Exposed (10 page)

     “You’ll see him again, Alyson. We’ll both see our dads again. I just have no idea how or when.”

     “We need to put our minds together. There’s got to be some way to get out of here.”

     “If there is, we’ll find it. Try moving your wrists back and forth. The leather’s kind of old and dry. We should be able to stretch it enough to slide our hands out if we keep working it,” Cassie said. 

     “We have nothing to lose,” Alyson said, rubbing her wrists violently against the restraints. “I’m getting friction burn. This better work.”

     Alyson felt the heat radiate to her hands.

     “Keep trying,” Cassie said. 

     “I’m working it, but these straps are too tight. My wrists are starting to bleed,” Alyson said, cringing in pain.

     “We have to do something. We can’t just lay here waiting to die or get rescued. I’m going to keep trying. If I get loose, I’ll open yours,” Cassie said, refusing to give up.

     “I can’t let you do it alone. We’re in this mess together. Give me a few minutes and I’ll try again,” Alyson said, feeling guilty for stopping.

     Adrenaline pumping, Cassie gave it everything she had. Twisting and turning until the chafing was unbearable. Her wrists raw, covered in blood, she pushed through the pain. She was on a mission to survive. Nothing was going to stop her.

     Nothing, that is, until Mr. Parker entered the room. Fortunately, he was preoccupied and didn’t notice the fresh red stains on the sheets. He barely even looked at the girls.

     His eyes scanned the room until he spotted the cracked slide he dropped earlier. Reaching to pick it up, the crimson stained tiles stopped him dead. He remembered Leonard -- lying there, pale and broken, life seeping out of him. His cold body pressed against the hard floor.

     The girls watched him, but said nothing. They waited quietly for him to leave. He didn’t. He stared at that spot until his knees collapsed, dropping him hard, next to the broken glass. Not thinking, he reached across the floor with his bare hand until a sliver penetrated his skin.

      He felt nothing as it pushed in further and further. He stared, trancelike, until Alyson’s cough broke the spell. He pulled the glass out, carefully picked up the remaining pieces, stood, and left the room. The girls were confused, but thankful he left without noticing them.

     “What do you think that was about?” Cassie asked, still trying desperately to free her hands.

     “I don’t know, but I’m glad he’s gone.”

     “I think he’s seriously losing it.”

     “Losing it? Losing it?” Alyson said incredulously. “He lost it the day he kidnapped us and strapped us to these beds.”

     “You know what I mean. He’s acting odd even for him. I think killing Leonard was his final break from reality.”

     “You may be right,” Alyson said, unsuccessfully trying to pull her hands free.

     “He’s never come into the room without doing something to us. What’s going to happen now?” Cassie said.

     “I don’t know. At least in the beginning we could have tried reasoning with him. I’m scared. Really scared. What do you think he’s planning?”

     “I don’t even want to think about it, Alyson.”

Chapter Fourteen

     For the next week, Mr. Parker performed increasingly more invasive tests on Cassie and Alyson. Each time weakening their bodies a little more. Their spirit remained strong as they struggled to survive, constantly trying to free their hands. Each time he left them alone, another opportunity, another chance for freedom.

     Jake worked diligently, following his father’s orders, trying to gain his trust. His hard work was just about to pay off.

     “I’ve got a new assignment for you, Jake. Since you’ve been doing so well preparing the slides, I thought you might like to try something more challenging.”

     “Like what?”

     “Meet me here tomorrow after school. You won’t be disappointed.”

     “I can hardly wait. Thanks, Dad.”

     Jake hugged his father, feeling a sense of relief knowing he would be able to save Alyson soon. All the long hours. All the endless slide preparations. They were about to pay off. His father was finally trusting him enough to go on to the next step.

     He left the building, tired, but filled with anticipation. That night, his mind raced, keeping him from falling asleep. All he could think of was rescuing Alyson and Cassie. He had no master plan, but felt confident he could make it up as he went along. The main thing was to ascertain their location.

     The next day in school, his eyes kept shutting as his mind drifted. He was exhausted, but eager to meet with his father. The hands of the clock seemed to be frozen in place. Time dragged like a young child getting ready for school. Finally, the last bell sounded and Jake raced out of the building, pushing one or two students along the way. He drove to meet his father, almost running two red lights. His brakes screeched as he approached the intersection.

     “Hey, watch where you’re going!” an old woman shouted, her groceries falling out of her hands. “You nearly ran me down,” she said as she picked up her apples and continued crossing the street.

     “Sorry!” Jake shouted out his half-opened window.

     When the light changed, he slowed his pace, slightly, trying to stay aware of his surroundings. He reached Genesis Biotech, pulled in to the parking lot, and exhaled slowly.

     “Just a little longer,” he said as he entered the building.

     Inside, Alyson and Cassie were making very little progress, but they continued trying.

     “Keep working those straps. We’ve got to get out of here.”

     Alyson and Cassie ferociously rubbed their wrists back and forth, loosening the leather a little each time.

     “It’s starting to open!” Cassie said, still trying to stretch it further.

     “Keep working it, Cassie. Bring your fingers in tight. See if you can squeeze out.”

     “Not yet, but it’s getting closer. I think I’m almost there.”

     “Keep trying. This is the first time I’ve felt hopeful since we got trapped here. We can do this. We can get away from this maniac.”

     “I won’t give up, Alyson. Not when we’re so close to freedom. We’re going to get out of here.”

     Cassie stopped moving when she heard the tumbler of the lock click.

     “He’s coming back! We were so close,” Alyson said in hushed tones.

     “Just stay quiet. Don’t move. We’ll try again after he leaves. I’m really close to getting my left hand free. It shouldn’t take too much longer.”

     Mr. Parker entered the room, but this time he wasn’t alone. There, standing next to him, was his son, Jake. Alyson’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the slender figure in a lab coat who stood before her. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Jake. With the man who was keeping her prisoner.

     She wanted to say something, but words wouldn’t form. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out. She felt like a complete fool for ever trusting him. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, but welled up without falling. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

     Jake saw her stretched out on the bed, leather straps binding her to metal guard rails. He caught a glimpse of her face, pale and strained, then quickly turned away. He could see the bruises on her body. Half-healed scabs from multiple bed sores.

     He wanted to scream at his father. He wanted to rip off the restraints, take her in his arms and never let go. He wanted to do so many things, but did nothing. He didn’t want to jeopardize Alyson or Cassie’s safety. Especially when he was so close to being able to help them.

     Jake noticed little droplets of blood dripping from the abrasions on Alyson’s wrists, but kept quiet. He looked over at Cassie and winked. He knew Alyson wouldn’t trust him, so he tried letting Cassie know he was on their side. He wasn’t sure if she understood, but he couldn’t say anything aloud. His father would destroy them all if he knew of Jake’s deception.

     “So, Jake. What do you think of my surprise?”

     Jake knew what he wanted to say, but that would be certain suicide. He looked over at Alyson, then stared his father straight in the eyes.

     “I’m speechless. What do you want me to do?” Jake asked, hands in his pockets to keep them from shaking.

     “I’m going to teach you how to obtain tissue samples. You’ve earned it after all your hard work in the laboratory.”

     Alyson bit her lip to keep from saying anything.

   
 
I can’t believe he’
s
working with his father. Was he just using me the entire time? Was I just a pawn in h
is
web of lies and deception? All those times we were together. Did they mean nothing to him? Two years. Two years we shared. How could he betray me like this?

     A lump formed in her throat, tears stinging her eyes.

   
 
No! He’s not worth it. He’s not worth my tears
.

     Alyson’s eyes turned dark, her jaw clenched. She shot Jake an icy stare that bore through him like a stake in the heart. He knew she didn’t understand, but she would soon.

     Jake’s father handed him a tweezer and a plastic bag.

     “What’s this for?” Jake asked, carefully taking the tweezer from his father.

     “I need new hair samples. The hair follicle must be intact so be sure to pluck it from the root.”

     “How many strands do you need?”

     “About ten should do it. Start with your old girlfriend, then do the other clone.”

     Jake cringed. He wanted to say they’re more than clones, but he didn’t dare. Jake walked over to Alyson’s bed, his back to his father, and mouthed the words “I’m sorry” before she shut her eyes tight.

     Jake placed the points of the tweezer close to Alyson’s scalp, sharply grasping a few strands as close to the roots as possible. With a quick yank, he tore several strands as Alyson winced in pain. He carefully dropped them in the bag, sealed it shut, and placed it in his father’s waiting hand.

     “Good job, Jake. I knew you could do it. Now do the other one. We need a comparison.”

     Jake, still clutching the tweezers in his hand, took another sample bag and with light steps, approached Cassie’s bed. She stared at him, pupils dilated, her body trembling as the tweezer came closer and closer. When the strands were ripped from her scalp, she clenched her fingers tightly, digging her nails hard into the mattress. Silent screams resonated in her head as she refused to show any fear. Seconds later, the deed was done. A burst of air escaped from her chapped lips. He sealed the bag, handed it to his father, and threw up in the corner.

     “Don’t quite have the stomach for this yet, huh? You’ll get there.”

     Jake didn’t want to tell his father he was sick to his stomach because of him. He was used to taking a back seat to his research, but this was different. He was different. He was no longer just a man driven by science. He had become something much worse -- an unrecognizable, unstoppable, amoral monster devoid of humanity.

     “Clean up this mess and I’ll be back in a little while for you. I’ll prepare these samples for analysis and then we can grab something to eat. We’ll talk while we munch.”

     “Okay, Dad,” he said, swallowing a little vomit.

     He popped a mint in his mouth to kill the taste and sat on the chair for a moment.

     “How can he be so casual?” Jake muttered to himself as the door closed behind his father.

     Jake grabbed some towels and mopped up the mess. He could feel the glower of anger and disappointment on the back of his neck. He was afraid to turn around, but knew he had to face them. They didn’t understand. Not yet anyway. Now was his chance to explain, but before he could get a word out, Alyson tore into him.

     “How could you? How could you betray me like that? How? I don’t understand! I thought we had something real between us.”

     Alyson paused for a moment.

     “I thought you loved me,” she said, her voice softening. 

     Jake grasped her bloodied hand.

     “I do love you. I’m sorry I took so long to realize that nothing matters except being with you. I never should have questioned what we had. What we have. I don’t care if you’re a clone. I wouldn’t care if you were a two-headed mutant. I love you, Alyson. I’m going to get you out of here.”

     Jake looked over at Cassie who was being remarkably quiet.

     “I’m going to get both of you out of here.”

     Cassie smiled weakly. Alyson, still distrustful, looked into Jake’s eyes, searching for some sign of familiarity. She wanted to believe him. Believe that he was her savior. Her knight in shining armor. She wanted to forget that it was his father keeping her there, torturing her. Forget that he stood next to his father, then ripped the hairs out of her head. She wanted to. More than anything, she needed to.

     “I know you need time, but we don’t have any right now. I’m sorry for hurting you.”

     “How can I ever trust you again? How can I believe what you’re saying is the truth? How do I know you’re not working with your father? This could just be a trick. A way to get us to talk. I can’t believe you, Jake. I want to, but I can’t,” Alyson said, pulling her hand away.

     She turned her face from his as her eyes welled up with tears. Jake didn’t realize till that moment how much he had hurt her. How deeply he cut and wounded the woman he loved. Even if she never forgave him, he still had to save her. Even if it meant risking his own life. Even if he had to destroy his father in the process.