Embers & Ice (Rouge)

by Isabella Modra

  “We can eat at the hotel,” Joshua replied.

  Eli leaned forward and peered through the window. “God it’s like a cyclone out there,” he said. “You’d think it would be at least a little mild, being the beginning of September.”

  “Livingston is one of the windiest places in America,” said Joshua as though he were reading out of a textbook. He turned to Eli and added, “it just feels cold, but really it isn’t.”

  “Not sure I believe that,” said Eli, and he stuck his mouth in his scarf. It was attached to a beanie with a bear face and two ears. It looked absolutely ridiculous, but kind of cute. They’d stopped for lunch at a restaurant with a gift shop, and Eli bought it, if not for the chilly weather but to annoy and embarrass Joshua. “And anyway, where are we staying?”

  “The Murray hotel.”

  “I’ve heard about that place,” said Eli. “My dad says it’s rowdy.”

  “I’ve called ahead and booked a room as far from the bar as possible. We’ll get a good night sleep and then tomorrow it’s on to Spokane early morning.”

  “Awesome,” said Eli sarcastically. “Just gotta say, guys, this road trip hasn’t exactly been the most thrilling of adventures.”

  “Would you rather be at school?” asked Jenny.

  “Yeah, but we’re driving across 3000 miles of quality American country and all we see are the insides of hotel rooms and rest stops.”

  “If you didn’t sleep so much, you’d see a hell of a lot more,” Joshua snapped at him. “Oh, but if you’d rather be back in New York in the hands of the Agents, that’s fine with me.”

  “You’re just grumpy because you won’t let anyone else drive and now your eyes are melting out of your skull.”

  Joshua sighed deeply. Jenny noted that, had he not been concentrating so hard, he would have pinched the bridge of his nose or wiped his hand over his jaw. Oh God, I’m picking up on his mannerisms now? What are we, a couple?

  The uneasiness in her stomach increased and she curled her arm around it. Maybe I’m sick because I ate too many of those philly burgers back at the café near Laurel. But Jenny knew herself better. It wasn’t the food. It was something far worse. The pain started off in her stomach, but it always ended up near her heart.

  Joshua was staring at her, his eyes darting back to the road. “You okay there?”

  She nodded, not wanting to distract him from the road.

  The storm started clearing as they drove deeper into the main part of town. Most of the shops were closed off and the street lights guided their way to the motel on the corner. Jenny gathered her things and stuffed them into the bag as he pulled the car into park. Eli wrapped his bear scarf tighter around his neck and gave her the thumbs up, then bravely opened his door.

  Screaming winds hit them hard in the chest like a punch from a boxer. Joshua shouted at them to go inside and he would get the bags, but Jenny refused. The three of them threw open the boot, hauled their backpacks over their shoulders and sprinted through the heavy front doors into the Murray hotel lobby.

  A tribute to western history, the Murray hotel was a cozy, elegant building with as much charm as the Hilton and even more charisma. Loud country music played in the bar and the lobby was filled with people coming and going from the restaurant and upstairs floors.

  Joshua – who would normally storm straight to the receptionist desk to sign them in without caring what the hotel looked like – did a double take himself. Jenny watched him lower his bags slowly and then march over to the nearest fireplace where an array of snow globes were perched on the mantelpiece. Even Eli stopped gaping to frown with her as Joshua picked up each snow globe, examined them closely, and then shook them. A group of people rugged up in coats sitting around the fire were gazing at him, dumbfounded, murmuring and laughing to each other. Joshua returned to them with a smile on his face.

  “What was that all about?” asked Eli. “Are you retarded?”

  Joshua’s grin faded instantly and he huffed. “I prefer the term obsessive, if you don’t mind. I’m going to check us in.” And with that, he headed straight to the front desk before Jenny and Eli could burst out laughing.

  “Ooo-kay then,” Eli snorted. “I guess we learn more about that freak as we go along.”

  Jenny laughed and suggested they move to a few empty chairs to release the burden of their heavy bags. Eli continued to stare open-mouthed at the lobby of the hotel.

  When Joshua returned, he wasn’t happy. “I specifically requested a room on the opposite side, but I’m too tired to care right now,” he said. “Come on, let’s go.”

  The moment Jenny stood up, she was hit with a searing pain in her chest, a pain so familiar that she looked at Joshua with wide, fearful eyes and her legs gave way beneath her. Joshua shouted her name and grabbed her shoulders. The look on his face was of pure panic.

  “Joshua,” she whispered. “Take me… to hospital.”

  THIRTY-THREE

  In his sixteen years imprisoned in ICE institution, Will couldn’t remember ever being more furious. There was a time when he saw one of the Men in White beat down a young girl who told him he was ugly, and she was locked in the infirmary for a week to heal. That made him pretty angry, but it hardly compared to his exploding rage at that moment as Benji – sweet, silent Benji – was chained to a treadmill and forced to run.

  ‘Run’ was actually a very tame word for what Benji was doing at that moment. Even if he did trip up or stop sprinting, the speed of the treadmill would send him zooming back five feet into the wall of spikes, killing him instantly. There was no way of stopping it. No panic button, no safe word, no hand-up-if-it-hurts. If he made one slip, Benji would be dead.

  That’s why Will found himself so livid with rage that his grip on Hunter’s hand caused her to gasp and tear it away. He turned to her and saw the same look in her eyes. The same agonizing fury. It was easier to stare into the golden, warm depths of her eyes than it was to watch the horror below. So he took her hand back again and held it a little more gently, and when she turned to watch the demonstration, he simply stared at her hair instead.

  He could tell by the expression on her face – and the hisses and gasps from the others – that Benji was tiring. He’d been sprinting at an impossible speed for at least five minutes now. Will forced himself to turn his gaze to the race below where Benji had become a blur of white and the scientists were chatting to each other and recording every second. On the glass, there were giant red numbers displaying the speed of the treadmill. Will almost lost his breath.

  “I believe we’ve reached a new record Benji!” came Dr. Wolfe’s voice over the intercom and the moment Benji started to come into focus again and the treadmill slowed down, each of them let out a long breath of air. The scientists became jittery, like ants that were afraid of being squished, and when Benji finally slowed to walking speed, his legs were quivering and twitching and his body was drenched in sweat. All of the color was drained from his face, giving him more of a skeleton look than any of them. He collapsed on the treadmill and his body rolled back as far as the chains would allow, and then he was simply being grazed by the conveyor belt until it stopped and he was unchained and dragged out of the Orb.

  As Dr. Wolfe spoke up over the announcement – something about the company’s goal to test limits and further increase abilities – Will could feel darkness twisting and brewing inside of him. He’d always been a quiet, tortured soul. But seeing this and fearing what was to come made him that much more desperate for freedom, and to free the others as well.

  “I can’t believe how sick that was,” said Chantal through her teeth. “I honestly feel like I might vomit.”

  “Who else has to do that?” asked Zac, genuine fear in his tone as he pointed to the scene down below. “They can’t put me on a treadmill, I can’t run at all!”

  “They’re probably going to test all of our powers in different ways,” said Marcus. He wiped a hand over his mouth and shook his head. “There’s no way
they’re testing me.”

  “Or me,” said Chantal. “And who would watch that? Where do all these awful scientists come from, is there some other institution like this in the world? Has everyone turned evil?”

  Will listened to them argue, sensing the fear that underlined their anger. Hunter remained silent by his side, and after a few more minutes, he could feel her shaking. He knew she was about to explode. If she didn’t have her power restraint, he presumed they’d all be burnt to a crisp.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered to her.

  Her teeth were clenched so tightly that she didn’t answer him. But she said it with her eyes.

  Then, Hunter got up and stormed to the door, disappearing behind it.

  Will gazed down at the Orb, the others following Hunter’s lead and clearing out of the theatre room, but he felt as if his butt were glued to the bench. He was so afraid for the others, dreading the next few days and who would be up next. Most of all, Will wondered if he’d ever get to see anything good in his life. What if he died there? Suddenly, Will wanted more than anything to find happiness. To know that there was something more in his life, something to look forward to. A happily ever after.

  Enough of this misery and torture, he decided. We need to get out of this place.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  “You sick son of a bitch!”

  Had the fire not been trapped inside her, Hunter was sure she would have torched Dr. Wolfe to a crisp and happily danced over his ashes. But all she could do was charge at him and be satisfied with the momentary panic in his eyes as he backed up into the corner of the surgery room where he’d been cowering after the demonstration, ducking away from Hunter’s raised fist.

  Two Men in White grabbed each of her arms and pinned them hard behind her. One of them was Steel. She was angry enough not to be afraid of him, nor did she notice the pain as he stretched her arms almost out of their sockets. Hunter shrugged hair out of her face and growled at the old man who straightened his coat and reformed that trademark wicked smile of his.

  “How could you do that to Benji, huh?” she hissed, wrenching her arms from their grip only to be pulled back harder. “What was the purpose of your little death game?”

  Dr. Wolfe undid the cuffs of his coat and started rolling up his sleeves. “The purpose, Miss Harrison, was and always is for research. As I said in the announcement, the subject was tested to his limits. And as you saw in the demonstration, he exceeded any test we’ve ever subjected him to. Benjamin did an outstanding job, and because of his efforts, this company has gathered more scientific minds committed to our operations. Those scientists from The Advanced Genetics Institution were largely impressed.”

  “So it’s about recruiting new staff then, because you’re so lacking at the moment.” She glared at the two Men in White, but as always, they remained completely obtuse.

  “As a matter of fact, we are presently in dire need of staff, Miss Harrison, but it isn’t your business to know why. Now I have a lot of work to do in preparing for tomorrows demonstration, if you wouldn’t mind-”

  “You’re having another demonstration tomorrow?” Suddenly she didn’t feel so brave and relaxed her clenched fists.

  Dr. Wolfe switched on a computer monitor and picked up the mouse. “Yes, that was what I meant when I said that Benji was the first test subject. The scientists want to see more of what you can do.”

  “More of… of us?” Okay… I might just be sick again. Hunter didn’t want to appear weak in front of the man – if he was even human and not the spawn of the devil – so she lured rage from deep inside her and yanked her right hand from the grip of the other guard. He fumbled with her, but not before Hunter was able to twist around and knee him in the groin. The man gasped out a puff of air and bent over. Hunter started scratching at Steel’s face, but he snatched her other wrist and brought it around across her chest. She now had one arm behind her and one bent around her front. Steel breathed heavily on her neck and Hunter felt sicker still.

  Dr. Wolfe stepped forward, his expression deadly, his eyes as black as his soul. “Might I remind you,” he sneered, “that this is not vacation camp. This is an institution of science, Miss Harrison, and I will do everything in my power to better our knowledge of the limits of mutants like yourself, whether it’s testing Benji, or you, or any of the other subjects here. It’s not only my job, but it’s my life. My passion. It’s who I am.”

  Hunter wanted to insult him, hell – she was even tempted to lean forward and bite his crooked nose off if she wasn’t so afraid of being poisoned or acquiring some sort of disease, but she refrained herself. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he was trying to provoke her. To make her miserable. And so far, he was succeeding.

  Dr. Wolfe nodded slowly and straightened up. “I’m not going to lock you in Solitary if that’s what you’re worried about. Circumstances are different now. Things have been somewhat… tranquil around here these past couple of weeks. In fact, it’s been rather like vacation camp, if you ask me. But those days are over. Ends have been met-” Hunter swallowed at the tone he implied, making her fear for Alfie and his absence, “-and I’m very pleased to inform you that, as of today… you and the others will experience exactly what it feels like to be a beautiful freak of nature, on a whole new level.”

  Her blood ran cold and Dr. Wolfe nodded at the guards to take her back upstairs. Hunter was whirled around and shoved to the door.

  “Wait!” he called back. “Do me a favor, Miss Harrison, take this to the common room and find a place to tack it up, would you?”

  He shoved a piece of paper in Hunter’s hand and ushered them out the door. The moment she was alone with Steel and the other guard, she wrenched her hands away.

  “I can walk,” she snapped. Steel’s eyes glinted. They followed close behind her and Hunter flipped the page around and read the list of names under the title ‘DEMONSTRATION SCHEDULE: SEPTEMBER 3RD – SEPTEMBER 9TH’.

  Day 1 – Benjamin Given (1900hrs)

  Day 2 – Mosi Sofana (0800hrs)

  Day 3 – William Evans (0800hrs)

  Day 4 – Hunter Harrison (1900hrs)

  Day 5 – Marcus Slater (0800hrs)

  Day 6 – Jet Slater (1900hrs)

  Day 7 – Fearne Matherson (0800hrs)

  Holy shit.

  Hunter turned to the guards. “Is this for real?”

  They pretended as though she hadn’t spoken.

  If Hunter ever thought this place couldn’t get any worse, she was clearly wrong. How in hell did Dr. Wolfe find all these people who would willingly sit and watch children be tortured and not do a thing about it? Were they all brainwashed?

  Hunter immediately considered something she never thought could be possible. Was that what Dr. Wolfe had Fearne doing? Brainwashing all of the new scientists into believing as he did; that this was all some sort of greater-good project and they were just guinea pigs, just cells walking around in a body of skin and bones?

  Hunter was hit with a powerful urge to escape. As she was marched back through the long corridor along the laboratory window, she ran through possible plans and came up with exactly zero. With the power restraints hidden even better than before after Alfie’s attack in the breakfast hall, their chances would be near impossible.

  Hunter’s thoughts were so far away that she almost didn’t notice a ruckus in the laboratories until an alarm was suddenly blaring.

  The guards froze.

  “What’s happening?” she shouted at them. They exchanged glances and grabbed both her arms, hurrying to the elevator. “Wait, what’s-”

  A mechanical woman’s voice spoke through a speaker system over the alarm. “Warning,” she said neutrally, “Terminal One disarmed. All personal please report to DC. Warning. Terminal One disarmed. All personal please report to DC.” She continued to repeat the message, and once again the guards were stunned. Scientists in the laboratory were all pouring in from the offices, running in the same direction; to the exit at the
back.

  “Steel,” said the shorter guard. “We need to get down there.”

  “Shut up Eddie,” hissed Steel. “Just get her upstairs, and don’t say anything. I’m heading down to-” he stopped himself, shot Hunter a hard look and took off running back to the other end of the corridor.

  Hunter was led away from the chaos to the elevator. They waited, and waited, until finally the door opened and six guards spilled out, jogging straight past them to the other end. Hunter’s mind was racing. Something bad was happening if an alarm had to be raised, and what did the woman’s warning mean? What was Terminal One? And was DC code for something other than the name Zac had used to describe this institution?

  The moment the door opened, Eddie shoved her into the corridor and stabbed the down button. Two more guards pushed past her into the lift. Zac and a few of the younger kids were peering out of the common room door. Then, the door slid shut on the guards and the alarm was ceased.

  “What the hell is going on?” Zac asked.

  “Did you hear the announcement?” Hunter snapped at him.

  “Nope, just saw a bunch of guards sprint to the elevator from the breakfast hall. There’s, like, no one here. It’s empty.”

  Hunter had no idea what the hell was going on, but it had to be a sign. There were no guards. No security. Despite Dr. Wolfe’s warning and his big ‘things will be different now’ speech, everything had turned around. Wherever the guards were heading, it was obviously going to occupy them, hopefully giving Hunter and the others time to talk about an escape.

  Her prayers were being answered.

  “Where is everyone?”

  Zac shrugged. “I dunno, the breakfast hall, the common room, I think Chantal and some of the other girls are in the shower. Benji is asleep, poor guy, I just-”

  “Round up as many people as you can and tell them all to meet in the common room,” she ordered. Her blood was pounding in her ears, her mind working like a speeding train. She had to treat this time like precious diamonds. There would likely never be another chance.