Defective (The Institute Series Book 3) (13 page)

“How did all of that get covered up?” Jenna exclaims.

“Paxton’s pretty resourceful,” I blubber.

It’s like a sudden light bulb goes off in my brain. Narrowing my eyes at the photos and notes laid out on the table, I sniff and wipe my nose as I stand up to get a closer look. “Hang on. You said you got this one on the Monday I came to visit you?” I ask Drew.

He nods. “It arrived in the mail, but it wasn’t delivered until the arvo, and you were already gone.”

“That would make the photo of Chad first.” I rearrange them, reading the notes in order. “Miss him? Whose fault is that? Looks like Paxton isn’t the only one with secrets. He’s lying to you.”

“What does it mean?” Jayce asks.

“Ignoring the corresponding photos, it’s pretty clear whoever sent these blames
Paxton
for Chad’s death. There’s only one group of people I know who’d care about Chad’s death,” I say.

Drew looks up at me with realisation. “Belle. The Resistance.”

Chapter Twelve

“What’s the Resistance?” Jayce asks.

“You know how you asked me why we didn’t escape when we were agents?” I start.

“Yeah.”

“Well a few weeks before the takeover here, Paxton organised a way to get Shilah and me out. Chad had already managed to escape the Institute months beforehand, and was assigned by the Resistance to watch over me while I was on assignment. Our escape didn’t exactly go as planned.” I look over at Drew with a smile.

“I kind of tagged along for the ride,” Drew adds.

“When we did finally escape, we were taken to a compound out west where my mother had lived for eight years. We were free… well it seemed like we were free.”

“What made you come back and take over the Institute?” Jenna asks.

“There were a few reasons. Chad’s cousin, Tate – who remained at the Institute – went missing. We found him like this,” I pick up the photo of Tate in his cell. “But he wasn’t the only reason we came back. Life at the Resistance wasn’t exactly…”

“Pleasant,” Drew finishes for me.

“Right. Pleasant. We realised that being free came at a cost, and they were asking something of me that I wasn’t willing to give. Not only that, Paxton had worked here at the Institute for years; he knew what went on and he wanted to change it. He had a plan to take Brookfield out, and Drew and I put that plan in motion. We went to Brookfield, pretending to betray the Resistance, and organised a mass arrest of Resistance members. We smuggled in weapons and… well… we just told you how that ended. There were a lot of reasons for coming back.”

“That’s why you blame yourself for Chad’s death?” Jayce asks. “That’s why you blame yourself for everyone getting hurt on the streets?”

I nod and avert my eyes from his.

“That hardly seems like your fault. If you didn’t do it, everyone would still be imprisoned here.”

“They wouldn’t be getting killed.” My words are barely audible.

“No, but they’d still be enduring stuff like this.” He points to the photo of Tate.

“What did the Resistance want you to do?” Jenna chimes in.

“Jenna!” Jayce glares at her.

“It’s just a question. She doesn’t have to answer it.”

“I realise I say this to you a lot,” I say, looking at Jayce. “But there’s something else you don’t know.”

Jayce lets out a tiny laugh. “You’d think I wouldn’t be surprised by that phrase anymore.”

“I not only borrow abilities, but I can amplify other’s abilities as well.”

Jayce narrows his eyes. “You have two abilities? Is that even possible?”

“It is, but I’ve only ever met one other person like me. He was with the Resistance.” I swallow, hard. “They wanted to try to make more of us with two abilities.” I shudder at the memory of what they wanted me to do. The way they voted on it, ordering me to ‘reproduce’ like a prized pedigree puppy.

“Are you saying he…”

“No. Cyrus didn’t touch me. We didn’t give him the chance to take it that far. We left almost immediately to come back here.”

“So why would these people from the Resistance send you these?” Jenna asks, pointing to the envelopes.

“One of their leaders is Chad’s mother. Chad was with them for over two years, and was on track to become a leader himself.”

“So we’re just going to rock up at their compound and demand answers?” Jenna asks.

I look at Drew and we both smile at the same time. “Yup,” we say in unison.

Drew stands and leads us out of his office. Getting his keys out of his pockets, he opens one of the doors in the waiting area to a supply of weapons and safety equipment.

“Are you two coming?” he asks Jayce and Jenna.

“You don’t have to,” I say. “It’s a few more hours out to the compound, and by the time we get back it’ll be late. We’ll probably have to stay the night. Jayce, you’ve got that assignment due tomorrow, and—”

“I’ll get an extension. I’m coming,” he says.

“Do you have work you need to be back for, Jenna?” I ask.

“I’ll call them and tell them I have leads on an investigative report.” She sees the look on Drew’s and my faces. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell them it was a dead end after we get back. You guys really don’t trust journalists, do you?”

“Nope,” Drew says with a slight smile.

“Sorry,” I tell her.

Drew places four bulletproof vests into an oversized bag, along with four locked gun cases.

“Is all of that really necessary?” Jayce asks.

“Purely cautionary. Okay, let’s go,” Drew says picking up the bag.

“I should probably call Paxton before we go. Tell him I won’t be home,” I say.

Drew nods and reaches over the receptionist’s desk, picking up the phone and pressing a button to get an outside line. He hands me the phone, and I punch in the number to the apartment, hoping to get voicemail. I don’t.

“Paxton James,” he answers.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m actually out visiting Drew at the moment. I was thinking of hanging out here and maybe staying the night.” A long sigh comes through from the other end of the line. “I won’t have many chances to come and see him once I’m out on the road with you.”

I start feeling self-conscious having this conversation in front of Drew, Jenna, and Jayce. Turning my back on them, I pretend they aren’t here.

“Is he the reason you wanted out of our deal?” Paxton says in a defeated tone.

I narrow my eyes even though I know he can’t see me. “If he was?”

Paxton sighs with a tiny hint of a laugh. “It’d mean that Tate wins the pot.”

“What?”

“He had eighteen months for you and Drew to get back together.”

“Are you friggin’ kidding me?” I yell. “You’ve been betting on me?”

“Calm down, Allira. It’s not that big of a deal. He also thought you and I were going to end up together, remember? When can I expect you home?”

“When I’m home.” I slam down the phone and tell myself to breathe. “Let’s go,” I say to the others and start heading for the door.

The phone starts ringing immediately. Drew looks at the caller ID and gives me a small nod. I shake my head. I’m not talking to Paxton again.

“Jacobs,” Drew answers the phone. “Yeah, okay. I’ll tell her,” he says before hanging up. He looks up at me, hoping I won’t shoot the messenger. “He said to remind you to be home for the benefit tomorrow night.”

I roll my eyes. “Whatever.”

Drew leads us down to the garage so we can take one of the Institute’s cars. Jayce stops and grabs my hand to pull me toward him as Drew and Jenna walk over to the car, loading the bag into the boot.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I’m fine. It just looks like we have the same flaw. I have A-holes for friends, too.”

“Yeah, I kinda heard Paxton through the phone. They were really making bets of when you would—”

“Seems that way.” I shake my head. “Come on, let’s go. I have bigger things to worry about right now.”
Like seeing Chad’s mother again. Ugh.

By the time Jayce and I get over to the car, Drew’s behind the wheel, and Jenna’s taken the front passenger seat, leaving Jayce and I to the back. We get in and begin the three hour drive to the compound.

The longer I sit, the angrier I get at Paxton and Tate. I need to be rid of my mood before we get to the Resistance, that’s for sure. Keeping a level head is imperative to deal with those people.

“So how do you two know each other?” Drew asks Jenna. I assume he’s talking about her and Jayce, which I would’ve thought was obvious – they look like brother and sister.

“He’s my
little
brother,” she says, emphasising the word ‘little’.

“Four minutes doesn’t count,” Jayce argues.

“Oh, sorry. I just assumed you were friends from the vibe…” he pauses.

“Mr. Director, sir, you wouldn’t happen to be using your ability now, would you?” I ask, in my mocking posh accent.

“Of course not,” Drew says with slight sarcasm, actually making me smile.

“You could arrest yourself for that, you know,” I say.

He smiles. “I’m sure I could work out some sort of deal with myself.” I see him wink in the rear-view mirror, and I can’t stop the laughter from coming out.

“How do you and Allira know each other?” Jenna asks. “I know you arrested her, but how did you meet? At school?”

Drew looks back at me before answering. “She saved my life.”

“Technically, we’d met before that, but he doesn’t remember it. I fell over and he helped me up, then called me a bitch when I didn’t say thank you.” I turn to him, “And then I saved your life, and what did you do to repay me?”

“I arrested you.” He laughs.

Jayce looks at me confusedly when he sees I’m smiling, too. “I think I’m missing the punchline,” he says.

I shrug, “It happened a long time ago. We’ve been through so much since then, it almost seems funny to us now. Besides, he made up for it by saving my life in return, so I guess I can’t hold it against him too much.” I smile at Drew as we share a look of pure respect for each other.

Somewhere along the way, I tune out to the conversations around me and stare out the window, preparing myself to see everyone from the Resistance again.

Jayce reaches over, squeezing my hand. “Are you okay?” he asks softly.

I nod with a small smile. “I’ll be fine.”

He goes to remove his hand, but I hold onto it and grip it tight. Meeting his eyes, I shake my head, no. I don’t want him to let it go. He smiles and leaves his hand where it is as I begin to stare out the window again.

We reach a small town on the outskirts of the radiation barrier that was set up decades ago. Last time I was in this area, this town was deserted and had been for a long time, but now it seems to be flourishing. Stores are open, cars are on the street, people are everywhere.

“What’s going on here?” I ask Drew.

“This is one of the things I’ve wanted to show you for a while now, but you keep running off every time I meet with you. It’s one of the Institute’s projects. We set it up a few months back. People aren’t feeling safe in the city and the suburbs any more. There’s too much violence, too many attacks, and not enough being done about it. They all started coming back to the Institute. We had the room to accommodate them, but not their families as well. Not to mention it’s such a depressing place to live, but I don’t need to tell you that.”

“So you set up and built a brand new town for them?” Jenna asks in awe.

“Pretty much,” Drew says proudly. “The plan is to extend as far as we need to.”

I’m speechless, and proud, and a little envious. Drew’s actually making a difference in this world.

We drive for another hour before Drew pulls the car over to the side of the road. “Ready to walk?”

“We can’t drive the whole way?” Jenna asks.

“Not if we want to go in undetected,” Drew replies.

We all file out and gather around the boot of the car. Drew reaches into the car and grabs out two gun cases handing them out to me, plus a leg and hip holster, and a vest. I start gearing up as a wave of déjà vu hits me.

“Just like old times,” I mumble to myself.

“You understand I won’t be able to arm you guys, right?” he looks at Jenna and Jayce. Jenna nods, and Jayce actually looks relieved.

“That’s fine. I’ve never actually fired a gun before,” Jayce says.

Drew laughs while opening the cases to his two guns, and I do the same. “If you’re going to be with Allira, I suggest you learn how. I’ll take you shooting sometime if you want?”

Jayce raises his eyebrows. “Thanks,” he says a little confused. I can’t tell if he doesn’t know if Drew was being serious about needing to learn, or doesn’t know if he was serious about teaching him.

“Are you really that much of a trouble magnet?” Jenna asks me as Drew throws her one of the vests to put on.

“You’re currently dressing yourself in Kevlar. Does that not answer your own question?”

“I guess it does.”

Drew hands me two cartridges, my hands trembling as I take one of the guns out of its case. I haven’t held a gun since the takeover, but I find it strangely exhilarating to be doing it again, like I’ve missed it. I shake off my nerves, and load the cartridges with ease, putting one gun on my hip and strapping the other to my leg. Pulling my hair off my face, I tie it together by knotting my hair into a ponytail. “Okay. I’m ready.”

Jayce stands a few feet away, staring at me, his mouth slightly open. “Damn, that’s hot,” he mumbles.

“Jayce, I think you’re drooling,” Jenna teases.

“You’re one to talk,” Jayce retorts, nodding in Drew’s direction.

Drew’s stripped of his Jacket, shirt, and pants, only wearing a white undershirt and boxer shorts. Drew seems oblivious to the perv-fest he’s putting on for Jenna – either that or he doesn’t care. He grabs a pair of jeans out of the boot and starts putting them on.