Blood Ransom

by Sophie McKenzie

  Milo was staring at me, open-mouthed. I guess my face was as much of a shock to him as his was to me.

  ‘You?’ he said.

  ‘You need to put down that gun,’ I said. ‘Because Rachel and the baby are coming with me.’

  65

  Rachel

  Milo stared at Theo, his mouth open in a totally shocked ‘o’ shape.

  ‘Jesus,’ he said.

  ‘Not quite,’Theo said, coming up behind me. ‘My name’s Theo.’

  ‘I see you’ve got his sense of humour . . .’ Milo said. ‘Elijah’s, I mean.’

  ‘Whatever.’Theo put his arm round me and leaned closer. His breath was hot on my neck as he whispered, ‘Will he shoot us?’

  ‘No.’As I said it, I knew it was true. It didn’t matter what Milo said, I could see in his eyes that he wouldn’t shoot. And it wasn’t because he was a coward, either.

  ‘Come on, then,’ Theo whispered again.

  ‘Stop.’ Milo’s arm was still shaking. ‘Stop or I’ll shoot.’

  ‘No you won’t,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry I said you were a coward, Milo. You aren’t. You’re a good person. You’re just caught up with a bad person and you don’t know how to get out of it.’

  Clutching Grace, I took another step back. Theo’s arm was round my shoulders. Another step, then another.

  We reached the door.

  ‘Rachel, please . . .’

  I took a final look at Milo – at all the loss and longing in his face – and I knew there was another reason why he wouldn’t shoot me, or the people I cared about.

  He liked me too much to risk hurting me.

  And then we were through the door and running for all we were worth, along the corridor, out of the lab and past Paul who was still tied to the stair railing.

  I raced up the steps and followed Theo down the street, clutching Grace tightly to my chest.

  Now that I had her back, I was never going to let her go again.

  66

  Theo

  Everyone agreed that without knowing more about Elijah’s backer and his government links, it was too risky to call the police.

  Nobody agreed about anything else.

  ‘We can’t keep her, Rachel.’ Mr Smith’s gaze shifted from his daughter to the baby in her arms.

  I looked away.

  It was late afternoon and we were in a hotel room. As soon as we’d got clear of the lab, Rachel had called her parents and arranged for them to meet us.

  The hotel had been Mr and Mrs Smith’s suggestion. They booked us into a room as soon as they heard that Elijah would almost certainly be on our tail again, so we could talk somewhere privately.

  It was kind of funny, being with Rachel in a hotel room while we waited for her parents to arrive. Not that there was any chance to take advantage of being on our own together. We couldn’t even talk properly – Grace made sure of that.

  I couldn’t believe how much noise one small baby could make. As soon as we got inside the room – a huge suite with two double beds – Grace started bawling and she didn’t stop until Rachel took off her very smelly nappy.

  Neither of us wanted to call down to reception to ask if they had any nappies, so Rachel cleaned her and wrapped her in one of the soft white towels in the hotel bathroom.

  At that point her parents arrived. I stood back while they showered Rachel with hugs and kisses. I’d never been their favourite person and neither of them seemed inclined to pay me much attention now.

  I think they both completely forgot I was there when Rachel announced she wanted the three of them to take Grace home – as a family. It was clear to me from the start that Mr and Mrs Smith thought this was a mad idea, but Rachel wouldn’t listen to their arguments.

  ‘But she’s my sister. Genetically, she’s my sister and your daughter.’ Rachel’s eyes filled with tears. She held Grace up towards her mum and dad. They were both standing by the bed, arms folded. Mr Smith was wearing a dark suit. Mrs Smith was in a smart, fitted dress with a huge beaded necklace that reminded me of the one I’d seen in Rachel’s room a few days earlier.

  They looked like they’d just wandered out of a church coffee morning.

  ‘Sharing your genes with someone doesn’t make you a parent,’ Mr Smith said.

  ‘No,’ Mrs Smith added. ‘We didn’t plan her or try to conceive her. I didn’t carry her in my womb. There’s nothing that makes me her mother. I don’t want her.’

  At this, Rachel started weeping. She walked over to where I was standing by the window and I put my arm around her.

  Still holding Grace, she buried her face against my chest. I stared over her head at her dad.

  ‘Theo, will you give Rachel and me a moment?’ Mr Smith’s voice was calm, but the tone was icy.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Rachel got there first. She was properly crying now.

  ‘I want Theo to stay here,’ she sobbed. ‘He’s the only person who cares about me. Are you going to take him away from me too?’

  ‘For God’s sake, Rachel,’ her mother shrieked. ‘Theo’s the reason we’re all in this state right now.’

  What? Was she serious?

  ‘How is any of this Theo’s fault?’ Rachel demanded, turning to face her mother again.

  ‘He found you last year – RAGE didn’t even know about you until then. If Theo hadn’t come looking for you back then, RAGE wouldn’t have known you existed and Elijah would have left you in peace and—’

  ‘Well, if Dad had never taken a job working for Elijah, then none of this would have happened either,’ Rachel shouted. ‘In fact, I wouldn’t have happened. Is that what you want? That I’d never been born?’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Ro,’ Mr Smith cut in. ‘Anyway, we’re talking about Grace, not Theo and—’

  ‘You’re the ones being ridiculous,’ Rachel yelled.

  I looked at the floor. The hotel had a greeny-brown carpet which matched the curtains in the room. I stared at the swirly pattern that ran across it. I badly wanted to leave the room, but Rachel needed me, so I stood still, hoping neither she nor her parents would drag me any further into their argument.

  My mind went back to the way Milo had looked at Rachel earlier in Lab Three. Man, he was really into her. Jealousy rippled through me. Rachel had spent several days in his company on Calla. Had he tried anything on? Rachel hadn’t said, but then we hadn’t had much time to talk . . . about anything.

  ‘Look, Ro,’ Rachel’s dad said, more softly. ‘Please try to see things from our point of view. Mum and I are in our sixties. We don’t have the energy for a baby. And even if we did, it’s not fair on Grace. We’ll be in our eighties before she’s grown up.’

  ‘I could look after her,’ Rachel said, sullenly.

  I stared at her. Was she mad?

  ‘You’re too young,’ Mr Smith said. ‘And we’re too old and all of us are known both to RAGE and Elijah which means that even if we relocate again they might find us. But if we do the right thing and hand Grace over to social services then she will be adopted into a good family – a vetted, solid family who want her – where she’ll be safe.’ He paused. ‘You want her to be safe, don’t you, Rachel?’

  Rachel bit her lip. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but it was obvious to me that her dad was right. I mean, don’t get me wrong. One day, when you’re older, kids and stuff are fine, but if Rachel’s parents weren’t prepared to look after Grace, she was far too young to be dealing with a baby on her own.

  ‘What do you think, Theo?’ Mr Smith said. ‘Do you think us taking on a baby makes sense?’

  I shrugged. ‘It’s what Rachel wants,’ I said. ‘Grace is her sister. Genetically, more like her twin. That’s family.’

  Mr Smith’s face clouded with impatience. ‘Right, well, like I said, maybe you’d give us a moment, Theo?’

  Rachel opened her mouth to protest again but I put my hand on her arm to stop her.

  ‘You should talk to your parents on your own,’ I s
aid quietly. ‘I’m just annoying them.’

  Rachel followed me into the corridor. She lifted her face up to mine.

  ‘Thanks for backing me up in there,’ she breathed.

  I kissed her and she smiled. ‘See you soon.’

  ‘Definitely.’ I grinned. ‘In fact, there’s a juice bar downstairs . . . just along from the lobby. Why don’t you meet me there in, like, ten minutes?’

  ‘Sure.’ Rachel kissed me again and disappeared back into the room.

  I went downstairs and out to the juice bar, feeling suddenly hopeful. Maybe if Rachel and I could just get some time on our own, everything would become clear. I was pretty sure she still liked me as much as ever . . . and it certainly wasn’t like I wanted some big conversation about it – just a bit of time to let things feel normal again.

  The juice bar was heaving, so I got myself a strawberry smoothie and stood outside. The drink reminded me of Cheri’s diner – and my life back in Philadelphia. The weather didn’t. It was really cold now, with the sun hidden behind a bank of grey clouds . . . After the past few months in sunny Philly, I wasn’t used to how biting the wind could be – and this was July.

  I didn’t hear the footsteps until it was too late. Someone stopped, right beside me. Too close.

  I spun round. Whoever it was turned with me. A large hand came down behind me . . . clamped itself over my mouth.

  Something bad-smelling was shoved under my nose and before I even had time to struggle, I was sinking into blackness.

  67

  Rachel

  Everything was wrong. Everything was awful.

  I mean, I could see what Mum and Dad were saying. All the logical, rational stuff about Grace being safer . . . better off generally . . . with some nice young couple. But couldn’t they see how it felt for me? Grace was the closest thing to a sister I’d ever known. She was far more real to me than Rebecca, the dead sister I had been cloned from.

  Anyway, it was done now. Dad had called social services . . . told them some made-up story about finding a baby round the back of the hotel.

  And now someone was on their way to pick Grace up. Mum was holding her. She’d asked the hotel for formula milk and a proper blanket.

  I sat beside them, gazing down at Grace’s tiny, perfect face. Insane thoughts raced through my head – maybe I could run off with Grace . . . find a place to stay . . . a job to support us . . .

  But in my heart I knew that was just a fantasy. I had no job and no money and no idea how to get either. Plus, I couldn’t possibly guarantee keeping Grace safe if we were on the streets. There’d be all sorts of threats out there – not least RAGE and Elijah.

  Dad was right about that. If Grace got taken in by a solid family, then she would be safe. I knew that was what counted most.

  But my heart still felt like it was breaking.

  It was well past the time I’d said I’d meet Theo, but Grace would be gone soon and I didn’t want to leave her. I sent him a couple of texts but he didn’t reply.

  I could see Dad was feeling sorry for me. He even called the hospital where Lewis had been taken. The nurses said he was in surgery – that the beating he’d had last night had caused some sort of swelling in his brain. It didn’t sound good, but at least he was holding his own.

  A few more minutes and reception called up to say that social services were here to pick up Grace. Mum let me cuddle her for a moment.

  I stared into Grace’s eyes. She’d stopped crying and was nuzzling against me again. She felt so fragile in my arms.

  ‘Come on, Ro,’ Dad said gently.

  ‘Just one more minute,’ I pleaded.

  He sighed. I could sense him and Mum exchanging looks, but I kept my gaze on Grace . . . trying to memorise exactly how she looked.

  Seconds passed. Then Dad cleared his throat. ‘Ro, please?’

  I shook my head.

  ‘That’s enough, Rachel,’ Mum said.

  She reached down and took Grace from my arms. I watched the three of them cross the room, keeping my eyes on Grace right to the last second.

  And then they were gone.

  I’d agreed that Mum and Dad should take Grace downstairs alone, so they could tell their lie about finding her outside . . . and how they’d sent Theo and me inside to get a room while they searched for any sign of the baby’s mother.

  I sat on the huge hotel bed, feeling numb.

  Suddenly I was overwhelmed by a desire to see Theo. I jumped up and headed for the door. Even if Mum and Dad saw me in the lobby, they wouldn’t be able to stop me going to the juice bar.

  As I reached the hotel room door, my phone rang.

  Theo calling.

  I snatched the mobile up to my ear.

  ‘Oh, Theo—’

  ‘Ah, Rachel,’ Elijah interrupted.

  My breath froze in my throat.

  ‘I have Theo’s phone and I have Theo,’ Elijah said, smoothly. ‘If you would like to see him again, you need to listen to me very carefully.’

  68

  Theo

  I could dimly hear my own voice moaning. It sounded like it was coming from a long way away. I came round. My head hurt badly. I was freezing. There was a splash of strawberry smoothie down my shirt. I raised my aching head. I was in the back seat of a car in a completely deserted car park. On one side was a narrow stretch of water – a canal – on the other a patch of wasteland with industrial-looking buildings beyond.

  What the hell had happened?

  My hands were free. And my feet. But moving anything hurt – especially my head.

  I tried the car door beside me. Locked. I reached for my phone. It was gone.

  Panic rose inside me. Who had taken me? Why had they left me here in the middle of this car park?

  I looked around for something to smash the car window with. Nothing.

  At the opposite end of the car park stood a small hut.

  A man was standing beside it. He was speaking to someone on the phone.

  ‘Hey!’ I battered my fists against the car window. Each thump sent a shooting pain through my skull, but I had to get his attention. ‘HEY!’

  The man turned round.

  Shit. It was Elijah. He flicked his little finger. The guard from Lab Three walked into view. He was heading in my direction, his gun held at his side.

  I sat back, my heart racing.

  What was going to happen now?

  69

  Rachel

  Hands trembling, I gripped the mobile.

  ‘What do you want?’ I said.

  ‘Call it a ransom,’ Elijah chuckled. ‘A payment for Theo’s release.’

  ‘A payment?’ My mouth was dry. ‘I don’t have any money. Neither do my mum and dad.’

  ‘It’s not money I’m after, Rachel.’

  ‘Grace isn’t here any more. I don’t have her,’ I said, quickly. ‘She’s somewhere safe.’

  Elijah chuckled. ‘Oh dear, do you still understand so little, Rachel?’ He sighed. ‘Tell me, why do you think I was trying to clone you?’

  ‘It wasn’t about me. You said that you just ended up with clones of me because I’ve got this special . . . protein that helped them live in the artificial wombs.’

  ‘But why would I want to create new life at all? For what reason?’

  ‘Because you can?’ I said. ‘That’s what you always say when anyone asks you about your scientific work. The Aphrodite Experiment’s the same as everything else. You do it because you want to and you don’t care who gets hurt!’

  There was a pause. Elijah sighed. ‘You are quite wrong, Rachel, on every count. I know I told you all my other clones died in the artificial wombs. Only the clones of you survived. Well, that was not true. I was only trying to clone you. You were . . . are . . . all that matters.’

  ‘Me?’ I stared at the flowers on the wallpaper of the hotel room. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because of this unique quality in your blood, Rachel. I was hoping to copy it. Why else would I clone so many
babies? I’m a geneticist – not the head of some surrogacy clinic manufacturing babies. No, the Aphrodite Experiment was all about you. It was an attempt to re-create the protein that your blood contains. And it failed. None of my embryos ever contained the protein. I was hoping that with a fully-developed, living baby the protein might be present, but Grace proved this hypothesis wrong.’

  My head spun as I tried to process what he was saying. ‘You said you wanted a ransom for Theo,’ I said.

  ‘That’s right.’ I could hear the thin smile in Elijah’s voice. ‘And you are that ransom.’

  ‘Me?’

  There was a pause. The hotel bedroom was so still, suddenly. The silence pressed down on me.

  ‘You mean you want me to give myself up, to save Theo?’

  ‘Yes, your co-operation is the price of his freedom.’ Elijah said. ‘I could have kidnapped you directly, of course. But this way I can ensure you leave a note for your parents and sound like you mean what you say when you speak to Theo.’

  ‘What I say to Theo?’ I frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’

  Elijah made an impatient clicking noise at the back of his throat. ‘It’s simple, Rachel. I have Theo. In a few moments I will give him the opportunity to “escape”. He, of course, will take that opportunity and, as soon as he is free, he will phone you . . .’

  ‘But—’

  ‘When you speak to him you have to make him believe you are leaving him and your family through your own free will. You have to make him believe you want to be alone. Without him. Without your parents. It shouldn’t be too hard . . .’

  ‘But no one’s going to believe I’ve run away—’

  ‘Then make them,’ Elijah snapped. ‘That’s what I’m giving you the opportunity to do . . . make it feel real to them. Write a note they’ll believe.’

  Seconds ticked by. ‘What happens to Theo if I refuse?’ I stammered.

  ‘My guard, Paul, has a gun trained on him right now,’ Elijah said, and there was real menace in his voice. ‘Paul will follow Theo until you are with me. It’s a clear choice, Rachel. Leave everyone and come with me – and Theo lives. Refuse – and he dies.’