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Of Thornes & Roses
"Sold! To AK Research” announced the auctioneer on the video screen. “I’ll forward the information to you as soon as the bank confirms payment. Ms. Bold will have her research and all associated work papers available for you to pick up at the Portland office by 1700 tomorrow. A pleasure doing business with you Mr. “K”.” The screen went blank and Adam leaned back in his chair.
Before he had a chance to relax, he was startled by the voice behind him. “You look rather pleased with yourself! What did you buy this time?” asked Shalimar as she sat down, cross-legged on the desk beside him.
“What I’ve bought is a series of patents and some research materials from a scientist who lost her funding. But the game’s not over yet,” Adam answered with a mischievous smile, “because I also want the scientist that goes with the information.”
“Hmm,” said Emma as she entered Adam’s office. “Will you be needing me to help ‘convince’ this scientist to join the prestigious AK Research team?” she asked with just a little too much enthusiasm.
“That could be interesting, since she’s also a Psionic,” Adam said with a challenging smile, “but I’m seriously hoping to gain her cooperation through plain old boring logic.”
“You’re no fun at all!” Emma said with a laugh, as she sat on the office couch.
Adam pressed a button on his desk and spoke into the Sanctuary intercom system, “Jesse? Brennan? Could you join us in my office?”
A moment later, the two men entered the room. Both of them were sweaty and the basketball in Brennan’s hands offered all the explanation necessary.
“Okay,” Adam started as Jesse sat on the couch next to Emma who mockingly plugged her nose and moved over to sit next to Shalimar on the desk. “I have been following the progress of a new mutant scientist for years. Her name is Rose Bold, she’s a Telekinetic with a bit of Telepathy tossed in, just for fun. She’s been working on some interesting research on the psychiatric effects of sonic stimulus. Anyone want a more detailed description?” Adam looked around and smiled at all of the shaking heads.
“Anyway,” he continued, “when another scientist wasn’t able to reproduce her results, the company that she was working for decided to pull the plug on her research and auction off the patents.”
“How does she feel about it?” asked Jesse, leaning forward. “I mean, intellectual property agreement or not, that’s got to hurt – having your life’s work pulled out from under you and sold to the highest bidder.”
“No doubt,” Adam nodded, “that’s why this next step will be tricky. I would like her to continue her research at the Jersey facility, but that means relocating across the country.”
Jesse added, “Not to mention having someone who actually understands what she’s doing occasionally looking over her shoulder, asking questions!”
“I don’t do that…” Adam started to complain, but noticed a unanimous raising of eyebrows from his team, “…much. Anyway, Shalimar, I’d like you to hold down the fort here. Emma, I’d appreciate your skills in at least letting me know how she’s feeling about this transfer. And if you two gentlemen wouldn’t mind helping to load up boxes and equipment…? I’d like to take off right after breakfast tomorrow.”
*****
As the Double Helix cleared the Great Lakes and started across the plains of the central states, Adam suggested that it would be a good opportunity for Emma to practice her flying skills. Brennan and Jesse cringed a little, but neither said a word as Emma hesitantly took the controls with Adam by her side.
Brennan and Jesse went down below and tried to keep their minds off of the occasional pitches and drops. They both knew that Emma was a technically ‘safe’ pilot, but the shape of the Helix made it hard to handle with the smooth finesse that Jesse and Brennan had mastered through practice.
“You’re looking a little green around the gills,” Brennan teased, as Jesse’s face grew pale after a rather extreme pitch and yaw. Jesse responded by sticking out his tongue.
A moment later, Adam’s voice came over the com, “Jesse, we’re getting near the Rockies, would you like to pilot this section?”
A look of grateful relief crossed both of their faces as Jesse answered, “Sure, we’ll be right up!”
As Jesse took the pilot seat, he noticed Brennan looking at him, and then looking at Adam. Jesse followed his gaze and noticed the same pallor on Adam’s face as on his own. He quickly looked back at the controls and coughed to hide the snicker that escaped his lips.
A short time later, the Double Helix landed in the delivery area next to an industrial complex in Hillsboro, just outside of Portland. It felt good to be back on solid ground after the long flight as the team walked the short distance to a sterile gray two-story building.
Jesse asked, “So how did this ‘Rose’ avoid being ‘picked’ by Genomex?”
Adam smiled, “That’s a very interesting question – which I intend to ask. According to our files, Genomex had her on their scopes three or four times. Each time the information just ‘disappeared’ before they had a chance to follow up.”
Emma responded in her best Sigmund Freud imitation, “Hmm, in-ter-est-ing.”
*****
Being a Saturday, the building was practically deserted as the team walked down the hallway to a room at the end where the lights were on. As they stepped into the room, they were surrounded with boxes, all neatly labeled. A young woman sat at the desk with her back to the door, copying the information from the computer onto disks.
“I thought I had until 5 o’clock,” she said with a shaky voice, without looking at who had come in the door.
Adam didn’t need Emma’s telempathy to recognize the voice of someone who had been crying. “I thought we’d come and offer you a hand.” Adam spoke in a warm and gentle voice.
“The boxes near the door are ready to go,” she answered flatly, still facing away from them.
Emma prepared an empathic ‘image’ of peace and comfort and projected it toward the woman seated at the desk. To her horror, she saw a dragon appear where the woman was. It grabbed her psionic blast in jagged, blood-dripping teeth and then spit it to the side and glared at her with eyes of fire. Emma stumbled back against a wall and dropped to the floor, visibly shaken.
“Emma, what’s wrong?” Adam asked with concern as he knelt beside her.
“She’ll be fine,” Rose replied, still refusing to look back. “She just needs to learn to keep her sappy little emotions to herself.”
Emma shook her head, clearing the image and then nodded to Adam that she was okay as he helped her back to her feet.
Adam moved over to the side of the desk and sat backwards in a spare swivel chair, resting his arms on the back of the chair. Rose simply looked down at the disks, refusing to make eye contact. “I know that what’s in the boxes is only half of the information,” Adam said calmly, trying to draw out a response.
“What do you mean by that?!” she snapped back, finally looking at him with bloodshot eyes. “It’s all there!”
Adam smiled gently, “The final piece is you, yourself. That’s why your experiment couldn’t be recreated. It won’t work without your ability to stabilize the chemical reaction telekinetically until it’s finished.”
Concern crossed the young woman’s face, as she looked at the man casually leaning on the back of the chair and the two formidable men behind him, “Who the hell are you” she finally asked with suspicion.
“Doctor Adam Kane,” he replied simply. The look of panic on her face told him that she knew who he was, but he would need to dispel some rumors. Emma moved behind the woman and stood ready. Brennan and Jesse understood and moved to surround the woman and discourage her from bolting for the door.
*****
“No need to panic, Rose, I’m just here to offer you the chance to continue your research. I’d like you to re-locate to New Jersey. I’ve got a lab there, we can set up all of your equipment, help you find housing…” Adam said in a voice that was equally strong and gentle.
Emma hid a smile, it was the same voice that she remembered from the night she met Adam. He had told her that there was no need to run anymore, that she was among friends, in a voice so compellingly sincere that she had freely tossed her control to the wind, to hide within this stranger’s protective arms.
It had the same effect on Rose as she started to relax, almost against her will. “I appreciate the offer, but…” she hesitated, “it’s a little more complicated than that.”
Adam leaned forward and picked up a picture of a smiling little boy from her desk. “Your son?” he asked.
She nodded, “His name’s Zachary. He’s at home with…” again she hesitated, looking away, “with his father.”
“Any signs of new mutancy?” Adam urged, his mind processing all of the possible reasons for her hesitation.
“Not yet, but both his father and I are Telekinetics, so we expect there will be, soon.” she replied, still avoiding Adam’s gaze.
“May I ask who his father is?” Adam prodded.
“I am,” came a strong male voice from the door. The team spun to face Frank Thorne, standing in the doorway. Brennan instinctively drew a tesla coil into his hand; ready to continue where he and Thorne had left off over a year ago. But, before he had a chance to throw it, he noticed the three-year-old boy in his arms.
Adam could see the hairs standing up on the back of Brennan’s neck as he fought back the desire to do far more than ‘light him up like a Christmas tree’. Trying to break the tension, he stood up between Brennan and Frank, smiled and said, “Ah, that might explain why Rose kept disappearing off of Genomex’s radar screen, she had a bit of inside help!”
Brennan closed his fingers, extinguishing the sparks, but couldn’t resist saying, “I was wondering where you slithered off to.”
Frank put Zachary down saying, “Go to your mama.” The child quickly obeyed and took a flying leap onto Rose’s lap. Frank stood firm, clearly indicating that he wouldn’t run this time.
*****
This time it was Emma who broke the awkward silence, “If you were any more protective of your family, I’d think you were part feral.” Her comment let her fellow team members know that they were facing pure parental instinct, which changed all of the calculations. Even ordinary humans could accomplish extra-ordinary feats when their child was in danger.
Rose stood up with her son in her arms and walked over to stand next to the man who had cared for her and protected her for the last four years. She wasn’t sure if Frank could actually feel love, but she knew that he tried with every fiber of his being to be a good provider and father.
Seeing their former enemy standing protectively next to Rose and his son made each of the team hesitate. This calculating, cruel, dangerous man was a caring, protective mate and father. Adam reached his decision and stepped forward, extending his hand toward his archenemy’s onetime top man. “Genomex is gone, Frank, it’s time to burry the hatchet.”
Emma caught herself staring with her jaw dropped. The same strong, gentle voice…this was the man who captured Ruby, who used his new mutant powers to hunt down other new mutants. And now, Adam was extending him the ‘olive branch’ of peace. Offering to forgive all of the past wrongs and move forward.
Frank Thorne didn’t look any less surprised than Emma; he quickly glanced up at Brennan, wondering if he would be electrocuted if he tried to accept Adam’s hand. Adam continued, “With all of the industrial espionage out there, I could use someone with your background to head up security at the lab. Although you wouldn’t have quite the ‘free reign’ that you had at Genomex.”
Frank looked at Rose and at his beautiful child. He had always liked his life to be orderly and controlled. As much as he hated to admit it, with Genomex gone, Adam was the best hope for those he cared about. He hesitated a moment longer, steadying his nerves before he reached out and accepted Adam’s outstretched hand.
*****
As they left the room, Adam answered the silent question being asked by each of the team as he smiled and quoted, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer!”
Heading back to the Helix, Adam asked where they’d like to go for dinner. “How about Thai food?!” suggested Emma enthusiastically.
“I’d go for some pizza,” countered Jesse.
“Yeah, pizza sounds great,” agreed Brennan.
Stepping between them and whispering in a voice too quiet for Adam to hear, Emma smiled, “Thai; or I suggest that I practice flying the whole way back, even over the mountains.”
Jesse and Brennan looked at each other in panic and then both looked at Adam and said in unison, “Thai’s fine”.
Adam looked a little puzzled and then decided that he really didn’t want to know what had just gone on, so he simply conceded, “Thai it is!”
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The Sun Never Sets on PureMX.net
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