Mindsiege (Mindspeak #2)(54)
He talked a good talk, that was for sure. “So where do we start?”
“I’ll ask you the same question I’ve asked every member of The Program. What one thing do you desire from The Program more than anything else?”
I didn’t even have to think. “That’s easy. I want to not need The Program.”
Jonas remained expressionless.
“Can you explain further? Because I’m pretty sure you do need The Program. What do you want from me, Lexi?”
I stood and leaned across the table, my face a few inches from Seth’s. “Everything.” Seth’s face drooped slightly. “I need to know everything you can teach me about your evil sister. I want to know what she created me to do, and what she created the other clones to do. I want to know why she joined forces with the IIA. I want to know where she’s been since the explosion of my father’s original lab. I want to know who else you think’s working with her. After I know everything about her, I will make her wish she never played around with her own DNA. She will regret messing with people I love. Maybe after I’ve made her pay for her selfish choices and saved my friends from her Frankenstein-like ways I’ll be free to lead a normal life. When Sandra no longer exists in my world, I will not need The Program. That’s what I want from you.”
With no humor in his face, Seth said, “Fine. We’ll start first thing in the morning.”
~~~~~
Jack and I faced each other, circling, like boxers in the ring. Jonas watched from his spot along the wall. He hadn’t moved in the past fifteen minutes. Only stared. Analyzed.
Jack insisted on being the one to do self-defense training with me. “Remember what I showed you. How to block. How to strike.” He spoke in a low voice. He intended for only me to hear, but I knew Jonas was listening.
Seth watched from across the room. A phone was glued to his ear. I was hyperaware of everyone in the room. The tension was high, and all eyes were on me.
How did I go from not wanting anything to do with this world—this life of medical experimentation—to needing to soak up everything I could in order to protect those I loved? How was I suddenly wanting to learn martial arts? How to shoot a pistol? How to block genetically engineered freaks from slithering into my mind and interjecting control over my actions and decisions?
How did I go from doing the controlling to being controlled?
I saw Danielle this morning. She’s getting stronger, Jonas mindspoke. I think it will do her some good to get in here and learn some self-defense.
Jack switched directions. I was a microsecond behind him. His arms were up. He and I had practiced movements in slow motion earlier. He taught me to strike and to block. It all fit in well with the kickboxing classes Dani had dragged me to in the past. Are you kidding? Dani can put almost anyone on his butt, including you. She should be teaching us. I was never very good at any of this. It should be Dani in here, and me in the hospital bed.
Seth wasn’t sure Dani would be able to control the effects of the tracker on her mind. She wasn’t cloned with the DNA enhancements that the rest of us had. So far, Dani showed no signs of feeling any effects of the tracker. Possibly because Sandra or the IIA hadn’t activated the tracker yet.
It was up to me to watch for the slightest change in Dani in order to protect my best friend.
Jack made his move. He took one step into the middle of our imaginary circle, swept my feet from under me, and sent me to the ground.
I grunted hard when my back hit the mat, and gasped for air.
Slowly, I rolled to my side and coughed.
Jack stood and walked away from me, grasping the back of his neck with interlocking hands. Through his form-fitting T-shirt, I could see the muscles in his back tighten.
I’m sorry, I mindspoke.
Jack came back and offered me a hand. He pulled me to my feet and pinned me in place with a furious gaze. “Where were you? You weren’t concentrating at all.”
“I… I don’t know.” Even I could hear the weakness in my voice.
“I’ll tell you where,” Jonas said, stalking toward us. “She was letting me in. I was talking to her. She concentrated on everything but the danger in front of her. Her mind is weak. This isn’t working.”
Heat flared on my cheeks. Maybe my mind was weak. Maybe I wasn’t meant to do any of this. I glared at Jonas.
“What can we do differently?” Jack asked, his voice calm.
“For one thing,” Jonas started, “you can stop babying her. She needs tougher training. She needs to be able to fight even when people are in her head, especially the dangerous ones. She needs to be able to multi-task. She needs—”
“Stop! Stop with the ‘she needs.’” I rotated my shoulders back and looked up into Jack’s eyes. “I said I was sorry.” I turned to Jonas. “You have no idea what I need, so stop pretending to know me. You. Don’t. Own. Me.” I spun on my heels and stormed out of the room.
~~~~~
The cool water soothed my sore muscles and hurt feelings from the earlier training session with Jack. I glided through the deep end of the swimming pool after pushing off the wall with my legs. This was my kind of workout. The water was the perfect temperature. I was alone. And I needed an escape. An escape to a time when I was just a senior in high school planning which college to attend next year, which boy I hoped would take me to prom, or what movie to see this weekend.