Page 228 of Fragments

Despite Rook’s barks of protest, the two guards holding me and Ren finally wrench us apart, cuffing us both behind our backs. And suddenly Ren is being dragged away in the direction we just came.

“Ow, Jesus… Not so rough, damn!” Ren grunts.

“Where are you taking him?? Where are they taking him?!” Panicking, I look to Rook, who has his walkie in hand. I think he’s calling Joy.

Ren’s eyes stay with mine as I tremble, being pulled in the opposite direction.Awayfrom him. “Baby, listen to me… It’ll be okay,” he calls, feet skidding on the ground as the man drags him through the door. “I’ll find you, no matter what, I promise!” His voice rises to a shout as he disappears out of sight. But I can still hear him yelling, “Lexington, I love you! Fuck you, you goddamn mouth breather! Let g—”

The shuffling cuts off when the door closes. I growl raggedly over my heart lodged painfully in my throat. “If they hurt him, I swear to God!”

Breathing heavily, I’m fighting against the man pulling me to my cell. He shoves me inside, slamming me up against the wall face-first, so hard my head knocks against the concrete.

Dazed, with my forehead throbbing, I peer into the hall. Rook’s still out there, talking to Joy on the radio. His eyes are wide, but he’s mouthing something to me. I think it’sstay calm, orjust do what he says, I really can’t tell.

“Rook…” I cough. “Make sure Ren is alright. Don’t let them… hurt him.”

Sniffling, I force myself to keep it together as best I can, though I’m trembling head to toe. The dude who’s been manhandling me is rifling through my shit, and I’m racked with sudden terror so insistent, my knees are shaking.

He’s gonna find my computer. Oh God, oh fuck. I didn’t hide it well enough.

I’m so fucking dead.

The more I watch him, though, the more it looks like he’s just trashing the place, rather than actually confiscating anything. Still, he’s making a goddamn mess, breaking what little I have in the first place. I guess eventually he gets bored, because he storms out of my cell, slamming the door behind him and marching off like a literal SS officer while Rook chases after him.

“Hey!” I yelp out into the hall. “I’m still fucking cuffed!” My voice joins the medley of hollers and wails from the other cells. “How the hell am I supposed to take a piss??”

“Yo, Luth??” Cooper says my name from the next cell.

“Yea,” I sigh, fury and despair filling me like sand that weighs me until I’m on the floor.

“What the fuck is going on, bro?? Who are these fuckers?”

Manuel Blanco’s new SWAT team, apparently.

“I dunno…” I whisper, resting my head against the bars.

Too much… This is too fucking much.

Kang hates me. Ren is gone… Who knows where the hell they’re taking him, or if he’ll be safe.

And from the looks of it, Manuel Blanco just pulled a power move. Brought in his own guys to completely undermine Velle.

A new regime has taken over Alabaster Pen. And from the looks of it, we’ve had it easy with Velle and his guards over the years.

They’re the goddamn Powerpuff Girls compared to these new assholes.

“Fuck…” I squeeze my eyes shut while the screams echo off the walls.

I gotta get it done. No more fucking around…

But how am I supposed to work without my hands??

I need to figure out a way. I have to get Ren back…

My thoughts are spinning. Everything is cluttering up inside my skull, suffocating my every bit of logic. All I have left are emotions, and they’reawful.

“Kang?!” I shout as loud as I can into the row. Even if he can hear me, I don’t expect him to respond. “I’m sorry! I never meant to hurt you… You’re so important to me, you gotta know that!”

Pressure throbs behind my eyes. I close them tight to will it away…