by Aimee Laine
“If it doesn’t, he’s as simple as a human; but with Lily at his side, he’s got another fifty plus years to keep working at it. I don’t think I want to be a Mimic after two hundred and thirty-four years. Isn’t that enough?” Maggie asked.
“He’d have Lily at his side, too” James said. “No way she’d give up a baby. Tie her up to him with a big-assed bow.”
Cael thumped his forehead. “She’d never let it out of her sight. Play up the connection, get her to agree, or to force it upon her, and she’s putty in his hand, angry or not. It’s lose-lose for Lily, win-win for Roy.”
“Exactly.” Maggie tilted her bottle up at him. “If he’s got the sampling down, and the technique for injecting the genetics into others, then he’ll use it on himself. For all we know, he’s already made this happen with others. In fact, I’ll bet he has. No way he’d try this on himself first.”
“Who would he have tested this on?” James asked.
Cael shook his head. “No matter what, once we get out of here, we’re looking into it.”
“Even if the self-clone-regeneration shit doesn’t work, he still has Lily … prisoner for the rest of her life, at least until he can try again. And again. And again.”
“Except she can’t have kids. Ever. Period. That’s our only win for her, and there’s no way he knows that, or he’d have probably tried something with the next best thing.” Cael kicked at Kevin’s chair. “Leigh. A kid.”
“Go as Kevin.” James started unraveling the ropes around Kevin. “Find Roy and see what’s going on.”
“Why as Kevin?” Cael asked.
“Roy hired him. He’ll trust him to be discreet for at least one more day. Kevin will do whatever he’s asked for the next thirty-six hours, and as him, you can deal with whatever’s going on.”
“But if he’s supposed to stay here?” Cael asked.
“Desperate measures … let Roy know Cael’s here, and that he’s coming after him. That’ll tear his focus from whatever he’s doing.” James stood and gestured to Maggie. “And the two of us will go find out what Matthew’s hiding behind.” James released one knot. “You’ll want this shirt.”
“I’ll get my own.” Cael walked to the closet at the side. He’d seen one in Lily’s room, too. With a Kevin-appropriate shirt and slacks, he reappeared from within the closet with Kevin’s face. “Spot me?”
Maggie made him turn and spin. “You’re looking good there, sport. See you on the finish line.”
28
Roy had continued on with his over-her-head explanations of all the screens as Lily’s mind whirled with possibilities. Could he have been telling the truth? Could he believe the government would leave them alone? She didn’t even believe it.
Two steps ahead at all times. Charley’s words played over and over in Lily’s mind. If Roy needed her, what could he have done to get her? Kidnap her niece. Befriend her. Commiserate with her. Everything he’d already accomplished.
He still thinks I can have kids, but I can’t.
He thinks I can.
But I can’t.
And I know it.
But he doesn’t.
“Roy?”
He stopped in his discussion of the information on the screen—which Lily had failed to understand anyway. “Yes, Lily?”
“If I were to agree to your … method …”
He straightened, a small jiggle to his body’s movement.
“Would it really stop everything? Would the government quit testing Mimics? Would they leave me and Leigh and my family alone?”
“Yes, absolutely.” He nodded at her. “If we do this now, which is the right time for both of us, they won’t be allowed to test you for nine months, and by this time next year, we’ll have the situation under our control.”
“But won’t they want to do it again and again?”
Roy shook his head. “You’d think, but no …”
Right, and as Cael says, I have a bridge over the Atlantic Ocean I want to sell you.
“This solution will stop them.”
No, no, that’s the exact opposite of what the government does. If you don’t succeed once, they try, try and try again until they break you. Been there. Done that.
“But, Lily, it has to be now. Today.”
“Why?” A shiver zinged up her spine. Don’t we have tomorrow, too?
“Because, well …”
She’d have sworn Roy’s cheek pinked up.
“… I have a sample available … you know … to mix?” He pointed to her stomach.
Lily forced herself not to lurch forward and hurl all over him.
“And, well … if it doesn’t take by tomorrow, it’ll expire. These things have a shelf life and, as I said … we’re just out of time. I don’t want to rush you, though.”
“And how would you … do this?”
Roy pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hate to put you through this Lily, what with your past, but there is a team here who’ve developed a method that is simple and relatively painless, and I know a technician who can administer it safely.”
The two techs.
He twisted his watch toward him. “This will stop it all. I assure you, Lily.”
No it won’t, but if I can fake it, it will give Leigh another year free from being an experiment.
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
• • •
Roy led Lily to a door marked “OR” and swiped his card. The panel slid open just like every other room in the building.
Unlike the cozy, comfortable feel of her suite, Lily walked into exactly what the letters OR stood for—an operating room. A table, surrounded by ceiling mounted lights, waited in the center. Silver and glass cabinets lined the sides, the closed doors hiding whatever they held. Blue plastic covered, silver rolling trays, and atop them, a variety of silver instruments waited in a silver bowl.
Lily’s step faltered. She grabbed hold of the side of the door.
Hands slipped under her armpits, pressing her upward. “Don’t want you falling now, do we?” The voice of one of the two who’d escorted Lily to her suite breathed against her ear.
Trembling loosened her hands as the woman guided her in.
Despite having agreed, she didn’t think she could go through with it. The memories of before, of the night she’d torn apart her life with Cael, reflected in the room. It, too, had been surgical. Dirty, though. Black market surgery had been her only option at the time.
Lights burned in the center of the room when Roy flipped switches. “Did you tell Dr. O Lily is otherwise indisposed for the remainder of today, Jackie?”
“I did,” Jackie said. “We’re in the clear. Room’s all yours. Samples are here, too.”
Samples, plural?
“Good.” Roy stalked back to the center table as the door swished open and closed again.
“Roy,” another female voice said, “I—”
“We’re ready, Doctor Stevens. Miss Crane has gratefully agreed to support us in this endeavor.” Roy’s tone had become matter-of-fact as if he’d been preparing for that moment for ages. That he didn’t exactly describe his purpose made her wonder.
The slip and slide of feet in the room, along with the cold, had chills running through Lily. Jackie continued to hold her up; otherwise, Lily would have fallen to the ground.
A second face appeared in front of Lily. “Miss Crane. It’s so good to finally meet you. I’m Doctor Stevens.” She pulled on a blue cap made to conceal her hair and slid her arms into a matching blue surgical coat. “I’ve been working with Roy on our techniques, and I think you’ll find …”
Roy tapped her on the shoulder. His deep, penetrating gaze stayed fixed on hers as if she’d said too much and he needed to tell her to zip it.
“… As I was going to say, I think you’ll find our methods block out most of the worry and fear.”
“H—how?” Lily’s teeth chattered as if she’d been submerged in freezing water.
“The easiest wa
y possible. With a quick administration of general anesthesia, you’ll feel nothing, remember nothing and, when you wake up, you’ll be back in your suite. We’ll take care of everything.” She patted Lily’s shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.
The bustling in the room picked up its pace. Roy moved from cabinet to trays as if he owned the space. Doctor Stevens moved across and began working at the center table while Jackie pressed Lily forward and kept her upright.
Lily wanted to turn and run. Her heart pounded in her chest while she bit back the frigid cold that had taken over her body.
The last time she’d been the patient in a similar room, they didn’t tell her what would happen—didn’t put her to sleep. They simply took. As she’d asked them to.
I can’t do this.
“No!” The word came out before she could stop it.
Roy and the doctor both stopped. They turned their heads toward each other before switching toward Lily.
Lily jerked free of Jackie’s hold and raced toward the door. It swished open as she reached it, like a guiding force telling her to run, until she hit a brick wall that hadn’t existed when she’d entered.
She bounced backward into Jackie’s hands.
Kevin stood in the doorway.
• • •
It had taken Cael exactly two conversations to figure out where he could find Randall. From lab to surgery suite, one of the scientists had directed him. Cael had raced down the hall toward the door, slid Kevin’s key card through the automatic slot and jumped from foot to foot in the millisecond it took for the panel to slide open.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Randall asked, standing before Cael-as-Kevin, a box in one hand, a blue gown in another.
Cael wanted to grab Lily and run from the room, to take her away from the chaos and get her back to normalcy.
Her eyes stayed as wide as he’d ever seen, her sunken cheeks and pale skin even whiter than usual—if that were possible.
“We got a problem.” Cael stole the speech pattern, tone and attitude Kevin had used, hoping it would be convincing.
Randall stepped past Lily to Cael. Her shoulders fell as she backed up with the woman who held her in place.
“What is it?” Randall asked in a low whisper.
“She brought reinforcements.” Cael nodded in Lily’s direction.
“The plane? Yes, I know. We know. They’re on a different island.” Creases took over Randall’s forehead.
Cael-as-Kevin shook his head. “No, one of them is here. He’s been meeting with Matthew all day. I think they’ve figured out something ‘cause Matt’s been … in hiding since breakfast.”
“How would you know that if you stayed where I told you?” He seethed through the question, his eyes turning purple and a tell-tale freckle appearing on his cheek.
You are Roy. For sure. So you do hide the giveaway traits when you need to. “Because Marlie was going to bring lunch after breakfast, and she didn’t. A phone call was all it took. I have a guy confined in her—” He gave another nod to Lily. “—room.”
Roy-as-Randall’s lips curved. “Good. That’s perfect.” He gave one quick nod. “We’ll finish this procedure and return Lily there. I’ll deal with whoever’s waiting.” Roy went back into the room. “The day just keeps getting better and better.”
The underlying menace sent a chill through Cael. He switched his attention to Lily, who’d been draped like some tablecloth on top of the silver surface. Her legs and arms jerked as if she tried to keep herself calm, but her own fear broke through.
Roy ran his hand down Lily’s cheek. “It’s okay to be frightened. Remember, we’ll ensure there is no pain. No torture at all with this procedure.” His soothing tone roiled Cael’s gut.
Cael stepped in closer, eyeing the tables and tools rolled to the room’s center. What are they doing? Why aren’t you fighting?
Lily shifted her face toward him, fear in her eyes.
With the others busy with their own tasks, Cael shot through his eye-color change, hoping she would see.
I’m going to get you out of here.
Lily’s face softened, the muscles in her cheeks relaxing as her gaze stayed fixed on Cael.
Good. She knows.
Cael stepped closer.
A small shake of her head brought him to a stop.
He tilted.
She returned to her face-up position, though the set of her shoulders relaxed, too.
What the hell?
Roy’s minions positioned themselves in between Cael and Lily, a mask in one hand, a blood pressure cuff in the other. The woman in white leaned toward Lily’s face, the clear, plastic cover moving close to Lily’s mouth. “As agreed …”
Agreed?
“… this will prevent you from feeling anything. Nerves are normal. Are you ready?”
“Yes.” Lily’s whisper barely made it out of her mouth.
She agreed? Why the hell would she agree? What did she agree to?
With a nod to the other girl and to Roy, the doctor laid the mask over Lily’s face. “Count backwards from one hundred.”
“One hundred …”
“If you’re just going to stand there, put on a drape, at least.” Roy motioned to a cabinet. “And don’t touch anything.” He hurried to a steel door that reminded Cael of a fridge. “Actually, stand in front of that door in case someone tries to break the privacy lock. Don’t let anyone in. Anyone. Got it?”
“I got it.”
“… ninety-nine …”
The contraption opened with a sucking sound and, from within, Roy removed a small box.
“…. ninety-eight …”
Cael draped himself as ordered. No way would he leave Lily.
“… ninety-seven …”
“Good, keep that up. Nice and steady pace,” the doctor said.
“… ninety-six …”
From the box, Roy withdrew a test tube and handed it to who Cael had termed the tech since she wore scrubs and the doc wore a lab coat.
“… ninety-five …” Lily’s eyes drooped as the sound of her countdown slowed. As if she forced herself awake, she blinked them open. “… ninety-four …”
“Keep going, Lily. Once you’re out, this will take ten minutes, and you’ll wake up in your room,” the doctor said.
“… ninety-three …” Her lids fell shut again.
When they didn’t open, Cael stared at the monitor with its lines and dips tracking her vital signs.
The tech lifted Lily’s shirt, scrubbed an orange dye around her belly button.
Oh, my god, she’s letting them do that procedure to her? Cael’s fists bunched. A war raged inside his mind, though he knew, if Lily said ‘yes’, she meant it. Why in the hell?
“Okay, she’s out,” the doctor said.
“Great. Time to make this baby happen.” The tech took a long needle from Roy and pointed it toward Lily’s middle.
Why is she doing this?
Maggie’s words played through Cael’s mind as his silent anger flared within himself. You do everything for her. Or you say you will. You’re always there for her. She needs some room to grow some balls, Cael.
She wouldn’t agree to torture, though. So why?
As the tech guided the giant needle against Lily, a screen replayed whatever went on inside. Roy swiveled the monitor toward himself. “Like last time,” he said. “But do it right, Jackie.”
The tech whipped her head up at Roy, a stern glare coming through behind her surgical mask. On a breath, her gaze moved back to the monitor.
I’d want to beat him up, too. Cael’s self-control kept him from breaking something.
The tech held out her hand. Roy passed her a tool. She repeated a few times, tilting down toward Lily’s belly for a moment before moving back to the screen.
At Lily’s head, the doctor faced Lily’s vitals.
Cael could do nothing but watch.
Watch and worry.
Watch and wonder.
The beep of Lily’s monitor took Cael’s attention as well as the doctor’s at her side. “Her temp is up to one-oh-three,” she said.
“Dammit, Simone.” Roy’s exasperation went directly to the doctor. “Do something to make it stop!”
She tilted up. “There’s nothing to do except stop the procedure. I told you it wasn’t a good idea. Her uterus spasmed last time we injected this. Now fever? How am I supposed to know? How’d you get her to agree a second time, anyway?”
Her uterus? Hadn’t Lily said they’d taken it all?
“Her vitals are dropping again,” the doctor said, though she made no move to fix it.
“Keep going.” Roy motioned toward Jackie with a hand. “Inject it, anyway.”
Jackie gave a slow head shake as her thumb pressed the top of a tube. “Your funeral.”
The blare from the monitor filled the room, the pitch and speed ratcheting up with each passing second.
“Shit.” Jackie reached for the monitor and swiveled it toward herself. “See? Gone. Every bit of it. I’m telling you—”
Roy spun toward the fridge-cabinet. He returned with another box and removed yet another test tube. “This is the last damn sample I can give you right now. You fuck this up, and I will make sure—”
Last one? Oh yeah. Confirmation.
“Temps up to one-oh-five.”
“She can sustain one-oh-seven with no problems, Simone.” Roy shook the vial as he handed it to Jackie. “Now. Do it now.”
Jackie pursed her lips. “No. Do it yourself.” She rested the instruments against their supports and raised her hands. “I’ve tried this on five different women. Five, Randall.”
They don’t even know Roy’s real name?
“Each time, I told you it wouldn’t work. You said this one had a hundred percent chance for success, and so far, you’re zero and two. You inject her with that, and you’ll be up shit’s creek.”
“Temps up to one-oh-six.”
Oh, god. Cael’s fists balled tighter. This isn’t even a real hospital. It’s a lab rat’s paradise with Lily as the rat.
Roy bumped Jackie out of the way, sucked the contents out of one test tube and reconnected the device to what penetrated Lily.