Page 21 of Brax

“They did leave a few books behind, mostly textbooks, but it kept my mind occupied when I was alone. There once were thousands of books, and yet they only left a handful behind.”

“Didn’t it get cold in that school?” asked Marilisa. “I don’t remember a lot about Maine, but I remember it always felt cold to me.”

“It was cold, but I was able to start fires in the fireplace when I needed it. They had cameras on the outside of the building, at the perimeters, but nothing on the inside. That seemed odd to me as well. I found the tunnels that led from the main school building to the medical buildings. That’s what allowed me to go into town when I needed to.”

“We didn’t see any tunnels,” frowned Saint.

“You really had to know what you were looking for. There wasn’t anything or anyone in them. It was clear they were using them to move girls from one place to the next, or my worst nightmare, that someone was moving from place to place to watch us.”

“That’s the nightmare I have,” said Katelyn. “I always felt like someone was watching me. I mean, I know they were watching me on cameras, but this was different.”

“Hey, do you guys feel like talking about something?” asked Regan.

“By something, I assume you mean something to do with me,” smiled Stephanie.

“That’s why you’re a genius,” he smirked. “It has to do with you but also with everyone. I went back through all those records in my head and used the files that we were able to pull from the databases and internet that we found in the agency files.”

“Did you find something?” asked Mav.

“I’m not sure. There are several attempts at cloning as far back as Mary, our teammate that we lost a few years ago. We always believed that she was the first person at the Depot. She was also the first to figure out that she could communicate with others without speaking.”

“That’s what prompted them to not have more than a few kids there at a time,” said Pax.

“We think so. Then, when the Depot came under suspicion for a whole bunch of things, it looks like the agency started building these schools. They hired this man. The name always stuck out as odd to me because he had nothing to do with weapons. His name is Dr. Felix Rubenstein. He was a geneticist.”

“Oh,” whispered Stephanie.

“Yes. It didn’t fit, but I didn’t think about it until I learned about you. The thing is, he died before you were born.”

“Thank you for saying that. Born. Most would have said created.”

“You were born, Stephanie,” he said adamantly. “You were grown inside a surrogate and born like any other child. Dr. Rubenstein had a daughter, but she never lived with him. She lived with her grandmother, Muriel, in Houston. Luke sent a few guys over to speak with her. She might have some of her father’s old records or notes.”

“I’m not sure what that would tell us,” said Stephanie.

“It could be anything from the name of the donor and the surrogate to something else. There’s no mention of a wife, but surely the daughter didn’t live alone in Houston. I’ll let you know if we find anything.”

“Regan? Who did the leadership team send?” asked Saint. He grinned at him.

“Carl, Joseph, and Kiel.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Look at this house,” whispered Carl. “It’s huge!”

“Either she’s done very well for herself, or her father left a handsome little estate,” said Kiel. “She’s got security. This is not a normal home.”

“Can I help you, gentlemen?” asked the guard at the gate.

“We’re here to see Ashley Rubenstein. We called earlier about her father.” The guard nodded, looking at their licenses.

“It’s actually Ashley Rubenstein Carter,” said the guard. “She’s expecting you. Just park on the left of the driveway.”

“Thanks.” Carl drove the SUV toward the spot he’d pointed out, then looked at his teammates.

“Ashley Carter. She’s the wife of tech giant Mason Carter. That’s why the house,” said Kiel.

“Let’s go,” nodded Joseph. Before they could even knock, the door opened, a big security guard standing in the entryway.

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