S i b lings, p.25
S.I.B.lings, page 25
Rachel watched as Genesis walked back up the stairs. She turned back to Wade.
“You said you wanted to meet all of them,” Rachel chuckled. “Well, this is your opportunity.”
“In some way all of these people are my brothers’ siblings,” Wade stated. “There are too many unanswered questions. I need to ensure their safety. If any of the new siblings have Chambers' traits, it could be dangerous for my brothers.”
“I think your brothers are prepared for that.” Rachel stated. “What you are really afraid of is losing your brothers to the siblings. Did it ever occur to you that they felt the same way about me coming into your life?”
“No, you are a part of us. They love you,” Wade replied.
“They love you too,” She smiled. “And the one thing we have learned as we travel through this crazy journey with you, is that you have a heart that is big enough for all of us. Take a look at where you are. You are in a building with a bunch of strangers you do not know. Yet, you want to make sure they are safe and comfortable going forward in this new life. You could have left all of this up to the government to figure out, but you did not. You are here because you care about your brothers and by extension you care about their siblings."
“What do I say to them?” Wade whispered.
Rachel smiled up at him. “Whenever one or more gather, fill them with truth and they will follow.”
Wade stared down at her. “Was that my mother talking through you again?”
“No,” Rachel kissed his cheek. “That was from a woman who loves and trusts you to lead others.”
Wade smiled then glanced around the room. There was a long table at the front of the room with five chairs. There were two sections of seats with one center aisle. It seemed so sterilized, like an auditorium.
“I want to change these chairs around,” he said. “Make it seem friendlier. Like more of a gathering than a meeting.”
“Okay,” Rachel put her purse down on one of the chairs, then began taking off her shoes. “How do you want them?” She stood behind one ready to move it.
Wade looked at the room, took Rachel’s hand then pulled her against the wall with him. “Watch this.”
He closed his eyes, inhaled, then slowly exhaled.
Rachel watched as the chairs moved from the rows, they had been set in. When he was finished, the chairs were placed in circles with one chair in the center.
Wade opened his eyes, then smiled. “Not one out of place.”
“Oh, now you are showing off,” Rachel punched him. “Your powers are not going to get you out of doing chores around the house, mister.” She said as she put her shoes back on.
“You changed the room around,” Dane said as he came down the stairs. “I would have helped you with that.”
“He didn’t need any help,” Rachel frowned at Wade.
“Hey, Genesis said there was food down here,” Drake followed Monty and Ross into the room.
“Of course, that’s why you are here,” Rachel laughed.
“No, I want to meet all the siblings,” Drake said as he made a beeline to the food tables.
“Nice set up,” Ross stated. “I’m not sure how it’s going to go over. They are used to straight lines. This circular set up is going to throw them off.”
“They will be fine,” Wade stated, and he was right.
Everyone came down into the room and took a seat. It was a little awkward at first as Wade stood in the middle of the circle.
“Thank you for taking the time to come and meet with us. My name is Wade, and I am the brother to Monty, Dane, Ross, and Drake. Many of you are brothers or sisters to them as well. We have come to love our blended family. And now we are here to open our arms to welcome you into our family as well. Unlike before, we are going to be here to guide you, not to control or tell you what to do. But to guide you through this new journey you are about to take. You were all created as an experiment. However, that does not diminish you as human beings. My brothers taught me years ago that being siblings is not about who you share your DNA with. It’s about the feeling of knowing someone else is always there to have your back. I know it's going to seem strange to you at first, but there's this thing that human beings tend to revolve around. And it is called emotions. Some are more powerful than others. But the security you have when you know without a doubt that someone has your back is what makes us all a family. In time you will adjust to us, and we will adjust to all of you. For now, we are going to start with something simple.”
Wade walked over to one of the women seated in front of him. He extended his arms. The woman looked at him in a questioning manner.
“Will you stand?” Wade asked.
The woman stood. Wade put his arms around her and held her for a long hug. Then he stepped back.
“How did that feel?”
“How did it feel?” the woman responded. “I do not understand the question.”
“Was it a bad feeling or a good feeling?” he asked.
The woman hesitated, then she did something he did not expect. She wrapped her arms around him. He did the same. When they separated, she smiled. “I got flutters in my stomach.”
“Oh no, we are not going with the flutters in the stomach,” Rachel shouted. “He belongs to me.”
Those who understood the jest laughed. Others did not know what to do, but many of them smiled at the laughter in the room.
“The one thing in life that is the universal opening for communications is a smile.” Wade stated. “Look around the room at the smiles. Why don’t we all turn to the person next to us, smile then give them a hug. It’s what family does.”
Soon everyone in the room was hugging someone else in the room. The smiles were beginning to show on more faces as the hugs were passed around. It took a moment but after everyone received a hug many of them turned to him to see what was next. Wade was at a loss. He wasn't certain what to do next, but his brothers stepped in. They all walked into the circle and faced the crowd of people that was there. And held out their arms. Within the hour, they had hugged every sibling in the room. They knew their names and their date of birth. The siblings were no longer the data inside the binders that they had collected from the facility. They were now the faces of people who were a part of them. Before the gathering was over, no sibling in the room felt awkward hugging another person.
“Most of them are liking what they are feeling,” Monty said to Wade. “Some are questioning this new element that has been introduced into their life, but most of them like it.”
“Are you reading their minds?” Wade asked.
“Yes, and they are reading ours,” He replied. “You have a few who are leery of us, but for the most part they are open for what is to come.”
“Do they know their lives are changing?” Rachel asked.
“Some do, some are just ready for the next lesson.” Ross said as he walked over to them. “Did you all see, Drake hasn’t been back at the food table since the hugging started.”
“I don’t know if that is good or bad,” Monty stated.
“He does realize the women in the room are probably one of his siblings, right?” Rachel asked.
“Time will tell,” Ross laughed.
“I think it’s time to teach them another new element of life.” Wade motioned for Drake to join him. “Do you think you can get some music in here?”
“Oh, hell yeah,” Drake beamed. “Give me a minute.”
“We have to move the chairs to give more space if we are going to dance.” Ross suggested.
“Can we move them the regular way please,” Rachel stared at Wade. “We don’t want to scare them.”
Wade laughed. “Let’s move chairs guys.”
The men all pitched in and began clearing the floor of the chairs. Drake found the connection to the speakers. He pulled out his cell phone and connected it to the Wi-Fi. Music filled the room.
Wade took Rachel’s hand and began dancing. Monty did the same with Nancy, Drake, Ross and Dane, encouraged the siblings to follow what Wade and Monty were doing.
Genesis walked down the stairs. The look on her face clearly showed shock.
Wade laughed as she approached him and Rachel. “What did you do to these people?”
“Just showed them how to hug, smile and dance.” Wade replied.
“You left out a key component?” Genesis frowned.
“What?” Wade asked.
“Rhythm.” Genesis replied.
Rachel laughed. “That will come in time.”
Wade looked over the room and smiled. “One of us will be here every day teaching them how to be a part of a family. It is not always going to be this smooth and there will be setbacks. But eventually, all of the siblings will find their way in this new world.”
Epilogue
“Well, we did our part,” Dane stated. “The serum has been secured and I think we have put Chambers out of business.”
“Not really,” Ross stated. “He created the formula. All he has to do is go back into production.”
“That would be true if I had not destroyed the ingredients.” Wade stated.
“What are you talking about?" Drake asked. “When did you destroy the ingredients. We didn’t even go into that room.”
“We didn’t have to,” Wade explained. “When Bradford goes to the supply room, he will find that all of his ingredients melted into a pool of nothingness. It will take him a while to rebuild which I do not believe he will have a chance to do once the FBI finishes with him.”
Drake chuckled as he ate another burger from the grill. “That should slow him down for a few years.”
“If not a lifetime,” Dane added. “I hope they hit him with life sentences for each of those children he killed and threw into the river.”
“He really deserves the death penalty,” Rachel stated. “What I want to know is what they are going to do about Rolfeman, Ackerson, and Cunningham. They are a threat to our everyday life. Look at what Nate and Regan have to deal with. P.I.E. is still killing people.”
“Well, they have one less weapon now,” Wade smiled.
“What we don’t know is how much do they have on hand?” Rachel stated as she smacked Drake’s hand when he reached for a hot dog. “That is for Dan.” She put it on a plate with some chips then sat it on the table in front of Dan.
“Thank you, pretty lady,” he smiled.
“I have no doubt Phire’s team will bring them down.,” Ross took a swig of his beer. “That girl may be young, but she is fierce.”
“I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of the law with her around,” Dane said.
“Maybe on the other side of her bed,” Drake smirked.
“Her husband will kill you without a second thought,” Rachel laughed.
“Monty asked me to bring something up with you guys.” Wade looked around the patio at them. “He wants us to consider giving Nancy the Kate Tyson Award.”
“Hell no,” Ross responded. “That award goes to women with integrity. She damn near had Monty killed. She doesn’t deserve to have anything with Kate’s name on it.”
“Tell us how you really feel,” Drake smirked.
“I have to agree with Ross on this,” Dane added. “I mean, yes, she came through in the end. But she was in some ways responsible for some of the stuff that happened. I don’t distrust her as much as Ross, but I vote no on giving her that honor.”
“What about you Drake?” Wade asked.
Drake shrugged. “Kate stood for family. She accepted us without question then gave her life to keep us together. That award goes to people in our lives who show each of us every day that they believe in and love us. I haven’t seen that from Nancy. What she did was courageous, but I need to see more.”
“I never thought I would see the day that Drake had a well thought out response to anything that does not relate to food.” Dan said.
All of the brothers laughed.
“What about you, Rachel?” Wade asked. “You are the current and only recipient of the Kate Tyson Award. What do you think?”
“It is not my award to give,” She replied. “You brothers are a unique family. One that would not exist if it were not for Kate, and of course Dan. Whoever you decide to give it to in the future should be someone you all can look at and say, he or she is the essence of Kate.”
They were all silent at that statement. Each with their own thoughts of Kate, Wade surmised. “This is the most normal day we have had since this journey of mine began.” He held up his beer bottle. “Here’s to normalcy.”
“Here…here,” they all cheered then took a drink.
“There is only one thing that will make this day perfect.” Wade smiled.
“What’s that?” Rachel walked over to sit next to him.
“A wedding date. It’s time for us to get married.”
As Rachel put her arms around his neck, Wade threw his head back laughing. In the sky he watched as a flock of birds flew into the maple trees. To him it looked as if they were flapping their wings clapping at the request. It seemed the ground beneath his feet began to move. He looked down. To his surprise he could see through the cement patio where they sat. Beneath it he saw the roots of the trees stretching to reach roots of others making their base stronger. The entwining of the roots reminded him of something he read once, on this earth we are all connected in some way. With humans, it's by blood, with birds, it's by flocks, with trees it's the roots. From time to time, those roots or connections are disturbed, but in time, the once lost connection will find its way back. He and his parents lost their connection. The roots of the trees were a symbol of his family. He looked around at his brothers, to think he feared losing them once the mystery of their siblings came to light. Now his family was larger with the inclusion of the other siblings. He saw a future with them all becoming stronger from the journey so far. There would be more, of that he was certain. Only three of the ten journals from his mother had been opened. He had no idea what next element of the universe would be bestowed upon him, or what wisdom his ancestors would share. But he was now in a better place to accept it when it came. He thought back to a call he received earlier in the day from Sapphire. She assured him nothing of his special skills would be revealed to anyone outside of The Administration. However, she made it clear, whenever there was a need for his special talents, she would call on him. He did not have a problem with that request to assist the country in any way he could. But for now, he was looking forward to marrying the beautiful woman at his side and helping his brothers, with their new siblings.
That night Wade settled down into the bed with his arms around Rachel, who had set their wedding date six months away. There was something about the day that made him feel like a chapter had been closed and a new one opened in his life.
The night had a cool breeze flowing through the window. For the first time in a long while, he was at peace. His eyes were slowly closing when he heard the words.
You did good kid.
Wade's eyes popped wide open. And there he was, Uncle Moon perched in the tree.
So, you figured out the power of trees. All you ever have to do is summon them with your mind and they will be there when you need them. Just like your ancestors. Their wisdom will see you through troubled times ahead. Enjoy your quiet moments while you can. Your brothers will need you and your powers sooner than you think.
Are my brothers in trouble?
Not at the moment, but trouble is just around the bend, he laughed. Take a breather. Marry your pretty lady. Your actions have saved mankind for now. Life as you once knew it will return to normal until the next time a human attempts to change the order of things.
Does that mean I will not see or hear from you again?
No, I will always be watching over you. You just won’t know it. Your need for me will not disappear, only diminish for a while. As you continue your journey in this life, there will be times when your powers will be needed. Use them to protect those who are less fortunate than you. A son or two is in your future. Marry that woman and multiply. It will make your mother smile. You get yours, I’m going to get mine. See ya.
Wade watched as the bird flew off in the darkness. He hoped his Uncle Moon knew how to fly in the dark. With that, Wade closed his eyes, wondering what the next journal would bring. Then he kissed Rachel on the neck and fell asleep.
* * *
Did you enjoy S.I.B.lings?
Well, here is the a sneak peek from the connecting series The Aftermath: A NATE REIGNS NOVEL
* * *
Chapter One
* * *
Richmond, Virginia
Friday, April 13, Commonwealth Attorney Alex Burnett died.
Minutes before his demise, Alex placed an envelope with a single word printed 743 times across a piece of paper inside the concealed lining under the driver’s seat of his vehicle. Only one other person knew of the hidden area; therefore, he knew the document was secure. Alex zipped the lining, placed the flap over the opening and made a mental note to send a message about the envelope. That tickle he experienced whenever he found a piece of evidence that had the potential to break a case had kicked into his gut. The word had no meaning to him, nor did it appear to be connected to his case, however his gut was telling him to hold the piece of paper close to the vest until the connection made sense.
Alex checked his watch. Hell, he was late. Gathering his trench coat from the passenger seat of his Ford Mustang convertible, he stepped out of the vehicle that had become his pride and joy. Thinking of the piece of paper he had yet to deem as evidence, Alex decided he would get his friend Nate to check out the word in the morning to see if he could determine the significance, if any.
Alex took the stairs up from the parking garage. He was already an hour late for his date. Yes, with work behind him for now, he was focused on dinner and a little tender loving care. He was certain his dinner date would be beyond pissed by the time he reached the restaurant. He smiled thinking of ways he would convince her just how apologetic he was.
