The Rogues

18- Mind Melt

Evelyn

"How can it be worse!" Celeste gasped

"They found more people like us..." Kyler's eyes lit with sincerity as he took a deep breath, "...More people who are immune...and Detra gov captured every single person they found."

"More Immune!" Celeste jumped

There were more people out in Detra like me? I couldn't believe it...I wasn't the only one after all. I wondered How the gov found them...and what happened to them, when they were found.

"How many Immune did they find?" Dominic leaned in his seat

"Twenty five...the last one was discovered more recently. They said she ran away on her wedding day...it hadn't really occurred to until now who she was..." Kylers dark eyes shifted to meet mine, I looked up at him, feeling my heart race in my chest.

"...the twenty fifth one is you Evelyn."

Chills ran down my back as the words slipped from Kylers tongue. It hadn't quite hit me that Detra gov knows I'm immune. I feared thinking about what would happen if Detra gov ever found me.

Dominic peered down, studying my look as I sat nervously fiddling my fingers in my hand. I couldn't stop thinking that there were more people in Detra like me...my heart raced out of my chest at the thought of it.

I clawed my fingers into my hand, scratching the surface of my palm. I didn't even realize I was doing it....it was an anxiety trigger I guess. Dominic slowly reached his arm towards my hand, placing his fingers on top of mine.

I flinched, as his warm fingers slid across my wrist. He gently grabbed my hand, and retracted my fingers from my palm. My breath trembled as I looked up from my thoughts, meeting my eyes with Dominics.

He nodded at me...letting me know it was ok.

He could sense the fear in my head...I could sense it in his too. The warmth of his hand traveled up my body, giving off a wave of relaxation. It was reassuring...I felt safe.

I nodded back at him, and he slowly backed his hand away, fixing his gaze away from mine. I took a deep breath and placed my palms in my lap, as Kyler continued.

"...A few days after I arrived in Detra,the gov suspected there were more immune citizens they didn't know about. Detra gov started hunting down people who they suspected were immune right away. Detra gov sent out a notice to their citizens, asking them to report anyone who seemed unordinary or suspicious. Originally, Fifteen people were reported...and as soon as they were reported, they were arrested and sent into questioning. Each person had to take something called the 'brain test'."

"What's that?" Celeste looked up.

I glanced at Dominic, watching his chest slowly rise and fall with every breath he swallowed. He was slowing his breath...as if he were calming some sort of anger.

"They measure your brainwaves to see if you're immune." Dominic said, stiffening his tone as he turned to Celeste.

How did he know that?

"How does that even work?" Peter interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"Detra gov actually assigned me to mandate the brain tests." Kyler said, "Apparently Every Detra citizen has the same brain wave measurement if they are under the government's mind control. If you take the Brain test and you're immune, your measurements will be off from the standard. All ten people who were tested, had unstable brain wave measurements...meaning they were immune." Kyler took a deep breath, " After they took the test and failed...they were sent to the Chamber, as usual."