"I don't need to put you in your place. The general will do it for me."
I felt some tension flee from my body, but the adrenaline was still there. I frowned at my thoughts just prior. I didn't want to hurt her. Did I? It reminded me of how I felt in the test simulation. The way that I lost myself. This was the person I was trying to get away from. I shook my head to clear it—now was not the time for introspection. Jane's words registered with my brain.
"What do you mean, 'The general will do it for me'?"
Jane flashed her teeth at me again. "Well when I tell him who was behind the break in last night, I doubt I will be seeing you much at all anymore. I won't even need to kill you. You won't be here to steal from me anymore."
My blood ran cold. Had she seen us? How did she know?
Jane laughed. "Oh I wasn't certain until just then, but that face just confirmed it. Broke into one of the restricted sections, huh? The whole training camp is talking about it. This will be so satisfying to see you burn. The best part will be when Bradley is so upset that he comes crawling to me. He'll be so upset that you were a traitor, and I'll be there with understanding and compassion. I will show him what a real woman is. Oh, don't worry, I'll be gentle with him at first, but it won't take long with him in that state to break down his walls again. Soon enough you'll be nothing but a forgotten name, and he will be moaning mine while I make him—"
I reached inside my body and squeezed down hard on my pulse. Jane's eyes widened for a moment when she felt the rush blow past her, but by then it was too late for her to react. The feeling as time slowed to a standstill was a welcome friend, and I smiled up at the static from of Jane in front of me. In the space of a breath I rushed forward and brought my fist up, throwing all of my weight behind it.
I was shocked when it connected with Jane's face and it felt like I was hitting a brick wall. I cried out in pain and pulled my hand back. The throbbing that pounded in my hand brought tears to my eyes, and I couldn't close my fist all the way. One of my fingers looked tilted at an odd angle. I pulled at it which caused a loud pop and another scream to come from my throat. It was back in place, but felt broken inside. I looked up at Jane who was still frozen in time.
It hit me all at once. She was frozen in time, and so didn't respond to physics as she should. There was no give in her body, so therefore there was nowhere for my hand to go. I winced as I shook my hand. I wondered where all that force had gone? I found out the moment I felt the pressure rushed back into my body. As time returned to normal I took a step back, and looked up to watch Jane to see what her reaction would be.
The moment the world started again her face crumpled and she flew backwards onto the ground. Blood sprayed from her in an arc as she fell like a tonne of bricks, coming to a stop when she collided head first with the wall behind her. I winced at the cracking sound her head made when it hit the brick, and rushed over to her side to see if she was still breathing. My first attempt at taking her pulse with broken fingers just left me with a scream of pain, but when I used my other hand I was reassured to find she was still alive.
I stood and stared down at her body, and then at the door to the exit. Anyone could walk through at any time, and I couldn't have them see her like this. I grabbed her with my good hand and dragged her across the floor. Once she was stuffed inside one of the cubicles, I closed and locked the door then slid out in the gap under the door. It wouldn't fool anyone for long, but I hoped it would be long enough.
I stepped outside the bathroom and cradled my hand in a way that I hoped didn't look suspicious. I rushed down the hallway to my room and pushed open the door. Sarah jumped up from the bed and rushed over to me.
"How did it go? What did he want? Are we okay?"
She reached out and grabbed both of my hands, causing me to cry out in pain and pull back from her. She stared at my hand in shock. As I looked down I could see two of my fingers already turning black from bruising.
"What happened?"
I grimaced as I looked up at her. I wasn't sure where to start. I settled for the most simple thing first.
"The general doesn't know it was us."
Sarah let out a breath and closed her eyes. Her whole body sagged in relief, and she gave me a smile as she opened her eyes again. "Well that's a relief, but your hand?"
"That would be Jane."
"You got into a fight with her?"
"Not really. Sarah, she saw us last night. She knows it was us that were out last night. She was going to tell the general."
Sarah frowned. "What did you do?"
I rubbed the back of my neck with my hand. "I kinda… I used my pulse."
Sarah's eyes widened. "Do you know how much trouble you can get in for that!"
"I think that's the least of our worries right now."
Sarah nodded. "Fair point. What about Jane? What happened to her."
"Well that's kinda how I broke my hand. On her face."
Sarah winced. "Is she okay?"
"She's alive, but that's all I know. I locked her in a stall in the bathroom and came right here."
Sarah's mouth dropped open. "Alex are you crazy? She might be seriously hurt! We have to get her some help. I know you're worried about getting caught for last night, but I think we should just tell the General. I've thought about it, and I don't think that he could be a part of what we saw. I think the best thing to do will be to come clean, and he will be able to sort all this out for us."
I sighed and grabbed Sarah's hand with my uninjured one. "I thought the same thing. That was until after my meeting with him."
"What do you mean? What happened?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked her in the eyes. "Sarah… the general doesn't just know about what's going on down there — he's a part of it. He was in the room with us. He was the torturer."
Sarah's face lost its color. "It… no… he…"
"I saw the tattoo," I said, looking at the ground. "I'm sure it was him."
Sarah sat down on the bed and stared at a blank spot on the wall. "But that means… it's everyone."
I sat down next to her and put my hand on her shoulder. "I know. It sucks, and it's a lot, but we now have two choices." Sarah looked up at me and tilted her head. "We can wait here to die, or we can run."
Sarah's bottom lip trembled in fear. "Run?"
I nodded.
Sarah shook her head. "I have family. What if they go after them?"
"Then we'll have to get there first."
Sarah sighed. "I… I don't know if I can do it, Alex. I'm not strong like you."
I gripped her shoulder hard. "You can do it. We can do it. I can't do it without you."
She looked up into my eyes for a few moments. After a beat, she nodded, and I felt myself smile.
Sarah looked to the door. "I still want to make sure someone knows about Jane. If she dies…"
I swallowed. I hadn't thought of that. I didn't want to be a murderer. "Okay, we'll do it on the way out of here."
Sarah nodded. "What first?"
"You need to get us some packs filled with supplies for the journey. I can't with my hand as it is right now, but I will get to the mansion and get it treated. Pack light, but give us enough food to last three weeks. If we haven't found civilization by then, we will need to hunt for food."
"Okay. Anything else?"
"There is… one thing. Bradley. I want him to come with us. I don't think he's part of anything that's going on, but I wanted to check with you before I brought him in on anything. It's your life on the line too."
Sarah paused for a few seconds to think. I held my breath. After what felt like an age she looked up at me and smiled. "If you trust him, then I do too."
I threw my arms around her, wincing in pain as my fingers got jostled. "What about Thomas? How much does he know?"
"He knows you and I were the ones who snuck out, but I didn't want to tell him the rest until I found out what the general wanted from you. Will it be okay if he co
mes with us?"
"Of course. Get him to help with the supplies. Pack for four… just in case."
Sarah smiled at me. "I will."
I pulled back and looked at the clock. "It's nine am now. Say we meet at the pond in the forest at ten? I'll go check on Jane now to make sure she isn't dying, and then tell someone about her just before we leave."
Sarah nodded and stood from the bed. "Let's get going then."
I stood and followed her out of the room. We had no time to lose.
THIRTY-SIX
The moment I stepped out of the building Bradley was by my side.
"How are you feeling?" His gaze ran over me and stopped on my hand. Two of the fingers were now a deep purple. His mouth dropped open and she shook his head. "So in the ten minutes you were inside you managed to injure yourself again?"
I gave him a small smile and shrugged.
Bradley sighed. "Let's get you to the medical ward, but on the way I want you to tell me what's going on."
I frowned as we walked toward the mansion. "Do you trust me?"
He stopped walking and stared at me. "What kind of question is that?" I just waited and stared at him. In a few moments his expression softened. "Yes, I trust you."
"I want to tell you something, but I need to know that you're not going to freak out on me, and just believe what I'm telling you."
The corners of Bradley's mouth turned downward a little more. "Okay."
I took a breath and look up into his eyes. I was about to tell him when I realized this might be the last time I ever got to speak to him, depending on his reaction. I threw myself forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into a deep kiss. His eyes widened in shock at first, but he soon wrapped me up in his arms and pulled me closer. We kissed for what felt like too short a time before I pushed back from his chest. He let me go and looked down at his feet. A deep sigh escaped his throat.
"I'm not going to like this, am I?"
I swallowed and took his hand into my own. "What do you know about the BOX simulations?"
"Not much. Why?"
I took a deep breath and began to tell him.
Bradley stood in silence. He didn't seem to react the entire time I was talking, he just stood there absorbing my story. It finally came down to my realization that the man behind the mask was the general for him to react.
"That cannot be true." Bradley stood shaking his head. "I know that man. That cannot be him."
"Bradley, I'm sure of it. I saw the tattoo."
Bradley turned away from me. "And you're certain that there is no-one else with that same tattoo? It seems like a pretty simple thing. Perhaps someone else has the same markings."
I sighed and shook my head. "I'm sure of it. The moment I saw the tattoo I realized everything else matched too. The height, the build, everything. I'm sorry, Bradley, I wish it wasn't true as much as you do."
Bradley stared off into the the woods. I wasn't sure what he was going to say, so I reached out my hand and placed in on his shoulder. He jumped at the touch and turned to look at me. He looked innocent, like he was still trying to process what was going on. I felt the butterflies in my stomach calm a little. He was accepting it. I could tell. I smiled up at him and put my hand on his cheek. He sighed and pushed his face into my hand.
"This is a lot to take in."
I nodded. "I know it is, which is what makes the next part worse."
His eyes shot open. "Worse?"
I grimaced and dropped my hand from his face into his hand again. "Jane saw us sneak out. She knows it was us that were out that night. She was going to tell the general, and then he would know that it was us that saw them that night. We would have been put in prison, or worse—down in that facility."
"Would have?" Bradley said with a frown. "What did you do?"
I felt my face harden and I pulled my hand out of his. "I had to stop her." I lifted my hand and looked at the bruising. The pain had faded now, but the dull throb reminded me that I needed to get it fixed as soon as possible.
"Is she dead?"
I spun to face him with my mouth wide. The look on his face broke my heart, and tears rushed to my eyes. "You think I would kill her? Do you think I'm a murderer? After everything I've told you?"
Bradley's face softened and he stepped forward to pull me into and embrace. I pushed against him at first, but he pulled me closer and I soon gave in.
"Shh, I'm sorry. I was just scared."
I sighed and let myself sink into his chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so worked up."
He let out a breath of laughter. "It's a little understandable given your day so far." He stepped back to look down at me at arms length, his hands on my shoulders. "I'm sorry about your mother."
I winced as the sting in my stomach was reignited. Everything that had happened since had pushed it from my mind, but the pain was still there, waiting to swallow me up. I pushed it back down and smiled up at Bradley. "Thanks."
"So what's the plan now?"
I sighed. "Well Jane is knocked out in a bathroom stall at the moment, but I'm not sure how long that will stick. Sarah is getting Thomas to gather some supplies, and I'm going to meet them in the forest." I looked up into his eyes. "We're going to run, Bradley, and I want you to come with us."
His face was unreadable. He swallowed and look up at the mansion, before looking back down at me. His voice broke as he tried to speak. "Run?"
I nodded, not taking my eyes off his face. "I know this is a lot to ask you, and I understand if you don't want to come with us." Saying the words set a feeling of sickness through me, but I forced them out anyway. "Just, please, if you decide not to come, don't give us away."
Bradley stared down at me, before pulling me forward and wrapping me in his arms. "Of course I'll come with you."
I felt myself sag as the tension fled from my body. I pressed my face into his chest, and felt the tears flow from my eyes dampening his shirt.
He was coming with us. He was coming with me.
I looked back up and him and stood up on my tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. "Thank you."
He smiled at me, and kissed me again. Once we broke apart I looked down at my hand. "I need to get this treated as soon as possible."
He nodded and we began walking toward the mansion again. When we were at the doors Bradley stopped me.
"I need to go get a few things done before I go. Can I count on you to wait for me at the pond until I arrive. I promise I won't be too far behind you."
I smiled at him. "I'll be telling someone about Jane right before I leave to make sure she gets the appropriate medical attention, so we can't wait too long. She knows about that location."
Bradley nodded. "Understood. I'll be there on time. You go get yourself patched up."
I nodded and turned from him to enter the building. He walked off toward another section of the mansion.
A short elevator ride later and I was knocking on the door to the medical room. There was no-one inside so I let myself in and started rummaging through the cupboards. I was looking for the injectors that had been used on my body on various occasions since my arrival. I wasn't sure if it would work on bones or not, but it was my only chance. I found one of the small silver canisters and cracked it open, but hesitated before jamming it into my hand. I knew what it was cost to get these medical supplies—how many innocent people had died—and I didn't want to waste it. I instead stuffed it into my pocket, and reached into the cupboard to grab some more for the journey. Half of my pockets were full when I heard the door behind me swing open.
I spun on my heels to look into the face of Doctor Vorboyov.
"Well well. What do we have here?"
I swallowed and lifted my hand. "I hurt myself. Sorry for letting myself in, but I was just looking for something to fix it with."
He looked down at the silver canister in my hand. I hoped the bulges in my pockets weren't noticeable. I realized that if he looked in the cupboard behind me he wo
uld know there were a lot missing. I lifted my arm and swung the door shut with my elbow. I raised the silver cannister up to eye level.
"This is the one I need, right?"
The doctor smiled and shook his head. "No, child, that will only heal surface wounds. I will show you which you need."
He stepped forward toward the cupboard and I felt the blood leave my face. I felt for my Pulse, but realized right away that it hadn't yet regenerated enough for me to use again. As he walked passed me I looked around for something to hit him with. I was about to pick up the lamp, but stopped when he walked passed the cupboard and made his way to his desk at the back of the room. He took a key out of his pocket and opened a drawer in his desk to remove a syringe.
"This will do the trick."
He walked over to me with the syringe. I took a step back which caused him to laugh.
"Don't be scared, my child, it is just a small prick and all will be as good as new."
I frowned, but held out my hand from him. He stuck the needle in, and I had to clench my teeth to prevent myself from crying out in pain. As he pushed down the plunger my hand went cold. The feeling was strange as the coldness spread throughout my hand, and I could feel the pain getting pulled away. I watched as the bruising faded back to normal, and somehow felt the bones in my hand knit themselves back together. It was not painful. Uncomfortable, sure, but I couldn't really complain as my hand healed itself. The whole process took about five minutes, and once it was done my hand felt as good as new. I lifted it and tried clenching my fist a few times. It was a little stiff, but that soon passed and it felt like my hand had never been hurt. I looked up at the doctor with my eyes open wide.
"Pretty impressive, huh?" He said with a large grin. "You are in luck. This is a new formula we just finished development on last night."
I felt ill when I realized what he meant by that. This was the serum developed using the genetic code from Justin's pulse ability. This was his healing ability. I shuddered at the thought of what had to happen to make this possible. I had to get out of here as soon as I could. Progress couldn't cost this much. It was wrong.
The Pulse Series (Book 1): Pulse Page 22