Henry was at the diner as promised. He sat waiting in a booth in the far corner away from any windows and even farther from other occupied tables. He glanced up at the door upon my entrance and beckoned for me to join him. Making my way hastily to the booth I sat in front of him expectantly. He carefully drew the folded papers from the crease of his coat and set them on the table in front of me.

"I managed to edit most of the grammatical errors but there weren't many. I have to say you have quite a literary intelligence. It's not too grotesque for the public to read but it holds just enough detail to bring out an empathetic response. Once you fix it up send the paper back to me and I'll gladly pass it over to John." The waiter finished serving a table not too far from ours and his eyes locked with mine for a brief moment.

Grasping the papers I tucked them safely away in the inner pocket of my coat and straightened putting on a soft smile. The waiter paused at the end of our table notepad in hand and look expectant. "So folks what'll it be?"

Henry and I gave our orders quickly the two of us eager to resume the conversation. The waiter gave us a polite nod and smile before leaving to yell at those in the kitchen. Henry followed him carefully with his eyes for a moment before turning his attention back to me.

"Can we trust John? I mean I talked to him at the party and he seemed like a lovely gentleman but I hardly know who to put my faith in anymore." Henry nodded in understanding.

"I know but trust me. John hates Alexander as much as we do. Nikiforov demanded the transfer of one of John's best doctors. He holds as much of a grudge as we do. He's more than eager to take the big dog down." Henry's insistence helped ease some of my nerves and I recalled the phone call I'd overheard between John and Alexander.

"No one will believe what I've written under the name of a woman. Not to mention Alexander will have me fired as soon as this hits the papers." Henry nodded in agreement his posture changing as the waiter returned with our breakfasts. "Thank you sir."

"My pleasure miss." The waiter gave another nod before leaving us for the final time until we paid the bill.

"You'll need to come up with a false name. One only the two of us and John knows." Henry pursed his lips as his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Do you have a pen Henry?" He seemed a bit surprised by my request but I had an idea. Still used to his doctor ways I suspected he still had pens in his coat pockets. My assumptions were correct. He passed over the pen as I grabbed a napkin. Careful to no tear the paper I scrawled my name on the thin paper. Anna Irving.

"What are you doing?" He questioned neglecting his breakfast to look over at my work. I needed to come up with a somewhat believable male name that wouldn't appear to unlikely but wouldn't be well known. The attempts kept coming as my brain scrambled the letters.

First name; Rian, Givan, Gari, Ivan.

Ivan worked. Now I had to cross off those letters from the ones existing in my name.

Last Name; Naring,Rinang, Grian, Naar.

Grian worked but one letter remained. It could work as a middle initial. Smiling to myself I wrote my new title ever so carefully on the napkin and ran I through my head a few times. At last I turned the napkin towards Henry watching as he processed my work.

"Ivan N. Grian." He shook his head in amusement before passing the napkin back over. "quite impeccable work."

"Thank you." Turning the napkin over in my hand I committed the new alias to memory. Once satisfied I tore the napkin to shreds and stood tossing the evidence into an unsuspecting garbage can. With that settled Henry and I made quick work of or meals before transitioning to our next topic. "How are we going to get back into the storage room?"

"Easy. Alexander has a press conference of his own and a meeting with the board of institution managers tomorrow evening. He won't be present after lunch." Henry paused for a moment taking a sip of coffee. "We just have to figure out a way to go unnoticed when the staff locks up tomorrow night."

"Isn't there staff locker rooms for the kitchen staff? Perhaps we hide in those. The security teams only really lock doors that lead to the exterior now a days. We should be able to pass from corridor to corridor quite freely." Henry took a moment to process my idea before nodding in agreement.

"Seems feasible. Now we just have to make it through today." He gave me a small and brief smile before standing and collecting his plate. I hadn't eaten much of my own breakfast but that didn't bother me much. I paid for our meals despite a bit of arguing with Henry before the two of us joined the morning crowds. We parted ways instantly as Alexander stood waiting for my assistance. He gave Henry a cold glare as the two made eye contact.

"You need my assistance. What for?" Alexander tore his eyes away from my friend and glanced down at me.

"We have a new correctional attempt today; I thought you'd like to be privy to it." It really wasn't much of a choice on my part but I nodded quietly as he turned curtly on his heel. His long legs carried him quickly through the corridors into that familiar back room with the sterile walls and equipment. It was both the same and different.

New equipment filled the former wide space. Machines to aid in tracking vitals rested next to a long metal table that wore leather cuffs attached to the sides to hold whatever poor victim was strapped to its surface. There was some sort of bin that rested in the corner with a group of flies buzzing around its surface. I could only wonder what it held inside. A light dangled from the ceiling it's color bright and harsh. Wires slunk across the floor like snakes connecting to another light and screen that rested at the foot of the metallic bed.

"What are we doing?" I didn't want to ask the question but my curiosity and concern got the best of me.

"I'm sure the doctor will be more equipped to answer such a question." Alexander left the room temporarily and returned with a man in tow. I didn't recognize his face, he wore a thick white overcoat to protect his underclothes and canvas over his shoes. Gloves covered his hands as well as a face mask over his mouth with glasses perched on his nose.

"Hello I am doctor Andre I have been told you know my friend the Italian?" By the way the mask crinkled and the skin around his eyes creased I could tell he was smiling. He extended a hesitant gloved hand.

"I believe I do." Smiling slightly I took his hand in mine and gave a firm shake.

"Today I have been old by Mr. Alexander here that I will be removing a tumor in the brain." Doctor Andre seemed excited by this bit of information.

"I don't quite know how I will be of assistance. I am not trained in medical surgeries." Alexander laughed loudly. The noise bounced off the walls in all sorts of directions.

"You'll simply be aiding Doctor Andre in the operation. It shouldn't be difficult. Now to get the patient." Alexander smiled passing under the light, his eyes giving off a frightening gleam. Waiting in silence time seemed to pass horrifically slow. At last the door swung open and a set of guards dragged in a large bulky man who was struggling viciously against their hold.

"Let me go!" He shouted breaking free momentarily and swinging a wild fist. A crack from a guard's baton to the chin silenced the poor fellow. Blood trickled from the edge of the patient's mouth. My instinct was to press something against the wound, to ease the blood and calm his nerves, but I remained rooted to the spot.

"There he is, the man of the day." Alexander chuckled slipping off his jacket and rolling up his dress shirt sleeves. Grabbing the disoriented man by the back of the collar Alexander jerked him to his feet. It was a sloppy process pinning the man to the table and attaching the leather cuffs. Despite the original warning from the baton the man continued to struggle. "Anna get his feet."

Moving carefully to the end of the table I attempted to do as I was told. My hands shook as a sick feeling began to settle in my stomach. Something told me this wasn't going to be simple, call it intuition, or common sense. Alexander pushed my hands aside and took over my position completing the task. He tightened the straps roughly until it visibly was cutting into the patient's skin.

"Ease up chap." Doctor Andre gave him a friendly smile and I felt a bit of reassurance that the doctor was perhaps a decent fellow. Alexander moved the equipment into place and turned on the blinding white lights. The patient squinted against the brightness and only struggled more until a needle was pressed into his neck by the doctor. After a bit of time the patient finally stilled and the room was finally quiet despite the sound of machinery. "Now where is this tumor you say is in his brain?"

The doctor looked expectantly at Alexander. The tall Russian straightened his dress vest and clasped his hands together. "Doctor I believe that by the contract you've signed you follow my directions without refusal and you will be rewarded handsomely."

"Well of course sir, that was the arrangement." Doctor Andre nodded.

"I expect you to comply by that arrangement." Alexander's voice held a steel like edge. "Cut him open."

"But sir where is the rest of the medical personnel? The proper tools? Perhaps the specifications of this procedure were not conveyed to you appropriately. Surely you understand that I need more than my own two hands." The doctor looked around expectantly like some medical assistants would magically appear.

"That is why we have miss Irving and myself. Now. Get to work." The doctor swallowed nervously and shared a look with me. I tried to remain expressionless. I couldn't give anything away about my stance on the issue. I needed to appear as friendly to Alexander as I could. So the procedure began with the opening of the skull.

Doctor Andre studied the inner workings of the skull his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Mr. Nikiforov there is no tumor."

"Indeed. However I believe this condition our medical volunteer is plagued with can be cured by the correction of neural tissue in the-" Alexander went on to say quite some odd sounding words that I did not comprehend but the doctor seemed highly concerned.

"We cannot do such a thing!" He insisted animatedly his hands covered in blood.

"Doctor you would be very wise to remember your agreement." Alexander adjusted the waistband of is trousers and the position of his clothes revealing the glistening handle of a hand gun. Fear caused my heart to leap briefly into my throat. The doctor gaped like a fish a bead of sweat forming on his brow. Nervously clamping his mouth shut Doctor Andre turned his attention back to the task at hand. He followed Alexander's careful directions cutting into specific sections of the brain.

I did my part silently trying to stay ignorant to the details of the situation and provided an extra set of hands and when I needed to I passed over a tool for the procedure. Time seemed to drag on slower than ever before until at last the patient's was put back together. The doctor left quickly after a long discussion with Alexander. The Russian remained to clean up the mess and excused me.

Doctor Andre collected his things in a frenzy and left the room behind. Moving I hurried after him until we were both side by side in the hallway. "I refuse to remain here any longer. I have never done such a horrid thing in my entire career. I must wash this sin from my hands. May God forgive me for my actions."

"Sir is that wise?" The fact that Alexander had the nerve to threaten the doctor with a gun sent a chill down my spine. There was no telling what he was willing to do to keep his treacherous actions under lock and key.

"I do not care. I will never help such a man as long as I live." Hurrying down the steps of one of the staircases he paused to look at me. "Miss I suggest you leave this place as soon as possible. There is no fixing what is going on here. It is a lost cause. Every poor soul in this place is damned."

"Sir what do you mean? I can't leave these people here alone. Not with Alexander." The Doctor gave me a look of pity and placed a hat on his head.

"Then you are damned too Miss. May God have mercy on your soul." With that the doctor turned curtly on his heel and hurried down the rest of the steps and rushed outside into the cool air. Swallowing hard I lowered my head and headed back up the steps in time to see a nurse wheeling the patient down the hall. He wailed in pain shrieking nonsense as the nurse pushed him along.

"There, there. Everything will be alright." She cooed emptily as if it were just an obligation of the job to say such things.

"This place is becoming more and more gruesome with each day." Shaking my head I tried to distract myself. It was futile and I was left wandering the halls for some time until I arrived at the kitchens. It was technically against my jurisdiction to enter but I tugged the door open anyways.

The place was humid beyond belief. Steam wafted into the air and all sorts of scents bombarded my nose. The staff was in a frenzy yet it seemed organized as well. People yelled at one another over the noise of rattling dishes and pots clanging together. Those in white aprons stood on large stools mixing contents that were supposedly food while others lopped unequal proportions onto trays that would be given to the patients later.

"What are ya doin' here little lady? This ain't your place." A thick New York accent rang over the clatter and an aproned man emerged from the chaos and steam wiping his hands on a rag. "Ya lookin' for someone?"

"I need to see Henry. Please hurry." A look of amusement flashed on the man's face.

"Ah I see. You gotta be his lady don't ya?" The man clapped a hand roughly on my shoulder.

"I am not. Why do people insist on such a thing? Just find him." The man seemed surprised by my authoritative tone yet he nodded and walked back into the clutter. He returned a bit later with a confused looking Henry in tow. Once he spotted me his expression shifted into a smile.

"Anna! Listen I got word from John. He says you can send him the unedited copy. The publishers will fix the mistakes for you." Henry smiled happily clasping my shoulders in his hands. His expression shifting as he studied my face. "What happened?"

I explained to him what had occurred as best as I could and he listened in silence. When I had finished my story he shook his head. "Things are getting worse."

"Henry I don't wish to leave but I am beginning to question your- our decision to stay. We should get as many people out of here as we can and just run for it." I didn't necessarily believe what I was saying. I knew it was mostly out of fear that I was talking.

"Anna no. Not now. Not when everything is falling into place. We can't risk it. Besides when the article is published Alexander will suspect us if we vanish." He was right. It would be painfully obvious who was behind the article.

"Henry are all Russians as evil as him?" I needed confirmation that they weren't. That a whole country of people weren't as corrupt as Alexander.

"No. No, not at all. My buddy Anton over there is the best dishwasher in the world. He even adopted a three legged dog that got hit by a car. He's the exact opposite of Alexander. Not everyone is as cruel as he is." This revelation helped put some of my fears and worries to ease but not all of them. "There are still bad people. Bad people of every origin, gender, and race. But for every bad person there's a dozen good people to outnumber them."

"Okay. Okay." Nodding I attempted to calm the rest of my anxious thoughts.

"Anna I know you don't want to hear this but you mustn't come here anymore. You mustn't communicate with me at work anymore. Wait until we are somewhere safe to discuss these things. There are other ears." Nodding I provided a small smile for his sake and mine. "Yes?"

"Yes. I promise." Henry smiled brightly.

"Good now get going. You can't be gone for too long or others will get suspicious. I will see you tonight. Wait for me." Nodding I obeyed and left the kitchen behind. The rest of the day was nerve racking and long. I wanted nothing more than the day to be over. For this dark period in my life to be over. Perhaps the articles would provide such an end.