The Riser Saga

by Becca C. Smith

  After a few minutes Jason, Bill, Nancy and Jill were sitting around Ryan and I on the bed. If Bill couldn’t make eye contact with me before, well, now it was ten times worse. He looked genuinely ashamed. I made a promise to make him feel better about the whole Ryan situation. It was funny: now that I knew Ryan’s memory was intact, I could care less about Bill’s advice to let Ryan go. Obviously, Bill thought I was going to be angry with him, so I forced eye contact with him and smiled. Bill’s eyes widened, then he gave me an awkward smile back, but it was a good first step towards “the mending.” Jill watched the whole exchange and she looked decidedly happy that I had forgiven Bill and that Ryan was in full form. She really did like Bill.

  “I’m sorry about the fight,” Bill sputtered out. I realized that he wasn’t just feeling bad about me, he still felt responsible for Ryan’s whole kidnapping.

  Ryan nodded. “Forget it.”

  And that seemed to be it. For now, anyway. Boys.

  Nancy and Jason were holding hands and looking a lot more comfortable with the whole relationship thing, which made me happy.

  I helped prop up Ryan into a sitting position and everyone stared at him as if waiting for a bomb to drop. “It took me a while to figure out how the machine that Elisha strapped me into worked, but, once I did, I was able to control the results of every test she performed on me.” He smiled. “Her results state that I’m of mild intelligence and highly overrated in the academic field. It’s why she allowed you to take me. I made her believe I was of no use to her.”

  “What if she’d killed you?” I asked, my voice laced with the tone of what if.

  “I knew she was going to use me as leverage and I knew you’d rescue me,” Ryan said with his adorably roguish grin, but I wasn’t having it.

  “Ryan, she’s psycho, you could have died.” I couldn’t believe he risked his life by making Elisha believe he wasn’t as smart as she thought he was. I couldn’t believe he believed in me enough to entrust his survival on the mere chance that I’d break him out. The whole thing made me anxious.

  Ryan reached out and held my hand, which calmed me down. “I’m safe now, you can’t think about what could have happened. Now let me tell you what I know,” Ryan said softly.

  I nodded knowing he was right, but my mind still reeled over the fact that Elisha could have snuffed him out on a whim.

  When Ryan was sure I was okay, he continued, “I witnessed a lot of really horrible things when I was in there. The story Elisha told you about her sister committing suicide was a lie. Elisha tortured Beth for two days before she finally killed her. It was brutal. She took an axe and smashed it into Beth’s chest. Elisha made up that story about suicide and wouldn’t let anyone see the body, including Roland. He really believes his mother killed herself.”

  It was hard to feel sorry for Roland Light, but I started to get the feeling that he was just as used by Elisha in this whole situation. If Elisha lied to him about Beth’s death, then she was afraid of his reaction, which meant they weren’t on the same page about certain things. Maybe we could use that to our advantage.

  “That’s so messed up,” Bill said as if not fully accepting the truth.

  I guess I would have been more shocked if I hadn’t learned from Roberta that all the I.Q. kids were sociopaths. That’s when I realized I hadn’t told anyone that little tidbit of information. I immediately told them everything, from Roberta’s helping me, to connecting to the twins, to the way Turner chooses I.Q. kids.

  “So my seven-year-old manipulation skills weren’t as fantastic as I thought they were.” Ryan was trying to make light of the situation, but I could tell he was a little frazzled by everything I just laid on him.

  I leaned down and kissed his cheek. “It wasn’t until you solved Trilidon’s Theorem that Turner regretted not keeping you. But you were too old by then.”

  Jason mused out loud, “You must be connected to those twins by more than just their powers, if they were both able to bring you into their memories and thoughts. I’ve just never heard of that.”

  It really was strange that two separate people, twins or not, were able to bring me into their… what? They had two separate brains, so how could I be in both? I could connect to their swirling black holes, yes, but their memories? As one? Jason was right, my connection with Samuel and John had to be deeper than just having opposite powers.

  “Unfortunately, most of their plans were spoken in rooms I wasn’t in. Roland and Elisha aren’t much for using computers to map out their strategy. But I have some things that could help,” Ryan said, then looked at Jason. “I can show you later, nothing to bore everyone else with.”

  Ryan’s eyes started to droop from exhaustion.

  “We should let you rest,” Nancy said, standing up and bringing Jason with her.

  Bill and Jill followed suit, but I stayed where I was. There was no way I was going to leave his side. Besides, I needed sleep myself.

  No one argued, not even Bill. They all left the room in silence, but just before Nancy left she smiled and gave me a thumbs up. I smiled back, then snuggled up next to Ryan as she shut the door.

  Ryan wrapped his arms around me. I lay my head against his chest and was so contented I wanted to burst. I had my Ryan back.

  Ryan situated himself so we were forehead to forehead. “The only thing that kept me going was that you would come for me,” he said, kissing me lightly on the mouth. “I could hear your voice when Elisha would talk to you underground. It nearly killed me to hear how scared you were.” Ryan kissed me again, this time more passionately.

  “It was terrifying, but I knew I had to get free and save you. It’s my fault you were there in the first place.” I still reeled from guilt, and there was a teeny tiny part of me that almost wished he could forget everything.

  Ryan cradled my face in his hand and stared at me intensely. “I don’t blame you for anything. You know that, right?” He waited until I nodded. “Turner found me long before I ever knew you. I solved Trilidon’s Theorem long before I knew you. Elisha targeted me long before I knew you. We’re in this together, okay?”

  I simply nodded. I wasn’t going to argue with him how Turner had left him alone before he met me or how I was the one who helped Elisha escape or how she never would have had the chance to capture him if it weren’t for me. I decided I was just going to be happy. Period. I deserved it.

  So I kissed Ryan with everything I had and he responded in turn. Kissing him was somehow different now. More intense. More emotional. We had been through the ringer and survived yet again and it only made our bond stronger. Neither one of us was able to stop. It felt like kissing him was giving me oxygen. I still felt all the butterflies and the tingling, but this time it was more powerful. Like if we let go of each other we’d wither and die.

  We both knew where this was headed. I never wanted anything more in my life. My mind went numb with bliss as Ryan and I made love.

  Chapter Seven

  Thursday December 9, 2320

  I was still reeling from being with Ryan in a way I can’t even describe. I felt like I was surrounded by this bubble of joy that would pop at any second, so I clung to that feeling of pure happiness like it was a life vest.

  Wait a minute.

  I was asleep.

  I’d had so many astral experiences in the last week that it took me a minute to realize I was in the blackness of my own mind. I imagined myself in a field of flowers with a bright blue sky and I was instantly there. I felt Roberta tap-tap-tapping to come inside my brain and I decided to let her in.

  Roberta popped into existence in front of me and took in her surroundings. “Nice.” She smiled her frozen smile. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail for once instead of the usual tight bun she preferred. She looked more relaxed than I’d seen her before.

  “What do you want?” I demanded. I was still angry at Turner’s betrayal when he killed the innocent townsfolk.

  Roberta sighed at my attitude. “I want you to k
now, that Geoffrey had no choice. He had to kill those people. The twins could not be allowed to stay in Elisha’s hands. You must know that.” Roberta’s eyes were penetrating and I could tell she truly meant what she was saying.

  Maybe it was for the greater good, but I’d never be able to accept killing innocent people. Ever.

  “Elisha said you were going to use the twins for something. She said she had me rescue them because she was protecting them from you guys.” I honestly didn’t believe a word of what Elisha said, but I wanted to see how Roberta would respond.

  I wasn’t disappointed.

  Roberta shifted from foot to foot in a nervous fashion. “Well, you needn’t worry about Samuel and John. Turner felt you were right about them being a threat and he had them killed.”

  “She’s lying.” John popped into the field of flowers with Samuel next to him. They were holding hands and their milky white eyes stared at me with eerie stillness.

  I looked at them and then at Roberta for her reaction, but there was none.

  “She can’t see us,” Samuel snickered with delight.

  “Only you can,” John snickered in unison with his brother.

  This went far beyond creepy. First off, they had managed to break past my barrier without me detecting it. Second off, they were kids with blind eyes and black swirling heads. Vomit.

  “What are you looking at?” Roberta’s eyebrow raised in curiosity and suspicion.

  “You said he killed them?” I asked her, daring her to tell the truth.

  Roberta paused like a kid deciding to commit to the lie or tell the truth before the lie gets out of hand. “Yes, of course, they’re dead, Chelsan. Why would I lie?”

  I prodded even more. “You saw their bodies?” I needed to know if she genuinely didn’t know.

  “Yes, I saw the bodies myself. We had them incinerated.” Roberta looked me straight in the eye and if the twins hadn’t been standing right in front of me, I would have believed her.

  Samuel and John continued to snicker at the situation.

  “We’re in a chamber beneath Turner’s headquarters,” John said.

  “You must save us,” Samuel finished.

  “You know they’re here, right?” I decided to call Roberta out.

  All the color drained from Roberta’s face. “What do you mean, they’re here?”

  “The twins. They’re standing right next to you. They told me where you’re keeping them.” I looked at her waiting for her to explain herself.

  “I forgot,” Roberta said almost to herself.

  “Forgot what?” I asked wanting to squeeze as much information as I could from her.

  “Nothing,” she said, her focus was fully on me. “Don’t let them in your head, kick them out! Yes, I lied, but it was for your own good. They’re the reason you have your power…”

  Whoosh!

  Roberta was gone.

  And in mid-sentence.

  “We don’t like the nasty cat lady.” Samuel looked angry.

  “We made her go away.” John’s smile was wicked.

  They made her go away. In my head! Only I should be able to do that!

  “I think I’ve had enough of all of you,” I said and imagined myself slamming a wall down in my head to keep everyone out.

  The twins disappeared.

  I was alone in the field of flowers.

  Time to wake up.

  I awoke to the warm rays of sunlight on my cheek. I didn’t know what to do. Roberta lied about the twins, which made me think Turner did have plans for them. And, maybe, if I helped put Turner away with Jill’s holo-chip those boys would starve to death. I couldn’t believe I was thinking that, but I’d had my own experience with Brady the serial-killer-sociopath, and people like him and the twins were born to inflict pain and cruelty on innocents, and they didn’t feel a thing. Samuel and John could end the world. Maybe letting them go was the best possible scenario, but as long as Turner was in power, they’d be a potential threat to everyone’s very existence. I hated that I wanted them dead. Who was I becoming?

  I looked over at Ryan sleeping soundly next to me and my heart felt a sigh of contentment. I’d have to talk to the gang about all this to see what they thought.

  I slowly reached over and kissed Ryan on the cheek. He stirred awake, then laid his eyes on me and grinned. “Morning, beautiful.” He pulled me in for a kiss.

  “Morning,” I mumbled through kisses.

  I pulled away smiling. “I had another one of those dreams.”

  Ryan turned serious. “More bad?”

  “Afraid so. I think it’s time for Jill to get that chip.”

  “I thought it didn’t work. Did you guys crack it while I was gone?” Ryan sat up, alert now.

  “No one else knows, but Jill told me she figured it out. She said she’s hidden it in a safe place. I think I should go with her to get it.” I reluctantly slid out of bed and started to dress.

  Ryan followed suit, pulling on a t-shirt and jeans. “Sounds like a plan. You want me to come?”

  “Yes, but I think Jill would feel safer it was just me. Don’t tell her I told you about the chip.” I walked over to Ryan and kissed him again.

  Ryan gently brushed the hair out of my face and kissed my forehead. “I won’t say anything, but be careful. If your grandparents figure out what you’re doing, they’ll kill you guys.”

  I fell into his chest. “I know, but am I crazy to think that they won’t?” I really wanted to believe that we had come to some sort of truce, albeit a thin one since I still thought they deserved to spend the rest of their lives in jail, but still.

  “You’re not crazy, Chelsan, but you can’t trust them. If it came down to their safety and killing you, they’d kill you in a heartbeat. Don’t doubt that for a second. If I’m wrong then great, but if I’m not, and you put your guard down…” He left the thought unfinished, but I knew the rest of it: if I put my guard down, I could die.

  “You’re right. It’s just been a rough week,” I said into his chest.

  “I know.” Ryan held me closer and it felt so wonderful. More please. “But some pretty amazing things happened too.” Ryan said, looking at me with expectant eyes.

  “Very true,” I agreed, then I reached up, pulled his head down to mine, and we started kissing again. Everything melted away in a large tidal wave of goodness. Ryan and I somehow found our way to the bed and I was about to pull off his shirt when…

  “Um, guys, discretion please?” Nancy’s voice was laced with happiness.

  We pulled away from each other (and believe me this was a feat of its own) to see Nancy standing there shaking her head with a grin.

  “Sorry,” I said, but no apologies were needed: Nancy was totally on team Hook-up. “You better get Jill. I’ve got a mission that involves her, and the sooner we do this, the sooner I won’t chicken out.”

  Nancy’s eyebrow rose in curiosity, but she headed off to find Jill.

  “Are you sure you want to go after Turner right now?” Ryan asked. “I mean, we might need him to take down Elisha.”

  I was thinking the same thing, but I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t keep my promise to at least try. Turner was a mass murderer and needed to be stopped. I’d take care of Elisha myself. She had no powers and she’d lost the twins so maybe Elisha would no longer be a real threat. What could she possibly do? Her biggest leverage left was the seven thousand surrogates, but I could let the government take care of that. How would I be able to make seven thousand women leave Havenville against their will? My first priority was to keep everyone safe, and that meant finally putting Gramps away.

  Jill was by my side in no time and we made eye contact. No words needed to be said. I was keeping my promise to her.

  “Ready?” she asked with a look of determination.

  “Ready.” I nodded.

  “Alone?” Nancy chimed in with annoyance. “No way! I’m not letting you out of my sight again! And what’s this about anyway? Where are y
ou two going?” Admittedly, she sounded a little jealous.

  I turned to Nancy. “Nancy, alone. Holo-chip, remember?”

  “I thought that was here. We haven’t even cracked it…” Realization washed over Nancy’s face. “Oh! Oh man, okay, wow, we’re really doing this, aren’t we?”

  I nodded. “We good?”

  A few seconds of unhappy groaning. “Fine,” Nancy conceded, then stuck her finger in Jill’s face, “If anything happens to her…”

  Jill whacked Nancy’s hand away from her face like it was a bothersome fly. “She’ll be protecting me in this situation, so get your finger away from my face.”

  “We’ll be fine,” I said with as much confidence as I could muster. “Jill, let’s go.” I turned to Nancy, “Tell Bill and Jason, but under no circumstances are they to follow, got me?”

  “Yeah, yeah, just be back soon, and I’ll have Jason ready to transmit the chip.” Nancy shook her head as if she wasn’t expecting the excitement to start this early in the day.

  I gave her a quick hug and Ryan a kiss, then Jill and I were off.

  We took Jill’s hover-BMW and I had to say, compared to most vehicles it was out of this world. The seats were like cushy paradise with ergonomic back and head rests. Jill drove the car with ease and thirty minutes later we were landing at her stunning mansion. The house was made of metal and glass topped by five solar panels on the roof. The window frames and doorknobs were all colored glass, making the house look like it belonged in a children’s book.

  We exited the car and I barely had time to notice the gorgeous rose bushes encircling the hover-pad. There was a hover-Mercedes already parked nearby.

  “Mom’s home. I’ll tell her I’m spending the night at Nancy’s again,” Jill said as she opened her front door and we entered inside.

  “Does she mind you spending so much time over there?” I asked, always wondering how Bill and Ryan managed to explain all their time spent away from home to their parents.

  “She really doesn’t care,” was all Jill answered, and I could tell from her tone that she didn’t want to elaborate. With a zombie dad and a mom that didn’t seem to care too much about her whereabouts, it seemed like a pretty lonely life. “The chip’s in a secret compartment in my dad’s study.” Jill took the lead, guiding me through her monstrous house.