Created (Talented Saga)

by Sophie Davis

There was no use pretending like I wasn’t crying, so I just let the tears fall. At least these tears were for a valid reason. Donavon deserved to have someone who loved him grieve his passing.

  “Your friend, Cadence Choi, I believe is her name. She and her brother are being relocated to San Lolito, a town not far from here. I am sorry we don’t have space for them here, but between the UNITED council members and the extra soldiers, we’re booked.”

  Another weight off my mind. Cadence and Randy were safe, and soon would be close by. I decided to arrange a trip down to see them as soon as possible. Maybe even Erik would be up for it. He’d like to see Cadence.

  Crane leaned forward and began fixing himself a mug of coffee. Unlike me, the vanilla beans weren’t sweet enough for him, evidenced by the unholy amount of sugar he dumped into his cup. He probably needed the energy. The only person sleeping less than I was seemed to be Crane.

  “Is there something else you wanted to see me about, Ian?” I asked after he sat back in his chair and took several sips of his ridiculously sweet coffee. While I appreciated our little catchup session, it hadn’t been his purpose for summoning me. He was stalling, buying time until he felt he had the energy to ask me about something much more serious. Right now, Ian was practically tapped out. That was why his mind was so easy to read. For the first time, he wasn’t actively letting me read his thoughts so much as not stopping me from doing so. Until that point, I hadn’t known there was a difference.

  “UNITED has given McDonough a deadline. It is clear to everyone he has no intention of meeting that deadline. According to intel, he’s in D.C. All high-ranking TOXIC personnel are, which means D.C. is where UNITED will strike. The Underground station there could prove a valuable resource, and the tunnels will give our forces a way into the city undetected.”

  “Okay,” I said slowly, feeling like I was missing a piece of the puzzle. “What’s the problem with that? I think it’s a great idea to use the tunnels.”

  “It’s a maze down there. Very few Underground conductors know their way in or out, let alone all the twists and turns in the middle. Our forces could get lost. Frederick has a lot of experience with navigating the tunnels, so he’ll be able to lead a team. The way I understand, so do you and Erik.”

  “Me?” I squeaked. “I’ve spent time down there, sure, but I’m no expert.”

  Crane’s face fell. “And Erik?”

  “He’s your best bet,” I admitted. “He’s not the only one, either. The other Kelleys lived down there, too. I bet they’d be able to lead teams.”

  Crane arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “Definitely,” I agreed, warming to the idea. Leading a strike team through the tunnels made Erik invaluable to Victoria, which meant she’d be stupid to contain him. It also might push off the evaluation a little while longer. The only problem was, Erik could barely walk.

  “Do you think they’d be willing to help?”

  “I’m sure they would,” I said, not sure at all.

  “I’ll speak with them before informing Victoria. We have three days yet before the deadline. If Erik agrees, I can have Dr. Patel speed his recovery. TOXIC isn’t the only one with that capability. I prefer not to use it. The body’s natural healing process is better than anything inorganic, but –” Crane held up his hands, palms out, “sometimes we have to work with what we’ve got.”

  I understood why Crane was making the offer. He knew as well as I did: Erik needed to serve a purpose for UNITED. Like me, Erik’s worth as an asset had to outweigh his threat potential. Skilled navigators being in short supply was a coup: it made Erik priceless.

  “I’ll discuss it with him.”

  That evening I had dinner with Penny, Alex, Henri, and the Kelleys. Spending the time with Penny meant Brand tagged along; he was like chewed-up gum always sticking to her side. Apparently letting out all of his lingering frustrations with me had lifted a great burden from Brand, and he was more polite than usual. It was too much to hope that he was actually repentant, so I assumed Penny had given him a stern lecture. Henri’s shoulder was healing rapidly and, according to Dr. Patel, he would be good as new in a couple of days. Mr. Kelley’s prognosis wasn’t quite so cheery, but in time, he too was expected to make a full recovery.

  Alex was subdued. He barely touched his food, some gamey-tasting meat with cooked vegetables, and was particularly clingy. Not that I blamed him. He’d lost his only family tie, and none of us were sure how he was coping. Drs. Patel and Kramer had examined him and determined he was physically unharmed. Beyond that, only time would tell.

  The one thing Alex did get excited about was seeing Erik. After he finished playing with his dinner, he begged to visit Erik. I still had reservations about letting Alex around Erik until the latter had a better handle on his emotions. But, as Penny pointed out, I didn’t have a handle on my emotions and Alex spent time with me. She thought the visit would be beneficial for both of them, and I reluctantly agreed.

  So, all of us – Erik’s family, Penny, Alex, and I – trooped through the maze of sublevels to Erik’s room. Again, Brand insisted on accompanying our group. I pretended he wasn’t there, which suited both of us just fine. Dr. Patel was there when we arrived, which turned out to be a stroke of luck since he’d woken up Erik to examine him.

  Alex squirmed and demanded to be put down the instant we crossed the threshold into the bedroom. I set him on the floor, and he ran blindly for the sofa bed. His ability to navigate a room he was unable to actually see impressed me. He must’ve seen it in a vision, I decided. That concerned me. What little I understood about viewing was that strong Viewers were able to view anyone they’d encountered at will. Other, weaker Viewers, or those who had yet to master their talent, were often pulled into a vision when someone they knew well was experiencing strong emotions. Alex, being so young, likely fell into the second category. I wondered how much he’d seen since Erik woke up.

  “Erik!” the little boy exclaimed, trying to pull himself up onto the bed.

  Dr. Patel lifted Alex the rest of the way and into Erik’s arms. While Erik noticed the rest of us, his comfortable and calm demeanor was all because of Alex. The child gave him a peace that seemed to tamp down the ugliness swirling inside of him. He had that effect on a lot of people, I was coming to realize. Penny and I both gravitated towards Alex and were in better control of ourselves when he was around. Even Brand’s mood and general disposition was better in Alex’s presence.

  “Hey, buddy,” Erik whispered, situating Alex next to him in the bed.

  The two of them talked about Alex’s adventures since they’d last seen each other in D.C. Edmond and Alex had bonded quite a bit in their short time together, playing with blocks, learning how to whistle with blades of grass, wading in the stream in the woods behind Frederick’s house. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of Erik’s brother.

  Dr. Patel excused himself, claiming he did not want to intrude on “family time.” I felt a little intrusive myself. Erik hadn’t spent time with his father and brothers in so long. Penny, Henri, and Brand didn’t have the same qualms, and found places to sit around the room. I, however, followed Dr. Patel. Erik was in good company for the time being, and I had some questions for the doctor.

  “Talia, how is your shoulder? Is it giving you any trouble?” he asked pleasantly when he noticed me following him into the hallway.

  “Huh? Oh, no. It’s good,” I said absently. “I actually had a question for you about the cure for the creation drug? Ian said you’ve been working on one. Um, I just wanted to know, how’s that going?”

  For the first time in our short acquaintance, Dr. Patel wasn’t overly cheerful and optimistic. He seemed regretful, almost. “I am afraid not as well as I would like.”

  “Oh, okay.” Not the answer I’d wanted.

  “Have no worries. With you, Mr. Kelley, and Ms. Crane here, I will be able to further my research. The three of you will be vital in perfecting the formula.” He brightened as he t
alked, like the idea excited him. That made two of us. As much as I wanted to be rid of the taint of the drug, I wanted to reverse the effects on those Mac had infected as soon as possible. The encounter with the Mind Manipulator and the one with Captain Alvarez in Kentucky reinforced how imperative that was. Captain Alvarez seemed to be fighting his new power, but the guy in Gatlinburg had embraced it. He was the embodiment of UNITED’s fears.

  “Something else on your mind, dear?” the doctor asked.

  “Um, yeah. Ian said you might be able to speed Erik’s recovery? How badly would that hurt him in the long run?”

  Dr. Patel sighed. “It is possible, of course. As I told you before, there are potential risks. In Mr. Kelley’s case, I do not foresee any lasting issues, but I am still reluctant. So many chemicals are already in his blood. I fear putting more in will do more harm than good.”

  “But if Erik wants you to, you’d do it?” I pressed.

  “If he so wishes, yes.”

  “Good. Thanks.”

  I was about to reenter the bedroom when Dr. Patel called my name.

  “Ms. Lyons?”

  I turned expectantly.

  “Your friend, Mr. Daughtery? He is scheduled to leave for Bern soon.”

  “I know. Ian told me,” I said.

  “Maybe you could visit him again. I do not know whether it will help, but seeing friendly faces might draw out some of his memories. Should he not regain even some of his memories prior to his departure, I feel that waking up, so to speak, in the containment facility may cause irreparable harm. His mind is fragile right now, you see. I would hate to see him become so lost he cannot be found.”

  I wasn’t entirely sure what Dr. Patel meant, but the gist was clear. He wanted me to see if I could help Harris while he was still here.

  “Sure, I’ll go see him now.”

  I wanted to spend every spare second with Erik. Our time together could be limited. It felt like that was becoming a theme in my life, trying desperately to cling to the present because the future was so uncertain. But Erik was with his family, and Harris was all alone. Deciding Harris’s need was greater than my own or Erik’s at that instant, I headed for the elevator.

  The guards on the prison leveled were surprised to see me. One of them, Jared, was reluctant to let me see Harris without authorization from Crane. Pointing out that I’d already seen him once was an unconvincing argument since that visit hadn’t gone well. But Jared and his partner, a middle-aged woman with hair so deep crimson it verged on purple, were easily manipulated. After a powerful suggestion on my part, the two practically rolled out a red carpet for me.

  Interestingly, Harris was not alone. He sat on the small cot, his back against the only solid wall. Today he was dressed in clean black linen pants and a clean white t-shirt. He appeared to have showered recently, and his blonde hair was still a little damp. A small folding table was sitting next to the bed with the remnants of his dinner. I was glad to see he’d eaten at least half of the same gamey meat Marin had served the rest of us. Next to the table, sitting in an uncomfortable metal chair was Janelle.

  “Hey,” I said softly. “What are you doing here?”

  The dark haired girl smiled at me over her shoulder. “Thought he could use the company. I feel so bad for him, you know? Want to come in?”

  I wasn’t sure about actually going inside the cage. With Jared and his partner preoccupied down the hall, nobody would come to my rescue if the situation turned ugly. With Janelle there too, I decided the odds were in my favor.

  “Sure.”

  She stood and walked over to unlock the door. I entered the cage, keeping my focus on Harris to gauge his reaction. He followed my movements with little interest, which I found reassuring. At least he didn’t tense up or immediately attack me. Still, I elected to lean on the bars closest to the door, just in case.

  Janelle returned to her chair, crossing one long leg over the other. I took a moment to study her. She was wearing casual clothes today, jeans and a tank top. There were a few faint scratches on her neck, but any other injuries she sustained on either the rescue mission to Tramblewood or the evacuation in Kentucky had healed. Today she’d taken the time to fix her hair, and it shone even in the horrible fluorescent lighting.

  “I was in one of TOXIC’s low-level prisons for a while,” she told me.

  I stared at her. Seriously?

  “Don’t look so surprised.” She laughed softly. “A lot of us weren’t born here. A lot of us came from TOXIC states. Many were even at the School for a time.”

  Had I given it any thought before then, I might not have been so shocked. What she said made sense, of course. She was just so young, I’d figured she’d grown up in Crane’s territory.

  “How long have you been with Ian?” I asked. She seemed amendable to discussing the topic, so I only felt marginally nosy pressing her for the details.

  “Ten years now. Came over when I was fifteen.”

  When she didn’t elaborate, I became hesitant to push the issue, but I was curious. Few Talents left TOXIC, and being a teenager when she had made her situation even more unusual.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  Janelle shrugged. “My parents were sympathizers. They hadn’t wanted to submit me for testing when I was five. But, they aren’t big on breaking rules, either. I tested positive and was taken to the McDonough School. Let’s just say, I never acclimated to my new surroundings. After a time it became obvious I was my parents’ child. Except, I’m not great at following rules. I became very outspoken about my views on the testing laws. I was sent to see a therapist, Dr. Wythe.”

  Of course. The good doctor strikes again, I thought.

  “He tried to convince me that my feelings were wrong and unnatural.” Janelle laughed bitterly. “He actually said that, too. That a Talent being opposed to the mandatory testing laws was ‘unnatural.’ When his brainwashing attempts failed, I was carted off to Greenwood – outside of Atlanta.”

  I wasn’t familiar with the low-security prisons, and Greenwood was not one I’d heard of.

  “It’s more of work camp, really. Most of the inmates are under eighteen. TOXIC likes to think they can rehabilitate problem children. With the number of Talents declining each year, the loss of one, even a low level one like me, is unacceptable for them. So, I spent my days doing manual labor. Assembling weapons, building furniture, stuff like that. Part of the package deal at Greenwood is a free mental block.”

  “They do it to all of the inmates?” I asked weakly. How awful.

  “Yep. Part of the rehabilitation process. The drug wears off every couple of months, and you have to be injected all over again. It only takes a couple of weeks for some of your stronger memories to break through. By the time they re-up the injection, many people start to feel like themselves again. Before the doctor gives you another dosage, he evaluates you to see if you’ve gotten better. Like being opinioned is a disease or something. After a while, I learned what I needed to do to make the doctor believe I was better and ready to be an obedient little Talent. Of course, even after all of that, no one trusted me to be around other kids my age. They didn’t send me back to the School.”

  “Where did you go?” I was so caught up in Janelle’s story that I didn’t even realize Harris had fallen asleep until she paused long enough to reach over and cover him with a blanket.

  “To another work camp, essentially. Also in Georgia. Also doing manual labor. But there, no one gave me any drugs to keep me in line. I was given just enough freedom in the beginning to want more. After a couple of months without any trouble, they gave me even more liberties. I lived at the camp but was allowed to go into the nearest town on the weekends and stuff. There isn’t much in the town, grocery store, bookstore, couple of restaurants, and this strange shop that sells really weird candles and jewelry. Anyway, it was there at the shop, Moonchasers it was called, that I met a member of the Underground. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was on my way h
ere.”

  When she finished speaking, I was at a loss for words. Janelle’s story was no more tragic than many I’d heard. But it was heartbreaking all the same. How awful to be imprisoned as a child. And then to come here, to a place she knew nothing about, on the hope that life would be better. Obviously, her gamble paid off. Janelle seemed to genuinely enjoy working for Crane.

  “Have you seen your parents since you left?” I asked finally.

  Janelle shook her head. “Too risky. The people born on this side of the border have an easier time moving around in TOXIC territory. Faked identification and stuff like that helps them get in and out of anywhere without too much security. People like me, refugees from TOXIC, have a much harder time. Our stuff is on file. It’s one thing for a fingerprint or retinal scan to show no match. It’s another for it to come back belonging to an escapee. That’s why Frederick has been so valuable to the movement. He can go just about anywhere in TOXIC territory. He’s one of the few of us who can even get into the capital at all.”

  I thought about that. Frederick really had risked a lot for Crane’s cause. That made me feel a little bit better about him keeping me in the dark about his connection to the Coalition. Telling me the truth, and me not believing him, had huge consequences. Not only for Frederick, but for the entire Underground movement and the Coalition. Had he chanced it and I ran to Mac, all of his hard work would have been for nothing.

  After that, Janelle gave me a more detailed explanation of how the mental blocks worked. The one Harris had been given served two purposes. The first was that it kept me and others like me out of his head, which I thought was a pretty big risk, since it meant people like me couldn’t manipulate his thoughts and feelings to their own advantage. And when you’re trying to control someone, not being able manipulate them makes that task pretty hard. But, as Janelle pointed out, a person given the mental block is a blank slate. They become easily suggestible to normal types of brainwashing, like mantras about TOXIC equaling good and Coalition equaling bad. Once their heads were filled with that sort of nonsense, and they made those ideas their own, a Manipulator like me was unable to break through and change their minds.