Mindsiege

by Heather Sunseri

  I cocked my head and examined the tracker from a different angle. The small object made from a combination of metal, plastic, and wire was lodged at the base of the skull where the cerebellum meets the spinal cord.

  “Oh, my,” I said, staring at the eight lit-up MRI images in the basement of the infirmary. Jonas and I were alone. Only one nurse was on duty, and she was upstairs on the other side of the building. Jonas was giving me a lesson in trackers. “It’s practically touching the spinal cord. I could paralyze her if I tried to remove this thing.”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” Jonas stuffed both hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “Mine is in the same spot.”

  “Why there?”

  Jonas shrugged. “Maybe to make it near-impossible to remove. It runs on tiny electric impulses.” He approached the screen. The images of the skull glowed a bright blue color against the black background. Very pretty, actually. Jonas pointed a finger at the back side of the device. “There’s a microchip right here. That’s the data center.”

  “Data center?”

  “Sandra or her agents are able to send out instructions over any cell network. The messages are collected here. The device itself then sends out radio waves throughout the brain.”

  “Giving them complete control of whoever has one,” I whispered.

  Jonas tilted his head side to side. “More or less.”

  “But in your case, she doesn’t have as much control as she wants.”

  “More like as much control as she thinks she has. She uses Ty or another clone to get to me fully and to disguise the invasion. Fortunately, she hasn’t realized that I’m learning to detect when another presence tries to take over my mind.”

  “You’ve found a way to keep Ty out.”

  “Mostly.” He flashed me a weak smile, one with an unspoken apology for the uninvited kiss earlier. “That doesn’t mean I’m not constantly watching out for him. And sometimes I miss him. Like earlier.”

  “So, you pocket your thoughts—but when you do detect him, how do you keep him from forcing you to act against your will?”

  “That’s a little trickier. Like I said, I’m always on the lookout for anything foreign entering my brain. If I don’t catch the person inside my mind, things like Kyle sticking his arm in the fire happen. And let’s not forget how you’ve seized control of my mind—twice now.”

  Oh, I hadn’t forgotten. I walked closer, analyzing the actual device. I pointed to the opposite side of the object from where the microchip was located. “What are the little prong-like things on this side?”

  “Exactly that. They only come out when the tracker is implanted. Those little legs, or prongs, weren’t there before the tracker was implanted.”

  “Strange. What do they do?”

  “That’s what holds the tracker in place.” He glanced sideways at me with a grim look. “Those small prongs are what keep us from removing the tracker.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If you tried to take the device out, the prongs would pull and scrape at the base of the brain. Those tiny legs are designed to puncture the cerebellum and cause massive brain hemorrhaging. Or they’ll slice at the spinal cord, or the many tiny nerves along the spinal cord, causing paralysis.”

  “Neither outcome would be good.” I backed away from the pictures and leaned against an exam table. “What if when I removed the device, Jack was here to heal the spinal cord?”

  “Can he heal spinal cords? Has he ever done that?”

  “No, not that I know of,” I answered, slightly deflated. Was I capable of removing the device and healing the brain? What if I passed out in the middle of it? Dani or Addison would die for sure. “There has to be a way to remove it without harming the host.” I needed to see an actual tracker. “What happened to the tracker that Ty gave you the day we were on campus?”

  Jonas walked over and turned off the monitors. “Why? What are you thinking?”

  “Not sure. But I’d like to hold one of those in my hand and see how those prongs come in and out.” I refused to believe that removing these tiny objects and freeing victims of Sandra’s invasion was impossible.

  Jonas slipped inside my head and poked around.

  I narrowed my gaze. “That was obvious. Why are you intruding when I’m standing right here?”

  “That was no more obvious than I’ve always been. You’re just becoming more aware.”

  “Huh. Interesting.”

  “So, are you going to tell me what you’re thinking, or do I need to keep sorting through your thoughts?”

  I smiled. “How about we see if you can figure out what I’m thinking as you hunt down that tracker, and I’ll put my plan into motion while you’re gone.”

  I needed to find Jack. I had to tell him that I was pretty sure I knew how to extract the trackers from Addison and Danielle, not to mention from the other clones and from Jonas. Surely he wanted to be rid of that thing. I was almost certain that once I removed the tracker, Ty would no longer have access to Jonas’s mind, therefore blocking Sandra from further manipulating Jonas.

  I walked closer to the MRI images. I tilted my head while I analyzed the device and the tiny prongs further. Removing the tracker wouldn’t be an option if I couldn’t find the one person I thought could help me.

  “Lexi, there’s one more thing.” Jonas stood directly behind me; his voice was low. “You have to know why Sandra needs you.”

  The muscles in my neck tightened. Turning slowly, I narrowed my gaze at Jonas. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared intently at the floor between us. “Okay…” I said, hesitating. “Why?”

  “You hold the key to her entire life’s research. The ability to control and manipulate her little monsters is important.”

  “No shit.”

  Jonas took a deep breath. “Can I continue?”

  I quirked both brows and motioned with my hand for him to continue.

  “She figured out how to control and manipulate people with these little devices.”

  “Okay, but what does that have to do with me?” I reached up and fiddled with the starfish and key hanging around my neck.

  “The reason she cloned and manipulated her own DNA to begin with was to create a healer of all disease and injuries. You, Lexi, were designed as the perfect healer. And Sandra plans to replicate that ability inside one of those tiny trackers. She will stop at nothing to make sure you join her inside The Farm.”

  I stood up straighter and thought about the other clones and kids inside the IIA facility. She was creating an army of clones—raising them like caged animals to do exactly what she trained them to do. Little workhorses she could manipulate with these small gadgets. “Sandra’s too arrogant to realize that I’m nothing like her. I’ll never help her.” I would never join her cause.

  If you turn yourself over to Sandra, you might not be given a choice.

  ~~~~~

  “So, do you think it’ll work?” I asked Jack, unable to hide the worry from my voice.

  Jack rubbed the stubble on his chin, and analyzed the MRI pictures Jonas and I had stared at for over an hour. “It might. But Lexi—”

  “You don’t think Georgia will risk the seizures, do you?”

  “It’s not that. If she thinks she might be saving a life, Georgia will do whatever we ask her to do.”

  Jack’s admiration for Georgia cut right through my heart. Not in a jealous way. I knew Jack respected the other clones and what they were willing to do for each other—the clones he knew well, anyway. But I wasn’t like that. I wasn’t sure I’d ever sacrifice my own life for others. Or use these abilities created by the devil herself. “You’re scared I won’t follow through with it, aren’t you?”

  He whipped around. His eyes found mine instantly. “What? No, of course not.” He stepped up to me and placed a hand on my cheek, heating my entire body with a look that came close to tearing me apart at the seams, so much so that I had to look away. “Don’t look away
,” he whispered. When I looked back, he continued. “I know you’ll save Addison and Dani as soon as you know how. And as soon as it’s safe. We know too little, though. What if it’s riskier than anything you’ve done so far?”

  “It won’t be. I’m stronger.” Jonas taught me to pocket my thoughts. I was stronger. It had to be enough, because I was out of time.

  “What if removing the tracker weakens you? What if someone sees you at The Farm?”

  There was that. And the thought of Sandra capturing me for her own mad-scientist uses frightened me to my core. While Jack attempted to convince me that he thought I could do it, I had my doubts—but I wouldn’t let him see those. “I can do this. Especially if I have help.”

  “Wow. Did that hurt?” He leaned in and kissed me. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you admit you needed help.”

  “Har har,” I scoffed, but wrung my hands in my lap at the same time. “So, do you think it could work?”

  The door flew open behind me. Jonas’s voice was in my head instantly. Absolutely not!

  Well, that answers the question of whether I could keep him out of my head. I turned. Jonas’s face was a deep shade of red. I kept my voice calm. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

  “Dramatic? You haven’t seen dramatic. Did you tell him?”

  I cringed, closing my eyes tight. Please don’t, Jonas.

  “Tell me what?” Jack asked.

  “Tell him, or I will.”

  I rotated my shoulders back and stared up the nine or so inches into Jonas’s eyes. Fury met fury. I inhaled and let out an exaggerated breath. “Fine.” I turned back to Jack. I reached out and linked my fingers with his in order to block Jonas out.

  “Say it out loud,” Jonas ordered.

  Jack raised his eyebrows. He stood taller. The muscles in his arms tightened, bracing for what I had to say.

  Fine. “Jonas thinks Sandra figured out how to project supernatural mind abilities through these small tracker devices, but she needs me in order to replicate healing powers. He’s afraid Sandra will be able to custom-design these trackers with all kinds of special powers—and then have complete control over whoever is implanted with them. In other words, Sandra wants to play God.”

  Jack’s eyes iced over. His expression hardened. You weren’t going to tell me this, were you?

  There was nothing to tell. It’s one hundred percent speculation on Jonas’s part. I am no miraculous healer.

  Bullshit! Jack boomed inside my head. You’re exactly what Sandra cloned you to be. It all makes sense.

  Pulling on his hand, I urged him to look at me. “I have to do this. I have to go to The Farm and find Addison before it’s too late. Jonas thinks one computer server controls the trackers. If I can find the machine that gives Sandra and the IIA access to innocent minds with these tiny implants—I can shut down her entire operation. I have to try.”

  “Why go there first? Why not remove Dani’s tracker first before you risk entering the devil’s lair?” Jack asked. His fingers stretched wide at his sides then rolled into fists.

  I glanced down at my hands, then back at Jack. “Because if I extract Dani’s first, Sandra will know. I don’t even want to think about what she’ll do if she realizes I’m a threat to her entire operation of tracker clones. She can kill any one of them with a few keystrokes. But if I can shut down that server—”

  “And exactly how do you plan to do that? Do you know anything about computers?”

  I was hoping to take a fire axe to it. “I haven’t worked that part out, yet.”

  He stared at me for what seemed like an eternity before turning to Jonas. “What do you think about this crazy plan? Surely you’re not on board with this.”

  “Oh, you’re ready to trust me now?”

  “When have I not—”

  Jonas raised a hand, cutting Jack’s words off. “Don’t.”

  Jack’s chest fell. Look at her, he mindspoke. You of all people know how I feel about her. I will do whatever I have to do to protect her.

  Jack’s words were directed at Jonas, but I heard them. Did Jack mean for me to hear him?

  So will I, Jonas responded to Jack, then looked intently at me.

  He’d meant for me to hear both his and Jack’s words even if Jack hadn’t.

  “Look,” I said, squeezing Jack’s hand. “I’m going to The Farm. You both can either help me, or you can sit here and hope for the best.” Jack glared at me, as did Jonas. “You two are ridiculous. Each of you, at one time or another, have wanted me to be more in tune with who I am as a clone with freakish healing abilities. And I wanted nothing to do with any of it. Plus, you both are responsible for me landing back at Wellington.

  “Well I’m here. I didn’t want to be, but I am. That has to mean something. And two innocent people are in a dire situation because of me.” I took a deep breath. “And my dad and a reporter he trusted are now dead because of all this.”

  “About that,” Jack said. “Something keeps nagging me about the IIA, something we need to think about if we’re actually going to sneak into The Farm.”

  I was excited he was finally listening to me, but my decision to enter the IIA became more real at his words, making my head ache a little. “Yeah?”

  “Marci told you that your dad was planning to move you. I think he figured out what Sandra was doing and knew she was getting closer to finding you. He didn’t want you to be a part of this. And for good reason,” he added.

  “You think Sandra killed him,” I whispered. “And Marci knew too much. When she discovered The Farm—”

  “They murdered her, too.”

  “One question keeps bothering me, though,” Jack said, and I knew immediately what he was thinking.

  I nodded in agreement. “Who knew Dad well enough to know he was about to move me away from Wellington?” There were few people he might have told this information.

  “I’ve got an even more important question,” Jonas said. “Who knows Sandra well enough that they kept the facility running while she was in a coma, and who was capable of operating the implanted trackers? And why don’t I know who this person is?”

  “Are you sure you don’t know?” I asked.

  Jack stood close to me, a warm hand to my lower back. “I’m afraid whoever it is has us right where they want us.”

  “Along with many other clones we know nothing about,” I said. “With your father out of the country, I know who my guess is.”

  “Cathy.”

  I cupped his cheek with my palm. “Which is why we have to try this plan. We have to get into The Farm. Tonight, while they’re still unsuspecting. And Cathy and Dr. Wellington can’t know we’re gone.”

  Jack’s face softened. “I’ll take care of distracting Cathy.”

  Jonas sighed. “I’ll work on Georgia.”

  And I needed a weapon.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “What’s this do?” I pointed to a strange gun-shaped object that was obviously not a gun.

  “That, my friend, is a Taser. It will drop your attacker to their knees in an instant.” Jonas pretended to touch his neck with the end of the Taser, then faked a massive convulsion as he fell to the ground like someone having a seizure.

  I rolled my eyes then took the weapon from him. Idiot. The Taser was smaller than a gun and very light. If it did what Jonas demonstrated, it could be very useful. But it might also be used against me if a thug wrestled it away from me.

  Jonas pushed himself up. “I still don’t understand why you won’t pack a gun.”

  I shrugged. “Just don’t want one.” I knew I would never kill another human being. And I simply didn’t want to risk having a weapon that could be turned on me. “But I’m not opposed to defending myself or others I love. So, I’m open to other options. What else we got here?” I gestured to the table of weapons before me.

  Jack entered the room with Seth and Coach. Whatever they had been discussing, they stopped the second they entered the room.

&
nbsp; Keeping secrets? I asked Jack.

  From you? Absolutely not. “Coach has something I think you’ll like.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  Coach set a small, hard case on a table in the middle of the room. He flipped up the metal clasps and opened it up. Inside, a dozen or so rings were displayed—ladies’ diamond rings, other less-flashy women’s rings, and even simple men’s rings.

  I looked around at the other faces. Everyone, except Coach, looked as confused as I was.

  “Are these some sort of James Bond spy gadgets?” Jonas asked, only half-laughing.

  Coach pulled one of the daintier rings out and handed it to me. I held it in front of my face and gave it a little shake. It made a strange sloshing noise. I shook it again. “This has liquid in it.”

  Coach watched me examine the ring. His eyes couldn’t hide his excitement. “This is something very new. Not many know about it.”

  Jack sat on the edge of the table beside me. “Therefore, few would know to look for it if someone, let’s say, was searched for weapons.”

  “Slide it on.” Coach took the ring and helped me slide it onto my middle finger. “It tightens a little, like this.” He proceeded to slide something and tightened the ring on my skinny finger.

  I held it up in front of my face. It was a simple silver design with a large pearl on top.

  “The pearls are hollow but not empty. The liquid inside can pack quite a punch. Twist the pearl clockwise by only touching the sides,” Coach said.

  I twisted it like he said, and a tiny pointed tip slid out from the top of the pearl. I reached out my finger and was about to touch it when Coach grabbed my forearm. “Don’t touch that.”

  I jerked my head up. “What does it do?”

  “That pointy tip is a small needle. It’s very sharp. If you were to touch that needle to someone’s skin… even the tiniest graze… the liquid from the pearl would be injected into that person’s body. Just a small amount is all you would need.”

  My heart rate sped up. “Need for what?”

  Jack rubbed his stubble, shifting beside me.

  “A few drops of that in someone’s bloodstream will buy you about ten minutes. The entire container will buy you about twenty-four hours.”