She was still cranky when she entered the kitchen a few hours later. But at least she was dressed. The denim shorts and simple sleeveless cotton knit top was a change from the last time Eddie had seen her. The girl was like a sister to him. But she wasn't actually a sister, so that meant he didn't have to feel like a perv for enjoying the view of tanned legs and bare feet.
Cade thwapped the back of the hacker's head with a scowl. Unfortunately it just made Eddie grin. Cade rolled his eyes.
"Would you two stop it already?" she growled at them.
"I didn't say anything!" Eddie protested.
"You didn't have to," she muttered and tossed him a pointed look. The dark haired man had the grace to blush.
Puling up a chair, Cade shook his head. Raine joined them with a glass of chocolate milk in her hands.
"Hand looks better," Eddie observed. When she offered no comment he continued. "Good sex is a cure for anything I guess.
He face flushed a deep read. Cade coughed as he managed to swallow his coffee instead of spewing it all over them and the table.
"Sometimes literally," she finally said, not meeting either's eyes.
"Literally?" The hacker's interest was now piqued. "You didn't do it yourself?"
"Not exactly," she replied. The chocolate milk must have been the most interesting thing ever because she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from it. But she didn't give either of them a chance to speak. "Latent energy from the last time."
With a baffled look he asked, "The last time you and Cade had sex?"
"The last time he healed me." The sour look she gave him and the tone of her voice both had giant neon "dumb ass" signs in them.
"I see," he replied. But he was already whipping out a laptop. "That might explain the energy surge last night then."
"This morning," Cade said quietly. "Early."
Raine's face was scarlet again.
"This morning?" Fingers flew over the keys as Eddie frowned. "How early?"
With a groan she started to answer, but Cade cut her off. "Early. Six or so. We wanted to get the hair dye done before anyone showed up."
"Interesting." Fingers continued to move over the keys and the change of light and color on his face let them know he was looking at varying screens.
Unable to take the silence, Raine spoke. "What's interesting?"
He didn't respond at first, but once he got to the screen he apparently wanted he spun the computer around so they could take a look at the display.
The image there was clearly a map of the area. Red and green dots of varying intensities started appearing on the image in various locations. It reminded Raine of the time lapse lightning strike maps the news weathermen always used during active storms.
"What's this?" Cade asked as he studied the moving map.
"Since this morning I've been downloading some information. The government has a lot of satellite info of every kind about this area." He didn't take time to examine that piece of news. Eddie reached around the black case and tapped a few keys. The map cleared and then the colors started again. This time the spots of color were only green. "This is a record of the electromagnetic energy in the area." He tapped a few more keys. The green was gone. Red was the replacement. It showed up in nearly the exact same pattern as the green. "These are bursts of energy. I can't seem to find out exactly what kind of energy, if I had to guess I'd say electrical of some kind, but no one seems to have an explanation for them."
Raine studied the pattern another minute then looked up. "What's the timing on these two things? Are they happening independently?"
A few more keys brought forth the first map again with both colors.
"Most people think they're happening at the same time."
"You think otherwise?" Cade questioned.
"My calculations have the energy bursts happening a few milliseconds before the appearance of the electromagnetic anomalies."
"So you think the anomalies are being caused by the excess energy that seems to be in the air"
"Partly," Eddie answered the question. "But I think it's only half of the picture. Somehow the electromagnetic energy was changed here. It's not reading the way it should for this area." He looked between the two of them. "I think this might be the result of someone trying to open too many Quantum Pockets here."
"Gua?" The question from Cade.
"I don't know yet. But since they're the only ones we know of who can do it on command it's a good bet." Spinning the computer back around Eddie brought up a new screen. "The records for the area indicate that housing didn't go up here until about five years ago."
Raine acknowledged the fact. "It's a fairly new part of town. A big draw because it's away from the rest of the city, but not far from the amenities a city can offer."
"If you look back to the beginning of the development, you start to notice a few things.
Once again he turned the computer around so they could see the screen. Both read the notes quickly. Cade let out a low whistle.
"It's been going on a while," he said quietly.
"Even before people were here." Eddie hit a few keys to bring up a new document.
"The wildlife," Raine said. "Sparse in the area since the early 80's." She continued to read. "Ever since a west coast company bought the land."
"Bingo," Eddie told her excitedly. "The company passed themselves off as some kind of R&D division of Johnson & Johnson. They moved in here in 1981. They didn't move out until seven years ago. When they did, they sold the land back to the city who was hot to develop it."
"So the Gua decided to run some kind of portal experiments here then back out. Why?"
"Easy," Raine said before Eddie could answer. Her mind was racing with the information the hacker had uncovered. "The city was growing. Coming closer and closer. The don't like to be watched."
"Makes sense," Cade agreed. "But why are people noticing things missing now?"
The dark haired man leaned back in his seat. "The area is more populated now. There are just more people to fall into the portals that are popping up. But if you look, there are reposts of a lot of missing pets. They passed it off as wild animals. This was still close to nature then. They also had a few other things disappear. A mailbox for instance. Everyone thought it was some kind of teenage prank, but it was never found. Part of the playground equipment that was first placed in the park. No one ever figured out how they managed to make off with it without being spotted. There are also a few people who went missing then.
"But now there is a large concentration of people here. Especially in places like the day care and the playground."
"It seems to be moving, why? They don't usually do that do they?" Raine worried.
"No, that's not normal," Cade replied. Absently he reached out to touch her hand. The contact seemed to reassure her.
"I've got a few theories," Eddie said. "First they were working on early experiments for the pockets. We don't know how long they've been using them. They possibly lacked the control over them they have now. Wasn't sure how to anchor them to one spot like we've seen them do in the past. Maybe everything was fine until the energy blips started.
"Second, with so much energy around maybe the whole thing just destabilized. Maybe they had one here they were using but the energy caused it to be unpredictable. It doesn't have an anchor or the anchor isn't as strong as the energy itself."
The sat in silence a minute digesting the information.
Finally, "So you're telling me that all these kids have gone missing just out of back luck? Wrong place, wrong time and all that? No big bad?" Raine looked at the computer screen in disgust as if it might be held responsible for the problem.
"Pretty much," Eddie acknowledged.
She let loose a string of curses. Cade sat back in his chair, processing everything, only half listening to her tirade. Something inside of him wanted to go to her, to try to calm her down. But something else was coming together in his head and he didn't want to let go of it just yet.
"Is there any untouched land left? Any land that might have held a building?"
The swearing stopped. "A few acres of wooded area. But that's it as far as I know." She looked to Eddie who nodded in agreement. "The cops searched it when the first of the kids started disappearing, but they never found anything there. Why? You've got something happening in that twice blessed mind of yours."
He was silent for another moment simply gathering his thoughts. Then, slowly, as if he were sounding the ideas out loud, "The pattern seems to be random. But we know the surges of energy precede what appear to be portals by a little time." Both of his listeners leaned forward. "What if the area's magnetic fields were interrupted by experiments, but these energy spots are setting them off, creating the portals." He paused again. "Is it possible there's still something left of the installation that might be causing the energy? Could it project that energy?"
Excitement flashed across the hacker's face as he snatched the laptop and began typing.
"Oh I'd say it's more than possible," he enthused. "I thought I had sort of a pattern going until the extra energy spot appeared." He looked between them pointedly. "It's a pretty loose pattern, but"
He swung the computer around again. As before the map appeared with the spots of color. This time however, there was also a timer.
"They're going off at regular intervals," Raine noted. "Mostly."
"Every 12 hours," Eddie agreed. "Though over the past few days the bursts seem to be happening more frequently. Still fairly predictable, but the change is still there."
"Why do some of them appear to last longer than others?" Cade questioned.
"I'm not positive," admitted Eddie. "It might have something to so with the amount of energy being released." He pointed to two spots on the map. One was very dark, the other was more of a tint than a spot of solid color. "The intensity seems to vary but I haven't found a pattern to it. It's also possible that the electromagnetic fields are more disrupted on the shorter stays."
"If something is causing the energy then maybe it's starting to fall apart?" Raine suggested.
"It would make sense," Cade considered. "I guess they could have thought they shut it off but somehow didn't manage it."
"If it's powered with something that degrades with time then maybe the energy source has just degraded to a point it's unstable," offered Eddie.
"Eddie," she started and he looked at her. "Is there anyway to see where a building was before they sold the land?"
"Well, we could pull up satellite photos," he said thoughtfully. "But I'm not positive how many years they go back for this area. We should also check the building permits and construction notes for the land. See if they tore anything down when they started putting stuff up."
"Wouldn't those be in a computer somewhere?" Raine asked.
"Maybe not. It depends on how they handle that stuff. Sometimes it's all paper until someone gets around to entering it, which can take years."
"All right," Raine said as she rose. "Start looking for images. Cade and I will see if we can dig up some paperwork at the library. They should have those record, right?"
"Sometimes. And sometimes they store things like that at City Hall," Eddie replied with a cringe.
"Great. City Hall," Cade muttered. "I love City Hall."
She whacked him in the chest with a hand. "I told you it'll be fine."
"They sometimes put police stations in City Hall," Eddie warned, "Or close to it."
"Doesn't matter," she assured him, "I took care of it."
"How?" She told him and he blinked. "Why didn't I think of that?"
*******
Raine approached the desk with a friendly smile plastered on her face. Extending a hand to the woman behind it she spoke, "Hi, I'm Ashley Sloane," she said as she shook the woman's hand. Looping an arm through Cade's she pulled him forward. "This is my husband Michael."
"Oh!" the other woman smiled. She was older. Someone you thought of when you pictured a librarian except she had a warm friendly smile. "I'm Esther Robbins. I'm in charge of the library here. You're the new family that's moved in. "
"We are," Raine enthused with a grin. "Michael just got in last night." She winked at the other woman. "Took me forever to get him out of bed this morning."
Cade blushed lightly and the woman chuckled. Both of the women ignored him as he made a protest about too much driving.
"Isn't that always the way it goes with men?" Esther said in a conspiratory tone to Raine.
Her eyes sparkled as she laughed. "You are so right," Raine agreed.
"Well, now that you're here, what is it I can help you with?"
"We're really not sure we're in the right place honestly," Raine confessed. "We were hoping to get a look at the building permits for our area." She touched Cade on the hand with a slight smile. "We wanted to check out a few things before we decide to buy." A slight shrug and a sheepish smile. "He tells me I worry too much but with the cities building houses over sink holes and such I say you can never be too careful." Cade gave her a polite smile that said that had been through this discussion a number of times. "Besides, before we have kids we want to be settled in for a while. Make sure it's the right place for us and all."
"Oh, kids!" the older woman exclaimed. "I have three daughters of my own. My youngest just gave me another grandson."
The librarian continued to gush but Cade had tuned her out. The talk of children had rocked him. He had a child once. But the child Jordan conceived while possessed by Mabus didn't mean much to him. Even if the baby had been more than a husk Cade wasn't sure he would ever be able to accept it. Much like a rape victim, he didn't think he'd ever be able to look at it without reliving the circumstances that had made it happen.
So it wasn't the child he had helped create that got to him. It was the child that had never been.
Hannah had wanted kids. They had seriously discussed it only weeks before she was killed. While he had often thought of Hannah and their time together, that was one thing he had always avoided thinking about. It tore into him in ways even her death couldn't.
As if sensing his thoughts, he felt Raine's fingers slip into his. With a squeeze she smiled at him. "Honey? Are you day dreaming again?" she asked with just enough mocking to make him look at her. Concern was in her eyes as well as a good dose of sympathy.
He forced a smile and squeezed back. "Just thinking about names," he responded. "I'm not sure we'll ever agree on one," he confided in Esther.
She laughed. "My middle daughter and her husband couldn't come up with a name they could both agree on until my granddaughter was almost a month old!"
"Well," Raine smiled, "I think I want something more uncommon like Gavin or Reese. He wants something more traditional like James or Daniel."
"Sure it will be a boy then?" the librarian asked with a knowing grin.
Cade moved behind Raine and slid his arms around her waist. He pulled her against him and rested his chin on her shoulder. A bright smile slid into place on his face as he hugged her close.
"Oh it'll be a boy," he assured the woman. "I'm positive it will."
She laughed and winked at him. "I'd think of a few girl's names if I were you. Just in case."
Pulling free of his embrace, Raine lightly slapped his shoulder. "What is it with men always wanting a son first?" she asked with mischief in her eyes.
Again Foster pulled her close, this time laying a light kiss on her mouth. "It's not a matter of wanting dear," he told her. "It's a matter of knowing. And I know we'll have a son first."
"I think we'd better get to work on those permits before this goes any further," Rained winked at Esther. "Thank you for all your help."
"You're welcome dear. If you need anything else, let me know."
Once again her hand slid into his and she started to pull him away from the desk. "I will," she said over her shoulder. "Thank you again."
Esther was still waving to them as they rounded the corner.
Slowly she allowed her fingers to slide from his. She continued down the hall to the door the helpful librarian had told her to find. After swinging it open she started down the stairs.
"Have you ever thought about it?" he asked curiously.
"Thought about what?" She shot him a confused look over her shoulder.
"Having kids," he answered.
With a snort she shook her head. "Don't you think I'm a bit too young to be worrying about it?"
"You're not that young," he told her wryly. "Plenty old enough to have kids."
Stopping short on the stairs she turned to look at him. "Younger than you." She flung just a little too heatedly.
"True," he agreed, "But that fact isn't winning your argument."
Raine rolled her eyes. Her agitation was far too high for the conversation at hand in his opinion.
"Don't you think my life is a little too chaotic to have to worry about a kid?" Her tone was demanding with the question but softened with her next words. "Besides, what if any of my children ended up like me?"
A brow quirked slightly. "What's wrong with you?"
"I'm a freak remember?" The heat was back in her voice. When she closed her eyes he counted to ten with her. "Besides," she told him calmly, "it doesn't matter anyway."
"Why not?"
She paused on the stairs once more but didn't look at him this time. "Scar tissue. They don't think I could ever carry a child to term. Or long enough for it to survive."
"I'm sorry," he whispered, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"Scar tissue I got by nearly being gutted. You think I could being a child into that?"
"No," he answered. The pain and bitterness in her voice cut him deeply. "But this won't always be your life will it?"
"Will your life always contain the Gua?" she asked pointedly. Before he could answer she continued down the stairs.
An apology was in his throat but she didn't give him a chance to get it out. Instead she pointed to a door and grunted a "there". Obviously the conversation was over.
After she closed the door gently behind them she looked around the room. A large rectangle table with a fake wood top was to their right. Metal folding chairs surrounded it. Another door was across the room straight ahead of them. To the left were rows and rows of metal shelves. Each shelf was covered either in loose paper or boxes full of documents. Cade hit the overhead fluorescent lights and even more rows of shelves became visible. She groaned.
With a sigh she glanced at him. "Well, the good news is that all the stuff for that year should all be together." She eyed the rows of paper with irritation. "The bad news is that there's no order to where the years have been shoved."
*******
Papers and boxes filled the table. Raine rubbed her face with a hand, smudging dirt across her chin. Raising her shoulders, she tensed the muscles tightly then let them fall. Her ass was numb and she wasn't sure if she could go get another box without feeling the need to slit her own throat. They had been at it for hours and found nothing. Once she had tried to seek guidance from the spirits that followed her, but they knew no more than she did about the location of what they wanted. Dead didn't mean all knowing apparently.
"Hey!" Cade was nearly out of his seat with excitement. He ignored the protest of muscles that hadn't moved in hours. "I think I found something."
Dropping the papers she had been shuffling through, she scooted her chair closer to take a look at what he held. "What'd you find?"
"Mentions a structure that was torn down to make room for-" he stopped and flipped the sheet of paper over. "Oh god."
A premonition swept over her and she didn't have to ask but she did anyway. With a trembling voice, "What? Where was it?"
He handed her the piece of paper with trembling hands.
"Shit," she whispered. The chair made a loud shriek as she shoved it back quickly. "We'll call from the car. Let's go."