Embers & Ice (Rouge) Page 24

  Hunter sniffed, wishing she could sit up and hug him tightly. His words bound firmly to her heart and she knew, with dreadful sorrow, that they would be the last she ever heard from this man.

  “It seems I’m not the only one who believes so,” he sniffed and reached for something on the bedside table. When he sat back, Hunter saw it was a leather-bound book. Will’s Bible. “Dear William was here several times, when the guards weren’t watching. He so badly wants to believe in love, but I don’t know if he’s ever truly experienced it. It is a sad thing, to live without love. But when you have it,” Dr. Rosenthal raised one eyebrow at her, “it needs to be shared with another.”

  Hunter couldn’t take her eyes off the Bible, feeling warm inside again knowing that Will had not only woken up, but visited her even when it was forbidden.

  Dr. Rosenthal opened the Bible. His eyes sparkled as he read the words, “‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ That does sound very much like William, doesn’t it?”

  Hunter responded only with a small nod. It sounded exactly like Will.

  The doctor smiled and placed the book back beside the nurses’ salves and fixed her again with his shimmering blue gaze.

  “Promise me, Hunter, that you will leave this place as soon as the opportunity presents itself and never look back.”

  “When?”

  “The day you’re released from this infirmary,” he said.

  “But where do we go? I have no idea what continent we’re on.”

  “You’ll know once you’re outside. Go to this address–” He slipped a piece of paper into her bandaged fingers “–and go nowhere else. It is safe, I can assure you.”

  “But… then what?”

  He blinked through the darkness at her. “That, my dear, is up to you. You’ll find anything you need at this address and instructions as to what I advise you do next, but you are free from then on. Now do you swear you’ll do as I ask?”

  Hunter nodded, her breath coming out in sobs that made her chest ache. “Yes sir.”

  “Good.” Dr. Rosenthal stood slowly on his feet, wiping a hand over his beard and smiling down at her, his eyes like twinkling stars. “Good girl.”

  “Dr. Rosenthal, wait. What about the others down in the Death Caves? What about Jack?”

  A sadness settled over the old man’s face. “I’m so very sorry Hunter. I’m afraid Jack can’t leave with you. Or Alfie, or any of the others. They are too unstable, too dangerous. It’s too risky.”

  “Why?” she said through her teeth, angry but at no one in particular. “I thought you were going to work towards a better future. Jack is not a killer, you just need to give him a chance.”

  “No, dear, I can’t. Because Jack cannot be helped.”

  “But I can’t just leave-”

  “You must.” His voice pleaded with her. “I am sorry, I know how you cared about him.”

  Once again, Hunter opened her mouth to ask how in hell he did know, but Dr. Rosenthal whipped up a hand.

  “There’s one more thing I’d like you to do for me Hunter.”

  She bit back a sob. “I’ll do anything.”

  Dr. Rosenthal smiled, dipped his head and whispered, “Forgive him,” before slowly blending back into the shadows.

  FORTY-THREE

  “So let me get this straight,” said Barry through a mouthful of the burger clamped in his hand, “You brought both Jennifer Smart and Eli Akerman back to life from a cryonics state, and now you’re travelling across the country to find a man who can help you get Eli’s memory back when it was your fault he lost it in the first place, is that right?”

  Joshua sighed. I’d kill for a time machine right now. “That’s pretty much the gist of it.”

  “And how in God’s good name did you get your hands on the technology to actually revive someone from the dead, or at least from a coma in sub-zero temperatures? None of this shit has even been invented yet Joshua.”

  “I have connections, okay?” Joshua lifted his cuffed hands onto the table and rested his head on his palms. “Look, are you going to wrap this up or not? And also, I need to use the bathroom.”

  “Well you’re just gonna have to hold it,” he picked up his jacket, took another bite of his burger and opened the door. “I’ll be back.”

  “Wait! Where’s Eli and Jenny?”

  Barry grinned at him, and Joshua winced at the sight of the food squeezing through his teeth. “They’re in exactly the same tricky situation you are, only they’re supposed to be dead. Hang tight.”

  With that, he was gone and the door locked behind him.

  You should just tell him, the Iceman coaxed inside him. It will make your life easier.

  “How?” he said aloud, not realizing that he was probably being watched from the other side of the glass. But the people behind the glass wouldn’t be able to see the blue Iceman sitting in the chair opposite him. “It goes against every fiber of my being to make my powers known, and to this guy? This man of law and logic? No way.”

  He’s human, said the Iceman. I’m sure if you laid out the basics he’d probably believe you. Hey, make him a popsicle. That ought to sweeten things up.

  Joshua snorted. “What good would it do?”

  Think about it. If Barry knows the truth, he’ll go the FBI. He flicked his thumb in the direction of the door. The FBI will find ICE, probably arrest all the scientists there – including Dr. Wolfe – and Hunter and all the other kids trapped inside will be free. Now tell me that’s not a good plan, huh?

  “But he’s not going to believe me, even if he knows about my powers. First of all, showing him my abilities is basically a confession because Eli and Jennifer were killed by ice. Second of all, he’ll laugh at me if I tell him an evil scientist has kids locked up in a secret lab somewhere, including Hunter.” He sunk down on the table, the cool steel numb against his cheek. “It’s completely pointless.”

  You just need to prove it to him. And I have a plan for that.

  “What is it?” he asked, sitting up fast.

  The blue Joshua smiled. Take him there.

  “You’re crazy! Can you imagine what could happen to those kids if I brought the FBI to ICE? What Dr. Wolfe might do?”

  But if Dr. Rosenthal has done his job, the kids won’t even be there. Look, this Barry guy has been searching for the missing kids for half his life. If you lead him to them, this whole investigation will be over. It’ll probably open up another box so big, Barry will completely forget about your little ‘crimes’. You will save lives.

  Joshua frowned. “Okay, since when do you care about the greater good? You’re completely evil.”

  He chuckled. Just think – you’ll find Hunter, reunite her with Eli after restoring his memories, the FBI will take care of ICE and you’ll never have to worry about the Agents hunting you down again. Life can go back to normal, for you and for those poor kids under Dr. Wolfe’s knife at this very moment. He leaned back on the chair and put his hands behind his head. I’m telling you, this plan will solve everything.

  Staring at the Iceman, Joshua was feeling very convinced. So far, he couldn’t see a loophole in the plan dangling before him. If Barry didn’t believe him, there’d be worlds of proof if he took them directly to ICE. He could save lives, be a hero, get Hunter back, reunite her with Eli and sweep this entire mess up under the rug and pretend like it never happened. He could turn his back on ICE forever and start a brand new life.

  But what if the world found out about them? Could he live with the guilt, knowing that he was the one who blabbed to the FBI?

  That’s just a sacrifice you have to make. Think of Hunter.

  Joshua nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  The Iceman smiled wickedly, giving Joshua an uneasy feeling as though he had some hidden agenda, but Joshua had a mind of his own. And so far, this plan was looking pretty damn good.

  The only problem, however, was whether or not Dr. Rosenthal had managed to
get them out.

  Joshua’s Iceman vanished and almost immediately he was taken back into his memories. Normally, any memory of that cold prison was not allowed to enter into Joshua’s mind, but tonight he was so consumed with anxiety over the terrible turn of events in his present that almost any memory of the past was a relief.

  And this particular memory was one of his most treasured.

  He was sitting in Dr. Rosenthal’s office in ICE Incorporated. It was late at night and Joshua had been woken by the scientist who told him to dress hurriedly. He was to go down to the labs, collect Hunter from the nursery and wait in the doctor’s office. Joshua worried that the guards would discover him walking around at night, but there was a look in the kind doctor’s eyes that made Joshua trust him without question.

  He was all too happy to collect Hunter, and raced quietly down to the labs through the dark corridors to the nursery at the opposite end of the surgery rooms. His heart pounded in his chest, expecting to be tasered in the back at any second, but the place was deserted. It was almost as if everyone had vanished.

  Hunter was sleeping in her crib beside a small bed in which a young boy lay curled and breathing deeply. Joshua knew the boy as William, the Immortal Child. He never spoke, but he enjoyed Hunter’s company, and every once in a while, Joshua thought he saw joy in the boy’s eyes.

  Joshua crept to Hunter’s crib and gently lifted her into his arms. She was warm and uncomfortable against his skin, but that didn’t matter to Joshua. At only two years old, she was big enough for him to carry her without feeling as though she might break and young and sleepy enough not to make too much noise. She yawned when he gently smoothed down her silky tufts of red hair and looked up at him with those beautiful eyes just like Leo’s.

  “Hello, Hunter,” he whispered. “Sorry to wake you, but I think we might be going home.”

  Hunter fell straight to sleep again, not making a sound. Joshua wrapped her rug tighter around her and lifted her so her head rested on his shoulder.

  “You’re going?” came a small, empty voice behind him and Joshua stopped.

  William was sitting up with his legs dangling over the bed, his small blanket wrapped tight around him, his brown eyes glimmering with tears. Joshua didn’t have the heart to lie to him, but leaving the boy behind was possibly one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do in all his life. William’s sad face was still taped to the back of his mind years after escaping.

  “I’m so sorry William,” Joshua whispered. “I don’t have a choice.”

  The boy, of course, said nothing. But he did not take his eyes off Joshua as he took Hunter and left.

  Tears dripped from Joshua’s eyes as he hurried to Dr. Rosenthal’s office. There, he waited for what felt like hours. He rocked a sleeping Hunter back and forth, tapping his foot on the linoleum floor, staring at the doctor’s things but feeling so sick to his stomach that he had no desire to pry.

  And then, the door swung open and Dr. Rosenthal hurried inside. He carried a briefcase in one arm and a thicker blanket in the other. He practically threw it at Joshua and started packing the briefcase with papers.

  “We must go now, we don’t have much time.”

  “We’re really leaving?” Joshua gasped. “How?”

  “I will explain everything later. She’ll need that; it’s freezing outside.”

  Joshua didn’t argue and wrapped Hunter in the blankets. Dr. Rosenthal put a hand on his back and guided him to the door. They made their way cautiously through the corridor to the back entrance of the lab, through two double doors and towards another marked ‘STAFF EXIT’. Dr. Rosenthal scanned an ID card in the slot and entered in a seven digit code. Joshua almost laughed at how easy it was to get out, but they weren’t clear of the battlefield just yet. They had a long flight of stairs to climb, and then they came to a heavy bunker door with another coded lock. Joshua felt the cold air before the door swung inward and he clung tighter to Hunter, praying she kept herself warm, as Dr. Rosenthal urged him into a giant dark space. He couldn’t even make out the walls, it was so large. A high-pitched whistle came from the wind outside. Fear and excitement filled Joshua’s stomach like a meal he couldn’t digest. But Dr. Rosenthal strode confidently to the other side of the room, Joshua trotting after him, and climbed a short flight of stairs where he yanked on a giant red lever and a loud grinding sound broke the deathly silence.

  The entire front wall was opening like a bunker hatch. An icy wind blasted into the room. Fresh, freezing, snowy wind. Joshua couldn’t believe it. Dr. Rosenthal had opened the gate to freedom.

  The kind doctor waddled over to him and yelled over the howling, “There’s a bit of a hike ahead of you, but you should reach the main road if you follow the trail! There’s a van waiting in the shrubs with the keys in the glove compartment! Drive until you run out of petrol, then fill up with this money!” He shoved the briefcase in Joshua’s other hand. “Go to the address I’ve marked on the map in the front seat of the car! Wait for me there. I’ll be with you in a few days.”

  “Dr. Rosenthal, I can’t begin to-”

  “No time for thank you’s, my boy! I will see you again soon. Oh, and here-” the doctor grabbed Joshua’s wrist and scanned the chunky bracelet with a small remote that flashed blue. He then pulled a pair of pliers from a pocket in his coat and pinched the metal until it snapped. Joshua felt it slip off his wrist. Dr. Rosenthal did the same for Hunter’s power restraint and she started crying. “You won’t be needing these anymore.”

  “Wait!” Joshua gripped the man’s arm. For the first time in a long time, a pang of happiness went through him, and he owed it all to the kind doctor who was most likely risking his career and his life for him. “Tell me why! Why are you helping us?”

  Dr. Rosenthal touched a cold hand to his cheek. “Because I have faith in you Joshua. You need to take care of this special child you hold.” He gently patted Hunter on her head and smiled. “Your actions will one day save lives. And I believe in that.”

  “Really?” Joshua murmured.

  “Really,” said the doctor. “Now go! And good luck! I will see you again soon.”

  Joshua nodded and turned to the storm, clutching young Hunter tightly in his arms.

  FORTY-FOUR

  After a couple more nights in hospital, Hunter was given the all clear by the nurse and escorted back to her cell late that evening. The others were all sound asleep. The guard gave her a tray of cold food which she devoured greedily and lay on her thin mattress, staring at the long spider-crack in the ceiling, listening to nothing in particular but her thoughts. She was fresh and sleep seemed so far off that Hunter was afraid of being alone with her thoughts for another night. She sat up in her bed, deciding to take a shower. Even if she was caught by the guards and given a warning, it would be worth it.

  But there was someone waiting outside her cell.

  Little Sammy stood behind the glass with one hand up in a wave, his rug dragging along the ground. Hunter smiled, crossed to the door and let him in.

  “You’re better!” Sammy whispered. Once the door was closed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. “I’m so glad you’re better.”

  “Hey,” said Hunter as she wrapped her hands around his head and peered down at him. “If the guards find you, you’ll be in deep trouble Sammy. What’s the matter?”

  The look in Sammy’s one good eye was so beautiful and pure that Hunter wanted to pick him up and hold him tight and never let him go.

  “I was having bad dreams and I wanted to see if you were here,” he replied. “Hunter?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Can I stay with you for a bit?”

  Hunter would have rather pulled off her arm than say no to a face like Sammy’s. His bright eyes widened with his smile and he ran over to her bed and wriggled under the thin blanket. Feeling a little nervous, Hunter slid in beside the small boy – who practically had to lie on top of her, the bed was so small – and stared at the c
eiling again. Only this time, she was a little warmer.

  Sammy’s head rested between her shoulder and her ear. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily. Hunter listened and found it oddly soothing.

  “Hunter?” Sammy whispered.

  “Yeah?”

  “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

  Hunter resisted the urge to answer with ‘Shit Happens’, instead opting for her own personal answer to that question. It was something she often thought about while lying in her cell. She used to believe in Karma – that this was her punishment for the man she killed by accident in the alleyway, or for being so reckless with her powers and not listening to Joshua’s advice. But after meeting so many innocent and good people in this place who had done nothing wrong in their lives, she knew that there must be another explanation. And perhaps it wasn’t to punish them, but to help them grow.

  “Everyone has to go through bad times, Sammy,” she said. “It’s what makes us stronger. It opens our eyes, gives us the courage to fight and the heart to forgive. If we didn’t go through bad stuff, we wouldn’t be grateful for the good things we have. Like each other.” She squeezed him a little and he squeezed her back.

  “Hunter?”

  “Yes Sammy?”

  “Did your mommy ever sing to you when you lived in the real world?”

  A lump wriggled into Hunter’s throat. No one had ever asked her such a simple question and reduced her to tears. “No Sammy,” she said. “I never had a mommy. She died giving birth to me.”

  “My mommy sung to me once. I remember because she sung about angels. I really miss my mommy.”

  “You’re very lucky to be able to remember her. Does that help you sleep better?”

  “Sometimes,” he said. “But sometimes I forget. Hunter?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Can you sing it to me? The angel song?”

  Hunter squirmed on the bed. “I don’t know the angel song.”

  “That doesn’t matter,” he replied simply. “You can make it up.”