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Invidia TWENTY
"He's definitely making this too easy," Justin finally agreed when Hendrickson just let them enter his office yet again. "The man is way too sketchy to just let us do this.""I know," Madison said. "I have a feeling this isn't the answer. I know Shane said he keeps everything close to him, but I don't think it's this. Project Invidia has to be somewhere else.""The question is where," Justin voiced both of their thoughts. They fiddled around in the office, looking for clues. "Damn, we need Cameron here. He's the one that nerds out about literature." Madison nodded but didn't say anything. Edgar Allen Poe, Victor Hugo, Jane Austen, Margaret Atwood, Zora Neale Hurston, all classics of all different genres, and Justin had no idea how to tell where to go.Madison was checking walls, light switches that were no longer used, buttons, everything else, leaving Justin to check the books. Great. The letters were spinning, and it was making his head hurt. They supposedly used to have a name for
Invidia TWENTY-ONE
After a while had passed of Justin sitting on the edge of Cameron's bed, he finally talked to himself, "I have got to pry my ass off this bed," and he did just that. There was an imprint on the bed from where he'd been there for so long. He asked Frank for a ride and almost felt bad, but Frank was always willing to take the opportunity to go see Cameron."Thanks for this," Justin said when they got in the limo. The sedan still reeked of the bleach they were using to clean the blood out, and that wasn't good for their breathing. "Of course, kiddo," Frank said. Justin had really started to also grasp onto the feeling of Frank as a father figure as well. His heart lifted a little whenever Frank called him "kiddo."He smiled at Frank and clutched the journal tighter to his chest, wrapping his jacket around it. He was almost afraid that something would happen to it before he could get it to Cameron, before they found out the information; he needed to protect this at all costs.
Invidia TWENTY-TWO
Cameron continued throughout the day to read from his father's journal. He'd found one of his favorite entries so far, the day before Cameron was born:November 26, 2146Christy just went into labor. We're just waiting in a room for her to be ready. I can't believe the little boy is already here. I can't wait to spoil him and see her face when she holds him. I know seeing the two of them together is going to be a memory I will always cherish. She's the most precious thing in the world to me, and I swear if anything happens to either Cameron or Christy, I will go to the ends of the earth to find out what.Cameron paused. His father, Garrick, had gone with his mother's choice in naming him Cameron. His lips pulled into a heartfelt smile. Tears were openly falling now. They had been every time he read a passage relating to his mother. Even though Cameron had no memories of the man, just by reading his father's words, he'd learned that there was no reason to run from your emotions. "Stop
Invidia TWENTY-THREE
"Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is just say no," Cameron's mom had said the same words to him that Madison just had. "What if I can't?" Cameron asked. He was fourteen at the time, and he'd had an old friend confide in him. "What if I don't have a choice?"Christy put her hand on Cameron's hair, gently stroking it. "You always have a choice."Now, Cameron had realized that wasn't always true. He'd been into life or death situations, and sometimes, he had to live when he would've gladly chosen death. That's such a sad thought for a seventeen year old, Cameron thought with a bitter taste in his mouth."What exactly am I saying no to?" Cameron dragged himself back to the present. He'd gotten too caught up in the memory that he'd already forgotten."If you're going to try and bust out or not," Madison said.He glanced down at his arm. They'd taken most of the gauze off. The regular nurse that checks on him informed him that it was healing well, but he'd need to continue
Invidia TWENTY-FOUR
Cameron really wished he had shoes. His feet were sore from sneaking through the hospital on his tip toes. Not to mention the cold tile floor was freezing. However, he was very grateful that the gown the nurses put on him was not one that his butt hung out of. "Officer 147, do you copy?" The officer approximately fifty yards ahead had their HoloComm's talking system turned on, the ones made specifically for automatic talking. "I copy," 147 responded quietly. The man kept his voice down, trying to force silence amongst the crowd around him, successfully."What is your location?" The other voice asked."I am on the west wing, about 30 yards from the desk. I'm keeping an eye on the civilians.""Good. Do you see anything unusual?" At that question, Cameron ducked into the nearest room. He could not risk getting caught. If he were caught trying to escape, they would never let him get away again.The room he ducked into was a patient's room. In the bed was a girl about his age, maybe a li
Invidia TWENTY-FIVE
He finally found the ending hallway. There was a man at the desk in front, wearing purple. He was speaking to someone on his earpiece, clearly upset. "No, I don't know where he is. If I did, don't you think I would've told you?" A moment of silence. "No, I would. I don't want to lose my job over some regular damn kid, but definitely not Hendrickson's." They know I'm gone. I knew I wouldn't get so lucky. With an ever-growing lump in his throat, he melded into the commotion of the hallway. He glanced at the doors, and with a moment of luck, he found it.PI--right there on the door. It was the sign that Madison told him to look for, but of course, there was a guard directly in front of the door. I need a distraction. He snuck into the room next to him, giving no more than a quick glance to the old woman laying in the bed. He pulled out his HoloComm and sent Madison their code word for when he needed help: MONSTER. It seemed fitting, since this entire operation was run by a monster. Withi
Invidia TWENTY-SIX
The inside was as advanced in security measures as the President's manor. It had eye scanners before each new room to be entered, as well as passcodes and thumbprint scanners for each window and door in the house. Cameron just didn't have the luxury of all these doors being opened for him like he did in the manor."This is freaking epic," Justin said. "Have you not seen this yet?" Cameron asked him."No, and it's awesome," Justin sounded like a kid again, but this was his element, after all: software technology."Shane hooked us up with this safe house. I can't go into any more detail than that," Madison said. "Rooms are back that hallway," she pointed to their right. "Bathrooms are scattered throughout. Kitchen is down the other hallway. Make yourselves at home."Justin immediately launched himself onto the cream leather couch and picked up the controller for Galactic Omega. "Come on, Cam. We haven't played this in forever.""Maybe later," he was lost in thought. Shane hooked us up
Invidia TWENTY-SEVEN
"Justin, what the hell!" Cameron ran over to pull the boys apart. Justin raged in a way he'd never seen before. "Mads, help!" He called to her. He didn't have the strength to pull them apart on his own. She grabbed Justin under his stomach and pulled him over."Stop!" She cried at them. Shane's blood was coating all four of them. The metallic tangy smell doused the room, and it was only a matter of time before the fork came out of his shoulder. Before he knew what was happening, Cameron felt his face jerked sideways with the force of a punch. That was a punch, you moron, he thought to himself. The bruise was already creeping up on his jawline. He didn't know who punched him, but he got angry now too--just angry in a different way. He couldn't find himself to forgive whoever punched him for a long time because everyone in this room knew he was hit on a regular basis. With all the furiousness of a boy who'd spent the last three years being beaten and abused, with all the strength that