Mindsiege

by Heather Sunseri

  Jack placed his hands on both sides of my face and kissed me hard on the lips. He pulled back, locking eyes with me. “I know.”

  “You know.”

  “Yes.” He was as calm as I’d ever seen him. That calmness transferred to me in a wave. He was my rock. We’d face this together. This was what love was. When you’re faced with your deepest despair, a hole you’re scared you’ll never climb back out of, the one who loved you most would lift you out and be your strength.

  I stared into Jack’s eyes, each one a raging sea being rocked by a hurricane. “Thank you.”

  “For what?” he whispered, running fingers along the strands of hair framing my face.

  “For coming to Wellington. For not running. I wouldn’t have survived everything that’s happened had you not been here with me.”

  He kissed me lightly on the lips, which felt funny, soft after a hard cry. “You’re strong.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “We’ll face this head on, together.”

  “Well,” Jonas clapped his hands together behind me. “Glad that’s all cleared up. What’s the plan?”

  I spun around and faced Jonas. Jack stayed close to me. Protective, while I regained my bearings.

  “Let’s find a place to sit,” Jack said. He reached down, grabbed my hand, and led me two doors down. When he turned the knob, it opened immediately. Of course it did. I rolled my eyes.

  “Tell us about the trackers,” Jack said, entering the room and pulling a couple of chairs together.

  Jonas followed us in. I wasn’t used to him looking nervous, but in that moment I knew he had bad news. “Like I told you before, Sandra inserted a tracker into the base of my brain mainly to track my whereabouts. I couldn’t live my life trapped in The Farm. And she allowed me some liberty to leave The Farm as long as I didn’t fight the tracker.” He walked over and leaned against a table, crossing his arms and one leg in front of the other.

  “Why do you think she’s allowed you to live?” I asked. “I mean, didn’t you say she could kill you with a couple of keystrokes on the computer?”

  Jonas shifted and rubbed at the stubble on his jaw. “I don’t know why. Unless it’s because she thinks they actually have control of me. Through Ty. Or by programming the tracker in my own head.”

  “Did you know back then that the tracker was permanent?” I walked over and slid into the seat next to Jonas. Jack sat beside me. He propped his elbows against his knees and clasped his hands together. His leg brushed against mine, keeping constant contact.

  “No, I had no idea. And I didn’t understand how much power that tiny device gave the IIA. More specifically… Sandra.”

  “What kind of power?” Jack asked.

  “Initially, the tracker was used for knowing where the human clones were inside the IIA. It gave the clones a way to walk around the facility. A little more freedom.”

  “And then?” I prompted.

  “Then, as with anything Moth… Sandra did, the device became another way for her to manipulate whatever it was she wanted control of. In this case, she wanted more mind control.”

  “And you knew this?” Jack asked. “Why would you let her put one of these inside your brain?”

  Jonas’s face hardened. “Because, Jack, I had to get out of that prison. And I didn’t have a choice.”

  A shiver moved through me. I thought about what Jonas had said when he’d laid the gun in my hand and explained what it was like to grow up with Sandra as a mother. I touched Jonas’s arm. “Go on. So, what happened?” Jack stiffened beside me.

  “I already knew I had pretty intense mind control of my own. I constantly practiced getting inside the heads of others—inside the non-cloned when I didn’t want to be detected, then, as I got stronger, inside the clones. Before long I could tell any time Sandra’s machines altered my tracker, and I knew any time another clone entered my mind.” Jonas narrowed his gaze on me. “I made one mistake, though.”

  “Ty.”

  He nodded. “That’s right.”

  “What do you mean? Why was Ty your mistake?” Jack asked.

  Jonas shifted his gaze to Jack. “Ty is my DNA twin. By practicing, I became stronger. Ty picked up on this. And he followed in my footsteps. He became just as good, if not better, at the mind tricks.”

  “But Ty seems so different from you most of the time.”

  “Ty became distant from me. I caught Sandra whispering to him in corners over the past few months.” Jonas stopped, stared intently at me. “I knew, that morning when I had the most intense panic attack I’d ever experienced, right after having just had an unexplained panic attack the night before: Ty had learned to get inside my head, undetected.”

  “Ty was controlling you the night you forced Kyle’s hand into the fire,” Jack confirmed.

  “And, of course, the next morning when you practically forced me to stab Jack.” I glanced regretfully at Jack.

  “The good news? I’m already another step ahead of Ty.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “Once I had Sandra’s trust, I was able to leave the facility. She was too busy in her own little scientific world to monitor everything I did, so when no one paid attention, I worked to strengthen other areas. And for some reason, she hadn’t made me return by the time she fell into a coma.”

  I remembered how Jonas pinned Ty to the wall by his neck. “You built up your physical strength.”

  “And I studied. I got into many forms of self-defense: guns, knives, martial arts.”

  “Which is why you wanted Georgia, Fred, and me to take those classes.” Jack’s leg shook next to mine.

  Jonas nodded. “At the same time, I borrowed your books and studied biology, DNA mapping, genetic engineering and manipulation… you name it.”

  “And when Seth came along and started The Program…” Jack looked like he was understanding everything Jonas was saying.

  “I jumped at the chance to find out what he knew and grow closer to you, Georgia, and Fred. I thought we could help each other. And I no longer trusted my mother.” Jonas said the word “mother” with more than a hint of disgust.

  “And I led us straight here. To Wellington. To Lexi.”

  I stared at a spot on the floor in front of me, trying to make sense of Jonas’s reasons for being at Wellington and for telling us everything now.

  “I want you to know I’m on your side. You can trust me.”

  I snapped my head in his direction.

  “Yes, I hear almost everything you think, Lexi. You’re too new to all of this, but I’ve also been on the receiving end of your mindspeak.” Jonas’s lips curved up. “And let me just say, the moment you had me hold a scalpel to my own jugular vein, I knew it wouldn’t be long before you caught up to me in terms of mind strength.”

  “What about Ty? Is he still in your head?” I asked.

  “Not at this very moment.” I heard uncertainty in Jonas’s words.

  Jack threaded his fingers with mine and rubbed his thumb across the backside of my hand. “Are you still in Lexi’s head?”

  Jonas smiled. “Not at this very moment.”

  Jack shifted. I squeezed his hand. Let it go for now. The least of our worries.

  “Look, Jack,” Jonas continued. “You and I both know we can’t escape our fate. It’s been laid out before us. Lexi was never going to be able to run from this. I think you knew that.”

  Jack pulled his hand from mine and stood. He paced across the room, running a hand through his hair. He faced me. Without taking his eyes off me, he asked Jonas, “Can you give us a minute?”

  Jonas pushed off the table and exited the room. I had no idea if he gave us privacy or not. I couldn’t find him in my head. “I don’t think he’s reading my thoughts or listening in right now,” I said to Jack.

  “It doesn’t matter. I don’t like that he’s been tapping your thoughts, but that’s my problem to deal with. At least until you can shut him out.” Jack glanced at the door Jonas exited through, then brought
his eyes back to mine. “I definitely don’t like the way he looks at you. He’s protective of you in a way that makes me want to punch him. At the same time… he can help make sure no harm comes to you.”

  I stood and stepped close to Jack. I brushed the back of my hand down his face. “You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Hmmm. There’s plenty to worry about. You’re right about one thing, though. Jonas has different motivations than the two of us. He embraces the healing aspects of our DNA-tweaking, and he thinks that you will, too, eventually.”

  “He’s wrong. I will still find normal some day.”

  Jack smiled. “I’ll be right there with you. Right now, that’s the least of our concerns. You need to meet with Seth. It’s time to learn more. We can decide later which parts of our powers to embrace, which parts to ignore, and whether we want to have anything to do with some of the people in our lives.”

  “Where is Seth?” I asked.

  “He’s waiting for us across the hall.”

  “He’s been here the entire time?”

  “That’s right. Since he heard about his sister bringing a SWAT team on campus, he’s been ready and waiting. That man is nothing if not patient.”

  I took a shaky breath. “Does he know about Dani?”

  Jack slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. “Yes. And I’m sure he and Jonas are discussing it now.” He smoothed my hair back behind my ears.

  “What if something happens to her because of me? Or Addison… what if…” My voice cracked.

  “Shhh. Stop. You didn’t do these things. None of this is your fault.”

  I swallowed hard against the giant lump in my throat. “I can’t let anything happen to either of them, Jack.”

  “Nothing will. Think about it. If something happens to them, they’ve got nothing. We’ll run. If they don’t have bargaining power, they’ve got nothing.”

  “You know that makes no sense, right?” I smiled weakly.

  “It makes a little sense. Now, come here.” He lifted me up so that my face was even with his. He pressed his lips to mine. “We will figure this out.” He kissed me again, deeper this time. When he released me, he let me slide back to my feet, out of breath and slightly lightheaded. “I’ll meet you across the hall. I have something I need to do first.”

  I cocked my head. “Secrets?”

  “I want to know where my father is.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I found Seth and Jonas in a room across the hallway. It was set up like a classroom, with tables organized in a circle for open discussion. Seth and Jonas spoke quietly in a corner as I entered.

  When they saw me, they immediately stopped talking.

  “Hi, Sarah,” Seth cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I mean, Lexi.” He sounded genuine. “Old habits,” he added.

  “It’s okay.” It wasn’t okay.

  “I’m glad you’re here. I know this is hard for you. I—”

  “Do you?” I interrupted. “You’re Sandra’s twin brother. You and I are related by DNA. How am I supposed to believe that you aren’t going to drug me with something? Or insert a tracker into the back of my neck? Or force me to heal someone I don’t particularly want to heal? Or worse?”

  “All fair questions.” He gestured toward a chair. “Please. Let’s sit.”

  Jonas led the way by taking a seat first.

  After deliberating for a brief moment, I followed.

  Seth sat at the same table, facing us. “Where’s Jack?”

  “He’s checking on his father.”

  Seth clasped his hands on the table, stretching them out between us. “First, you know I’m here to help you, right? Or you wouldn’t be back at Wellington in the first place.”

  Wasn’t like I chose to return to Wellington. “I’m mostly certain of that.”

  “You also believe I can help you, or you wouldn’t be sitting here.”

  “Yes.” I guessed that was correct.

  “We’re just going to talk tonight. I promise I will work hard to earn your trust, but I need something in return.”

  I raised a brow, looked sideways at Jonas, then back at Seth. I didn’t owe either of them squat at this point.

  Jonas snickered. I hated that I had no idea which of my thoughts he heard and which he didn’t.

  When I didn’t answer, Seth continued. “I need you to give me the benefit of the doubt for now.” He got up and walked to an easel with a super-sized pad of paper attached to it. He flipped the pages over until he got to a list. “I’ve suspected there were seven original clones for a while now. But I was only starting to figure out what you were created to do before I got a call that my sister was in a coma. Since then, I’ve been piecing bits of information together. Some of the information had come directly from my sister, as she’d been trying to persuade me to join her at the IIA. Other information has come from the various clones I’ve met so far.”

  I stared at the piece of paper in front of me where Seth had listed the following: mind-altering abilities, mind control, physical strengths and abilities, and supernatural healing powers.

  “That’s why you initially formed The Program away from Wellington. You learned from Jonas, Fred, Georgia, and Jack under the guise of ‘teaching’ them?” I made air quotes around the word “teaching.”

  Seth shifted. Raised his hand to his face and massaged his jaw. He stared at me, thinking. “Yes, I formed The Program close to where I work, until it was time to bring it here on campus. I’ve learned from each of the clones I’ve worked with so far. From you, even. I like to think we’ve learned from each other.” He paused. I thought he would say something more, but he turned to the easel and pointed to the items there. “We have to figure out where your strengths lie within these areas, and how we can use these strengths to defend who you are as human beings—not the scientific experiments Sandra and the IIA want you to be.”

  He talked a good talk, that was for sure. “So where do we start?”

  “I’ll ask you the same question I’ve asked every member of The Program. What one thing do you desire from The Program more than anything else?”

  I didn’t even have to think. “That’s easy. I want to not need The Program.”

  Jonas remained expressionless.

  “Can you explain further? Because I’m pretty sure you do need The Program. What do you want from me, Lexi?”

  I stood and leaned across the table, my face a few inches from Seth’s. “Everything.” Seth’s face drooped slightly. “I need to know everything you can teach me about your evil sister. I want to know what she created me to do, and what she created the other clones to do. I want to know why she joined forces with the IIA. I want to know where she’s been since the explosion of my father’s original lab. I want to know who else you think’s working with her. After I know everything about her, I will make her wish she never played around with her own DNA. She will regret messing with people I love. Maybe after I’ve made her pay for her selfish choices and saved my friends from her Frankenstein-like ways I’ll be free to lead a normal life. When Sandra no longer exists in my world, I will not need The Program. That’s what I want from you.”

  With no humor in his face, Seth said, “Fine. We’ll start first thing in the morning.”

  ~~~~~

  Jack and I faced each other, circling, like boxers in the ring. Jonas watched from his spot along the wall. He hadn’t moved in the past fifteen minutes. Only stared. Analyzed.

  Jack insisted on being the one to do self-defense training with me. “Remember what I showed you. How to block. How to strike.” He spoke in a low voice. He intended for only me to hear, but I knew Jonas was listening.

  Seth watched from across the room. A phone was glued to his ear. I was hyperaware of everyone in the room. The tension was high, and all eyes were on me.

  How did I go from not wanting anything to do with this world—this life of medical experimentation—to needing to soak up everything I could in order to prote
ct those I loved? How was I suddenly wanting to learn martial arts? How to shoot a pistol? How to block genetically engineered freaks from slithering into my mind and interjecting control over my actions and decisions?

  How did I go from doing the controlling to being controlled?

  I saw Danielle this morning. She’s getting stronger, Jonas mindspoke. I think it will do her some good to get in here and learn some self-defense.

  Jack switched directions. I was a microsecond behind him. His arms were up. He and I had practiced movements in slow motion earlier. He taught me to strike and to block. It all fit in well with the kickboxing classes Dani had dragged me to in the past. Are you kidding? Dani can put almost anyone on his butt, including you. She should be teaching us. I was never very good at any of this. It should be Dani in here, and me in the hospital bed.

  Seth wasn’t sure Dani would be able to control the effects of the tracker on her mind. She wasn’t cloned with the DNA enhancements that the rest of us had. So far, Dani showed no signs of feeling any effects of the tracker. Possibly because Sandra or the IIA hadn’t activated the tracker yet.

  It was up to me to watch for the slightest change in Dani in order to protect my best friend.

  Jack made his move. He took one step into the middle of our imaginary circle, swept my feet from under me, and sent me to the ground.

  I grunted hard when my back hit the mat, and gasped for air.

  Slowly, I rolled to my side and coughed.

  Jack stood and walked away from me, grasping the back of his neck with interlocking hands. Through his form-fitting T-shirt, I could see the muscles in his back tighten.

  I’m sorry, I mindspoke.

  Jack came back and offered me a hand. He pulled me to my feet and pinned me in place with a furious gaze. “Where were you? You weren’t concentrating at all.”

  “I… I don’t know.” Even I could hear the weakness in my voice.

  “I’ll tell you where,” Jonas said, stalking toward us. “She was letting me in. I was talking to her. She concentrated on everything but the danger in front of her. Her mind is weak. This isn’t working.”