Inescapable (Talented Saga #7)

  Cressa immediately dismissed the thought. She couldn’t worry about that just then. Once she pled her case to her father, he would know how best to proceed. He loved her, and surely wouldn’t be upset with her for fleeing the Institute. Not after Cressa told him how the Dame was really running the school.

  “I’m ready,” Cressa told Kev.

  Without further prompting, Kev slid one arm under her knees and the other around her back. He lifted her out of the tub as though she was as weightless as she felt. The situation was so surreal; it took Cressa longer than it should have to notice that she was practically naked, wearing only her underclothes. As was Kev, she realized, when her slimy, wet skin proved difficult for him to hold against his bare chest.

  “I’ve got you. Just try to stay still,” he grunted, readjusting her for a better grip. She still couldn’t feel her body, and her head lolled against the straining muscles of his arm.

  At the odd angle, the room appeared tilted and off-kilter. Still, Cressa noticed a second deprivation chamber not far from one she’d just left.

  “How did you get out of that on your own?” Cressa asked as Kev deposited her on the floor.

  He gently leaned her against the wall, carefully propping her up. The ground beneath Cressa was wet, though she couldn’t feel the water against her skin. A small drain had been installed in the flooring, and hanging from the ceiling above was a large showerhead, with a metal chain dangling beside it.

  “Like I said, I’ve spent a lot of time in one of those.” Kev gestured towards the glass tubs. “It’s sort of like with any drug; you build up an immunity after a while. Same with the sedative they gave us. It wasn’t easy, but once I woke up, I had just enough feeling in my arms and legs to pull myself out of the chamber. Then, I sort of slithered over here.”

  That was when Cressa noticed the trail of blue sludge leading from one tub to the corner where she sat.

  “Once I got the gel off, I was fine. You will be, too.”

  With that, Kev stepped back and pulled the chain beside the showerhead. Water poured down on Cressa from above, filling her mouth and eyes before she had the wherewithal to close them.

  The gel was thick and sticky, and obstinately clung to Cressa’s skin. After a minute, Kev bent under the warm spray and drew Cressa to her feet. With one arm around her waist, he used the other to scrub her arms and legs. Finally, the gel began to slough off of her like a snake shedding its skin.

  Tingling started in her toes, traveling up her legs and across her stomach. Another minute later, Cressa was able to stand on her own. Her coordination was still a little iffy, but she managed to help with removing the rest of the numbing gel.

  Once she was clean, Kev turned off the shower and rushed over to a supply cabinet. He rummaged through the contents, and then returned with towels, two sets of black scrubs, and two pairs of the booties she’d seen med techs wearing.

  Kev wrapped one towel around her shoulders. “Dry off as fast as you can. Then put on these.” He handed her one set of the scrubs and a pair of booties.

  Modesty hadn’t gone completely out of the window, so Cressa carefully knotted the towel around her chest before stripping off her wet undergarments. Finding that the scrubs were several sizes too large for her, she rolled the waistband and cuffs. Then, still moving as quickly as her baby-deer body would allow, Cressa slid the booties onto her feet and twisted her wet hair into a knot on the top of her head.

  By the time she was finished, so was Kev.

  “You do have an escape plan, right?” she asked, pleased to find it was no longer difficult to speak. “We aren’t just winging this?”

  “Yes and no. No and yes.” Kev smiled sheepishly. “I have a plan, but it’s not as solid as I’d like. I figured I would have more time to explore the tunnels before my big exit. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I know there’s an entranceway to the tunnels here in med bay, which leads directly to a passage that I’m fairly confident is a straight shot to an exit. From there? Well, that’s where we’ll start to wing it. I have no idea where we actually are, or what’s nearby.”

  Great, Cressa thought, not liking their odds at all.

  Nonetheless, she followed Kev to the door, waiting while he inched it open to peer into the hallway. The room they were in was evidently soundproof, because Cressa heard a conversation taking place on the other side as soon as the door opened.

  Kev held one finger to his lips, and then pointed to his ear. Huddled beside Kev, Cressa listened to the voices.

  “Dr. Wythe gave both Karmine and Leonard a mild sedative,” a woman was saying. Cressa recognized the voice as belonging to Dr. Masterson. “I imagine it will wear off in another twenty minutes or so.”

  “And he is sure about the girl? Karmine? She’s a latent Talent, too?” The second voice was that of Sir Tate. Though Cressa had only heard him speak a handful of times, his quiet tone and stilted cadence were undeniable.

  “Dr. Wythe is positive,” Dr. Masterson declared. “And her blood sample confirms it.”

  “Why is this the first we’re learning of it, then?” Sir Tate asked, sounding more inquisitive than accusatory.

  “There were no indicators prior to her second injection. I began to suspect that she might be a latent when I noticed her power retention levels, which are quite remarkable. The incident in the observation catacombs with the Beaumont girl should have caused Karmine’s dormant abilities to become active. Unfortunately, the Leonard boy’s intervention prevented that. Her fight-or-flight instinct was not triggered, or at least not to the degree necessary to activate her talents.”

  “And what are her natural talents? Do we know yet?” Sir Tate questioned.

  “No. The results of her gene sequencing should be in shortly,” Dr. Masterson replied.

  “Very well. What about the episode upstairs? What caused her to lose consciousness?” Sir Tate wanted to know.

  So did Cressa. Pain had definitely played a part, but what caused that intense pain?

  “The Leonard boy. He’s a Perception Manipulator. We have known this since his arrival, of course.”

  “So the deprivation chamber worked successfully in his case,” Sir Tate mused. “Hopefully it will work on the girl as well.”

  Dr. Masterson cleared her throat uncomfortably.

  “Well, that is not certain,” she began, sounding almost nervous. “I believe his abilities were active long before he came to the Institute, which would explain his superior acting prowess from such a young age. Natural-born Talents can either exude a certain charisma that draws others to them, or a sort of preternatural repellant that causes others to shy away from their power. Obviously, Cadet Leonard falls in the former category.

  “According to his medical records, he was involved in a near-fatal hovercraft accident at the age of ten. The incident probably caused his powers to manifest fully, though I doubt he was even aware of it. Perception manipulation isn’t like hurling objects across a room or hearing the thoughts of others—it’s not something that anyone would notice. For the Talented, using their abilities is almost instinctual. It probably never occurred to him that he was making the world fall him love with him by altering their perception, not simply because he was a handsome little boy who could cry on demand.”

  Kev glanced over his shoulder at Cressa, his expression heartbreaking.

  “I’m a fraud?” he whispered. “All those Golden Achievement awards, letters from fans gushing about how wonderful I am…It’s all a sham?”

  While Cressa did feel badly for Kev, she couldn’t muster too much sympathy. So what if his talents gave him an advantage in acting?

  “It’s still you,” she said quietly. “The way you were born. It’s not any different from people who win over audiences because they won the genetic lottery for beauty.”

  The simple truth did not erase his forlorn expression.

  “It’s still you that they love,” Cressa repeated.

  “I have to go the Dame’s office
,” Sir Tate was saying out in the hallway. “We should have another handful of cadets for you soon. Do you think the ones receiving additional injections will be ready by the morning?”

  The soft clicking of Dr. Masterson’s heels indicated that the pair was walking away.

  Finally, Cressa thought. Though she found the onslaught of information interesting, Dr. Masterson and Sir Tate were standing between her and freedom. Cressa was ready to leave the entire Institute in her rearview

  Their conversation also confirmed Kev’s hurried explanation from earlier, erasing all of Cressa’s lingering doubts over whether she could trust him.

  “They will be ready,” Dr. Masterson confirmed, her voice growing distant as she traversed the hallway. “Several of the candidates you and the Dame chose are not ideal, if you do not mind me saying so. They may not survive the procedure. Injecting multiple talent signatures at once carries many intrinsic risks.”

  “Penelope Crane and Erikson Kelley survived the process,” Sir Tate replied. “And they were stronger for it.”

  There was a whoosh of air, then a slight creaking of door hinges. Cressa leaned forward, straining to hear Dr. Masterson’s reply.

  “Yes, well, they both have a unique advantage, being natural-born Mimics,” the doctor was saying. “Which leads me to my next point. If we do not capture one or both of them soon, as well as Natalia Lyons, we cannot proceed. I need their blood to continue. Unless the Dame knows of other Mimics, and a Mind Manipulator of that caliber?”

  The slamming of the door cut off whatever Sir Tate said next.

  “Ready?” Cressa asked, nudging Kev.

  Kev shook his head as if clearing the thoughts from his mind, looking miserable. Cressa guessed that he was still stuck on the discovery that his adoring public only loved him because they’d been manipulated, though unconsciously, into doing so.

  “Um, yeah,” he said. “The coast is clear now. Let’s go.”

  Kev opened the door a little farther, just enough to slide through, and reached for Cressa’s hand. Entwining their fingers, she returned Kev’s squeeze. It was a small gesture, but one that gave them both comfort.

  Their med booties made no noise as they hurried down the hallway to a set of doors marked Restricted. Kev paused outside, turning to face Cressa.

  “There is a real chance that opening these doors will set off an alarm,” he told her gravely. “If that happens, we need to run as fast as we can to the end of the corridor inside. The last door on the right, Cloning Room Six—that’s our destination. The entrance to the tunnels is in there, through the empty supply closet. You’ll need to use telekinesis to open it. Once you’re inside the tunnels, go straight and don’t stop running. If I’m right, the passage dead-ends about a quarter of a mile down. Again, use telekinesis to open the hidden doorway. Now that you know what the doors look like, you won’t be able to miss it.”

  Kev shrugged, looking frighteningly uncertain.

  “That’s sort of where my plan ends,” he concluded. “I don’t know what’s around the Institute, so just keep running until you find someone who can help you.”

  “But you’ll be with me, right?” Cressa pressed.

  “That’s the idea.” Kev held her gaze. “But I got you into this mess, and I didn’t give you a choice. If it comes to it, I want you to keep going without me.”

  Cressa started to shake her head. She wasn’t strong enough to do it alone. She’d already left too many people behind. Daphne, Ritchie, Nydia, even Shyla Towers—they were all still under the Dame’s thumb. Cressa knew there was no going back for them, but Kev was not a lost cause. If he was caught, she would fight for him.

  “Promise me, Cressa,” Kev demanded. “Promise me that you’ll keep running and won’t look back.”

  “I promise,” Cressa lied.

  Kev smiled sadly. “Good.” He reached for a small alcove beside the doors.

  “Wait.” Cressa grabbed his shoulder and pulled his hand back. “That’s a biometric scanner, right? It pricks your finger and reads your blood to see if you’re cleared to enter?”

  “Exactly,” Kev agreed.

  “But you won’t be cleared. It will definitely setoff an alarm.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not,” Kev said. “My telekinetic source is not a normal benefactor, it’s someone here at the Institute. Since I was recently re-injected with her source DNA, I’m hoping the scanner will identify her blood and let us through without sending up red flags.”

  Kev was leaving a lot up to chance.

  Before Cressa could protest, he thrust his hand inside the alcove, wincing when the needle inside pricked his finger.

  Several agonizing seconds passed, and Cressa was positive the scanner wasn’t fooled. Then, the doors swung inward. Relieved, she let out a half-laugh, half-sigh. It actually worked. Kev and Cressa were one step closer to freedom.

  The hallway in the restricted wing was empty. Unlike the cubicles in the main part of med bay, the glass was clear along this corridor, and several of the rooms were occupied. Unable to resist, Cressa slowed as they passed a room with a lone figure lying inside an incubation chamber. Just like Gracia’s cloning procedure, there were two images side-by-side on a holo-screen behind the chamber. As the robotic arms worked on the boy inside the chamber, one of the faces continuously morphed to reflect the alterations.

  “Donavon McDonough,” Cressa muttered, reading the name beneath the unchanging image. “Who’s that?”

  She felt a tug on her hand.

  “We can’t waste any more time,” Kev insisted.

  Something about the name was familiar, though Cressa couldn’t recall why. In that moment, it certainly didn’t matter. Turning her back on the poor boy who was becoming Donavon McDonough, Cressa followed Kev.

  Cloning Room Six was deserted, and Kev had no trouble opening the entranceway to the tunnels with his powers. Once inside the dark earthen tunnels, Cressa started to believe they might actually achieve the impossible and escape the Institute. They were nearly there. A quick quarter-mile run, and she would see true daylight for the first time in a month. That prospect alone made Cressa sprint even faster.

  By the time they reached the door at the dead-end of the tunnel, Cressa was positively giddy with excitement.

  “We did it!” she exclaimed.

  “Yeah,” Kev agreed, though he didn’t sound quite as enthusiastic as Cressa felt. “I just wish I knew where we were. For all I know, we’ll have a twenty-mile hike on our hands before we find civilization.”

  “True. But after all we made it through to get here, a hike is nothing.”

  Kev laughed softly. “Yeah, I guess.” Squeezing her hand, he asked, “Ready?”

  Cressa nodded. Together, they placed their palms on the stone doorway and focused on their abilities. The door slid open easily, and the pair stepped through.

  Blinding light struck Cressa’s retinas, causing her to blink rapidly. Immediately, she knew something was wrong. They weren’t outside. The light was artificial, not sunlight.

  It took Cressa’s eyes several moments to adjust. Once they did, she realized they were inside an extremely fancy bedroom, nicer than any she’d ever seen. The canopy bed was enormous, with sky-blue silk curtains hanging from gold rods. Five life-sized portraits hung on the walls, the largest mounted above the marble mantle of a real, wood-burning fireplace.

  “I’m so freaking stupid,” Kev lamented, stomping his foot like a petulant child. “I should have known this led to her private rooms. Why did I just expect it was an exit?”

  “Because you wanted it to be one,” Cressa replied stiffly.

  She didn’t fault Kev for the error. Still, all hope of seeing her family, Julie, and daylight ever again vanished. Yes, there probably was an exit somewhere in the Dame’s suite. But escaping from her lair seemed highly unlikely.

  Especially since camera orbs were affixed to the corners where the ceiling met the walls. Someone, likely the Dame herself, was probably watching them
at that very moment.

  It was over.

  “I’m so sorry, Cressa. I just assumed…” Kev trailed off.

  “Yes, and we all know what they say about assumptions,” a voice called from behind them. It was warm, melodic, and undeniably familiar.

  Kev and Cressa spun in unison, their hands still joined.

  A panel opposite the foot of the bed was open, a beautiful woman framed by the doorway as though she were just another painting. Except, this woman was flesh and bone.

  She was much older than her holographic portrayal, but no less pretty. Her eyes were the same shade of blue, her hair the same blonde bob. Even the clothes were the same sort of simple fashions the Dame favored, though she’d clearly shaved a good twenty pounds off of herself when creating her hologram.

  “You’re the Dame,” Cressa breathed. And despite every nasty thought she’d had about the woman lately, Cressa was awed by the sheer power radiating off of her.

  This is how Icarus must have felt, Cressa thought. The Dame’s power was so intense that Cressa knew she should look away. But she was too captivated. In that instant, she would have gladly let the Dame’s rays burn her alive, if only to touch true greatness before she died.

  Beside her, Kev was having a similar reaction. His mouth was agape, and his eyes were round as frisbees.

  “I have been waiting a long time to meet you in person, Cressa Karmine. And you, Kevin Leonard,” she said, seeming to really mean it.

  The Dame smiled serenely.

  “And because we are sure to be great friends from this moment forward, please…call me Gretchen.”

  Erik

  London, England

  Day of the Vote

  “Talia, wake up!” Kenly’s yells dragged me from sleep not long after I’d entered the dream world.

  “Too early, go back to bed,” I groaned, rolling over and gathering Talia’s small body in my arms. She stirred, snuggled closer to me, and tried to bury her head in the pillow like an ostrich does in sand.

  “The vote results are about to be announced,” James said darkly.