The Reader Read online

  “Of course not!” He stood straighter. “Our goals are to save lives, not take them.”

  “I could be a fluke of nature. What if you’re wrong about me? I’m a witness. I know where your compound is. You’d just let me go?”

  “We’d have two choices. One, we’d move our compound to another location. The second, you’d agree to stay.” His eyes remained focused on mine, unwavering.

  “You’d move your entire compound just so I could go back to living a normal life?” My eyes swept around the room, taking in the expert craftsmanship, the opulence, and painstaking details.

  “Yes, we would. We have time. We’d move back after—” He stopped abruptly.

  Realization struck. “Oh, I get it. If I’m not a Reader, I’ll die like everyone else.”

  He smiled and gave my shoulder a pat. “Don’t worry about it right now. We’ll take baby steps, one at a time.” I stared into his eyes, hoping the truth shining back at me was real.

  “I think I can handle that.” But could I?

  “Goodnight, Ann. And welcome.”

  “Thanks, Doc.” I shut the door along with all the insanity.

  Was it insane though?

  The sedative used for the operation hadn’t completely worn off, but the adrenaline ricocheting through my veins made me anxious. I paced the room. Could any of what he said be true? Or was I in a high-tech version of what some mad scientist had created? Even without my memory, I had a sense of what the real world was like, and it didn’t involve mind-reading, hijackers, and seers.

  I strolled around the room, appreciating the care that went into decorating it. I had to give it to them, they certainly had me pegged. I could imagine myself staying here for a long time. But forever? If it were true, and I was a Reader, would it mean I wouldn’t die of old age? Would that be a good thing?

  With my mind racing, but my body tired, I needed to switch off my internal monologue. I couldn’t figure everything out in one day. It was best to block out all I’d heard and try to sleep. I walked back to the kitchen and poured out the rest of my coffee.

  Where was the bedroom? I looped around the room twice before spotting a small red button next to a door with no handle. I pressed it and moved back just in case. It opened up into another gorgeous room. A plantation-style teak bed sat in the middle on a raised platform, with satin sheets, soft and warm-looking blankets, and comforters piled high. A pair of PJs with a cat pattern sat folded by the pillow. Did I like cats? So far, everything they’d chosen for me was spot-on. Although, I wasn’t too excited to become a cat lady. How did I even know about cat ladies? These random bits of memory unsettled me. The PJs were quite cute though. I picked them up and breathed the lavender scent.

  Not wasting any time, I put them on and collapsed onto the mattress, allowing exhaustion and comfort to lull me into a restless sleep. The last thought I had before drifting off was that these people sure knew what they were doing.

  Pounding drums. No, a pounding hammer . . . on the door?

  I rubbed my eyes and tried to clear the fog from my brain. Where am I?

  “Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Time to get up.” Devon’s deep voice startled me fully awake.

  I sat up, clutching the blanket to my chest. “What are you doing here? Get out!”

  “We’re your guides for the day.” Devon stood over my bed with his arms crossed. Archer leaned against the doorframe and mouthed, ‘Sorry.’ They both wore faded jeans, but Archer’s t-shirt was white and Devon’s black.

  They must coordinate to match their souls.

  I glared at Devon. “You’re evil, you know that?”

  He turned and started for the door. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You have five minutes. We’ll wait for you out here.”

  Was he joking? Well, if he wasn’t, he was in for a rude awakening. Shower and change in five minutes? Not possible.

  He called out in my direction. “Oh, and if you take too long, we’ll come in and get you.”

  “You better be kidding,” I shouted back. He chuckled, and a muffled ‘no’ came through the bedroom door

  I jumped out of bed. No way would I go anywhere without a shower. I smelled like salty seaweed combined with antiseptic. Not pleasant. Almost slipping on the tile floor, I stepped into the shower. I gave the one button a forceful jab. The temperature was just right as the water poured down from a rain-shower nozzle. I moved under and let the soft drops soothe away the last twenty-four hours, unwinding and losing track of time, until—

  “Are you going to stay in there all day?” Devon asked.

  He wasn’t? He didn’t?

  “If you don’t get out of here right now, I’ll . . . I’ll—”

  “Hit me with your towel?”

  “This is not funny!” I searched around the shower stall for a weapon of some sort. A bar of soap. Hmmm. I could rub it in his eyes.

  “I’m not in your bathroom. I’m using the intercom. So you can chill.”

  I peeked out of the opaque glass door. No one was in the room.

  “Very funny. I’ll need five more minutes.”

  “We don’t have all day. We’re hungry,” Devon’s impatient voice boomed.

  For the first time since yesterday, food sounded good. “You didn’t mention food. I’ll be right out.”

  The bathroom connected to a large closet, so I didn’t have to walk past them wearing only a towel. I stopped in the middle of the room. The closet was filled with hundreds of outfits, from dresses to casualwear to workout clothes. Did they raid a department store? There has to be an intercom around here somewhere.

  “Um. Guys?” I asked.

  “Yeah?” Archer’s voice answered.

  So, they could hear me. Weird.

  “You can’t see me, right?”

  “No, the intercom is only audio.”

  “Okay. Who owns these clothes?”

  “They’re yours. Pick something and let’s go.” Devon’s bossy voice again.

  The conversation with Doc came back to me all at once. They’d spent a good amount of time preparing for me. I couldn’t think about that now while rushing, so I grabbed the first thing available. Jeans and a pink t-shirt. Simple.

  I joined them in the living area. “What’s the hurry anyway?”

  Archer smiled. “Food. They close in fifteen minutes. This one,” his head tilted toward Devon, “can’t function without a stack of pancakes.”

  “True.” And then Devon smiled. He had remarkable, good looks when he wore a bored expression. Or a scowl. Or when he was angry, tired, or frustrated. But when he smiled, his face lit up, and he transformed into a ridiculously, absurdly beautiful man. His dark blue eyes, the dimple in his right cheek, perfectly shaped lips, and messy black hair made my brain freeze for a moment.

  I stared, and I think my mouth hung open a little.

  A blank look replaced his smile. “What?”

  I turned away to hide the blush creeping up my face. “Nothing. Lead the way.”

  We went through the usual twisty elevator ride, and I relaxed a little.

  “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Archer asked.

  “I’m starting to get used to it.”

  “Good. You’ll be a pro in no time.” He took me by the arm and escorted me into the Hub.

  When we crossed through the doors all activity stopped. Around two hundred people turned to stare—at me.

  The little bit of confidence from using the elevator without incident fled, replaced by embarrassment and a good dose of anxiety. The center of attention was not my thing. The silence was deafening.

  “Why is everyone looking at me?”

  “Hey, everyone. This is Ann. Say hi,” Archer shouted to the open room. After a little bit of nervous laughing, clearing of throats, and shuffling of papers, a few “Hi’s” chorused from some of the group.

  A girl in a stunning green dress that hugged her perfectly-shaped body broke through the crowd, with arms outstretched, and came toward me. “Ann!” She wrapped me
into a big hug, squeezing me like a long-lost friend.

  “Um . . . hi. Who are you?” I tried to squirm free.

  “I’m Lucy. We’ll be the best of friends. Right, boys?”

  Archer chuckled. “Not if you squeeze the life out of her.”

  “Oh! So sorry. I’ve waited so long; it’s like I know you already!” She bounced on the balls of her feet. “I’m your liaison. Archer and Devon will give you the tour, and I’ll fill you in on everything else.”

  Her enthusiasm was contagious. She had fire-engine-red hair, a smattering of freckles sprinkled over her high cheekbones and nose, and a smile that should be on magazine covers. I needed to talk to the doctor more about this mutation. It must affect their beauty gene or something.

  “Sure, I’m game.” I scanned the room, and, sure enough, spread around the large room were people who looked like they were getting ready for a runway in Paris, a beauty pageant, or America’s Next Top Model. I smoothed my hair, but there was no denying I was out of my element.

  After we served ourselves at the buffet, we found an unoccupied table and sat down. Everyone had gone back to their previous activities.

  “Archer?” I said quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear.

  “Yeah?” he whispered back.

  “What’s with all the people here? Everyone is so . . . attractive.”

  He choked a little on his corn flakes.

  “Is it part of the mutation the doctor talked to me about?” I asked.

  “He told you about that?” Devon asked, a frown shadowing his face.

  Great. He has super hearing as well.

  “Yes. A little. But I think he held back a lot.”

  “I would hope so.” He scowled.

  There was no way I could compare to these people. “It’s apparent I don’t belong here. If you let me go, I’d never talk about you or reveal the location of Samara. I promise.”

  “How do you know you aren’t one of us?” Archer asked.

  “Well, first of all, we don’t know if I can read minds yet. Maybe I’m highly perceptive and caught a thought or two. That isn’t conclusive. Also, I don’t have the drop-dead gorgeous gene you all seem to share.” I surveyed the room again. Thank goodness everyone had gone back to what they were doing.

  “You’re right about one thing,” Archer said. “Your genetic mutation is different. It’s more powerful.”

  That wasn’t the answer I’d expected.

  “Really? How do you figure?”

  “For one, you’re much better looking than any of the women around here, or men for that matter.”

  I laughed and snorted at the same time. How unladylike could I be? I pressed my lips together, but it was too late to take it back.

  His voice softened. “When’s the last time you looked in a mirror?”

  Mirror.

  “I’m not really sure. I didn’t see one in the bathroom.”

  “They just completed a remodel and haven’t installed it yet,” Archer said.

  “You mean, you don’t know what you look like?” Devon stared like I was crazy.

  “Of course.” I moved back from the table and grabbed a lock of my hair. “Brown hair, around five feet three inches, and one hundred and ten pounds.” At least that’s what Doc told me.

  “What does your face look like?” He wouldn’t stop.

  “Normal. Ordinary.”

  “When was the last time you saw your reflection?” Devon asked.

  Reflection? I couldn’t draw up a clear picture. The glass door at Doc’s clinic was my only impression. Although distorted, it still gave me a good idea of my appearance. And there was no way I compared to these people around me.

  “Let’s drop it. There’s probably a reason for it,” Archer said to Devon.

  Devon shrugged and lifted his hands. “Whatever.”

  Lucy joined the conversation. “So, boys, where will you take her first? The kitchens, or will you start with the laundry?” She scrunched her nose. “I hate it when I pull laundry duty.”

  Lucy bubbled with an excess of energy. How would I ever keep up with her?

  “We’ll start with the gym and work our way to the boring stuff,” Archer said.

  “Can I come with you?” She placed her hands together as if in prayer and said, “Please, please, ple-e-e-ease!”

  “No,” Devon cut her off.

  Her lip popped out into a pout. “You’re so mean.”

  “You can’t go. You have class in ten minutes.”

  “Don’t remind me.” Lucy turned toward me. “The Industrial Revolution. I mean, can machines be any more boring?”

  “Lucy, you know it wasn’t about the machines. It was the fact they started to replace people.” Devon shot her one of his scary laser stares.

  She didn’t seem to be affected. “Ugh. I know. Can’t we just skip to that part?” She picked up a book bag. “Professor Anderson just drones on and on about those contraptions. He said we need to learn about the mechanics in order to decipher at which point the Jacks intervened—” She stopped, bit her lip, and stared at me.

  “She does know about the Jacks, right? Tell me someone has told her.” Her eyes widened as her head shifted back and forth between Devon and Archer.

  They stared back at her with blank expressions.

  “No worries, Lucy. I’ve been updated. Well, I know a little bit, so you didn’t ruin anything.”

  Her shoulders relaxed. “You two! I about had a heart attack. There will be retribution.” With that, she slung her bag over her shoulder and stomped out of the Hub.

  “Do you do that often?” I asked.

  “What?” Devon drew out the word.

  “Tease that poor girl. You really scared her.”

  He shrugged. “That’s what sisters are for.”

  No way.

  “You’re telling me that girl is your sister. As in blood-relative-type relation?” I couldn’t imagine two people who were more polar opposite.

  “Yep.” He smiled again.

  I needed protection from that smile. My heart beat too fast, and heat rose to my face. Evasive action was required.

  Thank God they couldn’t read my thoughts.

  I averted my eyes to the floor just in time to see a little, gray shadow next to my feet. The shadow moved, but I moved quicker. Within seconds, my feet were planted on the chair seat, and there was loud shrieking echoing throughout the room.

  I glanced around to see who was making all the noise, but it had stopped.

  It was me. I was the one shrieking. Wonderful.

  The shadow, which turned out to be a big, hairy rat, darted out from under our table and across the room.

  “That’s—that’s a rat!” I choked out.

  Devon bit his lip, and Archer covered his mouth. I dared my eyes to look around the room, and, once again, everyone stared at me. This time smiles and suppressed grins lined their faces.

  Great first impression.

  “I don’t think he’s coming back after all your screaming. You’ve probably traumatized the little guy.” Devon smirked.

  “Little guy? What, do you name them here? They’re disgusting rodents! Did you see the tail on that thing?” I pointed in the direction it scurried.

  “You can come down now. It’s safe.” Archer had the decency to hide his smile. “We get them from time to time. They are humanely escorted out when they get through. Usually, it’s during a delivery or something. By the way, it was a mouse, not a rat.”

  Information I didn’t care about. How they got in didn’t matter. It was the fact they were in.

  “Come on, off the chair.” Devon rolled his eyes and held out his hand.

  I crossed my arms and shook my head. “No.”

  A small space, almost the size of a coffin. Dark. Narrow. What is that? Oh, God, A rat! I squirm in silent protest as it bites my arms and legs. Get me out!

  I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block the memory. But I couldn’t. The trembling started and tu
rned to shaking within seconds. Two arms grabbed me and carried me from the room.

  “Quick, let’s get her to Doc’s,” Archer ordered. “She’s having a flashback.”

  Doc leaned back in his chair and said, “I think your parents needed to hide you from time to time.”

  “In a coffin? With rats?” What type of parents would do that?

  It’s our belief your parents have been protecting you for thousands of years. I’m sure it was probably a small space, not a coffin.” His smile remained gentle. “But it would explain your problem with claustrophobia, and your fear of rodents. In this case, a mouse.”

  I groaned. “He was small, wasn’t he?”

  He nodded.

  “Does everyone think I’m crazy?”

  “Do you think we are?”

  “Touché.” I laughed for the first time since arriving. “Doc?”

  “Yes, Ann?”

  “I’m okay now. Can I go back to the tour?”

  He pushed his glasses farther up his nose. “Yes. But try to remember, you’ve been through a lot in a short amount of time. Get a little exercise, but take things slow.”

  “I think it’ll help me to get my bearings.” I picked at the hem on my t-shirt. “I feel a little lost here.”

  “Of course you do.” His ageless eyes communicated a kind concern. “It’s important for you to look around in order to feel comfortable.”

  “I’m trying to process everything. That I’m here, in this place.” My gaze took in the normal office, with the large wooden desk, comfortable chairs, and diplomas hanging on the walls. “And I don’t have a home anymore.” I cleared my throat. “And my memory is gone.” I wiped the moisture from the corners of my eyes. Would I always be in this limbo?

  “Your memory will return when you’re ready to deal with it.” He handed me a tissue. “I suggest you give yourself a few days to get adjusted, meet some new people . . . and get into a routine. I’m sure, once you settle in, things will start to click into place.”

  His soothing words helped me get some perspective. I liked it here. Even though they were strangers, there was also a familiarity, a bond of some sort. I liked everyone I’d met so far—well, except for Devon. The jury was still out on him.

  A knock at the door.