Page 30 of Dark Medicine (Strange Gifts #2)

Uri emerged from the back of the house, his eyes puffy and red and his face with a decidedly female handprint upon it. He looked down at his feet as he shuffled into the room. Adam and Kane smiled at one another. They were warming up to Uri, but he had much to atone for.

“Well? How did she take it?” asked Kane.

“I think you know the answer to that,” grimaced Uri, massaging his cheek. “She called me a coward. A coward and a traitor, and she was right.” Adam frowned at that, as did Kane.

“You’re not a coward or a traitor Uri. You’re a man who loved his family. There is no crime in that.” Melanie Bellum appeared behind her husband, her hand resting on his shoulder.

“I was angry, Uri. I didn’t mean the words I said. I’m sorry. You’re a good man and a brave soldier. I know that, and I know you were only protecting me and Kelly.”

“You were right. If I had possessed courage, I would have trusted in my brothers. Moore has destroyed all of our lives, and I’ve let him do it.”

“He hasn’t destroyed anything yet,” said Kane. “If I have anything to say about it, he won’t destroy our lives or your lives. We’re going to find the others, and we’re going to do exactly what Moore wanted. We’re going to create an army. Not for his mercenary purposes. Instead, for good.”

Uri’s eyes grew wide as he looked at the faces in the room. The expressions of the others showed pride and resolution. This small band of once children who were technically experimented upon were now the bravest warriors he’d ever had the privilege of knowing. He nodded his head and then looked up.

“What about all of us? Fredericks, Henry, Cullen? Me?” asked Uri.

Adam looked at Spook, and they both looked to Kane and Aislinn. It was as if they were all having a conversation without words.

“We could use help,” said Kane. “We need your skills as well as your connections. You can stay here or anywhere you like, but you still have resources that we could use to find the others and to help those that can’t help themselves.”

“You would trust us?” asked Uri.

“I do trust you, Uri,” said Kane. “If I didn’t, you would have been dead in Ireland.” Melanie clasped her hand with his and looked at the group.

“What about our daughter? We can’t expect her to remain in hiding forever. She’s a teenager that will be graduating high school next year. She wants to go to college,” said Melanie.

“She can stay here, or we can ensure her safety at a local university when it’s time. In theory,” said Adam, “if we kill Moore, everyone should be safe.”

“We won’t be safe until K is gone as well,” said Uri.

“I’m working on trying to find her identity,” said Spook. “K isn’t exactly a lot to go on. I can’t find any employment information, nothing. If I had a voice clip or photo, I could run a recognition program that would most likely tell us exactly who she is.”

“Maybe Dan can get something for us. They aren’t allowed cell phones of their own, but he may be able to do something that you could tap into with your wizard ways,” said Uri, smiling. Spook looked up at him, shocked, and then burst into laughter.

“That’s a good one, Uri. Thanks.” Uri nodded at the younger man and smiled. “So, Kane, what did you mean that we would be an army?”

Kane took a deep breath and sat at the bar in the kitchen, looking at his friends. Flip still had not returned with Mrs. Henry and their children, but he would fill him in later.

“Some of us are soldiers. That’s what we were trained to do. Others to heal, and others, well, skills we’re still exploring,” he said, looking at Adam. “I think we can provide a valuable service to those that can’t help themselves.

“Moore is crazy, certifiable, but he had one thing right. We’re able to do things no one else can do, and if I’m right, and I think I am, the others out there would add to our little band’s skills that would be unstoppable by normal forces.

“I have no desire to take on our allies or even some of our enemies, but, well, let’s take, for example, this situation. If Dan Henry were just anyone and called us telling us his wife and children were being held captive, think about how we could have helped him.”

There was silence in the room as Spook took in the words and tried to block out the data streaming through his brain. There were days that it nearly drove him mad, and he wondered if he would be able to tolerate it on a daily basis as a job. Kane’s explanation resonated with Spook. Helping those that couldn’t help themselves. That’s something he would willingly go mad for.

“You know that I’m in,” said Aislinn, sidling up to him.

“Me too,” said Fiona. Adam looked at her with surprise and protectiveness and then smiled, knowing he would do the same.

“Ditto, brother,” said Adam. “I’m not sure what it looks like, but I suppose we’ll figure it out as we go.”

“You can count on me, Kane, all of you. It’s time I served the right way once again. I’d be honored to help in whatever ways you need me. My contacts are still solid, and besides English, I speak Russian and Czech fluently.” Uri stood a little taller, a little prouder, and his wife smiled up at him.

“I c-can help,” said a tiny voice from behind them.

Kelly Bellum stood in the hallway, her lean teenage frame in shorts and a t-shirt, despite the chillier mountain temperatures. She had long blonde hair and pretty brown eyes in a face filled with innocence.

“Oh, baby, I love that you want to help,” said Uri, “but this is very dangerous, and these people are special.”

“I’m special too, Daddy,” she said quietly.

“Honey, I know you are. You’re my special girl.”

“No, Daddy, I’m special. Like them,” she said quietly.

Uri’s face went white, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. His wife gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

“K-Kelly…” He couldn’t get anything else out.

“Kelly,” said Adam, “why do you think you’re special like us? Are you able to do something that others can’t? Something unique?” She nodded her head and stepped forward into the living room. This sweet, shy teenager was showing extreme bravery considering the situation.

“I-I don’t want anyone to scream,” she said quietly, “especially you, Mom.”

“I promise,” said Melanie, walking closer to her.

“You have our word that no one will scream. We’re just going to sit here, and you can show us why you’re so special,” said Adam.

Kelly Bellum nodded her head once more and then moved against the wall, a painting of the local area hanging behind her, the soft gray wall below her waist. She closed her eyes, and there was a vibration in the room. Adam and Kane focused on Kelly’s body, never looking away. At first, it was as if they were looking at a mirage. The image was blurred and wavy, and then it was clear.

Kelly Bellum was able to blend in with her background. Her bottom half was gray like the walls, her top half showing the painting. If you looked very closely, you could see a wavy vision, but you had to know what to look for. She waited and then walked toward the sofa, the background blending with her body perfectly. She sat on the sofa and once again blended into her surroundings.

Kelly stood and moved to the middle of the room, reappearing as the sweet teenager she was.

“Kelly,” said Kane slowly, “when did you discover you could do that?”

“After second grade, I think,” she said quietly. She looked at the shocked faces of her parents and sucked in a breath. “I didn’t want you to hate me. I didn’t understand it, so I hid it. I’ve never used it for anything terrible, I promise. I mean, I used it once to see if Tiffany and Rachel were talking about me in the locker room, but I promise that’s all. Please don’t hate me!”

“Honey,” said Uri, walking toward his daughter, “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you! This isn’t your fault. It’s Colonel Moore’s fault. I didn’t think we were there when the experiments were happening.”

“We were,” whispered Melanie. “I mean, you and me. I mean, what I mean is that I was pregnant with Kelly when we left. Could it…”

“Jesus,” said Adam under his breath. “If the dust affected fetuses, we may be dealing with more children than we originally suspected.”

Kane ran his hand through his hair and paced the room.

“I didn’t mean to make you mad, Mr. Kane,” said Kelly, looking frightened and terribly young.

“You didn’t make me mad, sweetie. I promise.” He looked at the young girl twisting her fingers. “Kelly, you promise you’ve never shown anyone this?”

“I swear, Mr. Kane.”

“It’s just Kane,” he said, smiling. “Okay, I need you to keep it that way. You may be able to help us at some point, but you are not to risk your life. Is that clear?”

Kelly nodded and smiled. Her parents were still in shock and pulled her into their embrace. Melanie hugged her daughter tightly and then walked with her back toward the bedrooms.

“Well, if I wasn’t in one hundred percent before, I certainly am now,” said Uri. “I had no idea. I swear to you all, I had no idea.”

“We believe you, Uri,” said Adam. “You could have never worked with Moore willingly if you had known. It makes me wonder if he is unaware of the fact that the dust affected fetuses.”

“Could be,” said Kane.

There was a shuffling on the front porch, and Kane pushed Aislinn behind him, Adam following close by. Flip stood on the front porch with a woman who looked thin and sick. Three small boys stood behind her.

“All okay, brother?” asked Adam, moving closer to look at the woman.

“I don’t know, Adam. Mrs. Henry is not doing so well. I don’t think they treated her very well,” said Flip through clenched teeth. Flip was tempering his words so the boys wouldn’t get upset, but it was clear that Mrs. Henry had been starved and beaten during her time in captivity.

“The bad men were mean to Mommy,” said a dark-haired little boy. “I wanted to beat them up, but Mommy wouldn’t let me.”

“What’s your name?” asked Adam, smiling at the boy.

“I’m Thomas, and that’s Todd and Taylor. We’re thriplets.”

“Thriplets?” smiled Adam. “Do you mean triplets?”

“That’s what I said!” said the little boy with indignation.

“Of course you did,” said Fiona, kneeling in front of him. “You all are so very handsome. Are you hungry? Would you like a snack?”

A chorus of squeals and ‘yes, please’ rang out, and Fiona and Aislinn took the boys into the kitchen while Adam examined Karen Henry. He gripped her wrist lightly and frowned, her body functions breaking down even in the moment.

“I need to get her on an IV right away. Her kidneys are failing, and her heart and lungs are weak. She needs food and water and rest, not necessarily in that order.” Flip, Spook, and Kane scattered to collect what Adam needed as he lay the woman on the sofa.

“They didn’t give us much food. I had to feed the boys first,” she said quietly, a single tear sliding down her gaunt cheek.

“It’s okay. You’re going to be fine,” said Adam.

Fiona stood at the head of the sofa, staring down at Karen Henry. She looked over at the boys, then back at the woman. Kneeling beside her, she held her hands.

“Fiona…” Adam started to stop her, then realized she would do what she wanted no matter what. He only looked into her eyes and smiled, giving her a nod.

Fiona held Karen’s hands, her warmth and light seeping into the woman’s skin. Color began to appear on her cheeks, her face suddenly fuller and more alive. Simultaneously, Fiona’s face became pale and gaunt, then slowly returned to its normal healthy glow. It was still alarming to see, and Adam’s stomach lurched for just a moment.

Adam laid his hand on Karen’s abdomen and shook his head. Her organs were functioning normally again. He would still give her the IV and some nutrition, but she was out of the woods.

“I-I feel better. How did you…” stumbled Karen.

“It was nothing,” said Fiona and Adam at the same time. Adam pulled Fiona toward the kitchen and held her close to his chest.

“When are you going to recognize how dangerous that is?” he asked.

“Adam, you know the answer to that question. Look at those boys and tell me you would want them raised without their mam. They’re just wee lads, and they need her. If I can give them that one thing, don’t you think I should?”

“Woman, you’re killing me,” said Adam, holding her tighter. The risks she took each time she helped someone were extraordinary. At any time, someone’s illness could be the one that took her life, but he understood her need to help.

“No, I love you, and you love me,” she said, stretching to reach his lips. Adam heard someone clear their throat behind him and turned with a look of annoyance.

“When you’re done playing kissy face, Kane wants us all on the porch for a meeting.”