Remainder (15 page)

“How did you know that the door lead to tunnels,” I ask.

“I didn’t. I guessed. I knew that tunnels ran under the house. I had forgotten about them because they are never used.”

“What is the purpose of the tunnels?”

“Servants used to use them to get into different parts of the house so they could not be seen by guests.” Alec extends his hand to me.

“Come on, we need to find a way out of here.” I take Alec’s hand and we start walking. I am grateful that Alec is here. If it wasn’t for him and his knowledge of the set-up of the house, I would probably be caught right now. We pass by old wooden doors that I assume lead to other parts of the house. I have never noticed other entrances in the rooms I have been in. However, if these were used by servants, then the other doors are probably hidden as well. It does not surprise me that a house this big would have some hidden passageways. We follow the path in front of us, guided by the light put out by Alec’s aleuron. Something reflecting off the light catches my eye.

“Alec, look!” I extend my finger and point in the direction of the reflection. We walk towards it and come face to face with a metal door. The door looks brand new, especially when compared to all the worn wooden ones. If the tunnels are never used, what would be the need in putting a brand new door down here? Alec finds the latch and lifts it up. The sound of the door unlocking resonates.

“Stay behind me,” Alec demands. He takes my hand and leads us inside the room. It is extremely dark and the light from the aleuron is not enough to dispel the blackness. I feel the wall behind me and find a switch. I flip it on and light illuminates the room. I gasp at the sight before me.
Chapter Twenty

The room we are standing in is huge. It goes farther back than I can see. Standing in the room in straight lines as if in a military formation are people. Only they do not look like any kind of people I have seen. They are huge, at least seven feet tall and muscular. They have yellow-grey skin. Their mouths hang open, like they are silently screaming, showing off sharp yellow teeth that look more animal than human. They are all naked, but lack the features to determine their sex. The strangest part about this supposed army is they all look like Killian. The strange-looking creatures stand perfectly still with their eyes closed. It’s almost like they are sleeping.

“What the….” Alec trails off, unable to finish his sentence, probably due to the shock of what stands before us. I am speechless as well. I come out from behind Alec and walk further into the room. For as far as I can see, this creatures are everywhere, taking up every part of this huge room. There must be hundreds of them.

“What are they?” I manage to ponder out loud.

“They look like mutant Killians.”

“Are they clones?” I ask.

“I’ve never seen clones look like that.”

“How else would they have Killian’s features if they are not clones?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why would he have these? What would be the purpose?”

“The question is how,” Alec responds. “How could he generate an army of this size? He couldn’t have done it by himself.” A realization hits me. I remember the hysterical girl with long silky black hair and almond eyes at the Research Center. She spoke of mutants. If this is what she saw, I understand the fear in her eyes.

“He didn’t. He had help. Someone at the Research Center is helping him.” I briefly recap the story of the frightened girl to Alec.

“You are probably right,” I hear Alec say as I stare up at the face of one of the mutant Killian clones. Just then, its eyes open, showing red eyes and black where there should be white. I jump back and into Alec. The clone makes no attempt to move and its eyes do not follow my movements.

“We should go,” Alec says as he starts walking backwards, pulling me with him. We exit and Alec locks the door behind us.

After about another hour of walking, we finally find a way out of the tunnels and I find myself back safely in my bed. My clock tells me it is five in the morning. I close my eyes and will sleep to find me. It takes a long time before I can fall asleep and when I do sleep, I have nightmares of mutant clones with red eyes chasing me.

I wake the later that morning drenched in sweat. My nightmares had been unforgiving during the little bit of sleep I did manage to get. I am definitely in need of a shower. I head down to the kitchen to get something to eat. While sitting at the table listening to Zareh talk about all the work she has to do today, a hologram appears. It is Killian and he is requesting that everyone in the house come to the study. Knowing Killian, it is not a request, but an order. Everyone gets up from the table and heads to the study. When our group enters, the room is already full of pure bloods and clones. To my surprise, Bailey is also present and is not complaining about having to stop whatever “important” thing she was doing to come in here. Alec stands against the wall on the other side of the room. I long to go to him and to stand beside him, however, I know that I cannot. So, I stand in between Zareh and Milo on the opposite side of the room. Killian enters the room along with Enforcer-150 and everyone falls silent. We all watch as he makes his way to the front of the room.

“Thank you all for coming in such a timely manner,” he begins. “There is a special broadcast that is going on air right now that I wish to show you. After it concludes, you may all get back to your duties.” Killian steps aside and a hologram appears. It is of Killian sitting at his desk in his office.

“Good morning, citizens of Avalon. I am your humble leader, Killian Buchanan. Lately it has been brought to my attention that there has been a rise in clone sympathizers. These pure bloods threaten the very principles our great city was built upon. They wish to destroy our way of life and they will no longer be tolerated. All suspected clone sympathizers will be arrested and questioned. If you are found guilty, the punishment is death.” The Killian hologram disappears and is replaced by a hologram of a frightened girl, the same girl from the Research Center who held tightly to Alden. Her pretty face is twisted with fear and then I realize where I have seen her. The fearful young woman in front of us is the girl from the cleaners who cleaned Bailey’s dresses. She is chained in some unrecognizable contraption. She cries and begs to be released while pulling on her restraints. It is no use; she cannot break free. The contraption lights up like it is about to do something. My mind goes back to the Bleeding and the Reddix. I wonder if the container she is in is similar. I watch and wait for the snake-like tubes to come out and drain her of all her blood. However, they do not appear. Instead, the girl cries out in pain. I want to close my eyes to shield myself from seeing the torment that I know she is going to face. I am glued to the hologram, waiting to see what happens. The young girl cries out again in pain and I still see nothing. People around me begin to gasp as we watch parts of the girl evaporate into molecules. A hand, an ear, her hair, her foot, an arm, a leg. On and on, piece by piece until there is nothing left but a pile of clothes. We all stare in disbelief in the direction of the hologram until it is gone. My mind races and I cannot wrap my head around what I just saw. A girl literally evaporated before my eyes. I glance over at Alec. I see the tightness in his jaw and his clenched fists. He is not scared or shocked; he is angry. Killian takes his place at the front of the room again.

“I hope this demonstration proves to each and every one of you that clone sympathizers will not be tolerated. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a clone sympathizer in my very household.”

People begin to look at each other. My eyes are frozen on Killian. I do not want to look at Alec, Milo, or Zareh for fear I will give them away. Killian walks around the room looking each person in the eye with his icy green ones, challenging and asserting his authority over them. He stops in front of Alec and they stare at each other, both silent. My heart pounds hard and loud in my chest, like it is trying to break free of my rib cage.

“Alec.” Killian speaks in a sharp tone. I want to scream and I feel that I may. If Alec is arrested, I am sure I will lose my cool.

“Would you be so kind to escort Zareh to the dungeon.” All eyes fall on Zareh.

“I’m very disappointed in you and my father would be too if he was still alive. Arrest her.”

Reluctantly, Alec comes up beside Zareh and places a hand on her arm. Silently, he coaxes her to go with him.

“No,” Zareh yells. She thrashes against Alec and Orlando appears to help him. Tears well up in my eyes and flow down my cheeks.

“I am not a clone sympathizer. I am devoted to you, Killian. I am devoted to you,” Zareh yells as Alec and Orlando haul her out of the room. I forget myself and lunge towards her.

“No. Let her go,” I scream. I feel arms around my waist pulling me back, but I still fight. Killian stands watching me, amusement on his face.

“There’s nothing you can do. Calm down,” Milo speaks softly in my ear as he restrains me firmly. Killian stares at me, his amused face melting into a serious expression.

“Let this be a lesson to you all,” he warns and exits the room. I cannot help but think that warning was directed towards me. Milo loosens his grip and I break free. I run out of the study and back to my room. I slam the door behind me. With my back against the door, the tears flow freely as I sob. I sink down to the floor and bury my head in my arms that hug my knees. I do not know how long I sit there and cry. I cry until my eyes dry up. No one has come looking for me, not even Alec. I am glad. I do not want to see anyone and I do not want suspicion against Alec or Milo raised. They are better off staying away from me. In fact, they should not associate with me anymore, not even in secret. It is too dangerous for them. Even though Alec warned me of the danger we face being together, it was not until now that I realize just how dangerous this is for him. I will not have the same fate befall him. He will not lose his life because of me. I have to let him go. The thought breaks my heart. If it wasn’t for the fact that I have no more tears left, I would start crying again. I sink even further down onto the cold, hard, wooden floor until I am laying in a fetal position. At this moment, I just want to lay here as my world comes tumbling down around me.

I wake unsure of the time and how long I have slept. In light of today’s events, I do not know how I have slept at all. I guess emotional exhaustion got the best of me. I rise from the floor and look at the clock and see it is nine at night. I have slept all day.  I realize that I have not eaten since breakfast; however, the thought of food makes me feel sick. I have to meet Rhydia and the rest of the Resistance at midnight. I wonder if I should even go given what happened today. What if Killian is watching all of us somehow? On the other hand, I think I should go tonight. Rhydia and the others need to know about the clone army Killian has created, what they are up against. I just hope Milo and Alec choose to lay low tonight. It is not safe for them to be going to secret meetings of the Resistance. My thoughts turn to Zareh. I wonder what is being done to her right now, if they are torturing her somehow. Or maybe they will just kill her and be done with her. Thinking of her makes me incredibly sad and tears threaten to cloud my eyes. More than sad, I am angry. Angry at Killian for taking away one of my friends, for threatening me, for everything he has done to clones and condoned. Even more, I am angry at myself for allowing myself to get close to pure bloods. I am angry at the fact there is nothing I can do to help Zareh or anyone else for that matter. I am utterly and hopelessly powerless. I can’t help but feel that this is all my fault.

I go to the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. My face is red and blotchy, my eyes are puffy, and my hair is a mess. I look like a complete wreck. I don’t resemble the happy girl who was in the mirror just a few days ago. I wash my face and brush my hair, then grab a jacket since the nights are getting cooler with the approach of fall. I decide to head out early. I think a long walk and some fresh air will do me some good.

It is more difficult getting out of the house this time since the security has been increased in light of the clone killer running around. However, I manage. I have snuck out of the house so many times that I have become a pro. I walk the dark streets in the shadows, doing everything I can to stay out of the light and keep from being seen. There was a time once when I was afraid of the shadows in these alleys. That is no longer the case. I feel that I am becoming harder. It would be so much easier to handle this life if I was void of emotion, if I just didn’t care about what happened to me or those I care about. Oh, how much easier my life would be. However, that is not who I am. If I stop caring about what happens to people, to clones, than I am no better than Killian and the other pure bloods who mistreat us. My desire to care makes me more human than the pure bloods. A noise behind me breaks my thoughts. I turn around, but I do not see anything. I think about the clone killer somewhere out there. Then I remember that Enforcer-150 is serving as bait tonight, all because of me. If he gets hurt or killed, it really will be my fault. All because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

I hear footsteps behind me, so I walk faster. The courage I had just a few moments ago quickly melts away. I dart down the next alley and quickly crouch down beside a dumpster. The smells of rotting food fill my nostrils and make me want to gag. The person following me strides down the alley, then stops and looks around. I lean back as far as I can in the shadows the dumpster provides. When the figure turns in my direction, I can’t see all of him, but I see enough to tell me who he is. I step out of the shadows and face him.

“Why are you following me?” I ask Enforcer-150 as I cross my arms over my chest.

“I’m making sure you are safe. In case you forgot, there is someone killing the clones. With you being the clone of a future leader, you would be a prime target,” he responds flatly. “You shouldn’t even be out here. It’s not safe.”

“Why do you even care if I am safe or not?” I demand.

“I just do.”

“Well thanks for the concern, but I’m fine.” I turn around and start walking away.

“Remy, wait. I just want you to be careful. That’s all.” I turn back around at the mention of my name.

“What did you call me? How do you know that name?”

“I’ve seen your files. You did too when you went into Killian’s lab, didn’t you? Have the dreams started?”

“How do you know about my dreams?” I ask, intrigued.

“Because I had them too and still do. They’re not dreams, Remy. They are memories. The Researchers wipe our minds clean before we are released to our pure bloods. However, you can’t erase memories. They can be buried far into the depths of your brain, but they are never truly gone. They will always resurface.”

“I thought we were kept in a cryogenic state? How could we possibly make memories?” I ask.

“There are many lies we have all been told, but we don’t have time to discuss them.”

“Who is she? The woman from my dreams and videos and photos.”

“I think you already know, but you choose not to believe it. She is the one who gave you your name. She is your mother.”

“My mother?” With this new revelation come multiple questions. “Where is she? What happened to her? Is she alive?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t answer those questions because I don’t know the answers myself. There is so much you still don’t know, but, like I said, we don’t have time tonight. I have to go.” He places his hand on my shoulder. “Stay safe. Have Alec take you home.” He gives my shoulder a tight squeeze and walks away. More questions arise in my mind. It seems that Enforcer-150 knows more about me than I do. One certainty is that he knows more about my past. He mentioned Alec and I wonder if he knows where I am going tonight. He obviously knows that Alec will be there. Unfortunately I do not have time to ponder all these questions. My little rendezvous is going to make me late for the meeting with Rhydia.

I knock three times on the door of the old dilapidated building, then once, then three times again. The door opens and I step inside. I notice there are more people here tonight than the last time I was here. The Resistance is growing in numbers. I am first greeted by Alden, who comes running to me and wraps me in his arms in a hug. I hug him back and it feels good to be hugged, to be shown affection after what I have witnessed today. Noticing the absence of his brother, Milo comes rushing over and hugs me as well.

“Where have you been? We’ve been so worried about you. Why did you disappear after the whole ordeal with Zareh?” Milo interrogates.

“I just…I just needed to be alone,” I respond. I see Alec lingering a few feet behind Milo and Alden, watching me. The longing on his face tells me that he wants to scoop me up in an embrace like the other two, however, he does not move. He does not make an effort to show affection. Although I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around him, bury my head in his chest, and marvel in the comfort that his arms provide for me, I make no move either. It is still not safe for us to be together. We may think that we are among friends, but how can we be so sure? We still do not know who can be trusted. All the more reason I have to let Alec go.

Rhydia takes her place at the front of the gathering and everyone’s chatter becomes silent. She seems to be a natural born leader. Although she hasn’t said anything yet, just her mere presence commands authority.

“Good evening everyone,” Rhydia greets us. Thank you for risking everything to be here tonight, especially in light of the horrific broadcast displayed this morning. As you can see, the time to act grows near. We cannot stall much longer. The situation is only going to get worse. Killian will execute more clone sympathizers and clones.” Many people around me look down to the floor and shake their heads at the thought of more executions. “Remy, I hope you were successful in your mission. Are you able to shed some light on what we are up against?” Everyone turns and looks at me.

“Yes, I was successful. Killian has created a clone army.” The room fills with gasps and chatter. Rhydia holds up her hand signaling for everyone to be quiet.

“How many does he have?” Rhydia asks.

“I am not sure. Hundreds. Could be thousands.”

“Alright. Now that we know what we are up against, we need a plan of action. We need to attack soon. Where do we want to start?” The room begins to buzz with ideas. Some say that we should attack the Enforcer sector head on. Others suggest we should take over the Researcher sector first. The noise level begins to rise as everyone spats their ideas out. Rhydia raises her hand in the air again and the noise dies down.

“One at a time. Emory, you first.”

“We need to take on Killian in the Enforcer sector,” Emory declares. Other people around him all nod and voice their agreements. An Enforcer speaks out about taking over the Enforcer sector first so we are not fighting clones and Enforcers.

“Any other ideas?” Rhydia asks.

“The ARC,” I voice.

“You think we should attack the Research Center?” Rhydia asks for clarification.

“Yes. That is where Killian is most vulnerable. That’s where this entire system is vulnerable. They will never see it coming. Killian will have no choice but to fold.”

“That might work,” Rhydia agrees. The people around me nod and discuss strategies for getting into the Research Center.

“All favor in attacking the Research Center first, raise your hand,” Rhydia demands. I look around the room and see that the majority of the people in the room agree with the plan. “Very good. It’s settled then. We will attack the Research Center in two days. Alec, you and Emory are in charge of gathering as many clones as you can for our cause. Larick, you are in charge of gathering all of the sick. I will gather pure bloods. We will meet back here in two days at midnight.” People linger in the big room to chat with Rhydia about invasion tactics. Some people leave and go back to their lives outside of the Resistance.

I wait until Rhydia has finished her conversations and approach her.

“Remy, what can I do for you?” She smiles, but I can see the exhaustion on her face. I appreciate her pleasantries, however, I have no time or desire to mimic her.

“You know who the clone killer is,” I accuse.

“Excuse me?” Rhydia raises her eyebrows and jerks her head back as if I had just slapped her across the face.

“I saw your face yesterday when Killian announced what had happened. I couldn’t place it then, but I know that’s what I saw in the look you gave. You know who it is and you are protecting them. Why?”

“Remy, you should be careful making accusations that you can’t back with evidence.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, it’s not a threat, but you don’t understand what you are saying.”

“Why are you protecting them?”

“In any war, there are casualties.”

“Whose side are you on?” I ask with disgust.

“The right one.” I am so confused by her that I don’t know what else to say. Instead of arguing with her further, I decide to walk away. It has been a trying day and my patience is wearing thin. Plus, I still have something that I need to attend to.

I go to the one place where I can think about everything that has occurred in the past twenty-four hours: the roof. I climb the stairs that lead to the only place that is special to me. Throwing open the door, I step out into the cool air. I rub my arms as a shiver runs through me. The wind is blowing hard up here, whipping my hair all over the place. I look out at the mountains before me. The ones I find to be so beautiful during the day look evil at night. They surround every side of me, keeping me locked into this life. Images of the poor girl being torn apart and disappearing into nothing race through my mind. There was literally nothing left of her. No body to bury, no ashes to place in an urn, no physical part of her left to remember her by. She evaporated as if she never existed. If the pure bloods do this to their own people, what will they do to the clones who rise up against them?

The presence of strong arms wrapping around me break my thoughts. I turn to face Alec and throw my arms around him. He buries his face in my hair and strokes my back. We stand there and hold each other in silence, neither one of us wanting to let go. I hold him tight as I know this will be the last time I do.

“Are you okay?” he asks, finally breaking the silence. I pull back from him and look up into his handsome face.

“No, not really,” I confess. “I can’t stop thinking about that poor girl and Zareh. How can the leaders do this? That’s a horrible way to die.” Alec, searching for the right words, puts his hand on my cheek and caresses it.

“It was horrible, but we are going to strike soon. We are not going to let anything else like this happen. This incident is going to cause unrest among the pure blood population as well. We can use that to our advantage. There are some who are not going to stand being treated like…”

“Like a clone?” I ask.

“Like their life doesn’t matter,” he finishes.

“When I was watching her disappear into a thousand pieces, all I could think about was you. And Alden, Milo, and Zareh. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to any of you, especially you.” I feel the tears building in my eyes. Alec leans in and presses a soft kiss on my lips. How I wish I could prolong that kiss.

“Nothing is going to happen to us. And, especially, nothing is going to happen to you. I won’t let it. I will die before I let anything happen to you.”

“That’s just it,” I say, breaking away from his embrace. “I don’t want you or anyone else to die protecting me. I will not be the cause of death for anyone. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because you were protecting me. I can’t do this.” I turn around so I’m not facing him and run my hands through my hair. Alec grabs my arm and gently turns me back around.

“What are you saying?” he asks, obviously confused.

“I’m saying we shouldn’t do this anymore, Alec. You and me. It’s not safe.” His beautiful brown eyes flash with hurt and I want to turn away again. I do not want to hurt him, but this is for his own good. This is the only way I can keep him safe.

“Remy, we knew it was dangerous when we started this. We can be careful,” he pleaded.

“I knew it was dangerous, but not like this, Alec. The leaders weren’t killing pure bloods. Do you really think Killian won’t find out about us? He will. You know he will. It’s safer that we end this now.” I turn around and head for the door. My tears are flowing freely now as I can no longer hold them back.

“Remy. Wait. Please don’t go.” I turn back around to look at him. At the sight of my tears, he starts walking towards me. I hold up my hand, signaling him to stop.

“Don’t! Please…please don’t touch me.” The hurt in his eyes make my heart ache. As much as I long to be comforted in his arms, I know that if I let him touch me, my courage will falter. I have to stay strong. I remind myself that I am doing this for him. He has protected me on numerous occasions and now it is my turn to protect him.

“I’m sorry, Alec.” Turning back around, I walk out the door. I hug myself as the hot tears flow down my cheeks. I have just walked away from the only man I care about and, possibly, might even love.  All I can do is cling to the hope that one day we’ll be together again.