AN. I once again need to thank my invaluable Betas for the wonderful work they do for me. This story wouldn't exist in a readable form if it weren't for the wonderful work of Alaidh (did I spell it right this time?) and Kyre. They catch everything.
Star24, I will be forever in he debt. She knows exactly what I want to say and is wonderful person from which to bounce ideas. She gives me feedback and friendship what more can you ask.
Last but not least, Wyldegod your unflagging support keeps me going. Thanks for allowing me to "borrow" Suede. I will return him to you not in too bad a shape.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dancing in the Moonlight Chap 8
Molly stood at the window, staring out over Seattle. It seemed odd to her that a life could change so profoundly over the course of a single day. She glanced over to where Bling and Max were in quiet conversation. There was stillness in the room. It was an eerie calm, like the quiet that presaged a hurricane. Molly shuddered slightly and returned to looking out the window waiting for the storm.
Bling glanced over at Molly. Her posture radiated tension and nervousness. He got up from his seat and walked over to her.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
Molly didn't turn from the window. "Not remotely okay," she replied. "This morning I was a therapist, happy to do a job I thought was important. I thought I worked at the best place in the world, a place where I could help people who needed me. Only I find out, not only is it not the best place to work, but the person I worked for was actively involved in torturing a patient I prided myself on providing the best care for. So no, Bling, I'm not okay. " Molly's tone was bitter.
"Molly, how could you have known? This isn't your fault. You didn't know Logan or anything about him."
"It's my job to know these kinds of things. I should have been suspicious when he didn't show any improvement. I should have seen the signs of ongoing abuse. He's suffered because I didn't see the signs."
Bling snorted and Molly turned to him a question in her eyes. Bling smiled ruefully. "For not knowing Logan you sounded just like him just now."
"Really? In what way?" Molly inquired.
"Logan did that, took responsibility for things he couldn't control. Blamed himself for a lot of things."
"Why would he do that? I know next to nothing about him, only what I've read in the papers. He was a wealthy philanthropist and wrote editorials for the paper. Why would someone hate him badly enough to do this to him? Bling, you promised me answers, and all I have are more questions."
Bling looked at Molly, conflict in his eyes. "Molly, there are things that I can't tell you."
"It was because of me. It's not your fault or LoganÕs fault; itÕs all on me,Ó Max said. She looked nothing like the woman Molly had first encountered. Gone was the wild and dangerous creature. A woman lost in the throes of pain had replaced her. Max's eyes were dull, full of guilt and grief. Her voice was flat as she said, "White hates me because of what I am. I caused this; I ruined his grand scheme and took away his son, and he's getting to me the worst way he can... through Logan. He knows that hurting Logan will hurt me more than anything he could ever do to me."
"Max... stop blaming yourself, Logan did as much as you to bring down White and his plans..." Bling opened his mouth to continue, but a quick intake of breath made him turn his head toward Molly. Max also turned to look.
"White? Ames White?" Molly continued in a rush. "Is he short, with brown hair, very intense?"
"Yes," replied Max, looking intently at Molly. "Why?"
"He's the one who says he's Bob... I mean Logan's brother, but he says his name is Whiteson. He brought him to Timberview. He's supposed to come today to see how Bobby is doing."
"Logan. His name is Logan, and we don't have a lot of time to get him out if White is coming." A look of alarm crossed MaxÕs face and she looked around restlessly.
"Mrs. Cale?" Molly began.
"My name is Max. Call me that," Max said dully. She looked at her watch noting the time. "They should be here by now; we should be ready. Where are they?"
"Max," Molly said tentatively, "tell me about Logan. What is he like? I'll need to know that to be able to help him when we get him out. We will get him out; I'm sure of it." Molly touched Max's arm to reassure her.
Max jumped slightly at the touch and Molly jerked her hand back. "I'm sorry," she said.
"No, it's ok. I just want Logan out, and I'll do what ever it takes to get him home." Max managed a tiny smile as her focus switched to Molly and said, "What do you want to know about Logan?"
"Everything you can tell me," Molly said smiling. She led Max to the sofa and softly began to question her, drawing her out of her pain. She glanced over at Bling and nodded slightly.
Bling smiled back. You're a remarkable woman, Molly Webb, he thought, as he went to make coffee.
~~~
Kyle Gentry walked quickly toward the nurses' station. His was in a foul mood and it showed. "Where is Daniel?" he asked impatiently.
The nurses, realizing that Dr Gentry was in a mood, quickly formed ranks. Patti, the charge nurse, took point. "I believe Daniel is in Bobby's room. He's hallucinating badly tonight. We had to place him in restraints. Daniel is assigned to see Bobby doesn't hurt himself."
"Hmm, is that so," Gentry said distractedly. "Let me go find him. I need to check on Bobby as well." He turned and walked toward Bobby's room, leaving the nurses gaping in astonishment at his retreat. Quickly they turned to one another and wondered aloud what was going on. They all agreed they had never seen Dr Gentry in such a state.
Gentry reached Bobby's room and opened the door just in time to see Daniel hitting Bobby in the ribs with a towel covered fist. Bobby gave a soft groan, but otherwise was still.
"You fool! Stop that! Someone could catch you!"
"I 'm just reinforcing his conditioning sir, as you suggested," replied Daniel warily. "What's wrong?" he asked noting Gentry's consternation.
"I have reason to believe that someone might be aware he is here." Gentry said, running his hand through his sparse hair. "Has he said anything intelligible at all tonight?"
"Nothing, maybe one word, but it was hard to make out."
"What was it?" came the sharp query.
"It sounded like 'Bling'," said Daniel.
~~~
"You mean you broke into this place? How?" asked Molly.
"It was easy. What wasn't so easy was trying to forget the way he looked at me... plus the fact that he was holding a shotgun." Max smiled at the memory.
Molly was about to reply when the door opened and four people walked in. The obvious leader, a blond, about six feet tall, stocky and well muscled, nodded curtly at Bling. The others streamed in behind him, all beautiful, all very intent and very dangerous.
Without preamble the blond man said, "We have about an hour. Krit and Syl are already doing recon. No one will get in or out without our knowing it. We'll be cutting it close. We know White isn't in Seattle. We have people watching all the airports. We'll know when he arrives; we want to be gone before then. Let's get to it."
Max and Molly stood up, and Max said by way of introduction, "Molly, this is Zack, my brother. The others are my sisters Jondy and Tam and my other brother Zane."
To the others she said, "Molly knows more about Timberview than any of us here. She's also been taking care of Logan. She's here to help us get him out."
"Good," said Zack. He snapped his fingers and Zane went to the kitchen table and spread out a diagram of Timberview. "This is the best we could get on short notice. You," he said, indicating Molly. "We need to know all the ways people could get in or out of there. We've already marked the main and secondary entrances. Are there other ways to get out?"
"Zack!" exclaimed Max. "Molly isn't a solider."
"Max! This may be our only chance to get Logan out. I don't have time to play nice. You've gotten soft. We have a mission, or have you forgotten. Maybe you want to reconsider your priorities." Zack glared at Max in silent challenge.
Max recoiled as if slapped; then suddenly she was in Zack's face, her fist grasping his shirt. "If you think for an instant that I haven't though about getting Logan back every second of every day for the last year, think again," Max hissed. She shoved Zack back and let go of his shirt.
"Good, 'cause that's where you need to be," Zack said satisfied.
~~~
"Oh God, Cale recognized him! This means we haven't been completely successful in obliterating his personality. I've got to let White know, we have to get him out of here now." Gentry babbled in a complete panic.
Daniel looked at him shocked. He'd never seen Gentry out of control. Daniel stood to his full height and slapped Gentry. "You are part of the One. You know your duty."
Gentry's hand sprang to his face and he gathered himself together. "Of course, you are right. We need to move him now."
"Might I suggest another way? He is hanging on by a thread. Why don't we just cut the thread," Daniel said calmly as he picked up a pillow.
"No!" cried Gentry. "White wants him alive. Killing him is a last resort, is that understood?"
"How do you know that someone will try to free him tonight?"
"Because someone was here today that recognized him. Somehow Cale recognized him as well. This Bling will inform 452 of Cale's presence. I have no doubt that she will come, and soon."
"I'm going to bring a car around. Prepare him to be moved now!" With that Gentry hurried from the room. He walked quickly to his office, muttering to himself. He grabbed his car keys from the desk and walked quickly back to the nurses' station. "Patti," he barked, "I need you to get all the nurses and orderlies and move all the patients into the safe area as we would in a disaster drill!"
"Sir?" came the surprised response.
"Now, Patti! There is no time for explanation! Do it!"
The task of moving the patients went easily. Very few asked questions, as if being abruptly pulled from bed was an everyday occurrence. They quietly walked to the safe room.
When everyone was in the room a nurse looked around and saw that a patient was missing. "Where is Teri Matthews?" She looked at Patti. "I'll be right back. I must have missed her," she said hurrying from the room.
The nurse locked the door behind her, effectively trapping everyone inside. She made her way to the desk where Gentry waited.
"Are they all secure?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, Brother, but did we move them, and why do you care about the safety of humans?" She asked curiously.
"There is going to be an attempt to rescue Cale tonight. As far as he humans their lives mean nothing to me, but it is more efficient if they are gathered in one place. Our people won't be distracted by them and can concentrate on the transgenics." Gentry looked around just as his cell phone rang.
"Is he ready to move?" asked the voice on the other end. "I'll be there in an hour." The phone went dead in Gentry's hand
~~~
Molly's head spun as she was peppered with questions left and right. She was in awe of the X5s seemingly endless knowledge of tactics. She couldn't answer the questions fast enough. She'd read about the transgenics, but this was the first time she had ever come in contact with one and was overwhelmed.
Bling came to her and quickly squeezed her shoulder. "Zack, she needs a break."
Zack scowled then acquiesced. He looked around the room and saw Max. She was prowling restlessly around the room, waiting for the moment. She had heard enough. The predator was back, coiled ready to spring when the time was right.
The door opened and a very large black man entered. He was six feet four easily. He had long dredlocks and wore earrings in both ears. "Family it's time, we have half an hour. White's plane sat down at Wharton field about five minutes ago. It'll be at least an hour before he can make it to Timberview if then. We have several distractions planned. He's brought a bunch of his girls with him." Suede grinned a predator's grin. "Lets see if we can't beat him."
Molly stood next to Bling marveling at Max and her siblings. They all looked like predators on the hunt and she shuddered at what would happen when they found the prey they were hunting.
"Let's go," said Zack. They all leapt from the room and Molly was swept up with them, dreading the coming storm.