Shards

chapter 32

A wave of uncertainty swept through the crowd. At first nothing happened, then two boys were shoved from the throng. Ian had told me about them. They liked to make trouble; them and their two friends. Ian had tried to approach them once, but they'd seen him as nothing but a kid. He was over it though, they'd probably never even considered trying to escape. Near the center of the circle, Kyle was yelling at the guard.

It didn't look like he and Desmen were going to go quietly. Perfect for us. While everyone's attention was on the two struggling boys, we easily found a hiding place under the back seat of the Jeep. When Desmen and Kyle were finally subdued, they looked close to tears. If it had been just me, or just Ian, I know we wouldn't have had the willpower not to help. But together we were strong, and we waited until the Jeep was sitting alone in one of the many garages.

From there, it was a simple matter to sneak into one of the trucks we often watched leaving through the main gates. It was an obvious hole in their security, and after it was exploited by two nine year olds, they were never so sloppy again; something that made our job more difficult over the years.

If the truck hadn't made a stop at one of the outdoor training facilities, who knows how far we would have made it. They'd never had to deal with anything like it before. People were embarrassed. Some lost their jobs, maybe even their lives.

I can't believe that I forgot the night I learned I was special. Ian and I were as good as dead. He was being sent off to the science wing, and I was to be killed. We weren't sure who had it better.

I was strapped to a table, a blinding medical light shining directly into my eyes. One side of the room was made of one way glass. Behind it, I knew I was being watched by those the Compound felt would benefit from witnessing my death. I was an example, a warning. Tears rolled down my face, as I tried desperately to stop them. In the end, I was nothing but a whimpering little kid. The fact that I couldn't stop myself from crying just made the tears come harder. All fantasies of my mother saving me were gone. Maybe one day she'd find this place, but I wouldn't be around to see it.

The man in the white mask lifted a needle from the table. From a vial, he drew it full of clear liquid. I didn't want to see, yet I couldn't look away.

“Please,” I whimpered. “I don't want to be special. I just want to go home.”

The man didn't even react to my voice. He pushed on the plunger of the syringe and some of the liquid shot up into the air.

“Nuh...no.” I wasn't even speaking in words any more.

There were so many things I hadn't seen. What would Ian do without me? I tried to imagine how I'd feel, if our roles were reversed. A choking sob made it's way up my throat, and I began to cough. Snot dripped from my nose so that I could taste it on my upper lip. I was just a kid.

I felt the metal of the needle against my neck, and I began to thrash around. Maybe he'd miss and hit the wrong spot. It didn't seem to bother him. He simply placed his massive palm against my forehead, pushing me back onto the table. I snapped my teeth frantically, trying to bite him, or move my head; anything. It entered my skin.

“Wait a second.” The voice sounded like it was coming to me through a long tunnel.

The man pushed the plunger. A heaviness began to spread from the spot. For a moment I was able to force my eyes open, as wide as they could go. What I saw was surprising. Another man, wearing the lab coat issued to the science division, stood facing my murderer.

“Do you realize what you just did?”

As much as I wanted to see, I couldn't keep my eyes open. So tired. I felt so heavy it was a surprise I hadn't fallen right through the metal table. Wouldn't I just hurry up and die? Apparently not. As long as I was still aware, I focused all my energy on listening.