Hybrid - Forced Vengeance (31 page)

He gave one last threatening look toward the physician. “Is there anything else, Mills? Because I really don’t want to have to come back here again.” Erik took a menacing step toward a still silent Mills.

“No!” Mills screamed cowering. “That’s it, I swear. That’s all I know.”

With a curt nod, Erik turned around and headed from the building, through the opening he’d punched in the door.

Madame’s Restaurant, 1930 hours.

Erik photocopied the documents he obtained from Eunice Kim and Charlie Gallagher. He locked the originals in his wall safe and stored a digital copy on the hard drive of his computer. He then phoned in an order to the kitchen of Madame’s to fill his empty stomach. He felt mentally tired from running around like a madman since his return from Paris.

Though his body didn’t require rest, his mind thrived on the peace and tranquility that sleep brought. Sleep was a way to recharge his mental faculties and gave his enhanced senses a rest from the constant bombardment of day-to-day life. He took a sip from his coffee cup and then nibbled at the turkey sandwich Alissa had brought him.

He heard footsteps, followed by a precise tapping pattern on the door.

“Yes, Alissa,” he called.

“Mr. Denton is here to see you.”

“It’s open,” Erik said, gathering his papers in a pile and then gulping the last of his coffee as Alissa opened the door and allowed Martin Denton entry. For the first time that Erik could remember, Denton didn’t have his bodyguard with him.

Erik pointed toward the sofa. “Have a seat, Martin.”

Alissa left, quickly closing the door on her way out. She understood the gravity of the meeting about to take place.

Denton tossed his coat on the sofa and sat down next to it. “What have you got?”

“For your reading pleasure.” Erik rose from his chair and handed the attorney the copied documents.

Denton took his time going through the papers and as he read, Erik noted the color slowly drained from his face. Denton finally looked up. “I don’t know what to say. I assure you that nobody in our chain of command authorized this abduction.”

Erik fished out the scrap of paper kept in his pocket and showed it to Denton. “Why don’t we dial this phone number and see who picks up?”

“Where did you get that number?” Denton asked him.

“From my wife’s doctor, after some moderate persuasion.” He dialed the number on his agency phone and activated the speakerphone. After three rings a recorded voice came on, announcing that the number dialed was no longer in service.

Erik severed the connection. “I’m not surprised.”

Denton reached out. “Give me the number. I can have our people trace it. The phone company will tell us who had this number before.”

“Fair enough.” But Erik copied the number on a clean piece of stationery.

“They wanted my child, Martin. I suspect the military or some black ops organization above our conventional chain of command. I think Nancy Bertoni has the final piece of the puzzle. It’s imperative that we get to her and keep that bastard Hendrix out of the picture – for now.”

Denton lifted a brow in question.

“I’m convinced Hendrix has a part in this, but I won’t wring his neck unless it’s absolutely necessary. First I want to sit down and have a nice leisurely cup of coffee with our wayward secretary and take a good long peek at whatever she so desperately wants me to see. I have a feeling that it’s all related.”

“I don’t follow you,” the counselor replied.

“Nancy Bertoni, the attempts on Monique LaSalle’s life, my wife’s abduction and staged death…. My gut’s telling me they’re all related. I’ll bet you anything that Bertoni has the final piece of the puzzle.”

“I hope for your sake and Shanda’s that you’re right. Meanwhile I’ll shake a few trees and see what nuts fall out.” Denton closed the file and placed it on a nearby coffee table. “At least she’s alive, thank God for that amazing news. We’ll find her, and when we do, I’ll see to it that those responsible are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“That won’t be necessary, counselor. When I catch up to whoever did this, there won’t be anything left to prosecute. A direct attack on my family calls for swift justice. I’ll be judge, jury and executioner. And God help anybody stupid enough to get in my way. I’ll treat them just like those who took Shanda.”

Denton gave him a pointed look. “Be careful. Just because you’re powerful doesn’t make you above the law.”

“With all due respect, counselor, screw the law. Where were all these laws to protect my wife and unborn child from the government? I don’t trust the government or the law to handle this matter. The government didn’t heed the law when it came to her abduction, so why should I?”

“You’re upset. I won’t argue with you about semantics now. Let’s focus on getting your wife home safely. Promise me that you’ll play it cool until I can look into all of this. You need to focus on Nancy Bertoni, ensure that whatever she has for you gets delivered into your hands safely. I’ll look into Robert Hildebrandt and get his bio for you by morning. We still need to get a bead on where the order for the LaSalle termination came from. Once you’ve looked that over we’ll arrange a little chat.”

Erik nodded, acknowledging that other piece of his puzzle, but said nothing.

“Remember, Erik. Nothing gets accomplished through recklessness. We’ll do this by the book and have your wife back where she belongs before you know it. Would you like me to have three plain clothes staking out the restaurant to assist you when Nancy Bertoni shows up?”

“That’ll be fine. But have them drive ordinary cars, will you? Those ‘Crown Vics’ are a dead giveaway”

* * * *

Erik Knight Jr. happily lay nestled against his mother’s bosom, his glowing eyes intently studying his surroundings. Shanda looked on, overwhelmed with all of the new motherly feelings of warmth, love and tenderness recently unleashed in her. More than once, she caught herself making the exact same ridiculous noises all parents adopted while speaking with an infant. She was also amazed by how deep her bond with her son had become in such a short time.

She knew when he was hungry, when he felt confused, and when he was happy and content. The one fact that she had difficulty relating to was his quiet demeanor. Her son didn’t coo, didn’t squawk and didn’t vocalize any of the normal baby sounds she had associated with infants.

She heard a mechanical whine and raised a glance to the cameras behind the protective sphere. A feeling of dread came over her.

When would the doctors and scientists come for her child? The moment was inevitable and then she would be helpless to prevent it. Ross held all the power. The arrogant colonel could pluck her child away at will and take him to some far corner of the Earth, to a remote military or government facility where her son would be at their mercy. She had never wished ill upon anyone, but the fanatic colonel proved to be the exception.

The titanium door opened and her stomach clenched as Colonel Ross stepped through with his usual three, armed stooges and a medical team. “Congratulations, Mrs. Knight, it’s a half breed,” he said maliciously.

Shanda shielded her baby from his view. “Only a weak, impotent little man picks on a child.”

“I will not fence with you today, Mrs. Knight. I’m going to make this very simple. These doctors are here to take your son to a med lab for a precursory examination. If you don’t hand him over willingly, we can shoot you full of drugs and then take him.

“Either way, we’re taking him.” Ross then sneered, adding, “Or … we can simply kill you as you’re of no value to us now. You’ve delivered a living half-breed and have outlived your usefulness – and your obituary has already been written. The world believes that you’re dead anyway. I’ll simply be ending the life of somebody who doesn’t exist.” Ross cackled with delight.

“You really are thick, colonel. My husband knows I’m alive and he’s probably already turning things upside down looking for me. He’s a detective, you dumb fuck, with national and international connections. How long do you actually think you can hide me here?” she asked in the most arrogant, confident tone she could muster.

Ross wrinkled his brow and gestured for Phelps to lower the barrier. Two soldiers pointed riffles toward the sergeant, ensuring his obedient compliance. Phelps shot Shanda an apologetic glance and then lowered the heavy wall. Once the wall recessed into the floor, the two soldiers shifted their aim to her while the third aimed a tranquilizer pistol at her.

The medical team cautiously entered the chamber. She retreated, clutching her child tightly against her chest.

“No,” she whispered to them as tears streamed down her face. “Leave him alone.”

The first doctor that reached for her child received a sharp kick to his face and fell back whimpering and clutching his nose. The soldier fired the tranquilizer dart but missed his mark as she avoided the projectile. The two other medical technicians took that moment to close the distance and grab her. She screamed with terror and anguish, but the bulky medics held her firm. The wounded doctor gently took her son from her arms, despite the damage done.

The child sensed his mother’s distress and released a piercing shriek so loud and powerful that the sonic concussion threw Ross and the three soldiers off their feet. Shanda collapsed as her stark terror was amplified through her child and then sent back through their psychic connection.

The child’s shriek was of such a pitch and frequency that it clearly sent shivers through all who heard it. Shanda stood and marched over to the doctor who still held her child. The doctor deposited the screaming child in her outstretched arms.

As soon as Erik Jr. felt his mother’s embrace, the awful banshee-like wail ceased.

Everyone stared at the child in amazement and disbelief.

* * * *

Ross recalled the scream that the hybrid warrior had emitted prior to his final battle with the Seelak during the Hopedale Mountain incident. That sonic wave destroyed every windshield and glass pane for over a mile, as well as blowing the Seelak warrior twenty feet off the ground. A sudden terrible realization struck him. He had been standing outside the enhanced telekinetic shielding and he’d still felt the child’s desperate fright.
Could the child’s sire have also detected his son’s terror?

* * * *

As Erik pushed a cart of dirty dishes toward the kitchen, he was overcome by an overwhelming sense of panic and fear. He was no stranger to fear, but this was overwhelming. He released the cart, falling to his knees and clutching his head as the powerful emotions threatened to overwhelm his body. The cart crashed into a table, spilling plates and glasses on the carpeted floor.

Erik heard a tease from his friend, then Jeff was upon him obviously worrying over his collapse. Alissa heard the shout of Jeff’s alarm and ran out of the kitchen. She too, spotted Erik and immediately ran over.

Erik felt his body swell and saw his flesh change from pink to silver while his torso expanded and the seams of his shirt ripped.
No, not here in front of all these people.
He sought his reflection in the mirror over the counter. His eyes had already become two embers of aqua fire.

Alissa knelt down beside him and gently placed a hand on the side of his head, the force of the stark fear and panic seemed to overwhelm her and caused her body to recoil so hard that she was thrown from his side.

“What is it?” Jeff screamed, “What’s going on?”

By the time Alissa came back to his side, Erik had managed to get a handle on the overwhelming emotions within his body and halt his transformation. As he composed himself a horrible realization struck him. The sensation that felled him traveled on the same frequency that had carried his wife’s message over the oceans to him in Paris. Only these last sensations were not subtle and warm – they were raw feelings of fear.

Their child – albeit protectively cocooned in his wife’s belly – was frightened and Eric was not there to calm his wife or sooth the unborn babe. His wife and baby were obviously in danger, wherever they were, and somehow his child had been able to call to him. A realization hit him. That was what Shanda had meant by ‘us’ in her earlier message – mother and child.

* * * *

Jeff looked down at his friend; he had seen him angry, frustrated and depressed, but for the decade that he had known Erik Knight, he had never seen Erik cry.

“What is it, Erik?” Jeff asked again.

Erik looked up through tear-filled eyes. “My child and wife are screaming for me, and I’m not there to help,” he said in a low, desperate voice as he got to his feet.

He attempted a step but stumbled. He caught himself on the edge of a table, paused for a moment and then raised his fist and smashed the table to splinters with one blow. His sorrow and grief was quickly being replaced by rage.

“I’ll find them and God help whoever did this. I’ll bury them.” Erik headed out into the darkness.

“Will someone
please
tell me what the hell is going on?” Jeff asked to no one in particular.

* * * *

Alissa went outside and watched Erik pace the back parking lot like a caged animal. She could feel the fury emanating from every fiber of the detective’s body. She sensed the overwhelming need that he had to lash out at something – at anything that would allow him to blow off steam.

His body changed into the Esper warrior, which burst the seams of his shirt and jeans. The massive silver warrior then ripped the tattered shirt from his body and flexed powerful pectoral muscles. His liquid chrome flesh reflected the moonlight as well as the floodlights in the parking lot. He walked over to a nearby boulder that had been placed there by a bulldozer, as the focal point for the flower garden.

The hybrid hefted the car-sized rock over his head and tossed it into the air. Then he raised a fist and smashed the rock into fragments. Pulverized granite fragments rained down upon the nearby wooded area and parking lot.

Only then did the silver warrior slowly changed back to his human form – a human devoured by sadness.