In one quick movement, I have his gun out of his holster and I am pointing it at his face.

If he is shocked, he doesn't show it. He keeps his eyes trained on mine, his body tense, unmoving, but I know it's there somewhere–the sense of betrayal, the realization that he was right. I am dangerous, because Marine World has forced me to be.

I look him dead in the eye, praying my voice doesn't shake when I speak. "I'm going to need your pass."

Reece doesn't move, but his left eyebrow raises. "I had a feeling there was more to you than you were letting on," he says carefully.

"Too bad you won't get the chance to tell the rest of them," I say. The gun shakes between my fingers. I have no idea how to get such a contraption to work–instructions didn't exactly come with the dictionary definition–but my finger hovers over the trigger, anyway.

The corner of Reece's mouth twitches slightly, though his eyes remain cautious. "How far do you think you'd get alone?" he asks. "The park gates are locked. You have no idea where you're going."

"I'm sure I'll figure it out," I say, though I don't sound confident. If this were Jackson, I think I'd shoot in a heartbeat, but not Reece. Not the only person who has ever looked at me like I am a human and not an exhibition. "Look, I don't want to hurt you," I whisper, lowering the gun an inch to show him I'm not a threat–at least not if he complies. "Please just give me your pass."

"Be smart, Aura," he finally growls, taking a step forward.

I clutch the gun harder, close to pulling the trigger. "Don't move!" I hiss. "I–"

In the next instance, Reece is flipping the gun from my hands and pointing it at me. I fall impossibly still, though my heart continues to pound with regret. I hesitated to kill him, let my humanity get in the way of my survival, and now everything I've been envisioning–my escape, my freedom–is crashing down around me.

I close my eyes. This is it, this is the moment it ends for me, and instead of struggling, or fighting, I feel myself wanting to give up and welcome it.

When it feels like several moments pass, I open my eyes to see the gun is back in Reece's holster and he's watching me carefully. "Look, I'll get you out," he says, his voice low and unusually soft, "but not today. All right?"

For a moment, I just stare at him, unable to comprehend his words, and when I finally do, I don't believe them. I can't. "You're lying," I say, casting my gaze to the far wall. "You wouldn't help us."

"When you go, it needs to be while the park is still open," Reece says, ignoring my comment. "Preferably on a Saturday, when it's busiest."

I step forward slightly, expecting him to step back, but he doesn't. "Why?" I ask, craning my neck to look at him. "Is this some kind of trap? Appease me until tomorrow morning when Marine World can get rid of me?"

Finally, he snaps. "You think I don't know that this is wrong?" he asks, grabbing my arm before pulling me toward him. "Because I do, all right?"

He lets go suddenly as though he hadn't meant to touch me; my arm continues to tingle even after his fingers have left my skin.

"I'm supposed to do my job and not ask questions," he says quietly, avoiding my gaze. "Those are the rules, Aura." He finally brings himself to look at me. "I told myself you were happy here, that you wouldn't survive out there in the real world, and it made things easier to accept. But after interacting with you–" he stops to exhale slightly. "There's a lot you don't understand about this place, or the people that run it. Hell, there's a lot I still don't understand."

"Then tell me," I say, my voice demanding. "Please. I can't–I can't stay here anymore. I can't do another one of those tests."

He takes another breath before running a hand through his hair. "It happened almost twenty years ago," he says. "Hundreds of labs across America were caught making genetically engineered embryos for wealthy customers, designing the babies the way the parents wanted them to be. When the cops found out, they shut down the labs, made genetic engineering against the law and destroyed the remaining embryos, or so they thought. Some were stolen and sold on the dark web. Apparently, the owner of Marine World, Mark Goodings, got a hold of multiple embryos and raised them here in secret. You were one of them."

I am silent, still trying to process his words. I have always known I was altered as an embryo, created by Marine World to please the guests, but Marine World never disclosed anything more and strangely, it never occurred to me to ask.

"I don't understand," I finally say. "Are you saying I was already altered before I got to Marine World?"

He takes me by the shoulders and pulls me toward him, an urgency in his grip. "You were made this way by scientists, not Marine World. Designed to be the perfect embryo for some rich couple, somewhere."

I shake my head, feeling as though I might be sick. "Marine World told me I was specially made to perform for the guests."

Now it's his turn to shake his head. "It was a lie," he says. "The owner of Marine World saw a way to capitalize on you all. They would have paid some woman to carry you to term. She probably would have stayed here in Marine World until she gave birth."

I close my eyes for a long moment, trying to curb the queasiness. I might not understand all of the things he is telling me, but I do know one thing.

Marine World has lied.