Remembered

by Krista Street

  I switched my vision.

  My throat tightened as I studied the vast array of bright colors in their clouds. Similar to the female, both males had dozens of colors. These three had been experimented on and drugged again and again. Their clouds couldn’t lie. It was a miracle they’d survived.

  My chest tightened. I’d been so lucky. The woman laying at my feet, breathing deeply and evenly in her drugged state, could very well have been me, Jacinda, Amber, Di or Mica. And the smaller man laying beside Jasper, with his shaved head and scarred arms, could have been Flint or one of the twins.

  I wanted to cry.

  Father said he’d hoped to make better lives for all of the lost children stolen from their families, not just us. However, judging from the adults that lay at our feet, I realized that was completely opposite to what actually happened.

  WE ARRIVED AT the airport and loaded the three unconscious individuals onto Father’s plane. Greg helped. Considering our pilot assisted us, didn’t ask any questions, and didn’t bat an eye – made me understand how Father had drugged and deposited all of us in various cities almost eight months ago.

  Jet grunted as he, Jasper and Greg loaded the larger man onto the plane.

  “Jeez, what is he made of? Lead?” Jet murmured after they’d strapped him into his seat.

  “Could be,” Mica said with a shrug.

  Jacinda eyed the large male, a curious glint in her gaze.

  Di and I had no problems carrying the woman. We sat her beside the large male and clicked her seat belt in place. She was so tiny, I could have handled her on my own.

  Flint sat the last man onto a free seat. After that, he and Greg loaded our minimal luggage. When finished, Father ushered everyone aboard the plane.

  “Let’s get going. What happened is all over the news.”

  Greg gave a curt nod. “I’ll get the engines started.”

  None of us had mentioned Marcus. Di was right. We needed to escape from Chicago first.

  After everyone was on the plane, Father departed briefly. I watched out the window as he hurried to a man standing on the tarmac. The man seemed to have come from the shadows as if materializing out of nowhere. Goosebumps rose on my arms. I had a feeling he was a man used to dark places.

  I couldn’t see the man’s features, but he appeared of normal height and build. He and Father spoke for a few seconds, their heads dipped toward one another. Father handed him something. Moonlight glinted off it. Startled, I realized he’d given the man the van keys. After Father said something else, the man turned, climbed into the van and drove away. I had no idea how that man would get rid of the van, but I felt fairly certain that vehicle would never be seen by anyone again.

  With Father back aboard and the cabin door closed, Greg told us to ready for departure. “Headwind looks minimal. We should be back in four hours.”

  “Where are we going?” Amber asked.

  Father smiled. His hazel eyes looked tired, but I sensed a flicker of relief in them too. “Back to Arizona. That home is still safe.”

  “Really?” I pushed up in my seat.

  “Yes, Galena.”

  A surge of happiness coursed through me that we’d return to our desert home. Having something familiar and stable was what I craved before we dug into our new job: helping the new three in whatever way we could.

  “Hungry?” Flint pulled an energy bar from his pocket as we taxied to the runway.

  My mouth watered at the sight. “Now that you ask, yes.” I hadn’t realized I was starving until my stomach churned. I couldn’t believe it had only been seven hours since supper.

  As Greg maneuvered the plane toward the runway, Jet jumped out of his seat to raid the minibar and small kitchen area. He returned with candy bars, sandwiches, bags of nuts and pretzels, and bottles of alcohol and soda. When Jet popped the top to a beer, even Di grinned.

  I sat back and drank a fizzy Cola, loving the sweet taste and bubbly texture.

  “Everyone get seated and buckled,” Greg called. “We’re next to takeoff.”

  Moments later, we sailed into the sky. Excited chatter filled the cab as everyone ate chips and snacks, drank and laughed. We did it. We actually did it!

  The brief moment with Marcus faded behind me like the lights from Chicago. He couldn’t hurt me now. I was safe.

  Flint and I clasped one another’s hands as the moon shone brightly through my window. He kissed me on the mouth, his lips lingering. “We’re safe now, babe. Whatever Marcus does from here, we can handle it.”

  I nodded even though I knew neither of us could guarantee that, but he was right about one thing. When we worked together, when our family functioned as one, we were formidable. And one thing I knew for certain: I was no longer a little girl trapped in that lab. I was strong and capable. When faced with my greatest fear, I overcame it.

  “Let’s go home,” I whispered.

  It was only as we reached cruising altitude that the large man stirred. A golden eye flickered open before he sat straight up in his chair.

  His loud growl filled the cabin.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Flint jumped out of his seat and pinned the man’s arms from behind, effectively restraining him in his seat.

  It didn’t stop him.

  “Grab his legs!” Flint yelled.

  The plane dipped as Jet shot out of his chair. He almost fell as the man growled and snarled. The man’s legs thrashed as the twin tried to grab hold of him.

  “Get the chloroform!” Di yelled.

  Jasper also dove for the man’s legs as Father pulled another bottle of chloroform from his bag. Di grabbed it and soaked a rag.

  “Careful,” Father said. “We can’t let those fumes affect any of us!”

  Di slowed her movements and kept the rag away from everyone before handing the bottle back to Father. He carefully screwed the top on.

  “Hold him!” Di advanced on the large man.

  Wild, golden colored eyes flickered around the cabin. His mouth opened, almost like he was going to bite Di when she slapped the chloroformed rag over his mouth. A few seconds passed. He slumped back into his seat.

  “Good one, Di,” Jasper murmured shakily.

  Amber let out a squeak as Jacinda looked ready to faint. I took a deep breath as Greg’s words carried from the cockpit. “Is everything okay back there?”

  “Yes,” Father replied. “It is now.”

  I eyed the small woman and the Brit. Both still slumbered quietly.

  Di placed her hands on her hips. “That last dose should have kept him sedated for another few hours.”

  Father felt the large man’s pulse and counted his respirations. “He’s under now. We’ll have to keep a close eye on him. He may be metabolizing the drug faster.”

  The earlier laughter and high floating through the cabin completely disappeared. The twins sat back in their seats, their beers forgotten. Jacinda, Amber and Mica watched with blank expressions as Father and Di checked the other two.

  It became real again what we’d done. Essentially, we’d kidnapped three individuals. When we’d planned it, we’d referred to it as a rescue, but we’d taken them unwillingly. In other words, not a rescue but a felony. I wasn’t going to think about the explosion we’d caused. That would rocket our charges to an entirely new level if we were ever caught.

  “Do you think we did the right thing?” I asked Flint. He collapsed back into the seat beside me.

  “Do you really need to ask? Of course, we did the right thing.”

  I let his absolute conviction settle over me. If Flint wasn’t worried that we’d broken laws, then I wouldn’t be either. Flint was a rule follower. He always had been, but when we’d been in desperate situations, he’d broken rules if needed. I remembered that first morning I woke following my encounter with Aaron. Flint had stolen narcotics to keep my pain under control. He hadn’t been proud of that, but he hadn’t felt guilty either. It was what we’d needed to do to survive. If I really thought
about it, our entire lives were based on broken rules. Father kidnapping us as babies was just the beginning.

  I let out a sigh as my thoughts straightened themselves out. I no longer doubted what we had done.

  “I guess now is as good a time as any to talk to Father.”

  Flint stood to let me pass.

  Since Di still hunkered next to the three captives, I sat in her seat. Father turned tired eyes on me. “How are you doing, Galena?”

  “I’m okay. A bit shook up, but I’m sure you’ll understand why when I tell you what happened.”

  He frowned. “What happened?”

  I summarized my encounter with Marcus and how I’d blasted him through the door with my energy ball. “I’m not sure if I killed him or not.”

  Father’s expression didn’t falter. “If you did, we’ll know soon enough. His death would make national news. He comes from a very influential family.” Father tapped his chin. “So we were spotted a few days ago?” he asked quietly.

  “That’s what Marcus said. That one of his observers thought he saw a few of us.”

  “Hmm.” Father’s expression grew grim. “We’ll need to lay low. No leaving home until I can learn more.”

  The rest of the flight passed uneventfully. Di and Father continually monitored the new three, keeping a close eye on their respirations and oxygen levels using hand held pulse oximeters. Luckily, none of them stirred.

  I could tell from their tense expressions that neither Di nor Father liked that the three were under anesthetic for so long, but there wasn’t another option. If any of them woke and became unruly, it could spell disaster. Images of the huge man waking and ripping the cabin door open, causing the jet to spiral out of control, flashed through my mind.

  Yeah, better to keep them all unconscious.

  I fell into an exhausted sleep somewhere over Missouri. Flint woke me a few minutes before landing. He leaned down and kissed me softly until I nuzzled into him.

  “Wake up,” he said quietly. “We’re almost there.”

  I stirred and stretched. A groan escaped me. My entire body hurt. Between the adrenaline rush from rescuing the new lost children, the strain of carrying unconscious bodies, the terrifying dreams of Marcus that had plagued my few hours rest, and the uncomfortable crick in my neck from sleeping in an upright seat, I felt like a train wreck.

  I glanced up to find Flint staring out the window. A haunted, tight expression covered his features. I squeezed his hand, getting a brief, strained smile from him. I could tell that our night had taken its toll on him too. I had a feeling we’d all be waking up from nightmares for many nights to come.

  After another painful stretch, I stood to use the bathroom. We were scheduled to land in a few minutes so I made it quick.

  On the way back to my seat, I passed the captives. They still slept in their seats, slumped forward at unnatural angles. Jacinda would occasionally reach over and rearrange one of their heads or arms, while Father did checks on them every few minutes. A pensive gaze filled Jacinda’s eyes. I wondered if she’d been watching them the entire flight.

  I watched her briefly as I stumbled back to my row. Jacinda’s eyes seemed drawn to the large male, the freakishly strong one with the golden eyes, again and again.

  Since the man was sitting it was hard to tell, but from what I remembered in the warehouse, I guessed he stood around six four. Maybe taller. The width of his shoulders surpassed his seat back on both sides. Large hands rested on his thighs. They were as large as dinner plates. An image of him fighting Flint, Jasper and Mica flashed through my mind.

  I shuddered and hurried back to my seat.

  Fifteen minutes later, we were taxiing from the runway to our awaiting vehicles. The sun peeked above the horizon. It was the dawn of a new day. A day filled with so many unknowns of what these three would reveal.

  The Suburban and Pathfinder waited exactly where we’d left them. It was hard to believe only a little over a week had passed since the day we’d left the desert fortress. So much had happened in that time.

  The captives never stirred as we loaded them into the vehicles. Relief hung in our clouds. I could tell none of us liked drugging people against their will. All of us had experienced too much of that in our short lifetimes.

  An hour later, we pulled through the security gates into the desert home. Bright morning sunshine streamed down and my stomach growled, protesting again at being neglected so much in the past twenty-four hours. The fizzy coke and bag of chips had long metabolized.

  When I stepped out of the Suburban, the feel of the sun on my face and scents from the dry desert helped calm my nerves. All of us looked, and I’m sure felt, exhausted. More than anything, I wished for that month long trip with Flint. I knew now what people referred to when they said they needed a vacation.

  Greg had flown away as soon as we’d disembarked from the airplane. It was once again me and my family. We all carried luggage in while Flint carried the new three. He deposited them on the couches in the living room. Di and Father quickly went to work, assessing them again, except doing it more thoroughly this time since they could actually inspect them more easily here.

  “Do you know who they are?” I asked Father. I had a feeling he and Di already had this conversation, but I hadn’t been privy to it.

  Father frowned, studying them carefully. “No.”

  The three slept soundly through their exams. There were numerous scars and recent puncture wounds, probably from injections, but that was it.

  The real damage, it appeared, was confined to their minds. Now the question was, how in the world did we help them?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  It wasn’t until late morning that one of them stirred.

  By that time, all of us had showered and changed. We’d taken turns watching them while chugging coffee to stay awake. Amber was the first to notice that the chloroform was wearing off. She called Flint and the twins since it was the big one, the large man with the caramel colored unruly mane who was waking up. We had him in restraints, but nobody was confident they’d hold him.

  None of us knew how he would react to what we’d done, and if he got angry, it could get ugly. Fast. Flint and the twins tensed.

  Flint clenched his hands into fists. “If need be, I’ll grab him first. I’ll take him from behind. Each of you grab a leg. Channel relaxing feelings to him if he gets aggressive.”

  “Copy that,” Jet replied.

  Jasper fidgeted on the balls of his feet. “He’s strong, Jet, stronger than Flint.”

  “Well, shit,” Jet muttered.

  “Babe?” Flint said as the large man moaned. “Can you be on standby?”

  I readied an energy ball. It was hard since I was so tired. A small one formed after my third attempt, but it was strong enough to do what I needed. “I’ll knock him out again if I have to, but I’m only going to as a last resort.”

  Flint nodded curtly. “Good.”

  Everyone else gathered behind us. Di, Jacinda, Amber and Mica stood back. Father waited in the corner, his eyes worried. Bright sunlight streamed into the room. The smaller man and long haired woman still slumbered on the other couches. Thankfully. If all three woke at once, we’d probably have to chloroform one of them again.

  Amber lifted her nose. “He’s awake!”

  The man abruptly bolted upright, his eyes bright, clear, and that strange golden color. Something in his gaze flickered. Something that didn’t look entirely human. With a deft turn of his head, his gaze narrowed.

  “Who the hell are you people?” he growled. His gaze swiveled around, but he made no move to stand.

  I breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t lunged at anyone. Both twins fixed their gazes on him, a concentrated sheen in their eyes. Ah, so that’s why he’s calm. I kept my energy ball ready, just in case.

  “Who are you people?” the man asked again.

  I was the first to respond.

  “We’re all like you.” I still stood a saf
e distance away. “You probably don’t remember us, but fifteen years ago, this man,” I nodded toward Father, “took us out of O’Brien’s research facilities and hid us deep in the Colorado wilds. All of us were experimented on, like you were until Conroy got us out.”

  At the mention of experiments, the man growled. Actually growled. Definitely not human. Mica’s eyes widened, and Amber stepped back. Jacinda cocked her head, that pensive expression on her face again.

  The man tensed and eyed his restraints. He lifted his head and sniffed the air. Another guttural sound emerged from him. “Someone’s breeding.”

  He turned and met Jacinda’s gaze.

  Her eyes widened.

  A slow, suggestive smile grew on his face while Jacinda flushed as red as a tomato. I guessed by breeding, he meant that one of us was ovulating. Apparently, Jacinda.

  “You can smell that?” Amber asked.

  His face whipped toward her. She muffled a squeak and took a step back. The man studied her for a moment. The silence was deafening.

  He sniffed the air again, this time in Amber’s direction. “Can’t you smell it? You can smell things, right?”

  Amber’s eyes widened as did the rest of ours. “You know that too?”

  The man’s gaze flickered across us before he nodded.

  “But how?” Amber asked.

  The man again looked around the room, as if sizing all of us up. That realization made me squirm.

  Finally, he reached a hand for his head, or tried to. The restraint stopped him. With a violent wrench, he ripped his arm free.

  So much for that holding him.

  The man tapped his head, the restraint dangling from his wrist. “I can see it. Up here.”

  Up here? From the looks of it, none of us knew how to interpret that.

  “So you believe me when I say we’re all like you?” I said. “Because you can see that we’re different?”