Chapter 8- Escaping
If anything Jackson and Naomi were quieter tonight. They had been closemouthed about the man talking to Jackson when Sarah had come home from the library. They had even called Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Shoshanna, asking them to come next week. Finally Sarah couldn't take anymore. "Okay. I think we can find more cheer in a graveyard. What's happening, Abba, Ima?" Sarah asked, looking at both of her parents.
"Who says anything's wrong?" Jackson asked, taking a bite of Challah bread.
"Well, you two are a lot more festive on Friday nights than you are tonight and you haven't complimented Ima on her cholent or challah bread. You hate kugel and you ate it without making a face," Sarah said to her father.
"You're a little too observant, Sass," Jackson said, a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Okay. Now I know something is wrong. Only my friends call me that," Sarah said.
"Me and your Abba are just worried about that man who came by today," Naomi said, taking a bite of challah bread.
"The guy in the van? What is he to us?" Sarah asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"He's my cousin. William Stryker. He also might discover that you are a mutant," Jackson said.
"I don't know how. I pretty much keep a low profile. Unless my adoption certificate is not as kosher as our Shabbat meal. It is, isn't it?" Sarah asked, looking between her parents.
"I guess we'd better tell you the truth. It happened when you were three. I was a doctor at a facility in Upstate New York around Albany. William never liked mutants, not even mutant children. Not even his own son who was a mutant. He sent his son Jason to Charles Xavier in the hopes that Xavier could "fix" what was wrong, but as you know, mutants aren't a disease that can be cured. When William found that out, he was angry and stole the one person besides Xavier's wife and son who meant the world to him; his daughter Amanda. I helped him, to my shame, kidnap the little girl. He forced me to wipe her memory when I realized what I had done. He wanted to use her as a weapon against her father. When I found out what he planned to do, I took the child and made plans to disappear. Sarah, you ARE Amanda Xavier," Jackson said. Sarah felt tears slip out of her eyes.
"Abba, I...I...don't remember," Sarah said.
"I know. It's the drugs. Me and Ima think that if we return you to your father in Westchester, me, your father, and his friend Dr. Hank McCoy can help you with your memory. Your father has a machine called Cerebro that he uses to detect mutants and Hank McCoy and I can synthesize an antidote to reverse the damage the drug has caused. So are you mad at me?" Jackson asked guardedly
"I should be, but I don't feel mad right now. Maybe tomorrow and when do we plan to go to Westchester?" Sarah asked.
"It would have to be either tonight or very early tomorrow, before William comes back and takes you by force if he discovers who you are," Jackson said, reaching out and squeezing her hand.
"What about Shabbat? Wouldn't that be breaking it and tantamount to eating pig meat?" Sarah asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"It would, but I think the Eternal would forgive us for this as we are saving a life; yours," Naomi said.
"Okay. So what's the plan?" Sarah asked.
"After we eat, go pack a suitcase. We can try to see if we can be out of here by midnight. Between here and Westchester, we can find a hotel to stop at," Jackson said.
"Well, I hope you are right, Ima, about the Eternal forgiving us for this," Sarah said as she picked up a piece of challah bread.
It didn't take long for everyone to finish eating and head to their rooms to pack. "I hope you have a plan, Jack," Naomi said nervously as the packed their clothes.
"I'm having to make this up as I go. Amanda Xavier didn't exactly come with a instruction manual, but most kids don't mutant or otherwise," Jackson said.
"Jack, I'm frightened. What if Stryker-" Naomi said, voicing Jackson's concerns.
"I know, baby. I know. I'm afraid too. I have seen the blood in William's eyes when he's hunting mutants. It's like watching a dog or cock fight. He accuses mutants like Sarah of not being human, but the way he treats them is not human either," Jackson said, snapping a suitcase closed.
"All right. I'm ready. Let's go see if Sarah is done," Naomi said. Naomi and Jackson walked down the hall to Sarah's room. Sarah had packed two suitcases and a carryon bag and was sitting on her window seat.
"Are you ready?" Jackson asked.
"Yeah," Sarah said and Jack picked up one of her suitcases while Sarah picked up the other and her carryon.
"I hope you didn't pack a bunch of stuff you don't need, Sarah," Naomi said.
"No. If she wants anything from our life, I hope she did pack it, Naomi," Jackson said as they made their way to the garage and he opened the garage door and put their things in the trunk. It didn't take long to leave and go down the road. Jackson felt some relief. It didn't appear that Stryker was following them. Maybe they could get to Xavier's mansion before William discovered them gone.