The Other Morgan (Parallel Series, Book 5)

by Christine Kersey

  “What’s going on?” he whispered.

  “Someone was here today.” The fear I’d felt earlier whipped through me. “It was an Enforcer.”

  Several emotions rippled across Falcon’s face—puzzlement, understanding, anger. “What?” He bit off the word.

  I nodded. “I think he was installing surveillance equipment.”

  Falcon raked his fingers through his shoulder-length hair. “Of course he was. Dear old dad wants to see what I’m up to.” He shook his head. “I should have figured he’d do something like this.”

  “What are we going to do?” I asked. “We’ve been stuck in here for hours,” I said. “Ever since the Enforcer came.”

  Falcon slowly spun around, his gaze shooting in all directions. “Let me think.”

  “We can’t live in your closet,” I said.

  “I know, I know.” He faced me. “Do you know if he just put the equipment in my room? What about the rest of the apartment?”

  “I think just your room. I heard the apartment door open, then almost immediately he came into your room. When he was done in your room, it sounded like he left.”

  “Okay, so the rest of the apartment is probably clear.”

  I shrugged. I wasn’t sure of anything.

  “You both stay in here, and I’ll see if I can spot the equipment.”

  I pointed to the area near the door. “He did something there with a drill before he left.”

  Falcon strode to the door and gazed at the place I’d pointed to.

  I went to his side and stared at the same area, but couldn’t tell what was different. “Can you see anything?” I whispered.

  “I need to get a closer look.” He went into his room and brought back his desk chair and a flashlight, then stood on the chair and shone the light at the wall. After examining it for a moment, he jumped down and whispered, “It’s a camera. Pointed into my room.”

  The idea that Falcon’s father—or any Enforcer—was watching Falcon’s room made my stomach churn. “Can you disable it?”

  He grinned. “Easy peasy.”

  “Lemon squeezy,” Amy whispered.

  Hysteria made me want to giggle, but I held it back.

  “I need to grab some tools,” Falcon said. He left the closet, but returned a few moments later with tools in his hands.

  Amy and I watched as he stood on the chair and fiddled with something on the wall. After several minutes he held up a small device like a trophy, and I wanted to cheer.

  “I need to look around my room and see if I can find what else they put in,” he said.

  Amy and I waited in the closet, eager to leave, while Falcon searched his room. Uncertain where any other cameras were pointed, we stayed towards the back of the closet with the door only partially open.

  A loud knock on the apartment’s front door sounded.

  “Hide,” I whisper-screamed to Amy. We scrambled to our hiding place, making sure to pull the boxes in front of our legs. Falcon shut the closet door, and the next thing I heard was the sound of raised voices coming from somewhere outside of Falcon’s room.

  “Stay out of my room,” Falcon shouted.

  I heard the sound clearly, because whomever he was talking to had opened the bedroom door.

  Then I heard the voice of Secretary Hart. “Who are you hiding?”

  The question sent panic blasting through my veins.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “I’m not hiding anyone,” Falcon yelled. “Now get out of my room. You can’t just walk in here like this. This isn’t your house.”

  “Who were you talking to earlier?” Secretary Hart asked. “Who’s Raven? Who’s Hummingbird?”

  Amy shuddered beside me, but barely able to keep myself from becoming hysterical, I wasn’t in any shape to offer her comfort.

  “How do you know I was talking to anyone?” Falcon asked.

  His father laughed. “I know you found some of my toys, because one of my cameras went black.”

  “What gives you the right to spy on me?”

  Secretary Hart’s voice became menacing. “I can spy on whomever I deem a threat.”

  “So you think your own son is a threat? Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  “Look, Jacob. You told me yourself that you might be involved with the resistance. What did you expect me to do? Just stand by and let you cause trouble not only for yourself, but also for me?”

  “No. I couldn’t expect you to mind your own business.” Falcon’s voice was filled with derision. “That would be out of character for you.”

  “Enough.” Secretary Hart’s voice dripped with fury, then he snapped his fingers twice. “Search the room.”

  He didn’t come alone. The pounding of my heart became a jackhammer in my chest, and my ears began to buzz. They’re going to find me. They’re going to find us. I’m going to be captured. I’m going to be tortured and locked up for the rest of my life.

  Amy began to softly whimper, and I pulled her against me. “Shh, shh.”

  She quieted, but her shoulders shook.

  “Don’t touch my stuff,” Falcon screamed. “Get out of my room.”

  “You sit on the bed and keep your mouth shut,” his father hissed.

  “Go to hell,” Falcon shouted.

  “I really hope we don’t find anything, son. That would be exceedingly disappointing.”

  “Poor Russell Hart,” Falcon said, his voice filled with sarcasm. “His son hates his guts, and soon the world will find out how truly evil he is.”

  The closet door opened and the light came on.

  Panic was a living thing inside me, and it took everything I had not to burst out from behind Falcon’s clothes and attempt to escape my inevitable capture.

  The Enforcer that had entered the closet began to systematically search the small space, coming ever closer, closer to where Amy and I hid. Hangers slid on the closet rod as the Enforcer pushed shirts aside, then put them back into place. Steadily, he made his way around the space, and I knew in mere moments he would find us.

  Trying to silence my breathing, I slowly drew in a breath, then exhaled it, over and over. Dizziness swelled over me, trying to bring me down, but I fought it, squeezing my eyes closed and trying not to think about how my life was about to end. With my eyes shut, my other senses were heightened, and I could feel the Enforcer standing inches away.

  Amy’s hand was a block of ice in mine, and her terror radiated off of her in waves.

  The Enforcer pushed aside the boxes in front of our legs, then the shirts in front of us slid to the side. My eyes snapped open to meet the gaze of an Enforcer.

  “What do we have here?”

  Chapter Thirty

  Instinct took over and I brought my knee up and slammed it between his legs. As he collapsed to the floor, I grabbed Amy’s hand, then stepped over the Enforcer who was moaning on the floor.

  We reached the closet door and I glanced at Secretary Hart, who was looking out the window. Then my gaze met Falcon’s. He sat on his bed, but the moment he saw me, he mouthed the word “Run”. Then he lunged at his father, dragging him to the floor.

  In the off-chance the Enforcer I’d disabled hadn’t recognized me, I didn’t want to give away my identity to any hidden cameras, so I kept my head down as I dragged Amy to the open bedroom door. We raced down the hallway towards the living room, but as we passed the kitchen, which was just off the living room, I spotted a second Enforcer standing on the threshold between the kitchen and living room.

  “Hurry,” I said to Amy as I gave her hand a tug.

  The Enforcer reacted almost instantly, dodging after us, but I reached the front door first. I twisted the knob and yanked it open, but the moment I stepped onto the porch, Amy’s hand slipped from mine and I turned to see why.

  Gasping in horror, I saw Amy flat on the floor with the Enforcer on top of her. Before I could move, the Enforcer pulled out his taser, pressed it against Amy’s neck, and discharged it. She convulsed, then
lay still.

  “Amy!” I threw myself at the Enforcer, pounding on his back then gouging at his eyes with my fingernails. Like most Enforcers, he was a large man, and he easily dislodged me from his back and threw me to the floor. A moment later electricity jolted through me.

  “Secretary Hart,” the Enforcer called out. “You’ll want to see this.”

  The only body part I could move was my eyes, and I tracked after the Enforcer as he walked towards the hallway. Obviously not wanting to leave me and Amy alone, he didn’t go beyond where he could see us.

  “Secretary Hart?”

  A moment later Secretary Hart strode down the hallway.

  Falcon! Where is he? Is he okay? He tried to help us escape, and I failed. What’s going to happen to him?

  Hart’s gaze went to my face, and his eyes widened, then laughter burst from his throat. “I can’t believe it.”

  The Enforcer who’d tasered us turned and looked at us. “Yes, I do believe it’s your prime target, sir. Morgan Campbell.” The Enforcer faced Hart. “What do you think she was doing here?”

  “Obviously in my son’s misguided attempt to punish me, he decided to help her.” Hart’s eyes shot daggers at me, as if it was my fault that his son hated him.

  “Where’s Munroe?” the Enforcer asked.

  “She pulled a Hansen on him,” Hart said, gesturing towards me with his chin.

  I wasn’t sure what that meant, but since I knew Hansen was the man Duplicate Morgan feared the most, it couldn’t be good.

  The Enforcer laughed.

  “Munroe, get out here,” Hart yelled.

  I heard footsteps come down the hallway, and a moment later the Enforcer I’d faced in the closet appeared. But he wasn’t alone. His hands gripped Falcon’s upper arms, forcing him to walk in front. Falcon’s wrists were bound behind his back, and blood covered his mouth and nose.

  Did your own father do that to you?

  Falcon’s eyes met mine, and if I could have, I would have run to him and tried to soothe the hurt I read in his eyes.

  Munroe stared at me, his mouth set in a grim line, then he turned to Hart. “What do you want us to do with them, sir?”

  “You and Lang take my son and the sister out to the car.” Hart grinned. “I want to have a little chat with Ms. Campbell.”

  “Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

  Enforcer Lang dragged Amy to her feet, then followed Munroe and Falcon out the apartment door.

  Secretary Hart closed the door behind them, then squatted beside me.

  Feeling was starting to return to my limbs, and I wanted to scratch his eyes out. My violent reaction surprised me, but I clung to it, using it as an anchor to keep myself from floating away on hysteria.

  “Did my son seek you out?”

  I stared at him, not about to tell him anything.

  He reached over and pinched my leg, causing me to flinch. “Ah, you’re regaining control.” He reached for my hand. “Let’s sit on the couch and talk like civilized people.”

  I yanked my hand out of his grasp, but made no attempt to stand.

  “Come now, Morgan. I’m sure we can discuss this like adults and reach some sort of agreement on what’s best for everyone.”

  What is he talking about? Why isn’t he taking me straight to Holly? What does he want from me?

  The only way to find out was to pretend I was interested in listening, so I shoved down my fear, slowly pushed myself off of the floor, then sat on the couch.

  “That’s better,” he said as he sat on a chair near me, then he gazed at me. “You care about your sister, don’t you?”

  Why is he talking about Amy? What’s he going to do to her? I couldn’t stand the idea of him hurting her—or allowing anyone else to hurt her. And I knew that’s what he was counting on.

  “Tell me, Morgan. Which would you prefer? Your sister home with your family, or locked up in one of our illustrious Federally Assisted Thinning centers?”

  I kept my gaze steady on him, too afraid of giving the wrong answer to speak. But I knew my answer. I knew it instantly. I wanted Amy home. Even if I couldn’t go there, that’s where I wanted her. And if he had me, then my whole family could go home and be safe.

  “Judging by your past actions,” he said, “I can only assume that you’d prefer that your little sister go home to your family.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Am I right?”

  Despite myself, I nodded.

  His smile grew. “Good. That’s what I thought.” He shifted in his seat, leaning towards me. “Now, I want to talk to you about how we can make that happen.”

  “Did you hit your son?” I asked.

  Hart recoiled, but swiftly recovered. “We’re not here to discuss me or my son. We’re here to discuss how you can assure your sister’s safe return to your family.”

  I loved my family so much, it was hard for me to comprehend how Falcon and his father could dislike each other the way they did. “What do you want from me?”

  His lips curved into a smile. “Before we get into the specifics of what I want you to do, let me tell you what your other option is. If you don’t cooperate with me, then I will make arrangements for you to go back to Camp Stonewater and Holly.” His smile grew. “Like many of our citizens, I’ve watched the video that you recorded, and I have a pretty good idea how you feel about her.” He stared at me. “You can either cooperate with me and free your sister, or you—and Amy—can face Holly. Either way, I will get the information I want.”

  Falcon’s right. This man is evil. It took everything I had to hide the revulsion and fear that threatened to overwhelm me.

  “Now, would you like to hear my offer?”

  I stared at my lap. I didn’t want to hear anything that came out of this man’s mouth, but I knew I had no choice. Is this how DM felt when Holly tried to bargain with her? How hard it must have been for her to face torture rather than give Holly what she wanted. My admiration for DM went up several notches.

  “Morgan?”

  My gaze went back to Secretary Hart’s face. His eyebrows rose in question, and I knew he’d won. I would do whatever it took to not only avoid being tortured, but to assure Amy’s safe return to our family. “What do you want me to do?”

  This time his smile reached his eyes. “You are to go back to the people who helped you, the people who set up the interview on Saturday. You are to ingratiate yourself with their leader, Nick, and make sure he knows he can trust you. And then learn whatever you can about his organization and his plans.”

  Surprised that Hart knew Nick’s name, my eyebrows rose before settling back into place. I already knew Nick wouldn’t tell me anything, but I nodded, like following Hart’s plan wouldn’t be a problem. I’d deal with my inevitable failure later. The important thing right now was to stay far, far away from Holly.

  “If you succeed in gathering the information I want, then I will announce that Enforcer Hansen’s death has been ruled an accident. Soon after that, the search for you will be called off and you’ll be able to return to your family and live in peace.” He smiled, like he knew he’d made an offer I couldn’t refuse. “Do we have a deal, Morgan?”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Although his offer sounded like a dream come true, and as much as I wanted to grab onto it with both hands, I had a few questions. And to be honest, I had a problem.

  “I don’t know where he lives,” I said, feeling like an idiot.

  “No worries, Morgan. I have that information.” A smug smile lifted his lips. “We’ll even arrange to drop you off a few miles from his house.”

  “If you know where he lives, why do you need me?” I frowned. “Why don’t you just put your surveillance equipment in his house?”

  “It’s not that easy. You see, your friend Nick sweeps his house for bugs every day. So we don’t bother.”

  Good for Nick.

  “That’s why we need you.” His mouth curled a bit at that, and I knew he wasn’t happy about
needing anyone—least of all me.

  “What kind of information are you looking for?”

  He stared at me a moment, then looked away as he rubbed the back of his neck, then his gaze came back to me. “You just need to focus on getting all the information you can.” He paused. “I’ll decide what it is I’m looking for.”

  “How will I get the information to you?”

  He looked thoughtful for a moment. “There’s a bus stop half a mile south of Nick’s house, near the edge of a wooded area. I’ll place a log a few feet from the back side of the bus stop. The log will be about five feet long. Find that log, and underneath it will be a small waterproof box. Two days after you arrive at Nick’s, go there and leave me a message letting me know what you’ve discovered so far, then come back the next day to receive further instructions.” His eyes narrowed. “This is critical, Morgan. Once you read my reply, you need to destroy it before returning to Nick’s. You can’t take the chance on him discovering the truth.” His jaw tightened. “And make sure no one follows you to the drop-off point.”

  My mind reeled with all the things that could go wrong, but one issue was most prominent. “I don’t think Nick will let me leave.”

  “That’s not my problem, is it?”

  No, this problem is all mine. I shook my head.

  “You should know that Amy won’t be allowed to go home until you’ve fulfilled your part of the deal.”

  “What? You can’t do that.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You seem to forget that I hold your future in my hands.” He held his right palm face up, then made a fist. “I could crush you, Morgan.” He smiled grimly. “Don’t ever forget that.”

  I was at his mercy, and there was nothing I could do about it. “Where are you going to take her?”

  “She’ll be in a safe place.”

  “Not a F.A.T. center though, right?”

  “What difference would that make?”

  The idea of Amy being consigned to a F.A.T. center again was unacceptable. “You have to guarantee me that she’ll be somewhere comfortable—not a F.A.T. center.”