by Mikayla Lane
Tiernan shook his head, held out a small hand and gestured to the campground behind him.
“Come, there is much to discuss and preparations to be made,” Tiernan stated, turned around and disappeared into the crowd.
Everyone began turning their backs to David and the mute Traze and headed into the campground, including Gibly who had left with the boy.
Traze expelled a huge breath as the energy dissipated from his mouth and slapped David in the back of the head.
“You abandoned your kid? What kind of asshole does that?” Traze snapped before following the Prime boy into the campground.
“I didn’t know!” David shouted back, running to catch up to Traze.
He grabbed Traze and spun him around until they were facing one another.
“You want my version of this shit?” David snapped. “I came home from deployment to find my wife in the arms of my best friend, asking him how they were going to tell me! I left and filed for legal separation. She counter-filed with the clause that I come if she needed me and I agreed because I figured she’d never use it. In 10 years, I never heard a word from her until yesterday! Now I have a son I didn’t know existed, a wife who obviously didn’t want me, and a bunch of pissed off people drugging me! What the fuck am I supposed to think?”
“You didn’t wonder why she never filed for a divorce? You didn’t know where she was?” Traze was incredulous.
“I was pissed off and pretty damn devastated! I just assumed she’d gotten the divorce in another state and I moved around enough with the military that I missed the notice of filing!” David argued, still trying to figure out how his nightmares had come to life.
How could I not know I had a son? David wondered.
“I’m more worried about why they felt the need to drug you when they know you’re the kid’s father,” Traze pondered aloud.
“How the hell did you and Gibly get here, to begin with?” David asked as his eyes scanned the beautiful campground and the curious faces staring at them.
“We hid in the back of the SUV when it was put in the transport,” Traze admitted with a grin.
“I’m damn glad you did,” David mumbled, trying to get another glimpse of his son or his wife.
David hated to admit it, even to himself, but he ached to see the woman he’d loved more than life itself until that day he’d found her in the arms of his best friend, and his heart shattered.
“You did note that the kid is an ancient Prime, right? He knows of Lara and Abexis,” Traze whispered as he looked around the area and felt the wariness and intense curiosity in the odd group of people.
“Yeah, that was hard to miss,” David admitted. “I need to find my wife and get some damn answers. Are you ready to go in there with me?”
“I wouldn’t miss this shit for the world,” Traze replied with a grin and headed into the campground.
David strode beside him, his eyes looking around the pristine park-like oasis hidden in the desert. The people gave them a wide berth as they two men headed in the direction the boy had disappeared in.
“Over here. The Sentinel awaits in the pavilion,” a young woman called out, then disappeared behind some trees.
Traze quirked a brow at David and moved to where the woman had gestured. There he saw the partially hidden entrance and stepped inside the illuminated building. David quickly followed and stepped forward once they entered.
The room was large and devoid of anything but a dozen rows of picnic tables. David noted Tiernan at the front with the man called T-Rex, Crazy Carol, Gibly and another older couple. Ignoring everyone but his son, he moved to the front and knelt down in front of Tiernan.
“Son, I really need to talk to your mom,” David said gently, wanting more than a few choice words with the woman who’d kept his son from him for a decade.
“It isn’t a good idea right now,” Tiernan replied as if that was the end of the conversation.
“What’s the matter with her?” David asked as concern rocketed through him, and the old feelings for Jodi came back with a vengeance.
“We can discuss it after you convince me that you won’t hurt her again,” Tiernan said with a growl as his blue eyes briefly flashed gold with power and anger.
David was more than a little surprised and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He desperately wanted to see his wife and find out why she’d never told him she was pregnant. David also hated to admit that he wanted to see her. There hadn’t been a day that went by that he didn’t think of Jodi and how she was doing.
Look, son . . .” David had begun before the female beside Crazy Carol stepped forward and interrupted him.
“I’m Jenny Bankover, and this is my mate, Kurt. We own the park. Everyone calls me Mom or Grandma, but you can call me Mrs. Bankover,” she stated firmly as she continued to move towards David.
David stood his ground as the tall, thin woman stood in front of him and stared at him like he was a bug.
“You don’t get to come here and make demands,” Jenny continued. “You get to sit your ass down and listen to the Sentinel as he tells you how you’re going to help save our people and your wife. I think after 10 years, you owe Tiernan and Jodi that much.”
Traze burst out laughing, and everyone turned to stare at him.
“What? Oh, come on! Granted, the kid is obviously his. Looks just like him. Same blue eyes, solid jaw, blond hair, etc. But this whole mutant freak show thing you got going on is a bit much! Seriously, T-Rex? Crazy Carol? Where’s Tiny Tim and the two-headed chick? How about you stop jerking his fucking chain and bring him to his wife!” Traze snapped the last, tired of the way they were twisting his friend up in knots.
T-Rex and Kurt took a few menacing steps towards Traze and David immediately stepped in front of him protectively while Tiernan stood and walked towards them sending out a small wave of golden energy. The boy stopped in front of Traze and shook his head with a small smile on his face.
“Your heart is in the right place, and you’re a good man. But you know not of what you speak, and you’d do well to listen,” Tiernan stated, speaking in the dual voice of an ancient Prime and the boy host.
“Dude, how the hell did you make a kid that’s more powerful than you?” Traze whispered loudly to an equally surprised David.
“That is a story we will get to soon,” Tiernan answered with a boyish grin before he turned serious. “Right now we must plan our journey before all of our people are taken.”
David knelt down in front of his young son and marveled at how just looking at the boy filled his heart with love, joy, and fear at the same time.
“Son, I really need to talk to your mom. I need to know . . . what happened and why she didn’t tell me about you. We have a lot to discuss,” David whispered, ignoring the disapproving looks from the others.
“Father, the past is a pointless and empty place to live in, and we don’t have the luxury of time to rehash it right now.” Tiernan laid a hand on David’s shoulder then slapped him in the back of the head. “Get your shit together because we need you.”
“Oh, no he didn’t!” Traze cackled with laughter.
He laughed harder when David turned startled and angry eyes to him before looking back to his son.
“I don’t think your mom would be happy about you cursing like that,” David chastised gently, not liking that the boy was swearing. He’d let the head slap go. For now.
“There is much that mom isn’t happy about. None of which can be corrected right now. Are you ready to listen?” Tiernan’s eerily similar eyes searched David’s as if looking for the truth.
David sat on his butt on the floor in front of his son and patted the concrete in front of him, hoping the boy would sit near him. He couldn’t stop his grin when Tiernan plopped down and crossed his legs.
“I promise I will answer your questions, but only after we get everyone headed to Dillon, Texas.” Tiernan couldn’t have shocked David and Traze more.
“What d
o you know of Dillon?” Traze demanded, concerned for his people.
Jenny Bankover snorted in anger.
“We know there’s safety for our people. That freak show you’re talking about are all hunted hybrids. Our psychics have warned that we have days, maybe hours to get them out of here before the federal government, working with the state, come in and seize our children and arrest the parents,” Jenny snapped, immediately silencing Traze.
“I felt no energy from anyone, even at the diner.” David knew then that he was right about being blocked.
“I prevent the energy bleed for miles around the park to protect our people,” Tiernan admitted. “They must be evacuated quickly. We’re out of time.”
“We can have a sky full of transports here in an hour,” Traze offered, thinking this could be a pretty quick mission.
“That’s not going to cut it, boy,” Crazy Carol growled.
“Why the hell not? We’d be out of here in no time,” Traze snapped back.
“Because we don’t trust you,” Tiernan stated, then looked into his father’s eyes. “Any of you. We have our own transportation and intend to let you earn our trust on the journey there.”
David felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest at his son’s words and was momentarily speechless. Traze didn’t have that problem.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You want our help, you know about Dillon, and we have to earn your trust? Do you even hear yourself? Hell, I’m not the freshest candy bar on the shelf, but even I know that’s shit logic!” Traze argued, crossing his arms over his chest in irritation. He noted that T-Rex and Kurt did as well.
“I suggest you learn to speak with more respect young man,” Jenny murmured as her hand moved in the air and a vine began to wind around Traze’s throat.
“Hey! Stop that shit!” Traze snapped, yanking the vine from his neck and stomping on the trail of it on the floor.
Traze whipped around when he felt the whisper of the wind at his neck and stumbled backward to avoid the rocks rolling at him on the ground, directed by Crazy Carol.
“OK! I get it! Fuck! We’ll take a damn road trip!” Traze conceded, unwilling to see what other abilities the rest of the freak show contained.
“How many are there and what kind of transportation are we talking about?” David asked wearily, his mind so messed up he didn’t care how they went as long as he could talk to his wife and figure out what the hell was going on.
“We have 37, including 14 children,” Crazy Carol answered. “Rex and I are going to make sure everyone gets there OK and will be happy and treated right.”
“Oh, joy. You’re coming too,” Traze muttered, then yelped when Carol called a rock and hit him in the back of the head with it. “You fucking elementals suck!”
“Watch your mouth. Last warning,” Jenny snapped.
“Transportation?” David asked again, trying to draw the attention away from Traze. This was one time he applauded the boy’s attitude but didn’t want to see Traze hurt.
“We’re an RV park idiot! What transportation do you think we’re talking about? Brooms?” Kurt growled.
Traze eyed Carol and Jenny for a moment and shrugged, thinking the brooms were possible in their case. David cleared his throat to keep the attention from Traze.
“We can leave whenever you’re ready,” David offered, hoping to get this going so he could spend some time alone with his wife and son.
“Everyone is finishing preparations now. We’ll leave in an hour.” Tiernan stood and began walking out of the room when David’s words stopped him.
“You and your mom should ride with me so we can talk,” David suggested hopefully.
Tiernan turned at the door, his sad and disappointed blue eyes breaking David’s heart.
“No, T-Rex and Carol will be driving our rig.” Tiernan left without another word.
David had enough, and now that the boy was out of earshot he was going to direct his frustration at those who knew what the hell was going on.
“I know my wife. Jodi would never let our son speak for her. Where the hell is she? Is she still alive?” David demanded through clenched teeth.
“You knew her so well that you thought her capable of cheating on you. This is your fault so forgive us if we don’t give a damn what you think or believe,” Jenny said in a hard and angry tone. “Our only concern is for our people and the boy we’ve raised like our own grandson for the last eight years. Jodi will come to you when she’s ready.”
“I’d never want to see your ass again,” Carol added as she and Jenny left the pavilion arm in arm.
Rex and Kurt shook their heads in disgust and followed their women from the room while David clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles popped.
“How the hell am I the bad guy when she’s the one that was in the arms of my best friend and hasn’t even tried to talk to me for 10 years!” David shouted.
Traze draped an arm over David’s shoulder and shook his head in sympathy.
“Dude, I don’t know what the hell is going on, but maybe you should troll your memory again and see if you’re missing something because someone has things all screwed up,” Traze suggested as he led them out of the pavilion and back into the sunlight.
David considered Traze’s words while they looked around at the bustling RV park and campground. Dozens of people were hurriedly packing up and securing items with straps and tarps of all kinds. It was how familiar it seemed that surprised David the most. He swore he’d seen some of the more unique RV’s before, including the converted school bus.
“Eight years,” David whispered, remembering Jenny’s words. “That’s when the nightmares intensified. That’s where I’ve seen this.”
“Dude, what are you talking about?” Traze whispered, carefully eyeing the odd group of people.
“My son has to be 9 or 10. The last time I was with Jodi was the day I deployed back to Afghanistan. I came back four months later after I got shot and found her with Joker. That’s when I left. The nightmares started that day and got worse 2 years later. Three years after that, Gibly came to me when I had a bad one,” David muttered, trying to understand it all.
Traze stopped and turned to David.
“You think the boy was communicating with you somehow through your dreams?” Traze didn’t put anything past the Prime. Lara was pretty damn scary, and if Tiernan was as powerful as her, then anything was possible.
“Isn’t that what Tiernan said? He sent Gibly and Jax so I could learn what I was?” David was shocked at his own thoughts.
Traze’s mouth had opened in surprise before he broke out in a grin.
“Dude, your boy’s been fathering you for years!” Traze couldn’t contain his laughter.
David smacked him in the back of the head.
“Shut the fuck up! This isn’t funny!” David snapped as people stopped to stare at the cackling Traze.
Traze quieted himself to a snicker and shook his head in sympathy for David. This had to be the most screwed up situation he’d seen yet among their people.
“Man, I’m sorry. It’s just hard to imagine that your boy is not only the host to an older and more powerful beast, but that he’s been trying to help you all these years. He’s like a more mature version of you in a fun-size package,” Traze snorted and tried to stop the laughter from bubbling out.
When David looked ready to punch him, Traze took off in the direction he’d seen Gibly go. David caught up with him a few minutes later.
“Have you told Grai?” David asked.
“Are you kidding me? You haven’t figured out what’s going on yet. What the hell am I supposed to tell Grai?” Traze chuckled.
David still hadn’t figured out how to begin that conversation with Grai either and had hoped Traze would have spoken to him by now.
“Maybe you should tell him that we’re working together on something and we’ll explain later when we know more,” David suggested and looked around at the motley group of RV’s,
motorhomes, old school buses and converted vans. “It’s a long drive to Dillon, and we’ll have plenty of time to figure it out and let Grai know we’re coming.”
“I wouldn’t mind the time to see if we can trust them before we lead them to Dillon either,” Traze agreed. “I’ll give Grai some bullshit about how we may have found some hybrids and need more time before we give an official report.”
“Sounds good.” David sighed in relief. He at least wanted to know what stains were on his laundry before they were hung out to dry.
*****
Grai shook his head in irritation as he listened to Traze lie to him about what was going on with David. He’d heard the entire thing from the moment Traze entered the diner through the microphone on his comm that Traze had butt dialed while scrambling into the back of the SUV with Gibly.
Grai looked over at Tristan, sitting on the floor in front of his desk, one hand dancing in the air around him and couldn’t help but wonder where he’d gone wrong.
“What’s with all the lies lately?” Grai growled.
Tristan stood and lay a hand on his father’s, his other twirling elegantly in the air.
“Love,” Tristan grunted out.
Grai hugged the boy tightly for a moment and kissed the top of his head.
“Guess I shouldn’t be a hypocrite huh? I’ve said many lies to protect those I love.” Grai let Tristan pull away. “I do not envy David at the moment. I’m still learning how to swallow my ego with my most powerful son, David has no idea what he’s in for, does he?”
Tristan giggled, and suddenly a golden heart and a transport ship above it appeared in the air and quickly dissipated.
Grai laughed at Tristan’s hint.
“I have every intention of sending a few cloaked ships to watch out for them,” Grai agreed, wondering when Traze would figure out the comm was still on. He hoped Traze didn’t.
Chapter Three
David stared in shock at the crazy menagerie of vehicles that were lining up to leave the park. It looked a lot like a bizarre circus caravan, and he wondered how they weren’t going to be caught by the authorities before they got a mile down the road.
