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.Not that I’m able to read her face to see if I’m convincing.I hold her eyes as I take my seat without fuss.I don’t want to give them a chance to force a show of weakness while she’s watching.For the next few minutes, she’s going to need all the strength she can get.Then my world turns dark again as the black bag is replaced over my head.It’s an anxious wait as I hear them walk her into the other room and shut the door, the sound of the shower muted as the door clicks shut.Time crawls, until the shower eventually stops and Cara is dragged back into the room.Does she see me? I hear her drop heavily into her seat.What does that mean? Is she ok? Not being able to see her is driving me crazy.“Hurry up! This is taking too long.” Levia says.A chair scatters across the room followed by a struggle of desperate feet scraping the floor.Don’t struggle Caitlin.A loud thud cuts the struggling short.All that follows is another uneasy wait.Mum picks up Claire again.I look out from my hiding spot under the bed.I was being quiet just like Mum wants.I watch her desperately try to convince Claire to hide, but she didn’t seem to understand why she couldn’t help.Maybe she thought it was just a game.I didn’t understand what was going on either at the time.I just knew that I had to follow what Mum said and be quiet.I could be quiet for her.She tells Claire to hide under the bed.She begs her.Her voice sounds so much more desperate, remembering it now.“No mummy, I have to protect them,” Claire says, shaking her head.There’s a loud bang as the bedroom door explodes inward.Two hands pull me out of my memory, gripping me too firmly under each arm to lift me to my feet.A voice tells me succinctly to walk.More pushing and shoving gets me heading in the direction they want.“Take them to the main entrance for processing.Keep the hoods on them until you get there.Given all the trouble this one caused last time she was here, they’ll be going to the high security area so that they can be better guarded and away from the other residents here.”One Problem at a Time“Always with the hoods, always with those damn hoods,” a new voice says.“Let me guess, they’re taped up too?”“You know it’s the security protocol when moving captives about,” the woman says.“And beating them is also part of that protocol?”Nothing is said in response.The hood is pulled off.I’m standing in a hall filled with tables and benches.The man who spoke stands in front of us; older than us but not by much, a sharp face with black hair slicked back.He wears his uniform without the air of formality the guards behind him have.“Here, let me get that off you,” the man says as he tries to gently peel the tape off my mouth.There’s no gentle way to do it, but it’s a relief at least.He un-cuffs me, then repeats the process with the others.He steps back to address us.“Right, I’m the warden of this facility.As you well know, you’re here at the mercy of the Templars.As you by now can tell, they are not interested in playing nice.Some are still chaffing from the last time you were a guest of the Templars and are eager for retribution.At all times follow the directions the guards give you.Needless to say, if you try anything or if you attempt to escape they’ll shoot you.“You’ll each be assigned a room off the main courtyard and be allocated separate times for use of the exercise yard.Otherwise, you’ll be in solitary rooms.Take in your friend’s faces, because it’ll be the last time you see them for a while.Please don’t find out the consequences of attempting otherwise.Know that you will be monitored.“Anyone found without their bracelets or any other device that they are required to wear will be assumed dangerous and summarily shot.No questions asked.If you cooperate with us I will do what I can to make your stay here short and reasonably comfortable.Avoid making it unnecessarily shorter by attracting the guard’s attention.“Now, if you’ll all follow me to your cells, in them you’ll find clothing you will need to wear.”He opens the doors of the hall and leads us out to a rectangular courtyard.Surrounding the courtyard is the concrete facility with what appear to be cells on every side.A covered walkway wraps around the outside of the courtyard, but the yard itself is open to the air, a large grassy park complete with trees and even a bird fountain.It’s such beautiful sanctuary, so incompatible with the bleak surrounds.We stop in front of the first room [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]