Inborn (The Birthright Book 1)

Chapter 12

I told my parents I didn't know who attacked us in the bathroom at school. Joss told them that our attackers acted like they knew me, but I insisted I had never seen them before, which was technically true. I didn't know how long I could avoid spilling the truth, or how long I would have to.

While I had my own reasons for keeping it secret for the moment–namely, everything–I did have to wonder, and even worry, why Kenji wanted to. I supposed some mutants on the loose looking for them was bad for business, but it seemed like she really didn't want anyone else involved in that. But she did want help with the murder. It was a little odd.

That night after dinner, once we cleaned up, Mom and Dad hovered around the kitchen island, like they wanted to say something. I prepped for something bad, especially with recent events.

"Guys," my dad said, "we'd like you to meet us in the basement. There's something we think it's time to share."

"Don't we get dessert?" Xavier said. I jabbed him in the ribs. Dessert could wait.

Mom's lips curled to the side in a wry smile. "We can break for dessert."

Xavier grinned and led the way to the basement.

We gathered around the computer console, which sometimes doubled as a table. It was a rectangular island with a translucent white top when turned off. It sort of reminded me of an X-ray screen. Mom set a thumb-size piece of equipment on the console. It was clear, except for one rounded end that was black. Similar to what Bryce used to test the bark in the woods. Xavier rubbed his hands together, sticking his nose out as he peered at it from his end of the table.

"We've been looking into the murder of the girl in the woods," Mom said, "and we have some things we want to share. For starters, we don't think this is a normal situation."

I swallowed, hoping I could look surprised.

Dad leaned against the console next to my mom. "The girl who was killed isn't from anywhere near here. From the looks of her and what possessions she carried, she'd been on the move for a while. We think she was trying to escape her killer."

"So she ended up here by chance?" I said.

"We've followed her movements here as best we could," Mom said, "and we have reason to believe she may have come here to find someone. Perhaps someone she thought could help."

"Do we know who?" Xavier folded his arms.

Mom and Dad traded a glance. "Us," Dad answered. Well, I definitely hadn't learned that from Kenji.

"Us?" I said. "Why?"

Mom sighed. "After searching her belongings, we think she may have had contact with someone I tried to help a long time ago. When I was working with Adonis." Adonis was what her group's leader called himself. She told us once she never knew his real name. "She had a few receipts in her messenger bag from a small town in Wyoming we ended up in once. I befriended a family there. Nonhuman, of course. I'm trying to see if I can get in touch with them. They may know more about her."

"In the meantime, we've learned something that may help pin down why this is happening." Dad tapped the device on the console.

"What is it?" Xavier said. I tried to look curious too, but I already knew what it was thanks to Bryce.

"This is a DNA testing strip," Mom began. She picked it back up and popped it open, the seam right down the middle, so the clear parts were flat when splayed apart. She laid it down again, and Dad opened a plastic bag and pulled out something with a pair of tweezers that I couldn't even see, and set it onto one of the clear sides. Mom snapped it shut and powered up the console.

I froze in place, and Xavier rocked back and forth on his feet, one fist midair, twirling a pencil around and around in his hand.

A bright circle glowed under the DNA tester while the computer analyzed the data. Finally, various information lit up the multiple screens on the wall behind me, each like a flat screen TV. You could display different information on each screen, or blow something up across multiple screens. Mom tapped on the console, apparently eager to show us something specific.

"Is this the killer's DNA?" Xavier said, eyes squinted at the screens.

"It's the victim's," Dad said. "But it's told us something important."

The computer compared the DNA to some sort of database. When it finished, "Unknown" was emblazoned across the screen.

"We've just compared the victim's DNA to an extensive powers database," Mom said.

"So what does that mean?" I pointed at the screen.

Dad folded his arms. "It means whatever powers she had, they're not in the database."

"And that means her powers were rare." Mom leaned into the console. "Very rare."

"So you have access to Earth Patrol's databases?" I said.

Mom quirked an eyebrow, and I realized my slip. She didn't know about my little jaunts with Kenji and Bryce.

"I mean–you know..."–I started scratching the back of my neck as I tried to backpedal–"Didn't Kenji say something about that when they stopped by?" My voice squeaked at the end, and Xavier made a face at me. Apparently I wasn't very convincing.

"We have our own database," Mom said. "It started with my time with Adonis. We've cataloged hundreds of powers based on personal experience and have data showing percentages, so we have a decent cross section of how common they are, even on an international scale. For someone to show up unknown at this point is unusual."

"Wow. When did you do all of that?"

Mom's eyes twinkled. "We had a lot more time before you came along."

"No kidding," my dad muttered, slipping Mom a meaningful glance. She narrowed her eyes at him like she did sometimes to warn him to behave.

"But why?" I glanced from Mom to my dad. "You left Earth Patrol–or whatever you called it back then."

"I still saw what we were doing as important," Mom said. "But I did not always agree with how they went about things." Mom gave me a very pointed look. I blamed my slip up, but then I considered she might know I'd been associating with Bryce, anyway. I thought about what I'd heard Dad say to Mom that afternoon. That he wanted to let this alone. It could go back to their methods, I supposed. "The last case I worked on was similar to this. At that point, I was questioning Adonis' agenda, so I asked your father for help investigating alone."

Dad smirked. "What you did was try and snag some of my DNA for your little database while I was asleep. And then you asked for my help."

"I was trying to rule you out as a suspect to make Adonis happy."

"Any excuse to put your hands on me."

"I–" Mom pursed her lips, but they betrayed a stifled smile. "I'm not dignifying that with an answer." Dad winked at me.

"So the usual stuff works for DNA testing?" I said. "Hair, skin?"

Mom nodded absently, like her mind was still back wrestling with my dad to pluck out one of his hairs for sampling. I had a feeling that was an interesting night.

"So this 'unknown' result," Xavier said, eager to get back to the matter at hand. "How does it help?"

Mom rubbed her lips together. "Kenji did share, in vague terms, that there seems to be a pattern in that the victims are rare. I assume she means they've come up 'unknown' on the database, or with very low percentages. That's the only real pattern. They've been male, female, young, old. And have happened over a period of time. Years, actually. There aren't any other discernable connections. This is the strongest lead we've got."

"Why would someone kill people with rare powers?" I said. I was also wondering what the conversation between them was about if my parents were in fact investigating. And this certainly all added up to investigating. Had Dad changed his mind since then? Maybe my mom convinced him this was the best way to protect us. Or maybe they'd just agreed to work on their own and avoid Earth Patrol.

Mom and Dad exchanged another glance. "That's what we're going to find out."