Blood Ransom (22 page)

I went downstairs and out to the juice bar, feeling suddenly hopeful. Maybe if Rachel and I could just get some time on our own, everything would become clear. I was pretty sure she still liked
me as much as ever . . . and it certainly wasn’t like I wanted some big conversation about it – just a bit of time to let things feel normal again.

The juice bar was heaving, so I got myself a strawberry smoothie and stood outside. The drink reminded me of Cheri’s diner – and my life back in Philadelphia. The weather
didn’t. It was really cold now, with the sun hidden behind a bank of grey clouds . . . After the past few months in sunny Philly, I wasn’t used to how biting the wind could be –
and this was
July.

I didn’t hear the footsteps until it was too late. Someone stopped, right beside me. Too close.

I spun round. Whoever it was turned with me. A large hand came down behind me . . . clamped itself over my mouth.

Something bad-smelling was shoved under my nose and before I even had time to struggle, I was sinking into blackness.

67

Everything was wrong. Everything was awful.

I mean, I could see what Mum and Dad were saying. All the logical, rational stuff about Grace being safer . . . better off generally . . . with some nice young couple. But couldn’t they
see how it felt for me? Grace was the closest thing to a sister I’d ever known. She was far more real to me than Rebecca, the dead sister I had been cloned from.

Anyway, it was done now. Dad had called social services . . . told them some made-up story about finding a baby round the back of the hotel.

And now someone was on their way to pick Grace up. Mum was holding her. She’d asked the hotel for formula milk and a proper blanket.

I sat beside them, gazing down at Grace’s tiny, perfect face. Insane thoughts raced through my head – maybe I could run off with Grace . . . find a place to stay . . . a job to
support us . . .

But in my heart I knew that was just a fantasy. I had no job and no money and no idea how to get either. Plus, I couldn’t possibly guarantee keeping Grace safe if we were on the streets.
There’d be all sorts of threats out there – not least RAGE and Elijah.

Dad was right about that. If Grace got taken in by a solid family, then she
would
be safe. I knew that was what counted most.

But my heart still felt like it was breaking.

It was well past the time I’d said I’d meet Theo, but Grace would be gone soon and I didn’t want to leave her. I sent him a couple of texts but he didn’t reply.

I could see Dad was feeling sorry for me. He even called the hospital where Lewis had been taken. The nurses said he was in surgery – that the beating he’d had last night had caused
some sort of swelling in his brain. It didn’t sound good, but at least he was holding his own.

A few more minutes and reception called up to say that social services were here to pick up Grace. Mum let me cuddle her for a moment.

I stared into Grace’s eyes. She’d stopped crying and was nuzzling against me again. She felt so fragile in my arms.

‘Come on, Ro,’ Dad said gently.

‘Just one more minute,’ I pleaded.

He sighed. I could sense him and Mum exchanging looks, but I kept my gaze on Grace . . . trying to memorise exactly how she looked.

Seconds passed. Then Dad cleared his throat. ‘Ro, please?’

I shook my head.

‘That’s enough, Rachel,’ Mum said.

She reached down and took Grace from my arms. I watched the three of them cross the room, keeping my eyes on Grace right to the last second.

And then they were gone.

I’d agreed that Mum and Dad should take Grace downstairs alone, so they could tell their lie about finding her outside . . . and how they’d sent Theo and me inside to get a room
while they searched for any sign of the baby’s mother.

I sat on the huge hotel bed, feeling numb.

Suddenly I was overwhelmed by a desire to see Theo. I jumped up and headed for the door. Even if Mum and Dad saw me in the lobby, they wouldn’t be able to stop me going to the juice
bar.

As I reached the hotel room door, my phone rang.

Theo calling.

I snatched the mobile up to my ear.

‘Oh, Theo—’

‘Ah, Rachel,’ Elijah interrupted.

My breath froze in my throat.

‘I have Theo’s phone and I have Theo,’ Elijah said, smoothly. ‘If you would like to see him again, you need to listen to me very carefully.’

68

I could dimly hear my own voice moaning. It sounded like it was coming from a long way away. I came round. My head hurt badly. I was freezing. There was a splash of strawberry
smoothie down my shirt. I raised my aching head. I was in the back seat of a car in a completely deserted car park. On one side was a narrow stretch of water – a canal – on the other a
patch of wasteland with industrial-looking buildings beyond.

What the hell had happened?

My hands were free. And my feet. But moving anything hurt – especially my head.

I tried the car door beside me. Locked. I reached for my phone. It was gone.

Panic rose inside me. Who had taken me? Why had they left me here in the middle of this car park?

I looked around for something to smash the car window with. Nothing.

At the opposite end of the car park stood a small hut.

A man was standing beside it. He was speaking to someone on the phone.

‘Hey!’ I battered my fists against the car window. Each thump sent a shooting pain through my skull, but I had to get his attention. ‘HEY!’

The man turned round.

Shit.
It was Elijah. He flicked his little finger. The guard from Lab Three walked into view. He was heading in my direction, his gun held at his side.

I sat back, my heart racing.

What was going to happen now?

69

Hands trembling, I gripped the mobile.

‘What do you want?’ I said.

‘Call it a ransom,’ Elijah chuckled. ‘A payment for Theo’s release.’

‘A payment?’ My mouth was dry. ‘I don’t have any money. Neither do my mum and dad.’

‘It’s not money I’m after, Rachel.’

‘Grace isn’t here any more. I don’t have her,’ I said, quickly. ‘She’s somewhere safe.’

Elijah chuckled. ‘Oh dear, do you still understand so little, Rachel?’ He sighed. ‘Tell me, why do you think I was trying to clone you?’

‘It wasn’t about me. You said that you just ended up with clones of me because I’ve got this special . . . protein that helped them live in the artificial wombs.’

‘But why would I want to create new life at all? For what reason?’

‘Because you can?’ I said. ‘That’s what you always say when anyone asks you about your scientific work. The Aphrodite Experiment’s the same as everything else. You
do it because you want to and you don’t care who gets hurt!’

There was a pause. Elijah sighed. ‘You are quite wrong, Rachel, on every count. I know I told you all my other clones died in the artificial wombs. Only the clones of you survived. Well,
that was not true. I was only
trying
to clone you. You were . . . are . . . all that matters.’

‘Me?’ I stared at the flowers on the wallpaper of the hotel room. ‘Why?’

‘Because of this unique quality in your blood, Rachel. I was hoping to copy it. Why else would I clone so many babies? I’m a geneticist – not the head of some surrogacy clinic
manufacturing babies. No, the Aphrodite Experiment was all about
you.
It was an attempt to re-create the protein that your blood contains. And it failed. None of my embryos ever contained
the protein. I was hoping that with a fully-developed, living baby the protein might be present, but Grace proved this hypothesis wrong.’

My head spun as I tried to process what he was saying. ‘You said you wanted a ransom for Theo,’ I said.

‘That’s right.’ I could hear the thin smile in Elijah’s voice. ‘And
you
are that ransom.’

‘Me?’

There was a pause. The hotel bedroom was so still, suddenly. The silence pressed down on me.

‘You mean you want me to give myself up, to save Theo?’

‘Yes, your co-operation is the price of his freedom.’ Elijah said. ‘I could have kidnapped you directly, of course. But this way I can ensure you leave a note for your parents
and
sound like you mean what you say when you speak to Theo.’

‘What I say to Theo?’ I frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’

Elijah made an impatient clicking noise at the back of his throat. ‘It’s simple, Rachel. I have Theo. In a few moments I will give him the opportunity to “escape”. He, of
course, will take that opportunity and, as soon as he is free, he will phone you . . .’

‘But—’

‘When you speak to him you have to make him believe you are leaving him and your family through your own free will. You have to make him believe you want to be alone. Without him. Without
your parents. It shouldn’t be too hard . . .’

‘But no one’s going to believe I’ve run away—’

‘Then make them,’ Elijah snapped. ‘That’s what I’m giving you the opportunity to do . . . make it feel real to them. Write a note they’ll believe.’

Seconds ticked by. ‘What happens to Theo if I refuse?’ I stammered.

‘My guard, Paul, has a gun trained on him right now,’ Elijah said, and there was real menace in his voice. ‘Paul will follow Theo until you are with me. It’s a clear
choice, Rachel. Leave everyone and come with me – and Theo lives. Refuse – and he dies.’

I hesitated, my heart pounding.

‘I don’t want to hurt you, Rachel. You know I can find you if I want to. I found you before, when you were hidden away. All I want is a month or so of your time, so I can continue my
research into this protein.’ He paused. ‘I know Milo told you that this unique quality in your blood can save lives. Do you not want to be a part of such amazing research?’

‘
How
does it save lives?’

Elijah clicked his tongue impatiently again. ‘I can’t explain a complex chemical process like that over the telephone. Please, Rachel. I’ve called it the Eos protein. Eos is
the goddess of the dawn. You know my protocols. You
know
I would not use such a name unless this was a truly miraculous discovery. Believe me, with this protein the lame will walk and the
blind will see.’

What?
I couldn’t believe any of this was true. I didn’t trust Elijah an inch.

But what did that matter?

He had Theo. Which meant I had no choice.

‘I’ll need to speak to Theo,’ I said.

‘Of course. He’ll phone you after his “escape”. You need to head for the Bressenden shopping centre right now. Get a taxi outside the hotel. Milo will pay when you get
there. Theo will call you in about thirty minutes. Remember, it’s imperative he thinks you’re running away from your life and from him. Imperative that neither he nor Lewis nor your
parents come after you. If they do, I will kill them.’

I swallowed.

‘Deal?’ Elijah said.

‘Deal,’ I whispered.

70

Elijah finished his phone call and strode across the car park. The guard, Paul, was watching me through the car window.

Cold air swept over me as the door opened and Elijah got into the back seat beside me.

‘Are you all right, Theo?’ He smiled. ‘I’m sorry we had to chloroform you. It’s a very old-fashioned method.’

I shivered. My head still felt horribly fuzzy. ‘Where am I? Why have you taken me?’

Elijah sat back, his expression thoughtful. Outside the car, Paul still hadn’t taken his eyes off me.

I shivered.

‘So many questions, Theo,’ Elijah said softly. ‘Let me reassure you, you’ve only been unconscious a few minutes. You’re just a mile or so away from the hotel we
found you outside.’

I stared at him, my head clearing.

‘How did you know where we . . . I . . . was?’

‘I was guessing Rachel would call her parents and that they would tell her to meet them in the safest place they could think of. We phoned all the public areas, then all the local hotels,
asking if you’d been seen. You’re quite a memorable trio . . . two young teenagers and a tiny newborn baby . . .’

‘So why take
me
?’ I said.
Man
, was Mum’s warning true? Was this whole business of coming after Rachel really a cover for getting hold of me?

‘I see your ego is as strong as ever.’ A smug smile curled round Elijah’s lips.

Fury roiled inside me.

Outside, Paul tapped on the window. As Elijah rolled it down, Paul’s gun was visible inside his jacket.

‘Yes?’ Elijah said, imperiously.

‘Transport will be ready in one hour, sir,’ the guard said.

Elijah nodded then closed the window. He checked his watch. He gave a sigh, eyes half closed as if he were deep in thought.

‘Shame you have to wait,’ I said, sarcastically. ‘Guess you’re missing your private jet, eh, Elijah?’

Elijah’s head jerked round, his eyebrows raised in shock. And then he laughed.

‘I forget how like me you are, Theo,’ he chuckled.

‘Don’t start that again,’ I said. Last year, in Washington, Elijah had often commented on the similarities between us – how we were both impatient and aloof . . . I knew
there was some truth in what he said and I didn’t want to think about it. ‘Where are you going in one hour? Are you taking me with you?’

‘What do
you
think, Theo?’ Elijah said. ‘Now, please excuse me, I still have arrangements to make.’ He got out of the car.

I gritted my teeth. Why did that man always have to talk in riddles?

The car doors locked with a click. I peered through the window. Elijah and the guard were speaking in low voices. Elijah placed something on the roof of the car, then walked away. I strained my
eyes to see what he was doing, but he had his back turned to me. More of his bloody arrangements, presumably.

A moment later and Paul reappeared. He leaned against the bonnet, casting occasional vicious glances in my direction.

Long minutes passed. I couldn’t work out what was going on. Why was Elijah holding me? Where was he planning on taking me?