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Chapter 14:

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Tyler shivered and shook all over, as the policeman, the lawyers, the doctors, and the scientists all led him down the hall, talking heatedly amongst themselves on his fate. Being too traumatized by the entire matter, he didn't have the voice to speak up for himself. His head felt a little dizzy from whatever it was that they put in him, and could barely walk a straight line.

"There are still more things to find out—more tests to run!" the doctor nearest to him argued with a lawyer.

"We've done quite enough," the lawyer replied. "He's still a human, as you've directly discovered, and with this all over America now we have no means to keep him any longer without causing questions and civil rights action. He only a child, after all."

"'Only a child', my foot," the policeman added in. "Everyone knows that this freak can do… well, you saw it!"

"We've done all we can do," the lawyer insisted. "We have to let them go, at least until we can gather more evidence."

"You hear that, boy?" the policeman said in Tyler's ear. "You'll be back if we ever have something to do with it. Oh, you'll be back, alright…"

-

"What's your malfunction, Pogue?" Reid asked as Pogue continually kept a watch on the door, and sighing to himself every so often in great disappointment.

"It's Kate," he said. "You would've thought she'd have found me by now."

"We are in the FBI headquarters," Caleb said encouragingly. "It's how I can excuse Sarah not being here either."

"Oh, I see," Reid said with an understanding nod. He began to inspect his nails pridefully, an arrogant smirk dancing on the edges of his mouth. "You both are jealous because MY girl came for me and either of yours didn't…"

Caleb angrily grabbed the pillow off the cot and hurled it at Reid's head, the same time Pogue shouted:

"SHUT UP, REID!"

"Hey, hey!" Reid threw up his hands to defend himself. "I just tell it like it is…"

The cell door opened then, and all eyes turned to see Tyler get escorted inside with them. The police uncuffed him, then went on his way, slamming the barred door closed after himself.

All three of the Ipswich Sons rushed to their fourth member, looking him over for damages and asking all sorts of questions at once:

"Are you alright?"

"Can you talk?"

"What'd they do to you?"

"What's going on out there?"

"Dude, you look like shit!"

On that last one, Tyler glared toward the brother who uttered it with contempt.

"Thanks, Reid."

"Like I said," Reid replied promptly. "I just tell it like it is."

"Oh, good," Caleb said with relief, patting Tyler on the back encouragingly, glad Tyler could at least speak. "At least you still have your senses."

"Or what little sense he had in the first place," Pogue added on.

"Ohh, burn!" Reid said with approval, slapping Pogue's hand with appreciation.

"Guys, focus!" Caleb said, snapping his fingers to get their attention. He rubbed the pressure points between his eyes. "I swear, it's like I'm running a day-care center."

He turned back to Tyler, and sat him down on the cot.

"What do you remember?" Caleb asked him clearly and calmly.

"They ran a bunch of tests, but they couldn't find anything," Tyler replied in a low voice. Suddenly he grew excited. "Oh, and I saw the president!"

"No way!" Pogue said with disbelief.

"Well, that can't be good," Caleb frowned, falling deep into thought. "How many people have found out about all this?"

Tyler looked back up.

"Let's just say: you can start with America and work your way out."

Caleb immediately frowned at this and slammed his head into the nearest wall with immense disappointment.

Tyler rubbed his hands over his face and tried to forget the horrors that he had suffered in the past few days. His arm hurt from how much blood they had taken, his butt hurt from how many shots they had given him, and he was tired from all the laps on the treadmill they had made him run, with wires attached to his head and chest. His throat was dry and the funny taste in his mouth lingered. It was going to take a few years of therapy to get over this one.

"The Covenant of Silence is over, Caleb," he explained drearily. "We're the front-page news and it doesn't look like we'll be leaving there anytime soon."

Pogue looked at Caleb with worry, wondering how their leader was going to react to this news. Caleb seemed rather stoic, as he usually did, but fearful at the same time.

"I figured as much," Caleb said gloomily.

"You don't think this is going to be a repeat of the Salem Trials, do you, Caleb?" Pogue asked in concerned speculation.

"I don't know," Caleb replied honestly. "I just… don't know."

"We're getting out tomorrow," Pogue assured Tyler. "You're mom already settled it out, and we're just waiting on Reid's parents. We'll find out more then."

"Elle's the entity," Reid piped up all of a sudden, stepping forward decidedly.

All prior conversation froze, as they looked to him with confusion at his abrupt announcement.

"'Entity'? What 'entity'?" Tyler asked anyone who would listen, but all attention was now on Reid.

"Caleb's mom said our Powers have gone to some entity for safekeeping," Pogue explained quickly to Tyler.

"Chase went after her that night and Used to drug her," Reid went on, his eyes locked on Caleb's. "Which is why she came out clean. The only reason Chase'd be so concerned with her is if she was the entity— it only makes sense."

"God…" Caleb said with alarm. "He may be right."

"What's wrong?" Tyler asked with concern. "What's going on?"

"God, Caleb!" Reid shouted. "She's out there right now! He's going to go after her again! He could've gotten to her again already!"

"Who's going after who?" Tyler asked, still completely lost.

Reid then seized the bars and in his fury tried to pry them loose.

"Hey!" he shouted to the guard. "Moron! Let us outta here!"

"You freaks will be back on the street soon enough," the guard replied with disdain.

"You don't understand, it's an emergency--" Caleb started, but Reid was too riled up now.

"Hey, listen asshole! There's a girl out there who's in a helluva lot of trouble and if you don't let us out right now, I'm swear I'm going to put a hurt on you so big--"

"Reid!" Pogue insisted, grabbing Reid and pulling him away from the bars. "Cut it out—we're stuck here until tomorrow. We can only hope nothing happens to her until then."

But Reid was near hysterical.

"This can't be happening… Shit! We gotta do something, dammit! He's going to kill her to get to the Power!"

"Reid, calm down!" Caleb said, placing his hands on Reid's shoulders and looking him in the eyes. "Look, Pogue's right—there's nothing we can do."

Reid's face fell, and he violently shook off Pogue's hold on him and went back to the corner, most likely to mope about it. Caleb felt a pang of pity for Reid, having never witnessed him getting this riled over some chick. It made Caleb reconsider his prior assumptions about Reid's intentions for Elle. Maybe Reid really did feel something for the girl… it would sure explain a lot… And after just kissing the girl for the first time? Must be quite the mind job.

Caleb bit his lip, his sympathy rapidly increasing. What if it was Sarah? Would he act so very different?

"I'm…" Caleb stumbled over the words. "I'm sorry, Reid… I really am."

Reid looked up at Caleb with raw anger in his eyes at the injustice of it all, his breathing forced. It was the most broken Caleb had ever seen anyone look, even if it was rage in the place of tears. It was just Reid's way of showing pain, and he had been friends with him long enough to know that much about him.

"Will someone please explain to me what the HELL IS GOING ON?" Tyler insisted in utter frustration.

"I'll explain it," said a voice from the doorway. All eyes turned to see a sight they never expected to see.

"Kate?" Pogue asked in wonder.

"She says she's your fiancée," the guard said. "So I let her through."

The guard didn't seem to notice that Kate's eyes flashed pure white for a moment, and her smile was completely wicked. She was under a spell.

"Things are so very easy when there are no heroes around to save the day," she said with a vicious cackle, as the guard took his leave.

"That's not Kate," Caleb whispered to Pogue. "She's under Chase's possession."

"Oh, God, no…" Pogue breathed.

"Haven't you been wondering why I've been skipping so many classes?" she asked her betrothed. "Why I'm always late for lunch recently? Honestly, if you loved me so, you would think things like that would draw your attention…"

"But Sarah said--" Pogue tried.

"Oh, Sarah's feeling a bit 'under the weather' as well," Kate explained, just as Sarah came up from behind her with a similar set of white-out eyes. That's when Caleb stopped breathing.

"The board is set," Sarah explained evilly. "Come tomorrow, the game will begin."

The girls smiled at the boys one more time before leaving them behind to drown in their horror at all they had seen and heard. They stood frozen in shock, their mouths gaping in their speechlessness.

Reid lifted his head from his sulking position to look at Caleb and Pogue.

"Sucks when you can't save your woman, doesn't it?"

-


Now seems to be a good place to warn my beloved readers: nothing is as it seems. This story isn't over yet—and still has so much to say! Hopefully my twists will surprise you! Anyway, please review; I'd love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, opinions, or any thoughts on my maniacal schemes ahead. ::grins evilly like possessed Kate::
Signed,
--RedRogue