Loyalty

by Carrie Butler

  “I suppose you want me to undress, too?” Aiden broke the silence, reminding me he was still in the room.

  “Unless you want me to do it for you.” I sounded agitated. I hadn’t meant to, but it crept out. The guy was practically a sex offender. Like I wanted to prolong his strip tease. “Get it done.”

  He shrugged his shoulders, slid out of bed, and started untying his robe.

  Rena kept her back to him, pulling off the guard’s boots.

  I cleared my throat and nodded toward the IV pole she’d set beside us. “You know, you scare me sometimes.”

  “How do you think I took care of myself before you came along, big guy?” She poked her tongue out, but I could tell she was still uneasy.

  “My mistake.” I pretended the guy was a mannequin—a breathing, disturbingly warm mannequin. With a quick tug, I ridded him of his pants and blindly threw them in Aiden’s direction. “There.”

  The switch didn’t take long, thank God. Our guard friend could’ve roused at any moment. So, as soon as everything was set, I put my hands on both Rena and Aiden’s shoulders and guided them into the hallway. We needed to head straight for the exit.

  I considered making a distraction so they could escape first, but I’d already made a vow. As long as I was breathing, those two would never be alone together. Not after what he’d done—or almost done.

  “We’ve been made,” I informed my brother via Bluetooth. “Heading out. You coming?”

  “Yeah.” Cole’s hushed voice crackled back. “Gotta make this quick, before the door unlocks. There’s a tri-supernatural faction up north—they got a place on Sanctuary Island. They recruited Vlad’s daughter, and I kinda told him we’d bring her back.”

  “Well, gee, as long as you haven’t made any big promises.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Yeah, yeah. Who got us our next lead?”

  “Fine,” I conceded with a sigh. “Meet up in ten, out back?”

  “On my way.”

  We booked it to the parking lot and crammed into Rena’s little car, our breaths layering the muffled sounds of downtown traffic. Cole would be here any minute. Then we’d speed back to Wilcox and regroup. One step down…

  Rachel, Gabby, and Corynn had volunteered to make up a space for Aiden while we were gone, so accommodations wouldn’t be a problem. We’d just have to figure out the extent of his involvement in our affairs moving forward. Based on his mindset, we’d all agreed he would be either an asset or a charge in our care. I had a feeling it’d be the latter.

  Sure, his conscience was back, but his will was gone. Faye’s latest interference had left him vulnerable, open to suggestion. We couldn’t count on him not to turn, given the right motiva—

  Static filled my earpiece. “Mayday, mayday…”

  I brought my watch up to eye level. “What’s going on? You’re late.”

  Rena shot me a questioning glance from the driver’s seat.

  “It’s Cole,” I explained, “Sounds like…”

  All at once, his emotions spiked, consuming me with panic I barely recognized. My ability mixed with the closeness we’d always had as twins, magnifying his fear tenfold. Something had gone wrong inside. He’d run into trouble somewhere.

  “Get out of here!” His desperate plea crackled in my ear, and then cut off without warning. Silence. I jabbed the button so hard it hurt.

  “Cole?” It wasn’t transmitting. “Cole! Damn it.”

  “What’s wrong?” Rena leaned over, her green eyes huge with worry. “Did something happen?”

  My hands tightened into fists, and I glared at the R.S. Tobler building with newfound hatred. “Something’s happening in there, something Cole wants to shield us from.”

  “So?” Incredulity twisted her features, and she reached for the door handle. “Who gives a shit what he wants? Let’s go get him.”

  “He said to get out of here.” I stared straight ahead, already at war with myself. Cole wasn’t the type to play martyr. If he thought we could help him, he’d call for backup. The fact that he was telling us to leave meant we’d all land in trouble. Unless…

  I reached over and twisted Rena’s keys in the ignition. “We need to go regroup. Form a plan.”

  “We can’t just leave your brother behind.” She swatted my hand away. “Rachel will flip.”

  Aiden took in the exchange from the backseat with dulled interest, his head moving back and forth in the rearview mirror.

  “Think about it,” I insisted, ignoring him. “He’d never order us off unless it was serious.”

  Slowly, but surely, Rena deflated. Her shoulders dropped, and her head dipped down. She understood now. We had to be strategic, even when it came to personal matters.

  “Put on your seatbelts,” she instructed in a quiet voice, shifting gears. “I’ll get us there fast.”

  CHAPTER 7

  « CLARA »

  My knee throbbed as I got out of the car—probably from the weather.

  I locked up and cast the heavens a fleeting glance. Our sunny skies were fighting to hold back a dark wall to the southwest. Rain. Maybe a summer storm. The dreary clouds rolled in ominous succession, ever forward, like a familiar smoke ability…

  A deep breath propelled me forward to the cafe where I would meet my sister. She’d called me up out of the blue this morning, claiming to be in the area on business. I’d wondered why she bothered with the guise, but didn’t question her. Breakfast seemed innocent enough.

  I found her on the patio.

  “I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me,” Faye lifted a small teapot. “I hope you don’t mind. I went ahead and ordered for us. I remember how you used to love crepes.”

  “Don’t be so formal,” I chided, as I eased into the seat across from her, raising my empty cup at her unspoken invitation. “This isn’t a business transaction.”

  Herbal steam rose in a cloud between us as she poured, the unmarred side of her face a careful mask. “Isn’t it?”

  “Faye…”

  She shook her head, looking so different from the last time we had spent quality time together. Her dark hair had thinned and grayed like mine, but only in streaks. She kept it pulled back in a low ponytail that hadn’t seen a brush in days. Her old self would be horrified.

  Her old self died in South America.

  “Here we go.” A young woman in a surgical mask appeared at our table, dishes in tow. “Granola with apricots, pecans, and flax seed. And crepes with vanilla cream cheese and strawberry topping. Is there anything else I can get you ladies, right now?”

  I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her face, her mask. How many people had I seen walking around in the past eight weeks with those on, praying to avoid the outbreak my sister had unleashed? I could feel it—this young girl’s anxiety. It bubbled beneath the surface, a constant she shared with the dozens around us.

  Some of them wore masks, too. Others proudly displayed a shield pin, R.S. Tobler’s insignia, to show off the treatments they’d received. It made me sick. I turned my eyes to Faye and she smiled.

  “You know, dear,” she patted our server’s arm, “if you’re worried about the virus, there are vaccinations being offered. They have it in doctor’s offices, hospitals, pharmacies…”

  Each having one of her people on staff, I assumed.

  The girl nodded, allowing her eyes to focus on anything but Faye’s burns. “Yes, ma’am. I’ve been meaning to go. It’s just with school and work—”

  “This isn’t something to postpone,” Faye cut her off. “Believe me, I know. My husband has fallen ill.”

  What?

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” the girl told her, her voice still muffled behind the mask. “I hope he gets better.”

  Faye nodded. “He will.”

  And with that, our waitress crinkled her eyes, tucked her tray under one arm, and made a hasty retreat. Not that I blamed her.

  I waited.

  Faye had kept her emotions carefully in check, thu
s far. Other than her usual misery and zealous ambition, I could barely feel anything. Was she trying to stifle her worry? What purpose would that serve?

  “Please.” Faye gestured to my plate. “Go ahead.”

  “Thank you,” I muttered, picking up my fork and knife. Seconds slipped past, and then minutes. We ate without conversation as ambient sounds drifted around us from the far end of the patio.

  When I couldn’t take it anymore, I broke the silence. “Why didn’t you tell me about Rudolph?”

  She swallowed a bite of granola, seemingly unbothered. “I did not wish to trouble you. Besides, we both know the origin of this predicament. Why ask for sympathy?”

  “Because I’m your sister.”

  A wistful expression softened her good side, and her spoon hovered over her bowl. “Yes. Yes, I suppose you are.”

  I smeared a red dollop of strawberry glaze across my crepe. “You asked me here for a reason, didn’t you?”

  She smirked. “No wonder your boys are so to-the-point. When did you become assertive?”

  “Sometime after my abduction.”

  Faye waved me off. “Theatrics. I needed you to see my vision without distractions.”

  If only my sister invested in her own mental health the way she had Rena’s.

  “Rudolph received one of the first vaccinations,” she finally admitted, lowering her voice as she leaned in. “We weren’t prepared for a mutation at this stage. It…failed to provide him adequate protection.”

  “How bad is it?” I hated to be insensitive, but I’d been watching the news. The virus’ flu-like symptoms were leading to severe complications all over the country. People were dying as pawns in a game they knew nothing about. I wept for those people—I wept for my own frustration.

  Somewhere, deep down, my sister still had a soul worth saving. But every moment I spent searching for it, more lives were lost. It was a choice between family and humanity—of which, I wasn’t even a true part. Was it my duty to protect my little sister…or to stop her?

  I clenched my fork with a trembling hand.

  “Bad,” she acknowledged, and for the first time, I felt pain seep around her emotional barrier. “Which is why I moved ahead with our plans, foregoing months that were intended to build the registry. We had dozens of SAGE candidates from New England and the Midwest. That was enough to start.”

  “To start wha—”

  Faye reached across the table and grasped my hand, staring deep in my eyes. “We’ve quietly acquired land and established the first of three reservations to protect our hope for the future. There, the chosen have begun to live and flourish as an engineered society, shielded from the devastation.”

  Devastation? “Faye, I’m not sure I’m comfortable with all this…”

  “I want you to work with me.”

  I set my fork down slowly. “How can you possibly ask me that?”

  “You’re my sister,” she insisted, using my own argument against me. “What happened in the past is behind us. I want you to be a part of my future. The kids, too.”

  My heart fluttered. She hadn’t lied. My gift had discerned that much. But what was her motivation here?

  I swallowed and wiped my other palm across the tablecloth. “And what would you have us do in this future?”

  “What I’m hoping all of our members will do—use their gifts for the common good.” She attempted another smile. “Your discernment would be a great asset as we determine whom to trust, moving forward, and your persuasion…well, I don’t need to tell you how valuable that could be. It may not work on our kind, but we both know humans are highly susceptible. Think of the bloodshed we’d avoid by convincing our nation’s leaders, all at once.”

  I struggled to nod. It was exactly as I’d predicted. Faye had shielded me from her wrath because she needed me, because she had figured in a role for me in her plan.

  “But I know you have reservations,” she continued, giving my hand a squeeze. “That’s why I’ve taken a measure of good faith.”

  “The house?” As terrible as it sounded, I’d assumed there were strings attached to my move tonight.

  “No, no. I’m in a financial position to help you move closer to the family, so I did. No ulterior motives there.”

  There—meaning, she had ulterior motives elsewhere. “Well, I certainly do appreciate it.”

  She nodded and sipped her tea. “Clara, I’ve made you primary beneficiary of my estate.”

  The words took a moment to sink in. “What?”

  “It’s all rather simple. You work with me as long as you support my mission. If I cross the line—wherever you’ve established that moral low point to be—you may take any action you see fit.”

  “You’re not thinking clearly.”

  “I believe in my cause.” Her good eye bulged with emphasis. “By inviting you to kill me at your discretion, I’m showing you. The work we’re doing is good. You’ll see. “

  It was the perfect opportunity. A chance to keep an eye on my sister, a chance to make her see reason. But that was what unnerved me. It felt too perfect. “Faye…”

  “Call my bluff,” she insisted. “I’ve already put the paperwork through. You’re my beneficiary regardless of the decision you make today.”

  “What about Rudolph?” I asked, scrambling to make sense of her wild gesture.

  She gave me a look. “His family money far exceeds anything I’ve earned in the past fifty years. We have no need for combined income—now or in the future.”

  “What about Elise? Gail?”

  “They’ve already received an early inheritance. Those two should have no need for posthumous financial assistance.”

  My fingers toyed with the delicate silver chain around my neck, twirling and bending the tiny links. The kids were risking everything to get close to ERA, and an invitation to do the same had just fallen into my lap. I had to accept…didn’t I? “This isn’t…you’re not testing me because of what happened, are you? I’m sorry. I hate to ask. This is all just so—”

  “With Frederick?”

  I nodded. Just once.

  “Heavens, no. I said I forgave you, and I meant it.”

  “Then…” I gathered my nerves, along with the linen napkin across my lap.

  “Clara, will you join me?”

  “I would like to salvage our relationship, yes.” I chose my words carefully. “If that means taking a better look at what you’re trying to accomplish, then so be it.”

  She pulled back to clasp her hands together. “Wonderful! Now, I know they’ve begun preparations for your move this evening. Why don’t you check out of your hotel and come stay with me until it’s time to go? We can discuss details and truly catch up.”

  I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. Brutus was staying with a neighbor until our home situation settled down, so there wasn’t any harm in it. “I’d like that.”

  “As would I.”

  For a moment, we’d traveled back in time to a place with no feelings of betrayal, no lingering suspicions. We were sisters again—friends.

  Then Faye’s phone rang.

  Her friendly persona melted the second she answered. “Did I not instruct you to hold my calls until I return? I’m in the middle of a very impor…tant…”

  She trailed off and her good eye grew impossibly wide. “What?”

  Emotions surged the table, all at once—shock, fear, disbelief. Regret. That same eye turned glossy and filled with trembling, unshed tears.

  “Are you sure?” she croaked.

  I tried to catch her gaze.

  “Don’t do a thing until I return.” Faye jabbed a button and pushed her bangs straight back, scanning the patio like an answer would magically appear. “I-I need to go.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  She scooted her chair back and it tumbled to the floor; she didn’t seem to notice. “It’s Rudolph. He’s…dead.”

  CHAPTER 8

  « COLE »

  I
expected a variety of scenarios when I waltzed out of Vlad’s cell, having just disobeyed my so-called orders, but none of them involved Gail hyperventilating in the corner.

  “Shit,” I said, tearing my gear off. “What’s wrong with you?”

  Chick looked crazy—well, crazier than usual. She turned her head, but her eyes didn’t focus on me. “H-He’s gone.”

  “Who’s gone?”

  “Grandpa.”

  I threw my helmet into a bin and arched a brow at her. “Faye’s husband?”

  Silence.

  Assuming that means yes. “Gone, as in missing?”

  “Gone, as in we killed him!’ she spat, suddenly livid as she threw her arms in the air. “This bullshit strategy about biding our time and building the cause. We went out of our way to accommodate you fools for fear of my prophecy, and now everything is spiraling out of control. All we would’ve had to do was eliminate you. And the virus! God, that woman is so arrogant. Why didn’t we take more precautions? We’ve wasted time and money on lesser things!”

  I blinked. “Um…not really sure what you’re trying to say, but it sounds like you’ve missed some kind of medication.”

  Her irises swallowed her pupils, and she wrenched her chin back. “Medication? Medication? I’m the only one in this hellhole who’s thinking clearly!”

  Right. Okay, from what I could gather, Rudolph had kicked the bucket and she blamed us. Or Faye. Maybe both.

  Gail hugged herself as she began to pace, conveniently placing herself between me and the exit. “There should’ve been a contingency for an early mutation. We should’ve brought him down here sooner.”

  “Wait.” I dumped the rest of their pseudo-suit and brushed myself off. “You’re telling me that’s what did him in? The virus you guys made? I knew he’d caught it, but…damn.”

  Her reaction was instantaneous, even by my standards. “I didn’t make anything. I’ve been too busy brainwashing lackeys and babysitting you idiots, because apparently that’s all I’m good for. No one listens to me. No one heeds my warnings. And what happens, as a result? We let the best damn man I’ve ever known die needlessly.”