As the family stands in stunned silences, Kyle takes out his cell phones and makes a call, saying, "Foss, how quickly can you get here? There's been a development in abilities. Okay, thanks." Turning to everyone Kyle says, "Foss will be here in 10 minutes."
In the forest outside the city, several groups of men in tactical gear hunt their prey.
"Alpha 1, this is Delta 4. Target acquisition 300m North of current position. Please advise," Delta 4 said into his radio.
Alpha 1 responded, "Delta 4, wait for backup. All units, converge on Delta 4's position. Delta 4, acknowledge... Delta 4?"
A muffled scream shattered the otherwise still night. "Report, I need a status report now!" Alpha 1 screamed into the radio.
"This is Bravo 2, Delta 4 is down. Target moving towards your location." Bravo two reported over the radio.
Moments later, Alpha 1 hears a noise and looks in time to see two silhouettes dash quickly out of sight. "Shit... all units, form on me. Targets have gone to ground." Alpha 1 broadcasted over the radio. When the team arrived, Alpha 1 removed her helmet as one of the soldiers asked, "Lorelai, what's the plan?"
At the Trager home, the family is waiting in the living room when the doorbell rings. When Kyle answers it, Foss walks into the house, asking, "What's this development, Kyle? You said it was involving your's and Jessi's abilities."
"Well, not mine of Jessi's..." Kyle started.
"Then what are you..." Foss trailed off as his focus shifted to Kesia. "You're telling me that she has manifested abilities? But it makes no sense. She wasn't in the pod for even 6 months," Foss said, his emotions betraying the neutral face he was trying to maintain.
"That's true, she wasn't in the pod long enough for her brain to develop. But what if..." Kyle began.
"Her brain development is genetic?" Jessi finished.
"Wait, you think she inherited her abilities from you and Kyle?" Nicole asked, looking between Kyle and Jessie.
"Yes," Kyle and Jessi answered at the same time.
"Adam did mention that the potential for genetic intelligence was one of the reasons Latnok wanted to bring him and Sarah together. He told me he had several theories about potential developments, but he never shared them with me." Foss said wistfully.
"So what are we going to do, then?" Jessi questioned.
"I think for tonight we should sleep. I will make a few calls and have Kesia checked out for high levels of brain activity. That is, of course, if it's alright with you two." Foss replied. After a brief glance, Jessie and Kyle nod their approval. "Okay then, I'll be back tomorrow morning. Get some rest. Oh, and I'll leave you with instructions. Don't think you're getting out of training." Foss said as he left the house.
The forest was quiet now, except for the sound of two people dashing through the night. The pair ran as trees, rocks, and hills blurred from view until they reached the end of the forest and stood looking at the sun rise over the skyline of Seattle.
"Okay, I am officially sick of being chased around. Then again, I wouldn't mind doing the chasing," Taryn said with a sardonic smile.
"Maybe, but we should find somewhere to go in the meantime. Do you have any ideas?" Malachi replied.
"I guess we could try..." "Taryn started, but collapsed.
"Taryn!" Malachi shouted as he moved, catching her before she hit the ground.
"Tragers... Take me to..." Taryn whispered weakly as her eyes rolled back in head.
The next morning, Jessi woke up with an uneasy feeling, but she pushed it aside. After giving Kesia to Foss, Kyle and Jessi reluctantly went to the warehouse for morning training. Jessi still felt uneasy, and she couldn't figure out why, which only increased her anxiety. Sensing her discomfort, Kyle slips his hand into hers, asking, "Jessi, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, really," Jessi said with a squeeze.
Giving her his "you're lying" look, he said, "I can feel your anxiety. Maybe I can help."
Jessi was surprised that Kyle could sense her emotional state. She had set up a block this morning so that he wouldn't worry. 'We really need to figure out this new type of link. I don't want to be responsible for anything happening to Kyle, not now that everything is going so well...' Jessi thought to herself.
"Jessi! What's going on?" Kyle's voice frantically sounded in her mind, snapping her out of her internal babbling. Turning to face Kyle, Jessi saw the concern on his face, and letting her guard down, his emotions.
"I didn't mean to worry you. I've just had a lot on my mind," Jessi apologized.
Jessie put her arms around Kyle's neck and said, "I can make it up to you."
Before they could say anymore, a voice sounded from the warehouse. "Will you two get in here! You know he has surveillance in place."
The couple reluctantly turned to the door and saw Declan holding the door with a smirk. With a sign, Kyle and Jessi moved towards the door.
Amanda was brushing her hair in her room. 'I'm an idiot,' she thought. Amanda was confused by the conversation with Tyr. He sounded normal and interested, but suddenly hung up and she hadn't heard from him since. Amanda jumped when her cell rang and answered without looking at the caller ID. "Hello. Hey, what happened to you? Last night you... what! Is she okay? I'll let them know," Amanda said, going from happy to worried.
Kyle, Jessi, and Declan had finished their warm up and were getting ready to begin the training left for them when Kyle's phone rang.
"What she want?" Jessi asked with a hint of annoyance.
"I'm not sure," Kyle said. As he answered his phone, he felt Jessi's presences touching his mind. "Hello, Amanda. What's... Are you sure? We'll meet you there."
"What's up, Kyle?" Declan asked, clearly confused.
Glancing at Jessi, Kyle responded, "I'm not sure, but we need to get home and Foss needs to meet us there with medical supplies now."
When Declan called Foss' number, a phone rang from the back of the warehouse. "Figures. You two go ahead, I'll meet you after I grab some things," he said as he hung up his phone.
"Okay, don't be long," Kyle said as he and Jessi left the warehouse. Kyle stated to Jessi, "You heard everything, I know you were listening."
Jessi felt her face flush and knew her face was a shade of scarlet. "Sorry, I should have listened in, but I had to know if..." Jessi started.
"Jessi, I really wish you would have more faith in yourself," Kyle said in a warm voice.
"I'll try, but... Well, anyways we need to get home," Jessi responded.
A well-equipped soldier stands in front of a large desk giving his report. "As of right now, there have been no attempts on either of them or the child. But that..." He pushes the receiver in his ear and then says, "Copy that. Sir, the tech team has intercepted comm traffic from Latnok indicating that they plan to "acquire" the child and use her to get to Jessi and Kyle."
"Damnit, why the accelerated movement? What is Grace up to?" the man asked more to himself.
"I believe it's because the twins are seeking shelter with them. Should I send in an extraction team?" the soldier asked. The man gave a quick, dismissing nod. "There are already several teams converging on the home, they won't stand a chance, Mr. Taylor!" the soldier exclaimed.
"I am not so uncaring that I would leave them defenseless, but my daughter no longer trusts me. I haven't given her reason to. So if you go in and they find out who sent you, they will fight and probably run right into Grace's men." Taking a steadying breath, Brian says, "Send your teams, make sure they know this is strictly a shadow op. None of the Tragers, the twins, or Jessi and Kyle will know they exist." The soldier nodded and leaves the office.
When they entered the house, they found Taryn on the couch breathing rapidly and deeply. Her brother, Tyr, was kneeling besides her, and the Tragers were standing around the room.
"Kyle!" Amanda shouted as she entered the room.
Kyle gave her a friendly smile, but the moment he heard Taryn's breathing, the smile quickly became a mask of concern. As he started towards her, Declan came in with medical equipment.
"Good, do you have a stethoscope?" Kyle asked. Declan looked through one of the boxes and after a moment, tossed him a stethoscope. "Thanks," Kyle said, catching it. Kyle listened to her breathing for a moment and sighed.
"What is it, Kyle, what's wrong with her?" Malachi asked, panic thick in his voice. Amanda walked over to him, putting her arms around him and whispered in his hear."
"I'm not sure what is going on. She has what's called Kussmaul's respiration. It usually happens when the blood becomes very acidic," Kyle stated.
"Acidic blood... but that's... it's not possible," Malachi mused.
"Tyr, what's wrong?" Amanda asked, squeezing his hand.
Kyle saw the interaction between them, and felt a sense of peace that Amanda was moving on. He made a mental note to ask why she was calling him Tyr.
"Kyle, help," Jessi's frantic plea snapped him out of his thoughts.
"What is it?" Kyle sent Jessi. Jessi looked at Taryn and sent, "Can't you see it? The bursts of electrical signals?" Kyle looked intently at Taryn, but saw nothing out of the ordinary and shook his head. "That's odd," Jessi sent.
Kyle tried to merge his and Jessi's mind like they had during training. Jessi felt Kyle's mind brush against hers and let her walls down. Kyle gasped as he took in the new sensations. He looked around the room and was amazed that he could see the flow of electricity through wires. Then he looked at Taryn and understood why Jessi had been frantic. The electrical impulses in Taryn's brain were erratic. Kyle and Jessi looked at each other and moved to Taryn as a large burst of electrical impulses sent her into a siezure. Jessi caught her before she hit the floor and gently laid her down.
"Move everything from around her now!" Foss commanded as everyone stood in shock. Everyone rushed to move things out of the way. Malachi put a pillow under Taryn's head.
"What now?" Jessi asked, taking Kesia from Foss.
"Now? Now we wait." Foss replied flatly.
Nearly ten minutes later Taryn's seizure had stopped and she had been moved to a fold-out cot with a non-breather mask delivering supplemental oxygen. Malachi was kneeling by his sister and Amanda was standing nearby while everyone else was talking.
"Okay, what the hell was that?" Stephen demanded.
"Other than a really bad grand mal seizure I have no idea," Jessi mused before realizing she was speaking aloud. "Oops, sorry," she quickly added, turning crimson under Foss and Stephen's glares.
"Well, Malachi, what's going on?" Stephen asked.
Looking around, Malachi discerned at least three possible escape routes, but with Taryn's condition non of them would be viable. The only other option was to explain the situation, but that wasn't going to happen. He was jolted from his thoughts by Taryn touching his arm and saying weakly, "Go ahead, tell them."
"You probably won't believe the story," Malachi said.
All the Tragers looked at each other and Nicole said with a smile, "Try us."
Malachi sighed, saying, "How do I put this? My sister and I are aberrations. Well, she's a but more of a freak."
"Malachi Tyr!" Taryn said in a tone that indicated if she could she would smack him, then passed out again.
Malachi rolled his eyes and went into their story, saying, "The beginning of our story is ten years ago."
Grace sits in the sand garden of her home with her daughter, admiring the view of the forest during the morning hours. Her usually cold, haughty expression replaced with one of contentment and serenity. Her bubble of zen is shattered by a lanky man running up the stairs yelling her name.
"Mrs. Kingsley, Mrs. Kingsley!" He makes it to the landing before two previously hidden men appeared on either side of him. Before he knew it, the guards had laced their feet with his and slammed him face-first into the ground, immobilizing him.
"Mother, was that truly necessary?" Lorelai asked while gesturing at the guards on the man.
With a sideways glance, Grace sighed, saying, "While I applaud your efficiency in dealing with Mr. Eckhoff's unscheduled visit, my daughter is correct and I believe he has something to say. Release him."
The guards immediately released him, but made no effort to help him up. When Mr. Eckhoff had regauned his composure, he stood and addressed Grace, saying, "Mrs. Kingsley, the..." glancing at Lorelai. "... others have been tracked to the 781's. The report is that one of the others is injured, and that Mr. Taylor has decided to intercede."
Grace laughed a cold, heartless laugh and said, "Send in teams one through twenty, armed with nonlethal shock weaponry. The priority is the child, the others, and the 781's. They are not to be harmed, am I clear?"
Mr. Eckhoff bowed his head and replied, "At once, Mrs. Kingsley."
"That's when things started going strange for us. Until that point, our family lead a normal life. Well, as normal as you can have with a Nato researcher and former psychic for parents. Taryn and I have always been different- faster, stronger, smarter- than others our age, but the problems didn't happen until we turned five. That's when our parents started fighting a lot and things started getting weird," Malachi said quickly. "Our father would constantly run blood panels, hormone enzyme screens almost daily, making us perform ever more difficult tests." At that, Nicole, Stephen, Jessi, and Kyle looked at each other. "Did I say something wrong?" Malachi asked.
"No, you didn't. I just have my own experience with fathering like that," Jessi responded.
Malachi nodded and continued, "When we were six, my mother couldn't stand it anymore and took us and we disappeared. And for a time we were happy, but less than six months later she was killed while we were at school. The police investigation says it was a botched robbery attempt." Malachi paused to compose himself before continuing, "We didn't fully understand, but didn't want to go back to our father, so we ran. Taryn and I have been on our own since."
The Tragers stood looking at the twins, their faces ranging from motherly concern to cautious to impassive.
"That explains your lack of history, but not your abilities or what you are doing here," Foss said flatly.
"That is complicated..." Malachi said. Looking at the expressions on everyone's faces, he continued. "As I mentioned earlier, our father was a Nato researcher. His field of expertise was genetic manipulation. Specifically, altering the human genome by introducing foreign DNA and removing useless 'junk' DNA. My sister and I's DNA has been spliced with feline DNA."
"Wait a second... you're telling us that you're part cat?" Lori blurted.
"How are you alive?" Jessi asked bluntly.
"Jessi! That is uncalled for," Amanda shrieked.
"I think what Jessi means is how did you avoid all of the cellular degradation problems?" Kyle said quickly.
"Our father used a retrovirus to introduce the new DNA," Malachi replied with obvious disgust as he started to pace. "The virus was in development to create a super soldier."
"Jessi, do you sense any dishonesty, because I don't," Kyle sent.
"No, he is telling the truth. Even his electrical patterns are normal," Jessi sent back.
"The splicing was designed to push our physical abilities to the peak of human abilities, and mentally we are in the higher reaches as well. We can see in the dark, in the infrared spectrum, and have eidetic memory. As I said, the virus was developed as a way to create a viable super-soldier, however it was not approved for human testing due to the side effects... the most pleasant being death of the subject. To get around that, my father modified the virus into a retrovirus and injected it into the placenta. There was one flaw- we don't know if it was intentional or not- but our bodies do not produce enough serotonin on their own. If we don't get the amount we need, it leads to all sorts of problems, "Malachi said quickly.
"He did that to his own unborn children and wife?" Nicole said in shocked horror.
"Because of the way the virus was introduced to us, we bonded with is on a genetic level. Our father saw us as nothing but science experiments. When we were on our own we tried to find out information about what had happened to us and maybe find clues about our mother. That search led us to Seattle and Latnok." Malachi said.
Kyle and Jessi share a look, and everyone else has angry expressions on.
"You've had dealings with Latnok, I take it," Malachi guessed.
"Understatement of the year," Andy said. Kyle looked at Foss, who had just put Kesia in her playpen. When Foss sighed in defeat, Kyle moved to the center of the group. Before Kyle could begin their story, he felt a surge of feelings from Jessi- fear, anger, excitement, concern.
"Kyle, get down..." Jessi screamed, but was drowned out by the sound of windows shattering and doors breaking. Kyle looked to see Malachi take a protective stance over Taryn while Stephen, Jessi, and Foss take a position around the Tragers. After two steps, everything disappeared in a flash of white and a deafening bang. Kyle still felt his connection to Jessi and asked, "What's happening?"
"I think they used a flash-bang grenade. I didn't see them in the physical sense," Jessi sent back.
"I didn't sense them at all, though. How can I protect you two if I can't tell when I'm in danger?" Kyle sent.
"Kyle, where was Kesia?" Jessi sent frantically.
"She was in her playpen, between us." Kyle sent back.
Over the next few minutes, everyone's hearing and vision cleared. Kyle and Jessi first, followed by Malachi and everyone else. When the Tragers took in their surroundings, they were shocked at what they saw. Malachi looked as though he was moments from a psychotic break, pacing around. Foss was talking to Jessi and Kyle.
"Kyle, what happened, what's going on?" Stephen asked, barely coherent.
When Kyle turned, the Tragers froze. Kyle's expression was filled with so much hatred and rage that it snapped everyone out of their confusion.
"Kyle, what's wrong?" Nicole asked, her motherly instinct kicking in. Nicole looked at Jessi, who looked like a shattered shell of her former self. Putting the pieces together, Nicole asked, "What happened to Kesia?"
"Something happened to Kessie?" Lori asked on the verge of tears.
Jessi suddenly stood up and the lights flickered. "They took my daughter!"
"And my sister as well," Malachi said.
"Who did?" Stephen asked, trying to ignore the increasing electrical disturbances.
"Latnok," Kyle said as he held Jessi's arm and the lights calmed.
"How do you know?" Foss asked.
"Grace left us a message," Kyle said, holding a letter.