“Oh my goodness, I wondered about that passage.” Peter then recited it: “And the traveler from the future, the biggest of the three, locks of wavy brown hair, knew he was destined to be important in the Paler Wars, so he arrived one year, three hundred and forty days after the plague.”
“Yep, that’s the one, and we got him back. Just like if you died…you’d still be born.”
“If nothing changed.”
“Exactly.” I smiled. “So if you died…just saying, your stuff would be here and you’d just have to wait to be born.”
“Are you…are you threatening to kill me?” Peter asked, nearly scoffing
“Who me?” I shook my head. “No. Not me. I’m too nice. I don’t kill people. I’m making an observation on something I learned.”
“And that is?”
“No one I have met from the future knows how to swim.” I watched as Peter looked around at the wide body of water. “Do you?”
Peter didn’t answer.
“I’ll teach you to swim so you don’t die if you accidently fall overboard.”
After a long, hard stare between us, I reached over and gave a friendly swat. “I’m teasing, I swear to God I am not a killer. I would never do that.”
And I was honest. I just wanted to scare him and that was slightly out of character for me, but I was miffed that he was so protective over something that he should have no problem handing to me.
“Sonny.”
“Yes.”
“Do you honestly think I would be trained on a boat and not be taught to swim? Or have a pool?”
“Um…yeah.”
“Um. No. So your threat or tease, whatever you’re trying to do…isn’t going to work on me.”
“It wasn’t a threat,” I said. “Really. It was a push your button thing. Me saying that was wrong. You’re a nice guy, Peter. You picked me up. We’re out on this boat. You give us milk. Totally wrong and I apologize.”
“Thank you.”
“So can I have the Doctrines?”
“I’ll tell you what. We’re out here. If your biggest catch of the day is bigger than mine, then I will turn everything over to you. Deal? And because you’re still a novice, I’ll even help you reel in anything that is really big. Okay?”
Before thinking about it I agreed.
I wasn’t going to win. No way. No how. Not with my limited fishing skills. Unless I lucked out and nabbed a huge ass shark, I was going to have to find another way to get those Doctrines.
Without, of course, killing Peter.
TWENTY
ALEX
Maybe it was immature of me but I found reason to stay away from our apartment slash hotel floor all night. I just wasn’t ready to deal with Mera and Beck going back to playing house again. I didn’t want to her them talking or laughing or anything else in that room.
Sonny’s idea of movie night was a good diversion until I realized he was playing Willy Wonka. At least it was the original version, but still…Willy Wonka?
The best part of the movie came after it was over and the left theater door jammed and everyone thought they were trapped. All it took was a good push, or go to the other door.
There were a lot of “Thank you for saving us, Sonny” com-ments, glorifying him once again, when all the man did was hit the door with his hip.
The good thing was, after talking to Beck and sharing my theory about the future little Sonny actually being the Sandman, he told me Hot Doc was taking in the movie. I wanted to get his take, but then again, Hot Doc never really took me too serious.
After the movie, he claimed he was too tired and for me to catch him in the lab.
My best bet was to be the one to take him in the morning.
I took a shift at the gate and grabbed a couple hours sleep in my office.
Wasn’t expecting Beck to be the one to wake me.
He knocked on my door. “Were you in here all night?” Beck asked.
“No. Something about Willy Wonka made a couple of the guys sick. I took a watch after the movie.”
“You should go back home and get some sleep.”
I chuckled. “Yeah and no. Two toddlers and a baby? No thank you. I won’t get any sleep.”
“You will if you go at ten. I know it’s a few hours from now, but still, you’ll be able to rest.”
“Alright I’ll bite, why ten?”
“Training day.”
“Training day?”
“Yeah, Mera brought up the fact that she and few others have no idea how to defend themselves or fight the Sleepers.”
“They don’t need to,” I said.
“That’s what I told her, but she brought up some good points on why they should and so we are having training.”
“Who is training?” I asked.
“Me, Danny, one of my soldiers and I was hoping for Sonny or Miles, whichever one doesn’t drive Javier to the lab.”
I stood and stretched. “I was hoping I could take him to the lab this morning.”
“You alright to drive?”
I nodded.
“I know you aren’t driving him out of the goodness of your heart. Does this have something to do with your Sonny theory?”
“Yeah, he wouldn’t talk to me after Wonka. Said it made him tired and dizzy.”
“I can’t watch it either. Does that to me.”
“Really?” I asked. “So, uh…four of you to train Mera?”
Beck laughed. “No. If it was only Mera, it would be different. I mentioned it and we have sign ups.”
“Who?”
“Mera, Renee, Patty, Bonny…”
“Bonny don’t need training.”
“She wants to be there.”
“Think Danny needs to break out that phone and get some pictures.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Well, I think I’ll go grab a coffee and bite to eat,” I said. “Maybe find Hot Doc and I’ll tell Sonny I’ll drive him. If Sonny doesn’t get a stick up his ass about it. He’s pretty possessive about his jobs.”
“Sonny isn’t here.”
That made me stop. “Where is he?”
“He went fishing.”
I looked at my watch. “The sun is up. I told him about fishing when the sun is up.”
“Yeah, well, Randy saw him and that Peter guy out on a boat.”
“Ain’t that just weird.”
“Maybe after you sleep you and I can take a ride over the bay and meet this guy.”
I nodded with a point. “That is a good idea. Good luck with training.”
“Good luck with Javier.”
That went well, I thought as I walked out. It could have been more awkward. The conversation the night before, even though I thought it was a brilliant theory, was a little stilted.
My presence in the dining hall wasn’t uncommon but it wasn’t a daily occurrence. They were never warm and welcoming and usually one of the ladies gave me shit. But I wasn’t in the mood to deal with a house full of kids, the pandemonium of the morning there and I wanted to talk to Hot Doc.
He’d eventually make his way to get food.
“Alex!” Renee said my name…cheerfully. Which prompted me to look around for another Alex.
“Sit.” She grabbed my arm, rather forcefully. “Please.”
“Okay.” I sat down.
“I wasn’t expecting you here. How are you?”
“Um…okay.”
The she pursed her lips and nodded sadly at me. “I made you something. Did you want coffee?”
“Okay.”
She darted off, so I kept a leery eye on her, making sure she got my coffee from the same urn as everyone else’s and didn’t add any poison to it.
She set the coffee in fro
nt of me with a tiny little tin pitcher. “Cream,” she said and before she hurried off, she ran her hand down the back of my head.
That was weird.
But it was nothing compared the breakfast plate she brought me. Two eggs, a tomato slice shaped like a triangle and brown meat thing. They made a smiley face.
“I was going to send this to your office, but I’m glad you’re here to eat it fresh.”
“For me?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you are going through a tough time. Poor Alex.”
My eyes widened. Had she just called me “Poor Alex”? “Renee, did Mera put you up to this?”
“What? Breakfast? I haven’t seen Mera. Sonny…Sonny told us that you were having a tough time.”
“He did, huh? What exactly did he say?”
“In a nutshell, you found out that your unrequited love interest will remain painfully unrequited and you have to watch the whole thing unfold.”
“I…”
“It was rubbed in your face. You were made to watch.”
“Renee…”
She continued. “And that Michael even helped, tossing your feelings aside. You’re heartbroken and crushed like a leaf.”
“Sonny said all this?”
“In a sense, yes,” Renee said.
“Well, honestly, as much as I appreciate the sympathy…”
“I’m making you a pie today,” she said. “Just for you with a butter crust.”
“For me?” I asked. “All for me?”
“Yes. Now what were you saying about appreciating the sympathy?”
“Yes,” I said. “As much as I appreciate it. I…certainly hope it will help. Because I don’t think anything will. The pie is a good start.”
“Eat.”
She ran her hand over my head again. Not sure if I liked that.
I lifted my fork, wishing at that second we’d find a way to make ketchup, when I heard the clearing of a throat. I lifted my eyes.
Hot Doc stood there with his small plate with one egg and slice of bread. “Crushed like a leaf.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Heartbroken and crushed like a leaf. That’s what she said you are and why she’s being so nice to you.”
“I am.”
“I’m sure.” He sat down.
“And I…am your ride to the lab.”
“You?” he asked. “What about Sonny?”
“He’s fishing.”
“Sonny doesn’t fish well.”
“You know that, I know that,” I said. “Soon Pete from across the bay will know that.”
“Sonny is with him?”
I nodded.
“He must want something.”
“Exactly.”
“Where is Miles?” asked Javier.
“He’s gonna be doing a training class with Beck. Teaching the women and a few others Sleeper self-defense.”
“That’s right.” He nodded. “Levi and Noah told me about it. They’ll be attending.”
“Then I’m glad I’m not teaching it for sure.”
“I don’t think anyone would ask you.”
“Hey now.” I finally started to tear into my breakfast. It was good.
“Danny? Can Danny drive me?” Javier asked.
“What is wrong with me?”
“You’re not good company, Alex.”
“Now, see, that’s just plain mean,” I said. “I’m very good company and this food is good.” I added the cream to my coffee, smiled at the caramel color then sipped it. “Oh, wow, this is awesome.”
“You plan on taking advantage of the good nature of that wonderful woman.”
“That woman treats me like Satan normally,” I said. “So yes. And she’s saying Poor Alex. No one ever says Poor Alex.”
“That’s because you’re too arrogant and cocky to be called that.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Tell me, Mister Sans, is this driving me to my lab have anything to do with the rush of urgency to speak to me last night?” He began to eat his one egg and toast.
“Yes. It’s really important, Doc. I think….” At that second I paused. I had to remember who I was speaking to. Hot Doc hated a good idea that he didn’t come up with. My idea that Sonny was the Sandman was scoffed at until he did some research and blood test.
“Alex, what?” he asked.
“Are we positive that Sonny is the Sandman?” I asked.
“No, not a hundred percent. But maybe ninety-nine point seven. Not a hundred percent. Why?”
“Just was curious. He just seems so nice and clueless. Mera brought up that he’s been working out using that scooter.”
“The work out, if that’s really true, could cause a bodily change, but I looked at his DNA.”
“I see.”
“Where is this going.”
I had it.
I knew how to get Hot Doc to make it seem like his idea. Or at least I hoped. I would do the same to him that was done to me.
“Well, poor Sonny, he needs happiness,” I said.
“Don’t we all.”
“I heard from Mera…”
“The woman that crushed your heart like a leaf.”
“Yes.” I took a bite of food, washing it down with coffee. “She was telling me that maybe Sonny and Stacy, the former reality star, were gonna you know, be a couple. That they even talked about having a kid.”
Javier laughed.
“What?”
“No one is going to get romantically involved with Sonny. Not unless it’s someone new.”
“I hear you, but I was just curious if they did. Seeing how Sonny inherited Mike’s DNA mutation. Would he have a normal kid?”
After shaking his head, scoffing at that. “It’s not a pure inherited mutation that Sonny has. It’s created. No worries. Sonny will not be getting involved with Stacy. She’s not bright enough. If they did. The poor child would either be low range intelligence or….”
He stopped.
I saw it.
The thought hit him.
“Not normal?” I asked.
“Jesus.” He wiped his mouth. “Alex, can you finish up and take me to my lab?”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You just provoked a thought. I’d like to talk to you about it in private. The truck will be good. Meet you there, say ten minutes?”
“Ten minutes is good.”
He got up in a rush and hurried away.
I could only hope that he was on the same train of thought as myself. I could be wrong, we were a community of miscommunication.
No one was ever on the same wavelength.
If he wasn’t, I would have to put him there, scoffing or not.
I had ten minutes. I would enjoy the rest of my breakfast, poke the bear about that pie again and bask in the fact that no one was being too mean to me…yet.
TWENTY-ONE
MERA
Beck had to be doing it as a joke. Maybe not, but only time would tell or rather, the day would tell.
I was resting comfortably, just about to fall back to sleep, when he startled me.
“Up and at ‘em, Sunshine,” he said with a smack to my rear end. “Training.”
“What? What time?” I asked.
“Ten.”
I popped open one eye to see the time of nine-thirty. I groaned. “Can we do it at noon? I just got all three kids back down for a nap.”
“No. Training is at ten.”
“Well, I’ll be there after I wake up.”
“Mera, I came all the way over from my office…”
“From your office. All the way.” I shook my head, closing my eyes.
“Get up.”
“Can we start it at noon?”
“No we can not,” Beck said. “You aren’t the only one going.”
“Oh, then I don’t need to go. Others will be there.”
He stated my name very calmly, “Mera.” Then I felt the draft of cooler air when he flung the covers from me.
I flipped over to my back. “What are you, nuts?’
“You asked for this. You requested it…adamantly. You will get up and go. Now.”
“What the fuck, Beck, are you like my drill sergeant?”
“Mera, if anyone else requested training, I’d gladly let you sleep away the late morning, instead of training or…I don’t know, doing the breakfast dishes that are piled a mile high.”
My eyes widened. “Oh my God. You’re being a dick. You are never a dick. This is some sort of mode you get into that I have never seen.”
“You’ve seen it.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right, that night you detained me, took my stuff and my booze, wouldn’t even look at….”
“Mera?”
“What?”
“Get up and get dressed. Training is center court out front, I’ll bring the baby monitors to Mrs. Stilton. There’s coffee on the dresser.” He pointed as he walked to the door. “With real cream.”
I saw the mug on the dresser and walked over to it. The second I tasted the coffee with real cream, I slightly forgave Beck.
I was going to enjoy every sip of that beverage before I got dressed and went to boot camp.
I was exactly on time so I didn’t want to hear that I was late and everyone weas waiting on me. There were more people than I expected. Bonnie was the only one whose presence really surprised me. Levi and Noah, along with the others made sense to me.
Beck was there…naturally. With him was my son, Miles and about eight soldiers. The soldiers lined up behind Beck, not just in uniform but in riot gear. I wondered how they’d fit into all this.
“Thank you all for coming,” Beck said. “I’m going to call this Sleeper training 101.”
He paused when they all clapped.
Why were they applauding him?
Sleepers | Book 8 Page 9