Roachia 04 Under the Cover of Darkness

by Cindy Combs

  "I could hear other voices, ordering someone to drop his weapon. There was some words tossed about, one claiming Sam was a traitor. Then another very strong voice said, 'The kid is human. You and your boss are not, Roach.' Then there were shots." Jeff ran his hands through his hair, still trying to separate and calm his own emotions from the turmoil he had felt. "Next thing I knew, I could not only feel Sam's pain and shock, but I could also feel him being held and comforted. At the same time, I could feel Blair's relief and protectiveness, telling Sam he was safe and reassuring him that he, Blair, wasn't dead." Jeff let out a deep breath as he again felt his own relief, then turned to look at the others around him. "That was it."

  Frank gently squeezed Jeff's shoulder. "Now we know both of them are alive and safe."

  "Yeah, but it was close, Frank. Too close."

  Lisa took a deep breath, then announced. "Then I guess we'd better get this shuttle ready so we can all get back."

  "Yeah," Steve replied, giving Jeff an encouraging smile. "I want to meet Blair and Sam, which I certainly can't do here."

  Jeff returned the smile, gratified at how easily the teens accepted his story. Dianne didn't seem to be accepting it as easily, but at least she seemed to be keeping her doubts to herself.

  Frank gave him a slap on the shoulder. "I think the work can wait a night. If Sam and Blair are together, those Roaches will have a tough time getting the best of them. You, on the other hand, need some rest."

  Next day, Science Base Delta

  Jim had been expecting this.

  Within the last 16 hours, his young friend had gone from having no name and only a few vague memories, to discovering his name, his brother, and having said brother injured by human-looking Roaches. If that wasn't enough, he'd also met his godfather, adopted grandmother, and learned that his father had been abducted by the Roaches. Then to top off the stress meter, he had also agreed to be a guide to a sentinel who had no clue on how to use his abilities.

  Any one of those events would have given his fragile friend a headache. Jim could only guess at the intensity of the one Blair, previously known as BT, had now. The young man's face was as pale and drawn as ever, his big, blue eyes reflecting his pain.

  Just as predictably, Blair refused to take his meds and lie down for a nap.

  "I want to talk with Pete." Blair tried to glare at him, though he was having trouble focusing his eyes on the larger man. "I have so many questions and I'm sure he can answer them for me."

  Jim sighed inwardly at the tone of pain underlining every word his guide spoke. "BT, you're barely coherent. You need to take care of yourself."

  "But he'll leave and I'll have missed my chance!"

  "I'm not going anywhere, Blair." Jim and Blair turned to find General Thornton behind them, giving Blair a worried smile. Jim swiftly stood at attention, though the General's gaze was focused on Blair. "Get some rest and we'll talk later."

  Blair stared at him, his vulnerability making him seem much younger than his 21 years. "You promise?"

  "I promise."

  A few minutes later, Jim was pulling a light blanket over his friend. Blair was already drifting into sleep, the strain of the day and the heavy-duty meds breaking through his stubbornness.

  Jim stepped out of the dark room and softly closed the door. He found the General still standing in the common area. "Sir?"

  Thornton gave him a smile. "Drop the formality, son. If I remember Jeff's stories right, you're practically family now." Jim eased the tension in his body, though he still felt rude not to stand at attention in front of such a high-ranking officer. "Is there a place we can talk privately? I suspect we have a lot to discuss."

  Jim tipped his head towards the door. "This way, sir. There's a break room down the hall."

  He was running through the dense growth of a tropical forest. He could feel the humid heat on his skin, the stinging slap of branches against his arms. Most puzzling of all, he was chasing some type of canine. He wasn't sure what kind it was. Its fur was white, gray, and black, its bone structure much finer than their old dog, Bogey. Suddenly, the dog disappeared. He skidded to a stop in front of a pyramid.

  "Hello, Grandson."

  Blair turned around to see a man of about his height and weight, but whose curly hair was steel gray. Recognition suddenly slammed into his mind. "Grandpa Keegan?"

  The apparition laughed. "Do not sound so surprised! I've have been waiting a very long time for this meeting."

  Nervously, Blair glanced around the clearing. "I didn't, you know, die or something, did I?"

  "No, my grandson, you are still with the living. This is just the place of dreams, where we can talk."

  Blair's face was still puzzled. "But why have you been waiting for me? We've never met."

  Keegan chuckled, a deep sound that reminded Blair of Sam. He waved the young man to a seat on the stone steps. "Before my death, I foresaw my descendants by my grandson Harry. I saw your father, your brother, and most especially, you."

  "You saw us?"

  "Yes. For all of you are essential for the continuation of our people."

  Blair shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be. I barely remember anything."

  Keegan leaned forward to give him an encouraging smile. "You will remember. What you don't remember, you will relearn. What you haven't learned, you will reinvent. You and Ellison are important, young grandson. You will restart the tradition of the sentinel and the guide, free of the prejudice that existed during my time and beyond."

  Blair blinked, trying to absorb the words. Then it hit him. "My sentinel? You mean, Jim really is my sentinel? I'm suppose to be his guide?"

  This time, Keegan laughed out loud. "Yes, my boy. You and Ellison were ordained long ago, even before your respective births."

  "You mean, our fates are set before we are born?"

  "Fate is a winding, twisted road, full of forks and diversions. You are the choices you make. However, those choices are effected by your personality and upbringing. Who can say what came first and what is important?"

  "And Sam says I'm confusing at times," Blair grumbled under his breath.

  "I guess I'll save that lesson for another day," Keegan agreed.

  Blair took another look around the clearing, then back at his ancestor. "Then why am I here? Is there something you want to teach me today?"

  Keegan's face turned serious. "I came with a warning. You and the others must guard your brother. When Samuel's location was a mystery, the evil could not find him no matter how hard it hunted. Now, the target will soon come into its sights. If Samuel is taken, Jeffrey will lose the last of his strength. If Jeffrey is lost, it will place the future of every human on this planet in jeopardy."

  "You mean, Dad's alive?" Blair asked, hope lifting his heart as well as his words. Then the full meaning hit him. "The Roaches want to abduct Sam to get to Dad?" Blair couldn't control the shiver that coursed through his spirit. The very last thing he wanted was for the Roaches to harm his younger brother. New determination glowed in his eyes as he met Keegan's gaze. "They won't touch Sam. I won't let them." Then he paused. "Well, at least when I can. I might not be allowed to help Jim and the Panthers guard him." He looked up in frustration. "How can I be Jim's guide when I'm not part of the unit? I'm not even allowed to go on patrol with him."

  "A sentinel is always protective of the guide, especially when the guide is hurt," Keegan pointed out. "Once you have healed, you'll take your rightful place by his side. But you must be willing to change your path to join his." Then he smiled. "But first you must regain your strength. It is now time for you to return. You still need your rest."

  "But Grandpa Keegan..." Then Blair felt himself spin upwards, then fall into a deep, healing sleep.

  Med center

  What do you mean, Sam MacGregor is missing?" Major Banks bellowed.

  Dr. Sheree Jackson barely kept from wincing. It was a good thing she didn't have any more patients at the center. Her fiancé, He
nri Brown, gave her a sympathetic grimace. "Just what I said, Major. When Amy went to his room with his pain meds, he was gone."

  "Were there any signs of struggle?" Sergeant Joel Taggart asked.

  "No," Sheree replied.

  Simon closed his eyes for a moment. "Is he with General Thornton?"

  "No, Sir," Lieutenant Rafe Janson answered. "I saw the General talking with Ellison in the break room."

  Banks opened an eye at Janson. "The Colonel?"

  "In the communications room."

  The major sighed. Just what he needed, to have a teen connected to an important General go missing during said General's visit. "Okay, I don't want to disturb Ellison and the General yet. The kid's got a bum leg, so how far can he go? Split up and start searching."

  As Rafe walked down the hall, he paused and closed his eyes. What would I have done when I was eighteen? He's been shot by his bosses who turned out to be human-looking Roaches. Plus he just found out that his brother isn't dead like he'd been told. Rafe's eyes popped open. Bingo! He turned right at the next intersection.

  Rafe poked his head into the common area for the Panthers' bachelor's quarters, pausing when he spotted the teen. Sam's back was to the entrance, leaning against the door frame that led to Blair's room as he stared inside. Retreating into the hallway, Rafe flicked on his communicator. "Janson here. Major, I found him." Rafe pulled back from the device as his Major shouted. Waiting until a pause in the tirade, Rafe inserted. "He's safe. I'll take him back to the Med Center." He flipped it off and reentered the room. Softly, Rafe walked over to the teen. A quick glance inside revealed Blair asleep in the dark room. Smiling to himself, Rafe reflected how much better the young man looked. Then he turned his attention back to the other MacGregor.

  Sam jerked when Rafe laid a hand on his back, then gasped as he accidentally put weight on his injured leg. Before he realized what was happening, he found his arm over Rafe's shoulder and himself being led back to the lounge area.

  Gently, the young officer deposited him into a soft couch, positioning Sam's injured leg onto a nearby low table. "Is that better?" Rafe asked.

  "A little," Sam admitted.

  "Probably would feel better if you'd been in the Med center to get your pain meds," Rafe pointed out.

  Sam shrugged, then glanced back at his brother's room. "I woke up, and I just, well, had to check, you know, to, well..."

  "To make sure your brother really was alive and not something you dreamt up?" Rafe softly suggested, a faint quirk of memory on his lips. Realizing that the teen needed to talk, Rafe sat down on the chair across from Sam's seat.

  "Yeah," Sam nodded, a hint of pink on his cheeks. He stared at his hands a moment. "I was scared that maybe he had disappeared again or something." Sam glanced across into the understanding hazel eyes. "Pretty stupid, huh?"

  "Nah," Rafe assured him. "You've both been through a lot. It'll take some time for everything to sink in."

  "He looks so thin," Sam commented worriedly. "And he's so quiet and, well..." Sam paused as he searched for the word. "Calm."

  Rafe looked at him puzzled. "Not sure I know what you mean, but then none of us know what Blair was like before."

  Sam chuckled, a deep sound that made Rafe smile. "Well you see, Blair has always been kinda hyper..."

  Jim gazed at the picture in his hands. He recognized the younger version of Jeff MacGregor from Sam's picture, asleep with his head back against an old couch. Two sleeping boys, one on either side, were snuggled up next to him, tucked in close and protected by the young father's arms. Studying the older boy, Jim could pick out the features under the mop of dark, curly hair that would grow into the face of his guide. For a moment, the sentinel felt a bit of envy. His father never had time to relax with Stevie and himself like that. Now, with both of them dead, there would never be time.

  "That is my favorite," Thornton explained softly. "It was when the effort to stop the Roaches was just starting. Jeff would work all day, only taking time out to drive Blair to his therapy sessions and attend school functions with Sam. Then he would set an alarm to make sure he left for home in time to spend the evenings with them. Once they were in bed, Jeff would work in his den for a few more hours, get a little sleep, then start again the next day. Dotty took this picture for me so I could force him to slow down." Pete chuckled, remembering that time. "I guess when I think of those three, this is how I see them. So if I sound a little protective, this is why."

  "I understand," Jim assured him, also seeing the air of vulnerability in the picture. "I've always been protective of Blair, and will be of his family, too." Jim raised his eyes to meet the General's, full of promises unspoken. Then Jim glanced down at the picture again. "Besides, at this point I probably know more about Blair's past than he does."

  The General sighed heavily. "I'm so grateful he's alive, yet it hurts to think of what he's been through. But the MacGregors are survivors. Blair will be okay, especially now that he has found his brother and his sentinel."

  "My job isn't exactly the safest, sir," Jim pointed out. "If Blair's by my side, he could also be in danger."

  Thornton chuckled. "That danger has never deterred his father, so I doubt it will stop Blair, either."

  "So how do I explain him, sir? While he'll be treated fine here at the base, there will be times when we'll be required to report elsewhere. Blair will stick out as a civilian, especially when we deal with other units. Are we telling everyone about my abilities?"

  "No," Thornton replied firmly. "I fear that would paint targets on both your backs, especially since we don't know how far in the human-looking Roaches have penetrated our command."

  "So we've been working on something else," Colonel Jack Pendergrast announced from the doorway, giving Jim a wide smile.

  It was the sensation of pain that woke him. Groggily, Blair sat up in his bed and wrapped a hand around his thigh. He searched his sleepy mind, trying to figure out how he had hurt it. But I haven't hurt it. Sam was shot there, but... Then he remembered. Instantly, the pain sorted itself out from the sensations of his own body, leaving himself feeling only groggy while his mind recognized the pain as his brother's. Concentrating, Blair mentally cleared the rusty channel leading to Sam. The pain was still strong, yet swirled with the faint tastes of concentration and ease. Sam was nearby, hurting but focused on something else. For a moment, Blair enjoyed the feel of the familiar presence. He had forgotten about the comfortable web that was growing between them, linking his family together. Yet he couldn't just sit there when Sam was in pain. Time to play big brother and force Sam back to the Med center.

  Jim was only a few steps from the common area when Sheree caught up with him. "Jim, have you seen Sam or Rafe?"

  Turning, Jim gave her a puzzled look. "Isn't Sam in the Med center?"

  "Sam disappeared, Rafe radioed in that he found him, but no one has seen either of them."

  Squelching the fear that started to rise with Sheree's words, Jim focused his hearing ahead. He wanted to make sure Blair was okay before he started panicking about the others.

  ... Blair convinced Willie and I to climb up this tree so the cheerleader would think he was alone. But while they were flirting, the branch Willie was on starting dipping towards the ground...

  Releasing his fear with a breath, Jim turned to Sheree and smiled. "Rafe and Sam are in here."

  Relieved, Sheree followed Jim into the room. "There you are!"

  Both Sam and Rafe looked up, Rafe a bit sheepish. "Hi Sheree."

  "Hi yourself." Sheree turned to the teen. "And here I thought BT was bad about resting and taking his meds."

  Sam gave a shrug. "I'm fine."

  "No, you're not." They all turned to see Blair standing in the doorway of his room. "You're hurting."

  "Blair, I'm..."

  "Sam, I can feel that leg. Get your butt back to the Med center and have Sheree take a look at it."

  Jim and Rafe exchanged puzzled looks as Sam gave his brother a glare. "You
know, this is so unfair. I should hop over there and check you out."

  Blair returned the glare with a stern one of his own. "Not with that leg you're not."

  "Yeah, but I can still call you the 'C' word."

  Blinking, Blair's stern expression turned puzzled. "'C' word?"

  A wicked grin slowly spread across Sam's face. "Trust me, you don't want your friends to hear it. Now come over here so I can touch you."

  With an eye roll, Blair dutifully marched over to his brother, holding out his arm so Sam could wrap his hand around the wrist. The brothers stared at one another for a moment. "You still need some sleep," Sam observed.

  "Kinda hard when your leg wakes me up," Blair retorted. "It's worse than the headache I had earlier."

  "What?" Sheree voiced the question for the others.

  Sam was too focused on Blair to hear it. "You used to be able to block it out at least a little."

  Blair shrugged. "I had forgotten all about it, so I need to get use to it again. Besides, I don't think even Dad could block this out." A sad memory crossed his eyes. "Dad would be dragging you to the Med center right now if he was here."

  "Excuse me," Jim inserted. "WHAT are you two talking about?"

  The brothers exchanged looks. Sam could easily read Blair's trust of the others, so he turned to answer Jim. "We and Dad can sense each others feelings and emotions."

  "You're kidding," Rafe replied, startled.

  Blair shook his head. "No, he's not. My abilities have grown to the point where I can feel Sam from a few hundred yards away."

  "But I'm still at the stage where I have to physically touch Blair or Dad." Sam sadly smiled. "When I was little, I took it for granted that Dad always knew how I felt or when I would try to lie. It wasn't until I was older that I realized we were different."

  "Dad can feel either of us from miles away now," Blair added.

  Worry replaced the smile on Sam's face. "He could feel you in Sealand from Lansbury." The brothers again traded looks. It didn't take much imagination for Jim to realize their concern was for what their father must have felt during Blair's interrogation.