| |
AUBREY FOUND JANE SLUMPED in the corner of a small examining room. She sat motionless on the floor. One hand covered her face, while the other fidgeted with a strap on the rucksack beside her. She didn’t look up as Aubrey entered.
Aubrey flicked on the overhead lights, bathing the room in a sterile glow. She stood just inside the door, leaning on the frame.
“I have no memory of this place.” Jane’s voice was muffled behind her hand. “But I guess I was here, last night. This is the hellhole where they do the Implants, isn’t it?”
Aubrey shivered as she glanced around the utilitarian room. A sink mounted on the wall, a chair, a folding cot, and a faint but distinct odor she couldn’t identify.
“That’s what Mateo says,” she replied, shivering. “I don’t remember being here, either, but this must be where it began for me. I guess Mateo’s right—it’s the last place the Hoarders would think to look for us.”
Jane dropped her hand, staring at the ceiling, shaking her head in a slow arc.
“Darcy.” She snarled, baring her teeth. “I wish you’d shot him when you had the chance.”
Aubrey stared at the floor, unsure how to respond. She heard a distant echo of Doc Simon’s voice in her head. You’re not a murderer.
Jane reached down, opening the flap of her rucksack, and rummaged through its contents. Aubrey tensed as she pulled out her handgun, cradling it in both hands.
She stood and approached Aubrey, holding out the gray-blue pistol, handle-first.
“Take it.” She shoved the weapon into Aubrey’s reluctant hands. “Keep it with you, all the time. No exceptions.”
Aubrey’s hand shook. She stared at the gun with horrid fascination. “Jane, I can’t. I hate what he did to us, everything he stands for, but . . .”
“It’s not for Darcy,” Jane interrupted, temper flaring. She took a shaky breath, controlling herself with visible effort. “It’s your turn, Country Girl. If you see me start to change—if my Implant takes over . . .”
She gestured at the gun, her voice filled with loathing. “I won’t be one of Darcy’s brainwashed assassins. Promise me: if you see it starting, you’ll use this.”
“Jane, no . . .” Aubrey tried to push the gun back into her hands. “Doc can remove the Implants, remember?”
Jane laughed. “Doc’s a long way from here.” She lifted her hands, palm out, refusing to accept the gun.
“You couldn’t shoot me.” Aubrey looked up from the gun, her eyes pleading. “When my Implant activated, you had the chance, but you couldn’t go through with it.”
Jane shrugged, dropping her hands as she backed away. “Then you’ll have to be stronger than I was.”