‘I can’t take you to them; not when you could so easily be lying. You could be here to get information and turn us in to your father. It wouldn’t be the first time.’
‘I’m not,’ he replies. ‘But, I understand if you need time to see that.’
I look him closely in the eyes. He seems so sincere that he wants to help, but there’s no way to be sure. Not when he could be planting the thoughts in my mind.
‘I’ll talk with the others and see what they say,’ I decide. ‘If they are willing to meet with you I will be in contact.’
He nods gravely. ‘That is all I ask.’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I’m almost back at the subway when Sebastian emerges from the entrance. He rushes towards me, his face flushing with relief.
‘Where have you been?’ he asks.
I open my mouth to reply, but he cuts me off before I answer. ‘You never returned from keeping watch. The other lookouts were going to issue an alert.’
I stare at his chest, as I can’t bring myself to look him in the eyes. He’s going to be so angry with me when he finds out. ‘I’ll tell you, but I think we need to find April and M first. They need to hear too.’
I look up and find him watching me with a puzzled expression, but he quickly nods. ‘I think they’re in the security office.’
I follow him back to the subway, and we head straight for the security office. We find M and April both inside watching one of the screens intently. There are dark circles around M’s eyes and his face is still drawn. He looks like he should be resting, but I can’t imagine him agreeing to take it easy and recover.
‘I need to talk to you,’ I say, as we enter the room, shutting the door behind us. ‘Something’s happened and I’m not sure you’re going to like it.’
M gives me the nod to go ahead and April stands back, crossing her arms over her chest.
‘You weren’t the only one to escape last night,’ I say, addressing M. ‘Hunter also managed to get away from Joseph…’ I continue, repeating everything Hunter had just told me. The only thing I leave out is his current location.
‘You think we can trust him?’ April’s voice is thick with disapproval. ‘After all he did to you? Are you crazy.’
M watches me closely and I look to him as I respond. ‘I’m not sure if he can be trusted, which is why I came to you. He’s your nephew and you know him best. If you’re not sure, we could send someone talented who may be able to get the truth from him. All I know is what he’s told me. It’s up to you what we do.’
M nods and draws a long breath in as he considers me. ‘You did the right thing bringing this to me. I already know of the torture my brother has put him through, so that much at least is true. But I think we should send someone to interrogate him, so we can be sure of his intentions.’
I gulp as I hear the word interrogate. It sounds unpleasant and makes me worry about what they have planned for him.
‘April?’ M says. ‘I would like for you to go with Elle now and use your persuasion talent to get Hunter to tell you the truth. If he’s been lying, he needs to be dealt with. If it’s the truth, well, there will be a lot to consider before we allow him to join us here.’
April nods grimly and I shudder in response. How exactly does M ‘deal’ with people? I’m not certain I want to find out. Even after everything Hunter has done to me, a part of me doesn’t want to see him hurt.
‘I want to go with them,’ Sebastian says, from beside me. He hasn’t said a word since I started explaining what happened with Hunter today and has been oddly silent since. ‘I won’t be able to tell if Hunter is lying, but I can at least help protect the girls.’
M nods. ‘That’s fine with me. Now if you’ll excuse us, I’d like to have a word with April before you leave.’
Sebastian and I both nod and withdraw back to the door in silence. I shoot one last glance at M as we leave. He looks so tired and malnourished, but the passion for The Movement still burns in his eyes.
Now that I look at him, I can see a certain resemblance between him and Joseph. It’s not much, but they have the same thin lips and hooked nose. Looks aside though, they have very different values. I’ve never been M’s biggest fan, but I could never fault where his heart lies.
‘How did you know where to find Hunter?’ Sebastian asks, once we’ve left the room.
I shrug. ‘I didn’t. I just had a gut feeling I needed to go to the park.’
‘You weren’t worried it was a trap? You should have taken someone with you.’
‘I didn’t expect to find him. I wasn’t even certain I was going to look for him. All I knew was that I was drawn to the spot where he was.’
Sebastian looks unsure but then the look of confusion drops from his face and he rubs his hand through his hair. ‘Well, he’s the reason we’re still standing here today so I’m not about to question it. I just hope that this isn’t some plan of Joseph’s and that Hunter is for real. It doesn’t matter how many times he may rescue us though; I will never call him a friend after what he did to you in that hospital.’
I take his hand in mine. ‘It may not have been him at all from the sounds of it. Let’s just give him a chance. We owe him that at least.’
He nods. ‘I still don’t have to like him,’ he replies.
April joins us several minutes later and we set off for the park. Sebastian stays quiet as we walk and April keeps shooting me uncertain glances. They’re worried about me, but they have no need to be. I met with Hunter by myself and nothing untoward happened. I doubt anything bad will happen now. I’m the one Joseph wants and if Hunter had wanted to take me, he had the ideal opportunity earlier.
April gives us instructions as she walks.
‘Sebastian, stay close to Elle when we get there. If anything happens with Hunter, I want you to teleport her out of there as quickly as possible.’
‘What about you?’ he asks.
‘I can take care of myself. Just make sure she’s safe.’
Sebastian nods, but he looks concerned. He clearly doesn’t like the idea of leaving April behind. He’s not the only one.
I take them directly to the house Hunter is staying in and April lets out a derisive snort as I push the front gate open.
‘What?’ I ask, pausing with my hand on the metal handle.
‘Nothing,’ she responds, her eyes the picture of innocence. ‘I just think it’s typical he chose the biggest house on the street,’ she mutters.
The door opens as we walk up the steps to the porch and Hunter peers out, opening the door wide when he sees it’s us.
‘You’re back,’ he says, a hint of surprise in his voice.
I shrug. I’m back but that doesn’t mean I trust him. His eyes flick past me to April.
‘Beth,’ he says, eyeing her closely. ‘Or can I call you April now?’
She clenches her teeth tightly together, barely withholding her anger at him. ‘It’s April.’
‘The Masons are pretty upset that you’ve disappeared,’ he says.
I turn to face her. ‘They think you disappeared?’ Even though Paul Mason works with Joseph, his whole family had been so kind to me when I stayed with them. I understand why April had to convince them she was their daughter, Beth, but thinking about how worried the family must be makes me feel slightly guilty.
She shrugs. ‘Things changed. I’ve clearly had other priorities over the last few weeks.’ Her eyes flicker to mine, and for a moment I see the weight and stress running The Movement has taken on her.
Hunter looks past April to Sebastian who stands behind. ‘This is the guy you’re in love with?’ he asks me.
I splutter in response, my heart leaping to my mouth. Did Hunter really just say that out loud? I can’t bring myself to turn and see Sebastian’s reaction.
April saves me the indignity of responding myself. ‘This is my brother, Sebastian,’ she says coolly.
Hunter nods, then steps back from the doorway and waves us in. ‘Well, pl
ease step into my office,’ he remarks.
I move to follow him and April grabs my arm before I walk through the doorway. ‘Stay on guard,’ she says, under her breath.
Once we’re seated in the front entrance room, April asks Hunter to repeat what he told me earlier.
‘You will tell me what you told Elle earlier, but you will only tell me the truth about why you helped Joseph,’ she says. ‘You will not lie.’ Her voice is soft and has taken on a dreamy quality as she laces her words with her persuasion talent.
Hunter’s eyes cloud over and he gives her a dreamy nod in return, before launching into his speech. His words have no inflection in them and are monotone without any emotion in them. He almost sounds like a machine as he recounts the same things he told me earlier.
I glance at Sebastian, who refused a seat and stands behind my chair. There’s a dark look of concentration on his face as he watches Hunter. He looks ready to move at a moment’s notice if Hunter tries anything on us.
April purses her lips as she listens to Hunter’s explanation. Give or take, his account is the same as earlier and he was clearly telling me the truth.
When he finishes April gives him a short nod and turns to me. ‘Let’s go,’ she says, standing to leave.
I glance between her and Hunter. What’s been decided? Is he coming with us? Does April believe the things he just repeated are true?
When we reach the door she pauses and looks back at Hunter. ‘We’ll let you know,’ she says.
‘Don’t take too long. I can help The Movement,’ he replies.
April raises one eyebrow but then continues as though Hunter hasn’t said a word. ‘Until then, I suggest you stay here,’ she says. Her voice has taken on the same eerie sound as earlier. It’s almost hypnotising as her lips curl around each word. ‘Do not come to find us and do not seek Elle out.’
Hunter nods and the milky tone to his eyes returns for a moment. It’s not until we’re at the gate and leaving that it seems to pass. He lifts his hand in one small wave to me, and then winks. There’s a knowing look in his eyes, and I worry that perhaps he wasn’t as affected by April’s talent as he’s led us to believe.
I don’t wave back at him, I merely turn and follow April as Sebastian places his hand on my lower back and guides me onto the road.
No matter what April and M decide, there’s something I don’t trust about Hunter.
‘So?’ Sebastian asks, as we walk back through the park, past the swing set. Even he has to move quickly to keep up with the rapid pace April sets. She walks purposefully, like she’s late and rushing to be somewhere, but maybe she’s also hurrying to get away?
April glances at me before she responds to Sebastian. ‘He appears to be telling the truth,’ she says, almost reluctantly. She chews on her lower lip as she thinks about it. ‘Everything he said fits with what Elle told us earlier.’
‘You really think his father put him through all that?’ I try not to sound too startled, but my voice betrays me as the words rush out of my mouth.
She nods. ‘You’ve seen first hand what Joseph is like. I’m surprised you’re surprised.’
‘But to his own son?’ I continue.
She sighs. ‘I guess not everyone gets a father like we had…’
We all fall silent as we consider the reality of Hunter’s story. It’s not until we reach the other side of the park that anyone speaks again.
‘I just don’t understand how anyone could have thought Joseph was fit to be in charge,’ Sebastian says. ‘The guy is obviously not the right man for the job.’
April looks undecided before she responds, like she’s considering whether she should say anything. ‘He seemed like the man for the job at the time,’ she says thoughtfully.
‘How do you know that,’ Sebastian asks?
‘M told me how this all started,’ she begins. ‘Joseph and M were from a military family. They knew the ins and outs of military strategy before they knew their times tables. It’s how they came to be in their ARC. Their father was one of the head military commanders in charge of its protection, and they were both up and coming soldiers.
‘Each ARC had a chief purpose, and theirs was surface exploration after the day of impact. The problem was that people kept coming back sick—so sick they ended up dying.’
‘They were mutating too fast,’ I say, quickly guessing the reason why.
She nods. ‘But Joseph never got sick. From what I’ve heard, he was on nearly every surface mission and he was never affected. Not in the slightest.’
‘Because he was talented?’ I ask.
She shakes her head. ‘No, that’s the thing. Joseph isn’t talented, he’s immune to the effects of mutation.’
‘But he’s obsessed with talents.’
‘Because he doesn’t have one,’ she finishes for me. I can feel the shock register on my face as her words settle within me. It certainly explains his obsession with the hospital and with the experiments on Will, Jane, me and all the other patients. He wants to make himself talented.
‘And that’s why he was so jealous of his son’s talent,’ Sebastian concludes.
‘I guess so,’ April says, taking a deep breath before she continues. ‘Because of his immunity, Joseph was in charge of settling Hope. The council knew they couldn’t go above ground safely, unless they were tainted, so they gave him interim powers to take control of the surface. Initially, he was brilliant at what he did. He had the city up and running quicker than anyone else could have dreamed.
‘But, he was arrogant. Once The Sphere was in place he thought it would reduce Lysartium exposure for the people within Hope, so he brought his wife, son and brother to the surface. It was too soon for his wife. His arrogance caused her death, but Hunter and M were already tainted at the time, so they survived.
‘Once his wife died he wasn’t the same. The traits that made him brilliant became his worst assets. It was when she died that he began building the wall and started his experiments in the hospital. He became obsessed with creating the perfect race. He’s had an explanation for every restriction he’s put in place so people continue to follow blindly. At first he was the right man for the job…’
‘But he’s clearly not anymore,’ I finish for her.
We fall silent as we continue to walk, each of us deep in thought as we consider what April has said. My heart goes out to Hunter. How he’s put up with such a cruel and selfish father, I have no idea. The things he’s done to his own son are just as bad as the things he’s done to me—a girl he doesn’t even know.
We round the corner and I realise we are nearly back at the subway. I feel a chill go through me as the wind whips up. I wrap my arms around myself and look up at Sebastian. He’s got such a serious look on his face and his eyes are deep in thought. He catches me watching and gives me a small smile, which makes me feel better.
He reaches out and takes my hand in his, giving it a small squeeze. I give his a small squeeze back before letting go. Everything will be okay. We will fix this somehow.
I stop at the intersection and look over my shoulder in the direction of the clinic. ‘I should go see if they need a hand at the clinic…’
‘Go ahead,’ April says. ‘I need to talk with M about Hunter.’
Sebastian looks like he wants to come with me, but I give him a small smile and tell them I’ll be back later. I turn to walk to the clinic before he decides to join me. It’s not that I don’t want his company, but going to the clinic is something I like to do myself. It’s like my own little haven away from the dark station that I can escape to and I like to help them out without any distractions. Sebastian is definitely a distraction.
The clinic is quiet when I arrive. There are no volunteers walking the corridors and no talking from the patient rooms. I walk to Aiden’s office, but he’s not there, so I head to the back of the clinic where Henry has his lab.
I knock once and enter to find the two of them talking excitedly. When Aiden looks up he grin
s at me. ‘Henry’s done it,’ he says, finding it difficult to keep the enthusiasm from his voice. ‘He’s created a cure.’
‘What?’ I exclaim, looking to Henry who smiles encouragingly.
‘We will still need to test it on humans, but I think we’ve found a way to halt the mutations. It could be the cure people need to leave the ARC and return to the surface.’
‘Oh my gosh Henry!’ I exclaim. I squeal and rush over to hug them both.
Henry clears his throat when I pull back, trying to look more formal after my enthusiastic hug. ‘Well, we can’t get too excited now. We haven’t tested it yet.’
Aiden and I don’t really hear him though, as we’re too busy laughing and dancing around with happiness. I halt suddenly, looking at Aiden seriously. ‘What does this mean for Jane?’ I ask.
His shoulders slouch and sadness touches his eyes. ‘This won’t help her,’ he answers softly. He quickly pushes the emotion down and allows a smile to come back to his face. ‘But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate this achievement.’
I smile and nod with him. ‘When did it happen?’ I ask, turning to Henry.
‘Last night,’ he says. ‘I’d been working on a serum using a combination of your blood and Jess’ blood. When mixed together, her cells will act as a shield against mutations, and your cells ability to absorb new talents will help the body absorb the cure. It’s finally worked. I haven’t slept all night,’ he adds, stifling a yawn.
‘So what happens next?’ I ask.
They both look at me hesitantly. ‘We need to start human trials,’ Henry says.
I take an instant step back. After what happened to me in the hospital, I find the idea of them doing trials on people to test their cure completely wrong. ‘But you can’t do that,’ I say, finding my voice.
‘Elle, it would only be on people who volunteer,’ Aiden says softly, sensing my distress.
‘It’s still not right,’ I say.
‘Maybe not, but it’s the only way to go ahead with it. We cannot administer it to a whole group of people without testing it on a smaller sample first. If it doesn’t work, it would affect everyone, rather than just a few.’
Destined (The ARC Book 4) Page 11
