“Am I going crazy?”
Connor remembered the things Samarka had said to him.
“You’re not going crazy, Lane,” he said, helping his brother into bed. “You have to trust me.”
When Lane finally settled down long enough to go back to sleep Connor got up to leave but the bottle on the nightstand caught his eye. Prescription pills. And he had no idea where his brother got these. The prescription was dated a year back, which meant this bottle was probably stashed away somewhere in his room, and he had just taken them out now. He took the bottle, and turned off the lights.
*
Some sound coming from downstairs woke Connor, and then he heard the front door closing shut. He checked the time on his bedside clock. He couldn’t have been asleep for more than an hour. He checked Lane’s room, sure that Lane wasn’t going to be there, but Lane was sound asleep. So he grabbed his automatic from under his pillow and went to investigate. The front door was open, it wasn’t locked and Connor was positive he had locked it because of Lane. He slowly opened the door and instead of some stranger, he saw Kevin sitting on the front steps, drinking.
“You’re awake!” Kevin said, showing him the bottle of bourbon. “Why do you have that thing pointed at me?”
Connor walked up to the steps and sat right next to him. “I thought you were an intruder,” he said. “I always forget you have a separate set of keys.”
“It’s okay,” Kevin said, and shoved the bottle in Connor’s face. “Come on, have a drink.”
Connor took the bottle and took one swallow then handed it back to Kevin who looked like he needed it more. “What’s going on?”
“Lauren kicked me out,” Kevin said. “I’m going to find a place tomorrow but I didn’t feel like going to some hotel tonight.”
“It’s okay,” Connor said. “You know you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want. What happened?”
“Nothing,” Kevin said. “She caught me having virtual sex with some prostitute. It was one of those paid sites, totally legit.”
“Don’t you think you’ve been dragging this relationship for too long? Leaving her might be a good thing, you know? You might end up finding someone who actually gives a shit about you.”
“You’re right,” Kevin said. “Enough of this marriage bullshit, I’m out!”
“Good for you.”
“So, how’s Lane?”
“Well he sometimes gets those shivering attacks for no apparent reason,” Connor said. “I can’t take him to a hospital, can’t risk anyone finding out about this. He was actually doing a lot better today and I thought that was progress, and then just now, I caught him sleepwalking.”
“Shit. Again?”
“Jace said he knows some good doctors, I’m going to talk to him.”
“Did Lane say anything? Like what kind of experiments they were doing over there?”
“He doesn’t talk much. Every time I broach the subject he just pushes me away, like he doesn’t even want to think about it.”
“That bad huh?”
“I’m just going to concentrate on the fact that he’s here now,” Connor said. “Whatever it is he’s fighting, we can help him through it.”
And as much as Connor wanted to believe it, even three days of being with his brother had taught him one thing: Samarka was right.
Lane wasn’t the brother Connor had lost.
There was something about him, something that Connor couldn’t explain in words but that he could feel in his gut. Like some secret Lane was hiding or something he was constantly battling with. But Connor was going to do everything in his power to accept him and help him out. After all, what else was family for?
CHAPTER 17
THE THREAT
The Resistance Hideout,
Zyron Region-One
Connor led Aana through the maze of caverns at the base of The Resistance hideout. Jace had chosen this place particularly because of the presence of this entire underground area which provided not only storage but privacy too. Connor hadn’t been too keen on allowing Aana down here but Jace seemed intent on making her ‘one of us.’ “Why do you need to go to the storage anyway?” Connor asked, not even caring that his voice betrayed his distrust.
“It’s not for me,” Aana replied. “Professor Chandler wanted me to go down there, take a look around. I think he just wanted to get rid of me.”
“I can’t imagine why,” Connor said, and bent over a massive hatch. He pulled the handle and the hatch opened to reveal a pathway that led into darkness. Connor pointed his flashlight and jumped. He landed in the dirt covered floor and looked for the ladder. He found it and was about to place it over the hatch opening for Aana, when she jumped in with him. She lost her footing a little and Connor instinctively caught her. For a minute, they had a very awkward moment, and then Connor let go of her and started walking through the pathway lit up now from the flashlight.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” Aana asked, keeping close behind him.
“I think so,” Connor said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, I was kind of mean to her the last time we talked,” he said. “I don’t know if she’ll take me back.”
“She will.”
“What?”
“No, I mean, you’re a nice guy. I’m sure she’d want you back.”
“Thank you?”
“Don’t mention it.”
“What about you?” Connor asked her, because it seemed like the thing to do. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Not really.”
“Not even that boss of yours?”
“I don’t sleep with people I work with, it complicates things.”
“Well I’m in love with someone I work with,” Connor said.
“And how’s that going for you?”
Connor stopped when they reached the end of the hallway. There was a massive wooden door and Aana helped him open it. Inside, Connor pointed his flashlight at the wall-to-wall shelves.
“Holy shit,” Aana exclaimed.
She walked up to a shelf stacked with firearms. Rifles and more heavy duty items on the lowest shelf and the automatics and revolvers stored on the top with the ammunition. “So this is where the resistance stores their weapons,” she said. “Impressive.”
Connor pointed his flashlight to the other side, forcing Aana to look away. “And this is where the Professor keeps all his things,” he said. “All the research materials and old files and even the chemicals, its all here.”
Aana walked up to a shelf. “No way,” she said, grabbing hold of a transparent jar with shiny crystals inside. “Aerium Sulfide.”
Connor took the jar from her and saw that she was right. “But Aerium is radioactive isn’t it?”
“It is. But not in the way you think. Aerium radiation is harmless to Zyronians, even Zyres are immune to it. It only affects the Khaltars, in fact Aerium was the base of the nuclear bomb that Anzoftians unleashed on Eth. They’re immune as well, just like us, but when they bombed Eth, they destroyed a good quarter chunk of it.”
“That’s just wrong.”
“It was the Khaltars, what were they supposed to do?”
“Still,” Connor said. “A quarter of a planet sounds like too much collateral damage.”
“You know what they say,” Aana said. “You can’t avoid war. You can only prolong it.”
“Who says that?”
“Machiavelli. He’s an Earth-based philosopher. Of all the ridiculous things about Earth, you have to appreciate their philosophers.”
“Machiavelli was from the Renaissance period,” Connor pointed out. “Things were different back then, a lot more depressing. Have you read the recent philosophers? They’re all about peace and justice and mutual respect. The planet hasn’t had a single war in a billion years, and their science has reached a point where they’re about to conquer this galaxy and the next. Even the Khaltars won’t lay a hand on them. They’re humanoids too, just
like us, but compared to them we’re nothing. Even our technology is obsolete in comparison. Over here, we’re still fighting over the most basic human rights.”
Aana looked strangely at him. “I never took you for the sensitive type.”
“That’s because I don’t like people to see that side of me.”
“But you showed it to me,” she said.
“Just take what you need and let’s go back,” he said. “I need to get some fresh air.”
*
Lying on Professor Chandler’s exam table was strangely similar to being back at the labs and Lane started thinking maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. “Is this necessary?”
“It’s just a check-up,” Kevin said. “Relax.”
“Let’s do this,” the Professor said. He held a small flashlight to Lane’s eyes. “Any vision problems?”
“No,” Lane replied.
“How’s your sleep?”
“It’s fine. I’ve been sleeping through the night since they brought me here. That was six days ago.”
“Anything out of the ordinary that I should know?”
Lane was about to give the same response, when Kevin interrupted him. “He was sleepwalking,” he said.
Lane had almost forgotten about that.
“Have you sleepwalked before?” the Professor asked, setting aside the flashlight. “Or was this your first time?”
“He’s done it before when he was about thirteen,” Kevin said. “But we took him to a doctor and she gave him some pills and he was fine after that.”
“Do you know what meds she put you on?” the question was directed to Lane.
“I can’t remember the name.”
“It’s okay,” the Professor said. He went over to a counter and brought back a syringe. “I’m going to take some blood samples. Run a few tests.”
Lane tried to relax, but the minute the Professor brought the syringe next to him, instinct swooped in and Lane shoved the Professor’s hand away. The needle grazed the Professor’s skin and it bled. That’s when Lane realized what he had done. “I’m sorry,” Lane said, feeling guilty, wanting to somehow turn this back.
“It’s okay,” the Professor said, he was still smiling instead of being angry. “Lane, I’m not a threat. I’m not going to hurt you. And whatever I do, it will be with your permission.”
“I know, I’m sorry!” Lane couldn’t take his eyes off the Professor’s hand. “Shit you’re bleeding!”
“It’s nothing,” the Professor said and walked over to the counter. Started tending to the cut.
Lane looked at Kevin, thinking he might be angry but Kevin was mouthing off the words ‘its okay.’ Lane lay back down on the bed, and the Professor came back with a swathed up hand. He picked up the syringe again. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s try this again. I’m going to take a blood sample, its only going to prick a little, you need to relax.”
It took a lot of effort, but finally Lane was able to relax long enough for the Professor to take the samples.
*
The Professor was in his lab, working on something when Connor went to see him.
“Where’s Lane?” Connor asked, walking up to his desk.
“He left with Kevin hours ago,” the Professor said, looking up. “I gave him a thorough check-up.”
“And?”
“Well there’s nothing physically wrong with him. He’s just a little traumatized, that’s all.”
“Yeah but what about the shivers and the sleepwalking?”
“The shivers could be from the anxiety, and if he’s had the sleepwalking episodes when he was young, then it might be a response to the stress. I’ll write him a prescription. He should be okay. I’d suggest counseling but I realize you can’t do that right now.”
“Yeah we still don’t know what we’re going to do,” Connor said. “Or even if we’re going to stay in Region-One.”
“How did it go with Aana?”
“She was fine,” Connor said. “Impressed though, to see the weapons and your personal collection.”
“I bet. She’s a nice girl. Incredibly curious and remarkably diligent.”
“Well let’s hope she’s not some decoy.”
“You don’t trust her?”
“Not as much as Jace does.”
“I don’t think he has a choice,” the Professor said. “The research that Aana is joining, it’s not the job of one person, I can’t possibly do it on my own, its going to take forever and Jace doesn’t have that kind of time. He needs results now. Especially with the threat and everything.”
“The threat?” Connor asked. “What threat?”
“Oh I’m sorry, I thought you knew. Jace didn’t tell you?”
“I guess not.”
“Well then perhaps its better if you ask him.”
*
“Can I speak to you?” Connor asked Jace, who was talking to Aana in his office.
“Sure, Connor. What is it?”
Connor looked at Aana. “Alone?”
“Seriously?” Aana complained.
“It’s okay,” Jace said. “We can continue this later. It’s pretty late Aana, you should go now. Get some rest. We can pick this up tomorrow.”
Aana glared at Connor as she picked up the paperwork and left the room. Connor shut the door when she left and walked right up to Jace’s desk. “Someone gave you a threat and you didn’t even tell me?” he said.
“Connor, you’ve got enough on your plate without my adding to it,” Jace said. “Besides, its just a stupid threat. What kind of a resistance leader would I be if I didn’t get those?”
“Jace you can’t take this stuff lightly,” Connor said. “It’s too close to the elections, and there’s nothing your enemies want more than to see you dead.”
“If they could do it, don’t you think they would have done it already?”
“Maybe its someone new, and they’re just getting started. Having a little fun before they do it. Some people have cruel tastes.”
“Sit,” Jace said, and opened his desk drawer to retrieve an envelope. He placed it in front of Connor on the desk. Connor took his seat across from him, and picked up the envelope, unloaded the contents on the table in front of him. There were pieces of printed paper, and some pictures. “These are pictures of your wife and kids.”
“Apparently someone thinks they’re fair game,” Jace said, and for the first time Connor felt the fear Jace was trying to hide. “I gave these documents for analysis, but they came back clean. No fingerprints, nothing that can get us close to the perpetrator. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. Now do you understand why this particular threat isn’t a joke to me?”
“We need to tighten your security,” Connor said.
“I’m not going to get bodyguards,” Jace said. “I won’t do it.”
“Jace, not that discussion again!”
“I’m not going to hire some people to stand behind me going everywhere I go, I just won’t. These people are not my slaves, and I refuse to treat them this way.”
“Jace, its just a job,” Connor said. “If I could do it, I would, but I can’t with my brother and everything. But someone from your group will be willing to—”
“That’s the end of this discussion Connor,” Jace said, getting up and going over to the coat-rack to get his coat. “I appreciate your concern, but I won’t do something that goes against the very thing I stand for.”
Connor stood up, joined him by the door. “Fine,” he said. “We’re not going to discuss this further. But would you at least let me investigate this?”
Jace stared at him. “Sure,” he said. “And I’m sorry I’m being such a hard-ass.”
“This is why I hate people with principles,” Connor said. “Now come on. Let me buy you a drink.”
*
When the door opened, for a long time Dominic couldn’t stop staring at Lane.
“Are you going to let me in or what?” Lane said, and Dominic stood aside.
> “I’m sorry, I just…I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Weren’t expecting me alive or coming to see you?” Lane asked, looking around the apartment that hadn’t changed one bit. When Dominic didn’t reply, Lane turned to look at him and found him staring again. “Is everything okay?” Lane asked, and he was about to say more when Dominic put his arms around him, drew him in a hug. He said nothing but Lane could feel him on the verge of tears.
Lane hugged him back.
When finally Dominic pulled away, he had tears in his eyes and his voice was a little hoarse. “Connor found a way to bring you back, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“You want something to drink?”
“Sure.”
The vodka and the shot glasses were already on the table. Dominic must have been having a quiet night in. “How’s Lulu?” Lane asked, sitting down.
“She’s good,” Dominic said. “Your brother came one night and saw her. So I told him everything.”
“Why was Connor here?”
“He wanted to know what really happened that night,” Dominic said.
The mention of that incident was like a reminder of everything bad in his life. Every bit of suffering and humiliation that he had to face, it all came back in a rush. “Did you tell him then?” Lane asked. “Everything?”
“I’m sorry man,” Dominic said. “I had to. You were gone, and Connor said he needed to know everything in order to get you back. So I told him. About the drugs and the making out too.”
“It’s okay,” Lane said. “How’s Arianna? I need to talk to her, but I wasn’t sure if going to her house would be such a good idea.”
For a minute, Lane wondered if Dominic was going to reply. “Arianna,” he said. “She’s gone, man. She left with her folks and no one knows where she is. She called me once from someone else’s phone but that’s about it.”
“Why? Why would she do that?”
“A lot happened while you were gone,” Dominic explained. “Your brother, he wanted us to testify in court, he said he talked to some reporter, it could strengthen your case. He said that reporter had the kind of contacts to get you exonerated. He came to me first, asked me if I could do it, and you know I can’t right? Because of Lulu. If something happens to me, I don’t give a shit man, but I can’t let anything happen to her, you know that!”
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