“You didn’t break me, Jasper!” As soon as she pressed her foot to the floor, the water started pouring in heavy streaks. “And you’re not going to.” She was up on her two feet, staring back defiantly. Streams of red ran from her cheeks to her neck. She unzipped her navy hoodie and tossed it to the side in a loud plop. Her sweatpants came next. She only broke eye contact to pull the t-shirt over her head and that’s when he turned around. He seemed okay threatening her friends, playing her feelings for petty politics, even watching her in a blood puddle. “What? No water tricks this time around?” She tilted her head, trying to arouse that anger in him. His head hung low on his shoulders, as if he was scanning the floor. If she struck a chord, he didn’t show it. Zoey however, wanted to slap herself at the memory of the two of them in the shower, the way he made all the droplets sway around them as if they were the only two people in the world. And look where that got her.
Her fingers busied themselves scrubbing the last patch of dried blood. Aside from the few cuts he missed, he healed her pretty well. And the water they had on this planet smelled like heaven. It left her skin feeling softer than it’d ever been.
“Now what?” She dared, watching his broad shoulders straightening under the tight fabric of the uniform.
“Now you dry.”
“How—” Before she could even finish, she felt a warm wave moving from her feet to her hair. She couldn’t stop wondering at how the droplets evaporated and her hair dried in under a minute. It’d been a while since she saw the freckles on her arms. Fresh clothes popped up from an opening in the wall and she didn’t question it once. Instead, she pulled the lilac long sleeved shirt over her head, the boxer shorts and pants over without protest. In another display of life versus Zoey, it almost made sense for her favorite color to be the chosen one for prison fashion on Opt. The fabric felt different to touch, thick, velvety without being velvet yet light enough for her to barely feel like she was wearing anything at all. The shower door slid open, and with it, he came face to face with her, his eyes landing on a stain on her forearm.
Zoey didn’t flinch as he neared her moving blindingly fast, but jerked her arm as soon as he grabbed it. The door slid closed from behind.
A firm hand curled around her wrists as he pushed her back against the shower door with a sharp crack. “Stop fighting me.” He didn’t need kalenium to tell her pulse was off the wall. His fingers had found her face and dug menacingly in her cheeks. “You won’t win. Now, show me your wounds.”
Maybe twenty-four hours ago she wouldn’t have had the guts to push him back like she did now, shoving a full fist in his chest. He wouldn’t have backed off either. Jasper’s two steps back didn’t mean she suddenly was the alpha dog, but a small victory was still a victory nonetheless.
“It’ll heal.” She snapped. “I’m sure your master is not going to faint over a scratch.”
“You can tell your friends they won’t be harmed if they play nice.”
“My friends?! How about Lilou? She taught you everything you know! She gave up the whole nine yards she was trained for and went AWOL because she trusted you in Pamplona!” She cocked her head, her expression rigid. “Rufus practically worshiped you!”
“Alex and Lilou made their own choices. You were never part of this picture, which is why you should’ve stayed in your restored timeline to begin with. That’s why we don’t usually mingle with locals. It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture.” Every word coming out of his mouth was its own monster. Sickening.
“What did you do to everyone back in the plasin boxes? Why are they down?”
“They’re sound asleep. I told you, we don’t take chances. Alex and the rest should be here any minute, after all.” This made Zoey’s hair stand on end. So that had been the plan all along, to keep them locked and booby-trap Alex and the rest. Why get his hands dirty and return to the time loop when he knew Alex well enough to anticipate he’d take the bait?
She narrowed her eyes, determined to get whatever intel she could. “How long have you been playing on a double front?”
For a moment there, Jasper looked like he was looking for the answer himself. He paced casually toward the door leading to her plasin, then turned to her. “Since your ex-boyfriend revealed he’s got a death sentence for the rest of us.” The door to her pocket-size prison opened. “Get in.” his frame tensed in an imperious move. Seeing the warning in his eyes, Zoey stepped into her cell and turned to look at him. Days numbered or not, she’d found her guts and made up her mind. There was no dignity in cowardice. Jasper had pushed everything else aside, doing what he thought best for his people. Doing right by his people had tilted his scale enough to betray the rest. Maybe optan enhancements really did shape their personality.
Life in Jasper’s shoes… she couldn’t help but sigh. This whole situation had more perspectives than she could cope with.
Back to the claustrophobic plasin unit, she found it spotless this time around. No blood tainting its surface, no spatter crowding the floor. Any evidence of her protest erased, just like they’d probably erase her once they used the hybrids to their advantage. Her body succumbed to the floor, and she propped her back against the glass, this time facing sleeping Rufus. Rufus who saw a brother in Jasper. Rufus who despite not making a single comment, was probably in the same emotional black pit as she was.
“You got the full makeover.” Lilou’s voice cracked from the other side, her arms propped against the floor as if she was trying to steady herself. She finally shifted on two feet and stared. “He even dressed you like a proper criminal.”
“He really does take precautions, doesn’t he?” Zoey’s reply came deflated. If Lilou had lost her stamina, she must’ve been well aware the Alliance had all the tricks up their sleeve. “So that’s it? This is our death sentence?”
“Our hands are tied, Zoey. It only takes Mia to coerce Rufus into doing whatever dirty work they’re after and vice versa. They’ll do the same in your case with Sam and Emma. Etienne’s not going to say no to anything if it means saving your life—you see where I’m heading? They’ll use whatever we love as a means to an end, and neither of us will have the luxury to say no.”
Zoey shook her head, unwilling to accept this outcome. If it took a week to develop a fabric strong enough to withhold both atomic dispersion and her beams, who knew what else they were capable of?
“I’m not giving up, Lilou! I’ll kill all of them if I have to.”
Lilou arched a brow at Zoey’s newfound mojo. It was a double-edged sword.
γ
Another twenty-four hours had passed and Mia found herself wondering if Alex was in fact, smarter than Jasper had given him credit for. Or if perhaps Lilou’s sister wouldn’t risk popping over to the dark side. Whatever it was, she felt relief.
Today of all days, they woke up with kalenium bands on both wrists and it was Etienne who confirmed exactly what she had suspected. The bands had the effect of the plasin, so they were cuffs of sorts, allowing prisoners to be moved without actually risking them using their enhancements. She rested her head against the glass and examined her wrist. Nothing happened when you tapped it and nothing happened when you forcefully tried to take it off.
Knowing they were being monitored from every imaginable angle, they all refrained from speaking about the elephant in the room. Rufus had his elegant pair of kalenium cuffs adorning his wrists, yet when Etienne slapped himself twice out of nowhere, everyone’s doubts dissipated. For a reason still unknown, Rufus still had it.
“Questioning?” Mia’s eyes locked on Lilou.
“Any minute now.” She replied in a low voice, scanning the perimeter. She was finally up on her two feet like everybody else, and just like everybody else’s, her face wasn’t one to await execution.
Finally. Mia thought, throwing a quick glance and nod at Zoey. Much like in her particular case, captivity and torture brought out a feral side of Zoey. Stretching limits like that practically made you grow fangs and tur
n into whoever you needed to be to survive. Back when she was held captive at the lab, she envied Zoey—the only hybrid allowed to enjoy freedom. She monitored her every day, wondering what she looked like, where she’d be and what she’d do, what color lipstick she’d wear on a Wednesday, and how it felt to hug her parents carelessly. If she hadn’t been kidnaped, Mia would have graduated, worn that bright pink dress she worked part-time three months for.
Torture came in a different manner for Zoey though. What they’d done to her was just as bad—it was the people she loved and trusted who ripped her apart. First Etienne, then Jasper. That kind of pain was as real as any other. Mia pressed her lips into a thin line and glanced furtively at Etienne.
His shoulder was propped against the glass in a relaxed manner, yet his frown showed signs of a different story. A piercing noise came from somewhere in the room. Footsteps followed. She saw Zoey glancing at Rufus, probably urging him to stay down.
Jasper’s frame emerged from the shadows and he was not alone. Two optan soldiers in navy blue uniforms followed, staring blankly ahead. Mia could perfectly recognize the weapons they wore. The same weapons Lilou had on display on the bed in Pamplona tug at their belts unalarmingly. The three of them stopped in front of the plasin units containing the hybrids. Jasper was now face to face with Rufus, his expression somehow vacant.
The glass of the plasin units where Zoey, Rufus and Mia were held slid down. James kept his eyes on Zoey. She needed to stay calm.
“You may come out.” Jasper spoke without looking any of them in the eye. Rufus was the first to step out, aligning his shoulders with the ambassador. If looks could kill, Jasper would be toast by now. “You’ll walk shoulder to shoulder with us as we escort you to the questioning rooms. Should you make any sudden movements or break the line, expect consequences.”
Rufus stiffened, throwing a knowing glance at Mia. Seeing her face was probably the best thing that could have happened today. He then turned around, taking his place next to Jasper. He stared ahead, joining his hands at the front in the wait, and tried his very best to practice that self-control Mia so badly wanted him to grow into.
The optans apparently considered them so dangerous, that each hybrid got their own soldier to oversee their stroll to questioning. With Rufus first in line and Mia last, they walked to a dead end which wasn’t a dead end at all. More sliding doors revealed they had now entered a dimly lit warehouse, big enough to store what Zoey imagined to be more immorally extracted resources held in capsules of all sizes. And no source of natural light, no windows at all.
There was one thing alone on Rufus’s mind and that was freeing Mia. He never once manipulated anyone from behind, but he was bound to try as if his life depended on it. Keeping pace, he clenched his jaw and focused on what had proved to be the most difficult task he’d ever faced. He concentrated on Mia and the soldier next to her, commanding with his mind for him to release her from her cuffs while keeping a quiet pace.
God, I hope it’s working... He thought, and didn’t bother to wipe the sweat gathering at his temples. If Jasper stopped to look at him, he’d know what he was up to. Zoey heard as Mia fell out of step with her bodyguard, but didn’t flinch. Her breath caught at her throat. Pressure shifted.
Pressure shifted! It was happening, it was really happening and her eye caught the only glimpse of blue she hoped to see before they all stopped in their tracks. Mia’s assigned soldier looked as stunned as everyone else. He threw a baffled glance at the cuffs that were now on his wrists and alarm flashed over his face. Rufus had pulled a double stunt.
“Well, waddayaknow?” Rufus’s brows shot up.
“The silver plectrum on his belt!” Zoey yelled. “Make him take it off.” Before Zoey could finish her sentence, the soldier next to her moved brazenly fast. A violent crack shook her temples. He’d hit and shoved her down so hard, her head pulsed. Her eyelids grew heavy under the hum between her temples. An agonizing pain shot through her as she turned, searching for Rufus. It was only when she was completely out of air that she realized the soldier had shoved a knee in her chest to pin her down, and pushed till all air had left her cavity. Even trying to mouth the word help had been in vain. Everything was throbbing, her enhancement trapped by the forsaken cuffs.
And then she saw Jasper, launching at her—wait, no—at the soldier obstructing her breath, shoving him off with animal strength.
What?! Maybe her brain wasn’t working properly, because she could’ve sworn Jasper was fighting one of his own, doing all the Matrix moves until the soldier collapsed. She needed to pull herself up. Where was Rufus?
Since Mia’s soldier was now enhancementless, Rufus was getting down and dirty like they did on Earth. Old-school, shoving a foot so hard in his chest he practically flew. But Rufus was just warming up. He rolled up his sleeves and threw a punch. And another, and another. Lilou would’ve been so proud.
“Let’s get you out of here.” Jasper’s voice came soft as he retracted the fabric of his uniform and laid his bare fingers against Zoey’s head. Everything was in a haze, her consciousness trying to resurface in the midst of all the confusion.
What’s going on?! She couldn’t voice the words but her eyes did all the questioning. Jasper was healing her. Again. It pulsed and hummed through her body like a soft whisper covering her whole.
“Does anything hurt?” If she didn’t know any better, she’d say those eyes were staring back a little too adoringly. “I’m going to uncuff you and we’ll get Etienne and Lilou, but we have to move fast.” Jasper’s breath raced, scanning the surroundings.
Rufus neared them with heavy steps, realizing what was happening. “You lying, cheating bastard!” He spat, brushing a hand over his mouth. “Couldn’t you at least warn me?” Rufus spoke indignantly, crouching next to Zoey. “How is she?” There was no blood on her lilac blouse, no visible concussion.
“I’m fine!” She pushed herself in a sitting position, gulping air as if she’d been deprived. Taking her wary eyes off Jasper was not an option. “Are you—?”
He was all teeth. “On your side?” He pulled her up in a quick move. “Always. I got a full confession, too. Come” he urged “we need to get Lilou and Etienne and get out of here! I had the magnetic field turned off before they changed shifts.”
There was no time to process but Zoey followed, running behind Rufus and Jasper. God, it felt like she’d been running on adrenaline as they neared the room they’d been held in. Both Lilou and Etienne shot up as soon as the three of them burst through the doors and Jasper pressed something against the plasin units. They slid open, but the prisoners were still reluctant.
It took a few seconds for Etienne to connect the dots, but he was still faster than Lilou. “Nice work, Ambassador.” He stepped out and grabbed Zoey’s shoulders. “Are you okay?”
Zoey nodded, eyes following Jasper as he uncuffed them one by one. “Mia portalled out.”
“Come.” Jasper made his way back to the sliding doors they first went through. “This area is not monitored yet.”
The giant warehouse was not lit enough to get a real feel of its entire capacity, but the steps sure echoed enough for Rufus to know they were not alone. He watched Jasper press a finger to his lips as they stopped in an abrupt halt.
“They’ve charged the magnetic field already.” Lilou leaned in for a whisper. “We’re stuck here!” Alarm took over her features as she flexed her fingers. It was useless. They all tiptoed in silence, following Jasper behind the resource containers.
Zoey’s heart rate reached critical levels. Increasingly aware of the search party coming for them, her fingers dug in Rufus’s shoulder. He was crouched next to Jasper, his shirt damp from his earlier encounter. If someone had found the collapsed soldiers they’d fought, they didn’t make a sound. His heart pounded heavily against his rib cage. Controlling his every breath was the work of titans, but Rufus held on to one thought alone—Mia had gotten away. She’d save Alex and the rest. She’d prevent the
m from ever setting foot in this shithole.
“We have you surrounded!” Only the optans understood the threat as Zoey and Rufus no longer had the earpieces translating everything.
Jasper’s eyes moved to Etienne. “We’ll need to create a diversion. The control room is on the other side of this wall. Take Rufus with you and deactivate the magnetic field. The containers should cover quite enough ground to shield you on your way in while we take care of the rest.”
A nod later, Etienne eyed Rufus and their shadows practically vanished.
“Now what?” Zoey tensed. Having James and Rufus separated from the group didn’t sound like the world’s greatest idea. Not for her. Not when she was still processing Jasper’s stunt.
He on the other hand, looked hyped. “Now we fight. You can’t hurt them in their new uniforms, but you can blind them enough for me and Lilou to do some damage.” He turned to her and whispered. “On my command.”
Zoey stiffened. “On your command what?!” Did he actually trust her enough to let her fight?
“Go!” As soon as Jasper said the words, Lilou practically flew from her spot, swirling and air kicking the soldier who Zoey recognized as one of the optans who guarded Richard. If Jasper said blind them, so she would, fueling her core enough to release her bottled demons. Jaw clenched, she aimed for the eyes. Like James had taught her, guiding her the energy through her stream.
For the first time in a long time, the beam released itself in a straight, undeterred line from both hands. If Jasper’s uniform was immune to her rays, Lilou’s was certainly not, so aiming at two optan soldiers at once while also trying to somehow shield Lilou, proved difficult. What she found tremendously curious was that Jasper couldn’t freeze either of the four soldiers they were fighting against. Thankfully, even two against four, they were too busy throwing fists and locking legs to ever realize they were two fugitives short.
Found in Amber Page 22