Daughter of Nothing

by Eric Kent Edstrom

  War planes, Socrates had told them when they’d asked what they were.

  This one looked like a giant insect as it circled and lowered itself to the quad. A door on its side slid open and seven men in black jumped out. They carried sleek, black rifles.

  Vaughan shouted something to them and pointed toward the dojo. Two of the men headed in that direction. The two others went toward Nurse Smith’s villa.

  Before the men could get to the dojo, Sensei stepped out. He shouted to the men. They aimed their rifles at him, one of them screaming, “Down! Down! Down!”

  Sensei lowered himself to his knees and dropped to his belly. One of the men straddled him and strapped his hands with a plastic band. He lifted Sensei to his feet and shoved him toward the helicopter. The second gunman stood close by, rifle aimed at Sensei’s head.

  Jacey sprinted across the quad to intercept them. “Leave him alone!”

  The second man pushed her away. “Get inside, sweetheart. This is grown-up business.”

  Sensei used the momentary distraction to lash out with his foot, tripping the man behind him. He became a flurry of feet, repeatedly striking the downed man in the side, on the head, the neck. The man didn’t move.

  The second gunman spun, flashes of fire erupting from the barrel of his gun as he shot wildly. Sensei rolled to the ground, then sprang up. The man turned, but Sensei caught him in the side of the head with his foot.

  “Vaughan!” Sensei shouted. “Secure these men.”

  Vaughan had been watching the whole battle with shock on his face, but his eyes went to one of the rifles.

  Jacey got the same idea and lunged for the other rifle. She grabbed it, but it was secured by a strap around the gunman’s shoulder.

  Vaughan grabbed the other rifle, and with deft motions, unclipped the strap. He pointed the gun at Sensei. “Drop it, Sarah.”

  Jacey blinked, but set the weapon down.

  He had called her Sarah. . . .

  It had to be the hospital gown. And with her hair soaked through, it might look as dark as Sarah’s, especially in the midst of the storm.

  The gunman at her feet came to and swung an arm at her, catching her ankle in his huge gloved hand. With a jerk, he toppled her and she splashed onto the sodden turf.

  She kicked free and crawled away.

  “Leave the girl alone, Vic.” The gunman near Vaughan stood, rubbing his neck and spitting blood.

  “She tried to steal my weapon.”

  “Shut up.” He yanked off a glove and probed in his mouth. “Bastard broke my tooth.” He jammed his hand back into his glove and held it out toward Vaughan. “I’ll take my rifle now, son.”

  Vaughan handed it over. “Next time, be more careful.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” the gunman said. He strode up to Sensei, pressed the tip of the rifle to the martial arts master’s forehead. “Go ahead, try your kung fu on me now. I dare you.”

  The gunman near Jacey had regained his feet, though he swayed. He couldn’t keep his gun aimed in any particular direction.

  Sensei didn’t move, but he caught Jacey’s eye. “Get away from here.”

  “Listen to him, Sarah. I wouldn’t want your unhinged mind to watch him die,” Vaughan said, a note of glee in his voice. He moved closer to Sensei, voice rising in a taunt. “Or maybe I should keep him. Do some experiments. Yes. That would be fun. Maybe I’ll transfer him into Nurse Smith just for the fun of it.”

  The gunman near Vaughan moved between Vaughan and Sensei. “I’m Captain Wilcox. Where is Dr. Carlhagen?”

  Vaughan pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m Dr. Carlhagen.”

  “Yeah, right. Stand aside, boy.”

  “But I am Dr. Carlhagen. Go up to the hacienda,” he said pointing to the house on the hill. “You’ll find Mr. Justin, my butler. He’ll vouch for me.”

  Captain Wilcox swore and looked toward the hacienda. “I don’t have time for—”

  The bell rang in the tower. Not in the even measure Dolphins were taught, but with a frantic clanging. It stopped. All eyes turned toward the tower. A figure stood at the top, legs over the railing. In the dim light, all that was visible was a white gown, the bottom fluttering in the wind.

  “Jacqueline!” Vaughan cried, face twisted with horror.

  He raced toward the bell tower, screaming for Jacqueline to come down. He disappeared into the open maw of the stone archway, shouting as he ran up the stairs.

  ° ° °

  DR. CARLHAGEN LUNGED UP THE STEPS, taking them three at a time. He felt no strain, no sense of effort at all. At every landing, he screamed up the tower. Jacqueline did not reply.

  He had to get to her, had to apologize. She had to understand that he’d been overcome by her beauty. How could any man resist such allure?

  He’d suffered too long without her to let it end like this. He would throw himself down before her, beg her for forgiveness, promise her anything.

  Thunder rolled over the island, shaking the tower and drowning his cries. He shut his mouth, driving all his energy for more speed.

  Around and around he climbed, hearing nothing but the thunder, feeling nothing but the desperate need to fly, seeing nothing but the image of Jacqueline standing atop the tower, buffeted by the wind.

  The final flight of stairs blurred beneath his feet, and he burst into the open. The gale nearly knocked him sideways, and he barely kept upright. The black world whipped around him, lashed him with rain, nearly blinding him. “Jacqueline!”

  There. She was perched on the wrong side of the railing, her hands gripping it behind her as she swayed in the storm. The dojo light barely reached her, casting a bluish glow over her dress and across her hair-matted face.

  In two steps he reached her, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled back, dragging her over the railing.

  She spun in his arms and beat at his chest. “It’s not right! Get her out of me!”

  Her hand impacted his face so hard he saw a flash of red. He let her go and stumbled back.

  “Jacqueline . . .”

  It wasn’t her.

  A splitting pain threatened to halve his brain. His mind flashed on Jacqueline climbing down the ladder, half-naked, into the pit. He held the gown over one arm.

  The impostor before him was the failed transfer. Sarah. Janicka.

  “Horrid bitch!” he screamed. Without thought he took hold of her arm and whipped her about.

  Sarah cried out in pain.

  “Useless! You are nothing. How dare you wear Jacqueline’s gown?” He pushed her forward until the railing bent her at the waist. “Take it off!” He tore the zipper down the back, ripping the fabric. With a rough jerk, he pulled the straps from her shoulders, and the gown peeled away.

  She flailed at him, catching him in the jaw with the back of her hand.

  He roared, and the thunder answered him. With blind rage, he lifted her. “Wretched whore! Take off this flesh!”

  With all his strength, he hurled her over the rail and into to the inky storm. A gull-like shriek tore from her as she fell, then faded and was consumed by the tempest.

  He screamed his fury into the night until he exhausted his breath. Calm settled on him slowly, and he started down the stairs. Jacqueline still lived.

  He’d left her in the medical ward.

  With Humphrey, his own hated and useless Scion.

  ° ° °

  Kirk and Horace were the first to reach Sarah. Jacey couldn’t bear to look as they rolled her over.

  She pleaded with Captain Wilcox. “Get him while he’s cornered in the bell tower. You saw him murder Sarah.”

  Captain Wilcox waved two of his men over. “Secure the boy in the tower. Do not break bones.”

  The two dashed to the tower, knocking aside a gaggle of boys standing in the entryway.

  Belle had staggered to where Sarah lay. She kicked Kirk and Horace out of the way. “Leave her alone.”

  Moments later the gunmen emerged from the tower, half-carry
ing Vaughan, who struggled and thrashed. His hands were bound behind him.

  Kirk ran forward, challenging the men. Captain Wilcox intervened, using his gun to warn him off. Belle rushed to Vaughan, but the gunmen shoved her away.

  “Unhand me,” Vaughan shouted at his captors. “I am Dr. Carlhagen. I run this facility. I’m the one who pays your salaries.”

  The gunman near Jacey had steadied, and he stood with his weapon on Sensei.

  “Don’t worry about me,” Sensei said. “Deal with Vaughan.”

  Jacey pressed her lips tightly to keep in the sobs that threatened to paralyze her. Breaking Sensei’s gaze, she ran to the captain. “I know where we can take Vaughan.”

  She led them into the medical ward and to the room she’d found Sarah. “Strap him down. There’s a sedative IV.”

  The men slammed him onto the bed. One received a hard kick in the ribs, and he returned it with a jab to Vaughan’s gut. The air went out of him, and so did the fight.

  They strapped him down, two bands around the legs, three over the torso and arms, one over his forehead. The man who’d received the kick gave each an extra pull, producing a string of raspy curses from Vaughan’s scream-torn throat.

  Captain Wilcox spoke into a radio, and a minute later a black-clothed woman arrived carrying a small satchel.

  “Get that IV going,” he said to her. He turned to Jacey. “Chan’s our medic.”

  The woman scanned the room, then dug through a drawer beneath the cabinets. She removed a sleeve of paper, tore it open, and removed a fresh needle. She examined the IV bag. “What is this stuff?”

  “A sedative,” Jacey said. “Dr. Carlhagen uses it to keep patients calm.”

  “It isn’t labeled.”

  “Chan!” Captain Wilcox barked.

  The woman shrugged. “It’s your head, Captain.” She fitted the fresh needle on the tube and slid it into the skin on the back of Vaughan’s hand.

  After a few moments of the medic fiddling with the drip, Vaughan’s curses faded into unintelligible mumbles. Drool formed at the corner of his mouth.

  He’s Dr. Carlhagen, Jacey reminded herself. She had to start thinking of him as Dr. Carlhagen.

  “I really need to talk to Dr. Carlhagen,” the captain said. “Is he in the hacienda?”

  “He’s dead.”

  Captain Wilcox blinked as if she’d said something stupid. “You’re serious?”

  Jacey thought about it. She hadn’t actually seen the headmaster’s body. But with Vaughan overwritten, Dr. Carlhagen had to be dead. And she knew where she’d find him.

  “He’s through here.” She led the captain into the white transfer room. She saw Mr. Justin first. He was bent over a figure on one of the cots. She only saw the feet, but she knew instantly it was Humphrey.

  “Mr. Justin?”

  He turned, giving her a crinkle-eyed smile. “Just in time. The transfer is complete.”

  Captain Wilcox raced to Dr. Carlhagen’s body, which lay on the other cot. “Chan!”

  The medic checked the headmaster’s vital signs. “Dead. It’s been a while. At least an hour.”

  “Not dead,” Humphrey said, sitting up. Mr. Justin took hold of his arm to help him. “In fact, I feel quite reinvigorated, despite the knot on my head. Ah, Captain Wilcox. Good to see you.”

  Jacey’s body went cold.

  The captain gave the old man’s body one last glance before approaching Humphrey. He squinted at the boy. “Uncanny.”

  Humphrey stared back at him. “A chip off the old block, heh heh.” He held his arms out. “Miraculous, isn’t it?”

  He couldn’t be Dr. Carlhagen, Jacey thought. Progenitors died in the process. Unless Dr. Carlhagen had developed some workaround.

  Socrates had said something about making a backup of Jacey. With a shiver of horror, Jacey realized Dr. Carlhagen must have made a backup of himself. And now he’d overwritten Humphrey with it.

  Humphrey stood, shaking free of Mr. Justin’s hands. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Had I realized the severity of the storm, I might have waited. I—”

  “Protocol code phrase, please,” Captain Wilcox said.

  Humphrey frowned. “What? Oh, of course. He pressed his fingers to his temple. ‘Hamlet, thou art slain.’”

  Jacey took a step back. The sense of the island tilting and sliding into the sea hit her again, and she nearly fell.

  Captain Wilcox relaxed. “I’ve got to get this chopper out of here before the storm blows in.”

  “Before the storm?” Humphrey asked, incredulous. Thunder punctuated his question.

  “Hurricane. St. Vitus is just under the ragged edge of the front. So whatever procedures you follow to batten down, I suggest you get on it.”

  Humphrey patted the man’s arm. “Yes. You should be on your way.” He seemed to notice Jacey for the first time. “I have to get my Scions rounded up and tucked in.”

  “We had to subdue one of them,” Captain Wilcox said. “He’s sedated in one of the holding rooms off the hall.”

  “That’s likely young Vaughan. Such a pity.” He made a vague scrambling motion at his temple and laughed. “Well. Don’t let me keep you.”

  “Wait!” Jacey cried, following Captain Wilcox and the medic as they departed. They ignored her.

  Jacey ran after them and was met with a downpour as she exited into the quad. The helicopter’s blades had spun up and Sensei was gone. Jacey ran to catch up with the captain.

  “Stop. Don’t take Sensei!”

  The man pressed a black-gloved hand to her shoulder. “Stay back, girl.”

  “At least let me say goodbye to him.”

  He grabbed her arms. “I said stay.”

  “What are you going to do with him?”

  He stared but said nothing.

  Her head shook back and forth in denial. “No, you can’t. Please tell me you won’t.”

  “Get inside.” He dashed the last few meters to the aircraft, and with a whine it lifted off, the backwash of air nearly blowing Jacey over.

  Gentle hands caught her as she sank to the ground. Arms enfolded her. Wanda.

  Jacey wept. “I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

  Wanda trembled as she held her. “I—I saw Sarah fall.”

  A gust pressed hard against them as they huddled together in the quad. The roar and thump of the helicopter faded, and soon all that was left was the sound of the wind and rain.

  Sarah’s form lay like a pale rock below the bell tower. A handful of boys stared at it from the doorway of their dormitory.

  At the entryway of the medical ward, Humphrey stood next to Mr. Justin. The butler was speaking urgently in his ear.

  Not Humphrey, she reminded herself. Dr. Carlhagen.

  Jacey collected herself with a great inhalation, gritting her teeth against the tide of grief that threatened to drown her. “Go see to the Nine in Girls’ Hall, Wanda. Comfort them as best you can.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have to talk to Dr. Carlhagen.”

  She approached the medical ward slowly, deliberately. She wouldn’t crawl to him and beg for mercy.

  In fact, she intended quite the reverse.

  Humphrey smiled and waved her forward. Mr. Justin retreated to let her pass.

  “That was close,” Humphrey said, letting out a long breath. “We should get Sensei in here and start preparation for the storm.”

  Jacey spun, then caught herself. Of course. This version of Dr. Carlhagen didn’t know about Sensei’s removal. The martial arts master had already been in put into the helicopter by the time he had arrived at the door.

  Jacey shook her head. The idea of two Dr. Carlhagens didn’t fit in her brain.

  She’d soon take care of that.

  She kept walking. Just had to make it to the door.

  “Jacey?” Humphrey asked. “Where are you going?”

  She opened the door, then sprinted down the hall, bursting into the transfer room. Dr. Carlhagen
’s old form still lay on the cot. Jacey held her breath and searched his pockets.

  There!

  She removed the pistol and turned.

  The Humphrey version of Dr. Carlhagen stood in the doorway, a look of concern on his face. “Jacey? Are you okay? Mr. Justin told me about Vaughan. I’m still having a hard time believing all this mind transfer nonsense, but—”

  “Shut up!” Jacey raised the pistol. “I’ve had enough of you.”

  Her finger found the trigger, but her hands shook so violently she was afraid she’d miss. Taking slow steps, she drew closer. She wanted no chance of him living. “Turn around, Doctor.”

  Humphrey didn’t move. His eyes were wide and face white.

  “Miss Jacey!” The butler hovered just behind Humphrey. “Please! Humphrey is still Humphrey.”

  “Yeah, I’m still me.” The boy’s voice cracked. “I had to put on a show for the gunmen, or they never would have left.”

  “Turn around!” She’d been fooled by Dr. Carlhagen’s takeover of Vaughan. She would never let that happen ever again.

  Humphrey turned.

  “Miss Jacey. You’re about to make terrible mistake. Surely you can assess whether Humphrey is himself or not before killing him.”

  “Fine!” Jacey pressed the barrel of the gun to the back of Humphrey’s head. “What did I give you to eat when you were in the pit?”

  “Celery. And a banana.”

  That was correct. But Nurse Smith might have been spying, might have reported it to Dr. Carlhagen.

  He didn’t wait for her to ask another question. “At Children’s Villa, you gave me a black eye because you thought I’d stolen your stuffed dolphin.”

  That was true, but Mother Tyeesha could have reported that to Dr. Carlhagen.

  “His name was Jumper. He was blue and fuzzy.”

  Everyone had known what everyone’s stuffed animal was. Dr. Carlhagen had probably made the assignments himself.

  “You found him in the stump behind Mother Tyeesha’s villa.” Humphrey’s voice broke, and his shoulders shook.

  Jacey lowered the pistol. She had never told anyone where she’d found Jumper. The only person who could have known was the person who had stolen it.