Chapter Thirty-One
Romy
I wake with a jerk and then cringe when I hear a chuckle. Because of whatever Theo gave me that’s still running through my veins, I fell asleep in Doc Junior’s car. He sits beside me, watching me with amusement.
My head is throbbing, which I take to be as a good sign. Maybe this stuff is finally leaving my system.
I’ve been in perilous situations before where I feared for my safety. Right now, with Doc Junior as my new captor, I don’t feel afraid. He doesn’t appear to want to hurt me.
If anything, he seems extremely interested in me.
Not like he’s attracted to me. His friend, Dr. Portman, clearly was, but not Doc Junior. I wonder why that is. Could he be gay or married or both? I glance at his hand but don’t see a ring.
“So last night was wild, am I right?”
I shrug. “I guess.”
“Your man kicked your brother’s ass. I’d say that constitutes as wild.”
We’re no longer in the city. It makes me wonder how long I was asleep for. Based on where the sun is, I’d say it’s close to two in the afternoon.
“Were you wearing earplugs too?”
He playfully smacks my thigh, which earns a nasty glare from me. “Did you forget who my father is? Of course I wore them.” His head cocks to the side as he studies me. There’s something familiar about his eyes. The intensity of them. It’s like I know them well.
“Where are we going?” I ask, turning away from him to look for any clue as to which way we’re headed.
“I already told you,” he says with faux impatience. “To see Kaitlyn.”
Since I’m okay with that answer, I relax despite the way he watches me as though he’s the cat and I’m the tiny little mouse he wants to toy with before eating alive. A shudder ripples through me.
“Everyone loves Dad,” he says randomly. “Last night, they were forced to.”
“What was the purpose of that anyway?” I ask, turning my head to look at him. “All because he wants to be loved by his people?”
“Oh, it’s much more complicated than that. My father is devious.”
Since this seems to be a road trip where we have plenty of time, I decide to play along with this guy and gather information. If that means showing interest, so be it.
“How is he devious?”
He sighs. “Let me count the ways, dear Romy.”
My stomach growls, which makes him chuckle. Just get on with it, dude.
“He was cruel when I was growing up,” Doc Junior states, the humor fading. “Nothing, and I mean nothing, I could do was ever good enough. Always wrong.”
“No wonder he has to make people like him through subliminal messaging,” I mutter. “And now he represents the entire country. Yay, USA.”
“You’re snarky, kid. I like you.”
I’m not a kid. I am snarky, though.
“He’s a different man behind closed doors,” he reveals. “Some would say a real Jekyll and Hyde situation.”
Since his father is a doctor, that’s a terrifying thought.
“‘ You won’t amount to anything ,’” Doc Junior says, imitating his father’s deep voice. “But look at me now. Not only did I amount to something, I’m a better doctor than he ever was. He knows it too. It’s a good thing he has the whole presidency thing to fall back on because he’d probably croak if he had to share the psychology space with his son, who outperforms him at every turn.”
I lift my eyebrows. Doc Junior has daddy issues. Noted.
“Are we going to see him?” I ask, gesturing out the window. “Are we going to the White House?”
At this, he snorts out a laugh. “God, no. That place is an outdated relic. Plus, that’s not where my lab is. We’re going to see Kaitlyn. I specialize in kids, you know.”
Every hair on my body stands on end with those words.
“What does that mean? What are you doing to Kaitlyn?” I demand, voice wobbling. “I swear, if you touch her—”
“Relax,” he says in a gentle tone. “You misunderstand. I’m a pediatric psychiatrist. I don’t hurt children. I help them.”
He thinks this will make me trust him more?
That makes my worry for her skyrocket. I know how those doctors are, especially with a child. She’ll become a lab rat for them just like I was.
“I took over the family practice when Dad went into politics,” he explains. “Really spruced up the old place too. Dad, if anything, is skilled at securing funding for his endeavors. He never had to come up with a dime. People from all over the world and all walks of life believed in what he did.”
I get the awful feeling that he truly thinks what they do borders on sainthood. Manipulating people and brainwashing them is the opposite of everything that’s good in this world.
These people are evil.
End of story.
Rather than argue with him on the morality of it all, I listen intently. Every word he says is a gift—a piece of a puzzle I’m working diligently on in the back of my mind. All these people and programs and situations are connected. It doesn’t quite make sense yet, but I know I’m on the cusp of finding the answer that unlocks the full picture.
Doc Junior absently taps his fingers on his knee, over and over and over again. It’s a familiar pattern. One that cuts me deep.
I know someone else who does that.
Who?
Cold dread pulses through me like a sonar in the deep arctic waters, echoing through me, forcing me to feel it.
I allow my mind to run in its endless circles as I blindly grasp at the memories that are just out of reach. At one time, I’d have chided myself for overthinking or making up stories in my head. Now that I know what these people are capable of, I don’t discount anything. A lead, even as small as a familiarity with his tapping, is a lead. A tiny thread like this must be pulled to see where it goes.
His phone rings and he takes the call. “Mmhmm. Yes. I have her. On my way. About two hours out.”
Two hours out?
Where are we going?
He ends the call and flashes me one of his signature grins. It’s achingly familiar. I hate that I feel right on the cusp of something but can’t seem to touch it.
“You’re not bringing me to see Kaitlyn out of the goodness of your heart,” I say to Doc Junior. “There’s an ulterior motive. I want to know what it is.”
“You’re a Langston,” he says as if that answers my question. “My father and your father go way back. Just by being you, you’re a welcomed part of our privileged world.”
If only he knew my father has always treated me as a problem, not a princess in a palace.
“We’re practically family.” He grins, the corners of his mouth stretching creepily. It reminds me of a horror show I watched on television once where all the people had overly huge smiles that were the opposite of friendly. Is he going to morph into one of those creatures and sink his teeth into my neck?
I shiver and Doc Junior mistakes it for a chill. He reaches forward to adjust the rear seats’ heater vents. With the hot air blowing on my face, my eyes start to feel dry, which makes me want to close them.
We’re driving somewhere far.
Dad seems mad about having to skip his work meetings to take me. Bastian has been trying to cheer me up, but I’m still afraid.
What if he doesn’t want me anymore?
Bastian, upon noticing me watching him, stops mashing buttons on his phone. “Neil has the new BlackBerry Z10 too,” he explains. “We can type messages and send them to each other.”
Since I’ve recently learned to read, he shows me the screen.
im goin 2 b back ltr save me seat
Maybe Bastian needs to go back to first grade like me.
I force a smile at my brother, pretending that his sharing has helped me, and turn my attention back to my small backpack of toys. Whenever we go places, I always bring it with me so I don’t get bored. Dad says when I get bored, I like to explore and get into things. He doesn’t like that.
“Look,” Bastian says, voice low as he puts an arm around me. “I know you’re sad. But things will be better soon. Dad told me there are ways to help you forget all the bad stuff.”
Forgetting bad things sounds nice.
Will I forget the good stuff too?
“Will Neil save me a seat too?” I ask, voice small. At least that’s what I think his note to him said.
Bastian chuckles. “Of course, kiddo.”
His words are tight and rushed. He always talks like that whenever he lies. I’ve heard it when he speaks to Dad, to his best friend, Neil, and even to me. I don’t like it when Bastian lies. It hurts my feelings.
“Look,” Bastian says, pointing out through the window. “We’re here. This place is really cool, Romy. I wonder if they have horses.”
I perk up at the mention of horses. I’ve asked Dad for a horse every birthday and Christmas. This past Christmas, he got me a huge stuffed horse that’s taller than me for my bedroom. I have to tell him next time I want a real horse that I can ride.
The driveway to the place we’re going is long. A huge home sits surrounded by trees and big fields. There aren’t any fences or barns. Probably no horses.
I notice an ambulance sitting out in front of the big house. Is someone hurt?
“Don’t worry,” Bastian explains, “you’ll be better in no time. Then you can come back home.”
Wait… Come back home? Are they leaving me here?
Before I can protest, the car stops and Bastian unbuckles my seat belt. The door opens and Dad waits, offering me to take his hand. I start to grab my bag, but he stops me with a gruff, “Just take one toy. No need for a bag full of distractions here.”
I stare down at my backpack and wonder how I’ll choose just one toy to play with. Bastian unzips it for me and pulls out a doll. Then Dad tugs me out of the vehicle.
Staring up at the huge house, clutching my doll to me, I wonder what’s going to happen.
I’m scared.
I think they’re going to drop me off and leave.
If I promise to forget the bad stuff right now, can we turn around and go back home?
“Our methods are leaps and bounds above everyone else’s,” a deep voice says, drawing me from my sleepy memories to the present. “You’ll see.”
I rub the sleep out of my eyes, noting that the sun is lower than before. It might be four in the afternoon. Maybe even later. Wherever this place is, it’s not close.
The driver turns onto a road and a sense of dread washes over me. I know this place. I’ve been here before.
Snow-dusted fields stretch as far as the eye can see and thicker, fuller trees curl around the stately home as if protecting it from the elements.
They took me here when I was a child.
To forget.
To scrub my brain and fill it with other nonsense for me to believe.
Here, they turned truth into lies.
It’s at this place they created the mind maze in hopes I’d never navigate my way through it.
And now Kaitlyn is here.
History is repeating itself.
I have to stop this. I have to help her.
I’m grateful that enough time has passed that I have full control of my body. When the vehicle stops, I don’t wait to be told to get out. I fling off my seat belt and climb out, eager to get a better look as to where she might be.
I’m met with a familiar face standing near the front door, hands shoved in his coat pockets. My own coat was left behind in the hotel. I curl my arms around me, shivering against the cold.
Theo.
“You,” I bark out, storming over to him. “You drugged me!”
His normally expressive face remains impassive, reminding me of Caius. That won’t earn him any favors in my book, though. I hate when Caius acts like he has no emotions or feelings. I know Theo has them.
“Explain yourself,” I hiss, fighting hysteria. “How could you do that to me?”
He darts his gaze to Doc Junior, who comes to stand beside me. “Theo was asked to deliver Kaitlyn,” Doc Junior says from beside me. “He obeyed. Don’t shoot the messenger.”
I ignore Doc Junior, keeping all my anger fixated on Theo. “What do you plan on doing with her? She needs love, not brainwashing.”
I want to smack the dead expression off Theo’s face. Before I can, Doc Junior grabs me by the shoulder. At first, I think he’s just trying to stop me. Then I feel the sharp prick in my neck.
Whirling around, I find him stepping away and recapping a syringe. Heat from the injection site burns through across my flesh toward my heart.
What did he give me?
Am I going to die?
“We have new methods since you were a patient here, Romy,” Doc Junior says jovially. “Kaitlyn is a good recipient of those new therapies.”
I wobble and my knees begin to buckle. Theo jumps from his frozen stance, capturing me before I hit the ground.
“And so are you,” Doc Junior says. “Perhaps we’ll be able to fix that mind of yours this time. Dad was clearly a failure. I assure you, though, I do not fail.”
Everything turns black in another second.