Mindsiege (Mindspeak #2)(51)

After one last weak punch, I leaned my head against the cold metal, my hand still fisted against the door. Tears ran like a river down my face. My body convulsed. Arms circled my body and pulled me backwards. “Shhh. It’s going to be okay.”

I crumbled into Jack. He didn’t let go as he sank to the ground with me, pulling me into his lap. I shook my head adamantly. “No, it’s not going to be okay.”

He held tighter, burying his face into my neck. “I promise, it will be.”

“I just lied to my best friend, Jack.” I sobbed, turning into his chest. He rubbed my back and let me cry. “I told my best friend that everything was going to be fine. But it’s not going to be fine.” How could it be? She had no idea what had just been done to her.

I pushed back and stared into his eyes. “They’re going to kill my best friend. And they’re going to kill Addison.” I sucked in the shakiest of breaths. “Unless I hand myself over.”

Jack ran his hand over my hair, smoothing loose strands behind my left ear. “They won’t. And no, you absolutely are not turning yourself over to them. Don’t even go there.”

“They will, Jack. They will kill them.”

“We’re not going to let them. Do you hear me?” He brushed his lips across mine. “Now, listen to me. I wish we had all the time in the world to be angry and talk about how unfair this all is, but—”

“But we don’t.” I swiped at my drenched face. He was right. My tears would not help Danielle. She needed help reaching her eighteenth birthday and beyond, and I was the only one who could get her there.

I pulled back and stared up into Jack’s eyes. “We have to fight.”

“Yes.”

“All of us.”

“I know.”

“We have to decide who we can trust. Who’s on our side. And then we have to trust them. And we have to fight.” I was repeating everything, maybe in an effort to convince myself more than Jack.

Jack placed his hands on both sides of my face and kissed me hard on the lips. He pulled back, locking eyes with me. “I know.”

“You know.”

“Yes.” He was as calm as I’d ever seen him. That calmness transferred to me in a wave. He was my rock. We’d face this together. This was what love was. When you’re faced with your deepest despair, a hole you’re scared you’ll never climb back out of, the one who loved you most would lift you out and be your strength.

I stared into Jack’s eyes, each one a raging sea being rocked by a hurricane. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he whispered, running fingers along the strands of hair framing my face.

“For coming to Wellington. For not running. I wouldn’t have survived everything that’s happened had you not been here with me.”

He kissed me lightly on the lips, which felt funny, soft after a hard cry. “You’re strong.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “We’ll face this head on, together.”

“Well,” Jonas clapped his hands together behind me. “Glad that’s all cleared up. What’s the plan?”

I spun around and faced Jonas. Jack stayed close to me. Protective, while I regained my bearings.

“Let’s find a place to sit,” Jack said. He reached down, grabbed my hand, and led me two doors down. When he turned the knob, it opened immediately. Of course it did. I rolled my eyes.

“Tell us about the trackers,” Jack said, entering the room and pulling a couple of chairs together.

Jonas followed us in. I wasn’t used to him looking nervous, but in that moment I knew he had bad news. “Like I told you before, Sandra inserted a tracker into the base of my brain mainly to track my whereabouts. I couldn’t live my life trapped in The Farm. And she allowed me some liberty to leave The Farm as long as I didn’t fight the tracker.” He walked over and leaned against a table, crossing his arms and one leg in front of the other.

“Why do you think she’s allowed you to live?” I asked. “I mean, didn’t you say she could kill you with a couple of keystrokes on the computer?”

Jonas shifted and rubbed at the stubble on his jaw. “I don’t know why. Unless it’s because she thinks they actually have control of me. Through Ty. Or by programming the tracker in my own head.”

“Did you know back then that the tracker was permanent?” I walked over and slid into the seat next to Jonas. Jack sat beside me. He propped his elbows against his knees and clasped his hands together. His leg brushed against mine, keeping constant contact.

“No, I had no idea. And I didn’t understand how much power that tiny device gave the IIA. More specifically… Sandra.”

“What kind of power?” Jack asked.

“Initially, the tracker was used for knowing where the human clones were inside the IIA. It gave the clones a way to walk around the facility. A little more freedom.”

“And then?” I prompted.

“Then, as with anything Moth… Sandra did, the device became another way for her to manipulate whatever it was she wanted control of. In this case, she wanted more mind control.”

“And you knew this?” Jack asked. “Why would you let her put one of these inside your brain?”

Jonas’s face hardened. “Because, Jack, I had to get out of that prison. And I didn’t have a choice.”