by Nikita Spoke
She sighed again, more forcefully this time, almost a huff of breath. “You’re too patient with me.”
He smirked. “Should I be more of a caveman?” He pulled his arm from around her and shifted so he was facing her, hooking his hands near his armpits. “Me Jack. Me need Jemma. Must have now.”
Despite the words and the fact that Jemma’s lips twitched as she fought a laugh, Jack carefully threaded his fingers through her hair and pressed his mouth to hers, the surging emotions quickly distracting her on multiple levels. Objectively, she initially noted that though the effect was weaker than it had been before the Return, the emotion still seemed able to play off itself with a kiss, magnifying more than it did with simpler touches. She wondered whether they were feeling the emotions more strongly during a kiss or whether the barriers were weaker at that point on the body.
Then Jack deepened the kiss, and their emotions spiraled with it, and Jemma didn’t wonder anything else until they broke apart, breathless.
Jack’s hands had drifted to her waist, and his fingers were pressing into her back, his forehead resting against hers, their legs a tangled mess on the couch. As he had after their first kiss, he sucked his lips inward for a moment as if getting one last taste of her. “Okay.” His voice was rough, and he cleared his throat. “Well, I was joking about not being so patient, but that was worth going a little caveman for.” He lifted his head far enough to see her better, eyes moving back and forth between hers, suddenly serious. “If you were okay with it, I mean.”
“Jack.” She put her hand high enough on his chest that one finger could make skin contact with his neck, and she felt his heart racing under her palm. “I know I wasn’t sure at first, and the timing of starting a relationship could’ve been better, but you were in that kiss with me, and I don’t just mean physically. You could feel what I felt. You know exactly how okay with it I was.” She couldn’t quite help a smirk at the hint of pink that crept across his cheeks before she continued. “With all we’ve been through, all we know, I don’t think you need to check with me on every kiss anymore.”
He let go of her waist and raised one hand to her injured arm, running his fingers along where he knew it wouldn’t hurt. “I just don’t want to do anything to push you too far. You’ve already been pushed, and you don’t need anyone else adding to that.”
While Jemma sorted her thoughts, the only sound was the television, which had gone to commercial. “When we were on the train, you mentioned you working from home so I could get a cat. That didn’t scare me, any of the things you could’ve meant by that, all of which it should be too soon for. Everything together with you feels right. It has from the beginning, when you were a stranger Talking in my head, someone I shouldn’t have trusted. Obviously, it might be different if I’m angry or panicking or something, but otherwise, I like being in this kind of a relationship with you.”
“That’s twice you mentioned us being in a relationship. Was that you asking whether I want to go steady?” Jemma’s eyes snapped from where they’d fallen, watching her fingers against his collarbone, back up to his dancing ones. “Because if so, I’m definitely saying yes before you change your mind.”
She leaned forward and kissed him, keeping it brief and then nodding toward the television. “I think it’s about to start.”
They rearranged themselves so they were facing the television once more, getting comfortable just before it switched to an image of the senator in front of a podium.
“Good morning. I’m Senator Myles Pratt. I’m here to speak to you all today because I know who caused the Event.”
A buzz went through the audience, and Jack squeezed Jemma’s shoulder.
“Tricorporation Biochemical Dynamics, more commonly known as Tricorp BioD, engineered the Event as a way to create telepathy for use by the United States government, and it was within our own military files that I found proof of this.”
The buzz grew louder, reporters holding up microphones, and Myles held up his hand until the crowd settled down. Jemma rubbed her arm, glancing at the scrolling ticker and at the logos on the media equipment she could see. This was broadcasting live not just on local stations, but also on national stations. He’d started with the biggest information. Even if they found a way to cut him off now, the damage was done.
“The company denied people their voices and made telepathy possible, then kidnapped people for study. The people they kidnapped were better able to use telepathy. You remember hearing the rumors about them. The rumors were true. These people did not simply create hoax videos and then disappear. They were ripped from their homes, from their families. They were held captive, tested for weeks, months, against their will.”
Myles paused, his knuckles white where they gripped the podium. He looked down at his notes and continued.
“Two of them came to me for help. They had managed to figure out that I was one of the people who had these advanced abilities.” Another rustle moved through the crowd. “Instead of really helping, I panicked. If they could find me, what was to stop Tricorp BioD from finding me as well? I offered only the barest of assistance, and they came to even more harm at the hands of Tricorp BioD, in the name of advancement for our government.”
He looked back up at the cameras, his shoulders back, his eyes bright.
“Despite that harm, despite the lack of help, one of them was still able to find and activate the cure, saving us all from what Tricorp BioD knew would lead to our death.”
Jemma swallowed as the crowd erupted, too loud for Myles to continue over. He made her sound a lot better than she felt.
“I’m trying to make things right,” Myles continued when the roar finally subsided, “but I need your help. We need to take down Tricorp BioD, immediately, and release anyone else who is being held. We need to hold its leaders accountable. We need to ascertain what knowledge our government had of these activities, and we need to hold them responsible, too. We need to make sure Tricorp BioD’s remaining scientists work to cure the few whose voices weren’t returned. Above all, we need systems in place to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
There was cheering and screaming, and there were questions, everything overlapping, nothing coherent. Jemma looked at Jack while the noise died back down. “He does have a way with words, doesn’t he?” Jack nodded.
“I’ll take questions now, one at a time. You, please.” He pointed.
“You said you have proof. Can you produce that?”
The senator shook his head. “At the moment, you’ll need to take it on faith. I’ve a near flawless record, and I’ve just put my entire career on the line for this. Even if everything checks out exactly as I’ve said, I’ve just accused the United States government of being involved in stealing the voices of the entire planet.” He paused. “I suspect I’ve actually just flushed my career rather than put it on the line. I’m counting on being able to confirm the locations I noted in the files. I’ve hired private security to wait near them, to monitor the facilities and make sure they aren’t evacuated during this broadcast. They’ll also be able to make record of any employees who leave.”
Jack whistled. “That was a long list of facilities. That had to cost a lot, even for him.”
“The actual rescues will need to be handled by local or federal government, of course,” Myles continued, “so that we can take the company down properly without fear of their maximizing on any accidental loopholes. I’m hoping some of the guards and other employees of Tricorp BioD will have seen enough of the atrocities committed to be willing to come forward, to give enough testimony that we can proceed.”
Jemma spared a moment to hope that Heidi might come forward, or Dr. Harris, or any of the guards who had ever seemed unsure. It would have to happen quickly in order to free April and any of the others who might still be trapped, if the other facilities hadn’t fallen apart as quickly as the one Jemma was being held in.
The questions continued, the senator handling each one
with a ready answer, until finally he interrupted.
“That will be all for today. Thank you so much for your time. Remember that we’re not done here today. We have a lot to do. Go do it.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Reaction
Revelations
The White House has issued a statement in response to Senator Myles Pratt’s shocking announcement, denying any involvement in activities leading to the Event, as well as denying any involvement in the kidnapping or testing of individuals for purposes of furthering telepathy.
However, they have also confirmed that his story is otherwise true. They have refused to release any details pertaining to the rescue of those still being held, only to confirm that such a rescue is indeed underway, citing mission security as the reason for silence.
Knowing for certain that the Event was engineered, that it had the potential to be deadly, raises more questions than it provides answers. Senator Pratt was able to supply some of the answers we need, and we hope to provide more of them as we’re able, as Tricorporation Biochemical Dynamics is brought into the light.
Jemma glanced over her shoulder to make sure Jack had finished reading the article, then closed the window, switching places with Jack and giving him a chance on Myles’s desktop. She sat back down on the couch, flipping through the channels, watching as people voiced their outrage, their confusion, their fear.
If something on this scale could be engineered, what else could they do?
How was the Event so dangerous? Were there going to be any lasting effects?
Jemma closed her eyes, blocking out the blurring on the edges of her vision. It had gotten almost normal to be able to see only what she looked at directly. The blurring had improved slightly, she thought; she could see movement in those areas a little easier, but no detail, not yet.
With her eyes closed, though, there was less to distract her from the pain in her head.
“Jill sent us a text.” Jack sounded uncertain, and Jemma opened her eyes and joined him at the computer.
Is this mess with the senator what you were mixed up in? Please tell me it was something else. That sounds way more dangerous than what you said.
Jemma frowned. “There’s not really a safe way to respond to that, is there?”
“Not until we’re ready to tell them everything, I don’t think. Not truthfully, anyway.” He hesitated. “Tricorp probably has bigger concerns than finding us after that broadcast. We could risk it.” Jack turned back to face her.
She stared at the screen, hearing her sister’s voice, and shook her head. “We’ve waited this long. It doesn’t seem like it should be much longer before it’s safe, right? So we wait until we know.”
Jack nodded, and she moved back to the couch, focusing on the television again. She had started zoning out when the news anchor’s tone changed.
“Jack, come watch.” He joined her as a new segment started, the female anchor watching the camera earnestly.
“We’ve just been informed that those taken by Tricorp BioD have been successfully rescued. They’re being taken into protective custody while authorities continue to track down missing employees of the company, who may seek to do them harm.
“Most employees have already been apprehended. They will be held while authorities determine the amount and severity of their individual involvement, and the prosecution of these cases may take some time as a crime of this particular scope isn’t exactly covered under normal statutes. Matters are further complicated by the fact that the U.N. is lobbying for involvement, not wanting to leave the decisions exclusively in the hands of the United States government. Though the corporation and the individuals responsible were all located in the U.S., their actions did affect the entire world.
“We’ve been asked to announce that those who were able to leave the Tricorp BioD facilities on their own, those who escaped or those whose facilities were abandoned, should report to the nearest large hospital to be treated, without charge or copay. If you call ahead, police protection will be provided.
“We’ll report further news as we receive it.”
The news changed to a commercial break, and Jemma looked over at Jack. “Is that something that we trust?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I think maybe we should wait until we hear from Myles. He might be getting more information and more direct news than we are.”
Nodding, Jemma sighed. “More waiting. Right.” Jack reached over and squeezed her hand.
“Barely any time has passed since his announcement this morning. It’s amazing what they’ve done with just a few hours. Let’s give them a little bit more time before we get too impatient.”
They kept the news on while they waited, taking turns at the computer to help pass the time. Updates continued trickling in. After a few more hours, photos of some of the employees were displayed on the screen along with their status, either apprehended or still missing. Jemma didn’t recognize most of them.
“That was one of mine,” Jack said, pointing before an image marked “Apprehended” could change. They continued watching. Jemma felt a little nauseated when she saw neither Dr. Harris nor Josh.
It was nearing dinner time before Myles’s phone finally rang. As he’d asked them to the night prior, before they’d gone to bed, Jack checked the ID to make sure the call was from Myles’s cell phone, then clicked the button to put the phone on speaker while he and Jemma remained silent.
“It’s me,” came Myles’s voice. Jemma released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. It was just a phone call. “Did you watch?”
“Yeah, we watched,” answered Jack. “You’re an impressive speaker.”
“It’s being taken better than I expected. I’m not sure whether I’ll keep my position, but I’m not as sure that my political career is over as I was when I woke up this morning, either. Have you been watching the news since this morning?”
“Yeah. They said we should go in to the hospital, but we weren’t sure whether to trust that. Especially since the ones that were directly working with Jemma haven’t been taken in yet.”
“Caution is good.” The senator’s voice was firm. “The offer is legitimate, though. If you wanted to drive there, the signs are easy enough to follow.”
Jemma shook her head. “I know you kept us out of your speech, but Josh knows who released the cure. Dr. Harris could have put it together, too, from what you said in your conference. I’m not as worried about him, but…” She shook her head, pushing down the same fear she’d been waking with. Jack took her hand, sending calming emotion until she could continue. “Josh blames it all on me. It would be too easy to figure out what hospital we’d be going to if we came to you for help. My eyes, my head, they’re not getting worse, at least, so I don’t want to go until I know he’s out of the way.” Jack squeezed her hand and nodded, and she heard the senator sigh.
“We’ll wait a little longer. They’re trying to get all of you accounted for as much as they are the employees, and I haven’t said where you are. They got a list of both, and it wasn’t from me. They’ve got another source of information.”
“We guessed that.” Jack shifted, moving his hands to the desk where the phone sat. “They’re showing pictures of the people who worked for them. Didn’t figure you had copies of those.”
“No. Look, a lot of people have a lot of questions, so I’m going to be staying in the city overnight, and my best guess would be that I’ll be flying out to D.C. in the morning. I really think that you two should get to the hospital as soon as you’re comfortable. Take them up on that police protection. Make sure the house is locked before you leave.”
“We will,” answered Jack, hanging up the phone when it switched to dial tone. “He seems all right, at least.”
“That’s true.” She took a turn on the computer, and she quickly found a site that displayed the photos that had been released. There didn’t seem to be any system, as far as Jemma could tell, to whose pho
tos they were showing. Some of the employees had high ranks—the CEO was listed, as well as the vice-president—and some were assistants and lab techs. She had no way of knowing whether Josh would be listed even if they’d found him.
The phone rang again shortly after they’d eaten a pizza they found in the freezer.
“I put in a few phone calls,” Myles told them after they’d answered. “I found a guy named Joshua Stevens that was employed at your facility. He was listed as an assistant to a Dr. Eric Harris. Does that sound right?”
“That’s him,” said Jemma, her stomach threatening to release its hold on the pizza. “Where is he?”
“They’ve already got him in custody. His supervisor, too. You’re both safe. You’ll go get checked out now, right?” Jemma closed her eyes, leaning her head against Jack’s shoulder and nodding. Jack relayed the affirmative for her. “Okay. Use the urgent care entrance, but ask for directions to a Dr. Riley Johnson. I’ll call ahead for you and get the security arranged and have the wait as short as possible.”
“Thanks for everything, Myles.”
“Not a problem, Jack. Just make sure you lock up on your way out,” he reminded them again.
“Will do.” Jack hung up and put his arms around Jemma.
“We’re safe. They’re locked up, Jack. We’re out, and they’re locked up.” She took deep breaths, trying to stop herself from shaking, and Jack ran his hand up and down her back. Finally, she pulled back to look at him.
“Ready?”
“Ready.” They’d started toward the door when Jemma stopped. “Wait. Can we message our family first? Let them know what’s going on? I know they don’t have everyone yet, but they’ve got the ones who worked with us directly, and they’ve got all the top people now.”
“I think we can do that, yeah. We probably shouldn’t take long. You want to send an email?” Jack led the way back to the desktop, standing back so Jemma could take the seat, but she shook her head.