Cameron pushed the accelerator enough to creep the car forward. For the first time in a long time, he had no desire to speed. The entire way over and into the parking spot, the FBI’s words pounded into him. Stall them. He’d done a pretty foul job of that so far. How? Especially with the time limit he’d been given. The thought sent his eyes toward the dash. Forty minutes. From his spot to the inner gate added another ten. Each step measured as much as he felt like he could get away with, determined to give the agent as much time as he could without endangering his sister.
A guard, Mike, met him on the far side of
the parking lot and escorted him inside. Mike had busted his leg in a triathlon
a few years before giving him a minor limp. As they walked, Mike added effort
to walking normally, chest out and head stiffly formal. Cameron almost called
him out for it, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
At the door, Grieves badged them in. “I
need your name and general reason for your visit today?”
Cameron saw an opportunity, but not an
easy way to exploit it. “I’m a friend of Peter, and I’m here to get him out.”
That caught his attention. His pen paused
in its movement across the clipboard. “Excuse me?”
“An FBI agent will, hopefully, head this
way soon. I need that to stay as quiet as possible. Jerry isn’t who he seems,
and Peter is in deep. Do me a favor and lend me a taser?”
Grieves’ eyes tightened at the edges. The
telltale sign that of his irritation.
Cameron lifted his hands. “Sorry,
shouldn’t have asked. Page fifty of the training manually specifically forbids
the use of company equipment by anyone other than certified employees. I was
just hoping for a little unexpected bonus. I’ll handle things without it.” Cameron
leaned in, grabbing the larger man’s forearm. “But if you don’t see me come out
before your shift ends, I need you to tell Ce that I’m so sorry.”
Grieves searched his eyes, not
immediately shaking off Cameron’s touch. When he did, it wasn’t with the
roughness Cameron expected. “Please follow me.” He nodded toward Mike, who
continued to look between the two like he wasn’t sure how to take what he’d
just heard.
Jerry met them at the door of his office,
expectant. “Thank you, Jeffery. You’re dismissed, and I’d like a do not disturb
order for my office for the rest of the night.”
Grieves stiffened just slightly,
unnoticeable to anyone who didn’t work with him often. “Of course, sir. Give me
a call when you want him escorted out.”
“No need.” Jerry gave a winning smile.
“I’ll walk him out myself when we’re done.”
Grieves paused for half a second. “Just
make sure he gets signed out at the guard tower. We need to have a completed
log of every person’s entry and exit for security purposes.”
Jerry scowled. “I don’t need you to walk
me through your processes. Don’t forget that you have a new boss, and he put me
in charge of this entire compound. That means I can set the rules when
necessary, and I’m telling you that I’ll take care of letting our guest out
when our meeting is over.”
Cameron stole a sideways look at Grieves’
stiff expression. The man’s eyes stared coldly toward his boss. “I understand
your new position, sir, but I don’t think you understand the security risks. We
complete contracts for the government, and that requires a higher level of
paperwork and oversight. I believe that it is
part of your job description to maintain that security in its entirety and not
simply when it’s convenient, so I will expect to see his outbound signature at the
gate, or I will file a report on the matter.”
Jerry’s jaw ground and his fists
clenched. “You’re dismissed.”
Cameron waited in silence as Jerry’s
glare burned holes in the back of the head of security until Grieves turned the
corner and disappeared. When the moment passed, Jerry turned his angry glare
toward Cameron. “In my office, now. Whatever you said to him, it’ll do you no
good.”
“Back to threats?” Cameron eyed him,
trying not to let his concern through.
“Are you saying you might take me up on
my offer?” Jerry hardly paused before continuing. “I thought not, so let’s
dispense with the pleasantries. How long have you been awake?”
“Does that mean aware of both lives?”
Cameron followed him into the plush office, admiring the odd collection of
furnishings. No two items were alike, but there was a strange eclectic flow to
the pieces. Cameron wondered what Ronald’s office would look like. Would he
decorate them in opposite manners to further distinguish the two lives? If he
survived, he’d have to re-look at his own patterns. Keeping them separate was
easy 1500 miles apart, but being in the same building, surrounded by people he
knew, made this whole thing difficult.
Jerry settled onto the edge of his desk
and gestured for Cameron to take a seat. “The awareness is interesting, no? I
assume you haven’t been awake long?”
“You assume correctly. My first day was
the day they fired you.”
“An odd coincidence.” Jerry’s eyes
widened with a flash of paranoia. He covered it by turning to pick up a small
desk toy. “So, what have you been up to since that time?”
“Just living.” Cameron shrugged. “I
didn’t understand at first, and internet research wasn’t much help. The only
leads I had were mental patients and a few scientists who believed them. It
made me a little nervous, to be honest.”
Jerry nodded. “Went through much of the
same myself. Didn’t help that my alter-ego was so high-profile. You might have
seen articles about me taking a sabbatical for a few months. How do you feel
now?”
“Well, to be honest, it could be better,
but I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.”
Jerry barked out a laugh. “Good luck,
kid. I’ve had fifteen years of working on it and I’m beginning to doubt that
mastery is even possible.” He replaced the desk toy and leaned forward. “Tell
me why you’re not interested in my offer. I’ve never met a man who didn’t want
success and power handed to him.”
Cameron gathered his thoughts. “Well, the
biggest reason is because I don’t like drama. I’m about as high-profile in my
life as I ever wanted to be. My mother always nags at me to try for more, but
the honest truth is that I’m happy at what I’ve achieved. I’m a researcher,
like you were, and I’ve enjoyed it; the tedium is bearable.”
Jerry moved, but waved for Cameron to
continue as he poured them both water from a decanter in a small alcove on the
side of the room.
“When I ‘woke up’ as you call it, and
realized that Peter’s life had everything my mother wanted me to have and more,
I figure that between the two, I’m good all around.”
“Really?” He twisted his features like
Cameron had said something distasteful. “What about travel? Seeing the world?
Women; alcohol? Do you even realize that you could literally waste a life away
doing everything you’ve ever wanted to do, take any risk you’ve ever wanted,
and you lose nothing?” The thought excited the man so that he gripped the
glasses tightly, pulling them in, eyes wide.
Cameron accepted his glass but simply
rested it on one thigh. “I’ve considered it, but that’s not me, I guess.”
“What a waste. So, you really just want
to be left alone?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then what’s the use of having a dual
consciousness?” He rose again, pacing.
Cameron followed him. “I’m not sure I
understand that question. Just because my decisions aren’t the same as yours,
or as exciting, that doesn’t mean there’s no value to them.”
“Yes, but if you’re not using your lives
to benefit one side, or both, what’s the point of being ‘awake’?”
Cameron felt the heat rising and took a
few breaths, calming himself back to neutral. “The point is, it’s not your
choice or responsibility to determine how I live my lives. Simple is not the
same as boring or worthless. Ornate is not the same as valuable or fun. ‘Men
are that they might have joy’, not ‘that they might have a thrill-filled
life’.”
“Is that your mantra?” Jerry mocked. He
moved with purpose now, placing a hand against the shelf on one side of his
office. “I renovated this office a few years ago. Took a bit of convincing to
get this space since I was merely a lab rat at the time, but a hefty anonymous
donation to the CFO’s account made it happen pretty fast.”
“You bribed him?”
“Blackmailed, actually. Do you have any
idea what kind of trouble he would have been in if his accounts were
subpoenaed?”
“You’re rotten through and through then.”
Cameron nodded, walking toward the shelf expectantly.
He wasn’t disappointed or surprised when
Jerry slipped a hidden switch and the bookshelf slid forward. The tracks along
the ceiling hid as if part of the crown molding and a decorative ridging that
created a shadowy lattice across the space. Jerry gestured for Cameron to
follow.
“Shall we go and see your other half?”
“I’d rather not.” If he stayed in the
man’s office, the likelihood of death reduced slightly, or so he convinced
himself.
“Your sister is waiting. She wasn’t
exactly happy about Peter’s induced sleep. She’d probably enjoy seeing you.”
“I’m sure.” Cameron bit his lip, eyeing
the man. He could see the end coming, but there was no pause; no show stopper
that would prevent it. Where was the FBI?
* * *
“Peter!” He felt a slap hard across his
jaw.
Lifting an arm to fend off the attack was
a monumental effort. “Wha?” he slurred out.
“Peter, hurry it up. We’ve got to get out
of here.” She slapped him again for good measure.
“Misty!” he cried, moving with a little
more spunk. “What’s going on?”
“We need to get out of here.”
Peter opened his eyes and sat up, staring
at the cement and chain-link around him. “What? I didn’t go to sleep. How long
have I been out?”
“Well, we don’t have time for that. It
took me a while to convince them to open the door, and I’m not sure how long
it’s going to take you to get here. All I know is that you’re in the city.”
Peter wiped a heavy hand over his eyes,
trying to wipe away the sleep. “What exactly are you proposing? I’m upstairs
right now, about to follow him down here. Does this mean the other me just
passed out?”
She waved a hand. “You break down the
fence, and we get out of here. We’ll worry about the rest as we go.”
Peter worked up to his feet, fighting the
wave of vertigo with each moment. “What did they give me?”
“No idea.”
He assessed the cell again, noting two
unconscious guards and the IV stand where he’d lain. “Putting your aikido
skills to use?”
She nodded distractedly, searching
through the guard’s pockets. “It’s not as easy as it feels during practice, let
me tell you.” She gave up on the first guard and headed toward the next.
Relieved he didn’t recognize either man,
Peter turned his attention to the lock. “At least Grieves’ people aren’t
involved.” He pulled free the open lock and wrapped the chain around his waist,
looping it just in case they might need it. “Looks like you managed pretty well.
I’m pretty proud of you.”
“Ten years says I’d better be able to
handle an idiot. At least I know my time wasn’t wasted.”
Peter chuckled and pushed open the chain-link
gate. Behind him, Misty gasped.
“What?” Peter turned just as she hit the
ground with a nasty thump. “Misty!” He dove for her, then stopped as the smell
of urine hit him. She’d been tasered.
Movement as the down guard reached for
another weapon caught Peter’s attention and he dove for him, landing
full-bodied on his head. The crack of his skull against the cement was lost in
Peter’s kiai. The corrupt guard didn’t move again, and Peter took that as a
good sign. After pulling the tiny probes from Misty’s skin, Peter lifted and
dragged her toward the opening. Any second, he expected Jerry to burst through
the doors in an uproar, but the halls remained silent.
He should have grabbed the guard’s taser.
Peter considered going back for it, but decided against it. They were up
against the clock. He’d mistakenly assumed that the room which housed them was
in a basement or subbasement, but as he moved, he could see painted windows.
Peter struggled to imagine where they were. What part of the building had
painted windows? He’d never noticed them, but then, the upper floors rarely had
his focus on his rounds.
Without knowing exactly where they were,
his worries expanded to more guards and the structural integrity of the
building.
He searched for a different exit. Surely
there was another way in, aside from the one Jerry left through.
Peter’s frustration rose as he traced the
outer wall. The blindfold he’d worn prevented much knowledge of location, but he
remembered the echo of their steps for quite a way. He struggled to imagine the
many corridors. Which ones didn’t have cameras? There were a few labs within the
top security designated area. Well, actually, the entire top security area
prohibited cameras or other monitoring equipment, but all had cameras
overlooking the access points.
Misty groaned in his arms, her head
flopping sideways. “That hurt.”
“Yeah, I’ve felt it before, too. Sorry
you had to go through that.”
“Eww.” She struggled to regain her feet
and Peter helped where he could. “Ew! I stink.”
“You’re just lucky you didn’t defecate.
I’ve dealt with that a time or two.”
“Oh, that’s gross.” She held out her
hands as if afraid to touch anything on herself, though only one part was
actually soiled. “Please tell me we can get out of here?”
“I’m still working on it. The only way
out is the way Jerry went last time. I didn’t want to take that route, but it
looks like there’s not another one.”
“Then let’s do it. You’re trained in
hand-to-hand combat, aren’t you?”
“Actually, we’re trained not to engage in
physical fights unless there’s no other option, but I think I can handle
myself.”
“Okay.” She didn’t seem satisfied by his answer,
but moved toward the door anyway, hands held at the ready.
“I still don’t understand.” Peter shook
his head. He cracked open the door, searched for anyone beyond, then slipped
out with Misty close behind. “Where are Cameron and Jerry?” Did Cameron faint
when Misty woke him? If that was the case, why hadn’t Jerry done anything about
him yet?
“Don’t curse luck.” Misty glared at him
and moved past, taking the lead.
Peter struggled to get his bearings. He’d
definitely never been in this hallway, but perhaps he’d seen it on a monitor?
He looked for any of the hidden cameras, but found none. A sinking thought
almost sapped his energy. What if they weren’t in the building at all? Jerry
had lured Cameron there, but what if this facility was down the street or five
minutes away and he’d just assumed it connected?
“Wait.”
Misty paused, almost jumping out of her
skin at his sudden words.
“I just don’t want to walk into an ambush.”
“So, we should go back to the cage?” She
gestured, brows rising high in incredulity.
“No, I just—” He brushed a hand through
his hair. “We need to get our bearings. I don’t recognize any of this.”
“What about the paint? The line of the
walls?” She pointed. “Are those the same?”
He looked for the first time, “Uh, I
think so? I don’t generally look at the walls.”
“What about the floor tiles? The light
fixtures.”
Peter assessed each item. “Yeah, it all
looks the same, but it’s not like they’re specialty items. I bet every
commercial building in the area uses this type of tile.”
“There is power in the details.” She held
up a finger. “Let’s try the next door.”
The next door turned out to be at the end
of the long hallway. This didn’t increase Peter’s comfort level, but once again,
he was the one gently pushing open the door to determine what lay on the other
side. A bulky guard stood, arms folded over his massive chest as he stared to
the left, away from the door.
Peter breathed in and held it as he
softly moved the door back into place. “Guard.” He mouthed, surprised that the
man hadn’t reacted to their quiet conversation.
They stared around themselves, hoping for
another option.
“Exactly.” A distant voice enthused. “You
see my point?”
“Not at all.” Cameron’s voice responded.
“I’m honestly not going to judge you for the choice of how you use your lives,
but I wouldn’t be able to do it. You’re breaking the law.”
“There is no connection between Ronald
and any of these people.”
“There wasn’t.” Cameron chuckled darkly.
“But now you’re a high-level employee with his organization. Connections now
would point directly to it. Insider trading is a nice fat stint in a minimum
security prison.”
Jerry growled.
Peter’s jaw hung.
Misty looked between him and the door.
“Is that?” She backed away from him, suddenly wary. “Oh, no.”
Peter held up his hands. “Shhh, it’s me,
your brother, I swear it.”
“I can’t believe you when I hear his
voice on the other side.”
Peter crushed his teeth together,
fighting his own uncertainty. What did this mean?
The voices stopped on the other side of
the door, and both Misty and Peter pulled back. There were no hiding places.
The long hallway had neither openings, nor shadows. Instead, they pulled
against the walls on either side, breathing hard.
Jerry started the conversation again, his
tone darker than it had been. “Well, for not judging, you’re certainly pointing
fingers.”
“Just stating facts.”
The door started to open, giving Peter a
brief look into the hallway before he dove across the gap next to Misty. She
squeaked her unease, but did nothing more as the pair cowered, waiting.
Jerry’s hand came into view. “Please, you
first, one more hallway and then we’ll be near your sister.”
“I’d rather not go first, thanks. You’ve
made it very clear what you intend, but I’d rather not be shot in the back.”
Jerry laughed. “You’re actually the lucky
one in this situation. Aside from a small amount of pain, you’ll feel and
remember nothing. Believe me, I’ve heard the tales of those who’ve felt their
own deaths, then lived in the minds of the next generation. It’s not an easy
thing.”
“That’s probably why babies sleep so
much.” Cameron followed Jerry as he moved into the hallway.
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