“What are we doing with him?” Gabriel gestured to Ramsey, unconscious on the pavement.
“Nothing,” I said. “Leave him here. Leave him for the wolves. Victoria didn’t want me to kill him. I won’t, but that doesn’t mean something else won’t.” I removed the electronic device from my pocket, to get through the fence and deactivate the sandworms and Mekka wolves. I pressed one of the small buttons. The device could also summon them.
“That works,” Gabriel said, slashing the two remaining drivable tires on Mackenzie’s jeep. “Let’s go.”
“I’m not going back,” I said.
Gabriel stopped before climbing into the passenger seat. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve caused more harm than good going back to Victoria. I’ve compromised her, myself, my family. I need to go back.”
“Are you well enough to continue on your own?”
“I’ll have to be.”
“She’ll want to see you. I mean, you did this for her—all of this,” Gabriel said.
“I know,” I responded. “And I want to see her—you have no idea how much. But I can do the most good by going back. I’ll be in contact so I can help whoever comes back to the palace. A part of me hopes it isn’t her.”
Gabriel was silent for a long moment, considering everything I’d said. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded sad. “Be careful,” he simply said, climbed into the jeep, and shut the door.
I watched them drive away in a thick cloud of dust, then walked up to Ramsey and kicked him in the stomach. He didn’t stir—still out cold.
A wolf howled in the distance.
I holstered my gun in the waist of my pants, picked up Ramsey’s pistol from the dirt beside the road, and headed in the direction of my stowed SUV.
28
Victoria
Kale’s house felt so empty without Mina. We never found Prince Byron—or Gabriel for that matter. I’d overheard commotion about a stolen jeep and figured they were the culprits.
I didn’t know what to do now. The Queen hadn’t called back, but I was expecting her to at any moment, and I needed to go back—right now—before she did anything more to Piper and Constance.
She had already altered their appearances. But what did that mean? It seemed they should be safe now. They had nothing to do with Princess Amelia anymore, but now, their captivity had everything to do with me.
I was sitting on the floor of Kale’s room, leaning against his bed, listening to him and his father arguing in the living room. Kale didn’t want me to be a part of the discussion. I had done enough already.
Codie and Anabelle were locked away with Ariel in her room.
I heard a loud honking from outside—long, persistent. The arguing stopped. I soon heard the front door open and close. Something was wrong.
I jumped to my feet and ran out of the bedroom. The honking was louder once I got outside. I saw Kale and Frank running down the path between the buildings, toward the jeep making all the noise. I sprinted after them.
The honking stopped just before Kale and Frank reached the vehicle. Moments later, Kale was running back in my direction.
“What’s happening?” I asked as Kale passed me.
“I need bolt cutters,” Kale said and continued back toward his house.
I followed him to a small shed around the back of his house. Kale frantically rummaged through the tools, found what he was looking for, and again we were racing toward the jeep.
When we reached it, I noticed Duke Mackenzie in the driver’s seat. Frank took the bolt cutters from Kale and proceeded to cut a pair of handcuffs, the chain of which had been linked through the steering wheel.
“This is her fault!” Duke Mackenzie growled, pointing at me once his hands were free.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.
“Ramsey is probably dead because of her!” Duke Mackenzie tried to approach me, but Kale slid between us.
“What happened?” Frank asked, and pulled the Duke’s arm to get his attention off me.
“Byron and his traitorous sidekick ambushed us in the desert. Ramsey and Byron are still out there.”
“Where’s the girl?”
“Gabriel and the girl came back with me,” Mackenzie said, practically spitting the words. “They ran off as soon as we arrived.”
Frank turned his attention to me. “Did you have anything to do with this?”
“No; I swear. Though I wish I did,” I said, defiantly.
“Well, she’s not welcome back in my home,” Frank said, his expression hard and cold. “Let’s get this little matter resolved, then we’ll talk about our next step with the Queen. Kale, take Victoria home and keep her there. I don’t want any more complications.”
Kale glanced at me, then back at his father. “Yes, sir.”
I was smiling as I walked back to the house with Kale. I couldn’t believe Prince Byron had rescued Mina—gotten her away from that monster. And that monster was now gone. I just wanted to throw my arms around her and hold her forever.
“Do you think they’re going to find them?” I asked as we entered the house.
“Find who?” Ariel asked. All the commotion must have coaxed the kids out of Ariel’s room.
“No one,” Kale said. “Never mind.”
“Can we go outside to play?”
“Now’s not a good time.” Kale went to the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of water. “Anyone else want one?”
“You’re not the servant anymore,” I said.
“My princess,” Kale said and bowed when he handed me a glass.
“Shut up.” I laughed and snatched the full glass out of his hand. Water sloshed over the edges and splashed onto the linoleum floor.
Kale grabbed a towel from the counter and wiped the floor. “Next time, I’ll let you clean up after yourself.”
“I can do that, you know. I’ve been doing it my whole life.” And just as he finished, I poured a little more water onto the floor. “You missed a spot.”
Kale threw the damp towel at me, which ended up wrapping around my arm holding the glass.
“What can we do?” Ariel complained. “I’m bored.”
“I don’t know,” Kale said. “Play a game or something. You’ve got, like, a hundred of them. What do your friends want to do?”
“Play outside,” Codie said.
“The only thing I said you can’t do,” Kale said, shaking his head.
“Let’s play a board game,” I said. “I’ll join you. Kale too.” I glanced over at Kale and he didn’t look thrilled about the idea, but I didn’t let that deter me. We needed a little distraction before all the problems came rushing back into the house. “Which game’s your favorite?”
I glanced over at Kale at the sound of his phone buzzing in his hand.
“I need to take this,” he said and headed for his bedroom.
“Who is it?” I asked, desperate to get an update on Mina and Gabriel.
But instead of answering my question, he just said, “Save me a spot. I’ll be back in a minute.”
29
Byron
I sat in the SUV with the windows rolled down. It was like a furnace in there, but I didn’t want to waste gas out here by running the air conditioner.
I’d dozed off several times, so exhausted from the pain and the heat; I’d made it this far, but in my current state, didn’t know how much longer I would last.
I gazed at myself in the rearview mirror of the SUV. I looked like death and I didn’t feel that far off. The skin on my face was burned from my trek through the desert in the scorching sun. My lips were chapped and my eyes, bloodshot.
My side ached, though it was more of a dull ache now as opposed to the sharp pain from earlier in the day. It was taking some time, but I knew the nanobots were working their magic. If I had remained resting in the medic trailer, I might not feel so bad by now. But since I denied myself that necessary rest, I was paying the price.
Though I felt like hell, my sickly condition would make my story more believable. I couldn’t put this off any longer. I grabbed the computer tablet from the glove compartment and turned it on, tapping the streaming video app and attempting a connection to the Queen.
My story would be most believable if she could see me. Unfortunately, there was a high probability she wouldn’t pick up and I’d have to call her by phone. But to my surprise, Queen Dorothea’s face appeared on the screen.
“Prince Byron, I was told you’d been shot,” she said.
I coughed before answering, not even having to exaggerate. “I did.” I lifted my shirt and repositioned the screen of the tablet so she could see my bandages.
“So, they didn’t leave you to die. Victoria and her comrades took care of you.”
“They captured me,” I clarified. “I never saw Victoria. The first chance I got, I commandeered a jeep and escaped. I couldn’t let myself be used as a pawn in whatever game they’re playing.”
“You didn’t see Victoria. You didn’t deliver the message. What about Gabriel?” the Queen asked.
“He’s the one who shot me,” I said.
“Yes. I heard that too.”
“I didn’t see him after blacking out; I barely escaped with my life. I got back to the SUV you lent me as quickly as I could. They still have my phone, but luckily, they didn’t notice this tablet in the glove compartment.”
“Where are you?” she asked.
“I—I’m beyond the border. The camp was hours into the Outlands.” I didn’t want to say too much, but it made sense to at least tell her Victoria and her group were not even within the Kingdom.
“So, there’s a breach in our fence security.”
Crap. Maybe I’d said too much after all. I needed the nanobots to finish their work and allow me a clear head again.
“I’ll have my Executive Director of Security look into that.” Queen Dorothea looked down and appeared to be writing—probably a note to review fence security. After a moment, her attention was back on me. “I called Victoria this morning,” she said. “And again, she did not pick up. I’m afraid I’m about out of patience. It’s time to destroy her and her group.”
“I’m returning to the palace,” I said. “Let’s talk about this when I get back.”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I was thinking. You know where the camp is now, correct? Especially with it being in the Outlands. Your help will be a great service in this matter.”
“Sort of,” I said. “I’m still on a lot of drugs—not very clear-headed. I was lucky I was able to find this SUV at all. It’s a vast stretch of nothing out here. So much of it looks alike; I don’t know if I can find my way back.”
“But you’ll try,” the Queen said. “We’ll review the maps—as old as they are now—and satellite footage and put an elite team together to end this little charade.”
The only thing I liked about what I was hearing was the fact it would take time to put together. Hopefully, enough time for Victoria and the others to accomplish what they needed to before returning to the Queen. I’d try to stall them where I could, but I’d only be able to do so much.
“Of course, I’ll try,” I said. “I just want to let you know my sense of direction isn’t the greatest right now. But with the tools at your disposal, I should be able to retrace my steps.”
“I have every confidence,” the Queen said. “Do you need me to send someone for you once you’re back within the border?”
I didn’t want any help she’d be willing to provide. For all I knew, she’d somehow get Mackenzie to pick me up, and he was the last person I wanted to see.
“That won’t be necessary,” I said. “I can manage.”
“Come find me when you get back,” the Queen said and the feed went black.
I tossed the tablet onto the passenger seat and retrieved my phone from my pocket.
I wanted to talk with Victoria, but I knew I needed to go back to the palace and couldn’t chance her convincing me to come back to the camp. If she asked, I would almost certainly comply.
“Did Gabriel make it back with the girl?” I asked.
“Yes. But I don’t know where they went. My father and his men are looking for them,” Kale said on the other end of the line. “Mackenzie said you didn’t come back with them. Where are you? Where’s Ramsey?”
“I’m back at the SUV. I left Ramsey where we’d hijacked their jeep—left him for the wolves.”
“You didn’t kill him?”
“I couldn’t. It’s complicated. But he’s as good as dead out here,” I said. I didn’t hear the wolves anymore. I couldn’t see the stranded jeep from this side of the hill, but I imagined them surrounding his unconscious body, ready to strike.
“It’s probably good you didn’t come back. Everyone here is pissed,” Kale said.
“I figured as much,” I said. “I’m heading back to the palace to buy you guys a little more time. But I don’t know how much I can buy. I hope you guys know what you’re going to do soon.”
“I’m sure a decision will be made today,” Kale said. “I need another favor.”
“Of course,” I said. “What do you need?”
“Open the glove compartment.”
I’d gone in there for the tablet and hadn’t noticed anything eye-catching, “What am I looking for?” But I noticed before he answered.
“A flash drive,” Kale said. “It contains all the physical evidence of what Victoria sent me. It’s what she can give to the Queen. I need you to hold onto it for her until she needs it—when she’s ready to confront the Queen.”
“This isn’t going to prove anything,” I said.
“I know that. And the Queen knows that. This is why Victoria always needed more collateral. And why my father will be accompanying Victoria to negotiate.”
“Why didn’t you just give this to her earlier?”
“It wasn’t ready earlier and I didn’t trust keeping it at my house any longer than necessary. I couldn’t let my parents get a hold of it. They would have… I can’t get into this now. Let me just say this is not my—our first experience with clones.”
I tried to get him to elaborate, but he wouldn’t. In the end, I simply agreed to uphold my end. “I’ll give it to her,” I said and hung up the phone.
I stuffed the flash drive in my front pocket, curious of all it contained. And what did he mean about this not being his first experience with clones? Maybe I’d put too much trust in him.
After sitting a few more minutes in silence, I felt my side again and winced. I was not ready to drive further, but I’d wasted too much time already. I needed to get back to the palace; I needed to check on the girls and needed to keep the Queen appeased.
Mackenzie had said he’d found the Princess. I didn’t know how or where, but he seemed to know the layout of the palace much better than I did. That, too, was a scary realization. He seemed to have far too much access—and access, like knowledge, was power.
30
Victoria
I had to admit I was a little hurt Prince Byron didn’t want to talk to me, but at least he seemed to be safe. I had worried about him ever since he’d disappeared. I wished he could at least have said goodbye.
It couldn’t have been more than an hour later when Frank and Mackenzie returned. We were in the middle of our second board game and Kale was finally allowing himself to relax and be in the moment with the kids. He was laughing and teasing and seemed to be having the most fun out of all of us. I was the one who’d become distracted since he’d mentioned his brief conversation with Prince Byron.
Duke Mackenzie helped himself to food and drink from the refrigerator while Frank disappeared into his bedroom to retrieve the palace blueprints. Natalie took a seat on the floor with the rest of us, squeezing between Ariel and Annabelle. I could tell she enjoyed having the new kids in the house, replacing Mina and probably Kale who didn’t intend to remain under his parents’ roof for much longer. The young c
hildren seemed to give her purpose.
Frank returned with the large set of blueprints and took a seat at the table with Duke Mackenzie. Natalie, Kale, and I joined them at Frank’s request.
“Why don’t you kids take your game into the bedroom so we can talk,” he said.
“Can we play outside?” Ariel asked.
“Be my guest,” he replied warmly.
The kids didn’t need to be told twice. They all jumped up with a surge of excitement and scampered out of the front door.
“At some point, we need to talk about what we’re going to do with them,” Frank said. “I don’t want to make the same mistake we did with Mina.” He glanced at me disapprovingly as he said her name.
“There’ll be plenty of time for that,” Natalie said. “But for now, I like having them here. They’re such nice, well-mannered kids. And Ariel’s taken a liking to them.”
“Ariel took a liking to Mina too.”
Mackenzie stood up and started flipping through blueprint pages. Then he stopped, inspected the floorplan more closely, and pointed to a small room in the bottom left corner of the page. “She’s here,” the Duke said, bringing us all back to the purpose of this meeting.
I stood up too and bent over the table to get a better look. The lettering and notations were so small, even with the paper taking up almost the entire table.
“Sub-level Two,” I said, more to myself than to the rest of the table—like I was reading aloud.
“What kind of access is there to that room?” Frank asked.
“Do you have a pencil?” Duke Mackenzie asked.
Natalie got up from the table and brought back a pen from one of the kitchen drawers.
Duke Mackenzie took it and began drawing onto the floorplan. “This large room has now been divided into three smaller ones. This one is being used for storage. At the back of the room, there’s a movable panel leading to this hallway here, where the previous access has been blocked off. From there, we can reach the room she’s presently being held in.”
Royal Replicas 2: Royal Captives Page 14
