Suspicious Minds (Stranger Things Novels #1)(82)

Ken gave a sad smile. “The problem is a person, though.”

The librarian nodded and moved on.

“Terry…,” Ken said.

She hadn’t seen him since the news of Andrew’s death, but Stacey had told all her new friends and all Andrew’s old ones. Ken had apparently taken it hard.

“I didn’t realize you and Andrew knew each other much,” she said.

“We didn’t,” Ken said. “But we talked about you before he left…”

She’d had no idea. “You did?”

“I meddled. It was my idea for you to be officially broken up—I just felt like something was going to happen that would separate you, and maybe it would make it easier. I should’ve left it alone. My mother told me never to meddle in big things.”

“Ken, that didn’t matter. It was for show. It did help. But he’ll always be with me.”

“In more ways than one.”

Terry barked a laugh. She figured the librarian would let it slide, but quieted down anyway.

“What is all this?” Ken asked. “Why’d you want to see me?”

“I’m figuring out how to disappear. But I can’t leave it all unfinished…I’m working on how we do this, get away from Brenner for good. Shut down what he’s doing. I just wanted you to know that you can tell me, if you get a…certainty that I should know about. I can’t lose anyone else.”

“I’ll try,” Ken said, “but remember, there’re a lot of people who don’t want to lose you either.”

“They may have to,” she said. “I may have to go. And if it keeps everyone safe, that’s fine. Understand?”

She could tell he didn’t. But Terry had already started gathering what money she could. What she’d accumulated from the lab since the bail, and from the diner. She’d fill the Fellowship in once she had the details worked out. They might toss her a few bucks.

The baby kicked and she touched her stomach.

“Can I feel?” Ken asked.

Terry glanced around, but they were alone in this corner of the library. “Go ahead.”

She placed Ken’s hand on the center of her mildly swollen tummy and the baby kicked again. “I came up with a name,” she said. “I read this National Geographic article at the doctor’s in the waiting room. It was about this woman, Jane Goodall, who studies chimpanzees in Tanzania.”

“Not another science experiment,” Ken said with a groan.

“She’s different. She doesn’t use numbers for her subjects. She names them. I’m calling the baby Jane.” Terry paused as little Jane kicked again. It was like she’d been hiding, and now that her presence had been revealed she was determined to make herself known. Constantly. Terry didn’t mind. “I like the name Jane, too, so you better be right about the sex.”

“Feel that,” Ken said, and then removed his hand. “That’s a brave spitfire girl just like her mama in there. She can’t wait to get out into the world. How could I be wrong?”





6.


Dr. Brenner’s day had been frustrating. Visiting Eight wasn’t helping.

He’d brought a packet of Hostess cupcakes for her and not even made her work for them. And still she sulked.

Children were maddening.

And, well, so were adults. Just in entirely different ways.

“I want to see my friend,” she said.

“Terry didn’t come today.” He quietly fumed about that, her nerve at not showing up. He’d have to get her back on track—after he’d received the call about her doctor’s visit, he assumed she would be panicking and he hadn’t been altogether taken off-guard by her weak attempt to buck his authority. Even he had been surprised to hear about the boyfriend.

Ah, well. One less complication to worry about down the road. He supposed he should’ve seen that coming when he arranged the draft solution. He knew just the leverage to apply now.

“I don’t mean Terry!” Eight said. “The one like me!”

Who was she talking about? “There’s no one like you,” Dr. Brenner said. “Not yet. I’m working on a friend that will be. Terry is.”

“Not her. I haven’t seen the monsters, but I bet they’re here. I need to talk to her.” Eight was in a mood. The kind where she wouldn’t give up.

The monsters? Brenner searched for why that rang a bell. Oh, yes, the mechanic subject who responded with such interesting panache to her electroshock treatments. Alice…Johnson. Numbers were so much easier to keep track of than names.

“Eight, have you talked with someone here besides Terry?”

The girl studied the ceiling, sucking chocolate frosting off her index finger. “Dr. Parks and Benjamin and…” she listed the other orderlies and staff members. “And you, Papa.”

He hid his true reaction. “No one else?”

“I won’t tell. I promised.” She whispered the words and he sensed fear within her. Good. He could work with that.

“We’ve been over this. The only promises that matter are the ones you make to me.”

She shook her head, tossing her black hair from left to right. “It doesn’t feel right.”