Perfection

by Melissa Koberlein

  Given how Sheriff Grayson was already hot on the trail of drug overdoses around the Ashwater area, it made sense. But a new tip off? Why? “Who would—”

  Evie crossed her arms and arched a brow.

  “Steel,” Gage answered his own question.

  “Yeah. That brother of yours is a real piece of work.” Mazy pushed away from her car.

  Gage felt Iris by his side and instinctively reached for her hand.

  Evie inhaled sharply. “OMG. You guys are touching.”

  “Yes,” Iris replied.

  “You’ll have to tell me everything.” Evie grinned at Iris.

  Iris glanced at Gage, unsure what to say.

  “It’s fine.” He shrugged.

  She turned back to Evie and smiled. “We had sex. It was excellent.”

  Seriously? Gage stared at her.

  The others’ jaws dropped, and Evie’s eyes almost popped out of her head. She covered her mouth, but Gage still caught her “Oh, shit.”

  Iris glanced around, fidgeting.

  Gage couldn’t help but smirk. He pulled her close and whispered, “You probably should have waited until you were alone with Evie to tell her that.”

  “Oh,” she said, her cheeks reddening. “Sloan talks about sex all the time. I just thought…” She pursed her lips and stared down at the sidewalk. “Never mind.”

  “She has a point.” Sloan pursed her lips and nodded slowly. “I do talk about sex a lot.”

  The others nodded and murmured, “Truth.”

  Gage shook his head. “It’s fine. You said it was excellent.”

  Under her breath, Iris said, “It was.”

  “In the future, maybe don’t follow Sloan’s lead,” he added.

  “Hey,” Sloan frowned and put her hands on her hips.

  Adam cleared his throat. “In any event, I’m glad you two are good again. So, here’s the plan. Everyone besides you”—Adam pointed to Gage—“me and Iris are going to drive up to the woods beyond the entrance of Bio-Core and cause a commotion to draw Sheriff Grayson away from the grounds. Once they do that, we’ll make our way inside. Iris and I know the underground layout. If your grandfather is there, we’ll find him.”

  “Good plan.” Gage looked at the others. “And, guys, thanks for your help.”

  Luke smiled. “Just no Jedi mind tricks on us, okay?”

  Gage laughed, but it occurred to him that he would have to be careful. Since he’d gotten his abilities under control, he hadn’t considered how he’d deal with them around his friends. Something to think about.

  Minutes later, Gage, Iris, and Adam pulled up to the front entrance of Bio-Core. A dark-haired guard came out of a security booth, shaking his head. “You’re going to have to turn around.” He noticed Gage. “Oh, Mr. Strickland. Your grandfather didn’t mention that you were coming in. You’re not on my essential staff list.”

  Gage recognized the guard and smiled at him. He’d worked here for as long as Gage could remember. He was a favorite of his granddad’s.

  “Hi Tom, good to see you.” Then he thought, Add my name to the list and open the gate.

  The guard scratched his clean-shaven cheek, as if deep in thought. He turned and went back to the booth. He emerged again with a clipboard. “I must have missed you. There you are,” he said pointing to the last name on the list. “Be careful. There’s word of an intended break in.”

  “Will do,” Gage said.

  The guard went back to his booth and opened the gate.

  As Gage drove into the parking area, Adam changed the song on Gage’s playlist to “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen. Gage chuckled.

  As they got out of the car, Iris’s phone vibrated. “It’s Mazy.” She put the phone on speaker. “Where are you?”

  “We’re in the woods at the back of the facility. Any sign of Sheriff Grayson?”

  “No…” Iris glanced around the parking lot. “Oh, wait. Get down.” She ducked her head, and the others followed suit.

  Gage had parked between two vacant cars, hoping it would provide some cover. The trio held their breaths as the sound of tires rolling on pavement and a police scanner passed nearby.

  Adam peeked up first and sat back up. “We’re clear.”

  Gage and Iris sat up.

  “Mazy,” Gage said. “Time for your distraction. Grayson is patrolling the parking lot. We’ll never get to the front door.”

  “You could always—” Iris looked at Gage.

  “No.” He frowned. He didn’t want to control anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. Opening a gate was one thing. Controlling a sheriff’s actions was another. Plus, Mr. Grayson was one of his friends’ parents. If he started down that path, he could end up like his brother. The thought sent a chill down his spine.

  “I appreciate that, Gage,” Evie said on the other end of the line.

  “Okay, we’re on it.” Mazy hung up.

  There was a lull in activity as they waited for whatever diversion their friends had planned. A loud whoop from an overhead siren sounded. The next thing they knew, a mass of sirens blared as cop cars raced back out of the front entrance.

  Gage smirked at his companions. “Gotta give it to Mazy. She gets shit done.”

  Iris

  Being back inside Bio-Core made Iris’s skin crawl. As soon as they walked in the front entrance, she had flashbacks from when she was last in the enormous lobby. She’d jumped down the massive fountain at the center of the room to find Adam.

  She glanced over at him, and he nodded, acknowledging her thoughts. She turned to face the room. The elevator was on the right, but they would need the passcode to go down. Obviously, they would have changed it since they were last here. Although, last time…

  Iris grasped Gage’s arm. “Did Steel happen to pass you the code again?”

  He shook his head. “No, I’ll get it myself this time.”

  Gage walked over to the counter where a group of customer service reps with their names on Bio-Core badges sat, busy typing away on their computers. He spoke with one, leaning over the counter.

  Iris tilted her head, enjoying the view. He really didn’t have a bad side, did he?

  Adam bumped her arm with his. “Stay on task.”

  She scowled at him. “You’ve had a girlfriend for months now. Gage is still new. Give me a little leeway, please?”

  “Do I need to remind you we’re at Bio-Core? You or I could be confiscated, shut down, or sent to be recycled at any moment.”

  She wasn’t listening—she was completely distracted by Gage. Did he work out a lot? She’d been created the way she was and, so far, didn’t have to work for her shape. Iris smiled demurely as Gage headed back to them. He had the most amazing smile. She glanced at Adam, who was looking at her expectantly.

  “I’m sorry, were you talking to me?” she asked.

  “You’re worthless.” Adam rolled his eyes and shook his head.

  “I got it.” Gage said, reaching them. He looked back at the customer service rep, who smiled and waved. “That’s Sharon. She’s always had a soft spot for me and gave me the code willingly.”

  Iris stared at the beautiful woman behind the counter. She had the most exquisite eyes, causing Iris to narrow hers. She’d better keep her distance. She didn’t have as much of a conscience as Gage did.

  “Ready?” Gage looked back at Adam and Iris. Adam nodded, but Iris hesitated.

  She knew Steel better than most, and he was smart. Why would he have taken Sam here? Surely, he knew that they would find him. It was too easy. She looked at Gage. His anxious eyes told her what to do. She exhaled, solidifying her resolve. Whatever happened, she would protect him. “Let’s go.”

  They headed to the elevator, which opened as soon as they pressed the button to go down. Gage typed in the code to access the lower floors and selected -10. The elevator shifted, and Iris’s stomach dropped as they shot downward, each floor they passed illuminating on a screen above the doors. The elevator came to a halt
at their designated stop. When the doors opened, there was an android wearing a gray jumpsuit waiting for them. He was an escort droid and had two SIM suits draped over his arm.

  Iris fell back against the wall of the elevator, her breath catching, as memory files of being escorted to SIM opened without her selecting them. Each time she made the walk, she knew it could be her last.

  The droid made eye contact with them and reached for his radio. Adam leapt in to action, grabbing him by the neck and squeezing. The droid made a gurgling sound and fell to the floor in a heap.

  Gage looked down at the droid and back at Adam. “I forgot how lethal you are.”

  Adam frowned, looking past Gage. “Iris, are you okay?”

  “Yes, of course.” She righted herself and walked out of the elevator. This was no time to display weakness. “What’s the plan?”

  “I think those suits were intended for us,” Adam said.

  “I agree.” Then another thought occurred to her, and the hair on her arms stood on end. “What if Steel put Sam in a SIM?”

  “It’s possible,” Adam replied.

  “Then we have to go help him.” Gage glanced between Adam and Iris.

  Adam sighed and picked up the suits. “Only one way to find out.”

  Iris took a deep breath and reached for her suit. He was right, of course. She ducked into one of the nearby cells to change. As she pulled on the skin-tight, one-piece suit, she accessed her SIM memory files. She skimmed through them to ready herself for what might lie ahead. She zipped up the front and opened the door. Adam and Gage were waiting.

  They headed to the SIM room, knocking out each android guard they encountered and scanning for Sam’s vitals. If they had him in SIM, they wouldn’t detect him until they were inside.

  When they reached the outer doors of the simulator room, Iris turned to Gage. “Don’t worry. If he’s in there, Adam and I will get him out.”

  Gage shook his head. “What are you talking about? I’m coming with you.”

  “You can’t.”

  “No way. He’s my granddad,” he said, looking past her at the door.

  There was no changing his mind. Iris could see that. He didn’t understand that he’d be a liability in there. She glanced at Adam, who nodded. Gage was going to be so mad at her later. She took a deep breath and put her arms around him.

  “It’s going to be okay.” She moved behind him in a quick maneuver and put him in a sleeper hold. He grasped at her arm, under his chin, a gurgled sigh on his lips. Then he stilled, his arms dropping at his side.

  Adam tapped on a control panel on the opposite wall, revealing a small storeroom. Iris laid him inside.

  “He should be safe in here, right?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” Adam put his hand on Iris’s shoulder. “You did the right thing. He was dead set on coming with us.”

  “I know.” Iris sighed.

  Adam went over to the SIM room and opened the outer doors. “You ready for this?”

  Iris took a deep breath. Once they were inside, it would lock down. The only way out was to complete the SIM and exit on the other side…without her internal weaponry. She rubbed her clammy hands on her thighs. It was up to them to rescue Sam. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Once inside, the doors shut and locked. A screen above the inner room illuminated.

  “A simulation for your training has been selected,” a distinctly feminine computer voice stated.

  Iris held her breath, waiting to find out if it would be a rescue or capture mission.

  Adam walked to the entrance that led to the simulator room and pressed his hand on the metal door. “Something’s not right. I don’t detect any human vitals.”

  The female computer voice informed them, “Survivor training is now loading. Choose your weapons.”

  Iris’s breath caught in her throat. A Survivor SIM? A timed simulation in which their stamina and ability to kill was put to the test. No objective except to survive. She’d only been through it once before and barely made it through. Her heart pounded in her ears, and her skin prickled.

  Steel. This was his plan all along. Sam wasn’t inside the SIM.

  She stared at Adam, her eyes wide. “It was a trap.”

  28

  Deception

  Gage

  Wakey-wakey, Gagey.

  Steel’s obnoxious singsong voice reverberated in Gage’s head. Gage moaned, opening his eyes. He reached out into darkness, feeling cool metal all around him—a closet. He pulled himself to his feet, rubbing the back of his neck, and pushed on the door. It opened, revealing the light from the passageway.

  Tick tock. Grampy looks tired, Steel thought again.

  Gage looked around, recalling how he’d ended up inside the storage room. Shit. Iris had knocked him out again. He walked over to the SIM doors, pressing on the control panel. The display said Locked. Gage banged his fist on the doors. He turned around. Now what?

  This view is to die for, Steel thought, his tone dripping with arrogance. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

  View? Gage glanced at the doors and then up toward the ceiling. Damn it. His granddad wasn’t in the SIM room. The SIM suits were a ruse to separate him from Adam and Iris. His heart thrummed in his ears. He touched the doors to SIM. Adam had told him that once a simulation started, it had to be finished.

  He closed his eyes, reaching out his mind to search for Steel, and located him somewhere high above. If you’ve hurt him in any way, I’ll kill you.

  Steel laughed in his head. So dramatic.

  Gage couldn’t help Adam and Iris, but now he had a pretty good idea where Steel and his granddad were. It was the best view in the facility. He turned and headed back toward the elevator.

  Iris

  Iris paced in the outer SIM room, panic welling inside her, ready to explode like the grenades in the third drawer to her left. They only had five minutes before the doors would open to the simulator. She wrung her hands. “I can’t do this.”

  Adam was by her side in an instant. “Iris, you have to.”

  He was right. Once the door opened, this room would be cleaned. Anything organic left inside would be dissolved. Although, given that her death was likely imminent either way, maybe staying here would be quick and less painful. She accessed her files on Gage, his face appearing before her. Her heart clenched. She was never going to see him again. Her shoulders trembled as she covered her mouth.

  “Look at me.” Adam grasped her shoulders, steadying her. “Do you remember the first time we met?”

  “What? No.” She looked around wildly. She was spiraling, her senses muddled.

  Adam shook her, forcing her eyes on him. “Iris. Access our first encounter.”

  She inhaled sharply and did as he asked, transporting herself back to the memory. They’d met in this exact spot. He was different from the others, and she was intrigued by his mannerisms. It was the start of her new life, a life of freedom and choice. “I recall it.”

  “Look how far you’ve come since then. You can’t give up now.”

  Iris stored the memory file and came back to the present. She inhaled, her breath ragged. “I don’t have my internal weaponry.”

  Adam’s blue eyes bore into hers. “That doesn’t matter. You don’t need it. You’ve got this entire room of weapons at your disposal.”

  Maybe, she thought, looking around. Then an even bigger problem occurred to her. “We can’t sync.”

  “We’ll figure something out.”

  “Like what?” Iris stared at Adam. He was so calm and confident.

  “You’re worried about your line, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” There would likely be some Irises in the SIM. Unlike Adam, there were dozens that looked identical to her. If Adam lost sight of her for even for a minute, he could mistake her for one of them. Without the ability to sync, there was no telling her apart from…

  She inhaled sharply, a small ounce of confidence finally tipping the scales in her favor. There wa
s one thing she could do.

  “What? What are you thinking?” Adam asked.

  Iris pulled away from him and pulled her hair down, shaking her long locks loose. She looked down at her suit, zipped up to her neck, sleeves tight against her wrists—standard wear for all droids in SIM. She pulled a knife from a drawer and made an incision in the fabric at her bicep, careful not to nick her flesh. She tore the fabric and pulled the sleeve off her arm then did the same to the other sleeve. Iris pulled the zipper at her neck down to the top of her chest, the movement freeing her breath and the remainder of her anxiety.

  She could do this. She had to. She’d made a new life for herself and there was no way she was going to let Steel take it from her.

  Iris turned back toward Adam. “There. Now, you’ll know it’s me.”

  “You could have just torn one sleeve, you know.”

  “Who do you think I am?” She pointed adamantly. “I complete looks. If I’m going to die, I’m going to look good, damn it.”

  “You’re right. It’s perfect.” Adam grinned.

  She smiled at her reflection in the shiny metal doors. “Not bad. The torn sleeve look might even be a new fashion trend.”

  “Glad to have you back on board.” Adam touched her shoulder. “Ready to get down to business?”

  Iris nodded, readying her CPU. He walked over to a cabinet and opened it, revealing an extensive array of guns and ammo. She did the same on the other side of the room and inhaled the scent of metal. Iris didn’t miss this place in the least, but the sleek guns always felt right in her hands. She smiled inwardly. Keep that to yourself.

  “What do you feel like?” Adam asked.

  Feel? Iris ran her fingers up a cool, metal barrel, her confidence returning. She pulled out a rifle and slipped the strap over her head, cross-body, shifting it to her back. “Guns. Lots of them.”