Famine

by R A Doty

  “What would he do if we just never came out?” Dan asked.

  “It’s not so much what he would do as what he wouldn’t do,” Colton answered. “And that’s go away. If those weapons they had are even remotely similar to what we had when I was there they could destroy everything in a matter of minutes.”

  “And ignoring him wouldn’t get Josh back either,” Monica said.

  Dan nodded. He felt ashamed for not thinking of Josh. “But how could he destroy everything with April here? Wouldn’t he be afraid that she would get hurt?”

  Calla ran into the kitchen. “April’s gone!”

  Colton stood from his chair. “Are you sure?”

  “She wasn’t in bed when I woke up, and I checked the whole house but I can’t find her. Do you think they got in and took her last night?”

  “That’s impossible,” Luke said. “Everything was locked. It’s damn near impossible to break into this house, and even if they tried we would have heard it.”

  “Let’s check the house again,” Monica said. “She’s got to be here somewhere. Maybe she just took a walk.”

  Everyone scattered in different directions, calling April’s name. Every room, including the basement, was searched. Calla went to the Steinberg library hoping to find her there, but when she walked in the room the only thing she found was the bracelet Monica had given April, placed beside a single book in the center of the table. The book with the smiling baby on the cover. A sheet of paper, folded in half, stood out from the pages. Calla opened the book and pulled out the paper. She unfolded it, terrified of what it might say. Her eyes had already filled with tears as she began reading.

  “Please don’t be angry with me, Calla. I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but we both know that I have to go back to the kennel. I hope you will someday understand that I wouldn’t be able to exist, knowing that I was responsible for all of your deaths. At least this way I can awake each morning, content that you’re free and safe. I know this isn’t my decision to make, but would you consider having the baby? I’d like to imagine what it would be like to be an aunt. Maybe in some insignificant way it would give my life meaning, other than what I was originally created for. Perhaps you can tell your son or daughter about me someday. I would like that.”

  Calla held her hand over her mouth. The words were blurred through her tears, but she continued reading.

  “I don’t think you truly understand what you’ve done for me. You’ve given me everything, more than I could have ever wanted, and more than I probably should have had. Before I met you, I would sit in the kennel wondering what lies beyond the fence, and you showed me. For that I will always be grateful. You’ve even sacrificed your life for me. Please don’t be sad, and try to accept the fact that this is how it was meant to be. We can fight for changes, but sometimes the outcome has already been predetermined. It’s nobody’s fault. It just has to be that way.

  ‘I never knew what love was, but I can now honestly say that I love you with all my heart. Imaging that, me, a nutrimen, talking about love. Who would have thought? I realize I didn’t know you that long, but you were the best big sister I could have ever hoped for. Please say goodbye to the others for me, and tell Colton he should start reading again. There’s nothing more magical than the words between the covers of a book.

  ‘Goodbye big sister, and please enjoy your new life.

  April”

  Nothing could have prepared Calla for what she read. She was filled with a sadness so deep that she had no choice but to lower her head on her arms and cry uncontrollably. Her pain filled the room and flowed into the hallway. How could she go on without her? Especially knowing that at this very moment, April was more than likely sitting back in the kennel where she had first met her. It was as if she was a million miles away, and she may as well have been.

  Colton heard Calla crying from out in the hallway. He rushed into the library and up to the table. When he saw the bracelet and letter in front of her he had a pretty good idea of what had happened. He caressed her back, trying to comfort her.

  When Calla felt the hand on her back, she raised her head and saw Colton standing beside her. She jumped to her feet and rushed into his arms. She tried to speak, but the formation of words was impossible.

  It’ll be okay,” Colton said. “Just try to calm down. We’ll figure something out.” For well over ten years Colton had managed to stay clear of Ancada and keep it out of his thoughts (most of the time), but now he had to think of a way to get back. He had dismissed what was happening there much longer than he should have. Having met April, he felt ashamed of himself for burying his head in the sand, pretending it wasn’t happening. He used the excuse that there was nothing he could do, Ancada was too powerful. But he never even tried. He just left. What was it all for? He lost his wife, his daughter, Jessie, Josh, and now April. When would it be time to do something? As this young woman cried on his chest, a woman that had risked everything to try and make a difference, he finally realized the time had come. It had to stop. He gently pried Calla off his chest and held her at arm’s length. “We’ll get her back, Calla. I promise.”

  “There isn’t any way,” Calla responded, sniffling and wiping at her eyes.

  “We’ll find a way. Don’t give up on her yet.” He lifted her chin with his hand to make eye contact. “Okay?”

  Calla nodded.

  “I need you to come to Steinberg’s office with me. The scanning device’s batteries seem to be fully charged, so I’d like to test it on you. If it works, we may be able to get a reading on April to determine her location.”

  “We already know they took her back to Ancada.”

  “I realize that. But if we’re ever going to rescue her, it would be that much easier if we had a way to track where, exactly, they’re keeping her.”

  “So do you think there’s a chance we might get her back?”

  “I do think there’s a chance. But it won’t be easy. And I’ll need your help. Do you think you’re up to it?”

  Calla nodded, a slight tinge of excitement re-entering her body. There was still hope, and that was all she needed.

  Colton pointed to the letter April had written. “Do you mind?” Calla shook her head and handed it to him. He folded it and put it in his pocket. He then placed his hand on her shoulder. “Okay, let’s get started.”

  They went to Thomas Steinberg’s office and Colton directed Calla to sit in the chair. He turned on the device and it powered-up. “It should be ready in a few seconds,” he said, staring at the screen.

  If it were just one day earlier, Calla would have been completely filled with excitement to find out who her biological parents were, but it didn’t seem to matter that much anymore. She just sat there, wondering what April was doing at that very moment. That’s all she could think about.

  “Okay, we’re ready to go,” Colton said. With his left hand, he gently twisted Calla’s wrist so it was facing up, and with his right he hovered the device over it and squeezed the trigger. It made a beep, and a red line appeared on the screen. “It’s opening the content on the chip,” he said, glancing at Calla.

  Calla couldn’t have been less interested. If not for the quick nod of her head, it looked as though she didn’t even hear him. She remembered April lying beside her the last time the chip in her wrist was scanned. Ironically, she felt exactly the same at the time, wondering if she would ever see April again. She began to remember all of the moments they shared and wondered why things couldn’t have gone as originally planned. As she tried to figure out what they could have done differently, she couldn’t help but notice the expression on Colton’s face. He looked troubled, like something was terribly wrong. He must have found something out about April.

  “What is it?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”

  Without responding, Colton continued to study the screen. And then he slowly turned to Calla. “I’m not quite sure how to tell you this but...”

  Now, Calla
was filled with panic. “What is it?” she asked with a nervous smile. “Is April okay?”

  “Calla, according to this I’m your biological father.” Colton stared blankly at the wall wondering how that was possible, and then he remembered how he and his colleagues were so eager to donate their sperm in the name of science. He turned back to Calla. “And you’re sure April is your sister?”

  Calla was just as surprised as Colton. She just nodded, trying to process what he had said.

  “How do you know that?” Colton said. “I remember you telling me, but can you refresh my memory?”

  “When they caught me and April they scanned our wrists and Carla said we had the same,” she looked at Colton, “father. They said his name but I didn’t hear it. It was you. That means you’re April’s father as well.”

  “I guess I am. I don’t know what to say. On one hand, I’m sorry you and April are going through this because of a decision I made years ago,” he placed his hand on Calla’s upper arm, “but on the other hand I’m so happy to have had a part in creating the two of you.”

  Calla placed her hand on top of his. For the first time in her life that she could remember, she felt comforted. She stood and hugged her father. “We have to get her back.”

  Colton gladly returned the hug. “I know. And we will.”

  Calla released her father. “Did you find out who my mother was?”

  Colton nodded. He scrolled through the information on the device until a picture of a woman appeared. He handed the device to Calla.

  “Emily Fletcher,” Calla said. The woman looked very similar to herself: blonde hair, blue eyes, a small mole above her upper lip. Calla touched the mole above her own lip. “Did you know her?”

  “I’m sorry to say I didn’t. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t even know they were artificially inseminating women to be used as surrogates. My research involved growing the fetus in an artificial womb outside of the body. It was a more controlled environment.”

  “So, what do we do now?” Calla said. “How do we get her back?”

  “I’m not sure. Let’s consult the others and see if we can come up with a plan.”

  THE Steinberg’s dining room table was eight feet long and three-and-a-half feet wide. The cherry legs were ornately carved to match the detailing along the sides of the table’s top. The wood was varnished to bring out the dark cherry’s beauty. Ten matching chairs framed the perimeter of the table, four on each side and one on each end. Dan, Luke, Thomas, and Monica sat on one side of the table, while Janette, Steven, Elana, and Betty sat on the other. Colton sat at the head of the table, and Calla sat at the foot. Cain stood next to Betty, his arms crossed over his chest. Everyone turned to Colton when he started to speak.

  “You already know that somehow, April is back at Ancada. The reason I asked you here was to try to come up with a plan to get her back. In light of the recent events, Calla and I have discovered that I’m Calla’s biological father.”

  Janette’s mouth opened, which matched the expression on just about everyone else’s face. “But how’s that possible?” she asked. “I thought her and April spent their entire lives in Ancada.”

  “It’s a long story,” Colton responded, “but I used to work for Ancada.”

  “So...,” Janette said, “that would make you April’s father, too, if they’re sisters.”

  “That’s correct,” Colton said with a nod.

  Betty noticed Calla’s expression, who was noticeably upset with the mention of April’s name. She touched Calla’s hand to comfort her in some way. Calla looked at her with an appreciative smile.

  “I’m sorry, Colton,” Thomas said, “but I’m not sure what we would be able to do for the young girl. William Weston made it very clear that we would all suffer the consequences if he didn’t get what he wanted, so why would we assume he would feel any differently if we did find some way to get her back?”

  Everyone considered Steinberg’s point. It did make sense, surprisingly.

  “I understand that, Tom,” Colton said. “But when I left Ancada I spent my entire life up until this point not caring what went on there anymore. I erased it from my mind and I did my best never to think about it ever again. And it worked. I blocked it out completely.” He looked across the table at Calla. “And then I met Calla. Once she realized what was happening she risked her own life to make a difference. To try and change a system that was obviously flawed. But there’s only so much a person can do on their own. I know the odds are against us, but we can’t just hide our heads in the sand and pretend nothing’s happening. They have your and Monica’s son, Tom.” He turned to Elana. “They have Elana’s daughter, Jessie.” He paused momentarily. “And now they have my daughter.” He turned back to Thomas. “It won’t stop there. They won’t stop until they control every human being left on earth.” He glanced at everyone around the table. “Is that how you want to live the rest of your life? Not knowing if they’ll show up someday to take one of your children? Or your grandchildren? Do we really want to live that way?”

  “He’s right,” Monica said. “Until Calla and April showed up I’d begun to accept the fact that I’ll probably never see my Josh again. But I want to see him again.” She turned to her husband. “Even if it means sacrificing my own life to do so. Without him I don’t want to live.”

  Thomas Steinberg nodded, his eyes locked on his wife’s. “All right, then. Do we all agree on this?” he asked, looking around the table.

  “Absolutely,” Luke said. Everyone else concurred with a nod.

  “Let’s kick some Ancada butt!” Dan yelled.

  Janette corrected him. “You mean, ass.”

  “Why you gotta swear,” Dan said.

  Everyone smiled. Luke gave his brother that look. The one that said, you’re unbelievable, little brother.

  “I appreciate all of your willingness to help us,” Colton said. “But unless we can figure out a way to cross the ocean to get to Ancada it’ll all be for nothing.”

  Cain immediately left the room, everyone turning in his direction. As they wondered what could have angered him, he suddenly returned with a pad of paper and a pen. He placed it on the table in front of Calla, and began writing.

  Tell them about the boats.

  He pointed to the pad and then to Calla. He then tapped her shoulder and pointed around the table.

  Calla responded with a nod. “Me and April came to the mainland on a boat we got from a friend. We crashed it on the shore, so I don’t know if it still works.”

  Cain began writing again.

  Tell them about the other boat. The one the men came on.

  He tapped Calla’s shoulder again.

  Calla read the sentence and turned to Cain. “I don’t know about another boat.”

  Cain tapped the paper again, and then he remembered she was unconscious and he had to carry her to the church. He leaned over the pad and began writing again.

  Another boat with three men on it arrived right after the girls arrived.

  He brought the pad to Colton and placed it in front of him.

  Colton read the sentence and then turned to Cain. “What happened to the men?”

  Cain shook his head.

  “Where’s the boat, now?” Colton said.

  Cain bent over the pad again.

  David took it. I don’t know what he did with it.

  Colton sighed heavily. He looked at Luke and Dan. “It looks like we’re going to be paying the church another visit.”

  LATER that evening, Colton lay in bed with the letter April had written to Calla pulled up to his face. He had to wait until he was alone to read it. He wasn’t a man of many emotions, but each line he read tugged hard at his heart. He stopped, wiped the corner of his eyes with his forefinger, and then continued. When he finished, he put the letter on the nightstand next to the bed. He turned off the light, rolled over onto his pillow, and cried.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  BILL Weston waited patiently
behind the thick wall of glass for the orderlies to bring the scraggly-haired, male nutrimen to the observatory cell. If it could speak, he would soon find out. His plan was brilliant, he thought to himself. He was actually quite excited to see just how brilliant he was. He looked at the cell next to the one reserved for the male. It was completely darkened, but the infrared camera clearly revealed the object in the center. It wasn’t moving, but he knew it was still alive by looking at its vital signs on a separate screen. The cell and the one reserved for the male nutrimen that was about to arrive were equipped to monitor the vital signs of its inhabitants. When Weston noticed the orderlies escorting the male nutrimen into its cell, he leaned closer to the wall of glass.

  “Now let’s find out how intelligent you really are,” he said aloud, but more of a thought to himself.

  The orderlies released the nutrimen in the center of the cell and exited through the door they initially entered. The nutrimen stood motionless, his arms straight down to his side. He then turned to the wall of glass, but could only see his own reflection staring back at him. He continued looking, his eyes focused on one spot. A minute had passed and the nutrimen continued to stare. Two minutes passed, and then three. The nutrimen was unwavering. It was the one spot and the one spot only that captured his attention. After spending his entire life in a cage, it was no problem for him to repeat an act for an extended period of time.

  Bill Weston checked and double-checked the controls on the panel in front of him. All of the glass walls could easily be switched from obscure mode to transparent mode with the push of a button. The glass was in obscure mode. He moved slightly to the right; the nutrimen’s eyes seemed to follow him. Seemed. Was he imagining it? The nutrimen continued staring. It’s impossible for him to see me, Weston thought. What the hell’s he looking at? Weston rolled his seat over to the other cell’s control panel and flipped a toggle switch. A single beam of light pierced the darkness and shined directly on the center of the cell. The male nutrimen immediately turned in that direction.