CHAPTER 78
NEEDED REST
December 11, 2010
6:15pm
Carthis, Scotland
The New Centre
Bane looked up at Peter expectantly once the younger boy had ended his call. "So?" Bane asked.
"You know who Mr. Lyle is?" Peter asked Bane. Bane slowly nodded his head, an eyebrow cocked. "He's part of the calvary. Jake and the Files are breaking him out tomorrow. From there they'll call me and let me know what's going on. I'm pretty sure though that within the next two days they will be here."
"And while we wait?" Bane questioned. Peter saw the worry in Bane's eyes for Alex. The same worry was reflected in Peter's eyes.
"While we wait for the calvary, you and I are going to locate Alex and get her away from Cox and Raines. I want to take Ajax, Achilles, and Ares with us, along with Merlin and Airell."
"None of our sweepers?" Bane questioned.
"No, they may think that they ready to go against the Centre, but they aren't ready to shot and kill the people they consider friends," Peter replied as he and Bane surveyed their recruits. They all stood uncomfortably next to each other, but at least they were grouped together.
"Airell and Merlin adapt well. They'll be our best assets. Derek will keep his sweepers in line, I'm counting on you to keep Ares, Ajax, and Achilles in check," Peter told Bane.
"Don't worry I'm their Jake, they'll listen to me. You aren't worried about Airell and Merlin," Bane noted.
"No, they remind me of Alex and Greg. Even though they've spent so long inside such a dark place they don't seemed to be affected by it," Peter said.
"They have their darker halves, Peter. We all do, we just know how to wear a mask to hide what we don't want others to see," Bane told Peter. Peter mulled over Bane's words as he approached the group.
"Half of you are coming with me tonight to get Alex from Raines and Cox," Peter addressed the group.
"What time are we to meet you and where?" Derek asked coming to the conclusion that Peter planed on using he and his sweepers for the task.
"Actually you five aren't coming," Peter said "I need Airell and the boys for this task."
"We are just as capable as them," Jiro snapped.
"I know that Jiro. I don't doubt any of your abilities. But I don't know if you are ready to kill the people you've been working along side of for the past few years," Peter replied in a calm manner.
"Why is a ten year old boy so worried about our conscious?" Minna asked peering at Peter.
"I've gotten the ten of you involved in my personal life. I feel some responsibility for you and I want to protect all of you from whatever trouble I'm going to get you into. It's a Russell habit," Peter shrugged slipping his hands into his back pockets.
"And a small little boy like you is going to protect all of us," Akio sneered.
"Granted I'm younger than you Akio, but give me some credit," Peter retorted. "I've done a lot of things and seen a lot of things people three times my age haven't."
"Are you proud of those things...Johnny?" Akio asked. Peter gritted his teeth but refused to allow Akio goad him into an argument.
"I am not proud of the things I did as John, Akio. There are even things that I am not proud of that I did in my life a Peter. But as I said before I want to set things right. One of those things is freeing you and the others from your servitude to the Centre. Now please, don't question me again, my sister needs me. According to my brothers Alex was hurt. Cox shoved a letter opener through her hand."
"That bastard did what!" Bane roared. Peter closed his eyes that was not the way he wished to break the news to Bane.
"Bane now is not the time for this," Merlin said placing a comforting arm on the young sweepers shoulder.
"He hurt her Merlin," Bane said through gritted teeth.
"I am well aware of that old friend but if you go rushing to Alex's rescue without a plan you're likely to be killed," Merlin told Bane. Bane shook his head helplessly as he closed his eyes.
"What is your plan on getting your sister out?" Ajax questioned Peter.
"Sneak down to SL-15 all stealthy like. Take out whichever sweepers we encounter. The floor that my room is located is now our headquarters. The five of you," Peter nodded towards Derek, Jiro, Akio and the girls. "Are to guard the floor at all times. No one is to come there. Once Alex is saved, that is where she will be brought. Understand?"
"Perfectly," Derek nodded.
"When do we go for Alex?" Bane asked.
"Guards change their shifts at eleven. Eleven is when we make our move. I suggest you all get some rest till then" Peter answered
December 11, 2010
4:46pm
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Clinic
Will rubbed his eyes as he stared at the computer screen before him. For the past four hours he had been staring at the blood work of Jack and Jason. Will had found nothing that distinguished the two boys blood samples.
"Maybe you should rest and spend some time with your son," Jamie said entering the lab, Matty in the crook of her left arm, and cup of tea for Will in her right hand. She sat the mug on the table next to Will's computer, and handed the baby boy to his father.
"Hey there buddy," Will said gently rocking his son. Matty gurgled and gripped his father's finger "He's so tiny." Will said in complete awe of the child in his arms.
"Most babies are sweetheart," Jamie grinned.
"I don't know if my mom ever told you, but right before Jace and Jack were born I was a mess. I was so worried that I would fail at being a big brother. I was afraid that I would do something wrong and that one of them-" Will voice caught as his vision clouded with tears. "I was afraid I would fail them like I failed Alley." Will whispered. "What if I lose him Jamie."
Tears fell from Will's eyes, and sprinkled Matty's face. Will brushed away the tears from his and his son's face.
"Will I don't know if you've noticed but everyone is so frightened about what might happen to Jack, except for Jack himself. Maybe we all need to follow Jack's lead and not worry so much. He has so much faith in us finding a cure-"
"It's misguided faith. He's a little boy what does he know?" Will said so fiercely that Matty began to cry. Will rocked the baby to shush him. Jamie bent down and placed a hand on either side of Will's face so that he would look at her.
"Don't you ever say that. I've known those little boys nearly their whole lives and they have never been wrong about these things. And if you just listened to your inner sense, William, it would tell you the same thing," Jamie told him.
"That's the thing Jamie, I listen, and I listen, and I listen and it tells me nothing. And I've never been so scared in my life. Jack is dying, Alex is in the clutches of Raines and Cox, and I don't know if I can even trust my younger brother who's been mind wiped. My whole world is falling down around my ears and it seems the only two things I have going for me are you and our son."
"If there is one thing that I have learned about this family is that they have the habit of beating unsurpassable odds," Jamie commented. "How else do you think you all survived the Centre after undergoing all that you did? I told you the night you ran to me after the boy's were rescued from SL-27, that everything was going to be okay."
"To which I replied, I had the feeling that things were going to get worse before they even resembled looking better. I was right by the way," Will pointed out. Jamie smacked him lightly on the back of his head.
"That wasn't the point I was trying to make," Jamie said. Will closed his eyes as he remembered the conversation he shared with Jamie that night.
Jamie and Will are lying in bed, Will's hand buried in Jamie's hair his own hair still damp from his shower. "Everything is going to be okay," Jamie says as sleep begins to overtake her.
"I know, you promised me. But somehow I have the feeling that it's going to get worse before things ever resemble to looking better," Will speaks tucking a strand of Jamie's blonde hair behind her ear.
"Have faith," Jamie tells him.
"You can't have what you've lost," Will says softly.
"Then find it," Jamie replies.
"I can't. Not alone," Will says and for a second he sounds as though he is that lost little boy he was not so many years ago.
"You're not alone Will," Jamie tells him and Will tenderly kisses her lips. Exhaustion creeps upon the couple and the two drift off to sleep in each others arms.
Had that night really been just a mere twenty days ago? It seemed as though that night had been a life time ago. Twenty day's ago everything had seemed to be right as rain. The family had been reunited, of course Adam had still been in Ireland at the time and no one had known about the fact that Peter wasn't Peter. Alex was at home safe, little Jack was healthy, and Will did not have a son. Of all of those things that Will wouldn't of changed was the birth of his son and Adam in Ireland.
Had Adam never gone to Ireland, there was a chance that Benny and Steve never would have become part of the family. And of course Will would never want to change the fact that the Centre had given him the gift of Matty. The circumstances surrounding Matty's birth meant nothing to Will. All that mattered was that Will loved his son and believed he was blessed to have him.
"You do know that you're not alone in this right?" Jamie asked him.
"I'm starting to," Will sighed.
"Good," Jamie said and kissed him on the lips. "Now take a break from your work and rest for a while. It's time for Matty's nap the two of you can lay down together," Jamie suggested. Will allowed for Jamie to lead he and Matty to the couch in the doctors' lounge and together the three of them curled up and caught up on much needed sleep.
December 11, 2010
4:50pm
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Home
Jason, Jack, Keegan and Amy made their way down to the kitchen. Surprisingly it was empty save for Morgan and Sydney. Usually at that time of day Will and Alley would started dinner but they were at the clinic working, along with Jarod, Jen, Julia, Jeff, Jamie, Chris, and Lex. The Black Files and Sam were packing the last of their things and placing the last of their bags in the van while Debbie was keeping guard over a chained Kaine.
Amy and the boys plopped themselves down at the table, and rested their chins in their hands.
"Is everything all right?" Sydney asked his grandchildren.
"We wanna help," Amy stated, the boys nodded their heads in agreement.
"Is that right?" Morgan asked slightly amused. It was times like this where it was almost easy to forget that her baby boy was sick and dying from an unknown illness that apparently only Jason held the key to curing.
"We feel useless. The Files and Uncle Sam are working on a prison break. Adam, Steve, Benny and Allen are working on a Centre break. And Uncle Jarod and everyone else are working on an sickness break," Jason said. Sydney smiled, his youngest grandsons had become more talkative over the past week since Alex and Jeremiah left. Sydney knew that the only reasons the twins had begun talking was that everyone was so worried about Alex and Jeremiah leaving that they no longer questioned to the twins on what happened on SL-27.
"You four aren't useless," Morgan told them. "Grampa and I aren't doing anything."
"That's because the two of you took on the role of consolers," Keegan pointed out. Sydney chuckled, though the four children were young they were sharp. Morgan and Sydney had indeed taken on the role of just being there for everyone when they needed to talk. At first Morgan felt that she was useless in helping save her three children, but realized that her other children need her just as much.
Aaron, Andros, and Alley came to her often just to sort out their feelings. Jeremiah, quiet as he was, had held a three hour conversation with Sydney the day before. The teen still felt very responsible for Alex's predicament. And then there was Benny and Allen, two young boys with a lot of issues. Benny was lucky in the fact that he had his father, Steve. But Allen had left all that he'd known behind to help a family he only knew from reading Triumvirate files.
"So what can we do?" Amy asked.
"Well dinner has yet to be started. Why don't you four can help Grampa Sydney and I make some Chinese food?" Morgan suggested. "After all we do have a lot of people who are going to be hungry come dinner time."
"Can we cut the vegetables?" Jason asked.
"So long as you take extra care not to cut yourselves." Sydney told them.
"We'll be careful," The four children promised.
Up Next: The chapter you've all been waiting for. Alex gets rescued, and there will be a few deaths, but nothing serious.
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