Mindsiege (Mindspeak #2)(89)
“It’s not like that. Jonas is happy. He’s always had the liberty to live his life and learn how to use the incredible powers I gave him. We would be a team.”
I almost laughed. She had no idea how little she was able to control Jonas.
“Did you make this offer to my father? To join your team?” I asked Dr. DeWeese. “That night he came to you because he thought Jack and I were in danger. He trusted you. It obviously wasn’t you that he was afraid of, was it?”
“No, he’s always known this day would come. He knew the international intelligence community would eventually demand that you and the others help with the IIA’s cloning program. But don’t you see? We are able to protect you here the way he would have wanted.”
“Your wife was trying to protect us in her own way, by placing a secure border around the school and hiring extra security. You need Jack and me. You need all seven of the original control group and Dad’s journals to know how to reproduce the technology you created nearly eighteen years ago—before your original lab went up in flames and all your records with it. Must have been a real bitch starting from scratch.”
“Dr. Whitmeyer,” a voice said over an intercom by the door.
“Yes, Denny,” Sandra replied.
“The tracker is ready.”
“Time’s up, Sarah.” She walked to the door, lifted her palm to the scanner, and opened the door. Denny stood on the other side of the door and handed Sandra the tiny device I assumed was meant for me.
“Doctor, the labs and children have been evacuated.” He passed Sandra. “This room is sound. Even if you don’t make it out of here, you’re protected.”
“Thanks, Denny, but we’ll make it.”
Denny continued to the other side of the room and proceeded to lift a hidden panel in the floor. He turned and climbed down two steps before pausing. “Would you like for me to wait for you and Dr. DeWeese?”
“No, Denny. We’ll be along in ten minutes.”
“Don’t be much longer than that. Things will start to get a little dicey beyond that point.”
What did that mean? Jack?
“Thank you, Denny,” Sandra said, irritated by Denny’s warning.
I’m almost there. Stay strong. Jack sounded somewhat panicked. What was taking him so long?
Sandra set the tracker on the small tray beside the dental chair. “I need you to tell us the location of the journals.”
“Or what? You’re going to jam a tracker into the back of my neck?” I crooked my elbow and felt for the gun stuck in the back of my waistband. It was still there. I twisted the pearl on my ring, forcing the paralyzing compartment of my ring into ready position.
Sandra smiled. “No.” She walked to the computer. “I know your father recorded the journals on the internet. You will tell me how to access them, or say goodbye to Danielle.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
I lunged at Sandra, but Dr. DeWeese caught my arm and stopped me. Tears blurred my vision. I pushed them away. “You can’t.” I would not let anything happen to Dani. But could I give Sandra access to the journals?
Lexi, give her what she wants, Jack said.
My heart sank.
I’ll be there in five minutes. The last of the agents and lab techs are vacating the lab. We have what we need to enter that part of the lab. You only need to open the door to the room you’re in.
How was I supposed to do that? More importantly, how could I give her the journals? But then again, how could I not?
A picture of my best friend and roommate popped up on the screen. “Dani,” I whispered to myself. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Give me access to the files, Lexi. Now.” She punched on the keyboard. The screen changed from being a picture of Dani to being a picture of a brain. I recognized it as Dani’s. I had seen the inside of her brain.
Like Addison’s, Dani’s tracker sat at the base of her skull, all eight prongs extended.
I squeezed my eyes tight. I wondered if Sandra would even need me after she had the journals. Could Jack and I escape and go into hiding? Without us around, maybe our friends would be safe as well.
“All I have to do is push this one key, Lexi, and Dani drops.” Her finger hovered over the key.
“Don’t! I’ll give you the information you need.” My heart beat wildly out of control as I died a little. I rattled off the URL, the username, and my password. The taste of bile rose once again in my throat. How could I possibly live with myself if I had just handed this monster unlimited access to play with human life?
But my life would be meaningless if I didn’t save my best friend.
“You made the right decision.” Her eyes widened when dozens of named files displayed on the screen. An evil smile lifted her entire face. I recognized the files. The spreadsheet of all the clones. The years and years of journals. And the file with the DNA sequences needed to reproduce my own special abilities—exactly what Sandra needed to enhance the power of the trackers even further.
Sandra closed the website and saved a document with the login information. The display of files was once again replaced with a picture of Dani’s brain. The glint in Sandra’s eye when she turned her cold, emerald eyes on me sent an avalanche straight through my core. Then, Sandra did the unthinkable.