A Chosen Destiny (The Samantha Project Series #3)

by Karpinske, Stephanie

  I shrugged. “That’s okay. It leaves a little mystery in the relationship.”

  He placed his hand under my chin, forcing me to look at him. I felt his energy go through me, filling me with warmth.

  “Think about it, Sam. If you really want to be with me but are refusing to because of GlobalLife, aren’t you still letting them win?”

  His touch made my heart race. I hated the way he could get to me like that. And I hated that he was bringing up things that I was trying so hard to put aside. I pushed his hand away and attempted to go up the stairs, but his arm caught me around my waist. He drew me into him, making my heart beat even faster. “Sam. Just think about it.”

  “We’re done talking about this, Erik. We need to get upstairs.” He hesitated, then finally let me go.

  We went to our separate rooms and took a short nap. The house was silent. Nobody wanted to disturb us. At 7, Colin came in my room.

  “Sam, it’s time,” he said, waking me with a kiss. “They want you to eat before you go.”

  “Okay, tell them I’ll be out in a minute.” I felt a knot forming in my stomach as I stood up.

  “This is probably the last time we’ll be alone together before you leave. Don’t you want to say goodbye without everyone watching?”

  “We’re not saying goodbye, Colin. Because nothing’s going to happen to Erik and me tonight. GlobalLife doesn’t even know about this. Everything will go as planned and I’ll be back in a few hours. I’m not even worried about it.”

  He put his hands firmly on my shoulders and waited for me to look at him. “What happened to that promise you made about being honest with me?”

  I nodded and hugged him tight for several minutes. As scared as I was, I had to keep telling myself that this night would go well. I couldn’t let myself consider the possibility that GlobalLife could take Erik and me again. But I knew it could happen. We would be right outside their offices. They could have heard about the plan. There could be a mole in the rebel group.

  Colin and I went to the kitchen. Erik was eating some cereal and toast. It looked like a good option. Carbs fuel the brain, I thought. And my fragile stomach couldn’t handle much more than cereal.

  Rachel was there, going over the plans. “We’ve let Allie know what to expect. She doesn’t know specifics, but we told her that her mom may be acting strange tonight and that she’s not to interact with her or try to stop her from leaving.”

  “Allie won’t be involved, right?” I asked. “She won’t get hurt?”

  “No. She’ll be safe at home. Keith will be driving you there tonight. He’ll be here shortly. When you get to the city, you’ll go by the GlobalLife Capital Management building just to make sure the guards are gone. Around 11:30, you’ll park in front of Eve’s high-rise. That’s when you’ll enter her mind. Make sure she brings her security badge to access the building. We asked Allie to set it on the table by the door. Once you get Eve out of the building, you’ll get her in the car that Mitch will have waiting out front. He’ll take Eve to her office and you guys will follow in the other car. Eve will go inside, get the genetic material, and then Mitch will be waiting to pick her up and take the vials. He’ll drive her back to the apartment with you guys following again. Make sure Eve’s in the apartment before you leave her mind. After that you’ll head home.”

  “You make it sound so easy,” Erik said.

  Jack and Dave, who’d seemed optimistic leading up to this, now looked very concerned. They kept their eyes on us, as if they might not see us again. It only made me more nervous.

  At 8, Keith arrived with the car. We went over the entire plan again, detail by detail. After that it was time to leave. Brittany gave Erik and me a quick hug, then ran off to our room and shut the door. She hated people seeing her show emotion. Dave, Jack, and Colin tried to act like it was no big deal, reassuring us it would go well.

  “I’ll see you soon.” Colin gave me a hug. “Do you have the ring I gave you?”

  I showed him my hand.

  He smiled. “Then just do like it says. Go save the world.”

  I laughed. “Oh, thanks. Like I needed any more stress.”

  He hugged me once more and whispered in my ear. “You can do this, Sam. I know you can. I love you.”

  The car ride into the city went smoothly, but once we entered Manhattan the traffic was really bad. It was much worse than the day Colin and I drove there to get Allie. Luckily we left early so still had plenty of time. Before going to Eve’s apartment, Keith drove by the GBL Capital Management building. It didn’t look like anything special. Inside it was dark, except for dim security lights. I spotted some cameras outside aimed at the sidewalk and front entrance.

  My stomach dropped just seeing those letters. GBL. GlobalLife. It’s just a building, I told myself. I took Erik’s hand.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Not really.” I took a deep breath and let it out.

  He tightened his grip on my hand. “It’ll be over in a few hours, Sam. Tomorrow at this time you’ll wonder why you were nervous at all.”

  “What do you think we’ll do tomorrow? I mean, once this is over with, then what?”

  “I don’t know,” he said casually. “I was thinking of playing some Scrabble with Brittany.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, it tends to have unexpected effects on people.”

  He smiled. “That’s what I hear.”

  I loved the way Erik could make me feel better. I could feel his calming energy through our hands.

  He nudged my side. “Seriously, though. If something isn’t going right with Eve tonight, just hand control over to me. Together, we’ll get this done.”

  The time came too quickly. It was 11:30 and we were parked outside Eve’s building. “You two ready?” Keith asked.

  “Yes,” I said, looking at Erik. We linked our hands tightly and closed our eyes. I pictured Eve in my head. At first there was nothing but static sounds, but then I heard a few words.

  “I barely have time to pack for this trip,” she thought. “I hate these last minute changes. Let’s see, this blouse with that skirt. And I need to find those shoes I just bought.”

  I felt myself connecting deeper into her mind. I could sense movement, as her brain directed her arms and legs. I could feel her stress. She seemed anxious and a little jittery, like she’d just had some coffee. I could smell her perfume as she moved through the room. And then I felt sick as her energy overtook me. It was a strong but dark energy filled with rage and a longing for power and control. The feeling overwhelmed me to the point that I almost lost my connection with her. Erik sent more energy my way, refocusing me on Eve.

  Slowly I opened my eyes to find myself looking in the mirror. Except it wasn’t me staring back. It was Eve’s reflection. She was wearing dark wool dress pants and a silky beige blouse. The image startled me at first, but then I realized that I was now completely in her mind. I could feel myself drawing on Erik’s energy even more. I noticed Eve had a skirt in her hand, ready to pack in her suitcase. I slowly set it down, testing my ability to control her body. “No, I don’t like this one,” I had her say, making sure I could control her speech.

  I could sense Erik wanting me to move this along. I had Eve leave her bedroom and walk slowly to the table by the door to the apartment. Her GlobalLife badge was there, along with a set of keys. Keith had said we’d only need the badge. I had her grab the keys, too, just in case. The apartment was very quiet. I assumed Allie was in her room.

  Eve left the apartment and got on the elevator. When she came out, the doorman said hello to her. I had her nod to acknowledge him on her way outside. The black car Mitch was driving approached her. Eve got in. We followed in the other car. Soon we were back at the GBL building.

  I had Eve get out of the car and quickly walk to the entrance. There was a place near the door to swipe the security badge after hours. Everything looked exactly as it did in the diagram that Keith and Mitch had shown us earlier. Eve swiped her
badge and a panel appeared. I moved her closer to the panel and the system scanned her eyes and face. The door clicked open.

  Eve entered the building. It was hard to see with the dim security lights. With my enhanced vision I could see perfectly in the dark, but I couldn’t now that I was using Eve’s eyes as my own. I walked her straight back to the door that hid the vault. It blended in so much with the wall that most people wouldn’t even notice it. Another swipe of her card on the security keypad opened a panel similar to the one out front. We repeated the eye and face scan, but this time there was a fingerprint scan as well. Soon the door opened, revealing a small room that contained the vault.

  I looked left and saw a plexiglass booth. It was just as Mitch had described. A small booth with a sliding door. It was the lie detecting device that would test Eve’s loyalty to GlobalLife. Once Eve entered the booth, the device would start monitoring her breathing pattern and heart rate and would detect even the tiniest drop of sweat. She would put her hand on a small platform that protruded from the side of the booth. At unexpected times, a sharp pin would stick up from the platform, pricking her finger and testing her blood for stress hormones.

  Eve swiped her badge once again to get inside the booth. As soon as she was inside, the door slid closed. I put her hand on the platform and waited. The pin stuck her right away. I could sense her brain recognizing the pain, but her body didn’t react. Finally I heard a voice in the booth.

  “Name,” it said.

  “Eve Taylor,” I answered in Eve’s voice.

  “Material you’re accessing?” the machine asked.

  “Foreign genetic material.” It was the term GlobalLife used for the alien genes.

  “Employee ID and password.”

  Both had been in the files Allie gave us. “176297655. AT19Z4.”

  “Incorrect password. Repeat.” I felt my heart skip a beat. I was sure that was the password. But what if she’d changed it that night?! I could sense Erik trying to keep me calm. Maybe I said the password wrong. I tried it again. “AT19Z44.”

  The device was silent. Then finally, it spoke. “The security questions will now begin.”

  I glanced down to see the pin prick Eve’s finger again. I slowly backed out of her mind to let her answer.

  “Should you be captured and held prisoner by any persons, or any devices of artificial intelligence, would you reveal information regarding the foreign genetic material?”

  “No. I will never reveal information regarding the foreign genetic material.”

  “Are you willing to undergo inhumane torture of any kind in order to keep the secret of the foreign genetic material?”

  “Yes.” Eve answered without hesitation. The device pricked her finger again.

  “Are you willing to forgo your life in order to keep the foreign genetic material safe?”

  “Yes.” Her breathing and heart rate remained steady.

  “Should the material be under attack, will you protect it at all costs and under any and all circumstances?”

  She paused for just a second. I could feel her mind trying not to think about something, but I couldn’t detect what. “Yes, I will protect the material at all costs and under any and all circumstances.”

  “Will you protect the material even if it means sacrificing your daughter, Allie Taylor?”

  Anger, fear, and sadness immediately flooded my mind when I heard Allie’s name. I tried desperately to stop my reaction, but I couldn’t do it. I could sense Eve getting confused as my emotions got in the way of hers. I felt a jerk as Erik stole some of my energy to take over our connection with Eve. I wasn’t controlling her mind anymore, but I could hear her talking through Erik.

  She hesitated before answering. “Yes. I will sacrifice my daughter, Allie Taylor, if necessary to protect the material.”

  The device pricked Eve one last time.

  “Security clearance granted. You have 2 minutes in the vault before the alarm sounds.”

  The door of the plexiglass booth opened and Erik walked Eve out. As she approached the vault, the large metal doors opened. The vault was completely empty, lined with metal walls. Erik put Eve in the middle of the room. She stood there waiting for what seemed like an eternity. Two minutes! I wanted to shout to Erik, but I couldn’t do it while he was connected to Eve.

  We continued to wait, but nothing happened. Erik began walking Eve back out of the vault. When she was almost at the door, we heard sliding metal. A compartment of one wall jutted out. On it was a metal drawer. Eve went over to it and picked up a long metal box. We assumed it contained the vials, but we didn’t have time to confirm it. Erik got Eve out of there just as the vault doors were closing. He had her open the box. The vials were there. All 10 of them.

  I felt Erik transferring Eve’s mind back to me. I was guessing he didn’t trust himself to be in her head any longer than that. When I took control again, I walked her outside and to the street. Mitch was waiting one block away with the car. He couldn’t park too close to the building because of the security cameras in front of GBL.

  The street was empty except for a few parked cars. I made Eve walk fast down the sidewalk. I slowed her down as we approached Mitch’s car so she could get in. Then suddenly I heard another car screeching to a stop. I felt Eve’s body being lifted up, then pushed and shoved into the back seat of the other car. The door slammed shut and someone got in the front seat. The vehicle sped off down the street. Eve and the box of vials were now in an unknown car being driven away.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Volunteer

  I looked around the car and saw that Eve was alone in the back seat. Up front I could only see the back of the driver and the guy who was with him. I had Eve’s hand pull on the car door. It was locked.

  “Don’t even try it, lady.” The voice came from the man sitting on the passenger’s side. “This should keep you quiet.” He reached over the seat and jabbed a needle in her neck.

  I felt my mind instantly cut off from Eve’s. I was in my own head again. My hand was still locked tight with Erik’s.

  “What the hell just happened?” he asked.

  “Someone has Eve. Someone took the vials.” Even saying it out loud I couldn’t believe it. “Everything was going so well. She was almost there! Who took her?”

  “I couldn’t see,” Keith said. “The car came out of nowhere, right behind where Mitch was parked.”

  “Did he follow them?” Erik asked.

  “No, he didn’t follow them,” Keith said, annoyed. “You want him to get killed?”

  I let go of Erik’s hand. “So the genes are gone. This was all for nothing.”

  Keith started driving fast, away from the city.

  “Where are we going?” Erik asked him.

  “New Jersey. I got a friend there who owns a body shop. He deals a little in used cars. I’m going to trade this car for a different one in case someone saw us.”

  As we drove, my mind kept replaying the scene of Eve being taken. “How did this happen, Erik? Do you think someone from the rebel group did this?”

  “I don’t know. That’s such a tight group. And it takes years for them to let you in.”

  I ran through the list of everyone I’d met from the group. I couldn’t imagine any of them turning against us. But I’d been deceived in the past, so it was certainly possible.

  It took almost an hour to reach the body shop. When we got there, Keith talked to his friend while Erik and I waited in the car.

  “So where do you think they’re taking Eve?”

  “We probably don’t want to know, Sam. They want the genes, not Eve.”

  “You think they’ll kill her?”

  He shrugged. “Would it be that bad if they did?”

  “Erik, don’t even think that way.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. It’s just that after she answered that question about her daughter, I just—”

  “I know. Thanks for taking over for me when that question came up. As soon as I
heard Allie’s name, I could feel myself losing control of Eve.”

  “She’s not safe, Sam. Your friend, Allie. You heard Eve. She’d sacrifice her own daughter.”

  “I know, but what am I supposed to do? Tell Allie that her mom is willing to let her die? I don’t even think she’d believe me.”

  Erik’s door opened. “He’s got a car for us. Let’s go.” Keith led us through a lot filled with old, beat-up cars. We stopped at a dark blue two-door sedan that was at least 30 years old. “You two can get in. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “Does this seem odd to you?” Erik kept his eye on Keith as he walked away. “This car exchange thing? Driving to New Jersey?”

  “I guess it’s a little strange.”

  “And what happened to Mitch? Why didn’t he ditch his car and ride with us?”

  “Are you trying to tell me something here, Erik?”

  “Maybe we can’t trust Keith.”

  “Why? He didn’t do anything to make us not trust him.”

  “I’m just being careful. We can’t trust anyone. Let’s read his mind.”

  “You do it. I don’t feel so great.” I actually had developed an excruciating headache after disconnecting from Eve’s mind.

  “What’s wrong, Sam? Is it your head? You should have said something.”

  “I’m just tired. You read his mind.”

  Erik listened to Keith’s thoughts as we watched him take his stuff out of our old car.

  “So what did you hear?” I asked.

  “He’s good. He was actually thinking about us. He’s worried about our safety. He wants to get us back as soon as possible, so he’s annoyed that we had to take this detour. And no, he’s not just thinking that in case we’re listening in. I could feel that he was worried.”

  “Well, that’s one person we can trust.”

  Keith got in the car. “Okay, we’re heading out. You guys need anything? I could stop somewhere and get you something to eat. That had to have taken a lot out of you.”

  My head continued to throb. “No, let’s just go home.”