The Butterfly Box_A SASS Anthology Read online

  Resentment flooded my neurons. Slamming the laptop closed, I stood up and looked down at him. “That was a lot for anyone. One of her daughters is dying. Her husband is stuck in a country that just issued martial law, and her supposedly dead father is an evil dictator set on world domination.”

  Owen stood face to face with me his lips turning up on the sides. “Seriously, that was a little dramatic, don’t you think?”

  “Don’t antagonize me. I am not the child you remember.” I straightened my back, standing as tall as I could. “When can we contact Dad?”

  “We’ll reassess tomorrow.”

  “Nave needs this as soon as possible.”

  “I know. I’m doing all I can. With the intensifying situation, we can’t jeopardize Lovelock.”

  “So one hundred people get to be safe underground while everyone else becomes General Zhou’s experiment? Is that what this is?”

  He rubbed his forehead and sat down. “No, Cleo, no. We have some of the best scientific minds here. They’re close to some big advances, drugs to help everyone.”

  “Close? How close? In time to save Nave?”

  “No, probably not.” He hung his head and looked back up at me. “Six months.”

  “That’s not good enough for me.”

  He covered my hand with his. “This is life. We don’t get to choose what happens. Unfortunately, you’re learning that at a young age.”

  “I’m not a kid.”

  “No, you’re not and speaking of…” He tapped his fingers on the table. “I’m sure your dad would agree your behavior with regards to Mark is bordering on inappropriate.”

  I jerked my hand away and put it to my hip. “I don’t get to have a friend?”

  “A friend, yes. A boyfriend…”

  “Is none of your business. Tr—Mark is a good guy.”

  “The Admiral was surprised he didn’t bolt. Lucky for him, he didn’t. He is a highly coveted man.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “We can sequence any genome we please. He was designed by the best to be the best.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just what I said. He hasn’t said anything to you? I’ve probably already told you too much. Just tell him to be careful.” He stood. “That’s all the time I have tonight.”

  Annoyed again by his curt manner, I jutted my chin in the air. We hadn’t even discussed his faked disappearance or how he and Dad had planned Lovelock. But, as he said, that was life. Stepping back, I bowed. “Thank you.”

  “Of course.” He bowed and nodded to me, and I almost saw my uncle in his expression.

  TRACING BACK TO the dorm, I found Troy, legs out straight, one arm behind his head, the other holding a book in front of his face. Several other texts lay next to him, and I slid them away and stretched out beside him.

  “What are you reading?”

  “Lovelock history. Did you know people lived here in like 2500 BC?”

  “Wow. So, this is like a three-thousand-year-old building. That’s older than in Europe. See, you’re seeing the sites.”

  “No. A hole in the ground does not count as a building.”

  He rested the book on his chest. “How did it go?”

  “Bad.” I turned over to look at the ceiling.

  He spun so he faced me. “Are they your grandparents?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is your mom freaked?”

  “Yes.”

  “How’s Nave?”

  “The same.”

  “Did you ask him to contact your dad?”

  “Yes.” I smiled.

  “What did he say?”

  “They’d reassess tomorrow.” I tapped his leg. “We should get out of here.”

  “I’m all for that.” He sprang up. “Hey, don’t you need an extra blanket?”

  “No, why—” He nodded his head and stuck his hand to his ear. “Oh, right, I get cold. Let’s get one before we go out for our run.”

  In the supply room, we retrieved the radio and found a blanket. Dropping the linen on my bed, we were at the mouth of the cave when we heard footsteps behind us.

  “I have something for you.” I turned to see Owen carrying a bow, quiver of arrows, and two pairs of night vision goggles. “I figured you could catch me a rabbit. He looked back to the center room. I’m sick of beans and chicken.”

  “Thanks.” I caught the bag and bow as he threw it, and Troy caught the goggles.

  “Don’t go too far.”

  “And watch out for the snakes.” Troy finished his sentence.

  “You guys know the drill.”

  Outside, I lifted my eyes to the sky, taking in the night air. Watching Troy do the same, I whispered to him, “I can’t believe he just gave us all this gear.” And I can’t take you with me, I thought to myself.

  “That’s the first time I haven’t wanted to hit him. So, you’re good with that thing? Is there anything you aren’t good at?”

  “Running. Is there anything you’re not good at?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know if I want to eat a bunny. I don’t think I’m a good dancer.”

  “Come on.” I took a pair of goggles from Troy and scanned the landscape. “You wearing yours?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  We walked in silence, weaving around the low scrubs. I was wondering whether to bring up what Owen had said about Troy’s genetics when a movement caught my eye. Before I knew it, the arrow was cocked beside my ear, and I let go.

  “You got it.” Troy trotted towards the animal and picked it up by the ears. I held the bag open as he dropped it inside. “Hunting doesn’t bother you? Seems like most girls don’t like dead animals.”

  “We lived off the land on our Montana trips.”

  “I think you’re better prepared for this than me.” Taking the bag, he slung it over his shoulder.

  “I don’t think I could fire on a human.”

  “If it’s us or them you better be ready to shoot.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it. I’m tired. You ready to head in?”

  “No, we’re running.” He set the bag on a boulder.

  “We can skip a day. We ran six miles yesterday.”

  “Okay, only three, but that’s just because we’ve been up for almost twenty-four hours. We need to be in top shape.”

  “Then we should sleep.” I dragged my feet on the ground as we reached the road.

  “If it weren’t for me, you’d be a pile of goo.”

  “If it weren’t for you, I’d be in bed right now.”

  “Yeah, but this is more fun.”

  Using the markers, we jogged a mile and a half south and then back. As we cooled down, Troy grabbed my arm. “So, what else did Commander Butler tell you?”

  “Not much.”

  “What aren’t you telling me? You were really eager to get out, like you got some good info.”

  “I just needed air.” I hadn’t decided what to do about Dad and the bone marrow since I couldn’t put Troy at risk. He probably wouldn’t let me go on my own, and I’d already ruled out Mom. Maybe his mom could go, but I had no clue what skills she had or if she would be willing to participate in a covert mission.

  “You’re not telling me something.”

  “We can’t go get my Dad’s marrow even if it is a match.”

  “What? Why the change?”

  “We’ll find another way. Maybe Owen will help me. I think I should ask him.”

  “What if he refuses? He’ll know you’ll try and go it alone and lock you up. We have all the gear. I can get a vehicle. I know I can. We’ve got a day or two to work out the details.”

  “It’s too much of a risk.”

  He grasped my shoulders. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Staring into his dark eyes, I knew I had to tell him. He should know. “Owen said they would want you.”

  “WANT ME? WHO and why?”

  Eyes aimed at the ground, her shoulders rose and fell, a
nd I took hold of them, making her look at me. “What do you know?”

  “He said you were bred to be the best.”

  It felt like someone had walloped me in the gut. I spun away from her as frustration boiled in my veins. I needed to punch something. Kicking a rock, I sent it flying into the night.

  Her hands rubbed my shoulders. “This doesn’t make you any different. You choose who you want to be.”

  Facing her, I took her hands. “My parents told me the night we left my DNA had been infused with an immunity gene. Nothing about any other alteration. Actually, Mom said it was the only one.” I’d never been so angry. Had mom lied? Did she know? Did Dad arrange it?

  “Troy.” Her voice pleaded, and I let go of her fingers.

  “At the survival camp we had all these tests. I should have known. I didn’t want to be singled out so I pretended to be like the other kids. Seeing better in the dark, hearing things others can’t, solving problems faster, these—” I flexed my biceps “—they’re just genetics.”

  She shook her head and grabbed my hand. “No, Troy, listen. You get up every day and go to football practice, and you work out at the gym and run. If you sat on the couch and played video games, you wouldn’t be strong or good at sports. But you can’t come with me. I’ll find another way.”

  “I want to help you. I need to have a purpose. Maybe we can get to the border, and you can pick up the sample.”

  She nodded her head. “That could work.”

  I grabbed her shoulders. “Promise me you won’t leave without me.”

  “Okay,” she said her eyes wide. “I promise.”

  Letting her go, I picked up a rock and hurled it into the desert. “I need to decompress. You can go in if you want.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  She sat on a boulder as I chucked rocks into the night. Over and over, I repeated the motion until my bicep seared with fatigue. Then I switched arms, thinking it was good baseball conditioning. I chuckled, like baseball or anything from before mattered anymore.

  “What?” Her voice sounded from behind me.

  “Nothing, just a few more.”

  “Okay.”

  When my left arm wore out, I gave up and joined her.

  “You ready?”

  “Yeah.”

  She slid her hand in mine and held it as we walked towards the entrance. Her hand fit in mine like a glove, soft in the middle and firm on the edges. I’d never had a friend like her. Mitch, he was a good buddy. We could talk about most things like girls and family. But would I have trusted him with the knowledge that I was modified? Maybe if we’d driven a van full of people across California together.

  Bridget, even though I loved how she always wanted to be happy and have fun, wasn’t one I’d share personal stuff with. Every time I brought up something slightly intense or serious, she would change the subject. She’d seemed like more of a bury-your-head-in-the-sand type of person. Girlfriend, yes. Friend? I wasn’t sure.

  As we passed where I’d left the rabbit, I slung it over my shoulder. With nothing else to do with the animal, we hung it in the cold room. The showers were empty, and I soaped and washed my hair fast. Even though I hadn’t shaved in a day and a half, I left the stubble on my cheeks. All the men I’d met there had shadows on their faces, so I figured it was acceptable here.

  Jema beat me to the dorm. Sitting in the bunk beside Mom, Jema blotted her hair with a towel.

  I heard mom’s voice call my name.

  I fought being short with her. “Yeah, Mom?”

  “I couldn’t sleep till I knew you were okay.”

  “I’m good.”

  “I love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Lifting the covers, I laid my head on the pillow. It felt strange without Jema beside me, but exhaustion took over within minutes.

  I WOKE TO the Commander’s booming voice. “That rabbit you got me bought you an hour, but it’s time to rise and shine.”

  Bolting out of bed, holding the covers around my waist, I fought the desire to whack him.

  Across from me, Jema held her arm over her eyes, shielding them from the light. “Obviously, you haven’t read the research on teenagers and sleep.”

  “You can grow when this crisis is over. Dena needs you in the lab. Grab some breakfast and head over there.”

  “115B, you’re expected in the vehicle bay. I want all vehicles inspected and ready to move at a moment’s notice.”

  “Yes, sir.” I pulled on my pants.

  When Commander Butler left, I walked over to Jema. “Are you contacting your dad?”

  “Yes, right now. I’ll update you at lunch. Can we be ready to leave tonight?”

  “I’ll figure out the vehicle situation.”

  My pulse raced as I loaded meats and fruit on my tray. Stuffing the food in without thinking, I finished and made my way to the truck bay. The vehicles were parked six deep in four rows, and little light reached the far wall. Finding the fastest one, a Jeep Deserter, I searched the cavern for gas cans. Chuckling at the irony of the name, I wondered about my motives. I couldn’t come up with any better reason than I’d told Jema. I wanted to help her. Plus, adults were always over dramatizing things. Like every time I got hurt on the field, Mom wanted to take me to the hospital. If I made one low mark, Dad would project me failing the class.

  Thinking of school made me wonder about Mitch and the rest of my friends. Would they have a B at the end of their number or an N? The cosmetic genetic alternations used by teens seemed even dumber now. Not many of the kids from the base did it, but the townies, as we called them, would change their eye color, skin color, or hair color like someone else would change a shirt. Plus, I’d heard of at least three procedures that had gone wrong, one ending in death. Did they even know what other changes the modifications might cause?

  Lifting two gas cans off a metal shelf, I felt cool humid air coming from behind the containers. After stacking them on the ground, I moved the rack enough to squeeze around it. On the other side was an opening large enough for a truck to fit in. I scanned the vehicle bay to make sure no one had seen me. Seeing it vacant, I walked deeper into the area. Twenty, thirty, and then fifty steps in and the tunnel became pitch black. Within twenty or more feet, it began to brighten until I could see an opening up ahead. When I reached it, and poked my head out, it seemed to be the other side of the hill the cave cut into.

  Using light steps, I jogged back to the shelf unit and moved it so it was flat against the cave wall. Next, I moved each vehicle, gassed it up at the pump and rearranged them so the Deserter faced into the tunnel.

  Just as I’d finished parking the last vehicle in the first row, I stepped out to find a guy standing in front of me.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Gassing them up. Just like the Commander said.”

  “Why are you moving them around?”

  “Moving them to the pump seemed easier than lugging gas around.”

  “I guess if you want to do it the easy way. Not gonna keep up those muscles like that.”

  Whatever, I thought, I can take him in my sleep. Taking a deep breath, I tried to keep my tone flat. “I guess. Hey, are there any more gas cans? I thought I’d fill them and put one in each vehicle.”

  “Not a bad plan for a newbie. They’re over here.” He walked to one of the trucks and opened the back doors.

  Why did all these guys act like they were better than me? Because they were older? Had been around longer? I would’ve thought being stuck in the desert would make people a little friendlier.

  “Thanks. Hey, so why are you giving me a hard time?”

  “You’ve been here one day, and we’ve had two incidences with you already.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, the thing with the supply closet and your girlfriend and then the job reassignment.”

  My shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I guess I didn’t make such a good impression. I wasn’t thinking man. The past week has been intense
. Sorry.” I held out my hand to him.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re allowed a little wiggle room.” He shook my hand. “I’m Garrett.”

  “Nice to meet you, Garrett.” I looked him up and down, thinking he might be in his mid-twenties. “So, you take care of the vehicles too?”

  “Yeah, but I do everything, sort of the all-around maintenance guy.”

  “Cool, well, I better get back to this.” I lifted an empty can from the bed.

  “Keep up the good work.”

  “You got it.”

  Five hundred miles to the border, at thirty miles per gallon, calculated out to about seventeen gallons of fuel needed. The Deserter didn’t have the best clearance, but it got the best gas mileage, and from the specifications I read in the operator’s manual, it held thirty gallons of gas. We needed thirty-four gallons to get there and back, so I filled four of the five-gallon gas containers and loaded them in the back of the Jeep. Next, I gathered tools from the shelves, loaded them in a bag, and slid them under the seat. Checking the oil, tire pressure, brakes, and wiring, I felt assured the truck would make the trip.

  The bell sounded for lunch, and I cleaned up and headed to the mess area. Finding Jema, we joined the line. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I whispered into her ear, “The vehicle is ready.”

  “Nice,” she whispered back. “My dad is a match, and we got the schedule set. Tonight works?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  As we reached the front of the line, I released her. Loading our trays, we took seats next to Mom. “You guys are quiet,” she said after a few minutes of silence.

  “I’m still tired from yesterday,” I told her.

  “Well, if you hadn’t stayed out so late, you wouldn’t be.”

  “Mom, I have to get outside, I can’t stand being in all day.”

  “Well, just be careful, you’re walking on thin ice here already.”

  “Commander Butler gave me a bow to get rabbits for him. He was fine with us going out last night,” Jema said.

  “You can hit rabbits with a bow and arrow at night?”

  Jema’s face turned red. “I used night vision goggles.”

  Then I remembered I was mad at Mom for not letting me know about the genetic modifications. The conversation would have to wait till we were back from our mission. After lunch we gathered gear in our packs under the guise we were getting ready for our evening outside.