A familiar sound buzzed in Jack's right ear, but only momentarily. A second later it returned, ending again just like the time before. A third time, and then a fourth. Finally, Jack heard a click, and a familiar voiced greeted him.
"Hello?"
He remained silent for a little while, and then asked in a very quiet tone, "Are they alright?"
The woman at the other end of the line immediately recognized him. "Jack, where are you?"
"It doesn't matter. Are they alright?"
"You mean the deputies?"
"Yeah."
She sighed. "Why are you so concerned about their welfare now? You could've killed them."
"I take it by 'could've' that they're alright."
"Yeah," she answered. "Just some scratches. They're more shaken up than injured."
There was a long period of silence before Jack whispered, "Good."
"You're genuinely concerned, aren't you?"
"I don't like hurting anyone. I was only trying to escape, not trying to kill them. I was just following my instincts."
"How's April?"
"She's fine. Just come scratches. More shaken up than injured."
She tried to muffle a little laugh, saying, "She's a good kid. I never would've thought she'd get tangled up in something like this."
Jack was silent again. A faint feminine voice could be heard, after which he mumbled, "I have to go."
"Okay." She started to say goodbye to him, but he interrupted her.
"Thanks for helping me."
"It was nothing. I was just doing my job."
"No," he whispered. "You put your life and soul in me. For that, I'm supremely grateful."
Jack hung up the phone, staring at it for some time. He'd wondered for many years why pay phones were available at campsites. Maybe it was because people weren't completely comfortable with the idea of letting go of their lives and using a place like this purely as a retreat. Maybe they wanted something to turn to in case of emergency. Or maybe, like Jack, they just wanted to hear a familiar voice while they're hiding from the world.
Jack smiled as he walked away from the old pay phone. It did him good to hear Paula's voice. She was one of the few people he felt he could trust right now.
Jack and April spent three days hiding at an old run-down camping area next to a lake. The days were slow, full of conversation and training. It had taken April all of the first day and most of the second to get passed the shocking experiences of the previous days. All she could think about was almost killing her science teacher. But Jack helped her through her feelings, and the training progressed.
April was a fast learner, which she believed was purely due to her teacher's determination. She'd only known him a short time, but she believed him to be a good friend, a great motivator, and a trustworthy ally.
Jack watched as April stood a few feet away, her arm outstretched toward an old metal gas can. Her eyes were closed, as she was concentrating extremely hard. Slowly, a glowing orb of white energy developed at her fingertips. It started out the size of a golf ball, then a baseball. Softball. Volleyball. Basketball.
"Good," Jack said softly. "Now open your eyes."
She obeyed, staring down the rusted old can. Her eyes seemed to glow.
"Release," he commanded.
The orb at April's fingertips flashed brilliantly; it could have temporarily blinded anyone looking directly at it. Then, as instantly as the flash subsided, the orb disappeared, and was replaced by a long bolt of energy, striking the gas can in the blink of an eye. The old metal object burst into thousands of pieces. Each one of these pieces flew up into the air, and then rained down as glowing bits of shrapnel. An arc of static electricity temporarily shot between any pieces that landed less than a couple feet apart.
Jack applauded as the girl turned toward him and smiled. She looked familiar when she gave him this look. He remembered a girl he knew a couple years earlier; April looked just like her. They both were rather small, and had strawberry blonde hair, beautiful dimpled smiles, and wonderful personalities. He smiled, but quickly dismissed his thoughts of familiarity and reminiscence.
"You did very well." He approached her and patted her on the shoulder. "Much better than yesterday when you zapped me in the butt."
She giggled. "I did that on purpose," she said.
"I know."
She laughed loudly, and then sat down at the old cement picnic table. She watched him as he looked up at a tree. "Jack," she said, "what's your mutation?"
Jack was silent, almost as if he were ignoring her. He looked somewhat angry, or maybe unsure of something.
"Jack?"
"Hold on," he whispered, holding a hand up toward her. His head jerked about as birds called back and forth. He listened to them intently, almost like they were speaking to him.
"What is it, Jack?"
"Someone's here." His eyes narrowed. He peered deeply into the trees, watching carefully for any movement. He stepped forward, whispering, "Wait here."
April was both frightened and curious. She stood and started to follow him, but then decided to do as he said. She realized that he would be better off finding their visitor by himself, and she'd just get in his way. She climbed into the cab of his truck, watching as he disappeared in the thick pine trees.
Jack spent nearly half an hour searching for the mysterious intruder. He knew his quarry was close, but he never saw anyone. He could hear the person, sometimes ahead of him, sometimes behind. It was almost as if the prey was hunting the hunter.
It was odd that this individual could so easily evade him. Were the instincts and senses of this being equal, or even superior to his own? Did they know his techniques? Was this person a mutant, somehow using their own powers to counter his? The whole situation seemed terribly familiar, like he'd done this several times before.
Jack heard a soft whisper several yards to his left. He smiled, realizing who was opposing him in this game of cat and mouse.
He turned toward the source of the almost inaudible voice, and commanded, "Come on out, Addy!"
There was a rustling in the bushes, and a woman in her late twenties stood. She had a very familiar face; her features were somewhat similar to his. Her skin was almost exactly the same color as his, as was her hair. She, like him, was rather tall. She grinned widely at him.
Jack shook his head, slowly making his way through the bushes toward the woman. He asked sternly, "Adriana, what are you doing here?"
She looked somewhat disappointed by the inquiry. Answering his question with one of her own, she asked, "Why can't you greet me like a normal little brother?"
Jack and his sister, Adriana, sat facing each other, separated by a blazing campfire. Adriana's husband, Matthew O'Reilly, sat at the picnic table, eating an old MRE that Jack had given him. April was asleep in the passenger seat of Jack's truck.
"So," Jack began, "what are you guys doing up here?"
"Traveling," Adriana said. "We're finally taking that trip up to Alaska. We decided we'd save some money and camp out tonight instead of staying at a motel. This little lake looked as good a place as any. Isn't it a great coincidence that we ran in to you?"
Matthew looked up from his government-issue meatloaf just long enough to ask, "What are you doing here?"
"Yeah," agreed Adriana. "And who's the girl with you?"
Jack looked at April. "Well," he answered, "to make a long story short, I got in a wreck, then met her, and then saved her from an angry mob that wanted to crucify her."
"Oh, that old story." Adriana smiled at her little brother. "I think I saw a movie like that."
"Wait a minute," Matt said, his mouth full of apple sauce, "Were you the guy who rammed his way out of that little town about sixty miles down the road?"
Jack only nodded.
Matt laughed, and then said with a smile, "Oh, you've stirred up a hornet's nest, Jack. I heard on the radio that they have the police, National Guard, and every bloodhound in the state looking for you."
"The National Guard's after us?" April was awake, a look of fear in her eyes.
"Seems that way," Jack said. He and the others were quiet for several seconds before he changed the subject. "April, I'd like you to meet my sister and brother-in-law."
"Hi," Adriana smiled, "I'm Addy."
Matthew waved. "Matthew."
April stared at the two visitors for a few seconds, absorbing their names into her mind. She was still kind of groggy from waking up only seconds ago. "Are you mutants?"
Addy nodded. "Yep," she answered. "Proud carriers of 'Genome X.'"
"What are your powers?"
Adriana looked around for a few seconds, finally focusing on the fire. Her eyes narrowed as she peered into the flame. The large fire began to change, slowing to a turtle's crawl. It was almost like staring at a beautiful glowing sculpture. The fire's arms seemed to barely move.
"She can manipulate time," Jack said loudly, trying to break his sister's concentration. "She makes pockets of accelerated or decelerated time. It's a pretty cool party trick, really." He smiled.
Adriana glared at him, growling, "You'd better wipe that stupid smile off your face or I'll use my 'cool trick' to make it permanent."
April smiled, and then looked at Matthew, who'd just finished his meal. "And yours?"
Matthew stood and slowly walked to a large pine tree nearby. He interlaced his fingers and cracked his knuckles, and then grabbed the plant tightly. He then effortlessly uprooted the evergreen and tossed it through the air. It soared for several seconds, finally splashing down in the lake.
"Superhuman strength," April said in amazement.
Adriana looked at the girl. "What's yours?"
April pointed a finger at Jack, and a bright blue and white bolt of energy shot forth, hitting Jack before he could react.
Jack was knocked several feet and he yelped in pain. "Holy crap," he yelled. "I am not a practice dummy!"
April, Adriana, and Matthew all laughed wildly at Jack's misfortune.
"Yeah, laugh it up," he growled.
The next morning, Adriana and Matthew were gone, heeding Jack's request that they not get involved in his and April's predicament. He knew that something bad might happen, and he didn't want them to get hurt, even though he knew that these members of his family were more than capable of defending themselves. He felt it his duty, and his alone, to watch after April.
Never straying too far from their campsite, Jack had found them a bountiful breakfast, a variety of fruits, berries, and nuts. The two young mutants made conversation while devouring the feast.
"You know, Jack, you never got around to telling me about your mutation."
Jack looked at her, slowly munching on an apple. He swallowed his food, and asked, "I didn't, did I?"
April put a blackberry in her mouth and stared into Jack's eyes.
"Well," Jack said, "I guess it's only fair that you know all about it. I mean, I know your powers. And the wonder-freaks performed a great demonstration of their powers last night."
He looked up, listening to a bird sounding a loud call. "Hear that bird?" He pointed in its direction. "It's trying to scare a crow away from its nest."
"Is that it? Do you have the amazing power of knowing what birds are saying?"
Jack chuckled at April's smart-aleck question. "Yes." He smiled at her. "Birds, dogs, cats, horses, fish. I can feel animals' thoughts."
"Their thoughts?"
"Well, they're not really thoughts. At least not most of the time. I understand their emotional and instinctual feelings. Their instincts and feelings feed into mine."
"Kind of a sixth sense?"
"Exactly. And along with that strong sixth sense, my other five are very sensitive. Right now I can hear a...wolf...yeah, I'm pretty sure it's a wolf digging a den. I can see a caterpillar climbing a tree behind you. I can smell the tiny bit of perfume that's still on your neck. It's five days old, but there's still some there. I feel vibrations in the ground. My best guess is there are two bucks fighting over a doe. And I taste the water in the air. It's kind of bitter; I think the lake is very mineral-rich."
April was totally engrossed in Jack's explanation of the things he sensed. She thought it was almost poetic. "Wow," she said. "That's amazing."
"I guess so."
"Do you have any other gifts?"
"Yeah, there's another one. It's a little scary, though."
"Oh, show me!"
Suddenly the tiny hairs on the back of Jack's neck stood on end. A frightening chill ran down his spine. In the distance, he heard sixteen pairs of crows' wings flapping. Something had frightened them.
He stood and looked around. He felt slight vibrations under his feet, much different from those made by the two sparring bucks. It felt like something was approaching. He heard a rumbling, which slowly transformed into the distant sound of diesel engines. It felt to him that several land vehicles were drawing within a few miles. It was a convoy, probably comprised of large cargo trucks and Humvees.
"Jack, what's wrong?"
Jack quietly tormented himself. He couldn't believe that he'd been so blind. He was so preoccupied with April, and showing off his gifts, that he hadn't been listening to everything his senses had been telling him. Now it was almost too late.
He turned to the young woman, who was frozen in fear. He sighed loudly, then stated, "I think you're gonna get to see the rest of my powers really soon."
