Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or the X Men.
We're All Family
Chapter 21
In the quiet of the basement, footsteps were heard. They were followed by the clanging of a lock being released and the creaking of a door moving on its hinges.
Jack and John had been sitting by Sissy's side. Now both were on their feet creating a barrier between the unconscious girl and whomever may enter. Brennan sat as tall as he could. The dampness having reached his bones long ago caused the weakness he now defied.
As the door opened two men with guns raised entered the room, quickly training their aim on the standing young men. Behind them two more entered. "Are you sure their contained?" The eldest spoke.
"I know my job. They won't be giving you any trouble."
"Thorne…" Brennan scorned, his voice betrayed his weakness.
"Mulwray," he greeted with an unpleasant smile.
"Why is she unconscious? I told you they weren't to be harmed yet." The old man stepped forward but was blocked as John and Jack moved closer together.
"I don't know," Thorne admitted. "The sedative should be worn off by now."
"She's unconscious because of the governor you put on her neck," Jack spat. "She was in so much pain that she screamed and passed out."
"I thought you said these things wouldn't do any damage," the man turned on his accomplice.
"They only activate when she uses her powers. She must have tried to escape." The cool confidence Thorne exuded served his arrogance.
"They're only designed for new mutants. She isn't." Brennan panted at the exertion of having to speak. "Get it off her and…she'll wake up."
"No. I don't think so." Thorne shook his head casually. "I'm not taking any chances."
"What do you want, Thorne?" he asked. Fighting to keep his eyes opened he saw the older man approach the water's edge.
"Me?" Thorne waved the gun around aimlessly as he moved closer. "I'm only in it for the money. When Genomex finally fell in on itself, I took the opportunity to…create my own business, you could say. I helped myself to a few supplies and with the contacts I had, I put together a new little group."
"Now you're in charge…" Brennan kept his head high as he glared at Thorne keeping as much pain out of his eyes as he could.
"I like it better this way."
"I hired him. I want to make Adam Kane suffer more than I did."
"Why?" John asked. "What has he done to you?" John watched carefully as one of the first men in with guns made a slight move, accentuating the fact that he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. John froze to not give him reason.
The man turned and walked back to stand in front of John. "You do look just like him." The man looked closely at his face then stepped back. "Your father was smart, keeping you out of the country. He must have thought it would protect you. But now you're here and I'm going to make him feel what it's like to lose a son."
"Father? But…" John stopped having realized the situation.
"But what?" The man questioned. "You don't know what its like to have children…then lose them. I do. My son died in my arms."
"I'm sorry for your loss…" John tried.
"Sorry is not enough. I've planned to get Adam Kane for years now. For years I've worked to get the money to pay for a team who would know how to get to Adam and his people," he nodded over his shoulder, indicating Brennan. "I sold everything I had. Finally, it will all be over and I'll be able to rest knowing that my son was avenged." Panting slightly after his rant, the older man pressed his palm to his chest as he turned to the man standing at the door. "Let's go. I want to rest…before I make that call to Adam. It'll give him time to wonder what happened to them. Make sure the video link is working. I want him to be able to see them in the morning."
Jack watched this Thorne carefully. He began to think the man wasn't going to give him what he was looking for until…just before he disappeared through the door his eyes glanced quickly…up. He stood stark still until the door was locked and they were once again alone.
"They're watching us," John stated, the feeling of being trapped crept deeper into his mind. "I didn't see any camera," he looked around again.
"They want to show Adam we're not able to escape on our own." Brennan panted. "We're bait."
"There it is," Jack moved closer to the wall to one side of the door. Well camouflaged in the stone was a small lens. "It's pointed at you but… it's probably a wide view."
"Good job. You get the observant badge for this mission," Brennan tried to smile.
"Are you alright? You're beginning to sound hypothermic." John stepped into the water and moved to Brennan's side. He noticed the slight twitching of his muscles. "I've got to get you out of this water." He reached for the chain to find a way to release his friend.
"John, it's no use. I'll be ok." Brennan's voice was beginning to shake like his muscles.
It was then that Sissy began to moan. Jack was by her side in an instant as John rushed to them. "Sissy, listen to me," Jack began speaking softly but her moaning turned to painful groans as she wrapped her arms around herself. He reached for her shoulders and tried to get her attention. "Sissy, I know it hurts but you have to listen to me. DON'T use your powers. You can't try to get away."
John moved closer. "Sissy, take deep breaths. You can fight the urge to teleport."
Sissy tried to do as she was told. After a few visibly deep breaths she reached up to Jack. With his help she sat up. When he was beside her she leaned into his arms as she felt his go around and hold her close. She was breathing quickly when she saw John kneel in front of her.
"Sissy, easy. You're going to make yourself hyperventilate. Slow, deep breaths," he smiled as he saw her try to comply. "Good girl. That's it. I know it hurts." A frown appeared as he could hear the pain in her breathing and could see the tears in her eyes. "Sissy, Honey, listen." He took her hands as she leaned into Jack. "I want you to try and concentrate on something else. Think about…Christmas."
"What happened to us?" she questioned.
"We were kidnapped," Jack obliged.
"Sissy, I'm sorry. They were after me." John looked up as she met his regretful eyes.
"No, they're after Adam," she heard from across the room. When she looked up she noticed Brennan for the first time. Jumping up and running to the edge of the water she called out to him. The pain brought her to the floor just shy of the waters edge. Aware that Jack and John had come to her side she reached out and took both their hands, holding tightly. "Uuhh, it hurts…so bad." Tears were blurring her vision.
"Sissy, you have to stay calm," Jack tried as she buried her face into his shoulder. He helped her to stand and move back to the bench.
Cyclops set a duty schedule for all the active members of both teams. During dinner Adam explained what little he could to the rest. He watched Dria closely as he spoke, not wanting her to become overly upset. To his great pride she was handling it very well.
Evening came and bedtime for the little ones was handled smoothly. Marie turned in early as she knew she would be called upon in short order to satisfy her newborn's appetite. With a mission pending and members missing everyone did what they could and turned in to get the rest they would need in case there should arise any leads they needed to follow.
Shalimar lay in her bed…the bed she usually shared with her husband. Loneliness stabbed like a knife as her hand reached out and pulled at his unused pillow. As she clutched it to her chest she felt the tears begin to sting her eyes. Sleep was hopeless. Her mind raged with horrible imaginings as her instincts reared against inactivity. Brennan, where are you? What happened? She looked at the port-a-crib; at the peaceful sleeping form of her daughter and thought of how she would feel if she were old enough to realize that daddy was missing. The image of the Shawna she met in the future flashed in her mind; the love and pain she shared with her widower father. The haunted look in Brennan's eyes when she stood waiting to be pulled back to her own time. Barely containing a feral growl, mindful of the sleeping feral infant who would pick up on her mother's emotions, Shalimar threw back the sheet and walked to the bathroom. Maybe a shower will calm me down. Logan's on watch. He'll call me first if anything comes in. She ran the water as hot as she could stand it and tried to release the anxiety. It wasn't working. Quickly she dried and dressed. Running a comb quickly through her hair she slipped on her shoes and headed for the war room.
Late evening was Logan's prime time. Like Shalimar, he loved the night. This one, however, wasn't ranking high on his favorites list. Missions that have gone bad or snuck up on him frayed the tightly strung nerves he worked so hard to keep under control. Just as his shift was about to end at 1 AM, he heard the door to the war room slide open.
"Is there any news yet?" Shalimar asked by way of a greeting.
Logan's brow furrowed as he looked at her sidelong. He knew she'd been trying to stay calm and strong but her tough exterior was weakening fast as the feral in her was being more and more frustrated by the lack of information. "Not yet. How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine," she lied. Looking him in the eye and trying to portray her words, she held his stare until he turned his back to her.
With a grin and check of the panel, Logan stood and turned to face his visitor fully. "Darlin', you know you can't lie to me."
Shalimar's defenses were up in a flash. "I'm not lying," she declared then looked at her white knuckles as she clenched the back of a chair. "Well, that's what I keep telling myself. I have to. Or…"
"You starting to feel caged?" Logan dared not step closer.
"This is driving me crazy!" she yelled. "Why haven't we heard anything, yet? I mean, it's been hours."
"It's late. We may not hear anything until morning."
"I'm going crazy just waiting!" The echo from her punch to the wall traveled through the plating and almost beyond the level. She rubbed the soreness from her knuckles as she turned her back to her friend.
Logan stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, feeling the rippling of pent up frustration playing on her muscles.
Just then the door opened and Remy walked in as he spoke. "Remy's shift." His eyes beheld Shalimar as she turned quickly at his greeting. With a knowing grin he stepped in. "If you want de honor, Remy gladly go back to bed."
"I'm here, you may as well. I can't sleep, anyway." Shalimar sighed.
"Non, Chere. Remy just foolin' wid you. Remy like the chance to get out of de bedroom." His eyes widened at his own declaration. "Ooo, did dat really come from Remy's mouth? Don' tell mon chere, Marie. She's might lock de door."
"Why were you put on the rotation? I thought you were off duty." Shalimar asked as her mind was momentarily side tracked by the unexpected.
"Remy can watch for a phone call. Marie and Jimmy up most of de night. Remy's nights and days are as mixed up as de petit's. Could use sometin' to take de crying voice out a Remy's head.
"Good. You take over here." Logan took advantage of Shalimar's distraction and latch onto her arm. "If anything happens, we'll be in the danger room."
"Logan, what are you doing?" Shalimar was too surprised by the sudden motion to put any effort into resistance.
"I'm takin' you to work off some of this anxiety. I know you. You need to hunt and vent for a little bit. So do I." He was pleased that he'd gotten her out and down the hall without any major argument.
Once in the danger room, Shalimar stood wondering about the activity. Logan was quick to program and start a jungle scene. Though her senses could tell that it wasn't real, the intensity of the hologram meeting her ears, eyes and nose was enough to counter act the underlying reality inherent in her now weary and worried mind. Logan didn't give her time to think about it as an opponent came at her from behind causing her to immediately rely on feral instinct and shut down logic.
Sissy was in constant pain. She'd again passed out when the pain had gotten too much to handle. Now her mind roused as the darkness released her, pain still there. Blackness met her as she realized the lights must have been turned out to help everyone try to relax and relieve the feeling they had of constantly being watched. She tried to tough it out and to remain quiet so the others could rest but by midnight she was loosing ground fast. Having already moved away from John and Jack, she now covered her mouth with her hands and rocked on her heels in the corner.
TBC
