Mindsiege (18 page)

~~~~~

I raced through my shower, anxious to meet Jack. As I dressed in jeans and a fitted cashmere sweater, I kept an eye out for Briana, but she was nowhere to be seen.

My hand rested on the door handle leading to the hallway when I heard three distinct pops from the hallway. I yanked my hand back. I might’ve had no desire to use guns, but I’d watched enough TV to recognize gunfire. Every muscle in my body tightened, from the back of my neck all the way down to the arches of my feet, cementing me to the floor.

“What was that?” I heard a girl from somewhere in the vicinity of the showers yell.

“Who’s letting off firecrackers?” another girl asked.

I stared at the door handle.

“Were those gunshots?” someone whispered close behind me.

Finally, snapping out of my paralysis, I turned. Briana stood in front of me in her sweats. Her red, curly hair dripped down the front of her chest.

Lexi! Where are you?
Jonas was inside my head. I jumped.

“Lexi, answer me. Was that gunfire?” Briana asked again.

I could only nod.

A few girls came around the corner to inquire. When I saw their faces, they appeared concerned, but so far, they remained calm.

Lexi,
Jonas said to my mind.
There are IIA agents on campus. They’re armed, and they’re coming for you—and any other clones they might find.

My heart rate sped up, but my mind finally began to work. I stared right into Briana’s eyes. “Yes, that was gunfire. Help me get the others away from the door.”

Briana didn't ask questions. She began shushing the twenty or so swimmers and instructing them to move into the showers and to “Shut the hell up!”

I kept walking, past the showers to the door that led to the pool. Briana grabbed my arm. “Where are you going?”

“I'll be fine. Let me go.”

“No, Lexi.” Panic surged across her face, her eyes.

I pulled my arm from her grasp and placed my hands on her shoulders. “Listen. I’ll be okay. I don’t know how much you understand about what you did out there by the pool, but I have abilities of my own. I need you to trust me. And I need you to keep them quiet.” I lifted my chin in the direction of the other girls. “Actually, I want you to try something. Do you know how you… uh… enhanced your figure? I need you to imagine those girls and yourself as invisible. Can you do that?”

Her eyes doubled in diameter. She shook her head. “No. I don’t think I can. I don’t even know how I did that. Not really.”

“Just try. Okay? I know that you can do this. I’ve seen it done.”

Briana nodded, seeming to understand. She and I would be having a little chat sometime very soon about how much she already knew.

I turned and opened the back door just wide enough to slip through. A headphone-wearing custodian picked up trash in the bleachers on the far side of the pool. I stayed close to the wall as I crossed toward the main exit. A few stragglers from the swim meet were huddled in the bleachers. Some lay flat, unmoving, between rows. My eyes traveled to the other end of the pool to a single door—an exit very rarely used and away from the direction of the gunfire. Just as I opened my mouth to yell at the remaining spectators, a door to the main exit flew open and in walked a group of men and women holding guns, very much resembling a SWAT team.

I quickly ducked inside Coach Williams’s office undetected, a little shocked that it was open. The room was dark. The only light came from the pool area.
Jack, I’ve got trouble.
I dropped to my hands and knees and crawled under Coach’s desk. I curled into a tiny ball.

Where are you?

I’m in Coach Williams’s office. Trapped. I heard gunshots. Jonas says it’s the IIA.

I’m on my way,
he said.

I heard voices approach. I thought my heart would explode.

Jack, just in case, I want you to know I’m so sorry about Addison. I never meant to put her at risk. I didn’t want to heal Sandra, but I couldn’t control—

Shh. I know. You’re going to be fine.
We’re
going to be fine. I don’t blame you about Addison.

The way he said “we’re” sent a spark through my blood. It was near impossible to see a future beyond this school anymore, beyond the predicament of being a clone with abilities these murderers and scientists wanted to use—and more to the point, abuse—but I knew one thing for sure: I did not want to imagine a life where Jack blamed me for some part of this mess. I had to find Addison and make everything right.

The voices got louder. I tilted my head back, closed my eyes, and said a silent prayer. When I reopened my eyes, a dark metal object stared me in the face—a handgun of some sort was fastened to the underside of Coach’s desk. I pushed further into the oak desk, unable to distance myself from the deadly weapon.

Jonas?
Where had he gone? He hadn’t spoken to me since he warned me of IIA agents.
Are you seeing this? Boy do I wish I had taken you up on your offer to teach me to shoot.

Additional voices joined the small group. There had to be a dozen agents just outside the office.

Lexi, reach up and unsnap the strap holding the gun,
Jonas said.

Just as I put my fingers on the strap and began to pull, Jack said,
What gun? No, Lexi. Don’t. You don’t know how to use a gun. You’ll only put yourself in greater danger.

Great. Now, I had both of them inside my head, contradicting each other.

Do it, Lexi!
Jonas screamed.

“Did anyone check the pump room and the offices?” one of the agents asked outside Coach’s office.

They’re coming in!
I screamed inside my head so that both Jack and Jonas could hear. Jonas could force me to grab the gun. He hadn’t, though, and I needed to act.

Keep calm. I’m coming. Jonas, where are you?
Jack asked.

Jonas said nothing. He’d gone silent. I searched my mind and found nothing. Great. When I wanted nothing to do with him, he gave me no privacy. Now that I needed him…

Whispered voices came closer. “Can you imagine the reward for finally capturing Sandra Whitmeyer’s clone?” a woman asked.

“It’s hard to believe the great and powerful Peter Roslin trusted the wrong person in the end,” a male voice answered.

An audible gasp escaped my lips and tears stung my eyes.

“I’d heard Dr. Roslin had information to destroy the IIA labs, but someone killed him before anyone found it.”

A gunshot, followed by crashing glass, shattered my thoughts. “What are you two just standing there for?!” a third agent joined the conversation.

“Awaiting orders, sir,” the woman answered.

“Check that office.”

My pulse lurched. I reached up and unhooked the small strap on the holster. I pulled the gun from the leather. It was much heavier than the one I’d held the previous night. Heat spread across the back of my neck. Muscles clenched in my shoulders just thinking about the lethal object that was three times the size of my hand.

Another loud explosion of glass pierced the air, followed by the high-pitched squeal of the fire alarm.
What was that?

Tell me what’s going on.
Jack said.
I’m just outside the building. Which freaking entrance should I use?

Jonas remained silent.

I placed the gun in the waistband of my jeans, praying with everything in me that the gun had a safety and that I wouldn’t shoot myself in the leg. Slowly, I began to crawl from under the desk just as the door to Coach’s office squeaked open.

Lowering my head to the ground, my eyes widened at the sight of two sets of feet entering the office. By the size of them, it was one female agent and one male. To make matters worse, the voices of at least six others stood just outside the office.

Mentally calculating my options, I realized I didn’t have many. I was trapped, and had only two weapons: a gun I didn’t know how to use, and my own mind. I drew the gun from my waistband and eased up from my squatting position behind the desk.

I faced two agents. The female agent wore a black baseball cap with her hair pulled through the hole in the back in a ponytail. The male agent was a fit man. I could just make out sculpted muscles beneath a plain black T-shirt. Before the agents could react, I pointed the gun straight at the woman’s head and flooded both of their minds, something I had never done before.
Do not speak. You will both lower your weapons.

They each instantly did as I commanded.

Turn back toward the door.
I eased around the desk and stepped to their backs.
You will protect me at all costs as you lead me to the main exit. Tell me you understand.

In unison, they said, “We understand.”

Now walk.

The three of us exited Coach’s office. My heart leaped to my throat as I realized there were more agents than I had thought.

Agent Ball Cap stuck out a protective arm as she shielded me from agents to our left. She pointed her gun directly at them. “Drop your weapons.” Their eyes widened as they traded glances, but they did as they were told.

Agent Sculpted Muscles directed agents to our right to clear a path as we walked slowly toward the exit.

“You two are making a mistake,” another male agent said. I recognized his voice as the one that had handed out orders a few short moments ago. He was an older man, cursed with unfortunate thinning hair. His eyes focused in on mine. “Sarah, we are not here to hurt you. Sandra would like to spend time with you.”

A hysterical laugh escaped my throat.
You’re an idiot. I want you to turn and jump in that great big pool behind you right now.

Blood that had only dripped lightly now poured from my nostrils. I leaned forward, letting the blood drip to the floor. The metallic scent of blood mixed with chlorine. Agent Thinning Hair did as he was told and leaped into the pool, making a great splash. With a satisfied grin I ordered Agent Sculpted Muscles:
Give me your shirt, please.
With one hand he hunched his shoulders and pulled his T-shirt over his head, sliding the gun through the opening until he tossed the shirt to me. I wiped the blood off my face and applied pressure to my nose.

Agent Ball Cap had four agents on their stomachs, faces to the ground, and disarmed. As I maneuvered around their bodies, a hand reached out and snaked around my ankle, sending me sprawling across the wet pool deck. I screamed as my jeans tore and skin ripped from my knee. My ankle twisted unnaturally. My gun pinched into my back.

Agent Ball Cap took two giant steps and hit the woman who still held tightly to my ankle with the butt of her gun.

I stared at the woman, grasping my foot and breathing hard. Her eyes watered, but she looked directly at me and said with a hoarse voice, “Your time is up. Sooner or later, you’ll have to come in. He’ll force you to.”

“Who? Who will force me?” I asked. When Agent Ball Cap pointed her gun at the woman’s head, I reached out a hand.
No, don’t shoot her. Leave her be.

“Dr. Wissss…” She hissed as she slowly loosened her hold on me. Pain seared through my ankle and from the skinned knee. I crab-walked backwards away from her with much discomfort, then turned over and crawled the rest of the way to the door, careful to only allow the one knee to touch the ground.

When I reached the doors, I pulled myself to my feet by holding onto the metal door handles. Agent Sculpted Muscles and Agent Ball Cap stood behind me.
Thank you for your help. Go jump into the pool with your guns, now.

Amused, I pushed through the exit and limped into the hallway.

I started in the direction of the women’s locker room when several agents entered the hallway in front of me. Switching directions, I darted around the corner in the opposite direction.

My back against the wall, I breathed through the pain of my injured ankle. Slowly, I peeked around the corner. The agents reached the pool doors and stopped.

I squinted and focused on a woman pushing through the group. Sandra.

“Find Jonas,” she said through gritted teeth. “And find Sarah.” She ushered the SWAT team forward. “Remember, I want both of them unharmed. We’re not leaving without them.”

Chapter Twenty

I was unsure about a lot, but I knew one thing for certain: I would not allow my DNA donor to capture me for her wack job experiments. And I worried about my schoolmates trapped in the locker room. I had to get help. I started to back away from the corner, but was stopped.

A hand slipped around my waist. Another cupped my mouth. I sucked in a deep breath through my nose. “Shhh. Don’t scream.”

Every muscle along my spine tensed until I recognized Jack’s scent and voice.

I turned and threw my arms around his neck. He circled his arms around my waist.
You okay?

I nodded, breathing into his neck, but tensed as his hands continued around until they came into contact with the gun tucked into my jeans at the small of my back.

He pulled away, taking the gun with him. “What the hell, Lexi?” he asked in a loud whisper. “Are you crazy?”

I only shrugged, then leaned my head back and looked down the hallway. When I met his angry gaze again, I mindspoke,
Seriously? You want to debate my mental state right now?

Let’s go.
After tucking the gun into the back of his own pants, he grabbed my hand and pulled.

I grunted in pain. Jack turned and looked down at my leg, then released a heavy sigh.
Can you walk until we get to the next building over?

Yes. What about the girls in the locker room?
I asked.
Bree has them corralled in the shower.

They’ll be fine.
His facial expression did not reflect the certainty of his words.

Instead of going outside, Jack led me down the steps to the building’s basement.