continued as the muscles in my spine tightened. I assumed she meant the other video she sent and the message delivered by Maya. “I know you’re wondering why I would expose John as your dad’s murderer.”
The thought had crossed my mind, but I’d dismissed it since I couldn’t possibly figure out the mind of a crazy person—even if I had seen every firing neuron inside it.
“I want to make you a promise, Lexi. And I have something to show you.” The corners of her lips twitched a little—a subtle grin that sent a cold chill over my entire body. “First, the promise,” she continued. “I will let you confront John for what he did to your daddy. Then I will allow you to turn him over to the authorities—in exchange for your help with my project.”
Sandra somehow knew I would want revenge on the person who murdered my dad in cold blood, but did she think I could just forget what she’d done to Dani and Ty? Plus, she didn’t just want me to join her. She still wanted the information hidden in my DNA. The information she told me herself she’d been unable to replicate.
“I know that you have the intelligence to process the good that I’m doing. Good that you can be a part of. I’ve discovered how to save the world from all illness…” Sandra’s voice rose, and she was talking with her hands now. “To cure people who have been injured. Just by tweaking your DNA slightly, you have been gifted with an unbelievable talent for healing—even greater than what you’ve unlocked so far. I saw Addison’s injuries after her accident. I even made them a little worse just before I went into that unfortunate coma of my own.”
An audible gasp escaped my mouth. Seth, who was scrolling on his phone while waiting patiently, looked up and started toward me. I yanked the headphones out of the jack so he could hear the rest.
“I know. I know. That was evil of me,” Sandra continued, her voice now filling my office. “But I knew you were going to heal her. You and Jack were growing closer. Seth was in place to teach you what you could do. It was all going according to plan. Everyone was working toward giving me everything I’d ever wanted, and they didn’t even know it. I’m just sad I wasn’t there to see how you actually healed Addison.” She smiled and appeared lost in her own thoughts for a moment—like a mother relishing in a child’s triumph.
Bile rose to the back of my throat. The room began a slow spin. I had done exactly what she’d wanted of me. I was nothing more than a marionette, and Sandra was pulling all of the strings.
“Anywho,” she sang. “Now I’m just rambling.”
Sandra was not rambling. She was purposefully stating what she wanted me to know.
“I have one more thing to show you.” She began walking.
The camera followed her as she turned to her right and approached a grey metal door. She punched in a code and opened it. The camera must have been stopped briefly, because suddenly Sandra was in a different place—a lab—and she was dressed in a puffy white suit and had a protective mask of some sort over her head. Behind her were men dressed the same way, standing over large machines that looked like horizontal freezers. Rows and rows of rectangular-shaped boxes, white with dark glass on top.
Sandra leaned in close to the camera. “This is so exciting. I know how much you love human life, Lexi. I saw it in your eyes while you were with me at the UK lab. And it was evidenced by you stealing Dia and Lin.”
“I didn’t steal them,” I yelled at the computer. “They left because you’re a demented, certifiable lunatic!”
“What are those?” Seth was leaning closer to the screen.
“What?” I had been so focused on Sandra that I had forgotten the rectangular machines behind her.
As if hearing us, Sandra asked, “So, do you want to see what’s inside?”
I stared at the machines. I so badly wanted to hover above them and look inside. Yet I was terrified at the
The thought had crossed my mind, but I’d dismissed it since I couldn’t possibly figure out the mind of a crazy person—even if I had seen every firing neuron inside it.
“I want to make you a promise, Lexi. And I have something to show you.” The corners of her lips twitched a little—a subtle grin that sent a cold chill over my entire body. “First, the promise,” she continued. “I will let you confront John for what he did to your daddy. Then I will allow you to turn him over to the authorities—in exchange for your help with my project.”
Sandra somehow knew I would want revenge on the person who murdered my dad in cold blood, but did she think I could just forget what she’d done to Dani and Ty? Plus, she didn’t just want me to join her. She still wanted the information hidden in my DNA. The information she told me herself she’d been unable to replicate.
“I know that you have the intelligence to process the good that I’m doing. Good that you can be a part of. I’ve discovered how to save the world from all illness…” Sandra’s voice rose, and she was talking with her hands now. “To cure people who have been injured. Just by tweaking your DNA slightly, you have been gifted with an unbelievable talent for healing—even greater than what you’ve unlocked so far. I saw Addison’s injuries after her accident. I even made them a little worse just before I went into that unfortunate coma of my own.”
An audible gasp escaped my mouth. Seth, who was scrolling on his phone while waiting patiently, looked up and started toward me. I yanked the headphones out of the jack so he could hear the rest.
“I know. I know. That was evil of me,” Sandra continued, her voice now filling my office. “But I knew you were going to heal her. You and Jack were growing closer. Seth was in place to teach you what you could do. It was all going according to plan. Everyone was working toward giving me everything I’d ever wanted, and they didn’t even know it. I’m just sad I wasn’t there to see how you actually healed Addison.” She smiled and appeared lost in her own thoughts for a moment—like a mother relishing in a child’s triumph.
Bile rose to the back of my throat. The room began a slow spin. I had done exactly what she’d wanted of me. I was nothing more than a marionette, and Sandra was pulling all of the strings.
“Anywho,” she sang. “Now I’m just rambling.”
Sandra was not rambling. She was purposefully stating what she wanted me to know.
“I have one more thing to show you.” She began walking.
The camera followed her as she turned to her right and approached a grey metal door. She punched in a code and opened it. The camera must have been stopped briefly, because suddenly Sandra was in a different place—a lab—and she was dressed in a puffy white suit and had a protective mask of some sort over her head. Behind her were men dressed the same way, standing over large machines that looked like horizontal freezers. Rows and rows of rectangular-shaped boxes, white with dark glass on top.
Sandra leaned in close to the camera. “This is so exciting. I know how much you love human life, Lexi. I saw it in your eyes while you were with me at the UK lab. And it was evidenced by you stealing Dia and Lin.”
“I didn’t steal them,” I yelled at the computer. “They left because you’re a demented, certifiable lunatic!”
“What are those?” Seth was leaning closer to the screen.
“What?” I had been so focused on Sandra that I had forgotten the rectangular machines behind her.
As if hearing us, Sandra asked, “So, do you want to see what’s inside?”
I stared at the machines. I so badly wanted to hover above them and look inside. Yet I was terrified at the
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