The next time I woke, I was in a hospital-style bed, but I was on a small plane. No. A helicopter. Mom and Sam sat nearby. I looked around, but we were alone. I closed my eyes.
Finally I opened my eyes and found myself in a real bed, large with a thick wooden frame. I could hear birds and possibly a rooster crowing in the distance. But what had me sitting up was the smell.
Definitely bacon.
I moved fast. Then very, very slowly. I was dizzy and weak. Once I’d adjusted to sitting up, I took in my surroundings. I was in a bedroom. It was a beautiful combination of modern and country style: lots of cherry wood, a beautiful cream rug and an open fire with crackling embers. It felt like being in someone’s home, not just some random house.
And bacon smells were wafting into the room.
I was wearing blue pyjamas. Not mine, yet they were silk and fit me perfectly.
I still had a drip connected to my hand and carefully pulled it out and then studied my M-Band. My blood pressure was high, but otherwise my vitals looked steady. Next I inspected my shoulder. The wound was covered in a white bandage and the skin across my upper arm and chest was all badly bruised. When I experimented with movement, I quickly decided I wouldn’t try again.
Despite the aches, my body seemed in working order and after a few minutes I made it to my feet, using the bed for balance. My eyes filled with tears and my breathing faltered with the sudden realisation that I was alone. Sure, there was someone cooking bacon somewhere, but I knew. Just knew it wasn’t him.
I forced the tears back and took a step, then another and kept going through the first door, which I gratefully discovered was a bathroom. I ran a hot shower and made a point not to look at myself in the mirror. I knew I looked terrible; there was no need to catalogue any more bruises.
I don’t know how long I was in the shower. Long enough to end up sitting. Long enough to let the tears fall. Long enough to relive pulling the trigger. First my father. Followed by Garrett Mercer. Long enough to remember I’d been too slow to save Eliza, and that I would never see Gus again. But not long enough for any of it to be okay.
Back in the bedroom I found a wardrobe full of clothes and managed to pull on a pair of sweat pants and a long-sleeved tee. The clothes still had the tags on them, and once again everything fit me perfectly
In the hallway, the first thing I noticed was that the house was seriously big. There was a set of stairs in front of me, and when I looked to my left I could see a long hall with four doors on either side of the hall and the same in the other direction.
I followed the bacon smell downstairs and entered an open living area, which took my breath away. It was dominated by massive caramel-coloured sofas that looked as though they would be heaven to sink into, with a stone fireplace and a luxurious cream rug in the centre of the room. Running down the side of the room was a twelve-seater dining table in the same cherry wood that was used in the bedroom. The backdrop was a long wall of floor-to-ceiling glass doors, which opened up to a massive wrap-around veranda – and why wouldn’t it, when beyond the house was nothing but stunning rolling hills that appeared to be bathing in the setting sun?
It was surreal to be in such a beautiful place when I felt submerged in such ugliness. I kept going into the kitchen, which was an equally spectacular combination of country meets modern. I found my mother at the stove with two pans in front of her, and the breakfast bar set out with three plates.
I cleared my throat.
She spun around, surprised, but when she saw me she just smiled. ‘I figured if anything would get you up, it was bacon. Even if it is dinner time.’
I sat gingerly at the enormous breakfast bar. ‘Where’s Sam?’ I asked, my voice croaky from disuse.
Mom started to dish up food. ‘He’s out on a ride. He’ll be back any minute.’
‘Ride?’
‘He says it’s because he’s enjoying being around horses again. But just between us, I’m pretty sure he’s enjoying being around the very pretty stable hand a lot more.’
‘How long have we been here?’ I asked, then quickly added, ‘Where are we?’
‘Charlottesville,’ Mom said with a warm smile.
Where we used to live.
‘Quin did this,’ I said, feeling my throat tighten.
Mom nodded, her smile turning a little sad. We were home. Quentin had sent us home. Albeit to a much bigger house.
‘We got here on Sunday. It’s Wednesday night.’
I almost fell off the chair. ‘I’ve been out for three days?’
Mom shrugged, pushing a plate towards me. ‘Give or take.’
‘What does that mean?’
Mom looked everywhere but at me.
‘Mom,’ I pushed.
Eventually she leaned her forearms on the bench and looked at me. ‘We had to sedate you for part of it.’
I swallowed. ‘Why?’
‘The nightmares, Maggie. When we sedated you, they didn’t seem to be as … violent for you.’
‘Oh,’ I murmured, suddenly feeling way too exposed.
Mom eased back. ‘Eat. You need your strength.’
The door flew open and Sam walked in with a girl – who I assumed was the stable hand – behind him.
‘She’s awake!’ he said merrily, throwing his cowboy hat and coat on the hooks.
The girl came in and confidently extended her hand to me. ‘Good evening, Ms Stevens, my name is Sky. Mr Mercer hired me when he took over the property. I run the team here. There are ten of us, but Mr Mercer mentioned you would either decrease or increase the numbers when you were ready. In the meantime, I want you to rest assured that I will keep the stables running and the stock moving.’
Holy shit. ‘Stock?’
‘Yes, Ms Stevens, we have twenty thousand head of cattle. Well, thirty if you count the next-door property.’
‘Next door?’ I said, trying to make sense of it all.
‘Yes, Ms Stevens.’
I looked at Mom, entirely confused.
‘Where Sam and I are staying,’ she clarified softly.
‘You mean …’ I looked from Mom to Sam, who nodded at me.
‘Yep,’ Sam said.
‘So this house …?’
‘The paperwork is still being finalised apparently, but yeah …’ He shrugged with a goofy smile. ‘Once the sale is finalised, this place is all yours, Mags. Though, until you’re back on your feet, we’re all staying in this house.’
‘Where is he?’ I asked.
Sam looked at Mom. She cleared her throat and started handing food to Sky and Sam. ‘Sit, eat,’ she instructed and then looked back at me.
‘He sent us to the hospital first and as soon as you were stable they flew us up here. He organised everything and had people and transport waiting,’ Mom explained.
‘Yep,’ Sam said. ‘Kept us all under armed guard the entire time. Within a day he had the properties ready, furniture and clothes delivered, staff on hand. It’s been crazy.’
‘Where is he?’
Mom sighed. ‘He’s in DC, darling. With everything that happened and then the massive aftermath, there was no way for him to be anywhere else. The world is demanding answers. He said to tell you he’d be here as soon as he could.’
‘Has anyone heard from him since we left the underground?’ I asked, including Sky in my questioning. They all shook their heads.
‘The last we saw, he was being taken into custody,’ Mom explained. ‘But the news reported that he and his brother were cooperating with the government and UN in closed-door discussions. They have no idea when that will end.’
‘Is he in trouble?’
No one was able to answer. I had to fight my gut reaction to leap out of my chair and charge back to DC to help him. But Quentin didn’t need me to rescue him. He was so much stronger than I’d ever given him credit for.
Another thought occurred to me. ‘Am I? I mean … after what I did. Do they know about Garrett? That I … That I was the one who shot
him?’ Not to mention my own father.
‘They know, Maggie. We’ve been half expecting the police to show up here, but no one has. Not for that reason anyway,’ Mom said.
I turned to Sky. ‘Did he give you any indication when he’d be coming here?’
Sky looked uneasy. ‘Not exactly. I only spoke to him when he first acquired the ranches. But on Tuesday morning an additional twelve security personnel arrived, so he’s obviously keeping tabs on things. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.’
I shook my head, struggling to keep up and already feeling like I needed to go back to bed. ‘Additional security? Why do we need security?’
Sky dropped her fork. ‘She doesn’t know?’
Mom shook her head. ‘She’d only just woken up when you two came in. I haven’t had a chance.’
‘Tell me,’ I demanded.
‘My name is Gus Reynolds. I’m twenty-three years old and I’m an M-Corp programmer – or at least, I was.’ He smiled knowingly. ‘I’m pretty sure I was fired. And if not, consider this my resignation.’ His smile faded and he was suddenly serious. ‘I have dabbled in some black-market trading, I won’t deny it. I have listed and documented all of my crimes for the world to see so that when others attempt to discredit me, you’ll already have all of the facts. Simpler that way.’
I hiccupped through a tight breath, watching Gus on the video that Mom and Sam told me had been running continuously on the internet and television since 6 a.m. on Sunday morning.
I noticed that he was sitting in his room at the theatre. He had filmed this in the days before we’d gone back into the tunnels.
‘I’m not a perfect person. But I don’t regard myself as a bad person either. I know the difference between right and wrong, and I know that there are many types of wrong – the worst of which is the wrongdoing that hurts innocent people. So if you will indulge me, a slightly crooked, extremely brilliant hacker, for a few minutes, I’m going to tell you a story about a girl who lost her dad and had her world fall apart. And then I am going to tell you the story about the woman she became. And if you are watching this, there’s a very good chance that either she or I or both of us are dead. If it’s me, Maggie, and you are watching this – it’s not your fault.’ He flashed a sorry smile. ‘We both know I’m not like you. I’m no hero, so if I went down, it was probably for the only reason I’d be willing to, and that’s okay with me. And if you went down, then at least the world will get to hear the truth because I’m fairly certain that by the time they see this, you will have done exactly what I always knew you were going to. Because this is the story of a girl who saves the world.’
Tears streamed down my face as Gus told my tale. He’d detailed and kept everything since we’d first met; he showed clips and evidence and entwined everything into the tale – all of the facts, all of the truth. He exposed the hubs, the clean-ups, the lies. He exposed all of the murdering, the labs, the hidden doors, the parking garage system. He showed maps and blueprints and footage from my M-Band of me in the tunnels, footage I’d forgotten I’d taken or not realised he’d swiped from my M-Band.
He showed it all.
The truth of the neg camps the world believed were rehabilitation farms, the images of negs screaming as they were branded. He explained what my father had done and who he was, holding nothing back. He confessed my sins against Quentin and explained the disruption process; how I had fooled the heir to the most powerful family in the world and how Quentin had been the biggest surprise of all. That finding him in the thick of all the corruption had given me the strength to become what Gus always believed I could be. He spoke of my heartache at finding out my father was the villain and not the victim. He showed footage of me turning up to his apartment with a bullet wound in my stomach. Him, gluing and stapling me back together.
He told the world about the population-control documents we’d found, about what M-Corp had planned to do. Was doing.
He showed me, frail and almost starved to death, staring at the dust mites dancing in the sunlight that first day I was out of my cell and in the apartment above Burn. He showed me lying in Quentin Mercer’s arms, holding onto him for dear life. The only thing he didn’t reveal was that Quentin was my true match.
He talked briefly of Preference Evolution, but avoided going into any detail, explaining that they were on the good side, but that it was their right to tell their story in their words.
‘It hasn’t all been pretty. But when you are just one girl fighting against something that’s so mighty the rest of the world has chosen to turn a blind eye – well, it can’t be pretty, can it? But now that you know the ugly truth, ask yourself this: what would you have done? I know I could never have shown her strength. Even at her worst, she found a reason to keep fighting. And that reason is us and our right to exist. I hope that we’re worth it.’
The image of Gus’s face faded away and a scrolling message came up on the screen.
Following the shock revelations that have come out in the past week, the military has seized control of M-Corp. Negs in the US and many countries around the world have already been treated with the antidote, and those who do not have previous prison sentences to serve out have been released back to their homes and families. Those countries that have not yet been treated will receive the antidote within the coming days.
All military personnel are currently being treated with the antidote and are being vetted before being released back into active duty. Counselling and therapy have been made available to all affected.
To the families who have lost loved ones due to the heinous crimes committed against humanity, there are no excuses for those who have caused your suffering. You have our deepest sympathies and this government’s promise that every and all steps are being taken to bring those responsible to justice and to ensure such a travesty is never repeated or forgotten.
A new law has been passed, reinstating all funds and employment to any negs who were taken away from their homes and families. Compensation will be provided under the new International Reynolds Freedom Law.
We thank you for your patience in this time of change and ask you to bear with us until we can bring more information your way.
The Presidential message ended and then images flashed on the screen showing countries that were clearly third world; people living in small clay homes, hills in the distance and what looked like smouldering fires. The pictures showed a military presence; soldiers dressed in British army uniforms.
As I watched, people kneeled on the hard ground, their heads raised to the sky as they faced a shower of rain. They welcomed it like a cleansing.
I glanced at Mom. She nodded, sensing my question. ‘They’ve been seeding the clouds. Raining down the antidote.’
The plan had worked.
My heart gave a squeeze as more tears fell. I nodded, biting down on my fist, watching as these people were given back their chance at life, the chance my father stole.
I wanted to be happy for them, and I was relieved, but, selfishly, my heart hurt. Quentin was gone and I feared how long the government would keep him. M-Corp was now his and Sebastian’s responsibility and I had no idea what that meant for the future. Even if the government had seized control of the company, there was still so much he would be needed for, so much that would keep him away.
‘What about Gus?’
Mom clasped my hands in hers. ‘Oh, darling, you’ve been through so much. I’m so sorry about Gus. He obviously cared for you deeply, the whole world can see that.’
‘Did they … Where is he?’
‘The government took custody of his body. We appealed to have him released to us, but they waited to see if any other family members claimed him. When no one did, they signed him over to our care yesterday. He’s at a morgue in Arlington and we were waiting for you until we finalised the funeral arrangements.’
I nodded tightly. ‘Tomorrow? Can we talk about it tomorrow?’
‘Yes, of course.’
Then I re
membered. ‘I still don’t get why the security?’
Sam stood up and held out his hand. ‘I’ll show you.’
Thirty-five
My forehead creased, but I took Sam’s hand, letting him gently pull me to my feet and lead me outside. ‘We’re just going to the top of that small crest,’ he said, motioning to a hill about twenty metres away. It was dark now, but the lighting from the house was enough for me to see where he wanted to go.
‘Okay,’ I said, letting him help me.
As we walked, I noticed my brother still had bruises on his face and arms, but most notably, he was different. Not just his clothes, though seeing him back in jeans and a flannel shirt was nice, it was everything; the way he walked, the way he spoke, every vibe coming off him.
‘You’re happy,’ I said.
‘Very,’ he agreed. ‘I missed this place. I feel like I can finally breathe again, you know?’
I cast my eyes down quickly and nodded. But I wasn’t sure I did. I wasn’t sure breathing would ever come naturally to me again.
Quentin wasn’t there. And Gus was gone when it should have been me.
When I reached the top of the crest, I gasped. The fence line of the property was still a fair way away, but I now had full view of it. And, more importantly, of the thousands of people crowding behind the fence on the roadside, while on the other side a large number of security were keeping guard. Beyond the fence, a number of portable lights had been set up and I could see piles of blankets and food supplies.
‘Oh my God,’ I said, starting to panic. I would have dropped to my knees if Sam hadn’t had his arm around me. ‘What do they want?’ But already I knew. They were coming for me. They wanted me to pay for my sins, answer to my crimes. ‘And why the hell are we feeding them?’
Sam gave me a squeeze as Mom and Sky joined us on the crest.
I started to back away. ‘They’ll storm the place. We should get away from here. It’s not safe. Mom, you shouldn’t be here.’
Corruption Page 30