Days of Darkness

Chapter 21

Drugs are not a bad analogy," Hank said, his eyes finding the ceiling as he thought, "but that's not wholly accurate. She enhances desire, be that for good or evil. If I could be so bold, and trust me when I say it, I don't mean to be insulting." I nodded when he paused for my consent. "you needed someone to love...and to be loved...badly." It almost hurt to hear it. I knew it was true. I looked at Natalie expecting to see her run from the needy man who loved her so. Only her hand moved and it covered mine. "Teegan's instincts are to be attracted to that. Food, shelter, she could get that from a catalog of people. It's the nurturing that makes her whole. She loves you because you love her back." Natalie smiled and nodded in agreement. I almost cried at the thought, but fathers don't cry, so I didn't. Fathers protect.

"How did you find us?" I asked. Suddenly aware that Teegan's hiding place was in jeopardy.

"A little detective work," Hank said with a wise grin, "don't worry, the authorities and others don't fully understand Teegan. They are looking for you and you're well hidden behind Natalie. I was following Teegan's trail."

"Is that how you found Rose?"

"There were just under a hundred homes that demanded a search warrant," Hank said, "but only one that reneged and was suddenly cleared, " he smiled, "I have some contacts in the government who have Teegan's best interest at heart. They tell me they are searching for you in New Mexico."

"Santa Fe is my home," I said, "or it was before all of this."

"They saw no connection to your mother," Hank said to Natalie, "you're completely unknown to them, so I suggest all electronic transactions be in your name."

"Someone may know of her," I interrupted, "we had a run in with a couple of thug types just outside of Flagstaff. I think they were waiting there on the off chance we would pass through."

"No badges?" Hank asked.

"Not government," I replied, "wearing gloves and under instructions to get Teegan at all costs. They tried to trade Natalie for her."

"Sam almost killed one," Natalie said.

"You must be a lot tougher than you look," Hank said with surprise. Natalie and I looked at each other. Hank wasn't aware of Teegan's other abilities.

"I'm not," I said holding Teegan up, "she is."

"I don't understand."

"When you bond with her, and you're in need," Natalie said, "information and the skill to use it just comes to you. It's what causes the nose bleeds and exhaustion."

"Natalie took down a guy twice my size," I added, "like me, she was out for about twelve hours after. I pulled muscles I didn't know I owned when I did it."

"She projected this?" Hank asked.

"No, at least not yet," I replied.

"You mean you beat up two guys with Teegan in your arms?" Hank gasped. The idea of it seemed wrong when he said it.

"You have to understand," I clarified, "your confidence in success is all encompassing. There is no anticipation of failure. The path forward is crystal clear, and you take it without a second's thought."

"It takes a toll, "Natalie added, "when it's over you feel like a rag doll."

"Is she affected?" Hank asked, pointed at Teegan.

"It's like it never happened," I replied, "still the same smiling girl." I snuggled into Teegan's cheek and gave her a quick peck. It made her laugh. I stopped before the bond could take. Drugs should be taken in moderation. Tickling her belly was satisfying enough.

"You two ever have self-defense classes or something?" Hank continued his questioning. We both shook our heads no. "Then she must be accessing other minds. Or allowing you too. Hell, this is well beyond anything we experienced."

"It's more frightening to consider than experience," I added, "It can't be her knowledge, and it isn't ours, so it must be our need accessing someone else. Once, she showed me the complete schematics of a Colt .45. I know nothing about guns, usually avoid the things."

"Why would she do that?"

"I stopped a desperate kid from robbing a grocery store," I said, shrugging my shoulders, "the kid linked in the process and suddenly he saw a better future," I chuckled, "he thought she was an angel."

"It must be part of her survival mechanism," Hank pointed out, "just be aware that our minds aren't like hers. Parents in 50,000 years would have evolved minds capable of dealing with her. Unfortunately, it is we who are the infants here."

"Won't the government just make more like her?" I asked.

"Not without the research," Hank said, "we destroyed everything once she was born. The whole team, including myself, thought of her as an 'it', until we linked with her. It was a horrible mistake with a precious outcome. None of us will do it again."

"Can't they just reproduce it in time?"

"Maybe, given enough years," Hank admitted, "I think they will have to wait until we all die off or face exposure," he pointed to Teegan, "I believe that they have calculated that breeding her is their best chance for success."

"She's not a cow!" Natalie shouted, moving closer to me.

"I couldn't agree more," Hank said, "I'm just applying logic. What's better than one super human? Two super humans. The math is simplistic and increases geometrically with each generation."

"They are not turning Teegan into cattle," I said strongly.

"They'll never take her from us," Natalie added. Hank smiled at our determination. He took another bite of his sandwich and grinned as he chewed.

"We were hoping you would say that," Hank said, his mouth still chewing, "we can't take care of her. It was a risk for me to come out here at all." He finished chewing, "My house in Portland is under constant watch."

"See," Natalie said proudly. I loved how she looked, all smart and sassy. I still had trouble believing she enjoyed impressing me. She had no idea that she impressed me just by being in the room.

"138 North Packard?" I asked Hank, my smile growing to match Natalie's.

"How in hell?"

"Dr. Forrester asked me to bring Teegan there," I said, "Natalie thought it best not to go, too big of a risk. I was passed out in a backseat at the time, so I couldn't argue the point."

"Smart woman," Hank praised, "and can make one hell of sandwich. Don't let go of this one, Sam." He bit deep into the second half of his ham and cheese.

"Damn smart," I agreed. Natalie cheeks filled with the most adorable color. It was almost like she thought I didn't see her that way.

We talked more after lunch. Hank explained some of the gene splicing techniques his team used. I listened, half understanding, as I walked around the room with Teegan crawling between my legs. She was exploring as if the conversation had nothing to do with her. Natalie seemed to be grasping more of the conversation, asking intelligent questions and nodding her head.

Hank was both proud and ashamed of what he had accomplished. He loved the science of it all, but now thought it was in a direction science should never go. There were people who thought Teegan was property. Something to be used, not nurtured.

Teegan found her diaper bag in the corner and tried unsuccessfully to unzip it. She was smart, knowing where the zipper was and how it worked. Her fingers just weren't dextrous enough to grab the tab and drag it along. I could see her frustration, mostly in the lack of her smile. I reached down and unzipped it for her. I felt her joy wash through me. It's hard to explain how wonderful it felt.

"She's happy," Natalie said from across the room. I Iooked over to Natalie as Teegan began pulling diapers from the bag. Natalie was surprised, and Hank was looking at the both of us.

"You felt that too?" I asked. Natalie nodded. "It feels pretty good." Natalie smiled as Teegan dug deeper, trying to pull the plastic wet-wipe cylinder from the bag. You could almost see her brain working as she sat back and tried again with two hands. I sat down next to her and watched as she slowly maneuvered it out of the bag and let it roll off to the side. Removing it was her only concern. She went diving right back in and found more loose diapers to pull out.

"I'm not sure this is a good thing," Hank commented. I felt the concern on his face was out of place. Teegan's happiness was never a bad thing.

"It can't be bad," Natalie said with excitement, "I can feel her joy. She's so happy." I laughed. Teegan paused for a moment to laugh with me, then went back to her task.

"But it's her happiness," Hank argued, "can you separate it from yours? What will happen when she gets older?"

"How is it different from any other child's smile?" I retorted.

"A smile is filtered through your eyes," Hanks stated, "what happens if her power gets stronger? Want happens when you don't give her what she wants?"

"She doesn't project need, she projects feelings," I said, not fully confident that that would not change.

"Today," Hanks sighed, "I'm speaking of tomorrow."

"She loves us," Natalie insisted, "and we love her." Hank nodded. I could see he wasn't satisfied. The argument was speculation in the first place. Maybe he thought it a waste of time to continue it any longer. For whatever reason, he let it drop.

.16 - Sam

"I have to leave when we get back," Hank said as we walked through the woods. The days were getting crisper as winter approached. "It was a risk coming in the first place." Natalie and Teegan hadn't joined us by polite design. Hank felt it was important that we talked alone. I wasn't as sure.

"How do you know you weren't followed?" I asked.

"There are too many of us," Hank said, "We know they are keeping tabs on our phones. Much easier to watch our homes and track us electronically. A colleague of mine is preceding me to Chicago, a scholastic conference on Ancient Egypt," he smiled, "my phone is with him, so they think I am as well. It won't take me long to catch up."

"Smart," I admitted, "glad to see they have a few weaknesses."

"They have to play within budgets like the rest of us," Hank continued, "it's Corbett that is the wild card."

"Corbett?"