The Other Morgan (Parallel Series, Book 5) Page 15

  “So that’s why you hate the Enforcers,” I said.

  His lips flattened. “That’s exactly why.”

  “What about your brother? I heard him say he’s on the same page as your father. Do you think he told him that Cami asked him to let us come here?”

  Falcon shook his head. “She begged him not to say anything to anyone, and he promised. He’s crazy about that girl, so I know he’ll keep his promise.”

  “Why did she even ask your brother to let us stay here?” Amy said.

  “Maybe she figured you’d be safer right under the nose of the enemy,” Falcon said. “Anyway, like I said, my father usually never comes here.”

  “Or maybe she didn’t know who else to ask,” I pointed out.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Falcon said. “You’re here now. Dylan has no idea, and my father has no idea.”

  I gazed at him. “Look, I’m sorry that your family is so screwed up. Really I am. But I have to look out for Amy and me, and being here just isn’t safe.”

  “It’s totally safe,” Falcon said as he sat beside me. “My father won’t come back. I promise.”

  “You don’t know that,” I said. “He sounded like he wants to reconnect with you.”

  A harsh laugh burst from his mouth. “You don’t know my father.”

  I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. We’re not staying.”

  I stood, and Amy did as well.

  “Wait, Raven,” he said. “Don’t leave. It’s not safe out there. If anyone sees you, they’ll turn you in without a second thought.”

  His words sent a shiver of fear across my body, but when I recalled the terror I’d felt when I’d huddled in the closet with no way to escape, I knew I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t take the chance of running into Secretary Hart again.

  “I appreciate all you’ve done for us,” I said, my voice shaking. “But we’re leaving.” I looked at Amy. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  At my words, Amy jumped up and threw a glare at Falcon, then looked at me expectantly.

  “Wait,” Falcon said as he moved to the bedroom door. “It’ll be dark soon. Can’t you at least wait until morning?”

  I glanced toward the bedroom window and saw that the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon.

  “It’s cold out there,” Falcon said. “And it’s just going to get colder once the sun sets.”

  As much as I wanted to leave, I couldn’t deny the truth of his words. “Okay.” I was terrified to stay, but just as terrified to leave. “We’ll stay here tonight, but we’re leaving first thing in the morning.”

  “Why do you want us to stay so bad?” Amy asked. “If your father finds out you’re hiding us, you’ll get in so much trouble.”

  “I don’t care about my father,” he said, but his eyes told another story. Hurt and anger lurked just beneath the surface.

  He wants to get caught. He wants to upset his father. The realization splashed over me like a bucket of ice, and my eyes narrowed. That makes him dangerous to Amy and me because he might take chances that could get us captured.

  “You’re using us.” I kept my gaze locked on his as I approached him. “Aren’t you?”

  He laughed. “What?”

  “You’re using us as a weapon against your father. You hate him, and you want to make him mad.” My lips compressed. “What better way to infuriate him than to help me, the person he wants to capture the most?”

  Falcon leaned away from me. “No.” He vigorously shook his head. “No.”

  “Then why?” I asked. “Why do you want us to stay?”

  His jaw tightened, then he straightened. “Okay. Maybe you’re partially right.”

  My lips parted in surprise. I didn’t want to be right about this. I wanted him to have a reasonable explanation that didn’t include putting Amy and me in danger. “So you admit you’re using us?”

  “Look who’s talking,” he said. “Aren’t you both using me? For a safe place to stay? For a place to get food and to stay warm?”

  “You offered to help us.” I frowned. “I already told you I appreciate your help. But now we should leave.” I glanced at Amy. “Let’s go. Now.” I turned to Falcon, who stood in front of his door. “Move.”

  He gaped at me. “Really? You want to go out there? Where there’s a reward for you? Where everyone will be looking for you?”

  Goosebumps broke out over my skin, but it felt less safe in this room than out on the street. At least out there I knew everyone wanted to find me. In here, I wasn’t sure what to believe. I faced Falcon, and he shook his head as he stepped aside. I unlocked the door and pulled it open, but paused as I listened for any noise that would indicate someone was near. All was silent, so I took a tentative step out of the room. When nothing happened, I kept walking.

  “I can’t believe you’re really going to leave,” Falcon said from beside me.

  Deep down—okay, maybe not so deep—I didn’t want to leave. All I wanted was to be somewhere safe until I could go home. “Yep,” I said, my voice conveying pretended confidence. I pulled my hood up, and Amy did as well.

  Falcon followed Amy and me as we walked to the apartment door, and then as we descended the stairs of the apartment complex. The sun was nearly gone, but there was enough light to see where we were going—and to see if anyone was near. At least for now.

  A breeze kicked up and I shivered in my jacket. Maybe we can go to that building where Falcon took us. I actually remember where it is, although if the door’s locked I don’t know how we’ll get in.

  “It’s cold out here,” Falcon said. “Come back inside where’s it warm. And safe. Come on, Raven.”

  Not meeting his gaze, I shook my head. A moment later the three of us were on the sidewalk.

  Falcon stepped in front of me, forcing me to stop. “Where are you going to go, huh?”

  “We’ll figure it out.”

  “Raven’s smart,” Amy said. “She knows what she’s doing.”

  My confidence died a little at Amy’s words. I’d almost forgotten that she thought I was Duplicate Morgan, and any self-assurance I’d developed over the last few days slipped away when I remembered that I was way out of my depth.

  “Maybe she does,” Falcon said, his eyes on me. “And maybe she doesn’t.” He turned to Amy. “But has she ever had a bounty on her head?” When he turned back to me, his expression was grim, and he grabbed my arm. “They’ll never stop looking for you. Never.”

  Dread wound its way up my spine and wrapped around my body, squeezing my chest, making it hard to breathe. I barely registered the sound of a car approaching as I tried to yank my arm out of Falcon’s grasp. “Let go of me,” I hissed.

  His grip was like steel. “No. You’re making a mistake, Raven. You’re going to get yourself—”

  “What’s going on here?” A male voice called out from behind me.

  Falcon released me, but I didn’t turn around. Instead, I looked at Falcon’s face as he met the gaze of whomever stood a short distance away.

  “Oh, it’s you,” the man said. “Secretary Hart’s kid.”

  Secretary Hart’s kid? Why is he calling Falcon that? Then the truth crashed over me. It’s an Enforcer. A cold tentacle of fear slid across the back of my neck and I fought the urge to shove Falcon out of the way and bolt.

  “Hey,” Falcon said, his expression calm.

  Amy stood to my left, her body angled away from the man. Tension stretched inside me as I waited for the Enforcer to spin me around, recognize me, then take me into custody.

  “What’s going on?” the man asked again, although it sounded like he hadn’t moved.

  “Nothing.” Falcon smiled with confidence. “Just having a little disagreement with my girlfriend.”

  The man laughed. “Women, eh?”

  Falcon laughed, then glanced at me with a wink. “Yeah. But I’m sure we’ll work it out.”

  Not sure if I should punch him or hug him, I didn’t move.
/>
  “Okay,” the Enforcer said. “Take care.”

  “See ya.”

  A moment later the Enforcer drove off, and I collapsed to the sidewalk in relief.

  “Now will you come back to my apartment?” Falcon asked as he squatted beside me.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  “Morgan?” Amy whispered as she hunkered down beside me. “Are you okay?”

  I shook my head. I was most definitely not okay. Then I looked at her and gave her a small smile. “You should probably call me Raven.”

  She laughed. “Okay.” She and Falcon pulled me to my feet and the three of us trooped back to his apartment.

  “Where’s your brother?” I asked Falcon as he closed his bedroom door behind us.

  “I think he went to dinner with my father.”

  I shuddered. “Does that mean your father’s coming back here?”

  “I don’t know.” He smiled. “But I won’t let him find you. When Dylan gets back I’ll go into the living room. That way, if my father’s with him, he won’t have a reason to come in here.”

  I didn’t know what else he could do, so I nodded. Even though there was a slim possibility that Falcon’s father would discover me, if Amy and I were out on the street, it seemed almost certain that an Enforcer would find us.

  I’m picking the lesser of two bad choices.

  “I don’t know about you,” Falcon said, “but I’m hungry.”

  My appetite had vanished, but Amy said she was hungry. Falcon left us alone while he went to the kitchen to fix dinner.

  “When that Enforcer showed up, I was so scared,” Amy said.

  There was no denying the fear I’d felt. Not after I’d fallen to the sidewalk in front of Amy and Falcon. “Me too.”

  “I’m worried about Falcon’s father.” She bit her lip. “I’m not sure we should stay here.”

  “I’m worried too, but I don’t know where else we can go.”

  Amy walked over to me and stood just a few inches from me, then in a soft voice, she asked, “Why won’t you tell me where you went after you left Camp Willowmoss? Why?” Her eyebrows bunched. “Don’t you trust me?”

  My lips pressed into a straight line as I gazed at her face. The trust I usually saw in her eyes had been replaced by frustration. I thought about the real reason I couldn’t tell her—because I’d never escaped from Camp Willowmoss and never hidden from Enforcers—and wanted to tell her the truth so badly. So badly.

  She must have read something in my eyes. “What is it, Raven? Tell me.”

  I ground my teeth together, debating whether to confess. Then I heard myself say, “I’m not her, okay?”

  Amy’s head tilted. “Not her? Who?” Her eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m not the Morgan who escaped from Camp Willowmoss and Camp Stonewater. I’m not the Morgan who was tortured.” My voice shook. “I’m not her.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “I know what you mean,” Amy said. “I’ve changed too. I’m not the same person I was before I went into Camp Willowmoss.”

  Obviously she’d completely missed what I’d been trying to tell her. Maybe that’s for the best. She wouldn’t understand anyway. I decided to play along. “That’s just it though. I’m not the same person.” I gazed at her a moment, wondering how far to take this. “It’s like I never experienced those things and now I don’t know what to do.”

  She pursed her lips. “That doesn’t make sense, Raven.” Then her eyes widened. “Oh, I get it. It was so awful that you pushed the memories down, and now you can’t remember.” Her face brightened. “Is that what you meant?”

  That sounded like a good explanation, and I nodded. “When did you become so smart, Hummingbird?”

  She smirked. “I’ve always been smart. You just never noticed.”

  I drew her into my arms. “I’m so glad you’re with me.”

  Her arms encircled my waist. “Me too.”

  Falcon’s door opened and he carried in a plate of sandwiches. “Here you go. A Falcon special.”

  My stomach growled and I managed to eat my share. When we were done, Falcon pulled up the site where he’d uploaded the video and we could see it had already had thousands of views.

  “You’re getting popular, Raven,” he said with a smile.

  “Good,” Amy said. “Maybe people will start speaking out against the F.A.T. centers.”

  I hoped she was right.

  When we heard the sound of the front door opening a while later, Amy and I hurried into the closet before Falcon went into the living room. Within five minutes he was back.

  “Don’t worry,” he said from the doorway of his closet. “My father dropped Dylan off.” He frowned. “He’s not here.”

  Good.

  That night I insisted that Amy and I sleep in the closet, just in case. Falcon didn’t argue, and before he left for work the next morning, he gave us breakfast and made sure we had what we needed.

  Late the next morning I heard the front door opening. My heart pounded as I looked at Amy. “In the closet,” I whispered frantically, worried about who would be arriving in the middle of the day. We scrambled into the closet and stood against the back wall, hiding behind Falcon’s shirts. For good measure, we pulled some boxes in front of our legs so that it would be extra hard to spot us.

  Falcon’s bedroom door rattled like someone was trying to open it.

  It’s not him. He would use his key.

  My hand slipped into Amy’s and I tried to control my shaking. A minute later Falcon’s bedroom door opened.

  Whoever it is somehow bypassed the locked door.

  I knew picking a lock wouldn’t be difficult for a professional, but that only scared me more.

  Maybe it’s just one of his friends—Austin or Connor.

  I closed my eyes as I listened for any sound that would give me a hint as to who was just outside the closet door. The fabric from one of Falcon’s shirts tickled my nose, but I ignored it as I concentrated.

  “Who is it?” Amy whispered beside me.

  “Shhh.” The sound was a barely exhaled breath of air.

  Whoever was in Falcon’s room was relatively quiet, although I heard movement now and again. My legs began to ache and I wanted to shift my position, but fear made me hold perfectly still.

  Just when I’d decided it was safe to shift my weight to my other leg, the closet door swung inward and the light came on. Amy’s hand squeezed mine, and I pressed my lips together to keep from gasping. Grateful we’d had the foresight to pull the boxes in front of us, I was confident we would be difficult to detect unless the person knew where to look.

  Falcon’s shirts blocked most of my view, although I was able to see through a sliver of space. Standing with his back to us was a man wearing an Enforcer’s uniform. Adrenaline flooded my veins, but fear paralyzed me. I couldn’t see what he was doing, although I could tell he was stretching his arms upwards. Whatever he was doing, I knew it could only be bad news for us.

  Then I heard the soft whir of a drill. A few minutes later I heard him murmur, “That should do it.” Then he shut off the closet light and left.

  A moment later I heard Falcon’s door close, then all was quiet. The likelihood that he was no longer in the apartment seemed high, but I couldn’t force myself to move from my hiding spot. Amy didn’t seem eager to come out either, so we stood there for a while longer.

  Eventually my body insisted that I move my muscles, and I obeyed. Quietly, so quietly, I slid Falcon’s shirts to the side, then I moved the boxes so that I could get around them.

  “What was that Enforcer doing?” Amy whispered, clearly as concerned as me.

  I pressed my mouth to her ear. “I don’t know, but maybe we shouldn’t talk.”

  She nodded, and we sat on the floor.

  At least we’ll hear if someone comes in so we can get back in our hiding spot. The thought brought little comfort.

  I thought about Falcon’s co
nversation with his father the day before and remembered Falcon taunting his father with the idea that he could be helping the resistance. The very idea had angered Secretary Hart, and suddenly I knew what the Enforcer had been doing.

  He installed surveillance equipment. Secretary Hart wants to keep an eye on his son. The rightness of this answer settled into my chest. If Amy or I leave this closet, they’ll know we’re here.

  “Falcon’s room is no longer safe,” I whispered directly into Amy’s ear.

  She turned her head, and though I couldn’t see her expression, confusion and fear radiated off of her.

  “We’ll have to stay in here,” I said.

  “I have to go to the bathroom,” she whispered back.

  And wouldn’t you know it? The very mention of going to the bathroom, coupled with the knowledge that we couldn’t leave the closet, gave me the overwhelming urge to use the bathroom as well.

  I shook my head. “We can’t.”

  Amy softly sighed, and we settled in to wait for Falcon. He wasn’t due home for several hours, but there was nothing we could do.

  We spent the next few hours taking turns dozing while the other person stayed alert for any other unexpected visitors.

  As the time for Falcon’s return approached, I worried about how to tip him off that his room was under surveillance before he said something that would make it obvious that someone was in his room. Before I came up with a solution, I heard his door being unlocked, then opened.

  “Raven?” he said, his voice showing his puzzlement that Amy and I weren’t sitting on his bed like we’d been on the other days he’d left us. “Hummingbird?”

  We stayed silent, waiting for him to check the closet. A moment later he did.

  “Hey,” he began, “why are you—”

  I leapt from the floor and pressed my hand to his mouth, then shook my head. When his eyebrows pulled together, I removed my hand. I dragged him deeper into the closet and Amy shut the door and turned on the light.