The Perfects

  The breath I’d been holding whooshed out of me.

  It was Ian who had startled me. He stood a few feet away from the door with his back facing me. On the ground next to him was a bucket. He crouched down beside it and cupped water into his hands before splashing it on his face.

  He’d gone out to get water for us. Of course.

  I was about to call out to him as he stood up and pulled his shirt over his head.

  My words caught in my throat. Not because of Ian’s incredible body. His rock-hard abs had been present in many dreams for me. It was the distinct absence of the mole on his back. The mole had been on his upper back. And now all he had was smooth skin.

  I tried to remember if he felt like Amy had. Since running from the Perfects, our skin had been dirtied and bloodied. Last night, I’d held his hand until I fell asleep. But it wasn’t soft like Amy’s. Or was it? It could have been disguised under the grime.

  I closed the door over my head and rushed down the steps, crossing the room to Ashley. I shoved her shoulder a few times. My stomach churned, and I knew it wasn’t from hunger.

  “Ashley,” I sobbed. I couldn’t help the emotion burning my throat and tainting my words.

  “What?” she asked, popping up from the bed. “Are the Perfects here?”

  In a way, they were. “No, not yet, at least.”

  She looked around the room. “Where’s Ian?”

  “Outside,” I said. “He’s one of them.”

  “What?” she asked in a harsh tone. Her voice filled the room.

  “Shh,” I said, taking her hands in mine. Her skin felt normal. I needed a normal touch at that moment. “He used to have a mole on his back. He was cleaning up outside, and I didn’t see it.”

  “He helped us escape, though,” Ashley said.

  “I know,” I said, still not actually understanding it. But Ian’s mole was missing. He was a Perfect. I had no doubt about that. “We have to take the upper hand.”

  “What can we do? I’m injured, and he has all the supplies.”

  “We’re going to have to make due. If he’s with us, there’s probably a bigger plan.”

  “Like what?”

  “I have no idea. But I’d rather go off on our own then find out.”

  “Do you have a plan on what to do with him?” she asked.

  Even though the shelves had been devoid of food, there were some supplies on the lower shelves. I was interested in the rope. I explained my plan to Ashley, and with a few minor tweaks, she agreed. Instead of injuring the Perfect-Ian, Ashley was going to use his bow and arrow to force him into the chair. If that didn’t work, then we’d use as much force as we had.

  I hoped that he would give in to the bow and arrow threat after seeing what it did to the other Perfects. Since Ashley was injured, it would be me against him, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to outsmart or outweigh him.

  The door to the bunker opened, and Perfect-Ian appeared on the steps. I sucked in a breath and watched him descend. He held the pail of water I’d seen him with before, and his shirt was back on his body.

  “Good morning,” he said to us. He came over to me first. He leaned down to give me a kiss, but I was so overwhelmed with learning his secret that I turned away from him and his lips grazed my cheeks.

  “What—” he said and then his eyes widened.

  Ashley stood behind me with the bow and arrow at the ready. Her hands wobbled a little, but I knew she would hit some part of his body if she let go.

  Perfect-Ian held his hands up. “What’s going on?”

  “Sit down,” I said, going to her side. “Over there. I’m going to tie you up.”

  “Abbey—”

  “Don’t call me that!” I said, my emotions took over my entire body, and I was shaking uncontrollably. I’d have to get a hold of myself before tying him up. I wanted the knots to be secure, so we’d have a good head start on the others who were hunting us. “You’re not Ian. I saw you outside. The real Ian has a mole on his back.”

  His head hung down against his chest. “I can’t believe that’s what gave me away.”

  “Why are you helping us?” Ashley asked. “If you’re one of them, this doesn’t make sense.”

  Ian held up his hands in front of him. “Put the weapon down, and I will tell you.”

  “No,” I said. “You will tell us everything.”

  “If you shoot me, this is all over,” he said.

  “It’s already over,” I said. “Tell us everything.”

  He eyed Ashley, but she kept her eyes trained on him. Even her crush on him wouldn’t overcome our need to be safe. Her stubbornness worked in our favor at the moment.

  “Ian is safe,” he said. “He’s different, though.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “He’s immune to the illness which makes him immune to the control of the technology in the A.I.s.”

  “What illness?” Ashely asked.

  He lowered his eyes to the ground. “This is why Edgewood is creating A.I.s. Twenty years ago an illness swept through the country that left many people handicapped, physically and mentally and sometimes both. The scientists at Edgewood discovered that the illness was genetic and puberty could trigger the symptoms that would be passed down to future generations. The A.I.s can’t pass on the illness. We’re programmed to protect the human race at all costs.”

  “But you’re somehow different because Ian is immune? How do you know all of this?” I asked.

  “The teens in the pods are mentally linked to the Perfect copies,” Ian tapped his temple with his fingertip. “We’re programmed that way so we can recall memories from our host body, so we’re able to blend in with their lives when we return home. Also in the chip is all the information I needed to prove something shady was going on at Edgewood.”

  Bile rose in my throat. I wouldn’t allow this impostor to step foot in Ian’s home.

  His eyes met mine. “It’s how I have such strong feelings for you, Abbey. Ian’s memories are filled with you.”

  “Gag me,” Ashley said, putting down the bow.

  “Don’t!” I said and rushed over to her. “He’s lying. He’s only trying to make us put our guard down.”

  “I’m not,” he said. “I promise. I wanted to get you both home safely. Ian firmly believes this is wrong. And with his memories and convictions, I wanted to help both of you escape.”

  I tried to think of when they would have turned Ian. He had been himself when we went looking for Karen.

  I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. “You weren’t affected by the sedation in the syringe. They had transitioned you when you said you were going to get your weapon.”

  “You were weak just like Karen when they took her out of that goo,” Ashley added. Her face was white as a sheet, probably as white as mine.

  My stomach churned with a fierceness that threatened to make me lose whatever was left inside of it.

  “Yes,” he said. “If Ian hadn’t been immune, I don’t think we’d be here right now.”

  I knew how cunning these A.I.s were. Whatever Perfect-Ian’s plan was, I wasn’t falling for it. But I knew we needed to move the odds in our favor.

  “I need some fresh air,” I said, crossing the room toward the stairs.

  “I’m coming with you,” Ian said.

  It was what I wanted if I was going to fulfill my plan. But I didn’t want to be suspicious. “I need to be alone.” I didn’t dare call him Ian. That would be an insult to my good friend who was now trapped inside of Edgewood.

  “Why? So you can alert your friends to our location?” I asked.

  “No,” he said. “What can I do to make you believe me?”

  I didn’t answer his question. Instead, I climbed the stairs and pushed open the door. The fresh air filled my lungs, clearing my head for what I was about to do.

  I went over to the rock where Ian had hidden the bag. It was big enough for me to hold and do exactly what I wanted it to. I stood ne
xt to it, waiting for my chance.

  “Abbey,” he said, coming up behind me. “What can I do to make you believe me?”

  I closed my eyes for a moment, gathering the strength I would need to do this. I opened them and glanced over my shoulder.

  “Did you hear that?” I asked, looking behind him.

  He turned around to investigate.

  I knelt down, picked up the rock and smashed it over his head. His body went down fast and hard. Since the encounters with the other Perfects. I didn’t blink an eye about attacking any of these robots that had the faces of people I loved.

  I rushed over to the door and opened it wide, propping it up. “Ashley, I need your help.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Ashley popped her head through the doorway and glanced over at Perfect-Ian who laid unconscious on the forest floor.

  “What happened?” she asked with a quizzical brow.

  “I knocked him out,” I said, staring down at his prone body.

  “And you need my help with…?”

  “Tying him up.” I went over to Perfect-Ian and grabbed his arms and attempted to pull him into the bunker. If his other Perfect friends found him, they’d know we were here. And if he woke up, I didn’t want him to come after Ashley and me in an attempt to bring us back to Edgewood for our transition.

  “I’m confused,” Ashley said.

  “He’s lying,” I said. “With him in our group, he could lead the Perfects right to us.”

  “But why did he help us get out?”

  “He needed our trust for something. And I don’t intend to find out why. Besides, if they are linked to the institute then the other Perfects are sure to find us soon.”

  “What’s your plan?”

  I got Perfect-Ian to the stairs. Ashley helped me steer his prone body into the bunker. By the time we got him into the chair, I was sweating profusely. Ashley was breathing hard, and I took over tying him up so she could take a break.

  Her condition would slow us down, but I hoped we were close enough to town to get help sooner rather than later.

  Perfect-Ian was still unconscious when I finished tying him to the chair.

  I stared at his face. I hated that he looked like Ian. I hated that I kissed that imposter.

  “What are you thinking?” Ashley asked.

  “I want to get Ian out of there,” I said.

  “We will. Once we tell everyone what’s going on here.”

  “This program has been going on for years,” I said, thinking through our options. “What if we run into a Perfect before we can get home?”

  “We have to try at least,” Ashley said.

  “We need more numbers,” I said.

  “How do you suggest we get numbers?” She asked.

  “I think we need to go back,” I said.

  “Go back?”

  I glanced at Perfect-Ian. Ashley was right. There was something more going on with Perfect-Ian. What if he was right that Ian was immune? Were there Perfect copies that were immune? Showing everyone what was going on instead of telling them might give us a better chance of stopping them.

  When I explained this to Ashley, she said, “At least they won’t be expecting that.”

  We had a silent agreement about the truce between us. Almost being turned into a robot was a bigger fight than her rift with me over Ian.

  “What is the plan?” she asked.

  The way out of Edgewood had been impossible. And with the cameras all over the place, how were we going to get in there undetected and save Ian and other immune teens.

  “Like you said, they won’t be expecting us to come back. If we can get back there undetected, then we can look for Ian in the pod rooms.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Ashley said.

  It was a long shot, but both plans had little success rates. This one was the best option in my mind.

  “Our Perfect-friends were able to get in through that back exit, we can try there first,” I said. “There had to have been a stairwell or something that they came in through.”

  “What are we going to do about him?” Ashley asked, pointing at Perfect-Ian.

  “He won’t be able to get out of there,” I said. I’d tied enough knots at the farm that I knew he wouldn’t be able to escape, no matter how hard he tried.

  “Should we go now?” Ashley asked.

  “It would be best to go at night,” I said, “under the cover of darkness.”

  “What if he wakes up again before that?” Ashley asked.

  “We’re not going to stay here,” I said. “We’re going to find another hiding spot until tonight.”

  Ashley sighed. With her injuries, her fighting spirit had dwindled. Our situation didn’t help either. I tried to channel my strength, thinking of the real Ian and what he would do. This had to work.

  “Abigail,” Ashley said. “I don’t think I’ll be able to walk a lot today. How about you go and find another spot and come back to get me. I don’t think we need to be that far away. Maybe we can find a tree or something? Then tonight we can go. I just need a little more rest.

  I glanced at Ian.

  “You said your knots would hold him. I can always knock him over the head again if you want.”

  “If you’re sure,” I said.

  “Give me a couple of hours. I need to change my bandages and rest for a little while so that I can regain my strength.”

  I grabbed the bag with the supplies and took out a bottle of water and a granola bar. “Here, eat something and rest. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  She took the bag. “Good luck.”

  I traveled in the direction of Edgewood for an hour or so before I found a tree with several low, hanging branches. It was the perfect climbing tree. I shaded my eyes as I looked up to the top of it. There was a canopy of leaves covering the top branches. The limbs were thick and would be able to hold us. Being in the direction of the institute would help us. I’d be able to get Ashley up into the tree while we waited for nightfall.

  While searching, I’d been careful to steer clear of those in the search party. Twice I’d come up against groups of Perfects. Each group had three enemies. Both times, I hid close to the ground and waited until they passed with my heart roaring in my ears.

  I turned around and started back toward the bunker. I was only a few steps away when I heard screams in the distance. I hid behind a tree and listened again. Was I overreacting? Or did I hear a bird that sounded suspiciously like Ashley?

  My breathing was ragged, and my heart threatened to beat through my chest.

  When I heard Ashley scream again, I closed my eyes and knew we were in trouble.

  I turned and peered around the tree. The sound of crashing footsteps on the forest floor gave me the direction of where the screams were coming from. Within seconds, I saw five figures appear in the distance.

  Christopher and Lucy were dragging Ashley along. Her shouts became clearer the closer they came.

  “Let go of me!” she cried out. She twisted her arms, but the two professors continued to walk. Ashley cried out in pain a few times, and my entire body went cold when I saw the fifth figure.

  Perfect-Ian walked behind the group with a Perfect. A woman with long brunette hair who was about my size. He wasn’t being dragged, he went along with them freely. And on one shoulder was the bag with the supplies.

  I had been right. He was a traitor. He probably had some electronic GPS in his head that led the Perfects right to him and Ashley. Why had I agreed to let her stay behind? I’d put her in danger, and now she was going to be transitioned. I had no hope of getting anywhere now.

  As they neared, I pressed my body against the tree. The bark bit into my skin but I didn’t dare move. I couldn’t get caught. Even though there was no way I was going to take on two Perfects and two professors, I had to stay free. At least for as long as I could.

  “You said the other girl got away?” the Perfect next to Ian asked.

  I moved my hea
d to the side to watch them. I’d have to move my body to keep the tree blocking me as they passed.

  “After she had hit me in the head, I think she ran off,” Perfect-Ian said.

  I couldn’t help watching Perfect-Ian. A small part of me wanted to believe him, but I was glad I knocked him out. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

  I tore my gaze away from him and focused on Ashley. “She’s going to tell the world about what you’re doing here. You’re all going to be screwed.”

  Lucy laughed. “She’s never getting off this property.”

  The way she said it made me believe it. There were so many more of them then there was me. Why was I trying to fight this? The outcome would be the same. At least if I went with them now, then this would all be over. I hated that they made me want to give up. It was against my nature but how long would I be able to last in the woods without food and water? I had enough water to get me through a few days, but I guessed the people at Edgewood would get to me way before that.

  I might as well turn myself in.

  I stepped away from the tree and opened my mouth.

  I met Ian’s wide-eyed stare, and he shook his head. “Stay,” he mouthed.

  As if he were the one in my head, I stepped back into my hiding spot.

  “You mentioned something about an upgrade?” Perfect-Ian said loudly.

  “It appears that your homing device has been compromised,” Christopher said. “And you know how important that is. We could have brought you in sooner if it was working.”

  “I wanted to believe you were good,” Ashley said to Perfect-Ian.

  The woman Perfect laughed. “You’re hostility will be eliminated in no time. You will feel so much better when you have transitioned.”

  “Great,” Ashley said with a snort. “So I can be a heartless robot like you? No thank you.”

  The Perfect frowned and carried on walking.

  I watched Perfect-Ian for any other signs that he was helping me. And then it happened. He slowed his steps, and none of the others noticed the change in his pace. He lifted the bag off his shoulder and dropped it soundlessly behind some brush. He took several large steps to keep up with the others and continued without another look in my direction.