A/N: sorry for the delay again, lots of other stuff going on. But this fic is up there on my list of priorities so I wont let it go too long without an update.
Legacy: chapter 22
The wiper blades swiped back and forth across the windshield, squeegeeing off copious amounts of rain with each pass. Back and forth… back and forth… right, left, right, left… Allie's eyes followed the movement of the blades out of shear boredom. She knew the danger she was in, and the danger Keith was in because of her. That didn't matter; it was the silence that worried her the most.
On the one hand, her impulsive decision to go with Keith seemed to be turning out better then she hoped. Sitting in a car, not talking, not doing anything but watching those annoying windshield wipers, was giving Allie the rest she badly needed. If they stayed on the road for an hour longer, she would have enough energy stored up to simply transport out of the car. That would give Keith something to be mad about.
Allie had to forcibly hold back laughter as she looked over at Keith and imagined the look on his face when she just disappeared.
But on the other hand, she couldn't leave. Keith was still eminating that unusual energy pattern, so Allie knew she had not misinterpreted his pattern in the heat of a tense situation. She needed to know the source of the anomaly. And, without the energy to make the car die so she could safely probe Keith's mind, talking was the only way to learn what she needed to know.
Without any information at all Allie already decided that the anomaly could only come from two sources. One, a natural mutation of the human sub-conscious cognitive centers; an event that happens so often in humans that it's considered normal. Except in Keith's case, the mutation brought him perilously close to that next step in evolution that the Xean Alliance was intended to assist with.
The second possible source was more confusing, but still fully plausible. The Xean breading program that had produced her had also had hundreds of other subjects. But, according to records, her family's line was the only one that had been pursued. What if by some mistake, one of the other hybridizing lines had been allowed to grow unchecked? That would account for the energy pattern all right, but there would have to be a full inquiry by the Scientific Council to determine how such a horrible mistake was made.
Allie decided to start the inquiry now. She wanted to know just how much Keith knew about his own genetic makeup.
"Can I turn on the radio?" Allie asked. The conversation had to start somewhere.
Keith shifted his eye over to look at her for a second, then he refocused on the road without saying a word. Allie took his silence as an invitation. She reached out to the radio and was about to turn it on
"No," Keith said, stopping Allie's hand as she touched the dial.
Allie sat back and sighed, so much for plan A…she thought, does the first idea ever work?
Nature gave Allie her next opening. She watched the rain, which was now falling heavily. "It's amazing, isn't it?" she asked while leaning forward to look up at the clouds through the windshield.
Keith didn't answer so Allie continued: "that something that looks as light and fluffy as a cloud can hold this much water."
Keith finally glanced back over at her, "what are you doing?" he asked.
He's good… Allie thought. No use taking the indirect approach…
"I'm trying to get you to talk because you know something I need to know," she said.
Keith stared hat her blankly for several seconds before turning his attention back to the wet road, "you are very strange." He said.
"As are you." Allie replied with a curt nod. She kept her penetrating blue eyes fixed on his face for several more minutes before speaking again, "why are you here?"
The question had a double meaning know only to Allie. But it didn't serve to stir Keith in the least. His eyes remained fixed on the road ahead.
Allie groaned, "If you don't talk to me I'm going to turn the radio on!"
"No, your not."
"Yes, I am!" Allie reached for the knob and twisted it… right off the radio.
Keith smirked, "your not going to turn it on because it's broken."
Allie studied the little plastic knob in her hand as a smile crept onto her lips, "very funny… you're good at this." She said, Keith didn't reply.
Allie extended her hand, holding the knob half way between Keith and herself. Keith watched out of the corner of his eye as Allie held the knob in that position for almost a minute. Then dropped her hand away and back to her side, leaving the knob floating in between them.
"Don't do that…" Keith turned as the knob started moving toward the radio. The little piece of plastic aligned with the stub it had just come off of and slowly slid back into place.
"You're good," Allie said, staring straight at Keith, "but I'm better." The moment she uttered those words the radio blared to life, it scanned up and down the FM band erratically and finally settled on a country station.
Allie wrinkled her nose and glanced down at the radio, "maybe I'm not so good…" she turned the dial until she heard something familiar. One of her mom's old favorites, Allie forgot the name of the song but the band was Nirvana. "That's better."
Keith chuckled a bit as he turned his attention back to the road again, "you're going to make me rich…"
"So your poor now?" Allie asked.
"No…" Keith stopped himself, "I know what you're doing, so you can stop."
"What am I doing?"
"Trying to mess with my head,"
Allie turned back forward and sunk down into the car seat, "if I wanted to mess with your head I would just do this," the road outside turned a bright shade of purple for several seconds in Keith's eyes.
"Stop doing things!"
"But its so much fun…" Allie mock pouted. She really did need to stop doing things, even these small things were tapping off of the small reserve of energy she had built up.
"What are you doing here?" Keith asked, causing Allie to grin.
"You tell me first."
"What?"
"I asked you that first… so answer me, and I might answer you."
"You are in no position to demand answers, little girl." Keith talked down to Allie. Something she hated, but Allie decided to let him slip it by. Keith did not realize it, but he was leading the conversation right where Allie wanted it to go.
"And you are in such a position?"
"I am an agent of the United States government, I am doing my duty…"
"Are you?" Allie leveled a cold analytical stare at him, "are you really doing your duty?" the answer was obviously no, not that Keith would ever admit it.
"Yes! My job is to learn about you, and what you are doing here… what your little friends have planned…."
"So, this is how you learn?" Allie motioned to their current surroundings, "a very ignorant way to gain knowledge."
Keith shook his head slightly then reaffixed his attention to the road. Very stubborn, very intelligent… yet at the same time, incredibly stupid. Allie thought. She already knew he cared little or nothing about the well fare of his fellow humans. She knew what he wanted to get out of her: money, and probably a large sum, from some bio-medical research facility. He could care less about answers to anything. But why had he not attempted to harm her yet? It was not too hard for Allie to imagine herself in Keith's position; it would make more sense to kill the 'target' and then transport. Keith was taking a monumental risk. Allie knew that Keith had read all about the gas station incident, and the screen that had fooled the army. In his eyes, Allie knew that she must appear as deadly as an armed nuclear warhead…
He risks everything, Allie thought, what does he want from me?
Stupid kid… Keith glanced over out of the corner of his eye. Did she really think her little mind games would work if he already knew about them? What really had him puzzled is why she allowed herself to be taken along for this ride. She must know what was going to happen to her. And what did she mean by: 'you know something I need to know'? Could she really be serious?
"What do you want from me?" Allie spoke again, bringing slight anger to Keith, so damnably persistent!
"Lets keep that a surprise for now," Keith answered as he started slowing the car. There was a dirt road turn off ahead, which was his destination. Although it was more of a mud road after all this rain.
"Why are you turning there?" Allie asked.
So stupid, like I will really tell you…
"This car will get stuck." Allie said, but Keith didn't seem to listen. Allie was starting to get worried. Keith was about to turn off down a deserted old road into the woods that lined the sides of the freeway, and she had almost no power to defend herself if he tried anything.
"Don't turn there…" Allie was close to the point of pleading, but still managed to control herself.
"What makes you think you can stop me?" Keith asked. Allie saw the evil gleam in his eyes and felt fear for the first time since getting in the car.
"I'm warning you! I'll hurt you if you touch…."
"You're warning me?" Keith chuckled, "don't worry yourself," he turned sharply, throwing Allie off balance in the seat, "you only have one purpose."
The dirt road was much rougher then Allie expected it would be. She gripped the seat tightly, at the same time attempted to calm the building pain in her head. The headache was a warning sign: impending exhaustion. If Allie did not find a way to rest soon, she ran the risk of passing out. Not a good situation considering her present company.
After only a minute on the road and less then a quarter of a mile into the woods, Keith stopped the car.
"Why did we stop here?" Allie asked, looking about at the rain soaked trees and underbrush all around, most so thick that it would take major clearing just to walk through it.
"Why do you ask so many questions?" Keith smiled the most disgustingly insincere smile Allie had ever seen before throwing his door open and stepping out. Was he even trying to cover anything up anymore?
Allie watched him for a moment as Keith stretched and surveyed the immediate surroundings. Then, to Allie's dismay, he rounded the front of the car and opened her door. "This is the place. Get out."
Resistance would only delay her answers further. That in mind, Allie slid out of the seat and took up a rigid stance beside the car as Keith turned and started walking up the narrow road a short distance.
"There is nothing here!" Allie said after watching Keith watch her for several minutes, "what are you doing?"
"I'm messing with your head." Keith almost laughed, "and it's working."
"What is wrong with you!" Allie said, frustration clear in her voice.
Keith turned around again and spoke with his back to her: "there is nothing wrong with me. There is something wrong with you."
"Don't be so stupid to think I will fall for a simple mind game from a human!" Allie covered her mouth after the 'h' word.
There is something wrong with me… Allie removed her hands from her mouth and stared at them, what am I?
"I read every file on you, Miss Keys." Keith turned back facing her. "I read about your power, your abilities… but I also read about your weakness."
"Weakness?"
"Yes, it seems you can only 'do' so much." Keith said, "It is my theory that you have already used up your power, and are no threat to me."
He's brilliant! Allie squared her stance, facing Keith, "are you sure you would like to test that theory?"
Keith shrugged, produced a pistol from inside his coat, "I'm always up for an experiment." He raised the gun, pointing it straight at Allie's head.
Thoughts ran through Allie's head; escape routes… anything nearby she could use. Keith was right, she was no threat, and Allie didn't know if she had enough energy to slow the bullet if he fired. Which he did.
The bullet whizzed past Allie's left ear severing a small clump of hair in passing.
Keith let out a visible sigh of relief, said: "lucky for you I'm such a good shot. I think that proves my theory quite well, don't you?"
Allie reached up and took the clump of hair from her shoulder all the while keeping her eyes immovably fixed on Keith. She didn't say a word to him, just stared with a combination of fear, anger, and helplessness.
"Now," Keith motioned to the tree line with the gun, "lets take a walk."
Allie held her head low in resignation and slowly started walking toward Keith, Mary! Where are you?