His cubicle was set-up like Xaver’s. Instead of balls, disks with sharpened edges were projected at the boy at regular intervals. George glanced at Leland, who watched, transfixed, as the boy flickered, then solidified. A disk quivered, embedded halfway into the wall behind him.
“Bullets next for him, too?” He did a poor job hiding his contempt.
“I think it would be appropriate.”
Leland lifted a shoulder. “It just seems dangerous.”
“Any weaknesses must be dealt with now, not at a critical time. It is why I created them.”
He went to the very last cubicle. Aalexis—George’s pride and joy—sat at the table across from her trainer. Blocks of various shapes and sizes had been placed in a straight line. The young girl’s face displayed no emotion, but danger flashed in her eyes.
“Aalexis, just finish the training and then you may return to your room.”
“I said, ‘no’.”
“Why won’t you cooperate?” The nervous woman turned toward the doctor and shrugged.
Aalexis crossed her arms over her chest. “I told you, I am bored.”
“Stack the blocks and you may leave.”
“No,” she said, her voice flat. Her forehead bunched, and the trainer’s chair flew backward.
The woman toppled to the ground. Her scream cut short as her head bounced off the tile. The trainer didn’t move.
“Aalexis!” George’s stern tone hid the surprise. “You will stop.”
The young girl stood and faced her creator. “As you wish,
The doctor slid the door back. “Call the infirmary,” he said to Leland as he entered. His assistant closed his mouth and nodded.
“What are you doing?” he asked, before he realized his inappropriate reaction. Straightening his jacket, he buried his shock and composed himself, bringing to the forefront a calm demeanor for them to witness. He cleared his throat. “What are you doing?” he repeated.
“What I was trained to do,” the young girl said. Her voice held no fluctuation. Her arms remained defiantly locked across her chest.
“You were never trained to attack people without orders.”
“We were trained to respond to anger. I will not be subjected to any more tests.”
“Go to your room.”
“As you wish.” The thirteen-year-old passed two interns as she walked away without glancing back.
George knelt next to the unconscious woman and lifted an eyelid. Then he ran his fingers through her hair until he found the lump forming on the side of her head. “She has a minor head injury. Watch her for signs of a concussion.”
“Yes, sir,” the intern responded.
The interns placed the trainer on the gurney and wheeled her away.
After they left, George addressed his assistant. “I want a full personality profile done on Aalexis. Do not have her practice for the next few days.”
“What’s happening?” Leland asked.
“I am not sure.”
George scanned the other cubicles, but the rest of the children acted as if no altercation had happened just few feet away. Their young faces showed no sign of interest, as other children would have.
As expected, nothing fazed them.
13
“Hey. Are you awake?”
Doc’s whispery voice grabbed hold of Ellyssa and yanked her from sleep. The older man hovered directly above her. Next to him stood Rein. His green eyes narrowed as he leered at her.
Feeling trapped, she tried to jump up but, like before, vises held her into place. Not as easily, though. Rein’s face twisted in effort.
“Stop it, Rein.”
“She just tried to attack us.”
“No, we startled her.”
Rein released her and stepped back.
A reassuring smile graced the doctor’s lips. “It’s okay. I brought you something to drink.” Doc grabbed a glass from the tray. It was filled with watery orange liquid. “It’s your lucky day. Orange juice.” He helped prop her up and handed her the cool glass.
Ellyssa sipped while Doc removed the bandages. His eyes widened as his fingers ran over her wound. Only a small amount of discomfort accompanied the pressure.
“Hmm? It’s healing faster than I would’ve expected. The gash is already closing up without the aid of stitches. I don’t even think it’s going to scar.” Confusion crossed Doc’s face. “Does this hurt?” He applied more pressure.
Ellyssa brought the glass down. The pain was still there, but was not too bad. She shook her head.
“Can you feel it?”
She nodded.
“Is it at all uncomfortable?”
Shrugging one shoulder, the corner of her mouth twitched.
He pressed again. “A little bit?”
She nodded once.
“It’d be a lot easier if you would talk.”
She polished off her juice and held the glass out to him.
“Are you hungry?”
Her eyes widened, and she nodded with more enthusiasm.
“I’ll get you something.” He hesitated, looking at Rein.
“As long as she stays in the bed, I won’t touch her.”
Doc raised an eyebrow.
“I promise. Okay?”
The doctor walked toward the opening. Before he stepped out, he glanced back.
Frustrated, Rein waved his hands. “Just go.”
“I’m trusting you,” he said, and disappeared into the corridor.
Ellyssa listened to the fading steps, her gaze turning toward Rein. He watched her with the same amount of intensity and distrust. His eyes raked over her, scrutinizing her, and his jaw clenched so tightly the tendons in his neck jerked. Tensing, Ellyssa scooted against her pillow.
She grasped for his mind and saw herself through his confusion, wondering who she was and why she was there. Although still frail-looking, and her hair comparable to a bird’s nest, her complexion was creamy again. Her strength was returning, and if needed, she could defend herself. His mind kept flashing to the night in the old store.
Never taking his eyes off her, Rein grabbed a chair and rolled it to the end of her cot, then took a seat. His arms, once again, crossed over his chest showing his tenseness, his distrust. He was much younger than she’d originally thought. Twenty, maybe twenty-one. Tanned, angular cheekbones, a straight nose, strong jawline, and hair that was a mess. Completely different than the males at The Center, Ellyssa found his dark features fascinating, attractive in a barbaric sort of way.
Her heart pattered.
