Battlefield (12 page)

The clapping coming from Stewart Hall echoed through Devyn’s mind, and she had this funny feeling it might be the last sound she would ever hear.  Her body froze in its place, and though she didn’t want to, her eyes would go nowhere else but Hall’s face.  And interestingly enough, his eyes would not waver from hers, despite the fact that Gerard had positioned himself directly in front of her, wanting nothing more than to make sure she was safe and protected.

“What do you want, Hall?” Gerard asked through his gritted teeth.  He did not like the way the Director was looking at Devyn at the moment.  Actually, he didn’t like the way the Director looked at Devyn at all, especially after hearing what Devyn had told him upon her first meeting with the man.  Something inside of him told Gerard that Hall wasn’t exactly finished with them, despite the fact that they won both fair and square.

“I love that you’re being protective of 113089 when she hasn’t put out for you,” Hall said, forcing his eyes out of Devyn’s and into Gerard’s.  His smirk deepened, the corner of his lips curled up but not quite reaching the vicinity of his eyes.  “You think I didn’t know?  Who do you think ordered that it not happen?  I’m the fucking eyes of this entire operation; I see and know all.”

“That doesn’t answer the question,” Hugh said, mirroring Gerard’s position in front of Rachel.  “We’re here.  We’ve won.  Now what more could you possibly want with us?”

“Good question, 061975,” Hall replied, but kept his eyes firmly locked on Gerard.  Neither man looked away, neither man blinked.  “You are absolutely right.  Unit 121 has, indeed, reached the Gates of Freedom without cheating, doing everything you guys should have done.  You planned and trained and executed, and as a result, you are the superior Unit.  And you deserve the freedom I have promised.”

Gerard knew that there would be a ‘but’ coming along.  It was just too easy, this whole game had been too easy.  And there was something about the way he was currently looking at Devyn.  Gerard couldn’t explain it, but something was up, and it frustrated him that he didn’t know what that was.

“
But
,” Hall said, allowing himself a small smile.  “Do you know how much money I’ve made off of this show?  And to think, I was a multimillionaire
before
this entire thing.  I can’t even fathom how much money I have in any of my bank accounts.  In this reality, time is money.  I can’t sit around, wasting time creating another batch of genomes because it would take too long.  Hell, I’ be fifty-five if you think about it, and I don’t want to wait around.  Who knows if the audience would still be interested in this reality show anymore?  Hell, who knows what reality television would look like in the next twenty-five years?  I sure as hell don’t.  What I
do
know is that the audience loves you guys and they want to see more of you.  We can ship in other genomes from around the world and do the entire thing again.  And who knows – you might actually win it a second time.”

“Like you’d actually give us our freedom even if we did,” Rachel snapped.

When Hall turned to look at her, she matched and held his stare.  Hugh tensed in front of her, ready to attack if need be.  Hall just smiled.

“You know, you’re absolutely right 060978,” Hall said, nodding in acknowledgement of her statement.  “You know, you’re absolutely right.  Who knows if I’ll ever let you go?  You make me so much money, it would be foolish to let you go.  But I want to make a deal with you, and as God as my witness, if you agree to it, I will let you go.  Right now.”  His eyes flashed over to Devyn.

Gerard felt himself tense, and then, it was like he knew – he
knew
– what Hall wanted, and there was no way in hell Gerard would even consider it.  “No,” he said roughly, firmly.  “No.”

“I’m surprised, 111369,” Hall said, his face smiling.  “You don’t even know what I’m going to ask for.”

“I don’t care,” Gerard said.  “I don’t care.  Whatever you want, it’s not going to happen.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this doesn’t even involve you,” he said, before fixing his eyes on Devyn.  “This involves
her
.”

Devyn felt herself pale.  “What?” she asked, her voice softer than she had intended it to be.  Everyone’s eyes were on her now, save for Gerard’s, and she felt confused, unknowing.  What exactly was Hall trying to imply, and why was Gerard so adamantly against it?

“113089,” Hall said, addressing her directly, as his eyes locked with hers.  “I’m sure you are well aware, but I have a personal regard for you.  I want to keep you as mine.  If you agree to stay here of your own freewill, I will allow your entire Unit to walk free at this very moment.  I can assure that nothing will stop them, and if something does, I give you permission to snap my neck.”

“No,” Gerard said, shaking his head.  The fact that they were even discussing this as though it was a possibility upset him like nothing else.  They would just have to deal with staying here and doing another round of this stupid game.  That was it.  There was no other possibility.  “It’s not even an option.  We’ll stay here, and that’s that.”

“
Wait
.”  It surprised Gerard that Devyn had actually snapped at him, but when she had walked around him, he knew that something was entirely amiss.  This wasn’t going according to plan.

Gerard grabbed her wrist so Devyn turned back and looked at him.  “What are you doing?” he asked her in a whisper.  “You can’t be entertaining the possibility of saying yes, can you, Devyn?”  His eyes penetrated hers, and his jaw popped.  He was warning her with just his eyes not to give into this asshole, but even so, Devyn had already made up her mind.  That much was certain.

“Of course I am,” she said quietly, her voice low so that only Gerard could hear her.

“You’re the one who wanted to be free so badly,” Gerard reminded her, though instead of being insistent, his voice sounded as though he was begging.  “Out of all of us,
you
should be the one walking out of here.”

“But he wants me,” she pointed out, and suddenly, she smiled.  Her eyes, of course, were glistening with unshed tears.  One couldn’t fault her for being disappointed that the scenario ended up this way, but at least she was given an option.  At least she could save her friends.  “And yes, I know that I was the one yelling at you when we first met about freedom and how important it is, which is why I’m going to say yes.  Did you really think I wouldn’t?  If you and Rachel and Hugh can leave right now, walk out of those Gates, and start a life somewhere without having to train or look over your shoulder every other second, then I want that.  Because I know that if any of you were in my position, you guys would do the exact same thing.”

Gerard grabbed onto Devyn’s wrist and looked at her with pleading eyes.  “I don’t want you to go,” he told her.  He opened his mouth to say more, but Devyn place her index finger gently against his lips, preventing her from doing so.

“I’ve already made up my mind,” she told him.  “And you know that once I do that, there’s no changing it.  So please.  Go.”  She glanced over at Stewart Hall and walked around Gerard once more to face Hall.  “Okay.  I agree.  I’ll stay with you for as long as you want me here, and in exchange, you let my Unit go free.”

Hall let a triumphant smirk slide across his face, and then nodded once.  “See, I know you had some smarts about you,
doll
,” he told her, and slapped her on the ass.  Devyn closed her eyes and clenched her jaw but said nothing, knowing she would have to put up with that from now on.

But it was worth it.  It had to be.

Gerard saw the action and narrowed his eyes.  Rachel looked as though she wasn’t going to leave, but after Hugh whispered something in her ear, decided against it.  She quickly hugged Devyn, as did Hugh.  Gerard did the same, but allowed his hands to linger maybe a bit longer than they should. 

“I will get you back,” he whispered in her ear, but before she could argue with him, he pulled away and turned to Hall, his eyes narrowed.  “I’m going to come back one day, and I’m going to get you.  I don’t know how and I don’t know when, but somehow, I’m going to get you.”  

Hall frowned but didn’t look intimidated.  “That sounds like a threat, 111369,” he stated.

“It’s a fucking promise,” Gerard corrected, “and I guarantee you that I’m a man of my word.”

Surprisingly enough, Stewart Hall, the Director, kept his word.  Devyn watched with relief as her best friend, her best friend’s boyfriend, and her breeding partner walked out of Gates and to their freedom.

It was interesting, to say the least, how many regular, every day people part of this civilization that they would soon be joining were waiting on the other side of the Gates of Freedom.  Girls were holding up signs with either Gerard or Hugh’s name, and some witty but slightly slogan underneath it, such as “Come home with me” or “Marry me” or something along the lines.  The entire situation amused Rachel because if any one of those bitches even laid a hand on her man, she would not hesitate to pop the girl one.  She was a genome after all.  Hugh only had eyes for Rachel, and as they tried to get through the massive crowd, he kept his hands firmly on her hips so he wouldn’t lose sight of her.

Gerard was behind both of them, his only focus on how to get Devyn back.  He completely ignored the women who were making passes at him, flashing him, touching him.  There was only one woman in the world that was occupying his thoughts, and that woman was Devyn.  How could she have just sacrificed her own freedom – the freedom she wanted more than anything, he knew – for theirs?  They could have all stayed behind at IGL.  At least they all would have been together; he could look after her that way.  But no, she had to go and be noble, she had to give up everything she had wanted, everything she had been working towards her entire existence, just so they could go free.

Gerard was grateful, but he was also frustrated.  He would have rather stayed in there with Devyn than be released into this world.  At least then, he could look after her, protect her.  But now was not the time to be dwelling on things he couldn’t change.  Yet.  He needed a house to go to, and time.  Lots and lots of time to plan something big.  Yes, he wanted Devyn back, and that was his first priority.  But he also wanted to destroy the International Genealogy Laboratory so something like this was never allowed to happen again.  Genomes couldn’t be created, games that involved life and death couldn’t exist, and if it did, it would take a long fucking time to recreate everything.

As of this moment, Gerard, Hugh, and Rachel literally had nothing.  They had no home, no food, no identification, no money, no means of transportation.  Maybe they should have stayed inside the Walls.  This way, they would at least be sheltered.  They could have executed something in the Walls just as they could on the outside.  Except…  Gerard hated to admit it, but with Devyn inside, Stewart Hall was most likely distracted.  His thinking might be off because he was so preoccupied with…  Gerard growled at the thought and immediately banished from his head.

Hugh heard it and glanced behind him.  “You all right there?” he asked his friend.

“No, I’m not all right,” Gerard snapped, and immediately looked away.  “I know it’s not your fault.  I’m just incredibly tense right now.”

Hugh nodded, but said nothing more and continued to hold onto Rachel’s waist.

Gerard sighed and ran his fingers through his short hair, wishing, more than anything, he had some food and some rest.  Maybe it was a lack of rest that caused his mind to bounce back and forth, to snap at his friends.  Above everything else, he wanted Devyn back.  And he would get her back.  Somehow.

“Hey guys,” Rachel said, finally breaking free of the crowd, if only temporarily.  “I met this guy who said he could house us for a couple of days.  He didn’t seem creepy or anything like that, and if he was, there’s no way in hell he’d survive with three genomes, you know?”

Hugh furrowed his brow.  “No paparazzi?” he asked.  “I mean, the guy’s not going to exchange his house for some ridiculous exclusive or anything like that, right?”

“No,” Rachel answered, shaking her head.  “He said he was some kind of scientist” -

“No experiments either,” Gerard said gruffly.

Rachel rolled her eyes.  “No experiments,” she agreed.  “God, do you guys not trust me because I have a vagina, or is there another reason that I’m not aware of?”  Before she could respond, she turned and waved to a guy who was waiting by his car.  Then, she led the two men over to him.  “Ted, this is Hugh and Gerard.”  She glanced at her fellow genomes.  “Guys, this is Ted.”

Gerard pressed his lips together in order to study this Ted fellow in front of him.  He was tall, probably six feet, gangly though, with glasses shielding his slate colored eyes.  If there was ever a picture of awkwardness in the dictionary, this guy would definitely fill it.  However, he wasn’t entirely bad looking.  If certain women preferred the smart-geek look, then this guy would definitely have them wet in three minutes or less.  At that moment, Gerard had to wonder what type of guy Devyn was into.  Was she into smart guys?  Or strong guys?  Or metro guys?  Or maybe sports guys?  Or poets?

“Where’s 113089?”

The question caused Gerard’s thoughts to disappear, and his eyes to snap up to look at Ted.

“I know she didn’t die,” Ted said, his voice sure.  “She’s my favorite.”

For whatever reason, Gerard couldn’t control his temper from flaring at that instant, and he reached out and grabbed Ted’s throat, pushing him into the car.  “Her name is Devyn,” he told the kid.  “Her name is Devyn.  Now get in the fucking car and drive.”

Ted didn’t need to be told twice, but Rachel made it a point to slap Gerard on the shoulder and remind him that the guy was doing this out of his own freewill and not to fuck it up for them.

--

“What an honorable thing you did back there,” Hall said, though his voice was laced with obvious condescending qualities.  He slipped his arm through Devyn’s and turned her so they faced back the Laboratory.  This was the place Devyn honestly thought she would never see again.  Either she was going to go free and never look back, or she’d be killed.  Of course she couldn’t regret what she had down for her friends, and yet there was that part of her that wished this entire situation could have ended much differently than it had.

“I’m so glad you saw it my way,” Hall continued.  He was obviously happy, but his voice betrayed the fact that he knew he would be happy one way or the other.  Devyn would have been his one way or the other.  “This way, we’re sure to be alone.  You know, with no interruptions.”

Devyn couldn’t take it anymore.  “What do you want with me, exactly?” she snapped, turning her head so she could look up at Hall.  “You just couldn’t create some genome to be your slave or anything, could you?  Why did you have to have me?  I’m not even that great.”

Hall tsked her self-deprecating statement.  “You sell yourself too short, 113089,” he told her.  “You are the finest specimen I have been lucky enough to create.”  The corners of his lips twitched up.  “I’ve been watching you for a long while, you know.  You have always been fascinating to look at, to watch.  And I have to say, I admire your spunk every once in a while.”

The two walked into the Laboratory where Devyn immediately sensed that something was going on, something was being set up, and she didn’t feel comfortable with it in the slightest.  Before she could say anything, two Whitecoats took her from Hall and forced her to sit in a chair before strapping her to it tightly, so not even her admirable strength could get out of it.

“And to answer your question…”  Hall smiled, turning to a medical table, and picked up something that Devyn couldn’t see.  “Since I deem you as the most perfect genome, I wanted to test something with you in mind.  You probably haven’t heard of the game called
The Sims
?  No, of course not.  Well, in that game, you create a character and you control the character as the character deals with life-like situations.  Trying on clothes.  Hanging out with friends.  Having sex with boys.”  He turned and it was then that Devyn saw a rather large syringe between Hall’s fingers.  “Well I have always wanted to create something like
The Sims
, but with real people being controlled by other real people.  Like a game with real people as the characters.  So you, my lucky lady, are going to be my test subject.”

He grinned – something that didn’t quite reach his eyes – and headed towards Devyn with the syringe.  No matter how badly Devyn struggled she couldn’t get herself free in time.