Gary, who had become much more confident since his first timid introduction, stood. "Then we bump up our plan. We need to act now, before they take you away. We've all been practicing hard and our para-powers are strong. We can take out many of the guards. We can escape."
The crowd cheered, but Lucy raised her hand. "Believe me, I wish I could get gung-ho about that idea, but I can't. We're not ready. They have weapons and training we can't compete with. They'd destroy us if we tried now. Many of us—maybe all of us—would die. We need a stealthy, clever plan, something that would stand a chance at succeeding."
"There's no time for that, Lucy. If we don't do something before you leave, then we really are screwed."
Lucy leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. Hopelessness settled on her like a dark cloud. "I don't know what we can do. Even when our powers are working properly, something's protecting them. I couldn't tell if Higgins was lying the other day, and when Mr. Black beat the shit out of me, I couldn't make him lie. We have no chance if our powers don't work."
The door at the back of the room opened, and Mary sashayed in with her red dress and designer heels.
Lucy pushed off the wall and faced her. "What are you doing here? This is a private meeting and was supposed to be secret."
"Oh now, you need me, and you know it. I can help with your little Mr. Black problem. I can seduce him into helping us."
"Right. What makes you think your powers will work on him?"
"My powers are chemical, hormonal. Something protecting his mind won't protect him against me."
"And why would you want to help? I thought you wouldn't be caught dead with us freaks."
She walked through the room, running her fingers over the boys' shoulders and leaving a trail of drooling teenagers in her wake.
"I just got the notice. I'm to go on assignment in a few days, but obviously, in this Hitler-like lockdown, that's just a ruse to get at my stellar genetics. Who wouldn't want to breed me, after all? Why they're chasing after Sam and her sub-standard genes I'll never know."
"You are such a bitch." Lucy blocked Mary from taking center stage. "But you're right. They're going to stick a bun in your pretty little oven, so I guess we're all on the same side now."
Lucy turned to the group. "Listen up. What Mary's saying makes sense. They want to weaken the ranks by taking those of us with the most experience. Gary, you were right, now is the time to fight. And I have a plan...."
Chapter 45 – Mr. Black
The girl lay in the hospital bed, her eyes closed to the sun shining in from the bedside window. Her blond hair fanned out around her face like angels' hair.
Mr. Black sat in the chair beside her bed and took her mangled hand, gently massaging the deformed muscles and tendons that caused her so much pain. Her good eye opened and looked at him.
"Daddy! You came." Her voice danced in the air like fairy laughter. She smiled with half her mouth, the other side of her face crushed in on itself and unmoving.
This is what fate or genetics or whatever you wanted to call it had done to his little girl. While those monsters were off flaunting their para-powers, his beautiful child had been fighting for her life since the moment she was born.
A fight she was destined to lose.
"Did you bring me any new books, Daddy? I've read all of the other ones twice already."
"You're a smart girl. The smartest I've ever met. Of course I brought you books. A whole bunch of them."
He pulled out a bag filled with books and put it on the dresser next to her bed. "But I suppose you will finish those by the time I come again tomorrow."
She giggled, then coughed. A goblet of bright red blood dribbled down the front of her gown. "Daddy?" Tears flowed down her face and her body shook.
Mr. Black hit the call button for the nurse, and held his daughter to him as he fumbled for a napkin to wipe her mouth and gown. "It's okay, Sarah. It'll be all right."
Her trusting eyes bore into his heart and squeezed until he couldn't breathe.
"Nurse! Doctor!"
A nurse poked her head in the door. "Is everything okay?"
Anger boiled up in him, but he pushed it down to protect his daughter. "No, everything is not okay. She's coughing up blood."
The nurse didn't look surprised. "It happens at this stage. I'll give her some medication to ease her pain, and then get the doctor."
Rage and fear shook his voice. "What do you mean at this stage?"
"I think it's better if you speak to the doctor."
She left before he could question her further.
Sarah slumped in his embrace, her little arms wrapped around his neck. "Am I dying, Daddy? Is it time?"