Forsaken Duty (Red Team #9)(104)

“I just don’t know how any of this works.” He looked over at Val. “It’s not like we had normal childhoods to pull from.”

“Who does? What the fuck is normal anyway?” Val laughed. “We all just survive our childhoods so we can spend a fortune on shrinks. You are’t going to go wrong with him…or not so bad the shrinks won’t be able to fix, anyway.”

Owen laughed. “Great.”

“So what’s the plan with Addy? She’s not out of the woods yet, not when someone with an app can still take her out.”

“We’ll continue to work with the Ratcliffs and the other scientists my dad found. Thing is, they said the nanos need periodic renewal. I don’t know how frequent that is, but she only had one dose—from the bee sting, I’m guessing. Unless the doctors who examined her gave her more of the modifying agent. I wonder if she’s one of the people whose physiology is taking over from the nanos. On the one hand, we may be able to just let the nanos wear out and pass from her system. On the other hand, she may have to maintain a certain level of them. I don’t know. But I don’t like the idea that she will be forever young, while I age and die.”

“You could take the modifications, too.”

“Addy and I talked about that. But what’s it like never getting old? Living longer than your children and friends?” He shook his head. “This is not something I ever expected to deal with.”

“Talk to your dad. Ask him. He looks like your brother now. It’s so fucked up it’s cool.”

“And we’re definitely going to need to increase or improve our technology. Anywhere Addy goes, she’s going to need to be protected from another cyberattack. And I don’t know what may happen to Wynn from the bumblebee that stung her. Maybe it was just a sedative that was delivered. Maybe it was the nanos.”

“We need our own lab.”

“We do. I’ll talk to Ratcliffs, Doc Beck and my dad. We could build one here, but there might be another place that makes more sense, like at the clinic.”

“And what about Jax? We joining forces with his team?”

“Yeah. I think so. We have a lot to still figure out.”

Val got up and came over to put a hand on Owen’s shoulder. “Okay. Just remember, you aren’t in this alone.”

“Thanks, Val.”



It wasn’t until the next morning that Owen caught Augie by himself. He and Addy wanted to break the news to the boys that they were going to be married. His boy’s security necklace placed him in the movie room. Alone.

The room was dark. A faint bluish glow came from the blank screen. Augie was sitting in the back row. Owen sat next to him. “Want me show you how it works? Might be more fun than watching nothing.”

Augie shrugged.

“Want to talk?” Owen asked.

“No.”

“Mind if I talk?”

Augie shrugged again. “Go ahead.”

Owen suddenly didn’t know what to say. How do you tell your own flesh and blood everything that’s in your heart when there’s no foundation to base it on? Jeez, how the hell do you talk to a kid?

Augie looked at him. “You got something to say or not?”

Owen looked at the blank screen. “I have so much to say that I don’t know how to do it in a way that makes sense. I didn’t know about you until a few weeks ago. When I learned your mom and I had a son, my whole life shifted. For a long time, it hadn’t been about anything. And suddenly, it was. I know you’re a kid and that probably doesn’t make any sense at all. One day, we’ll tell you what happened and how it was that I didn’t know about you.” He looked at his boy. “I would just like to say that I’m very glad to have you in my life. I have no idea how to be a dad, but I’ll figure it out.”

Augie nodded. “I don’t know much about being a son. I was a good cub.”

“I know you were. I’m proud of you for that. Being a cub isn’t something just any boy could do.”

“I thought my old dad killed Mom the day they took me.” Tears were filling his son’s pale blue eyes.

“She was hurt pretty bad. Spent a while in the hospital. She’s one tough lady, your mom.”

“What’s going to happen to her with her sickness?”

“I don’t know yet. It’s brand new territory for all of us. I do know she’s safe here. You and your brother are safe here. We have the experts on hand to help us work through this. We’ll take it a day at a time and figure it out.”

“What if she dies?” The tears that had been gathering splashed down Augie’s cheeks.

Owen shook his head. “I can’t even think about that. I’d be wrecked. You and Troy would be crushed. But the truth is, life would go on. It has a way of healing. Maybe it’s just its relentless march forward that stops for no one. If something happens to your mom, you’d still have me. And if something happens to me, then one of my friends here will take you and Troy into their families. You know why?”

Augie shook his head, his eyes still swimming tears.

“Because that’s what families do. And that’s what we are. It’s pretty damned awesome. There is one thing I’m going to need your help with eventually.”