Special (14/20)
Title: Special (14/20)
Summary: All over the world, people are waking up with extraordinary abilities. Not knowing how they got them or what to do, they will soon discover that they are not alone. They are all connected. They are all special. Based on NBC’s Heroes. Various Pairings.
Cross posted to Camp Toccoa and ihave_no_idea
Links to previous chapters inside.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Disclaimer: I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and not the actual soldiers. Any ideas or phrases borrowed from the NBC show Heroes belong to the writers of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!
When Babe woke up in the morning, he felt sluggish and warm- that was how he knew it was early. He could smell food coming from the kitchen but wasn’t sure if he was ready to brave the waters. He also wasn’t particularly sure which brother he would find. Bill, the one he had always known, or Dick, the one whose relation to him had just been discovered.
On top of that discovery was the similarly new knowledge that had been bestowed upon him by Joe Toye. The truth that his entire family was part of some secret organization that hunted and captured people with weird superpowers. That he was one of those people.
Babe didn’t feel like hiding in his room however, so he swung his legs out from underneath his bed covers and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
He pushed back his bedroom door and peeked out into the hallway, but he couldn’t sense any movement in the apartment. He looked down the hallway to see that Bill’s bedroom door was open. That was who it was then….Dick always slept on the couch.
Babe, now certain that he was alone, walked less cautiously into the kitchen and noticed a note taped to the microwave. The precise handwriting was undoubtedly Dick’s, proving Babe’s earlier assumption to be wrong.
Babe,
Sorry no one’s going to be around today. I dropped by last night and checked in on you. I stayed as long as I could but I have to swing by work and then fly out to Los Angeles. Bill’s still in New York. He’ll call you as soon as he knows when he’s coming home. Be careful and remember the rules!
Dick
P.S.- I made you waffles-proceed with caution.
Babe was torn between wanting to laugh at Dick’s ineptitude in the kitchen and wanting to cry at how wonderful it was to realize that he’d had him near this whole time. That he knew Dick and appreciated him and wouldn’t have to work to get to know him or love him because that was all already covered. No matter what Dick may do for this Company- Babe had the most amazing brother.
Two amazing brothers were what he now had. Because Bill was undoubtedly his brother. His protector, his role model…his family. Bill was always there for him.
Had always been there for him….
Four Years Earlier…
Babe is hanging out in his parent’s kitchen one Friday when he hears the front door open. Both of his parents are at work so he knows it can only be one other person.
“BILL!” He runs to his older brother and almost knocks him over with the force of his hug. He grins up at Bill’s amused face. “Sup?”
Bill gives him a smile before asking, “What the Hell is on your face?”
Babe pulls away from him. “Glasses,” he answers.
They begin to walk over to the kitchen. “Kid since when do you need glasses? You have perfect vision.” Bill points out.
“Still do!” Babe proudly exclaims as he adjusts the spectacles balanced on his nose.
Bill rolls his eyes and removes the glasses from Babe’s face. “Then take these off or you’ll give yourself a headache.”
When they get to the kitchen Bill is faced with the many pairs of glasses on their kitchen table. “What are you doing with all of these?” He asks.
“They’re Mom’s. She’s trying on a bunch to find out which ones she wants.” Babe informs him.
“Mom needs glasses? That’s rich.” Bill laughs.
“Yeah you’d have known that if you came around more often!” Babe gripes at him.
“Sorry, I’m sorry. You know I’m busy.” Bill tries to make his excuses but he knows there aren’t any sufficient enough to make up for missing time with his little brother.
“It’s okay.” Babe grumbles, although it obviously isn’t.
“So why are you fooling with these anyway?” Bill picks up a pair and studies them.
“Well you know…” Babe starts off, “Everyone says I take after Mom.”
“That’s true.”
“So…her parents needed glasses.”
Bill smirks. “What’s your point?’
“Well if they needed gasses and Mom needs glasses…don’t you think I might need glasses someday too?” Babe asks as he situates a particularly atrocious pair on his face that were intended to make his brother laugh.
But Bill isn’t laughing. Instead he looks rather serious. “Um…listen Babe…”
Babe lets the goofy smile drop off of his face. “What?”
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. Our parents weren’t sure you were ready to know. But I think it’s time you hear the truth.”
“What is it?” he asks Bill nervously.
“Babe…we’re not your biological family. You’re adopted.”
Babe just looks at him in shock, Bill’s never been the type of brother to joke about something like that, the age difference between them hampering down certain types of humor.
Babe instantly knows it must be the truth, “What? But…then who's my real family?”
Bill’s arm shoots out to grab his shoulder and stop his freak out. “We’re your real family. I am your real family. Okay? Just not your biological one.”
Babe continues to stare at him with wide and confused eyes. “Why did you never tell me?” he asks.
“Because I never wanted you to doubt how much we love you.” Bill answers.
Babe sits there silently for a moment before Bill stands up and wraps an arm around his shoulders.
“Look Babe,” his brother starts, “this doesn’t change anything. I’m still your brother. You’re still mine. I am always going to be there for you. Even when you’re sixty and I’m…well I’ll be really old.”
That causes a snort of laughter to escape from Babe.
Bill smiles at him. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
With a nod Babe reaches out and hugs his brother’s stomach. “Yeah…I understand. I love you Bill.”
It’s a phrase that isn’t used nearly enough in their house, but is freely exchanged between the closest of brothers.
Bill hugs him back. “I love you too kid.”
Company HQ, Manhattan, NY
When Joseph Liebgott woke up that morning, he was laying on top of David Webster and being subjected to the incredulous stare of an 8 year old psychic.
“Eli!” He gasped and attempted to sit up quickly, which only resulted in his falling off the bed and to the floor.
He collected himself quickly and turned to address the child. “I can explain…that.” He gestured to the sleeping Webster. “We were just uh…”
“Is he your boyfriend?” Eli asked.
Joe just stared, not really sure how to answer such a blunt question. Suddenly from behind him he heard David say, “That is an excellent question.”
Liebgott turned to glare at him. “What the Hell are you still doing here?” He asked.
Webster rolled his eyes. “I fell asleep. I didn’t hear you complaining while you were drooling on my shirt.”
“I was not-” Joe began to protest that he certainly hadn’t drooled on anyone when Eli interrupted.
“You should probably leave now if you aren’t supposed to be here.” The child addressed David.
He then turned to Joe. “A man named Guarnere is going to come looking for us soon. That’s what I came to tell you. We have to go and talk to someone.”
Joe stared at him. “Talk? To whom?”
Bill sat uncomfortably in a chair as he waited to be addressed by the man sitting behind the desk that was across from him. He was supposed to be on a plane to Philadelphia in two hours and he didn’t want to miss it.
Finally he broke his silence. “Was there a reason you wanted to see me…sir?” he asked the man who was undoubtedly his superior in the Company. Even if they didn’t run in the same circles.
Norman Dike looked up from a report that had been submitted to him from Dr. Jones concerning Joseph Liebgott. “Sometimes I forget how ‘to the point’ all of you Agents are. Yes Guarnere…I wanted to discuss your partner.”
Bill frowned. “You want to talk about Dick?”
“That’s right.” Dike nodded. “I’m sure that you don’t know but there’s been a bit of…speculation as to where his loyalty lies in regards to this Company.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Bill responded.
Dike remained silent for a moment. Things like this were the reasons that Bill hated coming to New York. Most of these people weren’t even Agents. They were scientists and pencil pushers. Norman Dike was in charge of things out here and Bill never could quite get a grasp on the other man.
Finally Dike spoke again. “I figured you would say that. Your boss, Sobel, seems to be of the same belief. He appears to have quite the personal attachment to Winters.”
Bill tried not to let his face portray how he felt about that fact. Instead he said, “Dick is great at his job. Furthermore his ability is indispensible to the Company.”
Norman leaned back in his chair. “That’s true enough. At least until we succeed in finding an empath.”
“I don’t understand.” Bill said. While it was no secret that the Company was single mindedly pursuing someone with an emphatic ability, Bill failed to see how they could be so sure in their ability to control and use someone like that. There was something else going on…he just wasn’t sure what.
“Don’t worry about it.” Dike waved his confusion off before picking up the report he’d been reading and gesturing to Bill with it. “What do you make of Liebgott?”
Bill shrugged. “He’s a tough kid. Bit of an attitude problem though. But he’s a mimic which is a pretty impressive ability. It could go far if he becomes an Agent.”
“We have reason to suspect it might be more than that.” Dike stated. “But we won’t be sure without further testing. He might be a suitable candidate for your new partner.”
Bill tensed and gave Dike a hard stare. “I’m fine with the one I have now.”
Dike nodded, “I’m sure you are but you may have to consider the possibility that your partner doesn’t have the Company’s best interests in mind. You’re one of the Company’s best Agents-”
“So is Dick.” Bill interrupted, not liking where this conversation was headed. “He’s been a part of it longer than I have. What is it that makes you question his loyalties exactly?”
“Surveillance indicates that he’s been looking into files that the Company has on his family. We’re worried that such digging could lead to…dissatisfactory findings.” Dike told him.
So basically they were afraid that Dick would find out that they had murdered his parents and get pissed off. Bill supposed that was a viable concern.
“Just why are you telling me this?” Bill asked, beginning to get rather irritated.
Dike smiled and leaned forward in his seat. “You have a way of dealing with wayward partners.”
The statement came like punch in the gut and it takes everything in Bill’s self control not to lunge across the desk and pound Dike’s smarmy face in.
Bill had only had one other partner before Dick. He had been…important to Bill. But back then Bill hadn’t yet realized just how more important the people he cared about were than his job.
No…back in his early days as an Agent…he did whatever the Company told him to do.
Seven Years Ago, Philadelphia, PA
“Tense much?” Bill’s partner asks him as they drive in a Company car to an unknown location. Or at least it’s unknown to Joseph Toye. Bill knows exactly where he’s going.
“I’m fine.” Bill tells Joe even though he feels as if his heart were in his throat. He’s 22 and he’s only had this job with the Company for a little over a year. He met Joe Toye on almost his first day.
His parents had told him all there was to know about being an Agent. That everyone had a partner. One normal. One special. And Joe was indeed special, what with being able to turn invisible.
“C’mon, I know you better than that.” Joe says in that smooth and yet gravelly voice that has been Bill’s constant companion. He doesn’t turn to look at Joe, because if he sees his face he knows he’s bound to lose the little composure he has left.
“I’m beginning to think maybe we don’t know each other that well after all.” Bill replies.
They are pulling up to an abandoned bridge and Joe has to know that something is up. Why hasn’t he said anything?
“Maybe you just don’t know yourself yet.” Joe tells him.
Bill frowns. “What the Hell does that mean?” He asks his partner. Likely soon to be his ex-partner.
“It means I know what we’re doing out here Bill.” Joe says. “I was in the room when Sobel told you to kill me.”
Bill turns to look at him in shock. It’s no secret to him that Joe likes to sneak around while he’s invisible. But he hadn’t expected to hear that. “Then why did you come out here with me?” Bill asks him.
Joe shrugs and begins to get out of the car. Bill follows suit. “I guess I was hoping that you’d give me the benefit of the doubt. That our friendship was strong enough to withstand this.” Joe says as he puts his hands on the hood of the car and stares over at Bill.
It’s a cold October day and Bill can see Joe’s breath. There’s a lot he wants to say. About how they had more than friendship and Joe knew it, about how it was ruined now because Joe was a liar…and a traitor.
“You lied to me.” Bill accuses. “You lied to the whole damn Company! You’re hiding people with abilities!”
“Of course I lied!” Joe shouts back at him. “Jesus Bill. Don’t you get it?”
Bill just stares and so Joe continues. “Day in and day out…hunting down people who are just like I am? Did you never once think that it might get to me?”
“You knew what you were signing up for when you took the job.” Bill argues.
Joe shakes his head. “No…no I thought I did. But I was wrong. This Company Bill...these people...are evil. I was hoping you’d be different.”
Bill takes his gun from its holster underneath his coat and points it at Joe over the car. “Tell me who you’re protecting.”
Joe puts his hands up, in what seems to be more of a mocking gesture than a surrendering one and backs away from the car and off to the side. Bill follows him, the gun still trained on his partner.
“Does it really matter? You’re going to kill me anyway.” Joe states.
“It damn well matters.” Bill snaps at him. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”
“What if it was Babe?” Joe asks.
Bill pauses. “What?” He asks, not sure if he heard right.
“I said…what if I was protecting Babe?” Joe restates.
Bill says nothing for awhile and Joe continues to speak. “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. That’s why your parents took him in the first place, hoping that he would manifest an ability. They think it’s going to happen, that’s why they’re so distant from him.”
“No.” Bill shakes his head.
Joe scoffs. “Oh grow up Bill. What do you think they’re going to do if he does develop an ability? Just ignore it? I don’t think so. And how about you? Are you going to turn him in like a good little solider?”
“Shut up.” Bill hisses. “Babe has nothing to do with this. This is about you. Now WHO are you hiding?”
Joe clenches his jaw and lowers his hands. For a moment, Bill hopes he’s about to tell him. That way they can work something out. Get Joe back on track, go back to the way things were.
Instead Joes says. “Go to Hell.”
He turns invisible the moment Bill pulls the trigger.
The memory was painful to Bill. It was one of the biggest mistakes he felt he’d ever made. He killed someone he…someone that he may have loved just because he was guilty of doing exactly what Bill was doing now. Hiding someone from the Company.
This Company had turned Bill into a monster, that much hadn’t changed. But he was trying to be better. Trying to do right by his family. His true family. He’d be damned if he let anything happen to Dick the way it had happened to Joe.
He glared up at Dike. “Was there anything else you needed?” he asked him.
Dike nodded. “Before you head out, could you go and get Liebgott and Eli Luz and bring them to my office? I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting either of them just yet.”
“Sure.” Bill stood up quickly.
He was just leaving when Dike called out. “Think about what I’ve said Bill. About your partner.”
Bill walked out without saying a word.
He went down a hallway filled with office rooms and glass doors before he came to a swift stop in front of an elevator. He pressed the down button and waited a moment. The doors slid open to reveal Dr. Jones waiting inside.
The man gave Bill a nervous look and scooted over to allow him in. “What’s this I hear about you needing to test Liebgott further?” Bill asked him.
Dr. Jones straightened up. “Uh...it’s nothing really. It’s just that when I was studying the ways in which his ability seems to adapt to new information it led us to believe...well I really shouldn’t discuss it actually.”
Bill frowned, now worried. It was strange but ever since Dick had told him Liebgott’s purpose for being there, he had begun to see the kid as sort of a kindred spirit. He was wary of all the attention that the Company was paying to him.
He said nothing further to the doctor, who was hasty to exit the elevator when his stop came. Two floors down and Bill was reaching the recruit’s quarters. When the doors opened he was surprised to see Liebgott and Eli already standing there.
Bill raised an eyebrow at them. Joe jerked his thumb over towards Eli. “Kid had a vision.” He said as way of explanation.
“Well come on then.” Bill motioned them into the elevator.
Dick Winters, Los Angeles, CA
Dick yawned as Harry Welsh drove them through the city of L.A. that morning. The night before had drained him emotionally and the constant flights from state to state were starting to drain him physically. It was the nature of his job, for sure, but it had been a hectic few days.
“Aww Dick are you sleepy?” Harry asked with a smile that was ever present on his face.
Dick glared at him playfully. “I notice that you aren’t.”
“That’s because I slept on the plane. Like you should have.” Harry teased him.
It was then that Dick began to take notice of their surroundings. “Harry…” He said, “This doesn’t look like the way to the holding facility.”
“That’s because we’re going to take a quick detour first.” Harry informed him. “Colonel Sink wants to see you.”
Dick’s head snapped over to stare at his friend so quickly that it hurt his neck. “Sink? Robert Sink?”
“The one and only.” Harry grinned.
“I wasn’t aware that you knew him.” Dick said, trying to contain his surprise.
“I work for him actually.” The lawyer explained.
Dick shook his head in disbelief. “How come I never heard about it?”
“Because you weren’t meant to know.” Harry told him. “No one else in the Company does.”
“So why tell me?” Dick asked.
They were soon parked in front of a fancy hotel and Harry smiled over at him once more. “Why don’t you just ask the good Colonel himself?”
Harry took him up to the top floor and led him to one of the suites there. Dick had known Robert Sink for quite some time now. A retired Colonel of the Army he was allegedly one of the original founders of the Company who now made his fortune by building hotels, such as the one they were in, all across the country. He had been a mentor to Dick since he first started working at the Company.
Bill thought that the attention that Sink paid Dick was creepy but Dick knew that Sink was a good man. He had never steered Dick wrong. Upon their first meeting the man had actually tried to convince Dick that the Company wasn’t where he needed to be. Sometimes Dick wished he had listened.
Harry stayed out in the hallway as Dick entered the room to see Sink sitting at a couch in the suite’s massive living room, a folder open on his lap. The man looked up as Dick approached.
“Dick.” Sink greeted. “It’s always good to see you son. Why don’t you have a seat?”
The Colonel gestured to an arm chair situated across from the couch and Dick sat down. “I’ll be honest sir.” Dick started off, “I’m a bit confused.”
Sink sighed. “I know you are. The truth is Dick, that I’ve been keeping a lot of things to myself. Things that concern you. But something caught my eye that makes me realize that it’s about time I come clean.”
And if Dick wasn’t confused before, he certainly was now. What secret could Sink possibly know that concerned him?
“What something might that be, sir?” He asked his long time mentor.
Sink leaned forward and sat the folder he’d been reviewing on the coffee table between them. He pointed at it and said, “Those are the surveillance logs from the Philadelphia branch. It says you’ve been pulling files. On your parents.”
Dick looked it over quickly, with a frown. He hadn’t expected that he’d been watched so closely. “Yes.” He admitted. “I was rather surprised to find that the Company had files on them.”
“You must gather that I know something about that.” Sink said.
It wasn’t something that he’d wanted to believe, but Dick knew it was a possibility. Sink was definitely a monetary backer of the Company and if he was one of its initial creators then Dick found it unlikely that he wouldn’t have some knowledge about its workings.
“The thought had crossed my mind.” Dick confessed.
Sink nodded and leaned back into the couch. “There was a time,” He said slowly as he reached for a nearby glass of what Dick assumed was whiskey, “that the Company was all that it claimed to be. We helped people. People like you. People like your parents. People like myself.”
Dick stared in shock. “I wasn’t aware you had an ability.”
The Colonel smiled, “I’m a healer. Just like your father was. He was a good man. I see a lot of him in you.”
It was strange, but suddenly Dick felt very lost. As though he were in the middle of a giant web that was unraveling all around him. “You knew my father?” he asked.
“I was good friends with both of your parents.” Sink answered before letting a fond smile light his face. “I introduced them to each other actually, at the urging of one of my peers. When they were both just young things.”
Dick just shook his head, not sure what to say.
“You see Dick. This Company used to be good. You parents used to be a part of it.”
“No.” Dick protested. “No they couldn’t have been. I would have found out.”
“Oh trust me son. A lot of people went through a lot of trouble to make sure you never found out. Because you see…your parents discovered something very important. Something that made them realize that the Company’s do-gooding front was just that. A façade.”
Dick doesn’t think he can speak. But he manages to whisper, “What?”
“The Company was first founded to track down other people with abilities. So that we could all be connected. Unfortunately some of my colleagues began to believe that people with abilities were superior to those without. It began to shape their actions within the Company.”
“I see no evidence of that.” Dick replied. “Nothing the Company does seems to benefit people with abilities.”
“That’s because it doesn’t care about people Dick. It cares about power. Some of the men I work with began to become obsessed with trying to make certain abilities appear.”
“How do you mean?” Dick asked.
“They found this scientist, a Dr. Jones-”
“Henry’s father?” Dick interrupted to ask. “I thought he was an independent researcher.”
“He was after he left the Company.” Sink said. “You see they had him assist in researching the likelihood of special individuals having children with abilities. The odds were quite favorable. With some more research the Company believed that they would be able to start a sort of breeding program. Unbeknownst to the participants of course. More of a matchmaking service really. When I introduced your parents, I was unknowingly a part of it.”
Dick gaped at him as he grasped what was being implied. “You’re saying that I was planned? By the Company?”
Sink nodded, “I’m afraid so. Your parents loved each other very much Dick, don’t doubt that. When they discovered what was going on, they became fearful that the Company would try to take you away from them. They had every right to be frightened. They came to me for help. I hid them the best I could.”
“What happened then? How did the Company find us? I know that they killed my parents.”
The Colonel frowned, “That’s the part I’m unsure about. You see...I’ve suspected for some time now that Taylor and McAuliffe have been keeping information from me. They don’t trust me and rightly so. They found out that your parents had another child and they came looking for you both.”
“Who are Taylor and McAuliffe?” Dick asked. The names were unfamiliar.
“They’re the only two founders of the Company still alive son, aside from myself.” Sink answered. “While I have other business ventures and am mainly a monetary resource at this point, they still determine the Company agenda.”
“I don’t understand why you’re telling me all of this.” Dick said.
“It’s because I know for certain that I can trust you now that you’ve discovered the part the Company has played in destroying your life. You see Dick, I’ve been working against this Company for some time now. I tried at one point to have an inside agent in the Company but unfortunately he was discovered.”
The answer dawned on Dick and he said, “Joe Toye. Bill’s old partner.”
“That’s right. Dick I have a series of safe houses across the country where I send people with abilities who need to be kept safe from the Company. Because I no longer know what it is the heads of this organization want with them. But I need your help.” Sink told him.
“You have it, sir.” Dick said. Bill may have called him a fool but Dick trusted Sink and if he said he wanted to help then Dick believed him.
“This man you’re about to go and collect from prison? He’s dangerous and easily manipulated. He can’t, under any circumstances, fall into Company hands. Take him here, ask for the woman whose name is on the card inside.” Sink said as he handed Dick an envelope of information.
“What am I supposed to tell the Company?” Dick asked.
“You’re the one with the ability to manipulate and erase memories Dick.” Sink said, “I was hoping you’d improvise.”
Burton Christenson, George Luz and Eugene Roe, Philadelphia, PA
Christenson was still on the phone with someone from the FBI while Gene and George waited on him at the baggage claim near the exit at the airport.
“What exactly is our plan?” Gene asked Luz as they watched the young Agent write something down on a notepad he’d hastily pulled from his carry on.
Luz scratched at the bandage on his forehead. “It’s pretty simple actually. We show up and beat the shit out of him until he tells us where Eli is.”
Gene stared at him for a moment. “Yeah…we’ll come up with a new plan in the cab.”
Once Webster had gotten the name of Gene’s abductor to him, Christenson had decided to use his connections with the FBI to locate where this Bill Guarnere lived. They planned on paying him a visit sometime today.
Christenson shoved his cell phone into his pocket and made his way over to his traveling companions. “Alright I have the address.”
“Great.” Luz said as he hopped up from his seat. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
“Cool your jets okay?” Christenson held up a hand to calm the other man down. “We’re all a little emotional over Eli’s abduction right now and I don’t want anyone to make any rash decisions. I shouldn’t even be letting the two of you assist in this investigation but I know you’d go looking with or without me.”
“Damn right I would. This is my kid Burton.” Luz growled.
Christenson nodded. “I understand that, I really do. But first I’m going to go rent us a car, then we’re going to get a hotel room, alright?”
Gene cocked his head to the side. “A hotel room? What for?”
“Some of us,” The Agent motioned to himself and his rumpled suit, “need a shower and a change of clothes.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah.” Christenson nodded, “So just wait here while I go and get us a rental car.”
Luz sighed as Burton turned and walked away. Gene looked at him in concern before saying, “He’s right you know.”
George turned to look at him. “About what?”
“We all need to stay calm.” The doctor told him.
Luz nodded curtly. Sure, calm…he could do that. Then he began to think about Eli. Where he could be and how frightened he probably was. To Hell with calm, he would do whatever it took to make this bastard tell him where his son was. No matter what.
Ron Speirs, Carwood Lipton and Buck Compton, Los Angeles, CA
It was with a great reluctance that Lipton parted with Sherry Tanner. Ron was never the sentimental one, that was always Christenson’s job, but he’d admit that he found the attachment to be…sweet.
The blonde cop watched the girl go off with child services, a frown on his face. “I don’t like leaving her so unprotected.”
Ron regarded him with a cool gaze, “Well we can’t drag an 8 year old girl around with us on a manhunt for a serial killer.”
Buck wanted to know why they were dragging around an LAPD cop, but knew that it would only make Ron more pissed off at him. If that was even possible.
Instead he said, “We still haven’t gotten word on that DNA evidence that was collected on our suspect.”
Ron frowned. “Why the Hell not? What’s taking so damn long?”
Buck shrugged, “Maybe we should pay the lab tech a visit?”
Lipton caught Ron’s elbow and motioned him to the hallway, Ron put a hand up to indicate to Buck that they’d just be a minute. Buck simply rolled his eyes. Ron had known this cop for what? A day? Yet already they were keeping him out of the loop.
“What?” Ron asked the cop once they were alone.
“I know how things go in the lab over here.” Lipton said. “They won’t do anything ahead of schedule and they don’t particularly like feds.”
“Well what about you?”
Lipton gave him a confused look. “What about me? I’m a cop not a detective, I don’t investigate so I have no need to have contact with the lab techs on a regular basis.”
Ron put his hands on his hips, internally wincing as he pulled at a stitch. “They what do you suggest we do? Who knows how far this guy is by now or when he’s planning to attack someone again.”
Lipton looked around them cautiously, as if to make sure no one was listening. “I was thinking that maybe you could just do your thing on them.”
The FBI agent raised his eyebrow. “My thing?”
Carwood nodded, “Yeah maybe you could talk to them and…” the cop trailed off with a wiggle of his fingers.
“I don’t follow you.”
“Look,” Lipton said. “You said that you made your boyfriend stop attacking you. You make me answer questions honestly when I would never have done so. You made that serial killer drop his gun, you and I both know that something’s going on with you. The way that it’s going on with me. “
Ron stared at him intensely. “You seem pretty sure about that.”
“I know what’s going on in your head.” The cop said.
“So what?” Ron asked. “You want me to go in there and just tell them to make it their top priority?”
Lipton smiled shyly. “I mean...sure. Why not? It’ll be like a practice run.”
“A practice run?”
The cop clapped him on the shoulder. “Trust me, it’ll work out great.”
“Right.” Ron said doubtfully before sticking his head back into the room to address Buck. “Lipton and I are going to run by the crime lab really quickly to have that word with the tech. We’ll meet you back at the hotel in a little while.”
Buck was about to protest but Ron was already out the door again and headed down the hallway, Officer Lipton in tow. What the Hell was he even there for? Neither one of them should’ve been out of the damn hospital and they were taking over his investigation!
“Look” the lab tech, a pudgy and disgruntled man, snapped at them, “I have tons of samples to take care of. I’ll get to yours when I get to it.”
A small crease of worry marred Lipton’s forehead and he cast his puppy dog eyes over at Ron expectantly. Ron could feel his whole body stiffen as he fought between competing desires.
One being how much he didn’t want to do this and the other being his desire to please the cop.
“Damn it,” he mumbled under his breath. Stupid well-meaning and earnest cops. Curse his thing for blondes.
All he had done to make the others listen was just talk to them. This would either work or it wouldn’t. He sighed before speaking up.
“You shut up and listen to me.” He snapped back to the lab technician. The man looked over at him reluctantly and remained silent.
“I want you to put that down,” Ron pointed at the sample in the man’s hand, “go and get our sample and test it. That’s your first priority. When it’s done- you call us.”
The man’s eyes glazed over and he set the sample down. Ron and Lipton looked at each other in confusion as the tech turned around wordlessly and walked to the back of the lab. They followed him cautiously to see him retreating to the fridge where samples were stored.
“That’s our sample he’s getting.” Lipton gaped even though this was pretty much what he had expected to happen.
“Great.” Ron said, now feeling thoroughly disturbed that he had been influencing people in this way. For how long had this been going on exactly? Was this why he had such a high confession rate? Because he was some freak like their serial killer or some special person like the mind reading cop by his side?
“Yeah but I can’t tell if that’s just because you’re really intimidating. You have to make him do something else.” Lipton decided.
Speirs raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you serious?”
Lipton shrugged and Ron could swear that he saw the barest hint of a smile on the cop's face. “What do suggest?” he asked the man.
“Make him do pushups or something. That’s a pretty unreasonable request under normal circumstances.”
“Fine,” Speirs groaned before turning and eyeing the tech, who was still silently completing his earlier command. “I don’t think they could hurt him any.”
He called out to the man. “Temporarily stop what you are doing and do 5 pushups.”
The man paused, turned away from testing the samples, and dropped to the floor to begin his struggle through 5 pushups
Lipton just turned to stare at Ron with large eyes. “What?” Speirs asked him, although he was a bit freaked out himself.
“You Jedi-mind tricked him!”
“Oh please…”
The man was already back up and working on their sample again. Lipton continued, “You did so. You just pulled that whole ‘These aren’t the droids you’re looking for’ thing.”
“Whatever.”
“Just never tell anyone to Drop Dead.”
“I’ll try to refrain myself.”
Lewis Nixon, Los Angeles Maximum Security Holding Center, CA
This was right…this was where he was supposed to be. He had to be locked up…or else…
“Good God. Get over it already. I’m getting so sick of your ‘woe is me’ shit. Everything I’ve done has been for you!”
Lewis clamped his hands over his ears in order to drown out the sounds of Jonathan’s voice. No mirrors...there were no mirrors- why could he still hear him?
“SHUT UP!” He screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Quiet down in there!” A guard yelled at him from outside. Sure…yell at the man in the padded room because that makes a lot of logical sense.
Not that anything did anymore. God…he could have killed Ron. He killed all of those people…
“Nooo…I killed all of those people.”
“You? Me? What difference does it make anyway? I was the one…who wanted to kill Buck.”
“But you didn’t…because you were too weak to do anything you want. You always are.”
“No…I’m just not a monster.” Lewis told Jonathan as he lay on the padded floor, wondering if this was how his new life as a crazy person was to be.
Suddenly the door opened and a guard approached…no three guards approached. One of them had a syringe in his hand.
“What are you doing?” he asked them, but received no answer.
When one of them grabbed his arm he flung his right foot out to connect with the man’s knee…which made a sickening crack as it broke and bent straight out to the other side of his leg.
The man’s screams brought more guards to his cell. One swung a baton to his face but he grabbed it and snapped it in half as though it were merely Styrofoam.
Amidst the chaos Lewis swung a punch that did not send a guard flying backwards with a crunch of bone but merely made a normal impact as it would have days before. He no longer felt the presence of another person invading his psyche. Though the guards could now restrain him…it was blissfully quiet.
What had changed?
As the guards injected him with what must have been a mild sedative he could see the blurry outline of a tall, slim man at the door to his cell. He heard the guards caution the approaching figure.
“I’ll be fine. He isn’t going to hurt me or anyone else for that matter,” said a confident and kind voice.
He’d never heard it before. He’d been visited by the detectives and the guards and the shrinks and he could remember them all. But this voice was new. He expected to hear Jonathan make a nasty comment.
Yet there was nothing. In his drug addled state he looked upwards. All around him everything was blinding. The bright overhead light was glaring off of the white in the padded room and illuminating the face of the man leaning over him.
The light bounced of his bright red hair and shined on his sweet smile and kind eyes as he looked at Lewis with something that wasn’t pity…but more of understanding. He was beautiful. He had made the voices stop…
“Are you an angel?”
The man gave a small sort of chuckle. “I’m a friend.”
A friend? Nixon wasn’t even sure what those were anymore. The person he had thought was his best friend had betrayed him. Had anyone ever really been his friend?
“I don’t have any friends.” He groaned.
As the sedative began to pull him into an unconscious state he could hear a soft sigh accompanied with, “Well you have one now.”
A friend? That would be nice.
Joseph Liebgott, Company HQ, Manhattan, NY
“What kind of tests?” Joe frowned as he sat through his first meeting with Norman Dike. The man gave him the creeps…like a lot.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” the man responded, “just a few more physical reaction tests like you did yesterday. How about you go see Dr. Jones after you and Eli get breakfast? He seems attached to you and we can’t have him wandering around on his own."
“Fine whatever.” Liebgott grumbled as he stood. “Can I go now?”
Dike gestured to the door. “By all means.”
Liebgott turned on his heel and walked out of his office immediately. Eli was waiting patiently in the hallway, seated in a chair and Joe caught the miserable look on the child’s face. The kid must have been missing his father a lot. Not that Joe knew anything about that…his father had been a scumbag.
Finally Eli spotted him and chirped, “What did he say? Are you in trouble?”
Joe made a face at the child. “Trouble? What? This isn’t the principal’s office kid. Don’t worry about it.”
“I kinda get in trouble at school a lot.” Eli informed him as he followed Joe down the hallway.
“I can’t imagine.”
“Where are we going?” Eli asked him.
“To get something to eat.”
“Oh...okay. I-”
But whatever Eli was about to say was cut off when Joe was accosted halfway down the hallway by Skip. “Liebgott I need to talk to you.” The young lab assistant said in a rush.
“Geez can’t these tests wait?” Joe griped. “I swear I can’t walk five feet without someone trying to stick me with a needle.”
“It’s not about the damn tests!” Skip snapped. Joe fell silent, the other man was obviously stressed and Joe could only assume that it had something to do with his boyfriend being locked up downstairs.
“Come on.” Skip motioned towards the elevators. “We need to talk and that’s the best place to do it.”
Joe looked between Eli and Skip. He couldn’t leave the kid alone. “Damn it. Fine.” He grabbed Eli’s wrist and drug him along as they both followed Skip onto the elevator.
Once they had caught an empty elevator, Skip hit the emergency stop button so that no one else could board. Joe had figured that was just something people dramatically did in the movies. Wouldn’t someone wonder why it had been stopped? Well he supposed if it was urgent enough then…
“I overheard Henry talking on the phone. They’re going to kill Don. Sometime today.”
Huh…Joe supposed that was pretty urgent. He looked down at Eli, whose eyes had gotten wide at the word ‘kill’. “Don’t worry,” he assured the boy, “nobody’s killing anybody.”
It seemed that Skip had just now noticed that they had a third wheel. “What the Hell is he doing here?” The man demanded to know.
Joe shrugged helplessly. “Well what the Hell was I going to do? I’m supposed to be watching him!”
“What if he tells someone what we’re talking about?”
“He’s an 8 year old who was brought here against his will and you’re worried that he’s going to tattle on us to his captors?” Joe asked incredulously.
“I won’t!” The child in question piped up. “Me and Joe are on the same side!”
Same side…things were always so simple to children. Still Joe nodded at the boy’s words. “You see? Secret’s safe. Now you want to tell me what is going on?”
Skip nodded. “Look I know that some of the higher ups are the ones that have been trying to get Henry to find this comprehensive ability, only they won’t say why exactly. But I overheard him on the phone with Dike, something about a decision being made about Don…and to stock up on his blood. They only ever do that if they’re about to terminate someone.”
“Terminate? How many people have they done this to?” Joe asked in a whisper, not wanting for Eli to become any more afraid than he probably already was.
“Who knows how many on the outside,” Skip answered, “but that they’re holding- only two others. People they feel have too dangerous an ability to be kept alive. One guy could cause people to commit suicide just by touching them once. The other could create black holes. Right before they were terminated, Dike ordered Henry to stockpile as much of their blood as he could for research. We have to do something.”
“Oh shit,” Joe put a hand to his forehead. “Um…okay. Look you try and find out when this whole thing is going down. You find out and let me know.”
“How am I supposed to find out?” Skip asked.
“This is the man you love! Fucking work something out!” Joe snapped, frustrated that he was going to have to bring the man he…that he was going to have to bring Webster into this with so little planning. “I’ve got a phone call to make. I’ll find you.”
That having been said, Joe hit the release button on the elevator and walked off with Eli as soon as the doors opened. Eli looked at him, “If you have to call your friend, you’re not heading toward our room.”
“That’s because we aren’t going there just yet.” Joe answered back.
“Where are we going?”
“To get you something to eat. Then I’ll call my friend.”
“Your friend or your boyfriend?” The child asked.
“Oh…my God. Do you ever stop asking questions? Just get some damn pancakes already!”
Philadelphia, Pa
“Alright well let’s go inside then.”
“What? No!”
Luz frowned at Burton before throwing his hands up in frustration. “Well if we aren’t going to go into the building then why bring us here?”
“Umm…gee I don’t know? Maybe it’s because I’m a federal agent and I know that going into any place blind is foolish and I wanted to at least have a visual on the building before we went in guns blazing.” Christenson said with a roll of his eyes.
“Guns?” Gene asked uneasily.
“Metaphorical guns.” Burton replied.
“Unfortunately.”
“Luz!”
They all looked at the building where Bill Guarnere, the man who had abducted Gene and likely Eli, lived. And Eugene couldn’t shake the feeling that he had seen this apartment structure before.
Joe Toye frowned when he felt something vibrating in his pocket. What the Hell? It took him an embarrassing amount of time to realize it was his phone. He had set it, quite some time ago, to vibrate if he ever got a text message. Most of the calling was done by him if he could help it, and many of the other people that had his number called from land lines, so he hardly ever received text messages. That was his story and he was sticking to it.
It wasn’t that he was getting old beyond his years, or that living under the radar had made him a weird and technologically impaired hermit…nope.
Although he supposed now that a teenager had this number he could expect more texts. That was, apparently, their preferred form of communication. Or at least one of them. But there was no way on Earth he was getting a Facebook- whatever the Hell that was. It sounded weird.
He read the text.
Need to talk. Can I meet you somewhere?
Wow…that wasn’t fishy. It took him a shamefully long time to text back.
Call in person. Need to vocally verify identity of caller.
Some might call him a paranoid fuck, but he knew it was the right move. Bill Guarnere was the kid’s fucking brother after all. The same man he had seen in action all those years ago. He knew how dangerous and resourceful Bill could be. Not to mention this was the same man who had shot him and left him for dead. Bill probably assumed he was dead. Joe wanted to keep it that way.
A moment of thought later and his cell phone was ringing. He answered it quickly but silently, waiting for the person on the other end of the line to greet him first.
“Hello? Toye?” came the youthful voice of Babe Guarnere...or Winters...or Heffron or whatever the Hell he was going by these days.
“Jesus kid. Don’t say my name over the phone.” Joe greeted him.
“I thought you said it was secure or whatever.” Babe responded.
“There are some people who can listen in on anything. Think about that, in light of what you learned yesterday.” Joe said.
From the momentary silence on the other end of the line, Toye figured Babe probably was.
Eventually the teen said, “I want to meet up with you. If you don’t think it’s too dangerous.”
Toye thought it was too dangerous for him to have even come back to the city of Philadelphia much less spend a prolonged amount of time there. But Babe needed to be helped to understand his ability.
He looked around the vacant cathedral he was in. It was still in the process of being remodeled and as such was usually avoided by the typical passerby. It was as good a place as any to lay low. He raddled off the location. “Remember to only write it down once and when you get here rip up whatever you wrote it on into little shreds.”
“You are so freaking paranoid.”
“Kid…you have no idea.”
Babe quickly pulled on his shoes and tossed a jacket over his t-shirt as he prepared to head out. He knew exactly where the cathedral in question was. It was, fortunately for him, within walking distance of their apartment.
He figured it would probably be okay to go out for now. If Bill were headed back he would surely call first before even getting on a plane. There wasn’t much of a chance of him showing up and freaking out.
Besides, he had questions for Toye that couldn’t wait.
They were just about to pull away from the building when a familiar face caught Gene’s eye. “Stop the car.” He commanded to Burton, who was driving.
“What? Why?” The agent asked in confusion.
“Just do it!” Gene snapped. Christenson hit the brakes and as soon as the car was stopped, Gene was opening the door to climb out.
“Wait!” Luz called, “You don’t know where we’ll be.”
“Do you know your own phone number?” Gene asked.
“Yeah, of course.” George answered. Eugene nodded and then quickly switched their phones.
“Then call yours to get me.” He said before taking off after the same red head he had met little over a day ago.
“What the Hell is he doing?” Luz asked as they watched the doctor take off down the surprisingly busy streets of the surrounding neighborhood.
Christenson shrugged. “I don’t know but there’s a motel shower out there with my name on it.”
Just as Babe was entering the cathedral, his phone indicated that he had a text message. Toye had told him to meet him on the roof, so that was where he was headed. He had been in the cathedral back when he was younger, way before it had ever needed remodeling and he remembered the way.
He checked his message.
Scratch the meet. You have a tail.
It was definitely Toye’s number. He paused and wrote back.
What? His text asked.
The response he received was:
You’re being followed. Not by a professional but you still need to lose them before we meet up. Do that and then contact me.
Babe just stared at the screen before looking behind him at the staircase as he pushed the door to the church roof open. There was no one behind him, at least not that he saw.
When he turned to look at the roof, hoping (in vain he knew) that Toye might be there, what he saw took his breath away.
It was…the exact same building that he had been on in his dreams. The dream that had been more than a dream.
He felt himself moving closer to the edge of the roof. He looked over the side and down at the street below.
Everything was exactly as it had been in his dream. The people walking below seemed so small, and he was so high up. Without thinking he began to put his left foot up on the roof’s ledge and before he knew it he was standing an inch away from what might be seen as certain death, teetering on the edge of the roof.
What the Hell was he doing? Just because he had seen himself doing this in his dream, just because he thought he could fly in it didn’t mean he could actually do it in real life. And yet…he wasn’t afraid.
He wasn’t sure why but years of comic books caused him to spread his arms out like a bird preparing for flight. He would be safe…he knew he would be. Because he had been safe in his dream.
Part 14 contd.
Summary: All over the world, people are waking up with extraordinary abilities. Not knowing how they got them or what to do, they will soon discover that they are not alone. They are all connected. They are all special. Based on NBC’s Heroes. Various Pairings.
Cross posted to Camp Toccoa and ihave_no_idea
Links to previous chapters inside.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Disclaimer: I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and not the actual soldiers. Any ideas or phrases borrowed from the NBC show Heroes belong to the writers of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!
When Babe woke up in the morning, he felt sluggish and warm- that was how he knew it was early. He could smell food coming from the kitchen but wasn’t sure if he was ready to brave the waters. He also wasn’t particularly sure which brother he would find. Bill, the one he had always known, or Dick, the one whose relation to him had just been discovered.
On top of that discovery was the similarly new knowledge that had been bestowed upon him by Joe Toye. The truth that his entire family was part of some secret organization that hunted and captured people with weird superpowers. That he was one of those people.
Babe didn’t feel like hiding in his room however, so he swung his legs out from underneath his bed covers and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
He pushed back his bedroom door and peeked out into the hallway, but he couldn’t sense any movement in the apartment. He looked down the hallway to see that Bill’s bedroom door was open. That was who it was then….Dick always slept on the couch.
Babe, now certain that he was alone, walked less cautiously into the kitchen and noticed a note taped to the microwave. The precise handwriting was undoubtedly Dick’s, proving Babe’s earlier assumption to be wrong.
Babe,
Sorry no one’s going to be around today. I dropped by last night and checked in on you. I stayed as long as I could but I have to swing by work and then fly out to Los Angeles. Bill’s still in New York. He’ll call you as soon as he knows when he’s coming home. Be careful and remember the rules!
Dick
P.S.- I made you waffles-proceed with caution.
Babe was torn between wanting to laugh at Dick’s ineptitude in the kitchen and wanting to cry at how wonderful it was to realize that he’d had him near this whole time. That he knew Dick and appreciated him and wouldn’t have to work to get to know him or love him because that was all already covered. No matter what Dick may do for this Company- Babe had the most amazing brother.
Two amazing brothers were what he now had. Because Bill was undoubtedly his brother. His protector, his role model…his family. Bill was always there for him.
Had always been there for him….
Four Years Earlier…
Babe is hanging out in his parent’s kitchen one Friday when he hears the front door open. Both of his parents are at work so he knows it can only be one other person.
“BILL!” He runs to his older brother and almost knocks him over with the force of his hug. He grins up at Bill’s amused face. “Sup?”
Bill gives him a smile before asking, “What the Hell is on your face?”
Babe pulls away from him. “Glasses,” he answers.
They begin to walk over to the kitchen. “Kid since when do you need glasses? You have perfect vision.” Bill points out.
“Still do!” Babe proudly exclaims as he adjusts the spectacles balanced on his nose.
Bill rolls his eyes and removes the glasses from Babe’s face. “Then take these off or you’ll give yourself a headache.”
When they get to the kitchen Bill is faced with the many pairs of glasses on their kitchen table. “What are you doing with all of these?” He asks.
“They’re Mom’s. She’s trying on a bunch to find out which ones she wants.” Babe informs him.
“Mom needs glasses? That’s rich.” Bill laughs.
“Yeah you’d have known that if you came around more often!” Babe gripes at him.
“Sorry, I’m sorry. You know I’m busy.” Bill tries to make his excuses but he knows there aren’t any sufficient enough to make up for missing time with his little brother.
“It’s okay.” Babe grumbles, although it obviously isn’t.
“So why are you fooling with these anyway?” Bill picks up a pair and studies them.
“Well you know…” Babe starts off, “Everyone says I take after Mom.”
“That’s true.”
“So…her parents needed glasses.”
Bill smirks. “What’s your point?’
“Well if they needed gasses and Mom needs glasses…don’t you think I might need glasses someday too?” Babe asks as he situates a particularly atrocious pair on his face that were intended to make his brother laugh.
But Bill isn’t laughing. Instead he looks rather serious. “Um…listen Babe…”
Babe lets the goofy smile drop off of his face. “What?”
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. Our parents weren’t sure you were ready to know. But I think it’s time you hear the truth.”
“What is it?” he asks Bill nervously.
“Babe…we’re not your biological family. You’re adopted.”
Babe just looks at him in shock, Bill’s never been the type of brother to joke about something like that, the age difference between them hampering down certain types of humor.
Babe instantly knows it must be the truth, “What? But…then who's my real family?”
Bill’s arm shoots out to grab his shoulder and stop his freak out. “We’re your real family. I am your real family. Okay? Just not your biological one.”
Babe continues to stare at him with wide and confused eyes. “Why did you never tell me?” he asks.
“Because I never wanted you to doubt how much we love you.” Bill answers.
Babe sits there silently for a moment before Bill stands up and wraps an arm around his shoulders.
“Look Babe,” his brother starts, “this doesn’t change anything. I’m still your brother. You’re still mine. I am always going to be there for you. Even when you’re sixty and I’m…well I’ll be really old.”
That causes a snort of laughter to escape from Babe.
Bill smiles at him. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
With a nod Babe reaches out and hugs his brother’s stomach. “Yeah…I understand. I love you Bill.”
It’s a phrase that isn’t used nearly enough in their house, but is freely exchanged between the closest of brothers.
Bill hugs him back. “I love you too kid.”
Company HQ, Manhattan, NY
When Joseph Liebgott woke up that morning, he was laying on top of David Webster and being subjected to the incredulous stare of an 8 year old psychic.
“Eli!” He gasped and attempted to sit up quickly, which only resulted in his falling off the bed and to the floor.
He collected himself quickly and turned to address the child. “I can explain…that.” He gestured to the sleeping Webster. “We were just uh…”
“Is he your boyfriend?” Eli asked.
Joe just stared, not really sure how to answer such a blunt question. Suddenly from behind him he heard David say, “That is an excellent question.”
Liebgott turned to glare at him. “What the Hell are you still doing here?” He asked.
Webster rolled his eyes. “I fell asleep. I didn’t hear you complaining while you were drooling on my shirt.”
“I was not-” Joe began to protest that he certainly hadn’t drooled on anyone when Eli interrupted.
“You should probably leave now if you aren’t supposed to be here.” The child addressed David.
He then turned to Joe. “A man named Guarnere is going to come looking for us soon. That’s what I came to tell you. We have to go and talk to someone.”
Joe stared at him. “Talk? To whom?”
Bill sat uncomfortably in a chair as he waited to be addressed by the man sitting behind the desk that was across from him. He was supposed to be on a plane to Philadelphia in two hours and he didn’t want to miss it.
Finally he broke his silence. “Was there a reason you wanted to see me…sir?” he asked the man who was undoubtedly his superior in the Company. Even if they didn’t run in the same circles.
Norman Dike looked up from a report that had been submitted to him from Dr. Jones concerning Joseph Liebgott. “Sometimes I forget how ‘to the point’ all of you Agents are. Yes Guarnere…I wanted to discuss your partner.”
Bill frowned. “You want to talk about Dick?”
“That’s right.” Dike nodded. “I’m sure that you don’t know but there’s been a bit of…speculation as to where his loyalty lies in regards to this Company.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Bill responded.
Dike remained silent for a moment. Things like this were the reasons that Bill hated coming to New York. Most of these people weren’t even Agents. They were scientists and pencil pushers. Norman Dike was in charge of things out here and Bill never could quite get a grasp on the other man.
Finally Dike spoke again. “I figured you would say that. Your boss, Sobel, seems to be of the same belief. He appears to have quite the personal attachment to Winters.”
Bill tried not to let his face portray how he felt about that fact. Instead he said, “Dick is great at his job. Furthermore his ability is indispensible to the Company.”
Norman leaned back in his chair. “That’s true enough. At least until we succeed in finding an empath.”
“I don’t understand.” Bill said. While it was no secret that the Company was single mindedly pursuing someone with an emphatic ability, Bill failed to see how they could be so sure in their ability to control and use someone like that. There was something else going on…he just wasn’t sure what.
“Don’t worry about it.” Dike waved his confusion off before picking up the report he’d been reading and gesturing to Bill with it. “What do you make of Liebgott?”
Bill shrugged. “He’s a tough kid. Bit of an attitude problem though. But he’s a mimic which is a pretty impressive ability. It could go far if he becomes an Agent.”
“We have reason to suspect it might be more than that.” Dike stated. “But we won’t be sure without further testing. He might be a suitable candidate for your new partner.”
Bill tensed and gave Dike a hard stare. “I’m fine with the one I have now.”
Dike nodded, “I’m sure you are but you may have to consider the possibility that your partner doesn’t have the Company’s best interests in mind. You’re one of the Company’s best Agents-”
“So is Dick.” Bill interrupted, not liking where this conversation was headed. “He’s been a part of it longer than I have. What is it that makes you question his loyalties exactly?”
“Surveillance indicates that he’s been looking into files that the Company has on his family. We’re worried that such digging could lead to…dissatisfactory findings.” Dike told him.
So basically they were afraid that Dick would find out that they had murdered his parents and get pissed off. Bill supposed that was a viable concern.
“Just why are you telling me this?” Bill asked, beginning to get rather irritated.
Dike smiled and leaned forward in his seat. “You have a way of dealing with wayward partners.”
The statement came like punch in the gut and it takes everything in Bill’s self control not to lunge across the desk and pound Dike’s smarmy face in.
Bill had only had one other partner before Dick. He had been…important to Bill. But back then Bill hadn’t yet realized just how more important the people he cared about were than his job.
No…back in his early days as an Agent…he did whatever the Company told him to do.
Seven Years Ago, Philadelphia, PA
“Tense much?” Bill’s partner asks him as they drive in a Company car to an unknown location. Or at least it’s unknown to Joseph Toye. Bill knows exactly where he’s going.
“I’m fine.” Bill tells Joe even though he feels as if his heart were in his throat. He’s 22 and he’s only had this job with the Company for a little over a year. He met Joe Toye on almost his first day.
His parents had told him all there was to know about being an Agent. That everyone had a partner. One normal. One special. And Joe was indeed special, what with being able to turn invisible.
“C’mon, I know you better than that.” Joe says in that smooth and yet gravelly voice that has been Bill’s constant companion. He doesn’t turn to look at Joe, because if he sees his face he knows he’s bound to lose the little composure he has left.
“I’m beginning to think maybe we don’t know each other that well after all.” Bill replies.
They are pulling up to an abandoned bridge and Joe has to know that something is up. Why hasn’t he said anything?
“Maybe you just don’t know yourself yet.” Joe tells him.
Bill frowns. “What the Hell does that mean?” He asks his partner. Likely soon to be his ex-partner.
“It means I know what we’re doing out here Bill.” Joe says. “I was in the room when Sobel told you to kill me.”
Bill turns to look at him in shock. It’s no secret to him that Joe likes to sneak around while he’s invisible. But he hadn’t expected to hear that. “Then why did you come out here with me?” Bill asks him.
Joe shrugs and begins to get out of the car. Bill follows suit. “I guess I was hoping that you’d give me the benefit of the doubt. That our friendship was strong enough to withstand this.” Joe says as he puts his hands on the hood of the car and stares over at Bill.
It’s a cold October day and Bill can see Joe’s breath. There’s a lot he wants to say. About how they had more than friendship and Joe knew it, about how it was ruined now because Joe was a liar…and a traitor.
“You lied to me.” Bill accuses. “You lied to the whole damn Company! You’re hiding people with abilities!”
“Of course I lied!” Joe shouts back at him. “Jesus Bill. Don’t you get it?”
Bill just stares and so Joe continues. “Day in and day out…hunting down people who are just like I am? Did you never once think that it might get to me?”
“You knew what you were signing up for when you took the job.” Bill argues.
Joe shakes his head. “No…no I thought I did. But I was wrong. This Company Bill...these people...are evil. I was hoping you’d be different.”
Bill takes his gun from its holster underneath his coat and points it at Joe over the car. “Tell me who you’re protecting.”
Joe puts his hands up, in what seems to be more of a mocking gesture than a surrendering one and backs away from the car and off to the side. Bill follows him, the gun still trained on his partner.
“Does it really matter? You’re going to kill me anyway.” Joe states.
“It damn well matters.” Bill snaps at him. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”
“What if it was Babe?” Joe asks.
Bill pauses. “What?” He asks, not sure if he heard right.
“I said…what if I was protecting Babe?” Joe restates.
Bill says nothing for awhile and Joe continues to speak. “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. That’s why your parents took him in the first place, hoping that he would manifest an ability. They think it’s going to happen, that’s why they’re so distant from him.”
“No.” Bill shakes his head.
Joe scoffs. “Oh grow up Bill. What do you think they’re going to do if he does develop an ability? Just ignore it? I don’t think so. And how about you? Are you going to turn him in like a good little solider?”
“Shut up.” Bill hisses. “Babe has nothing to do with this. This is about you. Now WHO are you hiding?”
Joe clenches his jaw and lowers his hands. For a moment, Bill hopes he’s about to tell him. That way they can work something out. Get Joe back on track, go back to the way things were.
Instead Joes says. “Go to Hell.”
He turns invisible the moment Bill pulls the trigger.
The memory was painful to Bill. It was one of the biggest mistakes he felt he’d ever made. He killed someone he…someone that he may have loved just because he was guilty of doing exactly what Bill was doing now. Hiding someone from the Company.
This Company had turned Bill into a monster, that much hadn’t changed. But he was trying to be better. Trying to do right by his family. His true family. He’d be damned if he let anything happen to Dick the way it had happened to Joe.
He glared up at Dike. “Was there anything else you needed?” he asked him.
Dike nodded. “Before you head out, could you go and get Liebgott and Eli Luz and bring them to my office? I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting either of them just yet.”
“Sure.” Bill stood up quickly.
He was just leaving when Dike called out. “Think about what I’ve said Bill. About your partner.”
Bill walked out without saying a word.
He went down a hallway filled with office rooms and glass doors before he came to a swift stop in front of an elevator. He pressed the down button and waited a moment. The doors slid open to reveal Dr. Jones waiting inside.
The man gave Bill a nervous look and scooted over to allow him in. “What’s this I hear about you needing to test Liebgott further?” Bill asked him.
Dr. Jones straightened up. “Uh...it’s nothing really. It’s just that when I was studying the ways in which his ability seems to adapt to new information it led us to believe...well I really shouldn’t discuss it actually.”
Bill frowned, now worried. It was strange but ever since Dick had told him Liebgott’s purpose for being there, he had begun to see the kid as sort of a kindred spirit. He was wary of all the attention that the Company was paying to him.
He said nothing further to the doctor, who was hasty to exit the elevator when his stop came. Two floors down and Bill was reaching the recruit’s quarters. When the doors opened he was surprised to see Liebgott and Eli already standing there.
Bill raised an eyebrow at them. Joe jerked his thumb over towards Eli. “Kid had a vision.” He said as way of explanation.
“Well come on then.” Bill motioned them into the elevator.
Dick Winters, Los Angeles, CA
Dick yawned as Harry Welsh drove them through the city of L.A. that morning. The night before had drained him emotionally and the constant flights from state to state were starting to drain him physically. It was the nature of his job, for sure, but it had been a hectic few days.
“Aww Dick are you sleepy?” Harry asked with a smile that was ever present on his face.
Dick glared at him playfully. “I notice that you aren’t.”
“That’s because I slept on the plane. Like you should have.” Harry teased him.
It was then that Dick began to take notice of their surroundings. “Harry…” He said, “This doesn’t look like the way to the holding facility.”
“That’s because we’re going to take a quick detour first.” Harry informed him. “Colonel Sink wants to see you.”
Dick’s head snapped over to stare at his friend so quickly that it hurt his neck. “Sink? Robert Sink?”
“The one and only.” Harry grinned.
“I wasn’t aware that you knew him.” Dick said, trying to contain his surprise.
“I work for him actually.” The lawyer explained.
Dick shook his head in disbelief. “How come I never heard about it?”
“Because you weren’t meant to know.” Harry told him. “No one else in the Company does.”
“So why tell me?” Dick asked.
They were soon parked in front of a fancy hotel and Harry smiled over at him once more. “Why don’t you just ask the good Colonel himself?”
Harry took him up to the top floor and led him to one of the suites there. Dick had known Robert Sink for quite some time now. A retired Colonel of the Army he was allegedly one of the original founders of the Company who now made his fortune by building hotels, such as the one they were in, all across the country. He had been a mentor to Dick since he first started working at the Company.
Bill thought that the attention that Sink paid Dick was creepy but Dick knew that Sink was a good man. He had never steered Dick wrong. Upon their first meeting the man had actually tried to convince Dick that the Company wasn’t where he needed to be. Sometimes Dick wished he had listened.
Harry stayed out in the hallway as Dick entered the room to see Sink sitting at a couch in the suite’s massive living room, a folder open on his lap. The man looked up as Dick approached.
“Dick.” Sink greeted. “It’s always good to see you son. Why don’t you have a seat?”
The Colonel gestured to an arm chair situated across from the couch and Dick sat down. “I’ll be honest sir.” Dick started off, “I’m a bit confused.”
Sink sighed. “I know you are. The truth is Dick, that I’ve been keeping a lot of things to myself. Things that concern you. But something caught my eye that makes me realize that it’s about time I come clean.”
And if Dick wasn’t confused before, he certainly was now. What secret could Sink possibly know that concerned him?
“What something might that be, sir?” He asked his long time mentor.
Sink leaned forward and sat the folder he’d been reviewing on the coffee table between them. He pointed at it and said, “Those are the surveillance logs from the Philadelphia branch. It says you’ve been pulling files. On your parents.”
Dick looked it over quickly, with a frown. He hadn’t expected that he’d been watched so closely. “Yes.” He admitted. “I was rather surprised to find that the Company had files on them.”
“You must gather that I know something about that.” Sink said.
It wasn’t something that he’d wanted to believe, but Dick knew it was a possibility. Sink was definitely a monetary backer of the Company and if he was one of its initial creators then Dick found it unlikely that he wouldn’t have some knowledge about its workings.
“The thought had crossed my mind.” Dick confessed.
Sink nodded and leaned back into the couch. “There was a time,” He said slowly as he reached for a nearby glass of what Dick assumed was whiskey, “that the Company was all that it claimed to be. We helped people. People like you. People like your parents. People like myself.”
Dick stared in shock. “I wasn’t aware you had an ability.”
The Colonel smiled, “I’m a healer. Just like your father was. He was a good man. I see a lot of him in you.”
It was strange, but suddenly Dick felt very lost. As though he were in the middle of a giant web that was unraveling all around him. “You knew my father?” he asked.
“I was good friends with both of your parents.” Sink answered before letting a fond smile light his face. “I introduced them to each other actually, at the urging of one of my peers. When they were both just young things.”
Dick just shook his head, not sure what to say.
“You see Dick. This Company used to be good. You parents used to be a part of it.”
“No.” Dick protested. “No they couldn’t have been. I would have found out.”
“Oh trust me son. A lot of people went through a lot of trouble to make sure you never found out. Because you see…your parents discovered something very important. Something that made them realize that the Company’s do-gooding front was just that. A façade.”
Dick doesn’t think he can speak. But he manages to whisper, “What?”
“The Company was first founded to track down other people with abilities. So that we could all be connected. Unfortunately some of my colleagues began to believe that people with abilities were superior to those without. It began to shape their actions within the Company.”
“I see no evidence of that.” Dick replied. “Nothing the Company does seems to benefit people with abilities.”
“That’s because it doesn’t care about people Dick. It cares about power. Some of the men I work with began to become obsessed with trying to make certain abilities appear.”
“How do you mean?” Dick asked.
“They found this scientist, a Dr. Jones-”
“Henry’s father?” Dick interrupted to ask. “I thought he was an independent researcher.”
“He was after he left the Company.” Sink said. “You see they had him assist in researching the likelihood of special individuals having children with abilities. The odds were quite favorable. With some more research the Company believed that they would be able to start a sort of breeding program. Unbeknownst to the participants of course. More of a matchmaking service really. When I introduced your parents, I was unknowingly a part of it.”
Dick gaped at him as he grasped what was being implied. “You’re saying that I was planned? By the Company?”
Sink nodded, “I’m afraid so. Your parents loved each other very much Dick, don’t doubt that. When they discovered what was going on, they became fearful that the Company would try to take you away from them. They had every right to be frightened. They came to me for help. I hid them the best I could.”
“What happened then? How did the Company find us? I know that they killed my parents.”
The Colonel frowned, “That’s the part I’m unsure about. You see...I’ve suspected for some time now that Taylor and McAuliffe have been keeping information from me. They don’t trust me and rightly so. They found out that your parents had another child and they came looking for you both.”
“Who are Taylor and McAuliffe?” Dick asked. The names were unfamiliar.
“They’re the only two founders of the Company still alive son, aside from myself.” Sink answered. “While I have other business ventures and am mainly a monetary resource at this point, they still determine the Company agenda.”
“I don’t understand why you’re telling me all of this.” Dick said.
“It’s because I know for certain that I can trust you now that you’ve discovered the part the Company has played in destroying your life. You see Dick, I’ve been working against this Company for some time now. I tried at one point to have an inside agent in the Company but unfortunately he was discovered.”
The answer dawned on Dick and he said, “Joe Toye. Bill’s old partner.”
“That’s right. Dick I have a series of safe houses across the country where I send people with abilities who need to be kept safe from the Company. Because I no longer know what it is the heads of this organization want with them. But I need your help.” Sink told him.
“You have it, sir.” Dick said. Bill may have called him a fool but Dick trusted Sink and if he said he wanted to help then Dick believed him.
“This man you’re about to go and collect from prison? He’s dangerous and easily manipulated. He can’t, under any circumstances, fall into Company hands. Take him here, ask for the woman whose name is on the card inside.” Sink said as he handed Dick an envelope of information.
“What am I supposed to tell the Company?” Dick asked.
“You’re the one with the ability to manipulate and erase memories Dick.” Sink said, “I was hoping you’d improvise.”
Burton Christenson, George Luz and Eugene Roe, Philadelphia, PA
Christenson was still on the phone with someone from the FBI while Gene and George waited on him at the baggage claim near the exit at the airport.
“What exactly is our plan?” Gene asked Luz as they watched the young Agent write something down on a notepad he’d hastily pulled from his carry on.
Luz scratched at the bandage on his forehead. “It’s pretty simple actually. We show up and beat the shit out of him until he tells us where Eli is.”
Gene stared at him for a moment. “Yeah…we’ll come up with a new plan in the cab.”
Once Webster had gotten the name of Gene’s abductor to him, Christenson had decided to use his connections with the FBI to locate where this Bill Guarnere lived. They planned on paying him a visit sometime today.
Christenson shoved his cell phone into his pocket and made his way over to his traveling companions. “Alright I have the address.”
“Great.” Luz said as he hopped up from his seat. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
“Cool your jets okay?” Christenson held up a hand to calm the other man down. “We’re all a little emotional over Eli’s abduction right now and I don’t want anyone to make any rash decisions. I shouldn’t even be letting the two of you assist in this investigation but I know you’d go looking with or without me.”
“Damn right I would. This is my kid Burton.” Luz growled.
Christenson nodded. “I understand that, I really do. But first I’m going to go rent us a car, then we’re going to get a hotel room, alright?”
Gene cocked his head to the side. “A hotel room? What for?”
“Some of us,” The Agent motioned to himself and his rumpled suit, “need a shower and a change of clothes.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah.” Christenson nodded, “So just wait here while I go and get us a rental car.”
Luz sighed as Burton turned and walked away. Gene looked at him in concern before saying, “He’s right you know.”
George turned to look at him. “About what?”
“We all need to stay calm.” The doctor told him.
Luz nodded curtly. Sure, calm…he could do that. Then he began to think about Eli. Where he could be and how frightened he probably was. To Hell with calm, he would do whatever it took to make this bastard tell him where his son was. No matter what.
Ron Speirs, Carwood Lipton and Buck Compton, Los Angeles, CA
It was with a great reluctance that Lipton parted with Sherry Tanner. Ron was never the sentimental one, that was always Christenson’s job, but he’d admit that he found the attachment to be…sweet.
The blonde cop watched the girl go off with child services, a frown on his face. “I don’t like leaving her so unprotected.”
Ron regarded him with a cool gaze, “Well we can’t drag an 8 year old girl around with us on a manhunt for a serial killer.”
Buck wanted to know why they were dragging around an LAPD cop, but knew that it would only make Ron more pissed off at him. If that was even possible.
Instead he said, “We still haven’t gotten word on that DNA evidence that was collected on our suspect.”
Ron frowned. “Why the Hell not? What’s taking so damn long?”
Buck shrugged, “Maybe we should pay the lab tech a visit?”
Lipton caught Ron’s elbow and motioned him to the hallway, Ron put a hand up to indicate to Buck that they’d just be a minute. Buck simply rolled his eyes. Ron had known this cop for what? A day? Yet already they were keeping him out of the loop.
“What?” Ron asked the cop once they were alone.
“I know how things go in the lab over here.” Lipton said. “They won’t do anything ahead of schedule and they don’t particularly like feds.”
“Well what about you?”
Lipton gave him a confused look. “What about me? I’m a cop not a detective, I don’t investigate so I have no need to have contact with the lab techs on a regular basis.”
Ron put his hands on his hips, internally wincing as he pulled at a stitch. “They what do you suggest we do? Who knows how far this guy is by now or when he’s planning to attack someone again.”
Lipton looked around them cautiously, as if to make sure no one was listening. “I was thinking that maybe you could just do your thing on them.”
The FBI agent raised his eyebrow. “My thing?”
Carwood nodded, “Yeah maybe you could talk to them and…” the cop trailed off with a wiggle of his fingers.
“I don’t follow you.”
“Look,” Lipton said. “You said that you made your boyfriend stop attacking you. You make me answer questions honestly when I would never have done so. You made that serial killer drop his gun, you and I both know that something’s going on with you. The way that it’s going on with me. “
Ron stared at him intensely. “You seem pretty sure about that.”
“I know what’s going on in your head.” The cop said.
“So what?” Ron asked. “You want me to go in there and just tell them to make it their top priority?”
Lipton smiled shyly. “I mean...sure. Why not? It’ll be like a practice run.”
“A practice run?”
The cop clapped him on the shoulder. “Trust me, it’ll work out great.”
“Right.” Ron said doubtfully before sticking his head back into the room to address Buck. “Lipton and I are going to run by the crime lab really quickly to have that word with the tech. We’ll meet you back at the hotel in a little while.”
Buck was about to protest but Ron was already out the door again and headed down the hallway, Officer Lipton in tow. What the Hell was he even there for? Neither one of them should’ve been out of the damn hospital and they were taking over his investigation!
“Look” the lab tech, a pudgy and disgruntled man, snapped at them, “I have tons of samples to take care of. I’ll get to yours when I get to it.”
A small crease of worry marred Lipton’s forehead and he cast his puppy dog eyes over at Ron expectantly. Ron could feel his whole body stiffen as he fought between competing desires.
One being how much he didn’t want to do this and the other being his desire to please the cop.
“Damn it,” he mumbled under his breath. Stupid well-meaning and earnest cops. Curse his thing for blondes.
All he had done to make the others listen was just talk to them. This would either work or it wouldn’t. He sighed before speaking up.
“You shut up and listen to me.” He snapped back to the lab technician. The man looked over at him reluctantly and remained silent.
“I want you to put that down,” Ron pointed at the sample in the man’s hand, “go and get our sample and test it. That’s your first priority. When it’s done- you call us.”
The man’s eyes glazed over and he set the sample down. Ron and Lipton looked at each other in confusion as the tech turned around wordlessly and walked to the back of the lab. They followed him cautiously to see him retreating to the fridge where samples were stored.
“That’s our sample he’s getting.” Lipton gaped even though this was pretty much what he had expected to happen.
“Great.” Ron said, now feeling thoroughly disturbed that he had been influencing people in this way. For how long had this been going on exactly? Was this why he had such a high confession rate? Because he was some freak like their serial killer or some special person like the mind reading cop by his side?
“Yeah but I can’t tell if that’s just because you’re really intimidating. You have to make him do something else.” Lipton decided.
Speirs raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you serious?”
Lipton shrugged and Ron could swear that he saw the barest hint of a smile on the cop's face. “What do suggest?” he asked the man.
“Make him do pushups or something. That’s a pretty unreasonable request under normal circumstances.”
“Fine,” Speirs groaned before turning and eyeing the tech, who was still silently completing his earlier command. “I don’t think they could hurt him any.”
He called out to the man. “Temporarily stop what you are doing and do 5 pushups.”
The man paused, turned away from testing the samples, and dropped to the floor to begin his struggle through 5 pushups
Lipton just turned to stare at Ron with large eyes. “What?” Speirs asked him, although he was a bit freaked out himself.
“You Jedi-mind tricked him!”
“Oh please…”
The man was already back up and working on their sample again. Lipton continued, “You did so. You just pulled that whole ‘These aren’t the droids you’re looking for’ thing.”
“Whatever.”
“Just never tell anyone to Drop Dead.”
“I’ll try to refrain myself.”
Lewis Nixon, Los Angeles Maximum Security Holding Center, CA
This was right…this was where he was supposed to be. He had to be locked up…or else…
“Good God. Get over it already. I’m getting so sick of your ‘woe is me’ shit. Everything I’ve done has been for you!”
Lewis clamped his hands over his ears in order to drown out the sounds of Jonathan’s voice. No mirrors...there were no mirrors- why could he still hear him?
“SHUT UP!” He screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Quiet down in there!” A guard yelled at him from outside. Sure…yell at the man in the padded room because that makes a lot of logical sense.
Not that anything did anymore. God…he could have killed Ron. He killed all of those people…
“Nooo…I killed all of those people.”
“You? Me? What difference does it make anyway? I was the one…who wanted to kill Buck.”
“But you didn’t…because you were too weak to do anything you want. You always are.”
“No…I’m just not a monster.” Lewis told Jonathan as he lay on the padded floor, wondering if this was how his new life as a crazy person was to be.
Suddenly the door opened and a guard approached…no three guards approached. One of them had a syringe in his hand.
“What are you doing?” he asked them, but received no answer.
When one of them grabbed his arm he flung his right foot out to connect with the man’s knee…which made a sickening crack as it broke and bent straight out to the other side of his leg.
The man’s screams brought more guards to his cell. One swung a baton to his face but he grabbed it and snapped it in half as though it were merely Styrofoam.
Amidst the chaos Lewis swung a punch that did not send a guard flying backwards with a crunch of bone but merely made a normal impact as it would have days before. He no longer felt the presence of another person invading his psyche. Though the guards could now restrain him…it was blissfully quiet.
What had changed?
As the guards injected him with what must have been a mild sedative he could see the blurry outline of a tall, slim man at the door to his cell. He heard the guards caution the approaching figure.
“I’ll be fine. He isn’t going to hurt me or anyone else for that matter,” said a confident and kind voice.
He’d never heard it before. He’d been visited by the detectives and the guards and the shrinks and he could remember them all. But this voice was new. He expected to hear Jonathan make a nasty comment.
Yet there was nothing. In his drug addled state he looked upwards. All around him everything was blinding. The bright overhead light was glaring off of the white in the padded room and illuminating the face of the man leaning over him.
The light bounced of his bright red hair and shined on his sweet smile and kind eyes as he looked at Lewis with something that wasn’t pity…but more of understanding. He was beautiful. He had made the voices stop…
“Are you an angel?”
The man gave a small sort of chuckle. “I’m a friend.”
A friend? Nixon wasn’t even sure what those were anymore. The person he had thought was his best friend had betrayed him. Had anyone ever really been his friend?
“I don’t have any friends.” He groaned.
As the sedative began to pull him into an unconscious state he could hear a soft sigh accompanied with, “Well you have one now.”
A friend? That would be nice.
Joseph Liebgott, Company HQ, Manhattan, NY
“What kind of tests?” Joe frowned as he sat through his first meeting with Norman Dike. The man gave him the creeps…like a lot.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” the man responded, “just a few more physical reaction tests like you did yesterday. How about you go see Dr. Jones after you and Eli get breakfast? He seems attached to you and we can’t have him wandering around on his own."
“Fine whatever.” Liebgott grumbled as he stood. “Can I go now?”
Dike gestured to the door. “By all means.”
Liebgott turned on his heel and walked out of his office immediately. Eli was waiting patiently in the hallway, seated in a chair and Joe caught the miserable look on the child’s face. The kid must have been missing his father a lot. Not that Joe knew anything about that…his father had been a scumbag.
Finally Eli spotted him and chirped, “What did he say? Are you in trouble?”
Joe made a face at the child. “Trouble? What? This isn’t the principal’s office kid. Don’t worry about it.”
“I kinda get in trouble at school a lot.” Eli informed him as he followed Joe down the hallway.
“I can’t imagine.”
“Where are we going?” Eli asked him.
“To get something to eat.”
“Oh...okay. I-”
But whatever Eli was about to say was cut off when Joe was accosted halfway down the hallway by Skip. “Liebgott I need to talk to you.” The young lab assistant said in a rush.
“Geez can’t these tests wait?” Joe griped. “I swear I can’t walk five feet without someone trying to stick me with a needle.”
“It’s not about the damn tests!” Skip snapped. Joe fell silent, the other man was obviously stressed and Joe could only assume that it had something to do with his boyfriend being locked up downstairs.
“Come on.” Skip motioned towards the elevators. “We need to talk and that’s the best place to do it.”
Joe looked between Eli and Skip. He couldn’t leave the kid alone. “Damn it. Fine.” He grabbed Eli’s wrist and drug him along as they both followed Skip onto the elevator.
Once they had caught an empty elevator, Skip hit the emergency stop button so that no one else could board. Joe had figured that was just something people dramatically did in the movies. Wouldn’t someone wonder why it had been stopped? Well he supposed if it was urgent enough then…
“I overheard Henry talking on the phone. They’re going to kill Don. Sometime today.”
Huh…Joe supposed that was pretty urgent. He looked down at Eli, whose eyes had gotten wide at the word ‘kill’. “Don’t worry,” he assured the boy, “nobody’s killing anybody.”
It seemed that Skip had just now noticed that they had a third wheel. “What the Hell is he doing here?” The man demanded to know.
Joe shrugged helplessly. “Well what the Hell was I going to do? I’m supposed to be watching him!”
“What if he tells someone what we’re talking about?”
“He’s an 8 year old who was brought here against his will and you’re worried that he’s going to tattle on us to his captors?” Joe asked incredulously.
“I won’t!” The child in question piped up. “Me and Joe are on the same side!”
Same side…things were always so simple to children. Still Joe nodded at the boy’s words. “You see? Secret’s safe. Now you want to tell me what is going on?”
Skip nodded. “Look I know that some of the higher ups are the ones that have been trying to get Henry to find this comprehensive ability, only they won’t say why exactly. But I overheard him on the phone with Dike, something about a decision being made about Don…and to stock up on his blood. They only ever do that if they’re about to terminate someone.”
“Terminate? How many people have they done this to?” Joe asked in a whisper, not wanting for Eli to become any more afraid than he probably already was.
“Who knows how many on the outside,” Skip answered, “but that they’re holding- only two others. People they feel have too dangerous an ability to be kept alive. One guy could cause people to commit suicide just by touching them once. The other could create black holes. Right before they were terminated, Dike ordered Henry to stockpile as much of their blood as he could for research. We have to do something.”
“Oh shit,” Joe put a hand to his forehead. “Um…okay. Look you try and find out when this whole thing is going down. You find out and let me know.”
“How am I supposed to find out?” Skip asked.
“This is the man you love! Fucking work something out!” Joe snapped, frustrated that he was going to have to bring the man he…that he was going to have to bring Webster into this with so little planning. “I’ve got a phone call to make. I’ll find you.”
That having been said, Joe hit the release button on the elevator and walked off with Eli as soon as the doors opened. Eli looked at him, “If you have to call your friend, you’re not heading toward our room.”
“That’s because we aren’t going there just yet.” Joe answered back.
“Where are we going?”
“To get you something to eat. Then I’ll call my friend.”
“Your friend or your boyfriend?” The child asked.
“Oh…my God. Do you ever stop asking questions? Just get some damn pancakes already!”
Philadelphia, Pa
“Alright well let’s go inside then.”
“What? No!”
Luz frowned at Burton before throwing his hands up in frustration. “Well if we aren’t going to go into the building then why bring us here?”
“Umm…gee I don’t know? Maybe it’s because I’m a federal agent and I know that going into any place blind is foolish and I wanted to at least have a visual on the building before we went in guns blazing.” Christenson said with a roll of his eyes.
“Guns?” Gene asked uneasily.
“Metaphorical guns.” Burton replied.
“Unfortunately.”
“Luz!”
They all looked at the building where Bill Guarnere, the man who had abducted Gene and likely Eli, lived. And Eugene couldn’t shake the feeling that he had seen this apartment structure before.
Joe Toye frowned when he felt something vibrating in his pocket. What the Hell? It took him an embarrassing amount of time to realize it was his phone. He had set it, quite some time ago, to vibrate if he ever got a text message. Most of the calling was done by him if he could help it, and many of the other people that had his number called from land lines, so he hardly ever received text messages. That was his story and he was sticking to it.
It wasn’t that he was getting old beyond his years, or that living under the radar had made him a weird and technologically impaired hermit…nope.
Although he supposed now that a teenager had this number he could expect more texts. That was, apparently, their preferred form of communication. Or at least one of them. But there was no way on Earth he was getting a Facebook- whatever the Hell that was. It sounded weird.
He read the text.
Need to talk. Can I meet you somewhere?
Wow…that wasn’t fishy. It took him a shamefully long time to text back.
Call in person. Need to vocally verify identity of caller.
Some might call him a paranoid fuck, but he knew it was the right move. Bill Guarnere was the kid’s fucking brother after all. The same man he had seen in action all those years ago. He knew how dangerous and resourceful Bill could be. Not to mention this was the same man who had shot him and left him for dead. Bill probably assumed he was dead. Joe wanted to keep it that way.
A moment of thought later and his cell phone was ringing. He answered it quickly but silently, waiting for the person on the other end of the line to greet him first.
“Hello? Toye?” came the youthful voice of Babe Guarnere...or Winters...or Heffron or whatever the Hell he was going by these days.
“Jesus kid. Don’t say my name over the phone.” Joe greeted him.
“I thought you said it was secure or whatever.” Babe responded.
“There are some people who can listen in on anything. Think about that, in light of what you learned yesterday.” Joe said.
From the momentary silence on the other end of the line, Toye figured Babe probably was.
Eventually the teen said, “I want to meet up with you. If you don’t think it’s too dangerous.”
Toye thought it was too dangerous for him to have even come back to the city of Philadelphia much less spend a prolonged amount of time there. But Babe needed to be helped to understand his ability.
He looked around the vacant cathedral he was in. It was still in the process of being remodeled and as such was usually avoided by the typical passerby. It was as good a place as any to lay low. He raddled off the location. “Remember to only write it down once and when you get here rip up whatever you wrote it on into little shreds.”
“You are so freaking paranoid.”
“Kid…you have no idea.”
Babe quickly pulled on his shoes and tossed a jacket over his t-shirt as he prepared to head out. He knew exactly where the cathedral in question was. It was, fortunately for him, within walking distance of their apartment.
He figured it would probably be okay to go out for now. If Bill were headed back he would surely call first before even getting on a plane. There wasn’t much of a chance of him showing up and freaking out.
Besides, he had questions for Toye that couldn’t wait.
They were just about to pull away from the building when a familiar face caught Gene’s eye. “Stop the car.” He commanded to Burton, who was driving.
“What? Why?” The agent asked in confusion.
“Just do it!” Gene snapped. Christenson hit the brakes and as soon as the car was stopped, Gene was opening the door to climb out.
“Wait!” Luz called, “You don’t know where we’ll be.”
“Do you know your own phone number?” Gene asked.
“Yeah, of course.” George answered. Eugene nodded and then quickly switched their phones.
“Then call yours to get me.” He said before taking off after the same red head he had met little over a day ago.
“What the Hell is he doing?” Luz asked as they watched the doctor take off down the surprisingly busy streets of the surrounding neighborhood.
Christenson shrugged. “I don’t know but there’s a motel shower out there with my name on it.”
Just as Babe was entering the cathedral, his phone indicated that he had a text message. Toye had told him to meet him on the roof, so that was where he was headed. He had been in the cathedral back when he was younger, way before it had ever needed remodeling and he remembered the way.
He checked his message.
Scratch the meet. You have a tail.
It was definitely Toye’s number. He paused and wrote back.
What? His text asked.
The response he received was:
You’re being followed. Not by a professional but you still need to lose them before we meet up. Do that and then contact me.
Babe just stared at the screen before looking behind him at the staircase as he pushed the door to the church roof open. There was no one behind him, at least not that he saw.
When he turned to look at the roof, hoping (in vain he knew) that Toye might be there, what he saw took his breath away.
It was…the exact same building that he had been on in his dreams. The dream that had been more than a dream.
He felt himself moving closer to the edge of the roof. He looked over the side and down at the street below.
Everything was exactly as it had been in his dream. The people walking below seemed so small, and he was so high up. Without thinking he began to put his left foot up on the roof’s ledge and before he knew it he was standing an inch away from what might be seen as certain death, teetering on the edge of the roof.
What the Hell was he doing? Just because he had seen himself doing this in his dream, just because he thought he could fly in it didn’t mean he could actually do it in real life. And yet…he wasn’t afraid.
He wasn’t sure why but years of comic books caused him to spread his arms out like a bird preparing for flight. He would be safe…he knew he would be. Because he had been safe in his dream.
Part 14 contd.