by Marina Epley
“Look, breaker,” Wheeler says. “Everything that happens here is on you.”
He punches Jessie again. She’s very brave, keeping silent even as her eyes swell shut and her blood splatters everything around.
“She’ll die if you don’t answer my questions,” Wheeler promises, breathing heavily. “How can you be so selfish? You still have a chance to save her!”
My arms strain at the straps so hard that it hurts. I don’t know what to do. My thoughts alternate between saving Jessie and protecting Kitty. How can I protect both?
“Do you want her to die?” I hear Wheeler’s angry voice.
He’s no human, I think suddenly. Normal human beings can’t torture and kill so easily, smiling and relishing in each minute of the victim’s pain. He’s a vicious monster who’s going to kill us anyway. It means we’re already doomed, having been captured. I believe Kitty still has her freedom and therefore still has a chance to survive. I must protect Kitty, whatever the cost.
“Why not just kill her already?” I answer. “She’s nobody to me anyway.”
Of course I’m bluffing. I just hope that Wheeler is bluffing too.
Wheeler stops his beating of Jessie, pausing to think. Seems like he didn’t expect me to answer in that manner. Jessie glances at me for the first time and her swollen wounded lips move in some resemblance of a smile.
“You must think Elimination has no way to break you, don’t you?” Wheeler asks. “Chase, bring Victor,” he orders. “Let’s see how our uncooperative little lab rat likes having someone in his head.”
Looks like Jessie isn’t the only surprise Wheeler has prepared for me.
Keep silent no matter what, I repeat in my thoughts. You can handle this.
“Wait, you can’t use Victor,” Carrel protests. “He’s been doing some reading recently. I don’t want to exhaust him.”
“I don’t care,” Wheeler says. “And I can use Victor any time I want.”
As Carrel mumbles something incoherent in disapproval, Wheeler gestures for Chase to go. I’ve no idea what to expect. Who’s Victor? I’ve never known anybody by that name.
“You know how hard it is to acquire such a talented breaker,” Carrel grumbles. “Victor is one of the most valuable subjects.”
Wheeler rolls his eyes.
“If you damage Victor, where will we find another like him?” Carrel continues.
“I’ll be bringing plenty of new breakers soon enough,” Wheeler answers. “Just stop with all the bickering.”
Chase comes in leading a short guy decked out in a similar style prison issue jumpsuit as Jessie. He has a youthful looking face, making it difficult to determine his age. Apparently, Victor is another inmate breaker. Seems odd he isn’t wearing a blocking collar though.
“What do you need, boss?” Victor asks.
“Read her,” Wheeler motions toward Jessie.
Victor glances at her, then at me and says, “You’re kidding.”
“Victor, we need you to give us information concerning this lady,” Carrel says. “Please, do as Wheeler requests.”
“Can’t you guys get that on your own?” Victor asks. “It’s your job to interrogate them. It takes a piece of me every time I have to do this.”
“Victor, your willingness to read these breakers when required is the only thing separating you from them,” Wheeler threatens.
“Come on, just beat this girl a little more,” Victor suggests. “She’ll eventually tell you everything she knows.”
I watch them arguing. Seems strange to me that Wheeler hasn’t smashed Victor’s face, after putting up so much resistance. Wheeler looks agitated, but he’s suppressing his anger for some reason. Victor must be very important for Elimination, I conclude.
“Stop whining and read her,” Wheeler repeats calmly.
Victor groans.
“Okay,” he says, searching his pockets. He finds a candy bar and eats it greedily, finishing it off with a few huge bites. Then, he wipes his mouth on his sleeve and approaches Jessie.
“Don’t touch me, freak,” she mumbles.
“I’m sorry, okay?” Victor says softly. “I’ll try not to mess you up too badly.”
“Get away from me!” Jessie demands, apparently being well aware of what he’s about to do.
Victor takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and grabs Jessie by the neck, pressing his forehead into hers. She gasps and her legs and arms twitch in spasms. Not opening his eyes, Victor tightens his grip. Terrified, I watch Jessie’s mouth foaming as convulsions shudder through her body. What in the world is he doing to her? I’ve never seen anything like this before. I hear Wheeler’s mocking laughter.
“Are you enjoying the show, freak?” Wheeler asks.
“Stop!” I shout at Victor. “Leave her alone!”
He doesn’t react, possibly not even hearing me. Concentrating and tensed, he winces from the effort. At the same time Jessie emits a muffled cry. Chase turns away as if the scene disgusts him. Dr. Carrel, on the other hand, seems very curious, watching attentively.
Jessie stops screaming, her eyes wild and widened with insanity. Victor releases her and collapses on the floor, holding his head. He mumbles something, trembling.
“Have you read her?” Wheeler asks.
Victor glances at him blankly, getting up. Exhausted, he loses his balance, hitting the floor again. Chase reaches to help, but Victor pushes him away.
“Wait!” he exclaims. “Don’t touch me!”
Chase steps back. Victor shakes his head, seemingly disoriented.
“My name is Victor,” he whispers. “I’m in the lab.”
Looks like he’s struggling to remember who he is. What the heck has just happened, I wonder. Have I just witnessed a memory reading? This can’t be true. I thought it was only a fairy tale.
After Victor regains his strength and stands, Wheeler repeats the question, “What have you learned?”
“Her name is Jessica Pond,” Victor answers. “She’s twenty one, works for some trashy motel where Rex and his girlfriend stopped for a night. She did help them, even letting them stay in her apartment.”
“Any relatives?” Wheeler asks.
“She has parents in the south,” Victor answers. “They operate a farm. I’ve got their address. She grew up there, then ran away at sixteen. Being a breaker, she didn’t want to endanger her parents. You should be able to use them. She loves her parents a lot.”
Victor gazes at Jessie with unexpected guilt. Although Jessie’s eyes are open, she doesn’t seem to notice him. Only the chair straps prevent her body from falling to the floor.
“That’s my boy,” Carrel exclaims proudly.
Victor winces annoyingly and requests Carrel to shut up.
“Good job. Now read this freak,” Wheeler says, pointing at me.
Chapter 9
“You truly want me to try to break two subjects in a row?” Victor asks as he spits on the floor.
“You’ll survive,” Wheeler answers. “Do as I said.”
Victor groans. Perhaps he’s being forced to cooperate with Elimination, I realize suddenly. He could be every bit as much a victim here as Jessie or myself. Nevertheless, I can’t help but hate him. Seeing Jessie lost in oblivion with a blank and meaningless stare only makes me want to smash Victor’s face. If I could only get out of these straps… Desperately, I flail my arms and legs. Nothing works, the effort only serving to rub off some skin on my wrists.
Letting out an exhausted sigh, Victor approaches. As he grabs my neck, I snarl and move my head away.
“Don’t resist,” Victor says. “The more you resist, the more it messes with your mind.”
“Back off,” I say through clinched teeth.
“Easy, easy,” Victor says, getting a firm grip on my head and stopping me from further movement. Then he closes his eyes and presses his forehead against mine. The same instant, I can almost physically sense how some invisible force breaches my mind, breaking through it. I convul
se as a jolt of incredible pain shoots through my head.
I can’t let it happen. I must fight to resist Victor. No matter what, I have to block my memory somehow.
A nauseating feeling of weightlessness enfolds me as if I’m falling. Victor tightens his grip, making a low growling noise. The room blackens and I can’t see anything.
Stay awake, I command myself. Don’t let him knock you out. If I lose consciousness, I’m done and Kitty’s vulnerable.
I begin to hyperventilate. My heart pounds heavily and large drops of sweat roll down my face. I feel like I’m losing my mind. For a few seconds I don’t understand who or where I am. Reality fades, overlapped by images of Kitty flashing in my thoughts. This is Victor, I realize, he’s inducing me to remember Kitty so that he can rip off my memories. It’s outrageous! I can’t let anybody do this to me. I have to protect Kitty!
Get out, I project. Get the hell out of my head.
I concentrate, projecting my intense desire to block him. I have to put all my strength into the effort.
Get out, I repeat in my mind relentlessly. You can’t break me. Leave me alone.
I grab the edges of the gurney and clench my fingers so tightly that it hurts. I hear Victor’s teeth scraping together. I have him struggling now. I have to concentrate even harder.
Leave me alone, I repeat. Get out of my head!
Suddenly, Victor shudders, groaning as if somebody punched him. The next moment his grip weakens and he collapses on the floor. My body relaxes and the headache disappears. My vision normalizes.
“What happened?” Carrel asks in confusion. “Did you read him?”
“I couldn’t,” Victor laughs.
“What do you mean you couldn’t?” Carrel says in shock.
“He freaking blocked me!” Victor answers, still sitting on the floor.
“What are you talking about?” Wheeler asks.
“That’s nonsense!” Carrel shakes his head. “Victor is just tired. I told you we can’t make him read memories too often. He’s run out of strength.”
“Guys, are you stupid or what?” Victor asks. “It’s not a problem with me. It’s all him. He’s a stronger breaker than I am, period.”
For a few moments Carrel and Wheeler keep silent.
“That’s impossible,” Carrel says. “You can break anybody. You’ve never had a problem with reading anybody’s mind.”
“Well, you’ve never given me a subject like this, where it’s virtually impossible to swipe memories,” Victor answers.
“What the hell are you?” Carrel asks, approaching me. “How did you block my best breaker?”
I turn away.
“Answer!” Carrel shouts. “What are you?”
Watching him become so frustrated somehow makes me feel really good.
“You may think you got away with something, breaker,” Wheeler says. “But I have other methods to gain the information I need.”
No, you don’t, I think. You can torture me, even kill me, but you will never make me give up Kitty.
Wheeler unholsters his gun and presses the hard barrel against my leg.
“This is gonna hurt really bad, breaker,” he says, lips curling into a vicious smile. “You’d best start talking.”
I hold my breath, preparing mentally for the pain to come.
“How dare you interact with my subject in this manner?!” a shrill angry voice pierces the air. I see a furious Holtzmann enter the room shaking his fists. Instantly, Wheeler holsters his gun. Carrel winces, stepping away from me.
“We’re only speaking with the subject,” Carrel says.
“Only speaking?” Holtzmann looks at Victor. “What is Victor doing here then?”
“Oh, don’t worry, professor,” Victor says. “I couldn’t read your precious subject.”
Holtzmann gives a disproving look and says, “I wouldn’t expect you could. He’s a level four breaker.”
“Why don’t you come back later,” Wheeler says. “I need to finish my interrogation.”
Holtzmann brushes past Carrel.
“Excuse me, but you have no business interacting with my subject at all,” he says with a trembling voice. “And I hope you’re aware there will be consequences should I find it necessary to report your ill-advised behavior.”
I notice Wheeler’s hand resting on the butt of his gun. For a moment I think that he’ll shoot the mad professor. Holtzmann doesn’t intimidate easily, his twitching eye glaring straight through the agitated officer. Wheeler sighs heavily, weighing his options. Finally, he steps away.
“Thank you, Mr. Wheeler,” Holtzmann says curtly. “Officer Chase, please unstrap my subject.”
Chase executes the request promptly. I sit up on the gurney, rubbing my numb wrists. I’ve been strapped in for so long that can’t feel my fingers.
“Are you able to walk, Rex?” Holtzmann asks.
I nod. I’m ready to do anything to get out of this hellish room.
“Follow me, please,” the professor requests, heading toward the door. I jump off the gurney and follow behind unsteadily, still being weak and dizzy from my encounter with Victor.
“Wait a minute, Holtzmann,” Carrel protests. “You can’t just take him like that.”
“Of course I can,” Holtzmann counters. “Chase, could you help the subject along, please?” he instructs, noticing my limp.
“Hold on a sec, breaker,” Chase says, throwing my arm across his shoulder.
We leave the interrogation room, walking along dark windowless passages. I look around, trying to figure out the size of the building I’m in. It must be enormous. A few groups of Elimination officers appear along our way. Instinctively I slow down, feeling threatened and tense. But the officers only greet Holtzmann and pay little attention to me in passing by.
Holtzmann suddenly stops, pressing his back against the wall. Something must be wrong with him. He bends over, gulping air as he searches his pockets.
“Sir, are you all right?” Chase asks.
“I’ll be fine,” Holtzmann whispers.
He pulls out a plastic bottle of pills and swallows a few, choking them down. In a couple of minutes his breathing normalizes and we continue walking.
The idea of attempting an escape comes to mind. This may be the only chance I’ll get. I doubt the professor could stop me. He probably doesn’t even have a gun. Officer Chase, on the other hand, might prove more than I can handle right now. Especially in my weakened state. I need to recover a bit first, collect more information about this place and work out a plan.
Holtzmann slows down in front of a large metal door.
“Chase, you may leave us now,” he says.
“I can’t leave you alone with a breaker, sir,” Chase protests. “You know that’s against protocol.”
“Nonsense,” Holtzmann says. “Protocol wasn’t exactly being followed back in the interrogation room, now was it? This subject is far too intelligent to attack the only man standing between him and Wheeler, besides this facility is quite secure.”
Is it what he really thinks of me? That I’m scared of Wheeler? I can’t help from smiling. His misjudging my cooperation may come in handy in the future. While I haven’t committed the crimes I’ve been accused of, I’m in no way harmless to Holtzmann.
Chase seems surprised.
“Go, leave us!” Holtzmann orders, losing his patience.
“Be on your best behavior, breaker. This man just saved your life,” Chase says walking away.
“That’s better,” Holtzmann smiles. “Please, Rex, come inside.”
He swipes a plastic card, opening the door and we enter a large room. I walk slowly, looking carefully around.
I’m overcome by a sudden sense of deja vu, causing a cold shiver to run down my spine. I realize that this place is an exact replica of the interrogation room where I first woke, as well as the room from the dream with the girl. Windowless, with a sterile white ceiling and walls. Plenty of unidentifiable scientific equipment sca
ttered around.
“This is the lab where I work,” Holtzmann explains. “I suppose I could even call it my home away from home. This is where I spend the majority of my time, performing subject test and analyzing the data.”
“Your life must really suck,” I say.
Holtzmann doesn’t respond. He plops down behind a big wooden desk cluttered with piles of papers, then gestures toward an empty chair. “Have a seat, Rex, there is much for us to discuss.”
Accepting the invitation, I sit down. There are only a few feet separating us and no guards around. Should I attack right now, I have a good chance to knock him down and escape to… to where? Limping down the corridors, dodging guards?
I hesitate, assessing my strength. I’m weak and my mind is still foggy. I’ll likely have only one chance, so I need to be healthy and better prepared.
“First, I apologize for everything that’s happened today,” Holtzmann says slowly. “I felt a little under the weather this morning and couldn’t be there when you woke. Unfortunately, Dr. Carrel and Wheeler obviously took advantage of my absence to break protocol to do as they darn well pleased.”
His voice is full of guilt, but I’m not buying it. There’s nobody here I can trust. This may be another trick to get me to give up Kitty’s whereabouts. Be nice and kind enough to make me wish to reciprocate and give something back. It won’t work, although at the moment I need to play along.
“I’ve been through worse,” I answer carefully. “Why am I here anyway?”
“I’ll explain everything,” Holtzmann promises. “But first let’s make sure you’re sound enough to hold such an important conversation.”
He pulls out a blood pressure monitor and thermometer from a drawer and begins his examination.
“Not bad,” he says, seeming satisfied. “Are you experiencing any nausea or fatigue?”
“Only a little,” I lie. “What drug did you use on me?
“Nothing too serious,” Holtzmann assures. “It was a tranquilizer designed to induce a comatose state during transportation. It’s non-addictive and post side effects should dissipate within a couple of days,” he pauses. “We should feed you soon,” he decides. “Think you can eat?”