Unremembered (Unremembered #1)(39)

The redheaded man rises quickly to his feet. ‘Lyzender,’ he states calmly, as though he expected this encounter.

Zen continues to approach us, stealing a curious glance at the unconscious men on the ground while keeping the device pointed firmly at the redheaded man’s face. ‘Step away from her, Rio.’

I glance between them, confused by their exchange. ‘You two know each other?’

They both ignore me.

‘This isn’t necessary,’ says the man Zen addressed as Rio. ‘You can put the gun down. We’re both on the same team here.’

‘Like hell we are!’ Zen shouts. He takes a step closer to the man and shoves the black object in his face.

Gun.

Gun.

I rack my brain for a definition but find nothing.

‘What is that?’ I ask, standing up and walking towards Zen, my eyes glued to the object in his hand.

‘Sera, be careful!’ the redheaded man warns me, reaching for me. But Zen forces him back with another wave of whatever is in his hand.

I freeze in place. ‘What is it?’ I ask again.

‘It’s a gun,’ the man identified as Rio explains. ‘It’s a weapon that can be used to kill or severely injure someone.’

‘Oh!’ Zen cries out, rolling his eyes. ‘So suddenly you’re willing to teach her things.’ I can hear the sarcasm on his tongue. It’s bitter. I now understand the definition.

‘I taught her everything she knows,’ Rio argues back.

Zen shakes the gun. ‘No! I taught her everything she knows. You ruined her life.’

Rio holds his hands up in a surrendering gesture. ‘I can see how you would view it that way, Lyzender, but I assure you—’

‘Shut up!’ Zen screams, transferring the gun to one hand and beckoning me forward with the other. ‘Sera, we’re getting out of here. Why don’t you wait outside while I take care of him.’ He pronounces the word with an air of disgust.

I glance between them again, the seriousness of the situation starting to sink in. ‘No.’

‘Sera,’ Zen says, losing his patience, ‘this is not the time for you to argue with me. Please, just step outside.’

‘I don’t think you should hurt him,’ I say. I have nothing to back up my plea except for a nagging feeling in my chest.

Zen closes his eyes for a brief moment. ‘Sera, you’ve lost all your memories. You don’t know what I know. He’s evil. And selfish. He doesn’t have your best interests at heart. He has only his own.’ He sighs. ‘Sera, he does not love you.’

Love?

The word takes hold inside my brain and doesn’t seem to want to let go.

‘He released me,’ I hear myself argue in response.

‘Because he wants to take you back there!’ Zen argues passionately. ‘And continue to destroy your life.’

‘That’s where you’re wrong, Lyzender,’ Rio interjects. ‘I only want to—’

Zen takes another step towards Rio, the gun now a mere foot away from his head. ‘I said SHUT UP!’ he yells. ‘Don’t try to confuse her again. It won’t work any more.’

‘Stop!’ I shout desperately, holding my head in my hands. ‘Please. I need to think.’

Zen falls quiet and they both look at me. I massage my aching temples with my fingertips. This is too much information to absorb at once. I can’t process it all. I don’t know how to make sense of it. I need to sort through it one thing at a time.

I begin with ‘How do you know each other?’

‘My mother works with him,’ Zen says, disdain dripping from his tone.

‘And where do you work?’ I ask Rio, but Zen is the one who answers.

‘At an evil corporation that has zero respect for human life. Something I didn’t realize until it was too late.’

Diotech.

Rio closes his mouth and juts his chin forward.

‘What do you do for them?’ I ask Rio, but again Zen is the one who responds.

‘This!’ Zen motions to me. ‘This is what he does! He toys with people’s minds. He manipulates reality. He plays God. He turns human beings into . . .’

‘Into what?’ I ask feebly. ‘Into monsters like me?’

Zen’s harsh expression immediately softens and he moves closer to me, careful to keep the gun pointed directly at Rio. ‘No.’ He uses his free hand to touch my face. ‘That’s not what I meant. I’ve never thought that about you.’

‘Then what did you mean?’

‘I didn’t—’ Zen struggles to find the right thing to say. ‘I . . . just mean, you can’t ever go back there with them. I won’t let you. Because who knows what they’ll do to you.’

Rio is mysteriously quiet. I assume he’s either hiding something or he’s given up trying to argue with Zen and his gun.

Or he’s silently acquiescing.

I step up to him, close enough to feel his strained breath on my face.

‘Sera,’ Zen warns. I hold up a single hand to silence him.

I peer deep into the redheaded man’s tired, hooded eyes. They’re a faded greenish-grey colour with tiny specks of brown. He holds my gaze. Tenaciously.

As hard as I try, I can’t find anything malicious there.