“What’s he doing here?” Jason asked, looking at Jake.
“I don’t know,” Jake said. “He was acting strange at the shop…”
“Really?” Jason eyed Jake. “I thought he seemed like a nice enough guy. You don’t trust him?”
“Not completely, no.”
Exhaling heavily and scratching the back of his head, Jason said, “And now he’s here…why is he here?”
Jake didn’t like the unease that settled inside him, but all he could do was shrug, and together, he and Jason walked out toward the approaching horse. Warily, they watched Charles dismount.
Jake heard the screen door swing closed behind him, but he didn’t turn back; instead he kept his eyes fixed on Charles.
A hollow thunk shifted everyone’s attention, and Jake turned around to see Zoe standing in the driveway behind him, a notebook sprawled on the ground at her feet, her eyes wider than he’d ever seen them and her mouth gaping open. She was silent for a moment, until she finally blinked and took a reluctant step forward.
“Dad?” The word was barely a whisper.
Jake’s brow furrowed, and when he turned back toward Charles, he no longer saw Charles; a taller man, with a medium build and graying, light brown hair stood in his place. Shaking his head, Jake stared at the man who seemed to have morphed into a completely different person, apparently into Zoe and Jason’s dead father—Tom? Jake had never seen a picture of him, and the resemblance to either Zoe or Jason was minimal, but Jake had heard enough about Tom—both the relationship he’d had with his kids and the fact that he was supposedly dead—to give him pause. But the way Zoe’s eyes brightened, the way they filled with a storm of emotions so turbulent that they began to shimmer, was all the proof he needed that this man was, indeed, Tom Cartwright.
In stunned silence, Jason watched Tom, and neither he nor his father seemed able to move. Neither of them even seemed able to speak.
But not Zoe; she moved toward the newcomer, stopping close enough to reach her hand out and touch his face. “You’re alive. You’re really standing here,” she said. Her eyes scoured the length of his body, as if she thought she might be staring at a ghost. “I thought you were dead. Grams said you were dead…”
“Because that’s what I wanted her to believe,” Tom said, his calm, smooth voice seeming to fit this version of himself more than it had fit his portly counterpart.
“Why would you…” She shook her head. “You’re alive,” she said again, and with a sob, wrapped her arms around him.
Tom embraced his daughter, closing his eyes and letting her cry on his shoulder.
“You’re alive.” Her sobbed words were muffled by his well-worn, checkered flannel shirt.
Although Jake wanted to give Zoe privacy during her reunion with her apparent father, he was too wary of the man’s Ability to alter perception to leave her alone with him.
Jake heard the screen door open and looked over his shoulder to see Dani emerge, Annie at her side. Hand in hand, they walked toward the commotion. Dani’s features were scrunched in confusion.
Until Tom lifted his face away from Zoe’s hair.
Dani gawked. “Mr. Cartwright?”
“Why?” Zoe asked, pulling away from her father and wiping the tears from her face. “Why would Grams think you were dead? Why would you want her to think that?”
He gave her an apologetic shake of his head. “I couldn’t risk Herodson finding out I was alive and using it to somehow hurt you kids…or your mom. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
“But all this time…we thought you were dead.” Zoe’s features hardened. “You knew about all of this, about mom…”
“Yes, sweetheart, I knew.” A pained expression softened his features. “I’ve known all along. Not the details, but…enough. I knew enough.”
Zoe’s eyes narrowed.
Tom looked at Jason, whose expression was blank, then back at Zoe. “I wanted to tell both of you—so many times—but I couldn’t.” Gently, he touched Zoe’s temple with his fingertips. “I can see that you know about the Monitors…and that yours are gone.” He sighed and shook his head. “Now that you know the danger, I hope you’ll understand.”
Zoe’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, and she took another step back.
Her father let his hand fall down to hang at his side.
“Is there anything else?” she said, her voice cold.
Tom frowned. “Anything else?”
“Anything else we should know about? Now that we know about Mom and her role in all of this…and that you’re alive. Is there anything else?”
Her father started to shake his head.
“And, please, don’t lie.” She closed her eyes, drawing in and then exhaling a steadying breath. “We can’t take any more lies.”
When she finally looked at him, he shook his head the barest amount. “Other than my Ability, no, there’s nothing else. Not that I can think of.”
For the first time, Zoe seemed to notice Jason standing there, staring at their father. “Jason, you were just staring at him. When I came out here…how could you not see it was Dad?”
Her brother looked at her, a hard, cold glint in his eyes. “He didn’t look like him.”
“You must’ve been able to see through the ‘glamour’ because your Ability’s so much like his, Zo,” Dani said from beside Jason. She gave Zoe’s father a timid wave. “Hey, Mr. Cartwright.”
He inclined his head. “Dani. It’s good to see you’re still alive and with the family.”
She shrugged and gave him a weak smile. “I’m sort of a hard person to get rid of, I guess.”
He chuckled softly. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“Why didn’t you tell Jason who you were this morning?” Jake asked, his arms folded over his chest. “Why ride here, pretending to be someone you’re not?”
The man’s gaze leveled on Jake before it shifted back to his kids. “I wanted to make sure this place was safe, that you kids were safe and not here under some sort of manipulation.” When both Jason and Zoe remained quiet, he continued. “When I saw you this morning, Jason, I was so shocked, I wasn’t sure what to do. Everything I’ve done has been to keep you safe, in the hope that, one day, I’d find you again. I had to stay hidden—to live in disguise—if I wanted the chance to meet up with you again. I wanted to stay in Bodega Bay, in case you returned, but I couldn’t stay there looking like me.”
Jason started clenching and unclenching his jaw. “We thought you were dead,” he said, his voice hollow as he repeated Zoe’s earlier words.
“I know, son, and I’m sorry. But it was the only way. You’re not the only one Herodson put Monitors on.”
After a hesitant moment, Jason seemed to accept the explanation, because he wrapped his arms around his father so suddenly that even he looked a little stunned.
The older man closed his eyes as a relieved smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he returned Jason’s hug.
Jake looked at Zoe, whose eyes were gleaming with surprise and confusion, with relief and uncertainty as she watched her brother and father embrace. Focused solely on Zoe, Jake closed the distance between them, intent on making sure she was alright.
Her shimmering eyes met his. “I…I can hardly believe anything that happens anymore…”
Jake remained quiet and wrapped his arms around her. “Neither can I.”
36
ZOE
JUNE 17, 1AE
The Farm, California
“I’ve seen Mom,” I blurted, unable to suppress my curiosity. “Did you know she was still alive?”
My dad’s face brightened at the mention of my mom, but only minimally. Like her, he’d clearly become well-adjusted to masking his emotions. “I hoped,” he said. His gaze shifted between Jason and me. “I hoped she was, but more than anything, I hoped that her hard work had paid off, that you had Abilities…that you’d survived and were able to start over.”
“Her hard work?” I glanced a
t Jason before my eyes narrowed again on my dad. “She killed everyone.”
“It’s complicated, Zoe. You don’t understand.”
“I don’t understand?” I wasn’t sure if I should vomit or scream. “You have no idea what we’ve been through over the past six months, all because of her…what our friends—the people we love—have gone through. You’ve been hiding in Bodega Bay while we’ve been literally fighting to survive. Our friends are dead. Grams is dead. All because of Mom.”
“Zoe, please don’t—”
“No.” I held up my hand. “Let’s, just for a minute, pretend she didn’t wipe out all of humanity. I’ve had friends die in my arms. I can see and feel things no one should ever have to.” I flung my arm to the side, pointing in Jake’s general direction. “Jake’s sister has to have daily electrotherapy sessions just to stay alive. Jason has to null Dani’s Ability every night to prevent her from turning into a wild animal. My memories—”
I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked back. Jason was standing behind me, a grave expression on his face. “Zoe, you can’t blame him for being happy we’re still alive.”
My dad took a few steps toward me, and the closer he drew, the more my volatile emotions consumed me.
I looked at Jason. “Of course not,” I said softly. “But, Jason, we’re alive at the expense of everyone else.” I turned to meet my dad’s pale gaze. I’d wanted a real family all my life, to learn the truth and discover what it was that had always been left unsaid, but not at the cost of everyone else. “You talk about it like everything that’s happened is just a casualty of war, something that needed to be done.”
My dad took another step toward me. “I’m sorry,” he said and offered me a weak smile. “I guess I’ve just been in this so long that I forget how new it is, how hurtful…I know it’s hard to understand.” He reached out to me. “But no matter what you think, know that your mom really does love you. She wanted what was best for you, no matter how horrible you think she is.”
Tears were hot on my cheeks. I knew her intentions had been good, that in her own way she loved us, but it wasn’t enough to overshadow the truth of what she’d done anymore. “Then why isn’t she here? Why won’t she leave him? Why won’t she leave Peter? She won’t even bring him with her. She wouldn’t even consider it—”
“Peter?” The confusion in my dad’s voice sobered me. He didn’t know. “Who’s Peter?”
“Shit,” Jason muttered. He stepped up beside me and rubbed his hand over his hair. “There are some things we need to tell you, Dad.”
Dad didn’t know… Part of me guessed it made sense. When was the last time he’d seen Mom? Does he know the extent of all she’d done, the things she’s created?
“What the hell?” I heard Jake say as he started down the driveway. I followed his line of sight, my feet moving toward him of their own accord. I squinted at movement on the road, my gaze landing on a figure in white—a person. Soon, more figures appeared, what looked like dozens of them, maybe more.
Dread thickened in my throat and my blood ran cold. I heard shouting and hurried footsteps behind me, but I barely registered them as fear and curiosity paralyzed me.
I was preparing to open my mind to them when Dani said, “They’re Re-gens.” I hadn’t even noticed that she was beside me. “They’re all Re-gens.” This time her voice was only a whisper.
In my periphery, I saw Jason and Dani draw their pistols, and I briefly wondered if we even stood a chance against the approaching throng of Re-gens.
“It’s Becca,” Jake breathed as soon as the figure in white drew close enough to make out clearly.
“Becca?” My mouth was suddenly dry.
The Re-gens behind her stopped, and Becca exchanged words with a bald, gangly man directly behind her before turning back to face us.
Slowly, she alone began to walk toward us, her pale gaze shifting from me to Jake.
“What’s going on, Becca?” Jake asked as she drew closer.
Hearing the accusation in his voice, I looked at his profile; his confusion was written plainly on his face.
“We need your help,” Becca said, stopping just out of arm’s reach. “And one day soon, you will need ours.”
BEFORE THE DAWN
the fourth book of The Ending Series
NOVEMBER
1AE
PROLOGUE
ANNA
NOVEMBER 23, 1AE
The Colony, Colorado
Anna brushed her son’s bangs off his forehead as he settled back in the reclining chair. She would have to trim his hair again soon; it was growing so fast now. “Just close your eyes,” she said, ending the softly spoken words with an even softer sigh. She hated the pain Peter had to endure every day simply to stay alive, but such was the cost of a second chance at life. Such was the cost of being a Re-gen. “It’ll be over soon.”
John, the former coroner who’d been in charge of electrotherapy since the treatment’s inception, turned away from the small switchboard controlling the electrical current flowing through Peter just enough to toss Anna a weak smile over his shoulder. “A word outside while his, uh, treatment is going?”
Anna clenched her jaw, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Despite his irritatingly hesitant and uncertain demeanor, Dr. John Maxwell was valuable. He was short in stature, shrewd of mind, and as far as Anna was concerned, more knowledgeable about the anatomy and physiology of the human brain than any other living person. She just had to remind herself of that sometimes. If she lost sight of that—of the help he, and as far as she knew, only he, could offer her son—she might “slip up” and remove him from her inner circle.
And nobody survived to talk about Anna’s inner circle once their membership was revoked. Her life—her child’s life—depended on absolute secrecy, and dead men couldn’t talk. Unless they were brought back as Re-gens, but still…they had limited memories.
Anna shook her head, disgusted with the direction her thoughts had gone. She was thinking like Gregory, something that seemed to be happening to her more and more with each passing day. What would Tom, her first husband—her true husband—say if he could see her thoughts now? Nothing good, she imagined, and definitely nothing flattering.
Peter gave his mom’s hand a squeeze, drawing her back to the here and now. The heavy glove Anna wore protected her from the worst of the electrical current humming through his body, but she still felt a slight buzz. “It’s fine, Mom. Go with Dr. Maxwell.” Peter offered her a slightly strained smile. “I’ll live, promise.”
Anna clenched her jaw harder, then forced herself to relax and release her son’s hand. Standing, she removed the rubber-lined glove and tossed it on the wheely chair she’d just vacated. She paused at the door John was holding open and met her son’s eyes. If it had been her in the chair, hosting an electrical current as strong as the one flowing through Peter, she would have been seizing, her brain sizzling and turning to relative mush.
But not Peter. Because Peter wasn’t like her. Peter wasn’t really like anyone…not anymore. How much longer could this go on? How many more experimental treatments could a sixteen-year-old boy’s body endure? How much higher could they crank up the electrical current without it harming even someone like Peter?
Peter flashed Anna another tense smile, and her heart twisted. How long did she have until Gregory lost patience with their son’s stop-and-go—mostly stop—recovery?
Holding her breath, Anna left the room and shut the door. “What is it?” she said on her exhale. “You’re very”—she scanned John from sneakered toes to balding head—“twitchy, today.” Or, at least, twitchier than usual. “What’s changed?”
John hunched his shoulders. “You know that Peter is…he’s…”
Anna crossed her arms and raised her right eyebrow. “Peter is what?”
“He’s, uh, different…fr—from the others, I mean.” John scuffed his shoe against the linoleum floor. “Because of the chemo and radiation, not to mention
all of the experim—treatments we’ve performed on him and…” He met Anna’s eyes and blanched. “Which were very successful. Excellent ideas, all of them. Wouldn’t have done any differently myself, had it been my kid who—”
“Cut the bullshit, John.” Anna leaned in toward the pointy-featured man, planting a hand on the wall just behind him. He seemed to cringe into himself. There were some perks to being Gregory’s wife, however unpleasant the drawbacks. It wasn’t a fair trade, not even close. But it was something. “Tell me,” she demanded gently.
John took a deep breath and held it for several seconds. “He—he’s dying.”
Anna shut her eyes. Breathed. Again. And again. When she reopened her eyes, she said, “I’m sorry.” Deep breath. “I must have misheard you.”
“The treatments aren’t as effective as they used to be for Peter…and certainly not as effective as they are for the others.” John wrung his hands. “The degeneration is progressing more quickly in him…not that it’s not to be expected, considering that he’s older in Re-gen terms than the few others left after the rebelli—”
John must’ve caught the dangerous glint in Anna’s glare, because he shrank back even further. “It’s as though I can’t target the parts of his mind that are breaking down, like his synapses are firing too intensely, um, burning themselves out before I can reset the connection. And the less effective the treatments become, well, the more quickly the degeneration will progress.” Quickly, he added, “And I’m sure it’s not just him, or at least it won’t be. Soon, the others will reach the same point.” He nodded frantically. “I’m certain of it.”
Anna narrowed her eyes. “I don’t care what you have to do. Find. A. Way. To. Save. Him.” She eased away from the wall—and the terrified doctor—and carefully straightened her lab coat. Purposefully, Anna raised her gaze to lock on his. “Find a way, or you’ll be of no further use to me.” And there it was again, disgusting proof that Anna was, deep down, just like Gregory.
The Ending Series: The Complete Series Page 129