I really didn’t want to see that or take part, I sighed reaching over to Jasper enclosing his large calloused hand over mine.
A small knock came at the door, Bethany let in Willy and my Mom. Willy and Mom took their seats behind Ben and Bethany.
My Mom was shaking, she gave me a weak smile trying to be brave, but I could almost smell the fear rolling off of her.
Now that everyone had their seat Ben moved to Garrett and my Dad, pulling off their hoods, they both scrunched their faces up trying to adjust to the light.
Ben gave them a moment before beginning, and he motioned to Lilly and Willy to come forward.
“Why were you with the Militia?” Ben asked them both, Lilly and Willy each placed a hand on one of their shoulders tapping into their memories, seeing what they seen as they thought their answer, like a supernatural lie detector of sorts.
My Dad answered first. “Ben… We’ve known each other a very long time. You knew I was Military, but I believed in the Military at the time. I served to keep the general public safe I thought that if I served that others wouldn’t have to. I believed it to be honorable to those of our kind and those and to those who are not. I honestly thought that we were doing good deeds for the good of the country…but then I found out about The Genesis Project.” My Dad sighed, his shoulders slumping as if he carried some heavy burden; his head fell forward against his chest.
“My squads over the years had been made up of gifted, like us, we interacted with other squads who were gifted as well as the non-gifted, but for the most part all of our operations were covert and confidential because of our abilities. So our contact with non-gifted had been limited. My current squad, the squad that I had, had been made up of some of the key players in this uprising.” He paused, allowing this new information to sink in.
He knew who they key people were.
“They tried to convince me of their views over the years, but I honestly never took them completely serious until a few months ago. We were at the barracks; everyone seemed to be in from missions. Some were granted leave others like me who were forced into a new life…not so much.
The past fourteen years I have technically been dead. I wasn’t the only one though, the more powerful we are the more in demand we were. We were blackmailed into our “death”, promised protection for our family and a sizable check that would go to them every month for the rest of their lives, or we would face a firing squad. I personally was told that I either served my country or I served as fertilizer, the choice was mine. So I choose to live, hoping one day I would be able to escape and take my family with me. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, leaving my Wife and Daughter, but I wanted them safe and they assured me as long as I served they would be safe. I didn’t believe them completely so a friend of mine would look in on them from time to time for me with his gift, and impart the images to me so I could see them.” My Dad said a small smile creasing the corners of his mouth as he glanced our way.
“So I kept my head down and did what I was told, then I started to hear whispers of something the Militia is calling The Genesis Project, I never knew who was the one heading it up and no one else seemed to have a clue either. It was always just a name and never a face; they just called him “The King”. This person claimed royal blood from the old times; they used the military as their outlet, not having facets of their own to hire or raise an army to rival that of the US, or any country for that matter, they set this plan into motion a long time ago. They’ve convinced countless numbers of gifted to follow this cause. This King person wants to build a world without technology that he can control. A world for gifted only anyone else is a slave, no good. He’s decided the US is his to conquer. As far as I can tell my current squad, or those who were a part of it at least had a lot to do with getting the power off line for good, it will take years and years to undo what they have done, if it can even be undone. They have amplifiers traveling with Earth Elementals terraforming the Earth, undoing as much as they can of our old civilization.” He stopped, looking around at the faces of those around him, his eyes found mine and then my mom’s.
“I never meant for this to happen, I did my best to stop it, you have to know that.” He said, Ben looked to Lilly who was standing at my Dad’s side who had seen everything he had as he shuffled from thought to memory.
“So the current squad…you think they are behind the power and what not? Who were they?” Ben asked.
“Cora Wu, Buck Buchanon, Rolland Deutermont III, and Zarah Raynes.” Garrett went white next to my Dad, staring at him open mouthed.
“You, trained Cora?” He asked angrily.
Ben just stared at the exchange, looking from one to the other.
“I did,” was the only response my Dad gave.
“Who’s Cora and why is she so important to you Boy?” Ben demanded of Garrett.
“Cora is the one Avie ran off with!” Garrett growled at his father.
“She’s the reason Avril believes this Hitler Propaganda Bull! They took us when I was getting her from school. Did you even look for us? Do you know what they made us do? Cora took Avie under her wing, filling her head with all this junk about a new world, our Genesis, our new beginning, that we were chosen by God to be above others that’s why we’re gifted, Avie…she ate it up, she was Cora’s favorite, she helped Cora torture people, Cora taught her how to use her gift to hurt people. I didn’t even know her gift was capable of what she can do with it now Dad.” Garrett looked at his father, tears streaming down his face.
My heart hurt for him, I wanted to go to him, to hold him in my arms and tell him everything would be alright.
Suddenly I was standing. I had realized I had gotten up, I realized then that everyone around me was staring at me, at my reaction, my chair had slid back falling to its back.
I walked down the make shift isle toward Garrett and my Father, stopping in front of them, standing next to Ben, staring from one to the other.
Ben put his sturdy hand on my shoulder; I looked up at him, seeing the pain etched so very clearly on his face, making him look his age instead of the dashing debonair man I had met a month ago.
“Well, if you’re not with them, are you with us?” I said turning my attention back to Garrett and my Dad.
My Dad’s eyes went wide and his mouth opened, this must be what I look like when I’m surprised…Great.
Ben looked to Lilly for answers, who nodded, signaling everything they’ve said is the truth and hadn’t made any attempts to conceal or trick her while he was inside of their minds.
My mom’s silent tears became hysteria at that point; Garrett and my Dad were released from their binding.
My Dad rushed to my mom crushing her in his arms crying just as hard as she had been.
Garrett started toward his parents, his Mother stood to go to him, when he swept me up in his arms kissing me fully and passionately until I felt as though we had melded together, and were no longer two but one being.
Everything else in the room seemed to disappear, all sound was silent, every voice or scrape of chairs as people came to their feet quickly was obsolete, and the only thing that mattered was him and I.
Then I remembered Jasper…I pushed Garrett away. Jasper pulled me closer to him as screams erupted from all around me. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, I was disoriented by the feel Garrett’s lips on mine, the feeling of being weightless in his strong arms.
I wished the blood would stop pounding in my ears so I could figure out what was going on.
I stumbled a little dizzy and lightheaded. Both Garrett and Jasper reached out for me, but it was my Dad who caught me seating me in the nearest chair.
I stared at him trying to read his lips as he knelt before me putting his hands on my face.
I tried to focus, finally catching my breath and I was almost shocked back into my stupor by what I heard.
Jasper and Garrett were arguing…over me.
Ben got between Jasper and Garret t
rying to get them apart in what could only result in blows.
My Dad stood protectively in front of me he was pointing and yelling at both Jasper and Garrett.
Lilly was pulling on Jasper’s arm, attempting to pull him away. My Dad turned back to me, placing his hands on my face touching his hand to my forehead; I could feel my mom’s hands on my shoulders.
Everything rushed back to me in a sudden skull splitting instant.
“Enough,” I said, my voice projecting louder than I actually spoke, the sheer volume of my voice startled everyone in the room me included.
My dad stood to my right my mom behind me and slightly to my left. All eyes turned to me and every voice fell silent.
“Enough,” I said again this time it came out so softly you couldn’t even consider it a whisper.
Garrett and Jasper both looked at me and both stopped, even though they continued to glare at each other.
This was too much to take in after the gore I’d witnessed and participated in today. The shock that my father was alive and standing next to me, defending me as two men fought over me, well that was the cherry on my melted ice cream.
My Mom squeezed my shoulders in attempt to comfort me; she had always been my rock, my invariable in life.
I placed my hand on top of hers, fortifying myself. “This is not the time to do this,” I said looking at both Jasper and Garrett sternly, tossing a glance at Blaine, who had stayed seated throughout the whole episode, surprisingly.
“We just fought our first battle in this war; we’ve gained information and a little more insight about why all of this is happening. I appreciate your interest, but do you really think that now is the time for division? I like you both too, but there are people depending on us to win this thing and we can’t do that if you two plan on destroying each other. All you would be doing is helping the Militia in destroying one or two of the Seven! Now suck it up, you’re both adults, act like it. We’ve gained a lot tonight and lost a lot to,” I said looking at Ben and Bethany with sympathy.
“I think it’s time to care for our wounded, question wounded the Militia has left behind, and get a plan going for some type of lookout duty. I know we have some precog’s, and gleaners, who are more than capable of looking from in here, I think a lot of people would feel better with some guards posted too. I know I would. They know where we are, or they may have known this entire time, why they choose to strike now is beyond me, but we have people showing up daily who have to be screened, we have training that needs to commence. There’s too much that needs to be done and this…” I said waving my hand in front of me toward Garrett and Jasper.
“Is uncalled for, it won’t make anyone like you more-- Either of you.” My Dad smiled at me at how I diffused the situation, reminding not only Jasper and Garrett silent, but everyone in the room. We each had our part to play, our role that we were designed to take, now was not the time for silliness.
“I’m exhausted, if you all will excuse me, I’d like to go lie down,” I said, walking toward the door with my parents following me.
I left everyone else stunned in Ben and Bethany’s apartments and I didn’t really care, everyone had a crazy day and I really believed that it was going to increase on the insanity level before things started to get better.
Mom and Dad walked with me to my room making small talk the entire way.
When we got to my room my dad smiled looking around. “This was your favorite spot as a kid; we used to spend hours in this one cave alone.” He smiled through his broken, swollen face.
“Really? I don’t remember that.” I frowned, squishing my face in concentration trying to pull up that memory.
He looked at me and laughed. “Seems fitting for you, now I know why you were drawn here, you’re surrounded by your elements. They call to you like the open air and a bon fire call to me.” He squeezed mom closer to his side as if he were afraid that at any given moment she would just disappear.
I was delighted we found each other again, no matter the circumstances of how or why we were separated, none of that mattered now.
I was just happy.
My mom and dad wrapped me in a hug, we all lingered there for a while before Mom and Dad went their own way for their much deserved private time together.
I turned to my bed utterly spent from the day, falling into the comfort of the room I had made mine in many different ways.
I was sleeping before I ever heard my latest visitor’s shoes echoing down the hallway.
CHAPTER 23
Someone was next to my bed. They stood over me watching me sleep as they paced back and forth.
I buried my head into my pillows pulling my knife out of its sheath.
“If you’ve come to make trouble I’ll blow you down the hall on your ass.” I calmly stated to my strange visitor.
I heard the visitor come and stand next to my bed once again.
“Well?” I said turning to see who it was, I lifted myself up sitting cross-legged.
I sat on my bed staring speechless at the man who had render me utterly defenseless on numerous occasions just by his nearness.
He sank to his knees before me, with the curtain now closed off from the only light source I couldn’t make out much in the dark except for his form.
“Garrett?” I asked hesitantly. He fell to his knees at the edge of my bed placing his head in my lap wrapping his arms around my waist.
I sat there shocked looking at his dimly lit face resting on my legs. His arms squeezed me tighter bringing me closer to him and making me release the breath I had been holding.
My head was spinning, how did he even know I was here? How had he found my room? My thoughts spun in my head I thought of Jasper and the argument that had happened not even half an hour ago.
What if Jasper showed up? Would they fight? Would I be able to stop them? I felt Garrett move, releasing me from his hold. I watched his shadowy form move to my lamp, how did he know it was there?
The lamp flickered to life, temporarily blinding me. I covered my face with my hands to hide my embarrassment just as much as to shield my eyes.
“What are you doing? You do realize that I was trying to go to sleep.” I said.
“You know why I’m here.” Garrett stated as if it were simply that obvious.
“Actually I don’t.” I said removing my face from my hand attempting to look at him standing over me.
“I’m here because it’s where I belong just like you and the others; I’m here because this is my place, just as much as anyone else’s here.” He said.
Well I guess it was that obvious I thought to myself. “You know that’s not what I meant. I meant why are you here, as in, in my room here especially after what I said.” I watched his face, as he thought about his answer.
I wondered if he would tell me the truth or attempt to lie to me. “I’m here in your room because…I can’t stop thinking about you. I need to be near you, it’s as if there’s something drawing me to you…something I can’t fight, something I don’t want to fight. I’ve been dreaming of you every night since we met in that gas station. I really don’t know what overcame me there and possessed me to act like I had with you there, or here for that matter. The need I feel to be with you is almost primal.” My heart pounded listening to him.
I stared at him, I wanted to respond my mouth went dry and my tongue felt like sandpaper. Garrett moved to the pool, sitting at its edge staring into it.
I struggled with myself whether I should stay where I was on my bed or go to him, when he began to speak again firmly gluing me where I sat yet again.
“I feel like I’ve known you all my life and the only thing I know about you really is your name, I know you’re one of the seven or someone who’s important to the cause or you wouldn’t have been in the room tonight, well maybe you would have considering your father was one of the two in question.” He paused pondering the different possibilities.
“Whatever the case may be, I only came to ask
if you would consider spending some time with me, but that’s probably out of the question now that I seem like a weirdo.” He laughed.
“I’d love to,” I interrupted him startling not only him but myself at my outburst.
I slapped my hand over my mouth as he turned to look at me from the edge of the pool. “I’d like that, but this is not a relationship, this is building a friendship,” I said staring at my hands.
“You would? Even after I made a fool of myself numerous times and basically declared my love for you? You would still spend time with me and be my friend?” He asked.
My mouth dropped. I hadn’t thought he was declaring his love for me, a complete stranger. I didn’t know if I felt the same way he did. I wanted him near me, yes, but was I willing to forfeit something wonderful I could have with Jasper? I wasn’t so sure.
I stood trying to regain some measure of composure. “I’m going to be honest. I don’t know, or can’t say I feel the same as you do. Like I said before, this war thing; the Seven thing is a big deal and I really think we need to focus our efforts on that completely,” I told him.
“Ever since I laid eyes on you I wanted to be near you, but this is crazy. I don’t know what this is; I always imagined love would be like a lightning strike. That you would just know when you had seen that one person, but…I don’t know,” I looked up at him watching as he rose and walked slowly toward me, reaching out his hand to cup my cheek, brushing the hair out of my face with the other.
I looked into his beautiful eyes and felt as if I could see his soul, see the love, as if I could read his entire life from the depths of his unique eyes.
I slowly reached up my trembling hands to his face, feeling the gruffness of his stubble, watching his eyes close as a tear escaped down his cheek only to be swept away by my finger.
He opened his eyes and he crushed me to him hugging me before he got up and walked away.
I woke up the next day smiling remembering the night before and that had happened, we won our first battle and my Dad was here.
The Genesis Project Prophecy of the Seven Page 9