Wanted

by Ho, Jo

  “There’s nothing else to do until the convulsion stops. The most important thing is to make sure he doesn’t damage himself during the seizure.” Seeing the panic in my eyes he softened his voice. “It looks much worse than it is.”

  “Why is this happening to him? Is he… sick?” I meant to demand this of him, but I barely managed to whisper the words. Sully kept his face impassive, but I felt the concern rising from him in waves.

  “I don’t know. We need to see what’s going on inside his head to find the cause of the seizure. It could be something as common as epilepsy…”

  “Or it might have to do with the experiments they performed on him,” I finished grimly.

  He gave a curt nod. That was his guess.

  I ran my fingers along Bandit’s nose, hoping he wasn’t in any pain. I hated that he was unconscious and unresponsive and possibly in pain, and willed him to look at me with his intelligent eyes again.

  I heard a noise across the room and glanced over to find hotel staff coming our way. By the set of their shoulders I knew we were about to be hit with more bad news. And I was right. Having discovered Sully wasn’t blind, the staff reprimanded us for bringing Bandit inside. I ignored them and focused on my furry friend ,who had finally stopped convulsing and was blinking sluggishly. After a few quivering breaths, he found me with his eyes. I ached at the fear and confusion I saw there.

  “It’s OK boy. You were sick, but you’re good now.” For what seemed the longest moment of my life, Bandit stared at me without any hint of the intelligence I had grown to know and love7 in him. The awful truth hit me like a ton of bricks.

  He didn’t recognize me.

  Had the seizure done something to his brain? As I was running these terrifying scenarios in my head, Bandit forced himself onto his feet and pressed against me. Feeling my anxiety, he had very deliberately trod on my foot. The relief flooding through me was palpable.

  I tugged on Sully’s sleeve — he was arguing with the security guards, refusing to move Bandit until he was recovered — and let him know Bandit was good to go. Relief flashed over his face, echoing my own.

  Though Bandit could walk, Sully decided to carry him. He didn’t want Bandit to be any more taxed than he already was.

  With the security guards at our backs, we hurried back to the motel.

  CHAPTER 57

  CHASE

  Sully was burning a path into the carpet. Since we’d arrived back, he hadn’t stopped pacing the small room. I was getting whiplash just watching him.

  “If I had my clinic, I could run the scans, find out what’s wrong with Bandit.”

  “Can’t we just take him to another vet?” I asked.

  “And risk another attack by those thugs? No. We can’t trust anyone.”

  I wrung my hands. Bandit had calmed since the convulsion and seemed back to himself, but there was a darkness in his eyes. A new awareness. He wanted to know what was wrong with him. “We can’t keep running. We need a base, somewhere safe where they won’t find us. Don’t you have some place we can go?”

  Sully finally stopped pacing and tossed a look in my direction. Sighing, he hung his head low. “Yeah, but it’s a last resort.”

  I snorted. “Think that train left a long while ago…” Sully didn’t reply. I let out an exasperated breath. “What else is more important than saving Bandit? Whatever your problem is, get over it! We need a safe place, and we need it now!”

  Sully shot me a look. I worried maybe I’d gone too far. My mouth, shooting off again before my brain could catch up.

  But then he began to pack our things. I jumped up to help. Since we didn’t have much we were pretty much done after a few minutes. He checked Bandit’s wound and redressed it. It’d need to be bandaged for a few more days, but he seemed pleased by the progress.

  I was relieved. We needed all the wins we could get.

  CHAPTER 58

  SULLY

  An hour after we’d left the motel, we arrived at the Amtrak station. Tension caused my head to throb. On a scale of bad to worse, this idea was off the chart and yet, there really was no other choice. Not if we were to have a chance of saving the dog.

  Chase stared at me, burning with questions, but knew enough not to ask. I appreciated her understanding. I’d get to the explanations in due course. I marched wearily to the ticket office, where an agent waited with barely-concealed boredom.

  "How can I help, sir?"

  "Two tickets to Montpelier."

  The agent hit a few buttons on a screen and a price flashed up. “That’ll be $156.75.”

  I was counting out the bills when the agent glanced behind me, noticing Chase retying Bandit’s "collar".

  "Is she under thirteen?”

  I froze, mid count, and gave the guy an incredulous stare. “She’s not my girlfriend if that’s what you’re asking."

  The agent’s mouth snapped shut, his cheeks flaming red.

  "No, sir. I just meant… if she is, she can go for a child ticket.

  I felt shame spreading through me. Poor guy was trying to help and here I was, ready to rip out his throat. "Right. Sorry. It’s been that kind of day."

  The agent nodded understandingly, but didn’t make any more eye contact. Once the tickets were printed, he quickly slid them under the counter.

  “When’s the next train?” I asked.

  The agent glanced down at a timetable. "Four thirty."

  I looked at the clock behind me. “That’s not for two hours."

  The agent nodded. “We have a small waiting area, or if you prefer, there’s a strip of shops one block away."

  I took the tickets and change, nodded my thanks, and we went to kill time.

  CHAPTER 59

  SULLY

  We’d been wandering around aimlessly for what seemed like ten hours when Chase suddenly stopped dead in front of the Walmart window. Eyes wide, she took in the poster which advertised the week’s best deals. She turned to Bandit and me, barely able to hide her excitement.

  “I need some cash. I’ve a great idea for something!”

  I opened his wallet. “How much?”

  Chase looked at the advertisement. “Four hundred and fifty.”

  I snapped the wallet shut. “Are you kidding me? What could we possible need that would cost that much?”

  “Please, Sully. I, of all people, know the value of money. You’ve got to trust me. It’s a surprise.”

  She looked so honest, so excited, that I found himself forking the bills over despite my good sense. What was the girl up to?

  “One sec...”

  She disappeared inside, leaving me staring in bemusement at the dog. “Now I what those dad’s with teenage daughters feel like. A chump.”

  Bandit woofed though I knew he hadn’t really understood my comment. He circled the sidewalk as if trying to find some clarity. We waited for close to fifteen minutes, but still there was no sign of Chase. Just as I was beginning to feel a hint of concern, Chase reappeared with a shopping bag full of things. At my questioning face, Chase shook her head.

  “Nope, not yet. Patience,” was all she’d say.

  I shrugged, fine. Far be it for me to pry. We did a slow lap around the shops, then headed back to the station, where our train was just pulling in.

  Bandit’s tail wagged from side to side. He’d read about a train in his book, but this was his first real life encounter. What with the engine sounds and seeing passengers climbing on and off the train, it was about all the excitement he could take. He pranced eagerly, anxiously waiting for our turn. Chase had to lay a restraining hand on his neck, in case the moment was too much for him. I had decided it would be pointless to warn them that too much excitement or stress could potentially cause another fit. There was nothing we could do if it happened. Better the two got to enjoy themselves while they could.

  When it was finally time for them to board, Bandit shot off. Despite my reservations on our destination, I couldn’t help but smile at Bandit’s chil
d-like enthusiasm. I traded a grin with Chase as we followed him onto the train.

  CHAPTER 60

  THE MERCENARY

  The Mercenary tugged at the designer suit he was wearing — a far cry from his usual combat gear. The soft fabric made him uncomfortable, offering no protection whatsoever.

  Clutching a leather suitcase, he blended into the sea of suits that spilled onto the sidewalks of Wall Street, eagle eyes focused on the revolving door of one particular building. Patiently, he waited for the face he’d spent the last eight hours studying.

  He ran through the details he’d memorized in his mind. Suspect was born and raised in The Bronx to alcoholic parents who relied on the state. In spite of his troubling family life, suspect excelled at school and had an affinity with numbers. It was this skill that landed him a scholarship to college. After which, suspect joined one of Wallstreet’s top financial firms, where he spent his twenties billing the most hours of any of his peers. He made his first million by twenty-five and now worked three days a week for an extortionate consultant fee. He played as hard as he worked and changed dates more frequently than his underwear. He was also Sullivan’s longest-known friend and confidante.

  The Mercenary’s spine tingled, a sure sign that his prey was in sight. Spotting Mark’s face in the crowd, The Mercenary smiled and skillfully navigated his way towards him. When he was inches from Mark, The Mercenary reached out a hand and clamped it onto the other man’s shoulder.

  “Well I’ll be a son of a gun, Mark? Mark Armstrong?”

  Mark spun around, a questioning expression on his face.

  “Yeah, who’s asking?”

  “Joel. Joel Miller. We have a mutual friend.”

  Mark smiled, his initial wariness vanishing. “Which friend is that?”

  “Sully.” Mark’s smile wavered, the only outward sign of a problem. The Mercenary filed this away, knowing it would come in use later.

  “How do you know him?”

  “He helped out a dog I know.”

  “That’s Sully,” Mark said, shaking his head. The Mercenary could see he wasn’t going to get much out of him this way. He swapped tactics.

  “Terrible news about Emma. She was so young, so full of life.”

  Pain flared in Mark’s eyes. “Sully hasn’t been the same since. It’s like he’s been gutted.”

  The Mercenary features softened sympathetically.

  “Can’t be easy on you either. Wouldn’t know how to cope if our positions were reversed.”

  “Don’t know how well I’m doing on that front either.” Mark looked down, filled with worry. The Mercenary gave a moment’s pause.

  “Hey, I’m just on lunch break. You wanna go grab a sandwich together?” Seeing the hesitation, The Mercenary’s eye’s twinkled kindly. “Man’s gotta eat, and it’s a lot more fun with company.”

  After a moment’s pause, Mark nodded. The Mercenary hid his triumphant smile by gesturing across the way.

  “I know this great little place…”

  CHAPTER 61

  THE CEO

  The CEO placed his hand on the reader. A quick scan and an automated voice welcomed him inside the secretive area known as the Genesis lab. A foot wide steel door swung inward and he was immediately met with a sea of white.

  Ceilings, counters, and labcoats; everything was blindingly white and sterile. The atmosphere was kept at an even temperature, and only select personnel were ever allowed inside. The CEO himself was not a frequent visitor, not wanting a constant reminder of The Facility’s reason for being. His eyes searched the room, until they found what they were looking for.

  She was an attractive woman. Of average height and build with alabaster skin that barely saw the sun, and dark, wavy, almost black hair that she kept tied back in a neat ponytail. Her brown eyes shone with intelligence from the rimless glasses she wore. Right now, they flicked over to him and tried to quell the anxiety that his appearance always brought. Dr. Elora Robins. Who would know such a brain existed beneath that lovely facade? She set down the clipboard in her hands and hurried across to him.

  “Good afternoon sir. I wasn’t expecting you today.”

  The CEO merely smiled, but did not offer an explanation. As lovely as she was, he enjoyed watching her squirm. Enjoyed wielding the power his wealth brought.

  “Any news on Alpha?” She tried, but couldn’t hide the concern that clouded her eyes. She loved Alpha. Had cared for him since he was a pup, hand rearing him from the minute he was “born” until the escape. She was the only mother he had ever known and his disappearance hurt her almost as much as it had cost him.

  “My man is on the hunt. Seems Alpha has made some friends, and they’ve all gone on the run.”

  CHAPTER 62

  ELORA

  Pride surged inside of Elora before she quickly bolted it back down. Alpha wasn’t alone! And if he’d revealed his intellect, he might be safe after all. Since his escape, Elora had fretted like any mother whose child had run away. She worried how vulnerable the dog was. Worried he would get run over by a car, or worse, captured by unruly characters who might use him as a fighting dog (she had recently watched a documentary about just this horrifying subject). But now that he wasn’t alone, Elora knew he was protected. She hoped he knew what to do, hoped she’d taught him enough.

  The CEO’s steely blue eyes focused on her face, trying to read her feelings. Elora kept her expression impassive. “At least he has more chance of survival now.”

  “Not if he’s been talking to them.” He waited several beats before speaking again. “Any news your end?”

  Elora shook her head. “There was some movement with F-12, but no birth as yet.” At her words, The CEO felt an unfamiliar emotion take hold. Something he had not felt since he was a penniless child living in the slums of Brooklyn.

  Fear.

  His hands shook. He tried to hide the action by clenching them into fists. “What’s your ETA?”

  “Three, maybe four days? It’s hard to tell. This isn’t an exact science.”

  A wave of exhaustion suddenly hit him. He took a step back to steady himself and hoped Elora hadn’t seen. She hadn’t, busy checking the figures on one of her endless charts. “If we don’t find Alpha in time, this will all be for nothing.”

  “He never fails you.” She was referring to The Mercenary. Her tone was placating though not warm. The two had never gotten along.

  “He knows what will happen if he did.” The threat hovered in the air between them. Elora turned away to hide her distasteful expression.

  “He won’t fail. He’ll find Alpha and bring him back.”

  He wanted to reach out to her. Wanted nothing more at that moment than to touch her hair and feel the silky skin of her face. Instead he spun on his feet and stalked stiffly from the lab.

  Elora let out a relieved breath. She knew he had feelings for her, but they weren’t reciprocated. Elora could never love a man so coldly driven, even if she knew he had very good reasons for being the way he was.

  She moved past the nameless scientists to the glass screen that separated her lab from their experiments, wincing inwardly at that word. Experiments. She looked into a room where thousands of test-tubes abounded. Inside each were embryos, all at different stages. Some were nothing more than a few combined cells, but others - such as F-15 - she could already make out their features. The long line of the jaw, the black snout, the curve of a tiny tail.

  The light was low and a throbbing, vibrational sound played out via inset speakers - all to emulate the inside of a womb. Elora had hired a world-famous composer, who had worked many months to get the ambience right. It all had to be perfect.

  Elora pressed her hand to the glass and lovingly waited for her children to be born.

  CHAPTER 63

  CHASE

  The train rocketed past at 100 miles an hour. Having never been on one before, it wasn’t just Muttface who was having a blast; I was enjoying every minute of the ride too. Fields of gree
n blurred into one. I reached up and pulled open the window, letting the air lash against my face. It brought tears to my eyes, but I didn’t mind. Somehow, it made me feel more alive. I turned to Bandit, perched on the seat next to me, and grinned.

  “You’re supposed to be hanging your head out of the window.”

  In reply, Bandit cocked his head in question, then moved to join me. As soon as the wind was on his face, Bandit’s eyes went wide with delight and his tongue fell out. I grinned and gestured to Sully to join us, but he only rolled his eyes at our antics. Killjoy.

  Our tickets had already been checked, so I knew we wouldn’t be disturbed for a while now, if not for the rest of our journey (we’d been on the train for an hour, so there was still another ten and a half to go). Deciding now was the time, I reached for the Walmart bag.

  “Guys, I’ve a present for Bandit.”

  At his name, Bandit tore himself from the window and bounded over to me, his face filled with expectation.

  “What’ve you got? More books?” Sully asked.

  At the word “books” Bandit jumped up at me and licked my face. His tail wagged so vigorously, I worried it would whip my face into shreds. I laughed and pushed him down. “No. Better.”

  Unable to wait for an unveiling, Bandit all but climbed into the bag. He emerged seconds later with a box clutched gingerly between his teeth. Sully gasped when he recognized the logo.

  “An iPad? How rich do you think we are?”

  I ignored his comment, refusing to let him spoil the moment. “Not the newest version, but I figured that wouldn’t matter.” I was practically buzzing with anticipation. Bandit didn’t have a clue what was going on, but he seemed extraordinarily happy just to have been bought a present. I took the box from Bandit and slid the gleaming device out of the box.