Code, p.7
Code, page 7
“What’s our next step?” Martinez walked over to the other side of the hub, opposite Jones, her long red dress pooling around the ankles, sweeping up the dust.
A loud beep resounded from Verlot’s machine just once and stilled, like a hiccup. Holding her breath, Josephine stole a glance at his chart.
Steady.
Alive.
“To have him surrender,” Josephine said.
As if Verlot had heard her, he opened his eyes. Josephine stilled and waited. He couldn’t possibly have heard through the humming from the medical hub, and Josephine had switched on “No sound” to conceal their conversation, but still...
Verlot peered up at the ceiling, and craned his neck forward. His eyes rounded in surprise when they locked on Josephine, and grew bigger when he tried to lift his arms and couldn’t.
“What is the meaning of this?” he snarled, yanking at the cuffs around his wrists, then stopped.
The electrical current had shot him when he tugged. The shock wasn’t long, but it was enough to stop him from acting out.
When Verlot’s chest settled, his breathing steadier, Josephine reached over and touched her finger on the pad. His medical hub cranked and hissed, moving him in a sitting position. Verlot’s nostrils flared when Martinez and Jones came into view.
“I wouldn’t move much if I were you, unless you like the feeling of getting shocked,” Josephine said. “You were shot by a girl. Do you remember?”
“I remember, but why these?” He rattled the metal cuffs. “You better have a good explanation or I’ll—I’ll—”
“You’ll what, Councilor?” Jones came face-to-face with Verlot, the glass the only barrier between them. He looked utterly disgusted. “Call ISAN? Call your scientist? No one knows you’re here. Yes, Martinez and I know everything. You’re not fit to represent our nation.”
Verlot made a low, animalistic growl. “I don’t know what you’re talking about and neither do you, apparently. I’m not associated with any group. I got shot, for crying out loud, and why do I feel pain? The machine should have fixed me.” He looked down to his chest, which was covered by a hospital gown.
Verlot was a smart man. He knew what could happen to him locked up inside the hub. With one brush on the hologram monitor, Josephine could have the laser lights tear him into pieces, muscle by muscle, and bone by bone. Then put him back together again only to repeat the torture.
Verlot’s shoulders eased and he relaxed into the pillow. “What do you want from me?”
Martinez’s lips twitched and tightened. “You should feel lucky we didn’t execute you on the spot.”
“Execute me? For what?” The corners of Verlot’s eyes shifted to Josephine. “Chang lied to you, and you fell into her trap. She’s been working with ISAN, not me. Who do you think gave the coordinates for the attack that killed so many innocents recently?”
“You have two choices.” Martinez jabbed a finger on the glass. “You resign with or without a public speech. Either way, you’re going to be locked up forever. You’re lucky you even get a choice.”
Understanding crossed his features. “You don’t want the world to know about ISAN, do you? You don’t want people asking questions and causing chaos. Well, it’s too late. I don’t understand why the meteor affected the females mostly. But what you saw on social media ... those girls with powers ... that’s just the beginning. More and more will come forward, and they’ll eventually figure out what they are capable of. Yes, I know about ISAN, but only because I had to research to try to stop Chang.” His eyes darkened. “You have the wrong person locked up.”
Verlot was so desperate he was willing to say anything. He didn’t realize he wasn’t making sense.
Josephine looked at her colleagues. “I think we’ve heard enough. The three of us should make a decision and get this over with.”
Verlot banged on the hub, his voice rising. “It’s not me. It’s Josephine. You will be the makers of your own doom. You’re all fools. When I get out of here, I’ll remember this. No mercy for all of you. How do I know you’re not all in this together with ISAN?”
“Seriously, Verlot.” Josephine shook her head. “Goodnight.”
“Josephine. I was willing to spare your life, but I’ve changed my mind. My men will be coming for you.”
Josephine offered him a grim smile and slapped a button. “They have no idea where you are. This place doesn’t exist.”
Mist streamed out from his hub, covering him up entirely. When the fog cleared, Verlot was sound asleep.
“Well...” Josephine faced Martinez and Jones. “I have work to do, but first I’m going to change into something comfortable. His threats are empty. His men don’t know where we are. I’ll get in touch with you in a few days.”
Chapter Eleven — Father
Ava
Still holding my doll, I examined my free hand. It had stopped twitching. The drug had worn off. Had it been in the food or the water? I had to be sure, but there was no way to test it unless I stopped eating or drinking.
The wall opened, and I dropped my doll back to its place and jumped back from the corner chair. Polished black shoes peeked through, then a man wearing a fine suit. When Novak entered, I placed my hands behind my back.
“Hello, Ava.” He met my gaze and his dark eyes went to the tray. “I see you finished your dinner. If you’re ready, we can talk about your father.” He glanced about the gray walls while scrubbing his clean-shaven jaw, then loosened his tie.
I pinched my eyebrows together. Had I been reading him wrong? He seemed nervous, edgy. He raked his hair back and even rubbed his hands together. He’d always stood straight, his hands inside his pockets or to his side. Never had I seen Novak like this. I walked to the bed and eased on the comforter.
“Talk about my father?” My voice rose, my jaw clenching. “I don’t want to talk about him. I want to see him. You said if I ate, you would let me see him.”
Novak picked up the corner chair. “Yes, of course, but there’s something I want to show you first.” He set it three feet from me and tossed my doll on the mattress.
There was no use fighting him on the small things. I had to get the upper hand, so I listened for any clues or information I could gather between the lines.
He tapped at the chip on his arm. The lights in the room went out and a hologram he’d projected from his chip flickered to life. A life-size little girl with two side-ponytails held a woman’s hand.
“This isn’t my memory, is it?” But it was. I recognized my mother’s heart-shaped face—her perfect nose, and those beautiful eyes that always seemed to smile.
“No. We’re not that sophisticated. It’s a home video of you and your mother.”
I wanted to ask him how he had gotten it, but changed my mind when my mother opened a door, and my little feet squeaked across the floor on the projected movie. Those were the same hallways I had passed before I had been kidnapped. I shuddered a breath as the video continued.
My mother opened another door with gray walls and a small bed with pink comforter, and nothing else. My bedroom, I realized. Me. Memories rushed to the forefront of my mind.
“Why are we here, Mama?” The little me with curious eyes peered up at Mom.
“It’s your birthday today. You’re four years old,” she said.
Mom’s excited, animated tone made little me smile.
“My birthday. Do I get a party?”
“I don’t know,” she singsonged. “Somebody might be hiding somewhere.”
The little girl clapped. “It’s Daddy.” She ran around the outside of the room, touching the wall. “Where are you, Daddy? Come out. I know you’re in here somewhere.”
A wall slid open like a door, and closed back when a man wearing a white lab coat appeared with a cake. The camera, focusing on the cake, didn’t show the man’s face.
“Happy birthday, pumpkin,” the man said cheerfully.
The four candles burst into life, flames dancing, sparkling. Little me could hardly contain the excitement, covering her mouth as she bounced on her toes. They sang “Happy Birthday.”
I wondered where Gene was, then I recalled from my father’s journal that he had been sent away when he was an infant. My mother had thought her firstborn was dead at birth.
“Blow out the candles.” My mother’s tender gaze on the little girl was full of love.
My eyes stung. Seeing and hearing her, my heart broke all over again. How I had missed her, even after all these years. These videos didn’t help. Overwhelmed, I didn’t know whether to cry or be happy.
My little self blew out the candles. As I coughed, my mother guided me away and waved at the smoke.
“She’s fine.” The lower half of Father’s face showed and he held a prideful grin. I could tell he loved the little girl very much. “She’ll have to learn to protect herself.”
“She’s only four.” Mother sounded defensive.
The mood in the room suddenly changed from light to dark. The little girl’s eyes darted from her mother to her father, back and forth, noticing the tension.
“This is the best birthday,” my younger self cooed, bringing them back to her. The little girl wrapped one arm around her mother’s neck, and the second around the man she called Daddy.
What I saw next fractured my world and I suppressed a gasp. She kissed her mom, the gadget recording them had tipped when she kissed her father’s cheek.
“No,” I whispered, the past colliding with the present.
The hair color was lighter. His eyes gray. But the face—thick eyebrows, the sharp nose, high cheek bones. Squared jawline. That face ... almost a duplicate of Gene’s face.
My heart thundered. It couldn’t be. My mouth couldn’t form words. Surely it had been a trick of the mind.
Novak raised his chin higher, the light from the projection highlighted his face. “Now you know. I couldn’t just tell you I’m your father. You wouldn’t have believed me. I had to give you proof.”
Something inside me broke into a thousand pieces and I felt myself falling ... falling ... falling and there was no bottom. This was my hell, but I wouldn’t stay in it. He was not my father.
I matched his gaze—fierce and cold—like he had always given me. “You’re lying. We have the technology to manipulate anything, so you altered this video. I don’t believe you. Where is Dr. Hunt? I want to see him now.”
Novak released an agitated sigh and tapped on his chip, pulling up another video. My little self was sitting in a black pod-like chair, hands strapped against the arm rest with a square flat metal plate over her forehead. Beside her, Novak stood in front of a table.
“Is this going to hurt?” Tears formed in the little girl’s eyes.
Mother lowered herself in front of her and slipped a finger to her daughter’s hand, still strapped. “No, pumpkin. It won’t hurt at all. I promise.”
“But why do I have to have that thing on my head?” The little girl trembled.
Father stood beside the mother. “Pumpkin, you have nothing to worry about. I want to test what you know. Do you remember what we did yesterday?” Father asked, but it was clearly Novak. There was no denying the fact.
My little self shook her head, squeezing her mother’s fingers tighter.
“She’s so strong, Victor. Hurry.”
“We celebrated your birthday,” Father said in a loving tone. “You blew out your candles. Do you remember?”
“No.” Little me cried from frustration, and sparks flew about the room. My little self shrank in terror. I had done that. Four-year-old me had power.
Mr. Novak’s face scrunched. “Ava, you won’t remember this conversation when you wake up. Know that your mom and I love you very much. We are only doing this to protect you from the bad people. You’ll be leaving with your mom and you won’t remember me. It’s better this way.”
“No, Daddy.” Tears fell faster down the little girl’s cheek, then the girl went still with her eyes closed.
“It’s done, Avary,” Novak said. “You need to go now. Get your bags. I’ll carry Ava.”
Mother stroked the little girl’s hair and kissed her forehead. “You’re sure she’s going to be fine, right?”
“Yes. We have no other option. No one can know. You can’t trust anyone. No one, do you understand?”
“Yes,” she said with conviction.
“I wish there was another way, but I have to stay. We have to sacrifice for our little girl.”
When he kissed my mother’s lips, tears ran down her face. Without looking back, she rushed out. Novak released the square flat metal plate and picked up the little girl, her body limp in his arms. He cradled the girl tenderly, and his endearments nauseated me. But something about the way he looked at her with adoration broke something inside.
“I promise you, pumpkin, we will meet again when the time is right. The family will be back together again. Me, your mother, your brother, and you. Know that whatever I do, it’s for you and our family. I love you.”
Novak kissed the little girl’s forehead, and the hologram projection shut down and the lights came back on.
I squinted from the brightness and faced Novak.
“Do you believe me now?” He smirked. “As you can see, I’ve dyed my hair black. I have contact lenses on. I took a serum to deepen my voice by damaging my vocal cords. A few simple alterations can change a person’s appearance in a dramatic way.”
I didn’t want to believe it. I so did not want to, but the evidence was irrefutable. The faces. The words. If I weren’t already sitting on my bed, I would have fallen to my knees.
What joke was the universe playing on me?
I croaked out a weak laugh, a pathetic noise to attempt to sound tough. I clutched the top button on my pj’s, fighting my rage. Drained beyond exhaustion, I had no energy left. My voice left me like a ghostly whisper.
“It makes sense ... why you spent so many hours with me, training me, giving me your attention in ISAN. You told me I was special, that I stood out from everyone one else. You planned out everything.”
“I did what I had to do.” Novak’s eyebrows knitted in the center, as he rose and dragged the chair back to the corner. “When you have children of your own, you will understand. And I have a feeling you will one day.”
Had he forgotten girls in ISAN couldn’t bear children? What was he talking about?
I clutched my shirt in the middle, trying not to lose control. I needed more answers. “Why are you a monster?”
“It was all for you, Ava.” His voice was serene, and yet so full of malice. “You and your brother are my masterpiece, one I tried to create again.”
Create again? Oh, God. It suddenly came to me. I had forgotten.
“Justine...” I shoved back on the bed, my spine pressing on the wall. “She’s my half sister.” Bile rose up my throat. I had a psycho brother, and Justine wasn’t far behind him. Shoot me now. “You had an affair with another woman and had a child? Justine is my age, so that must mean ...” I couldn’t look at him.
“It’s not what you think.” He strolled to the center of the room as if he needed to keep his distance. “I love your mother very much. She doesn’t know about Justine, between you and me. It’s better that she doesn’t in her frail condition. And Justine didn’t turn out like you.”
His disappointed tone only made me angrier.
“You think so little of her, but she knows that. You knew Justine was jealous of me, but you put us together in the same team. Why?”
“I’d thought she would be inspired by you. I was hoping her powers would transform into something like yours. Not exactly, of course, but something close. She was placed with other teams before, but I kept her with you because she performed the best on your team. She seemed to thrive on her jealousy.”
I shook my head, my palms planted on my face. “You’re not my father. My father is dead.” I recalled the video I had watched, the one where Dr. Hunt and my thirteen-year-old self had talked at the park. I lifted my head and said, “Dr. Hunt doesn’t exist to you. Do you understand? Do you recall what you said to me?”
I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation, that I’d pacified my rage. When you’re beyond fury there is only tranquility, like the calm before the storm.
He shoved his hands inside his pockets, still standing in the center. “You’re older and your mind is stronger. Your inner power won’t let me even if I wanted to. You’ve managed to remember everything else I tried to make you forget.”
“Rhett.” I immediately regretted saying his name.
A special kind of madness entered his eyes. I wrung my fingers around the doll and brought it to my side.
He dusted something off his suit jacket sleeve. “You were supposed to be my best weapon, along with your brother. I was molding you to be indestructible, preparing you one step at a time, but then that boy came along.” His tone intensified. “You let your emotions get to you. You became weak. You couldn’t focus. I wasn’t going to let him ruin what I’d worked so hard to build. You were mine to create, and mine to destroy. No one else.”
I shuddered. He was beyond helping.
I squeezed the doll tighter, grinding my teeth. “I’m nobody’s property. I don’t belong to you. I belong to myself.”
Novak stiffened and then squared his shoulders, his voice softer. “You’re right. I suppose no one really belongs to anyone. But enough has been said between us and we have so much to do. Your brother is anxious to see you again. And I know you want to see your mother.”
“Keep Gene away from me if you know what’s best for him. I swear I’ll kill him if he enters my room. He used some kind of device on me and I won’t take it again.”
His lips curled a bit, humor in his eyes. “Huh. You said your room.”
“I didn’t mean it,” I snarled.
“Well, that’s a baby step, pumpkin. I’m so proud of you.” He sauntered to the door.
“Don’t call me that. You’re not my father.”
He looked over his shoulder as the wall opened. “But I am, and now you know everything. If you want your mother alive, you will do as I say. We will be a family again, and this time, no one is leaving.”
