Selected

by Barb Han

  His arms tighten around me, and I roll over until our stomachs are flush. I can feel his pulse kick up a few notches. His body stiffens, and I can tell that he’s about to protest, so I kiss him.

  I keep my eyes open. His emotions play across his face. I part my lips, and his tongue slides inside. His bottom teeth scrape across my bottom lip and I feel a jolt of electricity that I’ve never felt before. It spurs me to deepen the kiss and bring my fingers up to tangle in his hair.

  Our breath mingles as something foreign builds inside me. I’m lost in the moment, in the feel of his lips moving against mine.

  He twists me around until he’s on top of me, cradled inside my thighs. And then he rolls onto his back next to me.

  It’s all happening so fast that I’m in shock when his weight lifts off me and a little bit embarrassed that I’d been so forward. My breath is coming out in rasps.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” I ask. Why won’t he let things happen between us?

  “This might be the last time we’re alone—” I stop him with my finger over his lips as I prop myself up on one elbow and study his expression.

  He looks torn, and there’s something else…something dark and hungry. He wants this as much as I do. Maybe more. Which frustrates me to no end but I’m too embarrassed to push. It helps that his breathing is as ragged as mine.

  “I love you, Tori,” is all he says.

  I’m so confused. “If that’s true, then why don’t we…” I make a face without finishing the sentence.

  He glances at the clock and then goes back to staring at the ceiling. “I can’t believe that I’m the one saying this. But you don’t have a lot of time. You have to leave if you want to stay alive, and I need you to be alive because I have every intention of finding you again. My world was nothing before I met you. Everything was black and white. I thought I’d be cursed to live the same emotionless life as my parents. Both of them are dead inside. And then you came along.” He stops long enough for me to press a kiss to his lips.

  “You were different. Smart. But so much more.” He touches the middle of my chest where my heart is beating wildly. “I felt like for the first time I met somebody who had something beating inside there. Not a shell. And that’s why I need you to be careful out there. And it’s why we have to go now before anyone catches onto our plan.”

  “Okay,” is all I can manage to say. He’s right. Snyder is always one step behind. There hasn’t been a dorm inspection in weeks. It’s due. I can’t risk her figuring out that I’m planning to leave. Who knows where she’d lock me up then? If my world is under a microscope now, I can only imagine what she’d do next.

  Caius doesn’t immediately continue because we both see the implication in the space between us. I might not survive.

  “I’ve been studying the drones, trying to figure out if there’s a pattern,” he finally says as I reposition in the crook of his arm, my head resting on his chest.

  “And what did you decide?” Everyone at Easton is smart, and he is no exception.

  “It’s random.”

  “Which has its own pattern,” I state.

  “Precisely.” He kisses me like it’s simple reflex and then catches himself. My body is corded with tension, and only some of that has to do with the stress of leaving Easton, not to mention managing to get out alive.

  A noise in the hallway causes both of us to bolt upright. My gaze darts around. My heart beats in my throat. My mouth is dry.

  “I have a few things that should help you get across that wall.” Caius motions toward the backpack. There’s urgency to his voice that sets my nerves on edge even more. He practically flies off the bed and then drops onto his knees as he grasps the pack. “Jax made a device to scramble the signal of the drones. It’s how I made it across the yard without getting caught. Eyes are a different story, so you’ll have to keep watch for anyone patrolling on foot.”

  “What about getting over the fence?” My heart is racing.

  “I climbed it near the hill,” he starts but I stop him with my stare.

  “Are you kidding? I’ll be fried.”

  He pulls out a larger scale model of the device Jax used when he handed me the kitten through the fence. “You’ll have to hurry. This only buys five seconds, give or take.”

  “Which is it? Give or take?” I felt that was important to discern.

  “I wouldn’t push my luck if I were you.” He shoots me a warning glance.

  “I have no plans to,” I respond.

  “There’s other stuff in here you can use.” He refocuses on the pack. There’s something stirring behind his blue eyes that I can’t quite put my finger on.

  There’s no time to analyze it.

  I hear words like, matches, a map, and a knife. All things that I might need outside of these walls. A shiver races through me. I take a deep breath to calm my rattled nerves.

  “Ready?” He looks up and his gaze locks onto mine. He leans forward enough to press our lips together. “We’re going to make it.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  I wish I shared Caius’s confidence as I follow him through the dark tunnel, inching forward on my belly. I make myself as small as I possibly can as we near the end, trying not to focus on what might go wrong in here and especially once we’re clear of here.

  At least my boyfriend is going with me.

  The drones should be taken care of by the device in the backpack that I’m pushing in front of me. I have another tech gadget for the fence and I seriously hope it works. I’ve seen what happens when the joules are underestimated.

  We tumble out of the tunnel and onto the lush green lawn. It must’ve rained earlier because the grass is slick. My foot slips, and Caius catches me as we both lose our balance.

  He links our fingers after we push up to our feet. He turns his head toward me and winks. The sky is dark and cloudless. Light is low coming from the buildings but there’s enough to see clearly.

  I scan the buildings, looking for any signs one of Lieutenant McAvoy’s security men is nearby. The coast is clear. No one is patrolling as I listen for the telltale whir of drones flying overhead. We move swiftly across the lawn and make it to the first building in record time. My legs are a little stiff from the crawl space, but a boost of adrenaline has me moving even faster than normal. I block out the fears racing through my mind.

  We wind our way to the Arts building. My free hand slides along the bricks. We slow our pace and carefully scan the area as we round the corner.

  He squeezes my hand. The tree line comes into focus. For the first time since leaving my dorm I think we’ll make it.

  We’re in a dead run now and I can almost feel freedom as the night breeze cools my skin. My cheeks are starting to burn from the stride we set. The trees are dark, and I can’t get a good look beyond the lawn.

  And then someone steps out of the shadows.

  Arms across his chest, feet in an athletic stance, Rhys stands there. He’s holding something in his hand as we come to a dead stop ten feet in front of him.

  Caius freezes. “Don’t do it, Rhys. If we were ever friends—”

  Rhys puts the object in his mouth and the shrill noise that follows lights up all the sensors in the area. I squeeze my eyes shut against the lights. The high-pitched screech of a siren sounds, and it suddenly feels like we’re standing near the sun for how bright it is.

  Caius steps in between me and Rhys, shielding me with his body but the real threat is coming from behind. Drones. A laser beam blasts on the grass near us. There’s an audible zzzt and a small fire ignites where the beam zaps on the ground. I let out a yelp and drop my boyfriend’s hand.

  We cut right and make a run for it. It’s our best hope. If we can get around Rhys and into the woods, we might stand a chance. It’ll be harder for the drones to track us through the trees.

 
Several drones move in front of us, backing us up a few steps. We have no choice but to retreat. We spin around and head toward the studio building. I push my legs hard and my thighs are burning as I round the corner and then stop dead in my tracks.

  Lieutenant McAvoy is bolting toward us.

  We hightail it in the opposite direction back toward the tree line. Rhys is closing in from the left. Drones are zapping patches of grass all around us. One hits my heel, and I can feel burned rubber from my sneaker melting onto my skin. I push on.

  We’re close to the trees now. Caius is running so fast that he’s practically dragging me.

  “Do you trust me?” he shouts back at me.

  “Of course, I do.”

  “Good. Keep running. Don’t look back. No matter what,” he says and then flings me forward like a catapult.

  “But what about you?” I take a couple of awkward steps before regaining my balance. My heel is burning, but adrenaline keeps me going.

  “No one’s safe anymore, Tori.” He urges me to go.

  A few more steps and I’ll be in the trees. I don’t hear his footsteps behind me, but I listen to what he said and push forward anyway. I make it. Hope fills my lungs as I pant, desperate for oxygen.

  And then I make the mistake of turning around as a drone zaps the tree I’m standing behind, singeing the fingers on my left hand. That doesn’t hurt nearly as much as the scene unfolding in front of my eyes.

  Caius! He’s standing there with a weapon pointed at McAvoy. He shouts, “Go, Tori! Keep moving!”

  “No!” I scream as I see him shot. It takes pretty much everything inside me not to run to him. I’m the one they want, and I figure that’s exactly what they want me to do. Caius knew that, too, and that’s why he urged me to keep going. His words are the only reason that I can turn and run in the other direction. My heart screams to go back to him. I almost change course to check on him. It isn’t what he wants, a little voice reminds me. I’m broken. But he’s Legacy, so they won’t actually hurt him, I think.

  No, I’m sure of it. There’s no way Lieutenant McAvoy would hurt someone with Caius’s pedigree. Whatever they shot him with must be to stun him and that’s why he was on the ground. I saw him convulsing but that was most likely a shot of electricity like with a Taser. The spasms will stop in a minute and he’ll be fine. I repeat the mantra a few times, hoping I’ll actually believe it.

  It’s dark out and my eyes haven’t adjusted after being exposed to the bright beams. I slow my stride, hands out in front of me as I feel my way through the thicket. I don’t hear anything, either. Nothing but the sound of my feet racing toward the unknown.

  Fear slams into me. How will I ever make it alone? And I don’t only mean off campus, I’m talking about once I’m far away from Easton? He’s the one who studied the maps, packed the supplies. Hold on a sec…

  It dawns on me why he had me carry the backpack to begin with. He never had any intention of going with me. He knew the whole time that Rhys would be out there, waiting, that the drones would find us and that if not them then Lieutenant McAvoy. There was no friend’s house to go to. Caius had planned to sacrifice himself all along.

  My heart pounds so hard it might burst as I push through the woods. I have no idea if I’m anywhere near the hill, but I figure that if I keep running, I’ll eventually locate the fence. With the device in the backpack he gave me I should be able to get over any part of it. I’m strong enough to climb the metal bars, which now look more like prison gates.

  I slow down. I wish there was a warning before I forge ahead into the metal that is charged with enough electricity to keep a small town lit for a year. I shut down the voice in my head that says I can’t do this. I don’t have a choice. I have to push forward.

  Maybe there’s something in the backpack that I can use to better see. I stop and drop my shoulder, letting the pack drop to the ground. I struggle with the tie at the top, my hands are shaking so hard.

  Sweaty clumps of hair stick to my face. I tuck a tendril behind my ear and take a deep breath before digging into the bag. I can’t see my hand in front of my face, so I’ll have to feel my way through.

  I locate a flashbulb, no doubt something that Jax has rigged for me, and feel around for an ‘On’ button. The tell-tale click sounds a couple of seconds later and I’m bathed in soft light. I look around, desperate to get my bearings and make sure no one’s following me. I listen. The sound of chirping insects fills my ears. A shiver races up my spine as I tie the strings on the top of the bag. I shoulder the pack before grabbing onto a tree trunk with my free hand and pushing up to my feet. The effects of adrenaline are starting to wear off and I can feel the burn on my heel, my fingers. My first step forward ends up being more of an awkward limp.

  I need a few steps to adjust to the new level of pain. I’ve pushed through worse.

  The light helps me navigate through the woods. I have no idea where I am. It’s a good thing except the part where I’m lost on school property. I haven’t even gotten off the grounds and I already have no idea where I am. I tell myself to calm down as my pulse gallops. The truth is I have no idea where to go next.

  I’m sure they’ve sent people to Jax’s house to wait for me so there’s no way I can go there once I clear the fence.

  Then again, I could be walking in circles.

  By the time I’m about ready to climb a tree, tie myself in, and try to rest until first light, I spot the fence. The first real sign of hope is twenty feet in front of me. Suddenly, it doesn’t matter where I’ll go because I feel the first real sense of freedom since coming to Easton and quite possibly my entire life. Freedom is all I’ve ever wanted. Easton was supposed to lead to freedom, but I’ve never felt more trapped since coming here.

  The fence won’t be hard to climb once I deactivate the electricity. I remind myself this is not the time to question Jax’s skills, remembering how effortlessly he managed to slide the kitten through the bars using a smaller version of the device. I also think about the time he short-circuited his AllinOne and nearly set the school on fire.

  The device is heavy and accounts for at least half the weight in my backpack. I pull it out. I didn’t exactly have a crash course in using it, so I have to wing it. There should be a lever or ‘On’ button somewhere. I drop down to my knees and set the bulb onto the top of the pack, so I can manage a better look. This is a one-shot deal and I don’t want to screw it up. The consequence is me…fried.

  I shudder at the thought.

  “Okay, Jax. I trust you,” I mumble, trying not to think about dying alone in the forest, especially while freedom is within my grasp. But what kind of freedom? Where will I go? One thing is certain. I can’t stay here.

  My finger stops on a button. I test it and the device vibrates in my hands so hard that I almost drop it. Luckily, I manage to turn it off before losing control. And then I hear noise behind me.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Lieutenant McAvoy stands there and he’s not alone.

  I scramble to my feet, but I’m too late. His hands are like vise grips around my arm and he’s brought a friend. Each takes one of my arms and no matter how hard I try to shrug out of their grip, I can’t.

  McAvoy picks up the bulb with his free hand. “Thanks for this.”

  My mistake dawns on me. They tracked me using the heat from the lamplight.

  He locks onto my gaze and for a split-second there’s something besides his usual heated stare. Regret? After a moment of hesitation, he forces something liquid down my throat. It has a metallic taste. I spit but he does it again and I can feel the liquid slide down the back of my tongue.

  “This will make you do what you’re told,” he says.

  It doesn’t take long for my hands and feet to go numb. I struggle but my limbs are going limp.

  “What was that?” I manage to choke out quickly realizing the
re’s no use fighting. My body is already working against me. My brain can shout commands all it wants. My nervous system has other ideas.

  “Walk.” He instructs his cohort to gather my things. The guy, all thick-neck muscles, is like a robot. He follows orders without so much as blinking.

  I’m marched back onto campus and into a building toward the back of the lawn that I didn’t think was still used. The area had been corded off and now I know why.

  I must be dreaming; only I’m not. I walk just like McAvoy tells me to even though my brain wants to argue. What’s happening to me? What was that liquid? My body complies no matter how much I want to argue.

  There’s another thought hovering, too. I’m a mouse in a failed experiment. Why didn’t McAvoy shoot me back there?

  He puts his right hand onto a control panel and then punches in a code with his left. I try to see what numbers he’s hitting. He punches in the code 8-8-2-5-8. I commit it to memory in case I need it, because after three years spent here, I’m trained to be suspicious of everything, to analyze everything.

  The metal doors in front of us open with a swish, disappearing into the walls like pocket doors. My heart would be in my throat if I had control. I have no idea what fate awaits me inside the building.

  “Go,” is all McAvoy says, and my feet start moving. I’m powerless. I don’t give up so much as roll with it.

  Once I step inside, a blast of air conditioning hits me full force, and I can’t imagine why they’d have it running on this beautiful night. My mind must be loopy to be calling anything beautiful, but the weather is nice. I can’t argue that.

  The floors are white. The walls are white. And everything feels so…sterile.

  I’m walking into a lab. It’s late. Adrenaline is fading, and I’m starting to shake. I try to keep control, to fight the liquid death from spreading. Lights turn on as we progress down the long hallway. We round the corner and stop at another keypad. McAvoy puts his wrist against it. What the heck? An implanted chip, maybe? I’d read about that somewhere.