Dont Be a Hero

Awakening

Macy stopped and looked at her watch. "Time to try Jackson," she said to the young plant specialist who was trying his hardest to impress her. He nodded at her and waited.

Macy hit Jackson's cell number on her phone and called it. It rang... once... twice.... three times.... four... his voice mail picked up and she hung up and turned back toward the hotel. "Let's go. They've got them."

"Already? That was fast," Jordan said, trotting after her.

"He was right about where they would be looking for him. He went straight home. They must have been staked out there."

She walked quickly into the hotel and headed for the training area. Everyone looked up when she burst through the door. Lillian stood and started to walk toward her. "What is it, Macy?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

"They have him already. He didn't answer." She held up her phone to indicate that she'd just tried calling him. "Tya, are you ready?" she asked The Oracle, walking toward her.

Tya looked up at her and then turned toward Anthony. "We should give it just a bit. In order to give them time to get where they are going." She looked back at Macy. "We don't want to waste my energy just to find them still mobile."

Macy nodded. "You're right. How long should we wait. I've been dialing him every half hour, so that gives them at the most, that much time so far. We have no idea where they might be heading?" She looked at Lillian who just shook her head.

"My best guess would be farther East. Maybe Colorado?" Lillian said. "They might even have a second facility in Utah. I wish I knew."

Macy tried to calm herself and looked at her watch. She dialed Jackson's number again just to be sure. His voice mail picked up and she hung up. "Okay. Let's give it one hour. Then we do it."

Tya nodded. She closed her eyes and resumed her meditative pose. Jerome turned toward the window and looked out. He never talked much, Macy noticed. She studied him, quietly. She wondered where he came from. Who he was. How did someone come to be something like him? Was he even human? She drew a breath and walked over to him.

"How are you doing, Jerome?" she asked him, smiling.

He turned toward her and gazed at her with his luminous golden eyes for a moment. "I am concerned for your partner. I imagine you must be very anxious for him."

"I am," she said, looking down. She looked back up at him and reached a hand out to touch the soft feathers of his wing. "I need a distraction. To keep my mind off of it for an hour. You are a mysterious guy. I am curious about you."

He sighed and turned back toward the window. "You are not alone in that. I am curious about me as well. My memory is.... not complete."

"What don't you remember?"

"There is much I don't remember. My childhood. My parents. It is all... blank. Foggy. Sometimes I catch a glimpse, but not enough to answer any questions. I don't know where I come from or who I am."

"That must be very difficult for you. I don't mean to pry."

"It doesn't bother me, Miss Macy. You may ask me anything you like. Whether or not I have the answers is another matter."

"Well... I won't interrogate you. A person can't help but look at you and wonder, though. I think you are an angel." She smiled at him and gave his wing one last stroke before folding her arms across her chest.

He looked down at her and shook his head. "I fear you are wrong about that theory, but thank you."

She shrugged. "Angels come in many different forms. You fit the description better than anyone I've ever met."