Resonance by A. J. Scudiere

Author:A. J. Scudiere [Scudiere, A. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780979951046
Publisher: Griffyn Ink
Published: 2008-01-29T05:00:00+00:00

David walked the hallway, lined with ugly green lockers, looking like the fresh paint hid layers of abuse. The worn linoleum on the floor had not yet been replaced, the black scuffs still not erasable. His own high school had been so much more pristine than this. The lockers and carpeting replaced if they had worn even slightly. Even the children had been removed if they were too frayed, not quite up to snuff. He wondered what other differences his father’s money had bought him.

Jordan and Jillian were sleeping in a classroom further down this hall. He didn’t know which one, but relied on the handwritten pages taped beside each door, designating the CDC’s purpose for each.

He almost walked past the one that read: Abellard, Brookwood, Carter. For a moment he smirked at the irony, that even in print Jillian was caught between the two of them, but then he turned the knob, pushing open the heavy door, the wired glass lined with a shade so he couldn’t see in.

As the dim room slowly came into focus he was caught up in the cozy scene - Jillian snuggled into the grasp of Abellard’s arms. Both of them sleeping like babies.

Son of a bitch.

The thought took him by surprise in its vehemence. He’d been telling himself that it didn’t matter.

But maybe it did.

He knelt on her side of the makeshift lover’s nest and reached out, taking just a moment to be sure that he only touched her. “Jillian. Baby. Time to wake up.” He nudged her shoulder a little, thinking that this was a first even for him. He’d slept with married women. He'd broken up more than one couple along the way. But he’d never, until just now, called a woman ‘baby’ while she was literally in another man’s arms.

His thoughts stopped as she stirred, rolling away from Abellard to face him. “Whhaaat?” The word was soft and low.

“We’re wanted out front.”

He could see her chest move with a long sigh as she blinked and carelessly shoved the hair from her face. She rolled back into the space she had vacated, and for a moment David was certain he’d been given the ultimate brush off. But she grabbed Jordan’s shoulder and gave a gently shake. “Jordan. Wake up. We have to go.”

David cut her off. “No. Let him sleep. They want you and me.”

“Huh?” She rolled again to look at him, but her job had already been accomplished. And Jordan was looking at him, too, through clear eyes.

“They want you two? Why?”

“We’re going to go in.”

Abellard shot upright, revealing a t-shirt, and letting David’s brain breathe a sigh of relief that it wasn’t even cozier than it had looked. “No.”

David rocked back on his heels. Why was Jordan fighting back? He slung what he had. “Not your decision.”

Abellard’s eyes turned to ice. “Then whose?”

David wanted to smile. Jordan and Jillian were Landerly’s babies, lackeys, peons, whatever. But the word had wound up in his hands. And that felt good. “Landerly’s.”

David watched while Jordan put a hand on Jillian’s shoulder, gently holding her back.

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