Taking the stairs as carefully as he could, avoiding the few spots where he knew they would squeak, Jeremiah led her to the second floor and down the hallway to where Parker’s bedroom door stood slightly ajar. Parker was inside, his back to them, obliterating video enemy forces with severe concentration, entirely oblivious to the fact that his own father was standing there about to subject him to Meld and essentially kidnap him.

Natalie wasted no time, but inhaled deeply, readied the syringe and walked up behind him with long, determined strides. She jabbed the needle into Parker’s right shoulder. He jumped violently and turned with a terrified expression, but slumped over onto his desk before he could utter a single word. Natalie settled the boy’s head into a more comfortable position and Jeremiah let out the breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding in.

“I’ll go get the clone,” he said. “Wait here.”

Halfway down the stairs he ran headlong into his own clone coming up.

Chapter 44

For a moment they stood there, facing each other without a word, neither of them fully comprehending what they were seeing. For his part, Jeremiah was simply surprised to see the clone home so quickly. He hadn’t considered this contingency at all and the shock of it stopped him in midstep. He imagined his clone’s concern was a little more urgent, as he’d literally walked in on a home invasion. He was probably also wondering whether he’d lose another body part.

It was the clone who spoke first.

“You!” He stared at Jeremiah while his face raced through a series of expressions from fear to confusion to rage and back again. “Parker?” he called over Jeremiah’s shoulder. “I swear to God if you’ve hurt him... Parker!”

He pushed past Jeremiah with a sudden show of strength and took the remaining stairs two at a time, almost tripping in the process, and burst into Parker’s bedroom to find Natalie Young standing over the boy. Jeremiah came in at his heels. Natalie looked from one identical face to the other and then settled on Jeremiah.

“Jesus!” she said. “This is all we need. You didn’t think to lock the door?”

“He has a key, remember?”

“What the hell is going on here! What have you done to him? Parker!” The clone rushed past Natalie and grasped the boy by the shoulders, a look of absolute terror creeping over his face when he saw Parker’s head fall awkwardly to one side.

“Oh, my God! No. No. What have you done?” He began slapping the boy’s cheeks in an attempt to rouse him.

Jeremiah rushed up next to his double and tried to pry Parker from his grip.

“He’s okay. He’s just sleeping,” he said. “He’s fine.”

“We haven’t hurt him,” Natalie said, holding her hands out in defense. “It’s just a mild sedative. That’s all.”

“Who the hell are you people?” Although he addressed both of them, the clone’s eyes were fixed on Jeremiah’s face. “I’m calling the police.”