Chameleon by Otto Gramm (new reading .TXT) 📕

– What happened there? – Alex ignored what his companion was getting at.

– You. – His eyes grew wider. – Whether from pain or from fear, but when you are in a rage, you induce very unusual destructive abilities.

Alex gave a choked gulp.

– A month after your escape, the allies found you. – Kyle continued. – You were insane and fought back against your own. Then you disappeared from the horizon right up to the end of the war. After long paper runarounds, you were taken back to the States. First, they kept you in a secret laboratory near Washington, then in Seattle, but after your third escape, they decided to isolate you and transferred to a military base in Venezuela. Then to India and then here. This is a no man’s land between Vietnam and Laos. Just in two months, they planned to transfer you in a special-built fort on a small island in the Indian Ocean. It would be much harder to escape from there.

– Oh Gods! – Alex tilted his head. – You know about me more than I do!

– So, you did not know about these abilities...

– Not until you told me! – Alex stood up, nervous and began to stride back and forth. – Your story sounds like some bullshit absurd! In the labs, they cut into pieces, drilled and shredded me, but for some reason... There! The fortress is intact and safe! Can you explain me why? There I was in such an affect that I could burn a half of Europe to fucking ashes!

– You were given drugs to block destructive impulses...

– So that’s why you hunted me! – He ignored the last words and gave his interlocutor a burning gaze. – You do want my skills!

– I’d rather say abilities and I repeat you again that I’m not interested in a guinea pig.

– Do you want to kill me? – Kyle wearily averted his eyes. – Or help me to get rid of them?

– I could try. But it will be difficult, since I don’t know their source.

– That’s why you started this conversation. – Alex realized. – Sorry, man, but neither do I.

– I was ready for that. And I started this conversation, because I was interested to know you closer.

This phrase was uttered so sincerely that the fugitive raised his eyebrows in amazement.

– I’m flattered!

Kyle smiled in response.

– Will you tell me your plan B then?

– Plan B?

– You talked about the choice. I’ve heard the first option but I didn’t find your benefit there. From the way you look, it is clear that you’re not a mercenary and not an executive pawn. You are your own boss, therefore, there should be your personal interest. So, what’s the perfect outcome for you, Kyle?.. Um... What is your full name?

– Kylas Askord. – The man in black was slightly surprised with this question. – My perfect outcome is the one that scares you most. Kidnapping. – He clarified, as he caught Alex’s quizzical look.

– What for? – The fugitive asked drily.

– For my collection.

– Not dead one I hope?

– You’ve seen some of its specimens. I’m not to be their owner, but rather a leader. I picked out all of my team from very exceptional, special people.

– Are you talking about those three boobies who tried to stop me? – Alex grinned mockingly.

– They had a strict order not to harm you. Therefore, Will did nothing to save his hand, although he could easily hit you back. You wanted to kill Shad and in fact, you had all chances to do that. You could easily break his Adam’s apple with your hand, wring his neck or smash his head against the doorjamb. It would take a second. But you only pushed him.

– I was in a hurry.

– You were flying. Fugitives either cover their tracks, or maximally immobilize those who can chase them.

– Are you saying that I did not kill Shad only because you convinced me?

– He did. Not me.

– And who the hell is he?

– Empath, parapsychologist. Very strong one. He reduced your anger.

– Yeah, right! And what about the sleepyhead?

– Diego? If you were vigil as long as he did, you’d sleep like a log next to a starting rocket. Your escape was a challenging task; people in the lab are not easy to deceive. My men got quite exhausted and some of them even doubted we would succeed. Still they followed my instructions and didn’t contradict me. Although we don’t have a strict subordination.

– So it was a teamwork, right? – Kyle nodded. – And how many are you?

– You’ll count them if you want.

– And if I don’t?

– We’ll drop you off wherever you ask, help you to get back on your feet, erase ourselves from your memory and say goodbye.

– Plus one more gap! – Alex smirked cynically. – It’s time to drink Omega3.

– I’m not intended to lure you with cunning or blackmail. – Kyle’s speech sounded quiet and serious. – But I have some rules I must follow.

– Yeah! – Alex got up and began to pace around the plateau, stretching his legs. – Can you at least tell me what’s out there for me?

– Life will change more than you can imagine. That’s all I can say.

– Then... – The fugitive hesitated for a moment to pluck up courage for that question. – ...Tell me one thing: who are you?

– You’ve already thought of the answer. Though, in a negative light.

Alex looked over the vast blue sky; Kyle smiled and nodded.

– You’ve suffered enough to lose your trust in others. – The man in black said. – And I’d love to tell more about yourself, but I can’t until you make your decision. Think well, and most importantly – trust your intuition. For it is your strong suit.

– How much time do I have? – The fugitive asked in a low voice.

– Few minutes.

Alex turned away and took his place at the edge of the cliff. He didn’t ask his new acquaintance not to penetrate into his head, for he knew he was dealing with a being whose intellect and moral qualities were one class above ordinary people. And if Kylas promised that Alex would have the final word, he would never try to influence his thought process in any way. Nevertheless, the choice was not easy and that made the fugitive feel weird, since the first proposition was more than he ever dreamed of! A quiet life. He could settle down wherever he wanted: in a small town in Italy, on the coast of France, in a neon metropolis, on a desert island or in an Igloo somewhere in Alaska. He would see the world, maybe make some friends, start dating with a pretty girl. He would buy mountains of books, go to cafes, cinema, football matches, hang out in bars all night long and walk barefoot along the seashore till morning! He could live like ordinary people... Ordinary. People. Why he had this odd feeling that accepting this proposition he took one step lower? What else can this man in black offer? Why wouldn’t he open all his cards so that Alex at least knew what he rejected? Would he intrigue to entice? No, he would neither exaggerate nor understate. He had his rules to follow. Of course, they will erase his memory; it’s out of the question. No matter how zealously Alex hid behind his aversion to a mental interference, the point was not about it. What was that tiny voice whispering, pushing him into folly? Is it his aching soul that eagers to fly away as far as possible from its former prison? Yet is there any place in the world where Alex would finally leave all his fears behind? Or should he ask Kyle to wipe out the lab memories from his mind too? What would he have left then? How would he fill the voids? With tales of the one he never was and things he never did? That would wipe out Alex Koldoum himself. “He never existed after all. Someone did, though. But who?”

As Alex pondered and weighed, Kyle silently paced around at the other side of the plateau, regarding from above the beauty of the virgin forest. He really did not know what was happening inside of his companion’s head. He didn’t need that for he had foreseen the final answer. However, one thing the alien did not consider...

A quiet scream made him whirl sharply. Alex suddenly turned pale and tilted sideways. In one leap, Kyle was beside and caught him right on the edge of the abyss.

– Alex! It’s the drugs! I’ll try...

– Shut up, Kyle! – Alex hissed through his clenched teeth. A dark vein pulsated on his forehead and his pupils widened and narrowed. – I agree, just take me hell out of here!

– Nice strike. One hit – two broken bones! – William said gloomily, as he examined his sore hand. Although he was injured a little over an hour ago, he could already make light moves with his fingers. Man’s strong forearm was banded with bracers of a white metal and plastic. On the inside of the armor, tiny lights flashed and the arcuate scale, gradually filling with a light blue, indicated the state of bone splicing. The healing process had barely reached one-third.

– And what were you thinking of when you decided to stop that insane? Even after Kyle’s explicit order not to touch him. – This phrase belonged to a young woman sitting at a large oval table in front of Will. She held the tablet (like the one Alex had seen in Shad’s hands) and periodically ran over it with weightless movements of her thin fingers. Her black short hair was slicked back, revealing a beautiful high forehead and her large brown eyes frequently raised at Will to check if he did any extra movement with his hand. As soon as her full lips pressed into a tight line, Scot immediately obeyed. This strict and overbearing lady’s name was Linda, or Lin as Kyle had said, when he took Alex with him. Elegant and stately, she not for a moment lost her feline grace. Whereas her clothes were simple and practical: light maroon shirt, gray sporty trousers and loafers.

– No touching no kicking. Cap foresaw the final. – Shad, who sat on the sofa at the end of the room, stood up and went to the common table. – Though, I ought to confess, Will, you did help.

– You should’ve left me on guard. He wouldn’t reach the corridor. And what was that tablet for? – Will pointed at Shad with the index finger of his broken arm. – Another love letter, I bet!

– MacNeil! – Lin barked and he instantly lowered his hand.

– My dear tutor, I’m afraid that we could verify your death only by a pile of ashes with light scent of engine oil. – Shad calmly parried the attack, as he rested his hands on the table-top.

Will sent at the empath his weary glance.

– I don’t think so; he’s still on blockers.