Mine (24 page)

Still Mike didn’t look at them or move.

“You said you knew who they were, remember?”

S
IXTY

The Translator/MIKE

T
HE TRANSLATOR HAD
been preparing for this moment since the Satellite told him they were coming, and yet when Dr. Renner came for him, he couldn’t help feeling like his mind was about to explode.

He and the Satellites should not be together. The three were
never
supposed to be together. The Satellites were to experience and learn and report, and he to translate.

If the Reclaimer suddenly checked in and saw them in the same room…

No, no. Cannot let that happen.

As he and Dr. Renner walked down the hall, he rapidly built a wall in his mind. He pulled together images of the busy room where everyone watched TV and put himself in it. Hopefully, if the Reclaimer did return, it would fool her.

They reached the meeting room far too fast. While his ruse for the Reclaimer was ready, he still wasn’t. He almost told Dr. Renner to stop when she reached for the handle, but the small voice that had usurped control of his mind squeezed his vocal cords so that no sound could escape.

Inside he could sense the Satellites hovering nearby, but he could not look at them. Dr. Renner spoke some words he didn’t hear. It was hard enough to breathe, let alone listen to anything.

He’d been in this room before. It’s where he sometimes met the two other people in [
the most important picture ever taken
]. He concentrated on that, hoping it would give him the strength he needed to face the Satellites.

What it did instead was prevent him from realizing what was about to happen.

S
IXTY-ONE

Joel

J
OEL PACED IN
front of the window, concerned.

Leah was sure Mike was the key to figuring out what had happened to them. Joel still hoped she was right, but being here, seeing where Mike had spent most of his life since they were last together, he thought the chances of finding answers were slight, and was pretty sure they would have to forge ahead with just the two of them.

And then the door opened.

And Mike shuffled in.

The goofy kid in the next bunk. The goody two-shoes with the kind heart. Joel’s friend.

Joel stopped pacing and joined Leah as she headed across the room.

As they neared, the doctor looked at them and said, “Please give him a little distance.”

But they ignored her, unable to stop themselves until they were directly in front of Mike.

“Hey, a-hole,” Joel said. “How you doing?”

S
IXTY-TWO

Mike/The Translator

T
HE TRANSLATOR JUMPED
at the sound of Satellite Two’s voice. The alarms in his head were screaming at him to run from the room, but then the words the Satellite had said cut through his panic.

“Hey, a-hole. How you doing?”

The Translator looked at the long missing Satellite for the first time in years. He felt the small voice ease up on his throat as it sent a message to his lips.

“You’re…the a-hole…Joel,” he said.

The Satellite smiled and wrapped his arms around him. For a moment the Translator froze, but then his own arms moved around the Satellite—around
Joel
—and hugged his old friend tight.

S
IXTY-THREE

Leah

L
EAH FOUGHT THE
urge to join in the embrace, thinking it best to let her two friends reconnect on their own first. She couldn’t keep the grin from her face, however.

Dr. Renner tried to appear neutral, but Leah could see the surprise in the woman’s eyes.

When Joel finally released Mike, Leah could hold back no longer. She threw her arms around Mike. “Hi,” she whispered in his ear. “This is so much better than seeing you in your Secret Place.”

He stiffened a bit and whispered back, “Shhhh. Don’t say that.”

“Sorry. Just between you and me.”

“Between you and me,” he repeated.

When they separated, Dr. Renner said, “Michael, are you okay? If this is too much for you, you need to let me know.”

“Not too much. No, no. Not too much. My friends. They are my friends.”

Leah put a hand on Mike’s back and led him toward the couch. “Why don’t we sit down?”

“We’re okay now,” Joel said to the doctor. “You can go.”

“Oh, no, that’s not how this works,” Dr. Renner said. “Only family members are allowed to be alone with patients, and that’s only with patients who are not at risk.”

“Do you really think something’s going to happen?” Leah asked. “Mike, are you going to hurt us?”

“No, no. I would never hurt you,” Mike said. “Never.”

“It’s not hurting anyone I’m worried about,” the doctor said to Leah and Joel. “He’s fragile.”

“We just want to have a private conversation,” Joel said.

“Yes, private,” Mike said. “Alone is better.”

The doctor looked at her patient, surprised. Leah had a feeling this was not the Mike with whom the woman was used to dealing.

“Please, I’ll be good. I will. I will,” Mike said. “I won’t be…fragile.”

“I’m not about to break the rules,” Dr. Renner said, but then she relaxed a little. “What I can do is leave the door open and wait in the hallway. It’s either that or I stay here.”

“That’s more than generous,” Leah told her. “Thank you. We’d appreciate that.”

The doctor hesitated, but after a moment she stepped out of the room.

Leah and Mike sat on the couch while Joel pulled up a chair and leaned in so they could talk without being overheard.

“We have to hurry, hurry before she comes,” Mike whispered. “Maybe she won’t believe my trick. Maybe, maybe.”

“I’m sure Dr. Renner will give us plenty of time,” Joel said, his voice also low.

Leah sensed something else was troubling Mike. Something not
here
. “I don’t think that’s who he’s talking about.” She looked at Mike. “Who is it you’re worried about?”

“Can’t say. Can’t say.” His gaze darted around as if he expected someone to appear out of thin air.

“If someone’s bothering you here, we can take care of that,” Joel said.

“No one here. No. No.”

Joel started to say something again, but Leah gave him a subtle shake of the head.

She smiled at Mike. “You were saying we don’t have much time.”

“Not much time, no. Maybe. I don’t know. Better if we’re quick, I think. Better, better.”

“Then quick it is,” she said. “Something happened to the three of us when we were at camp. Something that changed us.”

“Yes, yes. Made you the Satellites, and me the Translator.”

Leah’s brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Mike said, looking as if he’d said something he shouldn’t have.

She wanted to pursue it, but it could wait until they had more time. “We’re trying to find out what happened to us. What do you remember?”

“Not remember. Not want to remember.”

“But you do know.”

He shook his head, but the look in his eyes said differently.

“Mike, please. If you do know something, then maybe it will help us figure out how to make you better.”

“Better?”

“Yes.”

He was silent for a moment, but then shook his head again. “Cannot say. Can never say.”

“Why can’t you say?”

He continued to shake his head, his lips pressed together.

She knew if he did know something, he wasn’t going to give it up. Maybe if they gave him some time, came back in a few weeks. Then again, maybe not.

She put her arm around his shoulder. “That’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.”

He relaxed.

“We can go there, you and I,” Joel said. “We’ll figure it out.”

They truly were getting more in sync, as she’d been having the same thought.

“Go?” Mike said. “Go where?”

“Camp Red Hawk,” Leah said.

“Oh, no, no, no, no. Can’t go back. Not you,” he said, pointing at Leah. He then pointed at Joel. “Not you.” And finally at himself. “Not me.”

“Why not?”

“She will not let us.”

“We’re still not talking about Dr. Renner, are we?” Joel asked.

“Not Dr. Renner. The-the-the…” Mike pressed his lips together again, frustrated. “She will not let us.”

“No one said anything about you going, Mike. But Joel and I are.”

“No, no, can’t go.” Mike was becoming agitated, his voice rising.

Leah shot a look toward the door, worried that Dr. Renner would hear, but the woman remained outside.

“Tell us why not,” Joel said.

“Because, because you are supposed to experience and report.”

The words triggered something deep inside Leah’s chest. It appeared to have done the same to Joel. And then another word appeared in her mind.

Joel said it first. “Mine.”

Mike gasped, his nervousness turning into outright terror. “You cannot say that word. That’s
her
word. Hers!”

“Is everything all right?” Dr. Renner was leaning in the doorway.

“Everything’s fine,” Leah said. “We were, um, just remembering something we did together. Sorry.”

“Michael?” the doctor said.

“Fine, fine. I’m fine.”

“I think it’s best if we wrap this up in a few minutes,” Dr. Renner said.

“No problem,” Leah replied.

The doctor hesitated a moment longer before disappearing again.

“You can’t go,” Mike whispered. “You can’t go.”

“We have no choice,” Joel said.

Mike began rocking on the couch. “Nine, six, six, three, two, three, seven, one, six, three, seven. Eight, four, five—”

Leah touched his arm. “We’ll be careful. I promise. If we sense any trouble we’ll turn back, all right?”

“—three, two, three, seven, one, six, three, seven. One, zero, six, zero, eight—”

Leah looked at Joel as Mike continued to count. They’d had him for a while but now he was gone. Joel made a motion asking her if she wanted to leave. She didn’t, but knew it might be for the best so she reluctantly nodded.

She stood, leaned down, and kissed Mike on the head. “We’ll come back to visit you again. I promise.”

Joel put a hand on Mike’s back. “I promise, too.”

They started for the door.

“Wait,” Mike said.

They turned back, surprised.

“You’re going.”

“The doctor won’t let us stay all day,” Joel said.

“No, no. I-I-I mean you’re
going
going. To camp.”

“Yes,” Leah said.

“Then I, then I, then I will go, too.”

“Whoa!” Joel said. “They’re not going to let you out of here, Mike.”

Mike motioned for them to come back. When they were huddled together, he whispered, “Tonight. Twelve fifteen. Wait-wait-wait by the road. Near the, the big sign. Genesee sign. I’ll be there.”

“Not a good idea,” Leah said. “We’ll come back as soon as we leave there and tell you what happened. But you’re not—”

“I have to go. You need me. You will not, will not, will not make it without me. Remember, twelve fifteen. Near the big sign.”

He shot out of his chair in an unexpected burst of speed and hurried past them out the door.

“Michael!” Dr. Renner called. “Stop.” A pause. “Stay right there.” She looked into the room. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Joel said. “We were talking and then he said he had somewhere to go.”

The doctor looked less than pleased. “I’ll be right back.” She vanished again.

“Should we tell her?” Joel asked.

Though Leah had no idea if Mike could really get out, telling Dr. Renner would ensure it wouldn’t happen. She shook her head and said, “I think he’s right. I think we do need him.”

“Why?”

How could she explain the feelings of anticipation and dread in her gut?

“Because we came out of there together once before, so it might be the only way we can make it out again.”

S
IXTY-FOUR

Mike/The Translator

T
HE TRANSLATOR LAY
on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The markers on the data packets told him it was a quarter until midnight. A few more minutes and it would be time to set things in motion.

No! Cannot! Cannot!
the big voice, the scared voice, screamed.
The Reclaimer. If you leave she’ll know and you’ll be dead!

He started rocking, his bed creaking with each back and forth movement.

“Cannot, cannot, cannot,” he silently mouthed.

“Stop it!” the Beast ordered. “Unless you want me to tear you apart.”

The Translator stopped rocking.

11:49.

One minute. One minute and you do it.

No! Cannot!

You must. Joel and Leah are waiting.

He turned on his side and wrapped his pillow around his head to cut off the sound of the small voice. But it didn’t work.

Thirty seconds
.

“No,” he whispered.

“Shut up,” the Beast said.

Twenty.

The Translator clenched the pillow tighter.

Fifteen.

And tighter.

Ten
.

“No, no, no, no.”

“Shut up!”

Five, four, three, two…. Get up.

The Translator let go of the pillow and swung his legs off his bed, the big voice no longer in control.

“What are you doing?” the Beast asked, staring at him. “Lie down and be quiet!”

The Translator walked over to the Beast’s bed. He knew what he had to do, but he didn’t like it.