Tested (15 page)

Tyler ate his food in silence. He could feel Missy watching him, but he was too distracted by his own thoughts to converse with her. Since the technicians had brought him back to his room, he’d kept a careful distance between them until he could sort through what had just happened.

This General seemed to have good ideals. The idea that he wanted to fix their world was admirable, and something Tyler could see himself supporting. It felt right in his bones. Helping people and eradicating a dictator bent on destroying their lives. And yet, a memory or impression tugged at the corner of his mind saying something just wasn’t quite right about it. But what?

He went over the General’s speech again, trying to figure out what was making him wary of it all. As soon as he’d finished, the room had erupted into cheers of encouragement. He’d gone on to state that they were planning an attack on the headquarters of the New World leader, and that they would lead his army of rebels. Freedom was something so sweet, Tyler could taste it in the air when the General spoke. But that bitter edge was something he couldn’t ignore.

Rebelling seemed like a natural course for him though. None of it made sense, and it was frustrating him to a point where he couldn’t focus on anything but that speech, playing it over and over in his head. The General had seemed so passionate, believing in the words he was saying. Could his vision be sincere?

It wasn’t that Tyler simply forgave the General and his doctors for turning them into these mutated humans, as he suggested, yet part of him was grateful for the chance to use his abilities for good. And it would be good, wouldn’t it? Freeing the people and turning things back to the way they were before was a worthy cause, was it not?

“Tyler?” Missy said hesitantly.

Tyler looked up at her, his chest tightening at the look of concern in her eyes. The idea that she worried for him made him want to pull her into his embrace and show her how much she meant to him. She was his one reprieve. Over all the days they’d spent in this tiny room together, Tyler was starting to wonder how he’d ever survived without having her nearby. It was strange how quickly he had become accustomed to her presence, needing it as though she were a lifeline for him.

His mind was still fogged from the drugs, his anger something that simmered on the edge at all times, but Missy was that calming force around him. He thought back to the end of the meeting when he had spoken to the man John by himself. The decision he had come to make was already haunting him, even though he knew it was for the best. His gut told him things were going to get hectic and the last thing he wanted was to have Missy around when it did.

“Tyler?” she said again, reaching out to place her hand hesitantly on his knee. “Is everything okay?”

Was it? He wasn’t sure. There wasn’t much of anything that he knew for certain anymore. Things were so confusing, his thoughts always moving, shifting, never stopping just to think and absorb the things that were happening around him. It frustrated and enraged him.

“What happened?”

He met her blue gaze, debating on whether or not he should be completely honest. He decided he should. Missy was the only person who was completely honest with him, and he would show her the same respect.

“We were taken to a meeting room to discuss the attack again,” he told her.

“The attack on the New World Headquarters, you mean?” she asked.

He nodded. “There was someone new there. He told us that we are to attack in two days’ time.”

She sat up straight, her eyes wide. “Two days?” she whispered. She looked down in thought, before meeting his gaze again. “Who was this man? What did he call himself?”

Tyler tilted his head, interested. Why would she ask that specifically? Unease slithered in his stomach. A part of him identified with the man who called himself the General, and wanted to help him achieve his peace, but now doubt began to nag at him.

She spoke again at his silence. “Was it the General, Tyler?”

“What do you know of him?” he asked.

Missy started shaking her head. “You can’t do what he says, Tyler,” she said, moving until she kneeled in front of him, her hands gripping his forearms pleadingly. “Listen to me. I know what he probably said sounds good. Peace, taking down this government, fighting for the people. I get it. I can see the picture he is painting. But don’t believe him. He’s not good, Tyler. He is pure evil. It is his fault that you are here and that all of this was done to you. He is the one to blame. Douglas Hatcher is his real name, and he has ruined so many lives for a cause that is just as corrupt as the government he preaches against.”

“How do you know all this?”

“Because there are people out there who really are looking out for the best of our people. You were one of them, Tyler. So am I, and all our friends. We are fighting for the right side, and that side is
not
the General’s. You cannot go and fight for him. If he takes over, we won’t be any better off than we are now. We’ll probably be even worse.”

Tyler’s thoughts went back to one of the things the General had said.

“There are those who call themselves rebels,” he’d continued. “Those who will tell you that they want to save our world. They are nothing but a group of men and women who are looking out for themselves. They lack any of the manpower, firepower, or drive that my army has. They will only lead you to a path of disappointment and uselessness. You are fighting for the winning team now. Do not by fooled by the imposters.”

Is this who Missy was referring to? Was she one of the people the General warned against? He looked her over, trying to see – something. Anything that would tell him who to believe, who to trust. But he could not see in her head, not inside her soul. He could only listen to what they both said and make his own decision. And that choice had been made.

“2140,” John had called out to him when the meeting ended. Tyler had walked over to where he stood with the General.

“I’ve heard good things about you, soldier,” the General had said when he stopped in front of them. “John here has nominated you to be one of our captains on this mission. We’d like you to lead a team of ten. You are to be the first to infiltrate the NWO headquarters after the initial blast. Will you accept this? Will you fight for our freedom?”

Tyler hadn’t thought about it too long or hard, knowing in his heart that he needed to do this, needed to fight for all those who couldn’t. When he’d agreed, the General had squeezed his shoulder and told him that he would make an excellent addition to his army.

When John had turned to leave after the General had walked away, was when Tyler had reached out to halt him.

“If I am going to lead these men, I want some assurances from you,” he’d said.

“What kind of assurances?” John asked.

“Missy. I want her to be allowed to leave and return to her home. No one touches her, no one hurts her. She stays there until this is done and then she is allowed to return to me. I won’t do it if I don’t have your guarantee on this.”

John had stared at him in silence for a long moment before replying. “I promise you. The girl will be safe.”

Now that same girl was kneeling before him with every plea and hope shining in her eyes that he would believe her. But the fact was, Tyler was going to do this for the General and his army. He was going to fight to change this world, and he was going to keep her safe while he did it. He just needed to figure out how to tell her.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Something was definitely going on with him. Missy could tell Tyler was bothered, but he wouldn’t tell her what it was. The fact that Douglas Hatcher had been here and spoken to him left a sour taste in her mouth. She just prayed that Tyler wouldn’t fall for his schemes. The longer he remained silent, however, the more she worried that was exactly what was happening.

Before she could really get into it, however, two technicians had shown up again and brought them back to the training room. Tyler was warming up inside the ring, his eyes focused on his movements, his mind in the zone. Missy watched from the sidelines, weighed down with the worry that was turning her stomach.

Tyler hopped from foot to foot, his taped fists punching at an imaginary opponent. Missy watched him, torn between admiration for the expert way in which he moved, and sadness for the fact that he was essentially a tool being used by the rebels for their own purpose. No one here cared about him, or any of the other men and women around her. They were programed like an army of robots, and they didn’t even know it.

Missy wished Phoenix was here. Surely she would know what to do. If her sister had come instead she would have thought of a way out a long time ago. Missy was useless. Now that they were actually talking about attacking the NWO it was clear that the clock was ticking down. She was running out of time. From the look on his face, Missy wondered if she hadn’t already run out of it. Was Tyler now lost to this new persona?

His eyes met hers from inside the cage. The heat she’d spotted over the weeks was still there, simmering beneath the adrenaline of the upcoming fight. It did crazy things to her, even amongst all her anxiety. She would love to know the feeling of being in his arms, but Missy was starting to wonder if that would ever happen.

Another fighter entered and the same dance began. Missy watched in rapt attention like she always did, while bracing herself for the violence. How strange her life had become, she thought. She’d gone from being a self-imposed prisoner of her own house, to a real prisoner of the rebel army. Her entire life was reduced to all of two rooms now. How sad, she thought as she watched the two men. Why had she let herself become this way? What was wrong with her that she didn’t want more for herself? God she was so weak and pathetic. She needed to fight for her own freedom, not just from the General and his deranged rebels, but from herself. From her memories. From her past.

A new resolve was slowly taking place inside her as she watched Tyler perform for the men who observed him, just like a trained dog. Neither of them deserved this. They had to get out. No more playing around.

Tyler threw a punch, knocking his partner down onto the ground with a loud smack. The older trainer called out a halt before Tyler could do any further damage. Breathing hard, chest rising and falling, Tyler turned and found her like he always did. Those green eyes seemed dazed as she met them. He blinked once. Twice. When he focused on her again, everything inside her froze.

She stopped breathing. Hope, so potent and strong that it physically hurt, burst into her chest as she stared back. There was something different about the way he was looking at her. It was exactly what she’d been waiting for since the moment she’d walked into that room and seen him sitting in that chair, restrained. It was recognition. It was knowledge. It was anger.

She would have run to him had there not been a metal cage separating them.
Stay calm,
she ordered herself. If she acted like there was something wrong, the technicians around them might be alerted. Forcing herself to relax, Missy tore her eyes away from him to look at the men standing around the outside. No one seemed to notice anything, thankfully.

For another two fights, Missy had to stand there and watch Tyler fight, his movements no longer as fierce, his punches a little less powerful. She could tell he was holding back now, and she prayed that was proof that he had remembered something. Did she dare to hope that it was true? The problem with hope was that as much as it could lift you up, it could also tear you down if it turned out to be false. That was the last thing she needed right now.

Standing there pretending her thoughts weren’t in a frenzy, and forcing herself to act normally was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. As they walked her and Tyler back to their room, her in the front and him just behind her, all she could do was try to focus on each step and not on the pounding of her heart. What if they arrived back to the room and everything was just as before? What if she had completely misread his expression? In reality, what did she know about reading people? Perhaps she was so blinded by her desire to get them out of there and wanting Tyler to be cured of whatever they had done to him, that now she was imagining things?

The technicians opened the door and escorted her inside. Missy turned and waited as Tyler entered seconds afterward. He didn’t look at her as he turned and faced the technicians.

“We’ll be back first thing in the morning,” one of them said. “Make sure she’s ready.”

What did that mean? Ready for what? Tyler seemed to take a step forward, his shoulders stiffening, but if he’d been about to reply, the technicians didn’t wait to hear it. With a loud bang, the door was slammed shut, the beep of the lock engaging sounding just after.

Missy swore he was able to hear the pounding of her heart from where she stood across the small space. Tyler turned slowly, his clear, green eyes landing on her. She braced herself as he opened his mouth.

“Come here, Missy,” was all he said, opening his arms to her.

She hesitated, wondering which Tyler this was. He seemed to understand because he simply nodded and said, “It’s me. Come here, I just need to hold you.”

With a small whimper, Missy no longer hesitated, flinging herself into his arms. They closed around her like steel bands, crushing her against his hard chest. She’d never felt so relieved in her entire life. Tyler dipped his head so his face was buried in her hair. His breath warmed her ear as they stood there in silence, neither of them letting go.

“How long have we been here?” he asked, whispering quietly to her.

“I’ve lost track,” she admitted. “Weeks.”

He pulled back a bit so he could look at her, keeping their faces close. “Why did you come here?”

“Because we knew you were kidnapped by them, and I’m the only one that Douglas or Ludwig had never seen. It was the safest choice. Anyone else could have been recognized.”

His hand stroked back her hair gently, his eyes roaming her face. “It’s dangerous. Your sister never should have agreed.”