A cloud of hot breath fanned in front of the plane and onto the glass. My stomach clenched as our humor shattered, replaced by panic. Outside, something groaned in a ghostly manner.
Sike's voice dropped to a whisper. "It's here."
8
Roxy
When Hindley stared, it was automatically intense. She couldn’t help it, and I knew that because I watched her like a hawk when she wasn’t looking.
"Does anyone want to take a wild stab at why I called you in here?" she asked. Her question sliced the air like a sharpened blade. The twins sat on either side of me. I was waging a silent war against them by sitting in the middle, although I wasn’t the target of this inquisition. Hindley's gray eyes narrowed at them. She was the cold, tough-as-nails woman I always wanted in my life, growing up. Medals, plaques, and pictures with heads of states decorated the wall behind Hindley. She never smiled, even when meeting royalty. It was more of a confident tilt of her chin, and a slight rise to the corner of her mouth.
Tough, strategic, nerves of iron… I wanted to be something like our Iron Lady in the Chicago office. She folded her hands on her desk. Every action she took was meant to inspire respect, and her presence stunned even the boisterous twins into a tense silence.
I forked up the answer, since the twins clearly were not going to try their luck with her. "Taylor and Taylor disrupted the exercise and showcased insubordination." It was simple and to the point. Hindley leaned forward one inch and studied my two siblings, her eyes raking over them with a slow, analytical gaze that was designed to make younger soldiers sweat. The twins stared bravely back but didn't offer one of their typical wise remarks as a response. They were smart, when they needed to be. The Bureau wasn't a playground.
"You're right," Hindley said, with a nod at me. "They derailed the exercise and failed to understand the point of working in a team, which is why we do these drills. Taylor and Taylor, if you act like that again, I'll make sure this ends up on your records, in addition to whatever punishment your Captain believes is suitable for today’s work. Are we clear?" She arched one eyebrow, challenging them to say anything other than a resounding yes. My shoulders lifted. It was the same line of reasoning I’d used to explain the point of the exercise, which felt validating to hear.
"Yes, we understand," Jessie said. Jordan nodded right after her, but there was tension brewing on their faces. I had a sixth sense for this sort of thing, when it came to my siblings. We would have a discussion later about how the twins felt about their place in the Hellraisers.
"There's a code of conduct that you're expected to follow. You’re soldiers, and the rules are there for a reason," Hindley continued firmly. "Even as part of the Hellraisers, you're held to the same standard as any other Bureau soldier. The two of you are dismissed." Her hammer of justice came down hard. The twins grumbled unenthusiastic but polite responses and marched out of the room. Before the door closed, Jordan let out a mock cheer. I contained my eye roll as the door shut. I would find both of them later and hand them that attitude back tenfold.
But… they were young. I remembered those days. Hell, I was still young. And the twins are somehow brilliant and stupid at the same time. A surge of frustration and compassion ran through me all at once. I stamped out any thoughts of my siblings as Hindley turned her attention on me. It was my turn now.
I sat up straighter in my chair. I liked Hindley. She was different than Bryce. When Bryce mocked us back in the day, it was more like the tough love that I was used to among my siblings and sparring partners. When Hindley directed words at me, they were expertly crafted and delivered. She rarely showed approval. And maybe that's why I fight for it.
"Well, now that that's over, I should tell you that I was going to call you in here no matter what. Don't fret. I see that brow furrowing." She smirked the tiniest amount, putting my nerves at ease, but her tone remained short. It was one step forward and two steps back, forever, with my new commander. "I was impressed with the way you handled those annoying vloggers. With another captain out there, I couldn't be sure that our bait wouldn’t end up as monster food. Unfortunately, Dan and Jessica got out on bail, but the judge gave them a hefty bail to pay on top of their upcoming trial. Their crowd funders, or whatever they call them, apparently raised the money for the duo." At this statement, she tapped her pen against her desk at an annoyed tempo. Damn. I was hoping those lame vloggers would get what was coming to them, but I guessed that woman was more popular than I thought.
The reprimand is coming soon, surely.
She had to be angry about the exercise. I tried to gauge if she wanted me to comment on the vloggers. There was nothing more we could do, besides put more surveillance in the Leftovers. Maybe I could get the tech guys to improve our camera system. Or maybe Hindley wanted me to sweat in this chair right now. She definitely was going to lecture me about the way things had gone down with my siblings, right? I’d told them off in front of everyone because of their hijacking of the drill, but they had seen my point of view in the end.
"Do you have any concerns about settling into your new role as captain, Taylor?" Hindley asked. I’d told her she could call me Roxy, if she wanted, but Hindley liked rules. It was
