Vigo's Lament: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 3) (13 page)

He looked over as he walked. “You know, if it were up to me, things wouldn’t have happened the way they did. I would not have killed your coworkers. Of course, Greene’s soldiers were a threat that needed to be dealt with, but the labbies were different. I have no reason to kill your kind. In fact, you are of great value to me. After all, I intend to continue the tests. That requires labbies.”

Trish said nothing. She looked straight ahead and followed the guards as they entered the cell room.

“I also need test subjects,” he continued. “I should have acted sooner, before Simon set them free. Now I have to gather them back up. The only good that came from the attack was Greene’s death. He needed to move aside so someone could take his place. Someone with guts to do what it takes.”

“And you think that person is you?” Trish asked.

“I do. I don’t expect you to believe it right now, but in time, you will. You’ll see the wasted potential that slipped through Greene’s fingers. He was on the right track, but he needed to grow a pair.

Their feet clanged on the metal grating as they descended the stairs to the lower levels. Jonah watched Trish as he talked, trying to gauge her reaction. She showed none.

“Simon, on the other hand, needed to tone it down. He was extremely passionate, which is something I admire, but his passion was for the wrong reasons. Fortunately, I was able to channel that passion into something useful. We never would have broken through the walls without him.”

“You owe the world to Vince,” Trish said. “Without him, Simon never would have succeeded.”

Jonah nodded. “I suppose that’s true. I’ll remember to thank him when he wakes. Both for helping Simon, and for killing him. I would have done it myself, but now I don’t have to.”

“What are you going to do next?”

“I’ve already told you. I plan to continue Greene’s work. The first step is to find another doctor so we can get a good look at this girl’s brain. She will be the first test under my belt. After that, we must expand. I have already started to gather more subjects. They’re scattered throughout the City, but we’re sniffing them out.”

“Your guards are okay with that?” Trish asked. “Just a moment ago they were fighting to free the test subjects. Now they’re gathering them back up? Why would they do that?”

“That is one of my biggest concerns, and I currently don’t have a solution. I have my loyal group of guards right here. They truly believe in my vision. There are a few others in the Spire, but the majority of the Crowns support Simon’s vision. It completely contradicts mine. Right now, they are cooperating because they think the orders are coming directly from Simon. They trust that his orders have meaning and that it’s part of his master plan. They don’t know I’ve taken control, but they will soon catch on. It’s only a matter of time. I’m hoping the results of this test with the girl will help sway some of them. If I’m lucky, it will convert enough to outnumber the rest. If it doesn’t, Simon is dead so they won’t have a leader. At least not at first. I can use that time to my advantage.”

“I don’t think that will work,” Trish said.

“It is risky, I’ll admit, but I do believe it will work.” They moved away from the staircase and walked up to the cells. “This is where the three of you will stay until I find a replacement doctor.”

The guards placed Vince and Izzy in the cell, both propped up against the wall.

Trish glanced into the cell, and then to Vince. “Wait, you’re putting us all in the same cell?”

Jonah nodded. “Why not?”

“I can’t be locked in with
him
. He’s a traitor. He is responsible for the death of my friends. I can’t stand to look at him for another second.”

“Suck it up. We can’t all get what we want. You’re lucky enough that I’m keeping you alive.” He nudged her forward, but she resisted.

“No! I will not.”

Jonah sighed. “Fine. You can have this cell.” He opened the one to the right.

“I want to be on a different level.”

“For Christ’s sake, I don’t have time for this. Just get in the cell.”

“No. I demand to be on my own level, far away from him.”

“You’re in no position to be making demands. Now get in the damn cell.” He pushed her forward.

She spun around and slapped him in the face. “You said you want me to help. I will be more helpful if I’m happy. I will not be happy if I’m anywhere near this scum. Give me my own level and I’ll make things much easier for you.”

Jonah pressed a palm against his cheek, which was turning red, and smiled. “I like you. You’re bold.” He looked to his guards. “Escort her a few levels up.”

“The girl, too,” she said. “The girl comes with me.”

“You’re pushing your luck, lady. You’re bold, but you don’t know when to stop. I’m feeling generous, but not that generous. The girl stays.”

“You can’t leave her with that monster.”

“I can do whatever I want. I’m in charge, remember? I make the calls. If I say the girl stays, the girl stays.” He waved his hand to the guards.

They closed the cell door and dragged Trish up the stairs. Jonah watched as she disappeared into darkness. He stayed behind and glared at his unconscious prisoners. A wide smile stretched across his face. “You may have bought some time, but sit tight. Your time will come. As soon as I find another doctor, we’ll slice you up nice and good.”

He grabbed the bars and shook with force. The door swung freely. The power had not been restored.

He crossed his arms. “Damn it doc! You pay a man to do a job, and he hits the ground running. Well, that was money down the drain.”

TWENTY-ONE

VINCE WOKE UP in the same cell again. This time, it was different, though. Izzy was locked in with him. He looked across the catwalk at the kiosk. The light on the panel was still out. They had not turned on the power. He walked to the door and kicked it as he had before, but this time, it did not budge. He leaned over to see a mechanical lock wrapped around the bars. They must have had trouble turning the power on.

Jonah wandered up on the catwalk and peered inside the cell. “I wondered how long you would be out. Those shockers are pretty nasty, huh?” He wrapped his fingers around the bars and pulled. The door held firmly in place. “You’re not getting out this time, so make yourself comfortable. It will be a while before we find another doctor. It’s delicate work to remove organs. We wouldn’t want to damage them.”

Vince stood up, but did not say a word.

“You’re shy, aren’t you? Both of you. Either that or you just don’t like me. Trust me, I’m a good guy. I know when I owe someone. You killed Simon for me. For that I thank you.”

He paused to let Vince respond, but he still remained silent.

“Still nothing? I can’t blame you. It’s better than that labbie. She wouldn’t shut up about you. Just kept on going on about how you’re a traitor and a disgrace to the Spire. Yap, yap, yap. I had to put her on her own level just to shut her mouth. But you, both of you, are easy.” He tapped his fingers against the metal. “Well, I’ve got some work to do. We need to find a new doctor.” He walked away and out of sight. “Don’t get
too
comfortable,” he said, walking away.

Vince glanced at Izzy, who stared back at him. “How long was I out?” he asked.

She playfully rocked back and forth. “Three hours maybe.”

“Where are Charlotte and Alan?”

She shook her head and shrugged.

He pressed his palms into his face and fell back against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting. He took a deep breath and sighed. “What is wrong with me?”

Izzy walked by his side. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“I drained a human,” He shook his head. “I said I would stop, but it’s only gotten worse.”

“Stop what?” Izzy asked.

He stared straight ahead. “It’s a long story. You wouldn’t understand.” He held out his hand to see the microscopic tendrils poking out from his skin. From a distance, they looked like hairs, but up close they were grotesque. “I’m stuck in an endless cycle, and I’m so tired.”

Izzy stared at him, but did not say a word. He did not expect her to. He patted down his clothes to see what they had taken. His knives and guns were all gone, but there was something in his cloak pocket. He reached in and pulled out a capsule. The poison. He held it in front of his face, turning it in his fingers.

Izzy wandered the cell and strummed the bars with her fingers. “What are they going to do to me?”

Vince slipped the pill back in his pocket and looked up. He didn’t have the heart to tell her to truth. “They’re going to test you. Me as well.”

“Why do they want to test me?”

“You’re one of Greene’s test subjects. Both of us are.”

“Test subjects? He doesn’t test me, though. He’s my daddy.”

Vince admired her innocence. She had started as a test subject, but she grew into something much more. There was no doubt that Greene loved her, but had he really abandoned his plans to test on her? The monitor journal expressed much love for his
daughter
. It was hard to imagine he would treat her like his other subjects.

“I don’t want to test,” she said.

“I’m afraid we don’t have a choice.” This part he said with genuine sorrow. There was no chance of escaping. They had been lucky so many times, they were due for some misfortune. The girl would certainly die. Vince’s future was a less certain, but it was not promising.

He sat against the wall, staring straight ahead. A tear fell from his eye.

TWENTY-TWO

ALAN KEPT HIS hand on the throttle, pushing forward even though it was already at full speed. The boat cut through waves with impressive speed. The coast appeared on the horizon. He was making good time. A trip that previously took several days was reduced to just one, but he was still anxious. He wanted to go faster. The girl’s life depended on it.

He approached the shore, only slightly reducing his speed. When the boat hit land, he cut the motor. The boat wedged through the sandy beach and slid to a halt. He jumped on shore and ran across the beach. Clouds of sand kicked up behind him as he dashed towards the cave. Inside the hollow cavern, the sound of his footsteps bounced off the walls. The horrible stench he had tried to forget came rushing back with a wave of memories. The pile of bodies was still in place, with Barnabus’ corpse stuck beside it.

He glared at the cage that encompassed the pool of dismembered flesh. The goo-like substance was dripping off the edge, covering the seat and controls of the vehicle. He examined the motor attached to the front and recalled what Charlotte had said. The walk to Snow Peak was five days, but the cage would cut that in half. Alan was repulsed by the idea of dealing with the bodies, but matters were urgent. He could not bear to ride with the mess in the back. His only option was to clear it off.

“Damn it, Charlotte. Quit being right all the time.”

He rolled up his sleeves and tightened the scarf around his face. The smell was still strong, but it helped a little. He dug his hands into the pile of mush, and a strange bubbly gas rose up, hissing at the surface. A salty taste rose into the air and entered his mouth. The piercing stench crawled up his nose and made his head spin. He swung around and hunched over, throwing up against the wall. A pool of bile collected at his feet. He stared down at the greenish liquid as it oozed towards his boots. His own vomit was more pleasing to look at than the grotesque gelatinous body pile.

He stepped away for a breath of fresh air, and to regain his composure. Going back in was the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew it was necessary. If he wanted to save his friends, he would have to drive the cage. He turned around and returned to the nauseating sludge pile.

He scooped slops of gelatin in his hands. As he reached the bottom, bones poked out in different directions. At the sight of a spine, he spun around and gagged once more. This time, nothing came out. He had already emptied his stomach the first time. He turned back around and picked out the bones, tossing them to the side.

When the cage was cleared out, he climbed into the front seat and took control. The buttons and levers resembled the controls of the boat. He searched for the ignition button, and when he found it, he slammed his fist down. The motor briefly purred, and then petered out.

He threw up his hands in frustration. “Please don’t tell me I cleaned up that mess for nothing!”

He pressed it again, this time holding it down. The purr grew to a light growl and died down once more.

“Come on, damn it!”

He raised up his fists and slammed down on the panel. The motor burst out in a loud roar and leveled off at a steady hum. He sighed with relief and hit the gas. The cage lurched forward and rammed into the wall. The steering felt different than the boat. It would take some time to adjust. He backed away from the wall and carefully steered towards the exit. Once he was out in the open landscape, he revved the motor and sailed through the snow plains, hurtling towards Snow Peak.

TWENTY-THREE

IZZY PACED AROUND the cell. Despite their situation, she was full of energy. She hopped to and fro, trying to entertain herself. “When do you think they’ll let us out?” she asked, balancing on one foot and hopping onto the other. “It’s been a long time.”

Vince watched from the corner. “They’re certainly taking their time. They must be having trouble finding another doctor.”

They heard the faint call of someone in the distance.

“Who is that?” Izzy asked.

“I don’t know, but they’ve been at it for a while. Is someone else locked up in these cells?”

“There’s Trish.”

He shook his head. “That’s not a woman’s voice. Jonah must have found more test subjects.”

They sat a while longer, listening to the cry of the distant prisoner.

“I’m bored,” Izzy said. “We’ve been in here for so long.”

Vince chuckled. “This is nothing.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been around for over two hundred years. With that many years under your belt, you build patience.”

Her face lit up. “Two hundred years?”

“That’s right. Two hundred long years.”