CHAPTER THREE.
March 14 2001
Rachel made another call on the way to the school, but had difficulty getting through. "Hello this is Rachel Burke," she said, "I worked out of New Orleans as a profiler, but am now stationed in Connecticut. Are you Mr. Attwood?" There was a long paused after the "yes, I am. How can I help you?" All she heard was breathing on the other end. "Well my children have been tested as homo dominants and there are two other dominant children that I was a foster parent for. You wrote in your treatise that dominants can sense each other. Does that go for damaged ones?"
"What do you mean Miss Burke?"
She told him about Jarod and her suspicion that he might be one. "He said he was an FBI investigator and when I called headquarters, they said they had no one named Jarod in the bureau, so I decided to inquire further. I faxed his photograph to the military and received information that a man matching his description jumped overboard and survived, and a woman who witnessed someone who resembling him jump from at the window of a high building onto the roof of a car, get out, and flee the scene."
"I see."
"I'd like to mention that even though he did not graduate from medical school or joined the Navy, or what he was masquerading at, he went into those roles as if he was born into it or taken years of training and education."
Attwood was silent for a moment. "That sounds as if he is. No homo sapien is that good. Not for the length of time, you indicated. If that is the case and I fear it is, you're in grave danger from your own children. They'll have the ability to hide their intentions. By the way, how come you suspected Jarod as damaged?"
She told him. "He could sense someone coming, and yet he acted as an adult and for some reason had some rather childish habits. He loved Junk food and was very secretive." Miss Burke had thought about Jarod during her time in prison, putting together things that did not fit, how he acted professionally like an FBI agent and yet in person was more like a teenager the way he came onto her, and his preference for junk food especially the packaged soup, and the unwillingness to open up. "I checked his wallet, money, credit card, no passport, not even a forged one. Usually when someone's afraid of something, they make sure to get away from its location. He had a map folded in his jacket pocket, with an area circled in red." She did not tell him where it was.
:"You may be correct. A few years ago, we came upon several like him in Nevada. The Dominants who joined us said that rather than the regular 1.6, they tested at 1.2. At that stage, they were more emotionally inclined as children, very eager to please and cooperate. Psychiatrists call this the Cinderella syndrome where one is dependant on someone or some organization almost to their detriment. They kept wanting to go back someplace in the East, talked about a Centre a place called Blue Cove and yet when we questioned them, they said they never wanted to see that place again."
"By the way, is it in Delaware? Jarod said that was his home state."
"Why yes, Miss Burke."
"We investigated several unrelated murders happening around Delaware where a certain building called the Centre was prominent. On reading your article, I noted that these killings were first reputed to be serial killers but random and that they followed the pattern of certain Dominant behavior. Do you know of a Doctor Raines?"
"Yes, I testified against him to the State Medical Board. I wondered where he wound up. Now back to your question. You suspect that this Jarod might be damaged. I assume that is what you are talking about. This Centre might be the one using certain drugs to revert his behavior, making him more like us. Is he still there?"
"No."
"Well if he is out for some time, he might change to his true nature, that is, if he is one. You did mention he is quite intelligent, which makes me suspect he is."
"So you say that this Jarod would revert to a real dominant?"
"If the drugs were not steady, two years tops, but if they were given in his food and water supply continuously, I don't know how long it would take, maybe five to ten years. You'll know when the drug is completely off his system when he starts looking younger. The drug ages the physical appearance of Dominants, and wears off after a while. And if the person is not prepared, he may die. Our labs were trying experiments to remove the negative effects, but had to discontinue them. Dominants appear ten years younger than us once they reach their late thirties."
"Thank you,"
"Oh by the way, Miss Burke, don't use this line again. We're moving to a secured area and it will be hard to get in touch with us. We'll send the new number to Bailey at VCTF on a secure channel." With that, he hung up.