He walked to the window and peered through the curtains. The urge to run bounded through this blood. Those thoughts barely had time to gestate before he heard the bedroom door close. He swung about. Sammie leaned against the door, as if listening to make sure her mother hadn’t caught on to what she’d done.
“They told me the truth when I was old enough to understand,” she said. “It was so hard, Jamie. I wanted to tell you a thousand times. I thought maybe if there was one person in the whole world who might believe in me …” She dropped her head back against the door and sighed. “But I had to be careful. Don’t you see? Even if I joked about who I really was and you didn’t pay it any mind, Daddy would go ballistic. He wouldn’t let me anywhere near you. And you were the only friend I had.” Her lips quivered, but Jamie’s heart felt cold and impassive.
“OK. So … you were what? A spy for big ol’ Daddy?”
“No, Jamie. Never. I just wanted a friend. You don’t know how hard it is to pretend to be the kind of person you’re not. I was born five months after my parents came through the fold. I’ve lived my entire life in the wrong universe. I just wanted a friend. I wanted you, Jamie.”
“There’s a newsflash. So, why didn’t you just fess up a couple hours ago when I was in your bedroom? You knew all about what was going on.”
“Not true. I knew the resequencing began, but everyone had voted to protect you to the end. I think Daddy suspected he would be betrayed, but he had no proof. When you showed up at my window, I’d been sitting on my bed wondering if I’d ever get a chance to tell you how I really felt. I didn’t know what to feel or say. Jamie, I …”
He raised one hand as a stop sign, and Sammie relented.
“I was running for my life. Then I figured, ‘Sammie can help. She’s always been there for me.’ I saw you in that window, and you looked like an angel.” Jamie felt something cracking inside. “Sometimes, I have dreams about you. I used to think they were silly. But then I’d wake up feeling good. You know? Warm. I got these ideas that maybe you and me …”
He couldn’t look Sammie in the eyes as she started toward him.
“I love you,” she said. “I suppose you already knew that. But you have no idea how much. Everything I’ve ever fantasized about had to do with you.” Her tears flowed freely as she stepped within arm’s reach. “You don’t know how many times I prayed the Chancellors were wrong, that your program would never be triggered, and the fold would never open again.”
He wanted revenge, but the tears rolling down her cheeks seemed genuine, as if she morphed back into the sweet, fragile girl he knew. Then he imagined tender Sammie running through the backwoods and swamps of Louisiana in camouflage dress and Army-style boots, toting an AK-47.
She touched his hand, a gentle caress. Jamie didn’t try to push her away. Rather, he stepped closer.
“I reckon you’re gonna tell me you want to kiss me.”
A smile broke her tears. “It’s our last chance.”
He sniffled. “What the hell? Ain’t like I got many options.” He lowered his head. Their noses almost touched. “For what it’s worth,” he whispered, “you might’ve been my first, if things had worked out.”
Jamie rested his left hand against her cheek, and Sammie smiled as she tilted her face into the warm comfort of his fingers. Jamie moistened his lips, felt her short breaths, and watched her eyes close the instant before they would’ve kissed. His right hand did the rest.
He completed the move in a second, swiping the pistol and pushing off. The gun felt like another enemy, especially as he dropped a finger over the trigger. He took two steps back, raised the weapon, aimed between her eyes, and was surprised to discover his right hand was not shaking.
“That was pretty dumb, colonel,” he said. “I thought you were a trained soldier. Oh, well. I might not be as good with one of these as you, but I ain’t gonna miss from this close. Time to get the car keys.”
“Jamie, this won’t work. What are you going to do? Lead me out that door? You think I’ll just be able to go up to Mom or Dad and ask for the car keys? They’ll never let you leave.”
“So we’ll go out the window.” His eyes widened into energetic balls. “The hiking trails. Take them into the deep forest. They’ll never find me.”
“Sure they will. Daddy knows every inch of those trails. Please don’t do this. We need to spend the time we have left …”
“Running. That’s how we’re gonna spend it. I’m betting there’s a flashlight in the bed stand, right?” She nodded. “Good. Get it.”
Sammie did as he asked and tested it to make sure the batteries were strong. Jamie had a nagging sensation she could have disarmed him if she wanted to. She turned to the window without looking Jamie in the eyes.
“This is going to happen, no matter how much you fight it.”
Jamie joined her by the window. “I still got time. If that program, or whatever you people call it, was so reliable, how come the Mentor didn’t kick in until tonight? You got no way of knowing if this thing is even working. Tech fails all the time.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s working, Jamie. I saw what happened to you in my bedroom right before Daddy put you down. You were hearing things. Probably seeing things, too.”
He heard her
