by JA Huss
“It’s not my fault you fucked up his protocol. I’m not the one who shot him with some interference cocktail while I was under the influence of a supercomputer.”
“OK,” Linc says, walking around his desk to take a seat behind it. “We don’t have time for the blame game. Case fucked up. We get it.”
“I didn’t fuck up! Molly poisoned me with that goddamned lariat thing the Blue Boar gave her.”
“It wasn’t Molly’s fault,” Linc growls. “So shut up about that.”
“Who cares whose fault it is,” I say. Thomas was always the leader of this little operation. The rest of us were on board, but he’s the one holding it all together. And right now, his absence is painfully apparent. Because he’s got a way of handling things that I haven’t quite mastered.
I need to up my game.
“It doesn’t matter how we got here,” I say. “We’re here and we need to deal. So if we’re ready, let’s just press play, right? Get this show on the road.”
“And just how the fuck do you propose we do that without Thomas?” Lincoln says. “He’s got all the initiation codes.”
“I have access to that too,” I say. “We’re good, I swear.”
I look at Linc. His eyes are trained on mine. Narrowed down into little evil slits. I glance over at Case. He hasn’t quite perfected that look, but it’s close enough. They don’t believe me.
“We only have one chance,” Case says. “One chance to flip this fucking town upside down and set things right. We cannot risk doing it without Thomas.”
I smile and look at Lincoln. “Well, according to Linc here, I am Thomas. So what’s the difference?”
“The difference is,” Case continues, “that Thomas has his shit together and you don’t. That’s why he’s been in charge and you haven’t. You’re a loose fucking cannon, Sullivan. And what’s this I hear about bringing that new crew here? They are not on our side.”
“I didn’t send Sadie to fuck things up,” I say, staying calm. That cocktail of drugs Thomas was on really did keep him on track. And me. And as reluctant as I am to admit it, it was working pretty well. But now? Nothing seems to be working right. “And Thomas needed her to escape the asylum after the blast.”
“So why bring them here?” Lincoln asks. “You really want to unlink yourself from Sadie? Because I have to tell you, it was pretty clear that she wants nothing to do with that Uzi guy.”
“Wait,” Case says. “I missed this part. Bring me up to speed.”
I do, letting him in on all the parts that seem relevant, leaving out those that are not. Like… how much I want to fuck that girl right now. And that’s pretty much the only reason we’re here tonight. I end it with, “So they’re staying the night and we’re going to do the procedure tomorrow.”
“It is a real thing?” Case asks. “This unlinking bullshit?”
“How the fuck should I know?”
“It’s not,” Lincoln says. “I’d know about it. And for sure Sheila is not setting up anything of the sort down in the lab right now. She’s just stringing them along to buy us some time.”
“What we need to figure out,” I say, “is how to get Thomas out of whatever mental cell he’s locked in right now. Because even though being in charge is kinda fun, we can’t be sure we’re on track until things are back to normal. You can doubt me all you want, you guys. But I’m just as interested in revenge as the rest of you. I’m not about to throw away fifteen years of planning over this little hiccup in the chain of command.”
“You’re definitely not in charge anymore,” Linc says.
I laugh. “Like hell. I’m the one with all the initiation codes.”
“We need to get rid of these extra people and I have a feeling that Uzi guy isn’t going to go quietly. We can’t have this kind of distraction if we enact the plan. So how do you propose we get rid of them without a fight since your whole idea is based on bullshit?”
“I propose…” I cannot stop the smile. “That we just drug the fuck out of Uzi, Iziah, and Cyan, drop them off somewhere to sleep it all off, and bring Sadie in on the deal. She and I are a great team, man. I’m telling you, her illusionist skills are phenomenal. She’s highly trained.”
“She was sent to kill you, dumbass. So you know, you should probably sort that out before you bring her in on the most fucked-up plan this world has ever seen!” Lincoln yells that last part. There might be veins sticking out from his neck.
“OK,” I say. “I can see I haven’t explained things well.” So I start over, letting them in on my theory. “Prodigy still exists. Sadie and those other three came from another school. They escaped a couple years ago, but Iziah and Sadie got left behind or some shit. So whoever sent Sadie to kill me—can we just assume that was the Red Robber? I mean, it only makes sense that Prodigy was behind that computer takeover of Cathedral City last spring.”
“Why not?” Case says. “Does it matter what we call them? Red Robber, Prodigy, they’re just the enemy and that’s all that matters.”
“Right,” I say, pointing at him. “So the enemy sent Sadie to kill me, Thomas went apeshit crazy with his little mind blast and fucked up all their plans, because while it didn’t kill Sadie, it did wipe her programming. Meanwhile, Cyan and Uzi see this as the best opportunity to break Iziah out, then they go after Sadie to get her back too. They’re just a bunch of dumb kids trying to break free, just like we were fifteen years ago. But either way, their part in this is fortuitous, but coincidental. So who cares about the new crew. We should just drug them tomorrow. Take them out of the equation.”
“Even Sadie?” Lincoln asks, calmer now.
“I want her,” I say, just to be clear. “And I’m pretty sure Thomas wants her too. But yeah, even Sadie. She and I are only at the very beginning stages of our soon-to-be lifetime partnership. She stays here with them. Then we go to town, initialize the program, blow everyone’s minds, and watch them all fall down.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Case says.
We both look over at Lincoln. He’s still thinking about it.
“What?” I ask. “It’s perfect. Kills all the birds with one stone.”
“I feel like we’re missing something,” he says. “Something important.”
“We have the program,” I say, holding up a finger to tick off boxes. “We have the delivery device,” I hold up another finger. “We have the distribution.” Three fingers now. “And we have the initiation all set up. All we gotta do is tell it to start.”
“People are gonna be pissed off.” Case laughs.
“Very,” I say, laughing with him.
But Lincoln isn’t laughing. “We’re missing something.”
“We’ve thought of everything,” I say. “Thomas has been planning this for fifteen years. We’ve thought of everything.”
He hesitates, still thinking it through. “I can’t find a hole in the plan, even though I know there is one. Can’t you try to bring Thomas back?” he asks. It’s almost a plea. “I’d feel a lot better if it was Thomas in charge here and not…”
“Not me?” I say, finishing for him.
He shrugs. “It’s not personal, Sullivan. But we all know you’re the fuck-up in the family. Which was why you volunteered to be the secondary personality.”
“Hey, I’m the first to admit that Thomas is the evil genius on this team. But I’m all you’ve got. So we move forward with me taking the lead or we wait it out for Thomas to find his way back. But this is our time, you guys. We’ve set it up, it’s all ready to go, and if we let our moment pass by it might never come around again. So let’s make up our minds right now and just move forward.”
“I’m in,” Case says, looking at Lincoln. “Sullivan’s never been a traitor. He’s not going to start now. And yeah, he’s no Thomas, but he’s as close as it gets. I say we move forward tomorrow. Let’s do it.”
Lincoln stares at us. First Case, then me. And finally, he nods his head. “OK. I’m in. Let’s do it.”
&nb
sp; A collective sigh of relief fills the room.
This is it. After more than fifteen years of planning we’re about to get our revenge. And when it’s all said and done, Cathedral City will never be the same.
“Perfect,” I say. “Someone got a phone I can borrow?”
Lincoln hands his SkyEye sat phone over and I take it and call the number Thomas set up. This will initiate the satellites and put them into the position to seamlessly interact with the towers. “Done,” I say, once the codes have been entered. “They’ll be ready in twelve hours. Now, let’s take the new crew out without drama, OK? Divide and conquer. That’s the plan right now. I need cover so I can take care of Sadie tonight.”
Sheila blips into the room. “I’ve got them in their rooms. Uzi is alone, Cyan is with Iziah, and I’m taking Sadie down to the lab for her tests.” She does air quotes when she says the word ‘tests.’ “Molly told them we’re having dinner. So she’s just gonna slip the drugs into their food, then they’ll sleep it off.”
“How long will it last?” I ask.
“We can re-dose them after they’re out,” Sheila says. “No worries on that.”
“You can’t babysit them, Sheila,” Lincoln says. “That would require you to split in two and we need you whole for tomorrow. Sullivan just initiated the satellites. We’re on a timer now and we need you one hundred percent present for when the shit goes down.”
“We’ll get the dosage right, don’t worry about a thing.”
Everyone, including Sheila, lets out a long breath of air.
This is it.
We’re really taking over the City and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop us.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - SADIE
“Come on,” the Sheila calls. “It lights up as you walk so you won’t trip. I had some complaints from the last girl.”
“Last girl?” I say, still dubiously staring down into the stairwell.
“Lulu. She has a lot of ideas,” Sheila says, tapping her… head. Which makes her light pattern shudder. A chill runs up my spine because everything about her is… wrong. “She said someone could trip and fall when we lead them up and down those dungeon stairs. So, being the accommodating entity that I am, I had the bots install motion sensor lights. Now when you step, the next step lights up so you can see where you’re going.”
“Where am I going? It’s not really a dungeon, right? You’re messing with me, right?”
Her eyes twinkle. And I realize she’s made of lights so most of her is twinkling, but… “Just walk down the stairs. But don’t worry, Sullivan is coming as soon as your boyfriend calms down.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I say. I don’t even think he’s my friend at this point. But I tuck that little detail down. I’m not sure these people are my friends either.
I have only two options though. Go with the computer woman or go back to Uzi. The thought of being stuck with Uzi all night instead of Sullivan is just… no. I don’t trust him. Something is off with Cyan too. And Iziah. Why is he so quiet? Uzi wasn’t so in charge before. Not that I remember. Am I remembering it wrong? No, I decide. Something is off with Iziah.
But something is off with you too, Sadie.
Yes. Something is definitely off with me.
So I step through the secret doorway, which immediately closes behind me, and the steps begin to light up under my feet as I spiral my way down.
“Almost there,” Sheila calls out from the bottom. “Only a few more turns and you’re done.”
There’s a shimmering pattern on the wall. Like there’s a pool down here. It’s creepy and soothing at the same time. But when I step out into the room I realize it’s a giant aquarium filled with rainbow-colored luminescent jellyfish.
“Wow, that’s some tank you have there.”
“Lincoln loves them. We originally got them for experiments, but now they’re just pets. Come this way. I have a room ready for you.”
The rest of the… laboratory is filled with a mixture of science equipment and tools. There’s a huge screen on one wall with lots of complicated-looking controls. But there’s also a black muscle car up on a lift.
“Is he a mechanic or a mad scientist?” I mutter under my breath as I pick my way through a maze of toolboxes and try to avoid stepping on all the little scurrying robots.
“Which do you prefer?” Sheila asks. “Pick one. That’s what he is.”
“Great.” I finally make it to the… operating room—what the hell am I doing here?—and wait for Sheila to tell me what to do.
“Lie down,” she says. “I’m just going to do a quick brain scan and—”
“Wait,” I say, grabbing her arm because I forgot she’s not real. Touching her is a weird mixture of heat and vibration. I pull my hand away instinctively, which makes her chuckle. “I don’t want to be unlinked from… Thomas.”
“Cut the Thomas crap, Sadie. We know he’s Sullivan. And don’t worry, no such procedure even exists. I’m not sure how this whole linking thing works because Thomas was never one to let me poke and prod him much. But I do know there’s no protocol for unlinking in our records.”
“So why am I here?”
“Well, I am going to run some tests on you just to get a handle on this whole illusionist-mentalist dichotomy. I’ve never had that opportunity before. But mostly, Sadie, you’re here so Sullivan can have his way with you tonight.”
“Oh.” I smile. “OK, then. On the… what is that? A chair? An operating table?”
“Both, really. Do you like it?” Sheila asks. “I designed it myself. It’s been customized for Lincoln, since he’s usually the one on there. But it worked fine for Case too. It’s to give my robot minions proper access. Since, you know, I don’t have arms.”
And that’s when a small army of robots roll into the room. Some of them are walking on metal legs, like spiders. One tries to climb up my pant leg, but I kick it off and it goes flying into the wall.
“Don’t be rude, Sadie. That’s just me in another body.” Her words make me shiver. All this is so weird. “Now climb onto the table like a good girl and let me get my readings.”
I hesitate. Everything in me is screaming, Run! But to where? I’m in the goddamned dungeon.
“Trust me,” Sheila says. “I’m not going to hurt you. It would make Sullivan mad. And I like Sullivan. Not as much as Thomas, but he’s the default lead while Thomas is… vacationing.”
I laugh at her description of the missing Thomas personality. “I like Thomas too. I like them both equally, in fact. Where do you think he went?”
“I don’t know,” Sheila says. “But it concerns me. Believe me, as soon as we get rid of your friends up there, I’ll have Sullivan in this chair too. They’ve had an agreement for decades. Thomas is the outward personality and Sullivan is the inner one. Why it’s all screwed up now, I have no idea.”
“So you guys all knew he was… split? By Prodigy?”
“I helped them do it,” Sheila says. “But that’s before Lincoln stole me from the school and reprogrammed me into what I am now. I’m not that machine anymore. He made me self-aware. It was my choice to work with the Alphas. I’m not a threat to you, Sadie. These three men are my whole life. I’d do anything to help them. And that help extends to Molly, and Lulu, and now you. Sullivan brought you here because he knows you’ll be safe. I’ll help you any way I can. Trust me and get on the table.”
A memory hits me like a brick to the chest. I lean over and let it flow. My missing time from before the crash.
Thomas did say the name Sheila back at the tower. God, that seems like so long ago. Did he really take me shopping for clothes? It makes me smile, even though looking back, it was an absurd thing to do.
It was, I realize, a little gesture of friendship. Something to make me happy. Something to make me forget the shitty situation we were in.
It was… nice.
So I walk over to the chair, but just as I’m about to hop up, she says, “Take off your clothes, pleas
e. You need to be naked for this.”
“I thought you were joking about that. To keep Uzi away.”
“No,” she says, her light mouth flickering into a smile. “I need you completely bare. There’s a gown over in that closet. So strip and climb up on the table. The sooner we get the tests done, the sooner you can be back upstairs with Sullivan for the night. And don’t worry about modesty. I’m a professional.”
Her form disappears before I can argue further. I do not want to do this. Something inside me is screaming that none of this is good for me. That things are about to go very wrong and it all starts with this little room right here.
But I’m all about sucking it up and dealing. She’s right. The sooner I let her get the tests done, the sooner I can get the hell out of this… laboratory and be alone with Sullivan. I have so much to say to him. So many questions.
I take all my clothes off and wrap the gown around my body as best I can, then hop onto the table. The little robots, which didn’t leave with the Sheila light form, start scrambling around the room. Several climb onto the table with me, and just as I’m about to swat them away, Sheila appears again. “OK, Lincoln filled me in on the details. I’m going to do some scans to see if we can’t find your missing memories.”
“I got my memories back,” I say. “Even those few days back at the tower with Thomas.”
She smiles at me. It’s one of those, you’re-so-cute-but-naive-is-a-better-word-for-it, smiles. “Sorry, sweetie. But even I know you’re missing more than that. Why else would you be with those people?”
These people. She means Uzi, Iziah, and Cyan.
And even though I am supposed to think of them as friends—no, more than friends, as family—I don’t. I really, really don’t. I know they’re bad. I just feel it.
A bot pricks my finger, then another is attaching an IV. In seconds, I’m hooked up to a bag of drugs, and seconds after that, I’m starting to feel dizzy and tired.
“Don’t worry, Sadie,” the Sheila says as she leans over my body. “I know how to pry them out of you. I’ll find out what really happened before Thomas blasted you with his mind.”
