by Mason Sabre
He took the paper from her. On it, the face of an animal stared back … half wolf, half tiger.
“What if that is your sister’s son?” she asked. “What if he is part of all this?”
Stephen’s breath hitched. What if he was?
Chapter 46
Xander traced along the edges of his own drawing as he listened to Helena and allowed his mind to process it. Even with the little sliver of information Helena knew, it was a lot for anyone to take in, but both Eden and Xander nodded at the right places and remained quiet to let her tell her story. It was a processing thing for Helena too. She checked with Stephen to make sure she had things right.
The friend, the sister, the baby … the more Stephen heard it, the more it made sense to him. It was a well-fitted puzzle with all the pieces dotted around and only now was he getting the final pieces. It would have been nice to get the chance to sit back and marvel at the picture, Stephen thought to himself. He was ready for that. Ready to sit and rest.
“You’re Stephen Davies?” Eden asked when Helena was done telling them everything. “As in, the Stephen Davies?” She shook her head, frowned and blew out a breath all at the same time. “I don’t believe it. You? You’re Stephen Davies.”
“It doesn’t change if you keep saying it, you know?”
“I know, but …” she sighed. “Jesus fucking Christ.”
Stephen cocked a brow at the cuss words.
“I don’t understand,” Helena said. She shuffled onto a stool, which Stephen had set down next to him. He helped her onto it. “Did I say something wrong?”
“You have no idea, do you?” Eden said to her.
“Idea about what?”
Eden's eyes were fixed on Stephen, and for the first time, she seemed small, real small. "I'm not going to say. His ego is big enough without me stroking it for him." She paused. "Norton doesn't know who you are, does he?"
“Well, if he did, he would have done more than put me in a glass cage for a couple of years.”
“No. He’d have killed you publicly and then worn your head as a hat to celebrate.”
Helena rubbed her hand over her belly and jumped at Eden’s words. “I feel like Alice in Wonderland, except someone stuck a blindfold on me and made it even more obscure,” she said.
Stephen slipped his arm around the back of her and rested his hand on her hip. He kissed the top of her head and took a second to stay there and enjoy the feeling of closeness to her.
“You’ve heard of Society, right?”
“The ones who run all Others?”
Eden nodded. “Yep. Those. Above that is the Preternatural Council. They run everything, and I mean everything. So, you can imagine, the man at the top of that has to be pretty big, right?”
“Ni-Stephen is the top of that.”
“No,” he said. “But my father is. I am Stephen Davies, son of Malcolm Davies, heir to the Council seat and the Society seat.”
“What does that—”
Eden rested a hand on Helena’s knee. “You’ve basically tied yourself to the head of the Otherworld. I've read about you. Years ago."
“Probably all lies,” he said.
"No." She choked out a laugh. "Makes sense too, doesn't it? You're a warrior, and a leader and chance needs both. Someone who knows how to lead, not drag us all to the next place."
Xander hadn’t been listening to them. He was hunched over the table, peering into his picture and the one in Eden’s book. If he looked any harder into them, he was going to burn a hole through the pages. “Where is the child now?” he asked. “He’s alive still?”
“I really don’t know,” Stephen said. “My father took him away minutes after he was born. I do know he gave him to a couple he’d known for a long time, but I’ve no idea where they are now. If I know my father, he won’t know either. The less he knows, the safer it is.” Stephen reached for Eden’s book and Xander’s papers, but Xander kept hold of the drawing. Stephen tapped it. “Perhaps this can be looked into another time. Right now, we’ve got to get these kids. We’ve got to get Joey out of there.”
“But this helps the kids,” Eden said.
“Maybe. In the future, but them suffering for longer than is needed doesn’t serve anyone but Norton. We get them out. We hide them, then we deal with the rest of it.” He raised his eyes to Xander. “We get Joey.”
If it was as Eden’s book said, then whatever needed to happen, would happen. Stephen often thought of people who left things to chance, or fate or whatever as simpletons. It was the ease of the statement to say, well, it was meant to be, and then just get on with it. It gave people excuses not to take action or to work toward what they wanted, but this book of pictures and stories … maybe part of what Stephen thought before was wrong. Eden believed it. She believed every word of that damn thing. He just needed proof before he threw his heart and soul into it.
“Can we arrange for Helena and Aiden to get to Mel and Nigel? The sooner we get that done, the sooner we can get into Norton’s and get those kids.”
“I have to email them,” Xander said. “Nigel monitors it every day, so he should reply pretty fast.”
“You have internet?”
“In the house near the back of town,” Eden said. “Most of the houses have power, but we found one that is still connected to the internet.”
“It’s a shitty connection,” Eden said, “but it means we can contact Nigel and Mel and not put their location at risk.”
That made sense to Stephen. The less the Humans knew, the better. "Show me."
Helena squeezed his fingers, and the uncertainty was there again, an ambush of emotion in her eyes. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to.
“I need you safe.”
“What if you don’t get back? I need you safe too.”
He kissed her then, a gentle kiss full of reassurance and promise. He’d be back. Nothing in the world was ever going to stop that. “I’ll always come back to you,” he whispered against her lips. “Don’t you ever worry about that.”
He slid his hand around her cheek and let his thumb brush along the delicate skin. Her pupils glistened with raw fear, and when he touched just under her eye, a tear came away. If he could have shown her what was inside, in his heart, she'd have known. There was nothing to fear at all. Nothing to worry about.
When he had sealed her face to his memory some more and tasted her lips enough to last him a little while longer, he gave her a final squeeze. “Take me to the house,” he said to Xander. “I want to get this all running as soon as I can.”
The house was set further back in town as Xander had said. It was a tooth standing in a mouth of broken shells. It had power, heat and water, but as soon as Xander opened the door, a wave of heat blasted out and smacked Stephen in the face in a suffocating blanket.
“Jesus.”
"The heating won't go off. It's good in the winter, not so much right now. We'd all bake in here. I tried to get it to switch off, but it took out all the power, and we lost the internet for a week. I don't want to lose that connection again."
“I’m surprised the computer hasn’t melted with this heat.” The house was clean and tidy. It was decorated in pastels and flowers. The vases on the shelf in the lounge and the knitting on the small table made Stephen think it was probably an older woman who lived here. He wasn’t stereotyping, but there was no way in hell he could imagine a young shifter male sitting by the fire to knit his pack mates a scarf. There was no kitchen, either, which was another reason he could guess they hadn't moved in. Aside from the lounge, there was little structure in the place.
“Computer is upstairs,” Xander said. “When we first came here, we went through every house and gathered all the supplies we could find.”
“What’s this?” A chalked circle marked the floor in the centre of the hallway.
"Eden did that. She's put marks in all the houses. She figured if we warded everywhere, we'll be safe from any wandering travellers. It makes
them feel uneasy. You know when you get that inkling like something isn't right?"
Stephen nodded. There was an advantage to that.
The computer was an old one with a big white monitor and clunky mouse. Xander switched the screen on, and it gave electrical clicks as it came to life. The same screen Stephen had seen at the gatehouse flashed up with Benjamin Norton standing at the front of the camera, his mouth moving but no sound coming out. "They have this rigged, so you can't bypass it," Xander said as if Stephen had asked why they were watching the soundless man.
“Is there sound?”
“Earphones.” Xander reached behind the monitor and pulled out a red set. “If you really want to listen to their garbage transmission.” When Stephen frowned at Xander’s comment, he said, “There is a transmission that goes out from Norton’s almost every hour or when you log on. There’s no way to not see it.”
“A transmission?”
“Yep. Their idea of brainwashing. Their new logo, for Humanity.” He pointed at the dark square at the bottom of the screen, a gold and silver N with their motto underneath it. “They’re putting out a new regime to have all Others rounded up. Or at least hated. It’s working from what I see. And they don’t care if we see it either. It goes to everything. The internet, the television, the radio.”
“It’s on a loop or something?” Stephen didn’t wait for an answer as he lifted the earphones to his head and then took the player back to the start to watch it again. Norton’s voice boomed into his ear, all lively and friendly with an added dose of trust me. Only Humans could be that stupid.
“People of the world. My name is Benjamin Norton. May I start this message with a thank you? It is with great humility, pride, and a sense of duty that I come to you as one of your own … I call to you to make a stand with me.”
“I do not call myself a leader, but it is a great responsibility I take to lead us all into the right direction against those who come from unholy origins … against those who threaten our humanity and all we stand for. They take our children, our women. They walk in the night, in the dark. They fool us. One day, if we do not act, they will rise and slaughter each and every one of us.”
“Here at Norton Industries, we strive to put first what is the most important thing in the world. Humans. My conviction is that everyone deserves to live without fear. Every child deserves to retain their innocence without corruption. We have swallowed enough lies from those who lead the Societies, the Councils and other organisations who promote the evolution of the Other kind. It is our time. Our time to stand up for ourselves and rid the world of vermin.”
“Do not let them fool you with their promises and wishes. Do not fall for their pleas. Every creature from the bowels of hell knows how to cry and understands how to get into the caring hearts of Humans.”
“Here, at Norton Industries, we use science and technology to find new ways to take the Human race forward. After all, one cannot erase a pest infestation without adequate rat-bait.”
Stephen took off the earphones. “Is he serious?”
“Yep. They put fears into Human hearts a little more every day.”
“They broadcast this from Norton Industries?”
“Move over a second.” Xander took the mouse and leant over Stephen. He flicked up the page for Norton Industries and then clicked a series of things and got to a map. “See here? They ping the signal through all of these. That’s how it gets out. Or at least, that’s what I figure. Here …”
"Wait." Stephen grabbed Xander's arm to stop him. He clicked on the staff icon, and the screen went black.
“It does that. Give it a minute.”
When the screen came back on, there were rows of photographs, portraits of people. Stephen scrolled down it. “He’s got enough people for an army here.” He paused almost near the bottom and leant into the screen. “Kirsty.”
“Yeah.”
“She still works there? Do you know where she lives?”
Xander moved back. "Yeah, but she's got, kids. You can't bring her into this."
Stephen shook his head. “Having kids is exactly why she needs to be part of this. Can you take me to her?”
Xander nodded. “Let’s send this email first. Nigel will reply as soon as he gets it.”
Stephen pushed himself back and let Xander sit in front of the machine. “Email Kirsty too. Tell her we need to meet.”
Chapter 47
Where Kirsty and her family lived, it was almost like something out of one of those country house magazines his mother used to read in the sun lounge. She’d sit and paw through the pages and pages of pretentious shit on display, looking for ideas and wasting her time. Luckily for Emily Davies, she never did. But she’d have loved this place. It was all green grass cut into neat squares, brick driveways and neatly planted flower lined planters.
“The Humans let them have this?” Stephen asked. In his experience, Humans never let them have shit. No, that was wrong. They could have shit, and nothing better.
“Others who work for Norton," Xander said. "Believe me, under all that brickwork is probably a stack of wood-worm riddled planks and mouse infested cavity walls. Sometimes even shit can be made to look attractive."
Stephen cocked a brow but said nothing. He stood in the shadows of the awning at the side of the house. It was risky to go into the town, but Kirsty had replied straight away, and he wanted to catch her at home where he could talk to her in private.
She answered the door a moment later. “I thought we said we’d meet in private.” She peered out into her street and a second later ushered them in, shut the door and locked it. “You can’t come here. What if someone saw you? I’d have my—”
“They didn’t,” Stephen said.
Like Xander, Kirsty was fae, except she was part of the Seelie Court—a recognised member and not a member of the unwanted like most Others in Exile. She shifted herself around Stephen and instead of the reprimand he expected, she shoved herself up onto her toes and flung her arms around his neck. “Thank god you’re okay.”
He leant down to her and nodded. “Thank you.”
“When we heard about the bus, I thought you were dead. Everyone thought you were dead.” She stepped back and shook her head as if she was physically shaking off the lies she’d believed. “Guess they wanted us to think that.”
"That's their ego for you," Stephen said. It was all like a game to Lee, wasn't it? His life, Helena's, the children. As he stood in the hallway with Kirsty and Xander, it all came to a place in his head where he could understand it. They were always going to die if Lee had his way and no one would care. Not really, maybe Kirsty, and the odd Other.
“How’s Helena?” she asked. “And the babies?”
“Both good.”
“What you told us to do worked,” Xander said. “Eden has been cleaning out his blood and giving it to Helena. She’s made it this far. Though I think she might be fit to burst soon.”
“Twins tend to come early,” Kirsty said. “I’d not give her long now. You should all get ready.” She looked at Stephen with a peculiar expression, like she had a secret she wanted to tell, but then it was gone a moment later.
“Are you alone?” Stephen asked.
From what he could tell, she was. He’d have picked up scents and sounds, and while the scent of her children and husband were thick in the air, it was an old scent, one that said they’d been in the house that day, but not for a good few hours.
“My husband has taken the boys to his mother’s. She likes to give them lessons in how to be fae. Never seems to think I do a good enough job. Why?”
“How much access do you have at the facility?” asked Xander. “Can you get anywhere?”
“Not everywhere. Most places, but there are some things I don’t have clearance on. Mostly, I can get into the genotype areas with my keycard.”
Genotype. Stephen was pretty sure that would be all he needed. Those kids had to be in that area if they were part of what he and He
lena had been part of, and he was damn sure they were. "Do you know what goes on in the other labs? Do you all talk?"
She shook her head. “Not so much. I was pretty restricted to you and Helena, but since you left, I’ve been put on leave. They want to sweep my offices and files, make sure I wasn’t part of it.” She snorted. “That went down well with Jody’s mother. Now I am a criminal.”
“You still have access, though?”
She nodded. “I should. I’m sure they don’t think I had anything to do with it. They’ve just got to check.”
“Do you know about the kids?”
“Kids?” her eyes flicked from Stephen and Xander. “What do you mean?”
“They have kids there,” Xander said. “They experiment on them. Other kids.”
If Kirsty knew about them, she was a damn fine actress. She shook her head and stepped back from Xander and Stephen. “I don’t— Oh, God. I’m an idiot.” Turning on her heel and without inviting Stephen and Xander to follow her, she raced up her stairs.
There was a small room at the front of the upstairs. It went just over the main door. It was a home office, complete with desk, counter and chair and then shelves stacked with books for her work.
Flicking through the screens, Kirsty located the login screen for Norton Industries and entered her password. ‘JensonX.' Fitting, Stephen supposed. The name of her children, but predictable nonetheless. "I have access to most systems, not that I need them. I think it was an accident mostly, but I don't snoop, and no one switched it off." She pushed back her chair and got up. "You're welcome to look around if you want, but don't touch anything. Just open it."
It was Stephen who sat, not Xander. It had been years since he had used a computer, and even then, they had been in the libraries rather than at home. They didn’t have much need for sitting inside and staring at a screen all day.
From what Stephen could tell, there were different projects—genotypes with numbers and letters. He opened one up, starting at the top, which happened to be alphabetised and gleaned through the list. Mostly they were just files, the odd picture, but nothing of interest until he got about halfway down and then when he came across his file …
