Chapter 20

The Attack Zone

The next day started out with more of the same. Elle and Simone complained after we stuffed ourselves they would put on weight at the rate we were all fueling up.

When breakfast was over, we were told to report to the attack zone. This time, the far end of the room was segmented by clear panels of impenetrable plexi-glass.

"You will each be tested alone," Dad told us from the safety of the lab. "In this way we hope to help you manifest your power more quickly."

We were guided by our own techs to our assigned cube and left there. Once inside, one last clear panel slid down and blocked us completely. I suffered a surge of claustrophobia despite the clear walls and glanced to my left, where Elle stood in her own transparent prison, face pale. I tapped the glass between us and gave her thumbs-up. She mimicked my move and tried a smile, but she seemed very nervous.

On my right, Billy lounged against our shared wall, his back to me. I suppressed the desire to see if I could get his attention, bulletproof glass or not, and turned to face my father.

"Each of you has proved to be impervious to attack by conventional means." His voice sounded tinny through the PA. I eyed the chintzy speaker. The military could have at least kicked in for a good sound system. "Today we try some uncommon forms."

Before I could even guess at his meaning, I heard a low hiss and looked up. A white cloud descended from the ceiling through two valves. My heart stopped then pounded twice as I understood what it was.

Poison! My father was crazy!

Peripherally, I heard the other kids yelling and knew my own voice was added to it. The cloud hit me as I lunged for the glass in an attempt to break free, forgetting in my panic to hold my breath, inhaling a big lung full. Knees weak, I staggered, my body heavy as the gas absorbed into my bloodstream, everything slowing down as my weight doubled, then tripled. My knees took my full weight when I went down, groggy, the world spinning, my father's voice in my head but the words coming across garbled. I face-planted to the ground, unable to lift my head and no longer wanting to.

And then, like a switch had been flipped, I was fine. Totally and completely fine. I leaped to my feet, enveloped in the blinding white mist and charged toward the wall, crashing through the glass, halfway to the main door when I gained control.

"Turn it off," I snarled at Dad. His face almost glowed white with shock on the other side of the barrier, but he didn't move.

"I said, turn it OFF!" I made it through to him that time as he jerked free of his statue-like state and slammed one hand down on the panel in front of him. Fans whirred in the ceiling as the rest of the boxes opened, releasing my friends. Some of them were unconscious, two just coughing. It seemed I was the only one who recovered.

I made it to the main door and tried to open it but the stubborn seal remained shut. I was about to force it when the light flashed green and it slid open. Two guards on the other side tried to block me. I moved them aside as gently as I could under the circumstances and made a straight line for my father. I worked up such a head of steam by the time I reached him, I could have put him in orbit.

Abigail appeared between us an instant before my hand closed around his throat.

"Wyatt, stop!"

I looked down at her and froze, taking in the fear on her face, but not for herself. Or for me. She was honestly worried I'd kill my father. It was enough to chill me out. Some of my anger drained away, but not all. It wasn't until I looked at my father the last of my temper cooled.

A stranger looked back. Dad was horribly pale, one hand clutching his throat as though the mere thought of what I was about to do to him was enough to cause him pain.

"From now on," I grated between clenched teeth, "you tell us what is coming before you throw it at us. You have no idea what that gas could have done. None." Anger was replaced by anxiety and I shook so much I felt the floor beneath me vibrate from it.

Color flooded back into his face and he straightened.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I had no idea… Wyatt, it was supposed to be nitrous oxide."

"What?" I didn't get it.

"Happy gas," he said, his own voice shaking. Something had gone wrong. I realized then it wasn't fear of me making him so upset.

"What was it, then?" Anger returned in a bloom of irritation.

"Hydrogen cyanide." His voice was a near whisper.

"Cyanide," I said. "You're sure?"

Dad nodded slowly, turned to point at the panel where a row of lights shone green. All but the final one blinking red, marked HCN. "We were saving it for last."

"Whatever happened?" Uni was right there, squeezing himself between my father and me, expression disapproving. "Wyatt, are you all right?"

I shrugged. At least someone cared. "Ask him."

"I'm telling you," my father said. "The tank connection must have been changed somehow. I would never risk any of you."

I couldn't help but feel skeptical, but he seemed so agitated I was forced to let it go. There was nothing to say. Instead, I turned and went back into the attack zone to check on my friends.

Elle was fine as far as I could tell as she helped the still-coughing Simone to her feet.

"What happened?" She rubbed the other girl's back, Simone bent in half in a fit of choking.

"Something that wasn't damned well supposed to." I squeezed her arm in apology for my attitude and she reached out to squeeze back.

"Mon dieu! Are they trying to kill us?" Simone straightened, flawless porcelain skin mottled red from the effort of expelling the last of the gas, dark eyes rimmed crimson, bits of her glossy hair sticking to the tears on her cheeks. She practically hummed with rage.

"It was an accident." I couldn't quite make my tone match the words.

"Right," Billy said as he and Philip joined us. Both looked better than Simone, but worse than Elle and me. Tosh and Andre were close behind, holding each other up but seeming to be okay otherwise.

"Something went wrong." I tried to keep my cool. The last thing we needed was for our group to start a pissed-off rampage. There wouldn't be a lab left, let alone a base. "They're trying to figure it out."

"Sure they are," Billy said. "Admit it, Simons. They tried to do away with us. Your own father tried to kill us."

I caught Philip nodding and reminded myself to talk to him about Billy's influence later.

"What the hell is going on here?" The general stormed into the attack zone, my father and Uni trailing along behind him.

"Maybe you could tell us," Billy said. "We're lucky to be alive!"

"You are though, aren't you?" My father said. "It's amazing. Pure hydrogen cyanide and you all survived. Incredible."

I had to hold Philip back. Even the girls scowled.

"If you don't mind," I said, "we're trying to recover from your little mistake. You're sure it was a mistake, right, Dad?" I don't know if Billy was getting to me or if it was just the left over anger that made me doubt him. His attitude about the whole thing sure wasn't helping any.

"Of course," Dad said. "Something went terribly wrong. Somehow the input tanks were switched. We're looking into it now."

"In the meantime," Mill said, "good job. Way to take it like soldiers."

None of us were in the mood to retort to that particular sentiment.

Dad and Mill left the room together, heads down while I drew a deep breath and got myself together. And focused so I could listen in.

"Sabotage, you're certain?" The general's voice came in loud and clear.

"Yes," my father's still shook. "I hooked up the tank myself, Harrison. Whoever switched them out knew what they were doing."

"But why?" The general now sounded as agitated as my father. "To what end?"

"I don't know," Dad said. "But we need to be more vigilant."

"You personally cleared everyone here," Mill said. "If one of them is the saboteur…"

"More likely one of yours," my father snapped back with some heat. "We need to look into every one of the new personnel. Now."

I let their conversation go. I heard enough. If there was someone trying to kill us, I wasn't about to let them have another go.

Before I had a chance to talk to the others, Uni wormed his way into our midst.

"Tragic," he said in his nasal voice. "Simply horrendous. Such mistakes are inexcusable. My deepest apologies from the entire team."

It mollified the group, at least to a point.

"We appreciate it," Elle said.

"Your great talents are not to be so casually challenged," Uni said. "You are all destined for such greatness. It would be a tragedy were anything to happen to any of you."

Billy preened, Philip grinned. Even Andre seemed impressed with himself all of a sudden.

"I'm working on your behalf," Uni said. "To make sure such a terrible thing never happens again. You are all a great national treasure. Not some test subjects to be dissected by those who don't understand your superior potential."

"And you do?" Billy seemed to be soaking it up.

"Indeed I do, Mr. Kanter," Uni smiled his creepy smile. "More than you know. You are all my only concern and have been from the moment of your creation."

"Dr. Murd to the lab floor, Dr. Murd."

Uni made a face and bowed to us as the voice on the intercom fell silent.

"We will all speak again, my new young friends." With that he spun, lab coat swinging with some drama, as I'm sure was his intent, and left us to talk amongst ourselves.

While the others commiserated over the whole dumb mess, my mind churned with thoughts of sabotage and the real intentions of Dr. Uni Murd.

***