The Prisoner of Cell 25 (17 page)

“There are hash browns too,” Ostin said, pushing a plate my way. “With cheddar.”

“Thanks.”

“Is there anything else you want?” Mrs. Liss asked. “Do you need some ketchup or Tabasco sauce for your egg?”

“No. I’m good,” I said.

Mr. Liss glanced at his watch and set down his paper. “I’ve got to go.” He stood, looking at us. “You boys take it easy.” Mr. Liss had an unusually deep voice that made everything he said sound like an order.

“Yes, sir,” I said.

“See ya, Dad,” Ostin said.

Mr. Liss grabbed his jacket and keys from the counter, kissed Mrs. Liss, then walked out. When he was gone Mrs. Liss said, “I forgot the salt and pepper.” She walked back to the kitchen.

Ostin said in a hushed voice, “I wish I could go with you to the police station.”

“Me too.”

“Are you nervous to see him?”

“Yeah.” I took a drink of juice.

Mrs. Liss walked back in. “Here you go, darlin’.” She salt-and-peppered my egg for me even though I didn’t want it. “So, Michael, do you feel up to going to school today?”

“Not yet,” I said. “Lieutenant Lloyd is going to pick me up at ten. We’re going down to the station to talk to the man they put in jail.”

Her brow furrowed. “Oh? I didn’t know that. Would you like me to go with you?”

“No, I’ll be all right.”

“How are you on clothes? Do you need some laundry done?”

“I’m okay for now.” The truth was, I’d been wearing the same clothes for three days.

“Well, whatever you need, just ask. I’ll just be your mama until your mama gets back.”

“Thank you,” I said, grateful for how she’d said it.

Ostin finished eating then went and got his backpack. “School awaits.” I walked to the door with him. “Good luck,” he said. “Bones.”

“Bones,” I replied. We bumped fists and then he walked off down the hallway.

“Thank you for breakfast, Mrs. Liss.”

“You’re welcome. Please let me know when you get back from the police station.”

“Sure thing.” I went back to my apartment and showered and dressed. Then it was time to go outside to the parking lot to wait.

I was sitting on the curb when Lieutenant Lloyd pulled up in his police cruiser. He rolled down his window. “Good morning, Michael.”

The morning sun was just above the mountains and I shielded my eyes with both my hands. “Hi.”

“How are you?”

I shrugged. I know he was just being friendly but it was kind of a stupid question. “I’ve been better.”

He nodded sympathetically. “Come sit in the front seat.”

I climbed into the car, put on my seat belt, and we drove downtown.

The drive to the jail took about twenty minutes. I was ticking a lot. Lieutenant Lloyd didn’t say anything about it, but I’m pretty sure he noticed because he asked me again if I really wanted to do this. I guess taking a minor into the jail is pretty unusual, and he was probably having second thoughts about it. I told him I was positive it was the right thing.

When we arrived at the jail I went through all the security, metal detectors and all, then followed Lieutenant Lloyd down a long corridor passing other police officers on the way. At the end of the hall were two doors. He led me into the door on the left into a darkened room. “This is the observation room,” he explained. “This is where we watch what’s going on in the interrogation room.”

There was a large two-way mirror as well as two monitors mounted to a console. The gunman, Clyde, was sitting in a chair on the other side of the glass, his hands handcuffed behind his back.

Seeing him filled me with anger.

“This is Detective Muir,” Lieutenant Lloyd said, gesturing to a man sitting in front of the bank of monitors. He’ll be recording everything.”

I turned back. “You record what happens inside?”

“Every word,” he said.

I hadn’t thought about that. I wouldn’t be able to speak freely.

Lieutenant Lloyd looked into my eyes. “You’re still sure you want to do this?”

“I’m sure,” I said.

“You’re a brave young man,” he said. “Okay, then. We have Stuart in handcuffs, but if you feel threatened at all, let me know.” He patted his gun belt. “I have my Taser.”

Me too
, I thought. “I’m ready.”

As we started to walk out I brushed by the recording console and pulsed. Suddenly all the screens in the room went blank.

“Wait,” Muir said. “We just went down.”

Lieutenant Lloyd groaned. “What timing.”

“It’s like we got a power surge or something,” Detective Muir said, flipping a few switches. He spent the next five minutes trying to get the system back up.

Finally Lieutenant Lloyd asked, “Does the phone still work?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll use the intercom on it. We won’t be able to tape it, but at least we’ll hear what’s going on.”

We walked back out to the hallway. Lieutenant Lloyd unlocked and opened the door. The interrogation room was rectangular with bare white cinder block walls. Clyde sat at the opposite end of a long, wooden table. He wore an orange jail jumpsuit with the name stuart and a number printed above the left breast.

“Hello, Clyde,” Lieutenant Lloyd said.

Stuart didn’t look at Lieutenant Lloyd, but glared at me.

“I’m sure you remember who this is.”

He said nothing.

“Let me help you. This is Michael Vey. He’s the son of the woman you helped kidnap.”

He scowled. “I know who he is.”

“Good. Because you owe him an explanation.”

Clyde turned his body sideways. “I don’t owe him nothin’.”

Lieutenant Lloyd shook his head. He whispered to me, “Like I said, he’s not cooperating.”

“Maybe if I talked to him alone.”

He thought about it for a moment then said, “I was afraid it might come to that.” He walked up to Clyde. “I’m leaving Michael alone with you. Don’t try anything crazy.”

Suddenly Clyde’s expression changed from anger to fear. “No!  You can’t leave him alone with me. I have rights against cruel and inhumane punishment. I have rights!”

Lloyd looked at him. “I was saying, I’m leaving him alone with you. But I’m watching you carefully through the glass so don’t get any ideas . . .” Lieutenant Lloyd turned back to me and shook his head. “Be careful,” he whispered. “The man’s nutty as a bag of trail mix. Good luck.”

When the door shut, Clyde looked up at me and our eyes met.

“Where’s my mother?”

His lips pursed. I stood up and took a few steps toward him. I knew the police were listening so I chose my words carefully. “Do you need something to jog your memory?”

“You stay away from me, electric boy.”

“What did you call me?”

“I know all about your kind, you glowing freaks.”

“My kind?”

He scowled. “Yes, your kind.” For the first time I noticed the scars running up his arm. He followed my gaze, then looked back up at me. “Yeah, that’s from one of you. You Glows are all alike.”

“How many are there of us?”

“Too many. One of you is too many.”

“I only did what I did because you pulled a gun on my mother.

You made me do it.”

“They made me do it.”

“Who made you?”

He didn’t answer.

“You know, I can reach you from here,” I said, which wasn’t true but he didn’t know it.

He sneered at me then said, “Hatch.”

“What’s a hatch?”

“Hatch isn’t a
what
, you idiot. He’s a
who
.”

“Who is Hatch?”

He didn’t answer.

“Is Hatch the guy with the sunglasses?”

“They’re not sunglasses. It’s how he sees the Glows.” He said the word as if it were bitter on his tongue.

“What’s a . . . Glow?”

“You’re a Glow.”

“Who were those other two kids with him?”

“Glows. Zeus and Nichelle.”

“I saw what Zeus does. What does Nichelle do?”

“She’s Hatch’s protection against Glows.” His face bent in a dark grin. “Oh, you’re going to like her. Trust me. She’s the nastiest of the whole stinking, nasty bunch of you.”

“How long have they known about me?”

“Since you were a baby. They just couldn’t find you. You and the other.”

I guessed he was talking about Taylor. “Where is she?”

“You’ll have to ask Hatch.”

“Where did they take my mother?”

“How would I know that? They left me.”

“Where did they plan to take my mother?”

“You’ll never find her,” he said, and a dark smile crossed his face.  “You have no idea what you’re up against, glow worm. They have private jets and hidden compounds. They’re all over the world. Your mother could be anywhere by now.”

“Where is Hatch?”

He looked away.

“Where is Hatch?” I said louder. I began rubbing the table. “Do you need some persuasion?”

“What are you going to do, kill me? You’d be doing me a favor.

They’re going to kill me anyway. You’ll see. To them we’re all expendable. Even the Glows.”

I decided to change my tactic. “If I can stop Hatch . . .”

He interrupted me with laughter. “You think you can stop Hatch?  The U.S. Marine Corps couldn’t stop Hatch.”

“ . . . If I can stop Hatch, I’ll be able to prove that they forced you into this. Help me find my mother and I promise I’ll testify for you and get you out of here.”

Clyde’s laughter only increased. “You think I want to go out there with them? I’m safer in here.”

I leaned forward and whispered, “Is Hatch at the school in Pasadena?”

He looked down.

“Is Hatch at the school in Pasadena?” I repeated.

Without looking up, he said, “It’s not a school.”

“Is that where he is?”

He looked up. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

I looked at him for another moment, then over at the mirror. “I’m done,” I said.

When I turned back Clyde was smiling. “Hatch is waiting for you, you know. He’s been waiting a long, long time. He really wants you.”

Just then the door opened and Lieutenant Lloyd walked in. “All right, Clyde.”

“You know who this kid is, don’t you?” Clyde shouted. “He’s a Glow. He can shock you worse than that Taser you’re wearing. He can kill you. He can kill all of us. They’re going to take over.”

I looked up at Lloyd and shrugged.

“Shut up,” Lieutenant Lloyd said.

“They’re going to take over the entire world!”

“Save it for the judge,” Lieutenant Lloyd said.

As I walked out of the room Lieutenant Lloyd put his arm on my shoulder. “Sorry, kid. That’s what I was afraid of. Ever since we brought him in he’s been ranting about hatches and glow worms.” He shook his head. “The man’s insane.” 

24. Jack

Ostin came to my apartment directly from school. I was on my knees filling my backpack with clothes.

“What are you doing?”

“Packing. They’re in Pasadena.”

“Clyde told you that?”

“Sort of. The man in the sunglasses is named Hatch.”

“Hatch?”

“And you were right. There are more of us electric children.”

“Did the police hear all that?”

“Yeah. But they just think Clyde’s crazy.”

Ostin sat on my bed. “So now what?”

“I’m going to Pasadena.”

“How do we do that?”

“What do you mean, ‘we’?” I said.

“You can’t go alone. What if you need help?”

“This isn’t a video game, Ostin. It’s real danger. If something goes wrong we can’t just push a reset button.”

“Which is precisely why I need to go. What good is being here without my best friend?”

I looked at him. “Thanks.”

“So how do we get there?”

“Jack.”

Ostin’s eyes widened. “Jack the bully?”

“Yeah, he’s perfect. He’s got his own car.”

“There’s no way my mom will let me go with him driving.”

“Your mom can’t know.”

“You’re right. She’d freak no matter what.” He looked down.

“What makes you think Jack will drive us?”

“He owes me.” I rubbed my hands together and they made the crackling sound of electricity. “I think I can persuade him.” 

25. Tara

Taylor was sitting on her bed eating supper when she heard her door unlock. A voice from a speaker said, “Enter.”

The door opened and Tara walked into the room. She was smiling.  “You finally got some food, huh?”

Taylor looked up. In spite of her mistrust of the place, she felt a natural kinship to Tara. “Yeah. What’s with all the bananas?”

“High in potassium. It’s good for us.” She shook her head and her smile grew. “Crazy, huh? You must feel like you fell down the rabbit hole.”

“The rabbit hole?”

“You know,
Alice in Wonderland
. But really, it’s not as bad as you think.”

“I’ve been kidnapped, tied up, tortured by some deranged Goth chick, and locked in a cell and you say it’s not so bad?”

“You’re right, Nichelle’s pretty awful, isn’t she?” She swayed a

little. “As far as the cell, it’s just temporary. It’s just until you see that they mean you no harm. They have a lot of experience with this.”

“Kidnapping?” Taylor asked.

Tara shook her head. “Look, sis, I understand why you’re so upset.  I really do.” She walked over and sat on the bed next to her. “And I’m sorry if I don’t seem more sympathetic, but I’m just so happy you’re here. My own sister. I’ve waited for this day for so long.”

“How long have you known you’re a twin?” Taylor asked.

“Nine years—since Dr. Hatch found me. He promised me that someday he’d find you. And he did.”

“I didn’t even know I had a sister.”

“It’s kind of cool, isn’t it?”

Taylor pushed away her tray. “I’m sorry, I’m just scared and I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

“I really do understand,” she said. “But it will be okay. Trust me.  They just want to know why we’re so different. The research they do here will save millions of lives someday. And they take really good care of us. Really good care. We even have our own concierge service.”

“What’s that?”

“You know, like at fancy hotels. You can ask for pretty much anything and they’ll get it for you. Clothes, front-row concert tickets and backstage passes, gadgets: almost anything, within reason. I mean, if you asked for a jet they’d probably say no. But I asked for a diamond bracelet once and they got me one.”