Winter's Awakening: The Metahumans Emerge (Winter's Saga #1)

by Karen Luellen

  Throughout our years, we had created several fights. Mom didn’t want us killing each other when we practiced, so she had us plan our moves. We were taught to, say punch with full strength but stand so the punch didn’t connect with full force. The idea was to hit, but not injure during these sparing sessions. We finished one choreographed fight and started another without missing a beat.

  It was exhilarating to stretch my muscles—to move with purpose and speed. My hair, pulled back in ponytail at the nape of my neck swung freely with every turn. I was having so much fun fighting, my cheeks hurt from smiling by the time we had our fill. And though I was doubled over breathing deeply, I felt peace, for the first time in two days.

  “That was awesome!” Cole had been watching the entire time.

  My face turned three shades of red. Oh my goodness, I was so engrossed in the fight, I completely zoned out the fact that Cole Andrews was right there.

  “How did you learn to fight like that? The way you punched and he ducked and you kicked and he blocked and—”

  If I weren’t so embarrassed, I would have stopped and watched how his smile created one dimple in his right cheek. As it was, I turned and sprinted back inside the house leaving the boys to bask in all the compliments.

  I was surrounded by my brothers and my soldier/scientist mom my whole life. It never occurred to me until now how I must look to anyone when I fought. The sheer joy I felt when I was in battle mode was its own reward. But just now…ugh.

  I bolted up the stairs, turned and locked the door behind me, grabbed a towel and hit the showers. Maybe by the time I get back downstairs everyone will just forget the backyard skirmish. One can only hope.

  Chapter 20 Okay, Now What?

  By the time I came downstairs, the boys were finished with breakfast and sitting with Cole in front of the television. Cartoon characters danced on the screen and from the look on Alik and Evan’s faces, it was the most remarkable thing they’d ever seen. Their jaws hung slack and their eyes were glassed over. Good grief! No wonder mom didn’t allow television. I could almost hear their brain cells shriveling up. They didn’t even notice me as I walked past the living room into the kitchen. Dr. and Mrs. Andrews were sitting at the breakfast table drinking coffee and talking in hushed voices. They stopped when they saw me.

  “Well, hello Meg. I’m Michelle—so good to finally meet you.” Michelle smiled with her perfectly straight teeth and waited patiently for me to respond with like pleasantries. I supposed I ought to comply, though I didn’t feel her sincerity at all. Matter of fact, my hair was standing on the back of my neck.

  “Hello, Michelle. Thank you for allowing my brothers and me to stay at your home while we find our mom.” No matter what I sensed, or what I overheard last night, I needed to keep the peace.

  “Well, I understand it’s not just you and your brothers, but you have a pet coyote too? How unusual!” I remembered with clarity how disgusted she sounded last night when she found out about Maze.

  “Yes, ma’am. Maze slept outside last night and is still there. I’m sure he won’t be any trouble to you. He’s harmless, really.” I made excuses for Maze not for my sake, but because I didn’t like how Michelle treated Dr. Andrews when she was angry and I didn’t want to be the cause of her venom.

  “Well, we’ll give him a chance, won’t we,” she forced a smile and patted her husband on the arm in strangely controlling way.

  “Are you hungry, Meg? Looks like you and your brothers worked up quite an appetite with all the—exercise this morning. That was amazing, by the way.” Dr. Andrews didn’t stop to wait for an answer before he put a plate of pancakes, bananas and a glass of milk in front of me. He motioned to the syrup as he waited for me to respond.

  “Oh, you saw that, huh? Yeah, the boys and I practice like that all the time back at the ranch. Mom taught us.” My pancakes looked delicious so once they were properly covered in syrup, I dug in. With my mouth full of food, the adults got the hint that I was done talking about the fight club on the lawn.

  After a big swig of milk, I changed the subject. “So, what’s the plan? Where are we going to start looking?”

  “First, there is no ‘we.’ I will look for your mother myself and you’ll stay safely here. And second, the plan is for me to locate sources and see what they’ve found. I’ve had people working on this since you called me yesterday. When we get it narrowed down, I’ll fly to wherever the hottest tip leads me and take up the search myself.” He said all this with earnestness in his voice. I could truly feel the sincerity behind his words so I didn’t want to disrespect him with what I needed to say.

  “With all due respect sir, Alik, Evan and I are no safer here than we were back at the ranch. The reason I agreed to come with you was because you have connections we don’t. Just the fact that you’re an adult opens doors behind which valuable information can be found. I understand your concern, but you have to believe me when I say there is no other way. The boys and I are a unit. We work together. Mom trained us to fight and defend. We won’t weigh you down; on the contrary, we may help you.”

  The doctor stared into my eyes as if trying to read the depth of my resolve. I saw worry and uncertainty shadow his face. But after several moments, I also noticed his jaw tighten and set. He was decided.

  “Margo taught you well. This morning’s demonstration outside proved that. She also taught you to have a mind of your own. She would want you to be safe, but you’re probably right about being in danger here, too. If she’s where I think she is, she didn’t go willingly and those people are even more interested in finding you and your brothers. Let me make those phone calls and see where we are. When I go, you three will come with me. Okay?”

  “I’m coming too, dad.” Cole and the boys were standing at the far entrance to the kitchen. They had been listening to us.

  “There is no way I’m going to allow you to come. On top of it being ridiculous to involve you, you can’t miss school.”

  “I’m already involved dad, because you are involved. You’re all I’ve got left. Mom would understand. She would have wanted us to stick together.”

  I glanced over at Michelle to take in her reaction at the mention of Cole’s mother. She was pursing her lips together like she had just licked a lemon. That just confirmed my thoughts. No wonder, Cole didn’t feel close to Michelle. She was a cold and uncompromising woman. How on earth did this sweet widowed doctor end up marrying her? I’ll never understand some people.

  The doctor and his son were staring at each other. They were exchanging unspoken emotions. I saw tenderness, fear and devotion from both of them. They were a lot alike, these two men. How beautiful, to see yourself in your child. I wondered if mom felt like this when she looked at me.

  I’ve come to realize in just the last day, that I’m really good at reading people. I mean, I can’t read their minds, I don’t think. I just watch their body language and can read what they truly mean. Being isolated from people, the way I have been my whole life, I just never had a chance to use this skill. Seems like the closer I am emotionally to the person, the less I can read them. How annoying is that? No wonder I’d never noticed this ability!

  In front of me, these two men exchanged one final moment before the father spoke.

  “All right son, if I go, you go.”

  Relief filled both of their faces. Everyone was quiet for a moment before Michelle broke the silence.

  “Well, you’re sure as heck not leaving me with that coyote!”

  I chuckled to myself as the doctor said, “Good grief! Looks as if we’ll have to rent a small bus to accommodate this motley crew.”

  Chapter 21 Bait

  Dr. Andrews was on the phone for at least an hour making his calls. I don’t know exactly who his sources were, but I trusted him not to reveal too much while pursuing as much information as possible. I hovered outside his office waiting for him to emerge. When he did, he was pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked very worried.

&
nbsp; “Okay, tell me what you know.” I said with a forced calm.

  The doctor looked up at me and sighed. “According to my sources, your mom is still in California—a small town outside Los Angeles. Apparently, there was never going to be a conference. She was contacted by someone pretending to be with a legitimate scientific organization interested in her research, but it was all an elaborate lie. She was tricked. They collected her from the airport. My sources think she’s being held by them right now, probably as bait.”

  “Wait a minute. Who has her? And bait for what?” I was trying to keep it together, to keep from bursting into tears. The more I focused on the details and kept this at a business level, the more I could help. At least, that’s what I told myself.

  “The Institute has her. My guess is it’s all being handled by Dr. Williams himself. Williams is the Chief Executive Officer of The Institute and he’s been looking for Margo for many years now. As for the bait, well they’re holding her because they really want to get you.”

  “Me? What do they want with me? I’m just a kid!”

  “They want you and your brothers. And no, you are not just regular kids. But you know that, don’t you? I mean, you have to have realized by now that you’re different.” He looked earnestly into my eyes but all he saw was confusion and pain. “She never told you? Any of it? You don’t know who you are?”

  “What are you talking about?” I was honestly confused, and my heart hurt so much for my mom being held against her will. It was hard to concentrate on what he was saying to me.

  “Let’s get the boys. They need to hear this too. It’s time you three heard the truth.”

  Chapter 22 The Truth

  Everyone gathered in the living room. The boys looked scared, and I imagined I did too. Alik, Evan and I sat together on the sofa. Cole sat on the floor close enough to my legs that I could feel his warmth. He was trying to be supportive, and I appreciated him for it.

  Michelle sat next to Dr. Andrews looking slightly bored. That woman was annoying me more and more by the minute.

  “Okay, I’ll tell you what I know, but I don’t know everything. Margo and I attended medical school together. She was there on military scholarship and I was working two jobs trying to put myself through medical school and take care of my wife and young son.” He stopped and looked at Cole with absolute love in his eyes.

  “We were assigned to each other as lab partners one semester and were immediately great friends. My wife, Cole’s mom, Jenna loved Margo too. She would often come spend time with me and my family outside of school. Margo was like your aunt, Cole,” he added with a nostalgic smile on his face.

  “I was so exhausted from my studies and work that it wasn’t unusual for me to lean on Margo to help me through a class. She was a true friend, honest and loyal. I couldn’t have graduated without her.

  “After graduation, her military superiors asked her to stay on though her contract was up. Margo declined their offer. She was determined to get to work on her real goal.

  “See, Margo had grown up with a sister who was autistic. She loved Becca so much, but the autism made it so she could never be close to her. Just when she’d get a glimpse of who Becca was she would slip back into her world and leave Margo with a shell instead of a sister. She swore to herself that she would do anything she could to help find a cure for autism.”

  I had so many questions for Dr. Andrews now, but I feared interrupting. I was afraid he would stop telling me the answers to everything I’d always wondered about. Mom never told us anything about her past, her family or her dreams before us. The few times I had asked, she would hug me and say, “This is all that matters, Meg. My world didn’t matter until I had you.” So I bit my lip and listened to his words.

  “We were hired by a company called The Institute for Neurobiological Studies but everyone just called it The Institute. They had us both in research and development. Margo was brilliant and had a determination that was mistaken for ambition. She was promoted. The project she was assigned to was beyond my clearance level so I didn’t know details. I just knew the name: The Infinite Project.

  “On the day she was given her first tour of the facility housing her new assignment, she called my voicemail and left a panicked message. She asked me to meet her at a coffee shop where we used to hang out. I told you this part on the plane, Meg.”

  I nodded not wanting to interrupt him. The boys looked at me inquisitively.

  “But I didn’t tell you everything. Margo told me that this project was initially intended to be a cure for autism, but they found if they used it on an average child, it could alter their minds in powerful ways.

  “They were testing on human beings, and not just adults, but children and babies, too. These ‘test subjects’ were being held against their will right there at The Institute. She said she saw three young children who had been injected with test serums. Dr. Williams, her new supervisor, talked about dozens of others who had been killed in the development of this formula.

  “She was beside herself with grief and fury. She believed her work had been used to hurt children instead of help them. She told me her plan. She was going back to the facility that very night with the excuse that she needed to set up her office so she could hit the ground running her first official day on the job.

  “Instead, she was going to steal the children away from the company and hide them, if she could. She hinted she knew where she would be going with them, but she said it would be better if I didn’t know. That way, when asked, I could honestly claim ignorance.

  “Though it had only been a matter of hours since her tour of the facility had ended, she had already plotted the entire rescue down to every detail. You know your mom. She’s all about the details.

  “She wouldn’t tell me anymore, but I knew it was happening that night. I offered to help her, but she refused saying that she was endangering herself and she wouldn’t risk me or my family too.

  “That was the last time I saw Margo.”

  Silence enveloped the room as Dr. Andrew’s words sunk in.

  Evan spoke first. “We’re the children she rescued.” His voice sounded monotone.

  “She’s not our biological mother, and we are not really siblings,” added Alik with hollowness in his voice.

  It was my turn to speak. “Now everything’s making sense. That’s why mom always kept us separate from the world—homeschooling, no television, no radio or internet. She didn’t want us to be found.”

  “And she didn’t want us to compare ourselves to other children either because she knew the treatments would have altered us and we would be different.” Evan’s mind was working quickly.

  “So this company, The Institute, has been searching us all these years and now that they captured mom …” Alik began.

  “… They know we’ll come to find her and they’ll try to pick up where they left off with us,” and I finished.

  “Metahumans,” Dr. Andrews said. “Margo told me they called you ‘metahumans’ meaning ‘beyond human’.”

  Metahumans? What the heck! What was that supposed to mean?

  I felt Cole’s hand, warm and accepting, reaching out to find mine. He looked at me with a pure heart as he warmed the chill coursing through my body. I was shaking but hadn’t realized it till now.

  “Hey Meg? Remember those documents I told you about back at the ranch? The ones I found in mom’s library?” Evan, ever the realist, was already thinking logically. And here I was still stuck on the fact that the woman who raised me wasn’t my mother. And if she wasn’t my mother, then who was? And my father? Who was he? And these boys I’d always believed to be my brothers, weren’t.

  Dr. Andrews spoke this time. “What documents are you talking about Evan? Can you show them to us?”

  Chapter 23 Numerous Notes

  Evan came downstairs with an armful of papers. They looked to be several hundreds of pages neatly organized in expandable file folders. I wondered how he had room to pack all thi
s and his clothes in his small bag. I made a mental note to check what clothes he brought because it would be just like Evan to have left everything except these papers and maybe a toothbrush.

  “Here they are,” Evan plopped the folders down with a thump then picked the one on top and handed it to me. “The documents are in chronological order according to the dates written on the folders. Here’s the file with the oldest date, so it must be the first.”

  I opened the folder and began skimming our mother’s (or Margo’s, ugh, what do I call her now?) neat script. It looked to be a journal of sorts. Except, the information she documented wasn’t about her. It was mostly about us. The first entry read:

  We’ve arrived unnoticed to this large ranch in Texas. The acquisition of it was done under an assumed name that I may as well keep. I’m now Dr. Margaret Winter. I’ve already got a trusted source working on creating a whole new identity for me and my children.

  And yes, they are mine now. Mine for as long as God will let me have and hold them. These three precious gifts are in my care, and I will do everything in my power to protect them from The Institute and anyone else who means them harm.

  I’ve named them. The three-year-old little girl with the soulful eyes, I named Meg. The two-year-old blue-eyed little boy, I named Alik. As for the tiny baby, I named him Evan.

  I loved them from the first moment I saw them.

  In this journal, I hope to document the changes observed because of the treatments they were already given. All three children have been branded like cattle, bless their hearts, with a symbol on their upper backs. It’s the symbol for infinity.