Suddenly a weight on her thigh caused her to jump. She looked down to find Alex placing his hand on her thigh smiling up at her face. Miss Green smiled back, again unable to resist the little boys charm. Suddenly the little boy climbed into her lap. Miss Green though shocked automatically adjusted the boy to sit in her lap properly for he faced her. As soon as he was situated he tilted his head to the right and looked at her.
"Hi." He said.
She chuckled at the boy.
"Hi." She said back.
The little boys gaze scrutenized her face and seemed to come to a conclusion.
"Whatcha name?" little Alex asked.
"My name's Miss Green." She whispered to him proudly.
Alex straightened his head and smiled.
"My name's Alex." He said with pride.
Miss Green smiled at the boy.
"Nice to meet you Alex."
Alex tilted his head again and looked at her again.
"Why did daddy try ta hurt ya?" Alex asked.
Miss Green glanced beyond the little boy to look at the unconscious Lyle. She then turned her eyes back to the boy.
"Because your daddy doesn't like me." She said offhandedly.
Alex shook his head no.
"Ba his your brother. Brother's are sposta take care of there sisters." Alex debated.
Miss Green looked to the little boy surprised.
"How did you know that Lyle was my brother?" she asked truly shocked.
Alex turned to look at his mother who had bent down to whisper things into the sleeping form of her husband. He then turned to see his sister sleeping in his grandmother's arms who had fallen asleep with her head against the side of the car. Ethan and the Major were infront driving the van so there were nowhere near them. After Alex confirmed that noone was paying attention to them he quickly turned back to Green. He lowered his head and whispered to her.
"They told me so."
Miss Green furrowed her brow.
"Who told you?" whispering her question.
"The voices...(he shrugged his little shoulders)...they tell me stuff." He answered.
Miss Green looked at the boy in complete shock. No wonder Lyle had done everything from having the Centre discover his family. Alex then placed his index finger against his mouth and made a shushing nose.
"It's a secret...only daddy knows about it...you can't tell anybody." He said.
Miss Green nodded her head.
"Promise?" the little boy asked.
Miss Green smiled at the boy again.
"I promise."
They stayed that way for 2 minutes just sitting there when Alex asked her another question.
"Where are we goin?" he asked.
Miss Green smirked at the boy...the answer to the question truly making her happy. She leaned in to whisper to him the response.
"We're going to get your cousins. My children. You have alot you know."
Alex's eyes and mouth opened wide.
"I have cousins...can I play with them...I never get to play with anybody." his face changing from one of joy to a puppy dog face. A face begging for an answer.
Miss Green smiled at the boy and played with his hair with one hand as she answered.
"Yes...yes you can play with them."
Alex smiled at the reply. He then leaned forward and burried himself into her as he wrapped his arms around her.
Miss Green was to shock to react the boy. She had never dealt with kids. Not Alex's age anyway. The sudden show of affection unnerved her. But then something stronger than the discomfort over took her senses. She quickly embraced the boy back and snuggled the boy closer to her. She placed her cheek on his head as the little boy began to fall asleep.
She realized what was happening...even before she knew her own children...her maternal instincts had kicked in and in full. She closed her eyes trying to image what it would be like to hold her own children in her arms. What it would feel like to receive there love.
The lights up ahead made her raise her head. A street sign made her take note of how far they were from there finally destination. They were almost there.
Blue Cove 30 miles
Sydney squeezed his eyes closed for a second and quickly reopened them. Driving at night wasn't necessarily out of the norm for him but it was still an adjustment to his old eyes. He wasn't about to waste time sleeping while all of the children were held buried under the Centre.
In the back Broots typed quickly as he continued to prepare for the rescue of the children. Angelo and Debbie had fallen asleep in the back of the car, so all was silent except for the sound of Broots typing furiously at his computer. It was only a few miles more to Blue Cove...to rest now would be ridiculous.
Sydney tailed the van in front of him closely. He wanted to secure the safety of Miss Green and Jarod's family. It was the least he could do. But the urge to sleep was overwhelming...but he was too afraid to close his eyes. He had failed Jarod...but he would not fail again. He would finish what Jarod had started. Even if it meant his death...then so be it. He had not been there for Jarod...but he would be there for Miss Green. He swore.
I won't fail you Jarod.
Broots' eyes were beginning to burn. There was no time for him to stop. Not all of the preparations had been made, but like always there was always something more to do. He couldn't believe what was happening...and how fast it was happening. Everything was changing in a blink of an eye.
Yet he knew he couldn't close his eyes...for fear of reliving the horrible events that he had witnessed.
Every time he closed his eyes he would see the blood.
He would see Jarod's abused body lying on the ground.
He would see Sydney's horrified face.
But the one thing that terrified him from the memory was none of these things. It wasn't the blood. It wasn't the horrible ache in him heart at the sight. It wasn't the hairs on the back of his neck that stood up straight that terrified him.
It was the laughter that he heard. The laughter that came from Raines, how his wild eyes sparkled at the scene before them, and the smile that had spread across his face...that is what would stay with him for the rest of his life.
He stopped typing for a second and looked out of the car and to the van in front of them.
He would make sure she never knew about that detail. He would protect her from that horror. He would ensure the safety of Jarod's children and the family he left behind.
Broots turned to look at his lab top screen to see all the faces of the children he had found. He let out a sigh.
This was his apology. This was the task that he would undertake. This was what he would do for the rest of his life. It was his promise to a man that he had tracked down for years like an animal.
Broots let the tears forming in his eyes fall down. He would protect Jarod's family...because it was the least that he owed Jarod.
Broots looked across to his daughter sleeping on the seat.
If only he would have found out sooner about the tap on the line.
If only he would have contacted Miss Green earlier.
If only...if only he could take it all back...if he would have started helping Jarod find his family and help him run away.
Now Jarod was gone. And he could never beg for the forgiveness that he needed now.
So this would be his life's mission.
This would be his retribution.
Broots nodded his head to the thought. He looked back to his screen and began working again. He had worked to do. People who depended on him are awaiting his word.
The light that came up ahead made him look up.
Blue Cove - 15 miles
The Major continued to drive as he saw the sign indicating how far they were from there destination. All had been quite in the van for last couple of minutes. So when he heard Lyle scream out...his body automatically jerked at the noise.
People within the car started to scream as not only Lyle began to yell, but also because the Major had lost control of the car. The Major soon regained control and pulled out to the exit in front of him.
The children screamed as they saw there father look to Miss Green with crazy eyes. The sudden jerk of the car stopping caused Lyle to fall back next to a hysterical Emily. Miss Green who had seen the look in her brother's eyes seized the opportunity and began to open the door to the van and jump out. Lyle though was right behind her. He grabbed her from behind and wrestled her to the ground. Soon they heard another pair of tires screeching to a halt.
The Major jumped out of the van and ran to the scuffle. Miss Green was yelling at Lyle as well as Emily, Margaret, Kyle, and Ethan. Ethan and Kyle helped the Major pull Lyle off of Miss Green. But Lyle was acting like an animal scrambling to get to her.
"STOP IT LYLE. STOP!" yelled the Major into his ear.
"LET ME GO. LET GO!!!!" Lyle yelled back.
By this time Broots and Sydney were by Miss Green's side.
The children began to cry to because of their father's actions. Miss Green's attention was caught by this. She looked at the terrified faces of her niece and nephew. Something snapped inside of her. She walked swiftly up to the struggling Lyle. She hit him hard across the face shocking him.
"YOU'RE SCARING THEM!!! CAN'T YOU SEE YOUR SCARING THEM!!!! STOP IT DAMN IT!!!!!!" She screamed into his face.
The children's crying and screaming to their daddy was the only sound that was heard after she yelled at him.
And she saw him transform right before her eyes. The wild look in his eyes changed. The dark blue eyes turning into a light blue color. His face which held a snarl soon turned into and open mouth bewildered look. As if in a trance he looked over to his children. They were both crying and clutching to their mother.
The fight left his body all at once and his entire body slumped. He slowly disentangled himself from the Major's and Ethan's hold. He slowly approached his children. They were still crying. He kneeled down and began to calm them and hug them.
"Shhhhh, its ok baby, its ok...I'm so sorry baby. It's ok. Daddy's ok now. Shhhh." Lyle spoke.
Both children wrapped themselves around Lyle and buried there faces into his neck. Lyle kissed there heads and continued to calm them. Lyle looked up to his wife. She had tears streaming down her face. Lyle looked into her eyes. They were angry eyes that stared back at him.
"You promised me." She whispered.
He looked away from her eyes and then back.
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I swear." Lyle vowed.
Emily stared into his eyes for a minute. She saw the sincerity in his eyes. Her eyes quickly moved to Miss Green who was watching the scene. Lyle saw the movement of her eyes. He knew what Emily meant when she looked behind him. He quickly kissed his children again and slowly rose. He slowly turned to look at Miss Green. He stared at her with anger in his eyes...but with much less intensity. He slowly strolled back to her.
Ethan seemed to ready himself for a repeat performance as Lyle stood not three feet away from Miss Green. Then with a calm but strong voice spoke.
"What are you doing here? How the hell did you find them?" He asked angrily.
Miss Green looked to Emily and Margaret. Then back to Lyle.
"Is it really that important for you to know." She answered.
"Your damn right it is. What happened... did your lab rat lead you to them or was he to much of an asshole that he led you to them and then saved his own ass?" he smarted off.
She quickly slapped him across the face so hard that he couldn't comprehend why she did so. Lyle quickly looked back to her. Her eyes had darkened and her face snarled at him.
"Don't you...EVER...talk about him like that again. EVER!!" she said through gritted teeth.
"Jarod would never do anything like that. You got that. And if I ever see or hear you do what you just did seconds ago in front of my niece and nephew again I will make sure that you never touch them again."
Lyle looked at her in complete shock. She sounded as if she actually cared about them.
"What are you doing here?" he repeated his question.
"I need your help." She stated simply.
Lyle looked to the people surrounding her. Evaluating their expressions. He must have seen that they were all awaiting his answer. His eyes darted back to her.
"Keep talking." Lyle said.
"I need to know if YOU know about 3 hidden sublevels. I need you to get us access to them."
Lyle looked to the Major then back to her.
"How did you find out about them?" Lyle asked.
Miss Green's face of anger again.
"You knew about them. Do you have access to them?" She bit out.
Lyle stared at her for a long time without blinking.
"No. I've been trying to gain access but only the Tower members have access to the sublevels."
"Well I don't need there fucking permission...do you know where the entrance to levels is at least??" Miss Green stated aggressively.
"Yeah, I know where it is." Lyle stated.
Miss Green looked at him oddly.
"Why do you want access to those levels? What's down there?" She asked suspiciously.
Lyle didn't flinch as he responded, "Do you want my help or not?"
She considered the possibility that Lyle was bringing them into a trap. That he knew what was in those sublevels and he was going to sell her freedom for his families. But she had to risk it.
"Yeah I do." She stated.
"Then there two conditions. One...you don't mention my children or my wife. Two...you tell me what your interested in down there... what's down there that your interested in?"
Miss Green looked at Lyle suspiciously once more. He couldn't be playing dumb with her. The expression on his face gave her the impression that he was angry that she knew about something that he didn't. She looked over to the Major.
"Do you think he knows?" She asked him.
The Major looked between a desperate Miss Green... and a confused Lyle.
"Know WHAT??" Lyle asked the Major completely confused.
The Major looked back to Miss Green.
"I honestly don't think he does. He would have at least told Emily...and Emily tells us everything. I believe he would help us. I think we can trust him." He answered her.
Miss Green looked away from the Major and to Lyle. She took a deep breath letting out the tension in her body. She braced herself for the next few minutes to come.
"The Centre...Mr. Raines and Mr. Parker for the past 20 years have been secretly creating children with Jarod's genetic material in these sublevels...their Jarod's and mine. There my children."
Lyle didn't seem phased by the information and just continued to stare at her. Unnerved by this she just kept going.
"In the past 20 years they artificially created 29 children... I need to get them out and I need to do it without being scene... even if you don't want to risk helping us rescue them you could cause a distraction that would give us time...I just need to get my children out of there." She said in one breath.
The serious face that Lyle gave her made her extremely nervous...and then, just as suddenly his face became one of laughter as he began to laugh hysterically.
"HAHAHAHA...HA..I..I'm sorry... it's just so ridiculous. HEHEHE... HE that was a good one...you had me going there." He said trying to stifle his laughter. But when he turned to look at her and the people around her- all with serious faces staring back at him, he stopped laughing all together. His facing turned into one of shocked astonishment.
"You're kidding me!!" he exclaimed.
"I'm dead serious." She stated.
Lyle's brow scrunched together.
"Twenty nine kids. Are you sure? How the hell could they have made 29 children?" He exclaimed.
Miss Green looked at him with doubtful eyes.
"You mean to tell me you didn't know?" She asked him.
"WHAT!! Of course not... shit I swear to you if I would have known I would have killed those sons of bitches with my bare hands if I'd have known they were breeding Pretenders." Lyle exclaimed.
Miss Green glanced at Sydney for a second to catch his eye. She quickly looked back to Lyle.
"So are you going to help us or not?" She asked irritated.
Lyle looked her straight in the eye.
"Either you're the luckiest woman on the planet or Centre has bad luck...you picked a hell of a night to ask...if we go tonight we'll be able to get them out with less commotion then need be. If we go now and plan in the car... we can get them out." He stated confidently.
Miss Green looked at him in amazement.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
Lyle closed his eyes and rolled his head in a "oh for Christ sake" manner. He answered her with closed eyes.
"Yes! Now are you ready to save your children or NOT!" Lyle dared.