The Gene Rift (Destiny by Design Book 2)

by J. Andersen

  “Glad to see you’re up and about,” he says, leaning on his cane as he comes around the counter to greet me. “When you’re feeling better, I’ll challenge you to a race.”

  “I think you’d still beat me,” I say. “Never been much of a runner.” He grunts a half laugh. “If you’re looking for Jessica, she’s in the nonfiction section. Something about some research she wanted to do. You go find her.” He nods toward the back room. “I’ll bring you a cup of coffee.”

  “Thanks, Silas.”

  Each time I walk through this building, the smell brings me to a place in my soul that’s rarely visited. It’s like nothing in The Institute. They say smells bring about memories, but the only memories I can link to the aged paper scent are here in Arcanus. Despite the lack of memories, these stacks of books make me feel safe. It makes me think of Gran. The history I felt in her presence is the same I feel here among these books.

  I glance over my shoulder to see Silas fiddling with a mug of coffee. There’s something about him that reminds me of her. Maybe it’s the silver hair, or the way he walks, or the brightness in his eyes. But I think it’s his gentle spirit and the way he makes me feel important like I’m the only one in this whole world who matters. That’s how Gran made me feel. I finger the locket hidden beneath my shirt. The one that was hers.

  In the far corner of the back room, Jessica sits, her finger roving over the lines in a book open on her lap.

  “Whatcha readin’?” I ask.

  She flips the cover over, and I see Human Biology and Genetics printed on it.

  I raise my eyebrows. “Heavy reading.” She shrugs. “Nah, kind of interesting.”

  “Yeah, it’s fascinating. I was studying to be a creation scientist, you know.”

  “Um. Yeah, I heard. Want some coffee?” She motions behind me where Silas stands, holding the steaming mug he promised me. He hands it to me and turns to leave. The cup warms my cold hands, and the steam tickles my nose as it wafts up in translucent curls.

  “How’s your head been?” Jessica asks, pointing.

  “My head is fine. Sheesh, you sound like Micah. Always worried about me. And here I thought you were still mad about—” I press my lips together and glance away. I don’t dare say it. She knows what I’m talking about.

  She waves her hand as if to clear the air. “Jaxon and I talked about it. He’ll probably ignore you for a while. That’s the way he is. Being extra cautious just to make me feel better. It’s nothing against you. At least it gave me an opportunity to talk to him. I mean, clearly, the man was clueless to any of my hints.”

  “Clearly.”

  “I have to admit, I loved your idea to play chicken. Giving Jaxon a bloody nose really did make me feel better.” A smile breaks onto her face.

  Jessica is an anomaly to me. On one side, she’s this hardened warrior, a soldier in her own right. But then, sitting next to her in a coffee shop, it’s like she could be my sister. I snicker at the thought.

  “What’s so funny?” She looks through squinted chocolate-colored eyes. It’s a look I’ve seen a hundred times in a mirror, and there’s some-thing about it that gives me pause.

  “I was just thinking about how we can sit and chat like sisters do.” A nervous laugh escapes my lips as she blinks in shock. “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  She shakes her head. “Will you excuse me for a minute? I need to make a call.”

  “Uh, sure, I guess.”

  Jessica rounds the corner, and I sip my coffee and glance at the book she placed on the table next to me. Thumbing through the worn pages, I find one that’s dog-eared. The heading reads Twin studies. All at once, it hits me. My hand shakes, spilling the hot liquid over my wrist, and I scream as my mind puts all the pieces together. And when Jessica approaches again, there’s only one thing I can think to say.

  “You’re my sister!”

  I knew it. Deep down, I knew somehow, but I wouldn’t let myself admit it. The thought of my own sister taking my place in The Institute was too much to process, so I never let myself think it was a possibility. In my mind, Jessica had to be nothing more than a diehard look-alike willing to sacrifice herself for the good of the community.

  Her eyes are wide, and when she speaks, it’s not to me; it’s to the person on the other end of the line. “She figured it out.”

  ****

  Only twenty minutes pass before Micah and Jaxon arrive. In the few minutes we waited, Jessica filled me in on what she knew, which was basically that we are twins. I kick myself for not recognizing it sooner. Now that I know, it’s obvious. Sure, she looks like me, but there are enough subtle differences to think she’s my doppelganger, not my sister.

  “I don’t know the details. Micah promised he’d tell us both when we were together, but he was waiting for the right time. He didn’t want to upset you with your chip malfunctioning. Not sure how you’d react to the news.”

  I roll my eyes. We were both hiding information from each other. “How would discovering I have a sister upset me?”

  “Well, Jessica is a touch hard to deal with sometimes.” Micah chuckles from the end of the aisle of books. When he reaches us, he hands Brody to me, who nestles into a half-sitting position on my lap.

  Jaxon stands behind him. “No telling what the revelation of actually being related to her might do to someone.” He’s got a huge grin on his face, and Jessica slaps his stomach from her seat beside me.

  “Ugh. Sheesh, girl,” he says before turning his attention to me again. Micah sits. “Remember that whole crazy mission I sent Jaxon on that almost got you both caught by Institute workers?”

  I glance at Jessica. She fiddles with her hands and doesn’t look at me. The mere mention of the incident has us both blushing. Jaxon’s lips. Jessica opening the door. That was a tiny bit uncomfortable.

  Jaxon lowers himself into the chair next to Jessica and takes her hand. She smiles and leans her head into his shoulder. I’m glad they’ve been working through the weirdness. “Well, Micah sent me to retrieve this.” Jaxon pulls a compact from his bag and flips it on to show me the screen. There’s an image of two identical graphs. DNA.

  “What is this?”

  “Then there’s this.” He clicks a button and brings up another page.

  Destroyed: 1205901.2

  Assigned disposal: S. R. Bolding

  Item 1205901.1 assigned: 1172947 and 1193462

  Signed: P. R. Limbert

  “But the number … that’s me. And my parents.”

  “And me,” Jessica adds.

  “What?”

  “You were 1205901.1. I was 1205901.2.”

  “Proof you’re twins,” Micah says. “I discovered this during my time working for Professor Limbert, but I didn’t have time to copy it or tell you before you had to escape. How does one casually bring up that subject with the surveillance at The Institute?”

  Silas eases himself into a chair not far from me. “There’s more. I was working at the Creation Unit at the time your parents had put in for children—”

  “Wait. You knew my parents?”

  He smiles. “I created you myself. But when you started dividing, I knew we had a problem. Twins aren’t allowed to survive. At least not both of them. So I knew I’d have to choose one of you to be destroyed, and I wasn’t ready to do that. I waited until the very last second, did weights and measures, birthed you both and recorded what I needed to. Then I faked my death and escaped with Jessica. I knew somehow I’d meet you again, and we’d all be a family.”

  “Hold on. What family?”

  Silas reaches out and points to the chain around my neck. “Who gave you that locket?”

  That seems like a silly question to ask. “Gran. She was my great grandmother. It’s part of the reason I had to leave The Institute. She told me I should go.” My eyes flit from one person to the next. This feels like some sort of twisted intervention.

  “Emma Dennard was my mother.”

  I’m out of
the chair before anyone can say anything else. “Great-Gran? Your mother? That’s not possible.” My mind is spinning.

  “If you’re my grandfather … But you died in a car crash. There were articles written about you after your death. Dad always said—” So many thoughts fly through my mind; it’s hard to rein them in. I’d always been told my grandparents died in a tragic accident, so fitting Silas’s account with what I’ve always known sends me for a loop. “But what about your name? You’re not a Dennard. And where’s my grandmother, your wife?”

  “Bolding was my mother’s maiden name. I took it when I began my studies. Your great-gran was one of the Wombers. I knew if I had any chance of making a name for myself in The Institute, I had to separate myself from her. Since she went by her married name, using her maiden name seemed appropriate.

  “Problem was, the more I learned, the more I realized she was right. The Institute was twisted in its practices. When I had the opportunity to leave and start over, to fight back in my own way by giving information to the leaders here, I took it. The officials in Arcanus were always looking for more information. I was the perfect fit. But I knew if I left, I’d never be able to go back. As for my wife, your grandmother, she came to Arcanus with me but passed away a few years ago.”

  My hands shake, and a light heat rushes up my neck. “I need to get out of here.” I push through the group and head toward the door, Micah right behind me.

  “I’m so sorry, Kate,” he says once we’re both on the street. “This wasn’t the right time to tell you. I wanted to wait until I knew you were okay. You know, when there was less stress, but maybe this is good. With everything that’s happened, maybe it’s better to know that you have family here. Real family.”

  “Don’t you get it, Micah? I left my family. I chose you. You’re my family. You and Brody.” I push the loose hairs back from my face but leave my hand on my forehead as I pace the sidewalk. “I don’t even know what to think.” Am I angry? Sad? Excited? I can’t tell. The emotions are a swirl of undetectable, ungraspable fluid.

  Micah moves toward me and reaches for my hands. “Please don’t be mad.”

  I take a deep breath and blow it out between quivering lips. “I’m not mad. It’s just … I’m on sensory overload right now. We just got back from a huge rescue mission where both of us could have been killed. Then I start having these dizzy spells.”

  Micah gives me a look.

  “Okay, I continue having these dizzy spells. Then there’s the hospital where I learn my chip is pretty much inoperable, not to mention, my dad is trying to contact me through my own brain. And then this … this revelation of a twin sister and a grandfather.”

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve warned you. Told you myself beforehand. I didn’t want you to find out by accident. It was supposed to make you happy, be a celebration, but it’s only upsetting you.”

  I sigh, trying to calm my shaking hands by rubbing them on the thighs of my pants. “I’m not mad, Micah. I just don’t know what to think. It’s all too much.” I have a sister. Not just any sister. A twin sister. And the grandfather I thought I lost is here. Alive. What am I even supposed to think? How can I possibly process all that information?

  He pulls me closer so that our noses almost touch, and both of his hands hold my cheeks. “I love you, Kate. And I wanted to give you something good before the bad comes back. Granted, it wasn’t sup-posed to happen like this, but you’re too smart for your own good. You’re a strong, independent woman, and you can handle this.”

  There’s something in him that’s trying to calm me down. It almost works until I really hear his words.

  “Wait. Before the bad? What do you mean ‘before the bad’?”

  He shakes his head. “When you live in Arcanus, you always have to be prepared for bad things around every corner.”

  “Uh, uh. That’s not what you meant. You’re not going to gloss over this. It doesn’t work that way. Not after your spiel about me, the strong and independent woman. You have something specific in mind. Tell me what it is.”

  “Kate, it’s not important.”

  I pull away and stand a few feet from him. His touch makes me unable to think clearly. “Micah, no. If something bad is coming, I need to know what it is. Guessing and wondering what it could be will only make things worse. My mind will imagine something way worse than the truth, so please tell me what you know. None of this waiting for the right moment. You just saw how that turns out. Be up front with me.” His eyes search my face. “Here.” Then he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a slip of paper and hands it to me. “We sent a team to do surveillance on the outskirts early this morning. They discovered this at the cabin. I didn’t read it.”

  It feels strange in my hands. When do we ever use paper to communicate? It’s like a habit long past. Scrolled across the outside is my name in boxy lettering. “It’s got my name on it.”

  He nods.

  Carefully, I unfold it and read.

  Kate,

  Now that Micah has settled back into the Hidden City with you and your friends, it’s time for you to hold up your end of the bargain. I’ll give you a few days to say good-bye. Meet me on June 7 at this cabin for our exchange. I’ll be taking Brody back to The Institute with me.

  Saul

  My muscles go limp, and my head fogs over. I’m light-headed again, but it’s not the same dizziness I’ve been experiencing with the chip. It’s the essence of everything I have being ripped from my grasp.

  Micah takes the note from my hand and draws me closer to him as he reads.

  I curl into the confines of his embrace, wanting desperately to disappear. I can barely spit the words out. “Micah, he’s coming to take Brody. I thought maybe with him helping you …”

  He presses his lips against my hair and shushes the sobs that threaten to wrench my body in two. “We won’t let him. We’ll figure out a way to stop him.”

  TWENTY SIX

  SAVING BRODY

  (KATE)

  The next few days pass too quickly. Each hour brings me closer to my exchange with Saul. Micah’s tried to figure out a way around our quandary, but so far our only option is murder. We either kill Saul or lose Brody. There’s no way I’m giving up my son, but at the same time, I can’t bring myself to fully entertain the thought of ending someone’s life. I don’t care if this is war or not. No matter how evil he is, Saul is still human. Not only that, but the death of a Tier Two would surely lead The Institute on a witch hunt, and if Saul knows where the entrance to Arcanus is, there’s no telling if any-one else knows.

  There has to be a better way.

  I sit in a booth in the diner across from Silas’s bookshop and stare out the window, waiting for Micah. A gust of warm air sweeps across my ankles when the door opens. Micah lumbers over and kisses me before sliding onto the bench across from me; my heart speeds up and my skin flushes. His presence is the only thing besides Brody that makes me feel at home. My mind wanders to the picture-perfect life I imagined us having before we both left The Institute. We’d leave, get married, find a home somewhere, and live happily ever after just the three of us. If only it were that simple. But life never mimics my dreams, so here I am trying to create good out of a total disaster.

  At first, he doesn’t say anything; he just studies me with those piercing blue-gray eyes. It’s like looking out over the water after a storm.

  “I don’t have much good news.” He gets right to the point. “If Saul wants us to meet him with Brody, he’ll expect us to try something. If we don’t have Brody with us, he’ll attack or do something to retaliate. We can refuse to give Brody to him, but you have to know he’s going to have a backup plan. And he’s definitely not coming alone.” His fore-head fills with worry lines as his eyes fuse with mine again.

  I’m trying to be strong, but it’s hard when the situation seems so grim. “So there’s nothing we can do? Just give him my son without a fight?”

  “I didn’t say that. There’ll
be a fight, a dirty one. And everyone I’m gathering to help expects it. They all know how The Institute works. A fight is inevitable. But there’s a way we may be able to gain the upper hand.”

  I’m silent, waiting for him to tell what he knows.

  “We have connections at The Institute. We’ve used them to gather a synthetic material from the lab that mimics human skin. You won’t believe how real the stuff looks. We’re going to use it to create a fake baby to throw Saul off the trail.”

  “What? Micah, you can’t be serious. That’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard. Saul will see right through it. What happens when he picks up the baby? If he even thinks we’re trying to pull one over on him, the retaliation will be a thousand times worse.”

  “I know. It’s a long shot, but right now, it’s all we got. Even if it buys us five minutes to get our men in place, it’ll be worth it.”

  “So that’s it, give Saul a fake baby and run? How does that help at all? He’ll demand Brody sooner or later. Either way, I lose my little boy.”

  “Not if Saul’s not around to take him.” I narrow my eyes.

  “I’m not saying we outright kill him,” he continues. “We’re not murderers. But if he happens to perish in the crossfire of a battle, then there’ll be no reason for Brody to go anywhere.”

  It’s all too much. All this fighting, all this deception because of me. And nothing I do can help. Everyone I know is ready to charge into a stupid battle, willing to get themselves killed for me and my son. The guilt presses in until I can hardly breathe. I’m the reason for this war.

  But it’s for Brody. I risked my life to save him once. I’ll do anything to save him again. And so will Micah. Even if it means going up against Saul.

  “Can’t we just run away? Saul will never find us.”

  “Kate, you know we can’t. He’ll search until he finds you. We can’t run our whole lives. Even if we did, he’d destroy the people we love to get to us. He’ll find Arcanus and destroy it. Everything we stand for will be annihilated. We have to make a stand. It’s the only way.”