Mad As A Hatter (Completed 2015) [WATTY AWARD WINNER *Featured Story*]

chapter seven ◊ And Then She Must Do Her Homework

Shock sent a pulse through me.  “Why on Earth would he do that?” 

Cameron’s eyes were still trained on the document.  “Because you, as Jessie Daniels, once belonged to his gang.  You escaped and I assumed since you were of no use, needed to be eliminated.  As well as the fact you were a significant threat to his plans.” 

I choked up a laugh.  “A threat?  What did I do?  Kill his cat?” 

“You were apparently an old project during the gang’s experiments.  It was a rule to exterminate all evidence leading to their operations and labs.” 

I flipped to another image of him, his hand reaching for a newspaper.  “I was there guinea pig?  So what—they poked needles into me and I turned into a mutant.” 

“Your parents were earlier experiments.  So when they had you, the genes transferred into your blood stream and you were the only fertile offspring.  You carried the drug and it affected your system, resulting into exponential inhumane skills such as a viable sixth sense.” 

I flipped to the last photo of his document.  His pants and shirt were torn, dusted with black and smeared blood.  He was leaning in the phone booth, the phone pressed into his ear.  His stance held a limp, one side awkwardly supported by the wall.  “Is he still alive?” 

“We don’t know.”

I jarred this man’s face and continued reading.  “Who is this?”  I lifted a photo of a different man.  I studied his face, the image of him staring straight into the camera.  The coldness in his blue eyes had me turn the page. 

“He went missing as well,” Cameron said, removing a silver case from the cabinet. 

“And what is his importance to me?”

My hand froze at the next image. 

“He loved you.” 

It was impossible for my eyes to rip from the photo.  The sunset beaming behind two heads locked leaning on each other, bumping foreheads.  His eyes swam with such admiration that it made my stomach sick.  The girl’s gaze matched the deepness of his love, arms wrapped around his neck as he looked to be pulling her closer.  “This is a joke,” I snorted, plastering a finger on it.  “That girl was me?” 

He measured me up from head to toe and made a face.  “I know.  What happened.”  Not missing his intention, I flipped him off and went to the next page.

Yet Cameron wasn’t done talking about my former ex-lover.  “He was a formal gang leader for a different group.  Initially they were called Eagles Eye.” 

My thoughts gradually clicked and I stared up, curious.  “But you said you were the Eagles.” 

He placed the case in front of me, spinning numbers with his thumb.  “Good catch.  The majority of us were from The Eagles Eye.  We were forced to flee without our leader and bombed home.  So we made a home here.”  The soft click of it unlocking attracted my attention.  “You inspired us to make a home.”

“Me?” 

He rested his fingers on the latch, giving me a grateful smile.  “Well, Jessie Daniels did.  Before you turned into Alice Hatter, Hell’s Personal Purge.” 

He lifted the lid and a sense of warmth emitted from the prized possession.  “We found this during our travels.”  I wanted to pick the gun up but I felt like I wasn’t important enough.  Hell, I didn’t think I was suitable to be even eyeballing this beautiful art.  Hypnotizing carvings edged along the gun, the gold metal still gleaming.  It was protected in a glass box, an example of its true value shown.  The numbers 212 were engraved at the handle.