Destined for Dreams: Book One

by Ginna Moran

  “You’ll regret it if you don’t do it,” I say. I’ve grown so used to Jacqueline that it’ll be weird actually having to do things for myself. But I’d rather have to re-teach myself the basics of owning a body than be stuck forever. Man, I can’t wait to taste food again.

  Jacqueline looks from Nadia’s hand to the window. She leans back in the seat and rests her head on her propped hand. “You know I did what I had to. I expect that you’d do the same. Maybe one day you’ll forgive me and see I’m not a bad person.” Her voice is faint as she thinks it.

  As much as I hate to admit it, Jacqueline isn’t a horrible person. She did what she could in a tough situation and made the difficult choices she had to make to survive. Force someone into a corner and they’ll fight even harder than if they could just run. There is more to the world than good and evil. Jacqueline and I are alike in a way. We were cultivated and raised to believe that different is bad, but really different is just different. We all have dark sides.

  “I don’t think you’re bad. I think you’re conflicted and selfish, and not to mention stubborn, but you’re not bad. This situation sucked for both of us and it was neither of our faults. It was the board and my mom’s fault and they’ll get what’s coming to them. I promise you that.”

  “Don’t waste your time on revenge.”

  “Do you have a better idea what I should do with my time since I’m not going to dedicate it in the future of the HPA?”

  “But Hunter, that’s exactly what you should do.”

  I’m quiet for a minute. Why is it that Jacqueline has chosen the time before I’m about to be free to have rational, meaningful conversations with me? I never expected to figure out my life with the person who imprisoned it.

  “You make it sound easy.”

  “I hope it is for you.”

  “It would be nice.”

  Jacqueline peers at her own reflection in the window and I watch as my soul peeks through. Her eyes blur from the tears she’s holding back. “While I would do this all over again, I’m sorry that you were the one I took.”

  I never thought Jacqueline would ever apologize, and I don’t know what to say. Her emotions swirl around me, a mixture of sadness, fear, relief, and grief, but I know she is being honest. “Look on the bright side of things. If you hadn’t, I never would’ve met Nadia.”

  “I hope you two can figure things out. I really do.”

  “Me, too.”

  Jacqueline’s quiet for a moment, but I can feel that she has a lot of things to say. Finally after a minute, she thinks, “You know they’re going to interrogate you. Are you ready for that? What will you say?”

  “I’ll make up something. Being around you turned me into a pretty good liar. Are you ready to be on your own again?” Our shared life is almost over and I’m getting antsy. I shouldn’t care what happens to her, but a small part of me hopes she’s okay in the end.

  “I’ll manage. Don’t worry about me.”

  Nadia shifts in her seat and draws Jacqueline’s attention away from the window to her. Nadia sucks in her bottom lip, worry furrowing her brows. She looks so fragile and scared. I want to hug her and comfort her. She bats her eyelashes, blinking tears away, before she says, “This is almost over.”

  A building in the distance catches my attention. Northern Trinity Hope Hospital stands nine stories high with concrete block walls up to the third story and then all glass windows to the top. It brings back vague memories from when I visited my mom there. She was a medical oncologist with an office on the fourth floor before getting a seat on the board. Now, I don’t even know what she does. I don’t care either.

  I’m done with her.

  Nadia turns to gaze out the front window. She flips down her visor and looks at Jacqueline in the mirror. “We’re almost there.”

  Jacqueline swipes her hair from her face and doesn’t respond to Nadia. Instead, she thinks, “Should we wait to say our goodbyes, Hunter? Even if you don’t want to hear it, I will miss you.”

  NADIA

  I feel sick and it takes a lot not to throw up. I roll down the window and stick my face into the wind. It only helps a bit and I can’t shake the dread swirling in my stomach.

  “I’m going to circle around,” Alyssa says. She drives past the hospital and I want to beg her to keep going. She glances at me in her peripheral vision. “As long as you don’t do anything unnatural, no one will notice you’re not human.”

  “Wish you could say the same about me,” Jacqueline says from the backseat.

  “We’re all going to be okay,” she says. I think she says it more to convince herself because she doesn’t sound very hopeful.

  I fidget in my seat and adjust the seatbelt on my shoulder. “All we need to do is get in and out without being noticed.”

  “Sounds easy enough,” she says.

  Jacqueline clears her throat. “Hunter says the HPA manages the basement and that’s where his body will be.” She leans forward until her face is near mine. “We only need an access card to get down there.”

  That makes things more difficult. “Can you tether Hunter there from the lobby?”

  Jacqueline is quiet for a minute. “The same floor would be better.”

  My heart sinks. How am I supposed to get my hands on an access card? I doubt someone will just hand one over. I wanted to avoid confrontation, but that’s not going to happen. You can figure it out.

  “We’ll have to steal one,” Alyssa says.

  “From where? Who? It’d be easier to rob a store than to get our hands on an access card.” My voice rises and I wince at its squeakiness.

  “Hunter says that the HPA doctors and scientists are not like their agents. They lack most combat skills and should be easy to take out,” Jacqueline says.

  Take out? Is he crazy? I don’t want the entire board after me. They wouldn’t stop until I was dead—until we’re all dead. “I’m not killing anyone,” I say. I cover my face with my hands and take a deep breath.

  Alyssa taps her fingers on the steering wheel. “It’s three against one, Nadia. We can handle that without killing anyone.”

  She pulls into the hospital parking lot and parks in the farthest row away from the entrance and closest to the street. The road is pretty dead, a car speeding past every few minutes, and there’s a shopping center across the street with an empty parking lot. It’s underwhelming. We may actually get out of this unscathed.

  I don’t move to get out, and neither does Alyssa. Jacqueline sits with her arms folded across her chest and it’s uncomfortably quiet. The only noise is coming from my open window and the rumble of the engine.

  Jacqueline shifts and I watch her in the mirror as she peers around the parking lot. “Hunter says that his car is parked a row over. It’s the black BMW wagon. His brother is here.”

  My heart flutters. His brother could easily give us access. I can call him from the payphone across the street and he can get us in without having to worry about getting caught or hurt or worse. “He can get us in,” I blurt. “It really is that simple.” I turn back to look at Jacqueline.

  She stares out the window for a second longer before meeting my gaze. “He’s not sure we can trust his brother. It’d be too easy for him to trap us in the basement and then there would be no way to get out. He agrees with Alyssa. We need to get our own access card.”

  Alyssa swivels in her seat so she can see both me and Jacqueline. “It’s our only choice. Hunter’s brother will get caught if he tries.”

  I rub my eyes. “Where are we going to find someone with an access card? Won’t they all be inside already? It is the middle of the day.”

  “Actually, it looks like someone familiar just pulled up,” Jacqueline says. “Hunter says his name is Dr. Bradley. If we can get to him before he gets to the lobby, we may have a fighting chance.”

  24. YOU CAN'T SAVE THEM ALL

  HUNTER

  Why isn’t anyone moving? Dr. Bradley is getting away. It’s not like he’s so
me six foot something, broad shouldered, scary dude—he’s scrawny, barely five and a half feet, and not to mention old. He’s in his late sixties and uses a cane, but I doubt he could beat anyone to death with it. He’s more likely to let you borrow the thing than use it as a weapon. He’s harmless.

  “Any day now!” I yell.

  “Maybe try being empathetic and see if you’re the first to move.”

  Alyssa turns off the car and the doors unlock. Nadia opens hers first, and then Alyssa gets out and opens the door for Jacqueline, but she doesn’t move. She’s purposely wasting time.

  “Seriously, Jackie? You’re going to be the reason you guys get in trouble. You’re not changing your mind are you? This is the best solution to save both our asses.”

  “Not everyone can be as brave as you, Hunter.”

  Nadia grabs Jacqueline’s arm. She pulls her out and she stumbles, catching herself on the truck parked a spot over. Jacqueline slaps her hand on the window and turns to glare at Nadia.

  Nadia raises her hands. “We’re running out of time. I think we should get him to come over here.”

  Alyssa nods and plays with her braid. “I have an idea. You two wait here and be ready to tackle him.”

  “What a terrible idea,” Jacqueline thinks.

  “Will you help, Jacqueline?” Nadia asks. “I need to know I can count on you and you won’t leave me to fight alone.” She doesn’t trust Jacqueline and I don’t blame her.

  Jacqueline nods. “I just want to get this over with and get out of here.”

  Alyssa grins at Nadia. “We fought an agent remember? This man will be easy.”

  Nadia laughs. “Just be quick.”

  NADIA

  What if Alyssa’s plan doesn’t work? So many bad things could happen. I don’t like not being able to see her through the parking lot. She’s not invincible even if she can predict the future. A million horrible thoughts zoom through my mind and I suck in my bottom lip. This could be it for us.

  “One of us should hide,” Jacqueline says.

  “I’ll do it,” I say.

  She frowns. “Don’t go far.”

  I walk to the front of the car, making sure to touch my feet to the ground with each step, and hide out of sight. I wish Alyssa would’ve parked elsewhere. The street does nothing to cover behind me.

  “I should call a field agent. I’m not equipped for this kind of situation,” a male voice says.

  Alyssa’s head, with her neatly styled braid, bobs past a shiny, red sports car parked a few spaces over. “It’s tied up in my car. We’re both safe.”

  “What made you bring it here?”

  “Mason said to,” Alyssa responds. She sounds so natural. I’d have stuttered my way through it, making it obvious I was lying.

  “Mason Sullivan?” the doctor asks.

  “Yes, sir.” Alyssa and the doctor are at the corner of the truck and I rush around to come up behind them.

  The doctor freezes when he sees Jacqueline and raises his black cane, stumbling back and closer to me. “What is this? Who are you?”

  He reaches for his coat pocket and I lunge. I jump on his back and his legs buckle under him, sending us both to the asphalt. He yells out, but I grab his head and press my hand over his mouth. He struggles against me and I squeeze tighter.

  Jacqueline grabs his cane and holds it like a baseball bat while Alyssa struggles to pull the doctor off me while restraining his hands. I rise to my feet with them, still holding my hand over his mouth. I’m surprised he hasn’t bitten me. He’s probably overly cautious.

  “No one will get hurt if you just cooperate.” I lift my hand a few centimeters to see if he’ll scream, but he doesn’t make a sound.

  “I ca—”

  I slap my hand back down. “Don’t speak.”

  Jacqueline is frozen in fear, facing the doctor. I snap my fingers at her and she shakes her head. “It should be on a retractable tether attached to the inside of his coat,” she says. “Hunter says to grab his wallet, too. Inside a small zipper there should be a syringe with a tranquilizer.”

  The man’s eyes widen.

  I unbutton the two top buttons of his coat and feel the small plastic spool with the card attached to it. I yank it hard enough to tear a hole in the fabric and rip the access card free. “Do you have any weapons on you?” I ask, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

  He shakes his head.

  “Check his ankle,” Jacqueline says.

  I lift up each leg of his black trousers and only see a pair of mismatched socks. “Anywhere else?”

  “Hunter says not that he knows of, but you’ll need his pass code,” Jacqueline says.

  I stare at the doctor and then pull my hand away. He has tears in his eyes and his cheeks are red. He blinks a few times and licks his lips. “Please don’t hurt me,” he says. “I have a family.”

  Jacqueline steps closer and touches his face. “I had a family, too, before your board murdered them.”

  He cringes. “Please, it wasn’t me. I only heal people, not kill them. Please, just leave me alone.”

  I study the doctor for a minute. “But how can you work for them? How do you live with yourself?”

  A tear drips on his cheek. “The good I do makes up for it. I am an honest man. Please, just leave, and I won’t call the board.”

  Alyssa stares at me. “Tell us your pass code and we won’t hurt you.”

  He shakes his head. “If I do, they’ll kill me. Please, just let me go.”

  I shake his coat. “We’ll kill you if you don’t.”

  “It’s seven, two, two, two, zero, one, two.” The doctor hangs his head in defeat.

  Alyssa clears her throat. “Sedate him, Nadia. We’re running out of time.”

  HUNTER

  Things would go smoother if I could talk to Nadia myself. It’s like Jacqueline is purposefully relaying my messages in an untimely manner. I also feel bad for Dr. Bradley. I’m sure Jacqueline would’ve killed the poor guy if she had the chance. She has a lot of hate toward the board and it shows.

  Jacqueline turns away as Nadia injects Dr. Bradley with the tranquilizer from his wallet. She glances at the empty road and then at the looming hospital. “How long does that stuff work for?” she asks me.

  “Not long. It’s just enough to knock someone out to restrain them,” I say. It’s definitely not enough to keep Dr. Bradley down while we go inside and body jump.

  Jacqueline swivels on her feet to glance back at Alyssa and Nadia as they lay Dr. Bradley on the ground. “Hunter says the tranquilizer only lasts a few minutes.”

  “I’ll take her,” Alyssa says. “You can stay with the doctor.”

  Nadia shakes her head. “I have to do this. Find something to restrain him and park closer to the entrance so we can get out of here as quickly as possible.”

  “I’m not letting you go alone. Not with the future I saw,” Alyssa says.

  “I won’t be alone. Jacqueline is here.”

  “You can trust me,” Jacqueline says. I can feel her anxiety and determination. “Are you ready, Hunter?”

  “You bet,” I say.

  NADIA

  Alyssa leans closer and whispers, “She’ll risk your life to save herself.”

  “I’ll be fine.” I turn to Jacqueline. “Ready?”

  I hug Alyssa and then dash away, locking my arm with Jacqueline’s. When we reach the aisle of cars nearest to the entrance, we slow down to walk the rest of the way.

  An elderly man sits in a small quad area away from the door, smoking. His heavily wrinkled skin hangs loosely on his face and he looks like death incarnate. A cane is propped next to his leg on the bench and a standard poodle rests at his feet.

  My eyes meet his, and I notice they’re glazed over with a milky white color. A chill runs down my spine as his head follows us, and I wonder if he is the grim reaper waiting to gather our souls.

  “We’re being watched,” I whisper.

  “He can’t see us,”
Jacqueline says.

  The old man grabs his cane and stands up. He points it in our direction and yells, “I’ve been a bad man!”

  Jacqueline’s arm stiffens and she tugs me faster.

  “You’re going to leave me to die with a guilty conscience?” he asks. “Please, save me.”

  Jacqueline looks over her shoulder and whispers, “Only you can save yourself.”

  The glass doors automatically open and freezing cold air rushes around me. Fake potted trees are placed sporadically around a seating area and off to the right is a gift shop with all sorts of figurines, stuffed animals, balloons, flowers, and random stuff people don’t need.

  A man in a blue security uniform stands at a podium and greets us with suspicious eyes. His thick brows are lowered and his lips are pressed together. I’m terrified he’s an HPA agent, but Hunter said they don’t even have security at this hospital.

  “We’re here to visit our mother,” Jacqueline says. It surprises me how in control she is. “She’s in room 4G.”

  The guard looks each of us over. We can’t pass as biological sisters, but I doubt he’ll say anything even if I can see he’s thinking it. He nods slowly before pulling a marker from his chest pocket and scribbles something onto two guest passes. He hands them to us. “Visiting hours are over at seven.”

  I smile and stick my pass to the front of my shirt. I tuck my hands in my pocket and nudge Jacqueline to move. We head straight for the elevator. The doors slide open and when we get on, my heart sinks. I don’t see a button for the basement.

  “You can’t access the basement from here,” Jacqueline says, hitting the button for the fourth floor.

  I wish I could speak with Hunter directly. It would be so much easier if it weren’t filtered through Jacqueline. Who knows how much she’s leaving out? “I don’t know why I’m surprised.”

  She shrugs. “Because you have no idea what really goes on in the real world. You’ve been so sheltered; I’m surprised you’re actually here with me and we’re going through with it.”