Cameron was expecting to come onto a relatively quiet ward so that he could
give his mother the good news that Cole had woken up for a few minutes and
seemed to be getting stronger. When the elevator doors opened and he could
hear screaming, he instinctively knew that somehow, his mother had to be
involved. Those weren't howls of pain. That was pure terror, and as he
started sprinting towards the source, remembered from his younger years how
easily his mother could inspire that kind of fear in the soul.
"MOM!" he yelled, seeing the scene. He grabbed his mother around the waist and hauled her backwards. One second he had her and the next he was on the ground, painfully reminded of why he didn't ever try going one on one with his mother.
Alicia was already on the nurse again. Some beefy male nurse grabbed her arm, but she flicked him off of her like some particularly revolting bug. "YOU CAN'T DELAY ME AGAIN, BITCH!" Alicia screamed at the half-fainting girl. "WHERE IS SHE?"
Now Cameron understood. Between the nurse that had run into Heather's room and the girl being strangled by his mother, Cameron could get enough thoughts to know that Heather wasn't in her room anymore.
He grabbed his mother's left arm, grateful for the X-5 strength that gave him the slightest bit of leverage over his mother and yanked her back. "SHE DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING!" he yelled in her face.
Alicia paused for just a second. "She doesn't know anything, Mom. Trust me, she's scared of you, not of what she's done."
If it had been anyone else, Alicia would have gone to work in earnest on the girl. But this was Cameron. If there was anyone she would be willing to trust Heather's safety to, it would be one of her other children. And Cameron was a stronger telepath than even Daniel. If he said the nurse wasn't in on it, then she wasn't.
Cameron said a silent prayer of thanks when he saw he had gotten through to his mother. Had he not been there, a whole lot of people would be in a world of hurt until someone admitted to knowing where Heather was. "Call your father," she said sharply. "I'm getting the security tapes."
She took off at a sprint. Cameron had no doubt his mother knew exactly where security was and how to get the tapes from the surveillance cameras around the hospital. Someone might get hurt in the process, but he wasn't about to stand in her way. It always marveled him how such a little thing could pack such a punch. Even the male X-6's didn't want to tangle with her.
Nurse Laurie was sobbing hysterically. The other nurses on the ward were dazed, too frightened to even call security after seeing how easily she dispatched the one male nurse. He was going to stay far away from Aunt Jhondie when she heard about what happened at her hospital, that was for sure. For once, it was completely not his fault.
"Call Dr. Carter," he ordered one nurse, and once one started moving, they all seemed to break the paralysis, taking care of Laurie and one risking his life to follow Alicia. Not that he would be able to catch up to her, but it was good to be able to do something. The other nurse went to check on the other patients and make sure they were unhurt.
Cameron grabbed his cell. All this and Emilie was going to be pissed that he took off while she was still on a dive. He dialed Daniel's home number, wondering why exactly he had gotten out of bed that morning.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Zack had tried sleeping for a while, but that wasn't happening this night. He should be exhausted. It had been a long time since he had a day this grueling. Even the twins' little escapade last winter hadn't been like this. He knew those two. They landed on their feet. He and Alicia had just trailed along to make sure they came back to the US and not hidden in another country for a while. Yes, they had been in some danger, but not enough to provoke a mortal panic.
He finally got up and wandered towards the kitchen. When you can't sleep, eat. It was something to do at any rate until his turn to watch over Heather. And Alicia was going to change shifts. That was not negotiable. He slid towards the kitchen doorway and then noticed a small light was on. He smiled when he heard a baby's happy gurgle.
Daniel was sitting at the breakfast table, feet propped on a chair, with Zachary resting against his bent legs. "And then the ambassador tried to deny it, but I had the evidence right there. Some people might call it blackmail, but I say that's half of good journalism," he said to the small infant in his lap, and then tickled the baby's tummy, getting another happy little noise from him.
"I used to do that to you," Zack said softly. Daniel looked up, surprised. He wasn't used to someone being able to walk up behind him. If he couldn't hear him, then thoughts gave the person away.
"I don't need as much sleep as Cyra," Daniel replied as Zack sat down at the table. Daniel smiled, looking a little embarrassed. "I would do this for Tanya and she always seemed to like staying up half the night as long as I was talking to her. I know they can't understand me, but..." he wasn't sure how to finish.
Zack nodded. "I know." He let out a little laugh. "I think you were born to be a journalist. I would talk to you and you would stare at me like you knew exactly what I was saying and remembering it all for a story you were planning."
Daniel grinned. "Could never fool you guys could I?"
"You always reminded me of Max. If there was trouble to be found, you made sure you were in the middle of it."
Daniel laughed again. His smile faded. "I had to do it, Dad. I know you're still not happy about it, but how was I supposed to live with myself if I didn't do something?"
"You decide on what is priority in life and abide by it." Zack's words were cold as the tone. Daniel had never wondered what was going on with one of his siblings while he was gone. He had never had to burst in without a second to lose and save one of them from death or capture. Zack knew he and Alicia had protected the kids so that they would be able to have some normalcy in their lives. Maybe they had done it too well. The kids knew the dangers they were in but couldn't really appreciate them.
"I remember what Mom did when I was five and those guys tried to get me and Heather," Daniel said softly. "I think she thinks I was too young and didn't understand, but I saw. And that's something that doesn't just go away. I've talked to Heather and she can't see Mom like that. Mom's the one that can make killer blueberry muffins and yeah, once upon a time she was a badass, but that's when she was a kid. But I remember. She wiped the blood off of her hands and then picked us up and walked out of there like that was nothing to her. And I think it wasn't anything to her."
Daniel met his father's gaze evenly. "I don't think I could do what she did. She ripped those men up and didn't hesitate for a second. I remember seeing internal organs and hearing them screaming over and over and there was absolutely no mercy from her. I know I can't do that. So how am I supposed to protect my daughter and son?"
"Public outrage means very little to the people making the decisions," Zack replied. "They will always find funding from somewhere else."
Daniel gave him a wry little grin that was painfully like Alicia's when she was proud of herself for doing something particularly evil. "But you have no idea how many of them have dirty little secrets they don't want exposed. I'm not willing to black ops moves to take care of them. But I am willing to play dirty. I normally don't use telepathy to get what I want. For this...I played very, very dirty. There's a reason the Congressional sub- committee didn't throw me in jail when I told them to get bent."
Zack couldn't help a small smile. That was his boy all right. Before he could say anything, Liz came half-stumbling into the room as she finished pulling up her jeans and zipping them, trying to talk to Brandt as she moved. "I don't know!" she cried. "Cam's not talking to me but something's wrong and..." she broke off seeing her father and brother in the kitchen.
"Liz are you sure you're not just...getting some nerves?" Brandt questioned. "Like when Cameron was worried about those National Geographic people being there? You were about to fly down there thinking he was getting eaten by a shark."
She shook her head. "Something's wrong," she announced to Zack and Daniel. "I don't know what exactly, but I'm going to the hospital right now."
"Liz..." Zack said warningly.
"I'm not asking you to understand," she snapped sharply, running her hands through her hair. That alone got Zack worried. The only time Liz ever got that snappish was because of her twin. "Just accept that a minute ago, he went from worried to in pain. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to be there now."
The phone rang. Zack had it in his hand in an eye blink. "Cameron?"
Cameron didn't waste the time to ask how he had known he would be calling. "Dad, you need to get down here now. Heather's missing; Mom's flipping out and...tell Liz to stop panicking, I'm okay."
Zack didn't waste time. "Heather went missing," he said sharply, hanging up the phone.
"Keys are by the door," Daniel replied quickly. "I'll..." but there wasn't anyone to hear his words, just the slamming of the front door as the three other people ran to the car in the garage. "Let everyone know," Daniel finished to the empty air.
He gathered Zachary up and headed upstairs quickly to wake Lon and let Cyra know they were going back to the hospital. The long day looked like it was going to be an even longer night.
"MOM!" he yelled, seeing the scene. He grabbed his mother around the waist and hauled her backwards. One second he had her and the next he was on the ground, painfully reminded of why he didn't ever try going one on one with his mother.
Alicia was already on the nurse again. Some beefy male nurse grabbed her arm, but she flicked him off of her like some particularly revolting bug. "YOU CAN'T DELAY ME AGAIN, BITCH!" Alicia screamed at the half-fainting girl. "WHERE IS SHE?"
Now Cameron understood. Between the nurse that had run into Heather's room and the girl being strangled by his mother, Cameron could get enough thoughts to know that Heather wasn't in her room anymore.
He grabbed his mother's left arm, grateful for the X-5 strength that gave him the slightest bit of leverage over his mother and yanked her back. "SHE DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING!" he yelled in her face.
Alicia paused for just a second. "She doesn't know anything, Mom. Trust me, she's scared of you, not of what she's done."
If it had been anyone else, Alicia would have gone to work in earnest on the girl. But this was Cameron. If there was anyone she would be willing to trust Heather's safety to, it would be one of her other children. And Cameron was a stronger telepath than even Daniel. If he said the nurse wasn't in on it, then she wasn't.
Cameron said a silent prayer of thanks when he saw he had gotten through to his mother. Had he not been there, a whole lot of people would be in a world of hurt until someone admitted to knowing where Heather was. "Call your father," she said sharply. "I'm getting the security tapes."
She took off at a sprint. Cameron had no doubt his mother knew exactly where security was and how to get the tapes from the surveillance cameras around the hospital. Someone might get hurt in the process, but he wasn't about to stand in her way. It always marveled him how such a little thing could pack such a punch. Even the male X-6's didn't want to tangle with her.
Nurse Laurie was sobbing hysterically. The other nurses on the ward were dazed, too frightened to even call security after seeing how easily she dispatched the one male nurse. He was going to stay far away from Aunt Jhondie when she heard about what happened at her hospital, that was for sure. For once, it was completely not his fault.
"Call Dr. Carter," he ordered one nurse, and once one started moving, they all seemed to break the paralysis, taking care of Laurie and one risking his life to follow Alicia. Not that he would be able to catch up to her, but it was good to be able to do something. The other nurse went to check on the other patients and make sure they were unhurt.
Cameron grabbed his cell. All this and Emilie was going to be pissed that he took off while she was still on a dive. He dialed Daniel's home number, wondering why exactly he had gotten out of bed that morning.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Zack had tried sleeping for a while, but that wasn't happening this night. He should be exhausted. It had been a long time since he had a day this grueling. Even the twins' little escapade last winter hadn't been like this. He knew those two. They landed on their feet. He and Alicia had just trailed along to make sure they came back to the US and not hidden in another country for a while. Yes, they had been in some danger, but not enough to provoke a mortal panic.
He finally got up and wandered towards the kitchen. When you can't sleep, eat. It was something to do at any rate until his turn to watch over Heather. And Alicia was going to change shifts. That was not negotiable. He slid towards the kitchen doorway and then noticed a small light was on. He smiled when he heard a baby's happy gurgle.
Daniel was sitting at the breakfast table, feet propped on a chair, with Zachary resting against his bent legs. "And then the ambassador tried to deny it, but I had the evidence right there. Some people might call it blackmail, but I say that's half of good journalism," he said to the small infant in his lap, and then tickled the baby's tummy, getting another happy little noise from him.
"I used to do that to you," Zack said softly. Daniel looked up, surprised. He wasn't used to someone being able to walk up behind him. If he couldn't hear him, then thoughts gave the person away.
"I don't need as much sleep as Cyra," Daniel replied as Zack sat down at the table. Daniel smiled, looking a little embarrassed. "I would do this for Tanya and she always seemed to like staying up half the night as long as I was talking to her. I know they can't understand me, but..." he wasn't sure how to finish.
Zack nodded. "I know." He let out a little laugh. "I think you were born to be a journalist. I would talk to you and you would stare at me like you knew exactly what I was saying and remembering it all for a story you were planning."
Daniel grinned. "Could never fool you guys could I?"
"You always reminded me of Max. If there was trouble to be found, you made sure you were in the middle of it."
Daniel laughed again. His smile faded. "I had to do it, Dad. I know you're still not happy about it, but how was I supposed to live with myself if I didn't do something?"
"You decide on what is priority in life and abide by it." Zack's words were cold as the tone. Daniel had never wondered what was going on with one of his siblings while he was gone. He had never had to burst in without a second to lose and save one of them from death or capture. Zack knew he and Alicia had protected the kids so that they would be able to have some normalcy in their lives. Maybe they had done it too well. The kids knew the dangers they were in but couldn't really appreciate them.
"I remember what Mom did when I was five and those guys tried to get me and Heather," Daniel said softly. "I think she thinks I was too young and didn't understand, but I saw. And that's something that doesn't just go away. I've talked to Heather and she can't see Mom like that. Mom's the one that can make killer blueberry muffins and yeah, once upon a time she was a badass, but that's when she was a kid. But I remember. She wiped the blood off of her hands and then picked us up and walked out of there like that was nothing to her. And I think it wasn't anything to her."
Daniel met his father's gaze evenly. "I don't think I could do what she did. She ripped those men up and didn't hesitate for a second. I remember seeing internal organs and hearing them screaming over and over and there was absolutely no mercy from her. I know I can't do that. So how am I supposed to protect my daughter and son?"
"Public outrage means very little to the people making the decisions," Zack replied. "They will always find funding from somewhere else."
Daniel gave him a wry little grin that was painfully like Alicia's when she was proud of herself for doing something particularly evil. "But you have no idea how many of them have dirty little secrets they don't want exposed. I'm not willing to black ops moves to take care of them. But I am willing to play dirty. I normally don't use telepathy to get what I want. For this...I played very, very dirty. There's a reason the Congressional sub- committee didn't throw me in jail when I told them to get bent."
Zack couldn't help a small smile. That was his boy all right. Before he could say anything, Liz came half-stumbling into the room as she finished pulling up her jeans and zipping them, trying to talk to Brandt as she moved. "I don't know!" she cried. "Cam's not talking to me but something's wrong and..." she broke off seeing her father and brother in the kitchen.
"Liz are you sure you're not just...getting some nerves?" Brandt questioned. "Like when Cameron was worried about those National Geographic people being there? You were about to fly down there thinking he was getting eaten by a shark."
She shook her head. "Something's wrong," she announced to Zack and Daniel. "I don't know what exactly, but I'm going to the hospital right now."
"Liz..." Zack said warningly.
"I'm not asking you to understand," she snapped sharply, running her hands through her hair. That alone got Zack worried. The only time Liz ever got that snappish was because of her twin. "Just accept that a minute ago, he went from worried to in pain. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to be there now."
The phone rang. Zack had it in his hand in an eye blink. "Cameron?"
Cameron didn't waste the time to ask how he had known he would be calling. "Dad, you need to get down here now. Heather's missing; Mom's flipping out and...tell Liz to stop panicking, I'm okay."
Zack didn't waste time. "Heather went missing," he said sharply, hanging up the phone.
"Keys are by the door," Daniel replied quickly. "I'll..." but there wasn't anyone to hear his words, just the slamming of the front door as the three other people ran to the car in the garage. "Let everyone know," Daniel finished to the empty air.
He gathered Zachary up and headed upstairs quickly to wake Lon and let Cyra know they were going back to the hospital. The long day looked like it was going to be an even longer night.