by Strauss, Lee
Finally, the officer cleared Anthony and let us go.
“You can sit back up again,” he said.
I pulled the blanket back and took a deep breath. My muscles burned from squishing myself into a fetal position for so long. Pinpricks like stinging nettle ran up and down my thighs and calves. I helped Zoe back up. “Are you okay?”
“My feet are asleep.”
“Mine, too.”
We rolled our shoulders and stretched out our legs. Zoe massaged her toes.
We entered a middle upper-class residential area with dimmed streetlights framing the streets. There was a mixture of single and multi-family homes in a maze of cul-de-sacs and dead end streets. We arrived at the last house on one of them and Anthony pulled into the garage. I recognized it.
“Brian’s place?”
“Think of your old gang as part of a twenty-first century underground railroad,” Anthony said. “Next stop, Beth’s place.”
We got out of the car, and I patted Anthony on the back. “I’m impressed. You’re running this thing your own way.”
“Hey, you were a good example.”
“Is that why you’re doing this? Helping us?” Did he feel he owed me something?
“I guess. Mostly I want to ‘stick it to the man.’ But I also get a rush out of helping friends stick it to him, too.”
I chuckled.
“But seriously,” Anthony continued. “I can’t stand how they want to control everyone. It’s getting ridiculous.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” I wove my fingers through Zoe’s then stared at Anthony. “What next?” He led the way out the back of the garage into the back alley. “The long hike begins?”
“Yup.”
I stopped and crouched down. “Get on,” I said to Zoe.
“Are you sure?”
“You’re so light, I won’t even notice.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and as I stood, her legs folded around my waist. I loved the feel of her body hanging on mine and wondered why I hadn’t thought of doing this before. Just for fun.
We hiked down several back alleys, through yards, including Beth’s and Katy’s. I’d love to see my old gang again, but it was too dangerous and we were running out of time. Paul Vanderveen would be waiting for us at the church in less than an hour.
Anthony stopped and crouched down. “We’re about to enter zone two. This is where it could get tricky.”
Zoe slipped off my back, and we bent down beside him. We were on a crest of a hill looking down at the well-lit zone. I immediately understood the challenge. An armed soldier manned every corner. Some of them were extra buff and bulky. The cyborgs.
It looked impossible. I didn’t want to freak Zoe out so I kept my thoughts to myself, but Anthony anticipated my doubts.
“If you stay on the perimeter, near the underpass, you can make it to the church undetected. If you get stopped, pray it’s not by a cyborg. Let them scan your rings.
He said “you,” not “we.”
“Are we parting ways?”
He nodded. “You know your way from here. Stay in the shadows.”
We shook hands and then I pulled him into a loose hug. “Thanks, man. I mean it.”
“I know. Keep in touch.”
He waved and his lanky form disappeared into the darkness.
Zoe gripped my hand. I kissed her head and then crouched down. “Get on.”
She was a lightweight, but an extra hundred pounds were still that. My shoulders ached and my breath came heavy. It also made me less graceful, and the darkness didn’t help. I stumbled and almost tossed Zoe into the brush.
“Slow down,” she whispered and tightened her grip.
I managed to get us down the hill without snowballing. Zone two was so well lit, it was hard to find a shadow to stay in. I was surprised by the reckless use of electricity and wondered how they were powering this. Hoover Dam and others like it had lacked the water to generate electricity now for many years. California had built massive wind farms with row after row of tall white wind turbines, but even so, the wind couldn’t be regulated.
The church tower was in sight. The wrought iron hands on its big, ancient clock-face were perpetually at twenty past ten. My heart skipped a beat as my mind recalled a million memories in mere seconds. Going to service every Sunday morning, bright and early, sitting beside my mother with my younger brothers in the front row, my father preaching; Dad protesting on the front steps, warning citizens of the dangers of unbridled science unleashed on humanity unfairly; his assassination, the blood on the step that drained out of his skull, my terror; my own band of protesters writing up hand-made placards, eager to rally against the evils of GAP policies.
Zoe as Chloe Morgan, fighting against her very nature in order to find her brother.
Our make-out session on the pew.
“You there, stop!”
I lowered Zoe’s quivering body to the ground. I gripped her face and stared hard into her eyes. “Pretend like we’re drunk. Like we’re madly in love.”
“I don’t have to pretend the last part.” She started giggling, and I kissed her sloppily.
“I love you so much, Alice.”
“Oh, Ben, I love you, too.”
“Break it up, love birds.” The soldier held out his scanner.
I slouched like I was under the influence, thanking God that the soldier was human and not cyborg, and held out a hand.
My heart lurched as he read the phony info. Did it work? He looked at me, and I grinned stupidly. He reached for Zoe’s hand, and she held it up, keeping her eyes averted. It was possible this goon could recognize her, despite her hair change and weight loss.
I held my breath as we waited. Then he slipped the scanner back into its holster. “You two know it’s almost curfew.”
“We’re on our way home now,” I said, grabbing Zoe by the waist and tickling her.
“I’d go straight there if you know what’s good for you.”
“We will.” I pulled Zoe, by the arm. “Com’on, Alice,” I slurred. “Your dad’s gonna kill me.”
We sauntered off casually, even though every nerve in my body wanted to break out in a run.
The moment we turned the corner out of sight, Zoe climbed on my back, and I sprinted through the shadows, my legs scratched by underbrush and dry grass, until I reached the back door of the church out of breath. I punched in the code, and the door opened.
Chapter 37
I walked Zoe over to the nearest pew, kicking up dust from the wood floor with our feet. I wiped off a bench with one hand before helping her to lie down.
“We made it,” she said softly.
I gently moved a strand of hair off her face. “We did.”
“How long until…”
I tapped the ComRing, reminding myself once again to thank Anthony in a big way, and checked the time. “He should be here any minute. I’ll go wait for him outside.”
She took my hand before I could leave. “Noah?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
I bent down and kissed her. “I’d do anything for you. Anything.”
Her eyes smiled. “I know.”
I reluctantly left her side and slipped out the back door. I leaned against the broken stucco with my head back and let out a long breath. My body shook with exhaustion and my stomach grumbled. I curled and uncurled my fists in a vain effort to release the tension.
In moments, I’d be face to face with Zoe’s dad. Not exactly a fun-filled night.
I jerked to attention when I saw the dimmed headlights. Zoe’s dad appeared from an electric pod car. His eyes narrowed to angry slits when he saw me.
“Where is she?”
It’d been almost a year since I’d last seen the guy. I’d expected him to have changed a little, especially in light of all the drama and loss he’d been through, but he looked exactly the same. Lean, fit, tanned. Recent haircut. He hadn’t aged a bit, and it pissed me off.
<
br /> “Good to see you again, too, Paul.”
With the look he flashed me, I was glad he wasn’t armed.
“You’re sure you’re alone?” I asked.
“Of course,” he replied tersely.
“Just so you know, I have eyes on this place. My friend will honor his threat if you’re lying.” I opened the door, and he followed me in.
Zoe sat up when she saw him. “Dad.”
Paul stuttered to a stop. “Your mother is going to have a fit.”
I waved a hand with frustration. “You haven’t seen her for a year, and that’s what you have to say?”
He spun on his heels. “What should I say? She looks terrible? I hardly recognize her. What did you do to her?”
He pushed me in the chest, and I locked my legs. I ground my teeth together, forcing myself not to punch the guy in the face.
“I didn’t do this to her, you did!”
“Dad,” Zoe called weakly. “Let’s go.”
Paul finally turned on the father switch and jumped to her side, putting an arm around her and lifting to her feet. “There’s a doctor meeting us at the house. The hospital has been informed that you are arriving tonight. Everything’s going to be okay.” He brushed by me. “You can stay here.”
Zoe’s eyes darted to me. “No, he goes with me.”
I drooped. “Maybe your dad’s right.”
“Noah, no. I need you. I’m not going if you don’t.” She pulled back from Paul. “I’m not coming if he doesn’t come, too.”
Paul stiffened noticeably. “If that’s what you want.”
Once Zoe was strapped into the front seat, I crawled into the back.
Paul swivel toward me. “I don’t know how you’re going to get through the gate.”
“I have ID,” I said. “And you might want to tell the guard that you have Alice Miller with you.”
Zoe reached a hand back to me, and I took it. “And Noah’s Ben Montgomery, Dad.”
“I’m not even going to ask,” he said.
Being one of Sleiman Enterprises top dogs had its perks and one of them was a very casual check over by the guards at the Sol City gates.
“Hello, Mr. Vanderveen, you’re out late.”
“Yes, well, my guests missed their train and arrived later than we thought.”
“The name of your guests? Just so I can register their entry?”
“Alice Miller and Ben Montgomery.”
The guard ducked low to look in. Zoe and I smiled. My heart battered against my ribs. The guard hesitated then waved us through. “Have a good evening.”
“You, too,” Paul said.
I couldn’t believe I had entered Sol City of my own free will. Its fake and pristine beauty remained, a modern theme park. Paul drove us down wide streets lined with tall palms planted in straight rows, manicured lawns and decorative, floral hedges. Before too long, we drove up the drive to their glass, box house on the ocean.
Paul and I both headed for Zoe’s door and he flashed me a disgusted scowl. It was the first time I got a good look at his eyes. There was something different about them. An odd glow glimmered from the right one. I stepped back and let him help her, following like unwanted slime.
Paul pushed the massive front doors open, and I heard the sound of Alison’s heels clicking on the tiles. Her voice bounced off the tall ceilings. “Where is she?”
“I’m right here, Mom,” Zoe muttered. I scooped her up from under Paul’s arms and carried her to the familiar white sofa and laid her down.
Alison kneeled on the matching white rug, took Zoe’s hand in hers, and pushed me out of the way. “Zoe, oh my God, you scared us.” Her voice hitched, and for a moment, I believed she had a soul. “I thought we’d never see you again.”
“I’m here now, Mom. I just need a little help.”
Alison Vanderveen’s look also hadn’t changed. Same short blond hair, same upper-class attire. Only her eyes were different. Like Paul, her right one was glassy and feral-looking. She glanced over at me and speared me with a glare. “This is your fault. Get out.”
“No, Mom,” Zoe said. “I want him here.”
Alison stood and pointed a long, manicured finger at me. “Get out before I call the authorities.”
“Mom!” Zoe broke out into a fit of coughing. “If he goes,” she finally mustered, “then I’ll leave, too.”
I beseeched her. “She’ll die without medical help.”
The doorbell rang and I noticed for the first time that we weren’t alone. A maid walked to answer the door. She wore a black dress with a white apron—Alison’s preferred costume of choice for her staff—but something was off.
When she returned with the doctor behind her, I could see what it was. She was a humanoid.
The doctor dismissed me with one sideways glance and went straight to examining Zoe. The light in this room was bright and unfriendly. I saw Zoe the way her parents and the doctors must see her, as if for the first time. A pasty sheen covered her face. Her cheeks were sunken making her cheekbones stick out sharply. Her eyes were too big with purple circles underneath.
“I don’t know where he had her all this time,” Alison said. “They smell like wet dogs.”
“It’s fine, Mrs. Vanderveen,” the doctor said in a soothing voice. “Bad smells are an occupational hazard.”
“And your hair, Zoe? What did you do?”
I rolled my eyes. Her daughter was at death’s door and she was concerned about her hair?
For two minutes there was nothing but the sound of deep breathing and the beat of my heart. My feet were pinned to the floor with fear—that we were too late, that Zoe would die.
The doctor stood and confirmed what Zoe and I already knew. “It’s her heart. Unbelievably, it’s failing.” He scratched his head. “I’ve never seen this in a GAP before.”
“She’s a clone,” I spouted out. Alison and Paul slew me with fiery stares from their bizarre eyes.
“I’m sorry to expose your secret, but it might save her life. Doctor, her heart is failing because when she was two she had an accident that brought on death and she was cloned. Her GAP procedures didn’t transfer.”
The stunned, trapped expressions on Paul’s and Alison’s faces confirmed my story. “Okay.” The doctor tented his fingers. “We can operate with discretion. She’ll need a new heart. The sooner the better.”
“When?” I said. “And how? Do you just have a bunch of hearts on hand? Do you grow them in labs?”
The doctor smiled dryly, humoring me. “You don’t have to worry about that, son. But we should transport her to the hospital as soon as possible.” He tapped his Communication Ring. “An ambulance is on its way.”
“No!” Zoe mustered. “They’ll drug me. They’ll make me forget.”
Paul stood at the foot of the sofa. “We won’t do that again, Zoe. You have my word.”
“I don’t trust your word,” she said. “I want a legal contract I can sign. And a video statement sent to Noah. I won’t agree to the operation without it. I’m an adult now. You can’t do anything without my consent.”
Paul’s eyes flickered to Alison, who was busy ringing her hands. “Your mother will draw one up.”
“Noah?” Zoe called for me. I was by her side and on one knee in two steps.
She wrinkled up her forehead. “I’m afraid.”
“Shh, it’s going to be fine. You’ll have the best care modern medicine has to offer.” Of that I was certain.
“Don’t leave me.”
“I would never leave you.”
“Promise me!”
I ran a finger tenderly down her face and kissed her.
I thought I heard Alison gasp behind me. I made the kiss deeper. It could be our last one for a long while.
The doctor spoke. “Ambulance is here.”
I whispered into Zoe’s hair, swallowing the gigantic lump in my throat. “It’s time,”
She smiled and a tear ran down her cheek.
I collected it with my finger. “I love you.”
Chapter 38
The paramedics took over the room and lifted Zoe onto the gurney. They expertly and quickly inserted an IV line into her arm, then pushed her through the front door and into the waiting ambulance. Paul climbed in after her. I felt painfully helpless and detached.
Alison grabbed her high-fashioned purse, then turned and narrowed her eyes at me. “You better be gone before we get back and I mean long gone.”
“I told Zoe I’d wait.”
“I don’t care what you told her. You don’t matter anymore, understand.”
“I matter to her.”
“She’ll get over it.”
I grabbed her by the arm and squeezed. “So, you are going to take her memories.”
She clenched her teeth and hissed. “I will honor the contract. Now let go of me.”
I released my grip and worked to hold onto the growing hatred I had for this woman.
“I don’t know who you think you are,” she said with tight lips, “but might I remind you that you are wanted by the federal authorities for kidnapping the president’s granddaughter. The only reason the authorities aren’t here already and dragging you to some dark pit to live out the rest of your life is because I care for my daughter. And if you care for her like you say, you’ll leave her alone.”
“And if I don’t?”
“It’s prison. Or death. My father-in-law won’t stop chasing you. Either way, you’ll never have Zoe again.”
Fury consumed me. Egotistical, arrogant woman!
Her heels clicked as she moved to the interior garage door. I rushed up behind her and slammed my hand up against it, preventing her from leaving. A flash of fear passed through her creepy eyes and I bore down on her. I wanted her to be afraid of me.
Her gaze moved to something on the floor. A speck of dust, the point of her expensive, patent leather shoe. “I can pay you fifty-thousand dollars,” she finally said.
My jaw dropped. She thought she could buy me off?
She stared hard at me again. “I believe you when you say that you love her. So look at what she’s become over the last year since she’s been with you. She’s anorexic, she’s ill and God knows when the last time she’s showered. Is this the life you want her to have?”
