“Once it penetrates the skin, it emits an electrical charge that will react against the Saven’s cellular makeup causing massive internal damage which will ultimately lead to death. It won’t require brute force or any special skill, so you should be easily able to wield it.”
Ignoring the insult, I articulate my succinct reply. “Fine.” I work hard to hide my revulsion.
“It’s preferable that you wait for the opportunity to eradicate all three of them at the one time. To do it any other way will generate suspicion. Do you think you can manage that?” The gun is now sheathed in something warm and soft, and my hand is curled around it.
“I’m not sure,” I answer honestly. “I’ve only seen Logan and the king once in six weeks, separately, and I haven’t cast eyes on Dante since we left Thalassic City.”
“Be creative. Try to engineer a situation where you are all together. We understand it will take some time to plan this, but don’t take too long, Sadie. Remember everything that is at stake.”
“Of course, sir. I never forget.”
With a quick reminder regarding the documentation drop-off, we are dismissed. I fold inward with relief as we are escorted back to Government Buildings.
There is barely enough time to eat a quick sandwich before I have to return to work. “Well, at least that went well,” Jarod whispers in my ear as we sit side by side in the cafeteria.
The weight of the weapon in my inner pocket is a constant reminder of the death sentence hanging over Logan. My sandwich feels like sandpaper on my tongue. “You reckon?” I pin him with a sarcastic look.
“Yes!” he hisses, a stern look on his face. “It’s as we planned. Easier to fob them off when both of us have to be in the same place to take advantage of any opportunity. And I can back you up if he becomes suspicious. It buys us vital time.”
I back down. “I know, but I’m still worried.”
“And so we’re clear, I’m only doing this for you. Because I know how much it would kill you if anything happened to your freak.” He clamps down angrily into his chili beef wrap.
That reminds me of his earlier words. “What you said back there … you didn’t … you don’t feel that way, right?” I study him nervously.
“You mean did I improvise?” He grins. “Yep. But I meant it.”
My cheeks flush bright red as my whole body tenses. I’m fearful this is about to get all kinds of awkward. “Relax, Sadie,” he says with a chuckle. “I do love you, but I’m not in love with you. You’re my best friend, and I’d die if anything happened to you. I’d die before I let anything happen to you.”
I grip his hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now let’s change the subject before your cheeks implode.”
I’m bone weary at the end of the day and looking forward to a nice soak in the tub and whatever culinary delight Haydn has whipped up for me today, when the VP lands in front of my desk with another special request. “I’ve a late meeting this evening, Sadie, and I’ll need you to organize refreshments. Will that be a problem?”
“Of course not, sir.” Outwardly, I’m the epitome of the consummate professional. Inwardly, I curse him six ways to Sunday.
I seize the opportunity to deposit the copied file for the rebels in the room on the ninth floor as instructed. It all goes smoothly and I’m reminded of how G has informants at all ranks of government. Anyone I pass could be batting for the other team. It’s an unnerving feeling.
Returning to the office, I decide to tidy up the files while I wait on his visitor. I’m on my knees on the ground, rifling through a mountain of misfiled documentation, when puissant dread waylays me. A gentle breeze steals strands of my hair off my shoulders as the door opens and a tall, reed-thin woman enters the room. Wearing a fitted navy pantsuit edged with gold trim and a cream shirt and matching heels, she is impeccably attired. Her ash blonde hair is pinned into an elegant chignon on top of her head, and massive black sunglasses swamp her petite face.
She casts a glance around the room before her face settles on mine. As she tilts her head to the side, her gaze rakes over me from head to toe. Her eyes are masked so I can’t fathom her expression. Realizing I’m being rude, I stand up and move around the desk. “Good evening, ma’am. The vice president is expecting you. Please follow me.” I motion with my hand.
“You must be Sadie.” She enunciates the vowels in a peculiar fashion.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She doesn’t move or alter her focus, her intense concentration making me uncomfortable. “It’s lovely to meet you. The vice president speaks very warmly of you.”
Surprise splays over my face before I compose myself. “That’s very kind. It’s a pleasure to work for him.”
“Respectful of authority. I like that. Yes, indeed.” She nurses a clipped effort of a smile.
The VP’s door opens. “Come through. Sadie, if you could bring in a tray, please.” The woman surveys me once more before striding into his office. I fix the refreshments and serve the VP and his elusive guest. “That’ll be all, Sadie. You may leave for the night.”
Reminding him that I’m on a vacation day tomorrow, I gather my belongings as I simultaneously tap out a message to Haydn. When I step out of the elevator into the lobby, he materializes in front of me, like a magician appearing out of thin air, and I shriek. He sniggers as he wraps an arm around my waist. I’ve barely time to close my eyes before we teleport.
After a sublime dinner, I take a long, luxurious bath and then head to bed. I stash the gun alongside Evana’s letter under my mattress, shuddering at the thought of ever having to use it.
Considering the plans for tomorrow, I’m anticipating difficulty falling asleep. But I’m out for the count seconds after my head hits the pillow.
Images flit through my unconscious mind, accompanied by the usual claustrophobic feelings and sensations. I thrash about in the bed, whimpering quietly. A pair of thin bright red lips fills the black space in my head. The lips narrow into a constricted smile and send a rush of rampant terror surging through my body.
I scream as loud as is humanly possible. Over and over again. I don’t want it to be true, but I’m fearful it is.
My worst nightmare is back to taunt me.
The monster has returned.
CHAPTER 6
My nightmare has me on edge, which doesn’t bode well for today’s little adventure. But I owe it to my siblings to be on top of my game, so I banish my anxiety, forcing the inexplicable fear aside.
In order to keep up the illusion, I allow Haydn to escort me to work, and I meet Jarod, as standard, at the entrance to Government Buildings. We walk into the lobby and hang around for a few minutes, assigning adequate time for Haydn to depart.
As we prepare to set out, a familiar face spots me and frowns. Dammit. The VP strides toward me with a curious look on his face. “I thought you were on a day off, Sadie. What are you doing here?”
“I left my purse in my desk last night, and I stopped by to retrieve it,” I lie, improvising on the spot.
“Well, enjoy your day. What do you have planned?” His gaze treks over my fitted red pantsuit, most likely wondering why I’m dressed for a day at the office. I swallow the nervous lump in my throat.
“Oh, you know,” I say, fiddling with my hair, “Shop, have lunch, hang out with our friends.”
He switches his attention to Jarod and a spark of interest flares in his eyes. “It’s Jarod, isn’t it?” He extends his hand. Jarod accepts his handshake and nods. “Well, have fun kids.” He smiles but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He walks toward the elevator bank, and we head for the exit.
“That was a little weird,” Jarod acknowledges.
“He is a little weird,” I agree, thinking of a litany of strange occurrences. And it’s not as if I can forget his thinly veiled threat either.
Jarod brings me to his apartment building, and we take the elevator to the basement. Emerging into the parking garage, I follow him to a me
dium-sized gray Autovee with blacked-out windows. He clicks a button and both doors open. I climb in the passenger side as he buckles himself into the driver side.
“Where’d you acquire this?” I ask as the harness crisscrosses over me.
“My dad organized it. I told him we were investigating Sector Twenty and G was more than happy to oblige.”
“Was that wise?” I inquire, angling my head so I’m looking at him head on.
The vehicle powers up and Jarod pokes a few buttons on the digi-map, programming our journey. He swivels in his seat as the auto-driver maneuvers the car out of the garage. “I’ve been asked to find out what they are up to, so I thought we could cover both angles today. All the other expected out-of-state visitors will be arriving in vehicles. It wouldn’t look appropriate for the newly appointed chancellor from Nevada and her assistant to amble up to the facility on foot. We need to look the part and act the part. We are lucky that an official visitor’s tour was scheduled for today. Otherwise, getting into the facility would have been a lot harder. What are you so worried about?”
“Getting caught. And G finding out exactly what’s going on in Sector Twenty.”
“He’s going to find out eventually. And he needs to know. If what you’ve told me is correct, then we need to find a way to stop this sooner rather than later.” Jarod reaches around, capturing his bag from the back seat.
“Essentially we’d be handing a ticking bomb to the rebels. Can they be trusted to do the right thing? We don’t want to start an all-out war.” I shiver under my clothes.
“I’m not going to lie, Sadie. I’m a little unnerved lately. What with you being asked to kill the Saven royal family and G’s vehement hatred of the freaks. I know I don’t like them, or trust them, but G … it’s almost personal. And that’s what worries me. Personal agendas muddy the waters.” Jarod roots around in his backpack.
“What do you mean?” I tap his arm, claiming his attention.
He looks up at me. “I was at a meeting last night, and G went off on a rant, fuming in a way I’ve never heard before. It threw me. He’s usually a model of calm composure.”
“Why wasn’t I invited?” I take the objects Jarod hands me.
“It was about Sector Twenty, and this trip. That’s my assigned task, not yours. Anyway, I’m glad you weren’t there. He was practically unhinged. I don’t want you around that.”
I click my tongue as I secure the raven-colored wig on my head. “I’m not made of cotton wool, you know. And I’m more than comfortable in an environment like that.”
“And that’s exactly why I wanted to shield you from it.” He tilts the mirror and secures the jade green contacts over his eyes.
I groan out of frustration but drop the subject. “Maybe we should be circumspect in what we tell him. We can feed him some stuff but hold back on the conscience transfer element,” I suggest, fixing bright blue contacts over my pale gray eyes.
Jarod shakes his head determinedly. “I don’t think we should hold back. We owe it to the stars to fight this before too many lose their freedom.”
I know he’s right, but it doesn’t appease the growing sense of trepidation I feel. “Let’s wait until we see exactly what’s going on and then decide how much we want to share.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Jarod says affably, pinning a gold nametag to the outside pocket of my jacket. Squinting down, I spot my fake name and position etched below it. When I look up, Jarod has attached a similar tag to his jacket. Taking my wrist, he places something sticky over my tattoo before applying the same to his own.
“What’s this?”
“I doubt they’ll scan our wrists, but we need to at least make it look like we’re bullions in case someone spots something,” he says, affixing another sticky sheet over my skin. This one displays a gold bullion. “That’ll set in sixty seconds. It’s only an image so it’ll be easy to wash off later.”
I nudge him conspiratorially. “You make a great spy. You think of everything.”
He winks. “Told ya I’m the best.”
“Such modesty,” I mutter, smiling.
“Modesty is for losers,” he says, running the tip of one finger over my wrist. “That’s it. We’re all set.”
Butterflies swarm my chest the closer we get to our destination. The Autovee exits the highway and travels for ten minutes until we reach the outer edge of Sector Twenty. The vehicle slows down as we approach a massive high-rise steel wall spanning the circumference of the sector on all sides. A line of police stands uniformly in front of a gate, positioned in the center of the wall. Heavy-duty weapons are slung over their shoulders. Electrified wire loops over the entire perimeter of the wall. A guard dressed in all-black combat attire steps out in front of us, raising a large palm. Jarod depresses the window as he brings the vehicle to a complete standstill.
The guard approaches cautiously. “Name and purpose of visit,” he barks out.
“Chancellor Quinn and Private Assistant Lenor from Nevada. We are official guests as part of the pre-arranged tour of the facility. Here are our visitor passes.” Jarod hands the guard our fake cards.
My heart hammers against my ribcage while the guard inspects the IDs and examines our faces. His gaze lands briefly on my left wrist. After the longest two minutes in history, he returns the cards to Jarod. “Proceed through the gate and follow the signs to the main building. Do not step out of the vehicle until you reach the administrative facility.”
Jarod concurs with a curt bob of his head. He takes the wheel, flipping off the auto-driver functionality. The large gate opens in the middle, doors gliding effortlessly to the left and right, granting our entry. Sitting up straighter in my seat, I prepare myself for our first glimpse of the compound.
The journey is uninspiring the first couple of miles as we travel on a smooth road through deserted barren land. Up ahead, I spot a secondary wall, also manned by a formidable line of police officers. Once we pass through that checkpoint, we are instantly accosted by the sights and sounds of a vibrant city, throbbing with life.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t this.
Jarod cusses as we follow the digital arrow markings on the road. We drive by row after row of storefronts, restaurants, bars, and cafés, and pass throngs of people crowding the sidewalks, laughing jovially. Though it’s only mid-morning, the city bustles with activity, and there’s a distinct party vibe, giving the impression of a city that never sleeps. Flamboyant, thumping music blares from the Commi-Reel, and blinding waves of colorful lights pour out of mysterious doorways.
Humongous digital billboards fill the space above the buildings, advertising all manner of wares. Alcoholic drinks, drugs, cosmetic procedures, and pornographic paraphernalia feature regularly, and my cheeks are inflamed at some of the visuals that accost my eyes. We pass several dimly lit storefronts, with expansive glass windows, where women and men dressed in skimpy clothing perform lewd dances for the eager audience on the sidewalk. Jarod squirms uncomfortably in his seat, and my blush heightens.
We come to a halt at a junction, waiting for the lights to change. A crowd surges forward. Scantily clad men and women prance across the road, hooting and pushing and groping. Several couples slump to the ground in front of the nearest building. Women straddle the men as hands wander up short skirts, grinding and thrusting, oblivious to the obscene public demonstration. My eyes are out on stalks studying the scene. “I think my eyes are malfunctioning,” I admit through my shock.
“That makes two of us. This cannot be happening. What the hell is this place?”
“Lust Central by the looks of it,” I deadpan, though there isn’t anything funny about this den of entrapment. “It’s another illusion.” I draw the most obvious conclusion. “Like Thalassic City.”
“I thought we were going to encounter a sterile compound with research labs and medical testing, not an entire city like this,” Jarod says, exhaling noisily. “Damn, this is seriously messed up.�
�� He puts the car in gear when the lights turn green, and we travel in complete silence the rest of the way.
Eventually the red-light district gives way to blocks of soaring residential apartments, and then we move a little farther out, advancing toward a large one-story red brick compound composed of several interconnected buildings. This is more what we were expecting.
Jarod brings the Autovee to a halt when we arrive in a square courtyard, parking in an assigned space in front of the impressive glass-lined entranceway. Reaching over, he squeezes my hand. “Ready, Chancellor?”
I take a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be, Private Assistant Lenor. Let’s go find my sister and brother.”
As soon as we step into the main lobby, a tall, stout man dressed in an uncomfortable-looking uniform approaches us, requesting our visitor cards. Once we are registered, he guides us to a noisy group waiting in a small auditorium off to the left. We take seats at the back, careful to put as much distance between us and the other visiting dignitaries. Although there are plenty of representatives from the Unified States of West and South America, and there will literally be hundreds of visitors today, we can’t take any chances that someone from Nevada might spot us and start questioning our identity. Adrenaline courses through my veins with the potent danger.
But I don’t feel scared.
I feel alive.
I can’t recall the exact moment I became an adrenaline junkie, but there’s no denying my worrisome excitement.
The auditorium rapidly fills, and Commissioner Williams takes to the stage. “Ladies and gentleman, and special guests from neighboring countries, you are all very welcome here today. On behalf of the president and vice president of the Northern Sovereign States of America, we look forward to showing you around our facility, and our city, today. A high-level overview of the program will be outlined to you shortly before we commence with the tour. The first part of the tour will take you to certain parts of this compound, demonstrating the many ways in which we are progressing research and medical testing. The latter part of the tour will involve a hands-on demonstration that I can assure you will be like nothing you’ve ever witnessed before.” He grins widely, and Jarod and I exchange perturbed looks. I can already surmise the type of hands-on visual he has in mind.
Saven Disclosure (The Saven Series Book 2) Page 9
