said with a laugh. From the floor, Reid watched Monte twist the blade with practice skill before plunging its tip into her bicep.
Reid tried to get up but Andre pressed his knee down on his back.
“Stop fucking around and do it,” Greg yelled at Monte. “Before they stop us.”
Pulling the blade from her bicep Monte brought it to Ashley’s throat.
The shotgun blast echoed in Reid’s ears. Everyone in the room flinched as the deafening ring dug into their heads. Be it sense, or instinct, Monte jerked the knife away from Ashley’s neck and spun around to the door.
Evelyn pumped the gun again. Debris from the ceiling by Monte's head dusted his shoulders. Evelyn aimed the armed double-barrel square at his chest.
“Mr. Delgado,” Evelyn said calmly and stepped further into the room. No one else moved as they watched and waited. It wasn't the gun they feared, that much Reid knew. The gun was the easy way out. But the woman, Evelyn Jekyll, was a lasting torture they were about to suffer. “Why are you doing this to me?”
Eric entered the room and stood behind Brendan and Andre. The two backed off Reid. It gave him enough room to breathe and push to his feet.
Evelyn moved closer to Greg, Monte, and Ashley.
“Ma’am?” Monte responded.
“This. Why are you doing this to me?”
Greg looked to Monte before opening his mouth. “Miss Jekyll, the terrorist-”
“Belongs to me.” The finality in her words stopped Greg short. “Which means you are doing this to me.” Her eyes focused on Monte and the man staggered back a step.
Greg dropped Ashley's arm and backed away.
“You are forcing my hand, Delgado. Making me to choose between your life and hers.” The gun sat firmly in Evelyn’s hands, unwavering but large compared to her small, wispy frame. “Right now we all know she's worth more alive and I very much intend to see she stays that way. So please,” her voice turned sweet, a grandmotherly tone candying each word. “Don't make me shoot you.”
Monte sucked the air in between his teeth and wiped the knife against his pants. He folded it up and stepped back again.
Free from both Greg and Monte, Ashley pulled her wounded arm into herself and ripped the gag off her face. She leaned into the wall, cradling the bloody limb.
“Good.” Evelyn lowered the gun. “That's over with.” Waving at the door three men entered and escorted Greg, Andre, Brendan, and Monte out.
“Fucking traitor,” Monte spat as he passed Reid.
A dozen phrases came to mind, Reid filtering through each one as he clenched his fist. Instead, he hit the man. As hard as he could. Monte’s lip split under the satisfyingly distinct crunch and blood lined Reid’s knuckles. As he tried to follow through, Eric pressed a hand to Reid’s chest and separated the two men.
“Get him out of here,” Evelyn snapped. But her eyes weren't on Reid. Eric grabbed Monte's arm before he swung at Reid and tugged him towards the door.
“You're a goddamn idiot, Monte,” Eric mumbled as he pushed him out.
Helena entered the room not a moment later and a curse danced from her lips. She pushed ahead of Reid and Evelyn and skid down to the floor before Ashley.
“Oh god…” she muttered. “May I?”
Ashley looked up, eyes red and face streaked with tears. The rage in her hadn’t subsided a bit.
“We’re moving her,” Helena commanded. “We’re moving her now.”
“Yes, of course,” Evelyn said with a sigh. “But I’d watch that tone of yours, Ms. Black. I do not take orders so don’t get into the habit of issuing them. We’ll have a stretcher sent down-”
“I can walk,” Ashley grunted. Without waiting for a response, she stood all on her own, bloodied arm cradled against her chest.
Reid wanted to step forward, to give her a hand, but he remained frozen in place.
As though shocked by the response, Evelyn smirked. “You heard her Doctor, she can walk.” Evelyn started for the door, shotgun slipped under the crook of her arm. “You have permission to clean her up now. We'll clear out the Gate House building so you have some privacy. But she will be guarded. Access will be limited.”
Though Evelyn couldn’t see it, Helena glared at the older woman’s back until she left the room.
“We’ve got to stop the bleeding,” Helena said to Reid. While she slung her bag off her shoulder and riffled through its contents, Reid stepped up to Ashley.
The wounds were far worse up close. Muscle shredded, bone exposed and the bleeding stained all the way down to her bare feet. “I’m sorry,” he whispered thinking only she could hear him. When he looked up from the wounds to her face, her bottom lip threatened to tremble until she ground her jaw tightly shut.
Helena stepped up with gauze and took Ashley’s right arm in her hand. “This is going to hurt.”
A bitter laugh left Ashley. “I know.”
As Helena pressed the gauze to the wound, Ashley groaned. Her left hand gripped Reid’s and she squeezed hard. He gritted through the pain for her, and once the wave subsided, he slipped her good arm over his shoulder. She moved to protest but he shook his head. “Let me do this.”
Ashen faced, and dripping with sweat, she silently nodded and accepted his help.