by Ryan Decaria
Misty spread the photographs across the table. “It might, yes.”
Anika took a step toward the door. “I won’t be a part of this. You can play your game all you want, but don’t drag me into it.”
Misty stretched out her arm. “Please, wait.”
Anika pulled the door open. “Get Hawking to do it.”
“He wouldn’t do it.” Sasha pushed the door closed. “We already asked.”
“Yoko then,” Anika said. “If she can handle robot guts, she’ll do fine.”
Yoko shook her head, her cheeks turning a little green.
Billie grabbed Anika’s hand. “Look, no one else has the skill or the stomach for it, Anika. You rocked cat dissection. You got ice water in your veins. It has to be you.”
Anika glared at Billie, wishing she had ice water instead of the actual blood she had running through her veins, blood her father had been cultivating insider her since she was born. Anika wanted to knock Billie’s stupid wig off her head. It didn’t make her look Norwegian the least bit, and it didn’t suit her face.
“No, I’m not going to cut her hand open,” Anika said. “That’s crazy.”
“This isn’t a test.” Yoko got up and stomped her foot. Her fists pulled at her navy skirt and her face tightened up turning her lips white. “Tell her already.”
Anika watched Yoko’s face redden. The mild-mannered Japanese girl only got that heated when flying her drones, working on robotics, or talking about anime. Something else was going on. “Tell me what?” Anika asked.
“Anika.” Misty held out another photo of an injured woman. “They saved your mother.”
“What?” Anika ripped the photo out of her hands. Her heart raced as she examined the image of a woman with a mangled face lying in a hotel bed. “What about my mom?”
“The girls,” Misty said. “They found your mom chained up inside a farmhouse while they were tracking Jackie’s dad. They snuck inside, picked the lock.”
Billie grabbed a chair and set it in front of the table. “They saved her butt.”
“And almost got identified, captured, and killed.” Yoko folded her arms tight against her stomach.
Anika closed her mouth with a clack. She sat in the chair, studying the photo. The woman had brown hair with highlights, but everything else was smashed and swollen. Anika fought back the waterworks. “What did they do to her?”
“Torture,” Misty said. “She discovered something about him.”
Anika set the photo of her mother on the desk and picked up the other stack. She examined the photographs. Missy’s gash was jagged, but the cut wasn’t made with a blade, hence the jagged metal. Her stomach lurched at the thought of dragging it across Misty’s perfectly healthy hand.
She pulled out two gloves from the box hanging on the wall and sat next to Misty. “Are they okay?”
“For now,” Misty said. “They were rattled. They’re lying low, trying to nurse your mom back to health.”
Linh clicked her nails across her laptop. Her black hair was twisted into a bun with two large knitting needles keeping it in place, and her tongue poked out through her thin lips. “Misty got balls of steel.”
Anika smiled at Linh as her brown eyes flicked back and forth across the screen of her laptop. No doubt Billie’s influence there as well. Anika had tried to keep Yoko and Linh out of their little band, but Billie kept inviting them to their planning sessions. Linh seemed fragile, but perhaps that was just Yoko hovering over her like a helicopter parent. The two had been friends long before either had come to Moreau.
Yoko finally relaxed and sat next to Linh, slouching with her knees together and feet apart. “Anika,” she said. “Your mother was hurt really bad.”
“They think her nose and several ribs are broken,” Misty said. “Maybe her cheekbone. They have to wait for the swelling to go down before they’ll know for sure.”
Cutting Misty’s hand was still crazy, but how could Anika say no now? Anika threw her arm around Misty. “I’m sorry I was a butt. I’ll be happy to slice your hand open.”
Anika examined the jagged piece of metal, deciding it would be about right to create a similar wound in Misty’s palm. She shivered when she realized the third Misty had done the same thing to the second Misty that Anika was about to do.
Anika let Misty go, stepped to the sink, and scrubbed her hands. Sasha locked the door as Anika prepped for surgery. Anika inspected the series of photos of the other Mistys’ hands as they cut and treated them. Each photo had approximate lengths and sizes written in the margins, and Anika did her best to match the wound on her Misty’s palm with a pen.
When she was satisfied, Anika pulled on the gloves and cleaned Misty’s palm with the Betadine. Sasha handed Misty a stick, which she bit down on. Yoko took Misty’s other hand and turned away. Billie ran the jagged metal across the flame of a lighter. Linh’s eyes were glued to the action.
Anika plucked the metal out of Billie’s hand and poured Betadine over it. She peered through the magnifying glass and cut into Misty’s hand, ripping her flesh open along the pen mark. Misty tensed her arm, but Billie held it firm. Anika sliced more. Misty took deep breaths. Anika wiped the blood away, matching the wound to the photographs of the other Mistys’ cuts. Anika sliced a section a little deeper and inspected the wound again.
“Shh.” Yoko stroked Misty’s hair. “She’s almost done.”
Anika cut a little more and tossed the metal on the table.
Misty relaxed her arm, resting her head against Yoko.
Anika poured Betadine over the wound. Misty gasped.
“Sorry.” Anika wiped blood away again. Satisfied, Anika copied the care bandaging method from the notes and photographs. She wasn’t sure the cuts would all heal the same, despite their efforts, but what else could they do?
Misty wiped sweat from her forehead with her good hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Anika finished wrapping her hand and stood. “Thank your sisters for me, please.”
Billie patted Anika on the back. Sasha nodded. Anika owed them all an apology, but it wasn’t going to happen today. She turned to Linh. “Can I talk to my mom?”
“Sec.” Linh cocked her head. “She’s sleeping. They want to move her soon. Get her out of town.”
Anika gaped at Linh. She had suspicions she had been altered, but this was amazing. Whatever she was doing, she was doing with her mind or with computer chips in her brain. Or something.
Linh finally locked eyes on Anika’s, and her fingers flew to the laptop, clicking the keys again. Did some form of signal come from her brain? What did her parents do to her? And could she get a little of that?
Sasha grabbed her arm. “Alright, let’s get down to business. We have an alligator to deal with.”
“Actually,” Anika bit her bottom lip. “We have another problem.”
Her friends gawked at her.
Sasha dug her nails into her thick leather belt. “What is it now?”
“Blake’s mom stopped me in the hallway at the lab. She thinks they’re going to kill Blake’s dad tomorrow night.”
“So?” Sasha glowered at Anika.
“For some idiotic reason, she thinks I can save him. And if I can somehow pull it off, she says she’ll give me information that could change my life.”
“What kind of information?” Billie asked.
“I don’t know,” Anika said. “She wouldn’t say any more about it.”
“Anika!” Sasha fumed. “This is not your problem. We can’t save everybody. You already have a mess to clean up.”
“She might even tell you something you already know,” Yoko said.
“Sounds dangerous,” Misty added.
Anika clasped her hands together, pleading. “But it’s Blake’s dad.”
“Stupid girl.” Linh tsked, and everyone swiveled to stare at her. “You’ve known him for a month. A single kissy-kissy isn’t worth putting your friends in danger.”
Yoko gaspe
d, covering her mouth. Billie chuckled.
Anika couldn’t believe those words were coming out of Linh’s petite mouth. Was she correct, though? Was the kissy-kissy affecting her judgment?
No, this wasn’t about Blake. It was about answers his mom could provide. Assuming she delivered, which was entirely optimistic to expect from that woman. Still, it was the only lead they had.
“I know this is stupid,” Anika said, “but I still have no leads to help me with the larger issue, you know, the one resulting in my imminent death. We have no idea how long I have left. Eventually, his machine will charge up, and…”
“You’ll be toast,” Billie finished for her, hopping up and taking Anika’s hand. “I’m in.”
Sasha scowled, sitting on the stool and wheeling herself to the back of the room.
Misty caressed her wounded hand. “Of course, we’ll help.”
Yoko spoke last, putting her arm around Linh. “I don’t know what we can do, but we’ll help you.”
Linh shook her head but didn’t object.
“I can’t be a part of this.” Sasha stomped to the door. “I’m going gator hunting.”
She slammed the door behind her.
Anika flinched, and the pain in her stomach flared up. For the last few weeks, her stalwart gut had betrayed her in increasingly painful bouts of misery. Maybe the stress and worry over the gator and her father’s treachery were causing gastro-upheaval. She wasn’t about to go to any doctor in this town, though, no matter how much it hurt.
The worst part was that Anika knew Sasha was right. Sasha had begged her to slip out of town and disappear, vowing to protect her from anyone her father sent after her. Anika had decided to stay and fight, a decision which had so far gotten her nowhere. But, hey, she wasn’t dead yet.
Anika stared at the back of the door. Any plan without Sasha started at a disadvantage. She smiled before turning back to the other girls. Best to seem confident. “The labcoats believe Blake’s dad is headed toward a baseball stadium inside Atlanta. I guess George was a super fan and would take Blake to ballgames all the time.”
“Just so we’re clear, he’s an insect monster?” Yoko asked. “Like Blake?”
Anika bit her lip. “Well, yes. He was experimenting on himself before Blake found his syringes full of drugs. When George changed, he sprouted wings and flew off. And has a super thick carapace. And has been eating people.”
“Don’t forget about the twitchy mandibles,” Billie added, “and gnarly fangs.”
Yoko bit her nails. Linh scrunched up her nose. Misty stared at her bandage like it was eating her hand up, a portent of horrible omens. Billie was all smiles, though.
Anika grabbed a piece of chalk. They needed a foolproof plan. “He’s been spotted in Louisiana, moving toward Georgia. So far, my father’s been doing a great job of cleaning up after him, but George always manages to elude capture. Coralynn believes next time, my father’s goons will shoot to kill.”
Misty leaned back in her chair. “How are we going to stop him?”
All night, she’d crafted scenario after scenario, but had yet to come up with something practical and safe. Anika put her hands around the back of her neck and leaned against the wall. “I have no idea.”
The bell rang. As irrelevant as school seemed, skipping class would draw attention. They all agreed to think about the George problem and headed to class.
Near the office doors, Anika noticed a muscular man facing away, wearing a neck brace and a thick cast on his arm. He seemed familiar.
Claire, the cheerleader despot, slithered in her way. She was dressed in her cheerleader outfit in spite of their only athletic team disbanding. The girl’s lacrosse team couldn’t stay motivated after Blake couldn’t coach them anymore. Claire had one hand on her hip, and the other held out, palm forward. “Anika, can I talk to you?”
Anika had ended Victor, the mad-scientist aging in reverse and a murderer, days before Claire was set to go out with him. Shouldn’t that have meant something?
Instead, Claire had blackmailed Anika to quit the Science Olympiad team and make Claire the new captain. Worse still, the Olympiad team kept reporting that she was consistently scoring the highest on the practice exams, like she was some sort of genius.
Anika wanted to scream at her, but the worried crease in Claire’s forehead and heavy makeup obscuring dark circles under her eyes made Anika hesitate.
“Nope.” Anika dodged her and slipped into class.
By the time Biology was over, Anika was no closer to coming up with a way to save Blake’s dad. She even ran a few scenarios by Sena, the towering German girl with a longboard and a crew cut. Unfortunately, Sena had decided that Anika was as close to a bestie as she was going to get and had latched onto her as lab partner. Still, she’d helped them take out Victor, so Anika tried her best at cordiality.
Sitting in English class, Anika couldn’t help but stare at Misty’s bandaged hand. Her sisters had fled Moreau at their father’s insistence. No one wanted Dravovitch to discover the truth about the girls. Having only one Misty at home decreased that chance dramatically. The Misty who stayed behind happened to be the one their teacher, Ms. Bolton, had an affinity with, which left Anika free to daydream as the two yapped on, ignoring everyone else.
Anika ran through a dozen scenarios about capturing another bug monster. Things she’d need: A strong enough cage to hold it. Bait to lure it into said cage. A sedative that could knock the thing out. Transportation. A driver. A lookout. A distraction. A way to keep it secret—to knock out any cameras in the area.
She needed Sasha.
Sasha was the one with superpowers, fueled by electricity. She had enhanced strength and didn’t bleed. She was the one who could tangle with the beast, if it came to that. Convincing Sasha to rejoin the team was the first step. But Anika knew what she was going to say. Anika kept putting her friends in danger. And for what?
The information Coralynn had could end up being useless, or worse, another trap. Anika wasn’t placing any bets.
And then there was the alligator. Sasha and Billie had spoken with the mumbling alligator hunter who’d saved their bacon earlier, hoping to quell his tongue from broadcasting what he saw, and to pick his brain for ways to defeat an intelligent giant lizard that could climb trees and dodge bullets.
He’d agreed to help and keep quiet, but how long would that last? He was out there right now, hunting. Maybe he would catch it and solve the problem for her. She had no confidence the gator wouldn’t get him first, and now Sasha was out there too, prowling along the river.
Her stomach ached. More than usual. She was worrying too much. Plan. Plan more.
“Anika,” Ms. Bolton said. “You don’t look well. Are you feeling okay?”
Anika stared up at their blonde teacher, a little shocked she bothered to use her name at all. “What?”
“You look pale,” she said. “Pasty. Maybe you should go to the nurse’s station.”
Anika massaged her belly, which made an audible moan. A few classmates laughed.
“Maybe it was something I ate.” Anika had never had food poisoning before, but she was feeling a little light-headed. Interesting. “Can I be excused?”
“Of course.” Ms. Bolton sat on the edge of her desk. “That’s why I suggested it.”
Anika grabbed her bag and shuffled toward the door.
Billie raised her hand. “I have to pee.”
Ms. Bolton frowned at her. “One at a time.”
Misty made a motion with her hands, pointing at herself then the door. Anika shook her head. Better to not have an audience if any fluids were spilled.
Anika closed the door gently behind her and wandered down the hallway, with one hand against the wall.
When she rounded the corner toward the bathroom, she jumped. Pankina, the principal, stood alone in the middle of the hallway, clad in a traditional German sweater over a stiff white blouse and black slacks. “Anika, please come with me.”
&
nbsp; Anika pursed her lips. Had she been waiting for her? Odd.
Pankina turned, motioning away from the office. “Follow me.”
Pain flared up Anika’s side like a lit fuse of a giant round bomb in a cartoon. She took one step toward Pankina and then another. Something felt wrong, though. Nothing in this direction would help her feel better.
Anika ran through a mental image of the map she’d created of the school, a habit her mother drilled into her. Ahead, there were at least three exits, two classrooms, a janitor’s closet, and the door to the boiler room.
As the hallway spun, Anika pictured a black hooked cane flying out of each room, yanking her inside.
No.
No more being yanked around. No more being everyone’s puppet.
Pankina tapped her foot. “Is something wrong?”
Anika had stopped, resting a hand on the wall to keep from falling. What could she have eaten? “I think I’m sick.”
“Well, come then.” Her thin mustache couldn’t hide those snide lips. “We’ll see if we can’t fix that.”
Anika’s vision tunneled. Pankina waddled closer.
The door to the boiler room was open. When did that happen?
Anika’s stomach rumbled.
She thrust her hand into her pocket and her fingers flew across her phone. On. Text. Someone. ‘Help’.
Anika had no idea if she sent a text or swiped across a black screen.
“Anika!” Pankina yelled. Maybe she didn’t yell, but it sounded excessively loud. She inched forward. “Come here, child.”
Nope.
Anika turned, and the world almost flipped out from under her. Her vision darkened, so she followed the map in her head. Three doors. Left. Through the side exit. Into the rain. She stumbled toward the street.
Through the rain, Pankina barked at Anika to stop. Two men stalked around the large woman—a fat dude and a skinny guy in a bowler hat. Who wore a bowler hat?
A car squealed. Headlights threatened to destroy the darkness. The men and Pankina were gone.
Anika fell into someone’s arms.
Anika woke to the sound of annoying beeps of varying pitches and frequencies. Her stomach wasn’t in distress, but she still felt a little woozy. She opened her eyes and groaned, though not because of pain. She was laying in the hospital bed in the lab’s infirmary in the same room as Agent Macy. Anika’s half-sister lay a few feet away in a matching hospital bed.