Gifted Connections: Book 2(113)

I had a lot of projects, exams, and work to complete in school. I had received my first “C” this past week, and that had made me upset at my loss of focus on school. I was an overachiever, what could I say?

We helped Chip and his mother find an apartment near the school. Will had even given Amy a secretarial position in their offices. Unfortunately, Chip still needed a firm male hand, so one of the guys had been over there daily. Amy and Chip needed our help, but part of me wished that Amy would have accepted Will’s offer to stay with us for a little while longer.

I understood her need for independence. However, she was also inadvertently taking time away from us. I had needed them more so than ever this past week. I wanted to be reassured by their presence, and I knew I wasn’t alone in these feelings. The guys had been with me as much as possible as well.

I pulled out Drake’s iPod, hoping it would lighten my mood and when I powered it on, I smiled. His sweetness knew no bounds. He had created me a new playlist.



We were being sent to a location in Detroit, Michigan. Apparently, Horatio had purchased an old abandoned building in the seedier part of the city. We were running this mission differently. We were told there was a total of ten females, but only three guards.

Our intel was that Horatio was giving them the basic care, and he had gotten slightly arrogant and complacent. He assumed that since we had Dr. Neil and we hadn’t taken his previous bate, we had given up on the women.

The extraction was supposed to be a fairly simple one. Quad 1 was going to continue to drive around, while Quad 2, our healer, would drive the other van. Micah would walk with us to the facility, transport into the camera room with Steven, and remove all the threats. Once we were given the all clear, Micah was to return to the van. Troy, Michael, Rachel, Quad 3 and 4, and I were directed to diffuse further threats and secure the women. When the women were safe from all threats, we would call Quad 1 and 2 to pick us all up.

We walked up to the building, and I couldn’t believe the condition the it was in. We tried to pace ourselves, waiting for Steven and Micah to tell us we had the all clear.

“All clear,” Steven stated as we came closer to the building. “One guard down.”

“I’ll be right back,” Michael stated as he walked into the door. Seconds later we heard the click of the lock before Michael opened it with a smile.

He beckoned us in with a wave. We followed him down the dark narrow hallway. Dim, lights emitting a soft yellow glow were mounted on the moldy, water-stained walls. The smell of rat urine assaulted our noses. If I looked closely, I swore I could see a few rats the size of cats, scamper across; their little beady eyes glaring at us.

I shuddered, and Troy squeezed my hand reassuringly. I tried to smile at him, but the smell was overwhelming. I pulled a bandanna out of my back pocket and tied it across my face.

“I smell females up there,” Quad 3 stated. His gift was that of a tracker. He was the blood hound of the gifted race. He could sniff out any gifted person.

We quietly advanced forward. Quad 3 pointed towards a door at the end of the hallways. Michael popped in and nodded. “I don’t see any guards in here,” he whispered urgently. “I’ll go look for them,” he volunteered.

“I’ll go with you,” Quad 3 said as he turned down the hall to the right.

“Better them than me,” Quad 4 muttered. He was highly uncomfortable with the rats and creeped out.

I had to stifle my inappropriate giggle. I hated rats, but it was funny seeing the muscle-bound man almost squeamish.

We opened the door and I cringed when it squealed loudly in the silence. I saw 10 females laid up in beds. It reminded me of the films I watched of children in the orphanages, how they slept in rows on cots. They looked like they were sleeping. Some of them were obviously pregnant as well.

“Let’s get out of here,” I muttered. My uneasiness had only increased, even though everything seemed to be going off without a hitch.

Quad 4 ambled over to the first girl and ran his hands above them, hovering over them. “I don’t feel anything,” he said in confusion. He had the ability to detect foreign objects or disease in any living mammal.

Troy and I exchanged glances.

“Maybe he’s found a way to just inject them into submission, without installing those balls,” Rachel said hesitantly.

“Can you finish checking them and we’ll start carrying them out?” Troy looked over at Quad 4.

Quad 4 nodded, and Troy, Rachel, and I carefully picked up the females as they were cleared of any devices. Rachel and I decided to tag team it, despite my ability of strength.

“Heading out with our first patients,” I muttered into the headsets.

We had already loaded four females when the sense of unease still wouldn’t dissipate. Micah was acting like someone twice his age as he helped Quad 1 and 2 settle the females in comfortably. I was really proud of him as I smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder. He almost preened at my praise.

I hadn’t heard from Michael or Quad 3 in quite a while. Steven had reported the top two floors clear of any guards.

“Casper,” I whispered into the headset, using Michael’s call sign. “What’s your status?”

“All clear,” he stated quickly. It was too quickly. His voice sounded strained and we both heard it.

Troy and I exchanged a quick look. “Somethings not right,” Troy stated, his jaw tightening.