I glared at him.
“A senior?” I put as much sarcasm into my words as possible. “But he never went to middle school, much less high school.”
“Neither did you,” Alec snapped.
“I went to middle school.”
Major leaned forward in his chair and rested his arms on his desk. “That’s enough, you two.” Something close to amusement flickered in his dark eyes.
“But, sir, if he pretends to be a student he can’t live alone. People will get suspicious.”
“He won’t be alone. Summers will pretend to be his mother.”
Alec leaned back, his legs stretched out on the wood floor in front of him. But behind his mask of relaxation, something was lurking. If I wasn’t mistaken, it wasn’t even directed at me.
“Agent Summers?”
Major nodded.
Summers. I had to admit, that was clever of Major. There wasn’t a better fit to make sure the habitants of Livingston weren’t suspicious of Alec and me. Her Variation—diversion—would surely come in handy. Of course, from a practical standpoint, she didn’t look one bit like Alec, nor did she possess a single motherly trait. With her underbite and broad shoulders, she looked like someone who enjoyed hanging around in shady bars and fighting scoundrels for money. And Alec . . . I allowed myself a sideways glance. Alec was Alec. Tall, tan, buff, black-haired, with his gray eyes and his chiseled jaw . . .
“They don’t look related.”
“Not all children resemble their parents. You, for example, look nothing like your mother.”
I shrugged. “Maybe I look like my father.” My tone of voice was petulant and one I didn’t usually use with Major. But my family was taboo. No one brought them up. Ever. And everyone knew that.
Alec straightened in his seat, his muscles tense.
Major considered my point. “Maybe. But that’s not important now. The only thing of importance is that you won’t be alone in this mission. Alec will be at your side. And Summers’s main job will be to divert the police’s attention. We don’t want them prying about too much. They don’t know what they’re doing, and this case is the FEA’s business. Especially if there’s Variant involvement.”
“Has Variant involvement been confirmed, sir?” I ventured.
“No, but I prefer to take all necessary precautions. Two of the victims show extremely atypical pressure marks around their throats. That’s our only lead so far.” Major scanned my face, then Alec’s. What was he looking for? “I hope this arrangement will guarantee the swift success of our mission.”
Major started pacing, his arms crossed behind his back. “Let’s go over our possible suspects again.”
“I thought we didn’t know anything conclusive about the murderer, now that he’s started killing men,” I said.
“That’s mostly true. As you may know, the profilers are still trying to narrow down the list of possible suspects. They told me that the killer is almost certainly a man and probably knew all four victims.”
That wasn’t helpful. Livingston was a small town; everyone knew one another somehow.
“Kate’s exploration of Mrs. Chambers showed that she isn’t involved, and neither is Madison’s aunt Cecilia or Madison’s best friend, Ana. As for the rest of her friends and family members, they’re all suspects unless proven otherwise—especially the men.”
“Why only men? I thought the women didn’t show signs of . . .” Alec glanced awkwardly at me. “ . . . sexual harassment?”
“No, they didn’t. We’re not dealing with a sex offender.”
“So why only male suspects?”
“Strangling someone requires considerable strength, and serial murderers are typically men. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t keep an eye on the women in Madison’s life, but I don’t want you to waste your energy on unlikely suspects. The killer might have gone to school with Madison or might be involved with the school in some capacity. After all, one of the victims worked in the high school and the other was a senior.”
Mr. Chen and Kristen Cynch.
“What about the first victim? Did she have any connection to the high school?” Alec asked.
“No, she was a pediatrician in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. The only possible connection is that she’s probably treated most of Livingston’s students since they were kids,” I said.
It was scary how in the dark we were. Anyone could be the murderer. So far the only connection was the A cut into the victims’ skin. “Does Madison have the same mark as the other victims?”
“Yes, above her rib cage just like the others.” Major cleared his throat and stopped behind his desk chair, hands gripping the backrest. “I think you should keep a close eye on Madison’s boyfriend, Tessa. He might be the only one who knew what was really going on in the last few months of her life.”
“A boyfriend?” Alec asked, incredulous. “You can’t expect Tessa to continue someone else’s romantic relationship.”
I glanced at him. Was he jealous?
“She won’t have to. As it turns out, Madison broke up with him a few weeks before the attack. That puts him very high on our list of suspects.”
“But what motive might he have for the other murders?”
“We’re not sure about that. But maybe he killed them without reason, and when Madison broke up with him he chose her as his next victim.”
“But why the A?” I asked.
“That’s for you to find out. The mission starts in two hours. Prepare yourself.”
My eyes snapped up to Major’s. “So soon?”
“Madison died half an hour ago. The doctors and the machines will keep the Chamberses believing that she’s alive. But we only have so much time until the first signs of death begin to show.”
I gave a numb nod. Why hadn’t I felt anything? Shouldn’t I have known when she died? After all, her DNA was part of me now. It was all that was left of her.
“Read the papers and be ready in an hour, Tessa,” Major said before he zeroed in on Alec. “I’d like to have a word with you.”
What did they want to discuss without me?
My feet carried me out of the room but my body felt like it was encased in a bubble. I barely heard the outside chatter, the laughter from the common room, and the music blaring from somewhere down the hall.
Holly froze when I came into our room.
“I have to go,” I managed. My legs, my entire body were numb. Since hearing the news of Madison’s death, it felt like the life had slid out of me too.
“How long will you be gone?”
“I don’t know. However long it takes.”
Holly just hugged me, for once not saying a word.
• • •
I pressed my face against the window of the car, remembering the evening more than two years ago when I’d sat in the same spot on my way to headquarters for the very first time. So much had changed since then.
My skin prickled and I sensed that Major was watching me.
The car glided to a stop. I reached for the door but Major’s words stopped me. “I know something is going on between you and Alec. I already spoke with him about it. Don’t let it endanger the mission.”
“There’s nothing . . .” I stopped myself. It would have been a lie and some people said Major could smell lies. It was just one of the ridiculous tales people spun about Major because they didn’t really know what he was capable of.
We stepped out of the car. My legs felt like jelly as I trudged into the hospital. The tightness in my chest grew with every step I took closer to Madison’s room. Voices echoed from the end of the corridor and my muscles began quivering.
I stumbled and Major grasped my arm. “Act natural,” he said under his breath. “They should have been gone by now.”
We walked through the corridor, closer to Madison’s parents, acting as if we had some good reason to be here apart from covering up the death of their daughter.
I busied myself with gazing at the checkered pattern
on the linoleum floor, but as we passed Madison’s room, my eyes found them: Ronald and Linda Chambers. Linda looked older than in the photos I’d seen—wearier, paler, her blond hair gathered in a messy ponytail. Ronald looked thinner and the gray streaks in the hair at his temples had spread. They clung to each other as they listened to the doctors spewing lies. I couldn’t hear the doctors’ words but I knew that whatever they were telling them was far from the truth.
The worst thing was the way their faces lit up with hope as the doctors spoke to them. They thought their daughter would recover, that they’d get her back; they didn’t know that only a few hours ago they’d lost her forever.
Suddenly, a sense of determination filled me. I’d find the monster who’d taken their daughter away from them. Even if I couldn’t give Linda and Ronald Chambers their daughter back, I could at least try to give them justice. We turned another corner and they disappeared from view.
Hawk-Face leaned against the wall a few steps from us. He straightened when he saw us. Major let go of my arm. I hadn’t even realized he’d been dragging me along.
“Why are they still there?” Major’s scowl made the man recoil.
“I’m sorry, sir. They should be gone any moment.”
“They’d better be.”
Major started pacing and I busied myself with counting his steps. His legs weren’t long but his stride made him look tall. Hawk-Face peered around the corner, then turned to us and gave a quick nod.
We walked back to Madison’s room, my mouth as dry as sawdust. Hawk-Face marched ahead and opened the door. Major beckoned for me to enter. There was no turning back now.
CHAPTER 7
* * *
The silence of the machines hit me.
No beeping.
No intake of breath.
I wished I had my iPod with me; anything to drown out the silence in the room. Madison lay on the bed. Nothing had changed—except for her missing heartbeat and the stillness of her rib cage.
“Can I have a moment?” I asked. The words sounded muffled, like they were spoken through a layer of cotton. Major hesitated. Did he have to question everything I did?
I set my jaw, keeping my focus on Madison as I waited for him to leave. When he finally did, I moved to her side. Her eyes were closed, as if she were asleep. I’d always thought that death would be ugly and ghastly and forbidding. Instead it masked itself with peacefulness and quiet.
I reached out, my fingertips stopping an inch from her hand, then closed the gap and touched her cold skin. I sank down beside the bed, my forehead coming to rest on the cool blanket beside her body. There was no sound.
The small ball of unease that formed in my stomach when I first heard about the mission had now turned into a pulsating fear beneath my skin. Looking at Madison’s still form, I was forced to confront the truth. A killer would be after me; someone who cut As into the skin of his victims, like an artist signing his work.
Just then, the door opened without warning. I stumbled to my feet, wiping away the tears that threatened to spill over my eyes. I wanted to snap at Major for giving me so little time.
But it wasn’t Major.
Alec gently closed the door behind him. I turned away and perched on the bed, my fingertips resting on Madison’s hand. Why was he here? Shouldn’t he be off saying goodbye to Kate?
He moved closer. “How are you feeling?”
“How do you think I’m feeling?” His eyes rested on me, kind and understanding, and I had to press my lips together to keep myself in check. I couldn’t risk breaking down now, in front of him.
“I know it’s hard for you.”
I stumbled to my feet. “How would you know? Are you about to lie to a family? Are you about to smile at them, laugh with them, all the while pretending to be their dead daughter? Do you have to look into their faces and see the joy of having their daughter back, all the while knowing that it’s all a lie?” More words threatened to spurt out; the truth of how scared I was, the worry over making a rookie mistake and ending up dead. But I swallowed them back. If Alec knew just how scared I was, his annoying protectiveness would only skyrocket.
Alec reached out to pull me into his arms but I pressed my palms against his chest. I didn’t want his pity, his consolation. He didn’t let go. The feel of his hands on my arms, warm and comforting, broke my resistance. I let him embrace me, let his woodsy smell envelop my senses, let it carry away some of the pain. I felt my pulse slowing with his touch, felt my muscles relax for the first time in days.
“Tess, nobody expects you to be perfect, to go through this mission like a machine. You’re allowed to be angry and frustrated. And you’re allowed to make a few mistakes.”
That was the one thing I couldn’t allow myself. A slip of the tongue, a single blackout of my Variation and the mission was over—or I’d end up with a wire around my throat.
His fingertips brushed my neck and I melted against him.
“You’re doing this for them too, you know? For Madison’s parents. You’re trying to catch the person who murdered their daughter. Don’t you think that counts for anything? This monster is roaming the streets, searching for his next victim, and you’re the key to finding and catching him. You have the ability to save lives. Just think about it that way.” He brushed back a wisp of my hair. “Everything will be all right. I’ll be there for you.”
How did he always find the right words to sway me? Or maybe it was the feel of his soft touch on my skin. Maybe both.
“Major is waiting,” he said eventually.
I nodded against his chest. Alec gave me a moment to gather myself before he opened the door and called everyone else into the room.
I avoided Major’s eyes but I didn’t miss the look he exchanged with Alec. Two men who looked like they belonged with the FEA approached the bed, though they could have been undertakers in their black suits and ties. They carried Madison’s body off, leaving the bed empty.
I looked at the imprint left by Madison’s body on the mattress. “Do I have to—?”
“We’ll change it,” Major said. A nurse hustled in and busied herself with the bed, stripping it clean and making it up with fresh sheets. She didn’t once make eye contact with any of us. After she’d finished with the bedding, she left without a word. Now it was only me, Major, and Alec in the room.
“Here, you should put this on.”
I took the hospital gown from Major, the fabric crisp and cold under my touch.
“Would you mind?” I glanced at the gown, then at the door. Major went first and Alec gave me an encouraging smile as he followed close behind.
With shaking hands, I put the gown on the bed and started undressing. This was a job, I reminded myself. It wasn’t about my comfort. I peeled off the last of my clothing and slipped the gown over my head. A shiver shot down my back as my body made contact with the cold fabric.
There was a knock on the door. “Are you done?” Major called. He wasn’t one for patience.
I climbed onto the bed and covered myself with the blanket. The door slid open and Major walked in. Alec hesitated but when he saw me propped up on the bed, my body safely hidden from his view, he entered.
There was another knock. Madison’s parents? I wasn’t ready yet.
Major went to the door as Alec sat down on the chair beside the bed. “It’s only a doctor.”
“But he’ll see that I’m not Madison.”
Alec nodded. “It’s okay. Major decided to tell him. He won’t tell anyone.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Major is sure.”
A tall man with a bald head entered the room.
“This is Dr. Fonseca. He’ll prepare you for Madison’s parents,” Major said in a matter-of-fact tone. I didn’t get the chance to ask what “preparing” meant, as the doctor and Major stepped closer to my bed.
Dr. Fonseca’s eyes rose to meet mine before darting back to Madison’s patient file. He put more distance between us. A fi
ne sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and his collar was soaked. I didn’t have to be a mind reader to know that he too was scared.
“Tessa. It’s time for you to take Madison’s appearance,” Major said.
In front of Dr. Fonseca? The man was gripping his ballpoint pen so tightly his knuckles had turned stark white.
“What are you waiting for, Tessa?” Major snapped.
Dr. Fonseca kept his eyes glued to his papers.
I allowed myself to relax and gave myself over to the shift. Skin loosened and was reshaped, bones lengthened. A gasp burst through my concentration. I closed my eyes, forcing my body to finish what it had started. And when the rippling sensation ebbed away, Tessa had dissolved and been replaced by Madison Chambers.
I opened my eyes and something sour filled my mouth at the sight before me. Dr. Fonseca stood pressed against the farthest wall, the medical files like a shield brandished in front of his chest. Alec’s eyes hardened as they settled on Major. I’d never had anyone be afraid of me before. But there was no doubt about what I saw in Dr. Fonseca’s eyes. Living with the FEA had let me forget about the true nature of my existence: a freak. A variation from the norm. Not the gifted wonder Major always wanted me to believe I was.
“Doctor?” Major’s voice sliced through the silence like a razor.
Fonseca tore his gaze away from me with obvious difficulty and looked at Major, or rather at a point over Major’s head.
Major’s snarling face reminded me of a rottweiler. “Doctor. Do your job.” Apparently, Dr. Fonseca hadn’t gotten the memo that you obeyed Major’s orders without hesitation. In one split second, Alec darted from the corner of the room to appear by the doctor’s side. “What’s your problem?” he spat. Fonseca’s eyes darted between me and Alec, apparently still not scared enough of him to consider coming anywhere near me. Alec reached for the metal chair and snapped one of its legs in two. “She’s not the dangerous one.”
I wondered why Major let Alec do it, other than for the sheer pleasure of showing off what FEA agents were capable of.