The Breaking, page 17
part #2 of The Reckoning of Anecor Series
“What? Fly?” asked Selby, confused at a comment that seemed out of place, given their circumstances.
Cassidi snapped her head around to Selby, just then figuring out that he’d heard her. She looked back out over the plains and shrugged. “Yeah. You know. Like the birds. I’d soar over those lands out that way. See what all is out there. Out past all these mountains.”
“Well, guess that’s one way to get away from the Guard,” Selby chuckled.
“You’re a funny guy,” Cassidi said, pulling her attention back to their current situation.
“Yep, I try…I try.”
“So, what now? Don’t see a soul around us.”
“Nope. Me neither. And it’s quiet. Which makes me think that the others are a long ways off. Sound travels far up in these high places,” Selby said.
“Really? How’d you know that?”
“Another of the many lessons my parents pounded into my head all my life. When you got someone teachin’ you all they know from the time you can sit still long enough to listen, then you soak up a whole lotta information. Never thought it’d actually be something I’d ever have to use. Kinda thought my folks were a little nuts, to be honest.”
Cassidi burst out with a laugh that was louder than she’d intended. She sucked in the laugh to quiet it, but her voice still carried the sound when she said, “I’m surprised they ever got a chance to teach you. When have you ever sat still for even a minute?”
“Heeeey…I resemble that remark,” Selby said, winking in Cassidi’s direction.
Just then, they heard a sound that made their skin crawl.
A scream, short and surprised, and quickly drawn out into silence.
They stared at one another with a look of horror.
“Who was that? Could you tell?” Cassidi asked.
“No. It was a guy. That’s all could tell. Never heard any of us scream before.”
“Maybe it wasn’t one of us. Maybe it was one of them.”
“Yeah, maybe. It came from that way,” Selby said, pointing along the ridge.
“Wonder how far away. Can you tell?”
“No. Probably further than we think, but we gotta go check it out. If it’s one of us, I’m guessin’ soemone’s gonna need some help. If it’s one of them, then at least we have some good news to tell the others when we see them again.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?”
“You to get movin’. I’m followin’ you, remember?”
“Right,” and Cassidi started jogging along the ridge, deftly managing the rough ground and not seeming to notice the sheer drop to her right. Selby’s long legs moved easily over the ground as well but covering about twice the distance with one step.
There were no further screams, nor any other sounds that might give away exactly where the person was. Or who it was, for that matter. Their eyes scanned the ground on every side as they ran. The ridge was narrowing, slowing them down to a more cautious stride. One slip would mean the end of them. It would widen out again just ahead, but until then, it was better to tread with care. Concentration shifted to their footing. Doubtful that anyone would have been able to make it up the slope heading down in the direction of the road. Even an experienced rock climber would have found it difficult.
As they reached the end of the narrow section, their pace quickened again. But it only lasted a minute when Cassidi skidded to a stop. A section of the ground in front of them had been peeled away. Their eyes followed the path the loose rock would have taken downhill and came to a stop on the form of a crumpled body below.
“Oh my god,” Cassidi gasped, grabbing Selby’s arm tightly as they looked down at the scene below.
CHAPTER 26
M
anglebee was there. At the BRO facility. Trevor had just received word. Trevor broke out into a cold sweat. He knew why he was there. Or at least he could guess. It wasn’t because of the work he’d sent Trevor to do. No, he wouldn’t have come for that. At least not so soon. Trevor was certain that he’d been called in because of the conversation he’d overheard in the garage. Apparently, they hadn’t found the two escapees yet. That should have comforted Trevor, except that he somehow knew that since Manglebee was here, he’d take the opportunity to check up on Trevor.
Not to mention the fact that it was Trevor who oversaw this entire Bio-Programming operation. Whatever happened here at BRO was ultimately his responsibility, even though he really had no direct involvement in much of it. Regardless, this mishap was something else Manglebee could heave onto Trevor’s shoulders, placing the blame on Trevor, though Trevor really had nothing to do with the escaped prisoners.
Trevor and his team had gotten no further on the task that they were sent here to do. They were still trying to figure out who it was that had broken into the computer system and changed the files so that the upcoming dosages would be programmed incorrectly for the intended targets. The team had been at it for hours. It was now well past daylight, and they had long forgotten their original assignment, so engrossed were they in the current crisis.
Until now. At least for Trevor. He hadn’t told the others in the room yet. He still wasn’t sure what he should do right now. They never would have guessed someone had changed the data if they hadn’t witnessed it themselves. None of them, including Trevor, were very knowledgeable about the specifics on the virus. This team was simply responsible for the programming of the robots, using the data given them by the scientists who did work with the virus. They were looking for a malfunction in the program. Not in the data the scientists gave them.
While it was possible that the cases of immunity were due to an experiment by the individual who had infiltrated their system, they doubted it. This crisis took precedence. Someone managed to break into their system. So much more damage could be done than what had happened this morning. Their hope was that they could discover who it was and take care of it, without Manglebee’s knowledge.
Trevor wasn’t entirely certain how he would pull that off. What, exactly, did he plan to do if they discovered where the intruder was located? Trevor had no idea. He would never be able to resort to Manglebee’s methods. There was little he could threaten the person with other than turning them over to Manglebee. Meaning, of course, that he’d have to tell Manglebee. And then it would also be his neck on the line.
Trevor shuddered, as now it seemed he would not have the opportunity to figure it out.
Manglebee is demanding your presence down here. Henderson. Of course, he’d be here too. Trevor wondered how many of the Advisors came along for the ride.
Trevor’s fingers paused over his phone. Maybe he should ignore it. Pretend he hadn’t seen the message.
No. That would be the best way to raise Manglebee’s suspicion, and perhaps even ensure a visit from him to the lab. At least this way, he’d have the advantage of being able to stall. He’d have the walk down the corridors to figure out exactly what he’d say to Manglebee that would satisfy the Head Councilor and keep him from finding out what was really happening. Trevor wasn’t a good liar. That much had been made dreadfully clear by the state of his marriage.
Heading that way now, he replied, heaving a great sigh and bracing himself for what was to come.
Trevor arrived in time to witness the sight of Manglebee interrogating Karl. Manglebee looked like a time bomb ready to explode. It was a controlled pressure, but there was no denying the extent of his fury. Trevor did not have much experience with Manglebee. He hadn’t been at this long. In the interactions he’d had with him, Manglebee was more often than not exhibiting some level of irritation. His every interaction was laced with condescension. Trevor had been the target of his anger recently. He knew what that felt like. How that looked. But, up until now, he’d never seen Manglebee look as he did now. Trevor felt sorry for Karl. Trevor also felt relief that, for the moment, it was Karl and not him.
“…have four men out looking now, Head Councilor. They’ve been at it since last night.”
“Why, then, was I not informed of this situation last night?” Manglebee said through a clenched jaw. Trevor wasn’t close enough to see, but from Manglebee’s tone, he was sure that the vein in Manglebee’s temple would look ready to burst.
“I—didn’t want to trouble you, sir. I thought if I sent two more competent individuals out with the guards who failed to secure the prisoners then you would not have to take time out of your busy schedule to deal with the situation,” Karl responded in a meek voice. At least, meek for Karl. It was a strange sight to see. This Karl did not match the Karl of Trevor’s experiences. It made him uncomfortable to watch.
“Do not attempt to flatter me, Karl. Your real goal was to save your own skin. And now, because of your incompetence, there are four men out there searching for two prisoners who could be anywhere. Does this about sum it up?”
At this, Karl actually sputtered. Trevor could see that he was not certain if Manglebee expected a response, but, after a slight pause, Karl replied in the affirmative. “The prisoners were injected with the experimental virus, sir. They should not have been difficult to locate. They should have been too ill to go far. They might even be dead by now.”
“Or. They might not. Either way, we will need these prisoners to be recovered. Your stupidity has not only wasted valuable time, but it has also put this entire operation in jeopardy. If those two are not dead—and you should hope for your own sake that they are—and any sort of information about this leaks out to the citizens of Anecor, it will be the last mistake you ever make. Am I clear on this?” The blood drained from Karl’s face. He nodded his head in response, words failing him in that moment.
“What is the current status of the search?” Manglebee asked.
“The men messaged a couple of hours ago to say that they had searched a wide area heading back towards Westlow, and they were now going to search the area between the location where they injected the prisoners and here.”
“That is the last you have heard? In two hours, you have made no further attempt to contact them?”
“I have attempted to contact them, Head Councilor. I have not received a response.”
“I suggest you try again.” This was, of course, an order. Not a suggestion.
“Yes, sir,” Karl replied, already beginning to type a message into his phone.
Manglebee turned his attention to Henderson, who appeared to be the only Advisor present, “Where is Trevor?”
“On his way, according to his message.”
Trevor pushed the door the rest of the way open and walked through on trembling legs.
“Uh…here…I’m here, sir.”
“Did you know about this?” His tone told Trevor that there was no right answer to this question.
“Well, not really. Sir.”
“Not really?” Manglebee leveled his glare on Trevor.
“Well…uh…what I mean is that I…I didn’t have direct knowledge of the situation. No one informed me. I overheard part of a conversation earlier when I came back to the vehicle for my phone, but I didn’t hear the whole story. Sir.”
“You did not bother to ask? Are you not in charge of this operation?”
Here we go, thought Trevor. Why can’t I just have my life back?
“I didn’t think that it concerned me, sir, and Karl seemed to be handling it, so I continued with what I was doing.” Trevor knew it was coming now. There was no way to avoid Manglebee’s questions about what it was he was doing. Trevor had tried to rehearse the lines in his head on the walk down the hall. He wouldn’t tell him. He wouldn’t lie, exactly, but he wouldn’t tell him either.
“Tell me you have at least solved the problem you were sent here to fix.”
“Uh, no. We haven’t found anything yet, but the team is still working on it. They have not stopped since they started. They, uh, they’ll keep working on it until they know one way or the other. Um, me, too. I am working with them, sir.” Please let that be good enough. Please don’t want to see the lab.
Please.
“What is the holdup? Is your team that incompetent?”
“No, sir. The team is the top of their field.”
“So, the issue must lie with your own ineptitudes.”
Trevor was shocked into silence. He couldn’t find the words to respond to the last statement.
Manglebee’s look was one of contempt. “I expect a full report the minute you finish. No one is to leave until you have done your job to my satisfaction. It looks like I will be here cleaning up this mess. Doing Karl’s job and yours. Leave now.”
“Yes, Head Councilor.” Trevor didn’t not hesitate even for a moment. He spun around and walked quickly to the door before Manglebee had time to think of anything else to harass him about.
Once through the door and around the first corner, Trevor stopped, leaned back against the wall, and slid to the floor. He removed his glasses and wiped the sweat from his forehead and eyes and buried his face in his hands. This was too much. The weight of it bore down on him to the point of breaking. He had no idea how he would survive all this. And if he did, what was it all for? Mica would never forgive him if she knew the truth. He was sure she would despise him for what he was doing now. And his son? He couldn’t even bear the thought of what this would do to his son.
Not knowing what else to do at the moment, Trevor put his glasses back on and lifted himself from the floor. He ran his fingers through his hair and tugged at his shirt, hoping he was making himself look like the man his team expected to see walk back through the lab door.
CHAPTER 27
B
endi watched Bryn park her car in the place where Remy normally kept the truck. When she got out, Bendi could see that her face was strained, and she had the look of a person who had not gotten any sleep. Not that Bendi looked any better. Her hour or two of sleep hunched over her desk was not exactly restful. But Bryn was worried about something. That was clear. She had told Bendi that everyone was okay. Had something changed? Bendi, who was normally calm and not easily shaken, was now worried. She felt an unusual sensation of butterflies in her stomach.
“Is everything okay? Is Becs and everyone else alright?” she asked as Bryn got closer.
“What? Oh, I think so. I haven’t heard from them in a while, so I’m not exactly sure what’s going on.”
That response did not help calm the fluttering in Bendi’s stomach. “I’m sorry, but you don’t look good, Bryn, and it’s making me nervous.”
“Yes. Well. It’s been a long night. Let me catch you up to speed.”
“Please.”
Bryn filled Bendi in on the aborted attempt to enter the BRO facility, the meeting afterwards, and the decision Remy and the others had made to go against Melody’s orders and look for the escapees.
“Why?” asked Bendi when Bryn told her of the gang’s plans.
“Remy’s reasoning was that perhaps we could get some insight into the virus if we had two people who had been injected with it. He also thought we might learn something from them about The Disappeared and maybe the Resistance, if they were a part of that group. Melody does not mind those individuals taking the fall so long as her crew is safe. She doesn’t agree with what they do, so, to her, there is no sense in us risking our own safety for theirs.”
“They are still people,” Bendi said quietly. “That should be reason enough to try to save them.”
“I agree.”
“But you haven’t heard from Remy or anyone else since they went out to look?”
“No. Remy left me at BRO to go pick up Selby. Oh. That’s something else I need to tell you. I forgot. You weren’t there. I just found out from Remy.”
“What?”
“Selby’s parents know.”
“They do?” This was truly a surprise to Bendi. She couldn’t imagine Selby betraying Rebecca or Colossus. Then again, he had already betrayed his parents trust. He had to have had a good reason.
“Yes. Shocked me too. And everyone else, apparently.” Bryn then gave Bendi the details as she understood them from Remy’s recounting of what Selby had told the group.
“Wow. So, they really want to join us? I guess Selby’s parents are the only ones I can imagine who would.”
“From what I heard of their background, it seems we could use them. But after today, I’m not sure anymore what is going to happen. Selby was telling his parents about what the group’s decision was. I don’t know how that turned out. I assume he’s with the group, but I really don’t know. They thought it best if his parents didn’t join them because there would already be 7 of us out there.”
“I hope everything went well for them,” Bendi said.
Bryn sighed. “I do too, Bendi.”
Bryn looked troubled again.
“You said you had something that you wanted to talk to me about too?” Bryn asked, shaking off whatever thoughts had crept in at that moment.
“Oh. I do. I think I figured something out from the scientists’ notes. I can’t be sure, but if I’m right, it’s very important information. Though I don’t exactly know why.”
“Okay, Bendi, you have me very curious. What did you discover?”
“Well, I’ve been going through the scientists’ notes for a while now. I don’t understand them all, but I’ve been learning more about human genes and viruses, too. I’ve been thinking there has to be something I’m missing. I could tell they were altering something with the virus structure, but I wasn’t sure why. We know they are altering the dosage based on the individual’s health and genetic profile, but they’ve been altering the virus’s structure as well.”
“That make sense, and I am not entirely surprised by this. Though I thought they’d already had the structure they wanted sorted out. They wanted to create a virus that was lethal, but not contagious,” Bryn said.
“That’s just it,” Bendi said, “I don’t think they want it to be lethal.”
Bryn sat looking at Bendi as if she wasn’t quite comprehending what she was saying. Bendi took her tablet out of her bag and started swiping through the page images of the scientists’ notes.
