Corinne (Book One of The Red Diamond Saga)

by Jennifer Janne

  “Lisa, he is only using us.” Aaron attempted to convince her.

  Lisa was not one for emotions, but she found herself overwhelmed by fear.

  “Be brave.” Aaron begged as he looked deeply into her eyes. “Just tell the truth.”

  Lisa drew a long slow breath. Even just a day without Aaron had been torture for her. If she had to be away from him permanently, she did not think that she could survive it.

  “Please,” Aaron said one more time. “Be brave for me.”

  “Yes, I am being held against my will.” Lisa finally said.

  Conner was so furious that he wished he could lash out at the two for betraying him in such a way. With a gun still pointed at his head he knew he had to control his temper. Gavin reluctantly released them; he did not want to end up in handcuffs as Patrick had.

  When Lisa and Aaron joined Corinne they were led away by the other officers along with Patrick and Gavin for questioning, leaving Daniel and Conner alone in the barren hallway.

  “Are you going to shoot me now?” Conner asked as he leaned his forehead forward against the barrel of the gun. “You might as well.”

  Daniel slowly lowered his weapon. He glared fiercely at the man.

  “This is over!” He growled. “Do not come near Corinne, Aaron or Lisa again.”

  As Daniel began to back away, Conner was swept up into a maniacal laugh.

  “No, it has just begun.” He promised Daniel as the man left the building.

  Conner disappeared inside the elevator, and as he slumped against the wall of it, he could not stop the laughter that coursed through him.

  35

  Once outside in the sunlight Daniel could see Corinne, Aaron and Lisa gathered together. He was glad that he had finally been able to rescue Corinne, but he had no idea what to do with the two he had rescued along with her.

  When he reached their side Corinne leaned up and kissed his cheek gently.

  “My hero.” She murmured just beside his ear. Daniel narrowed his eyes as he looked down into hers, but he could not hide a smile of relief that she was safe.

  “Maybe next time you'll listen to me?” He asked hopefully as the makeshift family piled into his car.

  “Doubtful!” Corinne replied with a lopsided grin. “But you can always dream.”

  Daniel sighed and shook his head as he slid into the driver's seat. Though he knew he should be happy, he could not shake a nagging sense of dread as Conner's words repeated in his mind.

  “It has just begun.”

  36

  It took a week or two for Aaron and Lisa to get settled into Corinne's small apartment. Although Daniel offered, no one volunteered to stay at his house. When Aaron and Corinne were alone they spent a lot of time discussing their abilities. Corinne explained how her intuition had skyrocketed, and that each day brought a new skill that she did not understand.

  Aaron detailed his experiences with his excessive strength and how it had taken quite a bit of practice and discipline to be able to accomplish everyday tasks without destroying things.

  Lisa shied away from discussing her ability, but Aaron mentioned it frequently. Lisa had the ability to heal.

  Late one evening the three were gathered together in Corinne's living room. Lisa was sprawled out across the floor with a notebook. Aaron was seated on a small ottoman, his elbows resting on his knees, and his dark emerald gaze focused on his twin sister. Corinne was stretched out on her couch, her head propped up with a pillow, her blonde curls spilling over her face as she continued their conversation.

  “All I am saying is that if we have these skills, why should we have to hide them?” She still had not confided the truth to Daniel and she knew that it was putting a strain on their already tumultuous relationship.

  Aaron clenched his jaw as he shook his head. “Corinne it is not like being a genius or something, if anyone finds out what we can do, we'll be studied. Ripped apart like lab rats.”

  “No one rips apart lab rats.” Lisa pointed out indifferently. “They are carefully dissected and examined.”

  Aaron rolled his eyes and shot a brief grimace of annoyance at Lisa. “Okay, well I don't know about you Lisa, but I am not interested in being dissected.”

  Lisa's lips perked up at the corners, as if she found the thought rather interesting.

  “It's important that we keep it a secret.” Aaron said sternly. “Only because it will alert everyone to our presence.”

  Corinne nodded mildly but she remained conflicted. Her new abilities had certainly changed her life, and in many ways she saw them as a burden to carry. However, in the past she had never had any talent to speak of, no special skill that she admired within herself.

  “I just don't think it's something to be ashamed of.” Corinne said in a whispered voice.

  Aaron leaned forward, his expression hardened and his steady gaze sunk deeply into Corinne's. “Is that why you haven't told Daniel yet?” His words sent a shudder down Corinne's spine.

  Her eyes closed swiftly and she could not muster a reply. The truth was, she was terrified of what Daniel would think, despite how much she had come to trust him. She could feel Aaron's gaze lingering on her, she knew that he was expecting a response. Instead she turned away from him before opening her eyes again. It seemed to her as if a part of her would always be forced to be alone, it was how she was brought into the world, and she assumed, it would be how she left it.

  37

  The backs of his eyelids were like movie theater screens as the images of losing Aaron and Lisa replayed over and over again. His chest tightened with fury as he slumped in his office chair and gazed through the darkness that surrounded him at the half-open door. He expected Aaron to poke his head inside at any moment, even though he knew he was gone.

  He had made a grave mistake by seeking out Corinne. If he had only let her go, let the mystical quality of her existence fade from his mind, then he would never have lost the two most important research projects of his life. He had been greedy. He wanted Corinne to complete his collection. He had wanted to study her and finally satisfy his curiosity about how living unsheltered had impacted the skills she had been biologically engineered to have.

  He lifted a small glass from his desk and swirled the potent liquid within it, before pressing the cool surface of it to his lips and drinking deeply of the intoxicating fluid. It burned his throat as he swallowed it, but it was a subtle reminder that he was indeed still alive.

  All of this had started because of one woman. Not Corinne, no she was just an after affect of the original betrayal.

  Bethany.

  Bethany so young and innocent. Blonde and gorgeous, but without the sense to steer herself clear of the pitfalls in life. She had been so eager to help at first. She had worshiped Conner and the work that he did. She felt as if his research would singlehandedly change the lives of children suffering from genetic disease, and to her, she could think of nothing more important than that. When he asked of her, the ultimate sacrifice, she had not even thought twice about it.

  “I am honored.” She had said with tears in her eyes. She had no idea that several other women were being honored as well, or what the true purpose of his request was. He had known for some time that Bethany was the perfect source to utilize. It was the only reason he had kept her close and subtly fed her obsession with him by offering her praise and affection that he did not truly feel.

  When she became pregnant she willingly followed his instructions and attended all of the therapies and appointments he asked her to. She was the perfect host for the children he was creating. At least, she was until she discovered what was really happening behind the scenes.

  She was full term and experiencing some unusual pains. She was alone in her apartment and was growing more and more uncomfortable. She could tell that something was terribly wrong. She tried calling Conner, but he did not answer. He had told her explicitly not to go to a hospital or any other doctor.

  Alone and suffering, Betha
ny was afraid that if she did not take action soon she would not be capable of driving. She drove herself all the way to the clinic Conner was operating out of. It was late and she was not sure that he would even be there. She held her stomach as waves of pain passed through it, and limped toward the front door. She reached up to open it but before she could, it swung hard out at her. A red-faced woman was cursing over her shoulder as she left the building.

  “You are a sick man!” She screamed at Conner as he hurried out after her. When the irate woman noticed Bethany with her pregnant belly, she focused her fury on her.

  “How could you do this?!” She jabbed her finger toward Bethany's belly. “How could you let him harvest your children?”

  Bethany was startled by the woman's words, but she was in too much pain to wonder what she meant.

  “Quiet now, Alice.” He commanded as he signaled for the two men that followed him out of the building, to escort the angry woman to her car. As she was being led away, her legs buckled and she cradled her arm across her stomach as a wail of anguish poured forth from between her lips.

  The two men had to adjust their grasp on Alice to keep her from falling, and literally dragged her toward her car.

  “He is an evil man!” She screamed back over her shoulder as Conner tried to tend to Bethany.

  “What's wrong?” He asked as he saw the pain in her expression.

  The woman's wail had cut through the cloud of pain that had formed around Bethany's mind. It was as if the woman's scream was a secret primal language that all women shared when their young were threatened or harmed.

  “What happened to her?” Bethany whispered as Conner forcefully led her inside. Bethany glanced back over her shoulder just in time to catch a final glimpse of Alice being pushed into the back seat of her car. Her wild eyes sought out Bethany's and the instant they found them they widened, revealing the sheer terror within.

  “Are they going to hurt her?” Bethany asked nervously as Conner pushed the door closed behind her.

  “No, no, of course not.” Conner said and offered her a charming smile. “They are going to get her the help that she needs.” He led Bethany to one of the exam rooms and helped her on to the table. As he examined her, the memory of Alice's eyes kept returning to Bethany's mind. Even as Conner reassured her that the babies were okay, and that the pain she was experiencing was simply the prelude to labor, she did not feel any better. For so long she had been so convinced by Conner's saint like persona. Charm could be faked, but the emotion shown in Alice's eyes could not.

  38

  The memory of the woman plagued her as she drew closer to her due date. She began asking subtle questions of Conner and the staff at the clinic. She was met with curt responses that included no real information.

  The day before her due date Conner insisted that she stay at the clinic until the babies were born. Once she was settled in, a nurse stayed with her constantly.

  When Conner checked on her, she grabbed his arm and drew him close to her. “Where is Alice?” She hissed through the building pains of labor.

  Conner grimaced at the question. “I told you, Bethany, she was taken to a place where they can help her.”

  Bethany groaned beneath a strong contraction, her grip tightening on Conner's wrist so severely that he cried out in pain too. When Bethany could breathe again she glared hard at Conner.

  “Where is her baby?” She demanded to know before she was overtaken by another contraction.

  Conner was thrown by the question. He had not expected it, and did not have a premeditated lie to respond to it with.

  “The baby is,” He stumbled over his words. “Safe.”

  Bethany could no longer speak as the pain washed over her. She stared up at Conner as her admiration for him began to fade away. He had stolen a child from its mother, of that she was certain. Conner had promised her that she could be part of the twins' lives. Was that a lie too? It made her wonder just how much of her idol was false. All of these thoughts became lost in the act of childbirth as the babies decided it was time to make their way into the world.

  Conner was concerned about Bethany's questioning, but he focused on the birth. He was as excited as any new father would be, eager to see the beautiful infants. He could only hope that they, unlike many others, would be born alive and healthy.

  In the end, Bethany gave birth to two squirming, screaming babies.

  The joy she should have felt was muted by the babies being placed first in Conner's arms. She felt an emptiness in the pit of her stomach that did not come from giving birth. Instead it came from the knowledge that her children would never actually belong to her.

  39

  The ringing of the phone jolted Conner out of his memories. He stared at the device as if it were toxic and then reluctantly answered it.

  “Are you aware of what has happened?” The voice asked, with animosity riddling its tone. Conner sighed heavily as the alcohol he had been drinking made it difficult for him to fathom what his superior was referring to.

  “I am not sure what you mean.” Conner murmured as he leaned his weight on the desk and tried to keep his eyes open.

  “Turn on the news.” The voice said sharply, it was followed by the harsh click of the line disconnecting. Conner picked up a slim remote from his desk and pressed the button on top. A flat screen television that took up nearly one entire wall of his office hummed to life, and displayed the national news network. A reporter was speaking dramatically, while behind her a fire raged out of control.

  “The elementary school was undergoing renovations in one area, and as a result, all of the children were moved to one area of the school. We have been told that area does not have access to fire exits, and all of the children and teachers are still trapped inside.” The reporter's voice wavered as she glanced over her shoulder at the flames shooting up into the sky. The microphone picked up the sounds of wailing parents as they arrived at the scene and discovered that their children were not safely lined up away from the danger, but in fact, trapped right in the middle of it.

  The images on the screen switched to the news desk, and the two reporters behind it, a man and a woman, who both stared sympathetically into the camera.

  “That was the terrifying scene earlier today.” The male reporter said. His hair was white, and his age and experience had earned him the anchor position. The perky redhead who sat beside him and tried too hard to sound intelligent, had earned her position in other ways.

  “That's right, everyone was praying for a miracle, and then they received one!” She waved her hands above her head in a very awkward gesture of awe. The man beside her grimaced briefly, and then continued.

  “All hope was lost, when through the smoke, these three unknown heroes emerged.” He gestured to the screen behind him. “It is something that you have to see to believe.”

  The screen switched back to footage taped earlier in the day. Conner gasped as he saw Lisa walk out of the smoke, a small body clutched in her arms. Behind her trailed about fifteen more children. Behind the children, Aaron emerged. He had a teacher in his arms, and was surrounded by another passel of children.

  Corinne was the last to step out of the smoke. She had a child cradled in her arms that was not moving. Her expression was a mixture of joy and horror as she wondered if they had gotten there in time.

  The camera zoomed in close on her soot smudged features as she rushed the child toward a waiting ambulance. Conner took the last swig of his drink as he glared at the dark green eyes that stared at him through the television screen. So beautiful, and she was the source of all of the chaos in his life. The anger in Conner built with every thought that crossed his mind until the glass he held shattered beneath the force of his grasp. He ignored the blood that began to stream from the cuts on his palm. His gaze was fixated on the tattoo of a diamond on the back of his hand.

  “It does not matter where you run,” He promised through gritted teeth. “You will always belong to me.” />
  40

  Corinne had finally managed to wash all of the scent of smoke out of her long golden blonde hair. She spent extra time beneath the heat of the rushing water, hoping that it would wash away some of her worries. She had been elated to be part of a rescue that prevented the deaths of several children and teachers. Still, she knew that by doing so, they had exposed themselves to the world.

  No one knew how Aaron had literally ripped one of the doors off of the building. They did not witness Corinne forcing a path through the fire and smoke with only the determination of her mind. No one had photographed what the limp body in her arms had looked like when she first found it. The little boy had been burned beyond recognition, and certainly had no chance of survival, until Lisa laid her gentle hands on his charred flesh.

  Together they had managed to change fate. Corinne tried to reassure herself that their actions had been right, how could they not be with the results? However, she could not shake a nagging sensation that they had done something terribly wrong. Human beings were not meant to have the skills they did. If they were, it would happen naturally. It would not have to be designed into their DNA.

  She wondered what impact their actions had in the long run. Her mind was full of contradictions as she tried to process all of the changes that had occurred recently in her life.

  She had gone from being a foster child, abandoned at a hospital as an infant, to being a twin, created by a mad scientist. Aaron and Lisa had become her family, and rather than living in a one bedroom apartment all alone, she was crowded in with two other adults whom she barely knew.

  As if to punctuate that fact, Aaron pounded on the door. “Corinne, I have to pee!” He pleaded desperately. He was not accustomed to sharing a bathroom either, especially with women. Lisa laughed at him from the kitchen as she prepared pancakes and orange juice.