Jack and I stood in the corner of the school’s atrium watching the crowd thicken for the art showing and gala.
His fingers roamed beneath my long hair and massaged the nape of my neck. I wore a long, flowing dress. The fabric formed a “v” in the back, giving Jack plenty of bare skin to touch. His lips grazed my ear as he whispered to me. “I’m not going to stop touching you tonight.”
I took in a sharp breath, committing his scent to memory.
The gala was the type of event that drew the school’s extensive supporters and trustees for a night of art, cocktails and fun. A silent auction of the art at the end typically raised a ton of money for the school and for the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital, a charity chosen by the students of Wellington.
Seth Whitmeyer sipped punch while speaking with Dean Fisher and Coach Williams across from us.
Oh, what I would give to know what they are talking about.
Jack grazed my neck with his fingers as he brushed my hair to the side. I’d like to know what you are thinking. I wish I’d never taught you how to shut your thoughts off to me.
I looked back at him. We probably would not be standing here like this if you hadn’t.
Good point.
I won’t say good-bye to you. I closed my eyes briefly.
You don’t have to. It’s not good-bye. It’s just see ya later. I will find you when it’s safe. Jack’s hands squeezed my shoulders. I will always find you.
You remember the username and password?
Locked up tight inside my head.
I ran my fingers across my lips, remembering the kiss from earlier. After the kiss, I’d shown Jack everything on the site and made him memorize the password.
Dad had thought of everything, all the way down to creating a secured message board inside the website. I assumed he meant to use it eventually to communicate with me, but now, Jack and I would use it.
I thought back to Dad’s warning to trust no one. Do you think Coach Williams was really hired by my dad to protect me?
The rest of his story checked out, and Father seemed to think so. For now though, we’ll leave him on the “do not trust” list.
Though Seth spoke every so often to the dean and to Coach, his eyes never stopped roaming the room. He sipped from his glass again. Then he looked in our direction, his expression severe, before turning toward the door.
“Mommy Dearest is here,” Jack said close to my ear. “Her fangs appear to be out.”
Cathy entered through the main doors. She was dressed in a bright red, tailored suit with a high collar. I chuckled at the vampire reference.
Dani, Briana, and Kyle approached us, playfully arguing about something.
“This is sooo boring,” Danielle said. “We should go see the art, so we can hit the roof once the adults succumb to their adult ways.”
“Adult ways?” I raised a brow.
“You know, spiking their punch and shutting us kids out of their stuffy conversations.” Danielle smiled. “Besides, I want to see the nude you talked Ms. Waters into featuring.”
“How’d you manage a nude, Lexi?” Kyle asked. He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “Waters is a major conservative. I heard it was crazy impossible to even get her to allow the models to reveal much skin.”
Briana slapped Kyle playfully. “The imagination is an amazing tool.” She tilted her head side to side. “I mean… I’ve seen you in a Speedo.”
Everyone laughed.
While the others started toward the maze of exhibits, I scrutinized the room again. Something the size of a double bacon cheeseburger sat uneasily in the pit of my stomach.
“Shall we?” Jack stuck out his arm for me. “I’m dying to see the nude everyone’s talking about. How did you manage to get a nude entered into the exhibit?”
“The mind is a powerful thing, my friend.”
Jack raised a fist to his chest. “Oh, you wound me, Miss Matthews. Surely by now we’re more than friends.”
“Stop. You know we are.”
“Let’s go see the art.”
We walked around the maze of temporary walls filled with art, admiring the many pieces. Jack said his favorite was the charcoal I did of Cherriana. “You’re very talented, you know.”
“No. I just like to play around. And since I have zero musical talent, Wellington required me to choose some kind of art.”
“Her eyes are so sad.”
I stared at Cherriana’s big brown eyes and remembered the mood I was in when I drew her. “She’s somewhat of a caged animal. Literally and metaphorically.” In the charcoal, I drew Cherriana running free in the woods where Jack and I had ridden. “I imagined that even though she was the result of mad scientists, trapped inside a body created by man and not by the will of God, she should run free in the world.”
Jack stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “We’ll ride together again. I promise.”
I swallowed hard and nodded.
We moved on and found the others standing in front of the nude. Dani cupped her hand over her mouth, whispering something to Bree. They both giggled.
It was killing me not to tell Kyle and them both what I knew about The Program. Jack assured me that he would tell them when he was positive it was safe to do so. He thought having me safe on the outside would insure they had a fighting chance to escape Wellington if it became necessary.
Problem was… I wasn’t on the outside yet.
The group of us walked to the next painting. Jack kept his promise by holding my hand as we stared at Danielle’s dramatic oil painting of two eyes.
Briana sidled up to me. “I think Danielle has a crush?”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t recognize those eyes?” she asked before walking away without telling me who it was.
I stared longer. The eyes were a beautiful color of amber with specks of blue throughout. Almost black eyebrows tilted inward, causing a “v” in the skin between the eyes. The eyes seemed worried. Determined. Yet warm and sad at the same time.
The eyes were definitely familiar to me. But it was an oil painting for crying out loud.
“What do you think?” Dani stood beside me now.
“The painting is superb,” I said. “Who’s the model?”
“This is the man I’m going to marry.”
I smiled. Jack dropped my hand and whispered in my ear, “I’ll be right back.” My palm turned cold as air hit the skin Jack had been holding tightly.
Dani analyzed her own painting.
“What do you mean marry?” I asked.
“These are the eyes from my dreams.” She folded her arms across her chest. I turned back to the eyes. She continued, “Remember the nightmare? The one where I told you I was in the dark, looking for you?”
“You’re telling me this is the guy that wanted you to find me?” I stared into the eyes. It hit me. He was from my dream earlier today. He led me to the infirmary.
Was this the same guy from my nightmares?
“Yeah. I’ve dreamt about him practically every night since then. Never like that first night, though. He’s kind in my dreams now. Never leading me in the dark.” She stopped and looked at me. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
“No, of course not,” I whispered.
Briana and Kyle joined us again, each carrying two glasses of punch and offering Dani and me one.
“Thanks.” I sipped slowly while I studied Briana and remembered her words. I think Danielle has a crush.
If Briana recognized those eyes, and those eyes are the same as from Dani’s nightmare… I shifted my stare from Briana to Kyle. Oh, God. Kyle. He’s been right in front of me all this time.
Did Kyle try to kill me?
I looked around for Jack. The familiar build of panic bubbled up inside my chest.
“Lexi, you okay?” Kyle touched my elbow.
I jerked my head back toward Kyle, who stared at me. A cocktail of emotions passed over his face
—curiosity, concern, anxiety. But the desire to kill me?
Behind him, Cathy DeWeese, Roger Wellington and Seth Whitmeyer walked toward us, admiring artwork along the way. Or pretending to, I suspected.
All at once, they turned toward the four of us. Me, Briana, Danielle, and Kyle. Three of us, part of the original test sample.
Kyle moved closer to me. His lips lifted into a nervous smile. “Something wrong, Lexi?” His expression changed, as recognition must have shown in mine. “You know, don’t you?” Alarm coated his whispered words. He moved behind me, placing a firm hand on my waist. “Act normal. Don’t let them see the fear all over your face or tonight will go very badly.”
Again with the ‘act normal’ stuff. My hands shook. I tucked them into my armpits. Jack! Where are you? It was Kyle, Jack. Kyle has been inside my head. He tried to kill me.
I couldn’t breathe. I squirmed against Kyle’s hand on my waist. I thought my knees might buckle. Jack didn’t respond.
Cathy approached. “Hi, Lexi. Loving the art tonight. Your father never mentioned how talented you are.” She tapped her compact purse against her lips. “Oh, and honey,” she said. Her term of endearment sent a fit of rage cursing through my blood. “Jack had to leave. Something came up with a dear friend of his. He said to let you know.”
Shit! Jack wouldn’t have left without telling me. Something’s wrong.
“Thanks,” I said. “Where’s Dr. DeWeese tonight?”
“John had an emergency. He had to leave town unexpectedly.”
I redirected my gaze toward Seth, who stood behind Cathy and her brother. He lifted his chin and motioned for me to follow him. How was I supposed to do that without anyone noticing?
“May I have your attention, please?” Dean Fisher’s voice sounded over the speaker.
Visitors and students made their way out of the maze of art and back into the main room, where Dean Fisher stood at a podium. I glanced toward the door. Seth had his hand on the door handle.
Jack was nowhere. I took a few steps toward Seth, but Kyle was on me. His fingers wrapped around my wrist. “You can’t leave.” It was a threat. “Not yet.”
I looked down at his wrist then up at the arrogance in his eyes.
“As you all know,” the dean began, “we have experienced somewhat of a security breach at Wellington recently. But don’t worry,” he smiled. He raised his hands to the side like he was giving a Presidential speech. “Our students’ safety is our number one concern. Which is why—”
“He’s convincing, isn’t he?” Kyle whispered in my ear. His breath felt hot on my neck.
Panic threatened to paralyze me. I had to get out of there. I had to find Jack.
My backpack, and only source of tissues, was tucked behind a bush near the parking lot, ready for my quick escape later tonight. I looked around for some napkins. If blood began pouring out of my nose now, I was afraid Kyle would know what I was doing. How much did he know?
“Which is why we have implemented our new and improved security system. I must say, I’m pretty proud of it.” Dean chuckled, like this was an everyday speech.
Students began to eye each other, whispering nervously.
“First, the outer perimeter of the school is now protected by an electric fence that will keep potential intruders safely on the outside.”
“And us on the inside,” Briana said under her breath. She didn’t seem to notice the death grip Kyle had on my wrist.
“Secondly,” Dean continued. “Students will receive new procedures on how and when they may leave the campus based on agreed-upon parameters with parents and guardians of each student.”
“Why do I feel we’ve suddenly been imprisoned?” Dani asked.
“Because we have,” Kyle said so that only I could hear. “You knew this was coming, didn’t you, Sarah?”
My body tensed at the sound of my birth name. Jack, where are you? I slowly turned my head and looked up at Kyle. “How long have you known?”
“Known what? That your father and his friends created us in test tubes, then redesigned our brains with no consideration for the possible consequences?” His fingers had to be leaving impressions in my skin.
“That’s not how it happened. It wasn’t Dad.”
“Shh. Here comes the best part,” he whispered.
“And third,” the dean announced. “More students at Wellington will be enrolled into The Program and have access to the most innovative learning available to high school students anywhere.” He paused. Whispers echoed through the hall. “That’s right. The initial year of The Program was a huge success, and now, thanks to the generous donors and boosters of this school...”
Cathy sipped a glass of champagne at the back of the room, then raised her glass, nodding toward Dr. Wellington.
“…The Program has been relocated to Wellington Boarding School.”
“I think we’ve heard enough.” Kyle tugged on my arm, pulling me in the direction of the exit.
Seth no longer stood at the doors.
When we were on the other side of the door, I thought tissue or not, I had to get away from Kyle. Kyle, I want you to let go of my arm right now. You don’t want to hurt me.
He loosened his grip, but his fingers remained wrapped around my forearm pulling me down the sidewalk. “I know you know where your father’s journals are. If we have any hope of surviving what those yahoos have planned, you have to show them to me.”
Let go of my wrist! Why wasn’t my mindspeaking working?
“And if you have any hope of seeing Jack again—”
“You know where he is?” I yanked my arm and actually broke free this time.
He started to grab me again, but stopped. “I know exactly where he is. Right where you and I will be this time tomorrow if they suspect we won’t cooperate—on lockdown.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
With a loose grip on my forearm, Kyle led me to the back of the building where the infirmary was housed, but instead of entering the main floor, we descended the stairs to the basement.
I recognized the long, white hallway immediately though I had never been there.
“I dreamt of this place.” No, it wasn’t a dream, though, was it?
In the back of my mind, a voice told me I should be running in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, if Kyle knew where Jack was, and he was in trouble, I had to find him.
Kyle faced me. “Welcome to The Program.”
I forced my feet to move. “Who are you?”
“Don’t be dramatic. I’m still your friend. Let’s just say you and I have a lot to learn about each other. And I guess we’ll get to, now.”
“What do you mean… now?”
“The campus has been secured, Lexi. This,” he gestured down the hallway, “is our future. We were genetically altered. Cloned for specific purposes. You know all this, right?” He looked at me like I was dense.
“Yes, but I’m just surprised that you do.”
“Roger Wellington is my uncle. Sort of.”
I thought about that. “Your uncle. And where are your parents?”
“As you can imagine it’s complicated.”
“Tell me anyway.” My voice came out angry. My hands shook at a 7.9 on the Richter scale. I closed them into fists at my side.
“I am a clone of the man who raised me the first ten years of my life. That man was Uncle Roger’s brother. He disappeared, and R.W. moved me here. Opened the school.”
“How have you kept this a secret from everyone?”
“What?” His voice escalated. “Does it matter?” He reached for my hand, which I hid behind my back.
“You said you knew where Jack was.”
Behind us, the door at the top of the stairs opened and closed with a creak. I jerked my head toward the sound of mumbled voices.
“Come on,” Kyle whispered. Not having much of a choice, I followed.
He tried the first door on the right. Locked. As was the door across from it.
/> “No,” he protested. “Why are they locked?” He tried them all.
Finally, the last door on the right was unlocked. He pulled me in after him. I entered and turned immediately to peer out the small window of the door to see the owners of the voices we had heard. The room behind me was mostly dark. It smelled funny. Clinical. Sterile.
Kyle stood close to me. At my back. “They’ll be looking for you.”
“Who? Cathy and Dr. Wellington?” I asked. If Kyle was the person from my dreams—Smoking Man—then he had tried to kill me. Was he leading me to my death now?
“They want the journals.”
I whipped around ready to protest when I noticed we weren’t alone. I faced three occupied hospital beds. The room extended beyond two other doors that had been locked. Dim lights above the beds illuminated a small portion of the room. Machines were hooked up to two of the people in the beds. The one I faced first was…
“Jack!” I ran to his side. I placed my hand on his cheek. “Can you hear me? What happened to him?”
“He’s fine. Just sedated.”
“Sedated? Why?”
“To get him away from you, I suppose.”
I ran at Kyle and punched him in his chest. “So help me, Kyle, if you don’t stop talking in riddles and tell me what is going on…”
“You’ll what?” He grabbed both of my arms and easily lifted my body away from him. “You think you have this all figured out, don’t you? You thought Jack would get you out of here, and then you’d what? Change your name? Slip into a whole new life?”
“Why do you care? Why not let me go, Kyle? We were friends.”
“We still are. Don’t you get it? There is no escape from what we are.”
“You tried to kill me,” I said, surprisingly calm.
His eyes widened. “Kill you? What are you talking about?”
“I didn’t recognize you at first, couldn’t make out your face. Your voice didn’t sound familiar. But this morning, your eyes came into focus.” I paused. Kyle’s face was completely unreadable. I looked at Jack out of the corner of my eye. He lay motionless. “When I noticed Dani’s painting of your eyes, I knew you were the one inside her head the other night, inside my head this morning, and you tried to drown me.”
Kyle’s eyes widened. “I looked for you by getting inside Dani’s head. That is true. I also tried to show you this place this morning.” He gestured around the room with his hand. “But Jack showed up and woke you. I even got inside your dream the night you father was killed. I tried to show you this place then and the fact that Jack knew about it. But drown you? Why would I try to kill you?”