Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Thunder rumbles, close enough to make our windows rattle, and I shiver. Seth’s eyebrows furl together for a moment as if something’s just come to him.
“Wi-Fi,” he mutters. “Storms always make it spotty.” He taps his jaw thoughtfully. “You know, that may be why…”
He pulls out his phone and chuckles under his breath.
Is that why his stupid app doesn’t work on me right now?
Because the internet is not working correctly?
If that’s the case, my time is even more critical than before. As soon as this storm passes, I might go right back to being his mind slave.
Hell no.
I have to get out of here.
“Tomorrow morning, we’re going to the lab. I’m going to check some things. You girls are going with me. No arguments, you hear?”
“Of course,” I say, beaming at him. “I need to get back to making dinner.”
I skirt away from him, eager to not be suffocating on his cloying cologne that now makes me nauseous. The water is boiling, so I add spaghetti noodles to it and then get started on browning the hamburger meat for the sauce. Hopefully, everything appears “business as usual.”
He thinks he’s going to take me to the lab and fix my glitch.
Joke’s on him.
While at the lab, I’m going to make my escape.
Caius
“Does Dad know you’re bringing your sister to work?” Theo jerks a thumb toward the back seat of his vehicle. “Does she even want to go?”
I ignore both questions as I memorize our route toward the facility. Theo, clearly used to my asshole behavior, sighs in resignation.
It doesn’t matter if Calista wants to go or not. I need her close to me, and without Dad here, I feel like it’s best she comes along for the ride. I’m on edge and prickly awareness is beginning to blow the dust around in my head. The story they fed me about the bump on my head is flimsy.
I’m pretty sure my mind is being manipulated.
I just can’t figure out how.
Hopefully, at the facility, things will become clearer for me.
The facility is nondescript. Other than being tucked neatly in the woods, unable to be seen from the main road, the building is a typical one. Brown brick. Three levels high. Parking lot with a sparse number of cars.
Theo pulls into one of the reserved spots. We all climb out and I note that I’m not the only one who’s feeling unnerved by what’s to come. Calista frowns at the building with her thin arms crossed over her chest.
I walk over to her and pat the top of her head. “I won’t let anything happen to you, kid. Got it?”
She jerks her head to meet my gaze. Finally, she nods, relaxing. I may not know what the fuck is going on right now, but I do know I’d do anything to protect my sister.
We follow Theo up the steps and to a keypad at the door. He inputs a series of numbers that I easily memorize: 567321. I don’t know if I’ll need it, but I’m not taking any chances. It feels good to actually exercise my fatigued brain.
Just a bump on the head.
Liars.
They did something to me.
Probably did it to Calista too.
Not anymore. I’m going to find out what the hell is going on around here and then I’m going to make sure it doesn’t happen again. She’ll be safe with me.
Theo guides us inside. He waves to a few people inside a lab through the windows. Inside, the scientists or doctors or whoever these people are work busily, eyes glued to their notes or microscopes or laptops. Only one man looks up long enough to return Theo’s wave.
My brother takes us to a stairwell. Once on the second floor, he strides over to another keypad by a door. This room has no windows.
“The subject is in her holding room,” Theo explains as we enter the large, warm room filled with servers and computers. “We can look over some of her stats before I check in on her. She’s several weeks in the CUP program, so she’s nearly ready for movement.”
I don’t know what any of this truly means, but I nod as though I do. Calista stays glued to my side. If I weren’t so uneasy about this whole work trip, I’d be inwardly celebrating this small win with her. It feels like I’m getting my sister back.
Back from what?
That part, I have no clue.
I’m going to find out, though.
“You like to sit at that desk over there,” Theo says, pointing to a sparse one in the corner. “It’s okay if you can’t remember.”
I don’t.
No fucking memory at all.
So frustrating.
“I’ll get there,” I say, believing every damn word. “Where do you sit?”
Theo grins at me. “Tech was always Gareth’s and your thing. I’m more of a hands-on kind of guy. Third floor is where I like to work.”