Fadeout

Chapter 26: Jamar

  For Jamar, the morning after talking with Lemuel was a return to normal. Carlyle was back and they practiced sword fighting all morning. The afternoon was filled with science, economics, government, history and research for three essays that would be due by the end of the week. Since he’d been busy the last few days, Carlyle seemed determined to make up on everything they’d missed in a single day. Despite the hard work Jamar was relieved to have something to occupy his time. By the late evening he finished writing one of the essays and he went straight to bed.

  Early the next morning Jamar started writing his second essay before the sun was even up. Carlyle did not take late excuses. It had been a while since he had to keep up with Carlyle’s homework schedule. He was out of practice and it wouldn’t do to get too far behind.

  There was a knock at the door. It was too early for them to bring him breakfast and Carlyle would have more work for Jamar to do. Jamar considered saying ‘Don’t come in,’ but instead he said, “Come in.” He was in the midst of writing a sentence and kept his head down to finish it.

  The door opened and Jamar waited a second to check his grammar before glancing up. It was Lemuel.

  “Hard at work, I see,” he said with a slight smile.

  Jamar put his pen down and straightened his paper.

  “I’ve told Carlyle that he is to have the day off. There has been a new development I’d like you to take part in.”

  “Should I come now?” Jamar asked.

  “I would appreciate that. If you need extra time to finish your work I’ll see that you get it. Education is important, but the company has to come first.”

  Jamar fingered his night clothes. “I will change and be right down.”

  “Excellent. Meet me in the control room.”

  Lemuel left. The instant the door closed Jamar jumped up, threw his clothes on and ran a comb through his hair. He took the stairs at a jog and it was only when he reached the bottom that he wondered if this had anything to do with Silas. The thought jerked his step short and he paused. He wished he’d checked on the Carillians, but the Cartiam seemed quiet enough the day before that they were probably still drugged. When he entered the Machine room he was a bit relieved to see that it was empty.

  “Perfect timing,” Lemuel said. He pointed to a tray with bowls of oatmeal, and plates of eggs and fruit. “Help yourself. They should be here in the next ten minutes.”

  “Who?” Jamar asked, but before Lemuel could answer Foxworth buzzed on the intercom and Lemuel leaned over to listen. Feeling famished, Jamar scooped some eggs onto a small plate and shoveled them into his mouth. He was on his seconds when Lemuel clicked off the intercom, stood and stretched.

  “They’re early.”

  The double doors to the Machine room opened and Jamar stood to see who was being brought in. Tymas held a struggling girl whose hair covered her face and there were two guys, one was Silas. Jamar’s eyelids slid shut. His stomach squished around the eggs he’d just eaten and he no longer wanted anything else.

  “Last night,” Lemuel said. “While you and I were sleeping, these three broke out of the Cartiam and tried to escape to the mountains. We caught them easily enough and brought them back, but this escape was sooner than I planned.”

  “You wanted them to escape?”

  Lemuel smiled when he looked at Jamar. “It was your idea really and I knew you would want to be here when we tried it out.”

  Every single word Jamar had uttered in the last two days flew through his mind. He hadn’t suggested they let Silas escape and then capture him, had he? Sweat formed on his brow. He took a closer look at Silas. Compared to the other guy and the girl, who was undoubtedly Malina, Silas was unrealistically calm. Having freedom ripped from him was not enough to make his emotions break through.

  There was a short high-pitched note and then Lemuel’s voice said over the intercom, “If you tell me who helped you escape, I will let you live.”

  All three Carillians look up, but Silas’ gaze was aimed at the control room. Jamar realized the other guy was the same one he’d seen in his father’s office, Marius--no Marcus, that was it. None of them said anything. Marcus hung his head, but Malina glared up and pressed her lips together.

  “If you stay silent I will make you watch the Machine harvest the girl.”

  Silas stiffened and glanced at Malina.

  “We won’t tell you anything,” Malina shouted.

  “Yes, we will,” Marcus said. His voice was harder to hear through the wall, but it was still there. Jamar had to lean closer to the intercom to hear him.

  “Marcus, don’t,” Malina said. She strained against the guard holding her. “They can’t do anything to us that we don’t let them.”

  With a shake of his head, Marcus said, “There’s nothing we can do. There never was anything we could do. We will always be powerless, it’s better to give up while we have something they want.”

  “But you said we--” Malina was starting to shake.

  “I know what I said. I was wrong,” Marcus said and he took a step closer to the control room and the guard let him. “You said our deal was for me to convince them to escape and then I could go to the farms, but I want a new deal.”

  “What?” Malina stared at him in shock.

  “You set us up?” Silas asked. He looked from Marcus to the control room and back.

  “Our deal will remain as it was.” Lemuel let the words go one by one.

  Marcus shook his head. “No, I want to be taken to the farm today and I won’t talk until I’m there. You didn’t say anything about them approaching me. It all happened too fast. I tried to do everything I could to slow--”

  A sharp screech rattled the control room and Marcus never had a chance to finish his sentence. One moment he was standing and the next Malina had thrown him to the floor and was hitting him all the while screaming at the top of her lungs. Silas rushed to her and tried to wrap his arms around her, but she evaded him. He couldn’t hold her or get close enough for a proper grip. Her face was a bright red and even from where he was standing Jamar could see a vein in her forehead throbbing faster than he thought possible. She would not be reasoned with and kept punching Marcus in the face, chest and arms anywhere she could. It didn’t stop even when Marcus’ arms went slack and sprawled on the tile and his eyes rolled back in his head.

  A satisfied smile lit Lemuel’s eyes. “She’s ready.”

  “No!” Silas cried out. He tried to step between Tymas and his sister but Tymas pushed him back into the waiting arms of a Tirean guard. With the help of a third guard, an Ajax, Tymas grabbed Malina and dragged her to the metal table. It took a lot of effort, and the added aid from Foxworth, but they managed to strap her down and started to hook the Machine to her head. Malina screamed and shook so much that the headgear fell off, but they quickly reattached it.

  “Shall I begin?” Dr. Yeager’s voice crackled over the intercom. Jamar couldn’t see him, but from his angle he couldn’t see half of the room.

  “Start the film and see if it does the trick.” Lemuel clicked the button of the intercom and walked over to the food. He picked up a bowl of oatmeal and began to eat.

  Jamar couldn’t move. He could see Silas staring up at the control room and he wondered if Silas could see him. He’d promised Silas he’d take care of Malina, but she’d exploded and was ready to be harvested in a moment. She was already on the table there was not much Jamar could do now. A light from the overhead screen flashed across her face, but the Machine’s whine was still on neutral, it wasn’t able to collect anything even though her emotions overflowed. Tears and screams racked her body. They frightened him in a way the bear never would. She was uncontrollable. She needed help, but Silas would have her stay this way.

  What’s worse, he’d promised he would keep her from the Machine and she was already there. It wasn’t like the last time with Silas. She was ready to be harvested and she would make them money. No excuse would change her fate now. r />
  Jamar paced along the windows and he could feel Lemuel’s eyes watching him. He wasn’t sure how long he kept it up, but his feet started to hurt. Lemuel suggested he sit, only once though. He seemed content to eat and watch his son pace. Finally, Jamar settled at a spot where he could lean against the wall and see both Malina and Silas. Throughout it all Malina’s emotions never lessened. It wore Jamar out to watch it and made him feel raw and gritty.

  Yet seeing her thrash around like that also made him cold. Was he really saving her? Wouldn’t she be better, happier if she didn’t have to deal with it? Perhaps the best way to save her was to let the Machine do its job. Silas would disagree, but there might be nothing he could do now.

  The control room door opened to reveal Foxworth.

  “It’s not working.”

  Jamar wanted to sigh with relief, but Lemuel let out a small laugh. “They think they’re so smart. She has locked them away.”

  “What should we do?”

  “Find a way to unlock them.”

  Foxworth ran his fingers through his hair. “But how would I do that. It could be anything.”

  Lemuel turned to Jamar. “What do you think? What would this Car care the most about?”

  “I don’t know.” Jamar shrugged.

  “Just tell me the first thing that comes across your mind.”

  There was no way Lemuel would let him out of answering and he had to appear like he was trying to help. It occurred to him that the only answer he could give was one that they must already know. “Her family?”

  “They never use their family. It’s too obvious,” Foxworth said.

  Lemuel scratched the skin of his cheek. “Her brother is here. Bring him into her line of sight and we’ll see.”

  Foxworth nodded and returned to the Machine room.

  Placing back his empty oatmeal bowl, Lemuel stood and said, “Let’s go down. I want you to have a closer look at this.”

  A knot formed in Jamar’s throat and no matter how he tried to swallow it wouldn’t go away. He hoped he’d done the right thing.