Page 30

Chapter Thirty

Jolie

At the time it happened, I felt terrible that Marlow and I were interrupted after something so intimate, but I was also utterly transfixed by Creed. I’d figured the intense connection I felt between us was because he was the first one I remembered, but it’s so much deeper than that. How is it possible he can feel what I’m feeling? I’m learning fast that when it comes to the Gods, there is a lot that can’t be explained.

Taking in my reflection, I make sure my mask is securely on, not one blemish or strand of hair out of place. I have my meeting with Mr Z this morning. He cornered me and set the time before we left the gala dinner, and there is a car coming to pick me up shortly. None of the guys know because they will all go alpha dickhead and overthink it. Is he up to something? Of course he is, but I have the best chance of gaining his trust and getting the answers I deserve if I go alone.

Sure, I could be walking into a trap. I’m good at that—my track record speaks for itself. I could be dead by the end of the meeting, but he needs me alive. The guys have not realised he doesn’t need them alive, and that has me on edge. Trace is only still breathing because of me, and I think the same goes for all of them. It’s the only thing that makes sense, but I could also be very wrong. Only time will tell.

The driver he sent pulls up at eight a.m. sharp, and I don’t detour for breakfast, heading straight outside and slipping into the back seat. The driver doesn’t say anything as he puts the car into gear and heads off down the driveway.

We drive for about twenty minutes before he pulls up to a huge gate, one that certainly says they want to keep people out. A massive building behind the gates snags my attention and is unlike anything I’ve seen before. With sleek, futuristic architecture in a slate-grey colour, the only thing that is recognisable is the Olympia symbol.

Mr Z’s driver stops near the front door, and I let myself out of the car. As soon as the door shuts behind me, he pulls away, and I watch him drive around the side of the building.

I turn back to the steps in front of me, taking them two at a time until I reach the top. The glass doors slide open, and I walk through. The inside of the building is stark in contrast to the exterior; everything inside feels sterile and cold.

The lady sitting behind a massive white desk with the Olympia symbol directly behind her glances up, her face remaining neutral and void of any emotion. But before she can welcome me, Mr Z appears out of nowhere.

“Holly, hold all my calls. I have a special visitor today.” He walks around the desk from the left to greet me. She nods at him, and he smiles.

“Jolie, thank you for coming alone. Honestly, I was expecting one of those boys to cause a scene.”

“I’m sure if I told them, they would have.”

He laughs at my comment as I return a polite smile.

“You know them so well already.”

I shrug because he obviously knew that. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure them out. We continue to walk down a sterile hallway lined with closed doors leading off to our right. Everything is so damn white.

“They really aren’t that hard to read. Alpha males all think they have a claim to something that they don’t.”

“Smart girl,” he praises. “Today I wanted to show you around, as I’m aware you have started putting the pieces together.”

“Yes, I have. I know it was the guys who chased me through the bush that day, and I also know you had Trace take me.”

“It was for your own safety,” he explains, opening a door that leads into a laboratory.

“How so?” I ask. I know he didn’t really order Trace to take me, but I want him to believe I don’t know the real truth.

“When our original scientist was creating the super teams, we wanted the boys to love the female fiercely. So, we had an idea to engineer them to love her. Only the scientist had two ideas. We created Team Zeus, and a few years later we created Team Hades—and you. There was never a second female.” I listen as he talks, and he guides me to sit at a bench in front of a bunch of test tubes. “As you got older, we could see both teams had emotionally attached to you. Only we needed to know which one would die for you. Who would go to the ends of the earth to protect you? So, you see, even though they told you I took you, it was actually them. They think I don’t know, but I’m aware of everything. Team Hades just accepted you were dead. Yes, they grieved and then forgot you... but Team Zeus, they went to the ends of the earth to cover their tracks.”

“But had Boston and his team known, would that have changed the outcome? They were barely teenagers when I left?”

“Good question. That’s why we are creating an ultimate test, and only the strongest team will make it through the test course.”

“You plan to test them against each other,” I realise, astonished.

He smirks at me. “Yes, that is exactly what I plan to do.”

“They wouldn’t go against each other.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. They are trained to protect their team no matter what, but I have an insurance policy.”

“Me,” I surmise.

He simply nods. This man is nuttier than a kangaroo in boxing gloves, and more screwed up than any of us thought.

“Why have them kill each other? That makes no sense.”

“That’s just for fun. Both teams have been working against me, and that is where you come in. I figure you’re smart. You have no loyalty to them, maybe some to Trace, but he lied to you and took you away from your family.” Malice gleams in his eyes.

“So, everything you do is just a test? Seems a bit much.”

“Maybe, but imagine being one of the wealthiest people in the world, creating human weapons for hire.”

“I get all that. It’s a genius idea. But do you really expect me to play along when you plan to kill people I’m genetically linked to?” I can’t help but question him.

“We all make sacrifices for the greater good. You will be fine. Your bond is strongest with Creed and Laughn—one from each team—so either way, they will help you through it. After the test, you will go to stage five, either alongside Team Zeus or Team Hades. I’m afraid that won’t be an easy feat though, since Team Hades hasn’t completed it themselves. If Team Zeus wins, then it should be a breeze, since they previously passed with flying colours.”

A wave of nausea hits me. I feel the blood drain from my face and chills hit my spine, my stomach forming knots. I have suffered from these pains for years, always coming at random times. My doctor once said maybe it was my diet.

“It’s good to see that one of your skills is still working,” he remarks, watching my reactions closely.

“Skill?” I ask through clenched teeth. The pain is now radiating through my entire body.

“Yes, when something bad is about to happen to your team, you can sense it.”

The tears stream down my face and I’m curled in a ball. Chester kneels down beside me. “Are you okay, Wildflower?” He strokes my hair, offering me some comfort.

“I don’t know,” I whimper. “Something bad is going to happen. Where is Laughn?”

We were practicing my self-defence skills when I was hit with a wave of pain. We sat for an hour before anyone could find Laughn. He comes running in, his beautiful face covered in blood. My pain subsides the second he sits by my side and pulls me into his arms.

“They hurt you,” I whisper against his shoulder.

“No, they tried and failed, as usual.”

That was the memory of the first time I could sense one of them was hurt. It happened every time one of them was taken away after that day. Each time they returned, they were mad that the pain inflicted on them was felt by me.

“So talk. What do you want from me?” I finally ask.

“I want you to get ready to congratulate your new team on their win, and I’ll see you soon for your training.”

“What about school?” It’s a stupid thing to ask when he has told me five guys will die today.

“Don’t worry your pretty head—you can finish school. You will need additional training to be ready anyway, and I will have my best team to help you out.”

My leg taps restlessly as I rack my brain for a solution, but I don’t know how to help the guys. Mr Z looks at my leg, then back up to my face.

“There is nothing you can do, Jolie. The trial has begun. My tech guy sent them a message from you, and they are currently on the move. This is just how this works. Let me finish the tour and then you are free to leave.”

I nod absentmindedly, even though I just want to get out of here. I have to have faith that the guys are smart enough to figure this out. They have dealt with this man their entire lives. I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly, returning my attention back to Mr Z.

“This is where the magic happens. Only the best scientists work here. Let’s keep going.” We both stand and he leads me into another room. “This is our freezing and storage room. Seventy percent of our students are now made here in this building.”

“And the other thirty percent?” I question. He has to believe I’m interested, or he will drag this out just to mess with me further.

“Are hand-picked by myself and have passed through the test zone,” he states matter-of-factly.

“And what exactly do your teams do?”

“All in good time, my dear.”

We exit the storage room and move back into another long white hallway. I feel nauseous from the overhead lights, but push through it. Taking a left, we stop at a lift where he hits the up button and the metal doors open. Mr Z holds out his hand for me to enter first, and I step in as he follows behind. We both stand in silence until the lift dings and the doors open again. This time we walk into an office styled as a massive, open-plan room with a view of the city. I hadn’t realised how close the Myers house is to the city.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Sure is,” I say dismissively.

He walks to his desk and picks up a small remote, then turns back to look at me, his eyes almost teared over.

Deciding to let him in on one more secret, hopefully using this connection to get close to him, I confess, “I know you’re biologically my father.”

“You look so much like her,” he whispers, vulnerability lacing his tone.

“I would love to know more about her,” I say softly.

I have never really sat and wondered what my parents were like, but I’m not sure if it was because deep down, I knew about them. Either way, I do know I need this link to make him vulnerable.

“She was so beautiful. She had this way about her that drew you to her.” He slips the remote in his pocket and picks up a photo frame, holding it out to me.

Walking closer, I take the picture and realise I look so much like this woman—except she has hazel eyes where mine are exactly like Mr Z’s.

“She... I mean, I look a lot like her,” I say as I hand him back the photo.

“She would have loved you,” he replies, voice thick with emotion.

He stands in silence for a few seconds, as if stuck in a memory, before placing the picture frame back on his desk.

“Let me show you how everything else works.” He retrieves the remote from his pocket, and a massive screen lowers down from the ceiling. “Once babies are born, they spend the first four years with their parents or carers. It depends on how much involvement they want. The children are closely monitored during this time. Once the children are of school age, they return to Olympia Corp. We have them train in all aspects of self-defence, weaponry, picking locks, hot wiring cars, computers and so much more. We keep a close eye on every student and find out in which areas they excel, then we fine tune those skills. Most of our groups are paired by age twelve. Obviously, you were different, as you were paired from birth.”

“Do the teams get a say in who they are paired with?”

“Not usually. We watch what friendships are built and which relationships form. People typically work better when there is a level of trust.”

“What happens after they are paired?”

“We send them to high school. Give them the chance to build the relationships with the freedom to be teenagers. They train at least three days a week with their handlers to maintain their skills, though.”

“Then what?” I ask, crossing my arms, patience wearing thin.

“Then they come back and do the trials. Those who make it do three more years of intense training at the academy.”

“When do they go out for jobs or whatever?”

“That depends on the group. Occasionally, I will send my stronger stage-four teams out for experience. It’s the big jobs that require the older teams.”

“What type of jobs?” I question, trying to get as much information as possible.

He hesitates for a moment, clearly thinking of something to tell me. “I sent a team last week to take out the head of a child sex-slave ring.”

“So... you’re the good guy?” I know this is a stupid question to ask; he is anything but good.

He laughs and shakes his head.

“Honestly, not even close. We work for whoever has the money to pay. The man who paid for that job was a father whose daughter was taken. He had a lot of money but lacked the skills.”

“Makes sense.” I could see this organisation helping so many people. But he is greedy. He gets donations for this place to run and yet is paid for his services.

His phone buzzes, and he removes it from his pocket, looking at the screen.

“You’re free to go now—the driver will be downstairs. The lift will take you to the ground floor.”

“Okay.” I head towards the lift and press the button, the doors sliding open.

“Jolie.” I turn back to face him. “You could inherit all this one day. I would like to think you would consider working with me.”

Here we go. I have to hit the heart strings. Playing nice with this man isn’t easy.

“I might consider it if you tell me more about my mother.” I meet his eyes as memories of Davis teaching me how to remove the telltale signs of when you’re lying flick through my mind. Most people will avoid eye contact or look up to the left.

He nods, and I turn back around and step into the lift. When it reaches the ground floor, I use every ounce of self-control not to run from the building. I end up walking out through a different hallway and wonder how that was even possible. I keep my pace all the way until I’m safely back in the car. The driver must have been instructed where to drop me, as he heads off once again without a word.

By some miracle, I hope whatever Mr Z has up his sleeve backfires. I can’t lose any of these guys now that I finally have them back. My memories may not have all returned yet, but I feel the bond with each and every one of them. I want them to be around as I remember who they are, not dead and buried six feet under.