Program 13 Book One (29 page)

Authors: Nicole Sobon

Tags: #Juvenile Fiction, #Fantasy & Magic

BOOK: Program 13 Book One

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“Throw her inside and then meet me back at my office.” He turned to smile at me. He grabbed my hand, and pressed his lips gently against my knuckles. Then without a word, McVeigh took off, strutting towards the other side of the building.

“In you go!” They unlocked the door and threw me inside. “You might as well make yourself comfortable. You’re going to be here for a while.” The man laughed before slamming the door shut. I could hear the key being inserted into the knob and the click as it locked. He was right. I’d be here for a while.

There were cries coming from behind me.

“Hayden,” I wailed. I searched for him in the dark. “I’m here, Hayden. It’s okay!”

“Emile,” I heard him whisper. But the room was too dark for me to see him. I closed my eyes and listened for something – anything – that would help me find him. When I heard his heart beat racing with fear, I ran towards it. “Hayden.” I extended my hand out for him to grab hold of.

“I’m alright.” His voice was low. “Have you seen mom and dad?”

“No.” I pulled myself closer to him. “McVeigh threw me in here shortly after I arrived.” He didn’t say anything, but I could hear him choking back tears.

I was too late.

Our parents were already gone.

“I need you to do something, Emile.” His breathing was uneven. “I need you to get them out of here. None of you deserve this - life inside here.” But I couldn’t do that. I did deserve this. I deserved much worse than this. McVeigh was doing all of this because of me.

Hayden waited for an answer, but I wouldn’t give him one. “You think it’s too late for them,” he whispered. “You’re probably right, but what about
Colton
? It’s not too late to help him. If it’s me that you’re worried about, stop. I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not leaving you here. He’ll kill you, Hayden.” The words stung as they left my lips. The thought of them killing Hayden scared me. I couldn’t lose him, too. Not when he’d gone through so much to protect me. But part of me knew that my real reason for not wanting to lose him was because I didn’t want to lose a part of myself. I needed Hayden more than I cared to admit, losing him would destroy me.

“Look, there’s a vent at the back of the room. I’m pretty sure I know where they are taking
Colton
. If I’m right, the vent should lead you straight to him.” I could feel his body cringe in pain. “Help him first. If I’m still alive, then you can come rescue me. Deal?”

I tore my hand away from his and sat back on the ground. “You can’t do this to me, Hayden.”

“You don’t understand, Emile, I have to do this. I did everything I could to protect you. I’m not going to give up now.”

“Fine, I’ll do it, but you can’t give up either. I need you to keep fighting. I’m coming back for you.” I took to my feet, brushing my hand against Hayden’s as I made my way to the vent. “Promise me.”

“I promise.” His voice was sincere. Hayden wrapped his hand inside of mine and pressed it to his lips. “Be safe, Emile.”

“You, too.” I broke from his hold, taking off in search of the vent.

I pressed my hands against the wall to feel for the vent door. It took a few minutes, but I eventually found it. The vent was on the lower left hand corner on the back wall. As I pulled the cover off, I remembered I was still wearing my backpack.
Crap
. I couldn’t ditch it because I was sure I’d need it again, but what was I supposed to do with it? There was no way I’d be able to make it through the vent with it on.

I removed it before crawling inside the vent, pulling the bag in after me. I decided leaving it here would be the best option. McVeigh’s men wouldn’t check the vents for me, let alone a backpack.

I could hear
Colton
’s cries echoing through the vent. But where were they coming from?
If I’m right, the vent should lead you straight to him
. I repeated his words in my mind, trying to understand what he could have meant. Hayden was telling me to go straight.

Lying on my stomach, I pushed myself forward, following the cries until I was right above them. I peered down through the vent’s folds and saw that his face was covered in blood. They had beaten him pretty badly. One of his eyes was swollen shut, and there was blood running down his cheek, dripping past his chin. If I didn’t get him out soon, they’d kill him.

Making sure the room was empty I punched the vent’s cover off, grabbing it before it fell to the ground. The last thing I needed was for them to come running in.

Colton
looked up and stared at me for a brief second, unsure as to how to react. “Emile,” he whispered. His arms were tied behind the chair, chains binding his ankles.

I propelled my body forward and crashed into the tile below. I knew they’d hear me. They’d be coming to check on the noise soon enough. I needed to move quickly. I took to my feet and ran over to
Colton
. I reached for the chains
binding
his ankles, kicking them with my foot. They shattered almost instantly. Kicking the chains out of the way, I untied the ropes binding his wri
sts. As soon as he was free, I
pull
ed
him up from the chair.

“You need to go,” I whispered, making sure to keep my eyes on the door.

Colton
stared at me in confusion. “What the hell are you talking about? Where am I supposed to go?”

“The vent.
” I turned to look at him quickly. “All of the vents here lead to an exit. That’s the only way out.” I could hear footsteps approaching. I needed to get him out of here now. “You need to go,
Colton
. Please.” Before he could argue, I lifted him into the vent and shoved the cover back on.

“
Colton
, they’re coming. Try to be quiet” I whispered and pressed my hand against the v
ent. “And, please,
be careful.”

His eyes met mine before he took off through the vent.

He’s safe
, I repeated to myself. But even I knew it wasn’t the truth. For now, he was safe, but they’d find him. Eventuall
y they’d find him. T
hey always
did
. I was supposed to protect him. I was supposed to keep him alive. Instead, I’d brought him directly into the lion’s
den
.

The door to the room opened. In came McVeigh with two of his men, their eyes focused intently on me. “Well, well, what do we have here?” His menacing smile was an indication that he was on to me. “It seems as though our lovely Thirteen has managed to break her little friend out of here. What a shame, I was hoping to see what potential he had.”

“Did you think I would give up that easily?” I responded.

“No,” he replied. “That is precisely why I made sure to bring reinforcements with me this time, because I’m not going to let you get away again. You belong to me.”

McVeigh’s men stepped forward and threw my body against the wall, my back facing them.
No
, she began to scream,
her voice echoing throughout my mind.

“I always win
,
Emile, hasn’t anyone explained that to you yet?” He smirked before yanking out my hard drive.

Everything went black for a few seconds.

The voice inside my head faded to silence.

And with the sudden force of a hand pressing against my back, I could feel my body
powering back up.
My eyes flew open. Everything around me was different – the way I viewed McVeigh and his men, the way the colors popped out, the smallest of details revealing themselves upon first glance. It was as if I
had been
born again.

“Hello
, Thirteen.
”
Charles
McVeigh was standing before me. What was going on? Why was I in an evaluation room? “It’s nice of you to join us again.”

No
, a voice inside my head screamed.

A voice that belonged to me.

I, Emile Reed, had become Program Thirteen.

Also by Nicole Sobon:

The Emile Reed Chronicles:

Program 12
(
Short S
tory)

Program 13 (Book One)

Allegiance (Novella) (December 2012)

Deprogrammed (Book Two) (May 2013)

Standby (Novella) (September 2013)

Rebooted (Book Three) (
December
2013)