Dean was antsy but went to bed when John ordered all of them to. He settled under his blankets and started to dose off. He woke up to a dark figure in his doorway. He blinked a few times. "Kate?"
After finding out that Cameron was alive, Kate started to panic. She needed to plan. No, she needed to wait. She was trying to follow orders but also realized that the bad guys expected her to follow her usual patterns. She shuffled into Dean's room. "I can't sleep."
Dean patted his bed.
She sat down. "My mind is full of ideas, and I don't want to get lost and do something."
Dean sighed. "Talk to me."
Kate whimpered. "I don't want to. You know all of it. I just want to stop feeling and sleep."
Dean got up to turn his light on. He removed the blanket from her and spread it across his bed. "Lay down."
Kate knew what he was going to do and laid down on one side of the blanket. She giggled when he started rolling her down the bed, effectively making a Kate burrito with her blanket.
Dean patted her. "There, now you can't go off the rails." He lifted her and placed her on one side of his bed. "Are you camping in here?"
Kate shrugged.
Dean scooted her toward the edge and shut his door. He turned his light off and got into the other side of the bed, draping his own blanket over himself. "If you just let me burrito you more often, we could all avoid all the Kate-tastrophies."
Kate wiggled. "Jerk."
Dean grinned. "I'm sorry. I know you are freaking out about Cameron. I am too. Dad and Bobby are going to stay up. We need rest."
Kate grumbled. She felt herself growing sleepy. "I get why babies like to be swaddled."
Dean rolled over to face the other wall. "Not me. I can't stand being confined. You go to sleep though. I'll be over here if you try anything."
Kate yawned and shifted a bit. She felt safe and secure. She had even pressure from the blanket to keep her secure and Dean to keep her safe.
Dean listened as her breathing evened out and she settled. Sometimes, she was simple. Lacy had mentioned a weighted blanket ages ago. Dean thought it was weird at the time but he, at that moment, was wondering if Kate would sleep better with one of those. He heard a faint scratching and sat up. "Damn cat." He opened his door. "Might as well not have my own room." He put Millie on top of Kate and glared at her in the dark. "Stay with your girl. If I wake up with cat hair in my mouth, I'll turn you into a pair of slippers."
(The next day)
Kate didn't fight going to school. She needed the distraction. She needed to get away from everyone so she could think straight. She wasn't going to go rogue. She promised them she wouldn't, and she kept reminding herself that it was a trap.
Taylor had dreams about Craig but kept them to himself. They needed to focus on Cameron. He would cave and talk to Hailey about it. That way, someone would know. John and Bobby worked through the night and passed out in the early morning hours.
Dean talked to Matt again. He wasn't really shocked that Matt was willing to help but he was still wrapping his head around their mismatched team of humans and creatures.
John was also getting used to Matt. He trusted Dean. Matt had shown them that he could control himself. The plan was based off of Kate's plan but had multiple layers. They needed back up and for everyone to return home after they collected Cameron. Even if they got him out, there would be consequences. The doctor would send people or demons to hurt them. Would Cameron be safe? How many people were working with the doctor?
Matt left Mary and the kids and gave them instructions to be on high alert. He had a good friend going with him. The friend, a fellow vamp, lost his partner to one of the freaks. He lost his whole nest, but his partner had been the love of his life for a century.
Ideally, a plan of that magnitude would be formed over the span of months. They didn't have months. They had days, or hours. Cameron was just one kid, but no one felt like letting the souls of children be taken to hell.
It took a large portion of the night for John and Bobby to agree on where to take Cameron. If they took him straight home, something could just snatch him up. The bunker was safe. They didn't want to let just anyone into the bunker though. It was finally decided that they could shut down part of the bunker so that they could control where people went and what they saw.
Bobby was tasked with overseeing that. He and Karen went with Cas and used the security system to shut off several areas. The map table was another thing they could use. Bobby showed Karen how it worked and zeroed in on the place where Cameron was being held. It wasn't difficult. The place lit up like a Christmas tree. It was a small hospital. That was likely just a cover.
Karen would never not be amazed by the massive bunker. She'd need to take time, when it was calmer, to look at all of the books.
Another problem was Charlie. She needed to access her computer without being traced. She was a large part of the operation and would be one of the first targets. It was decided that she could use the bunker as well.
Marie wasn't sure when they would leave but she packed right away. She had bags with their normal travel necessities and a few boxes of food.
Krissy was confused why everyone was running around. She was on a high from the children's museum and quickly getting worried.
Rod had Krissy stick with him to keep her from getting too curious.
(Taylor)
Taylor wondered if he would remember anything worse than he had already remembered. None of it felt real. It sounded like one of those horror stories where the police found a child locked in a basement.
Hailey sat beside Taylor during their free time. She got a little bit out of him and listened to him tell her about his old family. They were far worse than she thought.
It felt good to spill the horrors that he experienced. "So, he was angry at me. My mom probably tried to step in. The day that the house blew up, we think he intended the explosion to be triggered by me." He didn't tell her that Misty was already dead. He didn't tell her that her body was tied to the explosives. There were things about that day that didn't make sense to Taylor. Kate could walk back with him. That would take a lot of convincing. Where was David? Did his mom really try to take up for him? Was Craig sober? Was there something he was trying to hide with the explosion? "I keep having this dream where my brother kicked in my door when I was asleep. I opened my eyes and he hit me in the forehead with a paintball gun. It hurt like hell, but I think I passed out. When I woke up, Craig was chewing me out for the paint being on my sheets and the wall."
Hailey wrapped her arms around his neck. "Taylor, I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve that."
Taylor narrowed his eyes. That was a paintball gun... right? "It is okay now. I'm happy. I love my family and I have a pretty cool girlfriend."
Hailey squeezed him but let go with an intense eyeroll.
Taylor turned his head. The teacher that had dress coded Hailey was walking over. He cleared his throat. "I was telling her about my house blowing up. She's just offering her sympathy."
The teacher crossed his arms. "You can do that without climbing all over each other. Does your father know how you behave at school? If you are that ready to act like that, I can only image what you are doing outside of school."
Taylor stood up and stepped toward the teacher. "What are you implying?"
The teacher smirked.
Taylor was too close to the teacher for the teacher to feel comfortable. "I don't know what your issue is, but she hugged me. She hugged me like she'd hug any other person. I woke up after a night of no sleep because I can't get my dead mother out of my head." He took a step closer. "There are two other teachers in here that saw the whole exchange. Only you felt that it was enough that you needed to leave your classroom just to come over here."
The teacher stepped back. "Mind your tone."
Taylor waved the other male teacher over. "How would you describe the hug that Hailey gave me?"
The teacher furrowed his eyebrows.
"Was it enough to suggest that she and I are active outside of school? Do you think it's appropriate for an adult to have that on their mind?" Taylor asked.
The teachers traded looks.
"I'm having flashbacks about my old family. I didn't sleep. I just wanted to vent so I don't feel like I'm going insane." Taylor explained.
The second teacher sent the first on his way. "Are you okay?"
Taylor sighed. "I'm tired. I'm stressed. I am annoyed. He is creepy and has been watching Hailey."
The teacher nodded. "I'll speak to him. Stop by the councilor's office if you need to. I've heard stories. I'm sorry that you went through that." He gave Hailey a nod and turned to ask the other teacher what his deal was.
Hailey waited until no adults were around and fanned her face dramatically. "Okay, that was hot."
Taylor's face turned red. "I'm just having a bad day."
"You should come to my house Halloween night." Hailey said.
Taylor perked up. "Uh, I don't know if that is allowed."
Hailey grinned. "It is totally parent approved. No alcohol and no strange pills. We watch scary movies and hand out candy to little kids. My mom or dad would be around the whole time."
Taylor smiled. "Hmm, I'll think about it."
(Later)
By the end of the school day, the plan had been set. Kate was eerily calm. She just wanted everything to be over so that she could breathe.
Missouri was able to talk to Rick and had news for the Winchesters, but she also needed to be at the bunker. Several people would be arriving, and she was trusted to vet them and allow them through the doors. She was also close.
John spoke to Cameron's parents. They were still very confused but pliable. Cas would help nudge them in the right direction.
Kate approached John. "How is it looking?"
John sat down and had her stand in front of him. "I'm going to tell you every detail. Do you think you can handle this?"
Kate frowned. "I can stay in the panic room."
John sighed deeply. "No. Not unless you feel like you need to." He took time to explain everything to her and let her have a moment. "I want you at the bunker. You need to be safe, but you can also offer aid to those that need it. Krissy will be there. You have my permission to knock her out."
Kate smiled. "So, I can use my abilities on her specifically?"
John blew air through his nose. "Don't unless you have to. I just think she's going to get antsy."
Kate nodded. "Taylor and I have considered time travel to the future, just to see if Krissy or Ian turn out to be the bigger handful."
John grimaced. "Just hang tight. I'll tell you when you will leave."
Kate found Dean and frowned.
Dean held his arms out. He hugged her to him and took a deep breath. "This will be okay."
Kate looked up at him. "If not, my older self will step in."
Dean kissed the top of her head. "As long as your little self doesn't."
(The master plan)
With everyone where they needed to be, phase one was set into motion.
The bunker was crowded and Kate managed people. Missouri was there but Kate needed to keep busy.
Taylor helped Marie with the food and other things that needed to be put away. He spoke to her before things got chaotic. "Why didn't you take me away?"
Marie frowned deeply and hugged him. "Sweetie, if we knew. I ask myself that daily."
Taylor chewed his cheek. "Did you bring the brownies?"
Marie smiled. "Yes, I did. I knew you'd want them." They were Taylor's favorite sweets. "We would have loved to have you around more often. I don't know if we were truly blind or if something kept us from seeing what was going on. If I could change it, I would. I'm so proud of the young man you are."
Dean had been put on standby. John was headed to the hospital behind Matt. No amount of arguing would convince John to allow Dean to go with him. That earned him a lecture and his sails were slightly fallen.
Matt and Josiah, his friend, approached the hospital. There were cameras everywhere. They likely wouldn't be able to sneak in. They could split up though. He walked up to the front desk and asked if a doctor could see his friend.
Josiah held his stomach.
A nurse seemed antsy but walked them to a waiting room.
For a hospital, it was very quiet and almost seemed empty.
Matt left Josiah to 'look for a bathroom'. His hearing let him listen in on conversations and assess where hidden rooms could be. He heard odd noises under his feet. There was likely a basement.
Phase two involved a distraction. This was done by Charlie hacking into their mainframe. The lights went off for a few minutes, giving Matt and Josiah a chance to move.
The basement door was locked with a keypad. Matt ripped it off and tossed it to the side. He made his way down a dark set of stairs and heard Josiah behind him. He saw a tank with blue water in it. A child was floating in the center. The place was obviously under surveillance. They'd have to grab him and run.
Phase three focused on getting them out of the hospital. Charlie messed with the security system again and John set off a small explosive to get attention pulled away from the basement. It was all a blur.
Matt reached the parking lot with a limp Cameron and something chasing after them. He shielded his eyes as a bright light appeared and Cameron was taken from him. He zipped off in another direction, to a planned meeting spot.
John picked Josiah and Matt up and got the hell out of dodge.
Charlie could see through the security cameras and the hospital was pure chaos. People were fleeing and alarms were blaring. From Matt and Josiah's time inside the hospital, it was clear that it wasn't a real hospital. The rooms were empty. They had staff but very few. Charlie knew the doctor was watching as well. She had piggybacked on his feed. He was controlling the cameras and scanning the hospital. She heard a voice and called Dean over.
Dean saw the camera pan to the side and sucked in a breath of air.
A little girl with brown hair was walking down the hallway as the lights flickered from the alarms. She had a teddy bear with her but no shoes. As she rounded a corner, the feed changed. The alarms suddenly stopped, and her voice could be heard, floating down the hallway. She let her bear drag the ground and hummed. She was walking straight to the basement. She walked down the stairs and sang. "All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel." She approached a control panel and continued. "The monkey thought t'was all good fun." She turned to make eye contact with the camera that had swiveled to focus on her. She smiled sweetly. "Till pop goes the weasel."
Charlie fell back out of the chair as an explosion could be heard before the feed turned to static.
Dean helped her up. He called Marie for emotional support.
"What happened?" Marie asked.
Dean was dumbfounded. "There was… there was a little girl. She was singing that pop goes the weasel song. She knew she was being watched and…"
"She blew it up." Charlie said.
Bobby had reached the control center and quickly called John to ask him about the explosion.
Both vamps had startled and turned to look back toward the town.
John hadn't heard it but said that the other two had.
Kate and Taylor were both in the library of the bunker and fell over at the same time.
Kate jumped up. "Holy shit!"
Dean grabbed her. "What?"
Taylor was vibrating. "Did you feel that?"
Kate bounced from foot to foot. "Power? What the f…"
With the warding down around the hospital, Tessa and a few other reapers cleared out the souls before anything could be done with them. They were housed in a pendant until the marks could be removed.
All that was left of the hospital were walls that were breaking down.
John swung back around but parked out of site. He and the vamps got closer to the hospital.
Matt pointed to the front of the hospital.
The strange little girl walked out. She acted unphased although she was covered with soot. She sighed and wiped her bear with her hand. "Oh, Bearington. You're going to need a bath." She looked in the direction that John and the vamps were hiding.
John was certain that she looked straight into his eyes.
Josiah flipped onto his back and screamed as a freak pounced on him.
John tried to roll away but was hit with a sea of blood. He scrambled to his feet and raised his gun, but he froze instead.
Josiah was breathing fast, and his eyes were wide. He slowly sat up and looked between John and Matt.
Matt checked Josiah for wounds.
John looked back to the girl and blinked.
The girl winked at him and faded into the night.
Cas whistled loudly to call Kate to the infirmary.
Kate sprinted to the infirmary where she knew Cameron would be. She turned the corner and asked Cas if he was okay.
Cas healed Cameron as much as he could and took a vial from Kate to administer to the boy.
Kate stayed by his side.
Cameron's parents had been brought in and suddenly remembered everything. They hovered by Cameron and prayed over him.
Two hours later, and several broken speed laws, the entire party was back at the bunker. Well, the vamps weren't. They were cut lose and told to watch their backs for freaks.
Pamela rushed to John. "What are you covered in?"
John looked down at his clothes. "I… I don't know."
Pamela gave him an update and grabbed him some clean clothes while he showered.
Kate kept a close eye on Cameron and screeched excitedly when he started to improve. She hugged Dean and cried happy tears.
Too much was going on at once for anyone to piece any of it together. Marie corralled part of the troops by offering them food.
Cameron was out of it and required IV nutrition and monitoring.
Dean got Kate to slow down. "Charlie wants to show you something."
Kate found Charlie and asked her what was going on.
"So, my set up was attached to the doctor, or whoever was controlling the cameras at the hospital. There was a little girl that just showed up. She blew the place up, we think." Charlie said.
John heard her. "Did she have on a white dress, no shoes and have a bear with her?"
Charlie and Dean confirmed that it was the same girl.
Kate touched Charlie to see what the girl looked like. "I had a vision of her. It is the same girl. She was swinging and told me to come play with her."
Dean and John felt uneasy.
Kate sat down to think. "She is incredibly powerful. Taylor and I felt the release of energy."
(The doctor)
Albert Bowman was pleased that his plan worked. He had held Cameron between life and death, manipulating his spirt. He watched as two men entered the facility. He didn't recognize either of them, but he knew they shouldn't be there. He grew frustrated as things started to happen that he didn't plan for. He saw glimpses of John but couldn't keep track of him. The person that removed Cameron was far too quick to be a human but was not affected by any of his warding or traps. He heard the girl before he saw her. At first, he thought Kate had fallen into the trap. He zoomed in on the girl and didn't recognize her either. He followed her and watched her enter the basement. She was singing. She was no more than six years old. Who was she? He saw her look straight into the camera and smile. He jumped back and shielded his eyes as light filled the room, he was in. He heard the explosion and scrambled to get a better view. He growled and slammed his fists against his keyboard. The little bitch had wiped out his system. He threw his chair and swore loudly, knocking things off of shelves in a fit of rage.
Another person entered the room and looked at Al with concern.
Al turned slowly and glared at the other person. "I've underestimated them. That was my fault. I'll learn from my mistake." He walked by and turned down the hallway, seething as he walked. He ripped a door open and approached a creature in a cage. He pressed his head against the bars and took a deep breath. "I know, you're tired of being here. You are hungry. You are restless." He pulled keys from his pocket and slowly opened the cage. He stepped back. "Do your job right and you'll be set free. Fail me and you'll return to me."
(The bunker)
Cameron was very sick. His body was broken down and he was no longer in stasis. He was in and out of it as his body mended.
Kate sat by his side. "Hey, uh, Cameron. I'm Kate. You are safe. You'll never believe it, but you were rescued by two vampires, a regular angel and a few reapers. We are basically in the bat cave and I'm trying to heal you."
Cameron's mom sat on the other side of the bed. She saw something in Kate that she couldn't quite place. "So, John is your dad?"
Kate looked up. "Yes. He adopted me when my birth dad died."
Cameron's mom, Tracy, frowned. "What happened?"
Kate chewed her lip. "It is a long story." She wasn't sure how much John or Dean had told them about what was going on. "He got attacked. What happened with Cameron?"
Tracy sat back. "He had an accident and hit his head. Dr. Bowman brought him back to us. He was running a clinical trial and asked us to take part in it. It didn't seem like a bad thing. We know now that he is not a good man. Part of the trial had something to do with genetics."
Kate tilted her head. "What kind?"
"I'm not sure." Tracy said.
Kate couldn't let that pass by without some investigation. "Why would his genetics be different?"
"Dr. Bowman was trying to isolate a gene that certain people have. I suppose he thought that it would be helpful for healing." Tracy said.
Kate reached out and touched her hand to read her. She sat back suddenly. "You... you knew my mom."
Tracy's eyes were wide. "I don't think so."
Kate was shaky. "Her name was Ruth. She died when I was a baby."
Tracy met Kate's eyes. "I have a cousin named Ruth, but she is married and moved far away. We lost contact."
Kate walked around the bed. "Brian O'Connor?"
Tracy gasped.
"That was my dad." Kate said.
Tracy gently touched Kate's arms. "How?"
Kate started to pace. "My family has a gene. The doctor is right, it does aid with a type of healing. The gene is passed down through my mother's side of the family." She turned to Cameron. "That means..."
Tracy approached her and wrapped her in a warm hug.
Kate sobbed. She had never met anyone from her mom's family. Her head was spinning. It seemed surreal that they could be related to her. No, it was obvious. The doctor tracked down her bloodline. That is why she was so connected to Cameron. That is why he had been kept and not killed.
Dean checked on Kate. "Everything okay?"
Kate ran to him and hugged him. "No!"
He sat down and pulled her into his lap. "Talk to me, Katie."
Kate sniffled. "The doctor noticed the gene that was altered. Cameron is my cousin. Tracy is my mom's cousin. Dean, I have family. He knows I have family."
Dean looked at Tracy.
"I didn't know Ruth had passed." Tracy said.
Dean soothed Kate. "One thing at a time."
Kate started to wiggle. "No. He can track us. He will find out about Taylor and Marie. He will find out about everyone. He can make a bioweapon that would wipe out our entire blood line."
Dean's voice was soft. "He can't touch us here. Whatever that little girl did probably threw him for a loop. Look at everyone that is here. They are all safe. One thing at a time."
Tracy thought Dean was good with Kate. "I didn't mean to upset her."
Dean gave her a small smile. "You didn't. She thinks a lot and sometimes that big brain of hers just moves too fast."
Bobby stepped into the infirmary. "If you wouldn't mind, we would like to talk to you and your husband."
Tracy squeezed Cameron's hand. She assumed that her husband was already with the others.
Kate rested against Dean. "My head hurts."
Dean rubbed the base of her skull. "Your brain is too big."
Kate smiled. "It isn't the added weight of how thick my skull is?"
Dean snorted. "That too. You did good. You followed orders."
"I knew I'd be a liability. What if Cameron doesn't wake up?" Kate asked.
"Then he will be surrounded by his family and a few extra friends. He won't be swimming around in a tank." Dean said, furrowing his eyebrows.
Kate moved her head away from him. "The tank. Did anyone get a good look at it? What kind of tank?"
Dean groaned. "And she's off."
Kate found Charlie in front of a screen. "Hey, I need schematics of the basement and tank."
Charlie spun in her chair. "I've got you covered. I took the liberty of exploring when I hacked into the system."
Dean leaned against the door. "Instead of just going in like you were told to?"
Charlie grinned sheepishly. "I knew we would need more details than we could get from Matt."
Dean approached and looked over their shoulders.
Charlie typed away on the keyboard and pulled up several photos. "These are from what the camera could see."
Kate studied the photos. "What was powering the tank?"
Charlie couldn't see where the cords went. "I am not sure."
Kate and Charlie pieced the room together by looking at each photo. Kate drew a blueprint and chewed the pencil.
Dean asked what a beeping sound was.
"Oh, I am reverse tracing the other feed. I'm hacking into the doctor's main frame." Charlie said.
Dean sighed. "Charlie, you can't. He could figure out who is hacking in and trace it right back to you."
Charlie motioned to another computer. "I have a proxy and my IP address changes every few seconds. Besides, I use a VPN for all of my work, so my original IP address is cloaked."
Dean gave her an odd look. "What?"
"I have several ways of throwing him off my trail." Charlie said.
"Wouldn't he have those same things?" Kate asked.
"He has safety measures, but I know how to get by them." Charlie said.
Dean felt uneasy. "Back off for now. I don't doubt that you could track him down, but he is likely on high alert. You do not want something to happen and him be able to trace it back to the bunker."
Charlie frowned. "Okay."
Taylor took over watching Cameron. He was able to talk to Hailey while he waited. She was always chatty and excited about Halloween. He'd ask John if he could go once, they were done talking to Cameron's parents.
John found out that Cameron's parents had been fooled into trusting the doctor. They had insight that the rest of them didn't. Sadly, they didn't know what all had been done to Cameron as they had been clouded. Both felt guilty.
Bobby calmed them. "He may have had a spell cast over you. So many things can cause you to forget or to not worry. None of this was your fault."
Taylor looked up as Krissy walked by the infirmary. "Uh, Hailey, I'll call you back. Someone is at the door." He couldn't tell her that they were in a bunker and Krissy had gotten away from the adults. He slipped out of the door and followed Krissy down the hallway. "Where are you going?"
Krissy spun around. "I'm just looking."
"This place is big and dangerous. You'll get lost." Taylor said.
Krissy's bottom lip stuck out. "No, I won't."
"Aren't you supposed to be with an adult?" Taylor asked.
Krissy scrunched her nose.
Taylor called for Rod and waited with Krissy.
Krissy gasped and stomped over to kick Taylor in the shin.
Taylor grabbed his leg. "Hey!"
Krissy crossed her arms and glared at him.
"You don't kick people." Taylor said.
Krissy was pure sass. "Then mind your business." She suddenly dropped her arms, and her face went from sass to angelic.
Taylor groaned. "Hi, grandpa."
Rod gave Krissy a stern look. "Apologize to him."
Krissy side eyed Taylor. "I'm sorry."
"Next time you kick me, I'll just call my dad down here instead. We will see how you like that." Taylor said.
Krissy's mouth fell open. "No!"
Taylor shrugged. "Your choice."
Rod picked her up. He told her that she shouldn't have ventured off on her own and scolded her.
Taylor pointed down the hallway. "The gym is down there. She could burn some energy off."
Kate cleared her throat dramatically. "Boy, Taylor, you've switched sides."
Taylor rolled his eyes. "Like dad would do anything. She has a future as a soccer player."
Kate walked into the infirmary. "If he does, you'll feel awful."
Taylor scoffed. "No, I won't."
"What is next? Are you going to start dishing out swats too?" Kate teased.
Taylor picked up a plastic tray and acted like he was going to hit her with it.
"Try and I'll knock you on your ass." Kate said.
Taylor put it down. "See, I'm trying to keep the little ones OUT of trouble."
Kate sat down in a chair and spun it in circles. "That sounds disgustingly responsible."
Taylor grinned. "I am holding my space in the family."
"Brown noser?" Kate asked.
Taylor tossed a packet of gauze at her. "The responsible one."
"Yeah, so responsible that you challenged a teacher today." Kate said.
Taylor furrowed his brows. "How do you know about that?"
"I felt your anger and checked in." Kate said.
"He is creepy." Taylor said. He opened a bag of jerky and bit into a piece.
Kate saw Cameron's eyes flutter and got closer. "Hey, Cameron. Are you waking up?"
Cameron slowly opened his eyes.
Kate squeezed his hand. "You are safe. Your parents are here. Taylor, go get them."
Cameron met Kate's eyes. He couldn't speak as his throat hurt.
"I'm Kate." Kate reminded him.
Tracy and her husband ran into the room and stood beside Cameron.
Cameron teared up and mumbled when his mom hugged him. He didn't know what was real and what was a dream. He was incredibly weak.
Kate helped sit the head of the bed up a little. "I'm going to get my dad." She slid into the library. "He's awake."
John followed her back. He introduced himself and checked Cameron's vitals. "Kate gave you some of her blood. We gave you a little bit to see if it would make you sick. How are you feeling?"
Cameron frowned and swallowed.
Kate got him some water. "Go slow."
(An hour later)
Krissy was grumpy and tired, so Rod handed her off to Marie to get Krissy to go to sleep. She was a handful. He hoped that Lee planned to return soon. He didn't want to see Krissy go but some of the behavior was because she missed her dad. He saw it on her face every time they ran into someone that had their dad with them. That included Ben and the twins.
Cameron got stronger and was able to talk. His body still felt weak though.
John said that his time being suspended in the tank let his muscles waste away.
Charlie returned to her task and stumbled upon something interesting. She messaged Kate to ask for a second set of eyes.
Kate sat down beside her. "What is it?"
"I'm not tracing him." Charlie said. She tapped her fingers together. "I just found a database."
Kate chewed her cheek. "Show me."
Charlie entered a password, and a website came into view.
Kate scanned the home page. "Is this a recruiting site?"
Charlie nodded. She moved to another screen and typed in a bunch of letters and numbers. "Whoever is in charge of it, has a physical location."
Kate narrowed her eyes. "Is that too easy?"
Dean scared both of the girls when he popped up behind them.
"Son of a biscuit." Charlie said, holding her chest.
"I told you to hold off." Dean said.
Charlie brought her shoulders to her ears and blushed deeply. "I did."
Dean shot Kate a hard glare.
Kate held her hands up in surrender. "She just wanted a second set of eyes."
Dean crossed his arms. "What is this?"
"It is a recruiting website. It filters certain keywords. There are two supposed clinical trials but the page you see when you open the link depends on keywords that you used." Charlie said. "One is for brain injuries. The other is for cancer."
"How did you find it?" Dean asked.
Charlie purposefully acted as though she couldn't hear him.
"Hey, this one is enough by herself. We don't need you sneaking around." Dean said.
Charlie pulled up the physical address. "But there is an actual place. Just one place. We could check it out."
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "If the doctor is smart, he's going to be expecting stuff like that. He will expect you to hack into things. That is why I told you to wait."
Charlie squirmed.
Dean pulled her chair back. "We have to assume that we are already under attack. What we did was big. You should step away and hit him when he isn't expecting it."
Charlie sighed. "Okay."
Dean lightly smacked her head. "Don't make me get my dad in here."
Kate huffed. "Taylor threatened Krissy with the same thing. Does he know you are using him as a threat?"
Dean shrugged. "He dishes out quite the lecture and you," He looked at Charlie, "Wilt if anyone so much as scolds you."
Charlie sat up straight. "I do not wilt."
Dean raised an eyebrow. "Kate, over there, is hardheaded. You are more of a marshmallow."
Charlie shut her computer system down. "I'm not a marshmallow."
Dean snorted. "If you say so."
John needed to decide what the next step was going to be. Cameron needed to recover, and he needed to be safe. They could stay at the bunker, but he didn't fully trust them.
It was decided that Karen and Bobby would stay with them.
Kate didn't want to leave the bunker. She tried to argue but got shut down.
"Wouldn't we be in danger too?" Taylor asked.
John's head hurt. "Yes, you could be. You will go to school, and we will come back. If we all go underground, it will raise questions."
Kate sulked. "Oh, now we can be bait."
John met eyes with her. "I'm not in the mood to argue."
Kate slumped. "You promise we can come back?"
John said yes.
"Okay." Kate said. It was very late, and she was tired. "Can I sleep here? I'll zap us back to the house before school."
John was okay with that. "If things change, I'll adjust. We just need to continue to blend in."
(The next day)
Kate reminded herself that she had to blend in. She had to make it through the school day. She needed to remain calm. When she had free time, she could talk to Hannah and clear her head. Her mind had dug deep into the information. She could almost see the layers being peeled away. The doctor was a true form of evil. He didn't want to go to hell so he wouldn't be working with demons. There was more than one faction of demon. Could he be working with one set? That would make sense. The souls of the children would need to be released and sent to heaven. What kind of mark had been put on them? How was it done? How could she undo it?
Taylor was not in the best mood. Anxiety was kicking him while he was down, and he wanted to go home. He wanted to be alone. During gym, some of the other guys from his team were goofing off. They wanted to play dodge ball but were competitive. Taylor wasn't in the mood. He got a cheap shot to the back of the head and clinched his fist. He started to retaliate but a hard hand on his arm stopped him.
The coach was also the gym teacher. "Go to my office and cool off."
Taylor gritted his teeth. "You saw that."
"I also see your eyes. Go." The coach said.
Taylor left the gym for the coach's office. He found a chair and sat down, bouncing his legs. He felt his anger bubbling up and wanted to hit something.
The coach left the rest of the class with the other gym teacher. He wanted to talk to Taylor. "Do you want a bottle of water?"
Taylor looked up. "No, sir."
The coach sat down in his chair. "What is going on?"
Taylor groaned. "I just don't like being hit in the back of the head."
The coach rocked back and forth in his chair. "I think it is more than that."
Taylor looked away from him.
"I know a bit. Your dad and I have spoken." The coach said. "We had a chance once my brother got out of the hospital."
Taylor tilted his head. "Oh, uh, I am remembering more of my childhood, and I get angry."
The coach nodded. "You had a bad run of it."
Taylor spilled what was on his mind and felt a little better.
The coach listened and gave him advice. "You are a good kid. Beaming that kid in the face wouldn't look good on your record."
Taylor smirked. "I didn't have to aim for his face."
The coach chuckled. "I'm always around if you need to talk. I owe you and your family a whole lot."
Taylor left the coach's office to walk back over to the main school building. He felt something deep in his bones and looked to the middle school.
Kate felt it too. She reached out to Taylor and asked if he saw anything.
Taylor didn't see anything, he just felt it.
John hadn't left the area. He was going to sit outside of the perimeter and make sure both kids were okay. He saw movement to the side of the school, near the playground. He shoved his gun into the back of his jeans and approached carefully. It could be nothing or it could be something.
A bell chimed, signaling that the kids were being released for recess.
Kate walked out with Hannah and shivered. It was cold. It was fall and the leaves had started to fall. She whipped her head to the side and grabbed Hannah. She saw someone watching her. The person started to walk around the fence but someone else grabbed them and they disappeared into the trees.
John had his gun pointed at the man on the ground. "Why are you watching my daughter."
The man scooted back. He tried to roll away, but John was fast.
Cas dropped in at John's request. "Do you want me to take him to the facility?"
John nodded. "I'll be there shortly." He didn't know what the man was or who he was. It didn't matter. He'd get to the bottom of it.