“The pods only have one door. None of them have been breached. She’s gone.”
I stopped struggling. Gretchen was dead. I felt numb, and not just because my clothes were soaked through. Mac’s death I’d envisioned. Hers, not so much. I’d thought watching Mac die would provide me with closure. I still didn’t know for sure whether it would. But Gretchen’s did not.
Slowly the water level in the tube started to go down.
“Mac?” I asked Mashburn. “Is he …?”
“Like I said, none of the other pods have been breached. He’s still in custody. At least we still have the mastermind of this whole fiasco.”
The water had retreated almost completely. Only the small space beneath the walkway still held standing water.
Mashburn smiled, her lips thin and blue from cold. The other guards were walking towards us. “I’ll get this door open,” Mashburn said.
She tapped on the divider that had come down to section this tube from the others to prevent contamination. It looked like she was just hitting random spots on the divider, but I had a feeling it was interactive. As if to confirm this, the divider shot upwards a moment later, and Erik rushed into the tube.
He wrapped his arms around me, unperturbed by my wet clothes. He rubbed his palms furiously up and down my back to warm my skin. I buried my face in his jacket, pressing my cheek to his chest to siphon his body heat.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I’m so sorry.”
“You couldn’t have known this would happen,” Erik muttered back.
“There are towels and dry clothes in the sick bay you can borrow,” Mashburn said.
Erik and I followed Mashburn through the tubes, the other soldiers who’d gone for an impromptu swim bringing up the rear. Erik kept his arm around me, lending me his warmth, while we walked.
“I can’t believe she’s dead,” I sent. “I mean, why’d she do it?”
“I don’t know, Tals,” Erik replied. “She was a very sick woman.”
“Right. But suicide? Seems extreme. And did she want me to die with her?”
“She’d been given the creation drug. Maybe a lot of it. Her brain might have already deteriorated beyond repair. Crazy people do crazy things.”
“I guess,” I agreed.
After what happened with Gretchen, my request to visit Mac was denied. Honestly, I was sort of relieved. I had no idea what I wanted to talk to him about. He’d said all I needed to hear in that hotel room at The Hamilton. Gretchen had reiterated and expanded on their vision for a talented world. I hated that whatever Mac’s punishment, it wasn’t going to be sufficient. But there was also nothing I could do about it now.
In the days following my visit to The Oceania, the area surrounding the island was searched for Gretchen’s body. It wasn’t found. The currents were unpredictable, and the ocean too vast to search all of it. I understood the difficulty with searching the entire Atlantic Ocean, but until her body was found, a part of me wouldn’t be convinced she was dead.
Erik and I returned to Councilman Tanaka’s Virginia home to a hero’s welcome. Evan, Alex, Marin, and Edmond were all at the estate when we arrived. We soon learned the welcome wasn’t for us. Mr. Kelley had been found. He was in bad shape. There was talk of amputating his injured leg. But he was alive. And that was all that mattered. Dr. Patel had made the trip east along with Erik’s father, Alex, and Marin, and would be caring for Mr. Kelley at the Councilman’s home. The preferential treatment was authorized by Victoria since Erik and I were the ones who, technically, captured Mac and Gretchen.
For the first time since his father had gone missing, Erik cried. He sat beside Mr. Kelley’s bed and wept. When I tried to leave him alone to cry in peace, he insisted I stay. Mr. Kelley was my family now, too, Erik said.
Penny and Brand stayed the night at the Councilman’s estate. Penny insisted it was because she was tired of flying. I knew the truth. She wanted to make sure I was okay after the emotional day with Gretchen and the return of Mr. Kelley. We even had a sleepover in my bedroom and pretended like we were back in our pledge days at Elite Headquarters. We painted our nails with polish we found in Joy’s giant closet, and ate cake that Councilman Tanaka’s chef had prepared.
Erik and his brothers and Alex spent the night in Mr. Kelley’s room. Alex had put up a fight when Marin tried to take him away from Erik’s father, so it was agreed he could stay. With no family left, we’d all made an agreement to share in Alex’s care. Once Erik and I figured out where we were going to go after we left the Councilman’s, I planned on taking Alex with us. I wasn’t ready to be a parent, but I’d promised Donavon and Kandice.
Brand spent the night talking to Crane and Victoria – one party you couldn’t have paid me enough to attend. Yet, when Penny and I went down to the kitchen to get more cake and got lost on the way, we heard them laughing hysterically in the Councilman’s study. A quick peek –mental on my part, through the crack in the door for Penny – told us they were drunk. The three of them and the Councilman were sitting on plush leather sofas, drinking scotch and smoking cigars.
I smiled. They all deserve it, I thought. I considered recanting my previous statement about not wanting to attend their party. I was honestly curious whether Brand was less uptight when he was drunk. I wondered whether Victoria said funny British words and dropped the whole regal act. Instead of crashing their festivities, Penny and I agreed that overconsumption of decadent confections was the better option.
Penny and Brand left two days after our trip to The Oceania. Gretchen’s body was still missing. Erik and I fell into a domestic routine. It was easy to pretend the Councilman’s house was ours. We ate breakfast with Erik’s brothers and Alex every morning, then I’d take Alex to play outside while Erik, Edmond, and Evan visited with their father. Mr. Kelley was awake but bedbound until further notice from Dr. Patel. Normally we ate dinner with Mr. Kelley in his room, one big strange family affair.
I waited up most nights to talk to Crane and Victoria about what, if anything, they’d learned from the day’s interrogation sessions. Usually they had little to report. We still had no idea how many people had been infected with the creation drug. There still wasn’t a cure.
Nearly a week after our visit to The Oceania, I woke well after midnight to someone with sharp nails shaking my shoulder.
I blinked sleep from my eyes to find Victoria’s golden irises staring down at me. I sat up. I’d fallen asleep in the study, waiting for Crane and Victoria to return home.
“We need to talk, Ms. Lyons,” Victoria said. She had a crystal tumbler of scotch in one hand and was swirling the ice cubes around so that they made a clinking noise against the glass.
“Sure. What’s up?” I asked, yawning.
“Some of the created have begun to show themselves, make nuisances of themselves,” she said. She selected an armchair across from the sofa I was sitting on and settled in. Crossing one long leg over the other, she sipped her scotch.
“What’s that mean?”
“They are causing problems. Displaying their new talents for the world. Some are harmless, using their gifts like magic tricks to amuse crowds. Others, well, others are terrorizing people. They must be stopped. UNITED still does not have names of all those infected, but the ones stupid enough to openly abuse their power will be easy to track down. I am assembling a taskforce of highly skilled Talents to do just that. I would like for you to be a part of that taskforce.”
“Me?” I asked, a little surprised.
“Yes. You have experience as a Hunter. You are a trained fighter. And you know what to expect from them.”
“Do I have a choice?” I asked, my surprise turning to suspicion.
Victoria had been friendly since I’d saved her life, but I didn’t think she was so grateful she’d conveniently overlook the fact I’d been infected.
Victoria smiled coolly. “There is always a choice, Ms. Lyons.”
“Right. But my options are what exactly? I join your t
askforce or you contain me?”
Victoria sipped her drink. She set the tumbler down on the coffee table between us. “No. You join because you want to. While UNITED’s policy is to contain all the created, I have to say I am very impressed by your ability to control yourself. If you agree to monthly checkups with one of our doctors, I do not believe containment is necessary.”
“What about Erik?” I asked. There had to be a catch.
“I’ve made him the same offer.”
“Did he agree?” I asked, starting to get uneasy that he hadn’t discussed it with me beforehand.
“No, not yet. He felt this was a decision the two of you needed to make together.” She rolled her eyes. “Very noble that one.”
I smiled. “Then that’s my answer, too. I need to discuss the matter with Erik.”
Victoria sighed. “I figured you’d say that. Take the next day or so to think it over. Watch the news feeds from around the world. I am sure you will you agree with UNITED. The created must be contained.”
I did agree with her. At least, I agreed that something needed to be done about them. Containment wasn’t the preferable option, but if we found a cure soon, then the drug could be reversed.
I stood and started for the doorway, to go in search of Erik. This was a decision we needed to make together. Our future wasn’t the one to consider. Alex. I needed to make sure Alex would be taken care of.
“Oh, and Ms. Lyons?” Victoria called after me.
“Yeah?”
“Gretchen McDonough was spotted in Florence last night. If that makes your decision any easier for you.”
Epilogue
To Erik Kelley the flight from northern Virginia to UNITED’s island oasis, The Oceania, seemed longer the second time around. He only had two companions today. The girl sitting next to him on the UNITED hoverplane was nervously chewing her thumbnail with animal ferocity. He gently tugged her hand away from her mouth when he noticed blood on her lower lip.
“He can’t hurt us anymore,” he told her quietly.
She nodded jerkily. “Yeah, I know. I just, I don’t.” She shook her head from side to side, wisps of her orange-red hair skimming his cheek. “We should’ve told Talia.”
Lying to Talia that morning had been one of the hardest things Erik had ever done. Not just because she was a mind reader, either. He never lied to her. You didn’t lie to people you loved. But that was the only way. If he’d told her about the trip, she’d have wanted to come. Talia wanted the Director dead; Erik knew that from their bond. He also knew she wasn’t prepared to do the deed herself.
Erik had no such qualms. Neither did Penny. Sure, she had some hesitation, but Erik felt her hunger for the Director’s suffering. It was ugly and primal and matched his own.
Victoria, the third member of their group, had agreed to this visit because she, too, felt prison was better than Danbury McDonough deserved. Also, Victoria wanted Erik, Talia, and Penny to join UNITED. This was one of Erik’s conditions for agreeing to do just that, and for convincing the girls to do the same.
Erik smirked. Victoria thought convincing Talia was hard. Really, Talia had been more on board with the idea than he had. Erik wanted away from UNITED and the politics and all the bullshit that came along with it. He wanted to spend time with his family and Talia and Alex, who were both part of the Kelley clan now, too.
“No cameras. That was our deal,” Penny reminded Victoria as the trio deplaned. “I don’t want any evidence.”
The first thing Erik had done after striking his deal with Victoria was comm Penny in California. He’d known she would want to be a part of this. And, no surprise, Penny had jumped at the opportunity.
Now that they were on the Oceania, Penny’s nerves had turned to steel. She was cool, calm, and collected, and ready for revenge.
Erik’s smile died on his lips. This wasn’t the Penny he knew. Talia’s best friend was sweet, goofy even. The Director had created the bloodthirsty monster that was driving Penny to become a killer. Erik considered offering her the chance to back out.
“He tortured me,” Penny sent Erik. “He doesn’t deserve to live.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Positive,” Penny replied.
Victoria led them to the glass elevator that would take them to AF3. Erik was so focused on what he was about to do that he barely noticed the lack of people. It wasn’t until the three of them actually boarded the elevator that Erik began to wonder where Captain Klegg and his team were.
Plausible deniability, Erik thought. If there was any backlash, the guards would be able to claim they didn’t know what had happened. There wasn’t likely to be backlash, though. UNITED wanted this matter taken care of quickly and quietly. A public trial would be an international fiasco, set on a global stage for the world to witness. Crazies would come of the woodwork to defend Director McDonough, UNITED wanted to prevent that. Victoria had told Erik and Penny as much on the flight.
Like the main level of the Oceania, the deepest sublevel of the facility was practically a ghost town. Mashburn, a guard they’d met on their last trip, was the only one waiting for the three of them when they exited the elevator.
“I have not told the prisoner you are coming, just as you asked, Councilwoman,” Mashburn said, addressing Victoria. Then, she turned to Erik and Penny. “We have divers in position. If he manages to escape somehow, he won’t get far.”
Another reason Victoria, and by extension UNITED, had agreed to let Erik and Penny handle the Director was because of Gretchen’s escape. No one understood how she’d managed it. Talia was beside herself with guilt. She blamed herself, even though no one else did. UNITED was trying to track Gretchen, but they didn’t have a Viewer familiar enough with the Director’s wife to find her. She’d kept out of the public eye, kept her role strictly behind the scenes. There had been sightings of Gretchen all over the world. UNITED was drowning in false leads and dead ends. They worried she’d rally the Created and come for her husband – another reason to take him out of the equation.
No one spoke as Mashburn led the way through the transparent hallways to the tube that would take them to the prison pods.
Erik let his mind wander back to the time he spent in Tramblewood. The memories he’d repressed made their way to the surface. Anger and hatred turned to fury and rage as Mashburn performed the necessary security measures to unlock the door to the tubes. Penny took his hand and he felt the same storm brewing inside of her that was in him.
The two of them hadn’t discussed how they were going to dispose of the Director, but Erik felt they were on the same page. Danbury McDonough would suffer before his life ended. He would get to experience the fruits of his poison. He would be like the magician’s assistant, an active participant in the greatest display of power on earth. He would be the puppet of the two strongest talents the world had known.
“Are you ready?” Victoria asked, pulling Erik from his mental tirade. Her hand was on his shoulder. Her smile was cool, detached, but her golden eyes were pure understanding. In that moment Erik liked the councilwoman a little better.
Erik blinked. He’d been so consumed with his hatred that he hadn’t even noticed that they were now standing outside the door to the Director’s prison pod. Only one barrier stood between him and the man who’d stolen so much from him. His mother had died because of the Director’s greed. His brothers and father had lived like prisoners for years, their safety on his shoulders. They’d been the pawns the Director had used to keep Erik in line.
No more, Erik thought. His family was free. After the Director was dead, he would be free, too.
Erik met Penny’s lime-colored eyes. They nodded in unison.
As Mashburn unlocked the last obstacle standing between Erik and revenge, Erik sent Talia a message across the thousands of miles of ocean that separated them.
“Don’t hate me. I’m doing this because I love you. His death isn’t worth your sanity.”
Erik knew that no matte
r how much Talia wanted the Director, she wasn’t a cold-blooded killer. She would have come with him. She would have helped Penny and Erik make him pay. But she would’ve hated herself afterwards. The guilt would drive her crazy. She’d never taken the life of another when the other was helpless. And the Director was helpless now.
He hadn’t expected Talia to answer him. The mental communication didn’t have such a long reach. So when her voice filled his head, Erik froze.
“Just make sure Mac pays for my parents, too,” she sent back. “I’ll always love you.”
Relief washed over him. Erik hadn’t realized how heavy the weight of his guilt over lying to her was until that instant. There was so much more he wanted to say to Talia just then, but the door to the Director’s prison pod was opening. He blocked Talia instead. She might want the Director to suffer, but she didn’t have to witness it.
Penny stepped through the doorway first, Erik only a step behind her.
Former TOXIC Director Danbury “Mac” McDonough was sitting on his twin-sized bed. He looked up as the door closed behind Erik and Penny. Fear sparked in his gray eyes. Erik thought he’d feel satisfaction at seeing the emotion. He didn’t.
Reflexively the Director scooted backwards on the bed.
Erik stepped forward so he was even with Penny.
“Hello, Mac,” Penny said, her voice cold enough to freeze boiling water. “Surprised to see us? Don’t worry, we have big plans for you. Now, let’s begin.”
Talia’s journey continues in 2014…
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