Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 127712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
But none of that is the point. The point is, there’s not much time for Mercer to explain. So once we’re a little bit away from the island, he starts talking.
“I’m not who you think I am.”
I snicker. “Really?”
He pauses here to smile. It’s not directed at me, so I don’t really understand it. But then it is directed at me. And in this moment, I see an entirely different person.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mercer smile before.
“You think I’m some rich fuck, right? Some genius from a good family. Some privileged kid who was gifted a high IQ at birth and has been living a charmed life ever since. But that’s not true, Nova. They found me. They found me the same way they found you.”
It takes me a second for these words to sink in. But when they do, I’m… stunned. But then again, not stunned. Because isn’t that how they found all of us? What person in their right mind wants to be Silas Mercer in this scenario?
Everyone on the island hates him. He is the object of all our malice. He’s the face of this project. He’s the one standing in the way of our freedom.
“You’re on the drug.” It’s not even a question. I instantly know it’s true.
“I have been. For decades. But I’m not right now. I crash out early every time, but they don’t know that yet. Sometimes as early as a week. Sometimes just one day. It’s funny, right?” He looks down at me with a pained expression on his face. “I give that fucking drug to Locke one time—one. Fucking. Time. And he never crashed out of it. He’s stuck in it, forever. But me? No. Me? I take it and crash out early. There is no way to forget what I did to him, because believe me, I love that man. I don’t know what kind of love it is, but he’s never left me. Even when I abuse him, Nova.” He pauses here to look sternly at me. “Not that kind of abuse. And it’s not on purpose. But the mind, Nova. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the course of these fucked-up decades, it’s that abusing the mind—especially with lies, like the ones I feed people with this drug—it’s evil. Far more evil than a mere punch in the face. Though he and I have had our share of fights. Locke always was a scrapper.”
“What are you telling me? You’re saying that they’re… controlling you too?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. And you don’t have to believe me—I get it. I’m not exactly trustworthy. But they have paired me up with you for three years now. When you go in, I go in. They’ve been working us together. And tonight, when we get back—if you go back—we do it again. One last time.”
I scoff at him. “Do you really think they’re gonna let me go, Mercer?”
“No. Of course not. You are their champion lab rat. That’s why we have this plan. I have this plan,” he corrects. “I am going to get you out of here. One way or another, I am. I can’t help Locke.” He sighs. It’s a heavy sigh. “They will let him leave. Any time he wants. And I’ve tried to kick him out, Nova. I’ve tried. But he won’t go. He’s… in love with me, I think. And I’m OK with that, because like I said, I love him too. So when he refuses, I just give in. Because I want him here. I need him, Nova. He’s the only thing keeping me sane. It’s selfish, but I can’t stand the thought of him out there, lost in this drug, without me.”
“Wow.” I lean back against the side of the boat and just… allow this new development to sink in.
“Now let me tell you why you need to marry me. It’s like this—they’re blackmailing me. They have film of me running all these experiments, right? I’m the face of this project. If anyone rats out the program, guess who goes on trial for crimes against humanity?”
“You,” I whisper.
“Me. But if you marry me, I will have one person on my side to tell society the truth when that trial happens.”
I think about this for a moment. And in this moment, I realize that we’ve arrived and he’s pulling up to the dock. When he’s done, and the engine has been shut off, he looks down at me again, waiting for me to say something.
“I don’t think it will work, Mercer.”
“It won’t. There’s no saving me.”
That’s not what I meant. I mean, it won’t work for me, either. But he’s still talking, so I don’t have time to correct him. “I just need you to know I’m on your side. I’ve been on your side—maybe not the whole time, because I didn’t know, but for years now. And this is the best plan I could come up with.”