Entwined

By Janelle Armstrong

As a teenager, April escaped from a secret lab where she and eleven others endured horrific experiments. Only two survived. Now, years later, she has a new name and a new life. When a threat from her past returns, the only person who might be able to help is the other survivor. But she doesn't know who he is or where he is.
February tries to forget the nightmare of his past, but a deadly secret from that time still haunts him. When the danger reappears, he must decide whether to reveal his identity to the only other survivor. But if he does, will it put her in more danger? Only by working together can they finally be free.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Janelle Armstrong
• Release date: Jul 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005783167

Janelle Armstrong

Since my grandmother's gift of a Nancy Drew book long ago, I've been a prolific reader. From historical romance to mysteries and thrillers, I've always had my nose in a book. Long bus rides back and forth to work went by quickly while caught up in a fictional character's hair-raising adventures. Luckily, I never missed my stop! I have two dystopian series out now. The Barren Plains Series (Exile, Book 1, Brace, Book 2 and Clash, Book 3) and The Extinction Archives (The Drifters, Book 1, The Seekers, Book 2 and The Outcasts, Book 3). My new book is a stand-alone romantic suspense called Entwined. All are available in ebook or paperback.

Book preview

Chapter 28

Epilogue

About the Author

Entwined

Janelle Armstrong

Copyright © 2021

All Rights Reserved.

Cover design by Dawné Dominique

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

Other Books by Janelle Armstrong

Exile (The Barren Plains Series, Book 1)

Brace (The Barren Plains Series, Book 2)

Clash (The Barren Plains Series, Book 3)

The Drifters (The Extinction Archives, Book 1)

The Seekers (The Extinction Archives, Book 2)

The Outcasts (The Extinction Archives, Book 3)

For Chris W.

Chapter 1

April crouched beneath the drooping limbs of a tall spruce tree as lightning flashed in relentless arcs across the dark sky. A bone-jarring crack of thunder followed each blinding illumination. She shivered. The thin cotton shirt and drawstring pants she wore provided little protection from the elements, so the coming rain would only add to her misery. That is, unless lightning struck her, turning her into a piece of charcoal.

Still too close to her prison, April forced herself to crawl out from under the tree. She paused to listen after the last boom of thunder faded. Were they searching for her? A frisson of fear ran through her as she tried to peer into the shadows. The ghostly silhouettes of trees around her revealed nothing.

The first droplets of rain started to fall, gentle at first, then like cold needles poking her tender skin. Despite her misery, she crossed her arms and trudged on. Her utilitarian slip-on shoes squished with each step, threatening to slip off and slow her down.

Another flash accompanied by a thunderclap echoed through the woods. This one was so loud, she thought for a moment she’d lost her hearing. Behind her, the tree she'd rested under began to topple. She ran as the forest giant fell, hitting the ground with a loud thump.

Surrounded by trees that attracted lightning and stalked by danger, she had no choice but to continue her flight. The last strike appeared to signal the end of the storm as it moved away. It shimmered intermittently in the distance as the thunder dwindled to low, rolling rumbles. The only sound now was the rain as it drummed on the leaves and ground.

April kept going until she came to a hill. Eyeing the slippery slope, she wondered if higher ground might be safer. Grabbing an exposed tangle of roots, she started to pull herself up. It wasn't very steep but still sapped her strength as she struggled to climb. With a final mighty heave, she collapsed facedown at the top.

Covered in mud, shaking with cold, she crawled to a fallen tree and curled into a ball in the narrow space beneath. If there were crawly things in there, she didn't care. It gave her some relief from the drenching rain.

The scent of pine, dirt, and wet leaves surrounded her. She desperately wanted to drift off to sleep even as her mind fought to stay alert, resisting the temptation to close her eyes. Stay awake, the voice in her head whispered. She listened to the rain, watching as it pooled in small depressions, erasing her footprints. As they filled, tiny rivulets snaked out to fall over the bank she'd just climbed.

Were the guards also out in the woods, enduring the miserable weather in their desperate search to find her? Just the thought of coming under their control again had her crawling out to continue her flight.

A short time later, April stumbled out of the trees. Wiping the rain from her tired eyes, she studied the bridge. She remembered crossing it when they brought her to her prison. For several minutes she listened to the rain and the sound of rushing water. The heavy downpour had turned the placid stream into a boiling vortex of mud and debris.

Her eyes focused on the cover of the forest on the other side. She'd be out in the open when she crossed. Gathering her nerve, she ran across the slippery deck. She stayed in the center, keeping away from the cable-strung posts on either side that served as guardrails. It would be too easy to slide beneath them into the maelstrom below. She kept running long after the forest on the other side closed around her.

When her breath started to hitch painfully, she stopped to rest. Crouching down, she wrapped her arms around her legs. She shivered in her soaked clothes. Misery engulfed her. For a nanosecond, she considered giving up. She could sit here and wait for them to find her. Even as the thought tried to take slippery hold in her mind, her inner voice soothed. Keep going. You can do it. With a ragged sob, she got to her feet. She hadn't come this far to give up. She would never go back. Never. She was alone, but she was free. Free from the horrors of Sunfield and their experiments.

When others broke, she stubbornly refused. Even when the voice began to whisper in her head, and it felt like her brain had split in half. Then the pain in her head stopped, but not the voice. It whispered to her, Wait and watch—good advice from a broken brain.

One by one, April watched the other girls embrace the nothingness. Once they achieved it, they disappeared. She never saw them again. There were two stages—first, mental deterioration, second, catatonia. That scared her more than the pain she went through during the tests. Now only two of them remained, but December was well into the final stage. Was April in the first stage? Was her brain beginning to deteriorate?

The guards, who referred to themselves as caretakers, didn't know about the voice. She'd kept that to herself. If it was the start of her trip to zombie town, she would fight it if she could. She did not want to become like the others, so she hid her growing fear.

Then came the night of the storm. A lightning strike knocked out the power. Her door lock that usually glowed red went out for a few precious seconds. Her broken brain whispered, Go! She didn't hesitate and slipped out into the deserted hallway. She paused by December's door, but it was already too late for her.

At least the empty hallway gave April an opening while the two guards on the night shift were busy in the lab. Flashing red warning lights covered her desperate journey down the stairs to the fire door.

Outside, she raced across the open field to the fence. Fearing the wire mesh might be on a separate system, she took off her shoe and threw it at the barrier. When it didn't create a rain of sparks, she retrieved her shoe, then wormed her way beneath the fence just as the outside lights turned on one by one. She looked back at the empty field. If any of the boys took advantage of the brief blackout, she didn’t see them. Then again, their rooms were on the other side of the compound, so she didn't know how many of them remained, if any. Turning, she fled into the forest.

Hours later, she’d left the rushing stream far behind her. She had no idea how far she'd gone but didn’t regret her decision to detour through the dense forest. It was safer than the road. She stopped to listen as a new sound penetrated the pounding rain. Voices. Fear coiled in her belly.

Panicked, she turned in a circle. Hide! the inner voice urged. Two side-by-side forest giants created a dark space between their massive trunks. She scrambled between them, crouching down in the dark shadows behind a screen of tall weeds. Her once white pants and shirt were black with mud, camouflaging her appearance. In her haste, one of her shoes slipped off. She grabbed it, holding it tight against her chest as she tried to still her galloping heartbeat. The voices came closer.

Well? What do you think? Are we going in the right direction? She couldn't have gone far in this storm.

Another voice replied to the question. As soon as the storm ends, we'll get the tracker drone in the air. Until then, we have to do this the old-fashioned way. Your constant bitching isn't helping.

You know there's going to be one hell of a shitstorm if we don't bring her back. I heard they're shutting down once we have her.

We’ll get her and the other one.

April held back a gasp. Someone else escaped?

Come on. Let’s circle back. You’re right. She must’ve taken the road. We’ll have her and the other one picked up by the time Dr. Candor or his assistant gets back.

Fine by me. This place gives me the creeps. They paid me enough to look the other way, but those kids got seriously weird. I wonder what happened to them. I didn’t sign up for killing kids.

The low hacking cough sounded far too close.

Don’t be a fool. They’re scientists, not killers. Doctor Candor said they sent them away to get more treatment. We got enough for a nice retirement, so just shut up and enjoy it. Come on, let’s try this direction.

April waited several minutes before she scrambled out. She slipped on her muddy shoe. There was only one way for her to go—the opposite direction from the one the guards had taken. As she hurried through the dripping forest, she wondered who else escaped. It had to be one of the boys. She knew she was the last of the girls.

Her thoughts distracted her just enough to cause her to trip over an exposed root. She fell, twisting her foot. Muffling a sob, she got to her feet, forced to a slow, painful limp. When the ground beneath her suddenly gave way, she bounced and rolled down a muddy slope. Pain bloomed in her head when she came to a stop at the bottom. She lay half-dazed as rain pummeled her body.

When she felt strong arms lift her, she thought she was dreaming. The sensation of feeling safe lasted a few seconds before she realized they’d found her. She struggled as the arms tightened. The brief skirmish caused her head to spin.

Stop fighting me. I’m trying to help.

She started to panic again. I’m not going back. Put me down.

I’m not taking you back.

April couldn’t see his face. The hood drawn down over his head kept it in shadows. Who are you?

They call me February.

While she’d been a prisoner, she’d seen the boys a few times from across the compound, but she wasn’t sure what any of them looked like up close. He must be one of the twelve, but the boys and girls lived in separate areas. January once told her it was because of hormones. April didn’t know why she found that funny, even as it shocked her. Did raging teenage hormones throw off the tests? Or help you along to zombie town?

When she started to ask another question, February set her down. Turn around.

Confused, she did as he asked. She looked over her shoulder to see him take out a pocketknife with a silver engraved handle. This will hurt a little. I’m sorry.

Was he going to kill her? She tried to run, but he caught hold of her, pinning her against his body. She felt his warm breath on her neck. You have a tracker. I need to get it out.

April stiffened. A tracker? She recalled the guards saying that they would send the tracker drone up as soon as the worst of the rain stopped. She felt the cold blade on the back of her neck.

Hold still. I’ll try to be quick.

The sharp stab of pain caused her to gasp. She bit down hard enough on her lip to draw blood. It lasted for an agonizing minute before fading to a throbbing ache. He reached out to steady her when she stumbled. She looked down at the silver object about the size of a small pea in his hand. When had they put it in her? He closed his fingers around it.

It wasn’t deep. Clean it when you have a chance. He pointed to an opening in the trees. Through there is a road that runs next to the highway. Get as far from here as you can. Don’t trust anyone.

She hesitated, wondering if he was coming with her.

If you want to stay safe, don’t say anything about the Sunfield Academy. He started to walk back into the trees. Stay away from the cops too. Some of them are on the academy’s payroll. Then he was gone.

Her head hurt. Her ankle hurt. The back of her neck hurt where he’d removed the tracker. She was a mess, and February had left her all alone. Still, he did help her, pointing her in the right direction to go. She wondered why they couldn’t travel together. The company of a fellow prisoner would be comforting. With a miserable huff, she limped toward the opening in the trees.

It didn’t take April long to reach the cracked, asphalt road. Weeds grew in the gaps. No one traveled this way very often. With grim determination, she limped down the uneven surface. She needed to rest, but the idea of curling up in a tree or on the wet ground didn’t appeal. She touched the wound on her neck. Her fingers showed little blood, so either the flow was sluggish, or the rain washed the worst of it away. A tender bump was growing on her head from her fall, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that.

She might have walked five miles or one. At least it was raining hard enough so she could cup her hands and drink a little. As the rain eased, she felt more exposed. February had taken her tracker with him to throw off the drone, but what about the guards? She shuddered, thinking if it wasn’t for February, they might have found her no matter where she tried to hide.

As the morning wore on, noises from a nearby highway grew louder as the traffic became heavier. The forest started to thin. She worried about being in the open. Did the tracker drone have a camera? She stopped when she saw a dilapidated barn in the distance. One side of the structure leaned precariously inward. She scanned the surrounding area, but saw no houses nearby. It might provide temporary shelter while she rested. She followed the overgrown, rutted dirt track leading up to it. On closer inspection, she found no sign of recent use. The large door hung at an angle, providing a gap wide enough for her to slip inside.

In the gloomy interior, bars of light came through several holes in the roof. A flutter of wings overhead startled her. She looked up to see several birds roosting in the rafters. After a moment, they calmed and resumed their perches. April closed her eyes. Dizziness from exhaustion caused her to stumble. Her mouth was dry, and her stomach growled, but rest came first. A stall, empty of moldering hay, worked for her. She just needed a couple of hours to rest. Curling up on her side, she fell fast asleep on the dirt floor.

April woke hours later. She rolled to stare up at the rafters. Birds chirped and flitted from one crumbling beam to the next. Light streamed through the holes in the roof as dust motes danced in the air. From the angle of the sun, she guessed she’d slept most of the day. She sat up to check her ankle. There was no noticeable swelling. She got to her feet, but it didn’t hurt much when she put her weight on it. She reached back to touch where February had cut her, feeling only dried blood. At least it stopped bleeding. She looked down at her filthy pants and shirt, still damp from the rain. The dirty barn floor hadn’t improved their appearance.

A faint whirring sound drew her eyes upward. A small drone hovered above the largest opening. Her inner voice shouted, Hide! Before the object could descend, the birds in the rafters flew up, causing the tiny machine to back off. It gave her enough time to squeeze behind a set of boards leaning against the back of the stall. A filmy veil of spider webs caressed her face. She wiped them away, wrapping her arms around her bent legs. Don’t move, the voice ordered. The whirring hum came closer as it descended into the gloom. It hovered, moving from one end of the barn to the other. She held her breath and listened. Then, after a few minutes, there was silence. It took another few moments before she felt brave enough to crawl out from her hiding place.

April craned her neck to look up at the roof. The birds returned to perch in the rafters. They wouldn’t be there if the drone was still flying around. She let out a sigh of relief as she bent to brush off the addition of several filmy webs from her clothes. With a shudder of distaste, she ran her hands through her short hair just in case.

Feeling a little wobbly, she sat with her back against the stall. What was her next move? She had no doubt the guards were still looking if the drone was out. They must be searching for the signal from her tracker. She had February to thank that it was gone. It was time to think about what he said. He told her to get as far away as she could. She needed transportation, which meant she had to find a town. She would worry about how when she got there.

April set off again. It would be dark soon. She stayed at the fringes of the trees, traveling in the shadows, not trusting the open until sunset. She continued to listen for any sign of the drone as she wondered what February did with her tracker.

The road curved toward the lights of a truck stop. Keeping out of sight, she edged closer. One car sat at the row of gas pumps, a dusty red Jeep. A woman with short, silver-streaked hair got out to fill her tank. She stood staring out at the freeway's heavy traffic in the distance while her tank filled. As soon as the pump stopped, she removed the nozzle.

April debated with herself. Should she run to the woman, beg for her help? Would the woman think she was some sort of crazy person? She remembered February’s warning not to say anything. She chewed on her lip with indecision. There were no other cars except for two parked at the side of the building, which probably belonged to the hired help.

The woman left the car and went inside the station. Go now! April didn’t hesitate. Maybe the half of her brain that talked to her wasn’t crazy. Maybe it was just survival instinct. She darted out of her hiding place and ran to the car. She opened the back door, slipped inside, and crouched down as low as she could. She held her breath and waited.

A few minutes later, the woman came back. She slid into the driver’s seat, placed a large steaming cup in the cupholder, and started the car. After a few turns, the car sped up with no more stops. April figured they were on the freeway. For the first time, she relaxed.

Are you in some trouble, dear?

Chapter 2

April froze.

You might as well sit up. It can’t be comfortable squished down like that.

April got up and sat on the seat.

Hmmm. It’s going to be difficult to talk to you when you’re back there. Why don’t you climb over and sit in front?

April swallowed hard, fear making her heart beat like a triphammer, but she did as the woman asked.

Seat belt, dear, the woman said with kindness.

April looked down and found it, pulling it across her and locking it in place. I need help, she burst out.

Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? What kind of trouble are you in?

A half-hysterical laugh escaped April’s mouth. Bad people are looking for me.

The woman gave her a sharp glance before returning it to the road. How old are you?

I’m seventeen. April anxiously scanned the road behind them.

The woman flashed her a look of concern. Why are they looking for you? What about your parents?

April was unsure how much she should tell. How could she make this woman