by Matt Ryan
Joey wanted nothing more than to take Poly away from it all. He sighed. “I’m not leaving until we have Samantha. After that, we can talk.”
Poly and Julie emerged from the darkness and walked up the shoulder toward the car.
“I hope I never have to outdoor pee again,” Julie said.
Poly laughed. “You boys do okay without us?”
“Joey started getting all emo on me but yeah, we managed.”
Poly turned her attention to Joey and raised an eyebrow. “You never get all emo with me.”
“Well, Lucas wouldn’t stop making fun of my shakes.” Poly glared at Lucas. “He kept singing, Joey’s milkshake brings all the girls to the yard and then he made me hold a box of chocolate milk.”
She brandished her knife.
“He was right,” Joey said putting a hand on Poly. “You are stopping him from making fun of me.”
Poly glanced at him while Lucas hid behind an annoyed Julie. “Yeah, it’s not something I want him joking about.” She tried to move toward Lucas.
“Don’t do that.” He pulled her closer. “It’s part of who I am now, and if we start acting different about it, it just makes it worse. I expect Lucas to take jabs at me, when he doesn’t, it gets weird.”
Poly took in a slow breath and sheathed her knife. “He didn’t say any of those things, did he?” He shook his head. “Well, maybe I’m not ready to joke about it, okay? I mean you almost freaking killed yourself saving us. That shake is a reminder of the day I thought I lost you.”
Joey sighed. “Maybe, but it still could be funny. If we can’t laugh, we are not going to make it. I don’t think the road ahead is going to get any easier. In fact, if Marcus has it in for us, it’s only going to get a lot worse.”
Poly studied Joey for a few seconds and then turned to Lucas. “Fine, but if you push the line, and I will judge what the line is . . . I will cut you.”
“Okay,” Lucas agreed. “Joey and I can shake hands on it.” He stood and shook his hand at his side.
Joey laughed. That is what he really wanted. Having a physical problem didn’t make you a different person, and he didn’t want to be treated any differently. “I would shake hands with you, but is pale contagious? I don’t want to look like Powder.”
“Oh, this is a competition now?” Lucas said and tapped his finger on his chin. “How about a game of Jenga to settle this?”
Joey laughed.
“Have you guys got it out of your system yet?” Poly asked with her arms crossed.
“Oh come on. Joey’s like my brother,” Lucas said.
“Can we just get back to what we’re going to do about Samantha? Anything is better than this.”
Joey felt the smile leaving his face and the weight of the mission settling back on his shoulders.
“Joey’s right about what might be ahead. I have a bad feeling about it,” Julie said. “Samantha already went with this Zach guy once.”
“She was injured and needed medical attention. She thought she was saving the world,” Joey pointed out.
Poly frowned and took a deep breath as she looked at him. “All we can do is try.”
“And if trying doesn’t work, we’ll stuff her in a box and take her away,” Lucas added. “After, we can de-program her or something.”
“Well, nothing is going to happen if we don’t get there.” Julie opened the car door and got in. “We should be there by morning, if traffic isn’t too bad.”
SAMANTHA STIRRED AWAKE. HER HEAD pounded and she felt the thin carpet on her face and hands. Bright lights blinded her and for a brief moment, she thought she might have died and been shipped to heaven.
A silhouette of a man hovered over her, caressing her face.
“Joey?” She blinked, clearing her eyes. “Zach!” she exclaimed. In the thrill of seeing him, safe and at her side, she tried to lift herself up on one elbow. Closing her eyes, she palmed the side of her head, trying to find relief from her severe headache.
Zach knelt next to her and grabbed the back of her head, drawing her into his chest. She welcomed his embrace and wanted to get lost in his strong arms. “I’m sorry for the knockout gas. It was something of a safety protocol, part of thirty-two, and well . . . it was meant for intruders.”
“Where are we?” Lisa asked, stirring from her spot on the ground. Her voice sounded different, as if it had a slight accent. Samantha had heard that accent somewhere.
“You are right where you fell,” Zach explained.
Derek tried to move to his feet but only got as far as one knee. He lifted his hand to his head and swayed.
Samantha snuggled into Zach’s chest. She thought he might’ve been killed or captured, but he wasn’t; he was safe and with her. She wanted to grab him by the hand and pull him away from it all. They could escape to his house, to his bedroom. “Wait a minute.” Her anger flared. She got to her feet and stabbed a finger at the screen showing his bedroom.
He gazed at the screen without emotion, studying it, as if trying to see what the issue was. Then he nodded his head, solving the problem. He turned to face her with a cool smile and took her by each arm. “No one is here at night, and we don’t record from these monitors.”
Lisa moved next to Zach, staring at his face. “You look different.”
“As opposed to what? Have we met?”
Lisa blinked and took a step back, covering her mouth. “I . . . I just meant,” she put her thumb and finger on her temples, “I just didn’t expect you to look the way you look is all.”
Zach smirked. “I hope it’s a pleasant surprise.”
“Oh yes. I mean, you’re very good looking and all.” Lisa stopped her words with thinned lips and promptly studied the floor, covering her forehead with her hand.
Samantha frowned at Lisa but turned her attention to Zach. “I want these cameras turned off if you ever think I’m going back to your place.” She almost choked on her bold words. Even Lisa looked up from her floor inspection to witness the deluge of information.
“How about I shut them off right now?”
“Yes, please.”
He typed into the computer and the camera switched to the parking lot of ZRB headquarters. “Better?”
“Much, thank you. And,” she leaned in closer, “I want you to make sure there wasn’t a recording.”
His lips brushed her ear causing chills to run down her neck. She wanted more of him. “You sure? We might look great together on screen.”
She flushed and pushed at his chest, smiling.
“Sir,” Derek said. “We should secure the building in case we get attacked again.”
“No need. The US government and I have come to an agreement,” he said as if he had big news. “I want to give floor sixteen a party. We need to celebrate what we have accomplished. You are of course invited, Lisa.”
“Yes, well, thank you,” she said. “I already had pizza coming actually.” She looked at her watch. “It should be here soon.”
“You look familiar.” Zach cocked his head. “Are you sure we haven’t met? I usually don’t forget a face, especially an employee.”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Well, let’s make it official then,” he said, putting out his hand. “I’m Zach Ryan Baker.”
“Hello.” She shook his hand. “I’m Lisa Gem.”
“Gem? What an unusual last name. Italian?”
Lisa stammered, looking around the room. “I don’t know. It’s just a family name.”
“Well, you are as beautiful as any gem I’ve seen.”
“Thank you.”
Samantha breathed hard through her nose and felt old feelings surfacing, feelings she never wanted again. Just the fact she felt them made her angrier, fueling her fire. She blazed at Lisa who looked as if she wanted to be anywhere in the world but where she was. At that moment Samantha didn’t see the cute little Lisa, she saw Poly or another version of her, trying to get between her and her man.
Lisa glanced
at her and then looked away.
Samantha grasped Zach’s hand in hers and walked as best she could out of the monitoring room, trying to get Lisa from her mind. She couldn’t have her parading around the office, flaunting her body like a little slut. Lisa would have to be fired right away.
She looked to Zach. “Can we discuss a few things?”
“Later, okay?” He stopped and took out his tablet. He scanned the screen and Samantha looked over his shoulder to take a peek, but he flipped pages too fast for her to make any sense of it. A jumble of pictures, she thought she made out a car in one of the pictures, and then a group of texts.
She saw the strain on his face. “Is there a problem?”
Zach sighed and looked back at Lisa.
If he looked at Lisa one more time, she was going to slap him.
“We have visitors. Friends of yours, from Preston.”
JOEY HAD EXPECTED THERE TO be some sort of security on ZRB’s property, but nothing had impeded their progress. Poly pulled their car into the front lot and they all looked at the entrance to headquarters. Samantha’s last phone signal came from behind those doors and they had every intention of getting her out.
“Well, this is it.” Joey opened the door and they each got out of the car.
They crossed the parking and as they got closer, Joey saw the barricaded windows and doors on every floor. Julie said they were on some kind of lockdown, but it looked more like a prison. How were the people inside handling this lockdown? Could anyone leave? Judging by the parking lot full of cars, he guessed not.
“I think I can get the front door open,” Julie said, face deep in her Panavice.
“No need, it’s opening.” Lucas pointed to the door.
Joey stopped. He spotted the door opening as well and watched as four people exited the building. Samantha’s long, wavy hair flowed over her shoulders and Joey kept his attention on her as she walked a few steps behind Zach.
“Holy crap, there’s Gladius,” Lucas said.
Poly perked up and kept her eyes on Gladius. “Not a word, remember what Travis said, she was infiltrating ZRB from the inside.”
Zach smiled. Joey held his breath and watched the man’s hands as he approached. He adjusted his neck tie and played with a large tie clip. Harris had warned them Marcus was unbeatable in a gun draw, but he wouldn’t just lay down and take it. He’d kill this guy if he could. Joey’s shaky hand touched his gun.
Zach stopped short, but Samantha ran up to Julie and gave her a hug. Then she moved to Lucas.
Joey searched her face for the wounds she carried on the tarmac, but they were gone. She looked as good as ever.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“We came to get you,” Lucas said.
Samantha looked confused and took several steps back. “What do you mean? We are sending out the cure to the entire world right now. I can’t just leave, I’m needed here.”
Joey wanted to laugh and shove down her throat the results of Travis’s test, but he knew she wouldn’t believe them. It was as if this Zach guy put a spell on her, and all rational thought left her brain.
“She’s right, she’s an invaluable part of the company and at this time, we simply couldn’t afford to be without her,” Zach said with his stupid perfect smile.
The smug look on his face as Samantha nodded in agreement drove Joey to the red zone. His shaky hand touched his gun again, and he saw Zach eyeing him. Probably waiting to get a jump on him. Joey knew he could never get past the man’s shield.
“We can show you a few things to convince you,” Joey said.
“What? Are you going to show me how he isn’t saving the world? How he hasn’t saved Preston and from what I hear, our families? Why can’t you all leave this alone?”
“We just want you to come home, Samantha,” Joey said and took a step closer. He wanted to take her hands and pull her away from Zach, just being close to them was nauseating.
“I am home. Don’t you get it? I left Preston for a reason. I am trying to put this . . . you, past me. I don’t want to go with you, I want to stay here.”
“Samantha—”
“I know what this is. You’re jealous of me.” Samantha sniffled.
“Jealous of what?” Poly said.
“You don’t get to talk!” She screamed, breathing hard. “I had to sit and watch you take Joey from me. I had to sit across the cafeteria and watch Hank, Lucas, and Julie go over to your side.” She shook with emotion. “You all left me alone! And now I have a new home, new friends, and I am the one saving the world. I am the one making the difference, and it’s killing you.”
The anger in Joey slumped into a terrible mixture of guilt and regret. Julie had warned him he was going to break up the Six if he chose between Samantha and Poly. But he couldn’t live without Poly by his side. His hatred for Marcus grew in size, thinking of how he’d created this wedge between them.
“Samantha, the only reason we are here is because we love you,” Julie said. “We don’t want to see this man, whoever he is, use you for his purposes. Think about it, who is he really? Does he have any background at all?”
Samantha glanced at Zach, who kept a slightly amused expression on his face, as if to say you can’t be taking any of this seriously. She walked closer to Joey, within a foot. An armed guard moved closer, but Zach waved him off.
Joey took in a breath and held his ground.
She jabbed her finger in his chest and then pointed it at Julie and Lucas. “You all say you love me? Really? Does love make you abandon another friend because it’s uncomfortable to be around her?” She stared down Julie and Lucas.
Joey opened his mouth but closed it. He looked at Julie and she shook her head as she skimmed the surface of her Panavice. She wasn’t getting through his shield. Maybe they didn’t need to. He pulled his gun and pointed it at Zach.
Zach raised his hands just above his face and wiggled them like jazz hands. A big smile spread across his face. “No, Derek, put it away. We are not shooting these people, no matter what.”
Derek lowered his gun and holstered it. Joey kept his gun trained on Zach’s head. “I’m going to prove to you right now, who this man truly is, Samantha.”
She moved her body in front of Zach and sneered. “I won’t let you kill him. This man saved the world.”
“He’s actually the one who started the whole epidemic,” Julie said.
Samantha crossed her arms. “I know what kind of man he is and he’s not the person you think he is. Does he even look like Marcus?”
“He must have changed his appearance or something, but all of his actions and advanced technology point to who he is,” Julie explained.
Zach seemed highly amused by the conversation and kept his hands in the air.
Samantha scowled at Julie and then pointed at Joey. “Put that gun down, Joey Foust.”
She looked as if she hated him, but the look pushed his resolve. Once she saw the bullet bounce off him, she’d know he wasn’t from Earth. She’d be forced to acknowledge they were right. And maybe in time, she could forgive them.
Zach side stepped Samantha and exposed his body with a smile, still with his hands in the air. Samantha hadn’t noticed and Joey pulled back on the trigger. The gun fired and Zach staggered backward, holding his shoulder. Blood trickled over his hand.
“Don’t shoot them, Derek!” Zach screamed.
Derek already had his gun trained on Joey, but Joey only had eyes for the wound on Zach’s shoulder. The man didn’t have a shield. He must have turned it off.
“Zach!” Samantha rushed to his side. “What did you do, Joey?” she cried out. Her hands pushed against his shoulder and Zach winced in pain.
“I thought he would have a shield, like on the tarmac.” Joey looked on, dumbfounded. “He’s playing a game with us or something. This isn’t right.”
“You’ll pay for this,” Samantha spewed.
Joey staggered back.
“Help me, D
erek.” The guard grabbed Zach’s arm and helped walk him toward the building.
Samantha turned and thundered toward them. Tears and rage filled her face. “Don’t you ever come back to me again, any of you. Stay out of my life! You understand?”
They did and Joey couldn’t find the words to make it better. He only watched as Samantha ran to Zach’s side. Gladius glanced at them and back to Zach. She shrugged her shoulders and ran toward Samantha.
Since the first day they’d found the stone, he’d been physically hurt in every way possible, but this hurt worst of all.
“That didn’t go well,” Lucas said.
“You think?” Julie said.
“I thought you said he had his shield up?” Joey asked.
“I thought I had something,” Julie said, fiddling with her Pana. “It was like he was transmitting and receiving a signal at all times, but I couldn’t pin it down.”
“She’s all in now,” Poly said. “We made it worse.”
Joey turned and found Julie. “What did you find if not his shield? What is it?”
“I don’t know. With a bit more time with him, I could find out, but he’s connected to something or someone out there.”
“Could he be connected to—” Poly started to say.
“I found something in that building,” Julie said. Her face went pale and she looked at the building, eyes traveling to the upper floors.
“What?” Lucas asked.
“Renee.”
“Oh great, that psycho computer is freaking in there.” Lucas shook his head.
Julie’s face went back to her Panavice. “I couldn’t see her right away, but she is drawing massive power. . . .”
Poly could tell she was holding back something. “What’s weird about it?”
“I don’t know, it feels too obvious.”
“Maybe to you, but would anyone else suspect anything?”
“No, but if we don’t stop her, she could do much worse things than blowing up Panavices in a world like this. I mean, she could start launching nukes, or take out entire nuclear power plants. She is far more dangerous here than on Vanar. Our systems aren’t set up to handle an attack from a super computer.”