It was past midday by the time Wade's team returned. They had also brought back some supplies that Rose managed to steal. Wade takes a seat and waits for Bob to finish his patrol so he could tell us the information that they found.
Jack and I had bonded a bit more through the day as we waited. Telling stories from long ago.
Bob returns and takes a seat, he wipes the sweat from his brow, "Alright, what are we working with?"
Wade takes a deep breath and then lets it out. I could only take it as a sign that things were about to get extremely difficult. He shifts a bit and then turns to Rose, "If you don't mind."
"Not at all." Rose takes a stick and begins to draw a very detailed map into the dirt, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the base."
I bend down to get a better look, "That's ridiculous."
"They have tightened security since our escape." Wade begins, "Mark, Tyler, and Felix have been moved down here to some kind of holding cells." He gestures to the drawing.
"And they plan on starting the auction at dusk." Trixie states.
"An auction?" Bob furrows his brow.
"You weren't kidding." Jack mutters, he nudges my shoulder with his arm.
"How do we get in?" I keep us on task.
"I don't think there is anyway in, at least not one that would allow us time to be subtle." Wade shakes his head, "I thought about it front and back. By the time we get to the bottom, the auction ends and we lose track of all three."
Hailey walks over, "What's that?" She points to the drawing.
"We're trying to think of a plan to save everyone." Bob answers her. "This is the base where the troops have taken your father, Mark, and Tyler. They sit at the bottom." Hailey stared at the drawing. She must have been lost in thought just like the rest of us.
"Why don't you force your way through?" She finally asks.
"They have something that would take down Jack and Ethan. I don't think going in guns blazing would help us." Wade replied.
"Why don't you have Rose shut the power off? Can't have an auction in a blackout." Hailey suggests.
"That might give us some extra time." Trixie hovers over the drawing, trying to get a better understanding.
"Are the troops always on guard?" Hailey asks.
Rose shrugs, "I couldn't get too much information out of the computers that I surfed through. It's like it doesn't exist in the outside world, I got lucky I even found some blueprints."
Jack groans and then flops over to lay on the ground "This is fucking ridiculous!" We were both edging to the last nerve.
"What if we cause a distraction and allow Ethan and Jack to sneak in? Once they secure everyone, Rose can just fry everything." Hailey's words make me feel a bit of hope again.
"You're smarter than you look." Rose tilts his head, "This idea might work. Can't use their takedown method if they don't have power. It'll give Jack an opportunity to use his secondary ability."
"True, but I don't want to just help them escape." I start, "We would never be safe if we allow these horrible people to live."
"You want to kill them?" Hailey's eyes widen as she looks a bit afraid.
"Look at what they have done to us!" I gesture to everyone, "This is a world you were born into because of these people. You know nothing of the outside world, trust me Hailey, this planet is better off without these stupid scientists." I can feel the horns breaking through the skin on my head.
"So many lives lost because they want to play God!" Jack stands up with me, his voice crackles in a way that reminded me of after Felix had killed Stella.
"But wouldn't that make you just as bad as them?" Hailey asks. She looks uncomfortable.
"We're just removing the problem and protecting the future from them. Tyler said they were building us as weapons." Wade speaks up, "Weapons to be used to destroy the rest of the world."
Jack steps away briefly, he can't help laughing at Hailey's words; but it wasn't a mean laughter, it was broken.
Hailey was born into this world. It's all she has ever known, the rest of us knew of the outside world and longed to go back. To return to what was taken from us. Our family, our friends, the normalcy. "Weapons, but I don't know how I could be one." Hailey admits as she raises her arms in a manner to emphasize her question.
"Originally Ethan was going to be our Lullaby. The tool to soothe the demons into submission." Bob explains, "It's like a drug. Singing once or twice is calming but the effects of listening to the Lullaby was supposed to result in making the rage even more unstable."
"It makes it unstable?" Hailey sits down.
"Yes. Take it as any other..." He paused trying to decide the best way to describe this to someone who doesn't know what drugs are.
"Take it as it is." Wade jumps in, "Hypothetically, imagine yourself as a small child and the Songbirds are your-" He also stops, "You don't know what dogs are, do you?"
Hailey gives him a bewildered look.
They both sigh as they try to find a way to explain it.
"Just explain it as is." Trixie rolls her eyes, "Hailey, you are the Lullaby now, meaning if the humans had caught you they would be able to control the Songbird demons by threatening you."
"Me?" She turns to the older woman, shocked. Trixie sighs softly, "Yes. If they tried to fight back, they would threaten your life, making the demons bend over backwards to protect their Lullaby, their peace of mind."
"Speaking of peace of mind, maybe sing the Lullaby before Jack loses it." Rose points over to Jack, who looks to be losing the fight against himself.
"Oh, right!" Hailey claps her hands.
(Verse 1)
Close your eyes, my child, it's time for dreams,
In the land of misty mountains, by moonbeam streams.
Beneath the stars that softly gleam so bright,
We'll journey through the night, in the gentlest light.
YOU ARE READING
Project Songbird
FantasyEthan stared at the markings on the wall. It had been at least a month since he could recall seeing anyone; the creepy scientists don't count. He remembers his kidnapping quite vividly. His body constantly littered with new bruises from the constant...
