Heightened: The Federation Series (26 page)

“Hey,” Chris grabs me, “let her go!”

I push and struggle but he is too strong, and I am too hurt. The door slams shut, almost hitting me. I look out the back window; she’s looking at me.

“Why?” I say out loud, but don’t expect any response.

“What the Hell,” says Max. “We came all this way to save her and she chooses to stay with him?”

“Did you see her?” Chris says. “She was a mess. Someone beat the crap out of her. I’m willing to bet she’s protecting someone, or she’s not acting on her own behalf.”

I close my eyes. In the letter, she said she was going to do whatever it takes to keep me safe. I slam my elbow into the seat, “damn it!”

“We have to go back,” says Max. “If Rizzio is in town; something major is about to happen.”

“We need to call the North post and get some backup,” Smith says. He throws his phone to Max., “call!”

We head back to the hotel. We stop a few streets down and take the back way. We enter the lobby. The clerk looks up from her computer. I pull my gun and point it at her.

“Where did Rizzio go?”

Max puts his hand on my shoulder, “ease up. We’ll find her.”

He shows her, his badge, and she punches the keys on her computer. “We don’t have anyone here by the name of Rizzio.”

“What about Black?” I say.

She looks again, “Yes, there is an Emma Black registered to suite 814.”

We take the elevator. The doors open and we step out into the hallway. It’s empty. We stand in front of the door. Chris kicks it in, and I rush inside. The room is empty. I head to the bed. I pick up the clothes that Emma was wearing earlier. Her shirt has blood on the front, and there is a tear in her pants. I bring her shirt to my face; it smells like her. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

“No one is here,” Smith says. “They’re all going to be gone.”

“I have to find her,” I say. “I have to find out.”

“Do you remember her?” Max asks.

“No, but I want to,” I say. “Why would I choose to forget her?”

“You said you couldn’t get her out of your head,” Max says. “You said you wanted your life back.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” I say. “There has to be more.

“If you ask me,” says Smith. “I think they are going to try and get some ransom money from the Bensons. She is marrying into one of the most powerful families in the Federation.”

“Yeah,” says Chris, “it makes sense. I bet Benson will pay a fortune to get her back.”

“But Rizzio doesn’t need money,” I say, “unless it’s a lot of money.”

“How much can she be worth,” Smith asks, “enough to make Rizzio get involved?”

“What about Black?”

“Maybe, he used her to get something from Rizzio,” Chris says, “what could Black want?”

“Other than getting back at his parents?”

“He’s in control of the Under,” Smith says. “It could be anything. He could be involved in the breaches.”

“But he’s already inside the Federation,” I say, “why would he need to break in?”

“Hey,” says Max. “Where would you stay if you were Rizzio?”

“If I were that powerful,” says Smith, “I’d be pumping the penthouse.”

“Exactly,” says Max.

We step out of the elevator, into a foyer. There is a set of doors, standing open. We cautiously enter the penthouse. I go first; the others follow.

We spread out. Max goes to the right, and Chris and Smith go to the left. I head towards the balcony. I step down into the living room. It’s empty. There are two glasses of wine and an empty bottle on the table.

I walk around the furniture and stop. My heart sinks. I see her on the floor, crumpled in a pool of blood. I charge over, knocking over a chair. I grab her and turn her towards me.

It’s not her; the hair is the same, and she has a similar build, but this girl is younger. I set her down carefully.

“Max!”

He enters the room. “Oh, man.”

“It’s not her,” is all that I can manage to say.

Smith comes over and scans the dead girl’s receptor. “Her name is Pam Greene…it’s her sister.”

“That’s why,” Max says. “She was trying to protect her.”

“They killed her because of us,” I say. “We have to find her. We have to end this before it’s too late.”

“Grace,” Max’s voice trembles, “I haven’t been able to get a hold of her.”

“I’m going to kill them,” I say, “all of them.”

I look out the window. I don’t want to go back to Adam. I don’t know what to do.

“What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” I say, “but I can’t go back.”

“With Benson?” he says.

“What if I agree to allow you to take my information,” I say, “no questions asked, no restrictions?”

“You said you couldn’t access it,” he says. “We’d have to extract it, and without the correct program…I couldn’t guarantee you’d survive. My tech guy said he thought he knew how, but there are no guarantees.”

“I’d rather die than go back to Adam.”

“What did he do to you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I say.

“I can’t do it,” he says. “Whatever the information is inside of you, it’s important enough to make Atticus pay top price for it. We might not be able to extract it all.”

“Please,” I beg.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I’d rather let him extract it and then steal it from him…intact.”

I turn back to the window. All I want to do is die, and everyone else wants me alive, not because they love me or need me but because I am worth too much to them, even Quinn. He doesn’t remember me; all he wants is to understand. How could he love me now? I’m not the same person; at least I hope I’m not.

We travel for a few more miles. I notice lights in the rear view mirror. I turn around and look. I can’t see the vehicle, but I hope it is not Quinn.

The car gets closer to us. Rizzio looks concerned. “Hold on!”

Our car slams forward, as the car behind hits us at full speed. My seat belt locks up, crushing my sore ribs.

It hits us again, but this time from the driver’s side. Our car swerves. The road is still wet from the rain. We hit the edge, but our driver manages to pull it back onto the road.

It hits us again. We aren’t as lucky this time. Our car slides and then hits something on the side of the road. We flip and roll down a small embankment.

I wake up, upside down, dangling from my seat. The safety belt is cutting into my neck. I push against the ceiling and undo my latch. I fall. I land on Rizzio.

All I can feel is blood. I stumble backward. His face is torn. I can see the bone. I scream. I reach for the door. I try to find the handle, but I’m disorientated. I slam my hand on the glass.

I can’t get out. I’m screaming. The door gives way, and someone reaches in and grabs me. I don’t look; I just swing my arms. I hit whoever it is hard, but they grab me and drag me away.

“Stop fighting,” he tightens his grip.

I kick, hit, squirm and bite. I manage to get loose. I stand and take a step, but fall into the mud. My ankle is ruined.

“Emma,” he says, “I’m not going to hurt you. I told you to trust me.”

I look at him; it’s Ian.

“I’m sorry,” he says, “It would have been a lot easier if you hadn’t jumped out of the car at the hotel. My guy was supposed to bring you back to me. You weren’t ever in any danger.”

‘Let me go,” I’m sobbing, “please.”

“No,” he says, “You’re hurt and you are not thinking straight.”

“I just want to go,” I slump over and rest my head on my folded arms. “Please, kill me, please.”

He rests his hand gently on my back, “it doesn’t have to be the end.”

“Pam,” I sob. Just saying her name rips me apart, “he killed her.”

“I’m sorry,” he leans closer. “I didn’t know. I underestimated him.”

“He’s dead?’

“Yeah, but there’s always someone waiting to fill the top spot,” he says. “It won’t be long before he’s replaced, and they will come for us, for you.”

He picks me up and cradles me in his arms. I don’t resist. I haven’t any will or energy left in me for a fight.

“Quinn?”

“He doesn’t love you,” he says, “How could he? You’re broken; I’m broken…his whole purpose in life is to destroy people like us.”

His words echo in my mind. He’s right. Quinn can’t love me; he would have to give up everything. Adam only wants whatever information is buried deep in my programs; he doesn’t love me. But Ian and I; we are the same.

We pull off on the side of the road. All we can see are the headlights, shooting straight up into the night sky. I jump out and run down the embankment. I slip in the mud; sliding right into the side of the car.

Max and the others are right behind me. It’s turned over onto its roof. The backdoor is open. I look inside; I’m not sure what I expect to see, but I know I’m not prepared to see her.

Max shines a light. Rizzio’s body is twisted and mangled, covered in blood. There is no one else in the car. I sit with my back to the door and rest my head on my knees. I’m shaking but relieved that she’s not dead.

“I found the driver,” Chris shouts. “Someone shot him in the head.”

“So someone got here before we did?” I hear Smith say.

“I bet it was Black,” Max says.

“Well Rizzio is dead,” Smith is kneeling next to me. He gives me a shove “one less bad guy to worry about.”

“What about Grace?” Max asks, “If Rizzio had her…where is she now?”

“We’ll find them,” says Smith. “I’m willing to bet Black killed Mandy, and if that’s the case; I bet he has Grace.”

“Why,” I look up at my friends. “What’s so important about her?”

“You don’t remember anything about her,” Max asks, “you don’t remember what we found out when we were in the Under?’

“No,” I say.

“She has some unusual energy spikes,” he says. “She’s broken. We’re not sure how damaged she is, but we know that she’s always heightened, and then there’s the information that is stored inside her program, that no one can access because she has the most advanced security system that I have ever seen.”

“So that’s what they want with her.”

“Whatever is causing her damage,” says Max, “that’s what we need to look at. We need to find a way around her security.”

“It’s such a shame,” says Smith. “She’s so hot.”

“Nothing is going to happen to her,” I say, “We can fix her, keep her safe.”

Smith looks at Max; I don’t like his expression, “What’s wrong,” I ask?

“Quinn,” he starts, “you have the virus. Your reactions are not protocol. When we get back, and you have to scan; they’ll know.”

“So I have no time,” I say. “I can’t help her from beyond the walls.”

“We’ll do all we can to help,” Smith says.

“But when the time comes,” Max interrupts, “I have to take you in. You have twenty fours to figure this out.”

I look at my friend. I wouldn’t expect anything less of him. He is only doing his duty, being loyal to the Federation. Hell, a week ago I would have done the same thing, but not now. She’s changed me, and I want more.

We head back to the East City. It’s almost morning. The sun is illuminating the outer rim, and beyond are the wastelands. The meadow glistens with a heavy frost, but the forest is still covered in shadows.

If I can’t fix her; she’ll be banished. She’ll be sent out alone to live in the wastelands. She is so weak and small. There’s no way she’ll survive. Will I be able to live with myself; if I fail? We would have a chance together. I could wait for her, find her, and we could search for the settlements together.

I close my eyes. I can see her face; bruised and bloody. What if she didn’t survive the crash? What if Black kills her before I can save her? What if I never find out? My head is spinning, and my body aches. I let out a deep groan.

“You need to get checked out,” Chris says.

I open my eyes. I look down at myself. My ribs hurt, but I can breathe. Hopefully, that means that they aren’t broken. I don’t have time to heal.

“I need to remember,” I say. “Emma said we have a past together. I need to know everything.”

“Listen,” Chris says, “I don’t know much, all I know is, you use to talk about her all the time, but something happened. She died. No one ever knew what happened. She was there one day, and then just gone. There were rumors, man they weren’t good. A lot of crazy shit, a lot of covering up, and people just disappearing.”

“When I joined Defense my memory was reset,” I say. “They just took her from me.”

“I know a guy,” Chris says. “If anyone can restore your memories, it’s him.”

“Quinn,” Max says. “You had your reasons, are you sure remembering is the right thing to do?”

“I have to remember everything if I’m going to help her,” I say.

“You’ll be giving up your life,” Max warns. “Defense takes those memories; it’s the only way to maintain protocol.”

“I understand,” I say. “But there’s nothing left for me. If you’re right, and I have the virus; it’s all over for me. I’m going to find her and get us both out of here.”

“Where the Hell do you plan on going,” Smith asks?

“We’ll find the settlements,” I say.

“You can’t just leave,” Smith says. “They can track you.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” Max says. “You’re putting me in a very awkward position.”

“What about Grace,” I ask? “Don’t you care about what happens to her?”

“I do,” he says, “but I’m not willing to give it all up.”

“Well,” I say, “I am.”