Hybrid Zone Recognition

by C. E. Glines

  Adam’s unease with the direction of the conversation flushed through my mind. Why had he been talking to Granny about me?

  “Anyway, I wanted to make sure ya was informed about certain womanly things.”

  I forgot the previous comment as alarm raced through me. Please tell me she was not going to talk to me about sex.

  “Now, don’t ya fret. There ain’t nothing to be ashamed of about God’s gift to married folks.”

  Where could I run, how could I escape? Adam’s unease had turned to amusement and was only adding to my embarrassment.

  “Granny,” I hissed. It sounded harsher than I meant it to be. I swallowed, trying to calm down. “I know about the birds and the bees.”

  She dismissed me with a pursing of her lips and a tilt of her head. “Ya might know the how to in ya mind, but ya ain’t got no experience in the doing. That’s what I’m here to tell ya.”

  Adam’s amusement quickly faded. He did not want to hear about his Granny’s sexcapades, and neither did I. And how did she know that I didn’t have experience?

  “Now, I been a hybrid almost as long as Adam, and I know’d a thing or two about the subject.”

  Uugh, it got worse. Now she was going to tell me about some kinky hybrid sex scene. She was worse than Miranda. Adam’s urge to run was almost as strong as mine. And yet, she seemed totally unfazed by my obvious humiliation.

  Then, she started cackling. The cackling turned into large guffaws of laughter. She was laughing so hard she had tears streaming down her face. Letting go of my hand, she used her apron to wipe away the tears. “Young’uns is so gullible,” she wheezed.

  The rush of panic froze. She’d pranked me. I’d been pranked by Granny.

  “I just wanted to tell ya, that after ya made your vows,” she paused and gave me a meaningful look, “that ya trust one another when it comes to it. That ya leave fear at the door and just enjoy the learning of it.” Reaching up, she gently patted my cheek, and then she stood and walked to the door.

  Just like she’d done previously, she paused at the door. “Adam, ya can come out now. But don’t think for one second, that if you’d taken your liberty with this gal here last night, that I wouldn’t a whooped ya up one side and down the other. Ya understand me, boy?”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Adam croaked from his hiding spot.

  Nodding once to herself, she left, pulling the door closed behind her.

  The room was filled with a strange silence until Adam pushed himself out from under the bed. He made no further attempt to get up, but lay on his back with his knees bent and feet flat on the floor. The look on his face was one of contrite shock.

  “I might be slightly afraid of Granny,” he admitted.

  That admission seemed like the funniest thing I’d ever heard. I covered my face with my hands as I doubled over in laughter. Adam’s laughter soon joined mine.

  When I could speak again, I said, “Me too.”

  After the laughter settled for the second time, I asked him, “Didn’t you know she would be able to smell you?”

  “I panicked.”

  “I’ll say.”

  He flipped over onto his feet and stood up. “Ready for breakfast?”

  I could eat, but I didn’t know if I could face Granny.

  “Think it’s safe?”

  “Come on,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me free of the quilts. “She wouldn’t really hurt you.”

  I was glad he thought so, but I was going to keep an eye out for wayward rolling pins and garden hoses.

  We ate a quick breakfast of leftover ham and biscuits with homemade jam, and then she pulled me into a bedroom to choose some clothing. I’d swear there wasn’t anything there past the nineteen fifties.

  I finally settled on some white knickers paired with a powder blue button up shirt. She had found a bra, though I wished she hadn’t. This thing was the definition of uncomfortable. What designer thought a pointed cup was a good way to go? A pair of Mary Janes completed the look.

  I pulled my hair into a pony tail. It was the first time in days my hair wasn’t in my face. That felt good all by itself. This whole ensemble made me feel like I was seventeen, except even when I was seventeen, I didn’t dress like this.

  When I entered the living room, Adam was already there. He stopped what he was doing and watched me walk towards him.

  “Sort of feel like I’m robbing the cradle,” he whispered as he helped me slip on a camouflage jacket.

  I patted his arm reassuringly. “I imagine all grandpas feel that way when they are pursuing much younger women.”

  His eyebrows descended into a frown as he glared at me. I chuckled and starting rolling up the sleeves of the jacket that was slightly too big for me. Adam harrumphed and then helped me adjust the sleeves while Granny stood by silently watching the show.

  When Adam slid on his jacket, Granny came forward and took each of us by the arm. “Ya’ll be good to one another,” she said in a rush and then wrapped us in a fierce hug. As abruptly as she’d pulled us close, she let us go and marched to the front door.

  We followed her, and she swatted Adam’s backside with a dish towel as he passed her. “Treat her right, ya hear?”

  I’d forgotten about the towel. She had game with rolling pins, hoses and towels. She could be called Granny Whacker.

  Adam turned and while walking backwards saluted her. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  When it was my turn to walk past, she simply said, “Don’t make’em wait too long.”

  I cringed at her directive. She was something else.

  When I reached the truck, I found Adam brushing off the passenger seat. I’d warned him. He finished and stepped back, allowing me to climb in. He shut the door and I used the handle, yes handle, to roll the window down.

  We backed out of the driveway, and I waved to Granny who’d walked to the edge of the porch. Tears sprang to my eyes as I realized I didn’t want to leave Granny behind. When I could no longer see Granny or the cabin, I pulled my head back in and rolled the window back up. It was still a little too nippy this morning to ride with the windows down.

  “Where are we headed now?” I asked.

  “A small public airport about twenty miles from here. From there, home.”

  “In Montana?”

  “Yes.”

  I’d never lived anywhere but Texas. New Orleans was only part time, so I didn’t count that. Montana was a long way from Texas. And, it hadn’t yet been decided that Montana was my home.

  “Has anybody told Renard about Julia?” I asked.

  “No. Both he and Julia are currently unaccounted for.”

  That probably spelled more trouble. I glanced sidelong at Adam as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

  “Has there been any more word from Cedars?” I asked.

  “None.”

  Though he was sitting right next to me, I could feel the distance between us growing. Sadness flared within me as I recognized that he was pulling away from me. Apparently, Granny wasn’t the only thing we were leaving behind.

  Adam shifted in his seat again and leaned heavily on his door. I didn’t know what was going on other than he was putting distance between us. His mind felt thick, dark. Not dark as in evil, just heavy. Me peppering him with questions he didn’t yet have the answers to probably wouldn’t help.

  In an effort to ease this new tension between us, I offered to give him some space. “You want to shut me out and think for a while?”

  He seemed startled by the question. Almost as if he’d forgotten I was there at all.

  “You wouldn’t mind?” he asked cautiously.

  Actually, I did. But it seemed he was intent on it. Whether on purpose or not, he’d already pulled most of the way back from our bond.

  “Take the space that you need,” I said, making sure to lock down on my emotions before answering.

  Six little words were all that he needed. With one swift click, he slammed the doors completely shut between us, and
I couldn’t feel him at all. But I didn’t miss the relief that he felt prior to doing so. I couldn’t deny that hurt.

  He brought my hand up to his lips and placed a kiss there. “Thanks,” he whispered.

  I pulled my hand free and turned to look out my window. Angry, I slammed my own shields in place while I white knuckled the arm rest on my door. I didn’t know why I was angry. It was my idea, after all. And certainly, I could understand the need to think. Hadn’t I just done this to him last night?

  I blew out a breath, slowly releasing my grip on the handle. I had managed to live all of my pre-Adam life without him. I could certainly do it again. And it wasn’t like I didn’t have plenty to think about.

  We spent the rest of the drive each concentrated in our own little worlds. That worked for me. At least everyone knew me there.

  When we arrived at the airport, Adam was more detached than ever. He began to work the second after we got on the plane. Seated at a desk at the front of the cabin, he delved into the work of the Organization and more or less ignored me.

  I sat in the seats opposite him, watching him work and absently munching on the fruit in a nearby basket. Like the flash of a camera, an image of Kenny exploded in my mind. Oh, my God. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten.

  I sprang across the aisle to the nearest phone, causing Adam to look up briefly. When he saw me pick up the phone, he went back to work. I dialed Miranda’s cell, hating that she didn’t pick up until the third ring.

  “Hey, Mace.” She sounded happy. “Jamie said it was probably you. It is you, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. Do you have my cell phone?”

  “Hey, Miranda. How are you?” she said. “The rescue went great. I’ve been—feel free to fill in the blank.”

  “Hey, Miranda. How are you?” I dutifully repeated. “I’ll fill in the blank later. I think Kenny may be in trouble.”

  “Oh,” she murmured her understanding. “It may be in the things that weren’t carted to the original safe house. Give me five and call me back.” She hung up without saying goodbye.

  I placed the phone back in the cradle and trained my eyes on the clock hanging over Adam’s head. He never even noticed me looking in his direction. At least he was highly focused on whatever he was doing for the Organization. I had to give him that. When the five minutes were up, I called her back.

  “What’s your passcode?”

  “Three, six, six, three.” I heard the click signaling she’d entered the correct numbers.

  “Does that stand for food?”

  “Of course.”

  “Mine too,” she said.

  One of the reasons I loved her. Not for her passcode, but her love of food.

  “You’ve got twenty seven voicemails. I’ll put it on speaker.”

  “Okay, but if it’s not someone related to the current situation, move on to the next one.”

  “Will do.”

  The first one began to play. It was from Kenny on the night I first met Adam.

  “Hey, Doc. I’ve thought about what you said, and I think we need to have that conversation. Some strange things have been happening around here.” As if he just realized what he’d said, he snorted. “Stranger than normal, I mean. Call me.”

  The next five or six were related to the university. Then there were the frantic and rude messages from Miranda concerning my where abouts.

  “Sorry,” she yelled over the ranting. “I was just worried, and you weren’t available. Your voicemail was the next best thing.”

  I rolled my eyes in amusement. “Please skip any more rant filled messages from a certain Miranda person.”

  “Consider it done,” she replied sheepishly.

  The next message that she played for me was from Kenny again.

  “Hey, Doc.”

  I sat up at the sound of his voice. It was tired and haggard.

  “Starting to get worried here. It’s not like you to not return calls.” There was a pause and a lot of static filled silence before he spoke again. “Things are not right. People are disappearing.”

  I heard Miranda’s intake of breath.

  “They’re not coming back, Doc.” There was a large inhale. “I need you to call me.” Then the line went dead.

  “When was that from?” I asked.

  “Two days after the initial call. So, three days ago,” she calculated.

  She skipped several more calls about various unimportant things. Then Kenny’s frantic voice came on the line again.

  “Doc, wherever you are, I pray you’re okay.” His voice sounded so strained, more like the sixteen year old that he was. “It’s bad, Doc. I found Crystal.” At the mention of her name, his voice broke. “She…they butchered her.”

  I clasped my free hand over my mouth. Miranda’s soft sobs joined Kenny’s.

  “She’s dead, Doc.” He took a deep, rattling breath. “I got as many as would listen to me out. We are in the place where we came to our understanding. Please remember, Doc. I think they’re listening.” One more sob. “I really need you to find me.” Then the line went dead again.

  I closed my eyes, my breath coming in shallow gasps behind my hand. On the other end, Miranda still wept. I could hear Cedars softly comforting her in the background, and then he spoke.

  “That was from last night. If you contact him and they are listening, you could expose his location.”

  “I’ll call you back,” I choked out and then hung up the phone.

  “Everything alright?”

  I lifted my eyes to Adam. Pulling my hand from my mouth, I waited until I was sure I could speak without crying.

  “I have to get to the Colony.”

  “We are going to Montana.” He held my stare for a moment and then went back to work.

  He’d dismissed me. My eyes widened at his presumed gall, and anger flushed through my system. Who did he think he was?

  “I need to get to the Colony.” It came out as a growl. One I’d heard him make on many occasions.

  He paused his typing and looked up at me. “You need to calm down.”

  “Calm. Down.” I paced towards him. “Calm. Down!” I found his lack of emotion to be utterly insulting. “You do not order me to calm down. Neither do you dictate to me where I will and will not go.” I was beyond furious as I stood in front of his desk with my hands fisted at my sides.

  “Macy,” he began in that patronizing tone he possessed.

  “Don’t you dare speak to me as if I were a child!” Suddenly I found myself face to face with Adam, my nose just inches from his. I had leapt onto the desk and was now crouched in front of him.

  In an instant, his eyes shifted. He shoved his keyboard aside and gripped the desk with both hands. “You are certainly acting like one!” He snarled.

  I found myself drawing ragged breaths as I stared at Adam. Was I seriously about to attack him? I reined my anger in some, but I didn’t move from my position on the desk.

  “The hybrids at the Colony may not mean anything to you, but they mean something to me. I will NOT abandon them,” I snarled.

  He was unyielding in his response. “The hybrids at the Colony are not your responsibility.”

  “Then whose are they Adam! The government’s? That’s laughable. Yours? They mean nothing to you! They are mine!”

  Before I could move, he flung his chair aside and pressed his nose to mine. “You mean something to me!” he yelled.

  We maintained our pose, him standing and me crouched on the desk, nose to nose and both of us breathing heavily.

  “If I mean anything to you, then you’ll honor my commitment to the Colony.” This I spoke softly, pleadingly even, putting all the feeling I could muster behind it—for all the good it did. His shields were still tightly in place.

  He pulled away and paced rapidly back and forth behind the desk. Not once did the growling stop as he marched back and forth. It was too focused to be simply driven by anger.

  “You know what’s going on,” I
said suspiciously.

  He stopped, putting both hands on his hips.

  “What’s going on?” I growled. His reluctance to answer only fueled my anger. “Adam!”

  He sighed deeply and turned to face me. “The Consortium has managed to infiltrate the government. I believe they are the ones responsible for the disappearances at the Colony.”

  Kenny had said Crystal had been butchered and left for dead. What were they after? In the next second, I knew.

  “For research and experimentation?”

  “And nanobots.”

  What? My head snapped back to Adam.

  He seemed truly sorry to tell me this. “The Colony was not entirely made up of the original hybrids.”

  Light bulbs started going off all over my brain. The inexplicable differences I’d observed between the hybrids. Why some, like Kenny, seemed so much more advanced than the others.

  The full realization of my betrayal hit me and my legs collapsed beneath me. “Kenny,” I breathed with heartfelt regret.

  There was no question that I had unwittingly participated in both the Organization’s and Consortium’s plans for the Colony. Now they were disappearing, destined for who knows what or being murdered before I would ever have a chance to make it up to them.

  I drew in a deep breath. I knew I couldn’t change what had already happened, but I could change things from here on out. Not all of them were gone yet.

  “I made a promise to Kenny,” I said. “I won’t go back on that.”

  Adam would either accept it or he wouldn’t. But there was no way on God’s green earth that I was not going to do everything in my power to save Kenny and whoever he’d managed to save.

  He sat at the corner of the desk furthest from me, one hand planted on the edge, the other rubbing his forehead. “I can’t just swoop in there and take over. I have to work through the logistics of the operation. I have to factor in the government, the populace, that reporter.” He pushed off the desk and strode away from me. “Not to mention, the Organization is in shambles. We are one decision away from scrapping it all!” he yelled.

  “While you plan, Kenny and whoever he’s got with him are waiting for me to show up,” I said quietly.

  There was a long pause in which Adam didn’t say anything. I turned to look at him. He was all the way across the plane, standing with his back to me. Could he be any more obvious? Realizing my shields had slipped, I pulled them back in place.