Unexpected Conspiracy: The Eternal Experimental Effects Series (The RAMBA Chronicles: The Eternal Experimental Effects Book 1)

by Erin Rickman

  “Blaire,”—he pulled away, looking into my eyes; his hands had a tight grip of my upper arms—“I thought you were dead— the newspaper... I’m so glad to have you back.”

  “Dad,” I sighed, “look, I can’t stay—”

  “What do you mean you can’t stay? I’ve been in a hole of grief since I lost your mother to a mugging, I can’t let you go,” his voice was weak, tired.

  “Dad, listen to me, mum wasn’t killed in a mugging gone wrong, and I never had a car crash. It’s a long story, and honestly, if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me anyway. Plus, it would put you in danger. All you need to know is I’ve pissed off some insane people, and you’re not safe. You need to go to Cambridge to be with Liam and tell no one of your whereabouts, not even Mel. I will come back once I… fix the issue that caused me, you, Atlas and Kenji so much pain. Mum is not the only person I’ve lost to these people; they killed Hector too. Right now they think I’m dead and it has to stay that way, okay? I can’t see you again until I’ve done what I need to do.”

  “Blaire, no!” my father hollered. “You need to tell me what on earth is going on, did you get involved in a drug ring? Are you on drugs?” He grabbed my head, turning it from side to side to inspect my eyes. “What do you mean your mother was not killed in a mugging? Is she alive? Is she okay?”

  I pulled my head away from him. My heart ached as I spoke the next few words. “I’m so sorry dad, but Mum is not coming back.”

  “What do you mean? What happened to her?” he asked, the pain laced in his words.

  “I didn’t piss off drug-lords. No, this is much worse—I pissed off scientists.” He stared at me, confused. “Listen, I can’t tell you now, but I promise I will tell you one day when I know you are safe. The more I tell you, the higher the chance there is for them to get at you too. I cannot lose you, too. Promise me, Father, that you’ll trust me, and that you will go to Liam’s until I give you the all-clear?”

  He laughed, not due to amusement but due to despair. I watched the defeat overcome him. He was comparing me to my mother in his head, saying how alike we were. “What are you going to do, Blaire? You’re still basically a child! You’re twenty-one years of age.”

  I gave him a sad smile. “Oh Dad, a lot has changed in the last few months.”

  ✽✽✽

  I went to my room, and I packed a backpack full of belongings. It consisted of spare clothes and the bedside picture of Liam and me. After rummaging through the family’s ‘bits and bobs’ drawer I found an old iPhone 11 with a spare, unopened pay-as-you-go sim. It would need topping up, but for now, it was enough.

  I returned to the living room to sit with my father. He wasn’t happy about me disappearing again when he had just got me back. After what felt like forever, we came to a compromise—I would text him regularly to let him know I was alive and he would go to Liam’s. I looked through his phone; luckily, he had both Andy and Jai’s numbers from the last time I broke my phone. I typed their numbers, along with my father’s, into the iPhone and saved them. I had no desire to contact my friends right now, but if I ever needed to, I had the option. For the moment, I had to remain dead to them; if they knew I was alive, then they were at risk. Andy and Jai would still assume I was dead from the accident. If Van Wick ever found out we were alive, then, I dreaded to think about what the pyscho would do to the ones I loved to get information from them. I saved my number in my father's phone under a different name so he could contact me; I needed someone, and I needed him.

  He sighed before taking a deep breath. “Blaire, I’m not having you leave until you tell me why. I wouldn’t be a good father if I didn’t question your actions.”

  I let out an annoyed grunt. “I wouldn’t be a good daughter if I told you and put you at risk. I watched her murdered, Dad, and I couldn’t do anything to save her. I’ll be darned if I lose another parent. I couldn’t stop them, I couldn’t help her, I couldn’t protect her, but I can with you. Please, you have to do this for me. I will not and cannot lose another parent.”

  He started to tear up. “Blaire, what happened to your Mother?”

  A lump formed in my throat, causing my words to be choked. “I don’t want to tell you, and honestly it’s best you don’t know. Maybe I’ll tell you one day, but for now, you’re going to have to trust me. If you want to talk about her, let’s think of some good times.”

  He nodded, not pushing the matters any further, realising it was a traumatic incident for me. Then he said, “Do you remember a few Christmases ago, she tried to make a gingerbread house—”

  I let out a laugh, a tear rolling down my cheek. “She burnt it, like so bad, but we ate it anyway and told her it was good.”

  We spent time reminiscing over countless memories of my mother. We cried, we laughed, and we thought of her fondly. Although I had times where I would push her to the absolute edge, she always tried to do what was best for me. She was a good mother, and I missed her. There was a hole in our lives that would never be filled—we would just have to learn to live with it. I just wished she was here to nag me one more time.

  My dad had tried to pry, but I stuck to my guns and, eventually, he stopped seeking further information—he just wanted to cherish the evening we had together. He knew getting information out of me was useless, but he was right, he wouldn’t be a good father if he just let me walk out the door without a fight. He knew I had to do what I needed to, which I would do whether he liked it or not. He had pointed out I was stubborn, which—like my looks—I had got from my mother.

  I sat with him while he rang Liam. They arranged for him to go to Cambridge that night. He had made a difficult call to Mel, informing her that we no longer needed her services. I felt his heartache, she had been with us since I was a little girl, but I reassured him that this was best for everyone's safety. He promised me that the glass of wine that was smashed (and now cleaned up) was his first of the evening. It was barely touched, so he was safe to drive to Liam’s without being over the limit. Eventually, he too had packed for his departure. However, his luggage was a suitcase whereas mine was a simple backpack for life on the run. The goodbye was emotional with far more tears from both parties than we would have liked. I assured him that normality would return soon, though I was lying, normality would never happen now. At that, he reversed down the drive and started his journey to my brother’s. I stood and watched until the red of the car lights faded to black, wiping tear after tear away.

  I turned around and started to walk the other way towards the woods (which would take around forty-five minutes), where I would find the rest of the group. I pulled up the hood of my black jumper to avoid being seen by anyone who may be looking for me.

  I inhaled the crisp night air which smelt fresh. While being locked up, I forgot how beautiful the outside world actually was. I took in every sensation: the taste of the winter night; the sounds of the trees rustling in the wind; and the sight of the street lights twinkling in the distance. My clothes felt soft against my skin; it had been a long time since I was able to wear my Nike trainers, simple jeans, and a t-shirt covered by a hooded jumper. I never thought I would miss casual clothing—I never had a reason to think I would miss causual clothing.

  I looked down at my phone, staring at the time and date—eleven twenty-six pm, Wednesday 4th of December. It turned out that it wasn’t November, as I had thought. Van Wick had held us captive for just under two months. Truth be told, it felt like a lifetime and it indeed held the pain of such. Seeing my father and watching him drive to Liam’s brought me some peace. Although my grief was far from over, the anger had at least simmered away because he was safe.

  I thought back to my argument with Atlas earlier. My grief undoubtedly drove our argument, and I had stepped out of line. Everything I said was filled with rage and was simply untrue. He was not at fault for the death's of my mother and Hector. Plus, he was right—I was as good as kidnapped regardless of whether or not I was with him that night. Then, even if they didn
’t capture me for being close with Atlas (as they had done Kenji), it would only have been a matter of time before I went looking for Atlas and ended up in the hands of Van Wick. My anger was sorely misdirected and taken out on the person I held closest. I had messed up and needed to fix it. In hindsight, I was happy with those memories gone, but they were going to come back regardless of when my injuries healed. That may have been a matter of months or hours. The happiness I had was borrowed time, and I should have been thankful for the momentary release, regardless of how short it was. I suppose receiving my memories and the associated pain sooner rather than later was better, as I was able to have tonight with my father and ease some of his suffering. Atlas had done right by me, but I had wanted an excuse at the time to let my anger simmer, boil and then bubble over.

  The leaves crackled under my feet as I approached the pond. I looked around, Atlas and Kenji had both changed into casual clothes, backpacks hanging over their shoulders. Kenji wore skinny black jeans, a white top, black trainers and a burgundy bomber jacket. Atlas, however, wore a light blue button-up polo shirt, his thick winter coat, skinny blue jeans and the same white trainers that I wore. Maze and A-jax were still in their white clothes from the lab. I assumed Maze still hadn’t talked, the same blank look confirmed this.

  “Has no one taken Maze to collect her belongings?” I asked, coming to a stop at the edge of the pond. I glanced at the blonde who sat cross-legged on the floor.

  Kenji rolled his eyes at me. “From where? She has no home, Blaire. Her husband has moved.”

  I felt stupid for asking and looked down at Maze, hoping I hadn’t hit a nerve. I don’t think she had heard or, if she did, she didn’t care. Maze wore the same blank expression that she had worn over the last few months. At this rate, I wondered if I would ever meet the version of Maze that the boys were so fond of.

  “I will produce a portal for you to utilise to access my realm, the Land of Accomplishment. This is the only place you will be truly protected from Van Wick, for now,” A-jax announced.

  I felt slightly flattered that A-jax wanted to keep us safe; it came as a surprise considering he wasn't fond of humans. Though, I suppose it was his duty to keep my race safe in this realm, or so I assumed from his explanations of the roles of exohumans—with our powers not in check, we were a danger. Regardless, I had a different idea.

  “No,” I protested. “We have to kill Van Wick; he has taken everything from us, and we will not truly be protected until that man is six feet under the ground.”

  “Quiet, you will have your time for vengeance,” he reassured, “but I recommend mastering your abilities to destroy him with the utmost pain.”

  I stared at A-jax as his thoughts floated through my head. He also wanted Van Wick dead, so, he had two reasons for taking us back with him. The first was that our discovery would put him in good stead with his leaders. The second was that he too wanted revenge, and he needed our help to get it. So, the feeling of being flattered faded away because, actually, his act of kindness could have been for personal gain.

  Though, A-jax was right and regardless of his reasons, I wanted to make Van Wick feel maximum pain. However, I hated the idea of the slimy weasel living to see another day. If we were going to be successful in ensuring we did not lose more than necessary, then we had to be strong, fit, healthy and ready to fight which currently, we were not.

  I glanced over to Atlas, who wore a stern look on his face. If I was to enter a new world with God only knows what creatures, I wanted to make things right and do it with him by my side. He glanced over at me, his expression unwavering.

  “Can I speak to Atlas alone for a minute?” I asked aloud, more directed to him than anyone else. He eyed me for a minute before giving a small nod.

  “I have to go to the bathroom before we, uh, portal. A-jax, can you keep an eye on Maze?” Kenji said up.

  A-jax stared at Kenji intensely. “How do I ‘keep an eye’ on an individual? Do I need to remove the eye from my socket and place it on her?”

  “No,” I groaned, “just keep her safe and don’t let her out of your sight.”

  “Ah!” A-jax gasped in realisation. “You know, I received the pleasure of Maze’s company this afternoon. She appears not to talk much—this is an admirable quality in a woman. Do you hold any knowledge on whether she is in the market for a mate?”

  “No A-jax, does she look like she is in the market for a mate?” Kenji asked rhetorically before walking away.

  “To me, yes,” he retorted, walking towards a treeless part of the clearing. “I will commence the creation of the portal.”

  I watched him as he waved his arms, the movement was delicate, controlled, and closely resembled something akin to tai-chi in nature. A green orb flew from his hands, creating a large, flat, two-dimensional rectangle. It glowed as greens and oranges swirled within, the occasional spark flying, which made it look absolutely terrifying.

  I took a few steps into the forest, and Atlas followed. We stood in silence for a moment as he stared at me, his arms crossed.

  “Look,” I started, “I’m sorry for what I said earlier, not an ounce of what I stated was true. It’s no excuse, but my grief made me angry, and as I care about you so much, I directed it at you. You did the right thing giving me my memories back, my mother’s death was neither your fault, nor mine. I’m honestly just sorry—I was an arsehole.”

  “You were an arsehole,” Atlas agreed, “but you were right about one thing, you wouldn’t stop talking about Jai, and I wanted to make it go away. Giving you your memories back did have a hidden motive, but I also knew you had amends to make before we left. I saw it as a win-win. I still stand by the choice I made, but it was more for selfish reasons than anything, and for that I’m sorry. I care about you, Blaire; I think I’m starting to fall in love with you. Just seeing you not having any idea of who I was broke me a little. I couldn’t lose you too.”

  I gave him a weak smile. “I’m probably falling for you too,” I agreed. “I need time, but I still want you to be there for me and, by god, if we are about to meet a world full of A-jaxs then I’m going to need you to keep me sane.”

  Atlas looked at me, cracking a grin. As we started to walk towards the portal, he hummed a tune. I didn't regonise it at first, but the more he hummed, the clearer it became. So, I followed the lyrics in my head.

  ‘Cause if you fall, I will follow you into the great unknown, where wild winds blow. If you lose it all, you know I’ll be there when everybody’s gone. You’re not alone.’

  I cocked my head at him as a small laugh escaped my lips. “‘The Great Unknown’ by X Ambassadors, great song.”

  “I felt it appropriate.” He shrugged, knocking his shoulder onto mine.

  He paused before he stepped forward and engulfed me in a hug. I reciprocated his actions and looked up to him. Slowly, his head edged towards mine, and our lips touched. It was a soft, sweet kiss, one that was overdue. I felt him smile against my lips and the edges of my mouth curved up too. He stepped back, realising me from his grip.

  “Miss Mayres, would you do the honour of accompanying me to the Land of Accomplishment, being my training partner, and returning to set the world on fire for the very man who destroyed everything we loved dearly?” He held out his hand as we resumed our walk towards the glowing portal that A-jax had created.

  I gladly took his hand. Just before we stepped in, I replied, “Mr Bracksworth, it would be my greatest honour.”

  Bonus Chapter

  22nd February 2025

  I sat on a bench in the forecourt at the headquarters of RAMBA (Realms and Magical Beings Association). It was beautiful, the sun was shining, and the skies were blue. Both Atlas and Kenji were in a training session while I had the day off, and Maze was off seeking treatment from a warlock as she still hadn’t talked.

  Today was the day we were going to find out if we would be accepted as exohumans by the High Court, or if we would have to go back to the Land of Typix known to us
as Earth. We had only been in the Land of Accomplishment for a short period of time, but I didn’t want to leave—going home would be too painful, and I wasn’t ready. I had regular contact with my family through a phone that was spelled by a warlock I considered to be friends with A-jax.

  A-jax was in the meeting with the High Court of RAMBA, finding a settlement on our status. He had made it very clear that he wanted to lead our case because he had to restore his reputation. I heard a throat clear from behind me, and I turned, seeing the blond brilliance himself. He walked with a sense of purpose, and he seemed proud.

  “Well?” I pressed. “What did they say?”

  “The High Court of RAMBA examined your DNA and concluded that you are more exohuman than typix Therefore, you and your companions can remain. However, you are obligated to complete training programmes and examinations as it transpires that you are still very different from my species. Usually, the High Court loathes all that is unconventional. However, they appear to be rather fascinated by you and your companions. They articulated the possibility of ordering you into your own classification, depending on the results of said tests.”