Mind Trace (22 page)

Gabriel realized immediately that he had exchanged one
prison for another. Eric never granted him full access to any of his systems,
or even to the projects he was working on. It was a way of keeping him in his
place. 

He's smart to limit my access. The damage I could do
with those kinds of resources… He couldn't begin to fathom.

After he'd been working for him a little while, Gabriel
approached Eric with a special request. In addition to his assignments, Gabriel
wanted to continue to discretely sabotage his brother. He would siphon off
information about his projects before they had a chance to market them. It
would benefit Eric too, he insisted, because EngineerCorp could pass off the
intelligence as their own.  Eric was amused, and decided to grant his request.

It's too bad for Garrett, but it serves him right. It's
his fault our parents were killed…if I wasn't forced to show everyone the
truth, that I was the better son, then none of this would have happened.

Sabotaging his brother provided him with the tiniest bit of
revenge to soothe his anger.

Using both his intimate knowledge of Garrett and his own
incredible hacking skills, Gabriel continued his self-proclaimed mission for
years.

But, now… What will I do? It's almost depressing. With
Garrett out of the picture, I won't have anyone left to sabotage. I'm going to
have to find another hobby…

***

After Garrett was thrown inside his room, the door was shut
and locked firmly behind him. He had no idea where his room was. When the men
took him from the landing strip, the cloth bag was thrown over his head again.
Garrett spent the next half hour scrutinizing his surroundings, searching
desperately for some way to get out.

After he was sufficiently frustrated and had found nothing
useful, he sat down in a chair next to his desk. His mind was still refusing to
acknowledge what had happened.

Gabriel's alive? And he's working for Eric?

In their childhood, Gabriel had been fiercely
competitive…so much so, that his parents worried for him and did their best to
offer him other ways to focus his passionate energies.

Gabriel could not be diverted from his plans, however. He
had always been brilliant, but he continued to use that brilliance to achieve
less than noble ends.

Gabriel never understood me. I never once felt I was
better than him. I just wanted to have a normal relationship. I did everything
I could to show him that.

Mom and Dad tried to reason with him, but they just did
it the wrong way. I became the focal point for his anger, and then he was lost.

After our parents' murder, everything fell apart. The
authorities tried to say it was a break-in gone wrong, but the truth was lost
in a sea of red tape. Gabriel got involved with people who didn't care for his
nonchalant attitude towards debt repayment.

Then, he disappears. I had always thought his loan
sharks had come back to tie up loose ends. I warned him not to get involved
with those kinds of people. But, he just wouldn't listen.

After he disappeared, I assumed he was dead. I tried not
to think about any of it. I had enough of my own problems to worry about,
trying to pick up the pieces of my life.

I had just about given up hope on everything, ever
getting out of that rut, when I met Alice…

She came to him for help and he managed to put her right
back in the one place she never wanted to be again. 

Some friend I am…

Garrett did not know how long he would be held, but a part
of him knew that it would most likely be permanent. 

No matter what, I must stay vigilant and ready. I have
to do everything in my power to make this right.

***

Exhausted and overwhelmed, Alice fell asleep sometime
during the early morning hours. She had slept sitting upright on her bed, with
her knees pulled to her chest. When she heard the door slide open, she
panicked, jerking her head up immediately at the sound.

Huh? Where am I?

But it was only the man assigned the unfortunate task of
bringing her breakfast.  Wearily, she noticed that an armed guard stood at the
door with his weapon fixed on her, while the other man brought in the tray.
They were not taking any chances this time.

After her breakfast procession left, she stretched her
legs, trying to work the stiffness out in her joints. Her neck had a horrible
crick in it; she rubbed the back of it until she could turn her head from
side-to-side passably.

The tray of food beckoned her.

I don't even care if it's drugged. I'm starving.

Alice brought the tray back to the bed and began eating. It
was the first decent meal she’d had in a while and it tasted heavenly.

No sooner had she finished her meal, the ominous sound of
the door alerted her she was no longer alone.

Great… What now?

Eric's tall frame filled the steel doorway. As he stepped
through, she could see three guards lingering outside the door. He gestured to
them to wait there and the door closed behind him, leaving them alone.

Alice said nothing as she watched him, trying to appear
calm in spite of her knotted stomach. He pulled the chair from the desk and sat
in front of her, a few feet from the bed.

You really don't have to sit so close.

"Before you get any foolish ideas, you should know a
few things. I am the only one authorized to disable the security device you are
wearing. Even in the event that you were able to incapacitate me, you would
never make it past the doorway conscious. There are also three guards posted
outside the door and more at every exit from this floor. So…please, try to be
reasonable."

You and I have a very different opinion on what that
word means.

Eric waited before continuing, letting the words sink in.

Alice broke the silence first, asking hesitantly, "What
do you want from me?"

He regarded her with a somewhat stern expression. "That
is what I wish to discuss. It is…unfortunate that we had to resort to these
circumstances, but you have been decidedly uncooperative since the beginning.
You have become too much of a danger to live outside of these walls with the
amount of knowledge you seem to possess. Almost every organization in the world
has a stake in this company, and we would be doing them a disservice in
allowing you to roam free."

Eric leaned forward in his chair, eyes level with hers. The
extra effort was unnecessary.

He's intimidating; I get it.

"You, Alice McArthur… have somehow managed to
jeopardize
everything
I have built here, and that is something I simply
cannot tolerate."

It's not like I wanted to!

He was still for a moment, his face pensive. "There is
also the matter of how you were able to become so familiar with the information
in such a short time. Not to mention, we don't even know how much you actually
know. But, we will find these things out in good time."

Not if I have anything to do with it.

Eric sat back once again, almost relaxed in the high-backed
chair. "The point is, Alice, you have a brilliant mind with unlimited
possibilities. I've seen some of the things you can do with poor resources and
limited time… Just
imagine
what you could do with the resources I
possess! I can give you all that and more. I can put you in a position where
you can change the world! All you have to do is say the word and it can be
done."

Eric's voice became elevated as he spoke, and he suddenly
cleared his throat, checking himself. He continued again, but more calmly.

"Circumstances have forced my hand and forced you to
be a guest of my hospitality indefinitely. That cannot be changed. But, you
can
change what you do while you are here. If you work with me, imagine what we can
accomplish!

"The only other alternative is to spend the
foreseeable future becoming intimately acquainted with the inside of this room.
That would be an unfortunate waste, Alice. But the choice is yours."

My choice? Whatever he is offering is definitely not a
choice. Either way, I will lose. I need more time to think. How can he expect
me to make a decision about the rest of my life in a manner of minutes?

"Can you give me some time to think about this?" 

 "I will give you two hours."

How generous.

With that, he stood and went to the access panel to let
himself out of the room.

Once she was alone, Alice considered what he was offering. It
seemed Eric would not harm her, that he considered her too valuable to even entertain
that idea.

So, I'll be a prisoner here for life? I can't imagine
spending the rest of my days inside this tiny room.

And, I've always wanted to do something extraordinary. With
the resources Eric has at his disposal, there really would be no limits to what
I could accomplish. Sure, the circumstances aren't ideal, but where else could
I get this kind of opportunity? My parents always thought I would do great
things…

What am I saying? This is crazy.

She shook herself out of her train of thoughts. Her parents
would never have wanted her to join forces with someone who was capable of, and
regularly chose to do, what Eric was doing, no matter what good could come out
of it. He might be capable of creating advanced technology for others to
benefit from, but the good would never outweigh the bad. It was her responsibility
to choose the right thing, no matter what benefits the other side offered.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that this
was what
she
wanted.

It was more than what her parents would have approved of,
and more than staying inside her comfort zone. If there was anything she
discovered in the past week, it was that she was far more capable and important
than she ever allowed herself to believe. It was a fact Alice could no longer
ignore…and she didn't want to.

She was tired of being the quiet girl in the back, the girl
who did her best to fade into the background. She was not going to be passive
anymore, letting people like Eric walk all over her. Using her to achieve his
own sinister means.  Alice knew life was a gift that could not be taken for
granted, as she had with her own family.

I have the opportunity to make a difference. I just won't
do it under Eric's terms. I'm going to find a way out of this, and do things
the way they should be done.

It doesn't matter what life throws at me anymore. All
that matters is that I do my best to take down this corrupt empire and help the
people who suffer beneath it. People deserve the opportunity to thrive without
being trampled on.

People like Garrett...

Garrett! What happened to him? How could I have
forgotten him?

***

By the time Eric returned, Alice had made up her mind.  She
may have had several options, but there was only one clear choice for her.

After he was seated, she looked up at him coolly and inquired,
"What have you done with Garrett?"

 "Garrett is really the least of your concerns. But, I
will humor you. He is also being detained here, safe and sound."

"What will you do with him?"

"His involvement with you has made him a threat. He
will be held here until more permanent arrangements can be made."

Garrett's suffered enough already.  I have to find a way
to convince Eric to release him and show he's not a threat.

The only thing she could offer Eric was her cooperation. If
she could persuade him to let Garrett go in exchange, at least he would be
safe. Over time, perhaps she could also gain Eric's trust and find a way out of
this place herself. Neither one of those options would be available to her if
she refused him.

She looked at Eric, sizing him up. "If I cooperate
with you, you have to let Garrett go. He can't do anything to hurt you…or even
effectively threaten you. Besides, if he were to disappear mysteriously, don't
you think it would stir up bad press? If there was even the slightest hint that
someone could trace him back to you…that would be trouble you don't need."

Eric laughed at her. "I appreciate your concern, but I
can assure you, it wouldn't pose any significant danger. As for the other
matter…"

Alice sat as still as she could manage, trying not to show
her worry and anticipation. So much hinged on this decision, this moment. If
Eric did not agree, she had no idea what she would do. Eric stared at her for
what seemed like an eternity, and she did her best to return his gaze without
faltering. When it seemed like sweat would visibly break out all over her
forehead if she had to sit there another moment, he responded.

"I suppose…if it will mean your cooperation, we can
find a way to arrange that."

Did that really just work?

He continued to speak, but more to himself than her. "We
would, of course, have permanent surveillance on him at all times and he could
never try to communicate with you or come within a hundred miles of any
EngineerCorp facility. He must also never try to sabotage our work here in any
way. If he disagreed with or violated any of these conditions, we would have to
resort to our original plan. If that can be arranged, would that be sufficient
to gain your cooperation?"

He must really, really want my help.

Alice thought about it for a moment before answering. "Yes…but,
could I be the one to ask him?"

He looked at her skeptically. "I will give you five
minutes to speak with him. If you cannot convince him to agree wholeheartedly
to this plan, he is not going anywhere, ever. This is more than generous for
both of you."