Page 42 of The Program

‘Libby is your blonde friend?’ I asked, hoping she wouldn’t say they were more than friends. I wasn’t averse to sharing, but I didn’t like the idea of sharing with someone I didn’t even know.

She smiled wistfully at the mention of her. ‘Yeah. We’ve been partnered by The Program since the start. She’s more like a sister than a friend. Family…’

I was relieved to hear I didn’t have any competition, but the sadness in her tone when she mentioned family raised my alarms. ‘What is it?’ I asked her.

Her expression twisted to display her discomfort about the topic when she answered. ‘The Program started a breeding program. That’s what they were doing to us. Two of them just gave birth within the past couple of days and a few more of them aren’t so far off. But… They already have children. The scientists took them the day I… They took Libby’s… I have to get him back, Bromm. He’s just ababy.But I have no idea where they took them or where to start looking.’

Puzzle pieces started slotting into place. The increased guards. The mystery shipment…

‘I think I know where they are.’

My words were like a bomb drop, the silence following almost unbearable with its emotional charge.

‘Where?’she demanded.

‘Nova Station. There’s this new shipment that’s come in for the scientists but no one knows what’s in it. They brought in a bunch of new guards and increased security because of it.’

‘That must be them…’

It was time to get down to business. A hard conversation needed to be had. ‘Listen, is there anyone coming with you to help?’

She shook her head no. ‘I’m the only one who isn’t pregnant or a new mother,’ she admitted, and I didn’t know why I never even considered that she was pregnant until this moment. She’d mentioned the breeding program,but there was just something about her that told me she hadn’t been a successful subject.

But that was a discussion we could have when we were together again.

I thought about it for a click, mulling over the situation in my mind before coming to a conclusion neither one of us would like, but it was our only chance.

‘I don’t know how many children you’re trying to liberate, but I need to ask you a favour.’

She didn’t even hesitate. ‘Anything.’

‘There’s this guard,’ Arty stiffened at the mention of him, probably due to her previous negative experiences with The Program’s guards, so I rubbed her arms to comfort her. ‘He’s been working with us. All of us have been working together to find a way out, but with Reece and Adara gone…’

‘You need me to get them out, too,’ she surmised.

‘Yes…’

‘I sense a but,’ she said sadly as if she already knew where this was going.

‘With the children, Reece and Adara, there’s too many of us to escape the same way.’

‘My mission will be the distraction you need to get out unnoticed because all their focus will be on stopping me,’ she concluded. ‘You’re not coming with me.’

‘Yet,’ I enforced. ‘I’m not coming with youyet.I just need to know where you are so I can come find you.’

‘I don’t know where I am,’ she admitted, her frustration palpable.

‘Then we’ll meet somewhere else and regroup there,’ I offered.

‘Where?’

I thought about it but drew a blank. I didn’t even know where Nova Station was at this moment in time or where we were headed. But then an idea came to me like a lightbulb going off over my head. It was the beginnings of a plan, but it was vague and relied too much on chance. I didn’t see any other way, though.

‘There’s a meeting tonight. I’ll talk to the others and come up with a location. Is there a way to contact you?’

‘No,’ she admitted, though she surprisingly didn’t look put out. ‘I could come back here every day and try to catch you, but if that fails then I’ll be able to contact you as soon as I reach Nova Station.’

I cocked my head to the side, curious. ‘How?’

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