by Jessica Kapp
I hand him the folder, not sure if this means they’re talking regularly again. “Is that where you went while we had ice cream? To see your dad?”
“Not exactly.” He puts the folder in his door panel and waits for me to look at him before he speaks again. His face has softened. “It’s something I need to talk to him about.”
I’m disappointed he doesn’t elaborate, but I respect that he’s at least trying to forge some kind of relationship with the man who reared him. Maybe he doesn’t want to talk about it in front of Paige.
We pull up to the barn, and Paige bails before I have my seatbelt off. Someone has mowed the field, and there’s a soccer game she’s anxious to be part of. Burk pumps his fist in the air, happy to have a teammate to face Craig and Sasha. Paige could probably take everyone on by herself and win.
I start to open my door, and Gavin touches my leg. “Whatever happens tomorrow, stay with Sasha. She’ll know what to do.” I don’t like the intensity in his eyes.
“I will.”
“If we get caught,” he starts, “if they catch you…”
“We’ll be fine.” I manage a small smile.
He reaches up for my face. I lean into his hand, wondering if this will be the last time I’ll get to. I push the thought away and lose myself in the warmth of his kiss.
• • •
Adrian agrees to play as long as Paige and I are on his team. We play three against five until it’s so dark we kick each other’s shins more than the ball. It’s late, and Mary lies down in the grass, signaling the end of the game.
The fatigue will at least help us sleep. In the morning, we’ll load up to save Parker.
It’s not until I crawl into bed that I start to think about what it will be like to see him. How he’ll adjust to the real world—the one that used us—and if the nature of the situation will overshadow any part of our old life, like our pact.
Gavin tosses in his bunk, and I debate wandering over to his side of the room to lie next to him. I replay what Paige said at Dairy Land and consider that Gavin might be worried about Parker more than he let on. And then there’s Kenny. What does he really get out of helping us? The way Sasha described him, Kenny would do anything to please his father, and hurting his dad’s company is the exact opposite. Questions swirl in my head as I drift off.
When I open my eyes, someone’s rustling around in the kitchen. Ry is making a sandwich, coating the bread with a week’s supply of peanut butter and banana slices.
“Want one?” he asks when I join him. No one else is awake yet.
I shrug. “Why not?”
He hands me the one he’s already made and starts another. I take a bite but have to drink a cup of water in order to unstick my mouth so I can talk.
“Interesting choice for breakfast,” I say, before taking a much, much smaller bite.
“Groceries are dwindling. You make do with what you have ‘til the next food run.”
“Kind of like your eggs and mustard?”
“Yep.”
Ry and I sit at the table, both facing the room of sleepers, but Ry’s having a hard time looking at anything but his sandwich.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Just a little nervous, that’s all.”
Ry devours his breakfast, although I don’t know how he can swallow. I hand him my water and he chugs it.
“I’m sorry about what happened to you guys,” he says. “The Center is an awful place.”
“It’s not your fault, Ry. At least you’re doing something about it.”
“Yeah.” Ry finally looks out at the room, his eyes glossy.
I want to ask how he can be related to Kenny, who sends prickles up my spine, but I stop myself. He is, after all, Ry’s family. I choose a gentler approach. “Why don’t you live at home with your brother?”
The question is enough to pull him away from his trance. He shakes the last few drops in his mouth before he answers.
“If you look closely at my skin, you can see yellow undertones.” He tilts his face toward the light as if I need proof. “When I was born, I was jaundice. It took a week to clear up. Now I’m yellow again because of the drugs.”
I’m not sure where he’s going with this or how to answer. “Your jaundice must’ve been pretty serious.”
“Sort of.” Ry speaks softly and dips his head, flicking crumbs off the table. “I kept getting sick, random illnesses when I was three, four, five. I’ve never been healthy. Not naturally, like you and Paige.”
I want to tell him that it’s as simple as keeping the drugs out of his mouth. But it doesn’t feel appropriate right now, and since he was just a kid, I know it’s not the right thing to say.
“My brother doesn’t need pills. He’ll take a few for his appearance, but he’s smart. Scary smart. Our parents were always comparing us. I started taking pills so I could keep up with him. I used Clarity to whiz through tests until the teachers started testing our urine before each exam. When I couldn’t excel at school, I started taking Power on the field. Unlike my math teacher, the baseball coach looked the other way. We’d play well enough to win, but hold back enough to keep mainlanders from asking questions.” Ry chuckles to himself. “I was finally good at something.”
“Did your parents know?”
“I’m sure they did. But it didn’t matter. Kenny was their star child. That’s when Gavin and I became closer. We cheered for each other when no one else showed up. His mom was ill and his dad…well…you know.” I nod as he continues. “No matter what I did, I would always be the sick kid or the drug-crazed teen in my dad’s eyes. Kenny was the smart one. And he’s the one who showed interest in the family business.”
“What about your mom? Wasn’t she there for you?”
“Put a wig on Kenny. That’s my mom.”
I shudder. Kenny would make an ugly girl. “That bad, huh?”
Ry smirks, as if he knows what I’m thinking. “Personality. Not looks.”
I seize my chance, keeping any irritation out of my voice. “Why is Kenny helping us? If he’s supposed to be a daddy’s boy or the next CEO, why is he here?”
His face morphs back to a trance, as if his body shut down from the inside out.
“College wasn’t his thing. I bet that pissed my dad off.” At the sound of footsteps, Ry blinks. A grin tugs at his lips as Gavin approach. “I’m sure Kenny has his reasons.”
“You guys are up early.” Gavin rubs my head on the way to the coffee machine.
“Burk’s text woke me,” Ry says.
“Yeah, I got it too.” There’s disappointment in Gavin’s voice.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Burk can’t make it today. Family emergency.” Gavin reaches for a cup, the back of his shirt wrinkly. “But I’ve been thinking about what we talked about, Ry.” He puts the grounds in the machine. “You’re right. Tabitha should ride along with me and Adrian.”
Out of the corner of my eye, Ry flashes a smile and stands to leave. “Good idea.”
Gavin flips the coffee pot on. When he spins around, I realize my mouth is hanging open. It takes me a second to get my thoughts together.
“You said it wasn’t safe for me to get that close to the Flat House.” I make sure to keep my voice light and cheery. The last thing I want is for him to think I’m afraid, that I’m not ready for another mission. What I can’t handle is being on the sidelines. Waiting without knowing.
“It’s not the best scenario, but I think Parker needs to see someone he’s familiar with when he gets in the van. Especially since we don’t know what this super drug will do to him.” He shrugs. “And I’d like to keep my arms in their sockets. I doubt he’ll trust me without you there.”
• • •
Adrian and Gavin are quiet on the drive to the Flat House. When Gavin gives me the signal to get down, I crawl behind the second row of seats and cover myself with a blanket that matches the blue vinyl. The van slows and passes over two speed bumps before i
t stops.
We don’t have to wait long. An alarm goes off, and someone calls for help. It sounds like Kenny, and he’s screaming so loudly I wonder if something’s gone wrong.
I’m about to peek when the van door opens, and I hear a new voice. It’s Parker’s, but it sounds thick and distorted, like a recording played at the wrong speed.
“Where is she?” Parker yells.
“Get in,” Gavin snaps. “We’ll explain on the way.”
“What the hell did you do to her?”
“Nothing!”
“Then where is she?”
“If you want to see her, get in and stay low.”
My fingers grip tightly around the blanket. I thought Gavin wanted Parker to know I was here, that my presence would help. I want to call out to Parker, knowing he must be terrified right now, but since I can’t see what’s going on outside, I don’t question Gavin’s judgment.
The van floor vibrates as Parker lies down. I picture his sleeves stretched around his muscles, protruding like grapefruits stuffed in nylons.
The van starts to move. There’s shouting in the distance. I want to tell Gavin to punch the gas.
I want to be safe at the barn.
Tires squeal outside, tipping me off that Ry and Craig are doing their job. They’re causing chaos, so we should be heading for the exit.
“Shit,” Gavin says. My heart catches in my throat. What’s going on?
“Step on it!” Adrian says.
“I can’t! There’s too many, I’ll run them over.”
“Just do it!”
He brakes, and I roll into the metal bar that keeps the seat in place.
“Get out of the vehicle!” a man screams.
“Is there a problem?” Gavin’s voice is anything but calm.
A hand reaches for my leg. I’m about to kick whatever’s touching me when I hear someone whisper my name. I pull the blanket down just enough to glance out. For the first time since I left the Center, I see Parker. He’s looking back at me from under the seat with a wild mixture of rage and happiness. His smile is the only thing that convinces me he’s sane.
The van door opens and I hear the shift of metal and a click that makes my already taut muscles grip my bones even tighter. “Let’s go. All of you,” a man says.
In an instant, Parker’s face morphs into an expression that terrifies me.
He pops up from the floor, and I scramble to my knees, peering over the seat to see what he’s going to do. The man points his gun at Parker, who’s hunched over to keep his head from hitting the roof. Parker rips the gun out of his hand, bends the barrel, and drops it. It clatters on the cement and the man stands, frozen in fear. Parker grips his throat and lifts him off the ground. After dropping him next to his gun, Parker slams the door shut.
“Go,” he barks. “Now.”
Gavin doesn’t hesitate.
I climb into the seat as the van flies through the lot. Gavin swerves just as two workers jump out of the way to avoid being steamrolled.
When we barrel through the gate, Parker changes rows and slides in next to me. He looks the same size, not bulky as I imagined. His veins are more prominent and his skin is speckled with a red rash. But he’s alive. A sob of relief builds in my chest, and I throw my arms around his neck before it can escape. Burying my face in his shoulder, I breathe in his familiar smell of protein bars.
“Are you okay?” he asks when we let go.
“Of course I am.” He looks me over like he’s trying to find an open wound.
“Then why are you in trouble?”
“Me?”
“I was told you were in danger, that someone was trying to hurt you.” He reaches for my hair, frowning at the brown. Strands slide through his fingers as he pulls his hand away. “One of the workers said you needed help.”
“I did.” I recount my rescue, trying to catch Gavin’s eye in the rearview mirror. But he’s talking to Adrian, his voice full of anger and curse words. I turn my attention back to Parker. “The Center was using you too, testing some military drug on you. They were going to pump you full of it until you died.”
Parker grips the seat in front of him, the skin on his knuckles so tight his bones threaten to break through his skin. I rub his back, not knowing what else to say.
The wheel jerks and Parker’s body slams into me.
When I sit up, I see a sign that reads: Off Road Vehicles Only. Parker and I exchange a glance as we bump along in our seats. Gavin parks behind a group of trees and unbuckles. There’s something shiny in his hand. A knife.
Parker grabs my leg. The muscles in his arms twitch, and his fingers press down so hard I wince.
Gavin moves toward us.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“I’ll explain in a minute. Step aside,” Gavin says to Parker.
“You’ll explain now.” Parker lets go of my leg and stands, hunched like Gavin. His eyes look more red than blue. He’s going to rip Gavin’s head off, and although there’s a knife pointed at me, I don’t want him to.
“I need to check Tabitha’s neck.”
“What?” Parker and I say in unison.
“We were ambushed back there,” Gavin says, pointing with the knife. “They had to have known we were coming. And I think I know who told them.” He eyes shift from me to the weapon he’s waving around, and he drops his hand down to his side. “Kenny called Ry when we left this morning. He wanted to know why we changed the plan—except I never told him we did. I think he put a tracking device in your neck.”
I reach up and feel the scab.
“There’s no other way he could have known you were in the van,” says Gavin, his chin dropping slightly.
A small part of me feels vindicated. I knew it wasn’t just a coincidence that he showed up at the same Dairy Land the other day. But why is he tracking me when he helped free me to begin with?
“We have to cut it out. Fast,” Gavin says. Parker’s face pales as Gavin leans over the seat, blade pointed at my throat. I turn and lift my hair. “Are you ready?”
“Make it quick.”
“I can’t watch,” says Parker, taking my hand. I squeeze hard, but it’s not enough to brace me for the pain. The blade pierces, reopening the wound. I manage to hold in an agonizing wail until the second pass.
“Give her this,” Adrian says. Parker reaches for something with his free hand. “Have her put it between her teeth.”
Parker holds a pen in front of my mouth and I bite down. My nails dig into his skin.
“You okay?” Gavin asks. I grunt, giving him a quick nod. “The next part is going to hurt more. But we’re almost done. Stay with me.”
When Gavin uses the end of the knife to dig out the tracker, the edges of my vision flicker with white spots. My stomach heaves, and just when I think I’m about to pass out, Gavin is done.
“Got it.”
Hot tears roll down my cheeks. I turn around as Gavin tosses it out the window. “There,” he says. “The tracker’s gone.”
Adrian hands Parker a cloth to stop the bleeding, then hops into the driver’s seat. The van lurches when he throws it in reverse. In the sudden movement, Parker presses harder against my neck and I gasp. “Sorry.”
I try to concentrate on the hum of the motor, but the throbbing in my neck makes it impossible. Gavin is watching me, and we lock eyes.
“I’m sorry I had to do that. How’re you holding up?”
Parker interjects. “We need to take her to the hospital before the wound gets infected.”
Gavin gives him a throaty laugh. “That’s not an option. PharmPerfect controls Gladstone Memorial too. They have people there who’ll be looking for us. We’re on our own.”
Chapter 21
“A barn?”
Parker’s disappointed, and he hasn’t even smelled the mildew-laden basement yet.
“It’s worked so far,” Gavin says when we roll to a stop.
Sasha, Paige, and Mary step outside warily, cro
ssing the drive as if they’re avoiding landmines.
Sitting up makes me dizzy, but I’m focused enough to read the fear on their faces. I grab Gavin’s arm. “Do they know?”
“I had Ry call Sasha, just in case something happened. They needed to be prepared to leave without us.”
“Leave?”
His jaw tightens. “It’s not safe here.” He slides the van door open.
Fresh air floods the vehicle, but it doesn’t wash away the anxiety. Did Kenny pretend to help us so he could find out where our hideout was? To stop the group working against his dad’s company?
Paige lunges herself into Parker’s arms when he emerges from the van, and I can’t help but smile. We were lucky to get him out.
She eyes my neck when they release. “You okay?” she asks, touching the trail of dried blood. I nod, but when she hugs me, it’s with much more restraint, as if the wound might start gushing if she squeezes me too hard.
When Paige lets go to introduce Parker to Mary, Sasha grabs a first aid kit. She pulls out a container and unscrews the cap, revealing a pearly pink cream. “This will help with the pain,” she says, dipping her finger.
The cream is cold and tingly as it coats my skin. The wound is numb in a matter of seconds.
“And take this.” She holds out a pill and I lean away.
“What is it?”
“It’s for infections.” She thrusts her hand out farther.
I take it, reluctantly. The pill leaves a chalky taste in my throat and I shudder as it descends.
“How long have they been tagging us?” I ask. Sasha puts the cream back without answering.
“Did you or Mary get one?”
Still no answer.
“Well, did they put one in Paige?”
Sasha shifts her eyes to Gavin and then the ground. “No. You’re the only one with a tracking device. Kenny’s only after you.”
I spin around. Gavin’s arms are folded high on his chest like a safety barrier. In my periphery Sasha scoots away, quicker this time, as if I’m the landmine. My heart thunders in my chest.