Read The Executioner at the Institute for Contaminated Children Online
Authors: Margaret Alexander
The Executioner at the Institute for Contaminated Children (30 page)
I wanted him to meet my family. I wanted to tell him I might be in love with him. That might just sound crazy since I never thought I’d say that to anyone. To play video games together. To aim to attend the same university. Every dream that materialized in my head sounded more and more extravagant.
His hand then stiffened, as did his voice. “But it’s not over.”
I froze in place. He let me go and I stared at him with apprehension. Of course it wasn’t over. I’d made a promise to Lenora. That must be it. I wiped my tears while he held me by the shoulders, as if to make sure I wouldn’t topple over again and slobber all over him.
“Lenora wants you to find Charlie,” said Dan. “We have one month. If we don’t get him back by then, she’s going to report us to the government and carry on the Institute as it’s always been.”
“
What?!
” My shriek was justified. It summoned my family to crowd into the hallway behind us. I paid them no attention. Right then all I saw was Dan and the van behind him. There was something in there.
Hold on. He said, “we.”
“You’re coming too?” I said. My soul lit. It must have shown through my eyes because he laughed slightly at the way I looked at him.
“Did you know the Constitution hasn’t been amended for contaminated people? So they basically don’t have human rights. We can’t go through a legal trial, or get arrested, since we might have the ability to overpower the police. And if we act out of line, they have the authority to kill us. So Lenora told everyone at the Institute her version of the story and convinced them I had acted on self defense. But unless I cooperate and help you on this mission, I’m done for. No one wants damaged goods, Donna.”
The weight of what he said struck me like a stone. “They can’t do that…,” I croaked. We were human, how could they deny that? And she couldn’t kill him just because he had a tainted record. It wasn’t even his doing. It wasn’t fair! But I remembered what Lenora had called Dan. A monster, no better than her or Stanley. If it came down to it, she’d take his life.
My fists balled at my sides and I hung my head. “How can she just…pretend like you’re some sort of
thing.
I thought she’d change the Institute.”
“Donna, she does want to change it.” He raised my wrinkled chin. “But she wants her son back more. That’s why once we get Charlie, she’s going to help us get everyone else back. Lauraline, Aaron, and Tasia. They were sold in Europe and India. She’s even agreed to pull up records from the other schools. We’ve got this.”
His words and the firm hand on my shoulder restarted my brain. Hope shone through his grin. I couldn’t believe it. We stood a chance. If we brought everyone back, we could show the world what Stanley had done. And we’d prove our humanity, how our gifts were a priceless asset, not a threat. It wouldn’t just be our word against the government’s. We could start a movement. We could end the Institutes for good.
A smile broke out onto my face. I clasped his hand over my shoulder. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
He nodded with assurance. He had that fire too, the kind of fire it took to stop world hunger, even if no one would know you’d done it. Even if you wore a mask and had to get blamed for it. The fire of a hero.
“There’s just one more thing,” he said with a sheepish grin. My face fell.
“What?” I said slowly.
He turned to the van and a female leg emerged from it. I swallowed. Hailie stood out into the light, her strawberry blond hair drawn back in a ponytail. Oh, hell no.
“Seems when she found out about the Institute, she wanted to fight it too,” said Dan. He looked mildly uncomfortable. And by mildly, of course I meant like he had just swallowed a slug.
I wanted to scowl at Hailie for raining on the parade, but I smiled. Genuinely. I was, after all, glad to see she’d healed.
“Welcome back, Hailie,” I said. I tasted salt in my throat, as though my words were lies.
“Save it for the cameras,” she said. She walked up and tugged Dan away from me. “Let’s go,” she said. “We’ve wasted enough time here.”
I wanted to believe she tagged along only to come between me and Dan, but that probability was lower than I expected. Hailie wanted more than that. Revenge, possibly. Not against me—against the Institute. Well, maybe a little against me.
Dan pulled his arm out of hers and she winced. This wasn’t going to be a very fun trip.
Dan turned to me and held out a hand. “You coming or what?”
Despite Halie’s frown, I grinned. Probability of success?
“Do you even have to ask?”
About the Author
Margaret E. Alexander is the author of young adult and new adult thrillers. When she’s inspired to write, no rules can tear her away from her characters. She lives in San Diego, California.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE-Game Show
CHAPTER TWO-Coevolution
CHAPTER THREE-Catastrophe
CHAPTER FOUR-Multiple Choice
CHAPTER FIVE-Coin Toss
CHAPTER SIX-Train Ticket
CHAPTER SEVEN-Hangman
CHAPTER EIGHT-Mind Cut
CHAPTER NINE-Justitia
CHAPTER TEN-Roommate
CHAPTER ELEVEN-Dress Code
CHAPTER TWELVE-First Point
CHAPTER THIRTEEN-Rules
CHAPTER FOURTEEN-Floater
CHAPTER FIFTEEN-Reap the Reward
CHAPTER SIXTEEN-Escape
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN-Phone Service
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN-Blindsided
CHAPTER NINETEEN-Bribe
CHAPTER TWENTY-Scramble
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE-Charmed
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO-Missing
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE-Tyrant
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR-Exempt
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE-Tragedy
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX-Volunteer
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN-First Judgment
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT-Stupor
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE-The Morning After
CHAPTER THIRTY-Floor Fifteen
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE-Student Court
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO-Tears
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE-Letter
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR-Waterfall
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE-Trick or Truth
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX-Captive
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN-Interrogation
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT-Comfort
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE-Reality
CHAPTER FORTY-Sneak Attack
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE-Mailbox
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO-Bonfire
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE-Bully
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR-Evening
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE-Red Handed
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX-Trust
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN-All Part of the Plan
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT-Awake
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE-Innocent
CHAPTER FIFTY-Witness
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE-Accused
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO-By My Side
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE-Top Floor
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR-Reunion
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE-Family
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX-Clown Face
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN-Options
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT-Day One
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE-Daydream
CHAPTER SIXTY-Beautiful
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE-Day Two
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO-Jaded
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE-Charlie
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR-Brainstorm
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE-Day Three
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX-Bottoms Up
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN-Remorse
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT-Return
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE-Rescue
CHAPTER SEVENTY-Guess