Project Integrate Series Boxed Set

by Campbell, Jamie

  “I’ve been trying to make the switch, stomach ulcer.” He gripped his side to show where it pained him. I’m pretty sure I was partly responsible for his medical problem. I had given him a lot of things to stress about lately.

  The tea was sweet and hot, so much better than the ones they served in the bunker. Hot water was a luxury we didn’t get much of. “This is good, thank you.”

  “It’s my pleasure. Now, what are your plans?” He surveyed me over the top of his mug.

  “To stay alive,” I replied honestly. At that point, it was my only plan. Everything else I tried didn’t work but I was still there so I had to be doing something right.

  “How are you going to do that?”

  “Do you think you’d be able to help me out with freeing everyone from the complex?” I asked hopefully. The satellites could watch the place all they wanted, I actually wanted to do something worthwhile.

  “I can try,” Rob shrugged.

  We spent the rest of the morning and half the afternoon discussing ideas for the complex. Rob was able to give me some insight about how the guards and agents operated. I could then fill in the blanks with the routine of the project members. Together, we could fit together the pieces quite well to form a partial plan. It wasn’t solid yet, but it was a starting point.

  We also discussed the future apart from the complex. Rob didn’t have any plans either, except to take some time off. He hadn’t gone on a holiday in over ten years so was overdue for a break.

  Even though he never said how he felt about being fired from the Department, I could tell he was sad when his career was cut short. He sounded a bit lost now he didn’t have the routine of being a slave to his job. Knowing I had caused it just added another hot poker to my heart.

  My future was a little bleaker. Rob had nothing more to share about the Department’s plans and I trusted he was telling me the absolute truth. I knew he would want to help me in every respect if he could. He said those very words to me enough.

  When it was time to leave, I didn’t want to go without saying the words I most needed to. I stood by the door, my hand on the doorknob and ready to turn it. “Hey, Rob?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m sorry for leaving you there,” I whispered, unable to look him in the eyes. Using him as a sacrifice so Garrick and I could get away from the Department headquarters was one of the most shameful things I had done. I couldn’t leave the words unsaid.

  He wrapped me in his arms. “I made my decision, you did nothing wrong. If you’d have stayed we would all be dead by now. They would have gotten the truth out of one of you. But probably not you.” He grinned, I guessed he didn’t think much of Garrick in the short time he had spent with him. It seemed to be a common thread amongst men.

  “I’m still sorry.”

  “We’re all alive and safe for now, that’s the main thing.”

  I gave him another hug before leaving, making promises I would stay safe and keep him informed. Considering he was part of the plan formulating in my head, I knew that would be easy. Those were two promises I wouldn’t back away from.

  My fingers tapped the steering wheel as I left Rob’s suburb. It was a good hour’s drive from Portview but it was nice to have the peace and quiet. I didn’t feel like returning to the bunker yet, my head wasn’t clear and my yearning for more wasn’t gone.

  I went straight past the sign to turn for the road that led to the bunker, instead I headed directly for the center of Portview. I wouldn’t allow myself to visit Lochie, but I could visit someone else.

  I parked in the main street and put on Kyle’s sunglasses sitting on the dashboard. It wasn’t a great disguise but it might make people think twice before doing anything stupid to hurt me. At least I hoped so anyway. I wasn’t entirely sure what the general public would make of me now they knew I was an alien. I had been too afraid to test it.

  Lola worked at the Portview Central Music Hub after school these days, now she didn’t have a best friend to spend all her time with. The only place I found to park was a block away from the store so I put my head down and made a beeline. Hopefully she was on the roster today.

  The late afternoon was busy on the streets, far more crowded than I had anticipated. It seemed like everyone around me was staring my way, silently hating me. I tried to tell myself I was just being paranoid but it didn’t help settle my nerves.

  I was almost at the store when I felt a strong hand on my shoulder pull me backwards. I turned around quickly, fear in the pit of my stomach.

  A middle aged man stared back at me, scowling. “You’re the girl from the news. You’re an alien.”

  I cowered away, not knowing what to say. It wasn’t long before he earned himself an audience. I counted at least seven others before I stopped adding up.

  “She’s one of them,” a woman shrieked. “Come to kill us!”

  “Get out of our town, you’re not wanted here.”

  “Yeah, go.”

  “Maybe we should kill her before she kills us.” The angry words kept swirling around and around me. I looked from face to face, they were all twisted with a mixture of disgust and fear. I didn’t understand how they turned so quickly. Even after what the Originals had told them, it didn’t change the fact I had grown up in Portview, I knew some of these people.

  They started closing in on me, I felt hands grip me from all angles. Even if I wanted to run, they wouldn’t let me. I was completely at their mercy and terrified out of my wits. My sunglasses were knocked away, leaving my entire face exposed. Kyle wasn’t going to be happy.

  One of them grabbed my left wrist, twisting it around and sliding my bracelets up my arm until my triangle mark was exposed for them all to see. “She’s got the mark, she is an alien!” Everyone gasped, making horrible angry sounds at the sight.

  Air quickly became an issue as they surrounded me. I frantically searched around, trying to find a way out. It seemed like I was going to have to talk my way out – if they would listen to me. “Please, let me go. I’m not going to hurt anyone, I would never hurt anyone. Please, you don’t understand. They’re wrong, they are all wrong.”

  Nobody was listening, I doubted whether they even heard one word I said. Instead, they just continued to stab me with their insults.

  “Show us your green skin.”

  “Where are your antennae?”

  “You trying to read our minds so you can eat our brains?”

  “She’s got that murderous look in her eyes.”

  They were getting closer, crushing me. The tight hands gripping my arms started to pinch, if they let me go there would be bruises everywhere.

  Someone kicked at the back of my knees, making me stumble forward. They jumped back a little, trying to get out of my way like I was trying to attack them. “No, please, I’m not…”

  “Let her go,” the male voice spoke with such authority that I didn’t recognize it at first. “I said, let her go.”

  Those immediately around me took a step back, some people left altogether. Most of the hands holding me in place relaxed a small amount. They allowed room for a new one to grip my shoulder. He pulled on me so hard I was immediately yanked to the side. My feet could barely keep me upright.

  “Please let me go,” I begged. The fingers digging into my shoulder sent pain waves shooting down my back and arm. “I’ll leave, I won’t hurt anyone.”

  “Just close your mouth for once in your life,” the man replied. I recognized it but could barely believe it. Lochie had been my savior, and was now dragging me down the street like a criminal. My hope didn’t even get a chance to spark up.

  I had to run to keep up with him, he never once slowed his swift pace for me. He didn’t stop moving at all until we were around the corner in an alleyway where nobody else lingered. He let go of my shoulder roughly.

  “Where were you thinking?” He started, his voice nothing more than an angry growl. “People want to kill you and you go walking down the street? Are you that stup
id?”

  “I came to see Lola, I didn’t think people would notice me,” I tried to defend myself. Just seeing the anger in his eyes made me wish I was still in the bunker. I couldn’t be excited about seeing him, not when he looked at me like that.

  My words seemed to make him even angrier. “You thought nobody would notice you? Your picture is everywhere. There are nightly news bulletins splashing your face over every television screen in Portview. And you…? You really thought…?” He paced around, clenching and unclenched his fists.

  When I remembered how those same hands had been so gentle with me when he had caressed me all over, how his lips has been so sweet on mine, I wanted to break down and cry.

  “I really didn’t think they’d notice.”

  “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Seriously?” He stared me down. Was it too much to hope that he still cared about me? He was angry because I had been stupid and put myself into a precarious situation? That showed he still cared, right? If he cared, maybe there was a chance…

  “Lochie, I’m sorry,” I started, fighting back the tears. “About everything, I’m sorry. I know I was stupid and I won’t do it again. I’m trying to stay safe, really.”

  “Where are you staying? Tell me you haven’t been holed up in that damn trailer with him.”

  I shook my head. “There’s an underground bunker out on Nelson’s Farm Way. I’m staying there with… others like me.”

  He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his anger a little. He would be the one with a stomach ulcer next. He placed his hand against the wall beside me, letting it take his weight as he struggled to regain control of himself. I could hear his rasping breath so close it grazed my skin.

  He suddenly hit the wall and started pacing again. “How can you think sorry will fix all this?”

  I got the feeling we weren’t talking about what happened in the street anymore. “I don’t. I know it will take more but I need an opportunity to explain. I need you to hear me out.”

  “You had every chance to explain. At any time, you could have told me. But you didn’t. You chose to lie to me instead. You made a fool out of me.”

  The anger in his eyes had gone, leaving pain and hurt in its wake. I wanted to hold him so badly, I desperately wanted to take it all away. But I was the one that had made him feel that way and he was right, I had every opportunity to tell him and I hadn’t. I had known what I was doing, it had been my decision. And the entire time, I had known it was the wrong thing to do.

  But wasn’t that all beside the point considering he was repulsed by what I was? “Would it have made any difference if I did tell you? You hate what I am. You’re disgusted by it.”

  He stopped pacing to stare at me, his brows wrinkled in confusion. “I don’t hate what you are. I hate that you lied about it.”

  The walls started spinning around me as I tried to make sense of what he was saying. I had given up hope of fixing things between us because he couldn’t live with me being an alien. I thought he hated me because I had let him give himself to a creature of another planet. If he hated me because I lied, I could work with that. There was a tiny little glimmer of hope in that.

  “You’re okay with what I am?” I asked, still trying to work it all out.

  “I don’t care what you are, I fell in love with you. Whatever you are. But I asked you outright at the university campus if you were an alien and you said no. You lied to my face. What else have you lied about?”

  I remembered back to that moment. We had just met with Jacob, a conspiracy theorist, who first told us about the Originals. Lochie thought it was Lola that was the alien, then he thought it was me. The lie hadn’t been easy then but I did it because I believed in the project. I had no idea what would happen between Lochie and I then. No idea. None at all.

  If I had known how close we would get, would I have done things differently? Probably, but hindsight was always perfectly clear. Life was never that simple.

  “I’m sorry, Lochie. I really am,” I sighed, I didn’t have anything else to say. Perhaps it was better if I just let him forget about me. All I was doing was causing him more pain.

  “I am too.”

  My eyes flicked up to meet his beautifully intense blue ones. His lips were pursed tightly together, resembling nothing of the ones that had kissed me repeatedly and sent warmth flooding through my entire body. I doubted whether he would ever think of me in the same way again.

  I stepped back from him. “I should go.” He didn’t stop me.

  I looked around for the mob of people but they seemed to have disbursed while we were arguing. I hurried to Kyle’s car, wanting to be back in the solitude of the bunker with the door keeping the world firmly away again.

  As I briskly walked, I could hear someone following me. A quick glance over my shoulder showed Lochie shadowing me from a few steps behind. I knew he wasn’t trying to catch up with me, just keeping an eye on my safety. A small smile curled my lips, even though he was only doing it because he was a good guy and not because of some residual feelings for me.

  CHAPTER 3

  “Are you going to eat that?” Garrick asked, pointing to my mashed potato that came out of a dry packet and the sludge of ugly brown gravy covering it. The food in the bunker was tolerable at best but when I was feeling nauseous about my run in with Lochie, it was decidedly inedible.

  “You can have it.” I pushed the plate in front of him. Someone may as well enjoy it.

  “You going to tell me how you got that bruise on your shoulder?” He asked casually, staring at me to gauge my reaction. I pulled my shirt higher to try to cover the blue outline of fingerprints. My shoulder was sore from Lochie’s grip but I was hoping nobody would notice. Of course Garrick would be the one to spot it, the one person I would prefer not to explain things to.

  “I fell over.”

  “Sure you did,” he snorted. He let the space go quiet between us, expecting me to feel the urge to explain everything. I worked out earlier about his little trick to get me to talk. I wasn’t going to fall for it anymore. I could be comfortable in the silence.

  Nothing but silence.

  Or I could just change the subject. “I went to see Rob today.” Garrick raised a single eyebrow at me as his curiosity was piqued. “I asked him how he would free the members from the complex and he agreed with us.”

  “Are you sure you trust him?”

  “He saved our lives,” I pointed out. “There is no doubt in my mind he is on our side. Guess what he also said.”

  Garrick looked around the room, pretending to think hard about it. “He said he was an alien too?”

  I laughed, unable to stop myself. The thought of straight laced Rob as one of us? He would never survive. “No, even better. Rob thinks he knows of a few people that might be convinced to help us. He thinks he can turn them against the Department.”

  A smile spread across his face. “Well done, Amery. You’re not just a pretty face. Did he give you a time frame? All the satellites think they’ve got about a month of watching and waiting.”

  “He said he’ll get onto it, but he wasn’t entirely sure it would work so we just have to wait for his call. I have faith in him though, there’s no better man for the job.”

  Garrick patted me on the shoulder that wasn’t bruised, rubbing my back for a job well done. At least I could make one guy happy today.

  “So now are you going to tell me what happened to you?” He started again. I rolled my eyes. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you changing the subject. Who did this to you?”

  “Lochie,” I sighed, before quickly adding: “But he didn’t do it on purpose. I went looking for my friend Lola and someone recognized me from the news. Then more people stopped to hassle me. I was soon trapped until Lochie pulled me out of the middle of them.”

  Garrick didn’t seem to see it my way. “I should have known. He didn’t have to hold you so tightly that it caused bruising. I’m going to talk to him.” He stood, I had to grab
his arm to stop his flight.

  “Garrick, no. Lochie rescued me, he didn’t hurt me.”

  “Then why did you come back and cry your eyes out for a good hour before coming out of the bathroom? Huh?” He stared me down, refusing to blink.

  “It wasn’t because of the shoulder,” I admitted, staring at the floor because I couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore.

  “Then what was it because of?”

  “We had an argument afterwards, if you have to know. And it’s none of your business.”

  “When he hurts you, it makes it my business.” His words actually touched me, especially when he said them so tenderly. It was nice having someone at my back, even if it was only because of macho male pride.

  “I appreciate your concern, but leave Lochie alone,” I ordered him, as sternly as I could before teasing: “Besides, didn’t you learn your lesson last time? How’s your lip healing?”

  The pink scar on his former split lip was still visible from the last time he had confronted Lochie. He was standing up for me then too. It was sweet he wanted to fight my battles for me, but I was more than capable of taking care of myself. Surely I had proven that over the last few months.

  “Fine,” Garrick finally sighed. “Have it your way. But if I see any more bruises or tears, then it’s on.”

  “Like Donkey Kong,” I added playfully to lighten the mood. I earned a smile in return.

  I went to bed shortly afterwards, preferring the solitude of my bunk bed to hanging out in the community areas. I shared my room with three others, two bunk beds on each side of the room with a small chest of drawers at the end.

  My roommates were all female satellites, ranging in ages from forty-four to fifty-eight. They didn’t talk much, I’m not sure they knew exactly what to say to me. I wasn’t one of them and was a little too human for their liking. Plus, I couldn’t reminisce about the good old days on Trucon.

  I climbed into my bunk on the top, Roxie elected for the bottom bunk because of her dodgy knee. I didn’t mind, even though it was warmer up top. Once up there, I could imagine none of the others were there and I was alone. When I closed my eyes I could pretend I was in my own bed in my own house with my own parents.