“I am taking scans. I’m aware of what happened while you were on the mission.” he said, "Use your abilities.”
I held out my hand and created a small ball of flame that hovered a few inches from my palm. I watched the screen. The normal lines appeared on the chart and no signs of the mental block. It was as if it never existed.
“Everything seems to check out. Some bumps and bruises, nothing more, and it looks like your abilities have been returned to normal.” he said.
“Great, I’m fine. Now, take me to Sam.” I said loudly.
He sighed, "Alright come on.”
I left the exam room and returned to the clinic’s lobby. Sam stood looking out of the window.
“Where is Ryder?” I asked eager to see him. Sam didn’t take his eyes away from the window as I spoke.
“I hoped that he was going to come back with you. I had hoped that Vanish was too bad off to make the return trip and they were on that plane with you.” he said putting his hands on the back of his head.
“Well he didn’t, he disappeared with Vanish.” I said. I screamed in my head at the building frustration.
“They are not here. They haven’t returned.” He said looking at the ground.
“What do we do now?”
“I don’t know what to do.”
I didn’t even respond. I had no idea what to say to him.
I turned and left the clinic.
Our house was empty and dark. If I moved quickly I could pack my things and leave before anyone tried to stop me. I walked up to my room and grabbed a bag. I began to stuff clothes into it without paying any attention to what items I was taking hold of, fury clouded my vision.
I took the stairs down to the first floor two at a time but I wasn’t fast enough. Ronnie stood in my path of the door.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m leaving.” I said shoving him out of my path, which even with enhanced strength, was a difficult task.
“Grace, why are you leaving?” He demanded following me out onto the front lawn.
“Because someone has to do something and I’m not going to sit around and do nothing while there are so many unknowns.” I yelled over my shoulder.
I ran to where Ryder had parked his car. He’d left the keys in the center console and I didn’t think he would object to me borrowing it for now.
Sam’s truck was parked at the town’s entrance, but I blew past it like it wasn’t even there. I flew down the road at eighty miles per hour before slamming on the brakes outside of the road leading to my father’s house.
I parked the car and slammed the door with so much heat that the window shattered. I was thinking about finally finding people that I fit in with and that particular life is so messed up.
The front door to the house opened automatically as I approached it, sliding almost silently into the thick wall. Alrick was waiting inside as well as a woman that I hadn’t met and assumed was Alice.
“Who is this?” I asked in an angry tone.
“This is number four, your father called her Alice.” he said cheerfully.
“The doctor?”
“Yes ma’am.” Alrick said.
“What did I tell you about that?” I snapped at Alrick.
“Sorry…Grace.”
“I’ll be in the office. No calls.”
“No calls?” He asked, "I don’t think that anyone will be calling you here.” he said bewildered.
“Just don’t disturb me.” I walked away from them.
“She is like her father.” Alice said quietly as they turned to walk in the other direction.
I opened the door to the office. The lights came on as I walked into the room. It was clean but I could feel how used the room was. In fact the way the room felt, I thought that the only reason that Alrick was able to clean it was because my father was gone.
I walked past a shelf on the wall that held several pictures in frames of silver. My father and mother where standing around a plane. I picked up the picture and read some writing in the bottom left hand corner; BF-1030 Joseph and Abby Madison.
I put it down, walked to the desk, and sat down in my father’s chair, and swiveled to look out of the window. The sun was coming up behind the mountain. I laid my head back and closed my eyes. It was peaceful. I could see the mountain and the entire lake from this one chair.
I went through my father’s desk looking for some kind of journal or notes of any kind, but I found nothing. I tried to get onto his computer, but it was very thoroughly locked. My head was killing me and with each passing moment the pain got worse. I grabbed my head, laid it down on the desk.
It felt like I was crying. I wiped the tears but they were blood. I found something and wiped my face clean, and pushed through the pain. I stood up and walked over to the window.
I fell to my knees.
Darkness swallowed the room.
I didn’t feel myself collapsing to the floor.
I felt myself being lifted off the ground. I didn’t stay conscious long enough to know where I was taken.
There was a knock on the door.
“Yeah!” I yelled trying to keep both of my feet under the covers.
“I’m sorry to bother you.” Alrick said walking into the room.
“It’s alright, Alrick.” I said pushing myself up onto my hands.
“I have just a few things this morning. Your friend Ronnie stopped by this morning and requested to see you but I sent him away. I told him to come back once you have had a chance to get some real rest.” he said.
My heart skipped a beat at the possibility that there may be news about Ryder. “Any news?” I asked. I started to get out of the bed, but the pain was unbelievable.
“He told me to let you know that there was no more information on Silence, or Vanish’s whereabouts, and Alice would like you to come up and see her today.”
“Is there anything else?” I asked rubbing my eyes.
“No, let me know if you need anything.” He said looking around the room.
“I will. Thank you for everything.” I said wearily. I felt like I could use more sleep just getting out of bed.
“You do not need to thank me. You and your family are my family.” he said.
Alrick turned and walked out of the room with a concerned look on his face.
“How do you feel?” Alice asked passing a scanner over my body focusing on the areas with the worst injuries.
“The pain is not as bad.” I said, “But still pretty unbearable.”
That’s good to hear. I will be monitoring your brain scans. There are a few things that are out of the ordinary that I have never seen before. Nothing to be worried about I’m sure, but I want to be ready for anything.” she explained.
“Alright, so can I get out of here? No offence, but I don’t like doctor’s offices or any place that is similar.” I said getting down gently from the table.
“Yeah, just take it easy for a while.” She said switching off the scanner and putting it in her pocket.
Chapter 26: Chuck
I stood in my father’s office with my arms crossed, chewing on my thumbnail. I had my phone on its loudest setting lying on the desk beside me. I couldn’t take my eyes from the screen no matter how hard I tried.
I wanted it to ring more than anything. I wanted Sam to tell me that Ryder and Vanish had reappeared and they were unharmed. I knew that call wasn’t going to come; something inside told me it would be very difficult to locate them.
There was a knock at the door and a throat clear. I looked up to see Alrick standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry if I’ve disturbed you ma’am.” He said with a soft smile.
“No, you’re fine.” I said pressing the button on the side of the phone that woke the screen. I checked to see if I had missed anything, but I hadn’t. “Do you know how to unlock the computer?” I asked pointing to the main computer screen on the desk. There was no keyboard or mouse.