Secrets in the Dark

by Darcy Coates

  Clare didn’t like the turn the conversation was taking.

  Ezra dug his fingers into his hair. A drip of saliva fell from the grimacing teeth. He took a shuddering breath and leaned back, wiping his sleeve over his chin. “I want you to know I’m not a bad person. Everything… all of it—everything—it was always to help people. My thanites would have saved millions of lives. If Aspect hadn’t put such an unrealistic deadline on my work, if I hadn’t been pushed as hard as I was, I could have been more careful. It never would have gotten out of the lab. It wasn’t my fault!”

  He stood and began pacing. Clare didn’t know what to say. He seemed to want her to agree with him and to absolve him of blame. “I understand.”

  “What was I supposed to do?” He threw his hands out. His eyes bulged. “Wait for the committee to approve human trials? My grant was up at the end of the month. It would have all gone to waste—been trashed—or worse, they would have stolen it, just like Saul stole my earlier work. That snake grew fat off my blood and sweat. I couldn’t let that happen again. So I took a risk—not for my sake, but for humanity’s sake, you understand? I couldn’t have known what would happen. It wasn’t my fault. I was trying to do the right thing! The stillness affected me just as much as anyone. And Peter kept screaming at me, ‘What have you done? What have you done?’ And I-I—”

  Clare’s eyes drifted to Peter’s bloated, rotting corpse and the tiny bullet hole above his temple.

  “I’m not a bad person.” Ezra swung back to her. “If I was—if I was, I’d have taken the coward’s way out. But I didn’t. I stayed. Because I’m the only one alive who can fix this. I really can! I’ve been working non-stop these last three weeks. And I think I’ve got it.”

  “I believe you.” Clare was so close to the glass, her breath misted over it. “You’re a good person. Which is why you’ll let us leave.”

  “Oh, Clare.” He stepped closer. His hand touched the glass’s other side, pressed over where hers rested. The urge to recoil washed over Clare, and she fought to suppress it. “I was really thinking about sending you and your friend away. I fought with myself over it, telling myself that I could wait for a different traveller to find the tower…”

  She leaned in close, matching his pose, hoping he wouldn’t see how badly she was shaking. “It’s not too late.”

  He exhaled, head drooping. When he lifted his face, moisture shone in his eyes, and sweat beaded on his forehead, but his expression was smoother. “No, Clare. I can’t wait for someone else to find the tower. It could be weeks, and every day, more people are dying. Please listen closely, and I know you’ll understand. Sacrifices need to be made.”

  “Ezra—”

  His eyes bored into hers, unrelenting. “This purpose is greater than you, and it’s greater than me. You can help save countless lives. Wouldn’t you like that? Don’t you want to be a hero?”

  She nearly choked on the words. “I want to be alive.”

  “I know. I know. I don’t want to hurt you. I’m a gentle person. I’m not here to kill you, I promise.”

  Clare opened her mouth then closed it again.

  Ezra saw the doubt in her face and lowered his voice to a plaintive whisper. “I need help with the code. If we do this right, both of you can leave the tower unharmed. I’ll even use the sirens to chase the hollows away from the doors. You can be free, just like you want.”

  She licked dry lips. “What type of help do you need?”

  Peter nodded towards the chamber beside them. “When I realised, last night, that you knew what really happened—” His voice caught, and he took a second to collect himself. “I realised I was out of time. So I worked as hard as I ever had to finish my code. I came up to test it on her. And look; it worked.”

  Clare dreaded what she might see, but she had to know. She stepped closer to the glass dividing her from the second chamber.

  “Oh.” She swallowed the nauseated moan that wanted to escape.

  The hollow was barely recognisable. White bones and red gore mingled in confusing and horrific ways. She had to take a second look to figure out where the creature’s head was.

  The hollow looked as though she had been butchered. Except the splits in the skin seemed to have started on the inside. Pus-like liquid seeped out of the holes. Flecks of flesh dotted the floor and walls. Like a million tiny explosions went off inside its body.

  “The code works,” Peter said. His lopsided grin grew as he followed Clare’s gaze. “It deactivates the thanites, which in turn, kills the hollows. She went down in just twelve seconds—and she stayed down.”

  Clare stepped back from the glass. Bitter bile filled her mouth. Smiling was physically painful, but she made her muscles work. “That’s… amazing. You really did it.”

  “Yes. But I’m afraid it’s not ready yet. There’s still too much uncertainty.”

  Guessing where the conversation was leading, Clare began to nod. “So now it needs to go to Evandale. We can take it.”

  “No.” A sharp note entered his voice. It was harsh enough that Clare flinched back. Ezra’s expression darkened, and even though he lowered his voice, it didn’t lose its edge. “This was my discovery. My code. They won’t get their hands on it.”

  He’s possessive. He had his research stolen once; he’s determined to keep the glory this time. “Okay. That—that’s fine.”

  Ezra ran his hand over his jaw and turned his eyes towards the ceiling. They glittered in the artificial light. “I know it will work against the hollows. There’s only one uncertainty. Will it be safe for humans?”

  His grey eyes flicked down to meet Clare’s. Her stomach dropped. She shook her head, backing away from the glass. “Ezra—no.”

  “I’m almost certain you’ll be fine.” He dropped his hand and crept closer. “You’ll have barely any thanites compared to a hollow. And I think I’ve rigged up the destruction to cause minimal damage to a human host. I’m certain it’s safe. Almost. We just need to be sure.”

  Clare wanted to scream at him, You thought the thanites would be safe when you activated them, but she forced the words back down. Antagonism wouldn’t save them. She tried to hold onto her composure and keep the gentle cadence in her voice. “Don’t do this to us, Ezra.”

  “Someone has to test it.” Now, it was his turn to sound coaxing. He spread his hands. “This is why I was hoping one of the crazies would find me. It crushed me to see how friendly and hopeful you were. But I can’t afford to wait for someone else to stumble on the tower, you understand? If we have any hope of rebuilding our world, we need to eliminate the hollows as quickly as possible. And if that involves some risk—or even some sacrifices—well, it will be worth it.”

  Clare’s throat had tightened. It made breathing difficult and thinking even worse. A warm hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up to see Dorran at her side. He was no longer trying to vanish into the background; that meant he thought the war had been lost.

  “Look, if I’m right, you’ll be fine.” Ezra spread his arms, a smile twitching across his features. “And I’m sure I’m right. The thanites have been my life for the last year. I know how to handle them. How to destroy them. So, here’s the deal. You get through this test, and I let you leave, unharmed.”

  You finished the code in a one-night, energy-drink-fuelled binge. At least take the time to double-check it! Clare opened her mouth, but the words failed her. All she could think of was the dead hollow in the next chamber, its body ripped apart from the inside.

  “Trust me,” Ezra said. “I know what I’m doing. Heaven willing, it will work, and you can walk out of here by this time tomorrow.”

  She shook her head furiously. Dorran’s hand tightened over her shoulder.

  “Well, it’s going to happen whether you want it or not.” The smile twisted into something bitter. “So if one of you wants to volunteer to go first, now’s the time to speak up.”

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Dorran stepped forward. “I will.�
��

  Clare grabbed his sleeve and yanked him back. “No!”

  “This will be all right.” Dorran turned to face her, his wide shoulders blocking Ezra from sight. He ran his fingers across her cheek as he brushed loose hair behind her ear.

  Hot tears spilt over her lids. She let them fall unchecked. “No, please, Dorran, don’t. We have to stay together.”

  “Shh. Trust me.” He bent to kiss her. Warm lips, salty with her tears, lingered. As he pulled away, he whispered, softly enough that it wouldn’t carry, “Wait until he is away from the room, then go for the gun.”

  Dorran raised his eyebrows, and Clare’s breath caught. He has a plan. She leaned into him, searching his eyes, silently asking for confirmation. He gave a very small smile as he stepped back then turned to face the glass separating him from Ezra. “I’m ready.”

  “Good. Good.” Ezra backed towards the control panel. His fingers shook as he adjusted its settings. Clare’s focus drifted from the buttons to the pistol perched on top of the panel. Ezra seemed to have forgotten about it.

  Go for the gun when he leaves the room. When? How are you going to make this work, Dorran?

  “This is what we’re going to do, big guy.” Ezra faced them, one hand poised over the switches. “You’ll move into the second chamber. You won’t try anything. You understand? No heroics, no attacks, nothing sneaky. Because if I get even a hint of reluctance, I’ll press this button. That’s going to activate the thanites in your friend’s chamber.”

  Clare shivered, and Ezra tilted his head to give them a piercing stare.

  “You know what that means, right? There are still plenty of thanites floating through the air. Even if you got the upper hand over me, you’d have to watch your girl turn into one of those mindless, soulless creatures you’ve been killing. So no fast movements, because it would be awfully easy for my hand to slip. Right?”

  “I understand.”

  Clare wanted to reach out to Dorran. His voice was flat, and it seemed to cost him effort to keep it that way. Please, Dorran, whatever you’re planning, be safe.

  “You, Clare, step back against the far wall. Yes, just like that. Don’t move.” Ezra waited a second to make sure she was following his instructions, then he pressed a button. The chamber’s door hissed as the seal was broken then whirred as it slid open. Dorran stepped through. Unease crawled over Clare as she watched him go.

  As Dorran stepped out of the room, he subtly reached behind himself, holding his ID tag out of Ezra’s view. He slipped the plastic card into the closing door. It caught, its cord dangling, as he stepped away. Clare’s breath hitched. The ID tag lodged in the door’s lock, leaving the glass panel a millimetre ajar.

  “Into the other chamber.” Ezra hadn’t noticed. His attention was wholly focussed on Dorran, and the strain in his voice betrayed his stress. His hand hovered over the button, fingers trembling. The unit beside them opened with a muffled hiss.

  Ezra gagged as the air inside was released. Clare couldn’t smell it, but she guessed the hollow must reek as badly as Peter’s corpse. Dorran’s expression remained impassive. He gave Ezra one slow, calculating glare then stepped into the second chamber. The door hissed closed, and Ezra nodded as he removed his hand from the control panel.

  “Good. Good. All right.” Ezra rocked back on his heels. He looked happy. “I was hoping you’d volunteer, big guy. You look strong enough to brush off any side effects. You should be fine.”

  Dorran glanced towards the dead hollow at his feet. He folded his arms and faced the glass, silent and unreadable.

  Clare couldn’t so much as breathe. Her pulse was deafening, her eyes burning. She held perfectly still, not even letting herself look down, terrified that movement might draw Ezra’s attention to the door’s lock, where the ID tag was pinned.

  Clever, Dorran. But how are you going to get him to leave?

  “Good, good…” Ezra typed on his computer. Code flashed across the screen. “You won’t need to do anything. Just stand there.”

  Come on, Dorran, you don’t have much time. What’s your plan?

  Dorran steadfastly faced forward, refusing to meet her eyes or give her any clues. His instructions had been to wait until Ezra was gone before running for the gun. But Ezra wasn’t showing any sign of leaving. He was typing on his control panel.

  And Dorran still refused to look at her.

  A terrible idea occurred. He wasn’t trying to barter with Ezra, manipulate him, or coax him outside, because he knew it wouldn’t work. Dorran expected Ezra to leave the room… after the experiment.

  “Wait,” Clare choked out. She hit her palm on the glass wall between her and Dorran. The deep reverberations rattled through her enclosure. “Stop—”

  Ezra ignored her. He lifted his head, and shadows haunted his cheeks and the hollows under his eyes as he smiled at Dorran. “Good luck.”

  He pressed a button. A sharp blue light flashed at the top of the chamber. Clare thought she heard a high-pitched note ringing from the room, but the sound was so piercing, she couldn’t tell if it was real or in her imagination.

  Dorran crumpled. The effect was instantaneous; one second, he was standing straight, reliable, unyielding. The next, he was gone. He landed heavily, facing away from Clare.

  Ezra’s eyes widened, his smile frozen, as he watched in cold fascination. His finger didn’t lift from the button.

  Clare slammed her shoulder into the door. The lock, propped open by the nametag, gave way as she forced the glass open. She launched into the main room, desperation and fear driving her.

  “Wait—” Ezra swivelled, shocked. His finger came off the button. The high-pitched noise faded. “You—”

  Clare’s fist hit his jaw. He slammed into the wall and dropped, one hand cupped over the bruised skin, his eyes wide.

  The gun was within reach. Dorran had wanted her to get it. He’d expected her to use it to protect herself if he never came out of the test chamber. But Clare ignored the weapon. Dorran lay on the cold tile floor, horribly still, and every other necessity paled in comparison to her need to get him out.

  She wrenched the USB out of its slot, physically removing the code. Numb hands scrambled across the dashboard, trying to remember which switches operated the doors. She found what she thought was the right one and turned it. Air hissed as the chamber’s airlock opened, and the awful scent of drying blood mingled with the already foul air.

  Clare reached towards the open door. Something hard slammed into her legs, upending them. She fell and hit the tile floor hard. Bitter blood ran across her tongue as she bit the inside of her cheek. She rolled and was just in time to avoid the chair Ezra slammed down towards her.

  He stood, hunched, breathing heavily, his hair falling into disarray. The chair rose as he prepared to deliver another blow.

  Clare kicked, and he yelped as her foot connected with his shin. The chair dropped. Ezra stepped back, wary, and Clare again tried to reach for the glass door. Ezra lunged forward and grabbed her ankle, dragging her back.

  “Don’t,” he barked. “You’ll contaminate the sample.”

  It took her a second to understand what Ezra meant. The sample. Dorran. Anger rose, blooming out of her stomach and pouring into her lungs like molten lava. Clare swiped at him, curling her hands to use the nails like claws, fighting to get him off her. His elbow jabbed into her chest, sending a bloom of pain across her ribs. Then a forearm pressed over her throat. In an instant, her air was cut off.

  Clare struggled. Ezra was larger and heavier than her, and he used his weight to pin her down. The smile, frantically wide, filled her vision. Then Ezra yelped. The pressure disappeared from her throat, and Clare dragged in a gasping breath. She rolled over.

  Dorran was no longer in the chamber. He stood over Ezra, eyes blazing and lips pulled back in a snarl. Vivid blood dripped over his face.

  Clare scrambled to her feet. She was just in time to catch Dorran as he staggered. She wrapped her arms around his ch
est and set her feet to hold him up.

  Ezra had fallen with his back against the control panel. His skin was white, sweat beading over his face, a vein pulsing in his throat beneath the scores Clare had left. One hand raised the gun.

  “Out,” Dorran gasped.

  Clare pulled them both left, towards the door leading to the main part of the lab. A crack, so loud that her ears rang, boomed around them. The massive glass panel fragmented. A spiderweb of cracks grew over it as a bullet punctured the glass.

  They ran into the labs. Clare kept her arm around Dorran, supporting him as much as she could. His breathing was laboured. That frightened her. So did the blood dripping off the tip of his nose and over his lips. But he matched her steps as they ran for the door.

  With another crack, one of the tiles on the back wall exploded. Clare and Dorran skidded to a halt at the doors. Clare slammed her tag into the sensor, and as the metal sheets slid back, they darted through. They sidestepped to put the solid concrete wall at their backs as the doors whirred closed.

  The hallway was too dark to see anything except the outline of Dorran’s profile. Clare held his arm, her fingers digging into his jacket sleeve. “Tell me where you’re hurt.”

  “I’m fine.” He was still gasping. “We need to lose Ezra.”

  The red glow of exit lights flowed through the stairwell in both directions. Clare bit her lip. “How far can you run?”

  “As far as you need.”

  She remembered following Ezra towards the power generator the previous day, and the way he’d turned red and breathless. “We can go up. He’s not fast on the stairs. It will buy us a couple of minutes.”

  “Good.” Dorran caught her hand and pulled her forward.