After The End

The Man in the Basement

When I get back to the lab, Abe, Jackson, and Mitch have begun examining the vulture once again. Now taking time to open the bird up even more and looking over its muscle and organs. As they do, Mitch looks over the animal rather puzzled by what he's seeing. "This guy has supracoracoideus muscles that look just like the ones in hummingbirds."

I step over to Jackson as I look at the monitor of the magnified muscles. "That makes sense, for flight."

"Yeah, but look. He's got an entirely extra set." Mitch pulls back one layer of muscle to reveal another that looks exactly the same. "Now, these things expand and contract at super high speeds, but they're totally unnecessary for the way this guy flies."

Abe shakes his head, "Wait a minute, you said these new hybrids were diving under the ground in Mexico, correct?" Abe looks around to Jackson, Mitch, and myself, who all nod. "Well, what if they used these new muscles underground, en masse?"

Mitch glances around as he shakes his head, "If there were enough of them, uh compound vibrations could potentially cause massive acoustic fluidization, which would trigger volcanic eruptions Which did trigger a volcanic eruption."

I nod and sigh, "And Abigail can summon them at will." I take a deep breath and look down at Jackson.

Jackson nods and sucks in his lips before we hear one of the alarms beep. As it goes off Abe checks the screen, "We found a beacon. It's moving."

I nod and walk over next to Abe, Jackson following behind, "She must be transporting it."

"Abigail's heading to New York City," Jackson comments as he places his hand on my back.

I sigh and turn, "I'll tell Logan, we'll get barricades set up in a ten-mile radius around the city. There are people on this side of the barriers who have never seen a hybrid."

Mitch nods, "yeah, well, if these things fly over those barriers, they're gonna see a whole lot of them. As they get eaten."

Jackson sighs, "If the hybrids get into the city, the East Coast could fall in days. We have to go there."

As the boys converse, I call Logan, who is I don't know where on the plane. Once I hang up I turn back to the boys, "Logan is getting ahold of anyone and everyone he can to help stop this invasion."

Jackson changes our flight pattern to New York City. Now it is just a waiting game until we get there. While on the way there Jackson and I find ourselves alone in the kitchen. As I look through the fridge I hear Jackson clear his throat, "Looking for this?"

As I look over the fridge door to see Jackson holding a bottle of chardonnay. "Yes, actually, I was."

Jackson smiles, as he grabs two glasses from the cabinet, "Care for a glass?"

"I don't know, the last time I tried drinking any here, your dad slapped the glass out of my hand."

"Yeah, well he had a good reason to."

"I suppose so."

Once he has poured the glasses, Jackson hands me a glass and places the bottle on the counter before picking up his. Looking back at the glass, "I will never forgive him for what we lost because of him."

I shake my head, "Jackson, it was as much his fault as it could have been mine. The odds for the first trimester are so low it is a miracle anyone is even born, not to mention the added risks and odds for a first-time mother."

"I know but... we could have had a chance if it wasn't for him."

"To what? Have our son kidnapped like Isaac was?"

Jackson chuckles softly, "You know, everytime we talk about the baby, you always refer to it as a boy."

I sigh softly, "because when I picture the life we could have had with him, I see a little boy." I chuckle softly, "Who looks just like his daddy."

Jackson nods and steps closer to me, "Who is just as smart as his mommy and a heartbreaker like her too."

I chuckle, "No, a heartbreaker like his daddy." The two of us laugh softly as Jackson places his forehead against mine, everytime we do this I hear Mitch comment, 'just like lions'. It isn't often we talk about the baby we lost or Robert, but when we do, it feels like the wound heals a little more. After finishing our glasses Jackson and I head upstairs, near of us had gotten any sleep in the past few days and we have a little while before we get to New York City, so now would be the best time.

When we get to the top of the stairs we run into Jamie. "Jackson, Kat, look, we can't go on like this."

Jackson puts up a hand in protest and the two of us turn to Jamie, "Just stop."

Jamie shakes her head, "I know I put a target on your backs for the last five years, and you're angry, and it's warranted. I can keep apologizing."

Jackson sighs and straightens up, like he does when he is going to lecture someone, "This isn't about us, Jamie. Abe sacrificed everything for us, to keep us safe. His marriage, his job, his son. And I will never be able to repay him for that. So, I just hope that the best-seller list was worth it."

Jamie's expression goes cold, "Come with me. We need to take a little walk." Before we can answer Jamie turns and walks away. Jackson turns and looks at me before I begin to follow Jamie, while I don't turn to look, I can hear Jackson's footsteps behind me.

Jackson sighs rather loudly and annoyed as we walk down into the plane's basement. "Okay, what are we doing?"

As Jamie stops in front of one of the cages a man limps forward and I recognize him. One of the generals working with Robert and the Shepards 10 years ago. "Mansdale?"

Mansdale looks from me to Jackson, "Oh look. The coward son of Oz and his whore."

Jamie glances over her shoulder, "Talk again and I cut your eye out." Then turns her attention back to Jackson and me, "This is what I've been protecting you from."

"What are you talking about? Protecting us?" Jackson looks as though he's taken back.

"Why do the Shepard Hunters think the two of you are in Asia? Who scrubbed your photos from every server on the planet? The only thing keeping you two on this side of a cage or worse is me."

"That's very generous of you." I look from Mansdale to Jamie.

"Except, you're the reason that they're chasing us in the first place." Jackson scoffs.

As Jackson makes his comment, Jamie takes out a handgun and hands it to Jackson, "You have a choice to make. If I am the grand villain of your life, you can shoot me. Or you can shoot one of the men who tried to end the world. Or you can accept that what's past is past and move on with whatever future we all have left." Before any of us can move for comment Jackson hands the gun back to Jamie, before turning and heading out of the basement.