The Collection

by Shannon Stoker

  “You shouldn’t do any lifting,” the doctor said.

  “Katie, it’s a puke bucket, it weighs a pound,” Rex said. “I’m taking it to the bathroom.”

  “Katie?” Andrew asked.

  “That’s my first name,” she said.

  “What is going on?” Andrew asked.

  The doctor continued her examination. “You don’t remember?” she asked.

  “I remember falling asleep after talking with you,” Andrew said. “I felt better then.”

  She walked away toward a cabinet and came back with a syringe.

  “I need to take some of your blood,” she said. “Then I’ll give you some water and medicine for the headache.”

  What Andrew really wanted was a toothbrush. He didn’t even pay attention as she wrapped a tourniquet around his arm.

  “Do you need me to hold you down again?” Rex asked.

  He looked serious.

  “Stay away from me, and you stay away from Mia,” Andrew said.

  “Whoa,” Katie said.

  “It’s fine,” Rex said. “I’ll be in the next room.”

  “I thought you two were friends,” Katie said.

  “You thought wrong,” Andrew said.

  “I think you were a bit nicer going through the withdrawal than after,” she said. “Rex helped you last night, against my orders. You ripped his stitches twice.”

  “What?” Andrew asked.

  He squinted his eyes. He tried to focus on his last memory; it was of falling asleep. He wasn’t met with a shooting pain attempting to think about anything else this time.

  “We haven’t been to sleep at all,” she said. “You went through it pretty bad for about eight hours.”

  She finished collecting her vial and put a bandage on the interior of Andrew’s elbow.

  “Bend,” she said.

  He did as he was told.

  “Keep that man away from me,” Andrew said.

  “I would have had my assistants help, but Rex insisted. I thought it would give you comfort knowing one of your friends was here.”

  “Stop using that word,” Andrew said. “He’s not my friend. He’s dangerous.”

  Katie shook her head and came back with some pills and water. Andrew didn’t want any more drugs.

  “This is just headache relief,” she said. “You can trust me. As soon as you feel better and I test your blood I’ll clear you to get out of here.”

  Andrew reluctantly took the medication and drank the whole cup of water.

  “Can you stand?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Andrew said with annoyance. Aside from the headache he felt fine.

  “You kept trying to rip your IV out,” she said. “We managed to keep it in most of the night. That should have helped with the dehydration. How is your appetite?”

  As if on cue his stomach let out a rumble. It wasn’t for food though; the idea of eating made Andrew queasy.

  “It’s fine,” he said.

  “It shouldn’t be,” she said. “The nausea will pass by dinnertime. Try to sit still for a while, force your body to keep the water down. I’m going to run a blood panel and check on your levels. Stay in bed until I get back.”

  Katie grabbed the vial and walked out of the room. Andrew wanted to get out of here, but puking on the floor wouldn’t help him get released. He lay backward on the bed but kept his feet on the ground. A knock came outside his door and he propped himself up on his elbows. Rex didn’t wait for an invitation as he walked in the room.

  “You have every right to hate me,” Rex said. “But we should talk.”

  “So you can convince me not to tell these people who you are? Who you work for? What you support?”

  “Think past tense,” Rex said.

  “I should have left you to bleed to death in the jungle.”

  “I saved your life,” Rex said. “Twice now if you count last night.”

  “After you took my friend’s,” Andrew said.

  “That was an accident,” Rex said. “I never wanted anyone to die.”

  “Why are you here?” Andrew asked. “What are you up to?”

  “My former boss sent me down here to track and kill your girlfriend,” he said.

  “I should kill you right now,” Andrew said.

  “But,” Rex said, “I didn’t follow his order, did I? Instead I helped the three of you; doesn’t that award me the benefit of the doubt?”

  “You have it,” Andrew said. “Why do you think I’ve kept my mouth shut this far? But your time is running out. Give me a reason to believe you.”

  “I’ve been a soldier my entire life,” Rex said. “I’m good at it, following orders, executing missions. After my time in service was done I reenlisted; once that was done I took a job in Grant Marsden’s security. I never stopped being a soldier. I never will. I don’t know how.”

  Andrew clenched his jaw. He knew not to trust Rex, but part of him knew how that felt. Andrew may have never made it to service, but even now he had a hard time turning off the man he was groomed to be. He nodded for Rex to continue.

  “I don’t care about owning a woman,” Rex said. “I never have. I don’t care about helping women either. A target is a target and a mission is a mission; Grant gave me that. Lately, I’ve started to think he isn’t worth fighting for any longer.”

  “You’re loyal to him,” Andrew said. “As loyal as I was to America. It doesn’t turn off that fast.”

  “It’s been turning off for a while now,” Rex said. “He lets emotions compromise his missions. I need a new general.”

  “And you think that could be me?” Andrew asked with a laugh.

  “No,” Rex said. “I researched your location. I traveled down here. The night of Mia’s auction I was supposed to win it and kill her, but my plan was to win it and save the three of you.”

  “Mia’s auction?” Andrew asked. He felt his stomach go queasy again. He didn’t want to hear about that. “What did your boss think you were doing?” he asked. “If you did the research why did you tell him the truth about where we were?”

  “It wasn’t until after I told him that I changed my mind,” Rex said. “He has some warped ideas about right and wrong that I no longer agree with. After spending one night here I realize that. This group is more deserving of my skills. I have Amelia to thank for leading me here. If she hadn’t shot me I may have never discovered that fact.”

  “You just said a mission is a mission,” Andrew said.

  “Until it isn’t anymore,” Rex said. “Killing is not something I enjoy. Grant Marsden takes pleasure from the act, not me. He could not make up his mind as to whether I should kill you or follow you. Indecisiveness is not a quality of a leader.”

  Andrew felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise up and realized his knuckles were turning white from clenching his fists.

  “This is a trap,” Andrew said. “Why wouldn’t he order us dead on sight?”

  “I am not sure,” Rex said. “A man cannot be loyal when respect is missing. Grant has shown his lack of respect for me, and mine for him has been vanishing.”

  “So what is your plan now?”

  “I didn’t think I would stay with you three,” Rex said. “I assumed after I saved you we would part ways, but this place, these people, it’s not something I expected.”

  “You don’t know anything about this place,” Andrew said.

  “It’s a tactical center,” Rex said. “They’re a well-trained and highly organized machine. I could help them.”

  “You know their goal is to take down the Registry? To stop your army?” Andrew asked.

  Rex nodded.

  “I am a soldier,” Rex said. “My skills can be bought or my loyalty earned. I do not care who my opponent is, just that I have respect for my superior. I’ve been here for a short while and they have treated me quite well. I do not care one way or the other about the rationale for my fight. I only care that I have a fight and fellows who are worthy of my abilities.�
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  Andrew locked eyes with Rex. He couldn’t decide whether the man was telling the truth or not. He was like a well-trained soldier, impossible to read.

  “I’m not asking for your trust,” he said. “I’m asking for the chance to earn it.”

  Their conversation was finished when Katie came back in the room.

  “Did you two make up?” she asked.

  “No,” Andrew said.

  Even though his gut told him not to, part of Andrew understood what Rex was saying. Before Mia blackmailed him into helping her escape, Andrew hadn’t really cared one way or the other about women either. He never saw their way of life as wrong or thought that anything was the matter with his. If Andrew had served his time there was a good chance he would have turned into someone like Rex.

  “But he can stay here if he wants,” Andrew said.

  “Well, bad news for him then,” Katie said. “Your blood work came back clean. No toxins in your system. As long as you feel up to it, you have my permission to rejoin the group.”

  Andrew stood up from the bed. The pills Katie had given him had made his headache go away.

  “Take a shower,” she said. “There are some clean clothes in there for you.”

  “Thanks,” Andrew said.

  He walked past Rex, who gave him a nod.

  “I’m making you stay here for at least one more day,” Katie said.

  “I’m in better shape than he is,” Rex said.

  “You pulled your stitches twice,” Katie said. “I know you’re feeling fine, but if that happens again you could bleed out. You were shot; it was a through-and-through, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need further observation.”

  “Doctor’s orders?” Rex asked.

  “Besides,” Katie said, “I think we both need some sleep.”

  Andrew walked into the bathroom and left the two of them in his room. He shut the door all the way and turned on the water. He had just started to take his shirt off when he thought he heard his name. He shut the shower curtain and held his ear to the door.

  “Memory loss . . . long-term effects . . . permanent.”

  Andrew moved away and looked at the mirror. He had heard enough to get the gist of what they meant. He examined the gash in his head. His skin was stitched together. He lifted his head and stared at himself in the mirror. His brain was in trouble. He knew it, but Andrew couldn’t focus on himself right now. He’d been to the brink of death and back over the past several weeks, but what mattered more than that was reuniting with Mia. Nothing was going to delay that event.

  Chapter 52

  While the community may assist in child rearing, it is important to foster the parent–child bond.

  —Internal memorandum from Affinity

  Fruit was set out in the mess hall. Mia didn’t care about it though. Carter stopped to make a plate but Mia ran straight for Zack.

  “Can I—”

  Before Mia could finish Zack interrupted.

  “You can’t go see Andrew,” he said. “Dr. Drum released him, so he’s on his way to find you.”

  Mia felt like a fist holding her heart had released its grip. She let out a sigh of relief. Zack wore a goofy grin on his face.

  “When?” Mia asked.

  “After breakfast,” Zack said.

  “But he’s okay?”

  “He’s fine,” Zack said.

  Carter came up behind Mia and took a seat at Zack’s table. Mia followed his lead and started picking fruit off his plate. He didn’t seem to mind. After hanging out with the group last night both of them had been exhausted and fallen right to sleep. Now they each had renewed energy.

  “Rex has to stay in the infirmary,” Zack said. “You’re really not that concerned about him?”

  “We just met him,” Carter said. “We’re glad he’s fine.”

  “Well, we want to wait till he’s out to introduce the four of you,” Zack said. “So you three will have the next few days to yourselves.”

  “He’s not staying here,” Mia said.

  Again Carter gave Mia’s leg a kick.

  “She means we’re not sure of his plans,” Carter said.

  “Either way,” Zack said. “Familiarize yourselves with this place, get to know some of the people, ask questions about their work, observe how we live. I’ll escort you three this morning, then I have some work that needs my attention. Sarah had some of her duties reassigned, and starting this afternoon she’ll be with you. I’ll join whenever I can.”

  Mia couldn’t think of a better guide. There was still a lot she wanted to learn about her new friend.

  “Our blood tests,” Carter said. “Did they come back . . . ?”

  “You two are clean,” Zack said.

  Mia thought that was a formality. She was shocked to see the look of relief on Carter’s face.

  “About work,” Zack said. “Do the two of you have any passions? Any skills you’d like to hone? I can tell you what to observe.”

  “I like music, art,” Carter said. “I’m not a bad fighter.”

  “Well,” Zack said, “everyone here knows how to defend themselves.”

  “Teaching,” Carter said. He looked over at Mia and gave her a smile. “I’m a good teacher.”

  She nodded. Part of her was excited to demonstrate everything Riley had taught her.

  “Mia is an amazing cook,” Carter said.

  “We can always use one of those,” Zack said.

  Suddenly cooking food didn’t seem like such fun anymore.

  “Driving,” Mia said. “I like to drive.”

  “Hmm,” Zack said. He gave her a head nod.

  Carter looked over at Mia. She shrugged. If they were going to stay here she wanted a position with more action.

  “Well,” Zack said, “if you stick around the field you’ll see the different groups working on their physical skills today. If you head down to the lake you can see the children and the teachers. We don’t have any permanent driving positions at the moment, but that would be under my command so I’m sure I can set something up.”

  Before Mia could ask where the lake was, she heard the door to the mess hall open. She spun around and saw a figure standing with the sun pouring in behind him. Without waiting for confirmation she jumped up from her seat, knowing exactly who it was. She sprinted and as the doors shut the sun faded out and Andrew stood there. Mia almost knocked him over when she hurled herself into his arms.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him as tight as she could. His lean frame didn’t seem real. She felt him return her grasp. His arms were around her shoulders. One of his hands went up the back of her head and into her hair. He held her close, her face pressed against his chest. Mia blinked away tears of happiness. They were together, and nothing would ever separate them again.

  Chapter 53

  Tonight on The Greg Finnegan Show, an interview with Grant Marsden’s superior during his tenure in service. Learn even more about the American Hero.

  —American Gazette

  Frustration filled Grant. The boy was supposed to call an hour ago, and he hadn’t heard from Rex in forty-eight hours. He didn’t want to risk dialing out, in case the call was traceable. Too many people were watching him. Even though Grant had blocking technology, turning it on might signal something. He reminded himself Rex would have called if the situation had taken a turn for the worse, or maybe Rex was dead. Either way, the boy was more important.

  On the plus side, if the boy met his demise at least Grant would have a new dummy to test his inventions out on. Human experimentation was something in which Grant hadn’t taken part in some time.

  Peace and quiet,” the host said. “Still not scared?”

  “No,” Grant said. “I am hungry though; will you untie me?”

  The host picked up his chair and set it next to Grant’s. He cut up the fish and stabbed a piece with his fork, then fed it to Grant.

  “Now everyone is happy,” the host said. “How many years un
til you report for duty?”

  “Six,” Grant said.

  “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” the host said. “It’s rude.”

  Grant swallowed the fish.

  “Do you know why you’re still alive?” the host asked.

  “Because you’re having fun toying with me,” Grant said.

  “The young, so reckless,” he said. “I’m impressed with you.”

  He held up another piece and Grant took a bite.

  “Two weeks and I had no idea; you sized up that man right away for what he was, and you have no fear. What should I do with you?”

  “If you aren’t going to kill me, I guess let me go,” Grant said.

  “I never let anyone go. I don’t like unserved men,” the host said. “I get one or two every year trying to break in or looking for work. They’re dirty and lack potential, and are missing a certain amount of refinement. You don’t show those qualities.”

  Grant didn’t know how to respond. Then the rapid-fire questions came.

  “If I asked you to kill that man, would you have?”

  “Gladly,” Grant said.

  “Why?”

  “He was annoying.”

  “Have you killed anyone before?”

  “Yes.”

  “How many?”

  “One.”

  “Why?”

  “I didn’t like him.”

  The host smiled and leaned back in the chair.

  “I can’t kill you,” he said. “You remind me too much of myself.”

  The host picked up a dinner knife and sliced through Grant’s bindings. The ropes loosened and Grant lifted his arms. The host still held the knife; he was ready to stab. Grant picked up his fork and took another bite of salmon. The host laughed.

  “I think we can have some fun together,” the host said.

  A vibration from Rod’s cell phone brought Grant back to reality. He picked up the device and went into the room next door. Rod was awake, flipping through one of the old books Grant had found to keep him entertained.

  “You’re back,” Rod said. “Any news on my son?”

  “He’s on the phone,” Grant said. “I want you to tell him you’re all right.”