Demitria Lunetta - In the End

To my relief, my mother is safe in her office. She hugs me and Baby close before turning to her examination of Rice’s arm.

I sit in a chair with Baby in my lap, stroking her thinning hair. When I ask her if she’s okay, I get no response. I continue to pet her head, hoping at least the contact is comforting to her. Kay watches us for a while, but then stares at the floor, lost in her own grief.

“We didn’t get the research,” Rice tells my mother as she properly bandages his arm. “But Dr. Reynolds is detained for now, and we can probably break into the safe or pry the combination from him.” He pauses. “He admitted to us that he orchestrated the original outbreak. It wasn’t an accident.”

My mother gives him a long look, shaking her head, then sighs. “I’d begun to suspect as much. Everything awful began to feel possible over this past few weeks.” She rubs at her eyes then seems to gather herself. “I don’t know how many Floraes are left roaming the labs. I don’t know how many researchers died. But I do know I’ve finally chosen to do the right thing. We’ll get all the research and make it public. I know that New Hope will survive. There’s a lot here worth saving.”

Rice tells her about getting Ken’s notes before he died. “We have to look into it,” he says, “but I think he may have finally found it. A vaccine.”

My mother just nods, smiling tightly. “That would be wonderful. But when I think of the cost . . .” She shakes her head.

“It wasn’t your fault,” I say softly. I blamed her before, and the truth is that she is still partially to blame. She engineered the bacterium. But she had no idea that Dr. Reynolds would release it into the world.

She comes to me, hugs me and Baby. “I’m so sorry for everything you had to go through. We’ll get Baby some real help.”

Just then my mother’s office door flies open and a heavily muscled figure in a synth-suit fills the doorway, holding a gun. There’s no doubt who it is, and there’s nothing any of us can do. The guns sit uselessly on my mother’s desk. There is nothing for me to do but hand Baby to my mother and stand.

My mother moves closer to me and, clutching Baby to her, puts on her director’s voice. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Marcus pulls off his hood and stares her down. “Following my orders,” he says, “and they don’t come from you.”

“They certainly do,” she says. “Dr. Reynolds has gone entirely mad—”

“Shut up,” he says, pointing the gun directly at Baby, “and take a seat.” My mother does what she’s told, and Marcus swings the muzzle toward me.

I don’t have it in me to feel the fear I should. I don’t beg or plead. At least Baby is safe. At least my mother will take care of her.

Marcus raises his gun. “Sorry, kid,” he says, though he’s grinning as he says it. “Orders are orders.”

And then his head snaps to one side hard enough to slam against the doorframe, and he slumps to the floor.

Brenna walks to the doorway and peers out into the hall and gives a little wave to whoever she sees there. Then she steps aside, shaking her head. “I’ll never get used to the silent- gun thing.”

Another figure appears in the door beside Brenna, reaching up to pull off his hood. It’s Gareth, wearing a sad smile. “Glad to see you made it, honey.” He looks down at Marcus. “‘Orders are orders,’ huh? Bastard.”

“I’m Brenna,” Brenna says, sticking out her hand, “and that was awesome. Seriously. The way his head hit the door. Gruesome.”

Gareth considers her, then takes her hand and shakes it. “I’m Gareth, and we’ve met . . . but you were a bit unconscious.”

“Oh yeah . . . my abduction from Fort Black. I guess I shouldn’t complain. From what I heard, that place was going to shit. Still, I would have liked to have a choice about being a lab rat.”

I feel a twinge of guilt at being willing to sell Brenna out to save Baby. . . . But it’s hard to feel bad now that I know Baby is safe. I look over at her, her blank stare and dead eyes. She could have permanent damage to her body as well as her mind. She may still not be saved.

“And what about Dr. Reynolds?” Gareth asks.

“We have him tied up in a broom closet,” Kay tells him. “Good to see you.”

He winks at her. “You too, Kay.”

“You can torture him if you like,” Brenna chimes in.

“We won’t be doing that,” my mother says, handing Baby to me, “but we’re going to make sure everyone knows all the things he’s done. I may have created the Floraes, but he released them into the world.”

She puts her hand to her ear. “This is the director speaking. I need to make an announcement to all of New Hope.” She waits a moment and then begins. “Due to unforeseen, tragic circumstances, we have lost our new leader of the Guardians. Marcus will be missed, but I am reinstating Kay. As of now, she has complete control and my full support. Dr. Reynolds has also had to step down from his position, and I will be addressing everyone later tonight on the exact details. Please gather in Memorial Hall at eight p.m. or tune in to the news. Everything will be explained.” She pushes the button on her earpiece again, ending the transmission. “Dr. Reynolds is done.”

“That’s something, at least,” Kay says, stepping to the side and putting her own hand to her ear. She gives instructions to the Guardians, calling off the order to kill me. After a while, she steps over and looks at me, confused.

“Amy, there’s someone on the radio for you.”

“For me?” I look around. Anyone who would want to speak to me is in this room.

Kay nods. “They’re definitely asking for you . . . and they say they’re from Fort Black.”

“Hello? Anybody there?”

It’s a voice I never thought I’d hear again.

“Jacks?” I can’t believe he’s alive. Neither can Brenna, who’s standing beside me, jumping up and down at the news. “How . . . ?” I ask. “What happened?”

Jacks explains that while the infection spread through the Yard and Cellblock A, the people inside the corridor within the wall and those in blocks B and C were fine. It took a while before anyone could leave the cellblocks, but they finally managed to kill all the Floraes. Fort Black is once again secure.

“It took some convincing, but my uncle gave me the communicator. I pushed the button and asked for you, and like magic, here you are.”

“Jacks . . . I . . .” I look around, wishing I had some privacy to speak with him. How do I explain how much I missed him and how often I thought about him? “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was scared you didn’t make it.”

“I had to keep myself safe. I knew it was my only chance of seeing you again.”

My face goes red. Everyone in the room is staring at me, listening. Brenna’s still bouncing up and down, asking to talk to him. “Jacks,” I say, “Brenna’s dying to talk to you. Hold on.”

I take the earpiece out of my ear to hand it to her, but my mother takes it from my hand and plugs a wire from her computer into it. “Speaker,” she explains. “Go ahead.”

“Jacks,” I say loudly, “Brenna is here too.”

“Jacks!” she shouts. “I’m really happy you didn’t die.”

“Me too.” He laughs. “I don’t know how things are there for you, but there are a lot of people here who are scared. We don’t have any food, and people are afraid to leave the walls.” He’s quiet for a second, then he asks, “Are you coming back, Amy?” There’s a hint of desperation in his voice.

“Jacks . . . I can’t.” I look at Baby, twirling her hair around her finger. She doesn’t tug it out, though. I can’t go anywhere. She needs me. “But you can come here. You can all come here.”