فصل 34

34

Number Seventeen

Just an hour after sunrise, the Electroclan was brought back to the same room above the bowl. It was the one room designed so that all of them could be chained down together. After the guards had again chained them to the floor, the lights were turned off. The room was lit only by the dim combined glow of the youths.

It was a full hour later when a door opened and a voice spoke from the darkness. “I’ll never get tired of seeing that.” Dr. Hatch stepped forward, followed by two guards, Bryan, Kylee, and a young woman none of them had ever seen before. “You really are remarkable creatures,” Hatch said. “Granted, trying to control you is like herding cats, but as physical specimens, you are truly remarkable.” “Hey, Q-tip,” Bryan said to Quentin.

“Hey, moron,” Quentin said. “Still wetting the bed?” Bryan blushed. He turned to Hatch. “Can I hit him?” “No,” Hatch said.

“You always were such a lapdog,” Quentin said.

“All right, go ahead,” Hatch said.

Bryan walked up to Quentin and slugged him in the stomach. Quentin’s hands were tied behind his back, so he was unable to completely double over. When he could speak, he said, “What a coward. You wait to hit me when my hands are tied?” “What did you call me?” Bryan asked.

Quentin looked up at him. “I don’t know. I called you so many things. Did you mean ‘lapdog,’ ‘moron,’ or ‘coward’?” Bryan slugged him again. “What did you call me?” “What, you want me to come up with something else?” “Stop it,” Hatch said. “Get back over here.” Bryan slapped the top of Quentin’s head, then walked back.

“Chicken,” Quentin said.

“I told you I had a surprise for you this morning. I think this one is really going to blow your minds.” “Who’s the girl?” Zeus asked.

“You always were one to jump the gun, Frank. This young lady is the surprise I promised you. Come up here, darling. Let’s give these Glows a look at perfection.” The young woman stepped forward. She looked to be the same age as them, only there was something older about her. She was tall and shapely and had long black hair that fell to the middle of her back, with a magenta streak running down the middle. Her face was narrow and pretty, with pale skin and radiant blue eyes. She wore tight designer jeans and knee-high leather boots. She carried herself with a confidence that could be construed as arrogance or cruelty. It was obvious that she looked down on the other Glows as inferior.

“It’s been written that the first will be last and the last will be first,” Hatch said. “You knew there were originally seventeen electric children. You’ve met sixteen of them. Let me introduce you to number seventeen. Zara.” The youths all looked at her, wondering where she had come from.

“Did you know about her?” Tara asked Quentin. Quentin shook his head.

“I remember her,” Nichelle said.

“No, he must have just found her.”

“No, I didn’t just find her,” Hatch said. “In fact, the opposite was true. I knew her before any of you, except Nichelle. Zara was the second child we found. Nichelle is right. Even though you don’t remember, most of you have met her. Quentin, you were five years old when the two of you played together. But that didn’t last. Zara was so unique, I decided to keep her to myself. No one but me knew about her. A good card player never shows his hand.” He turned back. “Say hi to your siblings, Zara.” “Yeah,” she said, staring at them as if it were the last thing she wanted to do.

“There you go,” Hatch said. “I know what you’re all thinking. What can she do? What’s her power? This is why I kept her apart. She can do it all. While Nichelle can diminish your power, Zara can replicate it.” “Vey could do that,” Zeus said.

“There is no Vey,” Hatch shouted. “Vey is dead. While Zara, as you can see, is very much alive. And, like those of you who once were with me, she has been trained and sharpened like a deadly tool.” “You’re a tool,” Torstyn said.

“Another mark on Torstyn’s run for the bowl,” Hatch said. “You’re not making this hard for me.” “Looking at you is hard for me,” Torstyn said.

“Well, don’t worry. You won’t have to for much longer.” He turned to Zara. “As I was saying, Zara can replicate your powers. But the best part is, anything you can do she can do even better. So, this morning we’re going to take some inventory. Zara, if you will . . .” Zara began to rise off the ground.

“Great,” Tessa said. “She can fly.”

“She’s not flying, per se,” Ian said. “It’s magnetic repulsion. It’s like the opposite of Kylee.” Zara floated to the end of the line, where McKenna was chained. She held out her palm in front of McKenna’s face.

“Zara,” Hatch said. “This first Glow is McKenna.” As Zara looked at her, Zara’s hand turned to fire. Then she turned it into an intense flame so hot that even McKenna tried to push away from it.

“That’s fun,” Zara said. “Light and heat. That could be very useful.” “That is correct,” Hatch said. “And next to her is a Glow I’ve wanted to meet for a very, very long time. No one told me you were so attractive, Cassy. What do you young people say, ‘hot’?” “I’m going to throw up,” Cassy said.

“So where have you been hiding, Cassy?”

“I’ve never wanted to meet you,” Cassy said. “And where I’ve been is none of your business.” “Every aspect of your life is most assuredly my business,” Hatch replied. “And you will tell me where you’ve been. You should know by now that I always find out what I want to know.” Zara put her hand over Cassy’s head. “Wow. She’s a powerful one. She could kill everyone in this room with a thought. Everyone but me, of course. I’m definitely going to hang on to this one.” “Very good,” Hatch said. “You do that. Going down the line, this next one is Abigail.” “Abigail.” Zara held out her hand. “Boring. Taking away others’ pain but not your own. What a waste of electricity. Moving on.” Abigail turned away from her.

“Next,” Hatch said with disgust, “is Frank, the Glow once called Zeus.” Zara held her hand above Zeus’s head for a moment. Then she turned and fired a lightning bolt so intense that it split apart the lectern at the front of the room. “Sorry, Admiral-General. I don’t always know my own power.” “It’s not your power,” Zeus said. “It’s mine.” “What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is mine,” Zara said. “Sucks to be you, little man.” “When I get out of here . . .”

“The only way you’re getting out of here,” Hatch said, “is when your heart stops beating. Move on. The girl next to him is Tesla.” “Tessa,” she said.

“Tessa, Tesla,” Hatch said. “What’s in a name? Doesn’t matter anymore. You can call yourself Bob for all I care.” “Why would I call myself Bob?”

“This one’s power feels a little weird,” Zara said. “So this one amplifies others’ powers. In fact . . .” Zara stepped back a few paces. “I can pick up different powers at the same time. She could definitely come in handy.” “So glad I’m useful,” Tessa said.

“You should be,” Zara replied. “That means you might live longer.” “Next is Ian.”

Zara stepped up to him and smiled. “Oh, that is cool. I can see . . . everything. Do you know how many rats you have around here?” “We breed rats,” Hatch said.

“I’m not referring to the electric ones,” Zara said. “This power is not only useful. It could be a lot of fun. Oh, look at the guards . . .” “Next up needs no introduction. Torstyn.” Zara nodded. “So that’s what microwaves feel like.” She pointed her hand across the room at a picture of Hatch, and the frame began sparking. “That’s pretty dangerous. I can see why you keep this one locked up.” “Dangerous but stupid. Next to him is Nichelle.” Zara closed her eyes as her hand fluttered around Nichelle’s head. “So that’s what you do. You’re basically a black hole.” “I’d love to shove something up your hole,” Nichelle said.

Zara laughed. “Crass little emo. I could use her power against any of these losers and kill them with it.” “Next is Tara.”

“Tara,” Zara said. “I’ve heard of you.” Zara suddenly changed her appearance to look exactly like Tara. She then changed to look like Dr. Hatch, Justin Bieber, and then Michael Vey.

“Stop that!” Taylor shouted.

Zara turned back into herself, then stepped past Tara to Taylor. “So you’re the other half of the twins. You don’t like that, mind-scrambler? You and Vey were tight?” As she moved closer to Taylor, Zara began to grin. “Oh my, oh my, oh my. That is going to be so useful.” “What’s going to be useful?” Hatch asked.

Zara turned back. “The prettier twin can read minds.” Hatch looked at Taylor in amazement. “ ’Oh my’ indeed. That explains a lot. Will the revelations ever cease?” Hatch said, “Take her power. Now.” “Yes, sir.” She turned back and held her hand a few inches above Taylor’s head. “Done.” “We’re going to find out some things right now. We’ll start back here with Cassy. I thought she was dead. Let’s find out where she’s been hiding. Or who’s been hiding her and where.” “I’ll never tell you,” Cassy shouted.

Zara walked over and held her palm over Cassy’s head. “She’s been in a secret compound in France.” “Stop it!” Cassy shouted.

“She’s very afraid. She doesn’t want you to know that she’s been living with the one they call the voice.” “Has she, now?” Hatch said. A broad smile crossed Hatch’s face. He turned to the two guards next to him. “Bring her to the interrogation room. We’re going to have a little discussion.” “Stop it!” Cassy shouted. “Leave me alone.” “You’re asking me to walk away from a diamond mine,” Hatch said. “Come with me, Zara. Bryan and Kylee, you’re dismissed.” Hatch and Zara left the room.

“C’mon,” one of the guards said to Cassy.

“No!” Cassy screamed.

“Leave her alone!” Abigail shouted.

“You’re coming one way or another,” the guard said.

“I’m not going.”

“Not your decision,” the guard said. The two guards unchained Cassy, then lifted her, carrying her down the hall to a small, mirror-walled office where Hatch and Zara were sitting. They dropped Cassy in a sobbing heap onto the floor.

“Shut the door,” Hatch said. “Then take the others back to their cells.” He pointed at one of the guards. “You stay.” “Yes, sir.”

Hatch sat back in his chair. “You can read her from here?” he asked Zara.

“Yes, sir.”

“Then we’ll start.” He leaned toward Cassy. “All right, hot little Cassy. You’re being recorded, so everything you say will be captured. And I think you have a lot to say. I know I have a lot of questions.” “I won’t tell you anything,” Cassy said. “You can’t make me talk.” “You don’t have to talk,” Hatch said. “You just need to think. So let’s begin with a softball question. Tell me, Cassy, who is the voice?” Cassy struggled with her restraints. “You can’t make me tell you.” Zara turned to Hatch and nodded. “Got it.” “I’m afraid you already did, sweetheart. Who is it, Zara?” “Some man named Dr. Coonradt.”

Hatch almost gasped. “Coonradt? I didn’t see that coming. Well, well . . . Dr. Coonradt is supposed to be dead. How clever of him. The doctor was a very intelligent man, but I don’t see him starting a revolution. Where is Coonradt holed up?” Zara turned back to Cassy. “France.”

“It’s hard to believe I was so close to him all along. Tell me about the compound. Where is it exactly?” “Please let me go.”

“I will once I’ve milked you for all you know. Now, where is this compound?” Zara shook her head. “She’s trying to think of different things.” “Just wait for her to slip. There’s no better way to get someone to think of something than to tell them not to think of it. Tell her not to think of a pink flying monkey, and what have you got?” “She just thought of a pink flying monkey,” Zara said.

“Exactly. Now, pretty little Cassy, tell me exactly where we’ll find the resistance’s compound.” Cassy closed her eyes and bowed her head.

“She’s reciting Bible verses,” Zara said.

“Interesting,” Hatch said. “I like Bible verses. Do you like the Psalms? How about this one? ‘They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.’ ” “Stop it!” Cassy shouted.

“I can see it all,” Zara said. “I need something to draw with.” “Get her a pad!” Hatch shouted to one of the guards.

The guard found a pad in the desk and carried it over to her. Zara immediately began drawing. “There’s just one outer wall. The building’s a mansion. It’s three stories high. I can draw it.” “How is it protected?”

Zara hesitated. “Mostly by her. There are fourteen guards. They’re well trained, fairly well armed, automatic weapons, UZIs, nothing we can’t take out.” “Keep drawing,” Hatch said. After fifteen minutes she showed him a picture of the European compound.

“Is Coonradt the head of the resistance?” Cassy shouted out in pain. “Stop it!”

“No,” Zara said. “He’s second in charge. There’s someone above him.” She thought a moment, then said. “It’s Vey. Not Michael Vey.” “Sharon Vey?” Hatch said, sounding skeptical. “She’s the heart of all this?” Zara shook her head. “No. Not Michael’s mother. His father.”