I startled. I wasn’t used to this side of my father, but I caught myself quickly. ‘Sorry Dad. I’m not buying. This doesn’t make sense. You don’t need my permission. You can take me anytime. Take my stem cells!’ I threw my hands wide. ‘You don’t need my cooperation.’
‘But I want it!’ He slammed his fist down on a desk. Most of scientists had already backed away, staring at us nervously, unsure if they should leave. My father inhaled deeply then said more carefully, ‘I want it.’
Work slowly resumed around us.
‘And if I don’t give it to you, what then?’ I asked. ‘You’ll just destroy Jenny?’
‘No,’ he said, looking down and shaking his head, ‘that would go against my interests. I would only do that in the most extreme of circumstances. Ryder, however …’
‘You bastard.’
‘Control yourself, Brianna,’ he said, tightly. ‘I am still your father.’
I rubbed my hands roughly over my face, trying with everything I had in me not to scream. ‘So let me get this straight. I give you my cooperation, you’ll heal Jenny, and then you just let Ryder go?’
‘And I will make you into what you have been trying so desperately to be.’
I laughed loudly at that one. ‘A hero? Oh my God! Don’t you realise just how messed up that is? For what purpose? For Jenny and I to fight crime together?’
He shrugged. ‘Why not?’
‘Because we would be fighting you!’ I stared at him, trying to see if any of the crazy was registering. ‘Oh, but wait, you’d probably have a remote control for me too.’
A sad smile touched the corner of his mouth. ‘You have never understood my vision. You call me evil,’ he said. ‘I consider myself an architect. I am pushing human evolution to the next level. You and your sister could be the first step forward. Do with that power what you will. In fact, I insist upon it. Show the world what St. James Industries is capable of—’
‘So it can tremble in fear of displeasing you? So that your interests are always met first? So that, oh, I don’t know, you somehow end up ruling all the world!’
The muscles at his jaw flexed. ‘Are you through?’
Again, every conversation … every single conversation I had with my father left me feeling like I had gone insane … no, that the entire world had gone insane.
‘Good,’ he said briskly. ‘I think we have covered enough ground for this one meeting.’
I threw up my hands and looked around the room. ‘So that’s it? You’re keeping my mentor prisoner, my sister could die if I don’t submit to your experiments, and if I agree to all your demands, you’ll make me into a superhero in your remade world. Meeting over?’
‘For now.’ He pivoted on his heel to walk away, but then stopped. ‘But there is one more thing. I would like you to attend a fashion show on Friday.’
Laughter burbled up once again from my chest and exploded out my mouth.
‘Your sister is having her formal debut. I would like you to attend.’
I stopped laughing, but the tears it had caused rolled down my cheeks.
‘I can see you have your doubts. To sweeten the deal, perhaps I could let Ryder go after the event.’
I inhaled a shaky breath. ‘Stop … just stop whatever it is you have planned, and let Ryder go.’ My hands dropped to my sides. ‘I’ll stay. I’ll help Jenny. Of course I’ll help Jenny.’
He sighed. ‘Do you ever tire of your displays of melodrama?’
I squeezed my eyes shut.
‘I’ll expect you at the show, Brianna.’
‘And you’ll let Ryder go. Just like that?’
‘I have no reason not to. She isn’t a threat. Her skills have been dwarfed by your sister’s, and she has served her purpose.’
I tried to form more words, but I couldn’t put anything together.
‘You may go now, Brianna. I will have someone drive you home. I wouldn’t want your sister to take you on any more detours.’ He strode towards the door at the back of the laboratory.
‘Wait.’
He stopped and raised an eyebrow in question.
I knew in my gut I had to ask my father something, but it didn’t make me any less scared to hear the answer. ‘How did you manage to take Ryder prisoner?’
‘So little faith in St. James Industries?’
I didn’t answer.
He sighed. ‘It seems Ryder has a soft spot for you, my dear. And now that Jenny has completed her transformation,’ he said, adjusting his sleeve, ‘well, her resemblance to you is quite remarkable.’
He turned again and walked out the door.
Jenny. How could she? I wrapped my arms around my waist. No. It was my fault. I had left Jenny to fight my father on her own and had told her nothing. Ryder had been captured because of me.
It took me a moment to remember how to work my legs. Finally I turned quickly, bumping into a young man in a lab coat.
‘I’m sorry,’ he began. ‘I—’
‘Did you hear all that?’ I asked, my eyes snapping to his.
The mild-mannered looking scientist stared back at me a moment, then nodded quickly.
I lowered my voice to a whisper. ‘Then why aren’t you running?’ His eyes widened as he moved out of the way for me to pass.
I pushed the heavy glass door of the lab open and headed straight for Jenny, who stood leaning against a wall. I almost made it to her when a large man in a business suit stepped in front of me. ‘I’ll take you home, Miss St. James.’
‘I need to talk to my sister,’ I said, moving to step around him.
He mirrored my steps. ‘I’m sorry, Miss. That’s not possible.’
I lunged and tried to run around him again, but before I knew it, he had my arm twisted behind my back and was leading me to the exit.
I craned my face back to look at Jenny. Pain etched her features, but she didn’t try to follow. ‘I’ll help you, Jenny,’ I shouted. ‘I promise. Nothing else matters anymore. I’ll help you.’
A confused look came over her face as she shot a glance back at the lab.
Oh God, she didn’t know. She didn’t know anything was wrong with her!
I jerked against the man leading me away, trying to keep eye contact.
‘Everything will be fine, Jenny! I promise you! Whatever you need …’
***
I asked the driver to drop me off a couple of blocks from my apartment. I knew he already had the address to my place, but it still felt like a violation to have anyone associated with my father nearby. I hustled over the sidewalk and steam grates, hurrying my way home to freshen up. I had to at least splash some water on my face. Everything about that facility had left me feeling contaminated. Part of me was amazed that I could even put one foot in front of the other. It was all too much. Way too much. But I also knew I had to keep moving. If I stopped … I didn’t know what would happen if I stopped. Maybe it would all become real, and that, that would be the end of me.
Once I got to my building, I hobbled up the stairs, my feet stupid mad with pain from the heels I was wearing, and I limped my way towards my apartment. I wanted nothing more than to go to bed and sleep for a month, but I couldn’t. I needed to see Ricky. I wasn’t sure if I had gotten across to him just how bad the situation was … the situation he had gotten himself into because of me. I didn’t have anything to change into, but I gave myself a quick sink shower, smoothed out my hair then headed once again for the door. Just as I stepped out of my apartment, Queenie’s door swung open, making me jump. ‘Kevin!’
‘Hello,’ the pale giant answered.
‘Um, hi.’
‘I thought you might be Queenie,’ he said, pyramiding his eyebrows. ‘Have you seen Queenie?’
I studied his face. ‘When was the last time you saw her?’
‘When she was throwing the doll heads from the roof of the building like a Goth Amazon Queen,’ he said, eyes slightly unfocused, lost in the memory.
I took a step towards him. ‘Have you been waiting here ever since?’
He nodded. ‘She said she’d be back.’
‘Oh, Kevin.’ I patted his arm. It was the best I could do. I was tapped—no matter how sad and gianty he looked.
‘Does she love the mime, Brenda?’
I sighed. ‘That I don’t know. But no good can come of you waiting around here to find out. You should go home.’
He blinked, then met my eye. ‘But I need answers.’
You and me both, I thought, suddenly remembering Pierce in my sister’s arms, of all things. ‘You know what?’ I said, slapping the shoulder of the big wooden man before me. ‘It’s time for the Muhammad to go to the Queenie.’ I put up a finger and stepped away from him. ‘I just need to make a call. Hang on.’
I quickly tapped the number to Electric Sheep.
After one ring, I was greeted with, ‘Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to get into strange cars?’
‘I need to talk to Queenie. Is she there?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘Put her on.’
I heard Bart make an ugly sound at the back of his throat. A second later Queenie’s voice came on the line. ‘What?’
‘Hey,’ I said. ‘What are you doing right now?’
‘What am I doing right n—’
‘You want to go clubbing?’ I asked. It had been a last minute thought to bring Queenie. I mean, I could go alone, but the night had been too … too something, and I needed her to keep me grounded. Focused. Because I kind of felt like, at any moment, I just might float away. ‘I need a wingman … woman … whatever.’
A moment of silence passed on the other end. ‘I guess.’
‘Good.’ I told her the name of the street corner to meet me on. ‘Now, put Bart back on.’
I waited then heard, ‘Your highness, how may I help?’
‘Kevin’s coming over.’
‘What? Under no circumstances is—’
‘He needs to talk to Queenie, and we shouldn’t be long.’
‘Since when are you and Kevin friends?’
‘We’re not … exactly.’
‘Then why do you even care?’
‘Because we all just ditched him!’ I hissed under my breath. ‘He’s like a big, weird dog who’s been abandoned in an apartment for a couple of days. He needs to be walked, aired out, patted on the head.’
Bart furrowed his brow. ‘What are you even going on about?’
I really didn’t know why I felt such a kinship with Kevin. Maybe it was because I had such a lousy night, and he had too—and while I couldn’t make me feel any better, maybe, just maybe, I could him. Whatever the reason, suddenly his belonging to our group, or just anywhere, seemed really important.
‘I need you to do this,’ I said rubbing my forehead. ‘And I need you to be nice to him or—’
‘No way. I—’
‘—Or I won’t tell you about my father’s secret underground laboratory.’
‘What?’ Bart shouted, then a moment later, ‘I … I really hate you right now.’
‘Love you too. Later.’
I looked over to Kevin. ‘I’m going to meet up with Queenie. We have something to do, but I’ll tell you where you can see her later.’
His face brightened. ‘You know where she is?’
‘I do.’
‘Thank you, Strange Brenda.’
I cocked my head and squinted my eyes. ‘Let’s try not let that one stick, okay?’ I linked my arm around his. ‘But you’re welcome. Now, let’s rock.’