“They do,” said Magdalena. “Mostly.”
“Yes,” Eleni said. “Mostly. But not completely, apparently.”
“You know that their use is experimental,” Magdalena said. “And anyway, we don’t have time to argue about this. We need to finish the evacuation. Where are Six and Sam now?”
“Secured,” Eleni said.
“Have they been transferred?”
“Not as yet,” said Eleni. “I did not have time to prepare adequate quarters for them in the new location. But soon.”
Nemo’s spirits, which had fallen when she heard that Sam and Six had been captured, lifted. Six and Sam were still in the bunker somewhere. All she had to do was find them. She decided to focus on that instead of wasting time listening to the Mogs talk. But then Magdalena said something that made her pause.
“The parasite I implanted in Sam is growing. I will need to remove it or it will kill him.”
“Let it,” said Eleni. “It will save me the trouble.”
“He could be of use in the next phase,” Magdalena said.
“We have the other one,” said Eleni. “And the boy. Max. They will be sufficient.”
Magdalena didn’t say anything. Nemo wished she would. What creature was she talking about? Why had she put it in Sam? And why would it kill him?
“The parasite has already done enough,” Eleni continued. “Isn’t that what made him behave the way he has and cause our current problem?” She didn’t wait for an answer from Magdalena. “I’ve indulged your little experiments too long, I fear. Now we do things my way.”
“My experiments could be the key to giving you a Legacy,” Magdalena said quietly.
“By implanting one of your beasts in me?” said Eleni. “I don’t believe it’s worth the risk. We’ve seen what it’s done to the humans you tried it with.”
“Human minds aren’t strong enough,” Magdalena said. “Your Mog mind is.”
Eleni laughed. “Perhaps,” she said. “We can discuss it later. I have the evacuation to oversee.”
The blond Mog left the room. Nemo observed Magdalena watching her go. When Eleni was gone, Magdalena returned to what she’d been doing, going to a desk that had floated to the surface and frozen there and taking things out of a drawer. She seemed agitated. Nemo was pretty sure that she’d just witnessed a showdown of some kind between the two Mogs. She wondered what was going on. She also wondered about the Mog she had stabbed back in Alabama. Was he here, too?
All of these questions would have to wait to be answered. She needed to figure out where Six and Sam were. Max, too, as he was obviously here as well. Unless he had been transferred to the evacuation location. She hoped not. She had no idea where that was. And with Nine still missing, she had no backup.
She slipped down the hall, looking for something that would help her find where Six and Sam were being held. Magdalena had mentioned teleporters. That probably meant Scotty and Ghost. If she found them, she might find a lot more than she was looking for.
She kept walking until she located a group of people carrying things up a flight of stairs. In the dim light, she was able to keep herself hidden in the shadows. She grabbed a box from a room as she passed by, joined the back of the line and followed them to the next floor. Here there was no flooding, but still only the emergency lighting was on. She let the people she’d tailed get ahead of her, then peered into the nearest doorway. These were obviously the laboratories that Magdalena had been talking about. There were more people here, both Mogs and humans, but nobody took any notice of her.
The people carrying things continued up to the next floor. There they walked until they came to a room, disappearing through a doorway. Nemo slipped away from the group, still unnoticed, and set the box she’d carried upstairs on the floor. She stayed in the shadows, watching as some of the people who had entered the room left it, apparently making a return journey to the lower levels for more items. Nemo counted, and when the last person had departed, she went back to the doorway and looked inside.
The room was some kind of staging area. Stacks of boxes waited next to piles of equipment. On the tables were large glass jars, half a dozen or so. Nemo could see small things moving around in them. She looked around the room and, seeing nobody, walked over to the jars.
Inside each one was some kind of animal. They were crablike, about three inches wide, with pincerlike claws and multiple legs. Their shells glittered wetly. Something about them made Nemo afraid, although she wasn’t sure why. Bugs didn’t bother her, and crabs were nothing to be frightened of. But there was something about the things that made her want to get away from them.
Hearing a noise, she thought that someone was coming, and looked for a place to hide. Fortunately, the piles of boxes and other things made this easy. She ducked behind a stack of equipment and crouched down.
“More stuff?” a boy’s voice said. He sounded annoyed. “When did we become Magdalena’s personal moving company?”
“It’s not like it’s hard,” a girl’s voice answered. A familiar voice. It was Ghost.
“I know it’s not hard,” the boy retorted, and Nemo realized it must be the other teleporter, Scotty. “I just don’t like doing it, is all.”
“You don’t like anything that’s work,” Ghost teased. “Would you rather be at the Academy, learning how to be a good little soldier?”
Scotty snorted. “No way,” he said. “That place is for losers.”
Ghost laughed. To Nemo, it felt like being punched in the stomach.
“I guess we should move these next,” Scotty said.
From her hiding place, Nemo could see him standing near the table of jars. He was looking at the creatures inside.
“These things give me the creeps,” he said. “Can you even imagine having one inside of you? Gross.” He looked at the various jars. “I wonder which one was inside Firefly? Think if I let it get inside me it would give me her Legacy?”
“Magdalena thinks so,” Ghost said.
“What?” said Scotty. “You don’t think it’s true?”
“It hasn’t worked so far,” Ghost said.
“That we know of,” said Scotty. “Like the Mogs are going to tell us everything.”
“Shh!” Ghost said, sounding scared.
“Relax,” said Scotty. “There’s nobody up here.”
“Still,” Ghost said. “Let’s just take these and get back.”
Scotty picked up one of the jars. “Have you seen some of the other stuff Magdalena has created?” he asked. “I don’t know if they’re animals or robots or what. Anyway, if you think these are badass, wait until you see what she’s cooked up for the show.”
“Can’t wait,” Ghost said. “Hey, I’ve got to go to the restroom. You go ahead and I’ll be there in a few minutes, okay?”
“Sure,” said Scotty. “See ya on the other side.”
He disappeared. Ghost remained behind. She stood, looking at the jars but not moving. Nemo watched her, wondering what was going on.
“If I knew which one of you had been inside Firefly, I’d take you out and stomp on you,” she said. Her voice dripped with anger. “I should stomp on all of you.”
To Nemo’s surprise, Ghost started to cry. She hunched over the table of jars, her face in her hands as she sobbed. Her shoulders shook with every breath. Before she knew what she was doing, Nemo stood up.
“Ghost.”
Ghost, startled, stepped back from the table. Her eyes found Nemo in the dimly lit room. “Nemo?”
Nemo stepped out and came closer, holding her hands up. “It’s okay.”
“What are you doing here?” said Ghost. She looked around, as if there might be other unexpected visitors.
“It’s just me,” Nemo said, keeping her voice low. “I came to find Max.”
This was only partially true, but she worried that mentioning any of the Garde would make Ghost upset.
“You couldn’t get in here by yourself,” Ghost said. “Who’s with you?�
�
Nemo considered lying again, but Ghost was right. She couldn’t have gotten into the bunker alone. “Nine,” she admitted. “But he didn’t get in. Something in the lake came after us. I don’t know where he is. It really is just me.”
“You have to go,” Ghost said. “If they catch you—”
“Come with me,” Nemo interrupted. “Please. Let’s find Max and get out of here.”
Ghost shook her head. “Max isn’t here,” she said. “He’s been transferred to . . . He’s not here.”
“Where?” said Nemo. “To the place where all this stuff is going? Where’s that?”
Ghost shook her head. “I’m not telling you, Nemo.”
“Ghost, please. It can be the way it was again.”
Ghost laughed, but angrily. “Can it, Nemo? I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” Nemo asked. “Why can’t you come back to us?”
“Why can’t you come with me?” Ghost replied.
“Because,” Nemo said. “You’re with—them.”
“Them,” Ghost repeated. “And you’re better than them, right? You and your Garde and your Academy?”
“Ghost, you’ve seen what the Mogs do!” Nemo protested. “You’ve seen what the people associated with them do. They hunt us, Ghost. They use us. They’re using you!” She stopped, forcing herself to calm down. “I heard what you said about your friend Firefly. They killed her, right? Magdalena? Whatever she did to her with those things in the jars, it killed her, didn’t it?”
Ghost didn’t say anything, but Nemo saw her glance at the jars.
“How can someone who would do that be your friend?” Nemo pressed.
Ghost turned her face away. “Just go, Nemo. I won’t say anything about you being here. But I’m not going with you. Just leave.”
Nemo went to Ghost. She grabbed her hands. “Look, Ghost,” she said. “I’m not afraid of you. You could teleport me anywhere, and I’d go with you. Please.”
Ghost looked into Nemo’s face. “I can’t,” she said. “Please, Nemo. If we’re really friends, then do what I said. Get out of here. There’s nothing you can do now anyway.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nemo said. “There’s always something you can do. There’s always a way out.”
“Not of this,” said Ghost. “Not of what’s coming.”
Before Nemo could ask Ghost what she meant, she heard voices in the hallway.
“Go,” Ghost said again. “Once they come in here, I won’t stop them. I swear, Nemo. This is your last chance.”
Nemo felt Ghost trembling beneath her fingers. She wanted to drag her friend with her, out of the room, out of the bunker. She wanted them to be together again.
“I’ll do what I can to help Max,” Ghost said. “That’s all I can promise.”
Nemo let go.
“I’ll leave,” she said. “But I’m taking one of these things with me.”
She picked up one of the jars. Ghost didn’t try to stop her. Nemo hesitated a moment longer. She gave Ghost a last long look, then ran for the door. Outside, she saw figures coming towards the room through the glow of the emergency lights. She turned and ran the other way, the jar clutched to her chest.
CHAPTER NINE
SAM
UNKNOWN LOCATION
“I HAVE A LITTLE PROBLEM.”
Sam, strapped to a metal table, his wrists and ankles bound with leather straps, looked up at the face of the pink-haired Mog girl. He couldn’t quite remember her name, although he knew that he knew what it was. Meg? Maggie?
Magdalena. That was it. He was having trouble remembering a lot of things. Like how he’d come to be tied down. And where he was. And what had happened during the past couple of days. He recalled moments here and there, but it was like looking at the pieces of a puzzle scattered across a tabletop. If he could put them together, he could see the whole picture. At the moment, though, nothing was making sense.
“What’s the problem?” he asked, thinking maybe he could get some answers if he played along.
Magdalena sighed. “I guess it’s really your problem, too,” she said. “Since it involves the thing in your head.”
“There’s something in my head?”
“Mmm,” the Mog said. She went away for a moment. When she came back, she held up a glass jar so that Sam could see it. Inside, something was crawling around. “One of these. Well, not as big as this one, but it will get to this size.”
“One of those is inside my head?” said Sam. He looked at the disgusting bug-like thing. “Get it out!”
“Yeah, well, that’s kind of the problem,” said the Mog. She disappeared, and he heard her set the jar down somewhere. She kept talking to him. “If I take it out . . .”
Her voice trailed off, and Sam wondered if she had left the room. Then her face reappeared, looking down at him with an expression of concern. “If I take it out, you’ll probably die.”
Sam didn’t know how to respond. Was she serious? Or was this some kind of a joke? He wished he could remember anything.
“That’s not one hundred percent for sure,” Magdalena continued. “Probably ninety, ninety-five, percent. So there’s a chance you wouldn’t. But every subject I’ve taken one out of has, so I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”
“What happens if you leave it there?” Sam asked.
“It gets bigger,” said the Mog. “Like the one in the jar. And then—I’m not sure if I should tell you this part or not.”
“Tell me,” Sam insisted.
“Okay, well, it’s kind of gross. It eats its way out.”
“Out of my head?”
Magdalena shook her head. “Oh no. Your skull is too hard. It travels down to your stomach. It’s a lot easier to chew a way out through your abdomen. There’s no bone to get through.”
Sam didn’t want to think about that. “How did it get in me?”
“I put it there,” Magdalena said. “It’s kind of this thing I’ve been working on. A theory.”
Sam pulled against the restraints that were holding him down. The straps cut into his wrists, but didn’t budge. He felt weak, drained. Whatever the thing in his head was, it was depleting his energy. He swore in frustration.
“That won’t help,” Magdalena scolded.
An image flashed in Sam’s mind. A room filled with ice. Six was there. And some other people. “Six,” he said aloud.
“Six?” Magdalena said. “She’s not here. She and Eleni are having a little chat. She’s probably not enjoying it very much. Six, I mean. I’m sure Eleni is. But don’t worry. Eleni won’t kill her. She needs her for the plan.”
“Plan?”
Magdalena rolled her eyes. “It’s this whole thing,” she said. “Personally, I think it’s a waste of time. But she lets me do my thing, so I have to let her do hers.” She paused, then grinned happily. “Besides, it will give everyone a chance to see my beasties in action.”
“Beasties?” Sam said. “What are you talking about?”
Magdalena shook her head. “That’s a surprise,” she said. “You’ll have to wait to find out.” Her smile changed to a frown. “I just hope you live long enough. Eleni only needs one of you, but two would be way better.”
Nothing the Mog was saying made any sense to Sam. He wanted to ask more questions, but he knew he wouldn’t get anything useful out of Magdalena. Besides, he was really tired. He shut his eyes. Maybe if he could sleep some more . . .
He heard a door open. Then another face appeared next to Magdalena’s. This one he recognized right away. It was another Mog. He remembered fighting her at some point. He remembered losing.
“Well?” she said, her voice harsh. “Have you decided what to do with him?”
“I don’t think I should take the parasite out,” Magdalena said. “Not yet.”
“Why not?” Eleni said impatiently.
“It’s not fully developed,” Magdalena answered. “Besides, the one inside of Six may have more interesting pro
perties.”
Eleni grunted. “We just need to see if it works,” she said. “I don’t care what powers it transfers.” She looked at the other Mog. “If it even works.”
“I think it will,” Magdalena said.
“It hasn’t so far,” said Eleni.
“Because we’ve only tried it in humans,” Magdalena said. “They aren’t as strong as we are.”
Eleni glanced at Sam, then said, “If you’re not going to operate on him, put him in the cell with the other one. I’m done with her. For now.” She turned and walked away.
“Her problem is she always has to be in charge,” Magdalena told Sam in a whisper. “She doesn’t want anyone else to get a Legacy before she has one. I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to pair with one of the parasites when I’m not looking. Which is why I haven’t told her how it works.”
She held up a syringe. “I’m going to put you out for a while,” she said. “It will keep the parasite from developing any further and give us a little more time.”
Sam felt a pinch in his neck. Then something burned in his veins and a sour taste filled his mouth. His vision blurred, and a moment later he was unconscious.
When he awoke, he was lying on a cot in a small room. His head ached. The lights were turned off, and he was in the dark.
“Sam?”
“Six?” he said. “You’re here?”
A shadow moved, and then a light came on overhead. Sam blinked. His vision was blurry, and the lights hurt his eyes.
“Sorry,” Six said, and turned the light off again.
He felt her sit down on the cot beside him. She brushed his hair away from his face with her hand. “How do you feel?” she asked.
“Terrible.”
“Do you remember anything? About what happened in the bunker?”
Sam shook his head, then realized Six probably couldn’t see the gesture. “No,” he said. “Tell me.”
“You went a little crazy,” Six said. Then she actually laughed. “Sorry. I know it’s not funny. But, man, you did a number on that place.”
“I did? What did I do?”
“Turned it into a skating rink,” said Six. “Well, you didn’t do that part. That kid Spike did. But the water was all you.”
The Legacy Chronicles: Raising Monsters Page 9