Read Online Shattered Girls (Broken Dolls Book 2) by Tyrolin Puxty - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tyrolin Puxty
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that. It’s important to scope out these cities.”
“Yeah, I guess… I just think about my nieces. They’re the creative types. They excel in music and art, not so much in STEM subjects. Does that mean they should be wiped from society?”
“Rick, if it bothers you that much, quit. No one’s forcing you to stay.”
The one called Rick sighs and strokes the edge of his briefcase. “It just seems so surreal. Even this train is messed up.”
“How so?”
“A secret train that only we board? Doesn’t that seem… I don’t know, Big Brother?”
The one called Nathan flicks out his phone and presses one number. It doesn’t take long for him to connect. “Yeah, hey, Tess. Rick is having second thoughts. Deactivate him.”
“
WHAT
?!” Rick shoots up and waves his hands wildly. “
No
, don’t—” Without warning, his eyes roll up and he crashes to the ground.
I stare at… the corpse? Is this a corpse?
Please, someone
, tear me out of this nightmare!
“That took care of that.” Nathan rubs his hands together, the satisfaction of a job well done rolling off him in greasy waves. “I’ll take him to Schenectady. Someone else might be able to pop into his body and come with me.”
Shoving my hair into my mouth to keep audible sobs from escaping my throat, I rock back and forth and imagine my happy place as the professor’s clones laugh and tease one another. One by one, they all exit the train at various stops, until I’m once again left alone in the darkness.
It’s nighttime. The clones haven’t stepped onto the train for a good twelve hours. I’ve worked up the courage to sit by the doors again, but I’m losing all hope. I nervously stare at the dark platform when the train comes to a stop.
The doors open, and I glance up at the man who rests his hands on his belt.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
“How long has it been?” I shield my eyes from his torch.
“Thirty or so hours. I knew the train would loop back here eventually.”
“Where’s Gabby?”
“She’s with me.” Officer Bloom bends over and offers his hands for me to jump on. “Were you the anonymous tipster?” I don’t respond, so he puts me on his shoulder and continues. “We were here when the imposter ran from the station. He was strong. A little
too
strong, but we managed to tackle him. Gabby’s pretty shaken up. I was about to take her home, but she burst into tears and said her parents were missing. And she didn’t want to go to her aunt’s until she knew you were safe, so she’s with my daughter finishing their group assignment.”
I don’t know what to say. When we get into the car, he places me in the passenger seat and even straps the seatbelt around me. Why on earth would any police officer go to this much effort to rescue a teenager’s robot doll?
As we drive in silence to his house, I can’t shake the awful feeling that he knows something I don’t.
“ELLA!” Gabby thunders down the stairs, reaching for me as soon as Officer Bloom steps through the door. She brings me to her chest and squeezes me as tightly as humanly possible. “I’m so sorry! I should’ve listened to you! I don’t know what I would’ve done if you never came back!”
“What
happened
?” I ask, too bewildered to appreciate her embrace. “You were as good as gone!”
“The police were outside the carriage! Thank God someone called them! Ella, it was awful. The imposter ripped out a chunk of my hair, look.” She turns her head to show me the bald patch near her ponytail. I notice the bruises on her wrists and furrow my eyebrows. “Yeah, a few bruises too, but nothing major. The cops tackled him, and he banged his head on the ground really hard. Then he just… stopped.” She doesn’t continue. Instead, she looks vacantly at Officer Bloom.
“Do you mean surrendered?”
“No, just stopped.”
“Gabby, that’s not helpful. Are you telling me he’s dead?”
She shakes her head. “No. He was never alive in
“Yeah, I guess… I just think about my nieces. They’re the creative types. They excel in music and art, not so much in STEM subjects. Does that mean they should be wiped from society?”
“Rick, if it bothers you that much, quit. No one’s forcing you to stay.”
The one called Rick sighs and strokes the edge of his briefcase. “It just seems so surreal. Even this train is messed up.”
“How so?”
“A secret train that only we board? Doesn’t that seem… I don’t know, Big Brother?”
The one called Nathan flicks out his phone and presses one number. It doesn’t take long for him to connect. “Yeah, hey, Tess. Rick is having second thoughts. Deactivate him.”
“
WHAT
?!” Rick shoots up and waves his hands wildly. “
No
, don’t—” Without warning, his eyes roll up and he crashes to the ground.
I stare at… the corpse? Is this a corpse?
Please, someone
, tear me out of this nightmare!
“That took care of that.” Nathan rubs his hands together, the satisfaction of a job well done rolling off him in greasy waves. “I’ll take him to Schenectady. Someone else might be able to pop into his body and come with me.”
Shoving my hair into my mouth to keep audible sobs from escaping my throat, I rock back and forth and imagine my happy place as the professor’s clones laugh and tease one another. One by one, they all exit the train at various stops, until I’m once again left alone in the darkness.
It’s nighttime. The clones haven’t stepped onto the train for a good twelve hours. I’ve worked up the courage to sit by the doors again, but I’m losing all hope. I nervously stare at the dark platform when the train comes to a stop.
The doors open, and I glance up at the man who rests his hands on his belt.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
“How long has it been?” I shield my eyes from his torch.
“Thirty or so hours. I knew the train would loop back here eventually.”
“Where’s Gabby?”
“She’s with me.” Officer Bloom bends over and offers his hands for me to jump on. “Were you the anonymous tipster?” I don’t respond, so he puts me on his shoulder and continues. “We were here when the imposter ran from the station. He was strong. A little
too
strong, but we managed to tackle him. Gabby’s pretty shaken up. I was about to take her home, but she burst into tears and said her parents were missing. And she didn’t want to go to her aunt’s until she knew you were safe, so she’s with my daughter finishing their group assignment.”
I don’t know what to say. When we get into the car, he places me in the passenger seat and even straps the seatbelt around me. Why on earth would any police officer go to this much effort to rescue a teenager’s robot doll?
As we drive in silence to his house, I can’t shake the awful feeling that he knows something I don’t.
“ELLA!” Gabby thunders down the stairs, reaching for me as soon as Officer Bloom steps through the door. She brings me to her chest and squeezes me as tightly as humanly possible. “I’m so sorry! I should’ve listened to you! I don’t know what I would’ve done if you never came back!”
“What
happened
?” I ask, too bewildered to appreciate her embrace. “You were as good as gone!”
“The police were outside the carriage! Thank God someone called them! Ella, it was awful. The imposter ripped out a chunk of my hair, look.” She turns her head to show me the bald patch near her ponytail. I notice the bruises on her wrists and furrow my eyebrows. “Yeah, a few bruises too, but nothing major. The cops tackled him, and he banged his head on the ground really hard. Then he just… stopped.” She doesn’t continue. Instead, she looks vacantly at Officer Bloom.
“Do you mean surrendered?”
“No, just stopped.”
“Gabby, that’s not helpful. Are you telling me he’s dead?”
She shakes her head. “No. He was never alive in
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