mfkngst- You might not want to throw too many things you might need your arm the next time I give you another cliff hanger
Mrs. Rhett Butler- So glad you enjoy my fic
LadyJadePerendhil- Sorry about the cliffhanger. To make up for it here's a nice long chapter.
CHAPTER 45
TRYING TO GET HOME
December 23,2003
11:42am
Bangor, Maine
Home of Margaret Russell
Jarod pushed his mother into the house slamming the door shut behind him.
"Stay down." He commanded her as he pulled Morgan's Smith and Wesson from the small of his back. Jarod peeked behind the curtain. Bailey had managed to make it out of the car and was now making his way towards the house. The shooter noticed Bailey's movement and fired after him. Realizing that his friend was in peril Jarod swung open the door and fired in the direction of the shooter. Worried of being shot the assassin stopped firing, and Bailey was able to make it to the safety of the house.
"Do you have any idea who the shooter is?" Bailey asked Jarod as he closed the door behind him.
"Someone from the Centre. Who else would it be?" Jarod replied peeking behind the curtains. The three of them were now kneeling on the floor, Jarod to the left of the door, Bailey to the right.
"Oh God. The Centre here." Margaret said frightened.
"Mom do you have anyway out of here that might go unnoticed?" Jarod asked.
"There is a passage way that leads from the cellar to the shed out back." She told him.
"Good. Let's move. After awhile they're going to send someone in if they don't see any signs of movement. Bailey call for backup." Jarod told the agent. Bailey reached for his phone and uttered a curse.
"Can't my phones in the car." Bailey said.
"Damn it so is mine. Try the phone here, although they probably cut the lines by now." Jarod said. Bailey walked over to the phone sure enough it was dead. Bailey shook his head.
"Mom do you have a cell phone?"
"No." Margaret told him. Jarod sighed.
"The plans still the same. Let's make it out to the shed and see what we can find there." The trio made it down to the caller Margaret leading the way Jarod in the back. Just as Jarod was closing the hidden door behind them the front door burst open. Jarod put his ear to the door to see what he could here.
"There's no one here Mr. Lyle." A voice in the basement said. "And Brent says that it's all clear outside. Yes sir we'll check the house from top to bottom."
Jarod, his mother and Bailey slowly made their way through the tunnel. Three minutes latter they had made it to the trap door leading to the shed.
"What I wouldn't do for one of those kids now." Jarod muttered under his breath. Slowly the pretender lifted the door prying that the garage had already been checked.
"Took you long enough." Came a voice and Jarod sighed with relief.
"William thank God." Jarod said as Will helped his father and the others into the shed.
"I knew that you couldn't go on a simple retrieval mission with out screwing it up." Will said.
"You have a way out of here?" Jarod asked his son.
"Of course I do. Unlike you I know how to plan a get away."
"Don't be a smart ass William." Jarod said grinning at his son.
"And you tell me to watch my language and look at how you talk. You set such a bad example"
"Just get us out of here Will."
"Hold on one second. Man you are so impatient" Will said and pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Alley you read me?"
"Loud and clear big brother."
"What do I have?" Will asked her.
"The whole team's inside from what I can see. What about you Clone boy?" Alley said.
"No one in my line of sight. Deb?" Came Chris's voice over the walkie talkie
"You're safe Will."
"My van ready to go Chris?" Will asked.
"Yup Sparky. I'm outside the garage two houses up."
"Were on our way. Deb, Al make your way back to the van." Will replied. "Come on we have to move." Will said to his father.
"I'm not even going to ask." Jarod said shaking his head. Will opened the door and lead the group out.
"Will." Alley hissed over the walkie-talkie cover the tracks you're leaving in the snow."
"Damn." Will muttered.
"Some genius you are big brother."
"Shut up Al." Will told his sister as he pulled a branch of the firtree and began to wipe away their tracks.
"I've got it Will. You lead the others" Jarod said and took the branch from his son. The group made their way to the back gate with out incident. Will was in the lead, Margaret behind him, Bailey behind her and Jarod bringing up the rear. Just as Jarod was exiting the yard a sweeper pulled back the curtain and saw Jarod. The sweeper pulled out his gun and fired three times. The first shot broke the glass. The second went wide but the third hit Jarod. Jarod stumbled but didn't go down.
"Dad." Will cried. And Margaret looked up in shock at what Will had addressed her son. Will and Bailey ran towards Jarod and the three of them ran to the van, Margaret in the lead. Hearing the shots Chris had started the van and Debbie opened the back door. The four dove into the van just as sweepers stormed out of the house. Alley closed the door behind them and Chris slammed on the gas pedal and sped off as shots were fired behind him.
"Dad are you alright?" Alley asked leaning her father against the back of the door.
"I was just shot Alyssa."
"I see that you're sarcasm is still in working order." Alley replied as Chris swerved around a corner. Every one yelled out a cry of pain as they slammed against the right side of the van.
"Okay those not tending to the injured man I'm going to have to ask you to sit down and buckle up!" Chris yelled. Bailey, Margaret and Debbie scramble to a seat.
"Deb pass me the first aid kit." Will said kneeling next to his father. Debbie reached above her head and pulled down the first kit. "Dad you're gonna haft t' take of that shirt. Al help him." Alley eased her father out of his jacket and shirt as Will went through the kit.
"Damn not exit wound." Alley muttered. "Will what do we have in the kit?"
"Bandages, Antiseptic, pain killers..."
"Well give um to Dad now 'cause he's gonna be in a lot of pain."
"I'm already in a lot of pain." Jarod told his daughter.
"Quit being such a baby and take these. And don't argue with me about how you don't want to cloud your judgement with drugs. If you don't take these you won't be able to think clearly because of all the pain you're going to be in," Alley said thrusting four extra strength Advil at him. Jarod chewed the four pills.
"Um not to be rude but who are you people?" Margaret asked the children.
"The one driving is Chris. Girl next to him is Debbie. I'm Will this is my twin Alley." Will said kneeling next to his father and sister.
"Hi." Alley said. "So, Daddy are those pills taking effect yet?"
"Yes."
"Good. Oh and Daddy we apologize in advance."
"For what?"
"Oh nothing Dad. Here you might want to bite down on this." Will said pulling off his belt and giving it to his father. "This is going to hurt like a bitch."
"Your language William." Jarod said.
"Dad the belt." Alley said placing the belt in between Jarod's teeth.
"Okay on the count of three." Will said "One. Two. Three." Jarod bit down on the belt as he felt the bullet fly out his shoulder. Alley had telekinetically yanked the bullet out of her father. Jarod spit the belt out and panted.
"Um Daddy we aren't done yet." Alley said remorsefully.
"Yeah Dad we need to cauterize the wound or else you'll bleed out." Will said with a guilty look.
"Will you don't have to. There should be a cigarette lighter in the van."
Will shook his head. "There isn't."
"Then bandage it up till we get to a hospital." Jarod told his son.
"The next hospital is home Dad we aren't making any other stops except one and that's at the airport twenty miles away. Besides I'm not going to risk you bleeding out. Mom would kill me if you missed Christmas. So here take the belt and bite down again." Will told his father.
Will then formed a small flame on his fingertip and gently laid it on his father's shoulder. And for the second time that day Jarod bit back a scream. The pretender then passed out.
When Jarod came to the van had stopped. Will and Alley were asleep next to their father, Alley's head resting in Will's lap. Jarod ran a hand through his daughter's hair and she stirred in her sleep.
"They look so much like you." Margaret whispered.
"They look more like their mother." Jarod commented.
"The boy Chris he looks like you too. Exactly like you except his hair is red and his eye's are green."
"Yeah I'll explain everything when we get home Mom. Right now I'm in too much pain to think clearly. Where are Chris, Deb and Bailey?"
"They went to get the plane straight. They'll be back shortly." She told him.
"Actually we're back now." Chris said opening the driver side door and pulling the keys out of the ignition. "Wake up Sparky and Alley Cat were blowing this pop stand." He said and the teen went back to the plane.
Jarod gently shook his children awake.
"We're here?" Will said groggily.
"Yeah."
"Good I'm ready to get back home." Alley said. The four of them walked to the plane.
"By the way." Jarod said as they walked to the plane. "When did you two become telekinetics?"
"Actually Daddy I'm the telekinetic." Alley said and explained how she got her ability yet leaving out that she no longer possessed her inner sense.
"And who's idea was all this?"
"Mine. We tapped the phone lines and heard the conversation you had with Bailey yesterday. We figured that we'd better tag along"
"You tapped the phone lines William?"
"Hey it was a good thing you might have been dead if it weren't for us." Will said defending him self as he buckled up.
"How did you all get here?"
"You know that car that cut you off on the freeway this morning." Alley said.
"That was you four?"
"Yup." Alley said her blue eye twinkling. "We had to get on the plane before you and Bailey."
"You're mother is going to kill me." Jarod sighed.
"Nah we won't let her. Now she might kill us though." Will said.
"So who's piloting this thing?" Jarod asked as the plane began to taxi down the airstrip.
"This is your captain speaking." Chris said over the intercom. "Welcome to Gemini Airlines the best airline to use when planing a speedy get away from the evil corporation hell bent on using you to complete their goal of world domination. There will be no movie or meal served during this nonstop flight to Charlottesville Virginia. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask my co-pilot Miss Deborah Broots. Thank you and have a nice flight aboard Gemini Airlines."
"He has got to lay off the sugar." Jarod muttered. "So um Mom. How have you been?"
Surprisingly Jarod and Margaret did not spend the flight catching up. Jarod was still in a great deal of pain and passed out once more shortly after take off. He was not the only one in fact. Bailey and Margaret also fell asleep during the flight exhausted from their ordeal. The only ones who stayed awake were the children. The adults woke up briefly to switch transportation. The rest of the ride was spent in silence.
At a little past four Chris pulled into the driveway. The four children were the first to enter the house.
"Benjamin Christopher Russell where have you been?" Charles said emerging from the dining room
"We left a note Dad, we went Christmas shopping." Chris told his father
"And yet I see no bags." He said eyeing the four of them. "Alyssa why do you have blood on your shirt."
"The mall was hell Grandpa. You should have been there. People fighting over gifts it was murder." Alley said grinning.
"Let her be Charles." Margaret said walking in to the house.
"Maggie?" Charles said and walked towards his wife.
"Hello Charlie." Margaret said as her husband swept her into a hug. As the couple hugged the Morgan, Aaron, Andros, and Alex ran into the living room curious as to what Charles was yelling about.
"Jarod." Morgan gasped when she caught sight of her husband.
"Daddy." The triples cried and ran to her father who was being supported by Bailey. "You've been shot." Alex said. Charles looked at his son worried but still kept hold on his wife.
"I'm fine." Jarod said.
"And yet there's blood." Alex replied.
"Come on Jarod lets get you cleaned up." Morgan said leading her husband up stairs the. "Will, Alley you two better come along as well you have blood all over your shirts. Air, Andy, Alex. Watch the twins. They're in the kitchen with Emily." Morgan called over her shoulders. The twins followed their parents as the triplets went to check on their younger brothers.
"Wow I feel oddly out of place." Bailey said as Charles led Margaret to the couch.
"Come with us I don't know about you but I'm starved." Chris said and he and Debbie lead the agent to the kitchen leaving Charles and Margaret to themselves.
"What was Dad yelling at you about?" Emily asked when Chris, Debbie and Bailey entered the kitchen.
"Nothing. By the way Em we brought you something." Chris told his sister
"What?"
"Go check the living room." Chris told her.
Emily left the kitchen. A short while latter she was heard yelling "Oh, My God!"
Those who weren't in the kitchen came flying into the living room wondering what was going on. Everyone looked on in shock at the red-haired woman who made a sudden appearance. Those who were in the kitchen slowly made their way out. Chris was carrying Zane, and Aaron was carrying Gabe. The babies were then promptly handed over to their parents as the family watched the tearful reunion between mother and daughter.
Finally Emily let go of her mother. Realizing that this was a privet moment Sydney ushered non-immediate family to the dining room, leaving Jarod, Morgan, their children, Emily, Nick, Chris and Ethan alone with Charles and Margaret.
"Um Mom let me properly introduce you to everyone." Jarod said, "You already know who Dad and Em are. This is Ethan my half-brother. Dad's his father, Catherine Parker is his mother." Jarod said pointing to the man.
"How?" Margaret asked.
"Artificial insemination Mrs. Russell."
"You don't have to call me that Ethan, call me Margaret."
"Okay." Ethan replied grinning.
"You know Chris here."
"Well Chris and I haven't had a chance to talk yet. Nor have I been able to thank him properly.
"There's no need to thank Gemini here. He was just following orders." Will said.
"Shut up Sparky."
"Watch it Clone Boy."
"Clone Boy?" Margaret echoed confused.
"Chris is my twin Mom." Jarod said and explained Chris's origins.
"My full name is Benjamin Christopher Russell, as Dad so eloquently yelled earlier. The Benjamin came from reading Spider-Man. See some one made a Clone of Peter Parker and the clone called himself Ben Riley, I figured Ben Russell was pretty good. Dad didn't like were I got my name from. He refuses to call me Ben so I go by Chris in stead." Chris told his mother.
"Well Chris I'm glad that you're part of this family." Margaret said hugging her youngest son.
"Thanks Mom." He whispered.
"Chris I do have one thing to ask you why did you dye your hair red and why are you wearing green tinted contacts.
"I didn't want to look so much Like Jarod. I wanted to have my own identity. The way I figured it if I look exactly like Jarod people would expect me to be just like him. By not looking like him everyone sees me as my own person. Ben Riley did the same thing to distinguish himself from Peter Parker." Chris told her. Morgan mumbled something under her breath about Chris and Jon needing to lay of the comic books.
"And who is this dashing young man with his arms wrapped around my daughter?" Margaret asked noticing Nick.
"Mom this is my husband Nick." Emily said and the two shook hands.
"And I see you two are expecting." Margaret said placing a hand on her daughter's slightly swollen abdomen. "Boy or a girl?"
"Girl." Nick replied.
"Two of you I have meet but who are the rest of these little angles?" Margate said noticing the children.
"Oh they're no angles." Chris muttered.
"Hush." Morgan said
"My God you look..."
"Just like her I know." Morgan interrupted.
"You must here it all the time." Margaret said
"Not as often as you'd think." Morgan told her.
"Mom this is my wife Morgan." Jarod said at his wife's side. "And these are our children. William Aiden Russell. We normally call him Will..."
"Hi."
"Alyssa Winifred Russell..."
"Alley."
"Aaron- Daniel Oz Kole Russell..."
"Aaron or Danny I answer to both."
"Andros Thomas-Kyle Russell..."
"Andy works just fine."
"Alexandra Katherine Russell..."
"Alex please some people call me Katie."
"Peter Simon Vincent Russell..."
"Hi." Peter said shyly hiding behind Alley.
"And these two are Zane Jason Christian Russell, and Gabriel Jack Elijha Russell." Jarod finished.
"We just call um Jason and Jack us kids anyway." Will said. "Everyone else calls them Zane and Gabe."
"They're all beautiful."
"Thank you." Morgan said as all of her children except for the babies went bright red.
"Honey why don't we introduce you to the rest of the family." Charles said and led his wife to the dining room. "Where's Greg that boy loves to talk?"
"You ranged?" The red-haired boy asked.
"You feel like doing introductions?" Charles asked.
"Does the Pope were a funny hat." Melissa murmured
"I heard that Lissa."
"And your point being." His sister shot back.
"Chill it you two." Jeremiah said in an attempt to get his brother and sister to quit their bickering.
"It would be my pleasure to introduce you to everyone Mrs. Russell." Greg said sticking his tongue out at his sister. Melissa returned the jester and both children were gently smacked on the back of their head by their adopted father, Sam.
Greg then cleared his throat and began his introductions. "This fine salt and pepper haired Flemish gentleman is Doctor Sydney Green. Father to Nicholas and Morgan. Beside him is his stunning wife Michelle. The man next to them is Mr. Jon Broots a fellow lover of the fine art of comic books. He's daughter is the lovely Deborah Broots. This is Mr. Samuel Grey Sweeper extrodinar, and his wife the glowing Dr. Jennifer Grey. The best parents any kid could ask for."
"You're still not getting a sword for Christmas Gregory." Sam told his son.
"Hey who could blame a kid for trying." Greg replied. "Anyway, to our left you see two of our resident psychics Lex and his wife Julia Anthony. Their children two-fifth's of the "fantastic five" Michael, and Michelle who prefers to go by the name Maddie. Their cousins the pensive Tobias and charismatic Terra. I am Gregory adopted son of Mr. and Mrs. Grey if you hadn't guessed already. My extremely quite brother Jeremiah..."
"I'm only quite because you do enough talking for the both of us." Jeremiah replied
"Hush Jerry I'm talking here." Greg hissed. "As I was saying this is my annoying sister Melissa. Mr. Broots's adopted children Cassandra or Cassie as we've come to call her. And her brother Marc our resident prankster –but come to think about it he doesn't hold a light to Alex. No pun intended-. The amazingly stunning Rachael and her older brother the steel eyed Jacob. Finally we have their younger brother Adam." Greg finished.
"Man I need some thing to drink." He panted.
See no cliffhanger and a nice long chapter up two days earlier than I planed on posting it. Now be nice and please review.