A/N - Hey folks - so it has happened. We have hit ninety, the highest amount of reviews that I have had to date! Thank you to all of you that not only take the time to read my stories but also to review.
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Chapter Twenty-One – When My Name Is Called Again
The Collins home was in a neighbourhood a far cry from what Olivia was used to. This was in the lower end of town, the kind of place where gangs and prostitutes gathered, the kind of place where police and FBI agents were never welcome.
"Put your badge away."
Peter's voice was low and serious and Olivia nodded before slipping her badge into her pocket. She took her gun from her holster as well, slipping it down the back of her pants instead. This kind of area made her nervous. She rubbed her stomach as baby Bishop responded to her nervousness with a few little kicks. She focused on her breathing, trying to return it to normal as they pulled into a cracked and narrow driveway. Janette was out of the truck before it had come to a stop. Peter put his hand on Olivia's arm as she made a move to follow Janette.
"Liv, I need you to stay here."
Olivia frowned.
"Why?"
"Because we don't know what state he is in. It could be dangerous. And also because Walter is coming in a cab and he never has anything bigger than his bus money."
Peter tried to make a joke of it but she knew what he meant. The risk was too high and he was cashing in on her promise that she had made. He pressed a twenty-dollar bill in her hand.
"That should cover the cab. If I don't come out running and screaming, you can assume that it's safe."
Peter leaned forward, his lips resting for a second on her temple before they were gone and she watched him retreating into the house. It was in serious need of work, much like their home when they had first purchased it. The difference was they had the money to fix it. The Collins clearly did not. Olivia waited impatiently for the cab, getting more and more nervous not knowing what was going on behind those walls. She wanted to reassure herself that Peter was safe and that everything was ok. Her eyes made their way back to the front door before she forced them to glance at the rear view mirror. She felt her body stiffen as she caught the glimpse of a youth ambling towards the truck. She leaned forward, placing her gun carefully into her jacket pocket and across her lap. He was definitely up to something. The way he kept his head down, his movements cautious screamed that his motives weren't the best. He came right up to the passenger door, his eyes locking on hers for a moment. He seemed surprised to see her there. But then his face changed, twisting into a cold smile.
"Get out of the truck. Now."
Her hand on her gun, Olivia flicked off the safety. She wasn't scared. If anything, she was annoyed. She didn't care that her door was unlocked or that the window was open a few inches. If he got close enough, she would take great joy in defending herself. She wasn't in the mood to be threatened. She shook her head at him.
"No. In fact, I would advise you to back off."
He was taken aback by her response, clearly expecting the fear that he usually got from his victims. He moved closer to the truck, lifting his shirt slightly, allowing her to glimpse the gun that he had tucked there. She cocked her eyebrow at him.
"I hope you have the safety on."
He huffed and withdrew the gun. It seemed silly that the only thing that Olivia could think of was the fact that it was smaller than her own gun. She didn't have a chance to produce her own gun before Peter came rushing out of the house and without a word, hit the boy hard in the face. Olivia watched as the youth crumbled to the ground and Peter took his gun, pointing it at him, his voice low and angry.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you for threatening my wife and child."
The youth started to cry as his hand covered his face, blood seeping between his fingers. Peter lowered the gun again and moved forward, making the youth do an odd crab walk to get away from him.
"Go…NOW!"
The boy tripped over the curb as he ran, almost falling flat on his face. Peter pulled open the door, his face pale.
"Are you ok?"
"I'm fine. I had my gun."
Peter ignored her protests pulled her close, pressing several kisses onto her cheeks. Olivia pulled away.
"Peter, I can look after myself. Speaking of which, Walter's here."
Peter bet her too it, paying off the driver before greeting Walter. When Olivia had locked up the truck she moved closer to them.
"So what do we know?"
"The kid is infected."
"How far along?"
"Hard to say. It hit Astrid hard. With Anderson, he's still aware of things but confused. Come on, you need to check him out."
Olivia and Walter followed him back into the house, Olivia stopping at the bottom of the stairs. It was still risky. She knew it, so did Peter. He smiled slightly at her before he went into a room. Janette was sitting on the sofa, her hands wrapped around a mug. Olivia could see the shaking in her hands.
"Are you ok? I was about to call the cops and realized how stupid that was. I got Mr Bishop instead."
Olivia offered her a small smile.
"I'm fine. Despite what my husband sometimes thinks, I can take care of myself. He's gotten ridiculously overprotective since I got pregnant."
Olivia settled herself in the tattered chair across from Janette.
"Janette, I need to ask you something."
"Sure. Do you want a cup of tea or anything?"
"No, I'm fine thanks. Janette, we know a little something about Anderson's fellow test subjects. According to records, they all had a head injury of some sort, even a minor one."
Janette nodded.
"Anderson cracked his skull on the frame of a window when he was four. He got a fragment of it stuck in his brain. The doctors figured that whatever damage was caused would fix naturally on its own. Kid's brains are resilient that way."
"Yeah I read that somewhere."
Janette glanced at Olivia's stomach.
"How far along are you?"
"Five months."
"Do you know the sex yet?"
Olivia shook her head.
"No, my husband I decided to keep it a surprise. It makes decorating a little difficult though."
Janette smiled slightly.
"My husband and I did the same when I was pregnant with Anderson. We thought we were having a girl. Thankfully, Jarrod had the good sense to stay with natural colours."
Olivia nodded.
"Sounds like a smart guy. You said that Anderson was all you had left."
Janette sighed.
"Jarrod died seven years ago. A heart attack took him from us. That's why we live here. Hard to survive on one wage with the cost of living being what it is now days. Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"What happened to the others that were infected?"
And there it was, the question that Olivia didn't want to be presented with. She wanted to lie, from one mother to another, she wanted to lie. But how could she?
"Honestly?"
Janette nodded.
"We only know of one survivor so far. She's a friend of ours."
"Where is she?"
"In the hospital, knocked out to try and stop the change."
"The change?"
Olivia sighed.
"The cigarettes contain a chemical. It strips the brain of everything except basic functions. And it leaves them with uncontrollable rage."
"Did they die?"
Olivia nodded slightly and said nothing more, letting the information settle. They didn't know the first thing about fixing this B-serum, reversing the effects enough to perhaps give people a normal life.
"Anderson only decided to do this for the money."
"How much were they paying?"
"$1000. It would have kept us going for a couple of months. It was meant to help him quit, something he always promised me he would do."
Olivia was about to respond when she heard a loud thump above them. She glanced at Janette before taking out her gun and heading up the steps, moving fast on the creaky wood. She pushed open the door and found Walter examining Anderson, his face pulled into a frown when he saw her.
"Olivia, welcome. Anderson this is Olivia."
Anderson raised a hand in a slight wave. He was a good looking kid with dark hair and an easy smile. If it wasn't for the fact he was shaking and sweating, she never would have thought that anything was wrong with him at all.
"You ok?"
"I heard a thump."
"Walter dropped a book he was looking at."
"Oh."
Olivia slipped her gun away, moving closer to Anderson and Walter.
"Walter, how does it look?"
Walter stood up straight.
"He's infected from what I can tell. What I want to do is take him back to the lab. I have an idea."
"What's that?"
Walter shook his head.
"I'm not sure yet. But he's as good a guinea pig as any."
Peter came up beside her, the horribly familiar packages in his hand.
"We found these."
Anderson glanced between them, clearing his throat.
"I had to take one a day every day. They weren't very strong."
Olivia frowned.
"Did you take more than you should have?"
Anderson nodded slightly.
"Sometimes."
Olivia sighed, looking at Walter.
"Ok. I'll go clear it with Janette."
When they arrived back to the lab, Walter and Peter set about making sure that Anderson was completely secure. If he did change completely, they needed Walter to be safe. With Anderson completely secure and Janette's consent, they started taking samples all over again, just as they did with Astrid. With nothing but what she had learnt over the years and basic biology under her belt, Olivia helped where she could before settling herself down with the forgotten files that Nina had given her. The information about Felicity and Dexter were extremely in-depth. Everything from high school to where they grew up was covered. She was highlighting some points when Peter came up to her, handing her some tea.
"Thanks."
"Find anything interesting?"
"Not yet. But I want to go and visit Dexter at his home. I get the feeling we won't find him at the centre."
"Do you have the address?"
Olivia offered him a smile.
"Yup. Courtesy of Nina Sharp."
Peter glanced at Walter.
"I can go alone Peter. I just want to check him out."
She could see him weighing up the odds and dangers.
"I have my gun. I'll shoot anyone who gets too close. Walter needs you here."
Peter sighed.
"Fine. But call me, ok?"
Olivia nodded.
"Promise."
Olivia pulled on her coat and strode out of the lab, the file on Dexter still securely in her hands.