Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
Afew minutes later, Director Wright, Barnes, and I gather in the director’s office.
Both of them are silent as I explain what happened today, and my following conversation with Barnes.
The security officer’s arms are folded and his brow furrowed.
Wright twirls a pen in her fingers, her expression unreadable and her eyes locked on me.
“It’s an interesting thought,” she murmurs when I’m finished. “It is remarkable that you were able to get so close to him during an episode without any sort of negative effects. I don’t believe anyone else has been able to achieve that.” She glances at Barnes for confirmation.
He nods, though there’s a hint of reluctance.
“A few of us have managed to knock him out like she did, but only with substantial side effects. The last guy who did it—Costa, his name was—had to be put on medical leave. He went home with a concussion and burst eardrums. Permanent hearing loss. And then today, Vince… He tried, but before he could even get close…” He stops, shaking his head.
“Yet Officer Hawkins is unharmed,” Director Wright says, after a somber moment.
I nod, trying to shake off the fresh wave of guilt over what happened to Vince.
Despite what Barnes said earlier, it’s hard not to blame myself.
It should’ve been me. I should’ve been there.
“It didn’t feel great, getting that close to him.
I got dizzy, but…” I look down at myself, raising my hands, and shrug. “No blood. No damage.”
“And no damage to X-16, either,” Director Wright says. “You didn’t have to use anything other than the syringe.”
“He surrendered willingly,” I say.
Director Wright hums under her breath. “I wish I could watch the footage,” she says.
“But even if any of it were usable, it’s not safe.
We have to delete everything after an episode.
” She glances at Barnes. “The effects of which are getting stronger, I should note. He is beginning to affect the subjects in the surrounding rooms. If it continues to spread…”
Barnes rubs his forehead with a sigh. “I know. I know. We need to figure out how to stop the episodes.”
“Do we know what triggered it this time?”
Barnes gives a grim nod. “He discovered a new eye growing on his arm this morning and panicked. Ellis was on duty at the time, noticed his distress, and made contact in an attempt to calm him. When his nose started bleeding, he left the observation room and made an emergency alert.”
I stare down at my lap. “So his transformation and the episodes are linked.”
Barnes nods. “We hope that stopping or at least slowing one could help the other, but we’ve made no progress on either. It’s only getting harder as the episodes become more dangerous.”
Director Wright glances, again, at me.
“I’ll help however I can,” I say, without hesitation. “I’m not afraid of X-16.” And if they let me take point, we won’t lose any more people like we lost today.
Barnes winces. “That’s the problem.”
At the same time, Director Wright says, “Of course, we will require further testing before we can be sure you’re truly immune.”
They both pause, exchanging a glance.
“I don’t like it,” Barnes says. “We’ve lost a lot of good people to his episodes. People get hurt around him. People get killed. He’s dangerous.”
“I was the only one able to safely interact with him during the episode. Think of how much I could help.” God, I want to help. For the first time in a long time—or maybe ever—I feel like I can do something real. Something good and meaningful.
Director Wright nods. “It would be safer for the whole team if it’s true.
It’s been extremely difficult for us to render aid to X-16 during these episodes, and they seem to be increasing in both frequency and severity.
” She looks at Barnes. “It could change everything about the way we handle him. It could help us treat him.”
There’s a pause in the conversation. Another weighted glance between them. Director Wright is technically in charge here, but it’s clear she values Barnes’s opinion, too. I grip the edge of my seat, resisting the urge to argue my case. Sometimes, silence is better.
He sighs after a moment and wipes a hand across his face. “Yeah,” he says. “I’m not gonna deny that you saved us, Hawkins. If—and that’s a big if—it’s safe for you to work with him, it really would be a huge help for everyone. But we’ll need to run tests first. One step at a time.”
I nod, my lips curling upward. Despite his obvious reluctance and the knowledge that this will be dangerous for me, I can’t help but feel a thrill. This is what I’ve been waiting for. “Of course. Just let me know what you want me to do.”
“For now, you’re going home,” Barnes says, without hesitation. “It’s been a long day, and X-16 is stable for now. Get some rest.”
I can’t hide my disappointment, but I know he has a point. I’m sure X-16 needs the rest, too.
Maybe I shouldn’t be thinking about him that way. A man—my colleague—died today because of him. But when I think back to his episode, it’s impossible not to remember the fear in his eyes. The way he collapsed so eagerly into my arms.
As I step out into the hallway, a hand on my arm stops me. I turn to face Barnes, who is looking down at me with an unreadable expression.
After a moment, he reaches out and squeezes my shoulder. “Good work today, Hawkins.”
I blink at him, taken aback. That wasn’t what I was expecting, after the way he behaved in the director’s office. It feels like a trap. Like there’s a but coming.
“Listen, I want you to know my hesitation about this doesn’t mean that I doubt you,” he says, likely reading the incredulity in my expression.
“It’s just that I’m worried about your safety.
” He searches my face. “But—” There it is.
“You’re new here, Willow. You don’t have anything to prove. We can take it slow.”
“I can handle it, Barnes,” I say, and shake his hand off. He hesitates, like he wants to say more, but after a moment he simply nods and lets me leave.
As I walk away, all I can think is how wrong he is. He may not know it, but I have everything to prove. Not to him, but to myself. Because twenty-five years ago, I woke up alone in a room full of bodies. Ever since, I’ve been trying to find a reason I deserved to survive when no one else did.