The Beginning Of Rain In December (13 page)

They flew for hours it seemed, even though she knew it wasn’t, the freedom was exhilarating, a smile upon her face, as she held onto to Enlai before finally he turned around and they flew back to the car, this time more slowly until he settled her gently upon the ground.

“Enlai,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist, listening to the thud of his heart beat beneath her ear. “Enlai, that was wonderful,” she said.

“You aren’t alone,” he said, holding her tightly. “But from all that I know it is only the three of us. But that means you are not alone.”

“What of Song? What are his powers?” She asked as he escorted her back to the car.

He didn’t answer until he settled inside. “We both are excessively strong but he has some type of shield that can cover him and all those that he touches to protect. The ability to heal others. He can fly. We are all quite resistant to sickness and disease. I don’t recall either one of us ever being sick.”

“Our baby, what do you think they will be like?” She asked expectantly. They were different their child would be exceedingly so, she knew it.

“I don’t know, Rain, we can’t predict the future or what the child will become. Our ultimate goal is to keep you and her safe.”

“Her?”

He smiled. “When I heard the voice in my head, it wasn’t yours, but it was definitely female, like a small girl, already.”

“Oh,” she said.

“I’m sorry, I should not have told you,” he said.

“No,” she whispered, a smile playing upon her full lips. “I’m glad. I mean I just want it to be healthy. But, it’s a girl…a baby.” She said.

He held her hands, driving smoothly on the highway towards Utah. “We had to find you, Rain,” Enlai admitted. “You are the last piece of the puzzle.”

But somehow she knew she wasn’t. When she had searched that night after leaving Enlai in London there had been a touch, someone else out there. She didn’t know who and for some reason she wanted to keep that to herself for now.

They stopped only once to refill the car before they entered Salt Lake City, driving through the city until they reached a northern suburb turning into an upper middle class neighborhood.

“I was expecting some ranch out in the middle of the desert somewhere,” Rain said, watching as they passed public schools, stores, shopping malls.

“I know,” he said. “If anything happens the government would have a lot of explaining to do as why two nicely married, suburban middle classed couple were killed. The more people the better.”

He turned into a large, well-manicured but non-descript suburban house with a station wagon and a gray Toyota sedan; it neatly matched the rest of the residences. Enlai parked behind the sedan and pulled out their duffle bags while Rain waited.

“Who are they?” Rain asked as they walked towards the front door.

“Friends,” he said. “They are safe,” Enlai said. “Do not worry. You need to relax, eaten and fatten up for the coming baby,” he said, holding her hand in his free one.

“Okay,” she said.

He knocked on the door, pulling off his sunglasses and waited for the door to open. A small, petite Asian female opened the door, smiling. “Enlai!” She said, pulling him into her arms and hugging him a brief shot of jealousy shot through Rain that she quickly tamped down. She didn’t realize how quickly she thought of Enlai as hers.

Enlai smiled, hugged the small woman before pulling away. “Taka, it’s good to see you,” he said.

“You to,” the woman said before turning towards Rain. “And this is Rain,” she said and enveloped the taller woman in her arms and Rain felt warmth, comfort surround her, the woman’s touch was peaceful.

“Hello,” Rain said, smiling back.

“Please, I’m Taka, come in you two,” she said pulling them inside and showing where Enlai could place the duffle bags. “How long are you staying, Enlai?” She asked as they walked deeper into the house. It was light, airy, stylishly decorated as they passed through a foyer a sitting room on the left and an office with French doors. They were then led down an open, airy hallway and to large granite covered kitchen with a family room attached, a roaring fire in the ten foot wide fireplace. “It’s a chill in the air, isn’t it?” Taka said. “Tea? Coffee? Water?” She asked.

“Coffee,” Enlai said. “Rain?”

“Water please,” she said.

“Do, sit, get in front of the fire, you two must be exhausted, Levi will be down soon,” she said, escorting them to a buttery soft deep chocolate sectional couch in front of the fireplace. Enlai settled down, stretching his long legs and pulling Rain close to him, he laid his head back on the couch his eyes closing, looking peaceful.

“It’s safe here,” he said, his eyes still closed. “Relax. I trust them just as much as I trust Song…and you. We are safe.”

She nodded, listening to Taka in the kitchen, the smell of fragrant coffee filling the air, dishes clinking before she came around towards Rain and Enlai, holding a Chinese serving tray that held a porcelain coffee pot, water bottle, gourmet cookies, fruit and cheeses. The small appetizers looked absolutely delectable especially since Rain had sustained off fast food for the past week.

“Taka, thank you so much,” she said as Enlai opened his eyes, smiling at the food Taka set out before them on the leather ottoman.

“You are welcome, we don’t get that many guests and so when we do, I pull out the full works. You will have enough of me serving you, Rain, but I should have been born in another century, I love formal dinners, teas.” She admitted as she poured a glass of water for Rain and a coffee for Enlai.

“Black?” She asked Enlai.

“No, two sugars and cream please,” he said. “I need some extra energy.”

“Of course,” she said and gave him his coffee when they heard a door open and then footsteps.

A smile beamed across Taka’s face as she stood, meeting the footsteps as Rain turned, a tall, handsome blonde male entering, looking athletic, handsome in plain black slacks and a white business shirt. Taka hugged him, as he gave the petite woman a gentle kiss. “Hey babe,” he said, before looking up, feeling eyes on him.

“Enlai,” Levi said, smiling broadly as Enlai stood his own smile wide as Taka backed away while the two men shook hands.
“It’s good to see you again, Levi,” Enlai said, the men were the same height, the same athletic build, quiet strength.

“And who is this? Rain?” Levi asked and Rain stood, nodding and Levi politely shook her hand before escorting everyone back to their seats.

“It is nice to meet you,” Rain said and Levi returned the sentiment as they settled back down and Taka served her husband a coffee and then gave each person cookies, cheeses and fruits on a small, porcelain serving plate with a cloth napkin.

“Let’s get to business,” Levi said as they spoke about the Christmas season, the weather, the upcoming year.

“I have to leave tomorrow, Levi can you get rid of the rental?” Enlai said.

“Of course, when will you return?” Levi said.

“Soon, there is still some unfinished business in London, there was a ‘witness’ that we invented for the agency.”

“They brought it?”

“Yes. Dayton.”

Levi smiled. “Good, ol, Dayton, what character is he playing now?”

“Janitors son, he’ll return to the states in a couple of weeks. The most important thing is the safety of Rain,” Enlai said.

It was Taka’s turn to nod. “With our lives, Enlai, you know this.” She said.

Rain shook her head. “You can’t, I can’t ask for you to do this.”

“You aren’t asking. This is what we want to do. Enlai is our friend as is Song. We have each other backs through thick and thin, life and death.” Levi said.

“Thank you,” Rain said, feeling over whelmed by their generosity.

“You are welcome,” Taka said, smiling gently. “It will be alright, Rain, okay.” Taka said and Rain nodded.

“Song and I will return in one week and from there we can make plans. We are going to have to find a permanent safe house,” Enlai said.

“We will help.”

The three spoke for long moments more Rain intently listening before Taka escorted her upstairs when she could no longer stop her yawns.

As they walked up the stairs, there were three pictures upon the walls of a baby boy and girl, with golden brown hair and slanted eyes.

“Are these your children, they are so beautiful,” Rain said, stopping behind Taka to admire the chubby babies. They were a perfect replica of their parents with Taka’s eyes and dimples and lips but their fathers’ hair, mouth and nose. They looked adorable and happy, gumming sweetly at the camera.

Taka paused, staring at a picture; she touched it reverently, before her eyes closed in pain. “They are our children, Rain, but they died. I was experimented on while I was pregnant. In the same manner that your grandmother experimented on you. Levi worked for the agency, they betrayed him. The experiments, the babies, they were twins and only lived three months. They had a congenital heart defect, it was an abnormality the scientists injected them with. The agency killed my babies and sterilized me. It was Enlai and Song who helped get us out, help us escape. That is why we owe him so much that is why it is an easy thing to give our lives for his and those he loves. We will protect you with our lives and the child you carry.”

“Taka,” she said, the pain of the woman before her resonating within her own spirit. “Taka I’m so sorry,” she said, catching the smaller woman’s hand in hers as Taka smiled briefly, patting Rain’s hand before starting back up the stairs.

“I should take them down, it has been almost two years but I cannot, they are still my babies,” she said.

“I understand,” Rain said following the woman.

Taka led Rain into a large, airy bedroom tastefully down in cherry woods and elegant grays and blues. She showed her the bathroom, the closet before she opened another door that held nothing and what Rain presumed was a small door to the attic.

“Here, Rain,” Taka said, she pressed an invisible button to the right of the door. “Did you see where I pressed?”

Rain shook her head and Taka lifted Rain’s hand pressing it against a barely perceptible small round bump in the wall. “Here, feel that?” She asked.

Rain nodded, pressing the button and watched the small door open as Taka led her inside. Once inside she took in the guns and knives lined up against one wall, two laptops, cell phones, five large black duffle bags with reds tags and stairs that led to God only knew where.

“Our panic room, there are three more, they all lead to a sub-basement, from the sub-basement it travels parallel to the sewer systems and spills out into downtown Salt Lake City, we have an office there. There at the office we have a garage, cars, other laptops, emergency kits.”

“Wow,” Rain said. “Who created this?”

“Me, Levi, Rain, Song, Dayton, a few others. There are five other safe houses around the country, we have other friends. And two safe houses on every other continent, except Antarctica. If it gets that serious…” Taka trailed off, chuckling softly. “Only God can intercede. You must be exhausted. I will show you the weapons around the house, there is one in the shower behind the soap dish, one under each night stand, one in the closet. It’s about the same in each room.”

“Taka,” Rain said as she followed the woman back into the bedroom. “Is this how…is this what's in store for me? For my baby?” She asked.

Taka sighed, she looked outside the window, wrapping her arms around her slight body. “I wish I could lie to you, Rain, but I can’t. It’s hard, the isolation, always looking over your shoulder. But for now this is what we have. Until the agency is destroyed, this is what we have.”

Rain nodded. “Thank you, Taka.”

Taka nodded, patting Rain before impulsively hugging the woman. “I’ll probably hug you often, and drive you crazy talking, I’m glad you are here even though I am sorry at the reason why. But you aren’t alone, Rain.”

“Thank you.”

Taka left her soon afterwards and Rain went to the shower undressing and stepping into the marble shower, she stayed under the hot heat for nearly thirty minutes before hearing a knock on the bathroom door, knowing without opening her eyes it was Enlai.

“Rain,” Enlai said walking into the bathroom. He was naked, and opened the glass door of the shower pulling her into his arms and she willingly fell into him.

“What is wrong?” He asked.

“No, Enlai, no more, don’t worry about me. I’m toughening up,” she said, her head upon his chest as he caressed her slight back, kissing her forehead. “Finally.”

“You are already tough, strong,” Enlai said, bringing his lips to hers.

“Not really,” she teased back. “But I have a good teacher. Taka told me about the children,” she said, staring at him.

His lips tightened, there was a shadow that drew over his eyes. “They had no right,” he said.

“That is what will happen to our child if they find me?” She asked.