The Rogue

Chapter 11 - Revelations

It was a quick and silent drive, no one spoke, but Adam kept his eyes glued to me. I kept my teeth gritted, breathing through the pain that seemed to cover my body as Adam kept firm pressure on my stomach. He took my pulse every so often and checked the bleeding methodically. I couldn't help but wonder, how many times he had done this in the past.

As the SUV began to slow down, as we made our way back into suburban streets, I got the courage to speak.

“Who’s Connor?” My voice was raspy from the smoke.

“A friend,” Adam said sternly.

“ You have friends?” I mused, but Adams' eyes flickered warning me, so I bit my tongue.

We pulled up at a house only a few neighborhoods over from my father, not quite as fancy as his, but still not your average home, it boasted beautiful art deco features. I caught a glimpse of a person through its large upper-story window as I stepped out of the car and onto the pavement.

Adam borderline carried me up the front steps but I shrugged him off. Bryce decided to stay in the car, keeping the engine idling.

“Where are we? I thought you would have taken me to an ED” I whispered as we waited at the door.

“This is kind of like that, for us” Adam whispers as the door opens.

“ Come in”, the older man ushers us in. He was greying, around Adams's height, but not as muscular. His steel-gray eyes seemed tired.

“what is it this time?” he seemed annoyed by our arrival.

“abdominal laceration,” Adam said casually despite his posture being tense.

The man looked quizzically at Adam.

“not me, the girl!” he snapped.

“ah!” The older man exclaimed looking at me, with a curious gaze.

I followed the man into a room that was out of place for a home like his. It looked as if it belonged in a hospital. He motions for me to lie on the bed. As soon as I lie down I begin to cough, my lungs still stinging from the smoke and I bolt back up, gasping.

The man, I assumed is Connor, was straight onto it, bringing a mask over my nose and mouth.

“This will help with that. Just keep breathing normally”

“You breathed in some choking gas” Adam explained, pulling a seat up next to the bed. I nodded, enjoying the relief the oxygen was bringing. With each breath, my lungs began to burn less and I laid back down. Adam lifted my top back up, and removed the gauze he had haphazardly taped to my stomach.

Conner pulls on some gloves and begins to gently feel my abdomen as he examines my wound. I wince at the pain.

“I would have thought you’d be capable of stitching this one? It's not impacted any vital organs” Connor muses, peering at my stomach, poking delicately around my wound.

“I could, yes, but she needs expert hands, I need this to heal as cleanly as possible…” Adam hints to Connor, and I couldn't help but wonder what he meant.

“didn’t you want to take her into the facility?” Connor mused, slipping off his blood-stained gloves and reaching for a metal trolley.

“Let me rephrase it. This didn’t happen” Adam said sternly. Connors's eyes widened and then softened as he nodded, assuring him his message was received. However, I was now left with even more questions. I feel like I'm getting more questions than I get answered.

“I’m going to heal this wound and, trust me, you’ll barely be able to tell it was there.” he gave me what I guess was meant to be a reassuring smile, but instead made me uneasy. Or maybe it was just the needle he was now holding.

I looked at the wall away from Conner, waiting for him to stitch my wound. I had always hated needles. I guess it was a valid fear. I tried to steady my breathing as my heart began to race. I jump as I felt the needle pierce my skin, only for Adam to surprise me more by grabbing my hand and giving it a small reassuring squeeze.

“ Ivy look at me” Adam's voice was soft, as numbness began to spread across my wound. If only it would spread to the rest of my body. I reluctantly looked at him, aware that if I looked out my peripheral id see Connor with the needle sewing me back together.

“Are you going to yell at me?” I spoke low, hoping Conner wouldn't listen to me.

“Why would I yell at you?” Adam looked at me puzzled but continued to hold my hand.

“Because I was an i***t that almost got myself captured or killed?”

“I was an i***t for thinking you would stay put”, Adam smiled, his posture relaxing a fraction.

I turned back away from him, staring at the white wall. I couldn't see him smile, it stirred something inside, I did not want to even think about. My mind strayed back to the university.

The professor's words repeated in my head, it was a question for him, but for me, it was the answer I already had known, as did Adam. I just didn't want to admit it to myself. My father only bought me here to study me again. It was never about the money for the company, for my studies, or our mutual gain. It was regaining control of his test subject and restarting the experiments. The experiments almost killed me and haunted me every waking and sleeping moment. All the time I had spent scared to bump into strangers on the bus for fear of hurting them, of getting close to anyone. All the fear and isolation that had pushed me to leave the only place I had called home was all because of him.

“Connor, I'll do the arm wound.” Adam's voice rouses me from my thoughts.

I felt Adam wipe my forearm with a cloth, the sting brought tears to my eyes, or maybe it was the second wave that had been building inside all day. “You signed a contract, Ivy.” he whispered.

“I didn’t try and cut it out myself if that’s what you’re thinking” I mumble back, as he places the dressing over my freshly reopened tracker wound.

“ If not you, then who?” he presses, eying Connor.

“Ask Alessia”

“Alessia isn't in the mood to talk to me” he smirked.

“Sorry I don’t mean to cause trouble between you two.” I sighed.

“who? Alessia and I? Ivy, we aren’t together, we are just old friends” Adam almost laughs at the idea.

“complicated old friends” I mumbled.

“Complicated indeed… so speak ivy.” he urges.

I glance at Connor, his head down focused on my stitches, but something still felt uneasy.

Adam caught my gaze and glanced at Connor. I could tell he was catching my thought, and gave me a brief nod.

“He wanted it out”is all I dare say, but Adams widened.

“ There, done,” Connor says, cleaning up his tools and rummaging in a cupboard returning to us, with a glass of water, and a small dish with two white pills.

“Here these will help with the pain” Connor hands me the medication. I don’t argue and take them. I was still in pain, and I knew once the local wore off, I'll feel the sting.

“I’m surprised that you bought her too me,” Connor says to Adam, but looking at me up and down. He seemed to be waiting for something.

“As I said, this never happened.” Adam held up a thick fold of money, pulling Conner's gaze away from me, placing it in his hand.

“Good to see you again, Shadow” Conner smiled, pocketing the money.

“We can find our way out” Adam motioned for us to go, ushering me from the room.

I followed Adam back down the hallway, he opened the front door when I realized my jacket Adam had bought along with him was back in the medical room.

“ Oh my jacket” Adam gave me a nod and I ducked back down the hall into the clinic room. Connor is holding my jacket, waiting for me.

“Thank you”. I cautiously reached for it, his eyes seemed fixated on me. It was unsettling the way he started. He stepped forward, handing it to me. I started pulling it on as Connor went to the door.

“Now, if you will excuse me, I need a moment alone with her”, Conner smiled at me before slamming the door shut and locking it. I instinctively backed away from him. I hear Adam bolt down the hallway, bashing on the other side of the door and cursing Connor.

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Don’t say anything Ivy!” Adam screamed from the hall.

“Shadow has never bought anyone to me. It’s both made me curious and cautious.” Connor is circling me, eying me up and down.

“I won't tell anyone about you if you don’t tell anyone about me,” I reassured him.

“I'm sure you wont. I was wondering more if you could elaborate on who gave you that wound?”he gestured to my abdomen.

“f*****g hell Conner, do you really think I'm that bad an aim?”Adam snaps behind the door.

“Not at all, I’m just curious as to why you have such a highly wanted, highly dangerous, wounded girl in my house. After all, if people come knocking, I need to know where I stand”

“I don’t even know where I stand,” I told him honestly as he continued to eye me, like curiosity.

“How the hell do you know she’s wanted?”Adam was banging on the door, trying to break it down unsuccessfully.

“I hear everything in my position Adam.” The sudden change in Connors's tone was enough for me to realize we were in serious danger. Panic rushed through me; he used Adams' name, not his street name. Adam swore behind the door.

“They are just rumors Connor, I’m here for university that’s all” I pleaded.

“ Those aren’t the rumours I’m referring to” he snapped.

“ Don’t you dare hurt her, Connor! Ivy, Don’t say anything!”Adam is raging.”

“The girl deserves to know who she's dealing with..."

"Connor...please..." I begin to slur, A sudden fatigue coming over me.

"Ivy... Connor, what have you done?"

"I'm... fine... Adam..." I swayed and stumbled back, sitting myself down on the chair Adam had sat on. My eyelids were feeling heavy, my body began to feel weak.

Crash!

Adam kicked in the door, he rushed to my side, ignoring Connor, who seemed unmoved by Adam.

“Come on Ivy,” Adam said, grabbing my shoulders, trying to get me to focus on him, but my mind is getting groggier by the second. He pulled my arm around his shoulder, bringing me to my feet ready to help me back to the car, but as we turn, Connor is standing in the doorway, but it's the click that makes us stop. Gun in hand, Connor stood pointing directly at me.

“You won't be leaving just yet,” he says smugly.

“Connor, we’re friends.”

“ Friends close..”

“Enemies closer” Adam finishes Connors' words

Adam, one step at a time, moves away from me, challenging Connors' gaze. Still, he keeps the gun fixated on me. My knees wobbly as I try to fight the grogginess.

“So who is it that’s paid you better than me?” Adam asks, sounding annoyed.

“Surely you’ve figured it out by now.”

It was at that moment that Adam showed me just a glimmer of emotion I didn’t think was possible from him; fear.

“Ivy, how did you get that wound?”

Adam is trembling with rage and he demands again.

“In the hall when the smoke bomb fell, I ran to attack the one waiting for me, only he put the filter in my mouth and he cut me before pushing me away and letting me go...”

“Damnit, Connor! How long?” Adam hissed.

“Minutes.” Connor shrugged.

“Come on Connor, drop the gun, let her go. She's innocent”

“And face the nameless brother's vengeance, I think not.” I don't know who the nameless brothers were, but the way Adam flinched terrified me.

The room began to spin a little and I stumbled to regain my balance.

“What did you give her”

“A sedative”

“Why”I asked Connor, my voice pleading.

“I’m not risking you, with your… abilities.” my jaw dropped. How much did Connor know about me, and more so how did he know about me?

“She’s untrained, she's harmless, let her go, Connor, I'll face the nameless alone.” Adam was swaying, his patience wearing thin.

“She’s not harmless, she's an abomination. She’s dangerous in the wrong hands. She's a weapon of death.” Connor snapped, his tone laced with disgust.

“In the wrong hands, what the hell do you think the nameless will do with her?” Adam exclaims, running his fingers through his hair. I am struggling to keep my eyes open, but the way they are speaking about me is beginning to annoy me.

“Will one of you explain what the f**k you are talking about?” I snapped, fighting the fatigue seeping through my body.

“Ivy, I promise I will tell you everything. Just not here, not now”, Adam pleads with me, as I sway my eyes fixed on Connor, daring him to speak.

“You’re not exactly human, Ivy.” Dr Conner says matter of fact.

Adam makes a fist and punches the wall next to him, I look at him confused.

“I don’t understand.”

“I told you, we are researching your father.. and what he's doing and we found you” Adams's tone wavers, as he looks me in the eyes.

“Just tell me!” I begged him.

“Ivy, you’re a mutant,” Connor says matter of factly. Adam nodded in agreement.

My breath caught in my throat as I felt all the pieces of myself fall together.