Freak of Nature

by Julia Crane

  “We knew the risk when we accepted the job,” Lucas said through clenched teeth. “If we shut her down, then who knows who would find her with the GPS off-line? And I don’t think Harrington would approve of his hundreds of millions of dollars and technology being thrown away like that.”

  Adams glanced around the lab. As the heating unit clicked on, he stood and came to sit in a chair nearer to Lucas. In a low voice, he said, “You could convince Harrington. He trusts your judgment. If you told him it was the best course of action, he would listen.”

  “Forget it. Just give the security team time. I’m sure they can bring her back in.”

  Adams laughed bitterly. “We both know there is not a chance in hell they can capture her.”

  Truer words had never been spoken. They would know since they were the ones who made her.

  “I’ll speak to Harrington myself.” Adams dropped his head. He looked older than usual, weary, as if the life was being sucked out of him with every passing second Kaitlyn was gone.

  “I wouldn’t bother. Harrington is well aware of the options. It will just piss him off. Let him make up his own mind.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Adams said. Perhaps I should just take off. Lord knows I’ve got enough money saved after all the years here. I’m too old for prison. I have my wife and Quess to think about.”

  “Don’t do anything rash,” Lucas told him. “Just give it time to unfold. If it looks like the authorities are going to come after us, then you can act. Just get your affairs in order, but hold steady for now.”

  “Such a smart young lad you are, Lucas. I’ll just stay the course for now. But the first sign of things going south…”

  “I don’t blame you.” Lucas stood up and walked over to the coffee pot to refill his mug. He was tired and knew sleep would not come any time soon.

  Keep running, Kate, and don’t look back.

  “Where would she go? We should be able to figure it out. After all we programmed her.” Adams said thoughtfully. “Perhaps we can outthink her and lead a team to her.”

  Lucas took a sip of his coffee and tried to think of a response. Maybe he could throw them off her trail, but he really had no idea where she would go. Adams wasn’t aware she had feelings and now had access to her old memories. Would she return to her old home? Lucas didn’t think so. At least not right away.

  “I have no idea where she would go. It could be a huge city that she could meld into or find a cave in the middle of the woods. I’m afraid none of us can think like Kaitlyn even if we did program her. Her software is so advanced our minds couldn’t begin to keep up.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Adams grumbled under his breath. “I just wish we could find a way to fix this disaster, before it comes back to haunt us.”

  Taking another sip of his coffee, Lucas remained silent.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The sun was starting to rise. Kaitlyn had managed to evade capture on two different occasions. For now, she was in the clear.

  Her internal clock informed her she was only twenty-three minutes from civilization if she kept the same pace. The thought brought a sense of relief, along with a pang of fear and she anxiously tugged her sleeves down to her wrists. Even though the clothes covered her irregularities, she still felt self-conscious. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to pull off being human. What if people could tell just by looking at her that she wasn’t normal.

  She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of strange new world lay ahead. Would she ever be able to find her place in it?

  Once she got into town, she had no idea where she was going, and for the first time, she started to doubt the plan that had been set in motion. Life perpetually on the run didn’t sound much better than her previous existence. After a scan of the area to confirm there were no threats nearby, just the normal scurrying of animals, Kaitlyn dropped to the ground and rummaged through the bag. What exactly had Lucas packed away for her?

  He had been planning her escape for a while, it seemed. A driver’s license, passport, and a lot of cash. Kaitlyn studied the drivers license, Sarah Granger. So she was supposed to start over with a new name. Sarah, she played the name over in her mind, and decided she didn’t like the name at all. The ID had her address in Colorado. Maybe that’s where she should go.

  She pulled out a navy baseball cap and glasses. She was impressed. Frank had drilled in her head it was the little details that matter the most. The props would help her blend in, become invisible.

  Kaitlyn twisted her hair into a ponytail, lowered the hat on her head, and slid on the eyeglasses. It would be enough of a disguise to get her by—for now. Just in case they had police looking for her, which she doubted. They wouldn’t want to draw attention to her. To be on the safe side, she knew she should cut her hair and change the color when she figured out where she was going. Lucas had said to trust her instincts. Easier said than done. Her mind worked on logic, not instinct.

  Once again, her thoughts drifted to her new memories. She couldn’t stop thinking about the woman who had been raped. Was she okay? Was the attacker…her murderer…caught?? For some reason, knowing her old life had ended trying to save someone else made her feel better than if she had been in a car accident. She had no idea why she felt that way. Feelings and emotions were so confusing. She wished there was some kind of manual to help her sort through them.

  Time to move. Kaitlyn continued on the path and soon broke out onto a main highway. She jumped over the railing and strode forward, whipping out the phone and consulting the map. The nearest town was only three miles down the road. Once she got there, she would have to find transportation to get further away. She had to put as much distance between her and the compound as possible. Eventually, she would need to rest. She didn’t want to over-stress her system. She could technically last for days without sleep, but Lucas had told her it was better to get periodic breaks as long as she wasn’t in danger.

  A dark sedan pulled over and an older man leaned out the window. “Need a lift, sweetheart?”

  Caution. Unsure how to respond, Kaitlyn ignored him and kept walking. The man pulled away and continued down the road. Ahead there was a sign that said Maryville, population 1725.

  When the town came into view, Kaitlyn wondered if she would be able to pull it off. She had never interacted with anyone outside of the compound before. It wasn’t much of a town from what she could see. A few houses lined the street, with a run-down gas station on one side, across from a diner with a flashing arrow.

  Kaitlyn pushed open the door into the gas station. A bell went off above her head and she tensed. Was that a warning?

  “Morning, dear.” A plump woman with a nice smile and grey hair greeted her. The badge on her shirt said her name was Marcy.

  “Good morning,” Kaitlyn replied.

  “Can I help you with something? You look a little lost.”

  Great. Her first interaction, and they already knew she was lost. “Is there a train station or bus stop anywhere close?”

  “Sure is. There’s a Greyhound about three miles up the road, and you can take that to connect to Alexandria Union Station. Where are you headed?”

  “Fort Lauderdale, Florida.” Kaitlyn frowned and wondered why those words slipped out of her mouth. Somewhere deep in her subconscious, she knew that was where she was supposed to be. She wished she could take back the words once they escaped. The security team would probably come looking for her and ask if anyone had seen someone matching her description. She could kill the lady, but that seemed harsh. If they followed her to Florida she would just have to loose them.

  “Well, that’s quite the trip. You might want to grab a few snacks.”

  Humans ate all the time, she reminded herself. If she wanted to blend in, she had to act the part.

  “You’re right,” she said, smiling. “I’m starving.”

  She made her way to the back of the store and grabbed a couple of bags of chips and two candy bars. When she reached for t
he Butterfingers, a memory crossed her mind. She looked to be around twelve years old, and she was rummaging through a plastic pumpkin filled with candy, searching for Butterfingers.

  A slow smile spread across her face. She was starting to welcome the memories. It was like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle slowly fitting together. Once she had all the pieces, she would have a clear image of who she used to be.

  “Don’t forget to grab a drink.” Marcy tilted her head towards the cooler.

  Right. Can’t forget a drink, Kaitlyn thought wryly as she reached in for a bottle of water.

  “That will be seven dollars and ninety-nine cents.”

  Kaitlyn stood there confused for a moment until her processor flashed money. She scrabbled through her bag and pulled out her money and dropped a hundred dollar bill on the counter.

  Marcy eyed the bill. “Don’t you have anything smaller than that?”

  Kaitlyn flipped through her bills; she really should have researched more. Finally, she found one that had the number ten on it and handed that to the woman.

  “Thanks, that’s better. And be careful flashing that kind of money around. The world is filled with bad people.” The woman handed her money back which Kaitlyn stuffed into the side pocket of her bag.

  “Bad people?” Kate asked.

  “Don’t you watch the news?”

  She shook her head no. “I only watch movies.”

  The woman was looking at her strangely, and Kate realized she said something wrong to draw attention to herself.

  “Thanks for the advice. I’ll be more careful from now on.” Kaitlyn turned to exit the building.

  “Have a safe trip.”

  “Thank you.” Kaitlyn could understand why the IFICS were concerned about her interacting with humans; she wasn’t very good at it. She felt like a fish out of water. The saying had just popped into her head, an element of the slang chip, she suspected. It reminded her of Quess and made her feel strange. She didn’t have time to analyze feelings; she had to get to the bus station.

  It was as if she were set on autopilot. At the bus station, a kind-faced gentleman in a uniform helped her find the right bus.

  She boarded the bus and made her way to the back. She wanted to be able to see who entered, and also she had quick access to the emergency exit.

  The memory of the attack kept playing through her mind as she watched the scenery pass. The bus rolled down the highway in the early morning, once in awhile they past quiet little towns. She couldn’t stop thinking of the the woman at the gas station’s words—bad people. Why was there so much wicked in the world? What would make someone want to hurt a defenseless woman?

  Kaitlyn scanned her information drive and was appalled to see that in the United States alone over 1.2 million incidents of violent crimes were reported yearly. Over 90,000 of those incidents involved rape.

  She stewed over the statistics for many miles, and it fueled her desire to make the world a better place. Could one person really have that much of an impact? One less woman being abused would be something.

  Without being obvious she observed the passengers. It was interesting to see people outside the setting of the compound. She wondered if anyone on the bus had been a victim of a crime, or if there were criminals on board. More than likely there were both.

  There was a young couple sitting diagonal from her. They didn’t seem to be very happy. The young woman had her arms crossed against her chest and the man stared out the window. She wondered if they were in a fight and if so what about? She felt a pang of loneliness for Lucas. She would probably never see him again.

  An old lady sat across from Kaitlyn. She pulled yarn out of her bag and started knitting. Kaitlyn watched her old hands move at a rapid pace. Kaitlyn was fascinated as the yarn started to become a large square.

  The old woman caught her eye and smiled.

  “Do you knit?”

  Startled Kate shook her head no.

  “It’s relaxing. Helps make the time pass. I could teach you if you want.”

  “No, thank you.”

  The woman shrugged and went back to her knitting.

  Maybe she could fit in. So far no one had treated her differently. Other than some gross guy with a mustache that kept turning to leer at her. Doing a scan Kaitlyn realized the man was sexually aroused. The thought repulsed her. She wanted to use a pressure point to make the man pass out, but she knew that was not a good idea. She didn’t need to draw attention to herself in the enclosed environment.

  Why Fort Lauderdale? Why couldn’t she remember if it was her home?

  In Alexandria, she switched to the train without incident. The further south they went the less the leaves had changed. The stunning red, golds and orange turned to all green. She watched the sun set and rise again from her window seat.

  She dozed off with her head against the cool window and dreamed of Evan. Only this time, the dreams were more than just flashes. They were complete scenes. They had been in love; that much was obvious.

  Kaitlyn woke up from a particularly vivid Christmas memory. She had just been about to open a small package from Evan, her cheeks flushed with happiness. She searched her memories but couldn’t find that one.

  As the train drifted into the station, she wondered what it meant that she was dreaming and thinking of Evan when her heart ached for Lucas.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  After twenty-one hours on the road, between trains stops and layovers, the train finally pulled into the station. She was certain she hadn’t been followed. Search teams were probably still combing the woods for her.

  When Kaitlyn got off the train in Fort Lauderdale, she had a feeling she had been there before.

  Could her instincts have taken her home? The thought scared her. What was she going to do, just waltz back into her old life?

  She was way beyond that point.

  Maybe she could get back on the train and go further south, or even west. But there was something about the coast line that was drawing her in, so she shouldered her bag and started walking. Palm trees lined the road. For some reason this made her miss Quess, and their walks. A palm tree could never replace her favorite birch tree.

  Kaitlyn wandered down the highway, following the signs that said “Beach”. She crossed a large bridge. Cars whizzed by, and a few of them honked their horns. She had no idea what that meant. The smell of the salt air tugged at a memory. She was getting fragments, but nothing strong and overpowering like the earlier memories. She must have spent a lot of time near the ocean in her past life, which would explain the pull.

  A parking lot edged up against the sand, and Kaitlyn mounted the long boardwalk that led down to the beach. Neon lights ran down the length of the boardwalk. People sat on the edging, bikers road by and few people skated past her.

  She left the sidewalk and stepped onto the sandy beach. The grey-blue ocean spread before her beneath a sky of white, fluffy clouds. There were couples walking hand in hand or sitting on blankets near the water while their children made sand castles. Kaitlyn pulled off her shoes and stepped barefoot onto the warm, gritty sand, making a straight line for the water. No one gave her a second glance. For the first time in her new life she felt invisible. She was just another person enjoying the beach. The thought was comforting, even though she knew it was far from the truth. She would never be truly human again.

  It felt so natural to step into the surf. The ocean waves lapping against the sand and her feet had a calming effect on her. Almost like the way Lucas calmed her mind.

  She noticed some people were sleeping on the beach, and she wondered if she should do that as well, but her sensors flashed Caution. After a quick scan, she realized she needed to find a hotel. Reluctantly, Kaitlyn made her way across the beach and back to the main road.

  Several hotels lined the street, many of them flashing Vacancy signs. She entered the first hotel and greeted the clerk behind the counter.

  “I would like to stay the night, please,” Kaitlyn
said.

  “Of course.” The older woman turned to her computer and started clicking on the keyboard. “One night will be ninety-seven.”

  Kaitlyn reached in her bag and handed the clerk a hundred.

  “No, sorry. We need a credit card to keep on file.”

  Kaitlyn stared at her blankly.

  “A credit card. You know, the plastic card with one of these symbols.” The clerk pointed at a sign on the counter.

  Kaitlyn’s scans recognized the five colorful emblems. Within seconds, she knew what each stood for and she knew she didn’t have one.

  “I don’t have one of those,” she said, holding out the hundred dollar bill. “I only have cash.”

  “Company policy. No card, no room.”

  Kaitlyn shoved the money back in the side pocket of her bag before she slung it on her shoulders. “Do you know of any hotels in the area that don’t require credit cards?” she asked stiffly.

  “Sorry, dear. Those kinds of no-tell-motels are across the bridge on the bad side of town.”

  Why did everyone keep saying bad? Bad people. Bad side of town.

  Kaitlyn pushed the glass door open and stepped back outside. She didn’t need to sleep, but her body needed to recharge, and if she stayed awake too long it would drain her energy. And when she was on the run, that wasn’t ideal. She needed to find a place to rest for the night. She also needed to find a change of clothes.

  Follow your instincts.

  Kaitlyn walked, letting her feet take her wherever they wandered. Off the main highway and deep into a residential part of town, she passed colorful Spanish-themed houses with brilliant green lawns beneath the spray of sprinklers.

  She had been wandering for two hours when a wave of familiarity washed over her. She had been here before. The sun had set and the street lights came to life.

  She turned left down Green Street and walked to the end of the cul-de-sac. Without a thought, she came to a stop in front of a large white stucco home. The porch light was on, and lamps glowed from several windows. She stared at the wooden swing on the porch, and images flashed before her—sitting on the swing with her parents, and later, with Evan. This house had been her home. Her body tingled with excitement. Her parents were behind the door.