Chapter 19
“Rayney Cooper. How nice it is to see you again,” he said.
“Kendric Slayter,” I said through my teeth. “You’re the one in charge of everything?”
“It’s still Mr. Slayter to you, even though it has been seven years,” he said, laughing. “And yes, I am in charge around here. I have been ever since the Directrix took over.”
“Kade thinks you’re dead,” I said. “How come you haven’t tried to track him down?”
“Rayney, sweetheart, I haven’t taken my eyes off of him for the past seven years,” he said. He walked toward the table.
“Do not call me sweetheart,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
He laughed, walking toward me. He ran his hand over my hair. “You’ve certainly have changed over the years, haven’t you?” he mused, and ran his finger down my scar. I jerked away from him.
“A lot of people have changed,” I said. “And that’s all because of you and your men. If it weren’t for you, everything would probably be okay right now.”
“That’s why I’ve brought you here,” he said, walking back to the front of the table.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I need you to do something for me. Just a small thing really,” he said.
“Nothing is ever ‘small’ for the Directrix,” I said.
“You’re certainly right,” he said, smiling again. “If you do not do this for me, everything will go up in flames.”
“I love your choice of words. They’re kind of ironic, since everything has already gone up in flames,” I said.
“You see, Rayney, this is important,” he said. “And if you do this, I’ll let you have your sister.”
I was silent then, eyes wide, realizing what he’d just said. He knew that I was looking for Rowan. He had to. She was probably the only thing that he knew that I would do anything for, besides Lyric or Kade or anyone else I loved.
“You know where she is?” I asked.
He smiled. “Of course,” he said, and chuckled. “She’s only right down the hallway from us right now, locked up. The same way she’s been for seven years.”
“You’ve had her for that long?” I whispered. How could they keep her locked up for seven years?
“Yes. Only after we killed the man who had took her away from your family a year after she was born, away from you. He was such a good man, did everything we told him to do. It was a shame we had to kill him.”
“So you were the one who took her,” I said.
“We couldn’t let you two be together, could we? We couldn’t let you two know what you were capable of, what you would be able to do together.”
“You know about everything?”
“It’s our job to know everything,” he said. “Now, on to what I need you to do…”
“I’m not doing it,” I said. “I’ll get her out another way. I’m not working for you.”
“Who said I was even giving you a choice…?”
“I’m making the choice here!” I yelled. “And I’m not doing whatever you want me to do! How could you? How could you kidnap Rowan when we were just babies? We wouldn’t have been able to do anything then!”
“Yes, you’re correct,” he said. “But we know that your grandmother knows about everything. Her mother told her everything, along with the rest of her family.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You mean you don’t know who created all of this?” he asked, smiling.
I shook my head. “You created all of this. Not anyone else,” I said.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “You see, your family’s behind it all.”
“No,” I said, tears coming to my eyes. “My grandma said they only worked for you. My family couldn’t…”
“Oh, but they could,” he said. “Actually, most of your family’s been working with the Directrix for about sixty years now. Both of your grandmother’s grandfathers developed the Directrix. And your great-grandfather took over after them. Your father was going to be the one who ran everything, but he turned it down. So I got it.”
“How could they make create something that they knew would destroy everything?” I asked, tears coming to my eyes.
“They didn’t at first,” he said. “Not until your great-grandmother started dream about it.”
I closed my eyes, knowing that I’d already heard this from my grandma. I just wanted other answers. “Why did you take Rowan away? And then why did you take her again? It’s not like her other family knew about any of this,” I said, changing the subject. I couldn’t hear any more.
“The man was working for us. We had a special assignment, which was to get in and out of your house and taking one of you. It could have easily been you that he took and not her,” he said. “We told him to keep her, since we knew his wife wanted a baby.”
“Why did you have to kill him, though? Rowan says that she knows you did. Plus, you just told me you did,” I said.
“Rowan?” he asked. “She’s not supposed to be able to contact you.”
I smiled. “Looks like we’re stronger than you thought,” I said. “Just like you thought you’d be able to keep me in control the entire time you’ve had me here.” I looked over at the Guard that I’d been clearly annoying since I started yelling through the door for them. “He knows what I’m talking about.”
“We know we can’t control you completely,” he said. “At least not easily.”
“Then why are you trying to?” I asked.
“I’ve said why. We need you to do something,” he said.
“Something that involves the Directrix,” I said.
He walked over and sat on the edge of the table in front of me. “Well, of course it involves us,” he said. “It involves another, too.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Someone that’s been searching for way too many ways to destroy us,” he said.
“And…”
“He knows too much as it is and we don’t need him finding out any more,” he said. “Because if that happens, he’ll know everything.”
“And what do I have to do with this?” I asked. “It’s not like I’d know who it is anyway, not that there’s that many people to know anymore.”
He smiled. “Oh, you know him alright,” he said.
“And what – hypothetically – would I have to do?” I asked.
I mean, it wasn’t like I was going to agree with it. The Directrix had always been a double edged sword. They would want you to do something for them, but then something would happen to you after.
“Something that you’ve done multiple times before. Quite a few within the last week or so, too,” he said.
“What?”
“We need you to get rid of someone,” he said.
“Like, kill someone? For the Directrix?” I asked. I thought about it, and then I laughed. “Why would you ask me to kill someone for you?”
“Because you’re close to this person,” he said.
I stopped laughing and looked up at him. “Who?” I whispered.
“We need you to kill Kade,” he said, smiling.
I swallowed hard, tears stinging my eyes. “Why?” I whispered.
“He’s gotten into several of our databases and has had access to a lot of different files that can be disastrous to the Directrix,” Kendric said.
“Why?” I asked again. “He’s your son. You shouldn’t be asking me to kill him!”
“I’m not asking you,” he said, leaning forward to get right in my face. “I’m commanding you. We just thought that since you’re already close to him now, it’d be easier to kill him.”
“I’m not doing it,” I said, shaking my hand.
He ignored me. “And judging by how close you two got in the woods a couple of times, you should be able to get close enough,” he said.
“I’m not hurting anyone I love,” I said through my teeth.
“You wouldn’t be hurting him,” he said, smiling. “With the way you kill, they’re dead within a few seconds. No pain at all.”
“I…”
“And either way, whether you do it or not, he’s going to be killed. You can be assured,” he said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, if you don’t kill Kade, we’ll have to send in a special team,” he said. “And I can’t promise anyone else won’t get hurt, including you.”
“You mean you’ll hurt even more people if I don’t kill him?” I asked.
“That’s it,” he said, smiling. “I think you’re getting it now.”
I looked down, saying nothing. A tear fell from my face and landed on my tank top.
“Now,” he said, standing up and walking toward the door. “You know what you have to do. I’ll arrange to have all of your things brought to you and then you’ll be released in the morning. With Rowan, of course.”
I looked up, but I could only stare at him. The two Guards that had walked me here went out ahead of him, holding the door open. He winked, smiled and walked out of the room.
It was completely silent for a moment, and then the remaining two Guards started toward the door. One of them stopped at me and started undoing the restraints, not even taking the chance to look at me.
He didn’t look that old. Maybe a year or two older than me. He had light brown hair and dark green eyes when he actually looked at me.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
He looked up at me, startled that I was talking to him directly. “Roth,” he said, and then went back to undoing the restraints.
“Roth, would you do it?” I asked. “Would you kill the one you loved or not?”
“I’d do anything to keep myself alive,” he said, and helped me stand up. My knees where shaking.
“But what if they were one of the only things that kept you alive?” I asked, tears running down my face.
He looked at me, a sad expression on his face. “I’d do whatever it takes to keep them safe and not myself,” he said. “Because I would be willing to die if I knew there was a chance that they’d be safe.”
I smiled a small smile. “You don’t seem like the normal Directrix Guard,” I said.
He leaned in close to me. “I think it’s because I’m the only one who feels for the people who are hurting,” he whispered. “And I know what you’re going through. They’re hurting someone I love, too.” He turned then, without giving me any time to respond, and walked out of the room.
The other Guard glared at me. “Let’s go,” he said.
“And you’re the typical Guard,” I mumbled as I passed him.
We went down the same way we did coming up here. But when I looked out the glass window looking out around the city, everything was getting dark. And just like before with the elevator, it only felt like a few seconds until we were back down where they were holding me. Roth opened the door and I walked in. Right as he was about to shut it, I knew they were probably forgetting something.
“Aren’t you going to strap me to the bed like before?” I asked.
“That wasn’t our orders,” he said, and closed the door.
I was alone again in the cell. I turned toward the bed and was caught completely off guard. All of my equipment was lying there. My jacket and vest with the messenger, tracker and earpiece were all in their places. My two guns were lying there also. I did have to say I wasn’t expecting them to be sitting there. And the best things I saw were my knives. I was relieved that Loryn hadn’t taken them for herself.
And if they let me out right now, I’d go find her and…
I heard the messenger beep then, and I searched for it inside my vest. But when I felt into one of the pockets, I found my necklace. My hand went to my neck. I hadn’t even realized that I didn’t have it on. I unclasped the chain and put it on, feeling so much better when I did. It was like it calmed me down from everything that had happened only minutes earlier.
I put everything on, and then lay down on the bed, even though I was going to be too uncomfortable to sleep. But that wasn’t the case, since I was out within seconds.
“What happened?” Rowan asked. We were sitting in the field and there was no sign of the shadow. “They haven’t done anything to you, have they?”
“Other than telling me I have to kill Kade?” I asked.
“What?” she asked, her eyes wide. “That’s the guy you’re with right?”
“Yeah,” I said, tears coming to my eyes. “I guess I never really told you the entire story about him, have I?”
“No, you haven’t,” she said.
“We’ve been best friends our entire lives. Well, besides the last seven years,” I said. “We both thought the other was dead after they bombed our school seven years ago. But then about a week and a half ago, he walked into the clearing I always went to behind my house. I didn’t know it was him then, though. I just thought he was some guy.”
“But he wasn’t,” she said.
“Nope,” I said. “He was Kade. He didn’t decide to tell me who he really was until after we kissed.”
“And by the way you just said that, I’m sure that was a kiss you’ll never forget,” she said, smiling.
I laughed. “Oh, no. I’ll never forget any of them,” I said. “But we weren’t friends again until after I had a fight with him and I nearly died when I landed on one of my knives and it punctured my lung.”
“How did you get it fixed?” she asked.
“Peyton,” I said. “She’s a genius with all kinds of plants. She makes medicines that work better than the old antibiotics did.”
“Interesting,” she said. “But go on. What else happened with Kade?”
“Well, it was after we came to get you,” I said. “He’d walked off one night and I went to go follow him. He was telling me everything about how much he loved me and wanted to be with me. But I didn’t feel the same about him at the time.”
“What changed?” Rowan asked. “I mean, something had to, right?”
“It was when we stopped in that little town a little ways away from the Directrix,” I said. “I thought he and Loryn had a thing since he was in her room without a shirt and she was lying on the bed.”
“Oh, that doesn’t sound too good,” she said.
“Let’s just say a lot of things were said after that,” I said, looking down. “He actually sat outside my door and waited for me to come out. He fell asleep, of course.”
“That’s sounds adorable,” she said, laughing.
“Especially since he had his shirt off,” I said, and she laughed again. “But I went to sleep and, when I woke up, he was sitting beside my bed looking at me. We talked…and then I told him I loved him not in the friend way and kissed him. That’s pretty much it.”
“I can’t wait to meet him,” she said. “I mean, I’ve seen him, but I really don’t know what he’s like. I think I should be able to approve my sister’s boyfriend, right?”
“Right,” I said. “You know, I think I’m going to like having you around in real life.”
“I think I am, too,” she said. And then she laughed. “Actually, I’d like anything. I just want to get out of that cell.”
“They told me that they’ve had you for seven years,” I said.
“I don’t know, but that’s probably right,” she said. “I lost track of time in here.”
“I don’t blame you,” I said. “Well, if it helps any, you turned seventeen a few days ago.”
“Really?” she asked. “I’m that old already?”
“It helps to have an identical twin sister with the same birthday as you, doesn’t it?” I asked, laughing.
She smiled. “Yeah, it does,” she said. “Now, why do they want you to kill Kade?”
My smile dropped. “You’ve got to get back on that subject, huh?” I asked.
“You need to talk about it,” she said. “And I have a feeling that I’m the only one you’re going to be able to talk about it with.”
“Probably,” I said, agreeing. “His dad…”
“Kade’s dad?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Yeah,” I said. “Kendric Slayter is Kade’s dad. He’s head of the Directrix. We thought he’d died in the bombings, but apparently not. He was the one who ordered them all.”
“Is there anything else about all of this that’s worse?” she asked, a worried look on her face.
“There’s something worse, I think,” I said.
“What?” she asked.
“Our family was the ones who created all of this,” I said.
“All of what?” she asked. “The Directrix?”
I nodded. “Yeah, both of our great-great-grandfathers were the creators, and then our great-grandfather took over after them. Our dad would have been over everything, but he refused to do it.”
She sat back. “So, in a way, we are responsible for all of this?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “In a way.”
“So that’s why they want you to kill Kade?”
“No, it’s because apparently he’s been sneaking around collecting important information about the Directrix. His dad doesn’t want him to be able to do any with it that could do something.”
“Like destroy the Directrix?” Rowan asked, her eyebrows pulled together.
“Slayter said that everything would go up in flames. I don’t know if that’s metaphorical or not,” I said.
There was a slight breeze in the field then, something that never happened before. And then the shadow was right there with us.
“You two both better wake up,” it said hurriedly.
“What?” I asked, looking up at it.
“What’s going on?” Rowan asked.
“Just both of you, wake up. Now,” it said, and disappeared.
I did what the shadow told me to do and woke up. I was still lying on the bed with all of my gear on and nothing else had changed.
There was a beep from my vest, and then another. I reached into one of the pockets and pulled out the messenger. There were tons of messages from Kade, Xander and Peyton on the screen. All asking what happened, where I was, and then finally, just telling me to please answer. Even though it was only text on a screen, I could tell what they were feeling from it.
But when I tried to message them back, I couldn’t. It wouldn’t let me type anything on the screen. I turned it over, and then saw scratches the back that weren’t there before. They’d obviously tampered with it.
I took out the tracker and looked at it. The same kinds of scratches were on it. And when I tried to turn it on, it wouldn’t. I took out the guns and checked them. All of the bullets were missing.
The one thing that they didn’t touch was my earpiece. They probably didn’t find it, since I’d put it in the inside pocket of the vest. I took it out and turned it on. It seemed to still work, so I put it in my ear and waited to hear something.
“Hello?” I asked. I felt kind of stupid. It’s not like Kade or Xander would…
“Rayney?!” Kade yelled. I had to pull the earpiece out of my ear because he was so loud, but put it back in when I could hear again.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Thank God! Are you okay? They haven’t hurt you or anything have they?” he asked.
“Not physically, no,” I said, remembering what his dad – his dad – told me I had to do to get safely out of here with Rowan.
“Okay,” he said. “Just stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.”
“I kind of can’t get out of a cell that’s being watched by two Guards outside the door,” I said. “And what do you mean you’re coming to get me?”
“I’m in Central Headquarters, where they took you,” he said. “I didn’t know Loryn was…”
“Trust me,” I said. “I didn’t know she was a part of this either. She knows exactly how I feel about it, by the way. We had a long discussion about me killing her.”
He laughed and it made me smile. “Sounds like you,” he said.
I could hear something over his frequency. A strange popping sound. “Kade?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” he said. “There were just a few Guards in the way. There’s not anymore.”
“Please, just be careful,” I said. “I don’t want you…”
“Rayney, nothing’s going to happen to me,” he said, cutting me off. “I’m more worried about you.”
“Kade?”
“Yeah?” he asked.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “I love you,” I said.
“I know,” he said, laughing. “I love you, too.”
“Please, hurry,” I said. “I don’t know what’s happening with Rowan. We’ve got to go get her quick.”
“Do you know exactly where she is?”
“Yeah, they told me,” I said.
“They told you?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “I’ve got all of my gear back too, although this is the only thing that seems to be working correctly.”
I could hear more popping noises, only they were coming from outside my cell.
“Oh, no,” I said, backing up toward the bed.
“What?” he asked, breathing heavy.
“Something’s happening!”
There were more popping sounds from outside, and then something slammed into the door loudly, making me scream.
“They’re coming to get me!” I cried. “They know that I’m talking to you!”
“Rayney,” Kade said. “Don’t panic…”
But then the door swung open.