I Am Phantom (Novella): Subject Number One Read Online Free PDF

the other half, too much pain.
    The men dragged him towards the conference room.
Lucius dreaded to see who was on the other side, though he already knew, even
before Carlyle’s ugly face came into view.
    “Carlyle!” He gasped. “What is this? What do you
think you’re doing?”
    If Carlyle was conflicted at all about what was
happening, he didn’t show it. His eyes were as flat and cold as an icy lake. He
merely stepped aside and let the men finish pulling Lucius inside. Ryans was in
the corner behind him. He looked as shocked as Lucius felt.
    “Dr. Sykes?”
In one fluid motion, Carlyle removed a syringe from his pocket.
    “Dr. Sykes has graciously offered himself as a
test for our latest serum. It just rolled off the assembly line tonight, with some
help from our new friends.” Carlyle nodded to the men holding Lucius. “There
are a lot of them, now. Men with real vision. Men who aren’t afraid to take big
risks to see results.”
      “No!”
Lucius screamed, trying to break free and lunge for Carlyle’s throat. “You
can’t do this to me! I was your partner!”
    “Don’t delude yourself, Lucius. We were never
partners. You were only in my way.”
Ryans rushed forward, but one of the men holding Lucius pulled a gun and
casually leveled it at his heart. He shook his head, grinning.
    “I wouldn’t do that, pretty boy.”
    In that moment’s hesitation, Carlyle plunged the
needle into Lucius’ neck.
    “Don’t worry, Lucius. I’m sure we fixed whatever
issue was in the serum we gave that dirty chimp. At least I hope so.”
    Lucius screamed as lava flowed into his veins.
The hot press like a branding iron behind his eyes. Everyone in the room
watched him. Expectant. Hungry. Fearful.
    A minute passed. Lucius waited for the end to
come. Maybe it would be quick and merciful. Maybe he wouldn’t go out in agony
like the chimp had.
    After another minute came and went with no
change, Carlyle grew frustrated.
    “Go throw him in the cage. Lock this one,” he
thumbed to Ryans, “with the woman. Then get the rest of the men in here. We
have a lot to discuss. New orders to implement.”
    “What—what did you do with Lin?” Lucius
wheezed. The air had suddenly grown heavy in his lungs. His tongue was a lead
weight.
    “Nothing. Yet,” Carlyle said. “But that can
change if I don’t like the results I see with you. Make us proud, Dr. Sykes.
Serve your purpose.”
    Lucius was growing weaker. He could only hang
limp as he was dragged out.

 
    CHAPTER 8

 
    They hadn’t even cleaned up the blood.
    Lucius sat curled in a corner of Bobo’s cage.
The chimp’s rigid corpse lay right beside him, still frozen in death from when
Ryans had shot him.
    Despair had ebbed and flowed over him like the
tide, but so far he had kept it at bay. He wasn’t dead. Yet. Lin was okay. For
now. And he was alive. Also for now.
    There was no telling how long any of that would
last. Other than feeling tired, he hadn’t felt anything else. The initial sting
of the serum pulsing through his veins was gone. The iron press behind his eyes
had faded to a dull throb. He lay on his side, wincing as his cheek met the
dried blood on the cold floor.
    He slept
    *                                                           *                                                           *
    Lucius woke up screaming.
    He was on fire. Every inch of him burned like
hot pokers had been stabbed into his flesh and twisted over and over again.
    He leapt up, beating at himself, trying to put
out the burning but it wouldn’t stop. It only made it worse.
    One flailing arm slammed into the collection of
wood Bobo had used to recline on, fastened to the back of the cage. It was two
hundred pounds of branches cobbled together that Lin had insisted Bobo have for
calm and relaxation. It’d taken three men to move it into its current place.
    It