Bloodline

Chapter 9

I help Shannon sit on the bench outside in the churchyard while watching nuns from afar . It has been four days since she stepped outside, her intensive treatment kept her strictly in bed probably because Vanessa and Rodrigo have never dealt with multiples before.



' Are you sure you're comfortable?' I ask hoping there is something else I could do.




' I’m fine , please sit down.' She smiles, ' stop fussing over me it’s suffocating really . Both you and Rodrigo are starting to get on my nerves.'



She looks up ahead and smiles at Rodrigo talking to a female liberator.



' That is because his in love with you.' I actually feel sorry for him because she seems clueless.



' Yeah,' She sighs, ' I know.'




'You do ?!'



'Come on , Marvin,' She smiles, ' It couldn’t be more obvious. The way he looks at me and hovers over me. I really thought he would get over it.'




' Oh forever friend zone, huh.' I shake my head. ' Poor guy. He is one second from jumping off a building for you.'




' You’re one to talk,' She chuckles and gestures her head to Sammy, ' I see you caught the eye of the cute little liberator. Makes sense she likes playing rough.'



'Sammy?' I shake my head , ' No , she was impressed by the stunt I pulled off the other day . That and my collection of arms as she would call it. We just spar together.'



' Oh just like Rodrigo was intrigued by my intellect and we just studied together in the library on different courses.' It’s her turn to shake her head. ' Clueless.'




I don’t argue with Shannon because truth be told I have sensed the chemistry between Sammy and I and we flirt enough for me to worry during practice.



I watch her jovial-people-person self talking to the nuns and laughing so heartily you can almost see her cute dimples from afar. Only she can befriend  nuns and find them amusing. I wonder what she is talking about.




' I see the feelings mutual.' Shannon smiles to herself.



'Huh?' I ask having no clue what she is referring to .



She ignores my question and starts walking towards Rodrigo , ' I’m going to do something somewhere bye.'



'What?' Does that woman ever make sense. It seems as if her real profession is working my nerves.




‘ Hi.' A nervous looking Sammy approaches with her hands in her pocket. ' May I ?' She gestures for a seat.



'Sure.' I reply quickly scooting to the right where Shannon was sitting earlier.



‘In glad to see her back on her feet.' She smiles , ' is she well recovered?'




‘ I’m sure Rodrigo will see to it.' I reply squinting my eyes at the doctor who is currently fussing over Shannon as if she is the queen of the Nile.


'Jealous?'



I don’t answer but just shrug. Jealousy would require me having feelings for Shannon and truth be told I’m not bothered by his presence as a never-gonna-happen boyfriend or whatever he is but I can’t stand the way he acts as if he is the father. Telling me what not to do to stress her, warning me about endangering my children. My children! Again I shrug.




' Want to take a walk?' Sammy smiles.


I like her smile , it  always warms my heart and for some reason encourages you to not only approach but also get to know her.



' Sure.'



I enjoy our walks , somehow I forget everything when I’m listening to Sammay talk. Boy does she ever talk, in a way she reminds me of Shannon , you miss both of them when you are alone or around people who are just as quiet as you are . You feel bored.



The first time we took these walks was three days ago and I learnt Sammy , Sammatha McHugh , an only daughter of a mechanic and diner manager had typical dreams of fame. She joined a local theatre when she was younger and not only can she act but she sings too. I heard her voice and it’s marvelous.



Unfortunately her dreams where shattered when she a third generation substitute couldn’t seem to get more embryos to start a family with her ex after her body rejected three and the state declared more embryos to her will be a waste of precious cargo. Her father being the only child born in the McHugh family of her father’s generation , it is safe to say her bloodline will be extinct after her.

This devastated her of course but her she grew angrier when she found out that they were more cases like hers than she thought. What wasn’t officially stated by the Tribune was bodies rejecting embryos because of the Braun’s Phenomena wasn’t rare , you get three tries if you are the ordinary people while the plutocrats get more than enough tries and babies to adopt. She felt she had to do something and tried leaking this on the internet but her site was shut down and found her facing charges of treason , that was until Louise found her and bust her out  and the rest is history. Apparently every society has the Liberators , they are more organized than given credit.



The Liberators had purpose , truth. They wanted the people to know the truth which is extinction is real and real statistics are showing a population of six million people in the Asian society which is the largest population in the world. What does that mean for us ? The Tribune must go says Sammy otherwise only the rich and powerful will be alive in the next hundred years till none is left. She says the Bearer business must go . It’s the only way to repopulate allow everyone access to them.




I’m not one for politics as I have never asked questions but whether the Tribune or the Liberators are in control it appears fertile women will never have freedom . They will forever be Bearers wanted by everyone , owned by the powerful and never belonging to themselves. Slaves.




The burner phone James gave me when I last saw him starts vibrating in my pocket. I know I should have given him an update on our situation but with Shannon's recent health issues I actually forgot.


' David.' I answer the relic flip phone.



' Kid…' Something was wrong with is voice it sounded agitated and out of breath.



'James , are you alright ,man?' My facial expression seems to have alarmed Sammy as now looked worried.




' My wi…wife..' He is breathing heavily. ' They have my wife and I….I don’t care about me but Sarah.'




' Where are you ?'




' A warehouse, it looks a lot like the safe house at the industrial area.'




That would be four miles from here. What bothers me is , why pick a place I know and can get to? Why does this feel like a trap? I’m good at what I do and I smell a rat but James is like a father to me and I remember Sarah.



My mind takes me to the only time A-7 nearly killed me during training . James took me to his place to rehabilitate, it was not permitted but he insisted . I remember a childless Sarah eager to play mother for a Mont, cooking , cleaning , washing and reading bedtime stories. She was so kind I didn’t have the heart to tell her a twelve year old can sleep just fine without Jack and the beanstalk or The Sorcerer Apprentice.
Since then I was there every major holiday or Sarah’s birthday…




Shit. I can’t leave them out there to die . Sarah in many ways is my mother and is worth every risk even walking into a rabbit’s trap.



' I have to go.' I tell Sammy as soon as I hang up.



' What’s wrong?' She starts running to keep up with my hurried pace.



' They have my family.'



'I thought you didn’t have family.'



‘It’s complicated and I need to go now before they kill them.'



' If the person they are holding is the one who called you then you must know this is a trap.'



' I’ll take my chances .' I reach my room open the door and start taking everything I need.


Machine gun . Check.


Glocks . Check.

Pistol . Check.


Hand grenade launcher. Check.

' I’ll go with you.'



‘No, if it is a trap and I’m sure it is I need you to watch Shannon for me. Don’t let her out of your sight. The Cathedral was built to resemble the ancient ones so if movies are to be believed there has to be a secret room somewhere. Lock her in there till I get back if you have to.'




I brush past her without saying another word and head for the garage. I find a fast looking sports car and hijack it. I’ll apologize to the owner later for now I have to go. That’s a lie , I smirk , I’m not going to apologize.



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I reach the warehouse just before midday and I survey the building across the street. It’s heavily armed but I’ve been through worse. I install a silencer on my glock and head for the two guards at the rear and.


Why would you isolate two guards alone when you are expecting me? It’s like you are begging me to overwhelm them. I take them out with my glock avoiding the east facing camera. I take the other guard's attire and security card , hiding my face with a cap and climb up the fence and entering the compound with my bag heading for the door. Eight guards, huh? Nothing a hand grenade launcher can't fix.




The explosion alerts the guards but I’m already in . I take out two guys with my glock and left hock an incoming one while kicking back the other one at the back and  quickly taking out my other glock and shoot the other five as quickly as I can before killing off the other two I knocked out.
I hurry out of the entrance and stealthily make my way to the inner building no doubt it will be heavily guarded.





I set up my machine gun on a blind spot up on the top floor and count twelve guards watching a battered James and even worse looking Sarah. Her appearance angers me. There are four guards up on the floor I am on and none of them noticed I knocked one of them cold laying right next to me. Rank amateurs.
I throw a hand grenade to the two guards on the other side and shot the other two. The guards watching the hostages are now on alert and begin shooting at me. I throw a smoke grenade blinding them for a while as I use a prolonge to get down to their level. In the midst of smoke I shoot two guys , three  guys and the fourth quickly dodges to the left while number five jumps on me and I drop the glock.

I kick him off by kicking his chin and I roll back and grab the glock and aim at James cuffs freeing off them before throwing the weapon at him. He shoots two guys as I spar with the other two but before I can hit them with a final deadly blow , James shoots them dead.



' I had them .' I complain.



' I know you did but we need to get out of here asap.' He says as he unties his wife then hugs her. ' How many are out there?'



' Just ten.' I  reply and wonder why.



' We have to go before they get Shannon, this was all to lure you out so they can get to her. Have you noticed A-7 isn’t here and they only had enough guys to keep you busy? They took an army to attack the Liberators at the Cathedral and get the lawyer.'




'How did they know where to find her?' I feel betrayed.



' I’m sorry kid but they were going to kill Sarah in front of me.' I see regret and sadness in his eyes, ' If it was only me I would have rather died you know that , right?'




As betrayed as I feel I have to admit it, ' Yeah , I know and I would have done the same thing.' I look at Sarah , she is barely conscience . ' You going to have to carry her out . Stay on me and let’s get out of here.'



I lead them out killing anyone in my way hoping I will get to Shannon in time.