Thunder (25 page)

Two more tries and Everling accessed the lab. He staggered and Stemple lurched to catch him, but the doctor turned on him with a demonic growl. He backed off.

Everling lunged for the control console. Stemple glanced toward the containment cells and did a double take.

The normally opaque wall stood transparent. Glade Rishon's cell was empty. Stemple hurried to the cell's open door. Logic said he could see there was no one in there but he ran inside anyway. Looking around the empty space, he turned to face Everling.

The door slammed shut. Stemple rushed to the clear partition. “Dr. Everling, what happened? What have you done? What did you do to Glade? Open the door.”

Everling's eyes danced. “You thought you could outsmart me, didn't you? Don't act so surprised. I see what you're trying to do. I've decided I'll just have to take care of things myself.”

“What I'm trying to do? What are you talking about? Open the door. We need to discuss—”

“No more discussion!” Everling screamed. His hands moved across the control panel. “You thought you could destroy my work. Well, I'm smarter than that. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to get ahead of me.” His words slurred as his hand missed the controls.

Stemple's throat tightened. A madman stood in front of him. What had Everling done with Glade? Where was Bethany? Did he do something to her too? “Please, sir, you need to open the door and let me out of here. Let's talk to your wife. Where's Bethany?”

Everling ignored him. No reaction to anything he said. If all else failed he'd have to wait until Treva showed up. She should be back any minute. But then how was he going to handle Everling? There weren't many checks and balances in the Mountain to control him.

The motor on the wall units cycled on. Stemple looked behind him. The wall screen lifted into the ceiling and the panel closed. The wall unit slid open and the furniture retreated into their holders.

Stemple's eyes widened. “Dr. Everling, what are you doing? Stop this madness and open the door.”

“Madness?” Everling mimicked him. “Madness. Stop this
madness.” He pointed at Stemple. “You should have thought of that before you disregarded my direct orders.”

Stemple shook his head. He pounded on the clear wall with both hands. “No, no! This is a misunderstanding!”

Everling lifted the square crystal cover and smashed his fist onto the red button.

Jets of fire shot from every part of his prison. Stemple screamed. The walls, floor, and ceiling turned into blowtorches of death.

Stemple ignited. He flailed as though the movement would ward off the hungry flames that licked at him from every direction. The whooshing sound and pain lasted for agonizing seconds that felt like hours. The flames seared beyond the pain receptors. Flesh melted into his eyes. For a split second his head protected his brain . . . before it boiled in his skull.

Bethany tucked the halo-tablet under her arm as she raced into the Prison Control Center. She'd gotten an alert that the JetTrans patrol had returned. She practically salivated at the thought of starting the DNA splicing with Glade Rishon's child.

“What do they have for me?” Bethany asked as she leaned over a security console. Years ago Noah had created his own security center separate from Mountain security. At the time he didn't trust the way the operating Board was treating his father, and he felt having a security force loyal to only the Everlings was desirable. Over the years it had proved profitable.

The technician at the console looked past her to the next station. The next person turned away as though he didn't want to be involved.

Bethany snapped her fingers. “Hello! Are you going to answer me?”

The young man averted his eyes. “They don't have the subject, ma'am.” He flinched as though expecting retribution.

Bethany straightened up. Her voice lowered. “Why not?” Her heart rate shot up twenty beats a minute. She reined in her composure, but she wanted to kick something, or someone.

“There is a complete AirStream and JetTrans grid from the Mountain to Dominion Borough. There are no bio-signatures matching the child,” the tech said.

Bethany closed her eyes. “Technically it would seem impossible to miss a complete bio-reading. The only way I could see that happening would be if she was underground where our sensors couldn't reach her.” She walked away from the console. “But since there are no great caves between here and there, I'd say it's just rank incompetence. The grid needs to be tightened.” She turned and slammed her fist on the console.

The technician jumped and so did those at the next three stations.

“What JetTrans teams are available in the Mountain?” Bethany asked. She had to keep reminding herself to stay calm, but in the face of abject failure it felt daunting. At least one of these teams would produce the desired results, or she'd keep them out there indefinitely.

“There's only one team not on patrol at the moment. They are being interviewed about an altercation outside the Mountain with several interlopers.”

“Forget interviews! People trying to break into the Mountain are not my problem. Get me that team in the air ASAP,” she said through clenched teeth.

“But ma'am, their unit was damaged,” the tech said.

“Does it fly?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Bethany glared at the tech. “They've got ten minutes to get in the air . . . or else.”

S
elah studied the people milling about in the corridor. No one looked menacing or confrontational. They were probably safe for the moment. She only felt a void, a nothingness. A block of some sort. But the question burning in her mind had nothing to do with anything outside the confines of this cell.

She turned to glare at Cleon. “You took money for bringing diseased rabbits here? Are you crazy? People could die from eating them.” She was still angry, and seeing Cleon being paid only served to push her further over the edge. How could she have misjudged her own brothers so much? Willing to kill people for money?

“It wasn't me. It was Raza's doing. But you eat them, and you haven't died, so I'm beginning to think it was one of Father's lies just to make us eat only what he liked.”

Selah shook her head. “No, he was right. Well, no he
wasn't, but . . .” She let her shoulders drop. “Okay, I admit it. There are rabbits that are safe to eat, but not all of them.”

Cleon stared at her. “You never thought it was important enough to share the knowledge?”

“Well, you saw us eating them. And Mother asked you many times if you wanted to join us.” Now it was her turn to be on the defensive. “Besides, I had reasons I kept the secret to myself.”

“That sounds really selfish to me,” Cleon said.

“Well, you boys treated me like dirt.”

“I never treated you that way.”

Selah backed off, closed her eyes, and ran her hand across her forehead. She couldn't stand to lose another brother. “I'm sorry. It always felt like it was you and Raza against me.”

“Okay, you two, we need to figure a way out of here,” Bodhi said.

“Ganston's security woman said after the pilot interviews we could go,” Cleon said.

“We can't wait that long,” Selah said. “Amaryllis is by herself out there.”

“You seem to have forgotten why we came here in the first place,” Bodhi said.

A young woman wearing a white lab coat hurried up to the transparent wall. She looked them over, making eye contact with each. She stood as if thinking, then squared her shoulders and strolled toward the security station.

Selah watched as the woman pointed back in their direction. Fear sparked her chest and she backed up. Had they been caught?

The woman again approached the containment cell, this time with the overweight guard scurrying at her heels. She gestured at the cell. “Open it!”

Beads of sweat appeared on the guard's brow. “But ma'am, I don't have the authority to turn these detainees over to you.”

“Didn't I tell you I'm Dr. Everling's assistant?”

“Yes, ma'am, you did,” the guard stammered.

“You checked my credentials?”

“Yes, ma'am, I did.” His face flushed.

Selah thought if the situation hadn't been so serious, it would seem almost comical. The guard kept bowing without looking at the woman. Who was she?

“So what's the holdup?” She slapped her hand on the plascine wall. “I have work to do, and if I don't get these subjects to the lab in short order, you're going to have an extremely unpleasant boss breathing down your necks. Do you want that?”

“No, ma'am, I don't,” the guard said. Sweat rolled down his temples, wetting the collar of his uniform.

Selah could see his hands trembling. It fascinated her that a young woman could have this level of authority. Men invariably were the bosses in the world she knew. But on the other hand it worried her. What kind of new situation were they getting into? Bodhi and Cleon gathered behind her to watch.

“What's she trying to do?” Cleon asked.

“I think she's trying to get us released to her custody. It could mean trouble,” Selah said.

Bodhi stared at her. “No, I don't think so.”

“Why not? Do you feel something?” Selah turned to face him.

He shook his head. “No, I think it's more in what I
don't
feel.”

She opened her mouth to answer as the cell door opened.

The young woman stepped inside and looked at Selah. “Are these two with you?”

Selah nodded and pointed. “Cleon and Bodhi.”

She motioned to them. “Follow me.” She left the doorway. No one followed and she turned back. “I said follow me, now!”

Selah looked at Cleon and Bodhi. They shrugged. She turned back to the woman. “Why should we follow? Who are you?”

The woman stepped close to Selah's face. “My name is Treva Gilani and I'm the person who's going to save your hide. Is that good enough for you?”

Selah hesitated. There weren't many options for getting out on their own. Something about this woman registered safety. She nodded then stepped out behind Treva. Bodhi and Cleon followed.

Selah moved beside Treva. “I don't want to seem ungrateful, but where are you taking us?”

“There's no time to talk. I have to get you to your father. This is falling apart too fast.”

Selah grabbed Treva by the arm. “How do you know who I am? Where is he?”

Treva jerked her arm free and trotted down the corridor. “I told you we don't have time for small talk. The insurrection is going to happen whether we're ready or not.” She shook her head and waved a hand. “I knew rebellion would take over and there were going to be ones we couldn't control,
but nooo, Glade wanted them all brought out of the fog at the same time.”

Glade.
Thunder pounded in her chest. Selah hadn't felt the rumble in a couple days. She scrambled to keep up as they turned down a narrow corridor. Her sense of direction told her they were moving farther into the Mountain. Was her heart racing because of fear or apprehension? She knew she could be fierce, but did that level of bravery include meeting her real father for the first time?

“Where are we going? This isn't the way out,” Cleon said as he galloped to keep up.

“We have to get Glade first.” Treva keyed in the code and opened a door.

“You know where my father is?” Selah dug her fingers into the woman's arm.

Treva pried herself loose and darted through the doorway. “If you keep slowing me down it could have dire consequences. The order has already been given.”

Selah released her. “What order?”

Treva hurried on with no response.

Selah looked back at Bodhi. He was uncharacteristically quiet. Normally she'd expect him to ask more questions. Take control. She tried to commit the direction they were going to memory, but they were moving too fast.

“Hey, I know where we are. We came down a different corridor, but this is where I came with Raza to deliver the rabbits,” Cleon said.

Treva skidded to a stop and they nearly ran over her. She grabbed Cleon by the shoulders. “What did you say? Rabbits? Who'd you deliver rabbits to in the Mountain?”

Cleon squirmed free of her grasp. “A man named Ganston.”

At that moment the door to the area slid open and Ganston stepped out.

Cleon pointed. “Him! We sold them to him.”

Treva launched in Ganston's direction. “What are you doing buying diseased rabbits from outside this Mountain? Why would you do something so reckless?”

Ganston backed up to the wall as his eyes darted among the three other people crowded around him, then back to Treva. “What are you doing with these people, and how did they get out of containment?”

“I got them out. We have a common goal to thwart one of Everling's plans.” Treva fisted her hands on her hips. “But you haven't answered my questions.”

“I-I need to explain to you alone, my sweet child.” He offered a nervous smile. “This is not for strangers' ears.”

She hesitated then grabbed his hands. “There's no time right now. Do you trust me?”

Ganston pulled back. “What kind of a strange question is that?”

Treva's feet danced several hesitant steps. “I'm asking because it's going to get dicey here in the next few hours and I need to know I've got help if I need you.”

Ganston kept his eyes on Treva and smiled softly. “Of course, my child. I would do anything for you.”

“Good.” Treva strode away briskly but yelled back, “I'm going to hold you to that.”

Ganston raised a hand. “What's going on?”

She never answered. Selah and the others hurried down the hall behind her.

Treva led them down two more corridors, turning left and then right at the next junction, and then another left. Selah felt like a rat in the mazes she used to see at market, where they baited the rodents with food to see how fast they could move.

They rushed around another corner, through a doorway, and up an angled walkway to a higher level. The woman keyed them into another area. Selah glanced around.

Her hand rose to her chest in an effort to contain the pounding of her heart. She rubbed the scar on her arm and blew out several short breaths to gain control of her shakes. This looked similar to a healer-unit area at home, with equipment, work benches, and gurneys. She'd seen this kind of equipment when someone was ill or dying. She flinched and the hairs rose on her arms.

Treva moved to the other side of the room and stopped in front of a sealed partition to the right of where they entered. She keyed in a code, put her eye up to an optical identification scanner, and the doorway slid open with a whoosh. Selah watched as the young woman peered around the immediate area inside the doorway and motioned them in. They crowded through the narrow doorway.

Treva moved toward a long circular control station to the left of the opening. She stopped short and gasped.

A man lay sprawled across the floor, facedown.

Treva rushed to his side. “Dr. Everling!” She knelt beside the body.

“Is he dead?” Selah asked. The second body in as many
days. It appalled her that she wasn't more upset at the sight. At home she'd have run behind Mother, shaking.

Treva felt for a pulse. “No, he has a strong pulse.” She pried his fingers from the shaft of a syringe in his right hand and lifted the tube. The pale yellow substance glistened in the light. She threw the syringe to the side and it skittered under the console.

She shook her head. “He's taking some kind of experimental drugs. I can't help him right now. I need to find Stemple—he'll know what to do.” She looked around, rose, and pushed a button. The door to a containment room slid open. “Help me put him in there. I'll find Stemple when we're done. This will keep him out of the way in the meantime.”

Cleon and Bodhi grabbed his arms and legs to haul him into the room.

Selah wrung her hands. “What if he's sick, and putting him in there kills him?”

Treva shook her head, her eyes growing cold. “If I get time, I'll tell you about this man and what he's done. Right now we have more important things to do.”

Bodhi and Cleon returned to the console. Treva keyed the controls and shut the door.

She smiled triumphantly at Selah and pressed a series of buttons, gesturing to a long blank wall. “I'd like you to meet your father.”

The coloring in the wall dissolved to a transparent surface. Black soot mottled the walls, ceiling, and floor. They stared at burnt human remains.

Treva's hand flew to her mouth. She gagged, bent over the
console, and heaved up the contents of her stomach. Tears pooled in her eyes.

Selah looked from the cell to Treva. “I don't understand. What is this?”

Treva's mouth opened and closed a few times. Words came out as strangled sobs. “Your father, Glade Rishon, was in there when I left.”

Selah shook her head and her stomach lurched. No, it couldn't be true . . . to come so far, and then nothing. She screamed and charged the wall, pounding on the transparent surface. It felt warm. The room was clear of smoke. “No, no! What have you done to my father?”

The charred remains, with flakes of what could only have been clothing spread crumbled on the floor, were kneeling, forever locked in position with arms reaching out. The composite surface was littered with ash. An outline had burned around the corpse in a macabre design, solid on the inside edges near the body but feathering out as it moved away from the scene, as though the flames had burned outward. She rubbed her hand along the glass, tracing the outline of the remains.

Her screams of anguish were drowned out by the angry yells of Cleon and Bodhi.

She slumped to the floor in a flood of tears. She couldn't bear it any longer. She turned away from the carnage, her back resting against the still warm wall.

“What kind of sick joke is this?” Cleon charged Treva, coming nose to nose with her.

She backed up, looking bewildered. “I swear, he was fine when I left.”

Bodhi grabbed her by the arm. “Who is responsible for this murder?”

The word
murder
stabbed at Selah's heart.

Treva struggled to get away but he held fast. “I don't know. Dr. Everling ordered the program dismantled and the subjects destroyed. I just didn't realize he—”