The Link Pt. 02: The Hunted

"Then we turn the tables," Caleb continued my thoughts.

"This has to stop," I added.

"We're going hunting," Caleb said. "I'd like to meet this Anthony, mind to mind."

"No prom, no graduation," I said. "Your parents are right. I'm ruining you."

"Yes you are," Caleb said, moving back into my arms. "Every day and in every way. The fact that I am completely complicit should be discounted. I think you owe me." His smile coaxed out mine.

"The terms?" I asked, knowing what was in his mind.

"I think sex for the rest of my life should about even the score," Caleb whispered. I had a response ready, a good one that I instantly forgot once his lips found mine again. I loved how wanting his love was, how much it needed mine to work right.

"So, you like the naked part," I said when we came up for air. The words triggered a bunch of visions in Caleb mind. The kind that made me feel so special. In his world, I was. In mine, it was he who was the special one.

"You have no idea," he said. Yes, I did.

"Your mother says you're leaving," Dad said as he burst into the room, Mom following close behind. This time, Caleb was slower at releasing me. "You have school to finish, and there's no way I'd allow the military to take you." I smiled as I felt the force of his devotion fill me. Before Caleb, he was my rock and in some ways, will always be.

"It's not like you won't know where I am," I said. I couldn't hold him out forever if I wanted too.

"Dad and I are one on this," Mom said, her hands finding her hips.

"You can't stop the US military," Caleb said. "Not to mention whoever sent that sniper."

"Legally, I'm an adult," I informed them."It's best if we find out who's hunting me before anyone else gets hurt." I could feel Caleb's support.

"We?" Dad said. "You two think you have all the answers?" I stopped Caleb before he could respond. He was already arguing with his parents. He didn't need to add mine to the list.

"Is it much different than when you two met?" I asked them.

"Yes," Dad replied. He was lying to me, and he knew I knew.

"We were older," Mom argued.

"That guy who shot Zane was just the beginning," I said. "If they would pay fifty thousand to send him, how much are they going to pay the next time." There was a pause as they tried to think of a solution that didn't involve me leaving. "I need to be where they aren't looking. I can't return to school or go to my prom. Someone out there has made it their mission to end my life."

"We are going to change that," Caleb said.

"No!" Mom interjected when she sensed Caleb's meaning. "You can't go after them." Dad was looking at Caleb and me, his eyes desiring another course of action, but not finding it.

"Zane needs you," I continued. "We need to disappear from the military and the psychos. Do you think that hiding in the basement for the rest of my life is going to work?"

"No," Dad said.

"Sam!" Mom said crossly.

"We can't hide her anymore, Natalie," Dad continued, "We can only make her a bigger target."

"They're too young," Mom pleaded.

"Not anymore," Dad said, taking Mom in his arms. "Teegan, can you do what you did to that shooter if you had to again?" I nodded.

"I can too," Caleb said. It was anger that lit the fire. Caleb knew it as well as I.

"You'll need money," Dad said.

"Sam, you can't let them go," Mom complained weakly. Her tears were making my eyes water.

"Staying may kill her," Dad said, "or make her the military's next puppet."

"She's our baby," Mom cried. I lost it myself and ran to her. I was better off than a lot of people with biological parents. We hugged, minus Zane, as a family. The bond tightening between us as I broke down the barriers. Caleb tried to hide from it, but he was part of me now. Mom held out her hand until he joined.

"Where will you go?" Mom asked, wiping her eyes.

"Dad will know when I get there," I said. Dad gave me a weak smile.

"It's better if no one knows where we are going," Caleb added. Dad pulled out his wallet and handed me the cash that was in it.

"Make sure you're leaving an area when you use this," Dad said, adding his ATM card to the money. "The code is the last four of my phone number. I'll keep at least a thousand dollars in the account."

"Two thousand," Mom ordered. Dad nodded as he handed Caleb his car keys.

"Leave the keys in the glove compartment," Dad told Caleb. "Call me when you dump it and I'll pick it up. You'll have to find something less traceable to travel in." Caleb took the keys and shook Dad's hand.

"I need to get dressed," I said. Dad and Mom left, Mom pulling Caleb with her. It was probably best. Being naked with him seemed to defy time.

I was donning my jeans when I heard Mom through Caleb's link. I smiled as she told him what she'd do to him if anything happened to me. Dad probably remembered the strength of Caleb's bond and skipped the threats, deciding instead to impart everything he knew about running under the radar. Caleb promised to take care of me. I felt him blush when Mom kissed his cheek hard.

"I'm ready," I said when I joined them in the hall. Mom's eyes were a dark red and Dad looked exhausted.

"I'm not," Mom said, holding out her arms. I collapsed into them again, trying not to cry. The final goodbye took longer than it should have; Dad busy trying to give us more information and Mom simply stalling. I let her as Caleb waited patiently. Hank promised 24 hours, so another few minutes didn't matter much.

The parting with Caleb's parents was worse. The look in his mother's eyes should have killed me on the spot. When it started to get loud, I reached out my hands and purposely let the bond work for us. After that, his parents were very aware of the connection between us and realized that our choices were limited. It didn't stop the tears, but it ended the argument. It had taken another thirty minutes before we were finally ready to leave with two ATM cards and enough cash to live a couple of weeks.

"We'll go home and quickly pack some clothes," Caleb said as we moved toward the hospital doors.

"Your house first," I said, "nobody should be watching it yet." Caleb took my hand in his and slowed our walk. I followed his eyes out the glass doors to the entry walk. There were two tall men, both with military style haircuts standing outside the door. They were looking outward, dressed in civilian clothes though their bearing spoke of duty.

"It could be nothing," Caleb whispered.

"Leather jackets," I said, "it's what, in the 70's?" Caleb decided the ER doors may be a better exit, so we moved quickly to the other side of the hospital. We found two more similarly dressed individuals at that door, though one was a woman. Neither looked like they would fear a fight.

"The other side is closer to the car," Caleb said. I nodded, and we walked through the hospital again, this time, paranoid about everyone we passed. Suddenly the world was against us, and fear made a home in my heart. Caleb hid his fear behind a wall of bravado. I rallied behind it.

We exited hand in hand, walking like it had been a normal visit to the hospital. My insides were churning, and I could feel Caleb's anger building. He was doing it purposely, hating people he didn't even know. I didn't like what it was doing to him.

"Miss Fuller?" the man on the left with red hair asked as we passed. I ignored it as if I wasn't. He didn't sound confident enough to commit, so maybe he didn't know for sure. It made Caleb tense, and his anger grew. Subconsciously, I sped up. The two followed.

"Miss Fuller," the man said with more confidence. My eyes began to water when Caleb turned, such horrible thoughts in his mind.

"She's not going to go with you," Caleb said, his body shifting with confidence.

"Tell Colonel Davidson I'll meet with him tomorrow," I lied, trying to cool the situation down. I hated what it was doing to Caleb. He was learning to use the bond as a weapon.

"I don't know a Colonel Davidson, ma'am," the red-headed man said calmly. They weren't approaching, and the other guy was looking everywhere but at me.

"You're not with the military?" I asked, suddenly fearful this was a psycho attack. Caleb started forward, my fears becoming his.

"No, ma'am", the man said, not retreating from Caleb.

"Who do you work for?"

"Well, for you ma'am," the man answered. Caleb stopped as our confusion weakened his anger. I was about to ask him for clarification when his partner shouted "Gun!" I turned toward the yell and saw a middle aged man between two parked cars. His eyes were wide, and a pistol was in his hand.

"Demon!" the man yelled as he raised the barrel.

Caleb thought faster than I thought possible, knocking me down and laying on top of me. The two men ran past us, drawing pistols from under their jackets. I heard two shots and the first man yelling instructions about bringing a car around.

"Ma'am, we need to move. It's not safe here," the red-headed man ordered. Caleb and I traded thoughts quickly, deciding that staying on the ground in the open was out of the question. We could hear people in the hospital screaming about a shooting and knew the police couldn't be far behind. There's no way they would think this was another random event.

I saw the shooter lying between the cars, blood beginning to pool. The second man had kicked his gun away and was again scanning the area, this time not hiding his gun. The red-headed man pulled us next to the building and pulled out what looked like a small phone. "North side, next to the entrance. We are secure."

"Who are you?" I asked, desperate for information.

"Let's get you safe first," the man said.

"No," Caleb said, moving between the man and me. The man gritted his teeth and then sighed.

"I feel silly doing this," he said, putting his phone away and holding out his hand to me. "I'm supposed to ask for your trust," he added then turned his hand palm up. I understood the offer immediately, and Caleb nodded internally. I reached out and joined the man's music to mine. I watched his smile grow.

"Damn," the man said, "you are an angel." I could feel a stab of jealousy in Caleb, but it faded quickly. A white SUV pulled up as information flooded into me, fed by Caleb's latent anger and my desire to quell it.

Caleb's eyes went wide as we shared our surprise. We had our own army.

Epilogue - Natalie

The doorbell surprised me. I had been deep in worry about my little girl running around the world with a man barely old enough to vote. The shooting at the hospital still had me terrified. The fact they disappeared without taking the car was even more worrisome. I was thankful I could still feel her, know she was still alive and not in distress. I put the peanut butter jar down. Zane would have to wait a moment for his sandwich.

"It better not be the police again," Sam said, joining me at the door. They had been badgering us for Caleb and Teegan's location, and we've stuck to a runaway story. It wasn't hard to feign worry since that was all I could do anyway.

Sam opened the door to FedEx. The delivery guy wasn't smiling, probably running behind.

"Natalie Fuller?" FedEx asked. His premature gray hair looked glued to his head, not a strand moving in the breeze.

"Yes," I answered.

"I need to verify an ID," the man said. "Driver's license, passport, or any other government-issued ID." I smiled, knowing this was what bothered him. He probably preferred to just drop things off and move along unseen. If he only knew my problems, his would pale in comparison. I wondered if he had any kids recovering from gunshot wounds.

I retrieved my purse from the credenza and fished out my wallet. FedEx examined my license and tapped a few keys on his mobile device. He handed back my ID and a padded legal sized envelope, turning around the device for me to sign the small screen. He mumbled something as he turned, moving quickly back to his truck. I told him to have a good day, though I think his mind was elsewhere.

"Busy guy," Sam said, looking at the package.

"I'm sure we slowed him up," I said as I tried to tear open the package. It was taped too securely, requiring scissors. I moved back to the kitchen, Sam following.

"Where is she?" I asked for the hundredth time.

"Still on the west coast," Sam said. "She hasn't moved since the last time."

I emptied the package on the kitchen table. Two ATM cards and Sam's car keys fell out. Along with them, a small red thumb drive. I looked back into the envelope and pulled out a handwritten letter that was still inside.

Mom and Dad,

Things have changed. Caleb and I are well and we'll be calling you once protections have been put in place. Please return Caleb's father's ATM card and let them know we are okay.

Love, Teegan

"What is going on?" I asked Sam.

"Maybe this will tell us more," Sam said, pulling the thumb drive from the pile.

"We'll use Zane's computer," I said, moving to finish Zane's sandwich. "He needs to know what we know." Sam nodded. It would be insulting to hold things from Zane, now that he had gotten shot over it all. My kids were growing up too fast.

"What does this mean?" Zane asked, reading the letter. He was sitting up in bed, a clean white bandage wrapped around his torso. His voice was still weak like it pained him to breath too deeply. I ignored it on the outside, but my insides were crying for him.

"Not sure," Sam replied. "They returned the ATM cards, so I have to guess they solved any money issues. This may tell us more." He held up the thumb drive.

We sat on Zane's bed as Sam double clicked the thumb drive's movie file on Zane's laptop. I recognized the face on the screen immediately, though it was infinitely older than remembered.

"That insane bastard has my baby," I said as my anger flared.

"He's supposed to be dead," Sam said. Then Douglas Corbett's image began to speak.

"My doctors tell me I'll be quite dead before you see this," Corbett's voice was raspy like there was gravel in his throat. "That's fitting since I don't wish to apologize in person. Teegan has reached full majority, or something has happened to expose her. Either way, know that I'm still adamant in my belief that she is the future of humanity. My error was in my methods, which your husband so forcibly corrected. That he allowed me to live, is a testament to the tolerance you two will have instilled in our angel."

"He has no right to say 'our,'" I interjected. Sam put his hand on my leg, calming my anger as Corbett continued.

"I know now that she needed nurturing I couldn't provide." The gravelly chuckle that followed sounded almost evil. "Money can't buy everything." More sick chuckling. "I still find that hard to believe. Nevertheless, I did what I could to maintain her anonymity in your house." A sly smile appeared on his face, slightly distorted by advanced age. "That is the proof of my apology. I have known her location for over 15 years, and still I stayed in the background. I've let you raise her as you saw fit, in an environment of your own choosing."

"Let?" Sam said with some venom. "He's lucky I LET him live." Zane's eyes were wide, taking in his father's sudden anger. Sam let out a sigh, some of the vehemence fading away.

"I was put on this earth with one skill, amassing wealth," Corbett continued. "I have been very successful at it, building an empire that would make the emperors of old jealous. But what is money without a lasting legacy? Carnegie built libraries; Gates is eradicating disease. I'll top them all and give our angel to the world."

"He's still insane," I commented.

"My estate will be held in trust until she reaches full majority. At 21, she inherits everything. The money, the businesses, and all the political power that comes with it." I stopped breathing. "She will be my legacy and if it all goes to hell," Corbett broke into another chuckle, "I'll blame you. We'll see if your love is as powerful as my empire."

Corbett paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts and becoming more serious. "I have few regrets in my life. I usually don't wallow in them, but striking you has pained me more than your husband ever did. I know now it was jealousy that drove me to it. It is not an emotion I've had much experience with. The fact that our angel loved you more than me was - well - painful." His smile returned. "Natalie, I give you something that I can't remember ever giving before, my apology. Be strong and hold back the forgiveness, I am undeserving. And you, Samuel, next time someone attacks your family, especially our angel, don't hold back." The screen went black as the movie ended abruptly.

"Teegan is rich," Zane said.

"He was completely insane," I said, barely believing what I just saw.

"I thought he was out of our lives," Sam said, as surprised as I was.

"Teegan's rich," Zane repeated.

"Damn," I said, "I forgive him." My eyes were welling up. Corbett was off his rocker, but in his own way, he truly loved my daughter. Sam put his arm around me.

"Good thing you stopped me before I fried his brain," Sam said. I nodded and collapsed into his arms.

"Do you think she'll buy me a Corvette for my birthday?" Zane asked.

"All that's happened to you and your sister, and you're worried about your birthday present?" Sam asked.

"Dad," Zane said, "Teegan's rich." As if that solved all the problems in the world.

*****

Preview of the final installment: The Link 3 - The Huntress

- Caleb

I took the stairs two at a time. I could feel Teegan's fear building amongst a million other emotions. The timing couldn't be worse, my inadequacies announcing themselves loudly, convincing me of my incompetence for the task at hand. I ran past Victor, who looked confused at my speed as I burst into the bedroom. Teegan was sitting on the end of the bed, her hand over her skinny belly.

"I thought we were careful," I said.

"I'm scared," Teegan said, reaching for me. "I love her too much already." Something opened inside of Teegan, a barrier that had been private even from me. I felt her then, pure innocence unscathed by the sins of the world, a fresh mind that knew my song and instantly owned my soul.

"She's beautiful," I sighed. Teegan nodded, tears running down her cheeks. It didn't matter that we weren't ready.