Fracted (Book #2)

Chapter 52: Under

The footage showed him walking around the training room back at Capricorn, always holding up a phone in his ear. He shuffles back and forth, the back of his long coat sweeping the floor everytime he turned.
"Turn it up," Patrick said.
Then André spoke aloud, enough to fill the entire room, "--I know, I switched the guns already...Yes, I'm sure it'll alter the boy's brain colonies little by little. Soon, after the "incident", Jess will think things the wrong way. In that way, a new ability gets unlocked, thus helping you with your observation on mutation and anomalies--Yeah, I don't think I'm the one with trust issues here--I am trying to help you, Dr. Garcia--" I swallow hard, apparently overthinking about how all of the things that happened was a setup. I focus on the screen.
"Yes, sir," he resumed talking. "I'll find a way for him to get to you in no time--okay, bye..."
The group looks at me.
Are they gonna kill me so André would never lay his hands on me so everything would be back to normal? Or are they gonna turn me in to solve this Innate problem? I hope not.
"What's our plan?" Jackson asked.
"Yeah, Jess," Clare said. "What do we do?"
"I don't know...alright?" I admitted. "I got nothing."
"You'll think if something right?" Jason said with full hope.
"He will," said Patrick. Hunter nodded.
At last. I couldn't even survive an hour without talking to them. But why me? Why not ask Jackson? He's the leader, right?
"Why the look?" I ask. "I'm not the only one involved in this so I need your guys' help."
"Yeah but this time, we're coordinating unlike last time," Jackson said. "And this'll be your time to show them what you're made of."

6:37 pm. Late

We didn't expect the safe house to be so vast and spacious--is this an underground refuge for Innates or the dug-out tunnel for the upcoming world war? I have so many things to hope for, including the third world war not to happen. And also, I hope it doesn't involve Innates.
I settle next to the twins on a long wooden seat screwed tightly on the concrete wall. There were nine sets of bunk beds on the sides of the room. Iris stood infront of a large rectangular table at the center of the room. Humongous crates were scattered around the room to sit on with the letters TNT on it.
A drawing of a ram with a tail that's surrounded by the circling water is carved into the table. All the glorious memories we all shared in that school...Soon, we will all make brand-new ones.
A huge amount of Innates occupy the room, each given a roasted ham sandwich to devour and an aluminum canister filled with fresh milk to drink. Fifty percent of us were all teenagers between the ages of thirteen to sixteen, thirty percent were the children between the ages of eight to twelve, while the remaining twenty percent were the ones above eighteen year-old.
All the girls wore dark-colored dresses and skirts and either thick eyeliners or eye patches. The boys wore dark suits with matching ties and dark chocolate brown shoes close to black.
"Okay, listen up," Iris spoke up with a voice as loud as two megaphones. "I have received some great news, and I think you guys are gonna be pretty pleased."
"Really? C'mon tell us!" The kids urged.
"It was revealed these past few days that Mr. Harris has been found alive," A few scattered excited gasps were heard. I was about to gasp too but I was drinking from my cannister. "and he's residing in Chicago, Illinois. They say he's still pretty unstable after the attack."
"Unstable?" I speak up. "From what? What happened to him?" I ask.
"He was wounded pretty bad, mostly everywhere," a ten year-old girl with tied back red curls answered. "Is he still in a coma or no?" she asked Iris.
"We'll find out soon enough--we still have more people to assemble. Cousin Sarra hasn't come back in a few days, she's supposed to be bringing up news and some progress about Mr. Harris. I'm worried about her."
"But didn't you say she's with the group looking for more Innates to rescue?" I say to Jackson, who was sitting on a crate.
"Yeah--you know what, Iris does have a good point. Sarra was only giving me short answers back at the phone booth earlier. I think they might be running behind, or maybe they're stuck on something right now--we don't know for sure."
"You think André's captured them?" I ask anxiously.
"That theory's incurable. It's possible," Jackson said.
My chest pumps up and my veins boiled in heat, melting every nerve in its wake. Something has been following me since I climbed out the window in the first place. Worse than fear is what's repeatedly coming back. It's not even the chip anymore. However, it's better to get rid of the gum under your shoe.
Somehow, I've ignored everything Iris had said for the past ten minutes. My theories sunk into my mind as if it was quicksand. There wasn't much air in this underground chamber, so I walk out without a single eye laying on me. I know I'm being stupid again, but I was getting too bored with all the implements. Too much work made me nauseous.
All the lights that lined the tunnels blink continuously as I walked. I look back and they stop blinking. The lights grew brighter. I walked back to the same spot from before, the lights blinked again. So it's not the tunnels, it's me. I imagine myself inside an outlet store, and all the merchandises bursting to million pieces in one simple stare.
"Jess, what are you doing out?" Jackson asked, not far away, shutting the door thusly. "Aren't you supposed to be in the meeting, listening to Iris's plan to get André?"
"No, I got tired of it. My brain's stuffed," I say.
"What are you doing now?" he asked.
I shrugged. "Getting lost. That explains me roaming around this labyrinth of tunnels."
"Don't run."
"I'm not running, I'm walking." I roll my eyes sarcastically.
"Don't be stupid, Jess. Obviously, you think running away over and over again is the solution."
"That's not true." Partly, it was. Look at where it brought me. I'd be touring around the world looking Innates right now but instead, I'm just below everything else.
"Well wether you like it or not you're staying inside. It's safer, you know."
I ended up sitting for an additional twenty minutes. Apparently, Sarra's descendants were once firearm and other weapon designers. And that's not all, at some point in the Patterson family history, they have been attempting to create an EMP device that radiates the chemicals that neutralizes our powers. That device would come actually come in handy in this situation, targeting all the clones and reducing their amount.
"Told you things were getting good at that meeting," Jackson shot a deadly smirk at me. I laughed
"Yeah, yeah, I know. We've all acted stupid at one point in our lives. And apparently I need to get the hang of my Reading ability."
"And the Controlling too?"
"Yes, the Controlling too." I kept the door open so the kids behind can walk out. "I really don't see why it takes time for me to decide when to practice," I said.
"I don't know, what is stopping you really? Do you wanna start right now? I really have nothing to do right but wait for further instructions."
We went somewhere far away from everybody, which ultimately reminded me of my private conversation with dad--the day he shared his power with me. Jackson reminded me of dad, not because he was his son, but it's like Benjamin never passed.
"Where do you think you're going?" Iris asked, the door still opened a crack. I shrugged and elbowed Jackson to respond.
"We were just heading to the upper level. It won't take long." But I know it will.
"If you're planning on sneaking outside, I'd order the guards to have you two evicted. Because no monkey business is tolerated around here." Wow, this is the hardcore version of Capricorn Academy.
I hear Jackson's thoughts circling around my mind, Shoot, we're busted.
"Then what're we supposed to do?" I ask.
"Stay safe. Just don't go out in this time. There's a blizzard heading upstate so I suggest staying down here for the rest of the night."
"All right, thanks," Jackson said, waving goodbye.
We walk away, the awkwardness spreading throughout. I still wanted more time away from other people. I just want to be with the person who I can relate to. We need time. I need time. But mostly space.

Iris's parents arrived at 7:30, they were late. But they prepared a hot bath and provided the six of us some fresh clothes to sleep in. Wow, it feels so good to wear clothes that make you look like a knife-wielding maniac.
Though I couldn't sleep that much, the blanket that bundled the three of us (Jackson, Hunter, and I) wasn't so thick. The cold air from upper levels must have squeezed through the ceiling and spread throught the chamber, coating the floor we were sleeping on with icy frost. Why did we even volunteer to sleep on the floor? Because we were nice enough to let people sleep on our supposed beds? Well we can't blame ourselves for being too generous.
I drifted off to sleep after crawling under the covers. I was out like a light, expecting this to be the most solemn slumber I've ever encountered.
I was sitting on the swing, back at Central Park. Hunter hopped down from the tree, but his face looked joyful as if Benjamin never passed. He smiles at me, although I wasn't sure if I would do the same thing. I felt the sudden urge to run off, but there was no valid reason. I may be a lucid dreamer, but this is the only place I could control my actions correctly. I smile. Then he waved at me.
Alright, I'm out.
I stepped off the swing, shivering in fear and the coldness of the weather.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Patrick asks, rising from the swing set.
"It won't take long." The same words that Jackson said when Iris suspected of us of sneaking out.
"You're lying." I turned and stopped at a big pile of maple leaves. On one hand he's armed with a pistol, and on the other was a burlap sack. "You're not going anywhere, Jess." He loomed towards me.
"What are you doing?" I slowly back up, my palms sweating rapidly. I clench them tightly, but they were so damp that my fingers would slip out.
"This is for your own good. For everyone's safety good, I mean." His smile turns to a malignant frown. The veins on his eyes were bulging from the sockets.
"Please don't do anything to me," I pleaded him. "I'm sorry for all the distress I've caused. I really am." No matter what I say, the nightmare processed by itself. I lost the connection. I am no longer a lucid dreamer.
"No. It's too late. It's all too late, André will take care of you from now on."
I glance behind Patrick--Clare and were armed as well. But where are Jackson and Hunter? The sky was drowning in gray clouds, the kind of gray you would find under the dusty couch.
"Jackson?" I muttered.
"Too late now, Jess. We're here to fix things." He raised his gun, aiming at my torso.
"Patrick, please." I started to cry.
Come on, Jess, wake up already!
Patrick pulls the trigger. I awaken. I pulled the blanket off. But before I could breathe, a burlap sack was pulled across my head.
It was not just a dream.