Remainder (17 page)

“Dang, Remy!” I hear Alden exclaim. “I’m in charge of the next rescue mission if that’s the kind of thank you I am going to get.” Alec and I both chuckle as we place our foreheads together.

“Thank you for saving me,” I whisper.

“Anytime,” Alec whispers back and he kisses me again.

“Seriously? Can we please get going or are you two going to make out until Killian’s goons catch us?” Emory asks with irritation.

Milo looks Emory up and down.

“You’re feisty and a fine specimen of manhood. How are you doin’?” Milo asks him with a wink.

“I don’t think we speak the same love language,” Emory responds with obvious annoyance.

“Too bad,” Milo exclaims with a smile. Alec takes my hand.

“Come on. We need to go.”

“Where are we going?” I ask Alec.

“Somewhere safe outside of the city.”

“What about Zareh? We can’t leave her. Killian will kill her.”

“That’s a risk we all take when we join the Resistance. She knew the risks.”

“I am not going,” I say and cross my arms over my chest. “I am not going to let her die. I am going to get her. The question is, are you coming with me or not?” Alec curses under his breath and runs his hands through his hair, his handsome face twisted with frustration.

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” he asks. I shake my head. “Fine. Let’s go get Zareh.”

The sun begins to set as we make our way back to the Enforcer sector, a reminder that in a few hours, the forces of the Resistance will be attacking the Research Center. We stick to the woods since the MR2s can’t navigate through the trees. This, of course, is the long way back as we have to go around the city instead of through it. We walk in silence, not really sure what to say to one another, not certain of what is going to happen. When we do finally reach Killian’s house, it is completely dark. The blackness makes it hard to see, however, it shields us from being seen. As we get closer to the estate, we see that it is not as heavily guarded as it usually is.

“Where is everyone?” Milo asks aloud.

“I don’t know,” responds Alec.

“Do you think they know about the plan tonight?” Emory asks.

“There’s only one way to find out. Come on. Let’s go,” Alec commands.

Emory, Alec, and I sneak in the house through the back. Alden and Milo keep watch outside and create a plan of escape. Quietly, we make our way to the entrance to Killian’s lab. Alec states that Zareh is being kept in a holding cell down in the basement and as of yesterday, Zareh was still alive. I can only hope we can find her and that we are not too late. We make our way down the old wooden stairs that lead to the basement where Killian’s lab is held. We come to the two hallways that span out on each side of the entrance of the laboratory. Following Alec, we take the hallway to the left. We pause in front of the room where Zareh is being held. The door to the room is locked, but we can see through the small square window that Zareh is in there. Emory tells us to stand back as he takes his gun and shoots the knob of the door, blowing it out of place. I push open the door and run to a shaking Zareh. She pulls me into a hug and I am so happy that I could cry.

“What are you doing down here, dear?” she asks.

“We are here to rescue you.”

“What? Oh no dear. You’re putting yourself in danger.” For someone who has been held as a prisoner for the past few days, Zareh is calm. Her hair is pulled back in a tight bun, not a single hair out of place. She definitely handles captivity well.

“I’m already in danger, Zareh, every minute that I’m here.”

“Remy, we really don’t have time for this.” I hear Alec’s warning and choose to ignore it. I have to convince Zareh to come with us.

“I’ll just slow you down. I’m not a young chicken anymore,” Zareh argues.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Emory spits, sounding annoyed. I turn back and glare at him, making him aware of my discontent with him.

Turning back to Zareh, I say, “You’re not going to slow us down. You need to come with us. We are going to take you somewhere safe.” Zareh places her cold hand on my cheek.

“You’re a sweet girl, Remy,” she says.

“Will you come with us?” I ask.

“Yes, I’ll come with you.”

“We have to hurry,” Emory rushes. I help Zareh off the wooden bench on which she had been sitting. Alec and Emory lead the way as we exit the room that served as Zareh’s holding cell.  

“Wait,” calls Zareh. “I have to go get something. It’s in here.” She goes to the door of Killian’s lab and opens it. Surprisingly the door is unlocked. Why would Killian’s lab be unlocked? It doesn’t make sense. I follow her in and see a new addition has been added to the lab in my absence. My heart starts to beat fast and my breath catches in my throat. The Reddix. The big glass box of death stands before me.

“Why would he have this down here?” Emory asks, staring intently at the Reddix.

“I’m so glad you are not at the Research Center,” Zareh says. “It will not be safe there in a few hours.”

My head jerks up with her words and so does Alec’s.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“The attack of the Resistance,” Zareh responds. Zareh had already been captured when the attack was planned, so how would she know about it? Alec moves closer to me as he stares at Zareh with uncertainty.

“How do you know about that?” I ask.

“Because I told her.” Before I can turn around, someone grabs me from behind and holds a gun to my head. Alec’s eyes grow wide and his gun is drawn. Killian continues.

“I am really disappointed in you, Alec. You were such a good Enforcer. Heck, I saw you leading the Enforcers alongside Bailey one day. My disappointment was great when I discovered that you are a clone sympathizer. Thanks to Zareh, I now know the names of every person involved in the Resistance. Rhydia is in for quite a surprise when the group of traitors attack the Research Center.” He looks at Zareh. “You did well, old friend.” Zareh beams with pride that she pleased her leader.

“Why, Zareh?” I ask, tears coming to the surface. “I thought you were my friend.”

“I’m sorry, dear. I do like you. You are a sweet girl, but my loyalty is and always will be to Killian.”

“Let her go, Killian,” commands Alec, keeping his gun aimed in Killian’s direction. Killian begins to back away from Alec, dragging me along with him.

“No, I don’t think so. You don’t realize how important she is, Alec. If you did, you would understand. The salvation of our entire race runs through her veins.”

“What are you talking about,” I ask.

“Don’t listen to him, Remy,” Alec says. “It is the ranting of a madman.”

“No, Alec. How would you like to live in a world where you don’t require the blood of clones for survival? How would you like to be cured? All of that can be yours. It can belong to every citizen of Avalon. The cure to the disease that has plagued us for so long is in our grasp. It is in her.”

“What are you talking about?” Alec asks.

“We thought the cure was only in the blood, but it’s more complicated than that. You see, most people have four DNA and RNA compounds in their body. Ever since the disease, our bodies have been reduced to three. But she has five. She has the missing compound we need. She can heal faster because of that extra compound. The ability to heal us, to heal our people is in her. Can’t you see that her death is for the greater good? I don’t want anyone else to suffer or die. She must be sacrificed. So, you see, I can’t let her go. At least, not until I drain her.” With his last statement, Killian throws me on the floor of the Reddix, the door automatically closing, like a venus fly trap containing its prey. I jump to my feet and hit the glass with the palm of my hand. I need to get out of this contraption. If I don’t, I will suffer the same fate as the clone at the draining.

I hear a click above me. Looking up, I see parts of the ceiling opening up, making way for the serpent like tubes to suck the life out of me. I watch as the six long blood suckers descend from above. Their slick movements wind from side to side in a manner that would be graceful, if not for the situation.

“Alec,” I scream in fear as the sharp needles come towards me. Hearing a thud, I turn back toward the fight between Alec and Killian that I had almost forgotten about.

Killian lunges at Alec, striking him with his fist, knocking him down to the ground and the gun out of his hand. Alec ascends quickly and somehow gets behind Killian. Grabbing Killian’s gun bearing hand, Alec tries to dislodge the gun from Killian’s embrace. A bullet expels out of the gun and buries itself in Zareh’s chest, knocking her down to the ground. A sharp pain in the back of my neck breaks my observation, causing me to lean back and scream out in pain. An intense sucking sensation is added to the unimaginable pain.  Alec slams Killian into the Reddix and holds the gun to his head.

“Open this thing right now, or so help me, I will shoot you in the head.” Killian laughs hysterically.

“If you shoot me, you’ll never get her out.” I close my eyes, willing for death to come quickly. I think about Alec, Alden, and Milo. I concentrate on slowing my heartbeat and settling my nerves as my life is sucked out of me. In my head I see myself as a child with the woman who is my mother that has visited me in my dreams. If I am going to leave this world, I will do so without fear. Killian may take my life, but he will not take my pride. He will not hear me beg for my life. Silence will be all that fills the room as my soul slips away.

“Hang on, Remy.” I open my eyes and see Enforcer-150 coming towards the Reddix. He places his hand on the glass and opens the door. The sharp pain subsides as Enforcer-150 withdraws the needle from my neck. I collapse into his arms as he helps me out. Alec throws Killian inside and the glass door quickly descends as the Reddix prepares to claim another victim. Alec takes me from Enforcer-150 and starts walking towards the exit.

“I’m not going to stop,” we hear Killian say. “I will find you, 656. I will have your blood.” We do not give him the satisfaction of responding to his threat; however, I believe every word he says.

“You need to get her out of here now,” Enforcer-150 says to Alec. “Get her out of the city and do not come back.”

“Come with us,” I plead.

“I can’t. I am needed here.” I look back to Killian’s lab where he is trapped in the Reddix. Enforcer-150 got me out and is now aiding in my escape. If he stays, surely Killian will kill him, unless the Reddix completes its job. As if he can read my thoughts, he adds, “The Reddix will not kill him. It is programmed to recognize the difference between pure bloods and clones.”

“Then let him starve to death,” Alec adds.

Enforcer-150 places a small, oval, silver contraption in my hand. It is no bigger than my palm. I realize I have seen one of these before when Dr. Kendall showed us the hologram of the memories of the Researcher who was killed. “Watch this when you are to safety.”

“What is it?” I ask, looking at the slick oval.

“It is everything you need to know.” With the realization that I don’t know when I will see him again, I throw my arms around him. He returns my embrace with a squeeze.

“Thank you,” I whisper in his ear. “Thank you for everything.” He smiles at me.

“Now, go,” he says. “I’m counting on you to take care of her, Enforcer,” he tells Alec.

“You have my word.” Alec takes my hand and pulls me away as Enforcer-150 watches us go.

It is not until we are out of sight that I realize Emory is not with us.

“Where is Emory?” I ask Alec.

“I don’t know, but when we find him, we are going to have a talk.”

We make our way back to the rear of the house where we made our entrance. As we round the corner to the hallway that leads to our freedom, we see Emory. He is propped up against the wall holding a bloody knife.

“Where have you been?” Alec demands.

“I had something to take care of,” Emory says nonchalantly, coming off the wall and standing tall.

“Seriously? We don’t have time for this right now. We need to leave. I’ll deal with you later.”

“I’m afraid this is where we part ways,” Emory says, taking a step closer to us.

“What are you talking about?” Alec asks.

“You know, Rhydia has a great vision of what this city is going to be like once Killian is taken down from his post. She thinks that with enough force, clones will be treated equal to their pure bloods and everyone who wants a clone can have one. Clones get freedom. All pure bloods get clones. Seems like a win-win situation. However, there is a flaw in her dream. A problem, so to speak. And that problem is that it still involves pure bloods. You see, there is a faction of us that believes that we would be better off if all the pure bloods were exterminated. Lucky for you, Alec, you get to be the first one I eliminate.”

“I’ve never done anything to hurt you. I’ve done nothing but help you,” Alec argues.

“I know and I appreciate that. But we will never be used again. We will never be enslaved to the pure bloods again. They must be destroyed. It’s the only way that our survival will be secured. Having just one pure blood live is a risk we can’t afford to take.” Emory then looks at me sternly. “And we will take out any clone who stands in our way.” I try to swallow the lump in my throat that has formed, but to no avail.

“Remy, you need to go,” Alec says, his eyes still on Emory.

“No,” I declare firmly. I will not go. I will not leave Alec, just like he would never leave me.

“Remy, go. Now.” Alec turns and looks at me for a few seconds with pleading eyes.

“I’m not leaving you,” I say sternly.

“Oh how sweet,” Emory says with a half-smile. “Remy, you shouldn’t have fallen for a pure blood, especially since they will all be extinct soon. But you know, Alec and I do share the same DNA.” He gives me a wink and his smile grows wider.

“That is the only thing you both share,” I spit. “You’re a monster. Killing the pure bloods makes you no better than Killian.”

“What I am doing is nothing like what Killian has done to us for years. I am ensuring the survival of our race,” he defends.

“By killing those who don’t agree with you as well? That’s how you ensure our survival?”

“There’s always going to be collateral damage in any war.”

Alec raises his right arm and hovers his left hand over his aleuron.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Emory,” he says.

“Oh you won’t.” Emory smirks and holds up his hand, his microchip dangling from it. Then he holds up his other hand containing the bloody knife. He smiles slyly. I can’t hide my shock and let out a gasp. Alec draws his gun and so does Emory. Quickly, Alec pushes me back around the corner just as a shot rings out of Emory’s gun.