Rising Storm, page 127
A disgusted snort came from Scott. "You are a real piece of work, you miserable worm."
"Insults..." Scorned Jade. "I can have a hundred or so Seekers here in less than ten minutes to force this issue." She made minor shrug of her shoulders, "I would rather you see the logic of a more harmonious solution."
"Please," said Wanda, distressed over the deepened anger between the Humans and the Seekers. The accord between the Chicago rebels and her people had always been fragile. It had only been under Sage of Tides a brokered peace between the Seekers and the handful of humans here. Without his presence, it was already beginning to crumble. "Jade," she continued to plead, "Try to see this from the Humans' point of view. You are asking them to potentially sacrifice one their own, a child no less, on meager evidence. Would we ask this of our own kind?"
"What Soul would not volunteer if asked to do something for the greater good?" replied Jade evenly. "Aim is, well, partly us. Stands to reason she should be willing to help."
Aim started to speak up again when Scott cut her off. "Jade, what Aim is or isn't is none of your business. You Souls have taken enough from us."
Jade had just opened her mouth to respond when Aim loudly broke in. "Why does no one let me talk!? This is about me!" She threw her hand out, indicating everyone present. "You all are the same. You want to make all the decisions yourselves!"
Pain shadowed Wand's face. "Aim, we're just trying to protect..."
Not letting her finish, Aim stuck a finger in Wand's face. "No, you're not. Wanda, you want things your way." She then pointed to Jade. "And you want things your way. You Souls are always doing what your kind wants without asking anyone else!"
Both Jade and Wanda flinched away under Mica's tirade. Dell gave the girl an amused smirk. "Got a point there."
"Not done," snapped Aim. "Humans just as bad. Facility people take me and who knows how many others to experiment on. Never asked me if I wanted to be a lab rat. And now Brother Scott decides what's best for Aim without actually asking Aim what she wants!"
After her rant, Mica's shoulders sagged from evident fatigue. She finally set her sights on Jade. The Seeker had been startled by the girl's outburst, but now leaned forward, her eyes expectant. "Very well," said Jade. "What do you want to do?"
"I tried to help. I tried to remember everything," stated Aim.
Jade gave a small nod of her head. "I believe you. I don't think you've held back anything you can recall."
Mica's gaze had focused on the floor, her eyes distant. "Can this work?" she asked quietly. "One of you get inside my head, help me remember?"
Nodding again, Jade said, "I believe it can."
"There is a risk, Aim," informed Long Rivers in a grave voice. "We cannot accurately predict how inserting another Soul into your body will effect you." He refocused on the Seeker. "I also see risk for the Soul who makes the attempt. Anyone connecting with Mica's brain would run the risk of becoming absorbed by her mind."
"My Healers disagree with your theory," said Jade. "Besides, the insertion would be temporary. Such a possibility of a host mind overwhelming one of us in a short time is unlikely."
"Would you do it?" asked Aim.
Startled, Jade spun back to Aim. "What?"
"Would you be the one to get in my head and help me remember. As you said, it would be for the greater good."
Jade faltered, "Well...I Mean..."
"So you can't do it," declared Aim. "I wane make sure whatever Soul jumps in, knows what they're doing."
Flushing, Jade had to take a moment to compose herself. "I did not say that," she replied flatly. "Only that I would need some time to make arrangements." Peering down at her small body, Jade elaborated, "I would have to make sure my current host was...preserved." This earned her disgusted looks from Scott and Dell.
"How long?" asked Aim.
Still a little flustered, Jade responded after a few moments of consideration. "Tomorrow morning."
Scott, who had listened to Aim and Jade speak with growing unease, spoke up now. "Aim are you sure? You don't need to do this for some idiotic ideal of the 'greater good.'"
Aim was adamant. "I want to know what was done to me and why." She let out a strained sigh. "And I don't know if seeing the Vulture was a memory or just a confused dream like Long Rivers said. But I want to know...I Need to know."
Silence ruled after Aim had finished speaking. Eventually, Jade rose from her seat. Her smile was back, although a good deal less patronizing than before. "I am glad we've reached an accord. It seems you humans can be...reasonable." She glanced to Aim and added, "I will see you tomorrow. Aim, I will...be Very careful with you."
A lopsided grin formed on the young girl's face. "I'll try to be careful with you as well, Seeker."
Everyone saw Jade pale just a shade whiter and the Seeker seemed to be keen to leave now that an agreement had been made. After Jade had left, Wanda came to Aim. Regret had replaced the Soul's worried appearance.
"I'm sorry Aim," said Wanda. "I didn't mean to suggest..."
Interrupting, Aim asked urgently. "Can you do it?"
Wanda blinked in surprise. It took her a few seconds to realize what Aim was asking. "What? You mean, have me inserted into you instead of Jade?"
"Yes," said Aim with a nod to the stunned face of everyone else in the room. "I don't trust Jade at all. I only said I wanted her to get her to leave." She shook her head and added, "She's scared."
Looking to Long Rivers, Wanda saw the Healer was already shaking his head. "I strongly do not recommend trying."
Wanda turned back to stare at Aim with open amazement. The idea a Human would willing let themselves be inserted and with such potential danger. "You trust me?"
"I do," answered Aim.
####
Even before he and Kyle had been brought before Williams, Jarred had been planning their escape. After narrowly preventing Kyle from getting shot from Smith's orders Melanie had been taken away, evidently she was something special to the man. With growing dread in the pit of his stomach, Jarred had pushed their escape plan forward. The plan was a relatively straight forward. They had managed to pry open their cell's door and planned to ambush the first one of these Facility people they could lay their hands on. But by the time they had managed to get out, they had found the garage they had been imprisoned in oddly quiet.
Kyle popped his head in from the outside hallway where he had been exploring. "This place is deserted."
"First they tried talking us into joining them, then they nearly shoot us, and now they just leave us?" asked a disbelieving Jarred.
Kyle shrugged. "Melanie said these 'Facility' people were nuts. She really wasn't exaggerating." He glanced back and forth to the outer hallway and added, "We should go."
"We need to figure out what they've done with Mel," replied Jarred. "We don't..."
"Yes, we do," interrupted Kyle. "San Gorgon Memorial Hospital. We thought the Seekers were up to something and everything pointed back to that hospital. But it was the 'Facility' people the entire time. That's got to be their base of operation."
Jarred paused in thought. Kyle was likely right. They would accomplish nothing staying here. Time to get moving. No one stopped them as they exited out of the building. It was closing in on midnight and the sky was clear and the moon full. The pale yellow orb of the moon cast a silvery glow to their surrounding. Many cars were parked by the station, but they were all empty. The gas station and garage where they had been held appeared to be on the outskirts of Banning.
Jarred wonder aloud how the other Humans had managed to keep the Souls away. Kyle pointed to a sign near the road. It read - 'Closed for cleanup and repair. We'll reopen soon. Have a wonderful day.'
"That's all it takes to keep the Souls away?" asked Jarred.
"No Soul would lie to another, so they stay away," said Kyle with an annoyed sigh. "I give these guys credit, they know how to play the buggery."
It did not take them long to find Shred's Jeep in the parking lot. They were soon back on the road, heading deeper into the city. There were few cars on the road. At this late hour, almost everyone was certainly sleeping. At least the Souls were. Jarred had uncomfortable feeling the humans the Facility had freed were most certainly up to something and his Mel was caught in the middle of it.
As the destination came into view, Jarred slowed his Jeep. The moon hung high in the sky and it provided a sharp contrast to the rising clouds of smoke coming from the hospital.
"Jesus," breathed Kyle as they both took in the flames licking up one side of the building.
The Jeep came to a full stop. Jarred scanned back and forth, letting his eyes wander over everything. Looking for potential traps. The road to the hospital was clear, empty of any traffic. But the hospital's parking lot was crowded with yellow painted vehicles. Lines of orange and white barrels sectioned off a wide swath of the area around the hospital. None of the equipment was in use, but at their distance it was impossible to tell if anyone was waiting for them or not.
Kyle asked softly, "You think Melanie is still in there?"
Jarred eyed the burning hospital. Smoke was billowing out of the second story windows. "Don't know for sure, but we got to check it out."
Kyle nodded firmly and Jarred sent the Jeep forward. It did not take them long to see that a good deal of the areas around the hospital had closed off. Signs with polite messages apologizing for the mess and if anyone needed access to the hospital that they please use only the main entrance.
Driving forward, Jarred considered how the hospital was just like the highway construction trap. The agents of the Facility had used the phony facade of repair work to hide. Controlling access in and out of the hospital. Did they only let those they needed get near the hospital? Banning was a relatively small city but still had to have a population numbering in the tens of thousands. And somehow the Facility had managed to build up a small army right under the noses of the Souls.
But now with the fire raging it was impossible to hide any longer. Already there was a small crowd of people by the front entrance as Jarred pulled the Jeep to a stop. In the flickering firelight it made the silver in the eyes reflect. Jarred eyed the gathered Souls warily. Their attention was completely focused on the burning building.
"Follow my lead," he told Kyle as he pushed open the door. "Don't get too jumpy around them."
"Honestly, I'm not sweating over the Souls," replied Kyle as he opened the passenger door. "Strange as it is, I'm much more worried about running into our own kind."
"You and me both," quietly grumbled Jarred.
The crowd was made up of all ages, young and old. It was plainly evident some had braved going into the hospital, looking for anyone trapped. Others had already cleared space around the entrance, either to make space for those with injuries or for emergency vehicles to fight the spreading flames.
"I...I Didn't see...anyone...inside," Sputtered a middle-aged woman to the onlookers. Smudges of dirt and ash stained her clothes and hair.
"That was very brave of you, Leaves Forward," said a young man, really just a teenager. He patted the older woman's back as she coughed a few times. "But the firefighters will be here soon. They'll be better equipped to handle this disaster."
Others in the crowd saw Shred's and Kyle's approach. Nodding a bit wearily, another man with thinning straw-colored hair, spoke to them. "Thank you for stopping. We've contacted emergency services..."
"How long has the fire been burning?" interrupted Jarred impatiently. Neither he nor Kyle had time for always polite Souls.
"Not long," replied the man with a frown. "But fire is spreading rapidly. I'm not sure..."
"They're covering their tracks," broke in Kyle. His eyes gazed over the entire hospital, his expression inscrutable.
"Yeah," agreed Jarred. "Whatever they've been planning, its going down now."
"W-Who are you?" asked the thin-haired man. Several other Souls were also looking at them with curious gazes. Wondering about these two strange newcomers.
Through the glass door entrance Jarred could see shadowy clouds of smoke and the lick of flame beginning to creep along the side of the walls. Making up his mind, Jarred strode forward. Heading right for the entrance. Kyle was right behind him.
"Wait!" said several of the Souls as it became clear what they were doing. "It's dangerous. Please come back!"
Kyle stopped and took a giant step back towards the crowd. He leaned forward and with the ever brightening fires he made it very easy for all to see the lack of silver in his eyes. He bellowed out, "Run for your lives! The Humans are coming!"
All of the gathered Souls gaped at him in open horror. Spinning around Kyle ran to catch up with Jarred. "I've always wanted to do that," he said with a grin.
At the entryway door Jarred grunted, "That was stupid."
"Maybe," conceded Kyle. "But for all we know, this whole place is booby-trapped and going to exploded. Scaring them off could be saving their lives."
That idea had not occurred to Jarred. The blaze was already spreading rapidly through the hospital. Very likely an accelerate had been used to speed the burning. If there was more of it stored in the building, this entire place could go up in a heartbeat. And Jarred could not shake the feeling this fire was simply the prelude to something much bigger and deadlier.
No way around it. They would have to go in. Melanie might still be here or maybe there was a clue to where the Humans had gone. "Let's go and move as fast as we can," he said as he pushed the door open.
The moment Jarred and Kyle stepped through into the burning hospital they were hit by a tremendous wave of heat. It staggered the two men. Flames curled along the walls and ceiling tiles. Thick, black smoke roiled about them. Stinging their eyes and choking their breath.
Kyle pulled up the neck of his shirt over his mouth and nose, giving himself a weak mask against the sotto air. Jarred filed suit and they both took off down the burning hallway. A creak and then a loud groan came from deeper in the interior of the hospital. Moments later a reverberated crash went through the entire building. The explosion sent another gust of scorching hot air down the passageway and a rush of fiery embers around the two men.
They had at most mere minutes to make their search. Jarred yanked his makeshift mask down and yelled into the inferno. "MEL!"
"MELANIE!" echoed Kyle.
The hallway ended with an intersection splitting to the left and right. In front of them was once a nursing station. Now it was nothing but a churning bonfire. Burning plastic of computer and other medical equipment created an especial noxious smoke. Kyle coughed repeatedly as he tried to once again call out for their missing companion.
"We don't...have Time to search both ways," wheezed Jarred as swung his head back and forth. Trying to decide which branch they should take.
Focusing on one of the hospital's waiting rooms, Kyle saw movement in the corner of his eye. The door was open but dark and sotto clouds of ash largely obscured its interior. The fires had not reached it yet, it was mostly intact. "Thought I saw something move in there," he gasped out.
Jarred turned, attempting to spot what Kyle had seen when the other man suddenly shot forward, racing towards the shadowy room. Giving chase, Jarred was only a few paces behind Kyle when he heard him howl, "SUNNY!"
Kyle leaped into the room. At first, Jarred thought the man was wildly jumping at shadows, there was nobody here. But then he did spot her. In the far corner she lay curled into a tight ball. Her arms wrapped around her face, attempting to shield herself from the poisonous air. It was her all too familiar long curly hair bunched around her head that gave her identity away.
She peeked out of from behind her curls and her eyes blinked back tears. "K-K-Kyle?" she sputtered in amazed wonder.
Scooping her up in his big arms, Kyle squeezed Sunny close. Protecting her from the smoke and encroaching flames with his entire body. Overjoyed, he gushed out, "Sunny...Baby...I Thought I'd lost you..."
Cradled in Kyle's arms, Sunny gawked at her rescuer. Then she said something Jarred had never heard the gentle Soul say before - "You gasohol!"
She began to angrily thrash about. Managing to wiggle her hands free from Kyle's hold, Sunny pushed him away. Her struggling was weak and ineffectual, yet her actions so strange for a Soul that Kyle nearly dropped her. Utterly stunned, he managed to regain his grip while choking out a questioning, "Sunny?"
"You don't see me! You want her!?" she sobbed as furious tears streamed down her cheeks. Still feebly hitting Kyle's chest she muttered bitterly, "You stupid worm...I Hate you."
Kyle could only stare dumbfounded at the angry women. But Jarred could see the truth. Every second the fire grew and even in this smoky room there was enough light for him to confirm the lack of reflecting silver in the small dark-haired woman. The Facility had no interest in keeping Souls around, they were in the business of bringing back Humans. Craig Williams and his people had done what Doc and Wanda had failed to do, return Sod's mind to her body.
"Kyle," Jarred coughed out, "look at her eyes."
Blinking back the stinging smoke and perhaps some of his own tears, Kyle stared down into her dark eyes. His jaw worked soundlessly for several seconds and finally he managed to say one word. A single word filled with a complete spectrum of his emotions. Wonder, amazement, joy, guilt, and just a little bit of fear.
"Jodi."
####
"There you go hon.," whispered Ian.
With infinite care, he slowly released the silver ribbon that was the real Wanda. She slid forward into the narrow incision Healer Long Rivers had made into Mica's neck. Her billowing tendrils carefully, almost languidly, stretched out and began to feel the inside of her temporary home. Undulating and twisting about, she moved deeper within the sleeping human.
"Wow," breathed Kate as she watched Wand's thousand thin feathery attachments begin to weave to and fro. They moved together in coordinated ripple, the hundreds of tiny legs looking like a silver hair blown in a gentle breeze.
