16
SAGE
I tucked myself onto the bottom bunk with my back against the wall, my knees drawn up to my chest. Only then did I feel the extent of my exhaustion as the entire day played through in my mind.
The ear bud was so small, I was afraid it would get lost in my ear. I pressed the bud deep into my ear and was immediately submerged into a conversation between Jack and another male voice that I assumed was Caesar.
“I’ve found him. Screen 37. They’re headed to lab A,” Caesar said.
Jack cursed. “How much time?”
“It looks like they’ve changed him into the loose-fitting clothes. They are still another ninety seconds from the lab. Two doctors already in the lab prepping. Make that three. Your dad just walked in.”
Jack cursed again. “C, just take me straight there. I don’t need any pretenses. There’s no time for anything else.”
“Let me guide you through some empty halls, at least it will attract a little less attention,” Caesar replied.
“There’s no time!” Jack said, his voice more intense than I’d heard it before. “They’re taking him to a lab. It’s obvious what they intend. They’re going for a modwrog, C. They want to push Cunningham.”
What was Jack talking about? Going for a modwrog? I wanted to scream into the earbud, shout dozens of questions that were spinning through my head.
The line remained silent until Jack spoke again. “I’m going straight there. After I make it to him, and we’re out, unlock Sage’s dorm room. And Imogen’s.”
“What happens then?” A female voice pierced the silence. “You know this decision gives you up. Your dad will know where you stand.” It was Imogen. I slammed my pillow against the wall, fuming. How come she had an earbud? Was everyone allowed speaking rights besides me?
“You do like we talked about,” Jack said, the sound of his footsteps padded in the background. “C, you’ll unlock the girls’ rooms. They’ll meet in the bathroom, take the air ducts, and go out the side fence and into the forest.”
Improvise my ass.
“You never talked about any of this to me,” I said out loud. To no one.
“We’ll meet at the spot and then hide until the helicopter comes in a few days,” Jack said, breathing heavy.
Neither Imogen nor C responded. I couldn’t tell if it was a sign of resignation or hesitation at Jack’s orders.
“I know it’s not ideal,” Jack added, his breath rhythmic. Obviously jogging now. “But it’s what we’ve got to work with. Imogen’s right—my dad will know where I stand.”
Everyone was silent for another few seconds.
“They’ve made it to the lab,” C said. “They’re directing Finn in now, moving him to the table. Jack, you’ve got company around the next corner. Slow down.”
My breath stopped, and for the next several seconds, the line was laden with heavy silence.
“Sims, Tattler,” Jack called out greeting.
Another few seconds passed by.
“You’re clear,” Caesar said. “You’ve got sixty seconds. They’re laying him down. Strapping wrists.”
Jack cursed.
“You’ll be there in thirty. You’ve got this.” Despite his reassurance, Caesar’s voice was unmistakably tight.
My own hands had wound tightly around the pillow in my lap. A tight ball in my throat blocked the air from moving through it. I felt frozen, waiting to hear that Finn was safe before I could move or breathe again.
After what seemed like forever, Jack whispered, “I’m here. My dad sees me. He knows it’s not good. I’m going in. Everyone hold position and wait for more direction.”
“10-4,” Caesar replied.
“10-4,” Imogen said.
“C, shut her off until it’s over.”
There was no reply, and it wasn’t until I couldn’t hear anything at all that I realized Jack had meant me.
He’d cut me out.
17
JACK
I slammed against the lab door, pounding on the bullet-proof glass window, shaking the locked handle. “Dad! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!”
I had never let myself go like this—not in front of my dad. Blood pumped through my body, all my senses on high. The two doctors inside the lab room with my father stood frozen in place near the bed, staring wide-eyed at me, glancing at my dad for direction on what to do next. One doctor held the syringe intended for Finn. It was filled with yellow liquid, and I knew what that liquid would do.
Fury rolled through me. I pulled back my fist and slammed it into the window.
Finn lifted his head from the gurney, a curly strand of hair hung down across his forehead, a look of complete terror in his eyes. Staring into his face, I felt a fraction of the pain I knew Sage would feel if I didn’t make it to her brother in time.
I glanced around frantically for something to use on the glass.
“No time boss. Nothing close enough,” C said quietly into the earbud.
I cried out in frustration, spinning, punching the glass again—using all the force I never allowed others to see. The window cracked slightly.
My dad saw it, and he strode to the doctor who held the syringe. Dad’s face remained a calm, deadly storm that sent me punching the window again. This time, a web of cracks splintered across the glass.
I ground my teeth and punched again, barely noticing how my knuckles pounded in pain.
This time, the glass shattered, clattering inward onto the floor of the lab. Deep gashes ran up my skin from knuckles to forearm. I brushed away the glass.
“Dad!” I shouted in warning as he approached Finn. I shoved my left arm through the hole in the window and struggled with the doorknob, my fingers fumbling with the lock. Dad ignored me, positioning the needle at the bend in Finn’s forearm. One of the doctor’s steadied the arm while Finn thrashed on the table.
“STOP!! This is not what you wanted!” I jerked on the handle. Finally, the door swung open.
But it was too late, my dad was already pressing down on the syringe. The yellow liquid was entering Finn’s body.
I lunged across the room, diving for my father. He jerked the needle out just as I grabbed ahold of his lab coat. He spun and stabbed the needle into my forearm, shoving down the syringe and injecting the remaining bit of liquid into my arm, breaking my hold.
“You bastard!” I shouted. “This isn’t his fault!”
I heard guards entering the room behind us. I spun and knocked out the first guard using my uninjured left hand. The other four converged all at once. I knew them all by name. I kicked the closest one, Fox, in the head as another lunged for my torso. A head butt to the second, as the third, Jimmy, approached with a fire extinguisher, which he slammed across my cheek. An explosion of light erupted across my eyes. I felt the skin begin to pour with blood and wondered if the cheekbone had broken.
For a moment, it was three on one. The blobs of light across my vision cleared, and I actually freed myself and wiped my bloody face, ready to lunge for the closest guard. Then, something touched my shoulder, and a shock moved through my entire body. I felt myself collapsing to the ground.
A Taser.
My dad stared at me as I tried to push myself back up.
“Stay down,” C said. “Jack, I repeat, stay down.”
Like hell I would.
Above me, on the bed, I saw Finn’s body convulsing, shifting into something altogether different. They would take him to the west wing before the transformation was complete, locking Finn in a cage so he couldn’t do any damage to those around him once his body had fully mutated into a modwrog.
Fury flooded through me, and I shoved myself to my feet. I was met with the fire extinguisher but was able to block it enough that the full force didn’t hit me in the head. Before I could shift attention to him, my father shocked me again. This time, when I dropped, he didn’t stop. The shocks came over and over again, paralyzing fire flashing through me. I heard my body flopping on the fl
oor like a fish as the electricity rendered my every limb, every muscle, useless.
Someone kicked me in the head, and my vision went dark. I heard C swallow on the other end of the line. I felt another kick—to my spine this time. The Taser came again. Then someone tied my hands and legs.
Unconsciousness would have been mercy, but my body was far too superior for that. Instead, I remained awake, feeling all too well the full extent of my injuries. My father gave the orders, and the guards dragged me down the hall and locked me in a cell.
18
BECKETT
Smalls’ fist flew at my face.
I could barely see Dr. Dallamore through eyelids that had nearly swollen shut.
“Are you ready to tell us anything now?” Dallamore said.
I had to work to keep my head lifted. My vision blurred, and I wasn’t sure the words would come out clearly because of the blood in my mouth.
“Nothing’s changed,” I rasped. “I don’t talk until you take me to them.”
“Very well,” Dallamore said.
Smalls punched me in the face again.
19
JACK
I managed to push my way onto the cot in the corner. My head leaned against the wall, knees bent up so my arms could rest on them. I’d worked my way out of the rope that held my wrists together. The ripped skin on my right forearm and knuckles had clotted, and I rotated my arm, assessing the healing wounds. It would take hours for the wounds to fully close. Surprisingly, the spot that hurt the worst on my body was where Dad had stabbed me in the forearm with that needle. I wasn’t sure how deep he’d gone with it, but it felt like he’d hit bone.
If my dad had any doubt about my true position and how far I was willing to go, he knew now. I had clearly drawn the line. But I knew that going in, didn’t I? As soon as I’d left Sage’s room, I knew there was no turning back.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed in the cell. Forty-five minutes, maybe. Caesar had yet to say anything into the earbud. He knew I wouldn’t want to talk.
I looked up when the door opened and my father entered. I wish I’d been more surprised about his actions in the lab room, but I knew that Dad had dropped off the cliff a long time ago. I guess all that was left was for me to fully accept it.
My dad cleared his throat and remained by the door. I could smell the lemon oil on him, strong in my nostrils, even across the cell.
“This is interesting to me. I always thought you were willing to do whatever it takes to get to the code. Are you going soft on me?”
He paused, perhaps waiting for a response but most likely not. “Dr. Cunningham has now seen the footage of his son. We noted the IP address online, although we were unable to trace it. We made it known that he has six days to respond with the code location or else his daughter will get the same injection.”
He studied me, gaging my silence and the look of hatred across my face. He took another solid step into the room. His face was hard and cold, no sign of remorse for his earlier actions.
“You will go and tell the girl what has happened to her brother. You will take her to him and show her the consequences of crossing the Corporation. You will inform her that she will suffer the same fate as her brother if her father does not respond. You will tell her that if she knows anything, she can save herself.”
That last part was a lie, and I would say none of it to Sage. I kept the anger bottled up inside of me when I lifted my head and spoke.
“Mom wouldn’t even recognize you.”
My dad strode across the cell and smacked me across the face. I felt the gash break open and the blood trickle onto the surface of my skin. I wanted to throttle him.
I didn’t move.
“You will apologize to the guards and the doctors from today. You will follow my orders, and you will act like a model citizen of the Corporation. You will not attempt escape, with, or without the girl, or so help me, I will kill your brother.”
At this, my head snapped up.
“And just where is Beckett? And Aunt Peg? Uncle Jeff? Do you even know? You haven’t bothered to talk with them in years.”
His lips pulled into a straight line. “At this very moment? I have no idea where they are. I didn’t request them here.” My dad pulled out a handkerchief from his lab coat pocket and wiped my blood off his hand. “But I will follow through on my word.”
Dad’s lack of care for Beckett stirred up more ferocity in me than anything else. I could handle my father’s lack of care for me. I’d grown callous to it—and what did it matter when I was going to die anyway? But Beckett was a good person. He genuinely cared about people. Which meant he could genuinely be hurt. As we were growing up, I felt a shot of pain—always followed by rage—whenever I watched Beckett’s face in moments we saw our dad’s heartless side. It’s one of the reasons I encouraged Dad to send Beckett to Alaska, and why I’d helped shove Beckett into Peg and Jeff’s car.
The thought of Beckett under the palm of my dad again sent fury through my veins. He was far away from this mess, and that was where he was going to stay.
I shoved away from the wall, rising from my reclined position on the cot. “If you hurt Beckett, so help me, I will kill you myself.”
We stood eye to eye, and I made sure Dad saw the truth in my words. I wanted him to feel the solid force standing in front of him—a force he created, the genes he manipulated, standing in front of him now, ready to follow through on my words. I was sick of the threats to my brother, and I wasn’t ten years old anymore. I would rip off his head if he touched Beckett.
Dad’s gaze didn’t waver as he pointed toward the door. “You will follow my orders. Doctors first, then the guards, then the girl.”
I didn’t move.
Dad held my gaze long enough for me to understand that he was serious. Then he turned and sauntered out of my cell, knowing I would do exactly what he said—just like I always did when he threatened with the life of my brother.
*
I walked slowly down the hall, because I had no idea what I would say to Sage once I reached her dorm room. I didn’t want to face her. I didn’t want to be the one to take her to the west wing. I didn’t want to see the look in her eyes when she saw Finn. She’d never forgive me. And I’d never forgive myself. I’d already added Finn to the list of lives lost because of me.
Through the earbud, C cleared his throat, speaking for the first time since the lab room.
“Jack. Dude, I can’t believe you’re walking.” C sounded hesitant, but pressed forward. “I know you probably don’t want to listen to my voice right now, but I’ve got some crazy activity going on in the surveillance room that you need to hear about it.”
Numbly, I rubbed my arm. “I didn’t make it to him, C. I didn’t make it in time.”
A dry silence held over the line. C didn’t know what to say. Finally, I sighed. “Go ahead.”
C cleared his throat, probably debating whether to respond to my last comment or not. He didn’t. This is why we got along. Sometimes there was just nothing to say. He always knew when to keep his mouth shut and when to smack me in the face.
“Dude, I got an encrypted code just over an hour ago. Straight over the main system, right after they sent the message to Dr. Cunningham.” Caesar paused.
“So, un-encrypt it,” I said.
“I already did,” he replied, unfazed by my sarcasm. “Are you ready for this?” Paper rustled in the background. “It says: Bring her to me unharmed, and I’ll give you the code. You can destroy it. Just like you want.” C cleared his throat. “So … I figure it’s for you, because who else wants to destroy the code, you know? But, dude, it was like he knew I would be working the surveillance room. How would he know I was there right then? And how does he know I’m working with you?”
Dr. Cunningham. Welcome back from anonymity. And what a return. My fists tightened at the idea that the doctor would show up now, after his son’s body was practically destroyed. Now he decides to talk. And he
comes with requests? What kind of game was Sage’s dad playing? And how did he know I wanted to destroy the code? No one knew that, besides Beckett and C. And how could I be sure he’d follow through with what he said, even if I did deliver his daughter?
I listened while C took a sip of coffee and set his mug down on the counter below the monitors.
“So. What’s the plan?” Caesar said.
I flexed my forearm, feeling the pull at the injection site where my dad stabbed me. If Dr. Cunningham wanted to play games, I would play games. I’d play any game I needed to in order to get the code before it got into the hands of my dad and Vasterias. I would play games, I would get the code, and I would destroy it. And then, as I’d silently planned since I was nine years old, I would kill myself and end this entire behemoth mess.
It wouldn’t be easy, gaining Sage’s trust now. Not after she saw Finn in a few minutes.
And getting her to leave the island would be near impossible, because I knew she wouldn’t go without her brother—and the probability of getting him out of here, at this point, with what had just happened, was very low. Not to mention my dad’s latest threat against Beckett. Tracking down Beck and Peg and Jeff and getting word to them to get the heck out of dodge—all before we made our move to escape—that also sounded near impossible.
But, I’d done impossible my entire life. And somehow, it’d worked for me up to now.
I clenched my jaw. “Send a message back to the doctor. Ask him where to deliver his daughter. And, C?”
“Yeah?”
“Get in touch with our contact at headquarters. We need to find my brother.”
20
SAGE
One hour, forty-seven minutes, and twenty-one seconds had passed since Jack cut me out of the earbud conversation. I had no idea what was going on, but it couldn’t be good because they never came back on the line, and no one showed up at my door to whisk me away to the forest. I couldn’t handle it.
The Mod Code Page 8