Exposed (15 page)

     “I have some ideas,” Cassie said, feeling excluded from the conversation.

     “What ideas?” Alex asked, eager to hear what his daughter had to say.

     “Why don’t we just destroy the locator chip?”

     “That’s just a short term solution. It would give you a head start to get away, but he would always be looking for you. Howard will never stop trying to find you as long as he knows you’re alive,” Charles said.

     “So, that’s it. We just give up,” Alyson said, feeling a throbbing pain forming in her head.

     “Or keep running and hiding for the rest of our lives. Always looking over our shoulder. Always trying to stay one step ahead of a psycho obsessed scientist,” Cassie added.

     “That’s not what we’re suggesting,” Alex said, trying to speak calmly so as not to agitate the girls any further.

     “What we’re suggesting is to have Howard believe you’re dead. It’s the only way you’ll ever be free from him,” Charles said.

     “What do you mean dead? You mean...pretend we died. Are you crazy, Dad? I’m not going to pretend to be dead. It’s...bad luck or something. I’m not superstitious, but isn’t that tempting fate to do something horrible to us?”

     “Look, Alyson. We need to do something drastic. We’re talking about the man that kidnapped and tortured you and Cassie. The same man who implanted a locator chip in you just in case you did manage to escape. He never intended for you to be free of him.”

     “You don’t need to remind me. I haven’t forgotten. I’ll never get the images of him or that horrible place out of my mind.”

     “I’m sorry, Alyson. I didn’t mean to... I...I’m sorry. Please. Please forgive me.”

     “Come on, Charles. Don’t beat yourself up over this. Alyson knows you didn’t mean anything by what you said. We’re all still a little on edge.”

     “A little, Dad,” Cassie said, trying to lighten the mood, a half-smile on her face.

     Alyson’s jaw started to unclench as Cassie spoke. She lowered her shoulders and took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. She could feel a sharp pain forming in her temples as she took another breath.

     “How do you manage to stay positive with all this going on?” Alyson asked Cassie.

     “It’s simple. Right now, we’re in the calm before the storm. If we panic now, we have no chance of survival. Look what we’ve just come out of. We never thought we would get out of that room. We never thought we would see our home ever again. And look at us now. You’re with your dad. I’m with mine.”

     “In case you’ve forgotten, we’re not home at the moment. We’re just in a different research facility. We can’t come and go as we please. We still can’t see our friends. The only difference is we’re not tied down like animals anymore.”

     “It’s more than that. Much more. And once we’re a little stronger, we’ll be able to see our friends again.”

     “I’m sorry, Cassie, but that’s not going to happen.”

     “What do you mean? We’re free now. Howard Parker can’t do anything to us anymore. It’s not like we would be stupid enough to ever go back to his lab again. It’s over. We can go back to our lives now.”

     “You can’t just pick up where you left off. Alyson’s right. It’s not safe. I’m sorry, but life as you knew it will never be the same.”

     Alex saw the light go out in Cassie’s eyes. That glimmer of hope that she was holding on to was extinguished like a candle in the rain. He reached his hand out to comfort her while scrambling for what to say.

     “That doesn’t mean you can’t have your freedom back. It’s just not going to be here.”

     “What are you talking about, Dad? Where are we going to be?”

     “I don’t know yet, Cassie. All I do know is that it won’t be here. We can’t take any chances of Howard finding you.”

     “So, do we get banished to the other side of the world until it’s safe to come back?”

     “Cassie...”

     “Or maybe we can never come back. Is that it? That’s it, isn’t it? We can never come back and our lives will never be the same. All our friends. Everyone we know. We can never see them again, can we?”

     “I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but I just can’t say those words. I can’t lie to you. Not anymore. Maybe if I had been honest with you from the beginning...”

     “Don’t. Don’t do that to yourself, Dad. I don’t blame you anymore. I know I did, but that’s in the past now,” Cassie said, trying to assuage her father’s guilt.

     “What you went through. What you and Alyson went through. It was all because of the secrets Charles and I kept from you. Secrets and lies. That’s what almost took you from me. That’s what almost...”

     “Don’t! We all played a part in what happened. The only one I blame is Howard Parker. He’s the reason we can’t be free. Why we’ll never be free. Why we can’t live a normal life. Why I can’t close my eyes at night without screaming in my head and waking up shaking, my body dripping in sweat. I’ll never... I’ll never be okay again. He took everything. He..he...”

     “Cassie, calm down. You can’t let him do this to you. You’re the strong one. You’re the one who kept me from giving up when we were in that room. I’m here for you now,” Alyson said.

     She took a deep breath and with fluid-filled eyes, turned her gaze to Alyson.

     “It’s okay, Cassie. Focus on my voice. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.”

     “I..I can’t. I can’t, Alyson. I can’t do it anymore. It’s too hard.”

     Cassie collapsed into the chair beside her bed, her head falling forward like a rag doll as tears poured out. Alyson tried staying strong, but visions of being back in that place, back in Howard’s lab, was all too much. She put her arms around Cassie and they clung to each other, tears freely flowing. Charles and Alex stood helplessly watching as their daughters were devoured by agonizing flashbacks. The pain swallowing them whole.

     “We have to do something, Alex. They’re crumbling into little pieces right before our eyes. We have to help them.”

     “This is helping them, Charles. This is what they need. They need to let the pain out so they can let it go. It’s the only way they will ever be able to move forward.”

     “I can’t just watch my daughter fall apart and not do anything.”

     “They have each other now, Charles. Only they can know what it feels like to have gone through that trauma. They’ll get each other through the pain. They know we’re here for them.”

     “I suppose you’re right, but this is killing me inside. I wish I could fix everything for her like I did when she was a little girl. Remember when all it took was a kiss and a bandage and everything was all better. I miss those days.”

     “I do, too, Charles. We should give them some space and privacy. They’ll be okay. We’ll come back later and check on them. I don’t think they’ll even notice we’re leaving. They’re in their own world now. Come on.”

     Charles and Alex quietly crept out of the room, gently letting the door close behind them. They could hear the muffled cries grow softer as they walked further down the hall.

     “Should we check on Samantha?” Charles asked, straightening his tie.

     “We just left her a short while ago. Let her rest. Besides, I hear a chicken salad sandwich calling to you.”

     Knowing Alex was right, Charles relented and followed him to the cafeteria. There would be plenty of time to see Samantha later. They had a lifetime ahead. An hour more or less wasn’t going to change that.

Chapter Twenty - Three

     Hearing only the sound of the television, Charles’ eye twitched as he pushed open the door to Alyson and Cassie’s room. He peeked his head in as Alex stood behind him.

     “Is everyone okay in here?” Charles asked, dreading the answer.

     “It’s okay, Dad. You don’t have to worry. We’re not going to have another meltdown.”

     “I wasn’t worried about that, Alyson. I’m concerned for you. Yo
u
an
d
Cassie. I’m sorry we left earlier. We didn’t want to intrude.”

     “I’m sorry we worried you. I guess it’s going to take some time before we’re back to our old selves. If we ever are.”

     “How are you feeling now?”

     “I think I can speak for both of us when I say we’re feeling a lot better than the last time you saw us,” Cassie said.

     “That’s good to hear,” Alex said, smiling at his daughter.

     “Are you feeling up to meeting someone?” Charles asked.

     “By someone, do you mean Samantha, Dad?”

     “You know me so well. If you’re ready, I think it’s time you see where you came from.”

     “We’re ready,” Alyson and Cassie said in unison.

     They looked at each other and laughed. The more time they spent together, the more in sync they became with one another.

     “Let’s get to it then. Shall we?” Charles said as he and Alex led the way to Samantha’s room.

     When they got there, they waited outside as Alyson, followed closely behind by Cassie, slowly pushed open the door. There, lying in the bed, was their donor. Alyson’s hands trembled and Cassie reached out to steady them. Their fingers tightly intertwined, they stood before Samantha. Cassie turned her head to face Alyson, waited for a nod of approval, and cleared her throat.

     “He...hello. I’m..Cassie. This is Alyson. We’re your...I’m not sure what we are, but...”

     “It’s okay. I understand you’re nervous. I’m a little nervous, too. It’s not everyday you meet someone who looks exactly like you. How about we just start off with, ‘It’s nice to meet you’ and go from there? I think we can all agree this isn’t a typical situation. I’m very grateful that you’re here. I’m sure things haven’t been easy for you. Mere words can’t express the gratitude I feel, but I do want to thank you...for everything. Without your generosity, I wouldn’t be alive right now.”

     “I guess we could say the same thing,” Alyson said, starting to relax.

     Alyson and Cassie looked at each other, then the three of them burst out laughing.

     “What did Charles tell you? About me? About how we’re connected?” Samantha asked.

     “We can talk about that later. You need your rest. And I guess so do we,” Alyson said, glancing over at Cassie mid-yawn.

     “You’re right. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other after we’ve had a chance to recover. Waiting a few more days won’t make any difference,” Samantha said, fighting back a yawn.

     “We’ll come back tomorrow,” Cassie said.

     “Get some rest. We’ll do the same,” Alyson said, leading Cassie out of the room.

     Seeing Alyson and Cassie emerge from Samantha’s room, Charles and Alex approached, but said nothing. Charles tried to get a read on his daughter’s face before asking her any questions. She seemed calm. Almost serene. Cassie also had a quiet serenity in her expression.

     “Did...did Samantha answer all your questions?” Charles asked, nervous of the answer.

     “We had a very nice visit. It was...interesting. A little strange, but interesting,” Alyson said.

     “How about you, Cassie? How do you feel?”

     Cassie thought for a moment before answering.

     “Settled. I feel...connected.”

     “That’s good,” Alex said, feeling it a very odd answer, but not wanting to upset his daughter.

     “I think what Cassie means is we feel like we belong. Like there’s a place in this universe for us. It was very strange at first. I mean, she looks just like us, but older. I’m not sure what I was expecting when we went in there, but I did feel an instant connection to her that I can’t really explain.”

     “It’s okay, Alyson. There’s no need to explain. I’m very pleased that you like her.”

     Charles looked down at his feet, then up at Alyson.

     “There’s more that you want to say, isn’t there, Dad? Just tell me. What is it? No more secrets, remember?”

     “You’re right. No more secrets. Secrets are what almost destroyed our family. Never again.”

     “Stop stalling. Just say it.”

     “Right. I should just come out with it. Here goes. You know how I feel about Samantha?”

     “Yes, Dad. We all know how you feel about her. You love her. That’s why you went to such extremes to save her life. It’s pretty obvious how you feel. What are you trying to tell me?”

     “Before Samantha got sick. Before all of this started. We were supposed to get married.”

     “Yes, I know.”

     “Well, I haven’t changed my mind. I still want to marry her. I plan to marry her. That is, if she’ll have me.”

     “And...”

     “And if she says yes, I want her to live with me...with us..as a family. The three of us. How do you feel about that?”

     “It sounds like the perfect family, but you’ve forgotten one very important thing.”

     “What’s that?”

     “As long as Howard Parker is after me and Cassie, I can’t live with you and Samantha.”

     “How could I forget? I’m so... What was I thinking? I was so caught up in having a normal family moment, I completely pushed him out of my mind. I’m so sorry, Alyson.”

     “That’s okay, Dad. I wish we could live together as a normal family. Samantha seems really nice. I’m glad you have each other.”

     “You look a little tired. You and Cassie should get back to your room. Alex and I will check in on you tomorrow. Get a good night’s sleep. If you’re up to it, maybe I’ll take you outside tomorrow. Some fresh air will do you good.”

     “I really want to go home and sleep in my own bed.”

     “Maybe soon.”

     “Thanks, Dad.”

     “I’ll see you tomorrow, Cassie. I love you,” Alex said, giving his daughter a hug.

     “I love you, too.”

     “I’m going to head home now, Alex. Are you coming?” Charles asked, watching Alyson slowly walk back to her room.

     “I’ll be out shortly. I need to tie up a few loose ends in my office. I’ll meet you outside,” Alex said, watching Cassie and Alyson turn the corner and out of sight.

     Charles left the building and waited by the parking lot entrance for Alex. His mind started to wander as he felt the warm breeze on his face. He loosened his tie, let out a long breath, and closed his eyes for a moment.

     “So, we meet again. Finally. Face-to-face with the man who stole my life.”

     “Howard Parker. What are you doing here? You don’t belong on these premises.”

     “Are you going to stop me?”

     Charles’ eye started to twitch. He looked down at the ground to avoid eye contact with the man who tried to destroy his family.

     “I didn’t think so,” Howard said.

     Charles took a deep breath and raised his head, his eyes locking on Howard’s.

     “Get out before I call security.”

     “I don’t think you’re going to do that. I think you want to hear what I have to say.”

     “You’re insane. Why would I care about anything you have to say? You’ve never been anything more than a half-rate scientist. That’s why you never received any recognition from the scientific community.”

     “And you think you’re better than me?”

     “It was never a contest. You’re the lunatic who was always trying to compete with me. Stay away from me. Stay away from my family.”

     “What do you mean your ‘family’? You only have the one daughter, don’t you? Alyson, isn’t it? We’ve met.”

     “Stay away from her!”

     “Are there more like her?”

     “You know very well what the answer to that question is. I know what you did. And if you don’t want anyone else finding out, you’ll...”

     “I’ll what, back off? Not a chance. Don’t forget. I, dear friend, know what you did. But don’t worry. I won’t tell your secret if you don’t tell mine.”

     “Now I know why Samantha never gave you a second glance.”

     “Leave Samantha out of this. If it wasn’t for you polluting her mind with all your theories, she would have been mine. She should have been mine.”

     “Samantha knew you were a self-absorbed, narcissistic, egomaniacal...”

     “Samantha loved me!” Howard blurted out.

     “What did you say?”

     “She should have loved me. She would have loved me if it wasn’t for you poisoning her mind against me.”

     “Face it, Howard. You’re a has been that never was. That’s why Samantha...”

     Howard lunged at Charles, his fingers clenched and tightening around Charles’ neck. Charles wheezed as he gasped for air.

     “You will not beat me again. I will win. People will be praising my name, not yours. My discoveries will be on the covers of every science magazine and the scientific community will be awed by my experiments. Not yours. I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner. I should have done this years ago,” Howard said as he squeezed his hands tighter around his neck.

     “Even...if you...kill me,...she will...never...love...you.”

     Charles started to black out, his body going limp. Howard loosened his grip and Charles fell to the ground. His eyes struggled to focus on Howard who was crouched down in front of him.

     “I believe I have your attention now. Listen up. I’m giving you twenty-four hours to turn them over to me. I want both of them delivered to my lab. I will get them one way or another. I’m giving you the opportunity to do this without me resorting to violence. I would hate it if something bad were to happen to them. We do live in such a dangerous world.”

     “I’ll...”

     “Oh, and if you’re thinking about calling the police, I’m sure they would love to know about how they came to be.”

     “You son-of-a...”

     “One way or another, those clones will be studied. It would be awfully hard to protect them from a prison cell. You’ve got until this time tomorrow. My lab. I’ll be waiting.”

     Howard walked off, smiling to himself as Charles struggled to stand up. He braced himself against the fence and watched as Howard disappeared around the corner. Once he was gone from sight, Charles slumped down to the ground, his head buried in his hands. Alex spotted him and ran over.

     “What happened? What happened to you?”

     “He was here. Howard was here. He gave us an ultimatum. Either we turn over the girls or...”

     “Or what?”

     “It doesn’t matter. We are not giving him our daughters.”

     “What are we going to do?”

     “He gave us twenty-four hours so we have to act fast. There’s no time for lengthy elaborate plans. We need to come up with something now!”

     “We have to tell the girls. They need to know what’s happening. Let’s go back inside. Are you okay?”

     “I’ll be fine,” Charles said, rubbing the red handprint on his neck. “All that matters is getting them away from Howard and keeping them safe.”

     Alex and Charles nudged open the door to the girls’ room, peeking inside to see if they were awake.

     “Look, Cassie. Our dads are back again. You just left, Dad. Did you miss us already?”

     “I wish that were the only reason I had to come back. I don’t know how to tell you, so I’m just going to say it. He was here.”

     “What do you mean ‘he,’ Dad? He, who? Not...not Mr. Parker. Not Jake’s dad. Please, Dad. Please tell me that’s not it. Anybody else, but not...”

     Charles’ eye started twitching. Alyson had her answer.

     “No, no, no! It can’t be! You said we would be safe here. Now where are we going to go? There’s no place that’s safe. There’s no place...”

     “Calm down, Alyson. Your dad and I are going to get you and Cassie out of here. We have less than twenty-four hours so we need to brainstorm now and figure out what we’re going to do. Does anyone have any ideas? Cassie? You have that look on your face. What’s your idea?”

     “I don’t know if he can do it, but Rachel’s dad is a pilot. He flies out of the country all the time.”

     “You can’t go on a commercial flight. You’ll be too easy to track.”

     “He doesn’t fly a commercial plane. He flies a cargo plane. He transports shipments out of the country all the time. The last time I spoke to Rachel she said he was flying to France.”

     “Cassie, if you can get us on that plane, we wouldn’t be that far from Switzerland. We could go to Geneva.”