Mania (22 page)

Dad might have made mistakes … but he never would've come back here night after night with nothing to show for it. There had to be something here—some reason for it.

And now that I was in here, I had to find it.

I slowly released the bubble and let the dark, thick air rush over me. My first instinct was to panic, to feel like I couldn't breathe and to struggle against it. So I fought that instinct. Instead, I relaxed into it. Trying to absorb it in different ways, to meld into it the same way I would a dream. I tried to become part of the thick haze instead of trying to push it away.

I was so shocked when it started to work that I nearly choked on a cloud of the thick air.

Relaxing further, I tried to picture myself spreading out and becoming as thin as the smoke. I tried to imagine Mason's mind opening up to me, and the air thinned even more. I reached out for the smoke, reaching my hands into it and picturing my dad being here. I pictured him floating beside me and doing the same things I was doing. It wasn't easy, and it felt like it took a long time, but eventually he appeared beside me.

I shook my head as my body vibrated from the effort. So Dad
could
hide his riddle in here. He always was brilliant.

He sat in the dark mist and smiled at me before saying, “He who makes me doesn't want me. He who buys me doesn't need me. He who uses me doesn't care.”

My face suddenly felt wet and I wondered if it was tears, but when I brushed my hand across my face, I realized I was bleeding. Like Parker had … and it scared me more than I expected. I wiped it quickly away.

“Say it again?” I spoke aloud, while also sending the thought through the dark mist into Mason's mind.

Dad repeated the same strange phrase and I knew this was one he'd told me before. I tried to focus even though my head was pounding and my nose dripped blood on my hand. I knew if my nose was bleeding in here there was a good chance it was happening in reality. If it was … then Finn might not give me the four hours I'd asked him for.

“A casket!” I finally found the memory I'd been searching for and shouted out the answer. “It's a casket!”

Dad grinned wide and then reached out and pulled me into him for a hug. It stole my breath away and I hugged him back like I never wanted to let go. I knew he wasn't real but I didn't care. He looked, felt, and smelled like my Dad, and I would never have another chance to hug him like this again. I had no idea how Dad had managed to plant a memory this real in here, but he'd always known how to surprise me.

“I'm so proud of you,” he whispered as he patted my back. “The last ingredient is blood from a Builder. You can do this, Jack. Now go.”

And with that, somehow the planted memory of my father kicked me out of Mason's dream and back into the early morning light shining in through the window. Back to reality … a reality in which my brother was still missing and possibly dead, and where I missed my dad even more than I'd thought possible.

Twenty-Eight
Parker

I'd been back in my old cell for a little while, and even though my head appreciated the coolness and dimness, I missed the cot and blanket I had in the white room. When Cooper stumbled in, I opened one eye and was surprised to see that he was alone.

He rarely came alone anymore. I never asked why. In fact, we never really spoke now; I think we were both too exhausted to make any kind of effort. If I had to make a guess about his usual entourage, it would be that the others didn't ever leave him alone anymore. He often had at least Joey or the doctor with him, who were halfway responsible for keeping him upright.

This time, Cooper pulled a syringe out of his pocket, and even in the dark I recognized the black goo they'd given me so many times before. I struggled to move away, so he brought in some guards to pin me down. He bent over and didn't even bother with sanitizing anything before stabbing the needle into my arm.

Perfect … because the conditions in here were so clean. If everything else they were doing wasn't enough to kill me, then I'd get to die of some putrid infection.

I didn't even think I cared anymore. I just wanted it all to be over quicker than this. It had been a while since I'd done anything but ignore my hallucinations of Addie and Shawn. I'd started wondering if Joey's help wasn't actually just prolonging Cooper's torture. The last time he'd brought me food, I didn't touch it. I was too exhausted to do more than swallow a little of the water, anyway. He'd frowned but hadn't said anything.

Cooper got back on his feet, made it over to the door, and he and the guards left. I stayed there in the quiet, waiting for the now strangely familiar echoing of this particular medication. It usually took a few minutes to kick in, but they were giving it to me in bigger and bigger doses.

My door had a strange sliver of light on one side that I hadn't noticed before. That struck me as important, but I couldn't remember why. I blinked a few times and then lifted my head to focus my vision more firmly on the door.

It was still open. Just a crack. Cooper hadn't realized it hadn't shut tightly, and now he was gone and it was still open …

I'd been waiting what felt like an eternity for an opportunity like this, but it took nearly that long to get my body up and into a standing position. I leaned against the wall, panting, willing my body to find whatever strength it had left and make one final effort.

I had to get out of here, and I had to do it right now.

Shuffling my feet as quietly as I could, I moved from the cell into the hall and shut the door tightly behind me so no one passing by would see it standing open and notice. I had no idea where to go from here, but I knew everyone turned right when they walked out, so that's where I would go first.

The first hallway was a little difficult because I was so dizzy and stiff, but by the second hallway I was beginning to loosen up. Getting my blood pumping a little was helping bring back some clarity.

I spotted a chunk of brick on the ground to the side of a hall. It looked like it had fallen from a piece of wall that was crumbling a bit near the ceiling. I paused to pick it up, hefting it in my hand. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was something. I had no idea where I was going, but I tried to keep track so I didn't wind up lost in this seemingly endless maze. I turned right when possible unless it felt like it would take me in a circle.

There were almost no people in this section of their compound. I heard voices once or twice, but I was able to slow down in time and wait for the people to go away, or take the hall leading the opposite direction. After what felt like my hundredth right turn, the medicine was really starting to kick in and it became impossible to keep track of my turns. It just felt like one echoing hall after another.

My body kept moving without much guidance from me. My mind felt like it was floating somewhere above. I couldn't think which way to go. I couldn't listen for anyone up ahead. All I could do was keep walking and hope I'd get somewhere good eventually.

Instead, I ran straight into Cooper's back, sending us both sprawling across the floor.

My body felt like someone had turned it on autopilot. I watched as I climbed slowly back to my feet and started staggering down the hall again.

“How did you get out here?” Cooper watched me in confusion, huffing and panting still from the collision. I glanced at him and saw that his eyes were focused beyond me. At the end of the hall I saw what he was looking at … doors with outside light shining through them. Had I finally found the doors to the
outside
?

Cooper got to his feet and jogged after my body, jumping onto my back and slamming me into the ground. My head hit hard against the concrete floor and the skin above my eyebrow split open wide. Blood started flowing down across my face, but still my body kept fighting to get back up.

Floating above myself, I watched it all as if from a distance, vaguely thinking I should stay down. That would probably be the smarter thing to do. Instead, my survival instincts started running the show. I took the brick in my hand and slammed the sharpest tip into Cooper's shoulder. He screamed out in pain and rolled off me. My body got up into a standing position, but then fell against the wall.

At the end of the hall, the doors to the outside burst open and several heavily armed guards ran in. They stared at the scene in shock until Cooper yelled out, “Shoot him, you idiots!”

They each unholstered their weapons and pointed them at me, but I didn't exactly look threatening as I slid slowly along the wall toward them. One of the guards grazed my arm and the other my leg. Being shot twice finally brought my body down, and I collapsed into a heap on the floor. My eyes were still open, but it didn't feel like I was really here anymore. Everything felt so far away.

There was a lot of blood and I was pretty sure I should be in pain, but all I heard were the echoes of Cooper yelling and cursing my name.

Then Joey came running by and pushed Cooper off of me. He called for the doctor and asked the guards why they'd shot me. Cooper's eyelids kept closing and he had to shake his head to get them to open again as he sat down beside my not-wounded leg.

Before I faded out and lost consciousness completely, I heard Cooper's voice coming through loud and clear, even though the words were barely above a whisper.

“I should just let you die. Let you die like your dad has let so many of us die,” he threatened, and I honestly hoped he meant it this time.

Twenty-Nine
Jack

As soon as I told Mason what I'd found in his head, he went to pack a bag while I ushered Libby, Finn, and Chloe out to the van. We got ready to head back to Parker's house, to my lab in the storage room. Mason said he knew enough from working with my dad to help out with putting the formula together, and he even had adenosine, the first ingredient, on hand because he'd used it to help keep himself alive. We only had five days left, but … we'd find a way to make it work.

Finn jogged over to me, and I stopped sorting the supplies in the van once I saw the grim look on his face. “What's wrong?”

“The safe house.” His words spilled out over each other. “Is it near Oakville?”

I thought for a second, then inclined my head. Everything about his demeanor was making me nervous. “Yeah, it isn't far from here, only about thirty minutes away. Why, Finn?”

“I texted earlier to update Addie, but she didn't answer. I just called her and it goes immediately to voicemail.” His pitch got a little higher with every sentence. “It might be nothing … but I feel like something's wrong, Jack.”

“We'll go,” I responded immediately, closing the back of the van. “Even if they're fine, we need to check.”

When we pulled up in front of the safe house, the hair on my neck stood on end. It was a tiny one-story with faded green siding that wasn't much to look at even on a good day. But now, even though it looked mostly normal, little things felt strange. The front porch light was on in the middle of the day. Parker's mom was generally pretty aware of those kinds of things. The front door looked like it wasn't quite closed. Mostly, though, it just looked too quiet. I parked in the shade of a tree two houses away and hopped out.

I told myself it was just the fact that I hadn't been here in a while that made the house look like something was off … but I still motioned for everyone else to stay in the van just in case.

Finn's jaw tightened, and I could tell he recognized my concern when he immediately moved to follow me. The look I gave him made him hesitate, but he said, “My sister might be in trouble—and Mia.”

I would have much preferred to give orders in a situation like this. But for Parker's sake I tried to explain, even though I sucked at it. “I'll be right back to get you, Finn. If we're walking into something dangerous, I'll be better off alone where I don't have to worry about you getting yourself—or
anyone else
—killed.”

Finn looked slightly offended.

Mason patted him on the shoulder and pulled him gently back into his seat again. “Go ahead, Jack. I'll keep an eye on things here.”

“Thanks.” Ignoring Chloe's worried look, I turned toward the safe house and made my way as casually as I could around to the back.

As soon as I saw the back door hanging wide open, I knew something had gone very wrong. Slipping one of my knives from my sleeve, I gripped the hilt tightly in my right palm and moved silently toward the back of the house. Plastering my back to the wall beside the door, I listened for any movement from inside.

There was nothing but silence.

I reached out and slowly pushed open the back door. My heart pounded in my ears when the hinges squeaked so loud that anyone in the house should've heard it. Moving fast, I slipped into the dark interior. The room was empty, so I ducked behind the tiny dining room table and waited.

I counted in my head, 1 … 2 … 3 … and listened for the sound of running footsteps. But everything was silent. Standing up, I looked around the room. One of the chairs was tipped over. A barely touched plate of fruit, probably a snack for one of the girls, sat forgotten on the kitchen table. Then I saw the thing that confirmed all of my fears: Mrs. Chipp's purse and the busted-up burner phone on the kitchen counter.

Anger and fear moved through my veins like a living, breathing thing. I'd considered this as a possibility, but it had felt unlikely.
Why?
I didn't understand.

Once I'd searched the house, I made my way to the front door when I heard a noise from a hallway closet. Loudly closing the front door, I moved silently back down the hall. Pulling out one of my knives, I braced myself and pulled open the door.

There was a started scream. I barely had time to raise my arm and block the broomstick coming down hard toward my head. Wrapping my fingers around the broom handle, I twisted it and pulled hard. A pale and terrified Addie came out with it.

“Addie.” I slipped my knife back into place and tried to slow down my adrenaline-fueled pulse.

She looked up at me through the hair hanging over her face and breathed my name. “Jack!”

Then she leapt for me, wrapping both arms around my neck and knocking me back against the wall. Her whole body was trembling, and I awkwardly reached around and patted her back. I was suddenly extremely aware of how much I would've enjoyed this moment only a month ago. Now it just felt wrong, like a betrayal of my brother.

“What happened?” I gently pushed her hair out of her eyes and saw the streaks from tears down her cheeks.

“A bunch of guys came and they had g-guns. They … they … t-took Mia and Parker's mom.” Her words came in bursts, like she'd been holding them in and they'd finally fought their way free.

“How long ago?” My tone was no-nonsense, and it occurred to me, fleetingly, that Parker would've been gentler. But I was running out of time, and whenever I looked at the clock, I panicked a little more just thinking about the short time I had left to save him.

He could teach me how to deal with people all he wanted …
after
I saved his life.

“They were here for a little while before they left with them. Asking questions about you. Not long since they left—an hour maybe?” She looked down at the broomstick she'd attacked me with. “I thought you were one of them. I'm sor—”

“Don't be.” I shook my head, quick and firm. “You did the right thing. Why didn't they take you?”

“I was in the bathroom when they came, and when I heard them … ” Addie stopped and looked down, shame written on her face. “Parker's mom was yelling questions like she wanted me to hear—she was warning me, so I hid.”

“Good. That's exactly what you should've done, Addie.” I reached out and lifted her chin until she looked straight at me. “If you hadn't, then we wouldn't know what happened. Now we can try to save them. They won't catch us off-guard on this … and that's all because of
you
.”

Her eyes filled with gratitude and she gave me a shaky nod.

“Did they say how they found you here?” I frowned, glaring at the not-so-safe house around me like it was to blame.

“I heard one of them say it was the first place on the chemist's list … ”

I swore. “My mistake. I picked this one because it's the house we never used, but that's also probably why Dad would choose it as a piece of information to give the Takers when forced.” I felt like an idiot. I should've considered that possibility. “I'm sorry, Addie.”

“Stop.” She shook her head and put an arm around me. “You were only trying to protect us, Jack. No one expects you to be able to predict every move they make.”

I appreciated her trying to make me feel better, but she was wrong. Predicting every move the Takers made—that was exactly what I'd been working so hard to do for most of my life. It was what I expected of myself—what Dad expected of me.

As we walked out toward the van, I saw Finn pacing next to it. When he saw Addie, his worried expression broke into a wide grin and he ran over to hug her. His eyes met mine over her shoulder, and it was obvious I wasn't hiding my own worry as well as I'd hoped.

“Where's Mia?” he asked.

Addie shook her head and closed her eyes.

“They took her and Parker's mom.” I spoke the words so she wouldn't have to. Chloe sagged back against the van like someone had knocked the wind out of her. Libby's face twisted into a pained grimace. She knew exactly what it felt like to have Takers kidnap people you cared about.

“Why?” Finn's face went from fear to anger and caught me completely off guard. “Why do this? They already have Parker. Isn't that enough?”

I swallowed hard and simply shrugged, because there were only two reasons I could think of that they would need more hostages. And I couldn't bring myself to say either of them out loud.

First: they needed some leverage to convince Parker to do something.

Second: their first hostage hadn't survived.

Fighting back the tight ball of fear in my stomach, I focused on the only thing I could control. It was a Hail Mary pass at best to hope that Cooper would exchange Parker for something other than Eclipse, but I'd take almost anything over sitting here and worrying. “Come on—let's follow the plan. We'll go back to my lab at Parker's house and finish this formula while we still have a shot at it.”

Parker's house was worse than the safe house. They'd been through here thoroughly. The lock on the back door was busted, chairs were turned over, desks were emptied. They'd probably been looking for a clue about where his family was.

A wasted effort, since apparently they'd had the address they needed already.

I walked through the house, feeling hopeless. At every turn, the Takers seemed a step ahead of me. I hated it with every fiber of my being—I wasn't used to being outmaneuvered. Bending down, I picked up a broken picture frame. Shattered glass jutted out and sliced my finger. I turned it over and saw the smiling faces of Dad, Mrs. Chipp, and a very young Parker. I set it carefully back on the table and moved on.

Every room was the same: everything wrong, broken, and out of place. Every room except my lab, anyway. It was pristine—because God forbid something prevent me from making the precious Eclipse Cooper wanted so badly. I felt a sudden urge to smash up the lab myself. I wanted to break it all, the way they kept breaking my whole life.

I heard a scratching noise and turned to see Chloe with a broom and dustpan. She had her back to me as she swept up the shards of glass from the floor. I didn't think she'd spoken a word since we left the safe house. When she turned and caught my eye, her gaze was full of apologies that I didn't expect or want from her.

Drawing in a deep breath, I moved into the lab and started prepping to make the formula that would save Chloe—because even if no other Taker was worth saving, she
definitely
was.

Libby sat very still as I drew out a small vial of her blood. She kept looking at me like she wanted to say something, and then looking away again. Once I finished putting a Band-Aid on her arm, I met her eyes and then held them as she tried to look away.

“What do you want to say, Lib?” I sat down across from her and put my hand on top of hers. “Something to confess? Any blood-borne illnesses I should warn the Takers about?”

A real smile spread across her face as she replied, “I wish.”

I chuckled and shook my head.

She hesitated as she watched me, but then apparently decided to go for it because she dove in full-speed. “How can you be doing this?”

I groaned. “Not this again. Not now. It isn't helping.”

“Don't you see?” Libby gestured down to her arm. “They're still feeding off of us. Still using us for their own needs.”

Holding the vial of her blood in my free hand made it hard to argue her point. Still, I shook my head.

“They're parasites, Jack,” she hissed. “Always have been, always will be. When will you see that changing the way they use us doesn't change who they are?”

“This is different,” I said.

Libby shook her head. “She's skewing your mind and you can't see anything straight.”

“Maybe she is. Maybe she should be.” I raised my voice a fraction before immediately lowering it again. “How can we lump all of them in one box and say they can't be different? They can't change? Would it be fair to say that you're exactly like
all
other Builders?”

Libby groaned and tried to pull her hand free from mine, but I held tight.

“Fine,” she said, “but how can you even trust her? How can you be sure Chloe isn't part of everything Cooper is doing?” She gestured with her free hand toward the kitchen. “How do we know she didn't tell them to go after Parker's mom?”

“I trust her.” I squeezed her hand and willed her to believe me while at the same time hoping like mad that my gut instinct about Chloe was right. “She wants to help. That's all I can say.”

“I just hope you know what you're talking about. I hope she hasn't sucked you into some lie that'll cost all of us.” Libby didn't sound like she was hoping for anything good.

“Do you?” I dropped her hand and placed the vial on the table, standing up in frustration. “Because you sound more like you hope Chloe's lying. You sound like you hope she proves you right. What you're hoping for … it would cost me everything.
Everything
. I hope you understand that.”

Libby looked like I'd slapped her. “Y-you really feel that strongly about her?”

“I might … ” I turned my back on her and closed my eyes, rubbing my hands across my face. “It's confusing. I don't know.”

When I moved back to my seat across from her, she had her eyes down, focused on the vial of her own blood. “Why a Taker, Jack? That doesn't make sense. You're a Watcher … you should be with someone who can help you. You should be with … a Builder.”

I smiled and put my hand over hers. “If only the best ones weren't either my best friend or the girl who's in love with my brother.”

Libby leaned back in her chair and sighed, watching me with her huge dark eyes before finally speaking again. “I'm sorry. I know I've been awful to you lately. I needed someone to blame and you're here and I knew you wouldn't hate me for it. I needed someone to kick and you just let me kick you.”