LJP- Glad you liked the chapter. To answer your question Alley does not lose her pyrokinetic power. She loses her inner sense, and gains telekinesis. Sam's new job is explained in this chapter.

Joy- Thanks for the complements. Sorry no babies in this chapter but there are references to them. In away this chapter is all about them, they just aren't in it. Next chapter though has plenty of Will and Alley, and another boy mentioned earlier in the story.


CHAPTER 25

A JOB OFFER


February 11, 1995

11:23am

Blue Cove, Delaware

The Centre

"You really need to learn to stay out of here Sammy," Parker said entering the infirmary. Sam sat in a wheelchair dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, reading a book

"How was Boston?" Sam asked placing the book in his lap. Parker sighed.

"I swear the sweepers have lower IQ's each year. I had to give a lecture on the proper etiquette of holding a gun. Oh and I might have accidentally shot a sweeper in the foot because he was coming on to me." Parker said grinning.

"Morgan Elixandra Parker you didn't," Sam gasped trying not to laugh. Parker feigned an innocent look, and Sam buried his face in his hands. "You do know you can get arrested for that sort of thing?"

"Please it was justifiable, and now all the sweepers know to fear me."

"All fear the wrath of the ice queen," Sam grinned.

"Exactly," Parker replied. "Come on lets get you home this place gives me the creeps," Parker said and wheeled Sam out of the infirmary.


February 13, 1995

6:40am

Blue Cove, Delaware

Home of Samuel Grey

Sam woke up the two days later to a furious pounding at his door. Sam got up from bed and crutched his way to the front door. Standing on his doorstep was the sweeper who had broken his arm years ago.

"What do you want Willie," Sam said annoyed by the sight of the other man.

"The Chairman and Raines want to see you," Willie replied.

"Why?" Sam asked the other sweeper.

"They didn't tell me," Willie said.

"They probably didn't think that your tiny brain could handle anything more than alerting me that they wanted to see me," Sam said grinning.

"You think your all high and mighty because you have the Parker name behind you," Willie seared. "But the truth is your just like all the other little lab rats in the basement." Willie then found himself roughly shoved against the wall, and unable to breath.

"Listen to me Willie, and listen carefully, I'll try to use one syllable words so that your tiny brain can grasp this. I. Am. Not. A. Lab. Rat," Sam said punctuating each word by slamming Willie's head against the wall. "Got it?" Sam asked.

Willie made a gasping sound.

"Good boy," Sam said and released his hold on Willie's neck. Willie fell to his knees gasping for breath. "Tell the chairman and Raines I'll be their shortly," Sam told the other sweeper. "Now get out of my house before I have to shoot you, and I really don't feel like cleaning up your blood."

Willie scrambled out of Sam's house. Sam grinned at the sight of the retreating sweeper.

"Who was at the door?" Parker asked walking into the livingroom rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She had stayed over the past two nights to keep an eye on Sam.

"Willie," Sam told her.

"What did he want?" Parker yawned.

"Your dad and Raines want to have a talk with me," Sam told her as he walked back to his room to get dressed.

"What about?"

"Willie didn't say," Sam replied as he struggled into his clothing.

"You need any help?" Parker asked him as she watched him try to get dressed.

"I don't need my big sister to dress me Mor," Sam replied.

"I was just offering my help Sam no need to get defensive," Parker told him.

"I'm sorry," Sam sighed. "It's just..."

"You feel like an invalid due to the fact you're unable to dress yourself not to mention the fact your hands are shaking uncontrollably because you have a meeting with Daddy and Raines," Parker finished sitting next to him.

"Yeah something like that," Sam said.

"Well relax. Incase you've forgotten you were shot in the leg four days ago. Your leg has yet to fully heal enough to the point that you can easily put on you pants. And the meeting with Daddy and Raines won't be so bad. I promise. Things are different now Sammy, Raines can't hurt you anymore," Parker told him

"I know. Just old feelings don't go away as easily as I'd like them to," Sam told her. "Now can you be the best sister in the world and help you're brother get these stupid pants on his left leg?" Sam asked.

"I think I can help you out there," Parker said smiling.

"I wished you'd do that more often," Sam cemented and Parker eased the pant leg on Sam's wounded limb.

"Dress you?"

"No smile. You smile much to little for my liking," Sam told her.

"Well little brother do me a favor and make a fool of yourself more often and I will smile more often," Parker said.

"You know that's an offer I just might have to take up," Sam replied.


February 13, 1995

7:15am

Blue Cove, Delaware

The Centre

Sam stood outside of the chairman's office nervously running hand through his hair. He had no true reason to be nervous, he had done nothing wrong that he could recollect. Sam's nerves would not have been so bad had Raines not have also requested Sam's presence. It had been decades since Sam had been with in a twenty foot radius of the former doctor. In fact the last time Sam had been in the presence of Raines had been when he was still a teenager, and Mutombo had rescued Sam from the hands of Raines. Sam had thought that he was truly over his fears of Raines. Apparently he was wrong.

"Mr. Parker will see you now, Sammy," Susan said.

"Thank you Susan," Sam said to his father's former secretary. She was one of the few people other than Parker who still called Sam, Sammy.

"Don't look so glum Sammy. You haven't done anything wrong," Susan told him standing up, "And straighten your tie, your mother taught you better," Susan said straightening Sam's tie for him. "Now keep your temper, and hold your tongue when it comes to Mr. Raines," She said.

"I will," Sam promised as he walked towards the office door. "And Susan thank you, for everything."

"Ah Samuel here you are," Mr. Parker said looking up from a pair of black files that had a circle formed of stars on the front. Raines was sitting across from the chairman.

"Good morning Chairman, Mr. Raines," Sam said nodding his towards the two men -monsters-.

"Have a seat Samuel," Mr. Parker said indicating the seat to the right of Raines. "How long now have you been working for the Centre, Samuel?"

"Including my years as a researcher, Sir, I've been employed her for twenty eight years. Nine years as a researcher, nineteen as a sweeper," Sam replied.

"And your job how do you like it?" Mr. Parker asked

"I enjoy my work Sir," Sam lied. Sam had only stayed with the Centre because he intended to keep the promise he made to his mother to always look after Parker.

"Yes well, nineteen years as a sweeper is a long time Samuel," Mr. Parker said. Sam cringed he hated the fact that the chairman kept using Sam's proper name over and over, it made Sam feel as though he was about to be in a vast amount of trouble.

"Most men of your intelligence would find the job of a sweeper to be quite degrading," Mr. Parker continued. "I have an offer for you, one that would challenge you."

"Sir, I made a promise years ago to look after your daughter. It is one I have no intentions of backing out on." Sam said.

"Don't worry boy, we won't take you away from you're precious sister," Raines hissed. Sam clenched his fist, and did his best to keep a dampener on his temper.

"Samuel, recently the Centre has begun a project know as the Black Files, a group of fifteen super pretenders, with many other capabilities. There are to be three groups of twins and three groups of triplets. All completely loyal to one another, and loyal to the Centre of course. Each set of sibling are to be identical in every way save the fact that in each set of sibling will contain at least one male and one female."

"I don't understand. How are they identical is they are of opposite sex?" Sam asked.

"A bit of genetic engineering on Raines's part." Mr Parker replied. "Now the first of set of twins was born last week. I believe you've had the pleasure of meeting them. Young Jacob and Rachael are the beginning of a new legacy of the Centre."

"Wasn't the same being said about Project Phoenix?" Sam questioned. Raines and the chairman exchanged uneasy looks.

"And what have you heard about Phoenix?" Raines asked.

"I have also had the pleasure of meeting them. It was a little over two years ago in the infirmary. I believe they were there for a few blood test, at the same time I was in the infirmary for a broken arm. They appear to be quite brilliant."

"Yes but Phoenix is just a prototype for the Black Files. The Black Files themselves are much more advanced." Mr. Parker told Sam hastily. "Now back to the job offer, Samuel. You got on quite well will Jacob and Rachael. We would like to place you in charge of their security."

"You mean you want me to babysit them," Sam said.

"That's the gist of it, yes," Raines told him, grinning.

"For now, Samuel. Jacob and Rachael are newborns, in six months their training will begin, by that time the next two series of Black Files will be born. By April of next year the last set will have been born. By October of 1996 all fifteen of them will be in training. You Samuel will also play a role in their training, as well as their safety."

"I'm to be their Jacob, their Sydney?"

"Yes, only to a lesser extent. Raines along with a few other's will be their full time trainers. And you will still continue being my Angel's personal sweeper. Do you except?" The chairman asked.

Sam originally planed on declining the offer. He didn't mind kids but he didn't feel like being a surrogate father for a bunch of mini super pretenders. 'But then' Sam thought. 'Those kids are going to see someone to look after them to keep them safe from Raines and any other psychos that might end up looking after them. Besides it would be a lot less strenuous than training rookie sweepers. It would certainly keep me out of the infirmary.'

Yet Sam was wrong the infirmary would soon become his home away from home. For the next eight years Sam would sit at the bed side of over a dozen and a half children as they over came chicken pocks, the flu, and various beatings from Raines's flunkies.

"I'll take it," Sam said.

"Good man," Mr. Parker said and shook Sam's hand. "And Samuel my Angel is not to know of this. The Black Files is a top secret project. She does not have clearance for it."

"Yes sir," Sam replied. And for eight years he kept his job secret from his sister. And he would come to hate himself for it when all came into light.


"Are we doing the right thing here?" Raines asked Mr. Parker after Sam had left.

"You don't trust him?"

"No I don't. That boy is loyal to Miss Parker not the Centre. And then to have him so close to the both the Black Files and Phoenix."

"I never said that he would be involved in Phoenix, William," Mr. Parker said.

"I know that Richard but it is only eventual." Raines argued.

"You worry to much brother. Sam will be so wrapped up the Black Files that he never be able to figure out the origins of the children." Mr. Parker reassured Raines. "And what of Lyle? Do you still want to use him in the Black Files?"

"We'd be silly not to Richard after all were using his sister. The six children we get from Lyle and Miss Parker will more than likely be the best of the whole project."

"Good, Good. And Phoenix the whole thing with their brains not making enough serotonin has been fixed, correct?"

"They haven't had a relapses since Mackenzie took care of it two years ago."

"Hum, I'll have to give her a raise then. And Cox as well, it seems that Phoenix finally came into their pyrokinesis as promised."

"Yes will have to find some way to control that. And the triumvirate finally authorize the splitting of Phoenix. They have three more years together and then I'll be taking the girl to Dragon House. Both will be reeducated to believe the other had died and then I'll bring the girl back a few months afterwards." Raines informed his brother.

"Did you want to start having Gemini and Phoenix working together?" The chairman asked.

"Yes in fact the sooner the better."

"I'll clear my schedule to observe the three of them tomorrow," Mr. Parker said glancing at his calendar.

"That's fine," Raines replied.


Angelo scurried back to his lair before Raines could return and find that Angelo had been gone. The empath was quite proud of himself, Angelo had managed to make sure Sam had been shot and met Jake and Rachael. Angelo had then maneuver the chairman, and Raines into placing Sam partially in charge of the Black Files. Angelo knew it would only be a matter of time before Sam was involved with Phoenix.

The empath had figured out that Sam would play a major role in keeping Phoenix and the Black Files from becoming the terrors Devin had seen in his vision. Sam would give the children the one thing they lacked. Unconditional love.


Please review guys I know that there has to be more than two people reading this story.


Up Next: Will and Alley have a little fun with every ones hated Sweeper, learn a little about Lyle, and meet another child of the Centre.