Orphaned Warrior (Dragon Spawn Chronicles Book 5), page 12
Blakesley nodded. “He’s a hard man sometimes.”
She took a swig of the champagne and hoped the alcohol would kick in enough to give her some bravery. It didn’t, but she pressed on through the jittering of her nerves. “He’s more than that. I haven’t been around him much, but everyone has warned me about him. What bothers me more is what he wants with Jori. Why is he forcing these tests on him?”
Blakesley’s eyes sparked with annoyance. She couldn’t be sure if it was directed at the topic or her. He set his fork aside and wiped his hands on his napkin. His expression turned thoughtful. “What do you know about this boy?”
She wanted to ask him the same thing but answered instead. “I know he’s an exceptional young man, but I also know he’s not a MEGA.”
Blakesley seemed to put a lot of care into folding his napkin and placing it on his lap. “I agree. He’s not a MEGA.”
“So why? I get the harvesting of his genes—which is horribly unethical, by the way—but why the tests?”
Blakesley shrugged. And for some reason, he also darkened. “Vance is curious about his abilities. And when he wants to know more about something, he’s relentless.”
A shiver ripped down her spine. “How did he even find out about them? Those files are confidential.”
Blakesley sighed. “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you these things. This conversation already borders on the line of confidential.”
She scowled. “So you’re telling me that how you accessed his confidential information is confidential?”
He raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “I get it. I do. But there’s not much I can do about it.”
“Can’t you talk to your boss? Or your boss’ boss? Jori is just a child. We shouldn’t be here and he shouldn’t have to undergo these things. He’s been through a lot already.”
Blakesley bobbed his head, but he didn’t meet her eyes. “I’ll see what I can do.”
She thanked him. Although the tough conversation was done, her guilt remained. The champagne was crisp and flavorful, the dinner was delicious, and desert was heavenly. Yet she didn’t enjoy any of it. She’d used him and had no intention of letting him use her in return.
She played a pleasant guest while her insides ate at her, all while trying to tell herself it was his fault for keeping them against their will.
19 – Reasoning
The air crackled with pent-up frustration. The conveyor opened to the command level. Major Abelard Blakesley blinked and uncrossed his arms. He’d been so lost in thought that he didn’t remember getting into the car. His date with Zaina had gone well until she pressed him about that damned boy. Her emotions had dropped to where he had to grind his teeth to keep from snapping at her. Damn her and her weepiness. How could he possibly hope to earn the favor of someone so depressing?
Despite there not being much that was remarkable about her, she still tantalized him. Was it because she was the only real woman he’d had contact with in months? Or was it because she kept resisting him and he enjoyed the chase? Either way, it compelled him to follow through with her request. Not that it would do any good.
Ugh. Vance and his sick obsessions. He yanked on the hem of his uniform. An uneasiness built up in his gut as he headed to Vance’s office. He chewed the inside of his cheek, hoping for inspiration on how to broach this subject. Providing alternatives to the man was like tiptoeing through a den of dozing lions. First, present it as Vance’s idea without criticizing his current tactics. Second, convince Vance the advantages were in his favor. These methods didn’t always work, though. Hell, they almost never worked.
Blakesley scratched at his palms. He had to try, but not for Zaina. Getting on her good side was still a worthy goal, but his own ambitions required he discredit this upstart boy.
Vance’s door opened without prompting. Blakesley gritted his teeth. They both had sentio abilities, but Vance liked to flaunt his.
He entered. Vance sat at a grandiose desk made from genuine wood and put on a gloating smile that caused Blakesley’s insides to writhe.
“You should be nervous,” Vance said.
Blakesley froze. Despite his best efforts to block his thoughts and emotions, the man had somehow figured out why he was here.
Vance’s eyes gleamed with a sick hunger. “I’ve been waiting for a challenge like this for a long time.”
“What challenge?” Blakesley asked, his heart jumping into a gallop.
“This boy.” Vance tapped the monitor on his desk.
“Um, I’m not sure I understand. He has a few good qualities but he’s hardly a match for either of us. I’m beginning to think he’s a waste of our efforts.”
Vance shook his head. His smugness remained. “I get why you say that. You’re weak. You’d rather eliminate a problem than face it.”
Blakesley held back a retort. Antagonizing the man would get him nowhere but in the infirmary. I need to reason with him. “It’s risky keeping him here. We have a mission to complete and if someone finds out we have him, it might create problems.”
“No one knows he’s here.”
“How can you be so—”
“I’m sure!” Vance smacked the desktop.
Blakesley jumped, then closed his eyes to gather his thoughts. “The Cooperative will realize he’s missing and will look for him.” A creak from the man’s white and gold throne-like chair caused him to snap his eyes open. Vance rose. The heat in his face frayed Blakesley’s nerves but he kept his voice steady. “The boy’s not worth the risk.”
“He’s worth every risk.”
Blakesley took an involuntary step back as the man reached his full height. Damn, he’s so touchy. “The DNA test shows he’s no better than either of us.”
Vance’s eyes narrowed. “It seems we didn’t read the same report.”
Blakesley broke out into a cold sweat. Did Vance know he’d altered it? Maybe he hadn’t before, but he certainly did now. Blakesley wanted to kick himself for his foolishness, but he kept his cool. He yanked at the front of his uniform again and cleared his throat. “Perhaps I just misunderstood it.”
A grin spread across Vance’s face. “Perhaps so.” The man sat back down. “I’ll let it slide, though. This thing you have for the woman has obviously muddled your brain.”
Blakesley’s dry throat itched but he dared not make another sound.
“Normally I’d say she’s a waste of time,” Vance said, “but go ahead, continue seeing her. And keep her away from the boy when he goes in for more tests.”
“Of course. What reason should I give for no longer allowing her to accompany him?”
Vance’s eyes hardened. “Don’t give one. They need to understand I make the rules about who goes where and when.”
Blakesley shivered. So that was it, then. Use her to coerce the boy into cooperating. He reconsidered his promise to Zaina and decided to break it. If Jori wanted Vance to stop, he could tell him himself. No sense risking his own neck.
“Dismissed,” Vance snapped.
Blakesley pursed his lips and bowed.
“One more thing,” Vance said just as he turned to leave. “If you mess with that boy’s files again, I’ll flay the skin off that pretty face of yours.”
The man’s matter-of-fact tone froze him in his tracks. “M-MEGA-Man won’t let you maim me.”
“That used to be true.”
Every hair on Blakesley’s body prickled. The room spun but he managed to remain steady as he bolted out.
Psychopathic asshole.
*****
The faster Major Abelard Blakesley walked, the more quickly his trepidation wore off and his anger spread. By the time he reached Doctor Stephen Stenson in the lab, his blood was at a boil.
The doctor looked away from the microscope and startled, his dark bushy brows almost lifting to the top of his forehead. “Major. Is everything alright?”
Blakesley clenched his fists behind his back and thrust out his chest. “No, it is not. Did it ever occur to you I had changed that report for a reason?”
“I-I,” the doctor stuttered. His eyes darted wildly as though looking for an escape route. “I-I didn’t want Vance to find out it’d been altered.”
Blakesley stomped forward.
The doctor pulled back. “H-he would assume it was me. I-I couldn’t risk that. He’ll hurt her.”
The man flicked his hand at no one, but Blakesley knew who he meant. Vance got a sick pleasure out of hurting people and enjoyed it more when their loved ones watched. And the good doctor would do anything to protect his addlebrained wife.
Blakesley ground his teeth. If he was like Vance, he’d threaten to harm her too. But alas, he wasn’t. Perhaps another tactic was in order. He jutted his chin. “Do you know what MEGA-Man intends to do with the boy? Surely you’d rather not cause his suffering.”
Stephen shook his head. “B-but if Vance thinks the boy is useless, he might kill him.”
Although Blakesley wouldn’t mind that outcome, he didn’t use it in his argument. He’d have to find another way.
What if he set something up that made Vance want to murder the boy? The thought tweaked his conscience. He didn’t need Jori to die to be rid of him. Zaina wanted to leave. Maybe he’d help her. She’d want to take the boy with her, so he’d make that happen too—and without Vance discovering his involvement. Of course, Vance would chase after them. However, if this imp was as intelligent as his genes suggested, he’d outsmart his pursuer and survive.
If not, oh well. It wouldn’t be Blakesley’s fault if Jori got himself killed.
20 – Stamina
Mushin. No mind. The monotonous task of jogging on a treadmill with only a white wall to look at created a state similar to meditating. Two hours of running made Jori sweat, but nothing more. The mild burn in his legs provided a comfort. The air entering and exiting his lungs revitalized his body and brain. After weeks of sticking close to hard-nosed guardians, it was nice being able to use the gym every day. So long as he didn’t think about where he was.
He barely noticed all the connecting wires now. Nor the sound of the treadmill spooling beneath him. Doctor Celine Stenson’s excitement as she watched his stats added to the workout euphoria.
All this almost made him forget Zaina wasn’t allowed to be here—almost. That split-second recollection of her stricken features as Blakesley had tried to comfort her caused his insides to burn and tumble.
The message was clear. Vance controlled everything.
Part of his anger was at Zaina. When she’d insisted on coming with him anyway, Blakesley bellowed at her idiocy. Rather than argue, Zaina had shrunk back in terror. In that moment, Jori had wished she had been a soldier like his other guardians. He’d shot her a dirty look and left her there without bothering to say goodbye.
Was fighting really so wrong? He couldn’t reconcile the need to defend themselves and her claim that everything should be handled peacefully. He didn’t expect her to fight, but she shouldn’t have given in so easily.
Remembering her words when she’d caught him sparring inflamed his resentment. It wasn’t like he’d resort to violence at the first sign of difficulty. She had no idea of the trials he’d faced. Hell, violence had even found him on a supposedly peaceful Cooperative vessel.
Doctor Stephen Stenson came over and blew out a whistle when he checked the readout. “Impressive!”
“Almost as impressive as mine,” Vance interjected.
Jori flinched, then silently berated himself. He kept jogging, face forward, and didn’t bother acknowledging the man who’d snuck up behind him. A little voice inside his head said he was a coward for it, but he ignored it.
Stephen’s emotions spiked into alarm. The same emotion tried to rise within Jori too, but he refused to let Vance intimidate him.
“Of c-course,” the doctor stammered. “I believe you lasted twelve hours.” He chuckled nervously. “And could have gone longer if not for that pesky need for sleep.”
“Let’s see if he can make it that long.”
“H-him?” Stephen asked. “He’s just a kid.”
Celine’s emotions brightened. “Oh, he can do it. I see nothing here that says he can’t.”
Jori winced at her innocent comment. The poor woman’s simpleness would get him in trouble.
“He’s old enough,” Vance replied. “And he’s like me. Run him.”
Stephen cleared his throat. “O-oh. Alright. I guess we can do that.” He touched Jori’s shoulder. “I’ll get you some water.”
“No water,” Vance said.
“No water?” Stephen’s voice hitched up an octave. “He’ll get dehydrated.”
“No water. I want to see how long he’ll last.”
“B-but… But that’s—”
Vance’s voice dropped. “I want to see how long he’ll last.”
“I-I… Y-yes, Sir.”
A swelling panic built in Jori’s chest. He broke into jagged huffs. Running this treadmill like some lab rat was bad enough, but to keep going until he collapsed from dehydration? Chima. He peered over his shoulder and frowned. “Why? What is the purpose?”
“To prove you’re like me.”
Jori suppressed a shudder and stubbornly ran on. Vance watched a little while, then left. The hours passed. Doctor Stenson came by every thirty minutes or so, offering comfort only to leave again because Jori only responded with glowers.
Thirst hit him before fatigue did. Not being able to rehydrate eventually turned his tongue into a wad of cloth. Before long, a headache formed. It grew in intensity, stabbing through his skull like a screwdriver.
A wave of dizziness washed over him. He stumbled but regained his feet and concentrated on continuing despite the cramping of his muscles. His footsteps became heavier. His eyelids drooped. The room spun. The dry heat of his body made him feel like he stood amid the exhaust of a spaceship.
He considered quitting out of spite, but refused to run from a fight. He gritted his teeth and pressed on. Vance wanted to see how far he could go, so he went. It didn’t matter if he beat his record, but he’d push regardless. His innate refusal to give up overruled logic.
This resembled an experience he’d had with a teacher back home. Hideji had been relentless in his training. One time, he’d deposited Jori at the foot of the Gaoshan mountains and told him he had one day to hike through the high-elevation pass. If he didn’t make it in time, the transport ship would leave. He’d be stuck there, hoping the hungry mountain lions wouldn’t mistake him for a meal.
Those dry mountains had caused him to run out of water. The fatigue cramping his body had nearly crushed him, but he refused to let this hated teacher see him fail. He made it, but just barely.
When he’d returned to the ship only half-conscious, Sensei Jeruko was furious. He’d taken Jori first to the infirmary, then to his mother’s quarters where he spent a full day in recovery.
He missed his mother—her smile, her practical suggestions for dealing with his troubles, the way she softly hummed as she combed her fingers through his hair whenever he was upset.
A weight of sorrow fell over him, almost causing him to collapse. She couldn’t have prevented Father from ordering Jori to undergo that excruciating test. Just like Zaina wouldn’t be able protect him from Vance now. As much as he hated how useless Zaina was, he understood her helplessness. A clump of guilt for getting angry with her dropped into the pit of his stomach.
He still wasn’t sure they’d be capable of handling this without a fight. He had no hope of defeating the man with his fists, but force would undoubtedly become necessary. The risk of Zaina’s judgment weighed on him, but he didn’t see another way.
An insistent beep sounded. Stephen darted to his side with frantic worry. Jori realized he must be in some sort of medical danger. The doctor chewed his fingernails. No doubt Vance’s orders had made him reluctant to act.
Jori reeled, then tripped over his own feet. His chin struck the treadmill display, sending a sharp pain through his head that momentarily overpowered his headache. His body hit the tread with a smack and rolled him off. The cold floor shocked him. He tried to rise but was too weak.
Blackness whirled in his vision. He fought it, to no avail, as it engulfed him into a pit of nothingness.
21 – Disillusioned
Disjointed images flittered inside Zaina Noman’s head as she drifted in and out of slumber. Sometimes a thought poked through that caused her nerves to tremble and her mind to flee. Other impressions were so mundane, she didn’t bother with them. One captured her attention, but its meaning lay beyond reach. She could’ve studied it harder, but letting it float away was easier.
The hydraulic hiss of the door roused her. She snapped awake, expecting to see Jori return, but the silhouette was too tall. She rose onto her elbow and rubbed the blurriness from her puffy eyes.
“My dearest!” Blakesley said as he rushed over. “I’ve been ringing for you, but you didn’t answer. Are you alright?”
She pushed his hand off her shoulder. “I don’t want to talk to you.”
His brows curled as though concerned, but his eyes flashed with something else. “I’m so sorry for my earlier outburst. I was frightened.”
She huffed.
“It’s true. If I had let you go with the boy, we’d both be in serious trouble. You don’t know what Vance is like.”
“You said you’d speak to him.” Her voice rumbled, partly out of anger and partly from her throat being sore from crying.
He pressed his lips together. “I swear I tried, but he can’t be reasoned with.”
She cradled her aching head in her palm. Disillusionment settled in her chest like a load of bricks. “He’s never letting us go, is he?”
He glanced away without answering.
“What does he really want from Jori? Why test his abilities?”
“MEGA or not, he has skills MEGA-Man wants.”
So this MEGA-Man the news has been speculating about is real. But why so much interest in a boy? If they wanted his DNA, couldn’t they just take it? “Do you mean his ability to fight?” she asked, unintentionally letting her distaste for the violence he’d displayed show through her tone.
