Ill-Fated (Ill-Fated Series Book 1)

by S. C. McMurray

  He stepped back, looking ashamed. “I’m…I’m sorry Dr. Larkin, you may proceed.”

  Evelyn was motionless for a second before gathering herself.

  “Shame on you,” she said before stomping by him. Without looking back, she headed straight to the revolving doors. Rillian wore an expression of confusion as she strode by him, but none the less, he followed her out the doors. When they were safely away from the bank, he ran to catch up to her.

  “So, how did you get out of that one?”

  Evelyn shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

  “You are one lucky gal.”

  She glanced down at the book in her arms. “I don’t think luck had anything to do with it.”

  “Well whatever it was, I’m glad it’s on our side.”

  They reached the pickup truck and both of them quickly climbed inside.

  Rillian fired it up and asked, “So what’s the book?”

  “I think it is Dr. Larkin’s journal.”

  “Are you going to read it?”

  She rubbed her hands across the leather binding. “When we are safe in the hotel room.”

  “Okay.” He started to put the truck in gear but stopped. “I can’t wait that long.”

  He stole the book right from Evelyn’s lap.

  “Rillian!” she protested.

  He flipped it open, revealing pages of handwritten journal entries. “I know you want to know what it says too.”

  “I do but we have to be careful.”

  “Evelyn, relax.”

  “Rillian.” She reached for the journal, but he quickly pulled it out of her reach. When he did so, a small photograph slipped from between one of the pages and fell down near the gas pedal, out of Evelyn’s view.

  Rillian’s eyes widened as he slowly reached down and picked it up. He looked at Evelyn then back at the photograph.

  “Evelyn…she looks just like you.” He flipped it over. “And there’s a name written on the back—”

  “—Dr. Larkin…” Evelyn stared pensively out the windshield as everything fell into place. “Dr. Sara Larkin.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Adam watched from the darkness behind the two way mirror as two of his best integrators tried again to pry information from the girl. She was proving tough to crack, but the Separatists always were. Bruce, a thick necked man with a clean shaven head, slammed a photograph of the fugitive down on the table in front of their prisoner.

  “Tell me where she is!”

  The girl didn’t budge an inch, she just stared down at the picture.

  The other interrogator, Vega, a fierce looking woman with olive skin and dark eyes, braced herself on the table with both arms and leaned close to the girl. “If you just tell us what you know, you and your friends can go free.”

  The girl raised her gaze to Vega. “Free?” she said, harshly. “We are never free.”

  Vega leaned back and crossed her arms. “I don’t want to hear any of your separatist political bullshit. What I mean is, you can walk out the doors without cuffs on. You can see daylight and breathe fresh air again. Do you understand my meaning?”

  The girl bit her lip and returned her gaze to the picture on the table in front of her. Bruce grabbed a file that was lying on the table.

  “Let’s see here.” He opened the file and skimmed it. “Lana Jocelyn Vue. Friend and classmate of the fugitive. Previously of Cincinnati in Satrapy Eleven until she fell off the grid six months ago.”

  His eyes lit up and he pointed to something in the file. “Look at that, suspected member of the SPC.” He shut the file and tossed it back on the table. “Well I guess that she isn’t just a suspect anymore, what do you think Vega?”

  Vega tilted her head back. “I’d say we caught her red-handed.”

  “And what does that mean, Vega?” Bruce asked with a smirk.

  “That this pretty young girl will never see the light of day again.”

  “Commander Farez is going to love her at Forsythe Prison.”

  Vega opened her eyes wide at the girl. “So are all the other inmates, with their…” She paused. “pent-up frustration.”

  Bruce walked over behind the girl, placed his hand on her shoulders and began to rub them as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, “That’s if I don’t get you first.”

  The girl’s eyes narrowed and in a flash she snapped her head to the side and bit his left hand. Bruce let out a yell, then reared back and punched the girl in the face. The only thing keeping the girl from careening to the floor was the straps used to restrain her to her chair.

  The girl began to laugh through bloody teeth and Bruce reared his fist back again. “You-”

  At that point Adam leaned forward and pressed a button below the mirror, signaling that he wanted his interrogators out of the room. Bruce lowered his fist and left the room scowling, followed by Vega, who seemed to have enjoyed the exchange.

  Adam waited until the door was safely shut behind them before speaking. “We need to know what she knows.”

  Vega spoke first. “We are trying, sir. She is a tough one.”

  Bruce patted the blood seeping from the wound to his hand. “Just let me at her, Sir. I will get her to talk.”

  “Let us use all the tools at our disposal,” Vega added.

  “I want to know all she knows before we hand her off to Commander Farez. Do you understand?”

  Both Vega and Bruce nodded.

  “So, do we have your permission sir?” Vega asked.

  Adam glanced through the mirror at the girl, her face was already beginning to bruise. He felt a tinge of guilt in his stomach. He reminded himself that it must be done and nodded. “Yes.”

  Bruce grinned and reentered the room followed by Vega. Adam watched as Bruce opened a case and pulled out a pair of pliers and approached the girl. Adam turned away from the mirror and as the girl’s screams echoed past him, he felt his stomach knot up with guilt. But he reminded himself, as he had done many times before, that for the good of his country, it must be done.

  Chapter Sixteen

  She stared at the page as if her eyes could make the ink catch fire. She was sitting in the corner of their hotel room reading Dr. Larkin’s journal under the aged yellow light of a small desk lamp. Rillian was sprawled out on the bed, snoring. Evelyn hadn’t slept. How could she? Her past lay before her in a leather bound book as if her story was already written.

  Perhaps it was.

  She hoped not.

  Most of the pages of the journal read like a science text book with theorems and formulas, intertwined with citations and supporting text from other great minds. Evelyn had always enjoyed science and would have found the journal more breathtaking if it hadn’t been concluded with the word monster.

  That was what Dr. Larkin had called his creation. That was what Dr. Larkin had called Evelyn. She read the last page again as if it would change the second time through.

  You must understand, Reader, that my actions, as despicable as they may be, were born out of an emotion stronger than both love and hate. For many years of my life, I saw myself above such things, understanding that man acted on a series of biological impulses and societal notions. I took a non-judgmental stand above them, as if my scientific mind had allowed me to transcend the human condition and it’s perceived weaknesses. But, in the aftermath of one meeting and the times that followed, I was brought low, soon realizing that my position of strength was actually an illusion. And in a time of mighty loss, the daughter of love and hate was born. Her name is grief and she is very persuasive. Grief compelled me to push the boundaries of my science, to reclaim life as if I was the giver of such. And I followed her leading until the very end. And the very end, I fear, is the monster I have created…

  Evelyn stood up out of the chair and turned toward the mirror. Aside from her change in hair color, she saw that same person staring back that she always did. But it’s what she couldn’t see that caused her heart to sink into her stomach. He’d called
her a monster. But why?

  She needed to read more, she needed to know more, but at that moment, she couldn’t find the strength to turn the pages back. She felt cowardly, but she was too afraid of what she would discover. She let her eyes drift down her reflection until they settled on the form of the locket her father had given her.

  She pulled the jewelry out from under her shirt and popped it open. She smiled softly at the sight of her father. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand, it was almost 10 pm. She wished that she was back at home in her bedroom, lying in bed and waiting for him to come through the front door. She longed to speak to him, not to ask him what he knew, but just to talk. Because she knew when he looked into her eyes, he didn’t see a monster. He saw his little girl.

  She felt like crying but she was determined not to. She’d been doing too much of that lately. Instead, she decided to get some fresh air. There was an ice machine around the corner of the building, so she grabbed the ice bucket off the room’s dresser and headed out, quietly shutting the door behind her.

  It was a warm night, and the parking lot around the motel was full with cars. Oddly, most of those cars had Satrapy 10 plates. But after she thought about her earlier conversation with Rodney, the hotel clerk, it made more sense.

  The rooms around her and Rillian’s were probably full of philandering husbands and seamy women. She wondered if her father could have cheated on her mother. He did spend a lot of time away from home and Helen probably gave him good reason to.

  Evelyn doubted that her would be unfaithful however. Despite Helen’s mighty shortcomings, he loved her too much. And he was big on traditional values. Suddenly, she laughed to herself because she knew that her father would be steaming mad if he knew she was spending the night in a hotel room with a man.

  But her situation was different. She didn’t have feelings for Rillian.

  Or did she?

  She felt a surge of emotion rise like an ocean wave deep within her. He was confident, sometimes too confident, brave, funny, handsome and fierce. That fierceness could be scary at times, but she reasoned that might be what attracted her to him the most.

  Just as she was ready to admit to herself that she had feelings for Rillian, a familiar face screamed to the surface of her mind. Her stomach wrenched with guilt and a voice in her head asked, What about him?

  She clenched her fist, wanting desperately to scream back, I don’t know him and I don’t want to know him! But she couldn’t. Just like she couldn’t get his face out of her head.

  As she rounded the corner she froze in her tracks. Up ahead, just past the ice machine, were two police officers. They had some sort of special key and they were going door to door, searching each room, while two others were searching the truck she and Rillian had stolen. The breath went out of her and she slunk down against the wall.

  They found us?

  Keeping herself pressed against the wall, she hurried back to her room. She quickly slipped inside.

  “Wake up, Rillian!” she said in a harsh whisper.

  Rillian pushed himself off his pillow and, eyes weary, asked, “What’s going on?”

  “They’ve found us.”

  Rillian sat up with a jolt. “What?”

  “There are policeman outside.” She was trying to keep her voice down, but it was proving difficult. “They’re going room to room. We don’t have much time.”

  “Okay.” Rillian nodded as he reached down for his shoes. “Grab the keys to the truck.”

  “We can’t take it. They’re searching it right now.”

  Rillian tied his shoes and stood up. “They must have tracked it somehow.”

  Evelyn quickly grabbed her things, including Dr. Larkin’s journal, and tossed them back into her bag, then slung it over her shoulder.

  Rillian was ready in no time. He went to the window and peered behind the curtains.

  “It looks clear.”

  He motioned for Evelyn to follow him as he quietly slipped out the front door.

  Rillian started to the right, but Evelyn grabbed him from behind. “We can’t go that way. That’s where I saw them.”

  With a quick nod of his head, he turned around and Evelyn followed. They hurried to the corner of the building. Rillian peered around it.

  “It’s clear. Come on.”

  The two of them walked briskly and silently down the sidewalk on the front side of the hotel. Just as they reached the office, Evelyn heard footsteps and saw shadows moving up the sidewalk on the other side of the building.

  Rillian saw them too and froze.

  Evelyn grabbed him from behind and the two of them backed into the office.

  “Is everything okay?” asked a voice from behind them.

  Evelyn and Rillian turned around. It was the hotel clerk, Rodney.

  Rodney’s eyes narrowed on Evelyn with confusion. He pushed his glassed back up on his nose. “Jenny?”

  Evelyn pressed a finger to her lips, then mouthed, “Help us.”

  After a moment of hesitation, Rodney pointed to a linen closet. Evelyn smiled and she and Rillian ducked inside it. They pulled it closed. From the crack between the doors of the closet, Evelyn could see Rodney. He rubbed his head as he braced himself on the front desk with his elbows. A few seconds later, two police officers strolled in from outside.

  Rodney sat up straight. “Can…Can I help you officers?”

  One of them shot a suspicious glance across the room, while the other produced a picture. “Have you seen this woman?” he asked.

  “Can I get a closer look? My eyesight ain’t all that good.”

  The officer handed him the picture. “Her name is Evelyn Smoak and she is a fugitive of the law. It is believed that she is traveling with another person. A male. The two of them took something from a bank today.”

  At those words, a dejected look came upon Rodney’s face and Evelyn felt guilty. A pretty girl took advantage of him yet again and he knew it.

  “So,” the officer went on, “do you recognize her?”

  Rodney’s eyes narrowed on it. “Yep.”

  Evelyn’s heart sank.

  “But she checked out a few hours ago.”

  Evelyn smiled and Rillian let out a quiet sigh of relief beside her.

  The other officer pointed up at a camera in the corner of the room. “Mind if we check your surveillance system?”

  “Won’t do you any good.” Rodney went to the corner of the room and reached up and turned the camera around, revealing a detached wire. “It’s a fake. My step-dad owns the place and he’s a cheap skate.”

  “Figures,” the second officer responded.

  “Did she pay with her chip?” asked the other.

  “No offense, Officer, but no one pays with their chip at this hotel.”

  The officer nodded then asked, “Did she give you any indication of where she might be headed?”

  Rodney tilted his head back in thought for a moment than answered, “You know she did ask to use my phone.”

  “Did you let her?”

  “It’s hard to say no to a pretty face.” Rodney paused. “I’m not in trouble, am I?”

  The second officer leaned forward. “That depends.” He grabbed Rodney by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. “Are you telling the truth?”

  Rodney’s eyes shifted from left to right. He looked genuinely afraid. “I’m…I’m telling the truth.”

  The officer shook Rodney until his glasses fell off.

  Rodney squirmed. “Okay! Okay! I’ll tell you the truth!”

  The officer stopped shaking him and Rodney went on. “She gave me cash and asked me to cover for her if anyone came looking. I’m sorry Officer, but my step dad doesn’t pay me shit.”

  The officer pulled him closer until they were nearly face to face. “Is that it?”

  Rodney lowered his eyes. “No…she gave me a package and asked me to mail it out for her. I don’t know what was in it, but I know where it was going.”

  “
Where?”

  “I’ll tell you, just don’t shake me again.”

  “Tell me.”

  “It was marked for someone with the last name Reynolds in Indianapolis. I don’t remember anything else.”

  “You better be telling the truth.”

  “It’s the truth. I swear.”

  The officer looked at his partner, who nodded. After tossing Rodney back into the desk chair like he was a rag doll, the two of them left the office. Rodney sat for a moment before collecting himself. He bent down and felt his way to his glasses. He slipped them on his nose. They were crooked. He went to the door and peered outside.

  When everything was clear, he motioned for Evelyn and Rillian to come out of the linen closet.

  Evelyn ran to Rodney and gave him a big hug. “Thank you so, so much, Rodney.”

  He hugged her back, somewhat reluctantly. “You’re welcome, Jenny…”

  Evelyn released her hug and stepped back. “My name isn’t really Jenny, its Evelyn, like the officers said.” She paused. “I lied to you, Rodney and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

  He stepped back and sighed. “I’m used to it but apology accepted.”

  “Rodney,” Evelyn said, “I lied to you and you knew it. Why didn’t you just turn me in?”

  “Jenny-I mean Evelyn, I’ve seen all sorts of people in here. Now, I don’t know what you’re running from but I know a criminal when I see one. And you ain’t no criminal.”

  Evelyn couldn’t help but hug him again. “You are sweetheart aren’t you?”

  Rodney shrugged and when Evelyn pulled away, Rillian reached his hand out for him to shake. “Thanks for helping us.”

  Rodney appeared apprehensive at first but he eventually shook Rillian’s hand.

  Rillian continued, “You better lay low. Once they find out you sent them on a wild goose chase they’llll come looking for you.”

  Rodney shrugged. “The name and the address are real, so is the package.” He smiled slyly. “Reynolds is a business partner of my step dad’s so to speak and the police are not going to like what they find.”