The Executioner at the Institute for Contaminated Children (27 page)

My jaw unhinged. “He’s your brother!”

“He’s a monster. He will either be used or use others for the rest of his life. It’s who he is.”

“Stanley’s the monster. Dan has always suppressed his abilities. Why can’t you see he’s nothing like you?!”

“I was born to kill! My ability is poison. His is mind-control. We are both weapons. You have to live, Donalie. You’re better than him. You’re better than us both. There’s no hope for him in this country. In this world. He will be forced to kill again and again. Eventually, he’ll turn on us. And then what? Is that something you want to die for?”

I stood from my chair and it flew from under me. Blood pumped through every capillary in my body. “That’s not you talking, don’t you get it?! Stanley’s poisoned your mind! He’s completely manipulated your self-image! You’re not a killer, Lenora. And neither is Dan. Because if you were, you wouldn’t care if the Institutes exploded!”

That shut her up for an instant, but she flamed up again. 

“So you’ll die! You’d die for him?”

I didn’t answer. I wasn’t ready to die for Dan. Not really. Yet the way she phrased that question made it all the more real. If I didn’t kill Dan, I’d die.

My lip twitched and I looked away, my eyes swimming.

“Very well. You can go. I did try to help you,” she said rigidly, full of loathing. I got up when she added, “There’s just one thing you should know. Dan would never use his abilities on someone he loves.”

I stopped. Dan had already used his abilities on me once. But that was then. What about now?

“What’s your son’s name?” I asked.

Lenora paused for a moment, and I thought maybe she wouldn’t say. “Charlie. His name is Charlie.”

“Nice name,” I said. The thought of a young boy somewhere in a distant school, never to see his mother again, reminded me a bit of Dan. The fate of every contaminated child.

I walked on, into the waiting arms of the guards. My thoughts drifted back to what Lenora had said. What did it matter how Dan felt about me? Except, if he did feel something, there’s no way he’d be able to hurt me or make me hurt myself. But I already knew he wouldn’t. I trusted him. And that trust would get me killed. Now what? Do I betray Dan…or everyone I care about? My parents, Torrey and Lisa… Who would rescue Eva? Lenora was right. I had to live. Because I had something to live for. And Dan had nothing. No father, no mother, and no sister.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR—Brainstorm

T
hey walked me back into the empty room. I looked around in momentary panic and then relaxed. The bathroom door was locked. I went to stand by the window, waiting.

The door creaked open and Dan paused in his steps. “You’re back!” He sounded relieved, as though he expected to never see me again.

I stared out the window, my arms wrapped around myself, not looking at him. “Lenora said your father will choose you because of your abilities.”

“You don’t know that. Last time he was ready to let you kill me.” In those words, I realized he was ready to take my place. He would be okay dying in my stead. Not because he loved me or anything like that. He’d already lost everything. His life was the only thing he had left to give. I shook in place and gripped the side of the window. 

He walked up to me, his pace quickened and then slowed down, and when I finally turned to face him, I noticed his eyes were red and the area around his mouth looked like it had been bitten all over. What the hell happened to him?

“That’s the problem, we don’t know. Dan…I don’t want to die. And I don’t want to kill you either. So…”

I know I sounded terribly selfish, but at least I was honest.

“What are you suggesting?”

I brought a hand to his sore skin. I realized the redness was razor burn. He’d been shaving. Why? Did he honestly think we’d…?

My hand dropped. A small smile appeared inside me. At least he was trying. At least he hadn’t given up. That’s exactly what we needed right now. A superhero would never give up until the end.

“I suggest we find another way. And I think I know one. But I need your help. I need you to think. Think back to your training. You said your abilities had saturated. How…did they saturate? How did they accelerate your development so quickly? There had to be a-a pill or a program or—”

“Steroids. They gave me some kind of daily energy drink. I think that’s it. I think it was spiked with something. Some kind of drug.”

“Of course. That may be why they let Lauraline get away with smuggling drugs into the school. Maybe they were smuggling something as well and they couldn’t tell the difference.”

“I highly doubt that. But it’s a thought. Remember the steam in the game rooms? I think it had something in it as well. Just a very low concentration.”

“Do you have
any
idea what this steroid might look like?”

Dan shook his head. Damn.

“Okay. Fine. It doesn’t matter. It would help if we knew, but we can still do it.”

“Do what?”

My cheeks radiated heat from excitement. “I have an idea.” 

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE—Day Three

T
he next day, we were ready. Even when they burst into our room far ahead of the sworn time. Even if we didn’t act like it. We were ready.

“But we haven’t made a decision yet!” I cried a perfect lie.

“He’s done waiting,” said Lenora, while a man and a woman escorted me away. She looked like she held an invisible whip curled in her hands. “He said if you haven’t slept together yet, there’s no way you’re bound to do so in the next twelve hours. And there doesn’t seem to be much of a chance you’ll kill each other either.”

Stanley sure wasn’t stupid.

Dan, however, did his best to act the part, like we agreed. He punched the male guard in the face and I attempted to wrestle from their grip. Of course he earned more than a few hits back. I cringed, but it was necessary for us to act the part. Sorry, Dan. If I had to take the hit, so did you. I didn’t want any of this, yet it had to be done. Either we would both live or someone else would die. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be us. I could feel it.

They brought me to a small white room and a nurse walked in. The same nurse from the ward that had treated Hailie. I ground my teeth. Were they all in on this? Of course. Stanley had hired them, after all.

“Just relax,” she told me and I cringed. Relax, my ass. In an ironic way, though, she was right. I had to be cool and calm if I was to find the drug. And I only had one shot.

As she went to retrieve my gown, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
Trust the compass
, I told myself.
It’s in here. You know it’s in here. It has to be.

“Are you listening to me?” My eyes shot open to the nurse, who held out the gown. I rolled my eyes and grabbed it from her. Not only was this horribly demeaning, but this wasn’t even the end of it. Once I changed into this getup, they’d check and see if we had… Urgh. Goose bumps covered my body. So I tried to think of the hits Dan had taken for me to get this chance. An eye for…a horribly embarrassing examination.

Just as I sprang from the bench, I felt it. The sensation slammed into my chest like a hammer. There it was! Right in the second drawer from the front bench! I grinned, but didn’t let the nurse see it as she walked me to the bathroom. Now I’d have to take the opportunity when she was out of the room to get it.

I locked the bathroom door behind me and groaned. How could I get rid of the nurse? I bit my lip and my eyes raced to the toilet. I smirked. Who said I had to follow their stupid rules?

“Tell me when you’re ready,” the nurse said through the door.

“Uh…actually, I really need to use the bathroom. I think my stomach’s upset. And I’d hate for you to listen with these acoustics. Do you mind leaving the room?” I said. I stood there in silence for a while, but I didn’t hear the nurse shuffle out.

Silence answered, but she then murmured, “I don’t get paid enough for this,” and said, “You have two minutes while I get the doctor.”

I made a sign of victory, but if I snuck out of the bathroom, I’d have to be quiet as a mouse. I waited for the nurse to leave. When my gut told me the area was clear, I slowly turned the door knob. My pulse raced through my veins. I had one shot. One shot only.

Probability that shot would work? I grinned.

Ninety-nine percent, thank you very much.

I pulled open the door and checked the clearing. The door was wide open. For once, there weren't any guards standing watch. They probably thought me too vulnerable or some equally lame crap. Well, who said I had to take their stupid examination? Who said I had to do anything they said to earn my right to live? But if so much as one person passed by, they’d see me. I had to be smooth and flexible. For an instant, I pretended to be Hailie. I recalled how she moved, graceful and with ease, like she swam through the air. Then I remembered moving through the museum blindfolded, trying not to touch anything. Same thing here. I leaped across the room and ducked under the cabinets. I could see the hallway, but no one had come this way. Good. Keep it that way.

My fingers coiled around the right drawer. Please don’t squeak, please don’t squeak… It pulled open soundlessly. Yes. I peered inside. There were a few sealed syringes and a bottle marked with red. That was it. I grabbed them both and skirted back inside the bathroom.

I read the label quick as possible. Nezerxine. Whatever the hell that meant. What my eyes shot to was the warning label: Maximum dosage unknown. Oh. Great. So I just had to inject this into Dan not knowing if it might kill him? Then again, we might die anyway if he didn’t.

A knock came on the door and I jumped in place.

“Two minutes are up. The doctor’s here to see you.”

Crap. “Uh…yes. Just cleaning up.” I ran the tap and pretended to wipe my hands clean. Now where could I hide the steroid and the syringe? Luckily, both were small enough to slip into my skirt pocket. An injection directly into the bloodstream should have the most immediate effect. Not that we might even have a chance to be precise. Now I just had to figure out how and when to get the drug to Dan.

I opened the door and beamed at the nurse. She and the female doctor stared at me in scorn.

“She hasn’t changed?” said the doctor. 

I sprang from the room.

“Hey, get back here!” the nurse shouted.

They ran after me, but I hid in a janitor’s closet just as I turned the corner and they passed right by.

“Where’d she go?” the nurse shrieked.

“I don’t know! You check that way. I’ll go left. Von will kill us both if we don’t find her.”

Well, that was easy. But it wasn’t over yet. The instant their footsteps faded, I had to take a chance. I pulled out the drug and clutched it firmly in hand. If I got caught, I might end up with a bullet in my head. Good thing my abilities would help me dodge. 

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX—Bottoms Up

I
zipped through the hallways, bouncing from one door to another, and guessed each time if there’d be someone around who might see me. It felt like a cross between a ping-pong game and pool. Yet my abilities also drained, my head starved. I had used too much of them in a short span of time. I had to cool off and soon or I’d run dry. And right now really wasn’t the best time to recharge.

When I finally reached the door behind which Dan and I had spent the last two days, I realized I didn’t have the key. Just as instantly, I recalled what Lenora said about the doors only opening from the outside.

I tugged and it pulled open. Dan ran up to me, breathless. “Did you get it?”

I nodded, my face flushed. This time it was his turn to embrace me. He picked me up and twirled me in place as we both laughed.

When he set me down, I handed him the bottle with the syringe and said, “Now I don’t know what the dosage should be. We might want to be careful and test it out first—”

My eyes rounded as Dan ripped off the cap and chugged the entire bottle. “Dan! Stop! That could—”

“Aah,” he said and tossed away the empty bottle. “Let’s go test this puppy out.”

My hands trembled for him.

“Wait, don’t be rash! It might not be instant!” Although a sharp prick in my chest told me it would only take a few seconds to work. That was the quickest route to his vocal chords. Especially with a dosage that strong. His pupils dilated.

“Chill, Donna. It’s gonna be okay.” He set his hands on my shoulders and smiled. “You do trust me, right? And you trust your instinct. What more do you want?”

“I…”

I have no idea why I felt so afraid. What’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like he’d turn into the Incredible Hulk.

His hands left my shoulders, leaving an awfully cold lack behind.

“Besides, we don’t have the time,” he said. “Here they come in three…two…”

Dan was right. Rapid footsteps came from outside. They must have gone into a frenzy when I went missing. The door pulled open and there stood a pack of them. Dan grinned and cracked his knuckles.

“Hello, gents,” he said with a smirk.

“You need to come with us,” they told us both.

“I don’t think so,” said Dan, his face immediately firm. “We’re not going anywhere.” Despite the earmuffs they all wore, all of them stopped in place, confused. “Now hop on one foot and twirl like a ballerina. Then slide.”

I nearly burst out laughing. Each and every one of them looked like a lunatic performing the ridiculous dance. It worked! And well, at that. Not only did sound barriers no longer matter to Dan, but he could also control multiple people at the same time. Just as I’d guessed.

My grin turned into a grimace when Dan then said, “Now all of you write ‘Idiot’ on your foreheads and go fall off the tallest cliff you can find.”

I paled as they stopped and walked out mechanically. I rounded on Dan.

I jerked his shirt. “What the hell! Tell them to stop, they’ll get killed!”

He looked absolutely apathetic. “They work for my father. As far as I’m concerned, they deserve to die.”

“Dan!” I couldn’t believe what he was saying. This wasn’t Dan talking. Was it…it couldn’t be…the steroid?