Chapter Four. THE FALLOUT
259 Words
Tina burst into Dr. Renfield’s office, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The echo of the facility alarm still rang in her ears. Renfield looked up sharply, his expression a mixture of relief and worry.
“You made it out,” he said, standing. “Good. But we don’t have much time.”
Tina threw the scarf onto his desk, her eyes blazing. “They’re using people. They’re draining life from people like me to keep everyone else ‘perfect.’ Did you know?”
Renfield flinched. “I suspected,” he admitted. “But suspicion isn’t proof. Now we have it, thanks to you.”
“You don’t seem nearly as horrified as you should be,” Tina said, her voice trembling. “You’ve been working in this system for decades. How could you not know?”
“I’m trying to fix it!” Renfield snapped, then softened. “Tina, you have no idea how deep this goes. The system is bigger than anyone realizes. It’s self-perpetuating. If we expose it now without a plan, we’ll throw the entire world into chaos.”
“Maybe chaos is what they deserve,” Tina retorted.
Renfield stepped closer, his voice low and urgent. “And what about the innocent people caught in the crossfire? The ones who have no idea their lives depend on this monstrous system? We need to be smart. Precise. We can dismantle it, but we have to do it piece by piece.”
Tina glared at him, her chest heaving. “So what’s your plan?”
- Writer
