The ARC 03: Fractured

by Alexandra Moody

  ‘I will never help you monsters.’

  He shakes his head, smiling. ‘Yes, you will, and you’ll be happy to.’

  ‘I will make you pay for this,’ I growl.

  Hunter doesn’t respond. He merely holds one hand out towards me. ‘This won’t hurt one bit…’

  I shake my head as recalled pain sears through my mind, which jolts my consciousness back into the present. Barely a moment has passed since I was pulled into the memory, but it only took a moment to finally learn the truth. Hunter was the one to take away my memories of the hospital. He left me in North Hope and raised the alarm.

  Hunter reaches towards me and I feel a wave of pure hatred for him. ‘I’m sorry our reunion hasn’t gone how you probably hoped,’ he says.

  ‘Hunter?’ I make him pause with his arm reached out to me. ‘I hope I never see your face again.’ I wrench the inhibitor band off my wrist and clamp my hand down on his outstretched arm, screaming out in pain as the raw energy of my talent rips through my body and pushes out through every pore in my skin. I feel like I’m on fire and the pain is so intense I can’t tell if I’m hot or cold. I squint my eyes shut as burning tears pour from them. I hear glass shattering and a roaring noise, followed by a thousand screams of terror.

  My body shudders as powerful tremors shake the ground beneath me and waves of nausea roll in my belly. When the ground stops shaking and the pain I feel begins to subside, I slowly open my eyes and find the entire office is covered in ice. Joseph is frozen at his desk and Hunter has become a statue beside me, his face contorted in pure pain. I jump back from him.

  ‘Hunter?’ My lower lip trembles as I stare into his frozen eyes, but they don’t stare back. They are as lifeless as the rest of his body.

  I slowly edge myself backwards, dragging my body away from him, towards the door. What have I done? I rub my face and when I pull my hand away it is covered in blood from my nose. The sight causes me to whimper and I rub my face frantically with the sleeve of my top.

  I try to stand, to get as far away from what I’ve done as I can, but my legs collapse beneath me. Instead of hitting the floor though, I find two arms wrapped around me.

  ‘Elle? Are you okay?’ Sebastian asks.

  ‘Don’t come near me!’ I try to get out of his arms, but my attempts at escape are too weak and his arms hold steady around me. I crumble into them and sob. My heart feels as ice cold as the two men I just doomed, and each sob seems to put a splintering crack through the centre of it. I am a monster.

  As I cry I feel a biting cold touch my skin and when I look around I find we’re outside, down a side alley that looks onto the square.

  ‘What have I done?’ I whisper to Sebastian. I look beyond him to the screaming crowd in the square and see the bright blue flames that leap from the frosted windows of Joseph’s office in the building behind them. I did that.

  ‘You did what you had to. You were brave in there and I’m so proud of you.’

  ‘But Hunter,’ I choke on his name, ‘Joseph … what I did to them…’

  ‘It was an accident.’

  ‘It wasn’t. He was the reason I lost all my memories in the hospital and I wanted him to hurt for what he’d done to Lara.’ I gasp. ‘Lara. Oh my god, where’s Lara? Was she hurt? Please tell me I didn’t hurt her!’

  ‘Who’s Lara?’

  ‘Sebastian we have to get back in there! We have to get her out.’ My eyes dart between his face and Headquarters.

  He frowns and gives a slight shake of his head. ‘Elle…’ he says, drawing my name out like he’s about to say, ‘no.’

  ‘She’s Henry Moore’s daughter. I went to school with her up here and she was captured and imprisoned in that place because of me.’ I grasp onto his wrists tightly. ‘We found her in there and I can’t leave her behind.’

  He stills and focuses in on my eyes. ‘Where is she?’

  ‘She was … she was out in the hallway,’ I recall. ‘Please can you get her?’

  He glances at the building behind me, before shaking his head. ‘I need to get you out of here. We can’t risk going back in.’

  ‘Please Sebastian,’ I beg. ‘I can’t leave her there!’

  He hesitates. ‘We can’t risk it, that place will be swarming with recruiters now, but maybe April can do something.’

  I nod frantically, tears welling in my eyes.

  He lifts his cuff to his lips. ‘April?’

  ‘Sebastian, have you got her out?’ April’s urgent reply comes through the cuff.

  ‘Yes, Elle’s with me now,’ he says. ‘But, her friend is still in there.’

  April swears in response and I can just hear her muttering in the background. ‘Okay, Soren’s on it. Get Elle back to our meeting point!’ The comm cuts out.

  I take a deep breath and try to calm myself. They’re taking care of Lara. She’s going to be okay.

  ‘We need to go,’ Sebastian says.

  I nod and try to ignore the pulling feeling that seems to thread from my gut to Headquarters. I realise Soren is going to get Lara, but it feels like I’m abandoning her, again.

  Sebastian takes my hand and squeezes it firmly. It reassures me more than any words can right now. I move to follow him, but freeze before I take a step. ‘Sebastian, I left my inhibitor band in there. I should be locked away so I don’t hurt anyone else. I don’t want to hurt anyone else.’ My voice sounds hysteric.

  ‘Just remember what April said and concentrate on your sense of smell. Here,’ he puts his hand in his pocket and fishes a small package out, which he passes to me.

  ‘What is this?’ I ask, opening it to look inside.

  ‘Coffee beans. When I found out how smell could help you focus I got them just in case you were ever without your inhibitor. I thought you could smell these.’

  I take a deep whiff of the pungent smelling beans. The smell is strong, but normal compared with the intense energy I just felt. They are calming and I feel slightly more in control. I throw my arms around him, tears welling in my eyes. ‘How can I thank you for this?’

  ‘You just did,’ he says, smiling. ‘Come on, we need to get you out of here before more recruiters show up.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  The apartment is empty when we return. A part of me hoped the others had somehow made it back before us, but they were still in the building when we left so it was always unlikely they’d beat us here. I pace restlessly, waiting for them to get back. Nerves churn violently in my stomach and my ceaseless pacing doesn’t seem to be helping.

  When the door handle finally turns, I race for it and barrel into Lara’s arms as she enters. ‘You got out okay,’ I exclaim.

  She shyly nods as Soren brushes past her and into the apartment. I catch him muttering as he stalks over to the window and I can tell he’s not pleased with having to get Lara out. I help ease Lara onto the floor, and she wraps her arms firmly around her legs, burying her head in them.

  I take another whiff of the coffee beans. The sight of Lara is enough to set me off again. It makes me angry to see her this way and it’s difficult to keep my feelings under control.

  ‘April’s not with you?’ Sebastian asks.

  Soren simply shakes his head in response.

  I stand and watch him closely. ‘Well, where is she?’

  ‘She’ll be here,’ he responds, his eyes firmly on the world outside the window. He doesn’t seem bothered she hasn’t returned yet.

  I cross my arms over my chest and walk across to the window. I can’t see Headquarters from here, but I can still see masses of people dressed in purple down on the street. They cover the area and move quickly, herding away from Headquarters in a panic. It’s not surprising though, given what I did to it. I just want to get out of here and go back to camp.

  ‘What do you think is taking April so long?’

  ‘I’m not sure. She should be here by now,’ Sebastian says, checking the time on his cuff.

  I take a deep breath in and slowly blow it
out. I wish she would get here already. I just hope she’s okay.

  ‘Elle?’ Sebastian says, worry tingeing the tone of his voice.

  ‘Yeah?’ I ask, turning to look at him. He slowly nods at my hands and I follow his gaze to look at them. Sparks of electricity, similar to tiny lightning strikes dance across my fists.

  I gasp, but my fear only seems to make them grow larger.

  ‘What do I do?’ I hold my fists out in front of me, terrified to be anywhere near them. I can feel tears welling in my eyes and my body stiffens as I refuse to so much as breathe for fear of doing something wrong and hurting everyone.

  ‘Come here,’ Sebastian says.

  I shake my head. ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’

  ‘Just come here.’

  I notice Soren backing away out of the corner of my eye. Even he seems afraid of me. I need to get out of here. Away from Lara and Sebastian before I hurt either of them.

  I can feel the untamed energy pulsing through me again. It almost seems to ripple just under my skin as though looking for a way to break free.

  Sebastian takes purposeful steps towards me. ‘Elle?’

  I take a step backwards and find my back against the window. ‘Don’t come any closer!’

  ‘I’m going to keep coming closer, will you please just look me in the eyes?’

  I look up and into his blue eyes. There’s not a touch of fear there as he looks back. Only concern and worry for me. He takes another step closer.

  ‘Stop. I don’t want to hurt you,’ I plead.

  ‘You won’t because I believe in you, and if you had half the belief in yourself that I have, you would be able to control this.’

  ‘I can’t…’

  ‘Yes, you can.’ He steps closer again. He’s only a few feet from me now, so close that one of the sparks could easily stray and hurt him.

  ‘I’m a monster.’

  ‘No, you’re Elle, my Elle. The Elle who hates video games and yet always manages to beat me on Speed Racer, the Elle who has always been obsessed with old movies because they give her hope. You’re the Elle who spent our childhood playing doctor because she was determined to help save people one day. You are not a monster. Not even close.’

  He takes a step closer and slowly lowers his hands and wraps them around mine. I gasp and look down, but the electricity is gone and all that is left is his hands around mine. He leans forward and places a kiss on my forehead.

  ‘You will get control of this one day and, until you do, I’ll be here to hold your hand.’

  ‘How did you stop it?’

  ‘Because I know you would never hurt me. Come on, let’s go sit down and wait for April. We need to keep you calm until she gets here and can help you.’

  We wait for hours for April to appear and it’s long after nightfall before Soren suggests the unthinkable.

  ‘What if she didn’t make it out?’

  ‘Don’t be stupid, she’ll be here,’ Sebastian says.

  ‘We’ve tried comming her a dozen times and she hasn’t answered. What if they have her and are torturing her for our location right now?’

  ‘She’ll be here,’ Sebastian says, through gritted teeth.

  I nod, agreeing with him. ‘She’ll be back. I know she will.’ I don’t know if it’s wishful thinking, or a talent I didn’t know I had, but I feel it deep in my gut she’s fine and will be here any time now.

  Another hour passes before I hear the elevator doors open out of the apartment and down the hallway. ‘Did you hear that?’ I ask Sebastian.

  He shakes his head. ‘Stay here.’ He slowly eases himself off the ground and makes his way towards the front door of the apartment.

  There are several sets of footsteps in the hallway, but I can’t tell how many people are out there. They stop by the front door and I hear the sound of the doorknob as it slowly turns and the door creaks open.

  ‘Oh, thank god it’s you,’ Sebastian exclaims.

  ‘Who else would it be?’ April responds. She comes into view, looking weary. Following her is a man in his fourties, who I assume is Lara’s father, and Jess, Lara’s sister. Jess and the man rush over to Lara, who doesn’t cower away from them like she has with the rest of us since we rescued her. The three of them huddle together, comforting each other.

  ‘Sorry it took us so long. We had to go to get Jess,’ April says.

  ‘She was in there too?’ I ask.

  ‘No, but only because the recruiters didn’t know she was on the surface.’

  ‘How is that even possible?’

  ‘I didn’t realise this was a family expedition,’ Soren interrupts, from the corner of the room.

  ‘It wasn’t,’ April replies. ‘But we had to retrieve them both.’

  He raises one eyebrow and leans back against the wall. ‘Because…’

  ‘It’s none of your concern why,’ she replies. ‘All you need worry about now is helping us get back to camp.’

  Soren looks like he wants to argue with April, but doesn’t say a word.

  ‘What happened back there?’ April asks me.

  ‘You saw that?’ I ask.

  ‘Everyone saw it,’ she responds.

  ‘So you know what I did…’

  ‘Elle, it’s not so bad.’

  ‘I killed two people!’ My voice shakes as I admit the truth I’ve been struggling to accept myself. I haven’t dared thinking about it for fear of how my talent would react. Even now I can feel it humming beneath the surface of my skin.

  ‘No, you didn’t. Hunter and Joseph are fine. Recruiters got to them quickly and were able to revive them.’

  ‘They’re fine?’

  She nods. ‘Yeah. They’re going to be okay.’

  I wrap my arms around my stomach and let out a long breath I didn’t even know I was holding. I feel relieved I didn’t kill them, but anxious at the same time. Knowing they’re still alive gives me a bad feeling.

  ‘Are you sure they survived?’ I ask.

  She glances at Sebastian uncomfortably, before looking back at me. ‘Joseph just released a news announcement about our attack. He’s alive.’

  ‘What did he say?’ Sebastian asks.

  ‘Just that this action wouldn’t be tolerated and he would hunt down the culprits.’ She looks uneasy about his statement and her words chill me. If he’s seeking revenge I’m the first person he will come for.

  ‘We should get moving back to camp,’ April continues, trying not to look at me directly.

  As we gather together to leave the building I pull April aside. ‘Did you know the truth about Hunter and who his father was?’ I ask.

  She nods. ‘I knew who his father was, but I didn’t know he was involved like this.’

  ‘Why didn’t you ever tell me?’

  ‘Because I didn’t realise how close he’d gotten to you.’

  I cross an arm over my chest and rub my eyes tiredly with my other hand. ‘It doesn’t make any sense why he was helping me find Sebastian. Back at Headquarters he said he was only using me to get to Lara.’

  She smiles sadly. ‘C’mon, we better get these guys back to camp.’ She nods her head over my shoulder, in the direction of Lara’s family.

  I turn and smile as I watch the three of them together. At least one good thing has come from tonight.

  Sebastian moves to stand with us. ‘I think everyone’s about ready to leave,’ he says.

  April glances at Lara and her family before facing us. ‘There’s something you should know before we go,’ she says. ‘Jess is not Lara’s sister.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘She’s her mum.’

  I look back to Lara and her family. Jess looks so young, how can that even be possible? Unless…

  ‘She doesn’t age?’ I ask, turning back to April. ‘Jess, she doesn’t age?’

  April nods her head. ‘Henry explained when we went to get her. Lysartium changed Jess’ cells in such a way that when they replicate they no longer mutate at all.�
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  ‘Which means…’

  ‘Yep, that’s right,’ she says, slinging her arm over my shoulder. ‘You are looking at one bona fide key to the cure.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Discarded purple ribbons and confetti whisk across the empty street outside the apartment building. The crowds of people dispersed hours ago and the dark and empty road has taken on an abandoned quality.

  ‘I don’t have my inhibitor anymore,’ I tell April, as we leave the safety of the apartment building and step into the street. I feel calmer than I had earlier, but I suspect April is having a lot to do with that.

  ‘It doesn’t matter, we can get you a new one back at camp.’

  ‘What if I hurt someone before then?’

  ‘You won’t. I’ll make sure of it,’ she says, smiling at me confidently.

  ‘There’s no way you can be sure.’ I lightly touch her wrist, causing her to slow her walk and fall back with me so we are several feet from the rest of the group. When I’m certain no one can hear us, I continue. ‘I’ve been thinking all afternoon about what I did. I don’t want to hurt anyone again.’

  ‘You won’t—’

  ‘Don’t say I wont! I will and we both know it. It doesn’t matter what I do or how I try, these talents are too much for me. I don’t want them and if Henry knows of a way to get rid of them. I want it.’

  ‘You would give them up?’

  I nod. ‘I was never meant to be talented; I was engineered by doctors to be this way. Even in the brief moments where I feel like I have control, deep down I know I don’t. Sebastian keeps trying to tell me to believe in myself and control will come, but I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t think it’s possible.’

  April frowns. ‘You’ve seen what you can do when I help you, which only proves it is possible. Try not to focus on the big picture. Maybe just focus on figuring out the smaller things first.’

  ‘But if they figure out a way to fix us, will you make sure I can get it? I don’t want these talents now I’ve seen what I can do. I don’t want to be a weapon.’