FLOOD

All in the Family

"She's nothing but a problem."

"You're proving my point, grandfather. You're a scientist, you should act like one."

There was another crash, this time near my feet, and it shook the table I was lying on. "How dare you!"

Another wave of tingling swept up my legs. Good. If Cain kept his grandfather talking long enough I might be able to regain the use of my body.

Desperate, I tried to grasp the power again, stretching out with my senses. This time there was something in response, though it was too faint to grasp. I could sense Cain at least, but it felt like he was a hundred miles away instead of a few feet. His grandfather I couldn't sense at all.

That wasn't what I wanted.

As much as I wanted to rip the water out of Cain's body he was the only thing keeping me alive right now. It was very likely that if I took him down his grandfather would kill me immediately.

There was a low groan from somewhere behind me.

This time when I tried to turn my head I managed, just a slight movement, and managed to catch a glimpse of Eli slumped between two guards. To my alarm, I could see thick, sticky drops of blood pooling underneath him. His head wound was still bleeding.

Those idiots were going to let him bleed to death if I didn't stop them.

"Don't interrupt my work, Cain. You know better than that. This has always been my battle. I decide how this facility runs."

"You won't have a facility for much longer," Cain hissed back. "Or can't you see how vastly outnumbered we are?"

"It makes no difference—"

A muffled explosion cut him off, and beneath me, the table vibrated, shaking my body. Somewhere overhead the low wail of an alarm started up. It reminded me of the night I'd fled this place and I grimaced, blinking frantically to clear my vision the rest of the way. What the hell was happening?

"And there it is," Cain snapped. "They've got to be inside now. See? We take her and run."

"This isn't up for debate, boy!" Cain's grandfather turned. I tried not to move too much, not wanting to attract their attention, but I saw him wave a hand at the group of soldiers surrounding Eli. "Prop him up somewhere and start a barricade."

"You're going to block us in here? Are you senile?" Cain's voice was verging on panic suddenly, and he drew back from his grandfather.

"I'm going to do what I have to do. If I die, so be it. My research is saved in the vaults below. Someone will find it eventually."

"You're insane."

"This is how it has to happen."

Behind me the old man shifted, and Cain yelled, "No!"

Something gripped my neck, making my heart jump into my throat, stopping my breath in my lungs.

There was the metallic ping of the needle and then,

"Sorry, boy. Look away if you have to."

This was it. He was going to actually do it.

I tried to force my hand to move, pictured it snapping up off the table, my fingers grasping the old man's wrist, yanking that deadly needle away from my neck.

My fingers twitched. My arm jumped.

Still not enough.

There was a shout then and I jerked my head up to see Cain barrel into his grandfather, catching him off guard, slamming him into the operating table behind them. The old man struck his head on the table, but he was back up in seconds, swinging his fists and roaring in fury, like some ancient titan awakened from the depths.

There was no doubt in my mind that he was about to kill his grandson.

Movement from the back of the room caught my eye, Eli had hauled himself up somehow, crawled several feet from where he'd been laying. His eyes were fixed on his grandfather and his brother, and the blood was still running in trails down his face.

The needle, he was making his way straight for the needle, which had rolled under the counter a few feet away from him.

It took forever for him to reach it, it felt like forever. In the space of that time Cain and his grandfather beat one another bloody. The old man was ruthless, swinging for his grandson's face, sending Cain flying back against the table this time. Cain's grandfather leapt forward as soon as he saw his opponent was down, kicking at his ribs. An audible cracking sound reached me all the way from across the room, and Cain screamed, a harsh, terrible sound that must have come from the pit of his stomach.

Then Eli was in between them, somehow standing, though he swayed like a laurel tree in a strong wind, grasping his grandfather's shirt. He struck out with his other hand and the needle glittered under the light, plunging into the old man's neck.

Eli's grandfather collapsed, first to his knees, slowly, and stayed there almost like he was praying. He looked up at his grandson, his wrinkled face slack with shock. His jaw worked, and spittle flew from his lips, but no words.

Cain and Eli stood side by side, twins, both so dark and solemn. Both so different. They stared as their grandfather gasped for air, their faces white and bloody. Cain's nose had ended up crooked, broken by his grandfather's fist.

Then the old man rocked forward and hit the ground with a muffled thud. He hadn't even got any words out.  I shut my eyes, glad of it.