Lost And Found Part 5
Part 5
I didn’t sleep well that night and in the morning I didn’t look my best. I spent the day making sure that everything I needed was packed and by the door for tomorrow. I did school work that I was missing from being absent from class. I even got ahead on it so I wouldn’t have to take some of it to the lab with me. I figured if I had to stay the full two weeks, Josh could bring me what I wasn’t taking with me for the first week. I had asked Mom to cook something for me to take to Chris’s as I wanted a night with him and Steve before I left the next day. It was only a bit of a lie since I would be spending time with Chris but instead of Steve the other person would be Jared and we would be at his house not Chris’s. It helped her take her mind of the fact that I was leaving temporarily and Mac helped her out so it took Mac’s mind off what was going on outside. By the time school was getting out I was more than ready for Chris to come and get me. I watched the clock as time passed and I got the dinner Mom and Mac had made ready for transport. It would not be easy getting the bags I had through Mr. Bartle’s yard but I did manage. Chris gave me a stare as I awkwardly worked my way into his truck.
“Mom made us dinner,” I said as I buckled myself in and he stepped on the gas. We drove all the way to Jared’s in silence and I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. When we got there Chris parked in the driveway and I saw the same car as yesterday and Jared’s bike under the cover. Jared had skipped detention. I don’t know if his mom knew about his detentions or not but she must not have cared.
She opened the door as Chris was knocking. She didn’t have the chain lock on so we came inside immediately. I showed her the bags of food and asked her where I should set them up. There was plenty for everyone and she was welcome to as much as she wanted. She had Jared set the table and insisted we all eat together. This put a damper on us getting down to plans but it was an enjoyable meal. Jared’s mom’s name was Sherri and she asked us all about school, our home lives and what we were going to do over the summer. We offered to do the dishes for her but she insisted that since Jensen and Chris, had brought the meal and we were there to see Jared she would do them. We went outside to talk so we wouldn’t upset Jared’s mom if she overheard us.
It seemed Chris and Jared had been busy the night before. I was to check in everyday with Chris and should anything happen there was code words to signal if I was in distress and in need of rescue. The rescue was kept a secret between Chris and Jared just in case. In case of what, I had no idea and didn’t really care to think about. They had managed to scrape up some emergency cash. It was no use asking them where they got it, they wouldn’t say. Jared had also bought two burner phones, one for me and one for himself in case I needed to communicate privately or my lines of communication were cut off. These items would be hidden in a guitar that Chris had spent the night modifying in case I and my luggage was searched. The guitar could be looked at and the hidden compartment not found unless it was being put under serious scrutiny which they didn’t think was likely to happen. If anything the guitar case was to be inspected in more detail than the actual instrument.
When we came back inside Sherri told us that she was going out to see a friend for a bit and wished us all goodnight. After she left Chris said that he had some errands to run for his dad and he’d come back for me later. I have no idea how much Jared’s mother knew but with her gone, Chris was giving me time alone with Jared. I didn’t mind at all. (You shouldn’t either it’s the 21st century and if you do feel free to skip over the next few pages).
Once Chris was gone Jared took me into his room. It was tiny, just big enough for his bed, a queen which was big enough for him if he laid on it diagonally and a night stand with a lamp. There was a tiny closet space where he managed to fit all his clothes and various things for school. We lay side by side on the bed and made out, kissing and nipping at throats while our hands roamed. I finally got to touch his skin and was startled by what I found. I tried not to show my surprise and shock when my fingers found the scars on his back. He had frozen as soon as I touched them and I could tell he wanted to say something but I stopped him with a kiss and kept moving my fingers. I traced the scars at first then just ran my hands over his back in random patterns.
He had three scars on his front, one where his appendix was, I knew this scar because Josh had one also, only Jared’s was longer and wider. There was another one on his right side over his ribs and one very close to where his heart was. I had an idea of where he had gotten them and it made me disregard his crime even more. After what felt like forever of feeling each other up, Jared pulled my shirt off. He went right to work nibbling my collar bone as his nails scratched down my chest. It was good and I moaned wiggling a bit. He chuckled and came back up to kiss me some more.
When he ran his fingers over my nipples I gasped and he stuck his tongue in my mouth. It was awkward for a second I don’t mind saying because I had never done that before but I got the hang of it fairly quickly. I began tugging at his shirt and he resisted but I persisted and finally it came off. I saw the scars I had felt on his front and it made me a little misty eyed. I kissed to one close to his heart as I caressed the one over his ribs. When I backed off I also saw the reason he wore long sleeves or multiple layers. There were round burn scars on his arms. He went to cover up but I reached out and pulled him over to me. I rolled as I pulled and he was sprawled half on top of me. I kissed him again and rubbed my hands down his arms. He was stiff for a second then got back with the program. I accepted him wordlessly and he thanked me with affection. He traced his fingers over my ribs getting a laugh out of me for my ticklish spots. He caressed my arms as I had his and ran his fingers through my hair. By now he was fully on top of me and the weight of him felt good. I could feel all of him and he could feel me and it didn’t take our bodies long to start doing what comes naturally to all aroused animals. We began thrusting against each other to gain friction, to get relief and pleasure. We were panting by now, our kisses sporadic as we focused on a more important part of our anatomy.
I wasn’t ready to have sex yet, I didn’t know how much would show on any physical I would get later at the lab, but I knew that I wanted Jared to be the first person I slept with. When I got back and we resumed dating I could bring it up, but not now. Now was small pleasures and getting familiar with each other’s bodies.
I have no idea how he got his hand in there without me noticing but suddenly Jared’s hands were in my pants covering my cock through my underwear. I gave a little cry as he ran his fingers along it and thrust his own cock against the crevice of my pelvic bone. I wanted to touch him to but I couldn’t get my hands around his or into the tight space he was rubbing. I settled instead for running my thumbs over his nipples. He jerked at the first touch pushing hard into me and flattening his hand harder against my cock. The sensation was amazing and a second later he had the waistband of my underwear down and his fingers firmly around my cock. I didn’t know how much more I was going to take. Touching yourself is one thing but having someone else do it is another. Add to that the other sensations of a body on yours, skin on skin and demanding kisses and I was not going to last nor did I want to. Being a teenager the recovery time is high and if we played our cards right we could hopefully go again before Chris got back. He used my pre-come to help smooth the way but it was still a bit rough without lube. At that point though, I was to gone by then to care if I was getting a little chaffed. I bucked into his hand as much as I could and he increased his stroking and thrusting. We kissed once more roughly and my hands scrabbled at his arms as I began to lose control. It was over moments later when I jerked and stiffened as I came. A few thrusts more and so did Jared. We lay tangled and panting trying to calm down and yet enjoy your bliss at the same time. Jared rolled off me but not away and we both breathed easier.
After a minute or two Jared rolled over to kiss me then rolled away and got up. He opened the single drawer of his night stand and took out some tissues which he handed me. I took them and reached inside my underwear to clean myself up. Jared was doing the same and he pulled a tiny trash can from the opposite side of the night stand for us to dispose of the evidence.
Jared handed me my shirt and put his back on signaling the end of any further exploring. When we were respectable again he opened his window a crack and led me back out to the living room. We sat on the couch lazily making out lightly again between snippets of my emergency plans again. Before half an hour was up Chris was back. I gathered up the containers from dinner and left. Chris and I went over the plans again on the way back to my house. I had them down pat and nothing short of amnesia was going to make me forget them. At home I placed the guitar by my bags and saying goodnight to my family, went to bed. I dreamed of Jared and the mutual orgasms we had and fantasized a bit more. I woke up a bit wet in the morning and not feeling so glum about going to the lab.
Agents Heyerdahl and Carroll arrived with an escort mid-morning to take Dad and me to the lab. The reporters tried to follow us and some of them made it all the way to the base when they were stopped by security.
So part of my goal was already complete with the reporters following us. It wouldn’t be long before word spread of where I was and hopefully the reporters would come here and stay away from my house. I would be news for at least another day or two but with nothing coming out of the lab or base they would have to move on. I mean, really, how interesting could I be doing nothing?
Quite interesting, as it turned out, as speculation flew and I didn’t really sit around and do nothing. I did something to make the news grow.
The base wasn’t much to look at as we passed through it, going directly to the lab where I would presumably spend most of my time. Fist was a section of one story, squat, concrete buildings that were identified as the mess hall, two lecture halls for classes and instruction, a gym, officers building, where the orders came from not a club house, the laundry, uniforms and assorted military linens only, and a commissary closest to the next section which was housing.
The housing was laid out like any close to the city, inner suburbs with rows of identical houses on parallel streets that connected by three intersecting main avenues at both ends and the middle. Later, I learned that the firing range, a running track and mechanics garage with fleet vehicles was on the far side of the base away from the entrance and the housing to reduce danger and noise. In the middle of the housing area was a small park and pool for any kids on base. I would be free to go if I had the time or the inclination.
Last was an onsite hospital where medics trained and practiced. This was connected to the lab I would be at via a covered walkway. However, only a limited number of people had access to the lab as opposed to the more common access to the hospital. This was made clear by guards at the door to the lab and bars on its windows. The hospital and lab were both two stories and the bars extended to the second story on the lab. There was a helicopter pad off to the side of the buildings. The pad was empty at the moment and I wondered if it was out on a medical mission or if they just used it for emergencies and it was kept elsewhere. It seemed inconvenient if the latter were true but, then again, I didn’t wish anyone was hurt for the helicopter to be in use.
When we stopped in front of the hospital and got out, a female doctor in a typical white lab coat came out to greet us. She must have been waiting and she seemed very pleasant as she smiled and introduced herself as Dr. Ferris. While we were being greeted, the car with all my stuff drove off; probably everything I brought was going to be inspected but when Dad started to protest, Agent Carroll said that everything was going to be taken to where I was staying.
With that taken care of, Dr. Ferris took them on a tour of the lab and the testing rooms. Most of it looked like any other hospital, and he’d know from his recent stay in one. They had an imaging chamber where I’d get a full body cat scan as well as a series of brain images as I looked at photos of missing people and if I could fall asleep while in here, while I dreamed. There was an exam room with a comfortable but narrow looking bed with a cart and table full of wires and machines next to it. This was what patients wore and slept with when participating in sleep studies. Dr. Ferris hoped that I could spend at least one night here, hopefully two, to be monitored round the clock to see how my brain functioned. There was an ordinary looking exam room where I’d get a complete checkup. An office that had a couch and a few chairs and bookshelves filled to capacity that belonged to the resident psychologist, Dr. Sheppard. He was currently busy at the moment but was looking forward to seeing me. There was also a room that looked a lot like a classroom with small desks and chairs facing a white board with a drop down projector screen above it. This is where I would study the faces of the missing people they wanted found.
That done we were taken to the room I would be staying in. It was right off the lab building to the back and when we got inside it was obvious it had been an office even with new furniture. There was a small room first that might have belonged to a secretary and doubled as a waiting room. Now it was a living room of sorts with a couch that looked like it came from a doctor’s waiting room and there were two matching chairs. There was a small tv on top of a bookcase that was almost completely empty. On a lower shelf of the bookcase was a radio along with a phone, the old kind with the cord. Against a wall was a camp table with a folding chair where I could work and eat. The bedroom was bigger, but not by much from the outer room. It had a queen sized bed that was made expertly. The old phrase that you could bounce a quarter off it come to mind and made me smile for a second. There was a night stand and lamp and a three drawer narrow dresser and that was it, aside from my belongings in the corner. A small bath was included with a tiny sink and mirror wedged next to a toilet and a narrow shower I would just fit into. This must have been some important lab supervisor or managers office to have a bathroom at all and I wondered where they would be working while I occupied the space.
I was told that I could eat in the mess when it was open or opt to have meals brought to me here. When at the lab I would be provided with food. I was to have an allowance of twenty dollars a week to use at the commissary for items I needed if I ran out of toothpaste or deodorant or materials for my school work, like paper. There was a curfew but that was for everyone on base so I would have to obey that rule like everyone else. Like I was going to roam around late at night looking at and doing nothing since there was nothing of interest here.
Everything seemed to be in order and above board as far as what was agreed to, so Dad was ready to leave. We said a quick goodbye and he reminded me to behave and agents Heyerdahl and Carroll took him back home. Since it was so late in the day for much of anything Dr. Ferris took me back to the lab to meet the scientists and doctors who would be working with her and testing me. I honestly don’t remember all their names so I can’t put them here in my statement, sorry. There must be some kind of record with the government though, so maybe if you’re that interested you can get it from them. That is, if it isn’t marked top secret. I did, however, learn that the office turned apartment I was living in belonged to Dr. Sheppard and I didn’t mind at all that I had kicked him out. That’s because I found him to be annoying and mean-spirited. He followed Dr. Ferris, who I thought wasn’t very fond of him either, and me around the whole time we were in the lab asking questions. They were annoying or I didn’t have the answers to or too personal for my tastes and making snide comments about any answer I gave. I wasn’t looking forward to spending time with him or my upcoming psych eval. At all. After that, I just wandered around the base, the civilian side, until it was time for dinner.
I wasn’t up for company so I took my meal of meatloaf, mixed vegetable and mac and cheese in my room. For dessert it came with a brownie that didn’t look all that appetizing but tasted pretty good. I slept fitfully, being in a place I didn’t know and wasn’t too happy to be in but was necessary.
I woke up grumpy, way to early by sounds of I don’t know what they were doing, but a lot of men were doing it. Since I couldn’t get back to sleep I showered and went to find food. The mess hall was almost empty, the soldiers doing drills or whatever they did. I had my choice of oatmeal, pancakes, toast, eggs, bacon, biscuits with gravy and mixed fruits. Everything was mass produced and tasted a bit bland but it was filling. I sat alone and ate slowly before going for a quick walk and then back to my room to wait for my day to really begin.
Dr. Ferris, herself, came to get me at nine o’clock and I was grateful because there was nothing on TV that early but news and kids shows. There may have been more on but my TV only got a few limited channels. I wasn’t in the mood for whatever the kids’ shows wanted to teach and I was on the news shows, or at least the local news. They were speculation if I was at the military/government base by choice, if I was being taken seriously or if I was being tested for fraud and would I be their new secret weapon. I didn’t want to hear any of it so I had checked out the few books left behind not wanting to bother with the radio yet. It turned out that got a limited amount of stations too, although I couldn’t figure out how it was managed. There was the news networks, the bases own radio station, two country stations, a gospel station, a rock station, a top 40 or pop station and an oldies station.
First up for the day was the complete physical, and I mean complete, where I was put through just about every test known to man. Since I had to endure these indignities, so do you, it only seems fair since you’re asking me to go through them again, at least in memory. I had my eyes, ears, a hearing test included, nose, and reflexes tested. They listened to my lungs and heart, checked my blood pressure and took blood, lots of it, for further testing. Probably for every drug, disease, pathogen or defect imaginable, they had so much of it. They checked out my teeth and throat, they even gave me a short taste test of sorts, flexibility, dexterity, and looked for any odd features, the best one was if I could roll my tongue, which by the way, I can’t. They mapped out all my scars and asked about how I got them. Then came the x-rays and scans which took up a huge portion of time so that I had a very late lunch. Last was an oral history of my health of everything I could remember and anything my family genetics might have passed to me. I was so done by the time they were but I still had the psychological tests that would last until the end of the day.
Some of the psych stuff wasn’t so bad, I got to play puzzle, memory and logic games as well as do that ink blot whatever it is and word association. They took down any history of mental disease and issues my family had and then it was on to see Dr. Sheppard. That was the unpleasant part if you didn’t guess. I was asked about my life from as far back as I could remember. How did I feel about my family situation or in general, working for my family, being the middle sibling, the non-involvement and feud with extended family, my friendship with my limited amount of friends. What did I think about school and the general state of things in the state? Then it got super personal and uncomfortable since I was pretty sure Dr. Sheppard was judging me when he asked how I felt about myself, my body image, my intelligence, and my sexuality. He even asked if I had a sexual partner and how I felt about them. I declined to answer more and more of his recent questions and he started to get angry and tried to get a rise out of me or to have me answer his questions by making snide and belittling remarks. When we got to the sex part I was so done I got up and left the room. Dr. Sheppard followed me still asking questions and making comments when Dr. Ferris came to my rescue. She must have been waiting close by and I was grateful even if it meant she wanted to poke and prod me some more. Anything to get away from Dr. Sheppard at this point. They got into an argument about me to and acted like I wasn’t even there but I let it slide since Dr. Ferris won. I was excused for the day which didn’t make Dr. Sheppard happy and he vowed that he’d see me later. I was ready for the next round of tests but Dr. Ferris surprised me by letting me go for the day. As I went she reminded me to do my homework.
I had been still for so long of the day I decided that a run around the base wouldn’t be a bad thing. It turns out there where a few places I was not allowed to go so my jogging path was all over the place. I finished and went to have a quick shower before dinner. The mess hall was very busy when I arrived and I nixed the plan to eat there when I got a few more looks with whispered comments from the soldiers than I liked.
Dinner was fried chicken with or without gravy, biscuits, mash potatoes, more mixed veggies, more fruit and pudding for dessert. I got two helpings of that. After I went to the commissary and had ten minutes before they closed to look around. I used some of the spending money they gave me to buy the newest and last book by Tom Clancy. I wasn’t sure if that was covered under necessities but the clerk, a teenager about my age, didn’t stop me. With my book I went back to hide out in my room. I was itching to call home and Chris to see how the situations with the reporters was, too, so I put the book aside for after my check-ins.
I called home first and Dad answered with the usual generic greeting of “Ackles residence.” I’m not sure who else does this in today’s day and age but at least you know who you have reached.“Hi, Dad, it’s me. How is everyone?” I was sure it would be rude to ask if the reporters were gone first even if that was what I most wanted to know. I was sure my family was fine, if they weren’t I am 100% positive that Mom, my first pick, and Dad would have found a way to get hold of me here.
“Jensen! It’s good to hear from you, everyone is fine. Things have calmed down a bit, since you left. Most of the reporters have too. There are still a few hanging around but nowhere near as many as before. Mac went back to school today and everything was fine. She’s still a little nervous though, so Donna is going to take her to the movies tomorrow.
I had forgotten that it was Friday already. Dad and Josh would be busy at the restaurant and Mom would normally have been there, too, but I understood why she would take the day off to be with Mac. It would be busy though with reporters still about and…
“What about those church people and the protesters?”
It was quiet for a moment and then Dad sighed. “They’re still here for the most part. I’m not sure how long those church people are going to stay but I’d guess at least till Monday. They plan to visit our church on Sunday. As for the protesters, who knows? I have a feeling they’ll leave mainly when the reporters do over the weekend but a few hard core ones might hang on till the church people leave.”
I was glad that things had calmed down so much but I had hoped that the church people and protesters would leave when they knew I was no longer at home. However, the fact the church people would stay until Sunday service even if it wasn’t their own church did make a bit of sense depending on how far they came. I was ready to hang up and call Chris but Dad passed the phone to Mom.
“Jensen, how are you? Are they treating you okay? Are you okay medically? Are you getting enough to eat?” Mom ran out of breath and before she could start again, Dad’s voice could be heard in the background telling her to calm down and let me answer before she asked more questions. “Jensen?” She didn’t apologize and with that single question was asking all the previous ones again.
I looked up at the ceiling as I answered sure she’d be able to tell even without seeing me if I rolled my eyes at her. A mothers concern is nothing to laugh at she always told us when he got annoyed or frustrated with her fussing over us. “I’m fine, everything here is good the doctors and staff have been nice. Nothing is wrong with me other than what I had before the lightning.” I didn’t actually know that because all the test results weren’t back in yet and they hadn’t told me anything about the extended tests yet either, but Mom didn’t need to know that. “The food is filling but it’s nothing like yours and don’t worry, I’m studying.” I preemptively answer the next question she was going to ask. I know this because she always asks.
“Well, okay.” She didn’t sound too okay but there really wasn’t anything she could do. “I hope the reporters are gone by the end of the weekend and you can come home. I’ll cook your favorite for dinner and dessert, alright?” the last bit was a reassurance.
“Sure, look I have to go and finish my homework. A lie since I had done todays before I came. I just wanted to check-in. I’ll call again later.” I wanted to call Chris before he went off to practice his music. On Friday he and Steve worked on their music after dinner if their chores were done.
“Goodnight, Jensen.” Mom said and in the background everyone else said goodnight too. They must have been having dinner or more likely desert.
“Goodnight.” I hung up the phone. For a second I felt a twinge of home sickness but I dialed Chris’s number so I wouldn’t have time to dwell on it. It rang so long that I thought he wasn’t going to answer but he did before it flipped over to voicemail.
“Hello, Pizza Hut Pizza,” Chris’s voice came across the line and he sounded absolutely serious.
“Chris, what are you doing?” I didn’t bother to identify myself he’d know from my voice.
“Keeping nosy reporters from calling me or at least calling back. I didn’t recognize the number so who knows who it could have been.” That was Chris being smart again, I wouldn’t have thought of that.
“What happens if whoever calls tries to order a pizza?” I tried to think of the answer to that, and hope Chris has one to compare it to.
“I take their order and credit info and then call the real pizza place. I, of course, make sure they get a nice tip.” I can hear the amusement in his voice and I smile, too. His answer is not the same as my own because I couldn’t really think of one. “So how is it at club fed?” His voice is serious again and I know he’s all business.
If the line is being tapped, which I’m positive it is, I don’t care for this call. “It’s okay, I have my own mini studio apartment, the foods decent in that I won’t starve and short of actual dissection in an imitation alien probe, I’ve been examined at almost microscopic levels. The doctors are pretty nice except for their psychologist, he’s a jackass.”
Chris laughed and I knew that he must be relaxing from my positive report. I hadn’t used a single code word so he knew I was okay. “You doing any work for them yet finding people? How you found anyone yet?”
“No, it’s just been medical stuff so far, but even if I had started looking for people I can’t talk details about it. That’s a no-no I agreed to.” We had guessed this before I left but I had to say it out loud to look good for the likely phone tap. It wasn’t like I couldn’t talk about it later. I had agreed not to but who was going to know if I spilled the beans to my friend. Reality check please!
“Fine,” Chris sounded a bit put out but that was an act, again for the phone tap. “You think you’ll make it back for our gig?” Here Chris was setting up the situation I would need to make my code words not sound like code words if I need to use them.
“We’ll see,” this answered that question and the speculation of whether or not I would need to use my code words. So far nothing sinister was going on and I felt as comfortable as I could having my powers tested while being watched almost 24/7. I didn’t want to think that they had surveillance in my rooms, a bug, sure, but cameras? I sure hoped not.
“Well, try okay?” Chris admonished. “I gotta go and practice. Don’t forget to do the same. Can’t have you sucking at the gig.” Chris didn’t wait for a reply and he hung up but that was nothing new.
Calls done, no homework, dinner and desert digesting, I settled in with my book. It was okay but nothing special. I hadn’t read his work before but I had seen some of the movies based on his stuff and I didn’t get far before I turned my attention to the TV. I caught the tail end of some nature show about grizzly bears, which I don’t have to worry about living in Texas, and saw a little news. A very small focus on me for a change before it was time to call it a night. It was early by teenager and Friday night standards but it had been a long and stressful day. I had no idea what tomorrow would bring but hoped it would be more exciting.
I was woken up on Saturday way to early again, much too early for a Saturday period, with the noises of to many men doing I knew not what. I wondered if there was someone or somewhere I could complain to. I got up and repeated the routine of the morning before but with a little reading as a bonus before Dr. Ferris picked me up. She asked me about my night and I told her it was fine and that was all the amount of small talk we had. I was taken to the classroom which had been rearranged. There was not a single desk and chair set in the middle of the room, the others were gone or against the walls. The projector screen was down and the projector lit and ready to go. Close to the desk and chair was a single chair and a cart full of equipment. A computer monitor, printer like machine, keyboard and a ton of wires with tiny pads on the ends.
While I sat at the desk and Dr. Ferris and a nurse set about hooking me up to the machine, Agent Heyerdahl came in with another man who was in military uniform. They talked in hushed tones so I couldn’t make out the words but it didn’t matter because as soon as Dr. Ferris and the nurse were done, the military man approached. He looked me over trapped as I was in my seat and I looked him over to show I wasn’t cowed, even if he was a little intimidating, truthfully.
“Mr. Ackles, I’m Coronel Pellegrino and I’ll be overseeing you’re testing. I have brought slides of some very bad people we are looking for. There are pictures of hostages too that we are aiming to recover. The pictures are mostly of adults but there are a few teenagers and children mixed in. Now we know that you can absolutely find children but your accurate finding of Carlos Ramirez makes us hope that you can find anyone you see. If you can’t locate any of the adults, we will do our best to find pictures of these subjects as children and try again.” Once he was finished with his speech he went back over to the projector and fiddle around with it before talking to Agent Heyerdahl again. Then he left without a backwards glance.
Agent Heyerdahl was obviously in charge of this part of the show even with Dr. Ferris present in the chair next to my monitoring equipment.
“Let’s begin.” Agent Heyerdahl turned down the lights and started the slide show.
At first the slides went to fast and I told him so. I may hate the guy but I was here to do a job and he adjusted the slides. It took a bit of experimenting to get the speed right and I was sure that Agent Heyerdahl was very annoyed with me by the time he got it right. It turned out it took between 35 and 45 seconds for me to focus enough for my powers to latch on or whatever happened to make me dream up their location. The pictures were pretty standard and modified to have as little or bland background as possible with the majority being middle aged white men.
I would have thought with today’s nonstop news streams about terrorist there would be more people of middle eastern origin. I know, I know, I’m stereotyping, but in general they are the instigators and yes, they can be from anywhere in the world. They’re recruited based on beliefs, grievances and prejudices and anyone can be a terrorist, but the media just loves to paint them as the biggest group thanks to 9/11. Pellegrino was right in that there were only a handful of kids and teenagers but I didn’t think it would matter since I was doing that focus thing on everyone.
After a while things got boring and I had to pee, not to mention I was getting hungry. I began to fidget and not pay that much attention to the slides. I had to have been looking at them for as long as a feature length film by now. If not, it sure felt like it and I was ready to get up and move. Dr. Ferris must have noticed my interest fading first since she was monitoring me but she didn’t say anything. When I started to move around in my seat at every other slide Agent Heyerdahl had enough. He paused the slides and turned on the lights.
“Are we boring you?” It was said sarcastically and he was not quite sneering at me.
“Yes,” I told him the truth and watched him get angry. “I’ve been here for a while looking at very similar pictures without any other kind of stimulation. My eyes hurt, my legs tingle, I need to pee and I’m getting hungry. I’m not a machine you can just feed images to all day.” I wanted to make a statement by slouching or getting up to give a big stretch but I was stuck in my seated position by all the wires.
“It is about time for a break,” Dr. Ferris stepped in before Agent Heyerdahl could rebuke me. She got up and came over to start unhooking me and that was that. Agent Heyerdahl grumbled something I couldn’t make out and shut off the projector before unplugging it and taking it with him when he left. When Dr. Ferris had finished unplugging me she gathered up her own materials. “Go ahead and get some lunch while I go over these and I’ll pick you up from your room in two hours.” It wasn’t up for discussion and I didn’t stick around to bargain I left to find a bathroom.
Lunch was like a Subway with build your own sandwich options and healthy sides. Even more soldiers looked at me than the day before and I was resigned to eating my lunch alone for my stay. It was nice out, so after scarfing down my meal I went out and walked until it was time to go and be collected for more testing. Getting hooked up the second time was slightly faster than in the morning since Dr. Ferris and the nurse knew exactly where to put everything now.
Agent Heyerdahl had hooked up the projector by the time I was ready and turned down the lights as soon as Dr. Ferris took her seat. I spent another film length of time looking at the slides. I don’t know if my interrupting the testing caused it to restart or if there were only a limited number of pictures or what but the slides were the same as before except at the end, when there were a few I hadn’t seen. I had to pay attention because I had drifted off when I realized I wasn’t focusing on the photos as I had the first time. I wondered if it was because I had them locked in my brain or I just didn’t care. Either way I spaced for most of the time which I used to think about Jared and what we might do together when I got back home. Later I would wonder what the results from the monitor looked like. I bet Dr. Ferris and her associates had a field day with it and trying to theorize the difference. If there even was one, I was never shown the results so I wouldn’t know I could only guess. But I would think that brain patterns or waves or whatever would be different from looking at plain boring photos to thinking about sex, or at least jerking off together.
When I was finally let go this time, it wasn’t meal time coming up. Dr. Ferris suggested that I go to the tiny park or the pool since it was still hot outside. I opted for the pool but told her I didn’t have any swimming trunks. She told me to buy some at the commissary and wrote a note that would allow me to charge them to her account. Half an hour later I was floating in the deeper section of the pool trying to stay out of reach of the little kids splashing. When I was done soaking I found an empty lounge chair and laid out. I have pretty pale skin for a Texan so I had applied plenty of sun block for which I was grateful since the sun and the dull day staring at photos made me drowsy and I fell asleep. I must have been having a nightmare or something because the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by Dr. Ferris who had a concerned look on her face.
“Are you okay Jensen? Did you see anyone?” She crouched next to me her hand still on my shoulder which was very warm and tingled a bit.
I was a little fuzzy headed and it took me a moment to figure out the meaning behind Dr. Ferris’s question. “No I don’t know where anyone is, I, I think I was having a nightmare but I can’t remember. I’m okay now.” I sat up making her hand fall off me.
“Alright” Dr. Ferris didn’t sound to convinced and stood back up. “You got some sunburn going on, I have some aloe Vera if you need it.”
I looked down to see that I had turned a light shade of pale pink and sighed. “It’s okay. It’ll be a tan in a day or two.” Which was true but I would itch like crazy tonight as the burn turned into the tan. I noticed that the sun was sinking, too, so it must have been getting late in the evening. “What time is it? Did I miss dinner?” If I missed the food from the mess I could get something from the commissary but it wouldn’t be warm because I had nothing to cook or heat food up with.
“You’ll make it if you change quickly,” Dr. Ferris said. “When I didn’t see you come in to eat I came looking for you.”
I knew that I was being watched but I didn’t think that anyone would admit to it outside of the lab when it was acceptable. Of course, Dr. Ferris could have been eating in the mess hall and noticed me before but I doubt it.
“Thanks” I said and started to walk towards my rooms. Dr. Ferris followed me and told me again that if I needed help with my sunburn all I had to do was find her or page her using the operator if I pressed zero on my phone. She left me after that and when I got to my rooms I threw on my pants and shirt before jogging to the mess hall. Dinner tonight was grilled chicken and rice, salad and steamed veggies, Texas toast, which I thought was odd with the chicken but I took anyway, and cake squares. I took chocolate.
Back at my rooms I ate first so the food wouldn’t get cold then took a shower. Thank God I got dressed in the tiny bathroom because when I came out Coronel Pellegrino was waiting for me. I bit my tongue to keep from cursing because I think he’d like it if I showed just how startled I was to see him. I had flinched a bit, so it wasn’t like he didn’t get some reaction, damn it, but I wasn’t going to give him anything else. I had my pride.
I would also remember to lock the door from now on.
“I hear that you had a nap after viewing our missing person’s presentation.” It was a fact not a question so I didn’t answer. “Do you have anything to share, any interesting dreams?” This was a question and I decided to answer so he would leave, he creeped me out.
“I didn’t dream about any of those men.” The only men or rather man I wanted to dream about was Jared. As far as I knew, if I dreamed about the missing kids I didn’t remember that part.
“I guess Dr. Ferris’s theory is correct that you need REM sleep for your powers to work.” I had no idea what exactly REM sleep was but he didn’t sound happy about this fact. “I’ll see you in the morning and I hope you have some results. If you need a refresher before bed I have provided the photos for you in print.” He waved his hand to the table and I saw a thick envelope on it. With that, he turned on his heel and left while I just stood there, dread filling me.
I had no idea what would happen if I didn’t know where any of his missing people where. There was nothing in anything I agreed to saying that I had to find anyone, just that I tried. I wondered if I didn’t produce any addresses if they would kick me out and send me home. They couldn’t get any money from me or my family for expenses, that was agreed on, thank God, because if this was a failure it would be an expensive one. After a minute, when I could move again I went over to the door and locked it. It was their base and they probably had a key but it still made me feel better.
I was to agitated to read or look at the photos Pellegrino had brought which I slipped into my book to mark my place instead of folding the corner of the pages as I had been doing up till now. I didn’t have homework and I didn’t feel like music so TV it was until I could calm down enough to try and sleep. This being the second complete day I was here and the fourth out of the public eye I was curious to see what the news said about me. I had to wait until the local news came on and then I had to wait for the human interest part. This I was pleased with. What I wasn’t pleased with was the fact that it wasn’t something I wanted or expected to see.
Riley Van Galt the first kid I ever found was missing again. He had disappeared from the foster home he had been staying at until he could be reunited with his father.
After I listened to the few details that the news had on Riley and they moved on to me I turned the TV off. I got up and paced the room thinking about what could have happened to Riley. Did the police not catch his kidnapper? Was there more than one and this second person came back to…Well, I had no idea what this other kidnapper would do to Riley. He was just a kid and he must be scared wherever he was. I refused to believe he was dead. To be kidnapped, rescued and then kidnapped again. It was terrible to think about. I wanted to help him but I didn’t know how other than to find him and I wasn’t sure if I could find someone twice. Also, I didn’t have a picture of him and I hadn’t done my focus thing with the one the news anchor showed on TV, it hadn’t been up that long either. I came up with only one idea and I hoped it would work. Riley needed me and he was just a kid, those other missing people could wait one more day. I went to bed and thought about Riley, about what I could remember from the missing poster I had seen what felt like ages ago now and what I had glimpsed on the news which must have been a color photo of the one from the missing poster. I finally fell asleep thinking about what color his hair and eyes were.
I didn’t sleep well that night and in the morning I didn’t look my best. I spent the day making sure that everything I needed was packed and by the door for tomorrow. I did school work that I was missing from being absent from class. I even got ahead on it so I wouldn’t have to take some of it to the lab with me. I figured if I had to stay the full two weeks, Josh could bring me what I wasn’t taking with me for the first week. I had asked Mom to cook something for me to take to Chris’s as I wanted a night with him and Steve before I left the next day. It was only a bit of a lie since I would be spending time with Chris but instead of Steve the other person would be Jared and we would be at his house not Chris’s. It helped her take her mind of the fact that I was leaving temporarily and Mac helped her out so it took Mac’s mind off what was going on outside. By the time school was getting out I was more than ready for Chris to come and get me. I watched the clock as time passed and I got the dinner Mom and Mac had made ready for transport. It would not be easy getting the bags I had through Mr. Bartle’s yard but I did manage. Chris gave me a stare as I awkwardly worked my way into his truck.
“Mom made us dinner,” I said as I buckled myself in and he stepped on the gas. We drove all the way to Jared’s in silence and I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. When we got there Chris parked in the driveway and I saw the same car as yesterday and Jared’s bike under the cover. Jared had skipped detention. I don’t know if his mom knew about his detentions or not but she must not have cared.
She opened the door as Chris was knocking. She didn’t have the chain lock on so we came inside immediately. I showed her the bags of food and asked her where I should set them up. There was plenty for everyone and she was welcome to as much as she wanted. She had Jared set the table and insisted we all eat together. This put a damper on us getting down to plans but it was an enjoyable meal. Jared’s mom’s name was Sherri and she asked us all about school, our home lives and what we were going to do over the summer. We offered to do the dishes for her but she insisted that since Jensen and Chris, had brought the meal and we were there to see Jared she would do them. We went outside to talk so we wouldn’t upset Jared’s mom if she overheard us.
It seemed Chris and Jared had been busy the night before. I was to check in everyday with Chris and should anything happen there was code words to signal if I was in distress and in need of rescue. The rescue was kept a secret between Chris and Jared just in case. In case of what, I had no idea and didn’t really care to think about. They had managed to scrape up some emergency cash. It was no use asking them where they got it, they wouldn’t say. Jared had also bought two burner phones, one for me and one for himself in case I needed to communicate privately or my lines of communication were cut off. These items would be hidden in a guitar that Chris had spent the night modifying in case I and my luggage was searched. The guitar could be looked at and the hidden compartment not found unless it was being put under serious scrutiny which they didn’t think was likely to happen. If anything the guitar case was to be inspected in more detail than the actual instrument.
When we came back inside Sherri told us that she was going out to see a friend for a bit and wished us all goodnight. After she left Chris said that he had some errands to run for his dad and he’d come back for me later. I have no idea how much Jared’s mother knew but with her gone, Chris was giving me time alone with Jared. I didn’t mind at all. (You shouldn’t either it’s the 21st century and if you do feel free to skip over the next few pages).
Once Chris was gone Jared took me into his room. It was tiny, just big enough for his bed, a queen which was big enough for him if he laid on it diagonally and a night stand with a lamp. There was a tiny closet space where he managed to fit all his clothes and various things for school. We lay side by side on the bed and made out, kissing and nipping at throats while our hands roamed. I finally got to touch his skin and was startled by what I found. I tried not to show my surprise and shock when my fingers found the scars on his back. He had frozen as soon as I touched them and I could tell he wanted to say something but I stopped him with a kiss and kept moving my fingers. I traced the scars at first then just ran my hands over his back in random patterns.
He had three scars on his front, one where his appendix was, I knew this scar because Josh had one also, only Jared’s was longer and wider. There was another one on his right side over his ribs and one very close to where his heart was. I had an idea of where he had gotten them and it made me disregard his crime even more. After what felt like forever of feeling each other up, Jared pulled my shirt off. He went right to work nibbling my collar bone as his nails scratched down my chest. It was good and I moaned wiggling a bit. He chuckled and came back up to kiss me some more.
When he ran his fingers over my nipples I gasped and he stuck his tongue in my mouth. It was awkward for a second I don’t mind saying because I had never done that before but I got the hang of it fairly quickly. I began tugging at his shirt and he resisted but I persisted and finally it came off. I saw the scars I had felt on his front and it made me a little misty eyed. I kissed to one close to his heart as I caressed the one over his ribs. When I backed off I also saw the reason he wore long sleeves or multiple layers. There were round burn scars on his arms. He went to cover up but I reached out and pulled him over to me. I rolled as I pulled and he was sprawled half on top of me. I kissed him again and rubbed my hands down his arms. He was stiff for a second then got back with the program. I accepted him wordlessly and he thanked me with affection. He traced his fingers over my ribs getting a laugh out of me for my ticklish spots. He caressed my arms as I had his and ran his fingers through my hair. By now he was fully on top of me and the weight of him felt good. I could feel all of him and he could feel me and it didn’t take our bodies long to start doing what comes naturally to all aroused animals. We began thrusting against each other to gain friction, to get relief and pleasure. We were panting by now, our kisses sporadic as we focused on a more important part of our anatomy.
I wasn’t ready to have sex yet, I didn’t know how much would show on any physical I would get later at the lab, but I knew that I wanted Jared to be the first person I slept with. When I got back and we resumed dating I could bring it up, but not now. Now was small pleasures and getting familiar with each other’s bodies.
I have no idea how he got his hand in there without me noticing but suddenly Jared’s hands were in my pants covering my cock through my underwear. I gave a little cry as he ran his fingers along it and thrust his own cock against the crevice of my pelvic bone. I wanted to touch him to but I couldn’t get my hands around his or into the tight space he was rubbing. I settled instead for running my thumbs over his nipples. He jerked at the first touch pushing hard into me and flattening his hand harder against my cock. The sensation was amazing and a second later he had the waistband of my underwear down and his fingers firmly around my cock. I didn’t know how much more I was going to take. Touching yourself is one thing but having someone else do it is another. Add to that the other sensations of a body on yours, skin on skin and demanding kisses and I was not going to last nor did I want to. Being a teenager the recovery time is high and if we played our cards right we could hopefully go again before Chris got back. He used my pre-come to help smooth the way but it was still a bit rough without lube. At that point though, I was to gone by then to care if I was getting a little chaffed. I bucked into his hand as much as I could and he increased his stroking and thrusting. We kissed once more roughly and my hands scrabbled at his arms as I began to lose control. It was over moments later when I jerked and stiffened as I came. A few thrusts more and so did Jared. We lay tangled and panting trying to calm down and yet enjoy your bliss at the same time. Jared rolled off me but not away and we both breathed easier.
After a minute or two Jared rolled over to kiss me then rolled away and got up. He opened the single drawer of his night stand and took out some tissues which he handed me. I took them and reached inside my underwear to clean myself up. Jared was doing the same and he pulled a tiny trash can from the opposite side of the night stand for us to dispose of the evidence.
Jared handed me my shirt and put his back on signaling the end of any further exploring. When we were respectable again he opened his window a crack and led me back out to the living room. We sat on the couch lazily making out lightly again between snippets of my emergency plans again. Before half an hour was up Chris was back. I gathered up the containers from dinner and left. Chris and I went over the plans again on the way back to my house. I had them down pat and nothing short of amnesia was going to make me forget them. At home I placed the guitar by my bags and saying goodnight to my family, went to bed. I dreamed of Jared and the mutual orgasms we had and fantasized a bit more. I woke up a bit wet in the morning and not feeling so glum about going to the lab.
Agents Heyerdahl and Carroll arrived with an escort mid-morning to take Dad and me to the lab. The reporters tried to follow us and some of them made it all the way to the base when they were stopped by security.
So part of my goal was already complete with the reporters following us. It wouldn’t be long before word spread of where I was and hopefully the reporters would come here and stay away from my house. I would be news for at least another day or two but with nothing coming out of the lab or base they would have to move on. I mean, really, how interesting could I be doing nothing?
Quite interesting, as it turned out, as speculation flew and I didn’t really sit around and do nothing. I did something to make the news grow.
The base wasn’t much to look at as we passed through it, going directly to the lab where I would presumably spend most of my time. Fist was a section of one story, squat, concrete buildings that were identified as the mess hall, two lecture halls for classes and instruction, a gym, officers building, where the orders came from not a club house, the laundry, uniforms and assorted military linens only, and a commissary closest to the next section which was housing.
The housing was laid out like any close to the city, inner suburbs with rows of identical houses on parallel streets that connected by three intersecting main avenues at both ends and the middle. Later, I learned that the firing range, a running track and mechanics garage with fleet vehicles was on the far side of the base away from the entrance and the housing to reduce danger and noise. In the middle of the housing area was a small park and pool for any kids on base. I would be free to go if I had the time or the inclination.
Last was an onsite hospital where medics trained and practiced. This was connected to the lab I would be at via a covered walkway. However, only a limited number of people had access to the lab as opposed to the more common access to the hospital. This was made clear by guards at the door to the lab and bars on its windows. The hospital and lab were both two stories and the bars extended to the second story on the lab. There was a helicopter pad off to the side of the buildings. The pad was empty at the moment and I wondered if it was out on a medical mission or if they just used it for emergencies and it was kept elsewhere. It seemed inconvenient if the latter were true but, then again, I didn’t wish anyone was hurt for the helicopter to be in use.
When we stopped in front of the hospital and got out, a female doctor in a typical white lab coat came out to greet us. She must have been waiting and she seemed very pleasant as she smiled and introduced herself as Dr. Ferris. While we were being greeted, the car with all my stuff drove off; probably everything I brought was going to be inspected but when Dad started to protest, Agent Carroll said that everything was going to be taken to where I was staying.
With that taken care of, Dr. Ferris took them on a tour of the lab and the testing rooms. Most of it looked like any other hospital, and he’d know from his recent stay in one. They had an imaging chamber where I’d get a full body cat scan as well as a series of brain images as I looked at photos of missing people and if I could fall asleep while in here, while I dreamed. There was an exam room with a comfortable but narrow looking bed with a cart and table full of wires and machines next to it. This was what patients wore and slept with when participating in sleep studies. Dr. Ferris hoped that I could spend at least one night here, hopefully two, to be monitored round the clock to see how my brain functioned. There was an ordinary looking exam room where I’d get a complete checkup. An office that had a couch and a few chairs and bookshelves filled to capacity that belonged to the resident psychologist, Dr. Sheppard. He was currently busy at the moment but was looking forward to seeing me. There was also a room that looked a lot like a classroom with small desks and chairs facing a white board with a drop down projector screen above it. This is where I would study the faces of the missing people they wanted found.
That done we were taken to the room I would be staying in. It was right off the lab building to the back and when we got inside it was obvious it had been an office even with new furniture. There was a small room first that might have belonged to a secretary and doubled as a waiting room. Now it was a living room of sorts with a couch that looked like it came from a doctor’s waiting room and there were two matching chairs. There was a small tv on top of a bookcase that was almost completely empty. On a lower shelf of the bookcase was a radio along with a phone, the old kind with the cord. Against a wall was a camp table with a folding chair where I could work and eat. The bedroom was bigger, but not by much from the outer room. It had a queen sized bed that was made expertly. The old phrase that you could bounce a quarter off it come to mind and made me smile for a second. There was a night stand and lamp and a three drawer narrow dresser and that was it, aside from my belongings in the corner. A small bath was included with a tiny sink and mirror wedged next to a toilet and a narrow shower I would just fit into. This must have been some important lab supervisor or managers office to have a bathroom at all and I wondered where they would be working while I occupied the space.
I was told that I could eat in the mess when it was open or opt to have meals brought to me here. When at the lab I would be provided with food. I was to have an allowance of twenty dollars a week to use at the commissary for items I needed if I ran out of toothpaste or deodorant or materials for my school work, like paper. There was a curfew but that was for everyone on base so I would have to obey that rule like everyone else. Like I was going to roam around late at night looking at and doing nothing since there was nothing of interest here.
Everything seemed to be in order and above board as far as what was agreed to, so Dad was ready to leave. We said a quick goodbye and he reminded me to behave and agents Heyerdahl and Carroll took him back home. Since it was so late in the day for much of anything Dr. Ferris took me back to the lab to meet the scientists and doctors who would be working with her and testing me. I honestly don’t remember all their names so I can’t put them here in my statement, sorry. There must be some kind of record with the government though, so maybe if you’re that interested you can get it from them. That is, if it isn’t marked top secret. I did, however, learn that the office turned apartment I was living in belonged to Dr. Sheppard and I didn’t mind at all that I had kicked him out. That’s because I found him to be annoying and mean-spirited. He followed Dr. Ferris, who I thought wasn’t very fond of him either, and me around the whole time we were in the lab asking questions. They were annoying or I didn’t have the answers to or too personal for my tastes and making snide comments about any answer I gave. I wasn’t looking forward to spending time with him or my upcoming psych eval. At all. After that, I just wandered around the base, the civilian side, until it was time for dinner.
I wasn’t up for company so I took my meal of meatloaf, mixed vegetable and mac and cheese in my room. For dessert it came with a brownie that didn’t look all that appetizing but tasted pretty good. I slept fitfully, being in a place I didn’t know and wasn’t too happy to be in but was necessary.
I woke up grumpy, way to early by sounds of I don’t know what they were doing, but a lot of men were doing it. Since I couldn’t get back to sleep I showered and went to find food. The mess hall was almost empty, the soldiers doing drills or whatever they did. I had my choice of oatmeal, pancakes, toast, eggs, bacon, biscuits with gravy and mixed fruits. Everything was mass produced and tasted a bit bland but it was filling. I sat alone and ate slowly before going for a quick walk and then back to my room to wait for my day to really begin.
Dr. Ferris, herself, came to get me at nine o’clock and I was grateful because there was nothing on TV that early but news and kids shows. There may have been more on but my TV only got a few limited channels. I wasn’t in the mood for whatever the kids’ shows wanted to teach and I was on the news shows, or at least the local news. They were speculation if I was at the military/government base by choice, if I was being taken seriously or if I was being tested for fraud and would I be their new secret weapon. I didn’t want to hear any of it so I had checked out the few books left behind not wanting to bother with the radio yet. It turned out that got a limited amount of stations too, although I couldn’t figure out how it was managed. There was the news networks, the bases own radio station, two country stations, a gospel station, a rock station, a top 40 or pop station and an oldies station.
First up for the day was the complete physical, and I mean complete, where I was put through just about every test known to man. Since I had to endure these indignities, so do you, it only seems fair since you’re asking me to go through them again, at least in memory. I had my eyes, ears, a hearing test included, nose, and reflexes tested. They listened to my lungs and heart, checked my blood pressure and took blood, lots of it, for further testing. Probably for every drug, disease, pathogen or defect imaginable, they had so much of it. They checked out my teeth and throat, they even gave me a short taste test of sorts, flexibility, dexterity, and looked for any odd features, the best one was if I could roll my tongue, which by the way, I can’t. They mapped out all my scars and asked about how I got them. Then came the x-rays and scans which took up a huge portion of time so that I had a very late lunch. Last was an oral history of my health of everything I could remember and anything my family genetics might have passed to me. I was so done by the time they were but I still had the psychological tests that would last until the end of the day.
Some of the psych stuff wasn’t so bad, I got to play puzzle, memory and logic games as well as do that ink blot whatever it is and word association. They took down any history of mental disease and issues my family had and then it was on to see Dr. Sheppard. That was the unpleasant part if you didn’t guess. I was asked about my life from as far back as I could remember. How did I feel about my family situation or in general, working for my family, being the middle sibling, the non-involvement and feud with extended family, my friendship with my limited amount of friends. What did I think about school and the general state of things in the state? Then it got super personal and uncomfortable since I was pretty sure Dr. Sheppard was judging me when he asked how I felt about myself, my body image, my intelligence, and my sexuality. He even asked if I had a sexual partner and how I felt about them. I declined to answer more and more of his recent questions and he started to get angry and tried to get a rise out of me or to have me answer his questions by making snide and belittling remarks. When we got to the sex part I was so done I got up and left the room. Dr. Sheppard followed me still asking questions and making comments when Dr. Ferris came to my rescue. She must have been waiting close by and I was grateful even if it meant she wanted to poke and prod me some more. Anything to get away from Dr. Sheppard at this point. They got into an argument about me to and acted like I wasn’t even there but I let it slide since Dr. Ferris won. I was excused for the day which didn’t make Dr. Sheppard happy and he vowed that he’d see me later. I was ready for the next round of tests but Dr. Ferris surprised me by letting me go for the day. As I went she reminded me to do my homework.
I had been still for so long of the day I decided that a run around the base wouldn’t be a bad thing. It turns out there where a few places I was not allowed to go so my jogging path was all over the place. I finished and went to have a quick shower before dinner. The mess hall was very busy when I arrived and I nixed the plan to eat there when I got a few more looks with whispered comments from the soldiers than I liked.
Dinner was fried chicken with or without gravy, biscuits, mash potatoes, more mixed veggies, more fruit and pudding for dessert. I got two helpings of that. After I went to the commissary and had ten minutes before they closed to look around. I used some of the spending money they gave me to buy the newest and last book by Tom Clancy. I wasn’t sure if that was covered under necessities but the clerk, a teenager about my age, didn’t stop me. With my book I went back to hide out in my room. I was itching to call home and Chris to see how the situations with the reporters was, too, so I put the book aside for after my check-ins.
I called home first and Dad answered with the usual generic greeting of “Ackles residence.” I’m not sure who else does this in today’s day and age but at least you know who you have reached.“Hi, Dad, it’s me. How is everyone?” I was sure it would be rude to ask if the reporters were gone first even if that was what I most wanted to know. I was sure my family was fine, if they weren’t I am 100% positive that Mom, my first pick, and Dad would have found a way to get hold of me here.
“Jensen! It’s good to hear from you, everyone is fine. Things have calmed down a bit, since you left. Most of the reporters have too. There are still a few hanging around but nowhere near as many as before. Mac went back to school today and everything was fine. She’s still a little nervous though, so Donna is going to take her to the movies tomorrow.
I had forgotten that it was Friday already. Dad and Josh would be busy at the restaurant and Mom would normally have been there, too, but I understood why she would take the day off to be with Mac. It would be busy though with reporters still about and…
“What about those church people and the protesters?”
It was quiet for a moment and then Dad sighed. “They’re still here for the most part. I’m not sure how long those church people are going to stay but I’d guess at least till Monday. They plan to visit our church on Sunday. As for the protesters, who knows? I have a feeling they’ll leave mainly when the reporters do over the weekend but a few hard core ones might hang on till the church people leave.”
I was glad that things had calmed down so much but I had hoped that the church people and protesters would leave when they knew I was no longer at home. However, the fact the church people would stay until Sunday service even if it wasn’t their own church did make a bit of sense depending on how far they came. I was ready to hang up and call Chris but Dad passed the phone to Mom.
“Jensen, how are you? Are they treating you okay? Are you okay medically? Are you getting enough to eat?” Mom ran out of breath and before she could start again, Dad’s voice could be heard in the background telling her to calm down and let me answer before she asked more questions. “Jensen?” She didn’t apologize and with that single question was asking all the previous ones again.
I looked up at the ceiling as I answered sure she’d be able to tell even without seeing me if I rolled my eyes at her. A mothers concern is nothing to laugh at she always told us when he got annoyed or frustrated with her fussing over us. “I’m fine, everything here is good the doctors and staff have been nice. Nothing is wrong with me other than what I had before the lightning.” I didn’t actually know that because all the test results weren’t back in yet and they hadn’t told me anything about the extended tests yet either, but Mom didn’t need to know that. “The food is filling but it’s nothing like yours and don’t worry, I’m studying.” I preemptively answer the next question she was going to ask. I know this because she always asks.
“Well, okay.” She didn’t sound too okay but there really wasn’t anything she could do. “I hope the reporters are gone by the end of the weekend and you can come home. I’ll cook your favorite for dinner and dessert, alright?” the last bit was a reassurance.
“Sure, look I have to go and finish my homework. A lie since I had done todays before I came. I just wanted to check-in. I’ll call again later.” I wanted to call Chris before he went off to practice his music. On Friday he and Steve worked on their music after dinner if their chores were done.
“Goodnight, Jensen.” Mom said and in the background everyone else said goodnight too. They must have been having dinner or more likely desert.
“Goodnight.” I hung up the phone. For a second I felt a twinge of home sickness but I dialed Chris’s number so I wouldn’t have time to dwell on it. It rang so long that I thought he wasn’t going to answer but he did before it flipped over to voicemail.
“Hello, Pizza Hut Pizza,” Chris’s voice came across the line and he sounded absolutely serious.
“Chris, what are you doing?” I didn’t bother to identify myself he’d know from my voice.
“Keeping nosy reporters from calling me or at least calling back. I didn’t recognize the number so who knows who it could have been.” That was Chris being smart again, I wouldn’t have thought of that.
“What happens if whoever calls tries to order a pizza?” I tried to think of the answer to that, and hope Chris has one to compare it to.
“I take their order and credit info and then call the real pizza place. I, of course, make sure they get a nice tip.” I can hear the amusement in his voice and I smile, too. His answer is not the same as my own because I couldn’t really think of one. “So how is it at club fed?” His voice is serious again and I know he’s all business.
If the line is being tapped, which I’m positive it is, I don’t care for this call. “It’s okay, I have my own mini studio apartment, the foods decent in that I won’t starve and short of actual dissection in an imitation alien probe, I’ve been examined at almost microscopic levels. The doctors are pretty nice except for their psychologist, he’s a jackass.”
Chris laughed and I knew that he must be relaxing from my positive report. I hadn’t used a single code word so he knew I was okay. “You doing any work for them yet finding people? How you found anyone yet?”
“No, it’s just been medical stuff so far, but even if I had started looking for people I can’t talk details about it. That’s a no-no I agreed to.” We had guessed this before I left but I had to say it out loud to look good for the likely phone tap. It wasn’t like I couldn’t talk about it later. I had agreed not to but who was going to know if I spilled the beans to my friend. Reality check please!
“Fine,” Chris sounded a bit put out but that was an act, again for the phone tap. “You think you’ll make it back for our gig?” Here Chris was setting up the situation I would need to make my code words not sound like code words if I need to use them.
“We’ll see,” this answered that question and the speculation of whether or not I would need to use my code words. So far nothing sinister was going on and I felt as comfortable as I could having my powers tested while being watched almost 24/7. I didn’t want to think that they had surveillance in my rooms, a bug, sure, but cameras? I sure hoped not.
“Well, try okay?” Chris admonished. “I gotta go and practice. Don’t forget to do the same. Can’t have you sucking at the gig.” Chris didn’t wait for a reply and he hung up but that was nothing new.
Calls done, no homework, dinner and desert digesting, I settled in with my book. It was okay but nothing special. I hadn’t read his work before but I had seen some of the movies based on his stuff and I didn’t get far before I turned my attention to the TV. I caught the tail end of some nature show about grizzly bears, which I don’t have to worry about living in Texas, and saw a little news. A very small focus on me for a change before it was time to call it a night. It was early by teenager and Friday night standards but it had been a long and stressful day. I had no idea what tomorrow would bring but hoped it would be more exciting.
I was woken up on Saturday way to early again, much too early for a Saturday period, with the noises of to many men doing I knew not what. I wondered if there was someone or somewhere I could complain to. I got up and repeated the routine of the morning before but with a little reading as a bonus before Dr. Ferris picked me up. She asked me about my night and I told her it was fine and that was all the amount of small talk we had. I was taken to the classroom which had been rearranged. There was not a single desk and chair set in the middle of the room, the others were gone or against the walls. The projector screen was down and the projector lit and ready to go. Close to the desk and chair was a single chair and a cart full of equipment. A computer monitor, printer like machine, keyboard and a ton of wires with tiny pads on the ends.
While I sat at the desk and Dr. Ferris and a nurse set about hooking me up to the machine, Agent Heyerdahl came in with another man who was in military uniform. They talked in hushed tones so I couldn’t make out the words but it didn’t matter because as soon as Dr. Ferris and the nurse were done, the military man approached. He looked me over trapped as I was in my seat and I looked him over to show I wasn’t cowed, even if he was a little intimidating, truthfully.
“Mr. Ackles, I’m Coronel Pellegrino and I’ll be overseeing you’re testing. I have brought slides of some very bad people we are looking for. There are pictures of hostages too that we are aiming to recover. The pictures are mostly of adults but there are a few teenagers and children mixed in. Now we know that you can absolutely find children but your accurate finding of Carlos Ramirez makes us hope that you can find anyone you see. If you can’t locate any of the adults, we will do our best to find pictures of these subjects as children and try again.” Once he was finished with his speech he went back over to the projector and fiddle around with it before talking to Agent Heyerdahl again. Then he left without a backwards glance.
Agent Heyerdahl was obviously in charge of this part of the show even with Dr. Ferris present in the chair next to my monitoring equipment.
“Let’s begin.” Agent Heyerdahl turned down the lights and started the slide show.
At first the slides went to fast and I told him so. I may hate the guy but I was here to do a job and he adjusted the slides. It took a bit of experimenting to get the speed right and I was sure that Agent Heyerdahl was very annoyed with me by the time he got it right. It turned out it took between 35 and 45 seconds for me to focus enough for my powers to latch on or whatever happened to make me dream up their location. The pictures were pretty standard and modified to have as little or bland background as possible with the majority being middle aged white men.
I would have thought with today’s nonstop news streams about terrorist there would be more people of middle eastern origin. I know, I know, I’m stereotyping, but in general they are the instigators and yes, they can be from anywhere in the world. They’re recruited based on beliefs, grievances and prejudices and anyone can be a terrorist, but the media just loves to paint them as the biggest group thanks to 9/11. Pellegrino was right in that there were only a handful of kids and teenagers but I didn’t think it would matter since I was doing that focus thing on everyone.
After a while things got boring and I had to pee, not to mention I was getting hungry. I began to fidget and not pay that much attention to the slides. I had to have been looking at them for as long as a feature length film by now. If not, it sure felt like it and I was ready to get up and move. Dr. Ferris must have noticed my interest fading first since she was monitoring me but she didn’t say anything. When I started to move around in my seat at every other slide Agent Heyerdahl had enough. He paused the slides and turned on the lights.
“Are we boring you?” It was said sarcastically and he was not quite sneering at me.
“Yes,” I told him the truth and watched him get angry. “I’ve been here for a while looking at very similar pictures without any other kind of stimulation. My eyes hurt, my legs tingle, I need to pee and I’m getting hungry. I’m not a machine you can just feed images to all day.” I wanted to make a statement by slouching or getting up to give a big stretch but I was stuck in my seated position by all the wires.
“It is about time for a break,” Dr. Ferris stepped in before Agent Heyerdahl could rebuke me. She got up and came over to start unhooking me and that was that. Agent Heyerdahl grumbled something I couldn’t make out and shut off the projector before unplugging it and taking it with him when he left. When Dr. Ferris had finished unplugging me she gathered up her own materials. “Go ahead and get some lunch while I go over these and I’ll pick you up from your room in two hours.” It wasn’t up for discussion and I didn’t stick around to bargain I left to find a bathroom.
Lunch was like a Subway with build your own sandwich options and healthy sides. Even more soldiers looked at me than the day before and I was resigned to eating my lunch alone for my stay. It was nice out, so after scarfing down my meal I went out and walked until it was time to go and be collected for more testing. Getting hooked up the second time was slightly faster than in the morning since Dr. Ferris and the nurse knew exactly where to put everything now.
Agent Heyerdahl had hooked up the projector by the time I was ready and turned down the lights as soon as Dr. Ferris took her seat. I spent another film length of time looking at the slides. I don’t know if my interrupting the testing caused it to restart or if there were only a limited number of pictures or what but the slides were the same as before except at the end, when there were a few I hadn’t seen. I had to pay attention because I had drifted off when I realized I wasn’t focusing on the photos as I had the first time. I wondered if it was because I had them locked in my brain or I just didn’t care. Either way I spaced for most of the time which I used to think about Jared and what we might do together when I got back home. Later I would wonder what the results from the monitor looked like. I bet Dr. Ferris and her associates had a field day with it and trying to theorize the difference. If there even was one, I was never shown the results so I wouldn’t know I could only guess. But I would think that brain patterns or waves or whatever would be different from looking at plain boring photos to thinking about sex, or at least jerking off together.
When I was finally let go this time, it wasn’t meal time coming up. Dr. Ferris suggested that I go to the tiny park or the pool since it was still hot outside. I opted for the pool but told her I didn’t have any swimming trunks. She told me to buy some at the commissary and wrote a note that would allow me to charge them to her account. Half an hour later I was floating in the deeper section of the pool trying to stay out of reach of the little kids splashing. When I was done soaking I found an empty lounge chair and laid out. I have pretty pale skin for a Texan so I had applied plenty of sun block for which I was grateful since the sun and the dull day staring at photos made me drowsy and I fell asleep. I must have been having a nightmare or something because the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by Dr. Ferris who had a concerned look on her face.
“Are you okay Jensen? Did you see anyone?” She crouched next to me her hand still on my shoulder which was very warm and tingled a bit.
I was a little fuzzy headed and it took me a moment to figure out the meaning behind Dr. Ferris’s question. “No I don’t know where anyone is, I, I think I was having a nightmare but I can’t remember. I’m okay now.” I sat up making her hand fall off me.
“Alright” Dr. Ferris didn’t sound to convinced and stood back up. “You got some sunburn going on, I have some aloe Vera if you need it.”
I looked down to see that I had turned a light shade of pale pink and sighed. “It’s okay. It’ll be a tan in a day or two.” Which was true but I would itch like crazy tonight as the burn turned into the tan. I noticed that the sun was sinking, too, so it must have been getting late in the evening. “What time is it? Did I miss dinner?” If I missed the food from the mess I could get something from the commissary but it wouldn’t be warm because I had nothing to cook or heat food up with.
“You’ll make it if you change quickly,” Dr. Ferris said. “When I didn’t see you come in to eat I came looking for you.”
I knew that I was being watched but I didn’t think that anyone would admit to it outside of the lab when it was acceptable. Of course, Dr. Ferris could have been eating in the mess hall and noticed me before but I doubt it.
“Thanks” I said and started to walk towards my rooms. Dr. Ferris followed me and told me again that if I needed help with my sunburn all I had to do was find her or page her using the operator if I pressed zero on my phone. She left me after that and when I got to my rooms I threw on my pants and shirt before jogging to the mess hall. Dinner tonight was grilled chicken and rice, salad and steamed veggies, Texas toast, which I thought was odd with the chicken but I took anyway, and cake squares. I took chocolate.
Back at my rooms I ate first so the food wouldn’t get cold then took a shower. Thank God I got dressed in the tiny bathroom because when I came out Coronel Pellegrino was waiting for me. I bit my tongue to keep from cursing because I think he’d like it if I showed just how startled I was to see him. I had flinched a bit, so it wasn’t like he didn’t get some reaction, damn it, but I wasn’t going to give him anything else. I had my pride.
I would also remember to lock the door from now on.
“I hear that you had a nap after viewing our missing person’s presentation.” It was a fact not a question so I didn’t answer. “Do you have anything to share, any interesting dreams?” This was a question and I decided to answer so he would leave, he creeped me out.
“I didn’t dream about any of those men.” The only men or rather man I wanted to dream about was Jared. As far as I knew, if I dreamed about the missing kids I didn’t remember that part.
“I guess Dr. Ferris’s theory is correct that you need REM sleep for your powers to work.” I had no idea what exactly REM sleep was but he didn’t sound happy about this fact. “I’ll see you in the morning and I hope you have some results. If you need a refresher before bed I have provided the photos for you in print.” He waved his hand to the table and I saw a thick envelope on it. With that, he turned on his heel and left while I just stood there, dread filling me.
I had no idea what would happen if I didn’t know where any of his missing people where. There was nothing in anything I agreed to saying that I had to find anyone, just that I tried. I wondered if I didn’t produce any addresses if they would kick me out and send me home. They couldn’t get any money from me or my family for expenses, that was agreed on, thank God, because if this was a failure it would be an expensive one. After a minute, when I could move again I went over to the door and locked it. It was their base and they probably had a key but it still made me feel better.
I was to agitated to read or look at the photos Pellegrino had brought which I slipped into my book to mark my place instead of folding the corner of the pages as I had been doing up till now. I didn’t have homework and I didn’t feel like music so TV it was until I could calm down enough to try and sleep. This being the second complete day I was here and the fourth out of the public eye I was curious to see what the news said about me. I had to wait until the local news came on and then I had to wait for the human interest part. This I was pleased with. What I wasn’t pleased with was the fact that it wasn’t something I wanted or expected to see.
Riley Van Galt the first kid I ever found was missing again. He had disappeared from the foster home he had been staying at until he could be reunited with his father.
After I listened to the few details that the news had on Riley and they moved on to me I turned the TV off. I got up and paced the room thinking about what could have happened to Riley. Did the police not catch his kidnapper? Was there more than one and this second person came back to…Well, I had no idea what this other kidnapper would do to Riley. He was just a kid and he must be scared wherever he was. I refused to believe he was dead. To be kidnapped, rescued and then kidnapped again. It was terrible to think about. I wanted to help him but I didn’t know how other than to find him and I wasn’t sure if I could find someone twice. Also, I didn’t have a picture of him and I hadn’t done my focus thing with the one the news anchor showed on TV, it hadn’t been up that long either. I came up with only one idea and I hoped it would work. Riley needed me and he was just a kid, those other missing people could wait one more day. I went to bed and thought about Riley, about what I could remember from the missing poster I had seen what felt like ages ago now and what I had glimpsed on the news which must have been a color photo of the one from the missing poster. I finally fell asleep thinking about what color his hair and eyes were.