by SF Benson
“What if…” Mom should know about Tai Barraza and my theory. But Cris said not to trust anyone. I already broke the rule with Zared. “Why was Intrepid created?”
“The government was keeping citizens in the dark.”
“So shouldn’t you tell people about the New Order’s plans?”
“It’s too soon. We need to keep it safe until the right time.”
“Fine. I’ll keep it in a safe place.” I held out my hand.
Mom waltzed past me as if she didn’t notice me. She stopped at the door. “Is this what Zared wanted from you?”
My mouth fell open. How did she know about him? And why bring him into this?
She leaned against the doorframe. “I’ve known for a while now.”
I touched my throat. How was that possible? I’d been careful.
“How long have you been sneaking around with him?”
“What?”
“Come now. I’m not stupid. The boy was here last night.”
The knot twisted in my stomach, and I lowered myself to the bed.
“Last night, I heard you cry out. I figured you had a nightmare so I came to check on you. I heard his voice before I opened the door. Then, I saw the two of you this afternoon leaving the building.”
I gripped my comforter. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You think I don’t know who this boy is. I’ve known about Zared Aoki for years.”
Another punch to my guts.
“After his mother died, I lost contact with his father. I didn’t know what happened to their son.”
I swallowed hard. This was my chance for getting answers. I pushed my shock aside. “Why would you think Zared wants the card?”
“Not him. His father.”
Sweat trickled down my back. Mom fictionalized her life. Did she think everyone did? “His dad is dead.”
Mom’s eyes flickered with awareness. She pushed her shoulders back and raised her chin. “Is that what he told you?”
Hell, I was in the dark again. “Why would he lie about his father?”
“Ask Zared.”
I pursed my lips. He had no reason to distort the truth about his dad. I suspected the man might have abandoned him, but Zared was certain his father died. Maybe he was safeguarding his mind, but I didn’t think he made up the story. Mom was the expert at embroidering the truth. What was she up to?
“So where’s his father?”
“Kat? He’s on New Belle Isle, of course.” She stepped out of my room leaving me speechless.
“I will remember that treating an unworthy person may result in hardship on society and economic instability.”
—Hippocratic Oath, 2020
Too many damn secrets! I believed Zared. He hadn’t lied. Sure, there were things he hadn’t told me, but it wasn’t the same as lying. But Mom? She lied repeatedly. Okay, she omitted the truth. Okay. Now, I was splitting hairs. Whom should I place my faith in? The person who gave birth to me and said she loved me? Or the person from my past who made me feel things I never felt before?
Now, I had more questions. Did the card contain proof of the government’s cloning plans? More importantly, were there things on it I shouldn’t see? Pandora’s Box indeed.
I wondered if proof of cloning would be on New Belle Isle. With the public prohibited from the island experiments would be easily conducted. I had three more days before my Inoculation Day deadline. Three more days to access the island. If I got onto New Belle Isle, how would I avoid the vaccine and search for proof? And what type of proof should I be searching for?
I was certain the vaccine ruined Tai. I didn’t want the same fate nor did I want my future jeopardized, but I was being selfish. The New Order messed with the personal liberties of Creatives. The problem was bigger than the New Order against Creatives. No one, regardless of classification or ability, should live a life devoid of options. I had a way to expose the truth.
Maybe Zared could shed some light.
I walked into the factory’s office, and he attempted to pull me into an embrace. I put up my hands. Wrong move. They landed on his muscular chest. Too close for comfort. My resolve melted.
“What’s wrong?” Zared searched my eyes. “What happened with your mom?”
“What are you, psychic now?” I tried to move away, but he caught my arm.
“Hey, did I do something?”
“Feeling guilty?” I looked at my feet. He didn’t deserve my shitty attitude. “I’m sorry. My mom has the card.”
“We figured as much.” He put his hands in his jeans pockets.
“Did you figure she saw us together, too?”
“No.” He rocked back and forth on his heels. “When?”
“This afternoon when we left the apartment.” I parked myself on top of the desk.
“Okay, so she saw us together.” He sat next to me. “No big deal.”
“Yes, big deal. She knows you were there last night, too.”
“Shit.” Zared flexed his fingers.
I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. I squeezed my eyes shut fighting back the tears. “W-were you going to tell me you knew my mother?”
“What?” His body stiffened.
“She said she knew you.”
“Uh, she does.”
I shook my head. “You lied to me.”
He took my hand in his, rubbing small circles on my palm with his thumb. “I promise you I didn’t lie. I don’t know your mom. I know of her. After my mother died, your mother came and paid her respects. I was a kid.”
I inhaled deeply and blew it out slowly. “There’s more, Z. My mother said—”
“What?”
I withdrew my hand. “Your dad.”
“What about him?”
“He’s alive.”
Zared ran his hand through his hair. He looked down at the floor, shook his head, and dashed out of the office. I ran after him. A few minutes later, I found him staring out a grimy factory window.
“Z, I’m sorry.” I touched his shoulder. “My mother—”
“Was mistaken.” His voice was cold. “He’s dead.”
“Are you sure?”
“He’s dead.”
“Z, she said he’s on New Belle Isle. If I report for my Inoculation Day, I—”
“No!” He turned and clamped his fingers onto my arm. His eyes were wide and frenzied. “You’re not going anywhere near that place!”
“Let go of me, Zared! You’re hurting me.”
He released my arm. “I’m sorry.” He backed up. “You can’t go there. I’m serious.”
I leaned against the mottled wall. He scared me. What else was he capable of? The thought sent shivers down my back. “Are you okay?”
He looked away. “Yeah,” he exhaled. “I just don’t want you in danger.”
“That’s understood, but you asked for my help. I’m offering it.”
“Then I take it back.” His tone deepened. “I don’t want your help. I’ll find another way.”
“How?” I edged closer to him.
“I’ll figure it out. Go home.” He pivoted on his heel and took off.
My little voice yelled at me. My stomach rolled, and a chill inched down my spine. Intrepid was dangerous tech leaving a trail of destruction. Cris was first. No, the reporter was the first one. Zared’s name wouldn’t be added to the list.
“Zared!”
He stopped and spoke over his shoulder. “What is it, Tru?”
I walked toward him. “You’re not going on New Belle Isle without me. We’re in this together.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Tru—”
“You’re stuck with me.”
He pulled me close and hugged me. That settled it. I knew what needed to be done.
“In the beginning, our Creator designed the heavens and the earth. The earth was amorphous and void and darkness covered the abysmal waters. The Spirit of our Creator hovered over the waters and decided where ther
e would be light, and there was light. And the light separated from the darkness. Morning and evening passed and were declared the first day.”
—Genesis 1:1, the Thaxton Expanded Bible, 2021
Zared
“He’s alive.” Tru’s words echoed in my head.
Impossible. All these years, I thought he was dead. No, I didn’t have proof. Death or amnesia were acceptable excuses for abandoning me. I’d just lost my mother. Deserting me when I needed a human connection would have been cruel. Every day and night for four years, I thought the man was dead. His sudden reappearance left me…There were no words for it.
Dwelling on my father’s supposed resurrection wasn’t part of the equation. Neither was compromising our safety. Gabriela seeing me was unacceptable. I stayed off the grid for years. As far as the New Order was concerned, I didn’t exist. Gabriela was my personal Damoclean sword.
It was too dangerous for Tru to go on New Belle Isle. The vaccine posed the biggest threat followed by my father. If the man were alive, he’d get to me through her. Mom once warned me about his vindictiveness. He was on the wrong side of my mission, a moot point because the man was dead.
I admired Tru’s strength. The girl had been through a hell of a lot in one day. Yet she remained calm and focused. Perhaps that was how she dealt with grief. Strong or not, I should have insisted she go home.
She was my weakness. The more time I spent with her, the more I felt the need to protect her. I hadn’t been happy in ages, and Tru brought joy to my life. Falling for her compromised things, made them complicated, but it was too late for me. I’d lost my heart to her. Get it together man.
All that was required was find the card, deliver it, and return to my anonymous life. Simple. Right? Wrong. My father’s rebirth convoluted matters. Did he have a bigger role in the government? I guess I’d find out after I finished the mission. Skipping out on it was not an option, and neither was letting anything happen to Tru.
“So let's go over the plan one more time,” I said. We sat on the floor with our backs to the desk. Sitting side by side gave me an advantage. No direct eye contact.
“Is this necessary?” She yawned. “We've gone over the plan for hours.”
“Do you understand we can't fail? Y’know what could happen—”
“I know, I know.” Tru rubbed her eyes. She exhaled. “You have a friend who can get us inside CHA headquarters.”
I nodded. “And once inside?”
“We find the lab.” She rested her head on my shoulder. “We get proof and get out.”
“What type of proof?” My arm curled around her waist, tugging her closer.
“Pictures, files. Anything we can get our hands on. Your friend will have a SIM card for us, too.”
“Okay,” I said absently.
Tru lifted her head. “Did I forget something?”
“No.” My tired body rebelled, causing my head to droop. It had been a long time since I had a good night’s sleep free from worrying about Tru and the mission. Yes, going to New Belle Isle concerned me. There was no room for error, and so much could go wrong. I might be arrested, my father could be alive, and I might never see Tru again. I had to put those things out of my mind.
“Can I ask you something?” Tru snuggled into me.
Her voice pulled me back. “Huh?”
“Why is this so important to you?”
If I couldn’t sleep, I might as well talk. Most likely she was trying to avoid another nightmare. “Our mothers worked together. The two of them along with a woman named Aya Abdullah created Intrepid.”
“Abdullah was Cris’ biological mother?”
“Yeah. I remember my parents arguing about a dangerous piece of tech. My father didn’t think citizens should spy on government. And then Mom and Aya went away without any warning. Dad said they were sick, but I don’t remember symptoms or anything.” I propped my arm on my knee. “There wasn’t even a quarantine. I last saw Mom get into a long black car with official plates. A few days later, I was told she died. We didn’t even have a funeral. They said the virus spread even in death. Dad had her cremated. We didn’t even have a memorial for her.”
I flinched when Tru touched me. No one else knew my story. I got caught up in the memory.
“I’m sorry, Z.” She wrapped her arms around me.
“Thanks.” I kissed the top of her head. “It took me a while to connect the dots. But I don’t think the virus killed her.” I clasped Tru’s fingers. “I found some of Dad’s notes. My mother spied on him with Intrepid.”
“How do you know that?”
“After Mom died, a man came by the house. He argued with Dad about the tech. Dad swore he handled the problem. A few days later, he disappeared. When I found his research, I just assumed it got him killed.”
Tru sat up and narrowed her eyes. “You said you needed my help, but was finding me the mission?”
I pinched my nose. How much more should I tell her? “Yes and no. The mission required finding Intrepid. I had the information in Dad’s journals. You were mentioned in them, too. I saw your picture and knew I had to find you. Showing up in the alley made it easy for me.”
“How long have you been following me?” Tru tilted her head.
“It’s not like you think.” I shook my head. “I’ve been looking out for you. Nothing more.”
“You were sure Intrepid still existed?”
“Yes. No,” I gazed into her eyes. She had to know I wouldn’t use her. “I didn’t have proof. I guessed it might be with your family based off Dad’s journals. I didn’t know Cris had it.”
“So what is this about? Revenge?”
I shrugged. “Tru, my mother was healthy.” I leaned away from her. “She learned too much.”
“Like Cris.” She played with her shoelaces.
I faced Tru. “But it’s not just about revenge. It’s bigger than that. Dad’s notes didn’t give all the details, but something bad is coming. The New Order forced him to do crap in the name of science. He wasn’t a monster.”
Tru raised an eyebrow. “Right.”
“I don’t have to convince you.” I did need to convince her to go home, however, and forget she ever knew me. She’d be safer that way.
“Maybe he was always a monster and you just didn’t notice.”
I couldn’t accept my father had any part of the New Order’s scheme. Maybe he was protecting us. It didn’t matter what I thought, though. My father was the bad guy. A dangerous, bad guy.
“I found some letters between your mom and my father. Before you were born, my dad was in love with your mother.”
Tru gasped. “We’re not—”
“No, we’re not. Your mother was pregnant with you when she met my dad, but it didn’t dissuade his interest. The letters he kept never mentioned her loving him. He pursued her. I think her knowing my mom kept things from escalating.”
“What a pig!” She wrinkled her nose.
“I don’t think he ever acted on his feelings.”
“I guess that's a good thing. S-so do you know what Intrepid learned?”
“That’s a question for your mother.” I closed my eyes.
“And she’s guarding it with her life.”
“Yeah.”
“We should tell her.” Tru leaned toward me. “She needs to know.”
I wouldn’t reveal anything to Gabriela. Intel said she wasn’t trustworthy. My superiors were concerned about her alliances. “Too dangerous, Tru. Telling her would put you in harm’s way. I won’t do that to you.”
“Aren’t you doing that already?” Tru frowned. “Hasn’t everything you’ve done, put me in harm’s way? It’s a little late to be worried about my safety. If you really wanted to protect me, I wouldn’t be going with you to New Belle Isle.”
Thank God! I agreed wholeheartedly. “You’re right. In the morning, you’re going back home. I’ll get the proof I need without you.”
“No.” Fear crossed her face. “I know what I said. But
I can’t blame it all on you. I volunteered to help you with this. Together.”
I put my arms around her. I loved Tru’s determination, but I wouldn’t let her sacrifice herself. “No. If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself.”
“In an effort to maintain social order, all citizenry will be classified based on certain biological and intellectual guidelines as determined by the New Order.”
—Bill of Trust, the American Republic, 2020
With the crap happening in my life, going home never entered my mind. Cris was dead, and Dad moved out. Going home meant more arguing with Mom, more heartache. Maybe time apart would be good for us. I found the web of deceit she spun so unfathomable. A double life. An alias. What should I even call her? Mother? Mom? Gabriela? It didn't matter since I refused to leave Zared.
He consumed my thoughts. Everything revolved around my being with him. My mother tried to make me doubt him. Was her life so miserable she didn’t want anyone else to be happy? Maybe Zared’s father jilting her caused Mom’s deception. He might have refused to leave his family for her. His rejection might have turned her against everyone in his family.
None of that mattered. One look in Zared’s eyes told me he didn’t lie, and that was important. Yes, I realized he mattered a little too much. My past came back, and I wanted to embrace it, embrace him, and find out where it led. I wouldn’t let him go alone to New Belle Isle. Who would help him if he got into trouble?
It had been eight days since I agreed to help him. I swore it had been longer. We had gotten ourselves into a hotbed of trouble. Zared and I were kindred spirits. I loved how he reacted without brooding over matters. He needed me. He wouldn’t admit it, but he couldn’t take on the New Order all by himself. No one had to get hurt if I used my access to get on the island. I needed to get out of my head and protect Zared and humanity.