Page 65 of Elas (Mate’s Mark #2)

“I wasn’t aware the grounds needed surveying ,” Gale responds, not hiding the snark in his tone.

Elas stands to his full height and pushes out his chest, lifting his brow. He towers over Gale, staring down at him. “And I wasn’t aware it was your place to question my orders.”

Gale balks, and it’s clear he’s not used to being reprimanded as his head lowers subserviently. “Of course not, Officer. Accept my apologies. It’s been a long day. ”

“Then let’s not take any longer,” Elas says, gesturing for Gale to lead the way. I fall in line behind Elas, excruciatingly aware of the guard at my back as we walk the grounds.

Besides the central building, there are four other structures. Two barracks sit side by side, one for guards and the other for scientists and medics, and a larger structure for storage and offices.

“It used to be the main lab, before the current facility was constructed,” Gale explains as he gestures at the single story brick building.

It isn’t tall, but it stretches half the distance between the ten-foot chain-link fences.

“The project grew, and we quickly realized that our infrastructure wouldn’t be sufficient.

We’re not only housing subjects and equipment, but decades of research.

It’s dangerously close to capacity now.”

Elas only nods, not showing any outward signs of discomfort. “Is that why Chief Aeliphis had files at Glaston?”

“No, Aeliphis was holding files because she continues her research during her off time. Strictly on paper, of course,” he adds.

“Though I hear she was quite…” His eyes flicker over his shoulder to me, and I shudder as the evening light reflects off his teeth.

“… careless with her handling of the data.”

“Yes, and here we are as a result,” Elas says, a touch of impatience in his tone. Gale nods, but moves on to the last building.

“That is the living quarters for our… more agreeable subjects. They’re given small apartments and creature comforts. Meals and necessities are provided. ”

“What about the less agreeable ones?” Elas asks, mirroring my own thoughts.

Gale makes a derisive noise, a half laugh, half scoff in the back of his throat.

“We’ll get there, eventually. Come.” We finish our tour outside the compound in relative silence as Gale points out anything significant.

Aside from the buildings, there are watchtowers in all four corners.

They’re small, metal stands, lifted on stilts twenty feet in the air with barely enough room for a single person to stand inside.

“How is the security here?” Elas asks.

Gale gestures at the open, barren land surrounding us.

Hardly any trees dot the horizon, aside from a few dead trunks that jut from the ground like gnarled tombstones.

“The terrain means we can spot someone coming from miles away. There’s no sneaking up on us, which allows for fewer guards.

There aren’t many who know of our existence, and the secrecy lowers our risk. ”

“Do rebels ever pass through? I imagine a small, isolated base would greatly interest them.”

“Occasionally,” Gale says with a smirk. “Nothing we can’t handle.”

“With so few guards?” Elas asks, and Gale stares at him for a moment too long. It makes my pulse ratchet so high I’m afraid they will see the thud against my neck.

“Glaston’s strategy might be brute force, Officer Elas,” Gale finally says, resuming his stroll, “but around here, we do things smarter. You don’t need an entire army to tackle every problem if you handle it the right way.”

His ominously vague statement doesn’t help us understand their defenses, but Elas realizes that asking more questions only increases suspicion. “I’ve always said we run too heavy on bodies at Glaston. They could do with some notes from your operation.”

Gale seems pleased and puffs out his chest, though a small snort comes from the guard behind me. I resist the urge to look back at him and continue following in silence. Once we finish outside, Gale leads us to the main building. A soldier stands watch and opens the door at Gale’s silent direction.

It’s quiet inside, the murmur of a low voice floating from somewhere distant as a single guard paces the lobby.

The interior is far more modern than I expected, given the weather-worn brick exterior.

The floors are the same polished concrete I’m used to seeing at Glaston, and a security station sits in the center of the enormous room.

Doors line the walls, and Gale waves his hand at them as we walk. “Examination rooms and offices that our researchers use when they need somewhere quiet.”

“Examination rooms?” Elas questions, and Gale nods.

“For the subjects living in the apartments. We don’t bring them back into the lab unless it’s necessary.”

“Do they receive the same treatments as the other subjects? The ones housed… elsewhere?” Elas asks.

“No.” It seems to be all the answer Gale is willing to give, but Elas presses further.

“Do they ever interact with each other?”

Gale lifts his brow ridge again. “The good ones may socialize on occasion, yes.”

“What about the others? ”

“They don’t interact beyond whoever can hear them from their quarters.” Gale says nothing more about it, and Elas doesn’t push for more.

The Curtiphan assistant rushes ahead to swipe her access card over a sensor that makes a tinkling beep.

I gawk at the long hallway beyond the double doors, lined with floor-to-ceiling reinforced windows that overlook a series of rooms. Some are like the exam rooms in the main lobby, but as we get deeper into the hallway, the equipment becomes more complicated.

Sinister stainless steel devices lie on trays, more like power tools than medical instruments.

Gale looks directly at me for the first time, and a nervous swallow bobs in my throat beyond my control.

“Knock that sympathy off your face, human. You might not understand it, but the research we do here is crucial. It will change the very trajectory of our kind. A few sacrifices are necessary for the good of the many.”

I gulp again, words waiting on the edge of my tongue. They’re ready to erupt, to tell him he’s wrong . That the ladder of progress can be climbed without using others as the rungs.

But I fight it back, only giving him a meek nod instead.

Unease churns in my gut as he gestures towards the windows. “One sided glass. Members of our medical team don’t work unsupervised, and you’ll be monitored at all times.”

“This is where August will work?” Elas confirms, and Gale nods.

“This is where we need the most manpower. He’ll transport the subjects to and from their quarters, assist with procedures, and perform wellness checks after they’ve been in the labs. They can get… touchy.”

Elas tenses, waving a hand up my frame. “He is human. One of our kind could easily overpower his weak body.”

Gale’s polite demeanor slips, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

“Most of them stopped fighting long ago, but if they do? That’s what the shock collars are for.

” My stomach drops right out of my body as I draw in a sharp inhale, and Elas’s eyes flicker to mine in clear warning.

I’ve already been told to suck it up once, and something tells me the second request won’t be so civil.

If I’m not careful, I’ll be the one to end up with a collar around my neck.