"Of course. Go down to Giorgio's, he has a secure line."
"Thank you," Charlie said quietly. Joshua's remark regarding the retrieval of Jeanne was still fresh in her mind. She ran down the stairs and knocked on the door with the sign "Genius at Work". Giorgio evidently detected the urgency and didn't wait a beat to allow Charlie to use the secure line.
For the first time in days she felt hope after swimming in a sea of dread. With frantic fingers she punched the buttons to dial their number at Milford. At the fifth ring, somebody finally picked up.
"Mom and Dad, you have to get out of there! Something happened at ANDREI and they're after me. They'll get to you, too!"
There was silence on the other end of the line.
"Mom?" No response. "Dad?" Charlie's heart beat faster.
Then a low, sinister voice that Charlie did not recognize answered: "Your parents are not here."
The message struck Charlie’s heart, more so when the phone disconnected. She stared at the phone, stunned at the thought she might lose her parents on the same night she’d lost her twin sister to ANDREI.
Back at the school, Jeanne woke up to the last rays of light gracing the afternoon sky. Looking around, she saw that she was lying on the grass. Slowly, Amanda and the other students of ANDREI approached her, all with stoic faces that she assumed she also sported. A few feet away, Amanda commanded: "Once you are stable, you are to return to your room and stay there until I say you can come out."
Amanda walked away, followed by her minions, leaving Jeanne lying on the ground.
Pulling herself together and disentangling herself from the heap she was in, Jeanne caught a glint of something on the grass. She walked to the object and saw a circular object strapped to a gold chain. When she picked it up, she saw a locket that was a replica of hers, except with the name "Cate" engraved on it. Jeanne felt something coursing through her veins, the same connection she felt when Charlie had held her tight as she was about to explode. The images that she saw during her dream were evidence that she could no long deny.
Charlie is my twin; I know this now.
The conviction was blurry but present, and it propelled Jeanne to follow Amanda's orders. But this time, she wasn't a robot under Amanda's hive mind. She was a long lost sister, determined to reunite with her twin.
Thank You So Much
Thank you for reading The Unlocked. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. As an independent writer, my books do not get the same marketing, financial and promotional support as those published by the traditional publishing houses. Instead, the success of these books relies heavily on reviews and word of mouth recommendation by readers like yourself. If you enjoyed this book, please tell as many people as you can in as many places as you can– Tweet it, Pin it, Blog it, post it on Facebook, post on a forum, recommend it to a book club, or any other social media platform. Tattooing it on your body, while very cool and flattering, may not get a wide audience reach ;). Please don’t forget to leave a review. Any assistance on your part is highly appreciated.
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J.D. Stonebridge
If you liked this, please check out my other books
The Charley Hartley Series:
The Unlocked, Book 1
The Enlightened, Book 2
Other Great Books From Other Writers:
The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
Marked (Soul Guardians Book1) by Kim Richardson
The Unlocked (Charlie Hartley Series Book 1) Page 26
