Chapter 25 #2
“My parents. And it was a debt. They were part of the Aristocrats, but they got on their bad side and weren’t able to pay what they owed.
Because of this, they had to give up their son as a worker in The Seventh Zone…
but they refused. So, the other Aristocrats got rid of them.
And I was blacklisted in the system because they sensed that my parents might have told me information they shouldn’t have.
They put up a private ransom to anyone who found me—Erelevant. ”
“That’s crazy, so what did you do?”
“I killed myself.”
“What?”
“I killed Erelevant and became Swin. Swin killed Erelevant. I killed Erelevant as Swin.”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it.”
He smiles, then continues, “I told them I burnt the body. I burned down my house, then I claimed Erelevant was in it and I did some forensic nonsense to make it believable. The Aristocrats didn’t know what I looked like, so I used that to my advantage.”
“Okay, I’m not even gonna ask how you managed that one, but did they reward you?”
“Yeah, they gave me some money and work in The Seventh Zone.”
“I don’t understand, why would you want to work for The Seventh Zone as a reward?”
Swin opens his mouth to respond but Levon cuts him off.
“To get revenge?” she asks.
“Look at that, you’re completing my sentences.”
Levon shakes her head, a light smile curving her lips as Swin continues to speak.
“Yep, but I’d have done anything to get into The Commons to ruin De Londe and his goons for killing my parents.”
“Wow, that’s crazy. And Doctor Val still thinks you’re dead, so that’s why you don’t want her to see you?”
“Yep. For now, anyway.”
“Interesting. Who is Swin, then? The name you took?”
“It’s some random person out in Iowa.”
“Iowa?” She can’t help but chuckle at the randomness of Swin’s response.
Swin chuckles.
Levon continues to speak, growing comfortable in his presence, “Wow, so you’re not a murderer really, but you still stole someone’s name. You’re like a thief!”
“Yep. Hard core thief. And next, I’m gonna steal your heart.”
“Urgh, I’m gonna throw up, and it’s not because of the chip you’re inserting into my hands.”
Swin laughs. I on the other hand turn back to the computer, tense, the signal now working. I continue watching.
In Patron De Londe’s mansion, the atmosphere is cold and chilly. Patron De Londe pours tea into a cup. The only sound heard is the flow of each tea drop. He hands a cup to Pesh.
“Tea?”
Pesh stares at him, angry, silent. He does not accept it.
Patron De Londe continues to speak. “Guess not. It’s good. It’s really good. You know what it tastes like? It tastes like poison. That’s if you had accepted it, but it really tastes like—I spy with my little eye another spy in your midst. You’re trying to buy time. I’m trying to buy information.”
Pesh stands up, livid. He looks to Londe like an authority does to a criminal. “What are you talking about? What have you done!?”
Swin and Levon rush to the computer to join me, concerned with what they are hearing. I just now realize that Swin has just finished inserting the chip into Levon’s hands as my attention turns back to the screen.
“It’s not me, it’s you, and your people,” Patron De Londe continues. “You really didn’t think I didn’t have any spies in your midst?”
“What on earth is he talking about?” Levon asks.
Pesh sighs, confused. His forehead puckered as he tries to read what Londe is saying. “There is no spy in my midst, you’re wrong!”
“Okay, maybe I am wrong. Because she’s not really a spy—because she doesn’t know it. She’s a victim of my genius,” Londe hums.
“Who the hell is he talking about?” Swin erupts in shock.
Levon and I stare, worried.
“Since you won’t kill them, I will,” Londe says with a grin.
“Kill who, and how, and what!?” Pesh exclaims.
“One of the girls you took, Levon. She was in the experiment section of The Seventh Zone, and one of the guards, Gihard, had put an Evaperon on her. It’s a special tracker we’ve been working on.
One that would be sensed in the most difficult of circumstances—such as whatever underground nonsense you’ve built to hide and transport those kids.
One that you can’t just evape someone out of with an Evaporizer.
Levon, of course, does not know. But Gihard wanted to be able to find her whenever he wanted for his own experiment, if you’re getting what I’m saying. ”
No! This can’t be.
“Oh my God. It must have been a vaccine they gave me, or something Gihard did to me any of the times I passed out.” Levon sighs, infuriated, rubbing her hands on her face.
Like a spark, a flame, an explosion, Swin’s gaze shoots up—inflamed.
His eyes turn to mine, striking Levon right after, his fists tightening as though controlling himself from returning back to The Seventh Zone and burning down whoever on earth Gihard is and his entire lineage.
“Who the fuck is Gihard!?” he seethes. “That bastard in the—”
“It’s nothing,” Levon dismisses, looking to the screen.
Just before Swin’s voice of compassion can break through his rage, Londe’s voice interrupts our gaze and attention, stilling the flame. For now.
But I notice Levon’s gaze drift past Swin, seeing the smoke of vengeance rising through every heightened breath he takes—even as his eyes pierce through the screen like lava.
“In order words, you picked the wrong student to save,” Londe pronounces.
Levon and I stare at each other, shock-stricken as Londe continues.
“She was getting closer to finding out about the Common Gene, amongst other things, so I personally sent her to The Seventh Zone and erased every vestige of the matter. That is… until you decided to gain an uncanny interest in the Lerogaski household and began playing tracker-chess with your old man. Only thing was, I just couldn’t get through the system you had engineered.
But once you cracked my tracking code—the first layer anyway—I followed you right into your blasted hiding place. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”
Oh my God. I just now realize it—Pesh saved Levon knowing full well it would jeopardize every other life in The Commoners Secret Place. He was willing to save my sister’s life for me, even if it meant he would lose it all. My fists clench as De Londe’s ghostly words resume.
“We found the location of the tracker on Levon, but we could not figure out how to get to whatever secret nonsense you built because it was underground—or rather, underwater. So we just stationed bombs underwater to cover the radius of where we tracked her location. It seems to be close to Commonda Shore. Am I correct?” A sly smile plays on Londe’s lips.
“Your underground creations, whether on the ground or underwater, will blow up in the next twenty minutes!”
Pesh grinds his jaws in dread.
“Oh my God!” Levon exclaims.
“We have to leave immediately before the bomb blows up our escape route!” Swin screams.
We begin to pack up instantly, but I can’t help but continue to watch Pesh on the screen.
Just as Pesh begins to walk away, he looks at Londe with darting eyes. Fearlessly, he articulates. “You disgust me.”
“Feeling is mutual. Trick question, why do you think I adopted you?” Londe comments, continuing his snake-like games.
Pesh scoffs. “So people would not question your repulsive, murderous intentions.”
“Exactly,” Londe states. “And since that has been achieved, I have the perfect opportunity to stage your suicide and leave a dandy note that breaks your father’s heart.”
Pesh stops at the entrance of the elevator and turns to him, puzzled but unafraid. “And how are you going to kill me?”
“I’m not—you are.”