Shattered
Chapter One: Death Row
A man in a orange jail suit walked solemnly. Guards flanked him on either side. Who was this man you might ask? His name was William Tate. To the world he was a dangerous convict who had taken two innocent lives. He walked through the white washed hallways escorted by two prison guards. His face was a mask of defeat.
Despair...that was all he knew over the last seven years. His life was perfect. He had a loving girlfriend, a nice family, and even a steady job, then things went wrong. He had been set up for murder, and now he walked death row. He peered at the guards to either side of him wishing that someone would save him, but he knew things would not turn out that way.
One of the guards looked at him with a sneer, "Looks like this is it for you Tate"
He held his head down. Thoughts swirled in his head like a storm. 'It can't end like this. I'm innocent!' The death chamber loomed ahead. There would be no one waiting for him. His parents had passed away and his girlfriend had abandoned him after learning of his violent crime.
Tate walked through the doorway and into the execution chamber. Tears of rage and frustration fell from his face. Images of how things could have been raced through his mind. An image of his lover Nina and a young blond haired girl appeared. He gasped. The girl was smiling at him. The image changed; now he saw the same girl in a lab. The girl was calling out to him for help.
The guards tied him down to the table. He did not acknowledge them, so enthralled in his vision. The girl looked at him with pleading eyes, "Help me dad. They're coming for me."
The girl looked frightened and he heard banging noises. His eyes widened and he knew this girl was his daughter, he just knew.
A stone faced doctor entered the room. He took out a long need filled with vicious yellow fluid. Tate struggled in his bonds. One of the guards looked amused, "Fighting to the last inmate? Don't worry, I know exactly where you're going, scum."
The doctor approached Tate with a stony expression, "I always hate this part of the job. I'm sorry but you killed two innocents and now you reap your reward." The doctor brought the needle to bear and prepared to inject the drug cocktail.
The visions grew stronger and Tate struggled. The girl looked at him with urgency. He could see she needed help. 'I'm coming for you don't worry!' He yelled in his mind. The vision ended abruptly and he came back to reality. He saw the doctor inches from injecting him with the drug cocktail.
"I won't let you kill me!" Tate yelled. What happened next was unexpected for everyone. The doctor was blown backwards and the syringe shattered. The bonds holding him down snapped and he felt surprised.
"What the hell" One of the guards yelled. The guard to his right brought his firearm to bear. Tate brought his arm up instinctually and did what felt natural. A wave of gravity hit the surprised guard and slammed him against the concrete wall. The guard slumped down with his neck at an unnatural angle.
The other guard ran to the alarm. Feeling surprised Tate looked at his hands, "What was that?" He asked himself.
The guard reached alarm and pulled. Tate looked around in alarm as sirens blared. 'Best get out of here. Got to worry about strange powers later.'
The guard who had triggered the alarm brought out a sidearm and aimed at Tate, "I don't know how you did that freak, but I'm stopping you here."
Tate felt afraid as the guard aimed at him. With only a dozen feet separating them he knew he was dead. The guard fired and he closed his eyes, waiting for the cold embrace of death. A moment passed and he opened his eyes, puzzled on why he was alive.
The bullet hovered in midair, only inches from his face. The guards dumbstruck look mirrored his. Tate allowed a smile to overcome his face. This reminded him of those star wars movies that he watched when he was free. 'I wonder...'
Holding out his hand he tried to manipulate this new power. He focused on the bullet, and pushed. The bullet shot backwards at terminal speed and blew through the terrified prison guard.
Tate starred at the dead guard for a moment. The blaring sirens were like a background noise. Like a vase all of his preconceived notions of reality were shattered. He had just killed three people because he refused to die. He felt sick and guilty but he knew it had to happen. It was him or them, and he had someone to save.
He spared a glance at the dead guards and doctor before making a run for the exit. He heard dozens of guards running toward him from the hallways. He panicked. What was he supposed to do?
His new power appeared again. Images raced through his head showing him possible futures. He saw himself dying dozens of different ways. He groaned and tried shifting through these different futures. Like traveling through sludge he found one where he lived. He saw himself rip open a grate in the floor and into the sewer system. Any other scenario he was eventually cornered and shot.
Opening his eyes he raced to where he saw himself in the vision. Down the hallway that lead to the execution chamber. Over seven guards blocked his way. They all had rifles and shotguns from the prison armory. Once he rounded the corner they opened fire.
Panicked he held up his hands. The guards fired repeatedly emptying their rifles. He opened his eyes and was shocked once again as the bullets hovered in front of him. Reluctantly he focused on his power.
The bullets shot back at the guards with twice the force. The bullets tore through the assembled guards and they crumpled to the ground. Tate felt guilt tear at him. Hearing more guards approaching he banished thoughts of guilt. He spotted the grate and ripped it open with his new power.
He jumped in and slammed the grate shut. He waited silently as feet stomped overhead frantically searching for him. Allowing his power to guide him he followed a predetermined path. He slipped through the sewer carefully. After a few moments he exited the sewer. He washed through a torrent of waste and sputtered as the night sky greeted him.
Though dirty and in prison garb he felt happier then he had in a long time. He saw the night sky for the first time in seven years. He breathed in deeply, "Free at last..."
He looked around before feeling a pull. He received an image of a hospital. His daughter was in the hospital. He somehow just knew where it was. He looked to the horizon. He vowed to do anything necessary to protect her.
The sun glared as the clouds parted. The shining sun illuminated the city below in golden hues. William Tate walked to the local Hospital with a purpose. He had changed greatly since escaping prison. His clothes were no longer ragged prison garb and he no longer appeared unshaved. He had stolen new clothes from a clothes store and shaved himself. He wore black jeans, a white shirt, blacks boots, and a black leather coat with a hood. The shadows cast by the hood concealed his face. He appeared menacing to anyone who looked at him. After finding about his newfound powers he had decided he wanted to look like a badass. He knew that his face would be all over the airways, and what better way to remain hidden then in plain sight. With his new look no one would even glance at him.
He looked at the large hospital in front of him with a growl. He sensed his daughter within. He did not bother with checking in. He walked through the hospital doors with a brisk pace.
One of the nurses noticed him walking in and going for the patient wing. "Hello sir but I must ask you to leave." The nurse said terrified. The man before her looked scary. He wore all black and the hood over his face cast a dark shadow that concealed his features.
He looked at the nurse and spoke in a cold voice, "I think you should go back to your duties."
A glazed look appeared in the nurses eyes, "Yes I should get back to my duties."
Tate smiled. He always wanted to try that ever since gaining his new power. It appeared he could subtlety influence people. Doctors and nurses looked at him fearfully as he strode to his destination. He saw a few of them calling the police but brushed it off.
Hearing a scuffle he ran to where he heard a young girl yelling. Rounding a corner he saw a woman in her mid twenties trying to inject a girl with a sedative. He recognized the girl as his daughter. She looked exactly as she did in his vision.
"Hey let her go!" He yelled.
The woman saw him and reached behind her. She pulled out a gun and aimed at him. "Don't hurt him you meanie!" The girl yelled.
The woman aiming at him suddenly found herself choking. Tate held out his hand. The woman floated into the air grasping at her constricted airway. She looked bug eyed as an invisible hand choked her. The girl looked at him scared.
He stoically looked at the woman who threatened his daughter. She had a pleading look in her eyes as he used his power to choke her. He flexed his hand and her neck snapped. He tossed the body to the side and looked at his daughter.
Bo looked at the unknown man in front of her with fear. She was in the hospital after her last set of foster parents had been killed. She was waiting for her caretaker, Janice Channing. Janice had become her caretaker after Milton Winter had been murdered by Roman Skouras. The scientist had learned about Winters plans to take his weapon away, and murdered the man in his sleep. Janice Channing had succeeded in rescuing Bo after Winters death, and had been helping Bo ever since.
While waiting in the hospital Bo had been attacked by the same woman who had killed her foster parents. She was about to be taken when this man appeared to save her.
Tate looked at Bo trying to appear harmless, Which was pretty hard when you just killed someone. "Relax I'm not here to hurt you. I've come to save you."
Bo looked at the strange man fearfully, "Who are you?" She said lowly.
He looked at Bo with a pained expression, "I'm someone who is here to help. Listen we don't have much time ok? You have to come with me."
Bo shook her head, "I won't. Ms. Janice will come for me."
"Listen if you don't come with me now then bad men will come and take you ok?" Tate said harshly. He really did not know much about the situation, but he was not afraid to lie to get his way.
Bo reluctantly took his hand. He smiled at her, "Ok look, I'll take you to this Janice, but first I need to get you to a safe place."
"Just don't hurt anyone." She said in her adorable voice.
He shook his head, "No go kiddo."
She looked like she was about to protest but he grabbed her and bolted for the door. He flew past panicking doctors and nurses. He reached the front door and bolted out. He heard sirens and knew he did not have much time. He spotted a black sedan near the street. He bolted to the car.
A man in a business suit was talking on a cell phone. Tate opened the unlocked car door. "Hey who are you!"
Tate grabbed the man and threw him onto the street. Cars swerved to avoid the man. Tate threw Bo into the right car seat and jumped in. He put the car in drive and took off.
Bo looked at him in shock, "Did you just steal that man's car?"
He glanced at her. Swerving the car he avoided a wreck as he narrowly missed a red suburban. "Listen kid sometimes you have to do bad things to survive."
Bo looked at him angrily, "That doesn't make stealing ok. Stop the car."
He looked at her incredulously, "You honestly want me to stop the car?"
She put on a stubborn front. "I need to help Dr. Adams. If we don't help him he won't meet senga."
"Look I don't care about this doctor or senga. I'm taking you to somewhere safe."
Bo looked at Tate enraged, "Were going to help Dr. Adams find senga." The rage in her voice built and Tate felt the power buildup.
'Maybe If I indulge her she will trust me.' He thought. Bo looked at him obstinately.
He sighed, "Alright show me where to find this doctor."
Bo and Tate left Doctor Adams home. Tate was surprised at how fast she worked. The second the two had entered the doctors home she had set to work motivating the man and convinced him to take up his job as a doctor again.
Tate guessed that she possessed the same powers as him but less developed. 'Must be the fact she's so young.'
He looked at Bo, "So where are we supposed to meet Janice?"
"She has a safe house in Atlanta. She told me to go there if I was ever alone." She replied.
"So who are these people that are gunning after you?" He asked.
Bo looked worried. He guessed she must be traumatized by all that had happened lately, "His name is Roman Skouras."
"You mean the geneticist?" He asked confused.
She nodded, "He wants me because I'm special. Ms Janice rescued me and has kept me safe ever since."
Tate felt rage at the man. He would not let the man or whoever he worked with take his family. He still had to tell Bo that he was her father, but that could wait until they were somewhere safe.
He got on the highway and adjusted his rearview mirror. He had a long road ahead of him.