Ordinary (Anything But) by Lindy Zart Read Free Book Online Page B

life,” was his response as he pushed her through the opening.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 

CHAPTER 3
     
     
     
    Honor stared at the rows of metal benches, surprised to find them in place of pews. Other than the structure itself, anything that would have defined it as a church was gone. No one would ever suspect what the inside of the previous church now looked like. Honor never had. She’d run or driven by the building numerous times throughout her teenage years and never once had she thought it was anything but an old, disused church. It was ingenious, really.
    She’d come to the church once as a child when she’d stayed the night at Anna’s. It was so very different from what she remembered. It was the feeling more than the sight of it, although the bare walls and metal benches were a drastic change from what used to be there. The place wasn’t right. Bad things happened there. There was a sterile smell in the air, but it rang false, like death covered over by bleach. Honor shivered, feeling sick.
    Their footsteps echoed as they walked between the two sections of benches. It was surreal, walking down the aisle of the church that should have been holy and was anything but. Honor again tried to pull away from Agent Burns. He tightened his grip until his fingers painfully bit into her bicep. The warmth of his body seeped into her back and she wanted to vomit, his garlic and cigarette smell seeping into her as well. Down the aisle they went, like they were handing Honor off in her wedding to Death. Agent Nealon went ahead of them and opened a door on the side of the room with one touch of a button.
    “What are you going to do to me, shoot me?” Honor’s voice was high and unnatural. She hated how weak and pitiful she sounded. She told herself to be strong, to not show any fear. It was hard when all she really wanted to do was fall to the floor and weep.
    The men exchanged a look and Burns chuckled. Honor’s jaw clenched. A spark of resentment zapped her, adding some fire and life back to her. It was better to be mad, at least she wasn’t as scared then. “Glad you find this so amusing.”
    “Not this,” Burns replied. “ You .” Honor didn’t even try to understand his ridiculous words.
    They were in a narrow hallway. It smelled strongly of antiseptic . Metal doors like the one she’d first walked through lined the walls on either side of them. She glanced at one. It had a small rectangular cover near the top of it over what could only be a window. The cover looked like it slid open to offer a view inside.
    “What is this place? What are you doing to people here?” Hon or asked in a faltering voice as she unconsciously jerked into Agent Burns. Honor’s teeth began to chatter, her body shaking. Cold, she was so cold.
    “She’s in shock,” Agent Nealon murmured from the side of them.
    Burns snorted. “Wait until she sees them.”
    A squeak left her. See what? See who? She was struggling to draw air into her lungs and she had the horrifying thought that they were experimenting on people and she was next. She could handle death…sort of. Torture and experiments of any kind… no . Honor’s only thought was to flee, somehow, someway. She’d been waiting for the right moment to make a run for it, but it appeared the right moment was not going to show itself. She took a deep breath and slammed her elbow back with all the strength she had. Burns grunted and his hand dropped from her.
    Honor ran.
    A door loomed before her at the end of the hallway and she raced for it, almost slamming into it as she shifted from a sprint to a dead stop. Honor grabbed the handle and pulled. It wouldn’t budge. Her eyes raced over the cool metal, searching for a lock of some kind. She found a deadbolt, flipped it, and made a sound of relief as the door opened. She glanced over her shoulder. Burns and Nealon walked down the hall at a brisk pace,