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Chapter 9

Half a dozen flashlights turned on, blinding me from as many directions. Soldiers in

black stepped out from behind landscaping bushes and cars lining the street. All had rifles aimed

at my chest. Several large black vehicles raced from behind the building and screeched to a stop

next to us.

After I entered the vehicle that looked like a rolling fortress combined with an R.V., a

soldier frisked me and unceremoniously cut off my coat with his dagger like knife. He was

ready to remove the shield suit sleeve as well to check for weapons.

Dont you idiot! Tanner barked at the over-eager soldier while pushing Laura into thevan.

The soldier sheathed his knife and looked ravenously at Laura, no doubt imagining the

curves hidden by her coat.

What about her, sir?

I whipped around and grabbed the soldier by the throat. He fought against me at first but

the strength of my left hand was unrelenting as I crushed his windpipe closed.

Let him go, Adam, Tanner ordered coldly.

Let her go first, I snarled.

Cant do that. We heard your heart to heart. Shes part of our little club now.

I could feel the soldier growing weaker and his eyes were starting to bulge in his sockets.

If Tanner was concerned at all, he didnt show it.

Move out, he said and the truck started to roll.

Im not kidding, Tanner! Let her go!

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Or what? Youll kill Jacobs? You dont have the stones for it, and even if you did, it

wouldnt make a difference.

Adam, please, let him go. Im okay, I promise, Laura said and placed a cool hand on

my cheek.

Her touch calmed the fire in my chest and I released my hold on the soldier. He fell to

the floor coughing and grabbed his throat. Another soldier helped him to a seat in the back of the

command vehicle. It was only then that I noticed the soldiers had their weapons aimed, not at

me but at Laura.

I turned around to face Tanner.Tell them to put their guns away.

Why would I do that? Tanner asked. Youve already assaulted one of my men. I

cant be too careful.

Then aim the guns at me. Shes no threat.

Youre right about that but since you and I both know that killing you is the last thing

Uncle Sam wants, shes the better choice for target practice. Her continued well being is

completely dependent on your cooperation.

Fine, youve got it but put the guns away. You have my word that I wont do anything.

Tanner furrowed his forehead and cocked an eyebrow.

All fight but know if you even blink the wrong way, every man in this transport will

have a bullet in the air before you open your eyes.

Fair enough, I said and sat down next to Laura.

She looked brave and strong at first glance but when I put my arm around her shoulders, I

could feel her trembling.

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Are you okay? Did they hurt you?

Im fine, she answered coldly but did not shrug off my arm.

Tanner twisted a pedestal mounted seat around to face us and sat.

How sweet, you found a special someone on your little vacation. Shes from that little

town you were hiding in, right? Dirty Water or something like that.

Go to hell.

Easy, Adam. Language like that doesnt really work for you.

I stiffened and saw rifle barrels lift.

Howd you find me?We actually werent looking for you. Thought you bought it during the last raid but we

started getting suspicious after your library search. Not too many people remember Dr. Marcus

anymore. We did a good job of making him look like a lunatic after we took him underground.

We didnt get on it fast enough though and you were gone by the time we got feet on the ground

here but once your energy signal popped up in that little town, it was easy enough to connect

some dots. Weve had people covering your girlfriend here since breakfast.

Where are you taking us? Laura asked, her eyes darting to the tense soldiers.

Someplace safe, thats all you need to know.

What about Red Water? What about my parents? she asked, her voice growing

stronger with each word.

Theyre fine. They dont know enough, unlike you, to be a liability.

Thats not what I meant. What about the Guardians? What are you doing about them?

Tanner shrugged and puckered his lips lazily. He smacked them audibly before

answering.

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Not much we can do about them right now. They wont be able to make the jump for a

few more days but when things line up, there will be hell to pay. You picked a good time to get

stupid, Adam. A couple more days and you wouldve had Source Guardians coming out of your

ass.

Yeah, lucky me, I grunted.

Damn straight, lucky you. At least now we have time to lay a trail away from that little

speed bump of a town so no civilians get hurt. We found your phone by the way but just to let

you know, your residual energy trail will be completely gone by tomorrow so those sons of

bitches would go back to the initial location and wipe everyone off the map. The energysignature from when you dropped your arm registered all the way in the Pentagon. You can bet

the Source Guardians pegged it too.

But youre going to lead them away, right? Laura asked before I could.

As long as Adam doesnt give us any headaches, Im sure General Brayton will stick

with that plan. It doesnt do us any good to have an inhabited town wiped off the map. Piss us

off and who knows what will happen.

He shrugged and held up his hands dismissively. It took every ounce of control I had to

not knock his face around to the back of his head.

They are innocent people. You cant treat them like their lives mean nothing.

Laughing and shaking his head, Tanner pointed a finger at me.

Youve really changed, kid. Almost year out of the nest and you think youre all grown

up, know all the answers. Heres the thing though, everything comes down to dollars and cents

and compared to the price tag on you, there arent too many things not worth sacrificing.

Why? I asked, my voice angry and gravelly.

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I stood slowly so my actions wouldnt be misunderstood. I turned around and crouched

to look Laura in her eyes.

Im so sorry I pulled you into this.

I know, she said. Dont worry about me. Ill be alright.

Hurry up, kid.

I pivoted to face Tanner.

Her face better be the first think I see when you let me out or I swear

I know, I know. Ill pay for it or something like that. Youve got my word, as soon as

were in a secure location, well let you out for a cozy little reunion.He stood and pushed me towards the back of the vehicle. One soldier opened the heavy

lid like a door. I stepped into it backwards. Tanner leaned in close and whispered just loud

enough for me to hear.

Her only value to us is in controlling you. Think about that while youre in there.

The door slammed shut, cutting off all light and sound.

#

Countless bumps, jostles and an insanity inducing long time later, Tanner made good on

our deal. Laura was right there when the box was opened. She barely had time to tell me she

was okay before being escorted away and I was left alone in a room very much like the cell Dr.

Marcus had helped me escape.

I sat on the edge of the cot, the only furniture in the bare room and waited. I had no idea

for what. I hoped it would be General Brayton, hoped I would have the chance to plant my fist

on his jaw for allowing Tanner to bring Laura into this. I wanted to scream at the observation

window, rage against the guards inside the booth but knew it would do no good, for me or for

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Laura. There were so many things I wanted, so much I wished I could do but I was trapped,

hopelessly stuck in a bunker I was certain was buried under tons of rock and dirt and in the

middle of nowhere. So I sat and waited, pretended to be docile and compliant until the door to

my cell opened.

Adam! I am so glad you are safe!

Dr. Swanson stepped gingerly into the room, leaning so heavily on a cane that her

bulbous white knuckles were shining. I was so overjoyed at seeing her that I didnt notice at first

how curved her back was, how the gray had taken over her hair or the many heavy lines creasing

her face. I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her from the ground. A pained grunt stoppedmy enthusiasm.

Are you okay? I said and stepped back, finally recognizing the incredible age shed

gained since Id last seen her.

Thats a relative term these days, she said with a crinkled smile.

Where do you want your equipment, maam? the soldier behind her asked.

He was young, barely old enough to shave. His expression was stern but not as

convincing as an older soldiers might have been

Dr. Swanson pointed with her cane towards the cot. Just at the head of the bed should be

fine and then you can go.

Sorry, maam but my orders are to stay here with you until the exam is over.

She smiled sweetly when she turned to face him.

Did your orders tell you about the radiation that will make your testicles shrivel and

sterilize you in less than a minute? Because thats what youll experience if youre in here when

I take this sleeve off his arm. Were you warned about that?

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No, maam. I was not, the soldier answered stiffly and glanced at my left arm. But if

that is a risk, why arent you in protective gear?

Do I look like I have any need of a functioning reproductive system? Dr. Swanson said

sweetly. If I do, Im free on Friday if you are.

The soldiers face turned scarlet at being propositioned by a woman old enough to be his

grandmother or perhaps even his grandmothers mother.

General Braytons orders said

Im sure he said a lot of things but Ill tell you this. I am a doctor and Ive worked with

this young man all of his life. I am accustomed to the radiation he generates and close enough todeath that even if I wasnt, I dont really care. But you have a long life and potentially many

children waiting for you so let me ask you this: Does General Brayton pay you enough to

sacrifice all that? Or does you paycheck entitle you to leave, lock the door behind you and watch

the exam from the safety of the observation booth?

She turned her back on the divided looking soldier. Her swollen knuckled hands reached

up to the tape around the top of my rubber sleeve.

Lets get this off of you so I can have a good look.

I tried to stifle the smile I felt creeping up as I watched the soldier back towards the door.

Just raise a hand when youre ready to come out, maam, he said before sealing it shut.

I thought hed never leave, Dr. Swanson said softly as she continued to pluck at the

fraying duct tape around my shoulder.

I can take care of that, I said and put a hand on her back to guide her to sit on the cot.

Thank you. Lately, my fingers have stopped obeying orders.

Do you think theyre listening to us? I said once she was seated.

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Undoubtedly but we wont let that stop us. What are they going to do? Lock us up for

talking? She laughed at her own joke. The soft chuckles turned into racking coughs.

What happened? How did you get so I paused on the last word.

Old? She smiled wisely. This is just nature, no gimmicks or special tricks. Still, Id

say I look pretty good for ninety-seven.

I pulled the last of the tape from the sleeve leaving a grid of sticky residue behind.

Ninety-seven? I said, struggling to keep my voice down. I never guessed. I always

thought you were in your late forties, maybe early fifties.

You are very sweet, always were she said and sighed. I was seventy-nine years oldwhen I was recruited and had incurable cancer in both lungs. By the time you were three months

old, the cancer was gone and my vitals were better than theyd been in ten years.

I stopped fiddling with my sleeve and sat next to her.

Wait, are you saying that I did this? Did that?

Of course you did. They had to put us on a one-in-five day rotation so we wouldnt de-

age so rapidly that youd notice, she said, sounding quite surprised. Didnt Keith tell you? I

thought that you escaped together.

Her eyes were hazy behind a layer of tears, as if she had already guessed what I was

going to tell her.

Dr. Marcus didnt make it. There were Source Guardians waiting for us.

The dam broke and she buried her tear covered face in her hands.

Im sorry, she sobbed. I knewHe knew that it was dangerous but I still hoped for

you both. He always knew that someday he would need to break you out, need to help you get

free and this would be the probably be the price but knowing hes actually

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She choked up, unable to continue.

Suspecting we probably did not have much time before our conversation would be

stopped, I shamefully interrupted her sorrow. He wasnt able to tell me much before it

happened. Dr. Swanson, I need to know who I am and why Im so important to the Army and

the Source Guardians.

She wiped her eyes clear and took a deep breath that I could hear rattling in her chest.

Of course you do. Im sorry I didnt start with that, she said and pulled a small pair of

scissors from a front pocket of her white lab coat. She started cutting at the twine around the

thick sleeve. Probably better to talk while I work. Tell me what you know.Not much. Just that Im not radioactive and Im guessing there was probably never an

accident in a nuclear plant. I know the Army wants me under lock and key, the Source

Guardians want me dead and that Im not the only one like me.

You really dont know anything then, do you? she said with grave sadness and started

pulling the sleeve off my arm.

Are you sure this wont hurt you? I said before it went below my elbow.

Oh, dear boy, who do you think held you when you were a baby?

She pulled the sleeve free and dropped it to the floor. Her hand, placed directly in mine,

changed the moment she touched me. Dark spots covering the fragile skin on the back of her

hand paled. The bulbous knuckles shrank and her yellowed fingernails turned a healthy shade of

rose. Wrinkles smoothed themselves and the constant shaking of age stopped.

This is part of why you had to wear that horrible suit, she said, running both hands

around my forearm, probing her fingers gently into my flesh. You are perfection and whatever

you touch realigns to match you. Every person has a zero-matter superstructure but it ages and

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I let her imagine what questions her statement generated and waited for her to deliver the

answers in whatever way made sense to her.

Dr. Marcus discovered zero-matter almost fifty years ago. When his family died, people

thought hed gone crazy because of the dramatic change in his work. He became obsessed with

proving the existence of the anti-universe as an explanation for the unequal ratio of matter to

anti-matter in ours. The more he obsessed over the natural discrepancy, he began to theorize that

if there were two forms of matter exactly equal in mass but opposite in charge occupying

different dimensions of existence, why couldnt there be more subtle layers, where instead of a

proton having a positive charge of one hundred sixty zepto-coulombs and an electron being thenegative of that, those particles could have a charge of more or less magnitude. He broke away

from the quantum physics based idea of multiple dimensions and focused on what he called

charged physics to explain it all.

She finished taking recordings of my arm with her myriad of instruments and put all the

devices back into their case.

I read almost of his publications and Ill admit that I didnt understand a lot of them but

I dont remember anything about an anti-universe or multiple dimensions, I said.

You wouldnt have, dear, Dr. Swanson said kindly. All that work was done after he

left the public eye and then it was hidden. While many scientists have theorized about the

existence of multiple dimensions, Keith was the first to prove it but before he could publish the

existence of an infinite number of realities based on different elementary charges, the United

States government stepped in and put the whole project under a heavy blanket of secrecy. With

no family ties and only his work to keep him going, Keith accepted the new restraints on his

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work as long as he was allowed to continue. Proving a new truth of matter and parallel

dimensions was only the beginning to what he was actually looking for.

And what was that? I asked.

It was the zero point, the exact middle of the spectrum. His proof of varying elementary

charges inferred a place in the center where instead of protons and electrons having equal but

opposite charges, they would have no charge and be held together in atoms not by

electromagnetic force but another, previously undefined force. His work led him deeper and

deeper into the subatomic particles, sub-electron, sub-proton, sub-quark and beyond. Eventually,

he developed a method to remove the charge from particles and when all the switches wereflipped, the focused electromagnets fired, he was left with a single zero-charged electron circling

a single zero-charged proton. His mystery force, holding the hydrogen atom together, was

named the Marcus force and the atom was called zero-matter.

That was when we heard from them, heard from the other side of the veil.

The Source Guardians?

A slow nod.

Dr. Swanson, you have overstepped your boundaries. Complete the procedure and exit

the chamber immediately.

I jumped like Id been hit by lightning and looked to the observation room. Tanner was

leaning over the microphone with General Brayton standing behind him.

No! Im not ready for her to leave.

Temper, Adam, Tanner said softly. Remember what were keeping safe for you.

I stared at the observation room, loathing the two men inside. Even more than the Source

Guardians, these two were the bane of my life, ruining everything each time they appeared.

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Dont worry, Adam. Ill be back to check on you soon, said Dr. Swanson. For now

though, I need you to absorb matter to your arm.

Thats right, kid. Do what the doctor says and well send your girlfriend in for a visit.

Why? I asked her and then turned to the observation window for the answer. What

does it matter? You guys always kept me in zero-matter state before. Why cover me up now?

Dr. Swanson answered before Tanner could.

We never experimented with this before. It was always all or nothing and Im

concerned that having just a part of your superstructure exposed might be damaging to your

ability to assume matter.She looked concerned but I wasnt sure it was for the reason shed just given. Still, I

didnt see any harm in absorbing matter and covering my arm. I addressed the control room.

Youll send Laura in as soon as its done, right?

General Brayton nodded once. Tanner grinned like I was a weakling for wanting to see

her.

Fine, I said, the only thing more important than hearing what Dr. Swanson had to tell

me was knowing Laura was safe. What do I need to do?

Dr. Swanson patted the top of the bottom most piece of equipment on her cart. It was a

box, two feet long by one foot square. One end had a circle in the center that shimmered like a

suspended pool of black water.

Ive loaded this with all the elements youll need. Place your arm inside and you should

be able to rebuild it.

I pulled the sleeve of my shirt higher up on my arm, knelt on the floor and pushed my

fingers against the glistening circle. The material made room for my hand but kept pressure

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against it, keeping the boxs seal intact. I hesitated briefly before slipping my arm through the

gelatinous barrier. I pushed until my entire forearm was in the box and felt the swirling elements

inside. It took less than two seconds to replace what Id shed. I moved to pull my arm out. Dr.

Swanson coughed softly.

Take your time, Adam. Make sure you have a complete rebuild. Be certain youve

picked up everything you need. Dr. Marcus was always concerned that you were not thorough

enough, that you rushed and didnt take the time to make sure you picked up everything you

were supposed to.

She should have known how easy it wouldve been for me to absorb the matter and fixmy arm. What she was saying didnt make sense unless there was something else for me inside

the box. I hoped Tanner and General Brayton were unaware of how unnecessary her words

were. I tried to act naturally and took my time, probing the inside of the box to find whatever

she was hinting at. My fingers rubbed over something different in texture from the smooth inner

surfaces of the box walls. It felt like a piece of paper, taped to the bottom. I plucked it loose and

palmed it. I twisted slightly to hide my arm as I pulled it out of the box. As soon as my hand

was out, I dropped the inch by half inch piece of paper on the floor and stepped on it as I stood

up. I held out my arm for Dr. Swanson to inspect.

She opened her cases again and pulled out the same scanners shed used just a few

minutes earlier.

Does everything feel right? Any problems with picking everything up?

I tried not to cringe at the obvious nature of her question. As much as I wanted to believe

otherwise, General Brayton was not a complete idiot.

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Everythings fine. Good bonding, I said before pivoting, making sure to keep my right

foot planted on the note.

I held up my hand to the observation window and wriggled my fingers.

Send Laura in now.

Help Dr. Swanson with her equipment. Once shes out, well send Ms. Dawson right

in.

I tried to remember if the note had fallen with the sticky side of the tape up or down but

drew a blank. All Id thought to look for was whether or not I could sit down after Dr. Swanson

left without lifting my foot. Now there was a fifty-fifty chance that I would never see whatinformation Dr. Swanson had tried to smuggle in to me on the tiny scrap. The white paper would

stand out noticeably against the dark tiles of the floor the moment I moved my feet.

Is there a problem, Adam? Tanner asked laboriously.

No, no problem.

I was stuck and hoping for the best, offered Dr. Swanson a hand up before grabbing the

handle of the small cart. I had to tell myself not to look back just in case the scrap of paper was

there but would go unnoticed unless I acted improperly. It was difficult to stay facing forward.

Dr. Swanson leaned heavily on my arm, using her cane sparingly with her other hand. She

patted the inside of my elbow for the short walk.

I wish I had more time and could tell you everything, she whispered.

I wish you did too.

The door opened, revealing the young soldier she had tricked into leaving us alone,

standing with his rifle ready. His jaw was sternly set, no doubt held there by residual anger at

the tongue lashing Tanner or General Brayton must have given him.

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Push the cart into the airlock but make no attempt to enter yourself, he ordered.

The end of his rifle barrel was shaking and I had no desire to test how much control he

had. I pushed the cart over the threshold with my arms extended fully. My feet stayed well clear

of the doorway.

Dr. Swanson had tears trickling out of the corner of her eyes.

I am so sorry, Adam, she said as she hugged me, her wet face buried in my shirt.

Dont worry, I said. Im sure theyll send you in here for another check-up soon.

Well talk more then.

She nodded and tried to smile. I could see on her face that she believed what I said aboutas much as I did. Fat chance Id be seeing anybody knowing anything important for a long, long

time. She stepped over the threshold and the door slid closed.

I had to concentrate on not looking too excited to turn around and head back to my

solitary cot. Nothing exciting about that at all. My control turned to relief when I saw there was

nothing on the floor. The slip of paper must have stuck to the bottom of my boot. I went far

enough into the cell to get a good look at the observation window. General Brayton and Tanner

were already gone.

Hey! What about Laura? I shouted, knowing that even if I couldnt see anybody, there

had to be somebody listening and watching somewhere else.

There was no answer. I shuffled to the cot, keeping my steps low to avoid any camera

getting a glimpse of the bottom of my shoes. I sat down heavily, wondering if they would make

good on their promise of sending Laura in to see me and then thought of how many different

ways I could make them pay for not following through. I bent over and untied the laces to my

boots and slipped my feet out of them. After pushing them under the cot, I laid back, stretched

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out and put my hands behind my head. If Id learned anything before Dr. Marcus broke me out,

it was waiting was a big part of life and I might as well be comfortable.

Ten minutes later, with no warning, the inner door slid open and Laura came stumbling

into the room.

Laura! I jumped to my feet, almost falling when my socks hit the smooth floor, Are

you okay?

She ran to me, right into my outstretched arms like we were in a movie. She said nothing

for a long time, just held me and gently cried. I wanted to ask what theyd done to her, if she

was hurt, if theyd given her anything to eat, but realized the questions needed to wait for a littlewhile.

I checked the observation window. Again, nobody there.

After a few minutes, Lauras hold on me became less desperate and her breathing became

more regular.

I thought I might not see you again, she said.

What happened? Did they hurt you?

No, they just asked me a lot of questions about what youd told me and who Id told.

They were definitely not nice about it but no, they didnt hurt me.

I am so sorry I dragged you into this mess. I wish I never came to find you. I shouldve

found another way.

I pushed some loose hairs off of her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, her nose was

pinkish and her upper lip looked dry and chapped. There were mascara laced tear trails running

down her cheeks and her bottom lip was still quivering gently.

What are you looking at?

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What? she snapped and moved away from me. Im here because of you, buddy and

dont you think for a second that you wont tell me everything you found out.

I immediately thought about the slip of paper clinging to the bottom of my boot. There

was no way I could tell her about that without risking losing it.

I saw that look! What are you thinking?

Laura, Im sorry but I cant tell you anything. The more I tell you the more youll get

tangled up in all this. If you ever want out of this, youd better get used to not knowing anything

more than you already do.

Dr. Swansons words rang in my head, sacrificed the rest of our lives to theproject It was a one way ticket to get in and I prayed Laura hadnt bought hers yet.

Thats not fair. Im only here because of you. Dont you think I deserve to know as

much as you do?

Not if it means youll be locked up forever with me, I said and stood, towering over

her.

They cant do that. People will notice were missing, theyll look for us. I dont care

how deep this runs, Dad wont stop until he finds me.

I wish you were right, but youre not. They kept me locked up for eighteen years and

nobody outside of a few army jerks and the scientists that took care of me ever knew. They can

keep you just as isolated and cut off as I was.

But you didnt know they were doing it to keep you in. You thought it was to keep

other people safe so you let them. Plus, nobody knew about you or knew to look for you. Well

get out of this. Well get out of here and put this behind us. Your arm is covered now and the

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Source Guardians wont be able to find you. If you refuse to help the army, eventually they

wont have any use for you and theyll let us go.

Her face was so sweet and hopeful that I didnt have it in me to argue with her. Even

though I knew I wasnt directly a danger to anybody, I wasnt going to scramble any brains with

personal radiation, there were still people that would get hurt if I didnt play by the armys rules.

And it wasnt just Laura. It was her parents, the Bakers, and everybody else in Red Water that

were at risk. The only thing I could hope for was Laura someday getting out of here and never

looking back. I needed to find a way to get her released and then figure out how to read the

message stuck to the bottom of my boot. At the moment, I had nothing for either problem.Maybe, I said, pretending to give in to her faulty logic. I really hope youre right.

I sat down next to her and leaned back against the wall. She leaned back with me,

snuggling into my chest. After a few minutes of silence, she was asleep while I worked

feverishly to find a way out for us.

Chapter 10

Two hours later, Tanners voice woke us up.

Wakey, wakey little love birds.

I felt like something had crawled in my mouth and died. I rolled my tongue over my lips

and tried to remember what Id been thinking before I feel asleep.

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Oh, yeah, hopelessly stuck. Thats what I was thinking. There was no plan for getting

Laura out of this mess and definitely no chance of me disappearing again without putting her

parents or the Bakers in further danger.

Time to go, lover boy, Tanner said.

Where are you taking him? Laura demanded.

Hes gotta pass a few more tests before we give him a clean bill of health. Dont worry,

well bring him back to you soon.

Ill be fine, Laura. Try to go back to sleep - you look exhausted, I said.

Dont cooperate, Adam! If you dont play their game you wont be any use to them.I leaned in like I was going to kiss her on the cheek. She tried to pull away from me but I

had a hand on the side of her neck and held her still.

If I dont play their game, they might decide to let the Source Guardians level Red

Water. I dont have much of a choice right now. We have to play along until that threat is

gone.

I tried to keep my voice as low as possible, hoping it would escape the sensitivity

threshold of their monitoring devices. It was a risk but I could tell I needed to give Laura

something to hold on to while I was gone.

She slumped back against the wall and crossed her arms. She was so convincing in her

pout that I doubted she had heard me.

I reached under the bed and grabbed my boots. I slipped my fingers under the sole of the

right one and pulled the piece of paper off before pulling the boots out of hiding. Rather than go

for a pocket, I dropped it inside the boot.

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When I stood up, I tried to say goodbye to Laura but she ignored me completely. I saw

Tanner stifle a laugh out of the corner of my eye.

Try to get some rest, I said before walking to the door.

It slid open to reveal two soldiers with weapons aimed at my chest and a third twirling a

thick plastic zip tie. Once the tie was properly secured around my wrists, they led me down a

short hall, through two doors that required palm and retinal scans to open and finally into a

sterilized smelling air lock. The soldiers cut the plastic restraint and backed out of the small

chamber. The opposite door opened, revealing a lab room like the one Id been raised in. It was

not identical since this new one was half the size of the one I knew intimately and all the livingcomforts like a bed, a couch, a television and books were missing. This lab was all business.

There was the crucifix like table in the center with large electromagnets hanging from the ceiling

above it. The walls, floor and ceiling all had the faint added radiance of a permanent layer of

zero-matter. I faced the observation windows, set at eye level in this facility instead of twenty

feet up.

So what now? Back to the way things were in the good old days? I said.

Thats it, kid, Tanner answered. Take off your clothes and get on the table. Time to

find out if youve still got it.

And what if I dont? What if dropping a hand or a foot is the best I can do now?

How do you get to Carnegie Hall, kid?

I muttered, Practice, practice, practice, under my breath as I started to take off my

clothes.

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I started with my shoes, pulling them off slowly in case the note slipped out with my foot. I

peered into the control room, hoping to see Dr. Swanson inside. Besides Tanner, the only other

people were General Brayton and the three soldiers that had brought me here.

Wheres Dr. Swanson?

No answer. I stopped undressing, a symbolic gesture really since I was already down to

my boxer shorts.

Where is she? Shouldnt she be running this show since shes the expert?

General Brayton tapped Tanner on the shoulder and took his seat at the microphone.

Dr. Swanson died shortly after visiting with you. The short burst of youth you gave herwas too much for her organs to bear. There was nothing we could do to help her. Sergeant

Tanner is fully trained to operate this laboratory and will do so in her place.

The pain of grief was quickly swallowed in anger.

Really? Youre saying I killed her then? I snapped and marched up to the glass. Her

death is my fault, huh? Its got nothing to do with you?

General Brayton looked like Id slapped him across the face for a split second. Then his

visage went dark. He offered no response, just stood, indicated Tanner should take the seat again

and glared at me from the back of the control room.

Tanner barked into the microphone. Get on the table! Or have you forgotten your other

friend here?!

I smacked the glass with the palm of my hand.

Drop it! I snarled. Youre not going to hurt Laura. Youre not going to touch a hair

on her head because the moment you do, youve lost your power over me. So just drop it.

Figure out a new trick cause thats not going to play anymore. And while youre at it, stop

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threatening Red Water. Youll save them, not because youre decent human beings but because

itll be easier in the long run to lead the Source Guardians away than to explain how a small

Kansas town and all its citizens were annihilated.

GETONTHETABLE!

No, not until you tell me what youre doing right now about Red Water. Tell me how

youre taking care of them and if I approve, then Ill do what you want.

I could see veins bulging next to Tanners eyes and saw him tense, ready to shout at me

again. General Brayton leaned forward and said something to Tanner before he could explode at

me. Tanner shot icy looks my direction as General Brayton gave his instructions. One of thesoldiers ran out of the control room while he spoke. Tanner got back on the microphone.

General Brayton wants me to deliver this message to you. That soldier he just sent

sprinting out of here was Jacobs. You remember him, the one that really liked your girlfriend

from when we picked you up? Just imagine where hes going right now and how happy he

looked to go there. Think about that for a minute while I tell you that you are nothing but a wet-

behind-the-ears kid who has no idea who he is dealing with. You act like we can only hurt your

girlfriend once and then weve got nothing on you. Same with all the people in that little town.

Youre just too dumb to realize hurting people isnt a one-time thing. Death is a one-time thing.

Pain can be done over and over again in more ways that you can imagine. Im only going to say

this once. Get on the table now or youll find out just how much control we do have over you.

This time, I punched the window. Threw my whole body behind it and felt the knuckles

and bones in my hand crack against the shatter proof glass. Pain pounded its way up my arm and

into my head but I barely registered it. The only reason I was aware of it all was the sensation of

my superstructure fighting to heal the broken bones.

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Clock is ticking, Adam. Jacobs is a hard man to control and once hes set loose, I dont

know if we can stop him.

I looked from Tanner to General Brayton slowly and recognized differences in the two

men I loathed. Tanner was delivering a message, I could tell, just doing his soldierly duty,

following orders. General Brayton gave the orders and he liked it. He enjoyed seeing me angry.

Enjoyed exercising power over me. He thought I was helpless, completely under his heel and for

that moment he was.

Alright, I growled and stepped back to the table that had moved to a vertical position.

Ill do it but call Jacobs off.You dont give orders, Tanner said.

Please, dont hurt her. Call him back.

It wasnt hard to force fear and penitence from my voice. I hated to do it but knew it was

what General Brayton would need to hear. His flickering half smile confirmed he was satisfied

with my penance. He said nothing, just motioned towards the door and another soldier sprinted

out to retrieve Jacobs. Both were back in less than ten seconds and couldnt hide their smiles. It

wasnt hard to guess that Jacobs had run out the door and stopped immediately, waiting for me to

crack just like General Brayton had planned. They werent as smart as they wanted to think

though. If they wanted me to stay scared, the second soldier shouldve waited with Jacobs in the

hall for a few minutes to make me suffer. I didnt say a word, simply glared at them as I leaned

back against the table and put my hands and feet under the thick fabric restraints that tightened

automatically as the table tilted back to the horizontal.

Going for seventy-five percent shed, said Tanner. On my mark, three, two,

onemark.

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I smiled. Dr. Marcus had never given me a goal less than one hundred percent. Id never

tried for less, not matter what level of success Id achieved. The goal was always to shed it all. I

closed my eyes and tried to shut down my other senses. The low hum of the electromagnets

faded, the chafing of the rough fabric of the restraints went away, even the drumming of my own

heart disappeared as I pushed my focus deeper and deeper. Dr. Marcus had never given advice

on how to shed since he was wise enough to know he would never experience the process the

way I did but as I drew inward, I remembered everything hed tried to teach me about the nature

of matter and combined it with the fear Id felt seeing the power line sparking on the road and

the desperation of one minute earlier. All things connected and at once, I knew I was ready tomake Dr. Marcus proud.

For a moment I considered holding back, doing an incomplete shed like they were

expecting and then letting the electro-magnets finish the job but once I started the process, I

knew it was beyond my control.

I wish Id seen what Tanner saw, what General Brayton and the other soldiers saw

through the windows. I like to think it must have looked like a human supernova, particles

exploding out from a central source, turned to plasma by pure energy and then cooling into

atoms and molecules. I felt the room shake as two hundred pounds of matter was instantly

expanded from solid and liquid form to plasma and gas. There was no pain, no time for nerves

to start sending signals of failure. It was done between beats of my heart.

I took just a moment to enjoy the feelings of freedom and power as I flexed my muscles and

enjoyed the sensations of my natural state. I thought quickly of Dr. Marcus and Dr. Swanson

and how hard they had worked to get me to this point and then my mind inevitably went to

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Laura, picturing her small and alone in my cell. Waiting for me. Scared for me, terrified for

everyone she loved and lastly, scared for herself. The time for celebration was over.

The restraints around my wrists and ankles broke like they were made of tissue paper and

I was on my feet, charging the control room. Tanner was the only one to react before I hit. He

managed to get his hands halfway to his face before I dove through the window and crashed into

him. His head slammed into the floor, knocking him out and then I was on the rest of them like

lightning, snatching guns from hands and cracking heads against the walls faster than they could

move. They stood no chance against my zero-matter body. They thought they were so smart,

tricking me with Jacobs but all they accomplished was delaying what I was planning on doingalready. As long as I was covered in coarse matter, I was weak, I was susceptible. But now,

they were at my mercy. The only thing their act had accomplished was making me angrier.

I pulled the unconscious bodies together quickly, frisked them all and crushed whatever I found

except for one handgun and one assault rifle. I piled the deformed and destroyed guns, knives

and radios in a corner. Jacobs turned out to be the closest to me in size. I stripped his black

combat uniform, all except the army issued underwear. I found several dozen two foot long, half

inch thick plastic zip ties in their pockets which I put to good use. When I was done, Tanner and

the three soldiers were tied together wrist to wrist, ankle to ankle and ankle to wrist in so many

ways that they would never be able to move unless somebody else cut them free.

I bound General Brayton separately, tying his hands and feet together behind his back. If

he were conscious, Im sure he wouldve protested loudly as I pulled his feet up to meet his

hands and connected them with another plastic tie.

After they were all secured, I went back into the lab through the broken window and

pulled Dr. Swansons final gift to me out of my boot. All that was written on the slip was a ten

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digit number. I memorized it quickly, repeating it in my head until I was sure it was locked

away and then, for lack of any better way to dispose of the paper, put it in my mouth, chewed it

into a ball and swallowed it.

I slipped on my underwear and then Jacobs uniform. His boots and gloves were a tight

fit but I could make them work for the time frame I needed them. I pulled his black, short

brimmed hat down low on my forehead and flipped up the collar of the jacket. I would never

pass close scrutiny but this way, only a small section of my glowing skin was not covered. The

monitoring cameras in the corridors would probably not pick it up. I rolled my pants and shirt

together, stuffed my socks into my boots and cinched the bundle together with a zip tie.I went back into the control room and put the packet of clothes on the counter. General Brayton

was still out cold. After breaking the plastic bands around his wrists and ankles, I crouched in

front of him and slapped his cheeks a little harder than I needed to wake him up. He came out of

his stupor slowly but once he was aware enough to see I was right in front of him, he reached for

the holster at his waist. I slapped his hand away.

Its not there anyway, I said.

He eyed me coolly and then started to laugh softly but there was no humor in his face.

Whats so funny?

Pretty soon this room is going to be full of soldiers and youre going to be right back

where you started except Ill be pissed off. Ill put you in a hole so deep even the devil wont be

able to reach you.

It was my turn to laugh.

That might be the case if Tanner had been able to trigger the alarm.

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General Braytons eyes darted to the control desk and saw the truth of what I said. No

lights were flashing and the large red alarm button was not depressed.

You screwed up when you built this place, General. You left the control room on a

level I could get in. But everything else seems about the same. This room is at the end of a long

hall and extremely heavily shielded by whatever you think will keep my energy signature

hidden. Nobody, unless they were right outside the door, could have heard me break that

window and since you brought your three soldiers in here, you made it easy for me. The cameras

in this room arent wired to the regular security network because you dont want all your men to

know the full details of what goes on back here. Nobody knows except you, me and the humanpretzel I made that anything unusual is happening. And now, you and I are going to walk out of

this little room, get Laura and get out of your buried playground.

You wont get far without somebody noticing youre a little different and that only

becomes a problem if you can get past the hundred men I have guarding this facility. And then,

even if you manage to get around these first two problems, what about your precious Red Water?

You and your girl might be safe for a little while but it will be at the expense of that whole

town, General Brayton said as calmly as if he was lying on a hammock enjoying a cool

lemonade.

I could tell he had more to say, more fear he wanted to instill in me but even if I had any

desire to hear it, there wasnt time. And, anything I might say to him to argue, to prove that I

knew better would not be heard. I jerked him up by his collar, lifting him from the ground with

one hand until his feet were a six inches off the floor. I stuck a finger in his face, right between

his eye brows.

You will do what I tell you or I will kill you.

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To emphasize my point, I pushed my finger into the bridge of his nose. I was gambling

on something I had thought might happen but had never dared tried. It simply wasnt in me to

hurt anyone or anything to satisfy curiosity. Up until now at least.

My finger tip touched his skin and I took a moment to feel all I could. Then I pushed

forward, inserting my finger into his flesh and then his skull but stopped short of breaching the

final layer before going into his brain. His eyes crossed at first, trying to see what I was doing

but the expression quickly changed to panic and then tortuous pain. I could see the fight, the

determination on his face preventing him from screaming but the grinding set of his jaw showed

his body was suffering. I tried to keep my expression passive to not reveal how revolted I wasby what I was doing. As much as he disgusted me, I didnt want to hurt him but it was a

necessary evil. I could feel him growing weaker so I slowly extracted my finger. The particles

of his flesh and skull realigned naturally as my presence exited. I dropped him unceremoniously.

Now, General, with that memory fresh in your mind and the knowledge that even if I couldnt

do that, I could still crush your skull like a peanut, where are you hiding the shield suits?

Go to hell!

Ill save you a seat.

#

The shield suits were in a small room next to the lab. A small, clear plastic box on a table

in the middle of the room caught my attention. I popped the lid and was pleasantly surprised to

find Lauras purse, both our I.D.s and my roll of saved money inside. Tanner must have put the

box in here assuming nobody without proper security clearance would find it in this restricted

part of the facility. I stuffed the contents of the box into the many cargo pockets of Jacobs

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realized what she was seeing. As her expression changed, my worst fear was that it would be to

fear when she saw me in my natural state, aversion to seeing a face she knew, changed and alien

in nature. Sheriff Dawson had been awestruck at seeing my glowing hand. How would he have

reacted to a glowing face with eyes shining like light bulbs? How would Laura process what she

was seeing? She, at least, was somewhat prepared since Id told her everything but hearing a

truth is very different from seeing it.

She swept away my fears when she walked slowly into the cell entry chamber,

completely ignoring General Brayton. She planted her feet directly in front of me and looked

into my eyes.Angel. Definitely angel, she said and reached up towards my face hesitantly.

Go ahead. It wont hurt you, I said when she stopped an inch away from touching me.

Its not that, she said. Youre just so beautiful that Im not sure I should touch you.

For a moment, I almost forgot that General Brayton was there, my hand tightly gripping

his neck. All I could see was Lauras face and the fact painted clearly on it that she was not

afraid of me. She meant what she said and that was all that mattered at that pin point in time.

The moment was gone too quickly. General Brayton made a gravely sighing noise in his throat

bursting the bubble I was in with Laura. I shouldve been grateful that he lacked the discipline to

take advantage of my distraction but the reminder of his presence made me angry and put me

back on task.

Do you remember the way out? Im afraid if I leave it to General Brayton, hell march

us into the barracks.

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She snatched it from my hand and smiled.

Youd probably prefer that to what Im thinking.

She pulled out a small bottle and shook it several times before opening it and pouring a

small amount of flesh colored liquid on her finger tips.

Hold still, she said and started smearing the make-up on my cheek.

She was right. I would have preferred cutting eye holes and wearing the purse to the

foundation she spread all over my face. She even smeared a little just inside the rim of my

nostrils.

Much better, she said when finished.Fighting the urge to scratch my nose and wondering how girls wore this stuff all the time,

I said, Is it a good shade for me cause I dont want to look silly with a dark foundation line

around my jaw.

Ha-ha. Very funny. I dont think it will stand a close inspection but as long as you keep

your mouth closed, you should be passable.

Keep my mouth closed? Is that your way of telling me to shut up?

No, I mean it. Unless you want me to apply foundation to the inside of your mouth,

keep it closed. Every time you talk, its like theres a flash light shining in the back of your

throat.

Good point. What would I do without you?

Get caught pretty quick, Id say, she said and grabbed a pair of sunglasses dangling

from my left breast pocket. She slipped them on my face. Lets get out of here.

Move an inch and Ill put my whole hand inside your head, I threatened General

Brayton before letting go of him. He rubbed his neck while I tied Lauras hands.

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Too tight?

Ill survive.

Lets go then. General, you take the lead. Act just like you would if she was a just a

regular illegal prisoner and I was a dutiful lapdog soldier instead of the man that will scramble

your brains inside your skull if you sneeze.

I had General Brayton pull the case containing the shield suit and walked behind him

with a hand on Lauras elbow. Laura whispered at each passage that we seemed to be going the

right way. I wanted to ask her how close seemed to be was to actually being certain but kept my

mouth closed.We went through several locked guard-free doors before the even office like halls opened

to a more expansive smooth floored cave. I didnt look behind me but imagined what I would

see was a very plain looking building set inside an enormous cavern. The tunnel we were

walking in was thirty feet in diameter and our march was brought to a halt by an imposing steel

door that completely sealed off the exit. There was a small shack set to the side of the door,

barely visible behind a barrier of stacked sand bags. There were two or three men inside the

guard shack, paying no attention to us since any threat would obviously come from the opposite

side of the thick metal slab.

A soldier closest to the gigantic portal turned slowly as we approached. At seeing

General Brayton, he snapped to attention and performed a whip like salute. General Brayton

returned the gesture wanly. The soldier dropped his hand and moved to the palm scanner on the

right side of the door. He hesitated before scanning his palm and I feared he was waiting for a

verbal confirmation or code to allow us to exit the base. This would be a perfect opportunity for

General Brayton to give the wrong information, wrong alpha-numeric sequence that would mean

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military vehicles, transports and tanks. At the front of them all, parked parallel to the perfectly

spaced rows of rolling weapons, was a black sedan with darkly tinted windows.

I didnt find your keys when I frisked you, I whispered out of the corner of my mouth

when we reached the car.

Generals dont carry keys, he said.

In the ignition then?

He glared at me with contempt that Id even need to ask. After all, who would steal a

generals car in the middle of a cave housing a hidden army base.

I opened the back drivers side door and guided Laura into it. I stepped into the openspace as she sat down, blocking the view of the ever present security cameras. I snapped the zip

tie around her wrists and pressed the pistol Id kept into her hands. She took it without surprise

and moved across the bench seat to the far side with the pistol raised. I stepped back for General

Brayton to get in. It took no coercion or warning.

Arent we being cooperative, I said mockingly.

The odds are in your favor right now but as soon as that changes, you will pay for this.

Im sure I will.

He looked in the open door to see Laura pointing the gun at him and stiffened abruptly.

The fact that he hadnt noticed me giving her the gun reassured me that it had been missed by the

cameras as well.

I wouldnt try anything. She grew up hunting with her dad.

I closed the door hard after he got in. I opened the drivers door, glad to see the keys

dangling from their slot and that Laura kept the gun trained on General Braytons head. I popped

the trunk and loaded the rolling case into it before getting in the drivers seat and starting the car.

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Are you doing okay back there?

Just fine as long as he doesnt move, Laura answered brightly.

I grinned at the sing-song tone of her voice as she implied she would shoot and caught a

glimpse of it in the mirror. She was right about it looking like there was a flashlight in the back

of my mouth. I sealed my lips closed.

We drove through two more thick metal doors. At each one, the soldiers on duty

recognized General Braytons car and opened the barriers the instant I rolled down the back

window. None questioned why he was travelling with a young woman in the back seat or

seemed to notice she kept her hands hidden behind her back. Only the general, Laura and I knewthere was a gun there, pointed unwaveringly at him. After the second door, we drove almost two

miles in a broad tunnel before reaching the exit. Two guards sat in an exposed shack with only a

red and white striped bar blocking entrance to the cave. They behaved just like the others before

them. Four miles down the road, we passed several barriers with signs warning people to stay

out of the private property the signs protected. I went another ten miles and made several turns

before stopping the car.

Get out, I said to General Brayton.

He stepped out of the car onto the shoulder of the snow banked stretch of back road. The

only visible light came from the car, the stars, and my eyes and mouth. He looked at me warily

and I knew what he was thinking. This couldnt be where I would abandon him. We were too

close to the base, only a few hours walk away at best. It made no sense to leave him here on the

road back so this had to be where I was going to kill him.

Laura slid out of the car and stood next to me. She left the gun in the car.

So what now? she asked.

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The generals going to get in the trunk.

Youre not serious, he said gruffly.

I grabbed the trunk and lifted the lid. I pulled out the rolling case.

He said nothing else but his scowl conveyed the message. Someday, I would pay dearly

for this. The look was so intense that for a moment, I considered changing plans but quickly

banished the thought. No matter what, whether I did this to him or not, I would pay a high price

for escaping so I might as well enjoy what I was doing.

I reached inside the trunk and tore out the release mechanisms on the inside and tested the

strength of the back seat. It seemed solid enough that he shouldnt be able to break it.Hop in, General.

One final glare and then he was lying on his side in the trunk. I put ties around his hands

and ankles before slamming the lid.

I emptied my pockets before peeling off the borrowed uniform. Laura stuffed everything

into her purse, both of our identification cylinders, her phone, the thick roll of cash Id started

carrying around Red Water in case I needed a quick escape, and her various bits of womanly

paraphernalia. I opened the rolling case. The suit looked about as appealing as a wrestling

match with a giant squid. I handed Laura my rolled clothes, stepped into the legs of the shield

suit, and started slipping on the arms.

Do you have to wear that thing? You look so pretty without it, Laura teased as I did

the latches across the chest.

I wish I didnt but past this point, I dont want anyone to be able to track us.

I know, she said, but how long will you have to wear it?

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Until we can find a way for me to absorb regular matter but up to then, I can stay like

this indefinitely. I dont have any physical functions that I have to deal with while Im like this.

Lets talk about it after were moving. I dont know how sound proof the trunk is from here.

I picked up the mask but before I could set it in the hood opening and seal the suit, Laura

was pushing down my hands and stepping into my body. She pushed back my hood and ran her

hands through my hair and then kissed me hard. It was forceful and passionate and completely

unexpected. I was so surprised by it I almost pushed her away out of shock. It ended with her

pulling away abruptly and stepping out of reach.

What was that? I asked, my heart thumping in my throat.I couldnt stand the thought of you being locked in that suit without doing that first.

Who knows how long it would be before I had another chance, she said, looking at her feet and

tucking hair behind her ear.

I didnt know what to say. I was glad she did it, thrilled by it but was more than a little

confused. Id put her parents and the Bakers lives at risk, gotten her locked up by the army and

two weeks ago, ran out on her when all she wanted was to get closer to me. I could not

understand why she had kissed me at all, let alone so passionately. I thought the closeness in the

base, in my cell, had been a combination of being scared and me being the only person she knew

but now that I thought about it, shed never actually seemed scared. She had been angry. She

had been demanding. She had been upset but never terrified, never quivering and never weak.

She held on to me, not as a result of having no other options, but because she wanted to. It had

to be the same reason why she kissed me.

So you forgive me? I asked hesitantly.

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For what? Endangering everyone I love and screwing up my life? Or for running out

on me two weeks ago? she said and paused long enough to make me fidget before continuing,

Not yet but Im working on it.

What was that then?

That was because I know its not your fault. You exposed your arm to save my parents

lives and no matter what happens, theyre alive and Ruth and her babies are alive. Its all a big

mess but you didnt make it. Youre just doing the best you can with the cards you were dealt.

Thanks, I guess, but thats not all there is. Is it?

I stepped towards her and she looked down again. I got so close that I could feel thesteam of her breath in the freezing night air.

No, its not, she said and raised her head to stare into my eyes. I could see the light

coming from mine reflected in hers. Are you going to make me say it out loud?

Yeah, I think so, I said with a flippant smile.

You are a jerk.

I know.

And I think I love you.

I know that too.

I dropped the mask, grabber her around the waist and lifted her until our lips met. This

time, I delivered the passion. I pulled her into me and gave her all the feelings of love and

adoration I could and she accepted it all. There was no sense of time and I completely forgot

where I was and how Id arrived there. She was the only thing that mattered, the only thing that

existed for several wonderful minutes.

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The rapture was shattered by a cracking branch behind us. Whether it snapped under the

weight of thick mountain snow or the movements of soldiers looking for us, it didnt matter. It

was enough to snap us back to reality and get moving. I set Laura down, grabbed the mask,

slipped it into place and sealed the suit.

Youd better drive, I said after stuffing the uniform in the rolling case and throwing is

as far into the trees as I could.

Once we were on our way, I turned the stereo on and shifted the balance to come out the

rear speakers thinking the noise would hide our conversation from General Brayton.

Call your parents. Tell them to get out of Red Water and evacuate the whole town if they can.

All of the migrant workers had left after the harvest so contacting the permanent families

shouldnt be too difficult for Sheriff and Mrs. Dawson. Laura immediately pulled her phone

from her purse and turned it on. She had her parents on the line almost immediately.

Mom! Dad! Are you okay?...No, Im fine but you need to get out of Red Water.No, I

cant explain right now and need to get off the phoneYes, this is because of Adam but its not

his fault Blame the army, blame the government, blame whoever you want but its not his

faultGo to Aunt Christies. Ill call you as soon as I can. Dont take your phones. Leave

them at homeI knowI knowI willI love you too.

She ended the call and turned off the phone immediately.

Where are we going? Laura asked once she was done.

A couple of turns back, I saw the lights of a town. If we keep heading this direction, we

should find it.

What about him?

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That will depend on how soon we can get into a different car. Im pretty sure they can

track this one once they realize they need to. We need to ditch it as soon as we find a good spot

for General Brayton.

The snow packed roads wed been following gave way to salt covered pavement. We

saw the occasional light from houses and cabins nestled in the thick trees. A large illuminate

sign came into view. We had to drive past it to read what it said since we were obviously

coming from the wrong side of the mountain. It was a ski resort, hotel and restaurant.

Ive been here before, Laura said, a couple years ago with some friends.

Really? What friends? Richard perhaps?No, pre-Richard, jerk, she said and slapped my arm. Besides, this place wouldnt

have been up to his standards anyway.

Not four star accommodations then?

Probably not, she said and laughed. The skiing was good but when it was time to go

to bed, we all slept in our clothes on top of the covers. But the good news is, I know where we

are. This place is about an hour east of Denver and on the east side of the Eisenhower Tunnel.

Great, that would be too easy a place for the army to shut down and Denvers a good big

city to disappear into, I said. Back up and pull into the parking lot. Lets check this place

out.

I looked at the clock on the radio. It was almost eleven. Late enough that there should be

few if any people in the parking lot. If we were lucky, we might find something we could use

here and be rid of General Brayton.

We circled the lot slowly, surprised to see a higher class of car than what Lauras trip had

indicated should be there.

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They must have updated the place, she said as we passed rows of silver and black

luxury vehicles.

All of these probably have security systems like a bank, I said and then had an idea.

Pull around back to where the staff parks. I bet we can find something there.

My hunch proved good. The back lot was full of cars quite a bit less expensive than

those of the hotel guests. One in particular was promising. It wasnt the exact year of my truck,

but had a similar body style and I was sure, similar workings. The only problem was its

proximity to the building and the large light glaring from a pole in the center of the lot. There

was an open spot next to the truck. Laura seemed to read my mind and pulled into it. I reachedto the door handle, ready to pop out and take a look.

Hold on, Adam. Youre not exactly inconspicuous, she said, grabbing my wrist and

stopping me. Ill check it out.

Good point. Just see if its unlocked. Whoever owns it might not be too concerned with

a break-in with all the high-dollar jobs out front.

She hoped out of the car, took a look through the truck window and got back in the sedan.

She rubbed her arms and turned up the heat.

You were right. Doors are unlocked.

Good, saves me from breaking a window. Lets back up to the trees and take care of

General Brayton.

Safe against a row of evergreens and out of range of the lot light, we got out of the car. I

turned off the internal lights and snapped off the headlight switch before opening all the doors

and tearing out the door release handles. I depressed all the locks and ripped the electronic

controls out of all the doors before opening the hood and tearing out the horn. When I was sure

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any way General Brayton could signal for help had been disabled and getting out of the car was

near impossible, I opened the trunk.

General Brayton was curled in fetal position and pressed against the back of the rear seat

trying to absorb and maintain as much heat as he could. The dim light set into the trunk lid

showed him shivering for a split second before he got control of his body. I grabbed him and

threw him into the back seat of the car.

It would be so much easier to leave you in the trunk to die, I said. But I wont out of

respect for the people I love and admire. You have about six or seven hours before sunrise. Im

betting nobody will notice the car until then but who knows. The base might have figured outwhat I did by now and there are already helicopters on the way here. Either way, Im leaving the

engine running and the heat on so you wont freeze to death.

Dont try to find me. Dont ever go near Red Water or Lauras family. Dont do

anything that might make me regret leaving you alive. If I ever see you again, I will kill you.

His look was pure poison. Id taken him prisoner, forced him to obey my orders and now

I was leaving him with a death threat. I was supposed to be his property. He was the one that

gave orders. He was the one that decided who did what and when. And now Id taken that away

from him. Id reduced and humiliated him. He would never forget or forgive me.

A chill ran down my spine.

I slammed the door and walked to where Laura was waiting. I heard several thumps

behind me and I imagined the look on his face as he tried to kick open the doors or break the

bulletproof windows with no success. He might get out eventually, but it wouldnt be easy with

his hands and feet still tied. The gas tank was three quarters full and should last until morning

when the black sedan backed up to the woods should be noticed. That was the best case

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scenario. Worst case was rescue was already on the way. Since it had been less than two hours

since Id tied up Tanner and the others, I felt fairly certain we still had a window of opportunity.

We had about fifty feet before we reached the perimeter of light radiating from the pole in the

center of the lot. Nobody had come out of the building since wed come to the back lot and I

think we both had the same thought that it was about time somebody did. We hesitated before

stepping out of the shadows. The wide receiving door stayed closed. I pulled Lauras hand

softly and we started running carefully across the icy parking lot. We were halfway to the truck

when the door flew open, throwing a bright rectangle of light across the lot.

A dark haired man dressed in a white tee-shirt, dirty white apron, dark pants and a hairnet stepped out. He rubbed his upper arms against the cold, pulled a small packet out of his back

pocket and lit a cigarette before looking our direction. He straightened up when he saw us.

I thought about charging him and knocking him out just like Id done to Tanner but didnt get the

chance to act on it. Laura was already on her way.

Hola! Como esta? she called out, walking boldly up to the stranger.

He returned her greeting a little apprehensively but soon, he seemed to relax as Laura

started talking to him in rhythmic Spanish. I had no clue what they were saying but I could tell

from how he moved and shifted his feet nervously that he was caught under the magic spell of

her smile. After a minute or two of conversation, he motioned for her to wait, went to the open

door and yelled something inside. Another man, this one slightly taller but dressed similarly

came out. Laura and her new friend walked with him to a small car that had been yellow at one

point but now looked like more rust than solid metal. The second man pulled keys out of his

pocket and started the car. From where I was, the engine sounded a little rough and I could hear

a belt squeaking but it did start on the first try in the cold. Laura was nodding approvingly and

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pulled my roll of money out of her purse. She peeled off eight bills from the outside and gave

them to the taller man who smiled like hed just one the lottery. He pointed at me and said

something that made all three of them laugh before running back into the kitchen with his friend.

Both were talking excitedly and seemed pretty pleased with what happened. Laura motioned for

me to come over and got in the car.

After squeezing in through the small door, I asked, What was that? I didnt know you

spoke Spanish.

She put the car in drive and turned the wheel to pull out of the lot before answering.

Kind of hard not to when more than half the people in Red Water dont speak Englishduring the growing season. Im not fluent but I can hold my own.

So you bought this car then, for eight hundred?

Yep, I hope you dont mind but seemed like a better alternative to stealing. This way

we dont have to worry about being chased by the police too.

Good thinking. That leaves us with about four thousand dollars then. That should take

care of us for a little while.

Four thousand dollars? Are you kidding me? she said. That would take care of me

for at least six months in school. I think we can make it last at least that long if we need to.

Youre amazing, I said and wished I could slip my mask off for just long enough to

kiss her.

Yes I am, she said and squeezed my knee.

I leaned over and took a look at the dashboard. We had a full tank of gas, the

speedometer seemed to be working, the heat was blowing strong and if nothing else, we had a

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a random ten-digit number, he wouldve given you a clue since there would be several billion

possible combinations. You would never be able to guess it.

Her argument made sense but it still chafed a little that I hadnt already considered it.

Youre probably right but Id still like to try until we think of anything better.

I agree. It would be stupid not too. We should be to hitting the outskirts of Denver in a

little while. We should be able to find a truck stop with internet stations that we can use.

She yawned at the end of her last sentence, stretching her mouth wide closing her eyes.

She stayed that way for so long I almost grabbed the steering wheel to keep us on the road.

Are you okay? Do you need me to drive?No. Im fine, just a little worn out but Ive got this. Why dont you go to sleep?

I dont need to.

Ever? she asked and turned to look at me. I expected a skeptically cocked eyebrow but

just saw genuine question on her face.

No, not ever. But less often. When Im like this, I only need a few hours every week or

so. That was actually one of the hardest things to get used to at the Bakers. Getting tired after a

days work or halfway through a days work was frustrating.

I paused and smiled, remembering those first few exhausting days with Gary. At first Id

thought he had a vendetta against me and was working me to death but after a couple weeks, I

realized he was having me do what he wouldve done if his leg had let him.

Whats it like? she asked.

Whats what like?

Being like you are, you know, versus being normal?

This is normal for me, I said. From my point of view, youre the freak.

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You know thats not what I meant. She slapped my leg and then held my hand. I

want to know what its like to be you.

I understand. I just dont know how to put it in words really. I guess the simplest

explanation is Im more efficient. The way the zero-matter bonds is better than regular matter so

from an atomic level up, less energy is wasted. My body right now is like a supercar ready to go

over two hundred miles an hour but when I absorb matter, I feel more like this fine automobile

you way overpaid for.

My senses are different, enhanced to a point that I sometimes cant tell exactly which one

Im using because they all work so powerfully. I remember one of Dr. Marcus tests when I waseight years old. He put a blindfold on me, plugged my nose, covered my mouth so I couldnt

taste the air and had me keep my hands behind my back. We spent about two or three hours that

day identifying food by sound.

Like is that soy or regular bacon sizzling? she said with a small laugh.

No, just the sound of the food. The last one was probably the hardest. He put

something on a table on the other side of the room and told me we would be done once I figured

out what it was. It sounded a lot like an orange but I knew it wasnt. Eventually, he let me off

the hook when he realized I couldnt identify it because I didnt know what a tangerine was.

Are you kidding me? You can actually hear an orange sitting on a table?

Not while Im wearing a shield suit. Being in this cuts me off from just about

everything. Shielding works both ways.

So which is worse then: Being in the suit or absorbing matter?

Suit, no question. I loved how I was in Red Water. It took a little while to get used to

but it was fantastic. I didnt care that I got tired because I was okay after a good nights sleep. If

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I cut my hand, it hurt for a little while but it healed. Maybe I couldnt hear the food I was eating

but I could still smell it, touch it and taste it. I would take that over being in a shield suit any

day.

But you would still prefer to be natural, to be just zero-matter to having a regular body?

She sounded uncharacteristically sad as she asked the question, like she expected me to say yes,

to say that there was nothing in the world better than having enhanced senses, superhero strength

and needing almost no rest. Thinking about it made me realize something I had meant to say but

had never actually vocalized.

If it was the price I had to pay to be with you, I would take on a regular body and nevermiss how I am now.

I bet you say that to all the girls, she teased but I could see in her eyes that she wanted

more, needed to hear more.

Im serious, I said. When you told me you thought you loved me

Me? That doesnt sound like something I would say.

I didnt have the chance to tell you that I know I love you.

That did it. That was what she was looking for. The coy smile on her face morphed into

one of pure joy and I immediately regretted saying it. I meant it completely but it wasnt fair,

wasnt right for me to tell her that when she wanted to hear it. I couldnt offer her anything

beyond a miserable life of running and hiding. I couldnt even touch her without half an inch of

shield material between us. I was impulsive and stupid. I shouldve kept that to myself.

Its about time you said it, she said and pecked a small kiss on my face mask. It took

you long enough though. I guess you just needed to get your brain back to zero-matter so you

could think more efficiently.

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were enough to make one forget it was after midnight. The building looked clean and well

staffed, allaying fears I had of Laura going in by herself.

I recited Dr. Swansons number for her. She gave me a quizzical look before slipping out

the door.

Be right back.

I slumped down in my seat, as much as the tiny car would let me. The overbearing lights

ruined any chance of someone mistaking the shield suit for an over the top ski outfit but Laura

had parked far enough back from the miniature mall like store that people would have to go

pretty far out of their way to get a look but still close enough that I could watch her through thewindow.

She went to the counter to buy some time on one of the internet station computers but

stopped halfway there. She bent over to look at something out of my view and when she stood

up again, she was smiling brightly. At the clerk counter, she waited until the heavy set middle

aged woman was busy helping a teamster before advancing to be helped by a male clerk with

stringy hair hanging to his shoulders, large loop earrings that deformed his earlobes and a tattoo

taking up half of his face. I couldnt see Lauras face but had a good feeling by the way she

moved and flipped her hair around that she was probably biting her bottom lip and asking for a

favor. The rough looking clerk seemed to like what he saw and motioned Laura to another part

of the counter and twisted a phone around for her use. She patted his arm when he handed her a

pen and small pad of paper. He went back to his cashiers station smiling.

She punched a number into the phone and scribbled down a short message before

hanging up. For a moment, Id been afraid she was calling her parents to make sure they were

out of Red Water and immediately felt terrible for thinking she would risk exposing our location.

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But the call was too short for it to be that anyway. She thanked the clerk for his help and

returned his pen. She pulled out some money but he waved her off and pointed to a row of

computers along the back wall. It was easy to imagine him saying, On the house or something

cheesy like No charge for a pretty little thing like you. I would guess it was more along the

lines of the latter based on the dirty look from his female coworker.

Laura patted his arm again and went to the computers. She was out of sight for what felt

like a lot longer than the clock actually showed. She popped up again, almost running towards

the door before stopping, grabbing a bottle of water and a several bags of snacks. Her friend was

ringing up a different sale so she bought her supplies from the surly woman clerk. There wereno friendly smiles.

She scuffed her feet across the pavement as she ran back to the car. She opened the door

and dropped her cargo inside.

I got so excited I forgot to use the restroom, she said before throwing me a sheet of

paper, slamming the door and running back inside.

When she got back, she was out of breath and beaming. She twisted the lid off her water

and started drinking like a parched camel.

Bathroom nothing, I said. You just wanted one more goodbye with your new

boyfriend.

She almost spit her water on the steering wheel.

Oh, him. That was just a fling, but I couldnt help myself. Hes just got this animal

magnetism that I couldnt resist.

I could see that, I said and held up the paper. What is this?

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Thats where were going. Its just on the other side of town in an industrial park, she

said and started the car. That number Dr. Swanson gave you wasnt a password or a code. It

was a phone number. I didnt realize it at first when you gave it to me but when I got inside,

there was an ad for a storage company and their number had the same first four digits. I thought

it was worth a try.

So thats the call you made.

You got it. I got an automated message telling me to call back during normal business

hours and the company name Custom Covers. It was easy enough to find them on the internet

and print directions.She tore out of the parking lot and punched the gas to the floor. The little car groaned

and acted like it was going to die until she eased off the pedal.

This is going to sound like a stupid question but did you try the number as a password

on my I.D. cylinder? How do you know it wasnt just a coincidence that it was an actual phone

number? We could be racing across Denver for no good reason.

Arent you a downer? She grabbed a bag of pretzels and tried to open it with one hand

and her teeth. It split down the middle, spilling its contents all over her lap.

You drive. Ill take care of the snacks, I said and took the bag out of her hand and

started picking pretzels off her lap.

Easy, cowboy, Im not that kind of girl, she said as my cleaning moved up her thigh.

She laughed as I pulled my hand back like her leg was suddenly caustic to the shield suit.

Sorry, I wasnt paying attention, I said and then got back on subject. So did you try it

as a password?

No, I didnt. But dont worry, Im sure its not a fluke that it was a phone number.

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Oh really? How do you know that?

When I looked up the website, I clicked on the company info link. Under the address, in

very small print, it said Custom Covers was a subsidiary of Source Zero Incorporated. Still think

its a coincidence?

She gave me a triumphant look that begged me to challenge her and grabbed a fistful of

pretzels out of my hand.

Sounds like youve got it nailed down, I said, but I still wish youd tried the cylinder

with the number.

She flicked a pretzel against my mask.I knew you wouldnt be satisfied if I didnt but thought if Dr. Swanson went to the

trouble of getting you that phone number and if she and Dr. Marcus went to the effort of setting

up a dummy business for you to find, they would probably have made plans to get you the

information you need. Plus, whatever is on that cylinder is meant for you and I didnt feel like it

would be right to open it with you hiding in the car. Im one hundred percent sure that when we

get to this place, well get all the answers we need.

As she continued to chow down on pretzels and glance periodically at the directions

shed printed, I tried to find problems with her reasoning. It wasnt because I wanted to argue

about it or prove to her that she shouldve checked the cylinder. I was pretty certain no matter

what kind of defense I could raise on my behalf, her enthusiasm and excitement would destroy it.

I liked seeing her like this.