Holly stood a few feet away, a new, fully intact, torture device in her hand.
Chapter Forty-Six
Ignoring Holly for a moment, I turned back to Amy, but she was out cold. “Amy, wake up. You have to wake up.” I shook her, but she didn’t respond. I leapt to my feet and looked at Holly. “Why?” I screamed. Any fear I’d felt for her fled as a raw hatred took over, and I rushed her.
Clearly startled, she stiffened, but I didn’t slow down, plowing right into her and knocking her to the ground. The torture device went flying, but I ignored it as my hands circled her neck. Squeezing with all my might, I felt her hands pulling on my forearms, but I paid no attention, only wanting to punish her for hurting Amy.
Without warning, I was yanked off of her.
“No, Raven,” Falcon said. “You’ll just make things worse.”
Furious at him for stopping me, I turned on him. “She hurt Amy. For no reason.” Which reminded me of the torture device. I spun around and saw it on the ground, then dove for it before Holly could recover and pick it up.
I shoved it in my pocket, then stared at Falcon. “Make sure she doesn’t move.” Then I dashed back to Amy, who had finally woken up.
“What happened?” she asked, clearly shaken as she lay on the grass.
“It was Holly,” I said, not wanting to hide the truth from her.
Panic swept over her features as she sat up and frantically looked around. “We have to get out of here.”
“I know.” My gaze shot to Mills who hurried towards us, obviously worried. “What’s wrong?”
“Too many Enforcers that way,” Mills said. “We need to move.”
“Can you get up?” I asked Amy.
Mills didn’t wait for her to answer, scooping her up and tossing her over his shoulder. Then he began hurrying in the opposite direction from where he’d been stationed.
“Hey,” Amy said, but didn’t fight him.
I glanced at Holly as Falcon and I followed Mills past her. Fury radiated from her eyes, but she didn’t make a move to get up and follow us.
Racing to the end of the building, I didn’t let myself consider what would happen if the Enforcers caught up with us, instead focusing on keeping up with Mills and Falcon. But the moment we rounded the corner, I knew we were in trouble.
Bruised and beaten, Secretary Hart stood in front of a pair of Enforcers. We stopped dead in our tracks, Mills in front, with Falcon and me right behind him. Mills set Amy on the ground and she hurried over to me.
“Are you okay, Hummingbird?” Falcon murmured.
She nodded.
“The flock of three,” Hart boomed. “And one traitor.”
As if by instinct, I grabbed Amy by the hand, spun on my heel, and ran. She managed to keep up with me, and when I glanced behind me, I saw Falcon and Mills gaining on us.
“Faster, Raven,” Falcon said.
I didn’t need any urging from him to run as fast as I could, but Amy was weakened by Holly’s use of the torture device and she was having trouble keeping up.
“Where is she?” Amy panted.
“What?”
“Holly. Where is she?”
That’s when I noticed that Holly was nowhere in sight. “I don’t know.” With Hart and his Enforcers behind us, I couldn’t allow myself to worry about Holly just then. “Maybe she went back in the building.”
“To get more Enforcers?”
Not wanting to panic her—or myself—I didn’t reply.
A gunshot rang out. I yanked Amy to the ground, and Falcon threw himself on top of us.
“Don’t move,” Hart said, his voice dripping with contempt.
The weight of Falcon disappeared from my body, and I heard him grunt. I lifted my head and saw Falcon pinned to the ground by one of Hart’s Enforcers. Mills was lying on the ground beside me, holding unnaturally still. Then I saw a red stain blossoming on his shirt and knew he’d been shot.
“Mills,” I said as I reached for him.
“I said don’t move,” Hart said, then he pressed his boot onto my back.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hart pointing his gun right at me. Then I remembered how Hart had casually told Falcon that I could die in an accident. Pure terror pulsed through me, and tears filled my eyes. I don’t want to die. Please, please don’t kill me.
Hart removed his boot from my back. “Get up,” he said. “Slowly.”
I did as he commanded, my body trembling.
“Now you,” he said to Amy.
She pushed herself up and pressed herself against me. I wrapped an arm around her.
Hart gripped my other arm with his left hand, then used his right to press the gun into my back. “Move.”
Though my legs were weak with fear, I forced them to take one step forward, then another, then another. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Falcon being led by one of the Enforcers. The other knelt next to Mills and spoke into some sort of device. I hoped he was getting help for him.
“Where are we going?” I ventured to ask.
“We’re going back inside to finish our conversation.”
Dread crashed over me as I knew my nightmare would never end. There was no way Hart would let me go. Not now. Not after we tried to escape.
Hart led us around the front and into the lobby where Holly was coming out of a door followed by another pair of Enforcers.
She strode right up to me, ignoring Hart. “You’re going to pay for what you did.” Then she snatched the torture device out of my back pocket.
“What’s going on, Holly?” Hart asked.
Holly turned to him and narrowed her eyes. “She tried to kill me.”
He frowned. “Calm down.”
“I’m not going to calm down. The little witch nearly strangled me to death.”
“I know you’re upset, but you’ll have plenty of time to exact your revenge.”
Exact her revenge? The thought sent tremors of fear shooting through me.
Holly’s nostrils flared as she stood right in front of me, her eyes boring into mine. “No. I’m not going to wait.”
My eyes widened as she stepped closer.
“Leave me alone,” I squeaked out.
“You’ve been nothing but trouble from the moment I laid eyes on you,” she sneered. “First, refusing to cooperate, then humiliating me by escaping at the high school. And today . . .” She shook her head, her eyes never leaving mine. “Today was the last straw.” She touched her throat. “I’m going to have a ring of bruises on my neck. All because of you.”
She jabbed a finger into my chest, making me fall back a step. Hart kept his grip on my arm, but didn’t try to stop her.
“Leave her alone,” Amy said, her voice shaking.
Holly glared at her. “You’re just like her, aren’t you?” Her jaw tightened. “It’s a good thing we’re locking you up now. Before you can cause me trouble.”
“I want to be like her,” Amy said with defiance in her eyes. “Just like her.”
Pride in my sister burst within me. Even in the face of danger, she was courageous. She deserved my admiration much more than I deserved hers.
“Don’t be stupid,” Holly said with disdain, then she turned her attention back to me. “Why don’t you do something right for a change, and help your sister understand why it’s important to follow the rules.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” I said, knowing no one would believe me.
Holly’s eyebrows pulled together in an angry scowl. “You’re not serious, are you?”
“That’s enough,” Hart said in a bored voice. “I don’t have time to listen to the two of you arguing. I need to get information.”
“I don’t know anything,” I said in a desperate attempt to get them to let us go.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Hart said, then he jerked me forward.
“Secretary Hart,” a female voice called out.
We turned to see Jessica Walker, the reporter who’d interviewed me, standing in the doo
rway of the lobby with her cameraman behind her.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Hart quickly put the gun away. “What do you want?”
Jessica held the door open for her cameraman and he stepped into the lobby, his camera recording. “I just received exclusive information that I find very disturbing, and I would like to get your response.”
Hart seemed to hesitate.
Did Nick release his proof?
“What is it? What’s your big scoop?” Hart finally asked.
She strode up to us and looked right at Hart, then paused as she evidently noticed the wounds on his face. “What happened to you?”
He shook his head. “A minor car accident. Now what do you want?”
Jessica tilted her head slightly, as if she wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, then said, “I’ve been informed that the power bars you serve at the Federally Assisted Thinning centers are addictive, and that there’s something in them that attempts to control behavior. What do you have to say about that?” She held the microphone up to him.
“That allegation is completely false.”
“My information tells me otherwise. In fact, along with the allegation came some documentation that supports the claim.”
Hart’s grip tightened on my arm.
“What kind of documentation?”
“Several items, actually.” Jessica smiled. “For example, email exchanges discussing the effects of the drugs in the power bars, as well as results of animal trials.” She seemed to hesitate, then she glanced at me. “There are even some video clips of people being affected by the power bars. Withdrawals, for example, after being denied the power bars.” She glanced at me again. “And a video of Morgan Campbell appearing intoxicated after eating several power bars.”
Me? Then I knew. No, not me. Duplicate Morgan.
“Where did you get this?” Hart asked, obviously infuriated. “Who gave it to you?”
It was Nick. He gave it to her. I held back a smile.
“So,” Jessica said, “you don’t deny the existence of this documentation?”
I looked at Hart, and I could see he was livid.
“You should know,” Jessica said in a smooth voice, “you’re on live television right now.”
Hart stood stock still.
“I have one other item, sir,” she said. “I’ve also learned that these same power bars are going to be sold to the general public within a month.” She paused. “I’ve seen the ad campaigns, which, from all appearances, are ready to roll out.” She held the mic out to Hart. “Any comments, sir?”
He shoved the mic away. “No. No comments.”
Jessica didn’t move.
“You’re trespassing,” Hart said.
“This is government property,” she said with a smile. Then she gestured to the space in which we stood. “And this is the lobby, open to the public.”
Hart’s lips flattened, then he began to turn away with me still in his grasp.
“Wait!” I cried out.
He stopped, and I turned so that Amy and I faced the camera.
“Help us, please,” I said to the camera with pleading in my eyes. “They’ve put something in Amy’s neck.” I spun Amy around and lifted her hair to show the spot where the woman in the lab coat had inserted the device. The cameraman zoomed in.
“That woman,” I said, pointing to Holly. “She has something that she used to hurt Amy.” Tears filled my eyes as I stared into the camera. “Amy is only thirteen, and the pain from the device made her pass out. She was unconscious.” A sob tore from my throat. “Please, please. Somebody help us.”
“That’s enough,” Hart said, then he yanked my arm.
I pointed to Hart. “He shot an Enforcer a little while ago. He’s probably dead by now.”
“This girl,” Hart spat out, “killed one of our Enforcers.”
“No,” I shouted. “I didn’t. I haven’t done anything. I swear.”
“You should know,” Jessica said to the camera as she turned her back to us, “that the information we’re giving you—that you are about to be sold drug-laced power bars. That information was only gathered thanks to this girl.” She pointed to me. “If it wasn’t for her, you . . .” She paused for dramatic effect. “And you’re children.” She shook her head. “Your children would be drugged as well. And now the head of the Enforcement Department wants to silence her.”
“Shut her up,” Hart murmured to one of the Enforcers. “Now.”
“Okay,” the Enforcer said to Jessica as he shoved the camera downward. “That’s enough.”
Hart pulled on my arm and I found I couldn’t stop my forward movement. “Help us,” I screamed. “Someone please help us!”
A moment later he and his men dragged me, Amy, and Falcon through a door, which they locked behind us.
No one could help us now.
Chapter Forty-Eight
“Nice try, Morgan,” Holly said with a frown as we entered the interrogation room we’d escaped from such a short time before. “But no one cares about you, or your sister, or your pathetic attempt to get help.”
I knew what she said was true, yet I couldn’t allow myself to fully accept it. Doing that would mean giving up all hope, and I wasn’t ready to do that. Not yet.
Maybe someone will care. Maybe my cries for help won’t fall on deaf ears. Nick released his proof. Maybe it will make a difference. Especially if people realize that they could be affected.
I clung to the idea that the public would care enough about themselves to do something. Anything.
The Enforcers cuffed all three of us to the chairs, then put duct tape over both Amy and Falcon’s mouths. A short time later the woman in the lab coat entered the room. Worried about why she was there, I watched her every move, and when she walked straight towards me and stopped in front of me, I stiffened.
“Hold her still,” the woman said to someone behind me. A large pair of hands pressed against the sides of my head like a vise.
“No,” I screamed. “No, no, no!”
“Quiet,” Holly said with a cruel smile. “You’ve done this before.”
No, I haven’t. I wanted to cry out. That was another girl.
Now I would know exactly how DM had felt. My worst nightmare had become a reality.
Something wet swiped across the base of my skull, then I felt pressure as the woman inserted the device. A moment later the vise around my head vanished.
It’s in me. It’s in me and I can’t get it out. I wanted to claw at my neck, but my hands were bound to the arms of the chair. My heart jackhammered against my ribs and I thought I might actually have a heart attack.
Holly glanced at Hart. “I’d like to make sure it’s working.”
Hart leaned back in his chair and flicked his hand like he was dismissing a bothersome fly. “Whatever. Just make it quick.”
“Please,” I sobbed. “Don’t do it. Please.”
Holly stared at me, her eyes cold, then she turned her attention to the device in her hand.
I wish Falcon hadn’t stopped me from strangling her to death. The thought shocked me, but at that moment that’s how I felt.
As Holly’s finger descended towards the device, her gaze ricocheted between my face and the device.
She wants to watch the fear play out on my face.
Mesmerized by the agonizingly slow descent of her finger, I was almost relieved when her finger finally touched the screen. A blast of excruciating pain jolted through my skull and down my spine, making my body go rigid and my thoughts go blank. All I could do was endure, and after a few seconds, the pain stopped.
“Yes,” Holly said calmly. “It appears to be working.”
Tears cascaded down my face and I knew I would tell them anything they wanted to know. Anything.
“Very good,” Hart said as he straightened in his chair. “Let’s get this wrapped up. I have some other things to take care of.” He met my gaze, but I had trouble seeing him through the curtain o
f tears. “Morgan, is Nick responsible for the ‘evidence’ that reporter talked about?”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”
A triumphant smile lifted the corners of his mouth—whether from the fact that he’d broken me so easily or because he’d guessed correctly about Nick, I didn’t know. And I didn’t care. I just wanted this interrogation to end.
At least they’re not threatening Amy now.
“What does Nick know?”
I glanced at Falcon, ashamed for him to see me spill my guts so easily, but he nodded, like he was telling me it was okay. I hadn’t expected his approval, but it helped tremendously. My gaze went to Amy, and she nodded too.
Tears of relief filled my eyes and I tried to wipe my wet cheeks against my shoulders.
“Morgan?”
You’re taking too long. Afraid Holly would happily jolt me again, I began speaking. “He just said he had proof that the power bars had drugs in them and that you were going to start selling them to the public.”
“How did he get that proof?”
“I guess he broke into your building on that day I was doing the interview.” I bit my lip. “He was using the interview as a distraction.”
Anger swept over Hart’s face and he spoke through clenched teeth. “What else?”
“We were trying to get Amy back before he released the proof.”
Hart’s face seemed to relax. “I guess he didn’t want to wait any longer, which shows how little he really cares about you.”
Was that true? Had he given up on us? My shoulders slumped as the truth of Hart’s words sank to the very heart of me.
Nick knew he couldn’t help us, so he moved forward with his plan. No one is going to help us now. Why would they? No one cares about us anymore.
Despair threatened to overwhelm me, and I stared at my lap. “That’s all I know.”
Hart sighed, then stood, drawing my attention. He looked at Holly. “Put them in separate rooms.”
“Yes, sir.”
With one final glance at the three of us, Hart left the room.
Chapter Forty-Nine
The Other Morgan (Parallel Series, Book 5) Page 23