Forgotten

by Kristin Smith

  “We have to get out of the city,” Trey says. “Paige and her crew will be waiting for us outside the AIG launch and will take us to their hideout.”

  There’s that name again. I lick my lips. “Who’s Paige?”

  “Paige is the leader of a group called Zenith. They live in the mountains a few hundred miles east of here. Since they’re off the radar, they can help the rest of the Fringe get back on their feet. And their camp will be a great place to hide out until the dust settles.”

  “Zenith?” I repeat. How does he know so much?

  Before Trey can answer, Zane moves to my side and takes my hand in his. “I’m sorry about Steele,” he says. “If I’d known he was a traitor, I’d never have sent you to him for protection—”

  “It’s okay,” I interrupt him. “It’s over.”

  Zane shakes his head. “Not for Steele, it’s not. At least, not yet. I can’t believe he was working against my father and me this whole time. Selling our company’s secrets.” A muscle in his jaw twitches. “When my father finds out, there will be a reckoning.”

  “I take it you and Harlow worked things out?”

  Zane’s smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I guess you could say that.”

  “I don’t understand,” I say to Zane. “You left me. You went back to Legas. How did you end up at the prison?”

  Zane takes a deep breath. “I think I need to explain.”

  “Please do,” I say. The pain of him leaving me is like a scabbed-over wound. It may be healing, but underneath, it’s still raw.

  “They threatened your mom and your sister.”

  “What? Who did?”

  “That night at the Marmet, I was captured and taken in for questioning. When they discovered who I was, they let me go, but not before Madame Neiman showed up and issued a warning. Said they knew where our safe house was. Said they were watching me and knew I would eventually lead them to you. I had to get to your mom and sister before they did.”

  I sit up straighter. “Are they okay?”

  “Yes, they’re fine. Trey helped me get them to a more secure location.”

  “Where are they?”

  “They’re at the Zenith camp now. You’ll meet up with them in a couple of days.”

  I close my eyes, trying to take it all in. He didn’t leave because he didn’t care. It’s because he cared that he left. He left to protect my mom and sister, which is exactly what I would have done in the same circumstances.

  Opening my eyes, I say, “Why couldn’t you just tell me this when I called?”

  “I didn’t want to worry you.”

  I turn to Trey. “And you—I don’t understand. You helped get my mom and sister to safety?”

  Trey and Zane exchange a look. With the two of them side by side for the first time, I can see what makes them brothers. Same nose, same mouth, same broad shoulders, but that’s where the similarities end. Trey is as dark as Zane is light, and Zane’s chocolate eyes are a big contrast to Trey’s sky-blue ones.

  “A lot happened while you were in prison,” Zane says.

  “Yeah, a lot,” Trey echoes.

  “How long were we there?” I ask.

  “A month,” Zane answers.

  One month? That’s it? Then why did it feel like my life was slowly slipping away, that my body was rotting in that cell?

  My mind shifts to Curly and his infectious grin. “Curly’s gone,” I say, like I’m still trying to convince myself. Or maybe I’m hoping it isn’t true and that he’ll miraculously walk through that door and crack a joke about Trina’s assets or my Harley. I glance over at Trey. His whole body sags, and he leans against a lab table to steady himself. He blinks several times.

  “I know,” he says.

  “Why should you care?” I say, tears springing to my eyes. “He probably means nothing to you since you can’t remember him.”

  “But, Sienna, that’s what I’ve wanted to tell you.” Trey’s voice is urgent now. “Granger removed the chip. See?” He turns and lifts the hair off the base of his skull, showing off the tiny scar where Granger cut into his scalp.

  I stare at the scar, then my eyes go to Zane’s, and he nods in confirmation.

  “It’s true,” he says.

  Trey turns back to face me.

  “But how?” I say. “How did you know about the chip?”

  “When you were taken away to Confinement, I contacted Zane. I knew he would want to know. That’s when he told me everything and convinced me to remove the chip.”

  I focus on Zane again. “Is this true?”

  Zane rubs his chin. “In order to rescue you guys, we needed the help of the Fringe. But I knew they wouldn’t listen to me. I had to get the old Trey back.”

  “So you convinced him to remove the tracker, and then what?” I’m really asking if Zane told Trey the truth about who he is.

  “We went to the Fringe,” Trey says, stepping in.

  Zane must recognize the earnest question in my eyes because he nods. “I told Trey that he’s my brother.”

  “And?”

  “And that he’s genetically modified.”

  “And?”

  Zane hesitates. “And that he’s the rightful heir to the company since he’s my father’s real son.”

  “What was his response?”

  Trey scowls. “Guys, I’m right here. You don’t have to talk about me like I’m in another room.”

  I turn my attention to Trey. “You’re okay with all of this?”

  “Do I really have a choice?” Trey says. “Besides, after the ordeal I’ve been through, being the son of Harlow Ryder and a GM seems like the easiest thing ever.”

  “That’s one way to look at it,” I mutter. My eyes find his. “So you… you remember everything?”

  “Yeah, I do.” Trey winks and gives me a crooked grin before turning to Zane. “Can we have a sec?”

  Zane’s eyes flit from me to Trey before he hesitantly nods. Once Zane has moved over to the next bed to check on Trina, Trey takes a deep breath and pins me with his gaze.

  “I’m sorry, Sienna.” His blue eyes are achingly sincere, and I suddenly find it hard to turn away. “I never meant to hurt you.”

  “I know,” I say. “But you did.”

  “This—I—I don’t know what to say to make things right between us.”

  I give him a sad smile. “I don’t know if you can.”

  “Don’t say that. Please,” he pleads. His hands are smooth as he takes mine in his. They are such a contrast to that rough, callused hand I clasped when we first met after he rescued me from the Satellite Government Facility. And so different from Zane’s.

  “I thought you were dead, Trey,” I say, my lower lip trembling. “I mourned you. And then when I found you in the SGF still alive, I couldn’t believe I could be so lucky. I sat by your bedside for a week, waiting for you to wake up, to see me. And when you did—” A tear slips down my cheek. “You didn’t remember me. And that was hard, really hard. But it wasn’t as bad as when Rayne came to Zane’s house, claiming she was your fiancée. Do you have any idea how much that hurt? To see you with her? Kissing her, holding hands, doing God-only-knows what else?” I swipe at the tears that keep falling. “You didn’t know what was going on, I understand that. But it hurt. It still does.”

  Trey’s eyes are full of pain. “I know,” he says, “and I’m sorry. So, so sorry.” He rests his forehead against mine. “Is there anything I can do to make it better? To make things right?”

  I shake my head a little, and Trey pulls back, staring at me.

  “Please, Sienna. I don’t want to lose you.” His voice goes soft. “I love you.”

  How long have I waited to hear those words from him? To know that he feels the same? But now, with all that’s happened, instead of feeling elated at his words, I only feel a hollowness inside.

  Trey leans close, his eyes fixated on my mouth. My heart hammers beneath my ribs, so loud I’m sure he can hear it, but before I can s
ay anything, his lips touch mine. They are warm and familiar and soft. A hundred memories surge forth, some of Trey and me together, but more of me with Zane. Guilt fills me.

  I gently push Trey away, but not before Zane sees us.

  I don’t want to look at Zane’s face. I can’t bear to see his expression. When I do venture a peek, the hurt is written there, but he tries to hide it by straightening his shoulders and turning away.

  “Zane,” I call out.

  He refuses to meet my eyes, too busy tucking the blanket around Trina’s legs.

  “Sorry,” Trey mutters. “Bad timing?”

  Nash and my dad enter the room, two steaming disposable cups in hand. They appear to be deep in conversation, and I’m both shocked and relieved that my father and the man who once tried to kill me are on such good terms.

  Trey’s Lynk buzzes. As he glances down at it, he says, “That’s Paige. They’re ready for us. Time to move.”

  I start to slide off the bed, wincing in pain as I do, but stop when I realize that while I’m now dressed in clean clothes, I have no shoes.

  Trey glances down at my bare feet.

  “Ah, yes. Shoes.” He reaches under the bed and produces a pair of ankle boots. “They might be a little big…”

  I grab them from his hand. “They’re fine. Thanks.”

  My shoulder pulls, sending a shooting pain down my arm as I tug the boots on.

  “Let me help you,” Trey says.

  “I’m okay,” I say. “Why don’t you help Trina instead?”

  Trey hesitates, staring at me before nodding. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

  “Let’s move,” Nash calls out.

  “Where are we going?” I ask.

  My father takes my arm, and we follow Nash and Zane to the door. Trina groans behind us. “Why do I have to wake up?”

  “Let’s go, sleepyhead,” Trey says, lifting her into his arms. “I’m thinking I gave you one too many painkillers.”

  “Is there such a thing?” Trina mumbles, her head lopping onto Trey’s chest.

  “Let me take the lead,” my father says. “I know these hallways.” The five of us file in line behind him, moving toward the emergency stairs. I try to catch Zane’s eye, but he’s focused straight ahead, his jaw clenched unnaturally.

  “Hey,” I say, my fingers sliding down his arm and grasping his hand.

  “Hey.” He barely looks at me.

  I lean close and whisper in his ear. “It wasn’t what it looked like.”

  He’s quiet for a moment, and at first, I’m not sure he heard me. “It doesn’t matter,” he says finally. He slides his hand from mine and lengthens his stride until he’s several feet in front of me and directly behind Nash. I try not to let his indifference bother me, focusing instead on Trey’s soothing voice as he tries to get Trina to wake up.

  Our footsteps echo in the hallway. I assume we’ll take the back exit, the one that will lead us to the boat, but instead, we follow my father to the tube.

  “What about the night guards?” I ask as my father swipes his card, records his fingerprint, and scans his retina.

  “Paige and her crew took care of them,” Trey says. He barks orders. “Nash, you go in the first launch and make sure everything is clear. Zane, you take Trina in the second, Sienna and I will take the third, and Mr. Preston can bring up the rear. Sound good?”

  I don’t like the idea of leaving my father behind, and I tell Trey this.

  “He has to be last,” Trey says. “He’s the only one with access to the launch.”

  Once Nash disappears in the tube, Trey carefully lowers Trina onto the seat and buckles her in. Her eyes open briefly. “You’re going for a little ride, Trina. Okay?” She nods, her head then lolling to the side.

  Zane eases his body onto the seat and wraps an arm around her, her head now falling onto his chest. Before Trey closes the hatch, he says, “See you in a minute.” When he presses the button, the elevator-like doors close. We hear a small whoosh as the Plexiglas ball is launched through the tube.

  “Our turn,” Trey says, offering me his hand.

  I’m still a little peeved that he thought it was okay to kiss me, especially in front of Zane, so I ignore it. Instead, I turn to my dad, who is standing by the scanner. “Thanks, Dad.”

  He gives me a tired smile, and I realize right then how much I’ve missed it. I throw my arms around his neck and breathe him in. “I’m so glad to have you back,” I murmur.

  With Dad alive, we can be a normal family again. Emily will know her father, and my mother will have someone to hold her again. Granted, we’ll be like fugitives on the run, but at least we’ll be together.

  “Sienna, we’ve got to go,” Trey warns, glancing at his Lynk.

  Rising up on tiptoes, I kiss Dad on his scratchy cheek. “See you in a minute,” I say.

  “Fifty-three-point-eight seconds, to be exact,” he clarifies with a smile.

  I climb into the ball, Trey settling beside me. With a hiss, the hatch begins closing over us. It’s almost shut when there’s the most terrifying sound: footsteps pounding down the hall, men shouting, and the angry click of guns. A throng of Enforcers surrounds my father, their laser guns pointed at his chest. The hatch closes with a whoosh… and then it’s like we’re watching a silent movie. Through the clear Plexiglas, Dad looks at me, and I stare back at him.

  “No!” I scream, pounding my fist against the glass, the sound nothing more than a dull, muffled thud. My fingers search for the latch, trying to force it open, but it won’t budge. We’re already sealed in. “Let me out!” I pound so hard that my hands ache. “Please, Trey, help me!”

  Trey tries to kick open the hatch while I scream at my father. Several of the Enforcers turn their guns on us.

  One Enforcer waves his gun in warning, probably telling my father not to move. But I can see it in his eyes. He isn’t going to listen. He knows I won’t press the button inside our compartment and leave him to face the Enforcers alone. To manually override the system, he has to press the button to the right of the tube.

  The next few moments happen in slow motion. Dad lunges for the button at the same time that the Enforcer pulls the trigger. The laser bullet gets him straight in the shoulder. My father’s mouth opens, but his screams of pain are muffled by the glass. He doesn’t stop moving though. His fingers are only inches from the button.

  “No!” I scream again. “Please, no!”

  Blood seeps from the wound on his shoulder, and I can see it so clearly as he dives for the button. At the exact moment he presses it, the Enforcers open fire.

  My fists pound, trying to break through the glass.

  Dad’s body jerks in response, the laser bullets raining down on his chest. Trey forces my head down as the bullets pelt the sides of the Plexiglas ball.

  I’m sobbing openly now.

  He’s down, his face turned toward the tube, his body riddled with laser wounds. His eyes are open, unmoving, unfeeling.

  No, this can’t happen. Not again.

  There’s a whoosh as the doors close and the ball begins to move, dropping swiftly beneath the ocean.

  I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.

  “Take me back,” I sob. “Stop this thing right now!”

  But Trey’s helpless. We both are. We can do nothing but sit and wait. Wait for the pressure to stop, the darkness to lessen, the ride to end.

  It’s the longest fifty-three-point-eight seconds of my life.

  When we reach the other side, and the doors open with a swish, I stumble out, headed for the outgoing tube.

  The other three who went ahead of us—Zane, Trina, and Nash—are surrounded by a group of people I don’t recognize. For a second, I think they’ve been captured by Enforcers too, but then I realize they are part of the Zenith group Trey told me about. The dark clothing and guns strung across their shoulders make that evident.

  Hurrying after me, Trey grabs my arm, forcing me to a stop.

  “We ca
n’t leave him there,” I say, tears streaming down my cheeks. “We have to go back!”

  Trey shakes his head sadly. “He’s gone, Sienna. There’s nothing we can do.”

  “No,” I stammer. “No, I refuse to believe that. He conquered death once. He can do it again.”

  Trey’s hand is warm against my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

  It hits me then. I sink down to my knees and curl into myself like doing so can protect me from the pain. Maybe if I hide from it, it won’t find me. Losing him once was unbearable. I can’t even begin to embrace the idea of losing him a second time.

  42

  SIENNA

  Everything is a blur. Trey’s hand on my arm, pulling me to my feet. Zane beside me, asking what happened. The thud of our shoes on the pavement as we run like thieves in the night through the darkened park. The steady beat of my heart, pulsing pain from one part of my body to the other until I feel like I might collapse from grief.

  And yet, there’s no time to mourn. No time to feel the pain. We have to keep moving. Keep moving or else the Enforcers will find us, will end us, just like they did my father.

  My father. My chest cracks open, and then I’m bleeding everywhere. My hands are stained with my blood, his blood, and I can’t wipe them clean.

  “Keep moving,” the girl in the front calls. I assume she’s Paige, not that I care that much. “We’re almost there.”

  Trey continues to pull me along, past trees and park benches, but there’s a never-ending whine in my brain like a toy fire truck with dying batteries. Even when Trey speaks to me, it’s hard to understand what he’s saying.

  His mouth is moving, and he’s looking at me.

  “Huh?”

  “Are you okay?” He says it slowly, like he’s enunciating each precious syllable.

  I shake my head a little, but not before I notice the concern in his eyes.

  Then we’re at a truck. A dark vehicle parked next to the curb on the other side of the park. The three Zenith members climb in the front while the rest of us struggle to get into the back. The bed of the truck groans under our weight, and Trey helps me settle with my back resting against the cab.

  “What happened?” Zane demands, scooting over to sit next to us.