Immortal Decision, page 10
“I’m not taking any tests. Even if you did know the difference, it’s not going to help you find them or even stop them,” Dean responded.
“Have you noticed any weaknesses you have?” The president quarried. “Sensitive to any kind of light or sound, anything?”
“No, I’m just your typical twenty-five-year-old guy. I was just born with government defects. No offense, Mr. President.”
“Ok, general, I’m going to ask you and Mr. Holdren to leave now. I’d like to have a talk with Dean alone,” the president said, standing up pushing his chair back.
The general stood up and started to make his way toward the door.
Mr. Holdren stood up and stopped. “Mr. President, I have to demand that you order Mr. Carson to take these tests!”
Dean stood up and walked toward Mr. Holdren. “You know, if I had a gun right now…”
Paul stood behind Dean and reached inside his vest. Mr. Holdren ran to the door and beat General Burns out into the hallway.
“You’ll have to explain how you got rid of him so fast sometime,” the president said.
“I’d kind of like to know the inside story on that one myself,” Julie said with a smile, looking at Paul.
“Dean, I really would like to talk to you alone, but I have a feeling there’s no chance these two are leaving. Would I be correct?”
“Whatever you say, they’re going to know anyhow, so why take the chance of losing something in translation.”
“Fair enough, let’s have a seat.”
“I didn’t get to be the president of the United States by not being able to read people. I sense you were and are holding something back. Would I be correct in that statement?”
Dean looked back at Julie and Jimmy. He was holding things back but didn’t know if he should tell everything he knew. Julie looked at him blankly giving him no indication. He glanced at Jimmy and saw him lower his head. Neither of them knew what to do either. All three were lost and didn’t know if they could trust the commander-in-chief.
“I need a glass of water. How about I walk down the hall and get one? That way, you three can talk.” The President got up from his chair and left the room.
“I don’t know, Dean, do you think you should tell him everything? I mean, about the idea you think there’s an antidote and all?” Julie asked.
“Dean, I’m with you, whatever you think. This guy seems sincere. Listen to your gut is all I can say, no matter what, we’re with you,” Jimmy said.
“What Dad said.”
Just then the door opened, and the president walked in carrying a tray with four glasses of water on it. Walking to the table he served each of them and took his seat to the right of Dean. “Well, Dean, do you have anything to tell me?”
“I’m not really sure. There are a few things I might not have said but I’m not sure it matters anyway.”
The president took a drink of his water, deep in thought.
Part of him wanted to tell the president everything but he could see the words his mother wrote, ‘trust no one and suspect everyone.’
After a few minutes, the president stood up and began to pace, obviously trying to find a way to say something. “Dean, in the coming days, maybe even weeks, I may have to make decisions. Decisions no president wants to make. If these men wage war on this country, I’ll have no alternative but to fight back. No president has ever bombed his own country, and I don’t want to be the first. I will take them out in any way I have to if forced. What lives will be lost by my decisions? How many Americans will senselessly and innocently lose their lives because I must fight on American soil? Dean, I’m not just asking as the president of the United States, but as a friend to a friend. If there is anything you know that could or would alter a decision I might have to make, for God’s sake, tell me now.”
Dean got up out of his chair and walked to the other side of the room. He understood the president’s position but still struggled with whom he could trust. When he got to the other end of the long room, he turned, leaned onto the table, took a deep breath, then stood again. Julie and Jimmy stared at him, wondering what he might say.
He looked at the president. “I think Dr. Berfield played scientist and did experiments on Americans. I’ve heard of no tests for the drug he created, just that they were given to soldiers, one of which was my father. When the experiment failed and it was obvious, he had created monsters, what did you do? You taught them to fight, you used them to wage war where you didn’t want others fighting. Now that they’ve blown a gasket, you turn to the one who is normal from the experiment and want him to give you answers. I may be faster, I may be stronger, who knows? I know of only one true difference; I don’t need to kill to have a life.” Dean stood still and glared at the president.
“One of the last things Dr. Berkfield said to me before he left my office that day was, you are the true omega. Are you?”
“I’m not sure what you’re asking,” Dean answered.
“The end-all. He insinuated you were the answer when they became restless.”
“If you’re asking if I could defeat them in battle, I don’t know. I’m not even sure I want to try. If they come after me again, I will protect myself and those important to me, so to answer your question, no, I’m not the omega of this.” Dean made his way toward Julie and Jimmy.
“What aren’t you telling me and why?” the president persisted.
“For now, there are certain things I will keep to myself until I feel it needs to be known by you. Fair enough?”
“I’m pretty sure, based on your demonstration here today, I can’t make you tell me anything,” the president said with a slight smile.
“If they come looking for me again, I’ll let you know.”
“Is there some way I can reach you if I need to?” the president asked.
“Jimmy, give him this number,” Dean said pulling out the phone Jimmy had given him. “Mr. President, how do I get hold of you if I need you?”
Much to their surprise, the president pulled an old flip phone from his right front pocket. “Put this number in that phone, Jimmy, it’s my personal phone. The first cell phone I ever bought. No one knows I have it. Only the wife calls me on this one.”
“That’s too funny Mr. President,” Dean chuckled.
“Hell, they put tracking devices on everything I own. This is the one thing I carry with me every day that no one knows I have. Like my dad use to say, if you want to hide something…”
“Hide it in plain sight,” Dean finished. “My dad used to say that too.”
“Dean, there is one more thing I need to tell you before you leave. There is a person that Dr. Berkfield was studying besides you. Anna Conners, your ex-wife.”
“Well, since we were married before he died, I’m sure that was just normal,” Dean said looking a little uncomfortable.
“Dean, the file was empty but the date it was opened was five years before you two even married.”
Dean looked at Julie then at Jimmy. “She was with Bobby and his unit the night they tried to kill me on Dale Road.”
“I’m not sure where she fits into all this, but you just might want to watch out for her,” the president said.
He stood up and reached for Dean’s hand. Dean reached out and shook his back, still not sure if he could trust him, or anyone in the White House yet.
“I’ll escort you to the helipad.”
Chapter 12
The four of them stepped out into the hallway, where four agents waited along with Paul.
“Carns, I almost forgot about you,” Dean exclaimed. “You didn’t shoot anyone did you?”
The president turned to Dean. “Mr. Carson, if there is anything I can do for you please let me know.”
“Well, there probably are some warrants and other stuff you might be able to help me with,” Dean chuckled as he shook his hand.
“I will have my people make sure everything is taken care of before you get home,” the president responded.
“I have a feeling I might be in trouble when I get back to my post,” Carns chimed in.
“Mr. Carns, I will personally call your post and make things right. Just give the number to one of the agents.”
Having taken care of all their troubles and concerns, they headed for Jimmy’s helicopter. It had turned to evening and the sun had set, darkness filled the Washington sky. Julie sat in the passenger seat and Dean and Paul sat in the back as Jimmy lifted off and headed west toward home.
“Well, Dean, I have to say, that’s probably the most excitement a man could have after being kidnapped,” Paul said.
“Sorry about all that. At the time it seemed like the right thing to do.”
“Jimmy’s safe, and so is Julie so I guess it was the right thing to do but I have to know what happened when you guys talked to the president?”
“We just told him the difference between me and them. I told him what I was going to do,” Dean answered.
“What are we going to do?” Julie asked, looking back at him.
“I’m not exactly sure yet,” he said, looking out the window into the night sky.
Jimmy landed in Bellsville and they got in his car heading toward Dale Road.
“Both your cars are still at the farm. Do you want me to take Paul home?” Jimmy asked.
“No, I’ll take him,” Dean answered.
Jimmy pulled into the driveway at the old farmhouse. While driving up the driveway, Dean scanned around looking for any sign of trouble. He didn’t feel any danger and saw nothing but his car sitting in the turnaround where he had parked it. Someone had put Julie’s car in the driveway ahead of Dean’s.
“I put your car there, Julie. I wanted to make sure everything was ok,” Jimmy said.
As Dean and Paul headed for his car, Julie yelled, “Dean, why don’t you let him take your car and drive himself home? I’m sure he’ll take good care of it. It’s been a long day and you need some sleep.”
“Can you handle this thing?” Dean asked referring to his mint-condition Firebird.
“I promise I’ll bring it back to you in one piece.” Paul chuckled.
“One scratch and I’m liable to shoot you in the leg.”
Paul caught the keys when Dean tossed them to him and opened the door, but stopped before he got in. “Dean, watch your ass and make sure both of you come back alive. I want my wife and kids to meet you.”
“Deal. Drive safe Carns.” Dean opened the passenger door to Julie’s car and climbed in.
“Where to, Superman?” Julie asked as she headed down the driveway.
“Somewhere with a soft bed and you in it.” He smiled back at her.
“Home it is.”
During the trip from Washington DC, Dean had too much time on his hands. Too much silence in the chopper and in the car, too much time for him to think, too much time for him to remember. All the thoughts and emotions were starting to affect him.
They got to Julie’s house and went inside. “I’ll take a quick shower and be out in a few,” Julie said as she went to her room.
Dean sat on the couch in the living room. Again, there was silence, more time to think, more time to remember. He wasn’t sure if he liked this new Dean he had become.
Soon, he heard the shower shut off, and minutes later, Julie walked into the room wearing a small see-through black nighty with nothing underneath. She was so beautiful and sexy.
She sat down beside him, and he reached over and gave her a kiss then pulled back and leaned back on the couch. “I guess this nighty doesn’t get the results I hoped for.”
She looked into his eyes and could see something was bothering him. She got up and walked back to her room, returning with a full-length robe on, and sat down beside him. She sat quietly beside him and didn’t look at him directly, just waited. Something was on his mind, and she was sure he would talk when he was ready.
She reached down and rubbed his knee and leg with her right hand. The clock on her mantle ticking the minutes away, she moved her hand up to his face and pushed his hair back behind his ear. Softly she began running her fingers through his hair.
He could feel the love in Julie’s attention. There was so much he wanted to say, but not sure he needed to say anything. “Maybe we should go to bed. It’s getting late and we have a lot to do tomorrow,” Dean spoke up as he started to stand up.
Julie grabbed his right arm and forcefully but lovingly forced him back down on the couch. “Dean,” she put her hand to his chin and turned his face to hers, “look at me.” Julie paused and just gazed into his eyes. His eyes were so blue at that moment. It was almost as if she could see into his soul. The love in her heart was boiling. “I know there are a million things going through your mind,” she continued. “Do you remember when we were eight or nine and we were riding bikes and I wrecked? I skinned my knee so badly and started bawling, and all the kids with us started laughing. Do you remember that?” She stroked his hair again and Dean nodded that he remembered.
“You picked me up off the sidewalk and carried me in your arms up onto the porch. You sat me on the porch swing then chased all those kids away. You went inside and got a washcloth and Band-Aid and fixed me right up, and the whole time you just kept whispering to me that it was going to be ok. Do you remember that, Dean?” Dean nodded and dropped his head down.
“That was the day I fell in love with you. I’ve loved you ever since. You’ve always protected me and kept me safe. What’s happening now is no different. I still love you, and you’re still taking care of me,” Julie paused.
There was silence and Julie continued to softly stroke his hair. She didn’t want to rush him and knew he had something to say, she would wait, even if it took all night.
Dean still sat with his head down staring at the floor. Julie could see a tear run down his cheek. She knew Dean was a loving person, but he wasn’t much of a crier. Whatever emotions he was feeling had to be powerful. Finally, Dean turned to her and took her in his arms and hugged her tightly putting his head on her shoulder. She could hear him softly crying. She just held him as tight as he was holding her and could feel the tears in her own eyes starting to swell. She wasn’t sure why he was crying but she knew he was in pain.
Dean got ahold of himself, and the tears dried up. He sat back upright on the couch and hastily wiped his eyes, feeling stupid crying in front of Julie, but his emotions were running high. He looked straight ahead not wanting to look at her yet. He was going to have to explain his tears and was thankful she was giving him time to sort through what he might say.
Dean took a deep breath, “I killed a man today.” He sat silent for a few moments. Julie was surprised, she thought he hadn’t killed anyone, just wounded several. “I didn’t have to. I did it on purpose. I did it on my own. I didn’t have to kill him. I could have just shot him like I did all the others. I felt so much rage, so much anger.
“It was after I got into Jimmy’s house and saved him, then found out they had taken you. It was the agent that called me to say he had Jimmy when we were on the way home. I asked him a question and I didn’t like his answer, so I just turned my gun on him. He didn’t have a weapon. I just aimed and shot him right between the eyes and watched him slump to the ground.”
Julie felt a tear falling down her own cheek as she could feel the pain Dean was experiencing. She didn’t say a word, just held his hand. She knew he wasn’t finished.
“It’s been bothering me all day. I’m not sure why I did it. Was it because I was just full of rage because they had taken you? Was I angry at the whole situation? Or did I just want to see what it looked like to kill a man by shooting him in the head? That’s how I’m going to have to kill them if I must. That’s how they’ll have to kill me.
I have gone through in my mind a thousand times, everything you and your dad have told me. I can’t help but wonder how close I am to being like my brother. For God’s sake, I killed a man today. I don’t know if he had a wife or children. I knew nothing about him. I just drew my weapon and shot.” Dean stood up. This time, Julie didn’t stop him as he walked to the front window in her living room and looked out. She knew he was still processing emotions he had never had to deal with before.
Dean turned back toward Julie. “When I got to the White House today, I had no fear. I didn’t fear for my life at all. I didn’t care who shot me or how many times I got shot. There was only one thing on my mind, getting you back and getting the hell out of there. When we were on the way home in the helicopter, I finally became myself again. It was like I could see who I was the whole time I was there, and I could feel the determination I had. Sitting in the chopper on the way home I felt none of that, the feeling was gone. When I was there, I felt no fear, now I feel fear. It’s like I’m not sure which person I really am. Like there are two people inside of me. How do I know which one I’ll be from moment to moment? How do I know that I will always be fearless when I have to be and normal when I should be?” Dean turned and looked back out the window.
Julie sat silently on the couch. She didn’t feel it was time for her to respond. Dean needed to work through the feelings he was having, and she decided the best way she could help him was to just listen.
“Last night, when we were together in bed, just loving each other, was probably the greatest night of my life. I’ve never had that. I’ve never felt love like that before. It was the best feeling in the whole world. Then a few hours later, the thing that made that night possible was taken from me and I went crazy.” He paused again and Julie could see him calculating his words. “I look out this window and see so many houses, so many lives, and so many people, all of them have a life they are pretty sure won’t end anytime soon. But we have to lay our heads down tonight not knowing if it will be the last time. I know anything can happen to anyone at any time. You and I both know that our odds of having another night together are way worse than most. Why do we have to live like that? I just found you!” Dean let his voice rise. “I asked myself many times over the last couple days, maybe you have too, why me?”
