Unremembered (Unremembered #1)(77)

He stops pacing long enough to run his fingers through his silky white-blond hair.

‘Looking back,’ he continues, ‘we really should have used our resources to create an adult. Then maybe I wouldn’t be in this predicament. Teenagers can be so irresponsible. So reckless and misguided. All because they think they’re in love.’

His voice suddenly takes on a high-pitched singsongy quality and once again I hear the disgust he infuses in the word.

He stops pacing and approaches me, bending down and coming close enough to my face that I can smell his breath. It nearly makes me gag.

‘We chose sixteen because it’s such a perfect age,’ he says, his voice smooth like glass. He reaches out and hooks a strand of my hair around his finger. ‘When a human being – especially a woman – is most healthy, visibly striking and physically fit.’ He leans in and inhales the scent of my hair, breathing deeply before letting it fall limp against my shoulder.

‘But clearly it was a mistake.’ Repulsion seeps back into his voice as he rises to his feet. ‘A mistake we’ll be certain to remedy as soon as possible. This time we’ll have to make sure you don’t have the ability to think for yourself.’

I hear a soft noise from the opening of the tunnel and my eyes dart in that direction. Is there someone else here?

‘Sera, just run!’ Zen screams, taking advantage of the lull in the conversation. It’s obvious he’s using every ounce of depleted energy he has left. ‘Forget about me.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I say, looking to him and trying to convey exactly how I feel about him with a single glance. ‘I can’t.’

Alixter seems to find humour in this exchange. He smiles contentedly. ‘You see, this is what I’m talking about,’ he explains. ‘Despite every modification we made to your DNA to ensure you would be suspicious of strangers, you still continued to fall for him time and time again, trusting him so blindly, going against every instinct that warned you not to.’ He clucks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. ‘Free will is simply not your strong suit, Sera. Math and science and languages, that’s where you’re exceptional, but making wise, sensible choices based on reason and logic? Not so much. It’s quite the dichotomy.’

He looks at Zen and plasters an artificial frown on his face. ‘Unfortunately he’s right though. You really should save yourself. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m very fond of Lyzender. His mother is an integral part of my team. But you –’ he points to me with both hands, a look of pride flashing across his face – ‘you are worth trillions of dollars. There’s simply no comparison.’

I hear another sound from the cave opening. And this time, it would seem, Alixter hears it too, because he glances up and a sly smile spreads across his lips.

‘Rio,’ he states, sounding pleased. ‘How delightful of you to join us. Welcome to our little party.’

My head jerks up and I see Rio stepping into the cavern, clutching a shiny black gun in his hand. It’s pointed directly at Alixter’s head.

The dark-skinned agent standing near Zen reacts, readying himself to charge.

‘I wouldn’t,’ Rio warns, with a wave of his hand.

Alixter calls off the agent with a nod, and he withdraws.

‘Sera,’ Alixter says formally, ‘you remember my business partner, Dr Havin Rio.’

‘Hand her over,’ Rio demands. His voice is grave and unyielding. A stark contrast to the way he spoke to me.

Alixter chuckles at this. ‘Oh, Rio. Always the idealist. Now why on earth would I do that?’

Rio takes a step forward, brandishing the gun. ‘Because I’ll kill you if you don’t.’

Alixter teeters his head from side to side, seemingly considering the validity of this threat. ‘You do appear to have the advantage here,’ he admits nonchalantly, gesturing to the wide gap between him and Rio. ‘After all, we both know the Modifier –’ he hoists up the black device in his hand – ‘only works upon direct contact, whereas that –’ he nods to the gun – ‘can be used across distances.’

Rio stays silent, but it’s fairly clear this was his exact strategy.

‘Which means I could try to deactivate you, but I’d be dead before I could even reach you.’ Alixter clucks his tongue again. ‘Hmmm. Quite the dilemma we have on our hands here.’

‘There’s no dilemma,’ Rio states evenly. ‘Put down the Modifier, hand her over to me, and no one gets hurt.’

Alixter raises his eyebrows and shrugs before finally conceding and placing the device on the ground by his feet.

‘Good. Now tell your goon over there to release her,’ Rio encourages.

Alixter inhales pensively. ‘I could do that, yes,’ he allows. ‘However, I should note there is one advantage I have over you.’

Rio’s eyes narrow. ‘And what would that be?’

‘Your foolish need to protect her,’ Alixter says matter-of-factly. Then, in a blur, he reaches behind him into his waistband and produces a gun of his own. He extends his arm, aiming the gun straight at me, causing Zen to moan in agony and Rio’s stony facade to crumble.

‘Alixter, don’t,’ he pleads, the former menace in his voice suddenly gone.

I cower further back against the rock wall, trying to tuck my face to my chest.