“Well, not exactly like you and not just babies. You and the boys were the only surviving subjects from the original formula. When Margo stole you away from me, she also destroyed all data documenting the treatments you three had been given. She wiped out everything,” he said shaking his head sadly.
“We spent months trying to recreate the formula, and eventually we did, but it was never exactly the same. There was an element to yours that was still evading my scientists. But here you are now, back where you belong. And now my scientists can pick up where they left off all those years ago.”
I was feeling dizzy, nauseous and furious. “Why! Why did you create us?”
“Oh, my dear. Don’t you understand? I created my metahumans to help mankind. You and the others like you are the ultimate race. You’re stronger, more resistant to illness, far more intelligent and quick to heal. Why, I’ve created a race of superhumans far better than God’s original. He made people fragile, breakable, weak and needy. He wanted to keep all the glory and power for himself. Through science, I’ve created a superior race of people whose bodies and minds are beyond…above…meta! God either couldn’t or wouldn’t give us that gift. You see, Meg, you’re no longer a ‘child of God.’ You’re a child of mine!” His voice resonated triumphantly around the marble room.
I must have looked completely stricken because the doctor turned to me, frowned ever so slightly and said, “Oh my dear, I’ve upset you. Here, let me get you a glass of water.” He snapped his fingers and in marched a beautiful woman, this one blond.
“Yes, sir?” she asked
“Mary, please bring our Meg a glass of cool water. She seems a bit flush.”
“Right away, sir.”
“Meg, would you like to lie back on the sofa?”
My world was turning upside down. What was I hearing? There were others like us? This doctor created us because he loves us? He gave us gifts we were to be using for the betterment of mankind? I have a family here?
Blondie returned with a tray carrying a tall crystal glass of water. It looked delicious, so without thinking, I accepted it and took four big gulps. Only then did it occur to me it may have been drugged.
“Yes, I think I will lie back,” I said truly worried I was about to tilt off the edge of sanity.
And just as I felt the cool leather envelop me, I thought of something very scary. Not once had Dr. Williams seemed the least bit concerned about authorities.
Chapter 46 House Keeping
Having been raised on a secluded ranch in Texas, the children never had reason to learn the proper etiquettes involved with motel stays. Not that they were terribly worried about etiquette these days, no they had bigger things to deal with. But the one little detail they forgot to do before they left the motel was about to cause a pretty chaotic moment for a sweet, unassuming lady named Barb.
Four sharp knocks at the door to the room in which Maze was waiting for Meg caused his ears to perk up. Four more sharp knocks made Maze run to the door. So by the time Barb, the cleaning lady had called, “Housekeeping!” she was already opening the door with her master key.
Maze crouched, as if stalking a prairie dog back on the ranch. Carrying an arm full of towels, and humming the theme to her favorite soap opera, Barb shuffled two steps into the room. That’s when Maze sprang at her, more to get her to move out of the doorway than anything else.
In a flash he had her flat on her back, white towels still floating to the ground. This all happened so quickly that Barb didn’t even have a chance to scream before Maze climbed on top of her rather ample body, leaned down toward her face with his mouth open, teeth bared and gave her a big ol’ sloppy ‘thanks for opening the door’ lick across her face.
Maze was half way across the parking lot by the time Barb found her voice and started screaming. He really wasn’t concerned about that, though. He was thrilled to be free! His nose quickly picked up the scent he was looking for and ran at full speed to find his Meg.
What was that little piece of forgotten motel etiquette?
The kids forgot to put the “no housekeeping” card on the door before they left.
Chapter 47 The Plans
Evan checked his watch and glanced at his map once more. He was wearing tan coveralls, the kind he saw the maintenance crew wearing yesterday. He walked confidently around the perimeter of the complex with a large pair of sheers and a canvas sling pack. At each predetermined spot Evan casually leaned into a bush, took out one of the explosives, adjusted the remote access detonator and placed it gently against the building.
Dressed as a laborer, no one even took a second glance at him as he continued his work. After planting the sixth and final explosive, Evan sauntered over to the smaller building at the southeast corner of the compound.
Alik was just hanging up the cell phone when Evan walked up to him. They had picked up the phone that very morning from a mobile phone dealer conveniently located across the street from their motel room.