Finding Fiona (19 page)

James stared at her in shock. He pulled her
into a hug, and she buried her face in his chest. Tears turned into
sobs, and she wished the Remus project had never
existed.

When James finally pulled away, it was only
because the ambulance had arrived. One went towards the garages.
Fiona turned away, unable to see Troy’s body again.

The paramedics cleaned her up, giving her a
few stitches on her forehead from her fall out of the van. The rest
were small scrapes and cuts, but she was sore all over. She felt
like there was a wound inside her that could never be
mended.

A police officer who introduced himself as
Jackson asked her a few questions. She held her tears long enough
to answer them.

They rode to the police station with Sarah,
Keith, and Hannah. She’d already forgotten the police officer’s
name, and she had a sudden fear she’d never be able to regain new
memories. What if she was always a half-person, stuck between
memory and amnesia?

She was numb as they sat her and Hannah down
for more questioning. They explained everything that had happened,
but the police gave her bemused looks when Fiona said the motive
was a replication device.

“
I don’t get it. What’s a
replication device?” Officer Jackson asked.

“
It replicates human beings,” Fiona
said. “The Alarias wanted my help with it because I helped my
parents develop one.”

Officer Jackson raised his eyebrows and
exchanged an amused look with his partner.

Before he could respond, however, someone
opened the door. A stout policewoman said proudly, “Officer
Jackson, we got ‘em.”

“
Who?” Fiona asked, sitting
up.

The policewoman glanced at Fiona before she
turned back to Jackson. “The Alarias. They surrendered.”

Fiona followed the police officers to a
holding cell downstairs. Mary was arguing with one of the policeman
about her lawyer, and Greg sat on a bench in the corner, his head
in his hands. Fiona turned to Officer Jackson. “Where’s Daniel?”
she asked.

“
We’re not sure. We’re still
searching Fillerton and Co.,” he responded.

Fiona stared at Mary and Greg. Greg didn’t
look up once, and Mary only glanced at her for a second before
returning to her argument. Hannah shuddered, asking to go back
upstairs. Fiona waited an extra moment, taking the scene in, trying
to memorize it.

Back upstairs, the police questioned them for
another hour. Sarah brought the mp3 player, but the police hardly
blinked about the replication project. When Fiona brought up the
fire, Jackson waved his hand. “That’s not our jurisdiction. You’ll
have to take that up with NYPD.”

They couldn’t help with the arson, but Troy
was dead, and the police had two witnesses who said Mary did it.
Fiona knew she wouldn’t have to worry about the Alarias for a long
time.

She and Hannah went to the bathroom after
questioning. “Are you okay?” Fiona asked Hannah.

Hannah shrugged, letting out a shaky breath.
“I don’t know.”

“
I’m sorry. If you didn’t leave
this morning… none of this would have happened.”

“
I would have left this morning
whether you woke up or not,” Hannah said. “If I hadn’t taken Troy
with me, he might still be alive.”

Fiona shook her head. “Hannah, don’t think
like that.”

Hannah wiped some tears from her cheeks. “Just
when I thought I couldn’t cry anymore.” She blew her nose and
tossed the paper towel in the trash. “I have to pee.” She ducked
into a stall.

Fiona looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red
from tears, her hair wild. She splashed her face with cold water
and sat down next to the trash can. She took a deep breath, leaning
her head against the wall.

“
I want to go home,” Fiona said.
She didn’t know where home was, though. The old bank in New York or
Hannah’s house in Boston? She just wanted to be out of here.
Somewhere safe, cuddled up in front of the TV with a Boris Karloff
movie on. Doing memory games with Keith. James playing with her
hand.

The door opened, and Sarah walked in. “Hey.”
She sat down next to her and leaned against the trash can. “Are you
ready to go?”

“
I think so.” Fiona put her head in
her hands. She was so tired, but she still had questions. “So… you
hit Greg with the tranquilizer and drove me to the
harbor?”

Sarah nodded, staring at the floor. “I’m sorry
I couldn’t stay with you… sometimes I wish I had. But I got back to
the Alarias and tried to help keep you hidden.”

Like Troy did.

“
You should have brought me home,”
Fiona said.

“
Why? So this could happen?” Sarah
asked.

Fiona’s eyes welled up with tears again, and
she wondered how much one person could cry. “I don’t know, maybe
you shouldn’t have started the fire,” she shot at her, bringing her
head out of her hands.

Sarah rose her voice. “I
didn’t
start that fire!”
She sputtered. “I only knew about it.”

Fiona scoffed, shaking her head.

Sarah’s face fell, and she looked down at her
lap. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I never should have gotten
involved with them. I thought… I don’t know. We were fighting, and
they were paying me so much, and I needed it… it’s horrible.” She
shook her head, wiping tears off her cheeks. “I never meant to hurt
you or your family.”

Fiona didn’t respond. She didn’t want to
forgive her, but she wanted to hear more of her story. Hannah came
out of the her stall and gazed at Sarah as she washed her
hands.

“
That’s why I
tried to spend the summer looking out for you,” Sarah said. “They
saw the article in the
Boston
Herald
before I did, and they sent me in. I
tried to give them false information, but they got to Hannah and
Troy…”

Fiona reached up and pulled a paper towel out
of the dispenser. She blew her nose, ignoring the discomfort. She
wanted to be angry with Sarah, but she couldn’t pretend she was any
better after what happened with Troy.

“
I feel that guilt everyday,” Sarah
whispered.

“
I guess it’s what I have to look
forward to,” Fiona said.

“
Don’t say that,” Hannah
hissed.

“
She’s right, Fiona, this wasn’t
your fault.” Sarah tentatively touched Fiona’s knee, which was
still sore from her fall. It’d be a nasty bruise
tomorrow.

“
I completely forgot about him.”
Fiona closed her eyes. “I was just thinking about Hannah and I and…
I never should have let Hannah leave this morning.”

The door opened again, and a woman came in.
She gave them a curious look before going into one of the stalls.
Fiona stood up, smoothing down her pants. “Let’s get out of
here.”

They spoke with the police one last time
before they left. They’d found Daniel at Fillerton and Company and
arrested him. Fiona almost wanted to see him, but she was exhausted
and ready to leave the Alarias in the past.

Officer Jackson had recovered Hannah and
Troy’s things from the Alarias’s van. Hannah took her purse, and he
gave Fiona Troy’s keys.

“
As for your identity,” Officer
Jackson said, “I have you down as Fiona Gilliam, and that’s good
enough for our chief.” He frowned and patted her on the shoulder
awkwardly. “I’m sorry for your loss. His remains will probably be
available tomorrow, after the coroner looks at it and signs off on
the death certificate.” He handed Fiona a business card. “We should
be calling you as soon as his remains are ready, but in case we
miss you, give this morgue a call. You’ll need a few extra licenses
to carry his body back into New York. They’ll be able to help you
with that.”

“
Thank you,” Fiona said quietly,
staring at the card.

“
You’re free to go,” Jackson
said.

“
Really? That’s it?” Hannah
asked.

“
Yep,” Jackson said. “NYPD will
take care of the fire and the… clone stuff.” He patted her on the
shoulder. Fiona was surprised he didn’t recommend she be admitted
to a psychiatric hospital. “You have a place to go,
right?”

“
Our friends will take us back
home,” Fiona said, motioning toward Keith and James. “Thanks for
everything.”

“
Of course.”

James took her hand as they left the police
station.

“
I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t
have left. None of this would have happened.”

“
Oh, Fiona,” Hannah said, “they
were following us. They must have had plans to kidnap us before you
left. When we were in the back of the car, Greg called Daniel and
Mary to tell them you called him.” She paused. “They would have
found you eventually.”

As they approached Keith’s truck, Sarah
stopped in front of the bumper. “I should have told you all earlier
that I was working with them.”

“
Or you could have not worked with
them at all,” James grumbled.

“
I’m sorry,” Sarah said, frowning.
“I told you that.”

Fiona was glad she missed that confession.
Maybe later she’d ask James what Sarah told them, when she didn’t
feel like her heart had been ripped out and stomped on.

Everyone was tense as they piled into the car.
Fiona sat in the back seat, between Hannah and James.

“
Where did they find you, Hannah?”
James asked.

“
At some pancake place in New
York,” Hannah said, sniffling. “I want to go home, though.” She
looked at Fiona. “You can get your things there, too, if you want
to go back to New York.”

In half an hour, they pulled up to Hannah’s
house. Fiona felt like it’d been ages since they’d fled from here,
even though it’d only been a few days. She went to her room and
collapsed on the bed. A moment later, James joined her, sitting on
the edge of the mattress. “Keith’s making lunch.”

Fiona half-smiled. The thought of food made
her stomach growl with hunger. She moved over, motioning for him to
lay next to her. He lay down, and she leaned her head on his
shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her.

“
I’m sorry,” he
whispered.

She didn’t want to talk. She closed her eyes
and put her hand on his chest. She fell asleep to his heartbeat on
her palm.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

After she awoke from an uneasy sleep, Fiona
went to Hannah’s room. She knocked a few times, and Hannah called
for her to come in.

Hannah lay on her bed, oldies playing from her
stereo.

“
Hey.” Fiona crawled onto the bed
with her. “Can we stay tonight?”

Hannah frowned, touching a lock of Fiona’s
hair. “Yes, of course.” She shuddered. “I don’t know what I’ll
dream about.”

Fiona nodded. “Me, neither. I don’t want to
leave.”

“
But New York is your home now,”
Hannah said. “Your friends are out there…”

Part of her wanted to talk Hannah into coming
with her. She couldn’t imagine life without her; she was the only
thing she solidly remembered. But Hannah had her whole career here,
her friends, her whole life.

“
You were amazing,” Fiona said.
“You are amazing, but I mean this summer… thank you, Hannah. For
everything.”

“
Thank you for saving my
life.”

“
Well, you probably wouldn’t have
been in danger in the first place if it weren’t for me.”

Hannah shook her head. “Fiona… you’ve become
like a daughter to me. I was terrified… I still am. But I’m glad
you’re in my life.”

Fiona smiled. She took Hannah’s hand and
squeezed it. “I am, too.”

* * *

The next day, they stood back in New York,
staring at Troy’s car. He’d parked on the street next to a pancake
restaurant. He had a parking ticket. Fiona stared at the station
wagon, wondering how she’d manage to explain to the court he was
gone.

“
We could eat breakfast here,”
Keith said. “You guys hungry?”

Hannah shook her head. “I want to get out of
here,” she said with a quiver in her voice. “Well, you guys can
eat, but I’m going to go back to Boston. Maybe you could get me
back to my car.”

“
Are you sure, Hannah? That’s a lot
of driving,” Fiona said.

“
I’m sure,” Hannah
replied.

“
I can make pancakes back at the
house,” James said. He took out his key ring and started searching
for Troy’s spare key. Fiona looked through the windows. A few
duffel bags sat in the back.

“
Ah, here it is,” James said,
unlocking the front door. He paused. “Who wants to drive
back?”

Silence.

“
I’ll go with you,” Fiona finally
said.

They drove back to Manhattan in
Troy’s car in relative silence. Fiona played over different
scenarios in her head. If she hadn’t found that article in
American Physics.
If
she’d never met James at the library. If Troy had told her earlier.
If she’d stayed in Boston when the
Boston
Herald
article ran. If the
Boston Herald
article
never ran at all. If Sarah had confessed earlier. If Fiona hadn’t
let Hannah leave the house.