Chapter 1: Through the Eyes of a Child

There was a knock at the door. Not for the first time, but the man who stood by the tall window staring out into the autumnal garden did not even blink.

'Sir, you can't keep them waiting forever.'

'I know.'

With a heavy sigh, he turned his head to look at the flag that hung limply in its stand. He touched the smooth fabric, stroked a red stripe and traced a star with his finger.

'Did you ever believe, like I did, that this banner actually stood for something?' he asked heavily. 'That the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans meant more than just empty words?'

'I'm Canadian.'

'Of course. How could I forget?'

Turning slowly, he looked at the man who stood facing him, and almost had to smile. Every American who entered this room went out of their way to avoid stepping on the presidential seal that graced the centre of the rug. The stoic bodyguard, on the other hand, stood right on top of it. It was impossible to guess at the thoughts behind the dark green of his sunglasses. His brow was deeply furrowed, but that was no indication. For Kermit Griffin, the man with the silenced Desert Eagle in his chest holster, it was simply a normal expression.

There was another knock. A woman's voice called for the president. She asked whether everything was all right. Moving as if in slow motion, he came around the massive desk and sat down in the leather chair. He ran his left hand through his short, silver-grey hair, and then nodded.

'Let them in.'

The bodyguard crossed to the door and unlocked it. Waiting outside, the vice president shot him a quizzical look to which he responded with no more than a short shrug. The camera crew hurried into the Oval Office. Time was of the essence. They had only a few minutes before going live, and it wasn't just the entire nation waiting to hear the president's announcement - the whole world was in suspense.

It was time. He took one last, deep breath and glanced at his notes, then signalled to the cameraman, who pressed the record button.

'Citizens of the United States of America, this is John Sheridan speaking - the man you elected to be your president. Three years ago, you placed your trust in me. I vowed to faithfully execute this office, and with God's help, to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution. But today, my oath to execute the office of President of the United States is at odds with that very same constitution. It is for this reason that I have two announcements to make. As you all know, a vote was taken today on the proposed law for registration and identification of those citizens who possess extraordinary, one might say supernatural abilities. The bill was approved. That is the first announcement, which I make in fulfilment of my pledge to execute my office. Now for the second. This law violates the constitution. It violates everything I believe in, everything I have spent my life fighting for. It goes against my own conscience. For that reason... Much as I regret it, I find myself forced to abandon the office of president. I cannot, and I will not continue to function as the head of a state which segregates a part of its population, for whatever reason. And that... is all I have to say.'

Reaching up to his lapel, he removed the flag he wore pinned there. He placed it on the centre of the desk, rose and stepped out of the picture. The cameramen kept filming. Maybe he thought it was all a bad joke, and that President Sheridan would soon resume his seat. Or maybe he was so taken aback that he had forgotten the camera was still on. Vice President Simms tapped his shoulder.

'Turn it off, for heaven's sake.'

The camera team packed up their equipment in silence. A young woman holding an electronic notepad and wearing an earpiece approached nervously.

'Mr. President...'

'I no longer hold that rank. If you have any questions, I suggest you talk to Ms. Simms.'

With these words, he left the room without looking back. Kermit Griffin followed him hurriedly, stopping only briefly to instruct one of the guards outside the door to stay with the vice president.

'Sir, hang on!' He had to make big strides in order to catch up. 'What the hell was that? Do you want the whole world to point fingers? Do you want them to think you should be registered yourself?'

'They would be mistaken.'

'I know that, but what about your son? Have you thought about him?'

John Sheridan stopped without warning and spun around. His eyes were hard.

'If anyone should betray David, no matter who...'

'It won't be me!' the other retorted. 'But a lot of people walk in and out of here. It would be more than foolish to believe no-one but us knows. If you had stayed in office, maybe we could have dismissed any accusations as slander, but you've made damn sure nobody will believe you now.'

'So you'd rather I stayed in office as president, condoned a breach of the constitution, and lied to the people into the bargain?'

'I just wish you'd picked a less confrontational way of venting your disapproval. It's my job to keep you and your family safe, and you've just made that a whole lot harder than it was already!'

'I'm sorry, but it couldn't be avoided. In any case, it's too late now, what's done is done. It's pointless to argue about it.'

'Then at least listen to me now, before you take the next step. Don't even think about getting any more involved in this than you already are. If you want to protect David, take him away from here. Disappear into the woodwork as fast as you can, or he'll be the one who suffers.'

'There's nothing I'd rather do. But where would we go? Is there a place on earth that will be safe for him much longer? America may be first, but you know as well as I do that other countries will soon follow, it's only a matter of time. Normal people are afraid. Afraid of telepaths reading their most intimate thoughts, of empaths manipulating their feelings...'

'Ask your son. Let him decide where you'll take him.'

'David? Come on - the boy's ten!'

'But with his abilities, he may already know what's coming.'

The point was too good to be dismissed out of hand. They set out to look for David, and found him in the library. There he sat on the floor, surrounded by atlases and hand-drawn maps, the pin board behind him covered in sketches and notes which often consisted of no more than one or two words. His smart phone lay in front of him, projecting a three-dimensional image of the presidential seal into the room while the anthem played quietly in the background. There was a pen in his right hand, and his left held the inhaler he had clearly just been using. John immediately regretted having made his public speech without warning, for it had obviously scared the boy. David looked up at him. He had his father's eyes, sometimes blue, sometimes brown, or green as they were now. John crouched down beside him.

'Is everything okay?'

David shook his head. Young as he was, he had always shown a great interest in the world outside his own four walls, and in adult affairs. He often grasped things in a way that was unexpected for a child his age, and he liked to read - historical tales and science-fiction novels, both sources which had taught him that his father's announcement was likely to have dire consequences.

'What's gonna happen to me now?' he asked. 'Do you have to register me? Will I be locked up? Do I have to wear some kinda uniform, are they gonna tattoo my forehead, or will they give me something to stop me dreaming?'

'You are not going to be registered, and nobody is going to harm you in any way.'

John ruffled his son's hair affectionately, put one arm around him, and drew him close. At that moment, David's mother entered the room. Her worried gaze met her husband's, and he searched for reassuring words.

'We'll leave,' he said. 'We'll go somewhere far away where no-one will recognise us, and where no-one knows about your dreams.'

'You mean, we're going on an expedition?'

David perked up immediately. He loved such adventures, which he normally undertook alone in the rooms and hallways of the White House, imagining them to be exotic oriental palaces or the dark passages beneath a pyramid. John smiled.

'Exactly. An expedition.'

'Where are we going?'

'Where would you like to go?'

'Canada,' the boy blurted out without hesitation. 'There.'

He reached for one of the coloured maps, on which he had scrawled a big X in red ink. Kermit leaned in for a closer look.

'That's right in the heart of the Rockies. A lonely spot, and cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey... sorry. They have winters there lasting from October through April!'

'I seem to recall it was your bright idea to let David decide where we're going,' John reminded him with amusement.

'Me and my big mouth. Say, half-pint, why pick that place? Why not Hawaii or somewhere else that's nice and warm?'

David frowned. 'I dunno. I dreamed about it. There was this house, and a big lake. And I just sorta felt safe there.'

'Yeah? Okay then. Guess it's time I called in a few favours from my inglorious past to get us some transportation.'

'Us?' John echoed. 'There's no need for you to come along. This doesn't concern you.'

'I only left Canada in the first place to work for you, and if there's nothing more for me to do here, I may as well go back home. And anyway, you're wrong...' He looked down at David. 'It does concern me.'

He was about to leave the library when the First Lady reached out and touched his arm.

'Thank you, Kermit.'

He gave a curt nod and said, 'We'll get the boy to safety. That's a promise.'

He spoke with such conviction that it was almost impossible to doubt his words. Nevertheless, a mother's worry could not be so easily set aside, even though she tried not to show it while David was still in the room.

'Darling, would you please go to your room and start sorting out what you really need?'

'Will do,' he said and began gathering up his notes.

'Do you really need all of those?'

'Yeah, they're important. Hm...' Pensively he asked, 'Can I take an atlas too, or do they all belong to the house?'

'You have a map on your cell phone, don't you?'

'But what if I can't get a signal where we're going? Or if the battery runs out and they don't have electricity to recharge it?'

'We're travelling to Canada, not the Middle Ages. You're not going to need an atlas.'

'Okay.'

David left the room, his arms loaded with papers and pens. His parents watched him go. Only when he was far enough out of earshot did John turn to address his wife.

'Don't be afraid, Phoebe. David's going to be okay.'

'Can you guarantee that? If someone finds us...'

'Kermit will make damn sure nobody can follow us.'

'They won't have to. John, we're known all over the world. We only have to walk into a town, and they'll be onto us.'

'Then we won't go into any towns. We'll stay someplace remote, in the country.' Gently, John took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. 'You know I would never let anything happen to David or to you. Just trust me.'

'Whenever you say that, things always go wrong. What if something should happen to you?'

'If it did, Kermit would protect you both. But nothing is going to happen to me. We're all going to be fine.' He bent forward and kissed her. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

He grinned roguishly. 'In that case, will you do me a favour? I still have some things to do before we leave. Most importantly, I have to talk to Karen. I'm afraid I'm dumping a huge mess on her. Would you mind packing my case?'

'Sure. It'll give me a chance to finally get rid of that completely hideous checked jacket you wear when you go fishing.'

She smiled. John raised an eyebrow, but the corners of his mouth twitched.

'While you're at it, make sure you forget to pack the reindeer sweater your mother made me.'

'Oh no, you're going to need that. You heard what Kermit said: It's cold in Canada.'

He rolled his eyes, gave her another quick kiss, and then left. Phoebe went to the bedroom and began packing cases as quickly as she could. It wasn't easy to decide what to take and what to part with, especially not at such short notice. Not that she had any regrets about leaving the furnishings behind. After all, she had always known they wouldn't be staying here forever. It was a residence, not a home, and that was how she had lived there. It was the little things that upset her: photographs, mementoes, jewels... She knew she couldn't take them with her. Only what they really needed, just as she had told David. Thick sweaters, warm pants, comfortable winter shoes...

'Mom?'

David was standing in the doorway. He was carrying a backpack that looked full to the brim, and his pockets were bulging.

'Good Lord, what have you got in there?'

'Just a few of my favourite things...'

'Show me, please.'

He looked guilty as he emptied his pockets and the contents of his backpack onto the bed. His mother had no objections to the water bottle, flashlight and compass. But as the rest began tumbling out, she shook her head: action figures, toy cars, a few books, several soft toys...

'Darling, I'm sorry, it's just too much. We can't take all of this with us.'

'But I bet you're taking your old doll, right? And dad's taking his cowboys?'

'No. We're leaving those behind too.'

David stared at her out of big brown eyes. 'But dad's been working on his model town for ages! And... and the doll used to be Anna's...'

Phoebe gulped. 'Yes, I know. But right now it's more important we get you to safety. What we own doesn't matter nearly as much as staying together.'

David's brow was furrowed, but he nodded. 'Okay, mom. I'll put it all back.'

While he began gathering his things, her gaze fell on an old, threadbare teddy bear she had had as a child. She picked it up and discovered a frame underneath. The picture showed her and John at the beach during their last vacation. They were both beaming at the camera. David had taken the photo himself, and it was her favourite picture of the two of them. She heaved a sigh.

'David, wait. I don't have any hand luggage yet. If we share out these things between us, you can take everything.'

But he shook his head. 'I don't need all this stuff. The cars can stay, and... and I don't have to take all the figures, just a few.'

He began sorting until he had a smaller pile of things he really couldn't bear to part with. They included the photograph and the bear, something to write with, and his precious Han Solo figure.

'There. Now we have room for Anna's doll and some of dad's cowboys too,' he said.

Touched, Phoebe hugged him tightly and kissed the top of his head. 'I love you, darling.'

'I love you too, mom.'

He went out, his arms now laden with toys that he took back to his room, while Phoebe wiped a tear off her cheek.

Half an hour later, they were ready. Suddenly, it had gone very fast. Kermit had driven up in an inconspicuous station wagon, a family vehicle. Karen Simms stood in the doorway and watched the four of them load their luggage into the trunk, and then Phoebe hugged her goodbye.

'Are you sure you can't stay a while?' the vice president suggested. 'Maybe it won't get as bad as you think, or people may never find out about David.'

In answer, Kermit pulled out his phone and showed her the rumours that had been spreading online for the past hour. It was startling to see how rapidly it had happened, how many people were already clamouring for Sheridan to make the first step, and have his son registered and chipped.

'Oh my God...'

'I'm really sorry to be leaving you in the middle of all this,' John apologised to her again.

'It's all right. You go on, take care of your family. I wish you all the best, John.'

'Thanks. The same to you.'

Now only Kermit was left standing beside her, and she looked at him intently.

'Take good care of the three of them, you hear?'

'Sure. Don't let it get you down, Karen. And remember: We're not going out of this world. If you ever need help, give me a call. Anytime.'

'I'll remember that.' After a brief pause, she added, 'Make sure you stay safe, Kermit.'

'Don't worry about me. You know only the good die young.'

'Will I ever see you again?'

Slowly he raised his hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

'Oh yeah.'