“Okay, really? That was a rhetorical question.” Rhea slid the bowl out of the microwave, blowing on the rapidly rising steam.
Emery could tell that Rhea was a little on edge, but she wasn’t sure why. It’s not like she had any reason to be. Emery was the one training for a crazy initiative, living a double life, and dealing with the after effects of memory purge. But none of that mattered. Or at least, that’s how it felt since no one knew.
No one could know.
Not being able to talk about what had happened with Anthony was driving her to the brink of insanity. Lugging that secret around was almost more than she could handle. I could crack at any second.
“You and I both know that you don’t need to study,” Rhea pleaded. “You’re literally the poster child for the perfect student. Come on, it’ll be fun.”
Emery picked at her cuticles. “Fine, we’ll do something. But you’re going to study with me until then.”
“Oh, I would,” Rhea paused, “except I’ve actually got a study group in fifteen minutes for a different class.”
Emery could immediately sense that she was being lied to, but she didn’t have the energy to start yet another squabble. “Suit yourself,” she muttered as she turned back to her laptop.
Rhea threw her bag over her shoulder and walked out the door, her uneaten bowl of soup sitting dejectedly on her desk. As soon as the door closed, Emery got up and opened her roommate’s bottom desk drawer. Underneath a pile of plastic-wrapped notebooks were all of Rhea’s textbooks for her spring classes.
Good luck studying without your textbooks, she thought bitterly as she slammed the drawer shut. Enough was enough. It was time to find out where Rhea was always running off to.
Emery grabbed her things and quickly locked the door behind her. She hurried down the hall, making sure to keep Rhea within view. Following too closely was dangerous; if she wanted this to work, she had to keep a safe distance. Emery stood at the top of the stairwell, waiting for Rhea’s footsteps to cease. As soon as she heard the door to the lobby creak open, she darted down the stairs, her shoes pounding against the tile. Her rhythm faltered as she pushed through the door to the lobby.
What stood before her rendered her immobile.
A tall, cloaked figure in black robes blocked her path. Before Emery could discern what was happening, she felt her body go slack, eyes shutting as she fell into the hooded figure’s arms.
+ + +
A ceiling fan came into view, the shadows on the walls dancing with each rotation of the blades. Emery blinked a few times as her surroundings came into focus. It was familiar, this place. The worn, wooden desk. The palisade-blue walls. The indented mattress that fit her body’s shape perfectly.
She was back in her room. She was home.
A wave of dizziness washed over her as she slowly brought herself to a sitting position. After a deep inhale, she steadied her feet on the ground below her, then pushed herself up from the bed. The last thing she remembered was . . .
Fear seized her entire body.
She couldn’t remember.
Her hand met the bedframe for support. Had her memory been erased? She grazed the back of her neck with her free hand, the surface still just as lumpy as the last time she’d touched it. I still have my microchip. Before she could analyze any further, a loud clatter sounded from downstairs.
Emery tiptoed out of her bedroom into the hallway, noticing that the door to her sister’s room was slightly ajar. She poked her head inside, but it was empty.
Unease settled over her.
Instead of following the noise, she crept along the upstairs hallway to the game room that overlooked the kitchen. With her body pressed against the wall, she leaned just far enough to see around it.
Her mouth dropped open.
Without thinking, Emery stepped out from behind the wall, revealing herself to the audience below.
“Em, there you are,” her mother fussed from the kitchen. “Come downstairs. Dinner is almost ready.”
Emery’s eyes shifted from her mother to Alexis to the back of a man’s head—a head adorned with a black fedora. A chill ran down her spine.
Theo.
She froze as he slowly turned around in his chair. “Yes, why don’t you join us?”
Emery turned away from her family’s prying eyes. Don’t let them see your reaction. She walked down the hallway, her hands shaking the entire way. What is Theo doing here? Did I do something wrong? Why is he having dinner with my family?
Emery took a deep breath as she descended the staircase, her fingers sliding along the cool railing. She needed to quiet her thoughts and appear calm and collected, but it felt as though she wore the very expression she so desperately needed to hide.
“Something smells good,” she complimented as she entered the kitchen. She gave her mom a quick hug, her eyes landing on the table where Theo and her sister sat. Emery walked cautiously toward them as Theo turned in his chair, his eyes glinting mischievously. Although Emery had no idea what was going on, if there was one thing that had been drilled into her head, it was that no one could know anything about The Alpha Drive.
It was her only play.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” Emery stated firmly as she stuck her hand out to Theo. “I’m Emery.”
Theo chuckled as he raised himself from his chair. He met her grip. “I know who you are. And we actually have met before.”
Emery gulped. Crap. What do I say?
Without another word, she took the open seat across from Theo, her eyes cast down as she unfolded her napkin and placed it across her lap.
Alexis piped up, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “So, Em, we’ve heard all about your experiences at Darden so far. Care to share more?”
Emery didn’t shift her gaze as she fiddled with the edges of her napkin. Theo told them about my experiences at Darden? Meaning The Alpha Drive? A million thoughts swirled through her head—most of them involving dashing out the door and never looking back. Somehow, she managed to maintain her composure.
“Emery?” her mother pressed. “Your sister asked you a question. Don’t be rude. Especially when we have company. I raised you better than that.”
“That’s okay,” Theo interrupted. “Although, I am quite curious as to why Ms. Parker is being so quiet. She’s normally quite outspoken.”
At this, Emery raised her head, her eyes meeting Theo’s. What is he doing? Why is he here? His head was tilted to the side, a smirk curling at the corners of his lips.
Emery had to think fast. Questions. Keep asking questions.
“I’m sorry, Mr. . . . Barker, was it?”
Theo nodded.
“You’ll have to jog my memory. You look familiar, but I can’t put my finger on where we’ve met before.”
Theo smirked. “I was just telling Sandra about your many accomplishments,” he drawled, gesturing toward her mother. “Especially your last assignment.”
Emery racked her brain for a response. My last assignment? Does he mean my last training?
“My last assignment?” Emery scratched her head. “I’m not sure I recall . . . I have quite a few classes at Darden.” She flashed a fake smile, surprised at how steady her voice was. Her confidence rose. Two can play this game.
“I’m sure you’d remember this one.” His eyes twinkled. “Your Latin was practically flawless.”
Emery sat still. It took her a minute, but she finally realized what he was doing. A hint of a smile touched her lips, so she quickly bowed her head, hoping it would remain hidden. He’s testing me.
“It’s not every day that we get an esteemed Darden faculty member over for dinner,” Sandra said as she brought the meal over to the table. “I hope you like pot roast.” She smiled at Theo as she sliced into the tender, juicy meat.
“If you’ll excuse me for just a minute,” Emery said as she pushed her chair away from the table. “I need to use the ladies’ room.”
She made her way down the hall,
a smile spreading across her face as she shut the door behind her, then collapsed against the wall. Her hands flew up to her temples, massaging them gently.
That was close.
Emery pushed herself from the wall, her eyes landing on the mirror in front of her. As she stared at her reflection, her thoughts turned grim. Sure, it was a test, but why was Theo testing her? Did he know something? The possibility knocked her down a few notches. Her mind flitted to Torin. It had been a while since she’d spoken to him.
Was he in trouble?
Emery pulled out her phone, checking for the last communication they’d had. Over three weeks ago. A knot twisted in her stomach. She slid her phone back into her pocket, her mind reeling with all of the possible scenarios. He’s fine. Everything is fine. But as much as she wanted to believe those words, she knew something wasn’t right.
She could feel it.
25
How did I wind up back here?
Torin sat in front of the multiple holoscreens that floated over his desk. Remembering the code he’d written for 7S was difficult enough, but trying to remember a code that he’d revised hundreds of times? That was nearly impossible.
He banged his head on the metal desk as numbers and letters swirled through his brain. He looked back up at the screen, scrolling through the last few lines of code. It was the same spot he’d gotten hung up on last time. Come on. Think.
Torin took a swig of water, then closed his eyes, willing the combination to magically appear. Instead, an image of Emery’s olive-colored face and deep red hair entered his view. The pool of grey staring back at him was enough to pull him under. He stayed still for a minute, captivated by her image, not wanting to open his eyes. With a smile, he watched as she was whisked away into the depths of his subconscious. When he opened his eyes, it came to him.
The code.
Before he forgot or became distracted, Torin punched the last line of code into the system, watching as the text appeared on the screen. He rubbed his hands together with glee. This wouldn’t connect him directly to Emery’s microchip, but it would break him into the Federal Commonwealth’s mainframe. Even though it wasn’t exactly what he’d hoped for, it was a start.
The FCW’s underground common room came into focus as Theo entered the room. His mouth was moving, so clearly he was talking to someone—but the recipient was out of frame. Torin tapped his fingers against the desk, his impatience growing with each passing minute. He observed Theo’s body language: shoulders back, fists clenched, eyebrows raised. Whoever he was talking to sure was making him tense.
Torin moved to the edge of his seat as Theo walked to the center of the room. A quaint figure came into view. “Come on, turn around,” Torin muttered to the back of the girl’s head. She was short, no taller than five feet, five inches, and her brown hair swayed delicately across her back. He had no idea who she was.
Torin stared at the back of the girl’s head, wishing that she would turn around, but she remained firm in her stance, not moving an inch. Just as he was about to give up hope, she let out a high-pitched laugh, one that made Torin nearly fall from his seat. He’d heard that laugh before, many times over. He’d heard it while he’d been “researching” Emery. Torin gaped at the screen as recognition took hold.
The girl was Emery’s roommate, Rhea.
26
For the past month, Emery had brainstormed every possible way to get in touch with Theo. She’d tried responding to the messages he’d sent, only to find that there was an error with the delivery. She’d even snuck out of her dorm room at odd hours, hoping that the elevator might magically “appear” downstairs. But no such luck.
He was unreachable.
There were so many questions that needed answering. Didn’t she deserve to know why he’d scheduled a dinner party at her family’s home? Why he’d felt the need to test her in the first place?
Emery’s phone buzzed, a pile of coins and paperclips shifting noisily against the wood. She snatched it from her desk, her eyes lighting up as a message from Theo appeared on the screen.
Finally.
Emery rushed downstairs to the silver-paned elevator and, once she was confirmed for entry, sat in the same gold-trimmed chair she always did. She closed her eyes and tapped her heel against the leg of the chair, hoping that Theo would arrive shortly. Her eyes shot open as the door creaked on its hinges.
Theo strode toward her, his hands in his pockets. He looked especially dapper today in a deep charcoal-tinted blazer and black dress pants, the same suede fedora adorning the top of his head. His lips curled into a half smile as he took a seat, his hands clasped tightly over his knee. “Emery, nice to see you again.”
She uncrossed her legs as she leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. “I’ve been trying to reach you. You must be the most popular man in Dormance.”
Theo beamed, flattered by her last statement. “Well, that’s not entirely true, but thank you. Now, what is it that you would like to discuss? Clearly, from the number of missed messages I received, there’s something on your mind.”
His brash tone irked her. “I guess you could say that.” She took a deep breath. “Four weeks ago. At my house. You were there. We had dinner with my family and I need you to tell me why.”
Theo raised his eyebrows, amused at her authoritative tone. “Ah, yes. I could tell by your reaction that you were shocked to see me at your house, with your mother and sister no less.” He cleared his throat. “I would apologize for not warning you ahead of time, but
as you know, that’s not exactly in my nature.”
Emery bit her tongue to keep her retort at bay. Her lips pressed firmly together.
“It was a test,” he admitted, shifting his weight in the chair. “An emotional simulation, if you will. You see, we’ve noticed that lately you’ve seemed a little . . . out of sorts. Your focus seems to be elsewhere.”
Yeah, because I know you’re a liar. She swallowed, hoping that he couldn’t see the guilt written all over her face. Focus on the simulation. “Why did you feel the need to test me?”
“Simple.” He cocked his head to the side. “To confirm that we can trust you.”
Emery shifted uneasily in her seat, flashing back to every conversation she’d had with Torin. Had they caught on to her? To them?
After a moment of silence, her mind was put at ease. “I saw your break-up with Anthony,” Theo confessed. “I know that must have been heart-wrenching for you.”
A wave of relief washed over her. They didn’t know. This was about Anthony, not Torin.
“Oh, well, I hope you can understand that I don’t really feel like talking about it,” she said, as the memory resurfaced. “I just want to move forward.” Her voice cracked.
“But you’re okay?”
Emery nodded her head. “Yes. I’m okay.”
“It pleases me to hear that.” As he opened his mouth to continue, Naia came through the door.
“Ms. Parker,” her voice was sweet, like honey, “are you ready for your next training session?”
Emery couldn’t help but cringe at the thought of her last training: bullets grazing her cheek, tearing through her flesh. She cupped her shoulder, remembering the pain from the bullet as it ripped through her skin.
“Before I go to my next training, I have a question about something that happened in my aeris training.”
Theo stood from his chair, then motioned for her to continue.
“My uniform,” she recalled, “it wasn’t bulletproof. The bullets tore right through my skin.”
Theo nodded. “I remember. You came out of that training with a nasty shoulder wound.” His eyes darkened as he shifted his attention to Naia. “Naia is actually the one in charge of your trainings.”
Naia’s smile fell. “Please accept my sincerest apologies. A full-scale investigation will be launched to ensure our systems are up to code.”
Emery could have sworn she saw a twinkle in Naia’s eye. Before she could r
espond, Theo ushered his assistant out of the room.
“Well, you should be off,” he said with a tip of his hat. “I assume you know your way around by now. Good
luck.” He waved as the door shut quietly behind him.
Emery eyed the hologram from across the room and walked over to it, grabbing her clothes from the coffee table on the way. Well, that was weird. She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or concerned. Emery gazed at the last line of the schedule. Last but not least, terrae training. What glorious landscape had they conjured up for her this time?
The terrae training room was situated at the far end of the hall. Emery pushed the door open and walked to the center of the room, her padded footsteps the only audible sound in the empty space. Curling and uncurling her fists, she braced herself for whatever simulation was in store. Everything was still as the dark room illuminated, rays of sunshine poking through a vast thicket of trees. It didn’t take her long to figure out that she was in a forest.
Emery closed her eyes and breathed in the soothing scent of pine. Nothing happened for a few minutes and it appeared that this training would be more peaceful than her other sessions. But that thought was quickly dispelled from her mind as a dark storm cloud appeared above her, covering the warm rays from the sun. A cool breeze wafted over her, chilling her to the bone. Behind her, a low snarl sounded from the bushes. Emery turned, eyes wide with fear, as the snarling grew louder. Whatever was making the sound wasn’t alone. Multiple glowing yellow eyes stared at her from behind the brush.
Run.
She dashed away from the creatures, searching the forest floor for a path that didn’t exist. Her arms pumped at her sides as she glanced over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the beasts. They slithered on the ground behind her, part human, part lion, part . . . snake?
Her legs picked up speed as she faced forward again, her eyes darting back and forth for some sort of safe haven. Caves weren’t safe—the creatures would most likely just crawl in there with her. Same with water—snakes could easily slither through a stream. But up high—up high, she might actually stand a chance.
The Alpha Drive Page 15
