Evolution

by Dave Nesbit

  “Hey, they'll get ‘em.” I said as she bent over putting her hands on her knees.

  “I know.” She said quietly.

  “What's the problem?”

  Rachel took a deep breath and collected herself. She was a proud woman in her own right. She always came across as the strong one in our bunch. Smart, self-assured, quite likely to make her own way if she thought the way chosen was wrong. To see her having a vulnerable moment was rare and I certainly wasn't going to run her down for it.

  “I wanted Lynn to feel better, and I wanted that guy out of the game. Now he's on the loose and she's scared shitless.” She took a deep breath. “Plus now every asshole in that group is looking to cause even more trouble.”

  “Wish I had a genius solution.” I said. “They'll get him. When they do, and they match the DNA, he's done. No organization is going to want to do business with a child rapist.”

  “Unless that organization is full of crazy people.” She said.

  “True that, then we just use it as a way to point out how crazy they are. Then they can all find a nice compound in Texas and sit there and tell each other how messed up everyone but they are.”

  “And then maybe they can all die in a fire?” Rachel said with a wicked grin.

  “If there's such a thing as a kind God, we could be so lucky.” I said with a matching smile. I thought about it for a second. “Where did you get the sample to match him anyway?”

  Rachel shook her head. “Lynn had some old pajamas that kind of got messed up when he would come to take her at night. She looked them over and noticed stains a while back.”

  “And she waited this long?” I looked to the sky, I'll never understand people.

  “Ever been a hostage in your own home?” Rachel grimaced. “Sometimes the nightmare becomes your new normal if you give it enough time. After you had your run in with him that day, she came to me and told me about it; then we contacted the Sheriff's office.”

  I rubbed my eyes. Not even wanting to imagine what it was like for Lynn having that creature come up and rape her on a routine basis. Now I wanted to find him and repeatedly slam his head into a wall, to start. Then I’d get nasty and turn Rachel loose on him.

  “Hey, we'll make it happen, even if we have to find him ourselves.” I said to reassure her.

  “Damn right we will.” She stood up straight. “Now I think we have combat training.” She said.

  “Why do I have a feeling someone is gonna get a few bruises.”

  “Because someone probably will, try hard not to make it you.” Rachel said and walked off.

  I let my head fall back onto the hard stone surface of the building, taking a deep breath. Defense contractors and mercenaries. A child abuser and his pack of fanatics. Two very vague threats out there that could turn very real at any moment.

  ‘How do I deal with this?’ I thought and pushed off the wall. ‘As it happens.’ I thought in reply.

  Sometimes things happen faster than you expect.

  Chapter 38

  My suspicion that Rachel would be in the mood to kick ass was proved right in training. She didn't go full tilt in slamming us around with the objects at her disposal, but she didn't half ass it either.

  Shawn was in the training session as an active participant for the first time. He had managed to work out a system of force fields built into a set of articulated armor. Not quite powered armor, the joints and such worked on muscle movement for now, although he said something about actuators, and magnetic guide rods and then he got excited and I could make out words like “the” and “are”. I Just nodded and smiled.

  It did, on the other hand, work out well for him when Rachel, who was playing aggressor, decided to dismantle a car with her abilities and fired all the parts at him. All of which bounced nicely off the shields he projected. Including the engine block which came at him faster than a Major League fastball.

  I didn't get that lucky. Rachel, could feel me use my abilities which meant any chance of being able to surprise her by say, wrapping her up in an old Buick, were slim to none. So I pulled in my power as tight as I could, flew behind her as Ramon and Shawn kept her busy and tackled her from behind.

  Now keep in mind that she had the same physical changes I did, namely her muscle density was higher as well. Which made the fight/wrestling match epic, and as she was in the mood to kick ass, she reveled in it.

  I will say there was no clear winner. Although by the end of it, Hamilton called in to have Shawn and Ramon break us up. They jumped between us and separated us; then I walked away smiling. Every now and then, when someone needs a punching bag, I can fill that role; for the right person.

  Rachel walked away as we were done, shaking her head as if to clear it. While I rubbed a sore shoulder from where she had chopped at me with her hand.

  “You all right there dude?” Ramon patted me on the back.

  “Sore, but all is well.” I responded

  “She's really pissed about that thing.” Shawn said.

  “She thought she was solving a problem, not creating more. It's the kind of thing that's hard not to take personally.” Hamilton said as he approached.

  “Sounds like you have a little experience in the subject.” I said as he came closer.

  “Just a bit. I worked organized crime for ten years before I did this, lots of chances for horrible mistakes.” He responded “Now then, your scores are far above average for this training session. It seems as though you earned a break.”

  “Really?” I said, my tone of voice probably reflected my mood. “Shit hitting the fan everywhere and we get downtime?”

  “Are you complaining?” Hamilton inquired. Looking away, I saw Ramon give me a look that practically screamed ‘don't push the issue.’

  “Not really, just curious.” I said, stretching my arm to get a little rotation back. Shawn and Ramon walked off. I hung out for a second. When they were out of earshot. I looked at Hamilton.

  “If this is a case of live bait works best I'd really like to know.” With all the stuff going on, I had a sudden paranoid thought that we might be led out on a line for a chance to see who might wanna take a swipe at us.

  Hamilton sighed. “I don't know; all I know is the boss got told to cut you guys loose for a bit. The suggestion came from very high up in Washington.”

  “Oh dear lord.” I said. This really had prime disaster written all over it.

  “Watch your ass.” He said simply. “But there is good news.”

  “Okay what is it?”

  “You're now allowed to fly out of here as long as you use the HUD to give you a clear path.”

  I thought about it. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

  “You're welcome, oh yeah.” He paused and pulled an SD card from his pocket. “You might want to look this over, you didn't get it from me.”

  “Gotcha.”

  I tucked the card into my belt pack and went home to clean up. After a screamingly hot shower, I went to my room and changed into the new clothes from my shopping trip with Cathy. Dark slacks, blue shirt, a warm leather jacket and scarf.

  I tried calling Cathy but there was no answer on her phone. So I pulled out my tablet and popped the SD card in.

  The card had one folder on it marked “HFH medical research.” I opened it up and hung my jacket and scarf behind my chair.

  It was a thorough write up on how Humans for Humanity had several members who were doctors and biologists. Someone at the justice department or NSA had been having fun reading the message traffic on their boards. None of it was the kind of thing to improve my mood or appetite.

  There were ongoing talks about means and methods of developing genetic bio weapons designed specifically for use on “Touched”. Also speculation about biological changes in the bodies of “Touched” they had examined.

  Bodies? They weren’t specific about who their subjects were or how they obtained the data. Apparently the notion of confessing to a possible string of felonies online didn’t
appeal to anyone.

  The internal message traffic was chock full of hateful talk amongst the members as well. It’s weird to look at people's intentions toward you, or people like you. Terms like “vivisection” came up as a means of examination and apparently as something they might find entertaining if they had the chance. Of course their talk was just speculative. It also had the sort of wild speculation that reminded me of the excited talk in locker rooms about what the guys might get up to on the weekend with their dates.

  I read as much as I could handle before the creeping feeling of dark omens got to be too much to bear. With a shrug I grabbed my jacket, scarf and phone. I needed real personal contact.

  Walking out, I ran into Rachel. “You all good?”

  “Not all good, but better. Thanks; I needed that.” She said with a sheepish grin.

  “I figured you had to vent on something or someone.”

  “I’ll try not to work you over so hard next time.” She said.

  “It's appreciated.”

  “Where are you going all dressed up?”

  “We have downtime scheduled, so I figured I'd see if Cathy had free time and if not I'd wander around a bit.” I paused for a second. “Mind you this has me a little worried.” I explained my conversation with Hamilton and she looked surprised then smiled.

  “He's worried those Humans for Humanity guys might come after us?” Her smile growing wider as she said that.

  “Yeah, it all has the feeling of some kind of set up.” I said.

  “Then why go out?”

  Considering how close I had been to getting Cathy alone in her bedroom before, the answer to me was obvious. But I didn't want to explain that to Rachel. “Cause I'm not gonna let a bunch of bigoted jerks run my life.”

  “Seems reasonable.” She said. “Now go out and have fun; I think you earned it.”

  “Hey, before I go, Hamilton slipped me this.” I handed Rachel the SD card. “It’s a possible intelligence run down on a sub-sect of Humans for Humanity.”

  She took it and smiled. “Giving me fodder for violent fantasies? I didn’t know you cared.”

  “If you work out your potential violence in the fantasy realm you might be less likely to take it out on me.”

  “Good theory, we’ll test it tomorrow.” I walked away with a grin and a chuckle.

  Slipping my phone from the jacket I dialed Cathy's number off of speed dial again. This time I got a response.

  “Hey there.” She said brightly.

  “Hi, I got a last second release from school, I was wondering if you had some spare time.”

  “Well now that you mention it, I shooed away all the other people out of my place. So I think we could meet up.”

  “Where at?”

  “Meet me at Atomic Records and we'll see what develops from there.”

  “Done deal.”

  Taking a moment to enter the address into a program on my tablet, I slipped it into my bag then walked out the front door and put on my glasses. With a tap of the button on the side, the HUD came alive and I had a green path line pointing me toward downtown.

  Focusing my mind, I pushed up off the ground using the world’s magnetic field to propel me up and I was up and over the fence in three seconds flat. Passing over the onlookers, most of whom had cameras pointed at me while others gave me one fingered salutes or rattled their protest signs.

  Following the line downtown; I thought about the protesters. It didn't make sense to me, but then I was who they were protesting. To them, we were a group of potential monsters turned loose upon the world. To us, we were kids trying to figure out our way in the world.

  The notion that just by our mere existence we were to be feared worked my nerves. So far this year I had saved a ship from going down in Lake Michigan, and kept a bunch of guys from knocking over a bank... twice!!

  Sadly, people will always fear what they don't understand, and as a wise man once said; hate is simply fear with an attitude.

  The green line dropped down toward Clarke St and I followed it in. Then dropped behind a building so I could walk out onto the street without attracting even more attention.

  Walking out, I saw Atomic Records across the street and Cathy walking inside. I made my way in behind her and tried to be sneaky. Today she was wrapped up in a long black over coat and wore an oversized red beret.

  I walked in behind her. “Hey lady, mind if I follow you like a creeper for a while?”

  Cathy laughed. “I'd prefer if you just walk with me and be a creeper that way.”

  “Well, if you insist.”

  Her arm wrapped into mine and we walked along. Checking out new potential purchases and commenting on styles of music. I grabbed an album by Depeche Mode then added a vinyl reissue of a Tool record.

  “Feeling your inner rocker today?” She inquired

  “Yeah, something about primal beats, guitars, stuff like that.” I said and added a copy of an album by The Who to my growing collection.

  Cathy leaned into my ear. “Now, if I told you I was wearing the black panties from that set I bought last time, and I don’t want to wear them for long. What would you say?”

  That brought me up short. I'd never been actively hit on or propositioned before. “Oh lord, I made you blush.” Cathy said with a giggle.

  “I'd say hang on I need to pay for these.” I answered and walked to the front of the shop.

  The transaction only took a minute, but in my now testosterone clouded mind it felt like forever. Cathy stayed alongside me, her arm wrapped around mine as we walked out.

  She guided me down the street as we walked quietly. My stomach full of butterflies. “Wow you got tense all of a sudden.” She said.

  “Truth be told, I'm not used to this part of the game; it’s all very new to me.” I said.

  “Seriously?”

  “For real.”

  “Your parents needed to get you out more.” She said as we walked to an older looking apartment building. A man in a doorman's uniform tipped his cap and let us in.

  “I agree, although if they did I might not have met you.” I said as we made our way into the elevator. As the door closed Cathy pulled me to her.

  I kissed her gently at first, then her mouth pressed harder, there was a sense of deep need in her that matched the one growing in me. My hand slid under her coat and rose up her stomach to the swell of her breast.

  Which is when the elevator door opened again. I turned and she pulled me out of there and down the hall to an apartment.

  We got inside and she walked me right back to her room. It was done in a very rich blue tone with a large four post bed. I pushed her coat off onto the floor, taking a moment to admire her black dress under it.

  “Go ahead.” She said with a smile.

  I flicked the straps on either side off with my fingers and it fell slowly, gracefully, to the floor. She had skipped a bra, but she was telling the truth. Those were the panties she'd bought at the shop.

  “My turn.” She said and came forward pulling off my jacket then my shirt. She grinned and kneeled, opening up my pants and letting them fall.

  I’d tell you more about how it went, but frankly my “becoming a man” is a thing I’ll only share with a few. Let’s just say, it went better than a lot of stories I’ve heard about others experiences.

  After a few months at school learning to use my powers, I got a far more pleasant lesson in how to please a lady and myself. It was wonderful sweaty passionate fun. Pretty much everything I would have hoped my first time doing this kind of thing would be.

  Laying there basking in the pleasant afterglow I felt her get up. “I need water, want some?”

  “Yes, thank you. I think I got a bit dehydrated.”

  “Are you complaining?”

  “No, it’s more of an observation than a complaint.”

  “Oh good.” She said and walked out. I enjoyed the view of her walking away and stretched out on the bed.

  She came back in wit
h two glasses and handed me one. I took a deep long drink and settled back. Her hand ran over my chest as she lay back down. “How long before your parents are home?”

  “They won't be back till tomorrow. When do you have to be to school?”

  “They want me back by 11 so we have plenty of time.”

  “Excellent. Plenty of time for more lessons if you want them.”

  “I think I could attend this school for years and be happy.”

  “I would hope so.”

  Something odd happened about then. My hearing got weird, like everything was coming through a cardboard tube. My vision got fuzzy and I felt a cold wave pass through me. “Wait, what?” I said and tried to stand, succeeding in rolling off the bed. My head cracked off the floor and I saw stars.

  Cathy was suddenly next to me. Running her hand through my hair. “Shhh, it's okay. This is going to seem weird, but believe me, it’s for the best.”

  I looked at the glass of water she had given me, and it dawned on me that I had been set up. I tried to move but succeeded only in rolling just a hair. It was like my mind and my musculature were operating on two different sets of fuses.

  My breathing got deep, I felt the cold wave sweep over me again and suddenly it all went black.

  Chapter 39

  Okay I get it, I'm a teenage guy. It's only expected that my dick would lead me into trouble.

  It was a thought that came to me as I slowly came awake. Cursing myself for missing all the possible issues I could have been walking into and also pissed at myself for being a bit of a teen aged cliché.

  I still had that weird feeling in my body of being conscious but unable to move. “It's an anesthetic they use for electroshock patients. It relaxes the muscles of the body to the point where movement is impossible. Mind you, unless you use another agent you're still capable of feeling.” A male voice said.

  Something told me that was not good news.

  Opening my eyes, it took me a while for my vision to adjust, there were harsh white lights blaring down at me. I could see figures in the dark just outside of the range of the light and a man dressed in surgical scrubs standing over me.