Marked

by Stephanie Arehart

  The intro played. Then they teased their top stories. And there it was!

  “I’m Miles Davis. Thanks for watching. Tonight, we go underground to learn more about deep secrets of the mark industry.”

  They sat intently watching through the commercials, then the weather and sports segments. Finally, the newscaster introduced Maxine and said she was out in the field, before tossing the “ball” over to her. Then they went to a live shot of Maxine standing outside Jenna’s old dorm building. She spoke about meeting with key members of the Sub, an underground movement fighting against the Registry, to uncover shocking secrets that would connect them to the campus killings.

  Next, they rolled the pre-recorded tape. It started off with shots of the three different crime scenes, talking about how someone had killed two young college girls and attacked a third one. The first victim was identified as Lena Perez, but the identities of the other two were pending notification of immediate family. A still image of Noah appeared and froze on the screen while Maxine spoke.

  “This is a picture of Noah Metz, who, we have learned is the ringleader of an elaborate human trafficking scheme. He poses as a member of the Sub, often promising to help young girls escape a life forced upon them by their marks. He lures these women in, telling them whatever he thinks they want to hear, even going so far as to tell them that he can connect them with an underground tattoo facility to change their identities.”

  Jenna swallowed hard and looked at Noah, who was still staring at the television. Ominous music faded in over Noah’s picture. Maxine continued.

  “These young girls are then captured and sold into various types of slavery. The three victims from the UVA campus are women who put up a fight and got away, or two who died trying.”

  Jenna and Noah both shook their heads in complete disbelief. Neither could make sense of the words Maxine was saying. Then Jenna’s picture was on screen.

  “Police are hot on the trail of this gang, closing in as we speak. But they’re still trying to find one young girl, Jenna Andrews, last seen Sunday. Her parents reported her missing after she failed to show up for class three days in a row. When they finally were able to contact her on the phone, she gave extremely unusual answers to their normal questions. It is believed that Mr. Metz may have abducted her, and they may be traveling together. Police hope to catch them before it’s too late for Jenna. If you have any information, please call the station.”

  “What just happened?” Jenna finally said.

  “You don’t believe any of that, do you?” Noah asked in a panic.

  “Uh, no? I know for a fact that I wasn’t kidnapped, at least not by you,” Jenna answered.

  “Why would they do that to us?”

  “I think Judy knows that I know. I think it was a message,” Jenna replied.

  “So where did Maxine get all that fabricated crap? Why would she go to such elaborate measures? She could have just turned us in,” Noah was still confused by the turn of events.

  “No idea. But the Registry controls everything. We’re just pawns in their little game, Noah.”

  He sighed in defeat. “Guess we shouldn’t be surprised that they foiled our plans to blow the whistle on them.”

  “Doesn’t matter. They may think they have all the power, but they don’t,” Jenna said defiantly.

  “They don’t?”

  “No, they don’t control us anymore. We’re off the grid, out of their sick little game,” she said.

  “So what, then? I think we should just hide the rest of our lives and try to forget this ever happened.”

  “No way, Noah. I think we take it up a notch. Let’s keep fighting for the truth.” Noah looked uncertain, so Jenna continued. “Let’s take our files and contact everyone, one person at a time. The whole experiment will be ruined. Maybe the Sub can get some momentum if any of it starts to leak to the public. We’re talking ninety-eight additional people here. Something has to happen. Others have to start talking.”

  Chapter 21

  Jenna stared out the side window as they drove down the dusty road. Noah looked intense, as usual, but Jenna was full of energy, high on the adrenaline of meeting their first Project Chameleon subject.

  Victim is more like it.

  Noah had wanted to be strategic in their prioritization method. His suggestion was to select a “safe” person in their vicinity, but Jenna was looking for an adventure. She’d pulled a folder from the pile at random, and just like that, they were on their way to Texas.

  Megan Kearns was currently in her sophomore year at the University of Texas in Austin. She was originally a music mark, converted to a theater mark, which Jenna wasn’t sure was much of an upgrade or a downgrade. Her father was originally a committee member in the Program, though he’d retired a couple of years later and moved with his family to Texas.

  They had all her information, including her address and even her class schedule. After their bold decision to start reaching out to the participant list, the Sub was supportive and handily provided them a car, cash, new clothes, and fake IDs. They’d set out on their road trip, ready to get started on their new mission.

  Jenna had never traveled anywhere that she could remember, so she watched out the window with the excitement of a puppy going to the park. Noah hadn’t been to Texas either, but he was much more reserved and focused on the logistics of their journey. Just a month prior, he was a college student trying to get a date, and now he was a fugitive in charge of another person’s well-being. Their relationship had gone from casual to serious almost overnight, and there were still adjustments to be made.

  Jenna, on the other hand, seemed more than comfortable with the drastic changes, like she was made for their chaotic new lifestyle. Then there was the murder mark issue to worry about. Jenna knew Noah tried to block it from his mind, but at times he seemed over-aware of Jenna watching him. She knew he was trying to read her mind, like he didn’t fear her as much as he craved to know exactly what she was thinking at all times.

  Jenna found the Texas college to be more open and spread out than her old one. They staked out a location on campus near a popular outdoor lunch spot. There were clusters of picnic tables and students hanging out, talking and eating. Jenna and Noah had no issue blending in with the other kids. Finally, they saw Megan walking through the edge of the area, exactly according to schedule.

  Pretty punctual for a music or theater mark.

  As they’d planned, Jenna went alone, to avoid alarming Megan and eliminate the risk of Noah being spotted. The last thing they wanted was to cause panic, and then a scene, out in public. She casually approached Megan, walking beside her for a few strides before speaking.

  “Hi, I’m Jenna.”

  “Hello,” Megan said as she kept walking.

  “Look, I want to get right to the point,” Jenna said. Megan stopped and gave Jenna her full attention, so Jenna continued. “I have some information that I think you’d be very interested in knowing.”

  “If this is about Brett, I don’t want to know,” Megan said with an air of dismissal.

  “What? Who’s Brett?” Jenna asked, clearly frustrated.

  “My boyfriend, ex-boyfriend now. I already know he’s a cheater, so if you want to tell me the details of your encounters, save it. It doesn’t interest me.”

  “No, I don’t know Brett. I’m here with my friend.” Jenna motioned to Noah, who was standing under a tree just off the sidewalk.

  “What is it, then?” Megan asked.

  “Follow me. We need privacy.”

  Megan cautiously followed Jenna and Noah to the parking lot. Jenna opened the car and held the door for her, but she resisted. “Yeah, no. I’m not going anywhere with two strangers with weird accents.”

  “We’re not asking you to go anywhere,” Jenna replied.

  “You can hold the keys if you don’t trust us,” Noah offered.

  She agreed to his terms. Megan got into the driver’s seat, with Jenna and Noah in the backseat. T
hey wasted no time getting to the purpose of their meeting. Jenna proceeded with the short version while Megan looked at her using the rear-view mirror.

  “We just discovered something about our lives, something major. Noah and I were unknowingly part of a government experiment called Project Chameleon. They took a hundred children and changed their marks, and now they’ve been watching us to see how we turn out.”

  “That’s interesting,” Megan said. “Why are you telling me, though?”

  “You’re also one of those children,” Noah answered.

  Megan’s whole demeanor changed in an instant. She slumped back against the seat and exhaled loudly. Then she sat up and turned around to look at them directly. “I always felt like something wasn’t right. My father used to work for the government.”

  “We know. He was part of the committee,” Jenna said matter-of-factly.

  “I was really little, but I remember him quitting and moving us here out of the blue, or at least it seemed like that to me,” Megan said. “My mother cried a lot. Something went down. So why are you telling me this now?”

  “We just found out ourselves. We tried to get it out on the news, but that didn’t work. So now we’re just tracking down each person to let them know individually,” Noah added.

  “Everyone deserves to know,” Jenna said softly.

  Megan turned back toward the front and stared down at her lap, fumbling her hands nervously. “So do you know what I was, before?”

  “Yes. Do you want to know?” Jenna asked as Megan nodded. “Music mark.”

  Megan laughed and said, “I knew it! I’ve always sensed it deep inside.”

  Noah and Jenna looked at each other, relieved with Megan’s casual reaction. She stopped laughing and got serious. “Did y’all know too? I mean, you always had a feeling about your real calling, didn’t y’all?”

  “Not really,” Noah said as Jenna shook her head. “I was a carpenter mark, and she was a service mark. We both ended up as medicals.”

  “Sounds like y’all got a sweet deal.”

  “Not really. I didn’t enjoy finding out I was lied to my entire life,” Jenna snarled.

  Megan nodded, “True. That definitely sucks. But my marks are pretty similar, and like I said, I always kinda knew something wasn’t right.”

  “So you’re not mad? You aren’t going to do anything now that you know?”

  “Not really. It’s honestly not that different, in my case. Maybe I’ll audition for more musicals,” Megan said with a giggle.

  Jenna’s displeasure was evident. Noah sensed things could get heated, so he thanked Megan and asked her to keep things confidential until they had time to get out of town. After she got out of the car, Noah drove straight out of Austin. After a couple of hours of silence, Jenna calmed down. “Where are we headed next?”

  “I’m not sure. I was thinking we go as far as we can and then find a room for the night. We can regroup for our next person in the morning.”

  “Why should we bother? They’re probably all going to be like clueless Megan. Guess most people enjoy being manipulated like puppets.”

  “Well, we’ll talk to a few more people before we make the decision to give up.”

  Jenna sighed. “You’re right. Thanks for not letting me quit. I hate quitters almost as much as I hate liars.”

  Noah smiled and rubbed her leg with his free hand as he drove. She smiled and put her hand over his, interlocking their fingers.

  “Which direction are we going? North? West?”

  “I’m just headed back east right now.”

  Jenna frowned.

  “What? It’s the way I know.”

  They found a room at a modest motel just off the highway. Jenna was a little worried that they might raise suspicions by using cash everywhere, but the guy at the service desk looked disinterested.

  Probably just thinks we’re checking in for a quickie.

  While Jenna took a shower, Noah went out and got fast food for dinner. Though she missed home-cooked meals with her parents, these mealtimes with Noah were pretty special to her. She was in a good mood again, having forgotten their wasted day with Megan.

  “So, I was thinking you should pick our next one,” Jenna said.

  “Why’s that?”

  “I did the last one, and my luck wasn’t so great. I’m sure you’ll do better.”

  “All right, I’ll look through them after dinner and make my selection.”

  Jenna stopped eating and sat silently, attracting Noah’s full attention. Then she spoke. “I was also thinking, maybe we can talk to the Sub and try to find someone I can talk to for advice.”

  “What kind of advice?” Noah asked.

  “I don’t know. It’s silly. I just thought I could find someone to help me work through these feelings, or whatever. It’s just a lot to deal with, losing my life and my parents and having these, um, urges.”

  Noah nodded in understanding. He hugged her gently, her head against his chest. She could hear his pulse pounding in her ears. It was what she feared, and she needed to learn to control these thoughts.

  Noah waited for her to release the embrace; then he began going through the files. Jenna started to feel impatient and bored, waiting for him to methodically read through each one. She picked up one just to keep busy. It was another theater mark, so she tucked that one in the back.

  No more theater nuts.

  The second one Jenna picked up and flipped open was from Philadelphia. She was intrigued. The name was smeared too much for her to read. Though Jenna wasn’t keen on going back near where they started, she kept reading. She felt an instant connection to this file. Then she came to a picture she recognized. “Oh my God, Vivian’s in here! The label’s illegible, but I know it’s her!”

  “Vivian? That’s extremely interesting.”

  “Says she was a murder mark! I knew it. I just knew it. Wait, why do you think it’s interesting?” Jenna asked.

  “All three of us were at the same school, given the same fake mark, and you two were roommates. Just strange. Let me see.”

  She handed the file to Noah and he started looking through it, reading everything in more detail than Jenna had done. When he got to the most recent picture, he stopped, looking puzzled.

  “What’s wrong? You do remember her, right?”

  “I never actually met her. But, well, I was just noticing how much you two look alike. Do you think you could be related or something?”

  “You’re hilarious,” Jenna said as she took the folder back from him, annoyed with his idea of a joke.

  *****

  The next morning, Jenna woke up before Noah. She watched him sleeping for nearly an hour before deciding to go for a walk by herself. Quietly, she picked up the keys, shutting the door behind her, then walked toward the motel lobby. She had a thought that she should surprise Noah with breakfast, but there were only vending machines, as far as she could tell. The same desk clerk from the night before was sitting behind the counter, looking at something on his phone.

  Jenna approached the counter and waited for him to notice her. After a few seconds, she loudly cleared her throat to get his attention. He didn’t bother to look up as he asked, “Can I help you?”

  “I was wondering if you could recommend a good place nearby for breakfast. Something I could just pick up and bring back?” she asked.

  “There’s a McDonald’s down the highway at the next exit,” he answered.

  “Hmm. I was hoping for something a little less commercial, but it’s fine.”

  “You could go to Linda’s Café. It’s six blocks that way, toward downtown,” he pointed as he spoke.

  “Thanks, I’ll try that,” she said.

  Jenna didn’t even know her current city, or state for that matter. Knowing that Noah might be upset with her for leaving on her own, she decided to pick up the pace and try to get back before he awoke. She scanned the parking lot and verified that the coast was clear. Then she got the key fob rea
dy and headed for the driver’s door. When she was within twenty feet, she pushed the button to unlock the door. She grabbed the door handle and was just pulling it open when a strange voice caused her to jump.

  “Sorry, ma’am, is this yours?”

  “Is what mine?” Jenna defensively positioned her body between the strange man and the car door.

  “This,” he said as he bent down next to her and picked up an envelope, which he then handed to her.

  “I don’t think so. I didn’t drop anything.”

  But as she looked at it, she saw that JENNA was handwritten in small, neat letters. She immediately recognized her mother’s handwriting, and snatched the envelope from him.

  “I think that is mine, after all. Thank you, sir.” Her tone softened as the frightened look in his eyes clearly indicated he wasn’t part of whatever strange conspiracy surrounded her.

  He proceeded to walk across the parking lot and get into a large black truck before driving away. Jenna breathed quickly, feeling her heart beat out of control as she looked all around for signs of her mother or government officials. She decided against breakfast and shut the car door, then ran back into the hotel room and locked the door.

  Noah was still sleeping, but the door opening and closing caused him to stir. As he rolled over and looked at her, she stuffed the envelope into the back of her pants. Jenna wanted to warn him about someone knowing where they were, but she didn’t want to tell him about the letter until she could read it on her own.

  “I think someone may have seen us,” she said, trying to catch her breath.

  “What? Who? Why are you saying that?” He woke up quickly and put his glasses on.

  “I don’t know. I went for a walk and was going to get breakfast, and I saw a car driving by really slowly. They’re definitely watching us.”

  “Why were you out there alone?”

  “We can argue about that part later. Right now, we need to go.”