Of Freedom's Fall (Death Prediction Project #3)

February 12th, 2021

It’s a few days before Valentine’s Day, a day I thought I’d be spending with Ryker a few months ago. But I hadn’t seen him in over two weeks. I hadn’t seen my mother since then either. The last I actually saw of her, was her getting shot, I knew she was hit in the torso but my mind didn’t register whether it was anywhere significant where she could bleed out from.

I stood by a printer in one of Tom and Ryū’s safe houses. They moved us so much I could barely remember where we were from one house to the next. We were close to the east coast, I knew because they’d attempting to find Soren for the last two weeks. The last death predictor aside from Ryker they could get their hands on.

I hadn’t really spoken to Maya since we’d rescued her. I think she knew I was worried about Ryker and my mother but I felt bad for pushing her away. She had gone through something similar, I should be confiding in her but maybe I still held a grudge a bit, about Ryker’s feelings for her.

Tom was setting up a camera to film a video we were going to send to the media about the truth. So, they knew Maya was safe and that it wasn’t us who had taken her and to plead for their lives. Ryker’s life and safe return. I didn’t want to do it, I didn’t think it would help anymore. I wanted to go out and search every military base, every science lab, just everywhere, for him, for my mother.

I sat on a chair positioned in front of the camera, my eyes were fixed on the floor, I held an 8x11” photo of Ryker that they’d printed out. I was supposed to make a sympathy statement or something, but we all knew Ryker wouldn’t be out in public. No one was going to see him if the DPP got him. They took him so they could use him.

“Hey, remember what we need is their sympathy so they start pleading for the truth from the higher-ups and rallying,” Ezra says trying to reassure me.

I just nod silently as Maya takes a seat beside me. She rests a hand on my knee and I feel the urge to pull away but I don’t.

“He’s out there, we just have to find him,” she tries, too.

Who would he be when we found him? Would they do more experiments on him? Or just use him? We still had no idea what their intentions really were over a decade and a half later after their project was shut down, they finally had one of their star test subjects back, what came next?

Maya had pictures of Alice, Harriet, and the adult test subjects who had lost their lives or been hurt between 1995 and 1997 during the first round of experiments. If we were lucky, some of the people who dropped out would remember the experiment and come forward, worst-case scenario, they remained silent. Less proof, less traction, less support.

“You ready?” Ryū asked.

I take a shuttering breath and nodded and Maya rubbed my shoulder and did the same. She stood up and stood beside me well I remained in the chair.

“3, 2, 1, start,” Tom called and clicked record.

“Hello, my name is Maya Flores. Over a month ago, police and the authorities stated that I went missing from Copper Cove Academy, along with two boys, Porter Hollow, and Ryker Rathaway. It was suspected that they took me and did something to me. I want to put those rumors to rest. Porter and Ryker are some of the best people I have ever met, they would never harm anyone without reason and they did not kidnap me,” she stated.

“I know your next question is: Who did take me? A government-funded research company project by the name of the Death Prediction Project also known as the DPP. After you’ll ask: Why? Porter and Ryker, were test subjects in this company’s experiment. They did not willing volunteer, as at the time of the project’s conception and running time between 1995 and 2005, they were merely babies the company scooped up once they were declared unwanted by their parents. Not only did the government and state of Nebraska allow this to happen by not keeping documented records but the project continued to carry on under the nose of the government after it had already been shut down once after the deaths of several adult test subjects. They took me to lure the eight juvenile test subjects now aged sixteen to twenty-two out of hiding so they could take them and use them or experiment on them again,” she continues.

“Along with the several test subjects who were killed during the experiments, an innocent bystander Alice Kindersley was killed well they tried to round up the subjects. At the time of the experiments, the eight tests subject were all under the age of seven. None got a say in what was done to them and we have no clue the detrimental effects these experiments caused them. The DPP, on the 27th of January, kidnapped Ryker Rathaway and shot Harriet Hollow, her fate is unknown, she was just an innocent mother trying to protect her son, Porter Hollow,” she states as I hold up their pictures.

“Don’t allow them to do this again, whether to these children or ones in the future. These kids have hopes and dreams and deserve a normal life as much as any of you. They could be your children, your brother, your sister, they were adopted between the years 1998 and 2004 by the DPP for exploitation. Your voice matters, fight for the truth and safety they deserve,” she finishes and we hold up the seven test subject victims who died during the first round of experiments and state their names.

Arrow, Atlas, Chelsea, and Remi come into the frame behind us.

“These are five of the test subjects, they are all incredible, remarkable young people, who were adopted after the experiments and have grown into amazing people who deserve their freedom and the right to do what they want with their lives. They are not the government’s property to do with how they see fit. They are human. They are people. If you believe and agree with us, spread the word, share this video. The more people who believe and are willing to fight with us, the better chance they have at getting their freedom…” she finishes.

Tom hits stop on the camera.

“That was good, we’ll get this up and see what people have to say,” he replies.

I get up, leaving Ryker’s photo on the chair and make my way down to my room in the basement of the house. There’s a queen bed in the corner with white sheets and a comforter. The windows near the roof of the room have curtains blocking out the sunlight. I shut the door and lay down on the bed. But it felt empty without Ryker next to me.

I imagined him lying next to me, him resting his head against my chest. Me, running my fingers through his dark hair. I wanted to cry, everything was shattered when Maya opened the bedroom door. She walked gingerly around the clothes I’d started leaving in messy piles around the room. She took a seat on the edge of the bed, she looked at me and smiled sadly.

“He loves you, he’s out there fighting to get back to you,” she says quietly.

I had missed Maya, it made me annoyed when Ryker could have feelings for her. She still didn’t know. I didn’t know if I was keeping it from her out of spite or to protect her. It made me feel guilty sometimes that she was the last person I wanted to see some days. She was a reminder of what I had lost if I ever had it to begin with.

“Why did you kiss him that day before you pushed him into the van?” I ask suddenly.

She pauses for a second.

“You know how I had a crush on him in middle school?” she replies. “It was kind of me settling the fact that he was happy with you and that all I would ever be was a friend. It was selfish, I know. And I’m sorry.”

“You know what happened a week after that?” I asked not meeting her eyes.

“He started to question his feelings for you. I was trying to let go of him because he needed to figure this out,” I continue. “I shouldn’t feel like you’d taken him from me. It wasn’t your fault, it was his feelings and even then I wanted him to be happy out of everything. If you made him happy, who was I to stop it?”

“I thought something sounded off on that call. I’m over him now though, I know it’s his feelings but I didn’t mean to make it worse,” she adds.

“I can’t blame either of you, it happens. As much as it hurts me, I just want to make sure he’s safe,” I reply.

“You said he needed to figure out his feelings, it doesn’t mean it’s over. Nothing’s going to happen between us, and not for the sake of you. I’ve accepted that he’s not mine. I don’t know maybe being locked in an apartment gives you a lot of time to think about things,” she continues.

“It doesn’t change or make his feelings, if he has them, for you go away. He has to get over you, too,” I reply.

“He loved you first, I’m not sure you really get over any of the people you love let alone your first,” she adds.

“I know, we always said we’d love each other no matter what happened with you,” I murmur.

“That’s proof right there that he wasn’t over you. We will find him, Porter, and then you guys can talk about it. You’ll see him again,” she replies rubbing my shoulder.

“He thought Chelsea was his sister, too,” I continue.

It felt good to get all of this off my chest after holding it in for weeks.

“I thought her eyes looked familiar,” Maya comments. “This can’t be easy for her either, maybe you should go visit her.”

“I’m a mess, I’m not sure I’m in a position to comfort anyone,” I reply quietly.

“You’d be comforting each other. You’re stronger together. You both love him, so do Hank and Ezra. This isn’t easy for them either, you should all be sticking together and supporting each other. You should be there for each other. You all miss him,” she reasons.

She stands up, “You’re not alone, Porter. As much as it feels like you are, it’s only because you spend all your time aside from the searches, in here, alone. Ryker wouldn’t want you to be here alone.”

“We’re all just down the hall and upstairs when you’re ready,” she finishes quietly touching my hand.

“I know,” I reply quietly still in the bed.

She slips out of the room, leaving me in the dark.