Page 38 of Echos and Empires
The cold calculation in his eyes made Emma’s skin crawl. She clamped her jaw shut, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. His mention of a future for humanity was like an echo of what he’d told her when they’d taken her. A future that had no room for her family.
“Silence,” Victor observed with a slight tilt of his head. “An unexpected response from one with your spirit from what I’ve been told of you. I imagine you have questions, doubts, fears.” He savored the words, like each was a prize he’d won.
Emma forced herself to meet his gaze, though it felt like looking into the eyes of a predator. “You can stop pretending like I’m part of your sick plan,” she said, surprising herself with the strength in her voice. “I’m not interested.”
Victor chuckled, the sound too smooth, too controlled. “Ah, but you will be,” he assured her. “In time. It’s the only logical choice for those who wish to survive.” He paused, letting the threat hang between them. “You see, it’s not simply a matter of wanting to participate. It’s a matter of necessity.”
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, centering herself on the one truth she knew above all else: she wouldn’t let him win. She thought of Chris, the determination in his eyes. Liam, teasing her about taking so long to come back. Bash, rough and ready to bulldoze through anything for her. William, the reassurance in his touch. And Alex, promising they’d be there soon. Their voices steadied her, gave her the strength to endure.
Victor stepped closer, examining her as if she were some fascinating specimen. “Your resilience is commendable. Rare, these days.” His tone suggested this was not a compliment but a challenge. “Your unique perspective is what makes you so essential.”
She stared back at him, refusing to let his words sink in. “You have no idea what I am,” she said, keeping her voice even.
“I know more than you might think,” Victor replied, a glint of something dangerous in his eyes. “The world as you knew it is over, Emma. Your new life awaits.”
She held her breath and tried to keep her gaze as calm and steady as possible. She’d faced far worse than this man, and maybe they were wrong about him. Maybe the ship was a necessary evil. Maybe he was the good guy.
Then why does it feel like he’s assaulting me with every word?
“Children,” Victor began again, dropping the word into the silence with surgical precision. He watched her, eager for the incision to cut deep. Emma felt it pierce through her, pain radiating out with each heartbeat.
He watched her reaction, the satisfaction in his eyes chilling her to the bone. “Imagine, Emma. A new generation of compliant children,” he continued, each word a scalpel. “The rebirth of humanity under careful guidance. Children reaching birth only if they are perfect in every way and injected with a few extra genes to keep our race around.”
Her world spun, the floor seeming to tilt beneath her feet. It wasn’t just her life he wanted to destroy. It was her child, her future with the men she loved. A low, choked sound escaped her lips, but she swallowed it down, refusing to let him see her break.
“You bastard,” she breathed, fury and terror twisting together inside her. She couldn’t show him how deeply the blow had landed. Couldn’t let him know just how close to despair she’d come.
Victor smiled, thin and satisfied. “Ah, I see you’re beginning to understand. Your protective instincts will serve the island well, once you recognize the futility of resistance.”
She glared at Victor, her voice steady even as the words shook her to the core. “I’ll never be part of your plan. I don’t care what you think you know. You’re never getting what you want from me.”
“Such conviction,” Victor mused, not the least bit threatened. He moved toward the door, the calm, measured steps of a man confident in his victory. “I’ll leave you to consider your options.”
He turned to a woman in a stark white uniform. “See to it that our guest receives the proper treatment. A simple injection should suffice for now, her will is too strong. Seems she needs to forget a little, potentially every time.”
Emma’s stomach dropped. The nurse nodded, retrieving a syringe that gleamed in the fluorescent light. The sight of it spurred Emma into motion, her resolve snapping into focus. She had to get out, had to warn them. Had to protect her child from this nightmare.
Victor paused at the door, casting a final, assessing glance over his shoulder. “We’ll speak again once you’ve had time to adjust.”
Emma barely registered the words, her mind consumed with escape. She watched the nurse approach, gauging the distance, calculating her chances. Bash had shown her what to do, how to defend herself, how to turn fear into action. She took a steadying breath, letting the panic solidify into resolve.
Closer.
Heather was closer now, the syringe poised and ready. Emma forced herself to stay still, waiting for the perfect moment, remembering everything she’d learned. She thought she had Emma cornered. She likely thought Emma would just give up.
Heather had no idea what Emma was willing to do.
Just a little longer.
Just one more second.
Emma’s muscles coiled, preparing for the strike.
Heather’s fingers were a hair’s breadth from Emma’s skin. Too close. Emma shot out her arm, twisting it just as Bash had taught her, moving with surgical precision.
The syringe clattered to the floor, and Emma’s next move came without hesitation. She grabbed the nurse’s other arm, the adrenaline sharpening her focus, and spun her around with a quickness that took them both by surprise.
She locked the woman’s wrist in place, bending it until she felt the slightest give of muscle and bone. The nurse cried out, the sound sharp and startled in the empty room. Emma ignored it, eyes fixed on the small vial of liquid that had nearly stolen everything from her.
