by Wendi Wilson
“What is going on here?”
The shouted question drew everyone’s attention to the president. I was tempted to keep him detained there indefinitely while we left and picked up Grace, but I couldn’t leave things half done. We needed to end this, once and for all.
“Dr. Patton here wants you to use your executive power to rid the world of Alts.”
“I know that,” the president said. “I laughed him out of my office yesterday.” He looked at the doctor. “Why are you back here? And how are you controlling my guards?”
“That’s what he didn’t tell you,” I offered. “I am a product of his research. I can’t be persuaded and I have the ability to persuade everyone… including other Alts.”
I expected him to be shocked, but the calculated look he gave me sent shivers down my spine. It was there in his eyes, plain as day. He was mentally listing all the ways he could use me for his personal and professional gain.
Bile rose up from my stomach, burning a path up my chest and back down again as I swallowed against it. He was a total sleaze bag.
“Savanna, I demand that you give me my phone and do as I instruct you, right this moment,” the doctor shouted.
“Or what?” I asked, my voice angry. “You’ve lost. Accept it.”
“You will not get away with this,” he hissed taking a step toward me. “I’ll never stop. I will do whatever it takes to do the Lord’s work.”
I didn’t back down. I would never cater to his whims again. Never.
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Turning to the president, I said, “Dr. Patton tried to use an Alt to control you, to force you into genocide. He is a threat to your office and to America. You need to make an example out of him. Throw him into prison for the rest of his miserable life with no opportunity for parole.”
Dr. Patton started to argue, his words fast and furious, but Jett clipped him on the cheek with his fist. As his words cut off abruptly, the president nodded to his guards and I silently released them from my order to be still. They each grabbed an arm of the hysterical doctor and began dragging him from the room.
“Wait,” I ordered, and they stopped. I sent a silent order for them to hold his arms, keeping him still.
“Oh, thank you, Savanna. Thank you,” he blubbered.
I smiled at him. “This is for my parents,” I said and punched him right in the nose.
He yelped, the sound strange coming from a grown man’s lips. I must have done something right, because blood gushed from his nostrils, dribbling over his trembling lips.
“This is for Lizzie and her sister,” I added, cracking my palm against his cheek. Once. Twice. Three times. My palm stung from the contact and I shook it to relieve the pain.
“And this,” I growled, widening my stance, “is for threatening my boys and forcing me to leave them.”
I pulled my foot back and kicked it forward, the toe of my boot landing in his crotch. He screamed and doubled over, the guards’ grip on his arms the only thing keeping him from crumpling to the floor. I flicked a hand toward them and they backed up, dragging the bawling doctor through the door and out of sight.
Lizzie’s phone rang, breaking the silence that had fallen around us. She answered it, tears streaming down her face as she called her sister’s name. A bright smile followed, letting us all know it was, indeed, Grace.
“She’s okay,” Lizzie mouthed.
I leaned toward Silas, whispering, “Can you and Slade take Lizzie to pick up her sister? We can find our own way back and we’ll meet you at the motel.”
“Why don’t we all leave together now?”
“We have some unfinished business with the president,” I said.
“Okay,” Silas replied, “we’ll go. But if you kill him, he’ll die a martyr and you’ll go down in the history books as a crazy villain.” He had raised his voice a few notches, speaking loud enough for the president to hear.
Worth’s eyes went wide as he struggled against the invisible bonds holding him in his chair. I gave Silas a reprimanding look and he laughed as I turned back to President Worth.
“Stop moving and relax,” I said, “no one is going to kill you.” Despite the fact that I didn’t use persuasion that time, he obeyed.
The boys and I quickly traded goodbyes with the Madsens and Lizzie. They walked out, leaving Jett, Beckett, Wyatt and I alone with President Worth and the one remaining Alt. Beckett closed the door behind them, turning the lock with an audible click.
I observed the Alt standing behind and slightly to the right side of the president. She was young, but her business attire and the no-nonsense twist of her hair bun made her look older. I cocked my head, studying her features. It was obvious from the set of her jaw she was angry.
“Answer all my questions truthfully,” I said, blanketing her and the president in persuasion. “What’s your name?”
“Gregory Worth.”
“Sarah Spade.”
They spoke at the same time, causing me to roll my eyes. I obviously knew the president’s name. I needed to be more specific with the persuasion.
“Sarah, why are you working for the president?”
“I’m lucky to be here. I was living on the streets after my parents,” she spat the word like it was a curse, “kicked me out of the house. President Worth saved me with his youth program.”
“How old are you?” I asked.
“Sixteen.”
I flinched. She was so young. And obviously impressionable.
“Why did your parents kick you out?”
“I was angry with them,” she said without batting an eyelash, “for not letting me go out with my friends. I persuaded them to give me some cash, their car, and their blessing to leave. I forgot to make them forget, so when I got home, they tried to punish me.”
“What happened?” I asked, looking nervously toward the boys. I had a feeling her story was about to turn ugly.
“I told them to go to hell.”
“And?”
“And they threw me out. They are pious members of their church. Any blasphemy on my part wasn’t tolerated.”
“Wait,” Wyatt cut in. “You’re seriously telling us they threw you out because you told them to go to hell? Their own daughter?”
She laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. “They are members of the Divine Church of Purity,” she said, like that should explain everything.
It did.
“So, they resented you for being an Alt,” Beckett uttered, his voice soft.
Sarah nodded. “My whole life.”
“But how can you justify what you’re doing for him?” I asked, pointing a finger at the president. “He’s using you, all of you, for his own personal gain, professional and personal.”
President Worth’s face twisted up in confusion at the heat I infused in that last word. Of course, he had no idea I knew he’d been using his Alts to have sex with girls. I’d persuaded him to forget he’d tried it with me and that I was even there at all.
“It’s a small price to pay for physical and financial freedom,” Sarah said, answering my question with a dreamy expression on her face. “I’d do anything for him.”
“Savanna, we need to go,” Jett urged. “His people will come looking for him soon.”
I looked at President Worth. “You will stop using Alts to control people’s beliefs. The idea is repulsive. You will continue to employ them, allowing them to have legitimate jobs through your youth program. Forget we were here. Forget you ever saw us and everything you know about us. Only remember Dr. Patton and his attempt to have you persuaded. Never release him.” On an afterthought, I added, “Do not leave this room for ten minutes,” which would give us time to get out of there.
I hoped I’d done enough. This country deserved a real president who led on his or her own merit, not on the manipulation of its people and the removal of their free will. I wasn’t sure if he was even capable of doing it on his own, without the help of his Alts.
“We did it,” Wyatt said, slipping his hand into mine. “We beat our uncle and ended it.”
“Well, Savanna beat our uncle,” Jett amended, punching a fist into the air.
“It’s really over,” Beckett said, taking my other hand and lifting it to his mouth for a sweet kiss.
“It really is,” I agreed, as we strolled out the front door, the midday sunshine greeting us like a ray of hope.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“I’m sorry.”
That was about the eighth time I’d said those words in the short car ride back to our motel. Maybe even the ninth.
My parents had been driving down the street when we emerged through the front gates, tires squealing on the asphalt when they spotted us and slammed on the brakes. Mom had jumped from the passenger seat, ordering us to get inside. We obeyed without argument, Wyatt climbing into the front to squeeze in between my parents while the rest of us piled into the back.
“Anything could have happened, Savanna. We might have never seen you again, never knowing what really happened. If we hadn’t seen you on T.V., we wouldn’t even know where you went this morning.” She was repeating herself, but her anger and disappointment hadn’t waned. My apologies weren’t making a difference, either, so I refused to voice them again and remained quiet.
My stomach growled and Jett handed me his flask of blood. I nodded my thanks and took a long swig. All the persuasion I’d used was taking its toll on me.
“I called and texted, but you didn’t respond,” Mom accused, sounding more hurt than angry.
“My phone was on silent,” I said. “I was at a televised press conference. Besides, I did text you.”
“That one vague text about having things to do?” she shouted, making poor Wyatt flinch. “Are you being serious right now?”
I looked down without responding. The car bumped through a dip and I looked up to see we were pulling into the parking lot of the motel. Thank God.
“Mrs. James,” Beckett started, but my mother cut him off as my dad pulled into a parking spot.
“No,” she shouted, slashing her hand through the air. “You boys went along with this. You’re supposed to protect her. Even if that means protecting her form herself.”
“With all due respect,” Jett said, holding his hands up in surrender, “have you met your daughter?”
I flinched, preparing for impact once my mother exploded, but she surprised me. She actually backed down, huffing out a breath without responding.
“She is her mother’s child,” Dad said, turning the engine off and resting his hands in his lap.
“Are you persuading them?” I asked Jett from the corner of my mouth.
He grinned, shaking his head.
“He took Lizzie’s sister,” I declared, taking advantage of the silence to say my piece. “He threatened to hurt her if I didn’t come. He wanted me to come alone, but instead of going off all half-cocked, like before, I thought things through. We made a plan and executed it perfectly. Lizzie is probably on her way back with Grace, now.”
“Still—”
“It’s over,” I said, motioning for Beckett to open the door so we could get out. “I’m sorry you were worried,” I added, “but I did what I had to do. Dr. Patton is gone. He’ll be in prison for the rest of his life. We’re free.”
I climbed from the car and everyone else followed suit. I hugged my mom first, then dad. When I released him, Mom grabbed me again, nearly squeezing the life out of me. Then they led us to the room they rented for themselves, where the boys and I could tell the whole story.
We were just finishing up when a soft knock sounded at the door. Wyatt was closest, so he swung it open. The Madsen twins walked in, followed by Lizzie, who had her arms wrapped around a young girl. It was obvious they both had been crying by the puffiness of their red-tinged eyes.
“Hey guys,” Lizzie said, sniffing loudly. “This is my little sister, Grace.”
“Hi Grace,” I replied, introducing myself. “I’m Savanna.”
She released Lizzie and lunged forward, wrapping her thin arms around my middle. I hugged her back before smoothing her black curls away from her face. Tears ran from her eyes as she smiled at me.
“Thank you for saving me,” she murmured. “Lizzie told me what you did.”
I smiled down at her. “We all did it, together.”
She released me and looked at each of the Pattons. “Thank you,” she said.
“No problem, kiddo,” Wyatt replied, ruffling her hair.
Jett and Beckett nodded, giving her their thousand-watt smiles. I looked at my parents, getting their attention before jerking my eyes in Grace’s direction. Mom seemed to take the hint, telling Grace she could take a shower in their bathroom, if Lizzie could go grab her some clean clothes.
“We’ll help,” I said.
Lizzie hugged Grace and told her we’d be right back. Grace latched onto my mom, seeming to need a parental figure to lean on after her ordeal. We left, Lizzie and I trailed by my boys and the Madsen twins. As soon as we stepped outside, Lizzie threw her arms around me.
“Thank you, Savanna. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for saving my sister.”
Silas opened the door to their room and Lizzie released me as we all filed inside. Once inside, she went to her bag and, plopping it on the bed, began rummaging through it to find something for her sister to wear.
“So, what now?” I asked, acknowledging the elephant in the room. “If your parents really handed her over to Dr. Patton, can we actually give her back to them?”
“How can we not?” Beckett asked. “She’s their daughter.”
“They endangered her life,” I argued.
“No,” Lizzie said. “She can’t go back there. I feel guilty enough, having left her with them in the first place. I knew they were crazy, but I left her anyway.”
She twisted the shirt she was holding into a tight knot, tears springing to her eyes. Silas and Slade converged on her, sandwiching her between them as they whispered comforting words in her ears. I looked away, slightly embarrassed to be witnessing it.
Once they parted and Lizzie looked more in control, I said, “Well, we need a plan. They have a legal right to take her back.”
“I called them on the way here,” Lizzie said, her voice low. “I told them that I knew what they did and if they tried to take Grace from me, I’d call the police. She will testify that they handed her over to that madman to use as leverage over me.”
“Over you?” I asked, surprised.
She nodded. “Grace and I agreed to keep you out of it if it comes to it. The video of you at the shelter I released never showed your face, so no one knows it was you. If we keep you out of this mess, saying it was me Dr. Patton wanted, you can go back to your normal life.”
I didn’t respond, letting her words wash over me. I wasn’t sure how I felt. Going back to normal sounded good, but there were so many factors at play.
Jett, Wyatt, and Beckett no longer had a guardian or a place to stay in Savannah. I knew they wanted to return to Connecticut with the Madsens, but they would sacrifice that life to stay with me.
Then there was Lizzie, who I’d come to care for deeply. I had somehow made myself a real, bona fide best friend and I didn’t want to lose her. She couldn’t go home and neither could Grace. Plus, she had a budding relationship with the twins to take into consideration.
It was all so confusing.
Lizzie and I went back to my parents’ room and made sure Grace got settled in. She seemed content to be there with them, so we left her there watching the television with my parents promising to order a pizza for dinner.
I went to the door of my room and Lizzie stopped in front of hers. We smiled at each other and she waggled her eyebrows. Simultaneously swiping our keycards, we entered our rooms to be alone with our boys.
T
o figure out what to do for dinner. To figure out what to do with our lives.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“So, Lizzie, what did Dr. Patton mean when he called you his protégé?”
We’d pushed two big tables together so the seven of us could sit around it. The waiter had just dropped off two extra-large pepperoni pizzas and the boys were in the process of grabbing gooey slices when I asked the question.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at Lizzie. I was sure the boys had been as curious as I was ever since the doctor called her that during his phone call. Lizzie set the plate she’d been holding out to Slade down and folded her hands in her lap with a sigh.
“He was grooming me to be his right hand and, eventually, his successor. A good little soldier. That’s what he liked to call me.” She paused, letting her eyes drift over us. “Until I wasn’t.”
“But, he never even told you what his ultimate goal was,” I said.
She shook her head. “He kept everything to himself. I knew more than most, as little as that was.”
She looked really uncomfortable, so I changed the subject.
“So, what are we going to do now?” I asked, taking a bite of pizza to cover my own discomfort. This topic wasn’t much better.
“Well, we need to finish high school first,” Silas offered.
“He’s right,” Beckett agreed.
“But, you’ll have to leave them again,” I said, my voice cracking as I pointed at the Madsens. “You’re so happy living with them.”
“You’re right,” Jett admitted, breaking my heart. “We are happy being with our brothers from another mother.”
“You’re making jokes right now?” I asked.
I felt like I was going to cry and Jett was making jokes. I felt like punching him.
“Easy, tiger,” Wyatt cajoled from his chair beside me. He reached over and interlaced our fingers.
“Savanna,” Jett said, growing serious, “graduation is what? A month away? I think we can survive a month without those knuckleheads.”
“But, where will you live?”