CHAPTER ONE
Weston fought against the darkness that had seemed to have taken claim over her. Why couldn’t she wake up? Still, she fought and fought, until she broke through the fog that surrounded her mind.
Cracking her eyes open, Weston blinked slowly as she took in her surroundings. Confusion overtook her. Where was she? And why were her arms bound to a chair? Both very good questions, since the last thing Weston remembered was being back at the Hartman Ranch with Cormac.
Wait. The Ranch. It all came rushing back.
She’d been sitting at the kitchen table, eating breakfast with everyone else when Six came rushing in. He was in a panic. Commander was there. At the Hartman Ranch – where any number of people she cared about could have ended up hurt, or worse.
They had prepared for an attack and then Weston had heard his voice again. It had sent chills up and down her back, but she’d needed to be strong. Commander had known that she was there. What he wasn’t certain about was whether or not Six and Sky, or D006 and E005 to him, were. But she’d known that he wouldn’t leave the land without searching the land for all three of them.
Weston had decided that she’d give herself up while everyone else hid. It would satisfy Commander’s need to have something he wanted, as well as minimize their own losses. It was the plan that made the most sense.
Although Cormac hadn’t seen it that way. Well, no one had agreed with the plan. But they all also knew it made the most sense.
Weston closed her eyes against the pain of leaving Mac again. Against the pain she’d heard in his voice as he’d protested her giving herself in and as Six had dragged him away. He wouldn’t let her go without a fight. He’d tried desperately to get away from Six. But Six was a Delta. Cormac wasn’t. It was as simple as that. There would have been no way for Mac to break free of Six’s hold. That sure didn’t stop him from trying though.
Leaving Mac not for the first, but for the second time, had been one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. And she’d do it all over again, if it meant saving his and everyone else’s lives.
After everyone else had hidden themselves, Weston had walked out of the ranch house with Cougar, Fox, Mary and Brianna. She’d held a gun to her own head and threatened Commander that she would blow her own head off, if he touched anyone else on the Ranch.
She’d almost succeeded in getting Commander to just take her and leave without harming anyone. But then Darwin, her dog, had come barreling across the front yard. Ready to attack. But he’d been cut down. The shot had echoed through the air. Blood had spilled out on the ground under his body.
She’d been dragged away by Commander’s goons then. All she remembered after that was a needle prick. Then nothing but darkness.
Weston groaned, leaning forward in her seat. Darwin was dead and she was back at the Delta Project compound – the last place on earth she had ever wanted to step foot in again. Not like this anyway.
She’d had plans to come back and free the other Deltas like her, but she hadn’t planned to be forcibly kept. Weston felt a familiar prickling feeling at the back of her eyes. She took a few, deep, shaky breaths. She couldn’t let them see her cry.
She could do this. She had to do this. There were others depending on her. Her ever seeing Cormac, or any of the other people she loved, again depended on her staying strong.
Focusing on the situation at hand, Weston looked around the room. Great. There wasn’t anything useful. Besides her and the chair, the room was empty. It was small and plain. Boring beige walls. In other words, it was very Delta Project-ish.
The door to the room suddenly opened; slamming into the wall behind it with a bang. Commander stormed in angrily. His face was already a few shades redder than it probably should have been. And she was guessing that was her fault. Or, at least, that he would take it out on her. Weston braced herself for whatever was to come.
Commander just stood there for several minutes, with his arms crossed over his chest. His steely grey eyes glared into her violet ones. Weston held his gaze, refusing to blink. He was the last person she needed to appear weak in front of.
“We haven’t found D006, or E005, yet.” He finally said.
Weston resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course they hadn’t found her brother and Sky. The Delta Project not finding the two of them was kind of the point of her being here. As well as the point of her lying to Commander about where they had supposedly been heading the last time Weston had seen them.
She arched a brow. “You’ve searched all of Utah already?”
Not that Six and Sky were actually in Utah. They were in Missouri, but he didn’t need to know that. Weston had just told Commander and his men that the two were heading in that direction, in order to get them away from the Hartman Ranch.
The Hartman Ranch – where Six and Sky still were. Or, at least, where they were last that Weston knew. It was where they were supposed to still be. Brianna had promised that they would always have a home there.
But Six may have felt the need to move somewhere else after Commander showed up. If Weston knew Mac at all – and she did – he wouldn’t let them leave. He’d make them stay and keep them protected. For her.
Commander’s nostrils flared. “No. We haven’t searched all of Utah, yet.” He snarled. “It would help if we had a general part of Utah to focus the search on.”
Weston ignored his implied question. “Of course you haven’t found them. It took you forever to find me and I wasn’t even using my Delta-powers.” She said, with a wiggle of her fingers. “Good luck trying to find the two of them.” She said with a snort. “How is this even my problem?”
“It’s your problem because you are the one that got them out of here. It’s your problem because you got them out of here. You took them away from where they belong. It’s your problem because you are here and they are not; when you should all be here.”
Weston looked thoughtful for a moment, nodding her head seriously. “I’m still not understanding how this is my problem.” She said.
Commander growled in frustration. His face shifted to another shade darker. Bending forward at the waist, he looked Weston straight in the eye. “You will help us find them.”
“So you say.”
“So I know.” Commander corrected. He straightened and then he began pacing in front of Weston’s chair.
“Now, why don’t you go over the escape for me – from the moment you got in the building, to the moment you got out?”
Weston hesitated before telling him off. He was just asking about the time she had been inside the building. Would it really matter if she told him about that?
It wouldn’t really hurt anything, or anybody, if she told him about her time in the compound when she’d rescued Six. She wasn’t even sure why he was asking for a run-down of it, since they would already have video of most of it – if not all of it - from the camera feeds. Weston supposed she could run with it for now, at least then she could find out what he was trying to lead up to.
Shrugging her shoulders, Weston began to tell him an extremely edited version of what had happened the day she rescued Six and Sky from the clutches of the Delta Project. “Well, I came in through the boiler room and then went up the elevator to the main level. From there, I found my way through the maze of the hallways and to Six’s room. I got him to come with me and on our way out; we passed by the room E005 was in.”
Weston snorted. “Of course, I wasn’t going to leave her here either. So, we grabbed her and brought her with us. Unfortunately, as I’ve said, a couple of your guards didn’t realize I was a Delta and shot at me several times.” She leaned forward in the chair. “Between you and me, that wasn’t much fun to recover from.”
Commander stared at her for a moment before speaking. “That’s it?” He asked.
“Well, yeah. It was kind of an in-and-out kind of job. I didn’t exactly want to be here any longer than I needed to.”
“Don’t play stupid with me, D005.” He snarled. “I watched the feeds. I know that you didn’t have to find your way through the maze of the hallways. You knew where you were going. And you somehow had the access codes for all the keypads.”
He leaned over her, breathing heavily. “Now, tell me, D005, just how did you get those codes? Who gave them to you? Who has been helping you?”
An eyebrow arched high on Weston’s forehead. “What makes you think someone helped me? I never said anyone did.”
“Of course someone helped you.” Commander scoffed. “How else would you have gotten through the doors and made your way so easily through the building? You may have lived here your whole life, but you’ve never seen the whole building.” He paused. “For that matter, how did you even get inside the tunnels?”
Weston shrugged. “Come on. Don’t you think I could have figured something out?”
He stared at her. “Perhaps you could have, but I doubt it. Not to that extent, anyway.” He paused, narrowing her eyes at her. “Know that I will find out who helped you and if they are still helping you.”
He continued to stare down at her, as if he expected her to crack under the pressure of his stare alone. What was he thinking? He’d taught her better than that. She did have almost eighteen years of dealing with him under her belt, after all. In a few months, it would be exactly eighteen years.
“Where are D006 and E005?” Commander suddenly asked, switching tactics up a bit. Weston chose to ignore him.
“Where are they?” He demanded.
Weston tilted her head to the side, watching as his face got even redder, as he got angrier and angrier. Interesting. “Answer me!”
Weston sighed. “Maybe if you would use my real name, I would.” Not. She never would, but he didn’t have to know that. Besides there was no way he would ever use Weston’s true name. It would mean she’d won.
“Your real name? Your real name?” Commander asked incredulously.
Weston nodded.
“You don’t have a real name. You’re barely even human.” Commander said in disgust. “You’re just a machine. Just a tool.”
Weston clenched her jaw. Her hands clenched into fists. No she wasn’t. She was not just a machine. She was not just a tool. She was a human being and she deserved to be treated like one.
“Now answer the question, D005!”
Weston remained silent, refusing to respond.
“I will find out!” Commander snarled his promise. He stomped to the door, pausing just outside of it. After he waved someone over, a guard appeared. “I want four guards left at this door. I’ll be back shortly.” He ordered, before disappearing.
Apparently he wasn’t taking any chances.
CHAPTER TWO
Weston swallowed thickly. Great. He’d be back. Just what she wanted – something to look forward to. She knew Commander coming back shortly meant that this little questioning session of theirs wasn’t over. Not at all. When Commander came back, he would be more forceful. She was almost sure of it.
That’s okay. She could handle it, she told herself. This was the kind of thing she was trained for, after all. It wasn’t at all what she wanted for her life, but she was trained for it. She could take the questioning. She could take the pain.
Besides, there was no way she could rat out Halloway as the one who’d helped her. He’d done so much for her. And she’d come to realize so much about why he’d come to work at the Delta Project – and why he continued to do so. He couldn’t afford to leave. Not with his family on the line. No. Under no circumstances would Weston risk his or his family’s lives.
There was also no way she would ever give up her brother and Sky’s true location. Not only would that mean their capture and more than likely their servitude to the people of the Delta Project for the rest of their lives, but it would also put so many people she cared about in danger. Including the man she loved.
Cormac. Her heart ached for him already and she’d only been gone for a day or two. How was she going to last in here without him?
She’d just have to. She had no choice. If she ever wanted to see Mac or any of the others again, Weston would just have to suck it up and deal with the hell she’d already lived with her entire life. The hell she only wanted to escape.
Well, if she was going to be stuck there, she might as well use the opportunity to her advantage and work on a plan to get not just her, but the other Deltas out. They’d all be free and the Delta Project would be no more, if Weston had anything to say about it.
Weston focused on the four guards that had filed into the room after Commander left. They stood at attention – two on each side of the door. The two on the left were veteran guards at the Delta Project compound. They’d been there almost as long as Halloway.
Weston narrowed her eyes on the pair to the right of the door. They looked vaguely familiar. They were both about Mac’s age. One of them had blonde, wavy hair and striking blue eyes. He had a hawkish nose, a strong jaw line and prominent cheekbones. He was stocky and muscular. Then again, all the guards were muscular; they kind of had to be since they had to be able to handle the Deltas. The other, who was slightly shorter and smaller in stature than the first one, had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. His face was slightly rounder and more boyish than his friend’s.
A memory sparked in the back of her brain. Right. The hallway – when she’d rescued Six and Sky. The one with the blue eyes was Jenkins. He was stocky and muscular. And the one with the brown eyes was Williams.
They were the two newer guards who’d flirted with her when she encountered them in the compound hallway; thinking she was a new lab technician or something. Weston snickered to herself and wondered just how shocked they had been that they not only had passed right by the escaped Delta, but had flirted with her. She was willing to bet that Commander had somehow missed the footage of that encounter. If he hadn’t, the pair would have been in serious trouble.
Weston’s teeth sank into her lip as she considered her options. She fidgeted in her seat. After living for several months without being watched every second of every day, she felt very uncomfortable under the stares of the four guards.
Did they realize how she felt about all this? That she was just a girl who wanted to live her life the way she chose?
No. They probably didn’t. The veterans had been there so long, they didn’t see a girl any more. They saw what Commander wanted them to see. A machine. A tool. Something not altogether human.
And the newer guards? Well, they’d just follow along with the way the veteran guards and Commander treated the Deltas. That or lose their jobs. Or worse, their lives.
Weston’s eyes slid over the guards again, an idea sparking in her head. Or, maybe not. Maybe she could change their minds and make them realize she was just like any other girl they’d meet on the street. Okay, maybe not just like any other girl they’d meet. She was just a bit more amped up than the average girl after all, but that wasn’t really her fault. It was all the fault of her genetics. And she hadn’t been the one to mess with those before she’d even been ‘conceived.’ Or whatever they called what they did.
The newer guards also probably didn’t realize what all they’d have to give up – all they’d have to bear witness to – for this career choice. She wondered how privy to Commander’s cruelty they’d been. If they really realized what he put the Deltas through.
It was hard to wear out a Delta. It was hard to hurt a Delta. Yet, he managed it.
Weston wondered if they had realized yet, that once you started working for the Delta Project, you stayed with the Delta Project. The heads of the Project couldn’t afford to have any secrets of what went on at the compound leaked to the public. Or worse, to someone who wanted their technology. Not realizing that had been Halloway’s mistake. And he’d spent most of Weston’s life regretting it.
Weston decided to break the silence that filled the room. “Are you guys sure you really want to get into this mess?” She asked.
One of the veteran guards scowled at her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure I don’t.” Weston said. “You do realize that Commander is going to come back here and torture me to get the information he wants, right?” None of the guards responded.
“Just remember that once you go down this path, there’s no going back. And despite what you may have been told – or might believe – we Deltas do feel every hit we take. We feel just as much pain as you would in the same situation. The only difference is that we’ve been trained not to react to that pain. Trained to overcome it, if you will.”
The two younger guards shifted on their feet, looking uncomfortable with what Weston said. Seeing their expressions, the veteran turned to Weston again. “Shut up.” He growled.
Weston looked at him, tilting her head to the side. “Do you have kids?”
The guard faltered. He stared at her; surprised with the sudden change in topic.
“Teenagers? Do you have any?” She continued. “Would you want to see them in this kind of situation? I’m really not all that different from your kids. Sure, Deltas may seem inhuman, but we can’t help what our genetics are. Or the way we were raised, for that matter.”
Four pairs of eyes were focused on her. Good. At least they were listening. “Do any of you ever think about what I, or any of the other Deltas, would be like if we’d been raised the way your kids were?”
“Be quiet.” The veteran guard said. Apparently he’d decided he was going to ignore what she was saying.
Weston turned back to the younger guards. At least she was getting a positive reaction from them. “What if we were your sisters or brothers?”
Jenkins flinched and they both looked uncomfortable. “We’re just doing out jobs.” He murmured.
“Just doing your jobs.” Weston murmured and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well I’d like to just live my life.” She needed them to understand.
Unfortunately, Weston’s conversation with Jenkins and Williams was cut short when Commander stormed back into the room, as he’d promised. “Has she said anything, yet?”
Four pairs of eyes flicked her way. “Nothing useful, Sir.” The veteran guard answered.
Weston scowled at the man, as Commander came to stand in front of her. “Are you ready to talk, yet, D005?”
“What would you like to talk about?” She asked innocently.
Commander’s gaze burned into her. “You know what I want to talk about.”
“Oh,” Weston said slowly. “You want to talk about that. I’d completely forgotten all about that.”
“Don’t test me, D005.” He growled.
“You get to test us all the time.” Weston said, narrowing her eyes on him. “Shouldn’t we be able to return the favor occasionally?”
“Stop messing around.”
Weston sighed. “You aren’t getting anything out of me.”
Commander glared down at her, his eyes glinting. “Would you have anything to say if I broke your fingers one by one?”
Weston saw Williams flinch out of the corner of her eye and kind of wanted to do the same thing truthfully. However, she forced her expression to stay neutral. It would hurt – a lot – if Commander broke her fingers. But broken fingers would heal quickly. It wasn’t the end of the world.
Commander knew that and she knew that. She also knew that he would start small, before doing anything major that may or may not permanently damage her body. So, it would be broken fingers today and more than likely, tomorrow it would be something worse.
Weston wasn’t even sure what could permanently damage a Delta’s body. They were made to withstand a lot of damage and also to heal quickly from their wounds. But there had to be some limit to what even a Delta’s body could take. She’d already put hers through a lot and it was holding strong, without a mark to show for it.
“I’m guessing we’re going to find out.” She told Commander dryly.
A slight look of disappointment crossed his face. He didn’t actually think she’d give in that easily, did he? It was going to take more than some broken fingers for her to give in and give him what he wanted. A lot more.
Commander came to stand to the left of her chair. Weston’s arms were already restrained, so there wasn’t even any way for her to fight him off if she’d wanted to. One hand went to her wrist, the other swallowed up the slim thumb of her left hand. “Just remember that you’re doing this to yourself, D005. It could all be prevented if you answered my questions.”
Weston snorted. She was doing it to herself? Really? That didn’t look like her hand wrapped around her thumb.
“Suit yourself.” He said when she remained silent.
Weston bit the inside of her cheek and steeled herself against the coming pain. Commander yanked her thumb back, with a quick jerk of his hand. A loud crack echoed through the room as the bones in her thumb snapped.
Weston didn’t as much as flinch. She breathed deeply in and out; refusing to feel any pain. However, she did hear Jenkins curse under his breath.
“Not one word out any of you four.” Commander snapped.
His hand moved to circle around the pointer finger of Weston’s left hand. “Do you have anything to say yet?”
She shook her head and met his gaze head on. “Not a damn thing.”
The finger snapped. The metallic taste of blood hit Weston’s tongue, from her biting into her cheek. But she didn’t whimper. Not one tear fell from her eyes.
“Where are D006 and E005?” Commander questioned.
Weston stayed silent. Her gaze strayed to the younger guards, just as her next finger snapped. Jenkins and Williams were beginning to look a little grey in the face. Just wait until they saw him do something worse than this, Weston thought to herself.
On and on it went; with each finger on her left hand and then each on her right. Tears of pain did eventually begin sliding down her cheeks. But, she still didn’t crack.
She didn’t open her mouth. She didn’t give him what he wanted. She held her own.
Weston fought against the darkness that had seemed to have taken claim over her. Why couldn’t she wake up? Still, she fought and fought, until she broke through the fog that surrounded her mind.
Cracking her eyes open, Weston blinked slowly as she took in her surroundings. Confusion overtook her. Where was she? And why were her arms bound to a chair? Both very good questions, since the last thing Weston remembered was being back at the Hartman Ranch with Cormac.
Wait. The Ranch. It all came rushing back.
She’d been sitting at the kitchen table, eating breakfast with everyone else when Six came rushing in. He was in a panic. Commander was there. At the Hartman Ranch – where any number of people she cared about could have ended up hurt, or worse.
They had prepared for an attack and then Weston had heard his voice again. It had sent chills up and down her back, but she’d needed to be strong. Commander had known that she was there. What he wasn’t certain about was whether or not Six and Sky, or D006 and E005 to him, were. But she’d known that he wouldn’t leave the land without searching the land for all three of them.
Weston had decided that she’d give herself up while everyone else hid. It would satisfy Commander’s need to have something he wanted, as well as minimize their own losses. It was the plan that made the most sense.
Although Cormac hadn’t seen it that way. Well, no one had agreed with the plan. But they all also knew it made the most sense.
Weston closed her eyes against the pain of leaving Mac again. Against the pain she’d heard in his voice as he’d protested her giving herself in and as Six had dragged him away. He wouldn’t let her go without a fight. He’d tried desperately to get away from Six. But Six was a Delta. Cormac wasn’t. It was as simple as that. There would have been no way for Mac to break free of Six’s hold. That sure didn’t stop him from trying though.
Leaving Mac not for the first, but for the second time, had been one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. And she’d do it all over again, if it meant saving his and everyone else’s lives.
After everyone else had hidden themselves, Weston had walked out of the ranch house with Cougar, Fox, Mary and Brianna. She’d held a gun to her own head and threatened Commander that she would blow her own head off, if he touched anyone else on the Ranch.
She’d almost succeeded in getting Commander to just take her and leave without harming anyone. But then Darwin, her dog, had come barreling across the front yard. Ready to attack. But he’d been cut down. The shot had echoed through the air. Blood had spilled out on the ground under his body.
She’d been dragged away by Commander’s goons then. All she remembered after that was a needle prick. Then nothing but darkness.
Weston groaned, leaning forward in her seat. Darwin was dead and she was back at the Delta Project compound – the last place on earth she had ever wanted to step foot in again. Not like this anyway.
She’d had plans to come back and free the other Deltas like her, but she hadn’t planned to be forcibly kept. Weston felt a familiar prickling feeling at the back of her eyes. She took a few, deep, shaky breaths. She couldn’t let them see her cry.
She could do this. She had to do this. There were others depending on her. Her ever seeing Cormac, or any of the other people she loved, again depended on her staying strong.
Focusing on the situation at hand, Weston looked around the room. Great. There wasn’t anything useful. Besides her and the chair, the room was empty. It was small and plain. Boring beige walls. In other words, it was very Delta Project-ish.
The door to the room suddenly opened; slamming into the wall behind it with a bang. Commander stormed in angrily. His face was already a few shades redder than it probably should have been. And she was guessing that was her fault. Or, at least, that he would take it out on her. Weston braced herself for whatever was to come.
Commander just stood there for several minutes, with his arms crossed over his chest. His steely grey eyes glared into her violet ones. Weston held his gaze, refusing to blink. He was the last person she needed to appear weak in front of.
“We haven’t found D006, or E005, yet.” He finally said.
Weston resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course they hadn’t found her brother and Sky. The Delta Project not finding the two of them was kind of the point of her being here. As well as the point of her lying to Commander about where they had supposedly been heading the last time Weston had seen them.
She arched a brow. “You’ve searched all of Utah already?”
Not that Six and Sky were actually in Utah. They were in Missouri, but he didn’t need to know that. Weston had just told Commander and his men that the two were heading in that direction, in order to get them away from the Hartman Ranch.
The Hartman Ranch – where Six and Sky still were. Or, at least, where they were last that Weston knew. It was where they were supposed to still be. Brianna had promised that they would always have a home there.
But Six may have felt the need to move somewhere else after Commander showed up. If Weston knew Mac at all – and she did – he wouldn’t let them leave. He’d make them stay and keep them protected. For her.
Commander’s nostrils flared. “No. We haven’t searched all of Utah, yet.” He snarled. “It would help if we had a general part of Utah to focus the search on.”
Weston ignored his implied question. “Of course you haven’t found them. It took you forever to find me and I wasn’t even using my Delta-powers.” She said, with a wiggle of her fingers. “Good luck trying to find the two of them.” She said with a snort. “How is this even my problem?”
“It’s your problem because you are the one that got them out of here. It’s your problem because you got them out of here. You took them away from where they belong. It’s your problem because you are here and they are not; when you should all be here.”
Weston looked thoughtful for a moment, nodding her head seriously. “I’m still not understanding how this is my problem.” She said.
Commander growled in frustration. His face shifted to another shade darker. Bending forward at the waist, he looked Weston straight in the eye. “You will help us find them.”
“So you say.”
“So I know.” Commander corrected. He straightened and then he began pacing in front of Weston’s chair.
“Now, why don’t you go over the escape for me – from the moment you got in the building, to the moment you got out?”
Weston hesitated before telling him off. He was just asking about the time she had been inside the building. Would it really matter if she told him about that?
It wouldn’t really hurt anything, or anybody, if she told him about her time in the compound when she’d rescued Six. She wasn’t even sure why he was asking for a run-down of it, since they would already have video of most of it – if not all of it - from the camera feeds. Weston supposed she could run with it for now, at least then she could find out what he was trying to lead up to.
Shrugging her shoulders, Weston began to tell him an extremely edited version of what had happened the day she rescued Six and Sky from the clutches of the Delta Project. “Well, I came in through the boiler room and then went up the elevator to the main level. From there, I found my way through the maze of the hallways and to Six’s room. I got him to come with me and on our way out; we passed by the room E005 was in.”
Weston snorted. “Of course, I wasn’t going to leave her here either. So, we grabbed her and brought her with us. Unfortunately, as I’ve said, a couple of your guards didn’t realize I was a Delta and shot at me several times.” She leaned forward in the chair. “Between you and me, that wasn’t much fun to recover from.”
Commander stared at her for a moment before speaking. “That’s it?” He asked.
“Well, yeah. It was kind of an in-and-out kind of job. I didn’t exactly want to be here any longer than I needed to.”
“Don’t play stupid with me, D005.” He snarled. “I watched the feeds. I know that you didn’t have to find your way through the maze of the hallways. You knew where you were going. And you somehow had the access codes for all the keypads.”
He leaned over her, breathing heavily. “Now, tell me, D005, just how did you get those codes? Who gave them to you? Who has been helping you?”
An eyebrow arched high on Weston’s forehead. “What makes you think someone helped me? I never said anyone did.”
“Of course someone helped you.” Commander scoffed. “How else would you have gotten through the doors and made your way so easily through the building? You may have lived here your whole life, but you’ve never seen the whole building.” He paused. “For that matter, how did you even get inside the tunnels?”
Weston shrugged. “Come on. Don’t you think I could have figured something out?”
He stared at her. “Perhaps you could have, but I doubt it. Not to that extent, anyway.” He paused, narrowing her eyes at her. “Know that I will find out who helped you and if they are still helping you.”
He continued to stare down at her, as if he expected her to crack under the pressure of his stare alone. What was he thinking? He’d taught her better than that. She did have almost eighteen years of dealing with him under her belt, after all. In a few months, it would be exactly eighteen years.
“Where are D006 and E005?” Commander suddenly asked, switching tactics up a bit. Weston chose to ignore him.
“Where are they?” He demanded.
Weston tilted her head to the side, watching as his face got even redder, as he got angrier and angrier. Interesting. “Answer me!”
Weston sighed. “Maybe if you would use my real name, I would.” Not. She never would, but he didn’t have to know that. Besides there was no way he would ever use Weston’s true name. It would mean she’d won.
“Your real name? Your real name?” Commander asked incredulously.
Weston nodded.
“You don’t have a real name. You’re barely even human.” Commander said in disgust. “You’re just a machine. Just a tool.”
Weston clenched her jaw. Her hands clenched into fists. No she wasn’t. She was not just a machine. She was not just a tool. She was a human being and she deserved to be treated like one.
“Now answer the question, D005!”
Weston remained silent, refusing to respond.
“I will find out!” Commander snarled his promise. He stomped to the door, pausing just outside of it. After he waved someone over, a guard appeared. “I want four guards left at this door. I’ll be back shortly.” He ordered, before disappearing.
Apparently he wasn’t taking any chances.
CHAPTER TWO
Weston swallowed thickly. Great. He’d be back. Just what she wanted – something to look forward to. She knew Commander coming back shortly meant that this little questioning session of theirs wasn’t over. Not at all. When Commander came back, he would be more forceful. She was almost sure of it.
That’s okay. She could handle it, she told herself. This was the kind of thing she was trained for, after all. It wasn’t at all what she wanted for her life, but she was trained for it. She could take the questioning. She could take the pain.
Besides, there was no way she could rat out Halloway as the one who’d helped her. He’d done so much for her. And she’d come to realize so much about why he’d come to work at the Delta Project – and why he continued to do so. He couldn’t afford to leave. Not with his family on the line. No. Under no circumstances would Weston risk his or his family’s lives.
There was also no way she would ever give up her brother and Sky’s true location. Not only would that mean their capture and more than likely their servitude to the people of the Delta Project for the rest of their lives, but it would also put so many people she cared about in danger. Including the man she loved.
Cormac. Her heart ached for him already and she’d only been gone for a day or two. How was she going to last in here without him?
She’d just have to. She had no choice. If she ever wanted to see Mac or any of the others again, Weston would just have to suck it up and deal with the hell she’d already lived with her entire life. The hell she only wanted to escape.
Well, if she was going to be stuck there, she might as well use the opportunity to her advantage and work on a plan to get not just her, but the other Deltas out. They’d all be free and the Delta Project would be no more, if Weston had anything to say about it.
Weston focused on the four guards that had filed into the room after Commander left. They stood at attention – two on each side of the door. The two on the left were veteran guards at the Delta Project compound. They’d been there almost as long as Halloway.
Weston narrowed her eyes on the pair to the right of the door. They looked vaguely familiar. They were both about Mac’s age. One of them had blonde, wavy hair and striking blue eyes. He had a hawkish nose, a strong jaw line and prominent cheekbones. He was stocky and muscular. Then again, all the guards were muscular; they kind of had to be since they had to be able to handle the Deltas. The other, who was slightly shorter and smaller in stature than the first one, had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. His face was slightly rounder and more boyish than his friend’s.
A memory sparked in the back of her brain. Right. The hallway – when she’d rescued Six and Sky. The one with the blue eyes was Jenkins. He was stocky and muscular. And the one with the brown eyes was Williams.
They were the two newer guards who’d flirted with her when she encountered them in the compound hallway; thinking she was a new lab technician or something. Weston snickered to herself and wondered just how shocked they had been that they not only had passed right by the escaped Delta, but had flirted with her. She was willing to bet that Commander had somehow missed the footage of that encounter. If he hadn’t, the pair would have been in serious trouble.
Weston’s teeth sank into her lip as she considered her options. She fidgeted in her seat. After living for several months without being watched every second of every day, she felt very uncomfortable under the stares of the four guards.
Did they realize how she felt about all this? That she was just a girl who wanted to live her life the way she chose?
No. They probably didn’t. The veterans had been there so long, they didn’t see a girl any more. They saw what Commander wanted them to see. A machine. A tool. Something not altogether human.
And the newer guards? Well, they’d just follow along with the way the veteran guards and Commander treated the Deltas. That or lose their jobs. Or worse, their lives.
Weston’s eyes slid over the guards again, an idea sparking in her head. Or, maybe not. Maybe she could change their minds and make them realize she was just like any other girl they’d meet on the street. Okay, maybe not just like any other girl they’d meet. She was just a bit more amped up than the average girl after all, but that wasn’t really her fault. It was all the fault of her genetics. And she hadn’t been the one to mess with those before she’d even been ‘conceived.’ Or whatever they called what they did.
The newer guards also probably didn’t realize what all they’d have to give up – all they’d have to bear witness to – for this career choice. She wondered how privy to Commander’s cruelty they’d been. If they really realized what he put the Deltas through.
It was hard to wear out a Delta. It was hard to hurt a Delta. Yet, he managed it.
Weston wondered if they had realized yet, that once you started working for the Delta Project, you stayed with the Delta Project. The heads of the Project couldn’t afford to have any secrets of what went on at the compound leaked to the public. Or worse, to someone who wanted their technology. Not realizing that had been Halloway’s mistake. And he’d spent most of Weston’s life regretting it.
Weston decided to break the silence that filled the room. “Are you guys sure you really want to get into this mess?” She asked.
One of the veteran guards scowled at her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure I don’t.” Weston said. “You do realize that Commander is going to come back here and torture me to get the information he wants, right?” None of the guards responded.
“Just remember that once you go down this path, there’s no going back. And despite what you may have been told – or might believe – we Deltas do feel every hit we take. We feel just as much pain as you would in the same situation. The only difference is that we’ve been trained not to react to that pain. Trained to overcome it, if you will.”
The two younger guards shifted on their feet, looking uncomfortable with what Weston said. Seeing their expressions, the veteran turned to Weston again. “Shut up.” He growled.
Weston looked at him, tilting her head to the side. “Do you have kids?”
The guard faltered. He stared at her; surprised with the sudden change in topic.
“Teenagers? Do you have any?” She continued. “Would you want to see them in this kind of situation? I’m really not all that different from your kids. Sure, Deltas may seem inhuman, but we can’t help what our genetics are. Or the way we were raised, for that matter.”
Four pairs of eyes were focused on her. Good. At least they were listening. “Do any of you ever think about what I, or any of the other Deltas, would be like if we’d been raised the way your kids were?”
“Be quiet.” The veteran guard said. Apparently he’d decided he was going to ignore what she was saying.
Weston turned back to the younger guards. At least she was getting a positive reaction from them. “What if we were your sisters or brothers?”
Jenkins flinched and they both looked uncomfortable. “We’re just doing out jobs.” He murmured.
“Just doing your jobs.” Weston murmured and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well I’d like to just live my life.” She needed them to understand.
Unfortunately, Weston’s conversation with Jenkins and Williams was cut short when Commander stormed back into the room, as he’d promised. “Has she said anything, yet?”
Four pairs of eyes flicked her way. “Nothing useful, Sir.” The veteran guard answered.
Weston scowled at the man, as Commander came to stand in front of her. “Are you ready to talk, yet, D005?”
“What would you like to talk about?” She asked innocently.
Commander’s gaze burned into her. “You know what I want to talk about.”
“Oh,” Weston said slowly. “You want to talk about that. I’d completely forgotten all about that.”
“Don’t test me, D005.” He growled.
“You get to test us all the time.” Weston said, narrowing her eyes on him. “Shouldn’t we be able to return the favor occasionally?”
“Stop messing around.”
Weston sighed. “You aren’t getting anything out of me.”
Commander glared down at her, his eyes glinting. “Would you have anything to say if I broke your fingers one by one?”
Weston saw Williams flinch out of the corner of her eye and kind of wanted to do the same thing truthfully. However, she forced her expression to stay neutral. It would hurt – a lot – if Commander broke her fingers. But broken fingers would heal quickly. It wasn’t the end of the world.
Commander knew that and she knew that. She also knew that he would start small, before doing anything major that may or may not permanently damage her body. So, it would be broken fingers today and more than likely, tomorrow it would be something worse.
Weston wasn’t even sure what could permanently damage a Delta’s body. They were made to withstand a lot of damage and also to heal quickly from their wounds. But there had to be some limit to what even a Delta’s body could take. She’d already put hers through a lot and it was holding strong, without a mark to show for it.
“I’m guessing we’re going to find out.” She told Commander dryly.
A slight look of disappointment crossed his face. He didn’t actually think she’d give in that easily, did he? It was going to take more than some broken fingers for her to give in and give him what he wanted. A lot more.
Commander came to stand to the left of her chair. Weston’s arms were already restrained, so there wasn’t even any way for her to fight him off if she’d wanted to. One hand went to her wrist, the other swallowed up the slim thumb of her left hand. “Just remember that you’re doing this to yourself, D005. It could all be prevented if you answered my questions.”
Weston snorted. She was doing it to herself? Really? That didn’t look like her hand wrapped around her thumb.
“Suit yourself.” He said when she remained silent.
Weston bit the inside of her cheek and steeled herself against the coming pain. Commander yanked her thumb back, with a quick jerk of his hand. A loud crack echoed through the room as the bones in her thumb snapped.
Weston didn’t as much as flinch. She breathed deeply in and out; refusing to feel any pain. However, she did hear Jenkins curse under his breath.
“Not one word out any of you four.” Commander snapped.
His hand moved to circle around the pointer finger of Weston’s left hand. “Do you have anything to say yet?”
She shook her head and met his gaze head on. “Not a damn thing.”
The finger snapped. The metallic taste of blood hit Weston’s tongue, from her biting into her cheek. But she didn’t whimper. Not one tear fell from her eyes.
“Where are D006 and E005?” Commander questioned.
Weston stayed silent. Her gaze strayed to the younger guards, just as her next finger snapped. Jenkins and Williams were beginning to look a little grey in the face. Just wait until they saw him do something worse than this, Weston thought to herself.
On and on it went; with each finger on her left hand and then each on her right. Tears of pain did eventually begin sliding down her cheeks. But, she still didn’t crack.
She didn’t open her mouth. She didn’t give him what he wanted. She held her own.