Different (26 page)

"All of my life scientists have been testing me, but not anymore. I want a normal life, I'm tired of being used as a guinea pig,” Adam said quietly. “I was hoping that you'd understand that?"

Roger looked at him for a long moment and then smiled. “Of course forgive me, I'm thinking as a politician and trying to turn things to my advantage. This Dr. Maylor, did he educate you himself?"

"Yes, I think that I could truthfully say he taught me everything I know. But I will need some identification ... I haven't even got a birth certificate."

"Well, in a manner of speaking Richard Maylor was your father, I suggest you take the name of Adam Maylor and I'll get Chief Superintendent Carlyle here to take care of you until you decide what to do."

Rebecca looked at the politician and raised an eyebrow, “Chief Superintendent?"

Roger winked at her, “It's a field promotion, and I'll authorise your special assignment taking care of our friend here. Now, Emma is fine and will make a full recovery and the doctors will be struck off the medical register and if they know what's good for them, they'll never reveal what happened here. As for the Schroeder woman, she will be arrested and charged with kidnapping, rape, and about thirty-five other charges, when she and her male accomplice are caught.” He looked at his watch and stood. “Let's go and say good-bye to your friends, Adam, they'll be leaving here soon."

Rebecca was saying her farewells to the boys who were being loaded onto a bus to join the other members of the tribe, when three police cars lights flashing and sirens blaring pulled into a semi-circle around her.

"Rebecca Carlyle, I'm arresting you for assault causing actual bodily..."

"No you're not!” Roger Thompson alighted from the coach. He'd been assuring the youngsters that they would be well looked after and that the relationships they had formed would be respected.

"I don't know who you are, but be warned, I'll arrest you for obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty!” Roberts said.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to arrest the Prime Minister, Roberts.” The Chief Constable said as he too climbed down from the coach. “On the other hand
I'm
arresting you for conspiracy to divert the course of justice, the statuary rape of a fourteen year old girl and anything else I can think of..."

After that, everything happened in a whirlwind of activity. Social workers and a coach to transport them all arrived to take them to a temporary accommodation. Warrants were issued for the arrest of Janine and Russell Granville-Smith, and the Foundation that they'd set up was being investigated.

Adam was standing alone and Rebecca walked over to him as the coach carrying the tribes prepared to leave, he'd decided not to go with them.

Adam had told her about the girl who'd awakened him. “She must be Jay-Be-Free, Ben and Eve's daughter. She was only a toddler the last time I saw her but she must be sixteen or seventeen now. I must find her and warn her, for she is the only other one of my kind."

"She's eighteen and her name is Jay-Be-Free-Mallard, I know her. Come with me and I'll show you."

As they walked into the village, Adam wearing new clothes supplied by social workers, looked like any other boy. Only Rachel knew he was special, very special indeed. She had unwittingly reiterated the same advice that Tom Mallard had given to four year old Jay-Be-Free, and told him it would be a mistake to let others know he was different.

The church yard was deserted and she led him over to grave and pointed to the names of Tom and Anna's grandchildren, Scott, Sharon, and Jay-Be-Free.

"She was brought up by this couple as their granddaughter and someone tried to kill her last week. Now someone has murdered her adopted uncle and aunt in America and she's flown over there to attend their funeral."

"I must go after her! Someone has found out she's alive! Matheson Chemicals are based in America and she'll be killed unless I can warn her."

Rebecca nodded, “We'll get you fixed up with a passport and then we'll both go. Now tell me again about the micro-chip in your ear."

Wheatstone City, USA

"...Is wanted for murder, kidnapping and rape...”

Janine switched off the television and looked at her pale reflection in the mirror. She'd just watched her world collapse as reports of their activities on the Devil's Footprint were broadcast around the world.
I'll have to get out of here before someone recognises me, and I'll have to warn Russell
. They had more money in their six-figure account than they could ever hope to spend.
Come on Janine
, she told herself,
let's get out of here while you still can!
She wiped the tears from her eyes, she'd never see Stephanie again, not now that the girl's real mother was free.

There was a knock at the door, she walked to the door and opened it. Russell and another man dressed in a chauffeur's uniform walked into the room and Russell hugged her fiercely. The chauffeur was in his thirties and wearing a light grey uniform.

"Right, I'll just throw some things into a bag,” Janine said. “Oh Russell, am I pleased to see you.” She started stuffing her clothes into a suitcase. “Give me a couple of minutes and I'll be right with you.” It took almost five minutes while the man in the suit kept looking at his watch every few seconds which did nothing to ease Janine's nerves. She fastened the leather straps of the suitcase and nodded. “Ok, I'm ready.” she said.

"Fine, we'll leave by the fire stairs.” Russell ushered her out of the room. “Don't worry about your bill, I settled it on the way up to see you and I'll have your car returned to the rental company if you'll give me the keys. There's a limo waiting outside and Blake here will take you to my ranch.” He kissed her on the cheek. “I'll catch up with you later.” He turned away and left the room.

Blake took her suitcase from her and Janine followed him out of the room, along the red-carpeted hallway to the fire door. Blake held it open for her and she emerged at the side of the hotel. Hurrying down the metal stairway of the fire escape, she could see a stretch-limousine parked a just few yards away. They reached street level, and as she hurried towards it Janine tensed expecting at any moment that someone would recognise her and try to stop her from leaving. She reached the car safely and Blake stopped and turned to her smiling.

"I'll put your bag in the trunk,” he said popping the lid. “Make yourself comfortable,” he said, indicating the car. “There's a fully equipped bar and Mr. Downey will be joining you for lunch."

To Janine's relief the air conditioning was working and she settled back into her seat and leaned back against the expensive upholstery, her mind racing. What had Russell planned for her? She would need plastic surgery that was obvious. It was all right for him because his name had never appeared on any of the foundation's paper work, and as far as the world was concerned, she was the sole owner of the clinic. Even the lease on the Devil's Footprint was in her name.
Well there's nothing that I can do about it now, so I may just as well relax and see what booze Russell's got stashed in this bar
.

According to the opinion polls, Henry Matheson was sweeping ahead in the race to become the next President of the United States of America. But as he read the report in front of him, Henry saw the spectre of their involvement with Richard Maylor's experiments returning to jeopardise everything he'd worked for. Perhaps he should have taken Russell's concern over the Mallard woman more seriously and given him the resources to finish her earlier, and if he'd known Adam had survived, then he would have done.

He looked at Russell, who stared back at him in disbelief, as Henry dropped the report from the British security services back on Henry's desk.

"Survived after being frozen alive for fifteen years, it's what we feared. We have to take him and the girl out now, Henry!"

"You've read the reports Russell, according to the prisoners he helped to escape, this Adam seems to have absorbed Maylor's memories. He will definitely remember us and will have to be taken care of, but not killed, at least not yet. I want him and the girl captured and held in your cabin in Montana.” He raised his head and smiled at Russell without humour. “Yes, I know all about the cabin, Nathan and the women you've taken there, but I figured you deserved your little diversions."

"I kind of thought you'd find out Henry, I never could get one past you. But why the hell do you want the freaks taken alive?"

"Maylor was brilliant and if the boy has his memories there's no telling what he could come up with."

"The British will want him as well and you can bet your bottom dollar that the Pentagon will have agents looking for him, so I'll have to move fast. Why do you want the girl kept alive, she hasn't got Maylor's memories has she?"

"I don't know, but the boy might refuse to co-operate and I thought you could use the girl to persuade him. Perhaps even make her eat herself in front of him? I know how much you'd enjoy that.” Henry leaned forward until his face was only inches from Russell's own. “Do this for me and after I'm elected, I'll arrange for a pretty young woman, I know the type you like, to be abducted from one of the high schools and delivered to your cabin every once in a while!"

"I'd appreciate that Henry. I'll pick the girl and her cousin up first. The cousin can just disappear, he's not important. I'll check in with you later."

"Adam has a British police officer acting as his bodyguard, a woman called Rebecca Carlyle, and he's using the name Adam Maylor, would you believe that? If you take both of the girls and Scott Mallard, before Adam and his minder arrive at the house, they'd walk straight into your arms."

"That's how I figured it Henry. I'd better get out of here and start things moving."

After Russell left, Henry replaced the file in his desk drawer. Once Russell had Adam and the girl secured, Henry intended on handing them over to his team of scientists. They would use chemicals on the prisoners to obtain all the information they possessed. Afterwards, they would simply disappear along with Russell. Russell had become a liability, it was a shame ... but he too would have to be eliminated.

The helicopter hovered just above the swell of the Atlantic Ocean ten miles from the nearest shoreline and Russell nodded to Blake. “All right, this is the game plan. First, we throw her out, followed by the pig's liver and blood to attract the sharks. Then we throw out the inflatable life-raft just in case her remains are found. That way it will look as though she drifted out to sea and was washed overboard."

Blake opened the cargo doors and shivered as spray lashed against his face. “We could've dumped her from a couple of hundred feet up,” he complained. “It would've saved us getting wet."

"It would've also have smashed most of the bones in her body and we want it to look as though she drowned.” Russell said. “If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut and just do as you're told! I'd hate to think that you were becoming unreliable."

"Okay, enough already! I didn't mean anything Russell, just asking is all."

Russell nodded, “All right, Blake let's do it!"

Blake turned towards her and Janine closed her eyes but became aware of Russell approaching her. She had played possum ever since she had almost knocked back a drink laced with a tasteless drug in the back of the limousine. Fortunately, moments before the glass touched her lips, Janine had detected the slight odour. She'd been forced to play along because she knew now Russell had decided to kill her. He would've shot her without giving it a second thought if she'd tried to escape.

You Bastard!
She screamed silently as she felt his hands slip beneath her arms and reach around to cup her breasts.
I loved you! You Bastard!

Blake's grip on her ankles was painful but she made herself relax as she was lifted and carried to the open door. They were only a few feet above the water, and Russell had said they were throwing a life raft in after her ... she had a chance ... she just might survive!

Russell was now gripping both of her wrists and Blake her ankles. “One!” Russell's voice and they swung her towards the open door and then back again

They're going to throw me out on the count of three!
She wanted to scream.

"Two!” Out again and as she was swung back for the last time, she resisted the impulse to suck in a lung full of air in case one of her killers noticed.

"Three!"

She was swung outwards and they let go of her and she hit the icy water with enough force to expel the breath from her lungs. Fighting an almost overwhelming desire to breathe in the salt water that seemed intent on sucking her down, Janine gritted her teeth and with air bubbles streaming through her nose and lungs that seemed about to burst, Janine dog paddled furiously up towards the surface. Her head broke through the waves and she quickly gulped in air, then made herself go limp and float face down with arms outstretched as though unconscious. There was a splash a few yards away and turning her head slightly saw the life raft had landed upside down about ten yards away. It bobbed up and down just as she rose and fell in the swell of the waves, secretly breathing whenever her face rose briefly above the water. There were several smaller splashes and she saw a piece of bloody meat floating by her head. The bastards were summoning the sharks!

Ignoring the impulse to race over to the raft, Janine allowed herself to sink beneath the waves and was almost instantly rewarded as the helicopter's engine changed. She heard it bank and head away from her, but she forced herself to remain submerged for as long as she could, before resurfacing to look around.

Simultaneously, there was a movement just a few yards away from her and she screamed, when the head of a shark broke the surface just a few feet away from her. A bloody piece of meat was clamped between rows of razor sharp teeth. Sobbing in fear, Janine swam frantically towards the bobbing life raft.

Jay, Mary and Scott had watched the television news broadcasts and Jay somehow knew she had been a part of the genetic experimentation program carried out on the Devil's Footprint. She had been genetically altered somehow and that's why she used to be able to become, she was some kind of freak. Not completely human ... not normal ... she could never have children ... they might develop into some kind of monsters.
Stop it
, she told herself,
you're only scaring yourself. You don't know for a fact that it's hereditary.