https://www.wattpad.com/story/118707897-timed-out-book-3-jump-line-series

Chapter One

I slowly sucked in a deep breath and then thrust my head back underneath the steady stream of water. The heat and energy felt good, almost as if it were charging my tired body. It was just what I needed right now to get lost in my thoughts.

So much had happened that it was hard to comprehend. I was dead. Literally, I was killed five years ago and then made into Cipher. We looked human and could think on our own and feel emotions, but we weren't fully human. At least, that's what the woman who at one point I called "Mother" finally admitted. I was nothing more than someone's sick science experiment. I still didn't even fully understand exactly what I was made up of or how much of me was human.

Theo had told me I only had five minutes to shower and change, but I didn't want to get out. Besides it wasn't like we had anywhere we really needed to be right now or that we could truly hide from her. She always seemed to know our every move. We had removed trackers that had been embedded in our bodies, but still she found us.

This shower was the one place I felt somewhat real. I could feel the water roll down my skin. That had to mean something. How could I be dead? My mind had been on overdrive since we had arrived here, racing from everything that had happened over the past few hours. The one consistent link to all of the bad things in my life right now ...Dr. Marie James.

No one was safe. Not even me. At one point, we had apparently been her greatest invention, but then we began to think on our own and we disobeyed HER orders. Dr. James' skills had gotten better, but not good enough to completely dismiss us. She still needed the team. That was obvious, but why?

I felt my torso begin to convulse again as I dry heaved towards the marble wall in front of me. I hated her.

"I am going to destroy you Dr. Marie James," I whispered to myself as I tried to suppress the reflux to gag again. I knew she couldn't hear my words, but I didn't care. She had done too much to sabotage me over the past few years. At first, I had been led to believe that my biological mother had done these things out of love and a need to protect, but I was quickly realizing that idea was all wrong. I mean, it was crazy how off I was about her. She didn't care about me. For her, it was about control... and revenge. I was just a pawn in her little game.

I turned around and let the soft pellets of water slide down my back. I would have liked to be able to enjoy how the water felt, but I couldn't. Steam rose around me, so it had to be hotter than I normally liked it, but my body felt nothing right now.

LUX's voice interrupted the silence. "Captain James, the rest of the team is waiting for you to finish. How shall I respond to them?"

"Tell them I'm busy and don't have any plans to finish just yet." I thrust out my arm and let the water spray towards the glass door.

LUX didn't seem to fully hear my response. "Shall I tell them you will be going to your preparation tube within the next few seconds?"

"No." I quickly responded. I still needed more time to process everything. "Didn't you just hear me? I'm not getting out."

"Captain James, Theo has asked for an answer."

"I gave you my answer," I grumbled, letting my head fall forward. Theo could wait a few more minutes. I deserved and needed this time to figure out what was going on.

LUX's face disappeared from the screen. I closed my eyes again and let the water slide slowly down my cheeks...and then it was abruptly shut off.

"LUX! Turn the water back on!"

Silence.

"LUX!! I order you to turn the water back on! Right now! I'm the commanding officer and this is not funny!"

Before I could yell anything else, Theo appeared inside of the shower. He was standing only centimeters away from me, wearing his white suit with a serious expression on his face. In a normal time, I probably would have tried to hide my naked body with my hands, but I didn't care right now. We weren't real anyways. We were artificially created.

"What do you want?" I glared back at him. Theo needed to explain why he thought he should be standing in front of me.

His eyes looked back into mine. I felt as if they briefly softened before narrowing.

"It's time to go. I told you we only have thirty minutes," his fists clenched next to his body. "It would be nice if just once you would listen to me. I understand you outrank me, but I know this team and I know what's best for us right now."

"I heard you, but I don't care. Besides, it doesn't matter. Don't you get it, we're all dead. We really have no purpose other than to give her some sort of joy that she created us."

"Esa, you need to get dressed." His face was stoic as he stared straight ahead not even acknowledging my last few sentences.

"You shouldn't have jumped into my shower," I seethed, hoping he could hear how angry I was at the fact that Theo had violated my privacy.

"Go get dressed," he demanded, his serious voice rising several octaves. "Now! I'm not in the mood to play games."

"No," I responded defiantly. I really didn't care what else he had to say. He couldn't do anything to me. I was the captain of this team. He should be obeying my orders. "I'm not ready. I need more time. This shower is the one thing keeping me sane right now. It's almost as if the water is making me stronger."

"Esa."

I grabbed ahold of his face. He needed to see just how strongly I felt right now. "Theo, look at me. Trust me, this is not a game. Give me a minute."

"Oh, I get that. Do you?"

"Yes. Now, go away." I let my hands fall from his face.

His head slowly turned away from mine. For a brief second, it looked like he realized just how crazy all of this was for us.

"No."

"Fine. Then please just give me a few more minutes. I'm trying to figure out what is going on," I pleaded. It was all too much for me to try and figure out in such a short time.

It took him several seconds to respond. "Alright, but I'm going to stay in here with you," he leaned up against the opposite wall and looked upwards.

His words caused me to laugh from the absurdity.

"Okay, but close your eyes. It's a little weird that you are wanting to stay with me in the shower."

"No. I want to make sure you don't try and leave us once again. I'm in no mood to go searching throughout a whole bunch of decades to find you Esa. The team needs you right now. I need you."

"Fine," I turned back around. "Can you tell LUX to turn the water back on? She is obviously not responding to any of my commands, which is something we will address at a later time."

Theo shrugged his shoulders. "LUX, turn the water back on. Captain James will have one minute and then she will be done."

The water instantly came back on. Theo was quiet as I continued to let the water flow down my body.

Slowly, I peeked back over my shoulders. I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised. Theo was leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed over his chest, staring outside of the shower.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked annoyed he was giving me the cold shoulder...again.

Theo's presence in the shower was annoying, but also a distraction.

"Esa, don't," he said.

"Don't? What does that mean?"

"It means I'm in no mood for your constant questions."

His words hit me hard. They seemed so cold and mean. Once again, Theo was pulling away from me. Somehow I shouldn't be too surprised, but I was.

"Don't be an idiot," I turned back around and walked towards him. I slowly put my hands up on his face. "We need each other."

His eyes held mine and finally he responded, "I agree, but that might not be enough."

Suddenly, he walked towards me and put his finger on my lip. "Stop talking. We're not alone."