Mindsiege

by Heather Sunseri

  “You’re going to make me heal her, aren’t you?” I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. My heart beat so fast, I thought I might faint. “This is never going to work, you know.”

  Quiet.

  I tried to speak again, and no sound came out. So far, I’d been unable to refuse his commands.

  Lexi? It was Jack.

  Jack! Help me. I’m in The Pro—

  The pressure to my throat came fast and hard.

  Ty, in Jonas’s body, lifted his hand from my throat and placed it over my mouth. Sliding his palm to the small of my back, he brought me closer. “Try something like that again, and I will terminate you. But not until the job is complete.”

  The smell of smoke on his breath made me nauseated. I squeezed my eyes closed. I knew what the job was. What I didn’t know was, could I do it? Was I capable? And if I was successful, would I survive the consequences?

  “Now,” he said, forcing me to face Sandra. “Let’s get on with it.”

  I stared down at the woman before me. Her hair was tucked neatly behind her ears. It had been brushed recently. The nurse? Seth, maybe? Her skin was a pearly color, much paler than mine, but she was lying in a hospital bed. I wanted to like this woman who looked identical to me, only older. Was I supposed to? She was the reason I existed. Was I somehow supposed to respect her for that?

  Before I had a chance to answer my own question, he reentered my thoughts. “Show me her brain.”

  Without hesitation, I pulled her brain up, just like a doctor displayed an X-ray or CT scan. As before, the fluid pooled at the base of her brain, and was most likely the culprit for keeping Sandra in a coma.

  “Now, heal her.”

  Lexi, don’t react to my voice, Jack said. Kyle and I are on our way. Just keep Jonas busy until we can get there.

  I couldn’t risk telling Jack that it wasn’t Jonas who had control of me, especially since he didn’t even know about Ty yet. I directed my attention back to Sandra’s brain. I could see the small holes that allowed the cerebral fluid to leak. I thought I could heal her—but at what cost?

  I tried to turn, but met a wall. Jonas wrapped his arms around me, keeping me pinned to the ground in front of Sandra. His presence slithered into my mind, and immediately shoved Jack out.

  My hands trembled at my side at the thought that healing Sandra might kill me—if not physically, then mentally. Healing someone this way was not natural.

  Stop stalling. He squeezed my body again, forcing my attention back to his commands.

  There was no way out of this. I honed in on the tiny holes. As if using a blowtorch, I welded the holes shut, one by one, until the brain looked intact physically.

  Amazing, the voice inside my head said.

  As with Addison, pain began to pulsate behind my eyes and around my temples.

  I’m here, Lexi. It’s really me. It’s Jonas. His voice was smoother, gentler.

  Jonas? I whimpered. I don’t know what to believe anymore.

  I closed my hands into fists. My arms tightened under the hold Jonas had on me. Only, I was supposed to believe it wasn’t truly Jonas hurting me and forcing me to heal Sandra.

  You have to finish this. If you complete the healing and get rid of the fluid, the person controlling my mind and yours will leave.

  How do you know this? I asked. I never thought I’d feel relieved to have Jonas inside my head. There was only one thing left for me to do to complete the healing: get rid of the fluid causing the coma.

  They want Sandra back. Give them that, and they’ll go away. For now, at least.

  Fear of Sandra waking compounded the growing headache, but fear of the person controlling Jonas practically paralyzed me. I brought up Sandra’s brain again. The only way I knew to get rid of the fluid was to flush it out the same way I’d flushed the drug from Jack’s brain last week.

  I wrapped my mind around the fluid, gathering it. I sent it through Sandra’s body and out.

  Liquid spewed from her mouth, spreading all over the white sheet and blanket that covered her. Like a river, it ran in the creases of the blanket, spilling onto the floor. Sandra coughed, choking on her own vomit. Jonas shoved me to the side with such force that I fell to my knees.

  The pain in my head forced me to collapse fully onto the cold floor. The room spun out of control. The presence inside my head—Jonas, or the person controlling Jonas, I wasn’t sure anymore—was gone. And so was the calming force that had steadied me while I healed Sandra.

  I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling before closing my eyes tightly. At least I hadn’t passed out like last time. Seconds passed. I slowly become more aware of the other two people in the room.

  “Oh my God! What happened?” the only other female in the room asked.

  My eyes sprung open at the sound of her voice.

  Sandra’s voice.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Mom, what were you thinking?” Jonas’s voice came out breathy.

  Mom?

  My head ached. It hurt to move, but I had to. I rolled onto my side and pushed myself up on my elbows.

  Jonas was bent over at the hips. His breaths came out labored. He balanced with one hand on his knee and dug his other palm into his chest.

  I recognized a panic attack when I saw one.

  Sandra lifted the vomit-soaked sheet and moved it to the side. Her nose scrunched up in disgust. “Where am I?” she asked. She moved her legs to hang off the side of the bed.

  “Wait.” Jonas moved to the other side of the bed and stopped her from moving. “You’ve been in a coma.”

  “A what? For how long?”

  I sat up, scooted away from the two of them, and leaned against the far wall. If I had the strength, I’d do whatever I had to do to run from that room. Why had Jonas called her “Mom”? It wasn’t possible. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

  “A month. Maybe a little less.”

  Sandra seemed to think on that. “Then, how—” Her words were cut off. Jonas’s eyes drifted from Sandra to me. She slowly turned, and I wanted to shrink to nothingness.

  Sandra’s eyes widened. She slid off the bed, stood, and turned to me, falling into Jonas.

  “Careful,” he said, steadying her.

  She grabbed onto his elbow and walked slowly around the edge of the bed, hesitating at the foot. “Did you…” she paused. “Did you bring me out of the coma?”

  I didn’t expect her voice to sound exactly like mine—with a little less Kentucky twang, maybe. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. What was I supposed to say to this woman? My eyes darted around the room, then back at her.

  “You don’t have to be scared,” she said, taking another step closer.

  Scared? I cocked my head.

  Behind her, Jonas sucked in a deep breath. He was slowly coming down from the panic attack.

  She stepped closer. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Like I believed that. Stop. Don’t come any closer.

  She immediately stopped.

  My eyes darted around the room a second time. That’s when I saw the scissors lying on a counter on the far side of the room.

  Jonas, grab those scissors. I directed him with my eyes. He followed my order without question. Obviously, his guard was down, much like it had been the day I forced him to hold a scalpel against his own heart. Now, grab Sandra, and point the sharp end of those scissors into her neck.

  He pulled Sandra—this almost mirror image of me—against his chest, then pointed the sharp tip of the scissors at her jugular. Sandra’s eyes widened. “Jonas, what are you doing?”

  “I’m sorry, Mom.” His hand shook. Jonas didn’t enjoy being controlled any more than I did, as was evident after I manipulated his actions once before. “Her power is strong. Without help from Central, I can’t stop her.”

  Sandra’s eyes narrowed on me. “Okay, I’ll play. What do you want?” she asked me.

  I pushed myself up the wall to stand. Blood began to trickle
from my nose, pooling just above my upper lip. I heard noises from somewhere out in the hallway.

  Lexi? Can you hear me?

  I pulled tissues from a nearby Kleenex box and held them to my nose. Jack, I hear you.

  Oh, thank God. We’re almost there. Are you okay? I couldn’t reach you with my mind. I’ve been trying.

  I’m fine. Who’s with you? I asked.

  Kyle, Seth, and Cathy. Why do you sound funny?

  I walked to the three doors and locked each one. They were all heavy, steel doors, with prison-quality locks. You’ll have to wait outside.

  My hand was still on the last lock when the door handle jiggled. What’s going on, Lexi? Did you lock the doors?

  Yes. I backed away, staring at the door, and still pressing the tissues against my nosebleed.

  “So, it wasn’t fear I saw in your eyes, was it, Sarah?” Sandra asked.

  “Don’t call me that.” I turned and faced Sandra. “He called you ‘Mom.’ Why?”

  “Because I carried him for nine months, gave birth to him, and raised him.”

  “But he’s a clone.”

  “That’s right.” She was unfazed by the scissors pointed at her neck.

  “A clone of whom?” The picture of the person of interest from the newspaper article about Marci’s death came to mind.

  She smiled. “Is that really want you want to ask me about? We don’t have time.”

  “Why’d you do it? Why’d you clone humans?”

  “That’s more like it. Now we’re getting somewhere.”

  I stepped closer to her. Hold her tighter, Jonas.

  He gripped Sandra and the knife tighter. Sandra tilted her head, attempting to lean away from the blade. “Because I could,” she laughed. “Because I wanted to change things. I wanted to cure disease. Fight for world peace. I wanted control.”

  What the hell was that supposed to mean? Well, she would not control me.

  “Have Jonas put the scissors down. You and I need to talk about some things before the people on the other side of that door break their way into here.”

  “No. You can talk just fine where you are.”

  She swallowed. “Okay. Have it your way, for now. I need you to join me, Sarah.”

  “Join you?” I scoffed. “Join you where?”

  “At the IIA. I can help you. Make your nosebleeds go away. You’ll never feel sick again when you heal someone. I can teach you about everything you were designed to do.”

  An irrational laugh bubbled up out of my throat. “And what if I don’t want to learn from you? You’re not the only one making that promise. What if I don’t want anything to do with you or the IIA?”

  “Then the IIA will continue with their plan to eliminate you and the other originals. And I will give them permission to do so.”

  “Because you have that authority.”

  “Yes, I do,” she said matter-of-factly. “I have complete authority over the Department of Human Cloning. I will simply inform the IIA that you have gone rogue, and you will be terminated.”

  I looked at Jonas. There was something in the way he studied me. You have something to say?

  Don’t taunt her. She will kill you and the rest of the original clones.

  Does that include you?

  No. Remember that piece of metal I showed you? The one I took from Ty when we were in the underground facility?

  Yes.

  That’s called a tracker. I allowed her to insert one into the base of my brain. She can terminate me and any clone at that facility—flick us off like a light switch—any time she wishes—with the push of a button. She, or the agents who work for her, can also control our every movement because of that tracker.

  Terminate? Would Sandra kill Jonas? Why are you telling me this? I asked. If Jonas was Sandra’s son, and here to free her from the coma, why would he risk telling me these things?

  Because I need you. The clones need you. She knows it, but she wants control over you first. She can’t kill you with the push of a button. She’d have to murder you in a more… traditional sense.

  That doesn’t explain why you would warn me. Whose side are you on?

  I’m on the side that gets this tracker out of the back of my head and lets me live my own life. But I’m also on the side that will allow me to use my abilities without bowing down to a bunch of ruthless scientists. That’s what Dia was trying to tell you. Those of us who know Sandra know that we cannot cross her. But we also know there has to be a way out of the hold Sandra and the IIA have on us.

  I walked two more steps and stared straight into Sandra’s green eyes. I stood close enough to hear her breathing, her pulse just slightly higher than normal. “What’s stopping me from killing you right now?” For a split second, a tiny bit of fear flashed over her face—her cheeks fell a fraction and the lines of her forehead twitched.

  Her lips quirked. “You don’t have it in you. You and your friends need me. I have the cure for your ailments—which will only get worse, by the way. Why do you think you get those nosebleeds, Lexi? Because you’ve used some special power?” A laugh escaped her throat. “Those nosebleeds are a sign of a bigger… problem. Your dad knew this. We’d struck a deal just before his death.”

  I narrowed my eyes. My nosebleeds had been worse recently, but I had assumed it was because I had used my mindspeaking ability more often. “You’re lying. My father would never negotiate with you.”

  The turning of the lock on the door sounded behind me. In walked Jack, Bree, and Cathy.

  Lexi, don’t give up control of my mind, Jonas thought. If you do, the IIA will just take control of me again. I’ve been trying to tell you that I’m on your side. That I wasn’t the one who tried to kill you.

  I’m starting to believe you.

  “What is going on here?” Cathy asked, interrupting Jonas and me.

  Jack strode past Cathy and me. He grabbed Jonas by the shirt, then punched him. “What did you do to her?”

  Jonas pressed his fingers against his now-bloody lip. Chuckling, he said, “I guess I deserved that. But you’re making a mistake. I didn’t do the things you think I did.”

  “You didn’t kiss her?”

  That was the thing he chose to punch him over?

  “Well… I did do that,” he laughed. Jack lunged at him again, forcing him to take a step backward with his hands raised. “But I haven’t been controlling her. Not completely, and not alone, anyway.”

  Cathy stood between the two adolescents and held Jack back. “Would you two stop it? Lexi, where’s Sandra? Did you bring her out of that coma?”

  I turned a complete circle. Sandra had vanished. Still, only one door was open. “Where’s Bree?” My heart began beating at an uncontrollable rate. Something wasn’t right.

  “Bree was here?” Jack asked.

  The laughter from Jonas started out as a low chuckle from deep within his chest, but erupted into a hysterical fit. He braced himself against Sandra’s hospital bed.

  I stared at Jonas, then turned quickly to Jack. I could barely get in a breath. “She came in with you,” I said in a barely audible whisper.

  “No she didn’t. It was always just me, Kyle and Ca—”

  I lunged at Jonas, punched him in the chest, and growled, “Why are you laughing? Tell me what just happened.” Although I was pretty sure I knew.

  Jonas swallowed his laughter. He looked down into my eyes. “That wasn’t Bree. That was Dia. That was Sandra’s rescue party.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “If that was Sandra’s rescue party, why are you still here?” I asked, noticing only then that all humor had vanished from Jonas’s face.

  He walked across the room to the sink and grabbed a couple of paper towels from a dispenser, running water over them. His lip was starting to swell.

  Cathy and Jack stared at the two of us, their mouths slightly agape.

  Jonas leaned against the counter. He crossed one arm while dabbing his lip with paper towels in the other h
and. I raised my brows at him in a will-you-freaking-answer-me way.

  “It would appear they left me,” he said.

  “They left you. Your own mother,”—I put air quotes around the word “mother”— “the crazy scientist who has toyed with our lives—the same mother who I’m feeling some severe feelings of hatred for right now—left you inside the school with people who no longer trust you and could easily justify killing you in self-defense for just standing there and breathing the same air we breathe. You’re telling me she left you?”

  “Yes. Something tells me my lovely mother no longer believes I’m on her side. Or doesn’t care.” Jonas touched his lips gently. “Did you have to hit me?” he asked Jack, ignoring me.

  Jack ran a hand through his hair. “You’re lucky I only hit you once. I should have—” He stopped himself mid-sentence, letting out a frustrated breath. He approached me and grabbed my elbow gently. “Did you bring Sandra out of her coma?”

  “It would appear so.”

  “Are you okay? You don’t feel sick?” Jack asked, studying me.

  I shook my head. Should I tell him that Jonas actually helped me? Would he be happy about that, or would he punch Jonas again?

  “This is a disaster. How could you let her leave?” Cathy asked. Her voice had an angry edge.

  “Wasn’t like I was given a choice, Cathy,” I said. I found Jack’s eyes again. “I didn’t want to heal her. Not until I knew more about her. But…”

  “She had no control over her actions,” Jonas said. “This was the work of The Farm. This is what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

  I whipped around to face Jonas. “Oh, yeah? Well, your communication skills suck.”

  “I’m going to go check with Security to see if they saw where Sandra went,” Cathy said.

  I watched her leave, then directed my attention back to Jonas. “Start talking. How are we supposed to believe you—the son of that maniac of a woman?”

  “Sandra is your… mother?” Jack asked, as if finally catching up.