Page 124 of Silent Damage

The remaining recruits eventually make it to the end, all of them cut and filthy.

Once we’re all at the finish line, bent over and gasping, Tobias speaks. “This is just the first day. By Friday, I don’t expect some of you to still be with us. If you can’t make it past the physical aspect of training, then I certainly don’t expect you to pass the mental part.” He lets his words hang in the air.

“Follow me,” he orders and leads us into the abandoned sugar factory. Miles of pipes hang overhead while enormous rusted vats and silos cover the floor. There's still the faintest hint of burnt sugar beneath the rust and mildew, and I catch a family of rats running along the catwalks surrounding us.

The recruits line up, and Tobias walks past each one, informing us of the mission. “There are four objects hidden in this factory: a thimble, a pocket watch, a piece of red construction paper, and a white scarf. Your mission, as an individual, is to find as many items as possible in the next seven minutes.”

One of Tobias’s men clicks a stopwatch.

Tobias raises a brow. “Go.”

The three other guys sprint in different directions.

I don’t. My eyes scan the area, looking for irregularities. The place is massive, and the metal is worn and falling apart.

When I was young, I had to be on high alert around Doug. The way he slammed his car door alone would clue me in on the night in store for me, and I’d instantly start seeking out places to hide.

My eyes land on several exits. Each one is rusted shut…

Except one.

I can tell one door has been opened recently because the rust is flaking and the door seam is visible. This is a competition, so I nonchalantly walk toward it, pretending I’m scanning the ground for clues. When I reach the door, I twist the knob. It makes a shrieking noise as I open it, and the red construction paper falls.

Bingo.

I think back to the things Tobias wants us to find, feeling like there has to be a reason for each one.

The pocket watch…

It’s probably ticking, and that's part of the challenge—using every sense we have to notice even the slightest irregularity in a space.

I lower myself to the floor and listen. My eyes trail over the massive vats and land on the stained ring next to one of them.

It was moved.

I speed toward it, search the base, and find a tiny bit of white cloth.

Fuck yeah!

I pull the scarf wedged beneath the vat and shove it in my front pocket.

Two down.

The other guys are frantic. Time is flying, and I can tell not a single one of them has found a thing. The more frenzied they get, the more they knock shit over, creating nothing but godawful noise.

“Shut the fuck up,” I finally scream. My voice echoes throughout the old factory.

For a blessed moment, there’s silence.

I hear nothing. Shit—maybe I’m wrong…

Then I hear it. Yes!

I move, and the other guys watch me, realizing I’m onto something. I reach the far corner of the factory, where the chutes are, and hear the ticking.

I leap and grip the sides of the chute, then throw my weight to wedge myself in the chute and shimmy up the thing, following the ticking sound. When I reach the top, I find the pocket watch hanging on a rusty nail.

I maneuver my way back down, and one of the dudes asks, “Did you find anything?”