He came around the desk and perched on its edge.
“Look, democracy has failed. That became clear a long time ago, but now we’re seeing the real effects. The recession is the beginning, but it’s only going to get worse. We need change — real change, and the Sullas are offering a solution. We’re building a new group of leaders, one that can step in once the current regime can no longer handle their responsibilities. That day is fast approaching.”
Sadie was stunned. The Order of Optimates. Best Men. She had always thought the name was just another manifestation of the group’s apparent obsession with Greek and Roman culture. But it was literal.
“You’re building a new ruling class.” Her voice was incredulous, but he mistook it for awe.
He nodded. “We have been for decades. And we’re almost ready. But that’s not the whole picture.”
“You may have wondered why you were chosen over others — why we looked so deeply into your family histories, and why certain steps were taken during your vetting period that may have seemed odd to you.”
He paused for effect, and his eyes were wide with excitement so naked and unchecked it was almost sexual. Sadie looked away.
“In the Order, genetic diseases don’t exist. No Alzheimer’s, no cystic fibrosis, no Down’s syndrome. Our cancer rates are less than half that of the general population. We’ve screened every member and weeded out any potential risks. It’s why we monitor the pairings so closely. We have to make sure you’re a strong match.”
Sadie shook her head. It was all too much to take in.
“But that’s eugenics.”
He nodded emphatically, as if she had just answered a question correctly in class.
“And it’s wrong.”
He cocked his head to the side and looked almost sympathetic. “I can understand why you would think that. It’s what we’ve been taught. But in this case, I think it’s fair to say the ends justify the means. We’re using the process for good, and as the majority of the world’s population has gotten weaker and sicker, we’ve only gotten stronger. One day soon, when they need our help most, we’ll be there to lead them.”
Sadie thought about Josh’s speech in the ceremony room. It felt like weeks ago.
“So the goal of the Optimates is … saving the world.”
Teddy turned to her, a strange look on his face. It looked suspiciously like respect. “Exactly, Ms. Marlowe. We are saving the world — one generation of superior leaders at a time.”
She almost gagged.
He walked back around the desk and sat down. He spread his hands. “Now do you have any other questions for me?”
“Are you the head of the Sullas?” Sadie blurted out. She couldn’t stop herself.
He laughed. “Not yet. My father fills that role, but as I’m sure you’ve heard, he’ll be running in the presidential election next term. When he wins, it will make our transition to power that much smoother, but in the meantime, the position is too visible. I’ll be taking his place.”
Sadie couldn’t take it anymore. She felt like the walls of the tower were closing in around her. She stood up.
“Thanks. I feel much better now — now that I understand what our goals are. But I think I should get back to studying.”
He put up a hand. “Of course. One more thing, though. I know it’s premature, but I wanted to let you both know that the elders approve of your pairing, should you choose to pursue it.”
Sadie tried not to let the disgust show on her face. He was basically telling them they could mate. She hadn’t felt this awkward since her dad had fumbled his way through “the talk” in eighth grade.
“Your blood tests revealed no genetic red flags, and all signs point to incredibly healthy offspring. Your children would be an asset to our family.”
Oh god. Blood tests. She remembered the very first night with the Fates, when she had woken up with an injection mark and a bruise on her inner elbow. They had taken her blood. She felt violated in a way that was almost indescribable. They had been inside of her and taken something that wasn’t theirs.
She felt herself start to sway, and then Jeremy was at her elbow. She heard him say goodbye to Teddy and nodded along, letting herself be steered outside. Soon they were descending the stairs, then walking along the path, and finally she was climbing the stairs to her bedroom.
She collapsed onto her bed. It was barely dinnertime, but she couldn’t function. She had thought they had a plan she was comfortable with, but now the stakes had changed. She didn’t just need to get out — she needed to stop them. She lay awake for hours, ignoring the twins as they came and went, ignoring the texts she got from Jeremy, and trying, failing, not to think about what she was going to do when she woke up. Finally, long after the room had darkened to pitch and the noises in the hallway had fallen silent, she slept.
Chapter 24
The site of the hospital gate made Sadie’s stomach roll, but she forced herself to smile along with the rest of them. It had been a long limo ride, and most of the girls were already a few glasses deep into bottles of champagne. Sadie had been nursing the same glass since they left. She needed to be sharp.
The way it turned out, it hadn’t been hard to convince the Sullas to attend the fundraiser. Once Trix and Gwen had pledged their donation to the event, the hospital’s PR machine had run with the story, and Thayer had immediately decided they all simply had to go.
She had left Gwen, Trix, and Jessica in her room earlier that day. Sadie knew they were all a little scared, but she could tell they were trying so hard not to show it. She had told them about her meeting with Teddy Cranston, about the plan, the genetic testing, and what might be in that basement. They had all nodded along, the excitement slowly leaching out of their faces and giving way to fear. She had been afraid they would back out. She had almost hoped they would. But they were committed.
When Sadie had left, she had turned in the doorway and glanced at her friends. Trix and Gwen had gone for the full celebrity look, with chic cocktail dresses, big hair, and full makeup. Jessica was already outfitted in her waiter costume, with a pressed white shirt and black slacks. With the dorm room as a backdrop, they had all looked like they were dressed up for Halloween. Sadie hadn’t been able to help but grin.
Trix had caught sight of her and frowned. “What are you waiting for, Yankee? You’re going to be late.”
Sadie had waved a hand. “I know, it’s just … you guys are the best, you know that?”
Trix had just scoffed. “Obviously. We’re English.”
Jessica had just grinned and given her a mock salute. “See you on the other side, Agent Marlowe.”
Now, as she circled the edges of the party, she caught a glimpse of Jessica as she breezed through the kitchen doors, a tray of empty glasses balanced on one hand. Sadie caught her eye, and she winked. So far so good.
Thayer and the rest of them were hovering near the door, and Sadie knew they were staking out the twins’ arrival. Sadie didn’t think the twins had ever said more than two words at a time to Thayer, but from her Facebook page and her Twitter feed, you would think they were best friends. No doubt tomorrow they would be on the front page of every tabloid, with Thayer’s face not-so-subtly wedged in between theirs in every shot.
“Did your roommates say when they were going to arrive?” Thayer called, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. “It’s almost time for the charity auction.”
Sadie shrugged. “They were getting ready to go when I left.” She glanced through the open front doors and saw blue lights flashing. She had to bite her lip to keep from grinning. “Actually, I think that might be them now.”
Thayer let out a tiny, high-pitched screech, like a teakettle boiling over all at once, then composed herself. She smoothed down her dress, tousled her hair, and marched into battle.
The twins had gone all out — they had arrived with an entourage of three limos and a police escort — and at least half of the party spilled out onto the circular
drive to gawk at their arrival.
Sadie hung back by the entrance, watching as the press photographers swarmed.
The twins emerged, looking surreal and otherworldly, like nymphs in questionably appropriate black spandex. They looked like they were dressed up to go clubbing, rather than to attend a charity event, but that was all part of the act. They were going for maximum attention, and it was working.
After they had posed for a few photos, Trix held up a hand. “Wait! We simply can’t let you take any more until we get our good friend Thayer Wimberley in here. Thayer!” she called out, but Thayer had somehow already appeared in between them, grinning ferociously like a lion who had just stumbled upon a herd of sleeping buffalo.
After a few more, Gwen called the rest of the members over, chatting animatedly with the photographers about what good friends they all were. The performance was so over the top, Sadie could hardly believe they didn’t see through it. Then again, being near the twins always seemed to give people some kind of contact high, and right now, all of the Sullas were completely stoned.
“Care for a canapé, Miss?” Someone whispered in Sadie’s ear. She turned to see Jessica holding a tray of crackers and salmon mousse.
“Scurry along, wench. I’m busy being charitable.”
“Very funny. The disguise totally worked, though. I may stick around after we’re done just so I can get my share of the tips.”
Sadie smiled, but she could feel her lips starting to tremble. “You ready?”
Jessica popped two crackers in her mouth, then dumped the tray unceremoniously behind a planter.
“Oh yeah,” she said, dabbing at her mouth daintily with a cocktail napkin. “Let’s infiltrate this bitch.”
Getting out of the event was so easy it was almost embarrassing. Everyone, down to the security staff, was still distracted by the twins’ display, and they simply walked through the ballroom, slipped through a side door, and found themselves on the second floor’s main hall.
“Where to next, double-0-seven?” Jessica said. “You said there was a hidden stairwell?”
“Follow me.”
She led Jessica down a flight of stairs to the ground floor, their footsteps echoing around the stairwell and bouncing back, making it sound like they were being followed. The hallways were completely empty, but she could see shadows moving across the little viewing panes in the doors of the patient rooms. As they passed one, a pair of eyes watched them silently through the small square window.
“This place is such a horror movie,” Jessica said, shivering. “I feel like we should be wearing cheerleading uniforms or something. People are always wearing cheerleading uniforms right before they get stabbed.”
Sadie gritted her teeth and walked a little faster. “Not really helping right now, Jess.”
“Sorry. My mom always says I ramble, but I don’t do it on purpose. It’s just when I get nervous — ”
“Jess,” Sadie hissed. “We’re sneaking around here, remember? No talking.”
“Right.” Jessica nodded. “Complete and utter silence. From here on out. Which is also totally just like a horror movie.”
Sadie gave her an exasperated look and pointed toward the wall. “We’re here. There’s a landing behind that curtain, which leads to a stairwell, which leads to a door, another hallway, and then whatever creepy torture dungeon they took me to.” She laughed, but even she could hear how fake it sounded. She put a hand up to draw back the curtain, but Jessica touched her arm.
“Are you sure you want to do this? You could just leave — transfer to some boarding school in Chicago and never look back. I’d come with you! The winter sucks, but the food’s good. You like hot dogs, right?”
Sadie shook her head. “Running away isn’t an option anymore. They went to all that trouble to get me here, and I don’t see them letting me just leave. And I know what happened to the last two members that made trouble.”
Jessica looked uneasy. “You still think they had something to do with Anna’s death?”
“More than ever. Plus, they did something to me down there. And I have to find out what it was.”
Jessica nodded. “Okay, let’s do this.”
They ducked through the curtain and tiptoed down the stairs toward the crack of light that shone under the basement door. When they got to the bottom, Sadie took a deep breath and turned the handle.
It didn’t move.
She tried again, but still nothing.
“What’s wrong?”
Sadie jiggled the door again in frustration.
“The damn door is locked.”
Jessica’s jaw dropped. “Are you kidding? After all that?”
Sadie shook her head. “It was open before … I didn’t even think about it.” She collapsed against the wall next to the door and slid down, resting her head on her knees. “We have to get in there. I can’t go back to Keating without knowing.” She had been waiting seven days for this, and each one had felt like an eternity. She couldn’t stand it.
Just then, as if in slow motion, the handle started to turn. For a split second, Sadie was elated — they were going to get in! Then the rest of her brain caught up, and she had to force herself not to jump up from the floor and fling the door wide open. She and Jessica locked eyes in the dark, and Jessica’s mouth started to open.
“Oh, shi — ”
Before she could finish, Sadie pulled her down onto the floor and pressed her hand over her mouth. At the exact same time, the door swung open, trapping them in the tiny space between the door and the corner of the stairwell.
Eyes wide open in horror, they both watched as the door drifted slowly back away from them, exposing them inch by inch to whoever was on the other side.
Then Sadie heard footsteps. A man in a white lab coat was making his way up the stairs, his head bobbing slightly in time to the music that was blasting through his headphones. It was so loud she could hear the bass pounding, and he executed a pretty embarrassing air guitar on the landing before disappearing behind the curtain. Sadie and Jessica stared in shock at each other for a moment, then Jessica lunged forward and grabbed the door handle, catching it just before the lock clicked back into place.
She pumped her other fist in the air. “That’s why I kick ass every practice in one-on-ones, Sadie. Catlike reflexes!” Sadie clapped a hand over Jessica’s mouth again, but she couldn’t help but smile.
“There could be other people around,” Sadie said in a whisper. She pushed her shoulders back and took a deep breath. “Now stay behind me.”
As soon as the door shut behind them, they were plunged into darkness. At the far end of the hallway, a thin line of weak light bled underneath the double doors. Without giving her fear time to sink in, Sadie took off.
Even without any lights, she could see herself rushing toward the same door from the dream, the small black rectangle growing larger and larger. She pushed the image out of her mind and forced her feet to keep moving forward. Finally she got close enough that she could make out the words on the door: “Restricted Area: Hospital Personnel Only.”
Everything around her seemed to slow down as she placed her hands flat against the double doors. She took a deep breath, and she could hear her heart beating in her ears, low and even. Jessica was right behind her, and her breath was warm on Sadie’s shoulder. As she exhaled, she pushed.
The first thing she felt was cold. A whoosh of air surrounded her as the doors swung open, sucking the breath from her lungs and pulling goose bumps up through her flesh. She stood grounded in the doorway, somehow unable to take that final step.
She had come so far, and she was so close to finding out what was going on. And now she couldn’t do it.
Jessica walked a few tentative steps into the room, then turned back toward Sadie. The backlighting in the room cast her face in shadow, but Sadie could feel the fear in her voice. “Sadie come here.”
“What is it?”
“Just come.”
Jessica
pulled her through the doorway, breaking the spell. The room was freezing, and the only light was tinged with blue, emanating from a wall of sleeping monitors that hung above a desk. The effect made her feel like she was underwater. She floated forward.
The room was long and narrow, with metal filing cabinets stacked chest-high along each side. At the far end of the room, near the computers was something that made the skin on Sadie’s whole body itch with fear.
It was a long table, padded, with arms that split out from the sides like a cross. A circle of spotlights hovered over it like ravens over a bleeding carcass. Instruments and machines converged on it from all sides, and at the foot end, two metal arms jutted out to either side. Stirrups.
Her knees started to shake, but Jessica grabbed her before she fell.
“What is this place?”
“I don’t know yet.” She took a deep breath and turned away from the operating table. “But I didn’t come all this way not to find out.”
She started with the filing cabinets. She yanked open the closest one, and inside were neatly stacked files, each one marked with a name. She skimmed over the tabs with one shaky finger.
“Oh my god.”
“What is it?”
Sadie held up a thick file. “It’s Thayer’s.”
She spread the contents on the floor — a stack of papers covered with small type and what looked like medical charts, some smaller sheets with handwritten notes, a DVD marked with a date, and a photo. Thayer stared up at them from the floor, her face smiling directly into the camera.
Poor Little Dead Girls Page 25
