January 4th, 2019
Standing outside in the torrent of snowfall, there is but one thought in my mind. My hands are bound and Gideon's beside me, and three men, soldiers, wait with us, guns primed and ready. Our mission won't really begin until we've entered, until we're taken captive again, but in my mind I'm ready. We've worked hard and worked fast to get here and our focus has been clear. This is our chance, the only one we may get and I am fully prepared to do what it takes. Eden Laboratories stands before us, a behemoth of metal and cement and glass against the white backdrop.
We've trained, we've planned. We are as prepared as we can be. Gideon gives the soldiers the signal we've practiced and they start us down the hill to Eden's front door. My mind reflects over the last few weeks, and all that Donner has taught us. So much of what we're about to do relies on our mental strength, more than the physical abilities we possess, but more than that, we will need to be patient. Not a strength of mine, I know.
We arrive at the doors and one of the guards presses the comm button, and a few seconds pass before a voice echoes through the intercom box.
"Eden Labs, how can we help you?"
"We need to speak with your director immediately." The soldier responds.
"What is this concerning?" The voice asks, a little too chipper, a little too bright.
"...We've got something that belongs to you folks."
There is silence for a moment, then a shuffling, whirring sound and I glance up to see one of the mounted security cameras swinging in our direction. It pauses, then twists back and the voice returns.
"...One moment, please."
A few seconds pass, and then there is a click and a buzz and the door swings open. Getting past the door... that was our first challenge. It's a small triumph, but a triumph we'll take.
The guards usher us inside and the voice over the intercom chimes, the brightness gone, "Wait here, please."
Several minutes pass, and to quell my anxiety, I inch carefully, discreetly closer to Gideon's side. I feel his shoulder brush my own and while he says nothing I can almost hear him telling me to relax. To breathe. Finally, the doors opposite us open and through them I see her. The dark haired woman. Dana Jarr herself. She approaches and her lips, painted a dusty rose, tip in a smile too warm to be anything but phony. She looked to me, to Gideon and nods to the guards. Directly behind her, two guards stand at the ready and to her right, a mouse of a man waits, dwarfed by her height and her presence. His eyes remain focus, trained on the guns of the soldiers behind me and now and again he seems to twitch, anxiously.
"Thank you, gentlemen. This... well, this is quite the surprise. My lost little sheep. How glad I am that you've returned them to me. If you'll all follow my assistant, he'll see to it that you're properly compensated, for your... contribution to our organization. Thank you. Adam?"
The small, skinny man nods and gestures and Donner's men, lowering their weapons follow him through the door. Jarr's guards take their place and with a small smirk, she reaches out, pats my shoulder. I want to rip myself free of the binds and tear out her throat, but I clench my jaw, stand in place.
"Ms. Cruz... Mr. Bastian. Seven and nine... My, my... The prodigal babies, home again." Moving, she steps around us in a small, slow circle, before addressing her guards, "Take them below. I'll be down shortly... "
With a shove, we're pushed towards the door and moving forward, I can feel my chest knit as I'm reminded suddenly of our escape. Of all that happened that day. In my head I can see him, Alex, see the bullet crash into his chest, see him go over the railing. Then my mind twists, returns to visions of the press conference, of Alex standing beside the hateful woman we've just left. I know, inexplicably, what she plans to do with us... It isn't enough that she's made us what we are, she means to turn us into drones... to make us complacent and mindless. Sheep, she called up... little lost sheep, and to her, that is truly what we are.
In my head I remind myself of the mission, remind myself that this is exactly what we want, what we need to have happen. Soon enough, we'll be free of her for good, and so will the rest of the world. Dana Jarr will be a bad memory in the back of our minds, and she will never be able to hurt anyone again. This is the mantra I repeat as we are led down the stairwell, down the long, spiraled steps towards our prison, once more.
As we arrive at the foot of the stairs we're taken through an unfamiliar set of hallways, led into a room with several doors facing each other. The guards remove our bonds and I am pulled away from Gideon, pulled towards one of those doors. Inside is darkness, but through the darkness I can see a metal table. The lights flick on, bathing the room in an obtrusive white light, and the guard gestures to the table.
"Take your clothes off and sit. The doctor will be in shortly to see to you." The man says, his voice devoid of any emotion. I wonder idly if Dana hasn't made them her mindless puppets as well, but then I recall Cook and how blindly he followed, even knowing what Dana Jarr was capable of. The people she surrounds herself with, I find, are already so dangerously close to being animals, they hardly need the aid of genetic splicing. The conscience has been so thoroughly burned out of them that many of them, I'm sure, have convinced themselves they're doing the right thing...
Without saying a word, I undress to my undergarments and pull myself up onto the table. I'm reminded them of what we've escaped, of what we've come back to and for a moment, I hate that I made this my mission. But it's too late now, and even if it wasn't I wouldn't change it, not really. I need to be a part of this. Gideon knew that, and it was why he hadn't tried to talk me out of it. Not just for me, but for Alex. For what they did to him.
I'm not sure how long they make me wait, but when the door opens I am both surprised and not so surprised to see Doctor Lang standing in the doorway. He looks and me and smiles and I want to claw his eyes own, but resist the urge.
"Ms. Cruz, but my... is it good to see you home again." He says, and doesn't bother to disguise the way his eyes rove, slowly, over my form. I cross my arms over my chest, cross my legs. It all the dignity I will hold onto though, because I know he's been sent to examine me and indeed, a moment later, he steps forward, nodding to the table.
"Lay back, please."
"No thanks." I say, narrowing my eyes at him. A brow quirks, but he stays where he is.
"I'm sorry?"
"You heard me. No thanks. It hasn't been that long since we left. Nothing changed. You don't need to examine me and if you think I'm gonna let you touch me, you're crazy."
The doctor frowns, his eyes darkening, "I have my orders, Ms. Cruz."
"Then tell Jarr to shove it... Because it's not happening. You put so much as an eyelash on me, you sick son of a bitch and I will break every bone in your body, starting with your least valuable... And you know I can."
My eyes flicker downwards, pointedly and Lang steps back, swallows. I know what I've said hit him in the right spot. He postures for a moment, but I know I've won, even before he turns and stalks out the door again. I know it won't last, that eventually I'll have to resume the brokenness, the meekness of old... or else they'll have no reason to keep me there, but it feels good, in the moment. It feel so good that ludicrously, I can feel a smile creep to my lips.
My enjoyment, as I predicted, it short lived... A moment later, I hear a cry and there is no way to mistake the voice. Gideon. Bolting off the table, I move to the door. The handle won't budge and I can feel panic rising as I jiggle it, yanking to no avail.
"Gideon!" I scream through the glass window, but there's no reply. I pound on the door until my fists hurt, try to break the glass, but it won't shatter. Eventually, exhausted, I drop to my knees. One thought resonates in my mind. This is my fault. It has to be. This is Lang's doing, because I rebuffed him. It's not a mistake I'll make twice.
I don't know how much time passes, but eventually the door opens and a guard stands outside. I rise, and I can hear the hysteria in my voice.
"Gideon! Where is he?!"
The guard says nothing, only holds the door. I won't get any information from him. I imagine I'm not meant to. Following the guard, I'm led through the unfamiliar hallway to another set of stairs. This time, we go up. We climb for a while, and when we reach the top the guard gestures to the only door there is. Looking to him, I frown, but move, stepping through the doors.
Inside, I find him, standing before a desk. His back is slightly hunched, and he's holding his arm, cradling it. My heart thuds in my chest and I move quickly, approach him. Then I see her sitting behind the desk, shadowed by Gideon's tall form, and beside her... I can see Alex. He looks the same, and that thought ruins me. It rips me to pieces inside. Stepping up beside Gideon I try to meet Alex's eye, but he stares straight ahead, like a puppet. Like a shell.
"It seems..." Dana begins, and she has lost the jovial tone, her voice ice-like, venomous, "That you two have forgotten how this facility runs. I'm a little disappointed. It hasn't been that long. I would think you would possess the intelligence to remember the rules we operate under, here. I realized something, however... something that first presented itself as a theory to me the day you escaped. Something curious, unexpected, I guess you could say. We assumed you would have some... residual connections. You attended the same school, some of you ran in the same circle. But we hadn't anticipated your level of... loyalty, for one another until you tried to get out here."
Steepling her fingers to her lips, she smiles coldly, "Amazing, that you would be so apprehensive to fight for yourselves... but so willing to die for one another. It's a powerful thing, friendship, and as I discovered with my Sentry here... a magnificent motivator. And just about the easiest way to break any one of you."
Sitting back, she looks up to Alex, gestures and he moves to a small television screen in the corner of the room, pressing a finger to the power button. As the screen comes to live, I can see myself... inside the room. I can see myself screaming, pounding on the door. The screen splits and on the other side is Gideon, in much the same posture, slamming his arms against the window, pounding and pounding. The glass cracks...
Turning my eyes to Dana I frown, "You manipulated it. You made us think you were... You... you unbelievable bitch."
She laughs, but there is no humor in her eyes, which bore into mine, daring... threatening.
"I had suspected there might be a strong connection between the two of you. Thank you, for confirming as much. It makes this next part easier to explain when there's no pretense in the way. If you misbehave, if you step so much as a toe out of line... we will not hurt you. We will do nothing to you. Instead, we will inflict immeasurable pain on the person you love most. And we will broadcast it, this time, for real... force you to listen to every cry, every scream of agony... until you learn that I will be obeyed. Am I clear?"
My mind beats against the words, my heart pounding in my chest. I try, desperately not to look at Gideon, not to give anything away, but in my head all I can hear is the screaming... The lie of it felt so real, I cannot imagine, cannot fathom what the real thing would do to me. His expression is stone, but he clenches his fists so tightly I'm afraid he may hurt himself, then I realize I'm doing the same thing, have already dug my nails into the tender flesh of my palms. This was never a part of the plan. This was never even a thought in our minds, but suddenly it is staring us in the face and I know there is no way I will be able to do anything but follow orders.
In my mind I have to wonder if this is what she did to break Alex. My eyes flicker to him, but he stands, motionless, a rock, staring at Dana with diligence in his gaze. Then, for a second, only a second his eyes shifts, meet mine and the hatred I see there, the abject disdain is like a bullet in my gut. I knew it before but now it is painfully apparent. Alex is gone.
Madly, I want to reach across the desk and strangle the awful dark haired harpy. But now I know what the consequences would be and it's one look to Gideon that keeps me from moving. I have to remind myself that this is plan... this has been the plan all along. She has to believe she's broken us, she has to believe that she's won. Three weeks, I tell myself, that was the timeline we were given. And then we will take Eden and Dana Jarr down... hard. Three weeks has never seemed longer to me.
"Now..." Dana continues, and I force myself to look at her, "...Trusting that there won't be any further issues, I'd like to begin right away."
"Begin what?" I ask, trying to keep my voice even... failing.
"Your conditioning, my dear. You didn't think you were going to come back here, after escaping, and be allowed to roam about without consequences for your previous escapades, did you? No... we will be ensuring absolute obedience this time. You are precious to me, my dear girl... and I cannot run the risk that you might try and run off on me again. Sometimes, when a dog keeps trying to escape the only way to stop it... is to inflict enough pain that it will think twice before going near the border of the yard, again."
I swallow and my eyes move to Gideon, but he isn't looking at me, he's looking at Alex and I know what he's thinking. They'll do to us what they did to him. I only pray that it took longer that three weeks, or there's no way we will survive any of this. And for the sake of not just the others who escaped, but for the sake of so many more who will be taken in and tricked by the idea of Dana's despicable scientific methods, we have to survive. We have to succeed.
"You may go..." Dana says, with a small smile, "But the guards will be by shortly, to begin your treatment. Sleep well, my little pets."
Moving to the door, I finally catch Gideon's eye, but he shakes his head and I understand. We won't have the luxury of planning... We're on our own. Outside of Dana's office the guards arrive and we do not fight as we are led through the facility to our cells.
The next day dawns as so many have in the past. The sound of the horn, blaring through the speaker in my sell. I sit up and groan, rubbing my hands over my face, but I remember immediately the warning Jarr gave us and pull myself upright. I won't see Gideon punished. Not for my sake. Slowly, still half asleep I stand before my door and wait for the guard to pass. But some things, it seems have changed. Instead of the guard, the door swings open and I hear Jarr's voice over the intercom, chipper and alert.
"Morning, my dears. Please head up to my office. I have a special gift for you! And do try to hurry..." I step into the hallway and Gideon is there. He meets my gaze and shakes his head, and together we make our way through the many halls and doors and finally to the stairwell that will lead us to the top floor, to where Dana Jarr's office waits. As we climb the stairs, I hazard to take Gideon's hand and he gives mine a squeeze. It doesn't matter. They know we're together and for the moment, I need him. Just for the moment. But as we reach the office doors he releases me and I slip my hands into the pockets of my sweatshirt before step inside.
"Excellent..." Dana sits behind her desk. She is dressed in charcoal grey today, her dark hair pulled back in a severely tight bun, her lips almost purple. She smiles and gestures to the two chairs sitting before her. Alex isn't there and for that, I am glad. Moving in tandem, Gideon and I sit.
"So glad to see we're in a listening mood thing morning." She purrs, and I want to reach over the desk and scratch her eyes out, "I was concerned after our little talk last night that you might not be so receptive to the new rules... but it appears I misjudged your level of commitment. Anyway, as I said, I've got a gift for you."
Reaching into her desk, she pulls out two vials. Inside is a shimmering blue liquid I recognize immediately. From how he tenses beside me, I know Gideon remembers it, too.
We called it 'Poison' ... and it killed the seventh, eighth and ninth of our group. It is a steroidal serum that is meant to enhance our abilities, our strength, our minds. In most of us, it just made us violently ill... or violent.
"Now. I realize last time you have some rather... diverse reactions to our little miracle drug, here. But I assure you, we've done some tweaking. I think you may like it this time around. Provided you survive it." She laughs, because to her it is a joke, and I can't help it. I rise from my seat and I lurch, but Gideon's hand slaps out, catches my wrist and he tugs me back into my chair, shaking his head.
He's right. It was foolish. But for a moment, for just a moment, I don't care. I want to hurt her... I want to hurt her, so badly, it's as if I've already swallowed the vile formula. But then I remember what happens when I break the rules... and I know that no matter how deep my hatred for Dana Jarr, I cannot... will not do that to Gideon. And she knows that as well...
The smile doesn't fade, not for a moment.
She's won. For now.
But it won't last. I won't let it. Eventually, she'll make a mistake, let down her guard and then we'll strike. Hard and fast. And she and Eden both will fall.
Leaning forward, she holds out the vials, "Here you are, my lovelies. Drink up. Enjoy."
Looking to Gideon, I frown, but he already has the top of the vial off and he puts it to his lips. Because I trust him, because I trust that he knows better than I do, and because he is the leader of this mission, I follow suit. I swallow the bitter, vile liquid, feel it burn it's way down my throat, sticking to the roof of my mouth. I gag, but pull myself together and I can hear Dana Jarr moving, leaning back in her chair. Gideon fairs better, but I can see his eyes redding, can see them watering.
"Excellent..." She says, and I hear her stand. She moves around the desk and her hand presses down, grips my shoulder. I flinch. I want to reach up and break each one of her fingers, but I resist, and when she leans in close I fight the shudder as she whispers. "So easily, I can kill you both and you won't even see it coming. Remember that, Ms. Cruz. Remember that I own you... both of you. And if you so much as look at me wrong, I will snap his beautiful neck."
She straightens and I can feel the anger surge within me, but I stay in my seat. I have to stay in my seat.
"Now that that's taken care of, you may return to your cells. When I have need of you, you'll hear me call." Waving her fingers, she slinks back behind her desk and sits, "Toodles, my darlings."
I stand and already I can feel my legs begin to shake. Gideon rises, reaches out, steadies me and he leads me to the door. Outside of her office, I turn to him, but he holds a finger to his lips. We're monitored... even here. We have to be careful. Gesturing he leads me forward, down the stairs. When we're halfway to our destination, only then does he pause. It's a break, in between the cameras. We need to whisper, but we won't be overheard, so long as we're quick.
"She's insane!" I hiss, glaring up the stairwell, "She knows what this stuff did to us before! She's trying to kill us."
"She's trying to crack us, Charlotte. Don't let her. We got through it once, we'll do it again. Are you with me?" He asks, and I know he doesn't mean just now... but in all of it.
"I'm with you..." I whisper, nodding, and I take his hand, continuing with him down the stairs, through the halls and doors and back to my cell, where reluctantly, I release him and he leaves me...
As I lay back down on my cot, I can feel the Poison leaking through my system, I can feel the effects beginning to take hold. My hands begin to shake and my heart pounds faster and faster, until I can hear it in my ears, feel my pulse in my neck, my wrists, my head. The anger is there, the sudden, unquenchable fury. Like bloodlust. But also a conscious fear, because I am still very much aware that Dana Jarr has a plan for all of this, and I am terrified that she means for us to succumb to the desire, to kill each other.
But I'm reminded of something I was told once, long before I realized it would ever actually apply to me directly, that a war can only be fought with opposition. So long as one person stands against the enemy, the battle isn't over. Whatever she does, whatever she plans to do, and however she tries to take us down, so long as one of us still stands to oppose her in the end, she will fail... she will fall. If it comes to a head and I am forced to come up against Gideon, I will let him have it... because to beat Dana, I don't need to survive, I only need to make sure Gideon does.
The symptoms seem only to compound as I lay still, so instead I rise and pace my cell. Back and forth, back and forth. My hand clench and unclench, my heart slams against my chest.
The door opens, suddenly, unexpectedly and I spin towards it. In the frame is a man I've never seen before, tall and dark, with piercing blue eyes that watch me as I turn towards him. When he speaks, his voice is gravely and deep.
"...Names Lucas Idrium. How are you feeling?"
"...How do you think..." I growl, and my hands unroll as I face him fully, waiting for him to move, waiting to make my move. At his side he has a long metal rod, like something resembling a tuning fork. I didn't notice it before, but spot it as he steps further into my cell.
Lucas tips his head from left to right, his neck cracking, and slowly, he smiles. His teeth are white and straight, but there's something shark-like in the look, something primal.
"When Ms. Jarr assigned you to me, I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled. I've read Dr. Lang's notes... your bio work. I was less than impressed. But seeing you now, in person... hmm." He licks his lips and I step back, staggered by the expression he gives.
"Assigned to me?" I ask, narrowing my eyes, "For what, exactly?"
Grinning, Lucas shrugs, "My mate."
Shifting, I straighten, every muscle tensing, tightening, "Oh, like hell. That's not happening!"
"You seem to be under the impression that this is optional. Why do you think she took you back in? Your part of the experiment... it was done. You were nothing but trash, and she was waiting for garbage day, so she could get rid of you. But now? Well... you've give her the opportunity to try a whole new experiment without wasting any of her valuable merchandise." He steps forward and I move back again, but I'm running out of space.
"You touch me, and I'll rip your head off..."
"Oh, ho... Sweetheart. You ever even kill a man, before? I have... plenty. It's not as easy the first time. But you wanna give it a go, bring it on."
Hatred courses through my veins. I know that it is the Poison, and I know that this must be a test, but my feet move of their own volition and I leap at him, like the feral beast inside of me. Swiftly, and before I can remember it's there, the pronged stick rises and I feel the shock of about five-thousand volts slam into me. There is no comparable pain. I drop, hard, first to my hands and knees, but when they won't hold my weight, I fall prone. My nerves scream, and every motion, even breathing exacerbates the pain, ten fold. Rolling onto my side, I grit against it, try to move, but I can't... and I hear him laughing, as he bends down beside me.
"Stupid bitch. Walked right into that, didn't you..." He smirks, and his fingertips glide along my jaw, "I could take you. Right now. And you couldn't do a damn thing about it... could you. But where's the fun in that? I like a fight in my girl... But make no mistake, Charlotte. That's what you are, now. Mine. Don't worry though, we got plans for Bastian, too. Seen your buddy, Alex?" Grinning, he rises to his feet, "Jarr wants the bookend... Plans to make Gideon part of the act."
My eyes narrow, despite the pain in my head, "You won't break him..." I hiss.
"Don't you get it? She already has. She broke us all, Kid. And the two of you, you're not exceptions... Not even close. You'll do what you have to... just like the rest of us. Cause that's what it takes to stay alive. And in the end, that's all that matters... staying alive." Frowning, he looks down at me, hands on his hips, "I'm gonna do what I need to do, Charlotte. You don't wanna die? I suggest you do the same. I'll be back later. Smells like burnt hair in here..."
He turns and walks out, but I don't move. I'm not sure I can. Eventually, the door to my cell swings shut and the room goes dark and I'm able to crawl to my cot, drag myself onto it. Everything hurts, but the pain sharpens my mind. Before we thought that we were the only ones, but now... now I know there are others. Others that we can use... others that we can turn. They follow Dana because they think they have no choice, but if we can bring them to our side, if we can convince them there's hope... maybe we won't even need to wait three weeks.
It isn't much, but it fills me with the hope I need. Lying there, my nerves begin to twitch and I try to control my thoughts, to focus, only then I think of Gideon and my mind revolves around what Lucas has told me. If she plans to turn him, the way she did Alex, I know that Gideon will die before he allows it to happen, but that brings me no satisfaction and certainly no joy. Furthermore, there is no way I will ever allow Lucas to touch me. It might be our only chance, moving the plan's timeline, and it has to work, or it will be our end.
Some time later, my limbs begin to retain some sense of feeling and while I am grateful that the near paralysis is gone, the pain remains. Still, in the darkness, worn from the effects of the Poison, I find myself drifting, slowly drifting off to sleep.
I wake the next morning feeling drained and sore, the sound of the horn shooting through my pounding skull. I try to roll from the cot, but my stomach roils and I lay back down with a groan. I know I have to move, I know if I don't what comes next is much worse, but my nerves feel as though they are on fire and every motion makes the nausea worse. Suddenly, the door to my cell opens and I look up to see Alex, standing over me. I feel my heart jump and try to quell my anxiety, but in so much pain, I cannot think. Stepping closer, he kneels by the side of my cot and when he reaches out I flinch, but then his hand grazes my cheek, so softly, so tenderly that I am struck dumb.
"...Oh, what have they done to you, my love..." He whispers, his fingers brushing hair from my eyes. I want to recoil, to pull away, but I am stunned, frozen in place by confusion, by shock, "When I heard it was you... that they'd found you and brought you back, I felt so selfish... but I was glad, Charlotte. I was so glad. You cannot know how much I missed you. You... you have been all that has sustained me, these few months..."
His words break my heart. How did I not see this? How could I not know? It hadn't even occurred to me that he might somehow be tricking Dana Jarr into thinking she's beat him. I gave up on him, and with barely any thought at all. But then I remember his face at the press conference, I remember the way he looked at me in Dana's office and the confusion intensifies.
"Alex, I... I don't understand. How... ? How are you even alive?"
Sitting back on his heels, he shakes his head, "I wish I knew. I thought I was gone, Charlotte. But then I woke up... I woke up with this swarm of doctors around me and all these machines hooked up to me. I was scared, Charlie . I was terrified, and I kept asking what happened, but no one would tell me anything. I still don't know the whole story. All I know is what they put me through afterwards, Charlotte... I... I can't let you go through that. You have to listen to them. You have to follow orders and obey and do whatever they ask. Or they will do to you what they did to me. And I can't... I can't see you go through that."
Shifting, I rise up onto my elbows. There's something about those words, about the timing of them, that strikes me as odd. So soon after Lucas came to visit, and said much the same thing. So soon as Dana's threats to hurt Gideon if I fail to listen. It feels so forced, so unreal...
"...I can't do what they want me to do, Alex. You have to know that. They... they've got some sick plan in mind to use me... for... for breeding or something..."
"Dana thinks the splicing will transfer, genetically."
"She's psychotic. Even if it does work, she can't just... force us to... No, Alex. I won't. I won't do it."
Frowning, Alex straightens, rises to his feet, "...Not even for Gideon?"
There's something in his tone, something that hits hard, sits wrong. His expression is hollow, and there's a bitterness in his gaze, a coldness. I realize then the mistake I made, and so easily, too. Too easily. This was the act, not the man he was beside Dana. They had changed him, so much so that he was only too willing to play me, to get me to acquiesce.
Straightening, I narrow my eyes at him, "...How long did you fight, Alex? Did you fight? Sounds to me like you gave up before you even tried. Or did you not have to? Is this... is this who you were the whole time?"
He laughs, softly, cooly, "Oh, they worked me over real good, Charlie . You ever been defibrillated? I have... sixteen times. That's a hell of a shock to the system, lemme tell you. Once or twice, they did it while I was alive. And that? That's just the tip of the iceberg. Best part was when they put me in the box... It's pretty much what it sounds like. Big black cube of a room, no door, except the hatch they lower you in through, no windows... not a damn light. Nothing except you and the dark. Kept me there for weeks. You know you can live... over twenty-one days without food? I didn't... till they made me. But the thing that broke me, Charlotte... the thing that drove me over the edge were the bodies. They kept them, Charlotte. The other kids... all of them. Preserved, like little puppets. And they put me in a room with them. Locked the door... Left me there for a few days."
I swallow, and my gaze falls. I know I'm not to blame, that Eden is responsible for everything that happened to him, but I cannot help but feel the guilt as he lays out his torment. I left him. Maybe I thought he was dead, but the fact remains, I left him... and I think he knows how this will eat at me, because when he finishes he straightens again and smiles.
"Hard to hear, isn't it? But that's the funny part. Afterwards, even after knowing what they did to me, I still believe in this mission, Charlotte. We were fools to fight them before. We had no idea what they were trying to accomplish... They're gonna change the world. Don't you see that?"
"What I see, Alex.. .is that you've lost your mind. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have left you. I should never have left you."
"Doesn't matter. You're here now, and you can make it right. Except you still think you can fight them, don't you. You still think that you can break free. My God. I may be crazy, but you? You're delusional..."
"Maybe I am, but I'm not giving up... Not like you did. God, Alex... Everything they did to you. How could you..."
"What choice did I have? And I wonder, Charlotte... how easy these questions would be for you, if you didn't have Gideon. How long did you wait, before you went running to his arms. It's funny, I'm not him... Alex. I don't ever wanna be again... He was weak and pathetic. But I still have his memories, and I know what you were to him. It's why it was so easy to get into your head the way I did just now. But you? You weren't gone three months and you're already shacking up with Crocodile Dundee... Must've really cared about dear old Alex to mourn him for so long."
"Shut up!" I shout, because as much as he might be right, I won't let him have it... this moment, I refuse, "Gideon and me? That's none of your damn business! But for your information, nothing happened between us until I saw you at the press conference and I knew for sure my Alex was dead! Only then, I thought Dana was the one who killed him. But it wasn't her... it was you."
Grinning, he crosses his arms over his chest, whistling through his teeth, "Damn. I see why he liked you so much. Hmm. Sad thing is, all that fight... it's such a waste. You won't win, Charlotte. You'll go down the same way everyone else has, who's tried to stand up to Eden."
"At least I'll go down with a fight.."
The smile faded and shook his head, moving towards the door, "We'll see about that...."
As he walked out, I held myself together, but as the door closed I could feel the tears as they found their way, of their own volition, down my cheeks. He was really gone. For the first time since I'd seen him take that bullet to the chest I could confirm it. My Alex was dead, and it didn't look like there was going to be any chance of bringing him back. Never before had I wanted to kill Dana Jarr more than I did now. Three weeks was too long... that much, I was sure of. Lucas Idrium has told me that he'll be back. I'm counting on it. I need recruits, and if I can't get those... well, I'll settle for beating the slimy creep's head in.