Thirteen
Jack

My brain and chest were on fire. Breathing was painful, thinking was a struggle—this couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t let Cooper take my brother away, and yet he was doing it.

Dragging Chloe with me, the knife still at her throat, I rounded the end of the trailer in time to watch the car drive away.

Now that they were gone, the dust settled.

And I still couldn’t move.

From somewhere far away, I heard Finn’s voice, but the words weren’t within my reach. I was certain the heat from Chloe’s back pressing against my chest was the only thing that was keeping my heart beating. The Takers had Parker.

No, not just the Takers. It was Steve Campbell’s son who had him. And Parker didn’t truly understand who he was dealing with, since I’d tried not to share much about the monster who’d ripped our father away from us. Like the fact that Campbell had personally ordered the manhunt for Dad. Like the horrific experiments he’d ordered, the way he enjoyed causing pain and damage. I didn’t want Parker to have to think about the man responsible for that kind of pain … the person who’d made Dad live his life on the run, leaving Parker and his mom on their own.

I knew better than anyone that this knowledge wouldn’t help. It couldn’t … not unless you could reach out and strangle the person responsible.

But now, I wished I’d told Parker everything. I wished I’d answered his every question, given him every awful detail, because at least then I’d feel I’d prepared him for the type of people he was now facing—for what they could have in store for him. These people were known for using any means to get information or to bend and manipulate people to their will. And that was when they had an agenda … when they were bored, it could be much worse. The Takers made the plight of a lab rat look like a Caribbean vacation.

I didn’t know Cooper, but just from the last few minutes he seemed very much his father’s son, and that didn’t bode well for Parker. I wished I’d trained my brother, found the time to really follow Dad’s instructions and tell him everything about our past. I wished I’d prepared him to face something like this.

I wished I’d handled a lot of things differently.

And I hadn’t moved since they drove away with Parker, because moving made all of it final. Moving meant agreeing to let time move forward, which would force me to concede the one thing I wasn’t ready for yet—that I hadn’t been able to stop them from taking away the most important person I had left.

I knew I needed to act, to do something, but all I could hear was Dad’s voice in my head yelling at me, bellowing my name and telling me to do something to save him—to save—

“Jack? Jack!” Finn pulled my wrist with the knife gently away from Chloe’s throat. Her shoulders were completely relaxed against me and I could hear her speaking.

“Finn, it’s fine.” Her voice was surprisingly soothing. “He isn’t going to hurt me—just wait for—”

I whipped my arm down and re-sheathed my knife, clearing my throat.

Chloe almost fell over when I stepped away. She started examining a small bruise on her arm.

Finn nodded and his eyes went to where Cooper’s car had disappeared down the road. “Okay. Do you know what we should—”

“No, Finn. I don’t have a plan.” I sighed and rubbed both hands across my face as I stared out at the distance and tried to force my brain to come up with something useful.

Then I turned on Chloe. “How did they know we were here?”

She blinked, and then frowned. “I don’t know.”

“You didn’t call them?” I stepped closer, studying her face for any sign of deception.

She looked offended. “I already answered that question.”

“I don’t know if I believe you.” I glanced back in the direction the car had gone, then tried a different possibility. “Is it possible they’ve been following you?”

She started to shake her head, but hesitated. I saw doubt, and then a touch of horrified realization, in her eyes.

“Chloe, did they know you were with us?”

Her face went from flushed to ashen and her eyes were haunted when they met mine. “They—they know I have nowhere else to go. They could’ve followed me. I’m so sorry, Jack. I had no idea.”

Without a word, I turned and walked a few feet to where Randall now stood with one arm cradled around Libby’s shoulders. She stared straight forward with empty, exhausted eyes. Before I could figure out what I wanted to say, Randall spoke.

“We have more questions than there is time for. I guess secrets run in your blood?” Randall’s lips were pressed in a firm line, but he didn’t look angry. The emotion I saw in everyone’s faces right now was fear.

“Yeah. You knew him as well as anyone. I won’t bother explaining Danny’s reasons for keeping his secrets. You can guess them.” I stood with my eyes slightly downcast, taking my cues from the leader of the camp.

Now that he’d found out that my entire family had lied to him about Danny being my dad, I couldn’t assume Randall would still trust me. He was levelheaded and smart, but trust wasn’t easy to get back once lost.

“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you,” I said. “You know it wasn’t ever about trusting you. Danny just felt like secrets were the best way to protect people.”

Randall’s expression echoed a bit of the loss I was feeling as he slowly nodded.

Standing next to him, Libby looked like a hollow shell of her old self. No longer crying or yelling, just staring. I was distracted, worrying about Parker and our quest to complete the new formula, but it was hard to resist the urge to go to her and wrap her up in my arms, do anything I could in a futile attempt to heal the cracks … anything to make her feel better. Yet I knew it wouldn’t help. I knew her pain. I may not have shut down to mourn in the same way that she was mourning Marisol, but it didn’t mean I hadn’t felt the same loss.

It didn’t mean my whole soul didn’t still threaten to turn into an aching pit every time I remembered my dad, mom, Marisol … and now maybe Parker. I’d lost too much.

Randall slowly bent over until his eyes met mine. The skin around them crinkled, and I saw the same warmth and kindness in them that had always been there. I felt a rapid wash of relief. After all of this, he still trusted me. Having Randall’s trust still meant more than he could know. He and Dad had been friends for six years, and he was always someone I could rely on, someone I cared about and respected. After everything else, at least I hadn’t lost him today as well.

He gave me a slight smile before nodding grimly and getting down to business. “What can we do to help get Parker back?”

My brother’s name sent a cold chill down my spine and brought me firmly back from the memories of our father. “I don’t know. I can’t do what Cooper wants.”

“Of course you can’t.”

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t.” I stuffed my hands forcefully into the pockets of my jacket and closed my eyes. “And with only ten days, my only option is to follow my original plan. I need something to offer them to get Parker back. Something they need—even if it isn’t what they think they want.”

When I opened my eyes, Randall was watching me, waiting for me to continue. Libby relaxed against his side, her eyes barely open as she stared at the ground in front of them.

I lowered my voice so no one else could hear me except Randall and Libby. “Before my dad died, he figured out another formula—the real one he’d been searching for all along.”

Randall’s eyes widened and he whispered, “The real one?”

“Yes. He figured out how to make a drug that would allow the Takers to sleep like regular Dreamers.” I kept my voice low and my eyes on Randall, but at the edge of my vision I saw Libby’s head jerk up. I was relieved to see that such a detail could snap her out of her grief a bit. “He wanted to make sure I was the only one who could put it together, so I don’t have the entire formula yet … but I think you have what I need to start.”

Randall nodded quickly and reached in his pocket. He handed me a military dog tag with words on it. “Here’s what I’m supposed to give to you. It’s all he gave me. Does it help?”

“Like I said … it’s a starting place.” I studied the silver metal, reading the name Wendy King and the name of the city, Brimley Terrace, before sticking it into my pocket. “And now I only have ten days to find the finish line.”

As I walked back to the van to make sure we had all the supplies we might need, Libby walked up to me.

“Your brother is smarter than you think.” She spoke with more life than before, but still like a ghost of her former self. And she still kept her eyes on the ground. It hurt me to suspect she might be so angry she couldn’t stand to look directly at me.

“I don’t doubt it,” I said with a sad smile.

“He connected with me, Jack.” She reached out and put one hand on my chest. “Right before they took him, he looked straight at me. I didn’t even realize what he was doing for a minute, but I’m certain it worked.”

“He did?” A balloon of hope filled up in my chest and I couldn’t decide whether to cling to it or pop it to save myself the pain it could bring if it popped on its own. “He’s brilliant! All we need to do now is have you go to sleep and he can tell you in your dreams where they’ve taken him.”

She gave me a tired smile. “I’m glad I can help.”

“In more ways than you think … ” I hesitated, knowing how much she was struggling, but I actually thought that coming with us right now would be a good distraction for her. It might help. “Will you still come with me, Lib? It might be good for you … and I need your help and want your company.”

“You know I love you, Jack. But how can I come when your entire ‘adventure’ is about helping the Takers.” She hissed the last word, her voice dripping hatred in a way I’d never heard before. It took me several seconds to respond, even though I’d already made up my mind.

“I want to end the killing.” I spoke the same words she used to say to me, hoping they would sink in through her grief. Just in case they didn’t, I gave her my more pressing reason. “More than that though, I want to help Parker—to save my brother.”

Her anger eased and after a few seconds she nodded. “I’ll come, for him and for you. Nothing and no one else—”

“Fine.” I hugged her tight against me and she melted a bit more before I added, “That’s all I want.”

When we reached the van, Libby got in and climbed all the way to the back. She grabbed my pillow out of the pile of supplies and then spread out across the back seat. I grabbed an extra blanket I kept tucked under the front passenger seat and tucked it around her.

“Thank you.” I squeezed her hand again. “Find out everything you can about where they’re keeping him … and tell him I’m coming.”

When she closed her eyes, I studied her face. She looked exhausted now, so vulnerable.

She’d always had Marisol’s strength to lean on.

Now I would make sure she had mine.

Once I’d hopped out, I walked around to the back of the van. Chloe was sitting on the bumper, waiting, and mostly doing her best not to draw any additional attention to herself. From the violent looks a couple of the rebels were throwing her way, I think she probably had the right idea.

I stepped in front of her and Chloe lifted her gaze to mine. She looked at me like I was about to deliver some kind of death sentence.

“You need to go to your brothers and convince them that I can’t do what they want.” I kept my voice soft, hoping if we hurried, our chances of getting her out of here alive might improve.

Chloe was shaking her head before I’d even finished my sentence. “The Takers won’t listen to me. They won’t even let me in because he’s ordered them not to. You saw him.” She gestured toward where Cooper had gone. “You saw him. He’s too far gone to listen to reason.”

I had my mouth open to argue, but I closed it. She was right. Cooper was nowhere near the vicinity of rational. “Then there have to be others,” I said. “You know the other Taker leaders. Who else can you talk to?”

“No, they’re afraid to go against him. Plus, no one trusts me now. I didn’t just go against Cooper—I was their hope for a future, and they blame me for that hope being gone now.” She was still shaking her head. “I can do much more if I stay here with you.”

“No.” The word came out with an unintentionally biting edge. I gestured for her to move off of the bumper, and she got to her feet and stepped next to me.

“I can help!” Her tone was near begging. “Let me help.”

“No, Chloe.” I walked to the driver’s side door and put my fingers around the handle.

“Why not?” She reached out for my sleeve.

“Because how can I trust you now?” I jerked my arm away and spun to face her. My fear of losing Parker was spilling out in the form of anger, and I stepped forward. She didn’t move back, so I was nearly on her toes and she looked up into my face as I spoke. “You lied about who you were and then your brother suddenly shows up here? I swear, if you’re lying and you did plan this, I will make you pay.”

“I am not lying, Jack.” She didn’t flinch and she didn’t back down, but I saw pain as deep as my own mirrored in her eyes before she responded. “I don’t know how Cooper knew we were all here. He could’ve been following me, like I said, but he has spies everywhere. It’s very likely he has one in this trailer park.”

I opened my mouth to argue that the rebels would never do that, but she cut me off before I had a chance.

“Not among your friends—among the residents on the other side of the park. The ones near the entrance. The Dreamers, Jack. You and I both know they’re easy to manipulate. I’ve seen Cooper at work, and the worst thing you can do is underestimate him. He can convince anyone that he can and will utterly destroy their lives in a single night if they don’t do what he says.” Her eyes searched mine, begging me to believe her. “For your average Dreamer, that’s a pretty strong motivation.”

I studied her expression, her eyes, her mannerisms, trying to see any hint of deception as she continued.

“You may not want me here. You can believe whatever you want about me, I don’t care. I will follow you. I will find a way. And I will help you whether you want me to or not. I have reasons that are as strong as yours for wanting to complete this formula. Maybe even stronger.” Her words spilled out so fast now that her breath came in panting bursts and her eyes burned with determination. “You can say no, but you can’t stop me unless you want to kill me yourself for something that I did not do. I promise you, though … that if you let me, I will help you get your brother back alive.”

I searched her eyes for any reason to think she would betray me again … and I knew she could. I’d been stupid to believe she couldn’t. She was a Taker. Wasn’t that what they always did? With them it was nearly inevitable.

When I thought of her as a Taker … I didn’t want to trust her.

When I thought of her as Chloe … I really, really did.

“How can you possibly help me by staying with me?” I leaned against the van, sighing and massaging the back of my neck with my right hand.

“Have you ever had a Taker helping you before?” Chloe stepped in front of me, and that familiar wicked sparkle was back in her eyes.

“No.”

“You’ll see.” She smiled wide.

Finn stepped toward us. I’d noticed him standing near the front of the van, listening, and he looked very relieved to see me fully in motion again. “So what’s the plan? Rescue operation? Dark of night? Stealthy ninja attack? Whatever it is, I’m all in.”

I shook my head firmly and turned to face him. “No, Finn.” I heard Chloe give a low chuckle.

“If you keep saying no”—Finn’s voice was light, but the determination in his expression was undeniable—“everyone will keep ignoring it and that might not be wise. No offense, but I think it undermines your ability to lead.”

“Finn … ”

“Parker may have been your brother for a month, Jack.” Finn turned to face me and was so close I could count the lightest freckles on his nose in an instant. “But he’s been mine my whole life. Do not tell me no again.”