Hollow Scars

Parking her car about a mile outside of the town located at the coordinates she’d been given by her contact days prior, Scarlett maneuvered the driver’s side seat backwards in the sedan she’d rented at the airport. After the traveling she’d done in the last week, she had grown weary of cabs and the constant running and walking to and from. Usually the physical exertion involved wouldn’t bother her, but the cough that had once been an annoying tickle in the back of her throat had evolved and now felt like an ice cold grip of someone’s fist on her lungs. Scarlett was theorizing that she’d contracted a cold and it had settled into her chest when she hadn’t bothered to take care of it properly.

After landing Scarlett stopped by an airport convenience store where she’d purchased three bags of cough drops and since then had already made her way through half of the first bag. Untwisting the wrapper of another precious candy gem that would calm the aching cough in her lungs, Scarlett popped it into her mouth and considered her next move.

She’d driven around the perimeter of the town that was surrounded by friendly looking outer walls and was pleased, and relieved, to find that people were still living there. The buildings were old and worn, and it looked like those living there didn’t have the proper funds to care for the buildings they possessed but still, it was an improvement in comparison to the last place she’d searched for clues. Even driving past, Scarlett could tell that something seemed off about the area even if she couldn’t pinpoint what. It was weird to think but she wanted to say the place looked sad, like they knew something terrible was about to happen. Then again, Scarlett could’ve been expecting something nasty to happen. For all she knew, the strange things she’d noticed about the town could’ve very well been in her head.

A mixture of anger and curiosity boiled within the pit of her stomach. How could MedCo ruin so many lives for whatever experiments they were performing on the people living within these towns? In her experience, Scarlett had found that every villain had a story and someone they loved. Very few people outside of sociopaths were without remorse. What did that make Mikhail, Marcia, and Erick? The ends almost never justified the means in morally reprehensible situations, it was simply what villains told themselves so they could sleep at night.

The greater good was a delusion.

Deciding the only way to get to the bottom of what was really going on was to do some digging Scarlett, got out of the car at last. She had checked to make sure that she had her gun and extra ammunition hidden away beneath her coat. Today she’d dressed more casually so she would look less like a cat burglar and blend easier into the crowd in Spain. Donning a lightweight tan colored jacket, comfortable pale blue shirt and pencil skirt, Scarlett had made sure she’d had enough room beneath her jacket to hide her weapon and everything else she required. As always, she carried her bag around with her but wanted to make sure there was nothing worth losing in the bag outside of her notebook. The Tesla glove was a bit more difficult to hide, but she hoped that no one would get a good enough look at her to notice and ask about it. After all, it wasn’t like she was going into someone’s home to have dinner or anything.

Making sure the rest of her supplies such as her phone, her knife and her cough drops, were stowed away in her backpack, Scarlett left her car behind in the parking lot of a restaurant in the next town over. If she needed to make a quick getaway, at least now she’d have more options available to her than walking or calling a cab. Hopefully Tony wouldn’t catch up to her until much later so she wouldn’t have to worry about him drawing attention to her. Maybe if she got lucky she could even meet up with him for a late dinner and drinks. In the span of things, it sounded like a pretty relaxing night.

Fantasizing about dinner and dessert with Tony, Scarlett checked her phone periodically until she’d arrived at the marked location then slowed her walk drastically. The buildings were in far worse states of repair than she had guessed upon initial inspection along the drive there. Windows were boarded over and roofs were covered in tarps in some areas. What was worse than that was that the people walking around the streets seemed ill and unfriendly.

People were rushing around with their mouths covered by surgical masks and those who weren’t hiding their faces looked panicked and frightened. Not a one of them looked comfortable with being outdoors. Fiddling with the screen of her phone, Scarlett pretended to be sending several text messages as a tourist would do, but was in actuality taking pictures of the people scattered around the streets or rushing to their next destination. In a document on the screen she was jotting down symptoms that she could catch as they walked past her. Many were coughing, looked gaunt and had discolored flesh.

Finally putting away her phone once she was sure she’d gathered sufficient research material, Scarlett was surprised when someone bumped into her and practically panicked in response. Without so much as an apology, even in Spanish, the man who had bumped into her gathered his things and ran the other way, his hand over his mouth. Scarlett watched him go with wide eyes before turning around in a circle, searching for something that he might have been running from but saw nothing that would send him into such a tizzy, other than her.

“What the hell is going on here?” Running her fingers through her hair, Scarlett pulled it away from her face and twisted it back into a bun, stabbing a hair stick through it to keep it out of her face. Deciding that walking around aimlessly would get her no answers, Scarlett kept an eye out for anyone that didn’t immediately avoid eye contact with her. After stopping several people in a rush to get somewhere and asking them what was going on and being rejected all three times, Scarlett leaned tiredly against the stone patio of someone’s home and sighed heavily. Her body was weary from travel.

“Young lady you should not be out and about at this hour.” An older woman’s voice coming from the top of the steps startled Scarlett. Turning around and pulling away from where she leaned against the patio apologetically, she smiled weakly. The woman’s Spanish accent was thick but her English was confident and strong beneath it.

“Why not?” Finally someone who wasn’t going to bite her head off or look at her like she had three heads when she spoke to them. Scarlett considered the hour and knew it was getting late, but it was still early enough for the streets to be busy with after dinner traffic.

“Haven’t you been listening to the news?” The woman acknowledged her radio at the far end of the patio; an old fashioned looking brown radio was plugged in through the window, decorated in ornate but chipping gold details.

“I’m afraid that I’ve just arrived in town tonight and haven’t heard anything. I was hoping someone would tell me what all this chaos is about. Everyone seems in a right state of panic and won’t even give the time of day.” Scarlett slipped seamlessly into a British accent to keep from later identification if anyone, like MedCo, happened to realize she was in town. No one was looking for a Brit and while Scarlett had been born and raised in London, she’d lost the accent long ago while learning to speak Afrikaans and only very few people actually realized her true origins. While it was no longer natural for her to speak with the accent, it was second nature for her to slip back into it particularly when around other Brits.

“Come sit.” The woman patted the seat next to her at the far end of the porch. Walking up the stone steps, Scarlett nodded her head and sat across the table from the woman with long black hair pulled back into a loose bun, strands of peppery gray intermingled within. She wore a long red shawl around her shoulders and despite looking well into her eighties, the woman seemed lively and vibrant. Thankfully whatever illness that had been affecting her neighbors hadn’t yet reached her.

“Thank you.” Scarlett smiled politely, popping another cough drop into her mouth now that the one she’d started had disintegrated. In a few short hours she’d become addicted to Ricola.

“You’re welcome.” The old woman smiled feebly and watched as another man hurried past her porch while avoiding eye contact. Scarlett guessed she was waiting for someone to arrive home, judging by the worry hidden on her face.

“Now what is it you were saying? What haven’t I heard about on the news? Is something happening? Should I not be here?” Scarlett leaned back in her chair, watching the people passing by and observing any new symptoms they exhibited. The most troublesome thing she witnessed was the panic and fear spread throughout the town. What had happened to these people to put them in such a state?

“There’s a terrible flu going around, deary.” The woman smiled kindly but concern was thick in the wrinkles next to her eyes. “They’re declaring a state of emergency in the area and are recommending everyone receive a vaccine. Only this vaccine is near impossible to get your hands on since everyone’s rushing around looking for it. People are so scared they’re contracting the same illness that they’re acting like animals.”

“A flu? Is that what everyone’s got? I’ve noticed that many people here are looking rather green around the gills.” Scarlett scowled at a woman who walked by coughing up a lung and not bothering to cover her mouth.

“Yes, it’s terrible. Several children are in the hospital because of it. I’m lucky I haven’t gotten it myself but then again I’m rather stubborn!” The woman smiled proudly but then looked troubled once again. “I suggest that unless whatever you’re in town for is an emergency that you leave before you catch it, too. Whatever it is you’re up to is not worth your health.” The woman didn’t sound like she was threatening Scarlett, but rather sounded worried that the younger woman would fall into harm’s way because of the epidemic in her home town.

“Hospitalized?” Scarlett considered her new information and ignored the illness brewing in her chest and reminding her that she was sick as well. There’d be time to deal with her illness later, right now Scarlett had to get to the bottom of what was happening to the people there before they were struck by tragedy the way the town outside of Dakar had been.

“Dreadful, really.” The older woman smiled but looked apologetic. “Thirty four and counting the news said, all under the age of eighteen.”

“Has anyone died?” Scarlett had nearly asked if anyone had yet but knew that to this stranger, it might sound too dark to assume that people were going to eventually drop like flies.

“If they have, then no one is telling us about it.” The older woman’s curiosity was piqued by Scarlett’s questions but she didn’t pry further into her motives. It seemed that this woman was just as suspicious about the truth portrayed by the media as Scarlett was.

“You should get inside. If this epidemic is as bad as you say then I can imagine they’ll evacuate sooner or later and you should be prepared.” Scarlett got up from her seat and peered around the neighborhood, memorizing her current location. While she had no proof of it Scarlett had the distinct feeling that MedCo was up to something terribly unsavory within the town. She wanted to check the local water sources and see if she could grab some samples or pinpoint areas where the supply could have been tampered with. What if the people of these towns were victims of horrible experiments?

It had happened before in the past. Governments and companies using unsuspecting people as guinea pigs then disguising it as an epidemic and offering them the cure to gain their trust; it sounded like something out of a horror story but it was an unfortunate harsh reality of the world. Fear was the greatest of motivators.

“Don’t you worry about me, young lady.” The woman chuckled kindly. “I’ve got luck on my side and I have for years. I’m more concerned about you.”

“I’ll be careful. If you don’t mind, could you point me in the direction of the hospital?” Scarlett glanced around. It would be easier if she could get a helping hand in the strange place rather than walk around aimlessly for hours in search of something that would be far simpler to locate with assistance from a local.

“That’s the belly of the beast, dear…” The woman stood up carefully and seemed apprehensive. She pushed her chair slowly out of the way and leaned to the windowsill where the plug for her old radio was laying over the old frame and plugged in somewhere inside. On the counter she must have had some surgical masks lying around. Scarlett wasn’t sure why the woman had such a thing, but was grateful when it was offered to her. “I have the distinct feeling that you are a very determined woman. Whatever you are going to do I’m sure that I cannot talk you out of it. But this will help keep you healthy. If you need anything else, please feel free to ask. You are near the residential district currently but if you walk straight down this road for a quarter of a mile and make a right at the top of the hill you’ll be able to see the business district. There are signs leading to the hospital from there.” She nodded her head respectfully. “My name is Eva, by the way…”

“Luna.” Scarlett held out her hand for the woman to shake then took the mask she was offered and stuffed it into her pocket.

“Lovely name.” Eva seemed pleased by Scarlett’s kindness then sat back down in her chair. “Please be careful.”

“Trust me, there are very few more careful than I.” Scarlett bowed her head graciously. “Thank you for your kindness.”

“You’re very welcome.” Eva folded her hands in her lap and watched as Scarlett walked off of her porch and down the street. Reaching into one of her pockets once she was out of sight, Scarlett dug around for her wallet. Inside of it were several fake but official looking identification badges she’d purchased when she’d stopped in London a week prior. Scarlett needed to get into the hospital to see what sort of information she could derive from patient files. Hospitals were the most efficient manner of information storage, particularly when it came to something that MedCo likely didn’t want to keep in writing.

People would report everything about their ailments to doctors and it would be kept in charts. Even if the information was in Spanish, Scarlett knew enough to get by and it would be worth the time spent translating. If MedCo employees hadn’t yet begun to clean up the mess in that particular town, then it was possible the records there would remain untouched and Scarlett would have a chance at discovering the true origins of the illness afflicting the people there. Maybe it would even offer some insight into what had happened in Senegal.

It was easy to find the hospital once she located the residential district. The small local clinic was overly busy, swamped with people who were ill and looking for relief. Scarlett pulled the surgical mask over her face and freed her hair from the ornate stick she’d used to pull it back. Tussling it and adjusting her coat while holding one of her many fake IDs in hand she approached the nurse’s station at the far end of the lobby.

“Excuse me.” Scarlett waited to make sure the nurse comprehended her speaking English before she continued. Flashing her identification and kept her expression serious, she made direct eye contact with the nurse and spoke confidently and clearly. “I’m with the Ministry of Health. You contacted us about an outbreak of recent viral infections in this area and I’m here to take a look at your records so that I can offer government assistance if necessary.” Scarlett put away her ID before the nurse could take it and give it a closer look but continued looking at her seriously. She found that if she always looked like she was in a hurry, she somehow seemed more official.

For some reason government employees never had enough time to act leisurely.

“You came quickly.” The nurse stood up from her desk, her accent far heavier and harder to understand than Eva’s had been, but Scarlett had always been capable of adaptation and didn’t flinch.

“We take the threat of an epidemic very seriously at the Ministry.” Scarlett held her head up high and proud and her expression free of emotion. She had been lucky that the reports had been bad enough for the small hospital to ask for aid from their government. It would’ve taken far more creativity if she had been told that there hadn’t been a pending request for assistance. Fortunately for her, situations that created panic in a small community almost always ended up with government involvement. It was part of what Scarlett saw as wrong with every government. People got scared and relied too heavily on the government to save them.

But right now, Scarlett was grateful for the weak and fragile nature of humanity.

“What can we do for you? Where will you start?”

“I’ll need to take a look at the records of patients exhibiting the same symptoms that you’ve reported. Skin discoloration, rashes, dry eyes, severe cough and chest congestion, amongst others, of course. Before we can take action there must be sufficient evidence of your claim.” Scarlett could rattle off about fifteen additional symptoms just by taking a look around the emergency room’s waiting area. It was easy for her to appear like she knew what she was doing. After all, half of her career had been spent preying on people’s weaknesses and assumptions to weasel into their lives and fool them into giving her information she wouldn’t usually be privy to. She hadn’t realized how second nature it had become for her to take on another persona until she’d done so while in London.

After finally being Scarlett Damien for a few weeks with Tony, the transition into her old life had felt strange.

“Yes, of course. Right this way. Trust me, you will find more than what you are looking for.” The woman yelled behind her in Spanish to one of the other nurse’s asking to cover the front desk for her while she brought the government woman into the back. Scarlett followed through the door leading to the nurse’s office and down a long hallway behind a series of large filing cabinets. Down the hallway and around the corner, Scarlett marked the emergency exits at the back of the path and a few easily accessible large windows if escape became necessary and she was discovered as a fraud. As long as she made her trip short and sweet it would be easy for her to remain unnoticed and keep suspicion under wraps.

Stopping in a room filled with files, Scarlett helped the nurse lift one of two very large and heavy boxes filled to the brim with folders that she assumed belonged to the afflicted. Afterward they walked back into the hallway and around another corner where Scarlett was allowed space in one of the empty offices so she could take a look through the records.

“This is all we have on all our patients exhibiting symptoms, minus those who haven’t yet been admitted. The situation is very serious. We can use all the help and guidance you have for us.” The nurse looked strained and ill herself. Scarlett wondered just how severe the situation had gotten and how much truth had been revealed to the public. In her experience with widespread illness, clinics didn’t ask for government assistance until things had gotten beyond their control. Either someone had died or the count of people who were infected was off the charts.

“Thank you. I’m going to take a look and then report back to my superiors to see what we can help with and what course of action they’d like you to take. May I use your copy machine?” Scarlett nodded toward the large heavy duty Xerox machine in the corner of the office. It looked about a hundred years old, but Scarlett couldn’t be picky. Tony had spoiled her with technology.

“Yes, please help yourself.” The nurse smiled weakly. “I must return to my post. I’ll be at the front if you need anything else.” Without another word she turned on her heels and hurried back around the corner, leaving Scarlett alone. It was clear the nurses and doctors had far bigger things on their mind than a woman from the government wanting to look at patient files.

Sitting at the table, Scarlett started to browse through the files that were in chronological order rather than alphabetical order. Opening the oldest file, Scarlett checked the date. It was a month prior when the first case had been reported. Mid-June. They hadn’t noticed a pattern then, but when they’d reviewed cases, they had discovered it had been the first at least that’s what the notes at the back of the patient’s chart had mentioned. Scarlett couldn’t recall the exact date after having been held by MedCo but she knew that it meant whatever illness had been spread it had happened either right after she’d been saved from the facility by Tony or near the end when she’d been planning her escape.

The last month had been so abnormal and confusing that Scarlett was having a hard time keeping up with what time of the year it was. In the span of things, time didn’t seem to matter other than she knew she was running out of it when it came to MedCo. Scanning the files from the first case, Scarlett saw that the patient had returned several times when antibiotics hadn’t worked and had eventually been admitted. Continuing to read over the document she soon discovered that the patient was still somewhere within the hospital and his symptoms hadn’t gotten any better. In fact, they’d only become worse with him experiencing hair loss, memory alteration and vivid hallucinations. He could no longer eat on his own and was being kept alive with medication.

Closing the file folder, Scarlett considered what this meant. The epidemic had to be much worse than the media was letting on. It made sense that the public was nervous, but if they knew how bad it had actually gotten then there would likely be mass attempts to flee the city and that would only make things much worse.

Continuing through the medical charts, Scarlett made separate piles in chronological order for those who had been admitted, those who had been sent home with medication and orders to follow up and finally a pile of deceased that hadn’t been reported publically. Eva had specifically mentioned that no one had yet died, but there were at least twenty people who had passed away due to the illness in the last two weeks. Scarlett made copies of their paperwork along with others of interest.

The onset of the illnesses had been so sudden that Scarlett felt there had to be some interference involved. Someone had been making those people sick. After she’d skimmed through the files and made a sufficient amount of copies, Scarlett placed them in a manila envelope and hid them within her bag. Once she’d put the original files back in their boxes, she left the room with the door closed and started back toward the front of the building.

Finding the nurse again, she thanked her for her cooperation and promised action soon enough. Since the hospital had actually filed for assistance from the government, Scarlett didn’t feel like she was promising false hope. Sooner or later the Ministry of Health would come to the hospital and evaluate the situation. Scarlett would try to keep an eye on it during her travels and push things along if she had to in order to make sure that the whole town wasn’t wiped out by whatever horrible illness had been transmitted to the people living in the town.

Out into the busy streets once more, Scarlett’s mind was rushing a mile a minute. Had MedCo made the people of the town sick as she suspected? Why hadn’t the deaths caused by the illnesses been reported sooner? Was someone at the hospital trying to keep things under wraps? Had MedCo already sent someone to cover up what was really happening? What if someone had recognized her while she was there looking through files? Scarlett double checked her jacket for the holster of her gun beneath her arm and then sighed with relief. It was like having a security blanket with her. Between that and her Tesla glove she knew she could handle almost every situation that was thrown at her. It wouldn’t be like what had happened in Senegal anyway.

MedCo wasn’t consistently the most discreet company but if they were going through the trouble to slowly poison a whole town of people for some reason or another then it was likely that they weren’t going to compromise their experiment just to get their hands on her. Scarlett wasn’t expecting giant robots to come trailing after her, just men in black suits with tranquilizers and stun guns.

Scarlett was really tired of stun guns.

Hurrying through the business district and back toward the rural area of the small bustling town, Scarlett recalled the home of the old woman and hoped that Eva wouldn’t be opposed to helping her out one more time. She had offered to be of assistance if Scarlett needed anything else and Scarlett definitely had more questions about what had occurred in the town. It would have been suspicious and caused a panic amongst the nurses for Scarlett to ask about supposed foul play.

The chairs on the porch were empty and the window that had once been open to allow the radio to be plugged in had been closed and the curtains drawn. Behind the curtains she could see the lights on inside and so she felt comfortable walking up the stairs and knocking on the front door.

Eva looked surprised to see her again but welcomed her inside regardless. Scarlett nodded her head with gratitude and looked around curiously.

“Please, make yourself comfortable.” Eva acknowledged a series of plush chairs in the living room. “Let me get you some tea.”

“No, thank you.” Scarlett’s voice was scratchy as she pulled the surgical mask away from her mouth so she could be clearly heard. Slipping another cough drop in her mouth, she smiled politely and looked around the woman’s beautiful home, observing her exits, as always, if necessary.

Eva made herself busy in the kitchen regardless of Scarlett declining a cup of tea.

“What can I do for you, Luna?” Eva looked strained and tired. Scarlett hoped the woman wasn’t coming down with what everyone else seemed to have. Paranoia would keep Scarlett from eating or drinking anything in the town even tea offered by a kind elderly woman. When she was back in the safety of Madrid it would be another story.

“I know that this is going to sound peculiar particularly since I’m a complete stranger.” Scarlett cleared her throat again, annoyed with her inability to get rid of the cling that was plaguing her. It was sad to think that she was adjusting to functioning like a normal human being while feeling under the weather. What other choice did she have?

The nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her that she could have just gone home with Tony and seen a doctor. It would have been much easier for her to be lying in his plush bed in Malibu while Jarvis got her some warm soup. But no, she had to do the right thing.

“Trust me, in all my years I have heard far more peculiar things than what you are about to ask me.” Eva smiled kindly, pouring piping hot water into a mug so her tea could steep. Scarlett had the sudden urge to run over and knock the cup out of her hand. Maybe if she could tell Eva to get out of town then one life would be spared. Scarlett knew that wasn’t feasible.

“I’d believe that.” Smirking, Scarlett was sure that five minutes of her life story could change Eva’s mind, but there was a purpose outside of that behind her visit. “I’m curious. About a month ago, did anything strange or new happen locally?”

“What do you mean?” Eva stirred her cup, looking confused, but also seeming to try and recall anything out of the ordinary.

“It could seem like the smallest and most insignificant thing. Maybe a new restaurant or business opened nearby. Perhaps there was some kind of large town wide event or maybe… there was a strange visitor that came to check the water meters. Anything like that…” Scarlett was fishing for evidence of tampering and for a place to begin her search. Any lead was better than no lead but it seemed to her that Eva was running on empty when it came to a response.

“A medical shipment factory opened nearby.” A male voice from down the hall startled Scarlett. She’d guessed that someone else had lived in the home but hadn’t realized they were actually present. A young man, obviously related to Eva, stepped into the light. He looked exhausted and Scarlett was guessing that he was her grandson and that he had likely returned recently from work. Eva had likely been waiting for him to return home when she was seated on her porch listening to her radio.

“Oh, I’m sorry Luna. This is my grandson Ruben. He just got home from work but I hadn’t realized he was out of the shower yet so I didn’t mention him. Ruben, this is my new friend Luna. She just got into town and is curious about the outbreak. I’m trying to convince her to leave before she catches something.” Eva smiled wearily and then turned back to her tea cup, draining the leaves and removing them from the water.

“Why are you so curious about this?” Ruben walked into the room and sat down on one of the chairs nearby. He looked very serious and suspicious. Scarlett considered telling them the truth and warning them to leave. But it was likely these two kind people were already infected with whatever was plaguing the town. Telling them to leave would put the rest of the world at risk. As much as Scarlett wanted to, she couldn’t let that happen either. The best she could do was try to put a stop to what MedCo was doing before the illness they’d created had spread throughout the town and killed every single inhabitant.

“I just have a bad feeling. Trust me, I’m trying to help. I’m aware you don’t know me or have cause to trust me… but I’m trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on here. I’m afraid I can’t tell you much outside of that but I’m hoping it’s enough to be worthy of your help.” It was a risk being honest with them even if she was still withholding information, but Scarlett couldn’t bring herself to lie to them.

That wasn’t at all like her. Scarlett had always been a capable liar. Why was it so much harder than it used to be? What was it now? She could only lie to people who didn’t seem nice? That seemed ridiculous.

It was a good thing she didn’t plan on continuing to be a “secret agent” as Tony had dubbed her so many times. A secret agent who couldn’t lie seemed like the plot for a new television show.

Eva had stopped stirring her tea and Ruben seemed to be considering what to do about the stranger in their living room. Scarlett wouldn’t blame them for throwing her out or calling the police. Even if they did, she still had a lead. She just hoped that they wouldn’t call the authorities to report her strange behavior. Scarlett wasn’t feeling well enough to evade the police force and still continue her investigation. The cling in her chest combined with the mild fever she’d been forcing away with ibuprofen was wearing down her resolve.

“Luna, was it?” Ruben seemed to have decided to share what he knew with her. “About a month ago a factory opened up just outside of town. They were promising cheap medical supplies and drugs to try and help with the medicinal crisis in our country. They were little more than a glorified shipping company. No manufacturing was supposed to occur there.”

“Sounds pretty nice, actually.” Scarlett couldn’t hide her scowl and by the way that Ruben was glaring at his hands, she had a feeling that the people in that particular house felt the same suspicions she did.

“It seemed that way at first.” Eva chimed in, recalling now the facility that her son spoke of. She walked slowly into the living room balancing her cup of tea and taking a seat next to Ruben. “They were advertising all over town, trying to hire locals to come and work for them. With promises to boost the job market, economy, and discounts on healthcare how could anyone refuse such an offer? It was too good to be true.”

“It’s always too good to be true.” Ruben wouldn’t make eye contact with either woman in the room and Scarlett immediately wondered what he was hiding.

“Why would you say that? It sounds like it would do wonders for your hometown.” Scarlett nodded toward the door and waited for someone to tell her what they were suspecting. Ruben and Eva exchanged glances and then Eva nodded her head in approval. Neither knew what Scarlett was up to, but they trusted enough to tell her what they were thinking and to try and help her.

It was humbling.

“Something about them seemed underhanded.” Ruben was still managing to look everywhere except for at Scarlett.

“What about them seemed underhanded?” Scarlett leaned forward in her chair and encouraged him to look at her.

“When they first started hiring I applied for a job there since it seemed so promising. When I showed up for the interview, I was confused. It didn’t look much like a shipping company but more like a manufacturing company. There were laboratories. I was under the impression that the job I was applying for would be on a loading dock where I would receive third party medical supplies and then repack it to be shipped elsewhere. There were experiments going on in that place and I didn’t want to be a part of that. I ditched the interview before the second part of it and came home. I refused to set foot in that place after that.” Ruben continued. “They were definitely not what they appeared to be and I do not like secrets.”

“If they weren’t what they claimed to be, then what were they?” Scarlett pressed onward, knowing that his suspicions were finally coming to light.

“El Diablo.” Ruben finally looked up at Scarlett. The room fell silent as Scarlett reflected on what she’d learned. She could see the fear in his eyes and knew she didn’t have to tell either of them what she suspected was going on at the far end of town.

They both already knew that the company on the outskirts of their home had something to do with the illness that had spread. What they didn’t know was the severity of the illness and that people had already begun to die and lose their minds because of it.

It was Scarlett’s turn to avoid eye contact. Her cough drop was gone and so she covered her mouth as the annoying cough returned. Chest aching from the action, Scarlett quickly unwrapped another cough drop and tossed it into her mouth.

“You don’t look well.” Ruben commented to break the silence. Both Eva and Scarlett drew their attention to him. He seemed to suspect that maybe she had already contracted the illness spreading throughout town. “Can we get you some tea?”

“No, no…” Scarlett waved her hand as Eva got up to warm up the water in the kettle again for the tea that Scarlett had already once declined. “I’m fine. I’ve had this cough for awhile now, got it somewhere else… I’m really alright. Now I’m just worried.” Scarlett got up from where she was seated and thought of the manila envelope that she had hidden in her bag.

“Are you sure? You can rest here for the night if you like. I have a spare bedroom. It’s not much, but it’s comfortable and clean. You are more likely to stay healthy here than at a hotel.” Eva offered. Scarlett was truly touched by the kindness of these near strangers.

“I’m sure but I do appreciate the offer. But my night is long from over and I’ve got places to be. Thank you again for everything you’ve done, both of you.” Scarlett walked toward the door and then turned to look over her shoulder. “Do me a favor and stay inside tonight. Make sure your doors and windows are locked. If you can, avoid answering the door at any cost.” She wasn’t sure why she was giving them these directions, but Scarlett had a bad feeling about what would happen next.

Either way, it seemed everyone in the home knew where she was headed.

“Be careful.” Eva called to her as she opened the door. With a curt nod, Scarlett walked out the front door, waited to hear the sound of the deadbolt locking and then walked quickly away and toward the outskirts of town where she knew she’d find the factory in question.