Chapter 18

“Get up.” Erik was standing in the doorway to Jason’s room, his hulking figure filling most of the space. Good morning to you too. Jason rolled out of the cot and grunted. He hadn’t slept at all that night, thoughts racing in his head trying to make sense of the past few days.

“Get up,” he heard again.

“I am up.” He looked over to Erik who was now standing in Jenna’s doorway. “Oh.” He made his way to the hallway where Jenna soon met up with him. He smiled a weak smile, glad that he wasn’t alone. “Time for breakfast. Come on.”

Jason didn’t realize how hungry he was, but hearing the word ‘breakfast’ made his stomach growl. They met with Simon in a cafeteria, men and women in white coats eating their meals in silence. “Come, come eat, boy!” Simon said with a mouthful of bacon and eggs. He seemed a lot less intimidating with food falling out of his mouth. “You too, girl!” They both sat down opposite Simon, a man immediately placing a plate of food in front of each of them.

“I hope you’ve moved past thinking I’m here to poison you.” Simon wiped the corner of his mouth and continued to eat. The bacon on Jason’s plate was still sizzling when he looked down. He started to eat and, before he knew it, his plate was empty. “I’d like you both to meet a friend of mine,” Simon began, “a good friend and coworker.” He looked over his shoulder and waved a man over to the table. He stood up, leaving his plate of food at the table and walked to where the four of them were sitting, taking a seat between Jason and Simon. “So you’re Chris’s younger brother, eh? I always appreciated him more than the rest of these damn scientists.”

He smiled at Jason, grasping his shoulder in greeting. “The name’s Charles Walker.” Jason glanced at the man’s hand on his shoulder. “Jason.”

“Ah, I sometimes forget which world I am in.” Charles laughed. “They don’t shake hands in Dawn. Something about touching each other’s hands, I guess.” He sat down next to Simon, about to grab his shoulder as well but thought better of it, extending his hand out over the table.

“Thomas shouldn’t be a problem anymore,” he shook Simon’s hand, ignoring Jenna’s presence. “Samantha will stay here until he calms down a bit.”

“I still think we should take him out like we did with Grant,” Simon replied.

“We need him and you know it. If we overdose him, he may not come back.”

“I suppose so.” They sat in silence for a few moments, the clinking of silverware filling the void. “So, what exactly do you do, Mr. Walker?” Jenna piped in.

“I do the same thing as Simon here, except I do it on the inside. I make sure things run . . . smoothly.” Charles reached over to Jenna’s plate, grabbed a piece of bacon and began to eat it. “It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.” He smiled and finished the piece of bacon, licking the grease from his fingers. “Man, I wish they had bacon in Dawn. You really can’t beat it.”

“Tough s**t, Charles. Maybe we’ll let Jason introduce bacon if you keep Thomas under wrap.”

“I already told you,” Charles started, “he’s taken care of. He thinks we’ll kill Samantha if he steps out of bounds again. So how ‘bout Jason brings the bacon so I don’t have to come all the way back here for some pig?”

“Maybe next time,” said Simon. “For now, I just want him to look around. See what he can tell us about Chris.”

“Wait, what?” Jason went white, fighting to keep down the breakfast that he devoured just moments ago. “You want me to go there? Inside?”

“I absolutely want that,” Simon said. “Don’t fret, boy. You’ll have a great time!”

“And even if I do go -”

“Which you will.” Simon interrupted.

“Okay, when I go, what makes you think I’ll tell you anything about Chris?”

Simon frowned at Jason. “I don’t think you’ll do anything. I know you’ll tell me what you find out. Why else do you think I had Jenna tag along?” He turned his head and winked at Jenna, then began to laugh. Jenna hadn’t touched her plate since she sat down. Something about her made her appear so defeated, as if she knew nothing she said or did would help. All of a sudden, Jason felt a huge pang of guilt. Jenna was here because of him, in danger because of him.

No. We’re in danger because of Chris. This isn’t my fault.

“Don’t you dare touch her.” Simon slammed the table, startling everyone in the room.

“You are in no place to make commands!” he yelled. “You do as I say and we all part ways, safe and sound. Do you hear me, boy? Do I make myself clear?”

Something inside Jason snapped. The constant threats, the kidnapping, the all around confusion. It was too much.

“Don’t call me boy.”

Simon’s face turned red, and Jason swore he could almost see steam shooting out of his ears. Soon after, he looked to Charles, then looked back to Jason and laughed. His laughter was the only sound in the room for what seemed to last forever. He wiped the tears from his face when he stopped. “You are truly Chris’s brother! So stubborn.” He looked right at Jason then.

“Boy.” Jason stood up and pulled his arm back to swing, but just as quickly, Simon pulled a glock from his side and pointed it right at Jenna’s head. Jenna screamed, and Jason froze. “Sit. Down.” Jason sat down slowly. When he sat back down, Simon put the gun back into a holster. “If only you were half as enthusiastic about helping me out as you were with keeping Jenna safe.”

Erik grunted. Jason forgot the man was even sitting there, his eyes glued to the ground. “Thanks for the input, Erik!” Charles slapped the big man on the back of his shoulder.

“I’m getting fed up with you. Charles, take them to Dawn and be done with them. I want him gone as soon as possible.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Charles turned to Jason and Jenna. “Shall we?” Erik stood up and beckoned the two of them to stand up and follow. Jenna was crying at this point, and Jason was still shaking with anger. Simon watched them as they left the quiet cafeteria, running a piece of toast threw the remnants of some egg yolk on his plate.

They walked down another hallway of doors and bright lights, although none of the doors here had any windows to peer into. Charles continued to talk although Jason found himself ignoring him, and by the look on Jenna’s face it seemed that she, too, was not listening to a word he was saying. As they neared a black door on the right side of the hallway, Charles stopped talking and turned around, walking backward like a tour guide to make eye contact with Jenna and Jason.

“We normally take candidates through a few days of training before bringing them to Dawn,” Charles began, “although Simon tells me you will be on your best behavior. And if you’re not, he has given me permission to, well . . . let’s hope it doesn’t get to that point, hmm?” He smiled and turned back around, grabbing the knob on the black door and twisting it. The door pulled open with a creak that made Jason cringe. Of course the ominous black door creaks.

“Simon said he’d oil that.” Charles mumbled. “Let’s get going then, shall we?” Charles walked through the door and Jenna, head down and defeated, followed him through. Jason was about to walk through when a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind. “Jesus! I forgot you were there.”

Erik stammered through an apology, struggling to find the right words to say. “I, um . . . I knew your brother. Chris. He was a good man. Is a good man. I, ah . . .” Erik coughed and cleared his throat. “My son, his name is Daniel. Could you, ah . . . Chris used to keep an eye on him. Do you think you could, um . . . make sure he’s alright?” Jason nodded, a bit stunned at the sudden show of emotion from the man that had been utterly quiet and distant ever since meeting him. He was also unsure of what Erik really wanted from him, but he agreed to the man’s request regardless.

Erik smiled. “He’s six years old.” They shared a silent moment as Jason waited to walk through the door. “Thank you.” Jason nodded again and forced a smile.

When he walked through the door, a cool breeze caressed the side of his face and the smell of wildflowers overwhelmed him. “Come on, Jason! We’ve got a long walk ahead of us.” Jason turned around to see Erik’s massive silhouette in the doorway right before he closed it, the creaking hinges resonating.

Right above the doorway was the blinking red light of a security camera, watching them as they made their way to Dawn.