He hollered again, "Toby!"
Either the boy couldn't hear him or didn't care. Probably both. Toby thought he held a magic cure for his mom, but dread gripped Drake's heart. Only one person could create a drug like this and distribute it to the streets in hopes of finding other paranormals: Sam's father. And he wouldn't care about the casualties.
Drake ran harder, nearly out of breath by the time he reached the house.
The door hung open, so he stepped in. "Toby, where are you?"
No sound.
"Toby?"
The house looked as if it had been ransacked by gangs. Graffiti stained the walls, the furniture lay toppled over and cut apart, and the smell of vomit and mold permeated his senses. He dashed into what he assumed was either the bedroom or bathroom, and found Toby and his mom on a stained mattress on the floor.
He fell to his knees.
Blue liquid stained their lips. They each clutched an empty vial. The mother held her son in a final embrace as they lay there, still and lifeless.
"No! Damn it, no! Why?"
He rummaged around on the floor, looking for anything that might save them, but found nothing. He shook their bodies, did mouth to mouth, used all his first aid training, but dead was dead, and they didn't come back.
This blue drug, a savior to him, was a death sentence to anyone without powers.
Grief choked him, but he didn't have time to wallow in it. He had to act fast, to figure out what to do next. What should he do with their bodies? Whom could he call? How would he even call? He'd seen a pay phone outside, but did he want to get involved with this—illegal drugs and two dead bodies?
Just as Drake rose to leave, Toby's hand twitched.
Chapter 74 – Sam
I push the truck back and forth on the living room floor, then slam it into the block. "Vroom, vroom, watch out!"
I'm me, but not. I look down and see the body of a little boy. I'm in his mind, in his memories, not my own.
Around me, beautiful things hang on big walls. The furniture is fancy, the kind kids aren't supposed to sit or play on.
Someone comes into the arched glass doors that lead to the foyer. The little boy knows what a foyer is, though he thinks the word is funny.
A man walks in, tall and handsome. He's holding a baby.
I—or rather the boy in me—jump up, excited. "Is that her? Is that her?"
The man smiles. Something about his smile makes me—the real me—shiver. But the boy I live in doesn't seem to notice. He's focused on the bundle of pink blanket.
The baby wiggles and the man holds her out. "This, Son, is your baby sister. Isn't she beautiful?"
I nod. "Maybe when she gets older we can play together." I can't wait to play, to have a little sister.
The man shrugs. "Maybe." He looks at the baby again. "Isn't she perfect?" He holds her in front of a window and the baby almost seems to glow. "She may be the one."
"The one what, Daddy?"
"Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it. I have to put her down for a nap. Your mother will be home soon, and I want to show her the new baby. You stay here and play."
The boy doesn't listen. He follows his daddy up the staircase, too full of excitement to stay still. "Which room will she sleep in? Can she sleep with me? I don't mind sharing."
"She won't be staying here, Son. No. She has another destiny ahead of her."
The boy looks again at his little sister. She's so cute, with soft dark hair and big blue eyes. He wants to hold her, but knows his daddy won't let him.
His daddy looks at the baby and smiles. "She's the key. One day, she'll solve everything."
***
I woke up, heart beating through my chest, a fine sheen of sweat covering my body. What a freaky dream. Something told me it was a scene from the Seeker's life, but what did it mean?
A niggling of foreboding nudged me, and I panicked. My baby! Where is my baby?
I looked around and saw her in the arms of the last person in the world I expected to see.
Mary stood, cooing and staring at Ana, unaware that I was awake. She murmured to herself. "She's so beautiful."
The words echoed my dream, and a shiver ran up my spine. "Mary, give her to me."
The light from the window lit up Mary and the baby like an image of Christ with his virgin mother. The comparison almost made me laugh. Mary, a virgin? Yeah right.
Mary had changed. Burn scars marred the once flawless skin down the side of her neck, but her golden hair was perfectly styled, as usual. She paid little attention to me. I sat up and was about to use my powers to force her to bring me my baby, when she finally looked up and handed Ana over.
Love washed through me in waves as I stared at my daughter. I never knew anyone could feel this way about another human being. I'd loved her while I carried her to term, but nothing like this. This little cherub-faced girl with big blue eyes had stolen my heart. If only Drake could be here to see her, to fall in love with her himself.
"I love you, Ana. I'll be enough for the both of us, I swear." Only then did I realize Mary was still standing there, watching me. I'd seen her die. "How are you here, Mary? We thought you were...."
"Dead? Yeah, I've gotten that a lot since I've been back. I didn't die, no thanks to all of you who just left me there. Fortunately, IPI found me, and I had the distinct pleasure of recovering in their dreadful facility. You would not believe how miserable it was."
I couldn't believe she'd survived what Drake had done to her. Did she remember? "What happened to you?"
"I'm not really sure. They think I got caught in a fire. Well, they know I got caught in a fire." She fiddled with her hair until it covered her neck—a gesture that looked practiced. "But they think I hit my head and lost some of that time right before. So, yeah, not sure."
Guilt invaded my happy moment. Should I tell her what really happened? Would she do something to me or my baby if she knew that Drake almost killed her trying to free her from the Seeker's mind control? Maternal instinct warred with my sense of right, but in the end, maternal instinct won out. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the safety of my child.
The door opened, and Brad walked in. He smiled and gave a little wave to Ana. "How's the cutest baby in the whole world? Huh?"
His presence made me feeler safer, especially with Mary back so suddenly. "I love how we all sound like such goofballs around a baby." I offered him Ana, though it pained me to part with her, and he took her and made goo-goo sounds.
"I'm so glad you came through this okay, Sam. We were all worried for a while."
Susie had said I'd nearly died giving birth. But all I remembered was.... "Drake. I felt him. He was here with me, giving me strength somehow. I think he's the reason I lived through it."
Brad's face hardened, then softened into a goofy grin for the baby. "But he doesn't have his powers. Maybe you were delirious with the medications?"
"No, I don't think so. Even Susie said I was slipping away, then all of the sudden I called out to Drake and my body started to heal itself. Those aren't my powers. Those are—were—his. Do you think he could have gotten his powers back?"
The thought saddened me. If he did have his powers, then why hadn't he come home? Maybe he'd never forgiven me for what I'd done to him. But if so, why did he save my life? He'd sounded sad, in trouble.
Most of our friends were mad at him, Brad especially, though Luke and Lucy weren't big fans at the moment either. They didn't understand. They hadn't been there to feel how the loss of his powers had stripped him down to nothing. And I'd done it to him. I'd never forgive me either, so I couldn't blame him for being upset. But I did blame him for abandoning his daughter—inexcusable regardless of how he felt about me.
Susie popped her head in the room. "Sam, can you handle a few more visitors?"
Everyone kept telling me to rest, but I felt surprisingly strong and healthy. I needed to get up and stretch, to start doing something. "Sure, send them in." After this visit, I woul
d insist that everyone stop treating me like a sick patient. Ana was healthy, and I felt better than ever. Literally, I felt stronger than I had since I got pregnant.
Father Patrick, Bernard and Desirai came into the room.
Father Patrick spoke first. "Hello, Sam, I hope you don't mind. Is this too much right now?"
I smiled at the old priest. Drake's absence must have broken his heart. They'd always been close. He'd been the only father Drake had ever known.
I gestured for them to come in. "Not at all. I'm so glad you're all here. I'm going stir-crazy in bed all the time."
Brad showed Father Patrick the baby, and he lovingly held her, after waiting for a nod from me. So odd that this little life was now my responsibility. I had to make sure to feed and change and care for her. I decided who touched her and who didn't. Mary should never have held my baby without permission. I'd have to talk to someone about making sure no one ever touched Ana without my permission again.
Bernard, whose full name was George Bernard Shaw—seriously—now led all academic studies at the new school. He'd likely become the new Headmaster. He'd also taught and mentored Brad in college, and the two were still tight. He'd been instrumental in helping us rescue our friends after we escaped Rent-A-Kid. He'd also been the one to encourage me to reapply to school, and had written a glowing letter of recommendation.
He smiled at Ana. "She came a bit early, but looks healthy as a horse."
Um, okay.
"And at least this means you'll have more time to recover before starting school in the fall."
"If I get accepted, you mean. IPI gave us all backgrounds, but a school could still find a lot missing."
Bernard pulled something from his pocket. "Why don't you find out right now?"
He handed me a thick packet from U of W. Thick—that meant...! I tore through the envelope while the group passed Ana around, happy to be the object of so much love.
My throat thickened as I scanned the introduction letter. "Oh my God! I've been accepted. And the art department wants to meet with me in two weeks to review my complete portfolio. They might give me a scholarship."
Everyone cheered and hugged me. Des stood by the door as if scared to come in. I gestured to her, and she joined the group. "Congratulations on your college acceptance."
I beamed. "Thank you. Two weeks. Crap, that doesn't give me a lot of time to put together a portfolio. The fire destroyed all my work. Plus, I have the classes here to teach, and taking care of a newborn—"
"Don't worry about classes." Bernard cut me off. "Your job here is secure. This is your home, and we take care of our own. We'll all help with Ana. Just focus on getting that scholarship."
Desirai nodded. "If anyone can do it, you can."
Murmurs of agreement filled the room. I hugged the acceptance packet and squealed, then reached for Des's hand. "It's good to see you. I thought you were still in recovery from your injuries."
She'd suffered some burns and cuts during the Rent-A-Kid escape, but appeared to be doing very well. "I'm all healed up. Do you mind if I hold your baby?"
"Please do. She loves meeting new people."
I couldn't read my daughter's mind as I could others', because she didn't have the mental development. Her thoughts were more instinctual, more connected to her moods and her energy. And I didn't have to dip into her mind like I did with others. Ana was always a part of me.
Brad stood by Des, his arms around her. I didn't have to read their minds to know that love was blooming between them—it had probably started when Brad had helped nurse the injured back to health.
I was happy for them, even if it did cut into my heart to think about love at all these days. But with my dreams finally becoming a reality, sadness would not pull me down. A new life awaited me, and I would live it to the fullest.
"Have any of you heard from Luke and Lucy?" I asked.
Bernard took the baby from Father Patrick and cuddled her. "They're still on assignment. IPI hasn't reported in for a while, so we don't know how it's going."
I looked at Des. "Could you connect with their dreams and see how it's going? If you're well enough?"
She blushed, and Brad squeezed her shoulder.
They are so cute together.
"Sure, I can try."
"Thank you. And tell them about Ana, if you can. They'd want to know. They are the godparents, after all."
"I will."
Mary slipped out of the room. Relieved that she'd finally left, I relaxed and enjoyed the presence of my friends. But my dream, from before Ana had been born, still unsettled my thoughts. Serena needed help.
There must be some way to better use my gifts to find these kids.
Des placed Ana back into my hands, and I kissed her head. As much as I wanted to help all the kids out there who needed me, the little girl in my arms needed me most. It was time to be a mother.
Chapter 75 – Lucy
The stone skips over the water, one-two-three-four-five, before it drops into the river. "Take that, Bro! Bet you can't beat it."
Luke laughs and flicks his own stone out, but it falls after only four skips. "Guess you got me that time. You're pretty bad-ass, Sis. I still remember the look on our teacher's face when you flipped him over in the hall after he faux attacked you. He underestimated you."
"People often do. It's my secret weapon." Lucy stretches out on the bank of the river and lets the sun warm her skin. "It's nice to have a day off from classes. Think Sam is having fun at her art workshop?"
She doesn't see him, but she can tell her twin rolls his eyes. "Sam plus art equals massive fun for her. She probably doesn't even know the rest of the world exists right now."
The water laps at her bare feet, cool and inviting. She slides her bare legs deeper into the water and kicks up, splashing Luke.
"What the hell. Not cool, Sis. Not cool at all." But he says it with a huge grin and splashes her back.
"Can't we just stay here? I don't even want to deal with Mary tonight. She's such a bitch!"
Luke flops down and looks up at the canopy of trees. "She's... yeah, she's not great, but she's not so bad. I mean, her power doesn't affect me, so it's not such a big deal. I'm un-seducible."
"Ha! Right! Well, by her at least. But I recall some seduction happening with Carey, and with Elizabeth."
"Sister! Not at the same time, at least. Give me some credit."
"Fine, not at the same time. Still, you're quite the lady's man."
Luke sits up, touches his finger to his chest and makes a hissing noise. "With hotness like this, how can the ladies resist?"
Lucy rolls her eyes, but enjoys the teasing—a perfect moment on a perfect day. Can life get any better?
Another wrist flick and she sends another stone into the water. It skips a few beats, then hits something emerging from the lake. Uh-oh.
An alligator's head surfaces, its eyes staring into Lucy. She's seen it somewhere before, knows it somehow. But that makes no sense; she's only ever seen alligators in books and television.
"Um, Luke, we gotta get out of here. We have company."
She grabs her brother, her heart pounding in her chest.
The alligator swims toward them. It wants them. It's taking revenge. They must run.
Luke stands there, staring at the creature as it approaches. The scene reminds Lucy of a horror movie. The killer's movements are slow and methodical, yet he still catches his victims. How does the killer always catch up?
"Luke, what the hell? We have to move, now!" She pulls at him again, but it's as if he's planted in cement.
The alligator's mouth opens, revealing its sharp, blood-stained teeth. It will rip them apart piece-by-piece.
Luke's voice comes out low and monotone, like a zombie. "What's the point? What's the point of any of it?"
His hopelessness crashes into Lucy, pulling her down with him. No! She can't let him go. She grabs his arm and uses all of her strength to dislodge him from whatever is holding him.<
br />
The alligator approaches. Its mouth gapes wide.
Lucy can almost feel the sharp tips cutting into her skin... but no, not hers. Luke!
"Luke!" she screams. Tears stream down her face.
The alligator grips Luke's foot between its massive jaws, and blood spurts out. The alligator grinds Luke's ankle until it's red and raw with bits of bone sticking out.
Luke does nothing—says nothing—as the alligator pulls him into the lake.
"No, no, no, no!" Lucy can't process this, can't believe this. It can't be happening. She sobs and looks around for a weapon—something, anything, to stop the monster from stealing her brother. She can't say killing, can't face that. No, Luke's not dead. He's just underwater, waiting for her to save him.
Suddenly a gun appears in her hand. Perfect. She searches for the alligator, but the lake ripples placidly. Finally, a bit of tale splashes up. Lucy sees the beast in the water, and aims at where its heart should be, trying to avoid the mouth and her brother. She shoots, over and over, emptying her gun into the water.
The alligator disappears.
Her heart races faster and faster. She can't breathe, can't think. All she can do is react. She splashes into the shallow water and calls out, "Where are you? Luke? Please! Splash or something!"
She pauses to listen. The river is still and deathly quiet. No, not deathly. She won't use words like that. Not with Luke down there. But then the water bubbles as something slowly surfaces. "Luke? That you?"
Fear surges through her. If it's Luke, she needs to grab him before he drowns. If it's the alligator, she'll die.
She's willing to risk it. She moves forward, set to either run or grab.
Her breath hitches. A hand. "Luke!"
She darts forward and grabs him, and starts pulling him to shore. His hand feels cold, too cold. She can't get his head above water.
His whole body floats up, pale and ghostly.
She drags him in, not seeing—refusing to see—the rest. But she can't look away, or deny what's right in front of her.
Luke. His chest full of bullet holes.
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