by Aella Black
“Our country isn’t the only one on this godforsaken earth.” Mr. Fletcher stood, dusting off his expensive suit. “Plus, there’s nothing wrong with making a profit and saving the world at the same time.
“I doubt they would agree with that,” my dad said darkly.
Mr. Fletcher looked at his watch. “Yes, well, time’s up. I have places I need to be.”
No. Not yet. “Please, just a few more minutes,” I said.
“I’ve been begging to see my daughter for weeks,” Dad said at the same time. “The least you could do is give us a little more time.”
Mr. Fletcher shook his head. “You both know the other is okay. There’s no need for more pointless chit-chat. Plus, I have a new and very personal project for you, Marcus,” he said, that maniacal look returning to his eyes.
My blood went cold. I knew exactly where he was going with this.
“I’m already working on several jobs,” Dad told him. His eyes darted to me and then back to Mr. Fletcher, who sported a Cheshire cat grin on his face. Then he froze. “No.”
Mr. Fletcher paused, taking in my father’s reaction. His eyes narrowed dangerously. “You knew about it already, didn’t you? Your injuries were too serious for you to heal without significant help. How did I not see it before?” His face darkened as he connected all the dots. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why do you think?” Dad seethed. “You really thought I would give you another reason to terrorize my daughter?”
“I’m not in the business of terrorizing. And I don’t appreciate you keeping this from me.” He sniffed. “But no matter. The only thing that truly matters is this.” He pulled the vial of my tears from his breast pocket. “Venn has done all the tests I’ve allowed her to do on it, but I want you to be the one to recreate it.”
“Only if you let her go.” My gaze shot over to my dad, who looked dead serious. Only he couldn’t be serious, because we had zero bargaining power right now. And Mr. Fletcher knew it.
My fists clenched tightly when he laughed. “You’re in no position to make demands, Marcus. And in case you’ve forgotten…” My heart stopped completely when Dad’s friend pulled a gun on him. “I’m the one in charge here. That means that every day you do not recreate those tears, you will watch your daughter die.” Then he pointed the gun at me. “Starting now.”
The last thing I saw before the gun went off was the horrified look on my father’s face. I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye.
16
Xander
A week had passed since my meeting with Wolf and Tex. The next morning, Tex was gone.
I hoped that meant he’d made it out and refused to consider the possibility they’d caught him. If so, Mr. Fletcher surely would have made an example out of him. Since he hadn’t—and none of the guards had said anything, either—I figured they didn’t want us to know there’d been a lapse in security.
But that didn’t mean Tex’s absence went unnoticed. He was a friendly, likable guy, and the whole prison seemed a little gloomier with him gone. Other inmates had disappeared too, and an inescapable sense of foreboding now seemed to hang in the musty air.
This was also the longest I’d gone without seeing Phoebe since arriving at Leavenworth. The only thing that kept me from climbing the walls at night was that I didn’t think Fletcher would kill her—if that were even possible. Her tears were too valuable for that. But what happened when he got what he needed from her?
I also tried to take comfort in knowing she wasn’t sharing a cell with Lucy anymore. If nothing else, Phoebe should be sleeping better at night.
And speaking of Lucy…
I was on the way to scrub showers when she flagged me down in the corridor. We hadn’t spoken since I made her cry in the cafeteria, and I really had no desire to talk to her. But apparently, she needed to talk to me.
“I need to tell you something,” she said as soon as she got close.
“Walk with me.”
She joined me as we headed down the hallway with a handful of other inmates. Guards were both in front of and behind us. None appeared to be within earshot.
Her volume was as low as it could go when she said, “Fletcher has me meeting with other parents. I thought you’d want to know.”
I almost tripped over my own feet. “Other parents are coming? Here?”
She nodded. “I have to give them hallucinations… like I did with yours. If they catch on that something’s wrong, he’ll kill me.”
“He said that?” I didn’t want to assume. After all, Lucy had already admitted to willingly helping Fletcher for the opportunity to be free.
She nodded. “I’m sorry. I really am.”
I needed to look someone in the eye to know if they were lying to me. And even then, it wasn’t a sure thing. Walking down the hall like this, I couldn’t do that. I’d have to take her at her word.
“Anything else I need to know?” I asked.
“Yes.” I glanced over and saw her wince. “He’s going to pit you against Dane today. And he told me to make sure you lose.”
I scowled. “Great.”
“I’m sorry.”
Lucy seemed genuinely sorry. Also, she didn’t have to tell me about the match today—or that she’d been tasked to help. Maybe I’d gotten through to her that day in the cafeteria. Maybe.
“Thanks for the heads-up,” I told her.
After she’d forked off toward the girls’ showers, I thought more about what she’d said. Lucy was going to make me hallucinate, and as far as I knew, this would be the first time. I wasn’t looking forward to it.
But why get her involved? Dane had already beat me once on his own. Either Fletcher didn’t know that, or he really wanted to ensure my defeat. Probably payback for ruining his meeting with my parents.
When the call came to go to the great hall, I was ready. Even if I lost, I needed to show Fletcher that I wouldn’t go down without a fight. Still, no way around it… losing would suck.
My confidence received a much-needed boost when I gathered with my friends. They were all aware now that Wolf was the mysterious messenger—and that Tex had made a break for it. It was strange seeing Cal standing next to Cooper without Tex nearby. Birdie and Cathy stood next to one another, and Rocky was beside me.
Applause erupted when Fletcher moved into the cleared space. Blood-thirsty idiots. He called up the first set of “contestants,” and after the usual fanfare, the match began. Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I watched every move they made.
“You know somethin’ we don’t?” Rocky asked after just a few minutes. I supposed I was being obvious.
I sighed, trying to relax by body and my mind. “Yeah. Ran into Lucy today, and she told me I’m going in today. Against Dane.”
“Ouch.” Rocky’s grimace wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence. “Well, be careful. And at least he won’t go for the kill shot, right?”
My stomach twisted. Dane and I had had our differences, but I didn’t think he wanted me dead. I hoped not anyway. Because if I were under Lucy’s spell, he might have the opportunity.
When Fletcher called my name, I walked forward without even looking at any of my friends. Seeing the fear on their faces would only discourage me, and I needed all the courage I could get right now.
Dane waited for me, looking relaxed and even a little eager. A part of me wondered if the reason he wasn’t big on the idea of escape was because he actually liked it here. He was popular among the inmates. And other than his loss to Lucy, he’d never been defeated in a match. I didn’t know what life was like for him on the outside, but for all I knew, this was a better situation.
He clapped his hands together when I stood in front of him. “Ready, Chief?”
I took a deep breath and attempted to look as relaxed as he did. “Always am,” I said, even though I wasn’t.
Fletcher gave the signal, and Dane immediately attacked. Eager little beaver, huh?
He swung a fist I knew would fe
el like a hammer, so I ducked and spun away. On his next approach, I kicked his shin and then swore, because it no doubt hurt me more than him.
The guy was like a steel wall thanks to his density-defying power. He came after me again, and this time managed to hit me in the chest. It knocked me back several feet, but I didn’t lose my footing. He might have been dense, but I was agile from my football-playing days. And super strong.
In return, I shoved him so hard he nearly landed in the crowd of inmates. A chorus of cheers went up, making me wonder if Dane wasn’t quite as popular as I’d assumed. Either that or the dummies didn’t care who got hurt—just that someone was putting the hurt on.
That made more sense.
Before Dane could get back up, I punched him as hard as I could in the face. He blinked at me in astonishment, but I wasn’t about to let up. If I could knock him out before Lucy joined the fight, I might have a chance. To that end, I punched him over and over again, damaging my knuckles every bit as much as his face.
Suddenly, something in the corner of my eye flew across the room. I looked over and spotted a large black bird. I frowned. How did that get in here?
Dane slammed a fist into my face, knocking me over.
A distraction. That bird had been Lucy’s work.
Dane and I scrambled on the ground for a few moments, each desperately trying to get the upper hand. My best bet was to immobilize him, using my strength to bend his arms back so his hands couldn’t get a hold of me.
But every time I almost had him, Lucy did something to throw me off. At one point, she even erased Dane completely from my view. If I couldn’t see him, I couldn’t predict his hits. That gave him the upper hand.
I was doubled over after taking a solid hit to the stomach. “Give up yet, Chief?” I heard him ask. He sounded breathless, but not nearly enough.
“Not yet,” I said and returned the favor.
The crowd went crazy. And meanwhile, the world around me went hazy. I blinked hard, trying to clear my vision, but I knew nothing was wrong with it.
Lucy was trying to disorient me.
It was working. The room seemed to fill with smoke in seconds, and I couldn’t see Dane through the fog. He could see me, though.
Before I knew it, I was on the ground and he was on top of me. I took punch after punch in the face until black spots replaced the smoke in my vision. I didn’t even see when Dane got up.
Fletcher had called the match, and to my surprise, Dane hadn’t gloated about it. At least not to my face. Then again, it wasn’t like I could see much of anything with blood seeping into my eyes.
Guards hovered around me while paramedics loaded me onto a stretcher. I groaned and tilted my head, catching a glimpse of Lucy on the way out. I thought I saw her mouth ‘I’m sorry’ while I was being carted away, but it could have been another trick of the eyes.
After being patched up in the medical ward, they returned me to my cell without dinner. Losers didn’t deserve to eat, I guessed.
I was lying on my bed and hating life when Cathy’s voice hopped into my head. “Guys, I found another note!”
My breath hitched, and I glanced at the clock on the wall. Mealtime was ending, so the others would return to their cells now. Wolf must have snuck in while they ate. Finally.
“It says that government officials are coming tomorrow for an inspection. Tex must have gotten through, don’t you think? I’ll bet we’re finally getting help!”
Cathy’s voice had gotten more high-pitched with every word. And for good reason. This was excellent news. Something didn’t make sense, though.
Unless I’d imagined it, Lucy told me earlier that there were parents coming for a visit. It was her job to show them all was well in this house of horrors. But Wolf’s note said officials were coming. Which was it?
Something else struck me. During our meeting with Tex, Wolf had said, “It takes time to sort the good guys from the bad guys.” Had enough time passed to figure out who was who? If these officials were Fletcher’s friends, they were no help to us. And worse, what if they were here to see Phoebe?
My mind raced in dizzying circles until I finally landed on one solid truth. This was our chance. Possibly our last chance to show outside sources how bad it was here and get the plug pulled on the prisons. We had to assume the information was accurate.
I needed to meet with the others to come up with a plan. Fletcher would do everything in his power to not let the truth about this place get out. We needed to use our powers to do everything we could to see that it did.
But the next morning we were told to stay in our cells. No forced march and no breakfast meant no opportunity for us to meet and decide what we were going to do.
I paced between the empty beds. Would they keep us locked up while the inspection took place? That didn’t make sense. If someone was coming to inspect us, they would want to see us.
A few hours later, Fletcher’s voice boomed over the intercom. “Boys and girls, I will be making an announcement in the great hall in just a few minutes. Please join me there as soon as you’re able. I’ll see you shortly.”
“As soon as we’re able?” He didn’t say “as soon as the guards unlock your cells and let you leave.” Someone was definitely here… and they were listening.
My stomach somersaulted. This was it. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. Maybe the last one in my lifetime.
Guards came by and quickly unlocked our cells. Their routines had to have been thrown off by this visit too. I lamented the fact that if there were ever a good time to try to escape, this was it.
Inmates crowded the corridors, but no one uttered a sound. It was as if everyone knew something big was going down—even if they didn’t have a clue what it was. Then again, not being fed breakfast would have been enough to tell them that.
I entered the room with the towering ceilings and tiled floors for what I hoped was the last time. So many painful memories in such a short time—and that was before the butt-kicking yesterday.
Glancing around, it looked like every guard at Lansing was here. I spotted Cal and Cooper, and a little ways away was Birdie, Cathy, and Rocky. But no Phoebe.
I hadn’t thought I was expecting to see her until I didn’t. Phoebe should be here. Everyone should be present for an inspection.
Unless she’s no longer here, a little voice whispered.
I told the voice to shut up.
The guards began organizing us into lines—well, ordering us was more like it. I didn’t see Wolf among them, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t here. Hundreds of us lined up, and I got an eerie feeling as we did. I’d read too many Civil War books apparently, because I was getting some serious firing-squad vibes.
Fletcher strode inside the great hall, and for once he wasn’t smiling. In fact, he looked pissed. That could only mean good news for us.
When we were all lined up like good ‘boys and girls,’ he clapped his hands together and started to speak. “I’ve received word this morning that we are expecting guests this afternoon,” he said, his tone clipped.
Okay, so they’re not here yet. Good to know.
“I took a moment of my day to speak with you,” he said irritatingly, “so you’d know exactly how you are to behave while they are here.”
Every inmate listened with bated breath for whatever demands Fletcher would make of us. “Hear how quiet it is right now?” he asked.
No one made a sound.
“That’s exactly how I want it. When our guests arrive, you will be lined up as you are now. Do not speak or cough or laugh, and for heaven’s sake, do not look like a sickly bunch of animals!”
Glad to know how he really felt about us. And also, where were his sometimes vague and always creepy Hitler quotes? The man was definitely losing his cool.
The room remained deathly silent while he inhaled a deep breath and let it out. Then he spoke again, his tone as ominous as his words. “If any of our guests so much as suspects anyone here is unhappy, the
re will be consequences.” His eyes scanned over us, and there was evil twinkle in them now. I braced for whatever he was going to say. “Where’s my reigning champion?” he asked.
That was unexpected. I watched Dane step from the crowd of inmates.
“Excellent. Dane, pick a number between one and twenty.”
Dane looked confused but answered, “Five.”
Fletcher’s face twisted. “Pick a higher number.”
Dane shrugged. “Okay. Thirteen.”
Fletcher grinned. “Perfect. If anything goes wrong this afternoon, I will randomly select thirteen of you.” His hand disappeared under his jacket, and he pulled out a gun. My throat went dry as he pointed it directly at Dane’s chest. “Well. You get the picture.”
For several terrifying seconds, I thought Fletcher really would shoot Dane to demonstrate he’d follow through with his threats. My heart beat loudly in my ears. No one moved. Dane’s face paled, but he didn’t move a muscle.
After what seemed an eternity, Fletcher put the gun away. “You will all return to your cells. Your meals will be delivered, and you’re to come back here when called. Don’t forget, you have your marching orders.”
Did we ever.
After being dismissed, we all filed out of the room in complete shock. In fact, the only sounds were the stomping of boots and the padding of feet. There was no way for us to make a plan. Not that anyone would be willing to take a risk after that threat.
The only people who could help us might very well walk out of Lansing without a clue what was really going on here.
Fletcher had made sure of that.
17
Phoebe
Being killed every day wasn’t exactly my idea of fun.
But there was an upside.
Dad had somehow negotiated with Mr. Fletcher to let him have me for an hour each day, so he could supposedly study my powers for research. Since Fletcher would have done just about anything to get his hands on the “miracle tears,” he’d agreed.
