Cooper travelled down to the surface first. He needed to pay off guards, grease the right hands, and convince one of Dane’s old colleagues—who apparently had incredible gambling debts—to take care of me in the machine. I didn’t like being left on the ship to stew but I had to agree he was right. It was better for me to wait and let him do what he had to do on the surface.
With the chip working, I could do things a lot easier than before. A quick poke at the control center and I was able to access the communication array.
With Cooper off the ship, it was easier to speak to my aunt about things I didn’t think he should hear. My sixth husband didn’t particularly believe in leaving me with much personal space. I drummed my fingers on the console while I waited for her to pick up.
Jayne’s face appeared on the screen and she nodded to me. “I’ve been waiting for you to call.”
“Not easy with Cooper around.”
She wasn’t dressed as fancy as the last time I’d seen her. She was actually in beige.
“I’d imagine not.”
“I’m getting in the machine and when I wake up I’m going to know what scared me enough to run. You knew my guys were on The Bridge. You must have people there who still communicate with you.”
She raised a dark eyebrow. “I do. They don’t like what’s going on. Not enough to uprise on Rita, but enough to talk to me.”
“Would they be willing to help me?”
Jayne moved closer to the screen. “In what capacity?”
“I don’t know what decisions I made before but I know what I want now. The guys, all six of them, safe. My daughter protected. I think my father is the one to do that. I think that’s what you want, too. A way to get to your brother. Am I right?”
She did me the courtesy of not pretending I wasn’t right. “Yes.”
“Get yourself together, bring whoever of your staff wants to go, too. Come to the Artemis. We’re hidden behind one of Ochoa’s outlier moons. When I wake up after the machine, I’m not going to be me anymore, or not exactly as I am now. You need to have already put this in motion so I can’t call it off. Be here, ready to put a gun to my head to tell you where my father is.”
Jayne’s eyes were huge. “You’re remarkably smart.”
“I’ve been watching news reports on the vid screen. Why does The Bridge keep popping into the area and then vanishing again? What’s happening with it?”
She shook her head. I’d finally asked her a question she couldn’t answer right off the bat. “Clearly, it’s a technical problem. They don’t really know why. My best guess would be your Wesley had something to do with it before they knocked him out.”
Her words stopped my heart for a second. “Knocked him out?”
“They’re all in cryogenic sleep now. Turned out the five of them on The Bridge were more than Rita was prepared to deal with. Dead guards, escape attempts, systems breaking. She’s getting ready to be all over the Nomad airwaves offering money for you now. Artemis won’t stay hidden forever.”
Focus made my back stiffen. “Saving them and my daughter are my first priorities. This baby is coming soon whether we are ready or not. Cooper won’t like you here ready to threaten me when I wake up. Be prepared for his resistance. There’s a play I have to make for him, too. I’d rather not give my mother nuclear bombs, and that means I’m going to have to speak to my father. Presumably, when I wake up, I’ll know how to do that. The guys won’t want me sacrificing myself and I’m nobody’s martyr. Please believe I’ll do what I have to do.”
“For the first time in your life, Melissa, I do.”
I disconnected the communication and clicked my wrist again. “Cooper,” I knew he’d be able to hear me even if he couldn’t answer. “I’ve got something to do on Ochoa. I’ll be at the memory retrieval machine in three hours. Have it done by then.”
He might have answered me except I cut off communication. If Cooper wasn’t going to like my aunt showing up to help me complete my plan, he was going to dislike what I needed to do next even more. I’d made a lot of mistakes. Huge ones. Big, horrible decisions, some I couldn’t undo. One of them was down on the surface.
She could be saved.
* * * *
Everyone on Ochoa looked like they’d woken up in a leather factory. I didn’t see a synthetic fabric anywhere. Women wearing ball gowns pranced down the street looking ridiculous and men strutted around in leather pants and jackets despite the heat. Why were they wearing that stuff? I’d never seen so many women in one place, either.
Planets full of starving people, there was a rebellion going on in space above their heads, and the inhabitants of Ochoa seemingly paid no attention. Considering the state of things, it was easier to see how Cooper came and went as he pleased. Why weren’t these people more afraid? Where were the guards keeping strict order? Had no one gotten this close to Ochoa in a long time?
Why hadn’t my mother launched an attack?
The computer on Artemis had shown me, with no trouble, where Cooper’s sister Olivia lived. Apparently, the local newspapers published that information regularly.
Three guards—finally, I’d found some—dozed in front of the gate, the smell of alcohol wafting off them. Alcohol and something else I couldn’t identify. There was a general stink in the air that made my eyes burn.
If Oliva Jackson was happy I would leave her alone. I didn’t know her, but Cooper’s description of this woman without the mental capacity to understand her life fueled me forward. Who was I to decide what she should and shouldn’t do? Her guards were clearly unconcerned since they were sleeping and not actually paying attention.
If she was happy being a wife I’d walk away and no one would ever be the wiser that I’d been here. Tiptoeing, I walked past the ridiculous excuse for guards and made my way toward the sound of humming coming from behind the house.
The mansion where Olivia lived was white with pillars running along the front and black shutters dressing up each window. There was something about it that seemed really familiar and caused me to almost stop my approach.
But the sound of humming called to me and I made my way forward. Flying high in the sky like a six-year-old on a swing was a woman who had to be Olivia Jackson. She had Cooper’s hair, his eyes, and her chin jutted out the same way his did. Her face was rounder than her brother’s. She pumped her legs back and forth while she hummed, a breezy song I’d never heard before but which banged at my heart nonetheless. Both her eyes were blackened and the sight made me want to smash whoever inflicted that pain on her.
“Melissa.” Olivia called out to me, waving, before she stopped swinging. “You’re here.”
Olivia knew me? According to Cooper we’d never met. I hadn’t wanted his sister on Artemis. How did she know me? Had she seen the terrible video recording?
I inched toward her. “You know me, Olivia?”
“Of course.” She got off the swing, skipping forward before she threw her arms around me. “Cooper said you wouldn’t know me when you came back, but you do, don’t you? We’re still best friends.”
Something was very wrong here. I swallowed and tried to smile. The last thing I wanted was to make this young woman with two black eyes and a smile on her face afraid. “Of course.”
She laughed and then let me go to twirl in a circle. My feet hurt but not as much as my head. I’d been here before. That meant Cooper had lied. He’d told me I’d been injured, fixed, mind erased, and left in Master’s. He’d even gone so far as to tell me I’d denied his sister passage on my ship.
Yet on at least some of the subjects, he’d lied.
“How long has it been since I’ve been here?” I made my way to her swing and sat down. My heart might explode and the baby jumped inside of me. I had to calm down. This close to labor I had to keep my blood pressure down.
She shrugged. “Don’t know. I hit Benji last night. A bunch of times. Over and over again. Then I hit myself. My husband has left. I’m not sure if he’s coming
back.”
I didn’t have the slightest idea what to make of what she said. She hit Benji. Was that her husband? Shit hit herself? And she didn’t strike me as simple…more like deranged. Maybe it was the look in her eyes or the shrewd slope of her eyebrows and the tilt of her chin. “I…ah…do you want to get away from here?”
Olivia shook her head. “You asked me last time, too. I want to stay. Why would I want to ride around in a stinky old space ship? I’m a princess.”
That’s what Cooper had said, too. I’d been so sure I could talk the simple girl into coming but right in front of me was something else entirely. “Right. Of course.”
I rubbed at my eyes. Cooper had lied, regardless. Maybe it was a small omission but it brought up all kinds of problems. I didn’t know him. He’d brought me to my aunt. Or at least a woman he’d told me was my father’s sister. She’d sold me a load of goods. I’d bought them all like they were gospel. I’d given her Artemis’ coordinates. She was on her way now.
I stood. The swing was only making my dizziness worse. Even beyond Cooper and Jayne, my guys were gone. I’d shot a man in the head who told me my mom kidnapped them. Other than that, all I had was a weird message from C.J. telling me what happened. I really didn’t know. I’d been conveniently unconscious during the whole thing.
“Do you want to play? Like last time? We could dress up my dolls. You couldn’t hear them talking before but maybe you can now. Or there are rats…”
I’d really been here too long and I didn’t want to be with her anymore, not for any longer than I had to be. “Olivia? Do you know where I can get a shuttle?”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “In our garage. Benji has five.”
“Great.” I smiled and tried not to throw up on my shoes. I was going to steal a Noble shuttle. If I didn’t get shot out of the sky I’d be lucky. “Could you call your brother? Tell him I’m here.”
Cooper would come running. My being with Olivia would really screw things up for him if he was doing something devious. I rubbed at my wrist. The chip had to come out, too. There was only one place in the universe where I could get true answers.
My name is Melissa Fucking Alexander…
The girl was real. She’d been played over the airwaves for everyone to see. No one else was going to tell me who I was except for myself. Not anymore.
* * * *
My wrist burned from where I’d dug my chip out with a fork. The tracker in it sat on Olivia’s kitchen table. Cooper would find it. The shuttle I’d stolen had to be disposed of, too. I was making this up as I went along. The only good news was I had a head start. Geoff had known how to disable the tracker, but I didn’t.
Somehow I had to get in and out of the memory machine before anyone could catch up with me.
“Melissa-mine.” Cooper’s voice boomed in the vessel and I winced. He’d already hacked into my com system. Soon, he’d have visual. “We have to talk.”
“No.” I didn’t care if I sounded frantic since I actually was. I didn’t have an ounce of game playing left inside me. My head hurt and my vision blurred in and out on occasion. That couldn’t be good. Nothing made sense. I had a goal. I had to reach it. “I’m done talking to you.”
“Don’t say that.” His voice sounded stressed, too. There was an edge to it I wasn’t used to hearing. “I can explain.”
That was rich. “I’m sure you can, only I have no intention of believing a single word you say. Don’t take it personally, Cooper. I’ve decided I don’t believe Jayne, either. Or the other guys. You’re all only telling me what you think I want to hear, which includes keeping me in a state of utter guilt all the time about what a terrible person I was.”
Tears streamed down my face. Had all their love for me been a terrible lie? Some made up story to keep the lonely mind-wiped girl off balance?
“I never wanted you to feel that way. Ever.” He shouted the last word. “I didn’t tell you that you spent time with my sister. It didn’t go well. You weren’t real keen on her and you were healing from your injuries. I was actually protecting you from that memory because you got so upset about not letting her on the ship.”
“She didn’t want to come on the ship.” I stood. It was time to do what needed to be done. “I’m going to get answers. If you really love me, as you claim to, then you’ll let me go. When I know who I can trust, and assuming that proves to be you, I’ll be in touch. Until then, leave me alone, Cooper.”
He was silent and I wondered if he’d disconnected our conversation. “I can’t do that, Mine. I love you. Do you understand? I really do. It was a stupid strategic mistake to not tell you that you didn’t go instantly into the machine. I had to negotiate with them. They were threatening your life. I was convinced you were going to die the whole time. Better you not remember. I made a mistake. I might point out you make a ton of them yourself.”
My head throbbed and tears leaked from my eyes. “I went there because I was going to rescue your sister for you. I had a whole grand plan. It was for you. I feel like a complete and utter idiot. If you follow me before I’ve gotten my memories back, I’m going to know you’re up to something nefarious. If you don’t, and you’ve really done nothing more than told me a stupid lie by omission, then I’ll call you. That’s the end of it. This time I’m setting the terms. I am not a chess piece to be moved around. I don’t know if you’re all lying.”
“All of us are lying?” His face appeared on the screen. “The others are lying? They were kidnapped for you. Have you lost your mind? Is something else wrong? Are you feeling okay?”
He really was so beautiful. My sixth husband, the deceitful bastard, had the face of an angel. “I’m going to get my memories back. Then we’ll know.”
“You’re nine months pregnant. I’m worried you could be sick. Let me take you to a doctor.”
I shook my head. “Making me think I’m crazy isn’t going to get me to come back to you. I’m set on this course.”
“I was getting the machine for you to get your memories back. I’m doing what you wanted.”
“How do I know you haven’t rigged the machine in some way?” I fiddled with the buttons. There had to be a way to get him off the screen. Looking at him, seeing his pleading eyes, might actually make me believe him.
“Do you hear yourself? You don’t sound right.” He put his hand on the view screen like he wanted to reach out and touch me. “Please come back. Let me get you checked. We won’t do anything else.”
“I’m not paranoid. I’m not sick. I’m being proactive.” I finally found the off key. “Leave me alone, Cooper.”
I disconnected our call. I had no doubt he could get back in touch with me if he wanted to. Master’s was the last place in the universe I’d ever wanted to go again and yet I rushed toward it as though it offered me salvation. If Cooper was on my tail, I’d find out later.
* * * *
Wanda disembarked her daily shuttle to Master’s with a scowl on her face. The woman really hated going to work. I wondered how it happened she had to run Master’s. Or at least her husband did. The others on Ochoa didn’t seem to have jobs. They were too busy parading around in their leather outfits. Had she lost some kind of bet?
I followed her until she reached the door that would lead her into the rehab center.
“Wanda.” I called her name and she spun around just in time to see it was me before I bashed her over the head with a broom from the shuttle. She hit the ground before she could utter a word. Bending over, I managed to find her pulse, which was steady. She was going to have a headache, but she’d be fine. Or at least I hoped that was true. I didn’t want to kill her.
After dragging her onto the shuttle and tying her up and gagging her before leaving her in the bathroom, I took her keys. She’d have to stay there for a bit. Hopefully no one would notice an extra Ochoa ship on the transport dock. It seemed like they had so many deliveries, it would hopefully stay unremarked upon for a while.
I had bigger problems to wo
rry about. Taking her keys, I let myself into the compound. At six in the morning, the girls would be getting up and starting their morning routines before their daily motivational speeches. I needed not to be seen. Keeping my head down, I knew I had a fifty/fifty chance of getting lucky and making it to the memory wipe machines without being seen or recognized.
I’d never seen the machines while I’d stayed at Master’s but I knew where they were based on sheer process of elimination. There weren’t that many places in the rehab center where they could be hidden.
A few minutes later, I stood in a cold sterile room and stared at the machine that had taken my memory. Running my hand over it, I let the cold metal help steel my spine. Dane had invented the machine but I’d bet they improved upon the design. Top of the line functions and a reverse button.
I checked out the control panel until I saw what I needed. Shouldn’t Cooper have known this? Why had he been looking for a specific scanner when all we needed was this one?
Another reason to not trust the prince.
I hit the button and the machine powered up. This was going to hurt and I had to not scream, to not say a word to indicate I was in here. I took a deep breath before I placed myself on top of the bed which would slide into the machine.
My other five husbands hadn’t wanted me to do this. They’d asked me not to. We’d made new memories together…
Only everything had changed. Why had Cooper asked me to rescue him if he could have helped himself at any time? I groaned. I should be focusing on the fact that I was basically killing myself, not on the ways Cooper might have been duplicitous. I would soon know anyway. Maybe he really had been stuck and then wasn’t anymore. Why would that have changed?
A tear slipped from my eye. When this was over, I’d be gone.
A buzzing was the only noise I heard before hot pain assaulted my brain. My head was on fire. I bit down on my lip to not cry out. I didn’t even know if I’d been successful because the screaming in my head was so loud I couldn’t tell if I yelled aloud or not.