Authors Note #1: Sorry for the delay guys. It's just that I've been extremely busy with the musical I'm working on. But don't worry I'll be done with it -the play- on Sunday.

Authors Note #2: After this chapter there are three more left this story will end a few chapters into where the Black Files begins


Erikstrulove- Guess what you get a hint about what has happened to Markus in this chapter. You just have to pay close attention. As for Lyle yeah you did know about his inner sense form the Black Files. It was mentioned in the prologue. An attack of conscience for Lyle? Maybe, but he's about to be a right bastard soon, well not that he wasn't before, but if you remember what Lyle did to Alex before the kids escaped you wont be too surprised as to what is going to happen in the next chapter or two.


CHAPTER 54

A DECISION MADE


January 14, 2001

6:13am

Blue Cove, Delaware

The Centre

Jeremiah awoke to a hand covering his mouth. Jeremiah squirmed. "Don't struggle," Hissed a man. Jeremiah's looked up and saw that is was Cox.

RUN

screamed the voice in Jeremiah's head. Jeremiah began to flail his arms about. Realizing that something was amiss Jake and Rachael awoke.

"What's going on?" Jake demanded.

"Go back to sleep Jacob," Cox told the boy.

"Like hell," Jake snarled. "Let him go!"

"You've forgotten your place," Cox said removing his hand from Jeremiah's mouth. Cox replaced his hand firmly around Jeremiah's wrist. The young red head winced in pain. By that time the other Black Files were beginning to stir due to the commotion.

"Jake," Jeremiah said his eyes pleading with Jake to get him out of the situation.

"It's gonna be okay Jer," Jake replied. "Take me in his place."

"They don't want you Jacob they want him. Now get out of my way or I'll send Mr. Lyle to punish you," Cox threatened.

"I'm not afraid of Lyle," Jake replied. Jake would willingly take anything Lyle would dish if it meant that Jeremiah would remain safe.

"I know. But Alexandra is," Cox said glancing a Alex. Aaron, and Andros instinctively wrapped their arms around their sister.

"I'll go," Jeremiah whispered. The last thing he wanted was for any of the girls to be hurt because of him.

"Jer no!" Greg yelled. "Take me instead I'm older." Melissa let out a strangled sob knowing that either way one of her brothers was going to be hurt.

"That's sweet of you Gregory but no," Cox said and led Jeremiah out of the room. It was eight days before any of the children saw Jeremiah again.


January 17, 2001

8:32pm

Blue Cove, Delaware

The Centre

"Remind me again why we are doing this," Cox said. He had become bored with the experiments being done to Jeremiah the day prior, unlike Raines and Lyle the screams did nothing for Cox, but unsettle his stomach.

"I told you. I've believe that the best way to make the boy's inner sense present is by a life altering experience. Take Miss Parker for example, every since the explosion she has become more in tune with her inner sense. Ethan didn't fully develop his inner sense until he nearly died when he was a child," Raines answered from his wheelchair.

"And what about the other children wouldn't of it have made more sense to put Alexandra, Aaron, or Andros through this? Jeremiah, Gregory, nor Melissa have ever showed any signs of having an inner sense," Cox stated.

"Which is why I chose Jeremiah. Out of his siblings he is the one with the least potential. Why damage our top products when we have a flawed one to experiment with," Raines replied.

"But if we cause too much damage to him, won't the worth of the Black Files decrease?" Cox asked.

"It will only be a loss of a million or two. All the buyers really need is for the children to reach puberty. The Black Files genetics are worth more than the Centre makes a year." Raines said.

"Will Project Shadow be sold along side of the Black Files?"

"No. There are still a few... kinks to work out," Raines wheezed. "Erik is doing a fine job but we haven't had a single one make it past a year of age. It was a good idea to send Shadow to England, the Triumvirate would have never gone for the project. Hopefully, they nor Alexander will never learn of it."

"Hopefully Michael and Michelle will never learn of Shadow," Cox muttered, as he left the observation room to check on Jeremiah.

The young boy was strapped down to a table, electrodes placed over his tiny frame. Cox walked over to the boy. The doctor checked Jeremiah's pulse. Satisfied, Cox snapped his fingers and a nurse handed him a syringe filled with a red liquid. He the proceeded to search for a vein, along Jeremiah's needle, scared forearms.

"Please...Stop," Jeremiah begged wearily. "I'll do...anything."

"Anything?" Cox says raising an eyebrow.

"Anything," Jeremiah repeated closing his eyes. Tears cascaded down his pale face.

"Die," Cox said as he injected the drug into Jeremiah's veins.

Jeremiah began to thrash about wildly, his screams echoing through out the room. The heart monitor he was connected to began to race wildly. A minute later, Jeremiah suddenly collapsed, and a steady high pitched beep filled the room as Jeremiah flat lined.

Cox reached for a pair of paddles, and charged them. After being shocked five times Jeremiah was brought back to the land of the living. Gesturing for the nurse to tend to the boy, Cox left the room to return to Raines.

"Until tomorrow, old chap," Cox said.

"Tomorrow," Raines replied.


January 21, 2001

11:54pm

Blue Cove, Delaware

Home of Samuel Grey

The ringing of his cell phone brought Sam out of his slumber. He reached blindly for it.

"Hello," Sam said into his phone.

"Sam, they brought him back," Jen said and hung up. Sam leapt out of bed, and pulled on a pair of black jeans and a black sweatshirt. As the sweeper pulled on his sneakers he was vaguely aware the he had dressed his self like Jarod. Sam got into his car and sped off to the Centre.

When he arrived in the infirmary Jen was there tending to and unconscious Jeremiah.

"Oh God," Sam gasped when he caught sight of the boy in the dim light. Jeremiah was beyond pale, there was an unhealthy brown hue under his eyes, his lips were chapped. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. All along his forearms were track marks. And on Jeremiah's small chest were what appeared burn marks.

"What did they do to him?" Sam asked sitting down in the chair next to Jeremiah's bed.

"I don't know," Jen said. "Rita, she's normally in charge of this shift called me. Told me that a kid had been brought in, and needed serious treatment. So I came over. When I found out it was Jerry, I called you."

"And Will?" Sam questioned.

"Still no sign of him," Jen replied. Sam sighed. Will had disappeared the day before Jeremiah had.Sam knew that Will had not escaped. There was no way that Will would leave his siblings behind.

"Do the other kids know that Jeremiah's back?" Sam asked.

"No. I have Abrahams keeping an eye on them," Jen replied.

"Good," Sam whispered.

"I hope the bastard that did this to Jerry, dies a slow painful death," Jen growled.

"It won't matter. No matter how many times you kill Raines he keeps coming back," Sam said.

"Raines did this? How can you tell?"

"He did the same thing to me I think," Sam said rolling up his sleeves. Jen could just make out the track marks on Sam's arms. "I was sixteen. I attacked Raines. Raines didn't really like that so he tortured me. I think he did the same thing to Jerry."

"You're wrong," Came a voice. Startled Sam nearly leapt out of his chair. Realizing who it was Sam sighed.

"Will where have you been," Sam asked.

"I tried to stop them, from hurting him. I found out what they were going to do to him. I tried to destroy the project but the caught me. Kept me locked up in the cell they had Jarod in the summer he was caught," Will said. "They just let me out."

"Sit down Will let me look you over," Jen said.

"I'm fine. A little dehydrated and hungry, but other than that I'm fine." Will said wearily.

"Sit down William," Jen commanded.

"Yes ma'am," Will said too tired to fight.

"Will you said that you knew what Raines did to Jeremiah," Sam prompted.

"They gave him a drug... Stopped his heart, and then revived him. Roughly the same thing Raines and Lyle did to Jarod a few months before he escaped." Will said.

"Why?" Jen asked, a look of horror had crossed her face.

"To make him special. See Raines figured that when a person has a near death accident that it improves their chance of developing an inner sense. Some thing about a brush with death lets you hear the voices of the dead. Dumbest idea I ever heard. You can't force a gift like that. It's genetic," Will scoffed. The boy then quickly paled realizing that if Sam and Jen paid close enough attention to what he had just said then they might just discover who his parents were.

"I need to go now," Will stated.

"Where are you going?" Jen asked.

"Back to my cell before they discover that I'm gone," Will said leaving the room Will stealthily made his way back to his cell, taking a slight detour past the room where his younger brothers and sister slept. He peered into the cell checking on the children. Reassured that all was well, Will continued on his way.


January 22, 2001

6:16am

Blue Cove, Delaware

The Centre

"Sam," Jen said shaking the sweeper awake.

"Huh?"

"It's a quarter after six. You need to get dressed for work," Jen told him.

Sam rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, as he stood up stretching his limbs. "Jerry, awake yet?" Sam asked.

"No," Jen said. "And he won't for I while. I gave him something to help him sleep. He'll be up by noon."

"I'll see about bringing the kids by at lunch. If I can't I'll try to come by," Sam promised.

"I'll call you when we awakens. Now go get dressed," Jen instructed.

"Yes ma'am," Sam replied wryly. He then cast a glance at Jeremiah, Sam brushed the Jeremiah's hair back from his forehead. "You will call me the moment he awakens?"

"Sam I said I would. Don't worry he's safe with me," Jen said placing a hand on Sam's arm.

"I know he is. I just want to be there when he wakes up," Sam replied.

"He knows how much you care about him Sam." Jen told him. "And if you don't leave he'll be angry with you for not being with the other children. Maddie, Greg and the others mean the world to Jeremiah. If anything were to happen to then while you were watching over him, he wouldn't blame you, he'd blame himself."

"I'm gone," Sam said.


January 22, 2001

7:00am

Blue Cove, Delaware

The Centre

Sam entered the Black Files room, the children were already awake and dressed for the day. Sam smiled, at the eager looks on their faces.

"He's back isn't he?" Melissa asked.

"Can we go see him?" Greg questioned.

"He's not awake yet. Jen said he won't be up till noon," Sam told the children.

"I-is he okay?" Alex asked hesitantly. She knew that she was part of the reason the Jeremiah had left willingly.

"He'll be fine, Alex. Jer just needs some rest," Sam told the girl. "Now let's get you all to the sim lab, so you all can get breakfast."

The thirteen children followed Sam to the sim lab where they had their morning meal followed by a round of sims. Done for the afternoon, Sam was allowed to escort the children to the infirmary.

Jeremiah was beginning to stir when the group entered his room. Jen was by his bedside keeping an eye on his vitals. Sam stood on the opposite side of Jeremiah, Melissa and Greg on either side of the sweeper.

When Jeremiah opened his green eyes, Sam was the first person he saw. "Hey buddy how you feeling?" Sam asked. Jeremiah's eyes widened confused as to where he was. He tried to sit up but found that his arms had been strapped to the bed. Jeremiah began to thrash about struggling, to get himself free.

"No! Not again please!" the boy yelled.

"Jeremiah, Jer. It's me," Sam said holding the boy down. As Jen took the restraints off of Jeremiah. "It's okay, you're safe," Sam told him as he pulled Jeremiah into his arms. Realizing that it was Sam and not Cox, Jeremiah clung to his sweeper, sobbing out of relief that he was safe.

"Don't wanna go back. Please don't let him take me again," Jeremiah said between tears.

"It's okay buddy you aren't going anywhere," Sam promised.

Everyone was too caught up in the drama, to notice the looks exchange by Jake and Rachael. In that moment Jake came to a conclusion that he was through waiting. They were leaving.


Please, please, please review


So I'm going to lay off Jeremiah for a while and give the poor kid a break. As Jeremiah is resting Jake gathers up his group and they all plan an escape. But will they make it?