FALL

The night was dark, no moon shone in the black sky, it was an opportune time. I sat perched in a dead tree, as warm wind blew into my face, full of humidity, it made the sweat on my face sticky. I hated swamps and I didn't know why Gozbud had to pick a swamp as his safehouse. Ten Erasers were guarding the safehouse, judging by the color of their eyes they were Wraiths. Thanks to PC, I and the other Ghosts got the 411 on these new Eraser models. At least I could credit him with that…but after Gozbud's capture, I would never trust him again. It was blatantly obvious that he was behind it. I heard a rustle in the bushes beneath my perch. My head snapped in that direction, my mind prepared itself for an all out offensive.
"Mercy…" a voice whispered.
I relaxed "What is it , Felp?"
"The entranced on the north side is not being guarded we can enter through there."
"Thank you; rally the rest of the group. We're going in."
"Yes Ma'am," Felp replied respectfully. I heard the bushes rustle again and Felp was gone. Felp was one of the newest experiments I took under my wings and saved from the School. He was a strange looking experiment with large eyes and patches of black fur littering his frame. Despite his appearance he was loyal and trusted me…a little too much, I'm afraid. I back flipped off the branch and landed silently and joined my group on the north side. We all were night experiments. Only I and a select few of us were able to see during the day.
"Alright before we go in, listen very carefully. We are here to gather crucial documents. That means anything the enemy can use against us, such as be able to identify who we are, our location and the location of all the experiments we have saved. Everything else leave it. We will do this in five minutes tops."
"Why five minutes?" an experiment asked.
"Because in five minutes, Felp is going to lure those Wraiths down below." Everyone went deathly quiet; the anxiety was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. I knew what they were all thinking their thoughts rang in my brain; giving me a migraine…I hated that. "Don't worry… You won't have to fight…I will take care of it." Another entourage of anxious thoughts entered my mind. "I've done this before trust me. Have I ever steered you wrong?" The thoughts quieted. I smiled slightly and opened the entrance, which was just a hole in the ground covered by a metal gate. We descended down into a tunnel, dimly lit with circular lights emitting and orangey glow. The ground was moist and cool, so was the air. A great contrast to the environment outside. Once we got to the interior of the safe house, we fanned out and began to sift through the mess that had been made by the Whitecoats in their futile attempt to find major dirt. I watched the clock on the wall, its face cracked. Several moments later the others and I heard the Wraiths scurrying around on the surface. "Everyone hurry up. Its almost time." I said patiently, walking over a face down picture frame. I turned it over. The picture was of us all…The Ghosts. I remember it took some coaxing from Gozbud to actually get me to smile for that picture. Those were good times and it is shame that things have turned out the way they did. I'm afraid of the measures we're having to take in order to keep this little network alive. I didn't show it, but I hoped that PC responded to the bird Breeaka sent him. The sweet yet bitter scent of gasoline filled the air as one of my followers began to sprinkle it on a big pile of papers the others had piled in the center. The Wraiths were close now… I could here their primitive thoughts in my head. I pulled the picture out of the frame and tucked it in my pocket. "Alright, everyone. Clear out," I ordered. Everyone hastily retreated back into the tunnel and out of sight. Felp entered the room a few minutes later, disheveled and out of breathe.
"I could barely out run them," he said walking over to me.
"What are you going to do?" he asked.
"Clear out, Felp and make sure that everyone is safe distance away. Now get moving," I said. He knew better than to argue with me. Felp obediently slipped away as I stepped into the shadows. WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!...the sound that you always heard when the Wraiths arrived. They sniffed around and growled softly. I whistled to them and their heads snapped in my direction, their pupils as small as pin heads and their fluffy wolf ears erect.
One of them smiled " Doooo youuuu thhhhiiinnnnkkkkk yooooouuuuu cannnnn fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggghhhhhttttt usssssssss alllll?"
"No," I replied with a smirk of my own and struck a match. "This will do the butt kicking for me." The Wraith that addressed me screeched as I dropped the match into the gasoline. Time seemed to slow down as the flickering match stick came in contact with highly flammable substance. Just before the gasoline ignited I closed my eyes and focused my mind and imagined being with my group outside out of harms way. Everything speed passed me just as suddenly as it started everything halted. When I opened my eyes I was outside standing beside Felp and the others, watching Gozbud's safehouse burn to the ground. Their minds were calm, they were aware of my presence but didn't speak. The terrified screams of the Wraiths could be heard by no one since they were several miles underground. While the others watched the glittering flames my cell phone rang.
"Hello?" I said.
"Mercy, this is Reynard. I've taken out Gozbud's second safehouse it's in flames as we speak."
"Good."
"How about you?"
"The deed is done."…….

ALRIGHT, the most irritating thing about traveling in a truck for several days is this, its FREAKIN' LOUD! Everything that has the ability to move…moves simultaneously and get this, it goes on non-stop, it's maddening. The other annoying thing is the dark and of course boredom. I was really beginning to hate the divide in the back of this truck. I hadn't been this bored since I was put in isolation for several weeks. There was some scientific meaning behind that or so I was told when they pulled me out. But I knew it was really just a punishment to get me to behave. At the current moment I was lying on my side sleeping in my true form, scarred and fluffy. Sleeping was a feline habit that I had picked up on besides purring in my sleep. I could sleep for hours on end, but circumstances prevented me from doing so. Suddenly the incessant clatter of my metal surrounds came to a halt. As I slowly began to exit slumber land I could hear footsteps crunching on what seemed to be gravel. My heart jumped, it still didn't seem real to me that I was at the School. The one place you never wanted to be whether you were an experiment or not. It was hell on earth…or so I've heard and now this ominous place was waiting for me just outside that flimsy metal door. Muffled conversations were taking place outside and I still wasn't completely awake. As the situation was becoming more real to me I felt the sudden urge to be wide awake even though it wasn't coming quickly. But there was no time. Before I was fully conscious the door opened and warm, bright, light flooded in, blinding me and then someone, I presumed an Eraser, grabbed me by the ankles and with one swift jerk I was out of the truck on lying on the ground. I put up my arms to shield my eyes from the sun. As I was forced to my feet I opened my eyes slightly, and saw a bunch of blurred figures with guns...more Erasers. Then the Eraser that had me grabbed my neck and bent me forward and then I felt something cold and hard wrap itself around my neck.
"Take it easy! They're well trained, they won't run away," The driver said condescendingly. I opened my eyes more and recognized Dr. McKinney.
"I'm nobody's dog!" I snapped irritably I would have lunged forward and broke his nose again, like I did with that aspirin bottle, but before I could move and pulled on the something that had fixed itself around my neck.
Dr. McKinney gave me a crooked smile and approached, "Are you sure about that? Look at what is around your neck." I ran my padded fingers against the collar around my neck…typical. I snuck a peek over at Raf, who stood obediently beside an Eraser, untouched, a bulky collar around his neck. I growled menacingly at Dr. McKinney.
He snorted at me, "Good Luck PC." Then that smug Whitecoat proceeded to the truck and drove off...

The Eraser that had me, who seemed to be the leader, pulled up on my collar and whispered in my ear"Behave yourself, now." Then he let me go. The outside of the School was nothing unusual, it was just a white building surrounded by high fences festooned with barbwire. As we entered we passed through several coded doors. Who ever they kept here, they certainly didn't want them getting out. The place was cleaner than I ever thought possible and the air still had the same scent of rubbing alcohol and latex. Whitecoats were everywhere, every few feet one of them would pass us. I wondered how big this complex actually was, because it seemed way bigger than Lab 7 and was probably equipped with the latest technology. The thing that frightened me the most about the School so far was that you couldn't hear any experiments at all, no one crying in agony or begging for mercy. The absence of these sounds was so chilling that I wanted nothing more than to leave. But I doubted very seriously that I would be able to get five feet without being apprehended by an Eraser. I could tell these Erasers weren't as stupid as the ones back at Lab 7..they kept their guns on us at all times. After rounding a few more corners we arrived at yet another office. The Erasers didn't push us inside like they did in Lab 7, they walked us in. Inside there was a large front desk with a young woman sitting behind it, not much older than Breeaka. She wore glasses and a black suit. What caught my attention the most were a pair of gray wings folded neatly behind her. " Hello Kane," the lead Eraser said sweetly. The girl glared up at him.
"What is it, Chase?"
"The two new transfers are here, Jeb ordered us to escort them here upon arrival."
Kane looked at a desktop calendar momentarily.
"Okay, I'll tell him," she said getting up and proceeding to another door behind her. Before she left, Kane gave us an angry stare. After a few minutes, Kane returned and said, "Jeb wants to see Purple Cat only, Rafmire maybe taken to his quarters."
"Why?" I asked, out of impulse.
"Follow me," she said curtly, not bothering to answer my question. Before we left the main office I looked back at Raf. He looked at me with his usual placid stare and then he was escorted out. I walked beside Kane down a dark hallway. As we walked she looked at me out of the corner of her eye with disdain. I didn't really know why it bothered me so much, maybe it was my animal appearance, so thinking this might help, I changed into my human form. But she still looked at me with that same stare.
"It doesn't matter what you change into, you will always be a traitor to your kind," she said sharply as we arrived at Jeb's office. Kane opened the door for me, "Get in there."… ….

As fate would have it, I have always found myself in large grand offices with VERY important people that in some way have control over my life. Is it some kind of curse or is it just the fact that it seems every since I was little, my life has been always controlled by someone else. I didn't like it, but like everything else I learned to live with it.
Jeb's office was interesting it had dark painted walls along with a forest green carpet…cushy I might add. Jeb sat behind a desk made out of some kind of dark polished wood with the usual office furnishings on top including a computer. Behind Jeb to the left were several bookshelves that sat side by side stuffed with thick books with little colored tabs… I never doubted Jeb's knowledge of science, but I did doubt his knowledge of ethics. An object that caught my attention the most was a picture frame that sat on to his right. As for what the picture was, I could only guess.
"Seth," he said pleasantly, leaning back in his cozy chair lacing his fingers. "It's been a while. How have you been?"
"Fine I guess." I knew I should keep my snide comments to myself…for the moment, I needed information…so for once I actually thought before speaking.
"Good. You're probably wondering why you are here?"
"It had crossed my mind," I said folding my hands behind my back. "What is the deal with this collar?"
Jeb smiled, "That was just a precaution in case you decided to run away before you were escorted inside. It's an incapacitating collar, I'm sure it's name speaks for itself as to what it does. That will be removed once you leave here…you're so quiet …out of insults?"
"No, let's just say I am interested in what you have to say."
"I see."
"So why are we here?"
"Well, you and Rafmire have been transferred here, because we are in need of your services. The experiments in east are kittens compared the ones that have escaped here in the west."
"So we were dragged half way across the country, just to do the same job we were doing at Lab 7?"
"You're task will be more taxing than you think. These escapees are far more dangerous and powerful than anything you've ever encountered," Jeb replied, standing up and proceeding to his bookshelf. He obviously never met Lyle.
"So you're short of staff?"
"Well to put it bluntly, yes." Jeb pulled out a small envelope between to books and tossed it on the desk towards me.
"What is that?"
"Payment, for your latest capture, injuries sustained and time spent in that truck." I picked up the envelope and put it in my pocket. To me it seemed like "blood money".
"Thanks," I said.
"Happy to oblige."
"So, if these experiments are so difficult to defeat are we going to be retrained?"
"I wouldn't say retrained, but you will gain some skills that you don't already have."
"Like what?"
"Well for instance aerial tactics. Most of the experiments you will be tracking down are bird kids and most of the time they are able to escape by flying away. Our attempts to make an avian Eraser have proven most difficult, so flying collectors like you are Rafmire are an asset."
"You want us to be able to catch them in flight?"
"Exactly," Jeb replied sitting back down.
" There is one problem with that Jeb," I said sprouting my poor excuse for wings." I can't fly."
"Yes, but you can glide…great distances I am told."
"If the winds are right and even if they are…I'm not very fast."
"Well doesn't Rafmire have wings? I was told that he does."
"Yeah, but he hates flying and if I were you I wouldn't press him," Jeb sighed and shook his head "That's a shame…But I'm sure he can be swayed." When Whiteocats try to sway you it usually meant intimidation usually with an Erasers…if they could artfully talk you into something first.
"You wouldn't dare, you don't know what he's capable of."
"I know very well, what Rafmire can do. That is exactly why I didn't invite him here. As you may notice there are numerous glass objects in this room. Rafmire would murder me before I could speak. Anyways we are getting off the subject. You WILL learn aerial training. End of discussion. Another skill you will be trained is one that isn't easy to learn. This one I have assigned exclusively to you. I will fill you in on it later ,when the time is appropriate."
"Great," I said sarcastically.
"You will also receive some equipment." Jeb reached in to a shelf in his desk and pulled out a file folder and plopped it on the desk. "All the details of what they are and how they work are in this folder along with your first assignment, which you will start after your additional training….KANE!" Jeb barked.
She opened the door and poked her head in, "Yes ,Sir?"
"We're finished here; take Purple Cat to get his collar removed and then take him to his quarters."
Kane tossed me that same disdainful look and said, "Follow me." Just as I was about to leave Jeb said, "PC."
"What is it Jeb?" I asked looking over my shoulder.
"While you're here you don't need to take on that shape. As long as you are inside this facility, you are to remain in your cat form." I changed shape instantly and flattened my ears "Happy?"…..

After leaving Jeb's office I followed Kane to a place where my collar would removed. It was a small room with enormous collars of different types hanging on the walls.
"Wait here while I get your key," Kane said.
Before moving away she gave me that disdainful look and if finally got on my nerves, "Will you stop staring at me like that!"
"Why shouldn't I?" she asked looking in a cabinet. "You Collectors, disgust me, selling yourselves out to Jeb, just to cover your ass." I growled softly, I hated it when people judged me and didn't even freakin' know me. Kane returned to me with an awkward looking key in her hand and said," Bend your head forward." I obeyed and then a minute later there was a "click" and I felt the collar loosen.
I pulled it off and handed it you her "Well what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Yeah YOU, I don't see you offering to take anyone's place?"
Kane stiffened but still held her chin high. "Well I don't see you doing that either so we're even. Anyways, I'm Jeb's secretary; I don't doom people by bringing them here, like you." She said walking away and placing the color on a rack with its type and then proceeding to another cabinet.
" In a way you do. You're the one that types up all his reports and requests which he eventually signs. So in a way are just as bad as me." Kane pressed her lips into a line and slapped a silver ring around my wrist.
"That's a very weak argument," she said pulling out a clear card with a chip inside and swiping it over the Ring. A bright blue bar lit up on its surface.
"What is this thing?" I asked.
"It a similar device to the one you wore at Lab 7," she explained, "Only this one you wear all the time. It's bullet-proof, fire-proof, and won't short out in water or when exposed to other electrical objects. Any tinkering with it will result the same reactions, first an electric shock, then a spike through the wrist, and if one doesn't stop you a few more will and lastly if you are stupid enough to tinker more you will loose your hand." Kane moved to a small black box in the corner of the room and dropped it inside where it was ground up into tiny pieces. "Any of those punishments on your Ring can be activated at anytime. That card was just an activator. Jeb is the only one that can deactivate it. Do you understand all that?"
"Yeah," I said pretending to be extremely interested in the Ring.
"Come on, I'll take you to your room." I followed her out and down another hall. As we walked, I began to memorize where things were and what could be exploited. You know the greatest thing about knowing all the rules is. Once you know them you can come up with creative ways to break them all. We stopped in front of room marked 67B. "This is you room and here is your key." Kane instructed holding up another clear card, "This key only works on this door. Chase will come by later to tell you some more ground rules until then you are ordered to stay in this room until further notice."
"Yes ma'am," I said sarcastically and unlocked the door with my key. Before I could say anything else to her, Kane had turned on her heels and was half way down the hall. I stuck my tongue out at her and walked inside...

This room was huge! If I credit the School for anything, it's the fact that they give you big rooms. It was dark for a moment until someone switched on a lamp to reveal the other contents of the room.
"Rafmire? What are you doing here?"
"I live here," he replied.
I sighed, "One thing that is worse than a contract with Jeb, is sharing a room with you." "The feeling is mutual," he said and pulling out a puzzle book. "They brought in your stuff …its over there." I looked and saw another bed not to far from Rafmire's. Lying on out the contents and put them away. Than began to check out the amenities we were given, which included a TV and bathroom. I pulled out the envelope with our pay and placed it on my bed along with the envelope with information about our equipment and assignment. "So how was your meeting with Jeb?"
"Fine… I was barley able to squeeze in, cause' his ego was so big."
"Hm. So why are we here?"
"Apparently they make the experiments extremely powerful here. We've been sent here to track them down and as usual bring them back. Apparently most of them are bird kids."
"That isn't too bad. We've faced bird kids before…no biggie."
"Yeah well here is the part that you are not going to like."
"We are being trained again, this time in aerial tactics. That means you are going to have to fly." At my last statement, Raf didn't look thrilled.
"I'm not doing it," he said sternly. "They can't make me."
"Oh I assure you Raf, they can."
"They've never made me do anything."
"Oh really? What about your agreement with Jeb? What did you agree too anyway?"
Raf paused "That's none of your business."
"You're right it's not, but I think it would help me understand, if you would tell me why you don't like flying."
"It's not important. I'll do it… but I won't enjoy it," Raf said returning his attention to his puzzle book. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," I said not bothering to come to the door. The Eraser known as Chase walked in. Erasers here seemed to love their human form the best. He was taller than me and that is saying something. His build was lean muscular and he had brown hair that stuck out in all directions, which made him look like some kind of whacked out bird, with yellow eyes.
"Hello, newbies," he said cheerfully, "I'm Chase. Kane sent me down here to lay down a couple of ground rules."
"Great like we don't have enough already," I said sitting down on my bed.
"It's really not that bad. You'll like it here." Raf and I snorted simultaneously and fought the urge not to laugh.
"Think whatever you like. Anyways, rule number:
1. The School is your home now so you are allowed to wonder wherever you choose. Except levels 2 and 15 an areas red, blue, green.
2. DONOT talk to experiments and DONOT attempt to free them .Such action will result in isolation or worse and when I said worse I mean worse.
3. Rings must be worn at all times.
4. DONOT attempt to escape, for if you try…you won't make it. Trust me I have had to clean up the mess…DON'T DO IT!"…and that's about it."
"Really?"
"No, there are actually over 200 protocols, but you see, you two are going to be good little pawns and do what you're told…Right?"
There was something in Chase's eyes that told me that I'd better say, "Yes, of courses."
"Alright, you're training starts tomorrow. So be ready to fly. You boys have a good day," Chase said with a grin, than he turned and left.
"What the hell is he so happy?" Raf said crossly.
"I dunno,"I muttered, looking through the contents of our information envelope. "Maybe they put something in the food…anyways…check this out?" I said pulling out a key.
"Is that?"
"Yep… car keys…let's go check out what they gave us." …..