“I can’t believe this,” I say. “All of this was planned. I had no knowledge of any of this. You just messed with my life for the past few weeks and I didn’t even know it. Why? Why would you do this and then decide to help me escape?”
“I’m Chris’s right-hand man,” he claims. “Do you honestly think I’m going to do everything he says?”
“Um, yeah, that’s exactly what I think,” I say.
“I needed a job,” he says. “I ended up here. Chris needed someone to help him with the things he was otherwise too busy to do. They paid well. Chris revealed his big plan to me, the complete domination of the entire galaxy. I didn’t agree with this, but he threatened to kill everyone who didn’t follow his plan. I, of course, never shared with him my own plans.”
“Which is?”
“To take down the Corps even if it costs me my life,” he explains.
I drop my voice down to a whisper. “Aren’t you worried he will hear you?”
“No,” he says casually. “I turned off all radio and camera communications before coming to help you escape.”
“Why are you doing this?” I ask.
“Because,” he says. “He killed my family, just like he did to Daniel’s. My mother was murdered in front of me. I was slightly older and took a few swings at him. His guards quickly beat me down, and he fled so fast it was almost a blur. He killed both my brothers and my father shortly after.”
“Did your family go up against the Corps?”
“Yes, they all did,” he says sadly. “Chris said he would kill them all, but they didn’t believe him. They kept fighting. I tried to convince them to do what he said, but they told me they didn’t want to live in fear.”
The doors open revealing the seventh floor. “Are you sure you can fight?” I ask.
“I will always fight for what I believe, no matter the cost.”
He says it so dramatically I almost start laughing. “Did you just come up with that?” I ask.
“Yeah, you like it? I’ve been working on it for a while.”
I roll my eyes but smile. Only Rowan would be making jokes at a time like this.
The seventh floor doesn’t look much different than the other floors of this building. Unlike most of the floors, this one doesn’t have a specific color. To the left of the elevator lies a long stretch of hallway with doors on either side. To the right lies one giant room with stained glass doors. Lights from the other side of the doors indicate someone is in there. Two shadows move around; one looks like a person pacing, and the other looks like someone swiveling on a desk chair.
Rowan pulls a pair of linked chains out of his pocket and hands them to me. “Put these on,” he says. “I’ll pretend you escaped from the room.”
“That doesn’t sound very believable,” I comment. “You saw how many guards were outside of that room.”
“Just go with it,” he says. “He’ll be dead soon anyways.”
His overconfidence is enough to make me worry. “If I die tonight,” I say, “I’m blaming you.”
He smiles and knocks on the door. I slip the linked chains loosely over my wrists.
The doors open and who should appear but Kelton, in a suit, dressed to impress. “What is she doing here?”
“She tried escaping,” Rowan explains. “Luckily I was there or she would have made a run for it.”
Kelton turns around to consult his father. He motions us in. Rowan shoves me hard in the square of my back, forcing me forward. He positions his gun on my right temple, threatening to shoot me.
“What do you want me to do with her?” he asks.
“Bring her back and tie her up again,” Chris responds. “Why didn’t you do that in the first place?”
“I thought you would want to know,” Rowan says, his tone unwavering but his eyes filled with worry.
“Why would I care? Bring her back, tie her up, and I’ll be there shortly to finish experimenting. I’ve been working on something new.”
“Sir-”
“Rowan,” Chris begins, “I thought you were better than this. Why the delay? Hurry, I fear she’s seen too much. You know what happened to your parents.”
He smiles his evil smile, a sickening grin only he could master.
“You can leave now,” Kelton chimes in, defending his father as usual. How could I have ever loved someone like him?
“Why are you stalling? What do you have to hide?” Chris demands.
Again, everything seems to happen in slow motion. Rowan turns his gun from my head to Chris’s chest. He fires and a loud bang bounces off the walls. Chris falls back into his chair, but no bullet wound stains his chest. In a second, Kelton turns, pulling out his own gun. He fires at Rowan, who falls to the ground. Blood pools at my feet, dark red liquid staining my shoes.
Kelton points his gun at me and I raise my arms over my head. “Did you know about this?”
“He… He brought me here,” I stammer. “Why would I know anything?”
Rowan moans on the ground. He’s still alive, but he won’t be much longer. I grab the gun out of his hand and point it at Kelton.
“Don’t make me,” I say. “I don’t want to do this.”
“You couldn’t anyway,” he sneers. “You’re weak. Pathetic.”
“I cared for you once, a mistake I won’t make again.”
“You would have shot me by now if you didn’t care,” he fires back.
“You would have too!”
He stops and squints at me. He knows I’m right; I’ve trapped him. Again.
“Do it,” I say calmly. “Shoot me. Bring me back to the laboratory. Do whatever you want, I don’t care enough to fight you for it.”
I lower my gun to my side. Either I will see black or the face of a man who imprisoned himself with his own foolishness. Whatever the outcome, I’m satisfied with my choice. I take a step forward and rest my head against the muzzle of the gun.
“Shoot me,” I say. His eyes narrow.
“I will,” he threatens.
“Then do it,” I say. “I don’t care.” My heart beats in my chest. I hope he can’t hear it. I close my eyes and picture Kyle’s face, his happy, baby cheeks. He smiles that warm, brotherly smile. I grin and open my eyes.
“Shoot her,” Chris says wearily. “I can find someone else to experiment on. If you don’t, she will ruin everything.”
“Why don’t you shoot her then?” Kelton asks.
“It would be my pleasure,” he says. “Hand me the gun.”
“No,” Rowan shouts hoarsely. “Don’t let him.”
“Are you still alive?” Chris asks. “Really, Kelton, I expected more out of you. You can’t even kill Rowan, let alone your girlfriend.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he retorts.
“Must be my mistake,” Chris says. “I thought I remember someone falling for her willingly.”
“You’re wrong,” Kelton growls. “I never loved her.”
“Then you should have no problem killing her,” Chris taunts.
“I-”
“Just do it,” I say.
“That’s what I thought,” Chris says. “Give me the gun.”
“No,” Kelton says. “It’s mine. I’ll do whatever I want with it. I don’t want to get blood on it.”
“Excuses,” Chris sighs. “What kind of son have I raised?”
“You didn’t raise me,” Kelton retorts, seeming to have found a loophole out of the current situation. “Mother did. Before you killed her. You took everything from me.”
“This is not the time for sob stories from your childhood,” Chris says. “I have a galaxy to rule, you have a girl to dispose of. No one cares about your childhood backstories.”
“You’re right,” he says. “No one worth mentioning cares about me.”
He aims his gun at Chris’s head and squeezes the trigger for good measure.
“You wouldn’t do it,” Chris says. “If you can’t kill her, you wouldn’t have the guts to kill yo
ur own father.”
“Watch me,” Kelton says.
Chris pulls his own gun out from a drawer underneath his desk. He fixes his gun on me and looks Kelton square in the eye. “I, on the other hand, have no problem shooting,” he says. “Put your gun down or she dies.”
He holds his ground a little longer before lowering the gun to his side.
“Right choice,” Chris says. “Now excuse me. I have a new formula for the serum to test out and a galaxy to rule. I’ll come back for her soon when I’m ready for testing.” He walks out of the room, locking the door behind him. Great, now I’m trapped with a psychotic maniac and a half-dead man.
“He was going to kill you,” Kelton says quietly.
“Do you want me to thank you?” I retort.
“You don’t have to be rude about it,” he fires back. “I saved your life.”
“You want a pat on the back?” I ask.
“A simple thank you would suffice,” he says.
“Thank you,” I shout. “Happy now?”
“No,” he says. “I’m still stuck in here with you.”
“Well, I’m sorry your father is a psycho but it’s not my fault we’re trapped in here!”
“Did you really think you could just walk in here, put a gun to his chest, and expect him to surrender?”
“I wasn’t the one who came up with the plan!”
“Would you guys please stop fighting?” Rowan shouts. It sounds like that might have been his last breath.
I sit next to him and examine the wound. It’s not as bad as it looks, but he won’t last much longer if the bullet doesn’t come out and the bleeding doesn’t stop. I stand up and search the room for a piece of cloth large enough to wrap around the wound. Thankfully, Chris likes curtains, so I tear a part off of one covering the window.
“Here,” I say, propping his body up so I can loop the cloth underneath him. “Apply some pressure to the wound.” He does as I say.
I walk over to Kelton, who sits in his father’s chair, rocking it slightly back and forth. “Can you believe I used to want to be like him?” he asks. “I mean, I would come up here every day and just sit in this chair. I loved him.”
I don’t know how to respond, so I don’t. A tear slips down his cheek, but he swipes at it fast. He glances at me quickly, looking to see if I saw his weakness.
“I don’t expect you to understand,” he says. “You still have both of your parents. Alive and not evil.”
“Yes, but I didn’t always,” I say. “My father left when I was little. When he didn’t come back, I assumed he was dead. I didn’t understand at the time, but I do now. It changed my outlook on life. I’ve changed a lot since then.”
“But he came back,” he says. “My mother is never coming back no matter how much I miss her. She’s dead, gone.”
“Because Chris killed her,” I finish for him. “This is why I need your help getting out of here.”
“What, so you can go be with your family and boyfriend and live happily ever after while I sit here living out my days alone? No thank you.”
“I came here with one mission and that was to bring this organization to its knees,” I explain. “And I intend to finish my mission. I’m getting out of here whether you help me or not.”
I walk over to the giant picture window and stare down to the ground. It’s far. Seven stories is an insane height to jump from. I will most likely die. I try the door handles, but they don’t move. However, I do see a card slot next to the door. Rowan has a card that opens doors.
“What kind of psycho puts a card reader on the inside?” I wonder aloud.
“My father,” Kelton responds. “In case he somehow got locked inside the room.”
“Bingo,” I say. “Our way out.”
I insert the card I pulled from Rowan’s jacket pocket into the card reader. Nothing happens. I try again. Still nothing.
“Did you think that was going to work?” Kelton asks. “Only he has the key to open it.”
“It was worth a shot,” I say and shrug. “I don’t see you coming up with any better ideas.”
“Why should I?” he asks. “He’ll be back soon enough to collect you for further experimenting.”
“Are you just going to let him take me?”
“It’s easier than trying to fight him about it,” he says casually.
“You are the biggest coward I know,” I say. “He killed your mother and you still act like his slave.”
“Yes, I am his slave,” he says. “He promised me the company after he died. Zandrea, we’re trying to help people here, not hurt them. You’ve been blind to the fact that the galaxy is controlling us more than we realize. We can’t do anything without them butting in and giving their opinions. I want to change that, so yes, I do what he says. He’s right.”
“No,” I say. “He isn’t. He’s trying to conform us to one way of thinking. I don’t want to be a mindless drone. He isn’t giving people freedom, he’s taking it away, and I’m sorry but I’m not sticking around to witness the end of mankind.”
“You are so blind-”
“Don’t say that,” I practically shout. “I have seen this world for what it really is. It may not be perfect, but it’s the only home I have, and I intend to keep it the way it is.”
“We’re trying to help-”
“You think you’re helping us? You aren’t. You’re hurting us more than you already have!”
“Stop interrupting me! You don’t know enough about the galaxy to even start a debate with me. My father is helping people, not hurting. If you think otherwise-”
“Did he help you when he killed your mother?” I riposte.
His mouth opens but nothing comes out. He silently stutters before standing up and marching toward me. He gets close to my face before spitting, “Don’t ever mention her again. Understand?” He steps away from me.
“It’s not my problem you have family issues,” I snap.
He stops in his tracks, whirls around, and says, “I don’t know how Daniel could ever have fallen for someone like you.”
“Don’t talk about him like that,” I scold.
“Then don’t talk about my mother,” he says calmly.
All of a sudden, there’s a knock at the door.
“It’s locked,” I yell.
“The room is soundproof,” Kelton says. “They can’t hear you.”
The door opens a moment later, revealing an older man, a cleaning cart behind him. His white hair, the wrinkles cutting deep in his forehead. I’ve seen him before.
“You’re the man who gave Kyle that card in the mirrored hallway,” I say excitedly. I almost start dancing.
“Who’s Kyle?” he asks. His voice sounds like it could break down any moment.
“Oh sorry, he’s my brother,” I say. “You saved our lives. I thought I was going to die in that hallway.”
He shrugs and moves into the room, pulling his cart behind him. “I remember the boy,” he says. “I have faint memories of you. Anyways, where is Chris? I was scheduled to clean his room right now. Should I come back?”
“No-”
“Yes-”
Kelton and I speak at the same time. I look at him.
“Do as I say, Gregory,” Kelton says. “Leave us to our meeting and come back tomorrow.”
“Sure thing, Kelton, see you tomorrow.”
“Wait,” I say and hold the door with my foot. Kelton wraps his hand around the handle and tries to pull the door closed. “I’m not-” I say struggling against him, “letting you take away my freedom again.”
“Try stopping me,” he says.
“I already am,” I say through gritted teeth. He lets go of the handle and sends me flying backward into the hallway. I see Rowan through a crack in the door. His eyes are wide, fearful. He tries to move but winces from the pain.
“You can’t save the galaxy,” Kelton shouts. “You can’t save anyone.”
“Is that what Chris told you before he mu
rdered your mother?”
“I said to never mention her again!”
“And I said my mission wasn’t over until the Corps were destroyed.”
“Then you have to kill me,” he says. “Because this company will be mine for the taking.”
“The company isn’t yours until Chris dies,” I say.
“I know,” he says. He grins his evil grin and everything clicks.
“You’re going to murder him, aren’t you?” I ask.
He grins again and lets the door slowly shut. “Aren’t you a little detective?” The door closes, and I get one final look at Rowan’s shoe. Kelton locks the door with the swipe of a card and takes a few steps toward me.
“Rowan will die,” I say. “You have to let him go.”
“Why?” he asks. “So he can betray the company once again? Anyone who gets in the way of me and my company will be shot on site. Now move.”
“No,” I say. “I can’t let you go. You told me you weren’t like your father, but here you are, willing to kill anyone who interferes with your plans. You are just like him.”
“I am nothing like him,” he retorts. “He was weak. If his company could be destroyed by a little girl like you, then he wasn’t doing his job. He promised that once he won the war, he would take over the entire galaxy. He would be a leader. But what leader cowers behind a desk and allows for a girl to run his company into the ground?”
“Don’t-”
“I’m going to be the leader he never could,” he says. “This galaxy will finally know what true power is. No one, and I repeat no one, will be able to stop me.”
He steps over me and continues walking to the elevator. I wait until he’s inside before standing up and rushing to Chris’s office door. “Rowan,” I say. “I won’t be able to hear your response, but I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I wish I could do the same for you. I feel so helpless sometimes. Kelton is on his way to find Chris and take over the company. I’m so sorry. I have to go.” I tear away from the door and head to the elevator.
I don’t know where Chris is hiding this time, but I check his laboratory first. The guards still lie on the floor, their blood seeped into the ground. I step over a couple of limp bodies, staying clear of arms and legs. I quiver. These guards must have had families to take care of, wives and children waiting for their return. I do my best to look straight ahead at the laboratory door instead of at the faces of my fallen enemies.
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