The Dark at the End Read online

  How can that happen? How can one person take all choice from another like that? And enjoy it. Gareth Smith definitely enjoys it. Something in him is broken. What if something in me is broken now too?

  Maybe I should be a psychology major instead. I take a sobbing breath, and then laugh. Now is probably not the time to figure that out.

  I know what might help a little: taking control back. Deciding what I’m going to do, instead of hiding here. Taking action.

  I’ll follow him, to John’s base. I don’t know if I can help, but I’ve got to try. Be there, at least, with everyone else. See what’s happening. I can still send my press releases if it all looks bad.

  But first I have to do something better with my hand. I’m not going to be able to drive anywhere like this, with one finger completely cracked and the other one not quite broken but spitting pain like fire.

  I cradle my hand, trying to figure out how to wrap it better without touching it. Quickly, so I’m not too far behind Smith. I think maybe I can make a sling out of one of the hotel towels, so it won’t bounce everywhere. At least the car is an automatic. I think I can drive it with one hand.

  I have one moment, trying to wrap my crushed hand in a hotel towel, when I wonder how insane I really am to even think of going near Smith, and John, and all of it again. If I was smart, or had one scrap of self-preservation, I’d probably take the car and run the other way.

  But I can’t. I’m not useless, and they need me. I’m coming to join the party, Jake. Thanks for trying to leave me out of it—really—but I’m still in it, with everyone else. Really everyone else. For once every single person will be converging on the same point, tonight.

  I figure out the sling, and get up to clean my bloody face so I don’t scare any small children I come across.

  It’s time for the next act, and I will be there.

  It’s then the message comes to me, dropped in my head like a gift.

  I love you, Jake said. Remember that.

  That’s the first time he said he loved me.

  I think I love him too. Well, I love all of them as my family—Dedushka and Abby and Myka, and I like Lucas. I’m doing this for them as much as him.

  But I think I love him too.

  49

  MYKA

  Roar by Katy Perry

  I can’t believe we’re all together! Except for Jake, and Rachel. But they’ll be with us later. This is going to work. I have a good feeling, for the first time in a long time.

  For now me and Mom and Lucas and Dedushka are all in the big lounge, together. They moved cots in, and a sofa, so we can actually all sit, and sleep. Like a weird slumber party.

  Except everyone is pretty emotional at the moment. Mom hugged me, and then Dedushka, and then Lucas. I hugged everybody, and cried. Especially Mom. Lucas held really still when I hugged him. He’s so bony it’s like holding a plank.

  I feel sorry for Lucas the most. This must be so confusing. He grew up with Mr. Smith, and then he tried to run to Dad and that didn’t work out well. Mostly he looks muddled, and sad.

  I hope I can make him feel better after we get out of here. Like a real family. He needs more hugs. Or tickling. I tickle Jake all the time. I wonder if Lucas has ever been tickled.

  I told them all about what happened with Jake after Dad sent Mom away, and then—in a whisper so no bugs can hear, if there are any—what we did with Mr. Smith, telling him where we are. That he’s coming at 1 am.

  Mom and Dedushka weren’t happy with that part at all. I…didn’t tell them it was my idea. But at least something will happen, tonight, and we can really use it to break out of here. I am so tired of being in here, of all of this. When I think of school starting soon at Nysmith, seventh grade, I ache. Seventh grade is when we get to do oceanography, and paleontology. I have to get back before it starts and I have to explain to everyone where I was. As if I could.

  I just have to get back. We all do. Or…maybe if we can’t really go back, we have to go forward, I guess. Out of here.

  I also tell them about Rachel. Mom goes pale when she hears about the fingers, the blood. Lucas stands up, clenching his fists over and over, and stalks to the kitchen. Dedushka grunts, and tugs on his beard hard. He looks boiling mad. If he runs into Mr. Smith, I bet he’s not going to let it go. I think Dedushka really likes Rachel.

  I follow Lucas. He stands in the middle of the kitchen, still with the fists, staring at nothing. I slide next to him, and lean back against the counter. I don’t say anything for a while, just looking at him. His nose that looks like Dad’s. His big hands that remind me of Jake’s. Finally he acknowledges I’m there, with a quick glance.

  “Hey,” I say.

  “Hey,” he echoes, quieter.

  “You okay?” He shrugs. “Are you freaked out about Mr. Smith?”

  He swallows so hard I can see his Adam’s apple bounce. “He’s coming here,” he says, flat, low. “To get me. He’s going to take me back with him.”

  “No!” I scoot in front of him, so he has to look at me. “He’s not.” I remember to keep my voice to a whisper. “That’s the point. We’re just going to use him as a distraction, and get out while they’re busy with each other. Dr. Miller can help us…” I stop. “Except I haven’t seen her for a while. I wonder where she is.”

  He raises his eyebrows. I dive forward and try to tickle him, on his side where it always works with Jake, but he just jumps away, frowning. “What are you doing? Stop!”

  Okay, then. We need to work on the brother/sister stuff another time. “Sorry. But it’ll be okay. Wait and see.”

  He bites his lip hard, but he lifts a hand, and meets my eyes for a second. We’ll get there.

  I bolt over to the intercom on the wall and push the button. “Hi. This is…Myka.” I let go. Ugh, I hate these things. It’s like the phone. I never know what to say. I push again. “I’d like to see Dr. Miller if I could. Please.” The intercom crackles, and I let go.

  A male voice comes on. It takes me a second before I realize it’s Dad’s. “Dr. Miller is busy on a project for the next few days and unavailable. Do you need anything?”

  I lick my lips, then push the button. “No.” I push it again. “Thanks.”

  That’s bad. How are we going to even get out of this room when Smith’s here, without Dr. Miller’s help?

  Lucas makes a low noise, and turns his back. I narrow my eyes.

  No, I’m not giving up, even if he is. With the four of us, we’ll think of something.

  50

  JAKE

  Dangerous by Big Data (featuring Joywave)

  Dad didn’t leave me alone very long this time—a few hours, I think. Enough to get some sleep. But now he’s back: by himself, intense, with several ziplock bags in his hands.

  Perfect.

  I move the bed as far upright as it’ll go, since there’s only one chair and he’s in it. He spreads out his bags, picks one, and for-real smiles at me. Like it’s old times and nothing’s happened, and we’re going to play CLUE together. I look away. It hurts more to see him smile like that than when he’s yelling.

  “Let’s try this one,” he says, all excited.

  I take the bag, and examine the object inside. It’s an earring. But I think I recognize it. I think it’s one that Liesel was wearing, when she came to see me in the woods. Dangly with a green stone.

  “Why would I be tunneling to Dr. Miller?” I ask, forcing lightness.

  He shrugs, but I don’t like the look on his face. “Go and see. See where your new friend is.”

  Uh oh. I slide it into my hand with dread, but there’s only one way to find out. I close my eyes and go.

  The base, room 603. A prison cell. It looks like the same one I was in when we first came here. She’s sitting on a bench inside the cell, her hands cuffed behind her back. She looks forlorn, defeated, her hair slipping out of the ponytail.

  “Out loud,” Dad says, sharp. I startle out of it, blink, then go back in, this time narra
ting out loud. Skipping the forlorn part.

  The base, room 603. A prison cell. She’s sitting on a bench inside the cell, her hands cuffed behind her back. She breathes slowly, in, out, like she’s doing yoga. She didn’t want to hurt John, she thinks. Or even mess anything up. She only wants to help. To do what’s right. To use Jake’s power—and Lucas’s—in the best way. God, and Myka! How could he even think—

  “That’s enough,” he snaps. “Give it back to me.”

  I drop the earring in the bag, seal it, and hand it to him. “You locked her up? What the hell, Dad?”

  He wrinkles his nose. “She has been disobeying me all along. Trying to take this project—take you—for herself. I won’t have it.” He throws the bag on the floor, like he’s throwing her away with it. “I’m in charge here, and I’m going to stay in charge.”

  “She really was trying to help,” I say, but I stop when I see his look. Batshit crazy, I think. I don’t say anything.

  He lifts another bag, hands it off. “Less interesting.”

  It’s far from less interesting. I know this object well. It’s Dedushka’s ring, the big silver one with the eagle stamped on it. Liesel must’ve brought it with her when she came here. She’d tried to get me to tunnel with it, back in Montauk.

  That seems like a lifetime ago.

  “This is Dedushka.”

  “Just go,” he says, waving his hand. “Aloud. Let’s see what the old man is up to.”

  I take the ring, rub my thumb over it like I used to. Feel a rush of affection that has nothing to do with tunneling. Then close my eyes, and dive in. I really hope he’s not doing anything interesting.

  The base, room 532. A strange big room with a corner that’s a kitchen, beds along the walls, chairs and a sofa in the middle. Dedushka is leaning over the table, drawing something. It’s cold, this underground air pinching at his bones. The flat air clogging his lungs.

  “What is he drawing?” Dad asks.

  I blink out of it, disoriented. “What?”

  “What is he drawing?”

  “I don’t know. I couldn’t see it.”

  I know perfectly well. He was drawing a map of the compound, Myka leaning over his shoulder helping him puzzle it out. Lucas and Mom were helping too. Planning their escape.

  No way in hell I’m going to say that.

  “I don’t believe you,” Dad says evenly. “Go back in and tell me.”

  I stall, flipping the ring over in my hand. Usually I can’t lie when I tunnel. I just relate what I see. But I think there’s something different now that I have Dad’s serum in me. I feel stronger, more in control. I hadn’t told Dad what Dedushka was drawing in the first place, consciously.

  Can I go in and lie, omit things? Or do I need to not go and just totally make it up?

  “Jacob,” Dad says, warning.

  I have to assume he has cameras on them, can double-check what I say. I’d better go, and see if I can lie.

  The base, room 532. Dedushka is leaning over the table, drawing…

  I pause. I feel the strong urge to say the truth, say what I see, the map. Like in a dream, where you have no control. But I do have control. I can. I can be aware, not just a conduit…

  He’s drawing a cartoon, a strange monkey with ears almost as big as his head…

  I know Dad will recognize this monkey. It’s an old Russian cartoon, simple to draw. Dedushka used to draw it for me and Myka when we were little.

  Cheburashka. It’s Cheburashka. Myka is watching him, and Lucas is laughing.

  I open my eyes. It’s close enough to what they’re actually doing that video probably won’t catch me, if they cover the map. Dad squints, but he doesn’t say anything. He holds out his hand, and I give the ring back. I sigh with relief. That was close.

  “Now for the pièce de resistánce,” Dad says, stone-faced. He hands me a bag with a gold cuff link in it.

  Oh no. I think I know who this is. I only know one person who wears cuff links. One person I don’t want to see, especially now.

  But there’s no point putting it off. I bite my lip, take the cuff link in my hand, and go.

  A hill outside the base, just in sight of the dusty valley. I say the GPS coordinates. It’s a man, tall, salt and pepper hair and a prominent chin. Gareth Smith. It’s hot, so he’s removed his suit jacket, but he’s still wearing a long sleeve button-down shirt, with no tie. He’s got his arms folded, peering down towards the base entrance.

  Oh, I’ve got to be ready to lie again. If he says anything about me telling him where the base is…

  “It’s there? You’re sure?”

  One of his suits looks at a GPS reader, nods. “That’s what…”

  He says “That’s what he said.” I say “That’s what it says.” instead.

  I want to pull away, but I know Dad won’t be happy with that. He’ll want to know what’s going on.

  “Interesting,” Smith says. “Only one exit, is there? Well, we’ll pin him down, then. Tonight. Those boys are mine. And if I destroy John in the process, who’s going to mind?”

  I come out of it. Dad is standing, pounding one fist into the other. Damn it. It’s not going to be much of a distraction if he knows it’s coming. He may lock us all down out of the way by the time Smith moves.

  “Smith is really here,” I say, feigning shock. “Crap. What are you going to do?”

  “Do?” Dad frowns, but not at me. It’s like I’m not really even there, and he’s seeing Smith. “I’m going to kill the bastard dead, and end this once and for all.”

  He strides out, without another word. I jump off the bed before the door can shut, wedge it open with my discarded gown. He doesn’t even look back.

  He left me alone with the objects.

  I only have a few minutes if I want to get out before someone notices the door. I grab the ring and tunnel to Dedushka first, throw myself into him like I used to—it’s easier, everything’s easier—and fill his hand.

  “We’ve got to go,” I write on the map. “It’s happening now, not tonight. I’m coming for you.”

  I hear Myk exclaim something, but I can’t stay. I have to redirect this, or it’s going to be a slaughter of Smith in the valley, and that won’t help anyone. But we can get out of here. I saw something on Dedushka’s map.

  I enter Smith, in that full way I haven’t done with many people. Where I can feel the real him, control him if I need to.

  I don’t like being in him. It feels jarring, broken. But I open his mouth.

  “This is Jacob Lukin,” I bark, to his man. “With an urgent message. John Lukin knows you’re here and is on his way.”

  I come out before I see any reaction. Next up is Liesel. I grab the earring from the floor.

  I tunneled to her several times before, in Montauk, so it’s familiar. I don’t waste any time, though. I fill her, make her hands move in the cuffs. There’s no way to write a message, so I give that up. I’ll have to speak, like I did with Smith. Make her sound like the crazy one for once.

  “This is Jake,” I whisper aloud. “Smith is coming, right now. John is expecting him. I need you to get out of here, now. Help however you can. We’re getting the hell out while everyone is distracted, the back exit.” I pause, wondering if she’ll be able to escape. She’s pretty helpless at the moment. I could keep controlling her, help her…

  Nah. This is Liesel. She’ll figure it out. I have my own work to do. I have to get to my family.

  I pull away. That should do it, for now. My last tunnels underground, if everything works out the way I want.

  The start of many, if it doesn’t.

  I stuff all three bags in my pocket. I should feel woozy, after doing three controlling tunnels in a row. I should probably get a headache. But so far, I feel fine. Maybe I won’t get headaches anymore—and there was a good purpose behind taking both those serums. Maybe it cured me of my side effect.

  I hate that Dad improved it. That he succeeded in what he’s been trying to d
o this whole time, even if I had to use Dedushka’s serum, and nearly die, to find that out.

  I’m not thinking about that. I open the door carefully, peek into the quiet hall, and step out. I just need to remember the map.

  51

  JAKE

  Come with Me Now by Kongos

  I head down one hallway for a really long time, then branch off to the right, straight, left, straight, right…trying to follow that map Dedushka was making, in my head.

  God help me, it reminds me of Montauk, except there were stairs up and down, and they made me wear that awful hood. At least now I can see and hear. I have a hope of reacting if we run into someone.

  How strange that this is my life, that I can actually compare secret bases.

  So far there were only two soldiers, running down the hall towards the front entrance. I ducked into a closet and hid until they passed by.

  My instincts are all screaming at me to run myself, as fast as possible, but I keep it to a fast walk. I know the soldiers are busy, distracted, but I don’t want to give anyone reason to notice me at this point.

  Room 525, 526…I’m close. A few more doors. When I get to 530 I stand outside it for one breath, astonished that it looks like any normal door. It holds almost everyone I love.

  It opens no problem—there’s no security from the outside. They’re all there. Still all around the sofa, talking.

  Dedushka is the first to stand when I come in. He grins, his teeth bright through his beard, and I can barely restrain myself from running to him. Then Myk’s in my arms, and Mom, and I’m struggling to hold the door open while hugging. I nod to Lucas, over Myk’s head. He nods back.

  “Everyone okay?” I ask, breathless. “We’ve got to go now.”

  “There’s a back exit, with a ladder,” Myk says, in my ear.

  “I know, I saw it on your map. It’s perfect. Dad and Smith are both headed the other way. We should have a few minutes while no one cares what else is happening.”