The Numbered

Chapter Seventy-One

"Ah, finally she's catching on."

Briggs smiled and it sent chills down her spine.

"I must say I do admire you on some level. Very few people have dared so much as even vent a negative opinion about me, but you, took it to another level entirely."

Unable to respond, Hannah shook her head, a feeble attempt to show ignorance of his words and therefore proof of innocence. But nothing, she realised was going to help her now.

"It was really rather sweet, watching him sell himself out to protect you. He even tried convince me that you had absolutely nothing to do with it. I wanted to believe him, really I did."

Briggs released her arm and then gently stroked her cheek. His cold touch, made her skin crawl.

"Dear, sweet, Hannah, what a tricky situation, we find ourselves in now, don't you think? I know about you. You now know I know... What is one to do? I suppose the simplest option would be to chain you up to that wall with them, your birth mother and maybe some of your other little friends. But, how could I possibly admit that our society's only, one-hundred-percent-perfect specimen was actually planning to overthrow me? Her own father too?" Briggs clicked his tongue.

Hannah let out a sob, her body trembling and her legs barely able to stand.

"I am rarely surprised these days, Hannah. The benefit of years of experience somewhat erodes the element of surprise, but when your supposed birth father came to me this morning, telling tales of grand conspiracies, I must confess to being a little astonished. He was quite the fountain of knowledge and all for what really amounted to such a paltry reward for his information. Turns out, his son was about to be reclassified as a Flawed. Happily for him, that will no longer happen... well, for now at least."

Briggs tilted his head, gesturing for Hannah to look over his left shoulder. In the corner of the stage, a porter in white hospital scrubs pushed a wheelchair up a ramp. Barely conscious and slumped in her seat, her mother was brought onto the stage, her head lolling to one side. The porter wheeled Lynne to where Diana was seated, while a guard removed one of the spare chairs. Lynne's wheelchair was reversed into the empty space. She wasn't supposed to be here. Tucker was supposed to have seen to that. She locked away thoughts of her friend. She did not want nor have time to think about him right now.

"Oh good, both adoptive mother and birth mother finally here to witness your big day."

"No, please, no," Hannah found her voice and began to beg. "I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt her. She has done nothing to you, nothing."

Hannah watched as Diana lifted Lynne's lifeless hand, placing it in her own lap. Gently, she began stroking the surface of Lynne's hand with her own thumb. That simple, kind gesture fractured Hannah's heart, thought of losing either or both women bringing a sharp pain to her gut.

"I know, Hannah, I'll offer you a compromise." She pulled her eyes back to Briggs. "I hear compromise is the secret to good parenting these days and as your father, I would hate for you to think that I was remiss in my role of good parent. So I'm going to issue my proclamation and you, dear girl are going to go along with everything I say and do. And in return, I will allow your poor mothers to walk away from all of this."

Hannah eyes flitted towards Scott.

"No sorry, Hannah, that would be a step too far I'm afraid. Although, maybe I could provide your friends..." he said, gesturing to Scott and Cecily, "with a more, 'humane' end. That's a fair compromise, don't you think?"

It was hopeless. It was over. Defeated.

Hannah looked to her mothers and then back to Scott. He was staring right back at her and he knew. He knew just what was being asked of her. His eyes beseeched her, her own pleaded back at him. But with a momentary, sad nod of his head, Scott turned away from her again. The intense heat she'd felt when they'd connected fled, leaving her icebound.