Freak Island

Chapter 15

"Dr. Frankenstein, what are you doing back so late?" I looked over at the security officer sitting at the desk. Is that nickname ever going to get old?

"That's not my name, Ben." I sighed. "I couldn't sleep so I came back to start the process for the next batch of sedatives."

"You need a hobby." He tsked. I walked down the hallway into my laboratory. Mine had a security camera directly aimed at the door. I looked up out of habit, but I didn't see the typical green light that's told me it was active.

That's odd. I turned on the lights as I opened the door and saw a girl. She was wearing black cargo pants, a black sweater, and black combat boots. Her emerald eyes were filled with horror. I saw the open safe and she had a bottle of FS24 in her hand. I shut the door and leaned against it so she couldn't get past me.

"Who are you? Are you one of those Freak activists?"

"A what?"

I looked her over and realization hit me. With that dark skin and dark hair, she must be from the Middle East! She's robbing us so her country can produce their own! I pulled out my gun and aimed it at her head. She threw her hands up, palms facing towards me. She was still holding the bottle.

"You're stealing our product so you can synthesize your own."

"No, that's not it." Just put the gun down."

I stared into her eyes. Those eyes, I could see she had fire in her spirit but it lacked something. It was like she was missing the fuel to back it up.

"You're missing memories correct?" I saw the fear disappear and then I was pinned against the wall with her arm across my throat.

"What do you know?" She snarled. Those emeralds were filled with fire. I felt them staring into my soul, evaluating me. 

"Nothing, I just know the signs. I studied psychiatry in school." I blurted frantically. 

"Yet, you work in a lab?" She asked. 

"I went back after I got my Bachelor's and pursued a career as a chemist. I still practice psychiatry a little around the office, when dealing with coworkers and clients." 

"You're going to tell no one that I was here. I'm taking this stuff, and I'm going." She turned around and I pulled her back, put my hand around her throat, and held her against the wall. 

"No one is taking this. I don't know who you're working with, but you're not taking these drugs." I snarled. 

"Get off me or burn." She whispered. I watched as fire danced between the fingers of her left hand as she held it in front of my face. She's one of them. I shoved myself away from her and nearly tripped over her sports bag. I grabbed the five remaining bottles from the safe and shoved them into her bag and handed it to her. 

"I came here tonight to destroy these things, to destroy the formula, and flee." I answered to her shocked face. "I'm leaving the country in four hours, I think it would be better if it was your people who took these. I know you can use them as sedatives for medicine, but I ask that you take something else with you." 

"What would that be?" There was still fire licking between her fingers. I walked over to the desk and opened the locked drawer. I pulled out the lock box and entered the ten digit code that would open it. 

"Take this." I handed her the folder that was in the box. I saw her eyes begin to widen as she scanned the papers. 

"This is the formula. This is how you made it, which ways are best to use it, how to load it into darts. This is everything. Do you have this memorized?" 

"Yes, I was involved in every step. My photographic memory will not allow me to forget." 

I watched her processing this info and then she set the folder on fire. It burned so quickly, it left no trace of ashes and there was no smoke at all. I stared at her in horror. 

"Come with me. They will find you eventually, you know they will. You'll be safest with us, they wouldn't be able to reach you with us. Besides, you have it everything in that folder memorized. It would just be a matter of time before they made you talk and we'd be back at square one." 

"That would break the treaty. They'll think you kidnapped me." 

"Not if we leave a trail for them to follow." She grinned. 

I thought it over, it would be safe with them. Besides, it was only right the Freaks had access to FS24. Also, my plan had involved suicide when I was found. I might be able to live with her plan. 

"Very well," I stated. "What do you have in mind?" 

"Max," she said into an earpiece, "meet me at my location, I found the drugs and something just as important."