Control Group 5

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The gravel crunched under my boots as I shifted my weight yet again. The ache in my thighs was growing stronger and my back was quickly growing stiff. I'd been hiding on the rooftop ever since getting the buzz on my cell phone that there was a meeting today. It meant skipping the last two periods of school - but even with graduation only two months away, I wasn't worried - I'd already passed the required courses I needed to graduate. I'd even received my acceptance to the local university, so I didn't have much to worry about. Except winning the scholarships I needed to fund my education. Although... I bit my lip at the thought of the money the Corporation had offered me. It would mean a free ride, but Jordan's life seemed too high a price to pay.

All my effort appeared to be for nothing, however. I'd spent the past two hours on the rooftop of the warehouse, hoping to see the drop-off. So far, all I'd seen was a garbage truck, a raven, and some pretty dark rain clouds heading my way.

The first of the club members arrived, and I knew then that I'd missed my window. I watched from the rooftop as Sheila and Diane pulled up in Sheila's old Ford. They got out, and then uncharacteristically walked hand in hand into the building. Jordan hadn't been their brother, but I knew the events of two weeks ago hadn't been easy on anyone. It hadn't been enough to end the club either.

Dimitri was one of the last to arrive. He pulled up in his beat up car and shuffled his feet across the gravel and into the building. The newest member usually had a look of elation spread across their face. Dimitri looked ready to sick-up. I wondered if he would look for me. I wondered if anyone would be surprised that I wasn't there. I wondered if Jordan's death was cause enough for anyone else to miss the meeting. It wasn't.

I couldn't help but look for Jordan. He was dead; I knew that. But we'd played with technology that seemed to do the impossible, and therefore the irrational hope that the Corporation had brought my brother back to life burned inside my heart. My body shook as I held back tears. If it was possible, they wouldn't have bothered arranging the fake car crash. If it was possible, they would have given him back to me. But that was why I was here: because Jordan should never have been taken from me in the first place. I was going to get my revenge. I was going to take the Corporation down, no matter what it cost. I was bankrupt and desperate and determined. I was dangerous.

Since I'd obviously missed the drop-off - maybe they'd done it the night before? - I had no choice but to wait around for the pick up. When I saw the same garbage truck that I'd seen before the meeting pull into the parking lot after everyone left, I finally clued in. I should've realized sooner that a garbage truck had no business picking up garbage from a facility that had long been abandoned.

I raced across the roof to the stairwell and down to the main floor of the building. I waited, frustrated, while the garbage truck loaded up and drove out of sight. No one had stepped out of the truck. It had simply driven up to a dumpster and paused. The truck left the site and I raced to my car, which I'd parked a block away so that it wouldn't be seen. I got in, started the ignition, and realized that the garbage truck had already disappeared out of sight.

"Agh!" I screamed, slamming the steering wheel with my hands. I swore.

Then I realized that I now knew what to look for. There had been no markings on the garbage truck, but next time, I wouldn't have to be on the roof. Next time I'd be able to wait in my car until it passed. Until then, I had some research to do.

The nearest public library was three blocks from my house, across from the hamburger joint I worked at. Suddenly realizing that I hadn't shown up for work since Jordan's death, I wondered if I still had a job.. Little things like that had ceased to matter to me. I'd have to go in and talk to Joe, the manager, and hope that he forgave me for missing over a week of shifts. But then I remembered the check, and thought maybe not. But again I felt guilty. The money would make my life easier, but getting revenge for my brother felt much more satisfactory.

The nearness of the library was convenient. We'd never been able to afford the Internet, or other modern bits of tech that would have made my life easier like tablets, or a basic laptop. What little money I made from my job at the burger joint had gone into my car and the cell phone plan I kept to a minimum. The library had become one of my favorite escapes after my tenth birthday, the age when Mom decided I could go out on my own. Before that, Jordan had taken me sometimes. Usually when he was on his way to the park to meet his friends for a game of basketball. But sometimes Jordan had gone to the library just to escape with me - especially if Dad or another one of his crew had decided they wanted to crash at our house for a bit. It was hard to find a bit of quiet then.

Walking through the door for the first time since Jordan's death almost paralyzed me. I was seated and logged into one of the public computers before I realized that I'd blacked out for a good ten minutes. Sometimes memories were just too painful. But I steeled myself, clenching and unclenching my fists. I was doing this for Jordan. I was doing this to make something a little bit better.

I didn't have much information yet, so my searches were quick and wide. Research companies. Scientists. Computer Innovation. I used search terms that could be related to the Corporation that hired us out. I found newspaper articles, television news videos, and websites of three local companies that could be who or what I was looking for. One was a chemical company specializing in road salts. I had to admit, that seemed a bit far-fetched. One was a software developer that had only set up shop nine months ago - and since the club pre-dated that, I didn't think it was likely. The third was a bio-engineering firm that had been very generous with community donations but awfully tight-lipped about just what it was they were researching. They were my favorite. Bio-Loom. I gave them a C for creativity.

I copied down what sparse information there was. Known business address, number of employees, phone number. I slipped my small pink notebook into my backpack and prepared to leave the library. As a last minute afterthought, I cleared my search history. Then I shook my head in disgust. If Bio-Loom wanted to know who was looking into them, they'd know. With the types of technology I'd seen, there wasn't much of anything they wouldn't know about. Unless I was smarter than them.

And that was when I remembered Jordan's horde.

"Raya, I thought that was you." Sheila stopped me with a firm arm just as I walked away from the computer.

"Yeah, just on my way home." I kept my eyes down, not wanting to see the pity in her face. But she twisted her body, so that she was looking up into my eyes. Surprisingly, I didn't see any pity.

"I just wanted to know when you're coming back? They voted me leader, today, since, well... Anyway. I just want you to know that we're all thinking about you. And there's the Contract."

I narrowed my eyes. The Contract. Like I could forget the Contract. No one gets out. It was rule number one. Though they'd never had to use it. The club had been going for two years. And I'd never before wondered what it would mean when they were done with us. They'd offered me money, yes. But was it only meant to keep me from leaving? Would they erase our memories in the end? Or would we all end up like my brother? What had happened to the old members of the club that had already graduated and moved on? I knew there were a couple of them. I added it to my list to check up on anyone I could find.

"Of course." I shook my head, trying to smile. It wouldn't come. "Of course. I just... A few weeks. I need a few weeks to clear things out of my head. I know it was an accident. But..."

Sheila squeezed my shoulders. "Yes. Yes, of course you need time. I'll let you know when the next meeting is. If you need a ride or anything..." I nodded, brushing her off and bee-lining for the door before she could stall me further. They were watching me. And they were going to use the club to keep me in line.

Well, two could play that game. I walked the ten blocks to my bank, pulling out the check they'd given me. I deposited it. Hopefully, it would keep suspicion away from me for a bit. Hopefully, I could find what I needed in Jordan's cache. I sprinted the entire way home from the bank. If I was going to win this thing; I would need to be fast.