My poor printer is going to have a heart attack! I've had it for about three years now, and I think I may have to replace it before school starts up again for me in August. The last thing it printed was my ticket for the Tulsa Uproar show!

My printer is pretty new and it's still going to have a heart attack. There's no way in hell I'm going to have enough ink or paper to print mine, and one of my instructors wants to read the finished product.

An Atypical Life, Part 5--

Jeremiah got Nik and Julia together to talk about the latest threat: Joe's abduction and programming by the Illegals.

"I can't believe they can do that!" Julia said. "Just grab people, turn them into killing drones, then when they're done being useful to them, just kill them off! It's sickening!"

"What are we going to do about Joe when he gets here to kill us all?" Nik asked. "How are we supposed to 'neutralize' him?"

"I think David and the guys are still working on that," Jeremiah said. "But we know it's going to happen. We have to be prepared for the possibility that Joe may have to die at our hands."

"Sometimes, when Morbus gets out of control with his pain," Julia said, "the doctors have had to use tranquilizers on him, but not for a long time. Poor Joe, I hate to think we have to do such an awful thing to him to keep him from killing us. He's always been such a gentle soul."

"That's probably why they chose him," Jeremiah said. "Because he's not overly aggresive. He's always been that way. The drugs he's being given are fucking up his mind." Julia and Nik both noticed that Jeremiah seemed upset, and couldn't really blame him. Joe was the only tie, until a couple of years ago, Jeremiah had to their parents.

"Jere, I can ask Morbus about the tranquilizers the doctors use on him, and see if we can get something like that to disarm Joe long enough to get him somewhere to treat him," Julia offered.

"Okay, Julia, you take that angle and see where it leads," Jeremiah said. "Because until we know when Joe will actually be here to try and kill us, we have that time to prepare. Nik, you want to get firearms together and store them at the firing range?"

"Will do, Jere," Nik said. "I'll get extra ammo, too."

Jeremiah sighed. He would have preferred to do this alone, but he was glad that Nik and Julia had his back.

----------

"I did NOT authorize this to take place," Sarah Kathryn Hope said angrily when told of the plan to use ordinary citizens to kill those opposed to their government. "This is inhuman, even for us! You mean to tell me we don't have one assassin who is on par with the Disturbed Ones 'SpineSplitter'?"

"Madame President," McClayne said to her, "the plan was to use people who have a relationship with the intended targets to make eliminating them easier. Yes, there is some programming involved, because we can't turn them to our side in most cases."

"And we don't have any professional assassins who could do that instead?" asked Sarah Kathryn.

"No, Madame President, we don't."

"That's bullshit, Mr. Chairman, and you know it," Sarah Kathryn said. "And we still don't have an identity on the female assassin who killed two of our agents last fall, only that she's 22?"

"The closest we can come is Julia Terranova," McClayne said; "but she's just sixteen, and as far as we've been able to find out, does not know the SpineSplitting technique. She's basically an anatomical killer. She knows where on the body a bullet or a knife can do the most damage."

"I agree, she's too young for the information about this killer," Sarah Kathryn said. "We're looking for an adult female, not a sixteen year old who has excellent aim and a vast knowledge of the anatomy."

"If we could get back to the programming for a moment, Madame President," McClayne said; "I've been assured by our researchers that the programming of ordinary citizens is ethical. The subjects are not being mistreated, just injected with a drug that makes them more open to suggestions."

"I still don't like it," Sarah Kathryn said; "It's all too Josef Mengele to me. We've had enough comparisons to the Third Reich without having actually impliment some of their techniques. I'd like to think we're a little more humane than that."

"We're not experimenting on people, Madame President," McClayne said; "We know this course of treatment works. The subjects have no knowledge of what's happening to them, or have any memories of what they've done after their mission is completed."

"Have you already sent these people out to kill?" Sarah Kathryn wanted to know.

"The first one will go out before the end of the month, Madame President," McClayne said.

"Who is the intended target?"

"David Draiman, his band mates, and all their families," McClayne said. "The subject is one of Draiman's former wards. They'll never suspect a thing because the subject has been living away from the Disturbed Ones Chicagoland base, and will welcome his return."

Sarah Kathryn thought about it, then said, "Deprogram him. All four members of Disturbed have young chilren. Adults are one thing, but I don't want to be known as the president who authorized the killing of youngsters."

"You really have no say in the matter, Madame President, do you?" McClayne sneered. "The Committee has all the power. You do what we say, remember?"

----------

After McClayne left, Sarah Kathryn was seething. Yes, she was only a figurehead, but her word should count for something.

When she was sure that anyone who could just walk into her office was not in the immediate area, Sarah Kathryn took the file out of her desk drawer. She looked it over, taking a few notes as she read. She removed a photograph and replaced the file in her desk drawer.

Sarah Kathryn was tired. Tired of life, tired of being "Madame President". She wanted to resign, but she had been told that if she did, she would be assassinated before leaving office. The assassination would then be blamed on the most vocal of the opposition groups, the Disturbed Ones and its best assassin, Morbus.

The intel she had on Morbus, frankly, scared her. He could be responsible for many of the deaths of New Government supporters, and was ruthless and cunning as well. But he was getting older, and was possibly grooming someone to take his place in the next two to three years.

That was the person in the file that Sarah Kathryn just looked at. Morbus' possible, or even probable, successor.

Julia Terranova.

Sarah Kathryn thought about that for a while.

Then she looked at the photograph. True, Julia Terranova was a pretty teenage girl, and she had the skills. But was she the "SpineSplitter" that McClayne and the rest of the Committee feared?

"God, I hope so!" she said to herself.

Sarah Kathryn replaced the photograph in the file, then awaited her next meeting. This one was all pleasure. It made her forget, if even for a little while, that she was "Madame President".

She looked at her watch and frowned. The girl was late. It didn't matter, because what she did for Sarah Kathryn was worth the risk.

----------

holy shit...whats she plannin now?

Holy Cow! I'm riveted! Gimme more!

An Atypical Life, Part 6--

Julia had talked to Morbus about the tranquilizers that had been used on him during his uncontrollable bouts of pain, and he told her he had no idea how to get any for her, Jeremiah and Nik to use against Joe when he came to carry out the plan that had been programmed into his brain for six months.

"You'd need to talk to the doctors about that, Julia," Morbus said; "I don't know if they'll just give it to you."

"I'd imagine not without a script or something," Julia said. "Jeremiah, Nik and I came up with this idea to tranquilize Joe and bring him to the Medical Clinic to bring him out from under whatever drugs the Illegals gave him."

"I'd still talk to the doctors and see what they think," Morbus said. "I know that Jeremiah probably doesn't want to kill his brother, but there might not be a choice in the matter."

"Joe is my brother, too, Morbus," Julia said. "I don't want to lose him."

"I know you don't, Julia," Morbus said, noticing the anguished look on his daughter's face. God damned Illegals screwing up another generation of innocent kids, he thought blackly. They'll all pay for this, and I know three people who could pull it off.

One of them was the sixteen year old girl who stood before him, looking for a way to save her brother.

----------

McClayne walked into the Committee's offices and went into his office on the fourth floor. He slamed his briefcase down on his desk, angry that Sarah Kathryn Hope wanted the programming to end.

Stupid bitch! he thought. How dare she! "Deprogram him, she says! Like it's that easy!" he said under his breath. "We work six months to get the kid ready for his mission, and SHE doesn't want to be responsible for killing children! Fuck her!"

He realized that was his original stance, as well, but the doctors programmed all the subjects the same. Kill everyone, including babies and children. So they'll all die, he thought. I can't be bothered with it anymore.

The person he really wanted to get was the one they had nicknamed the "SpineSplitter"-- the 22 year old female assassin who took out two agents the previous fall. The idea that a female assassin employed the SpineSplitting assassination technique scared the shit out of him. This woman was dangerous and not knowing her true identity was killing him.

McClayne knew that the only female assassin the Disturbed Ones had that was worth worrying about was sixteen years old. And he had information that she didn't use the SpineSplitting method.

He wondered briefly if it was someone trained by the New Army's assassination squad who went to the Disturbed Ones and was now working with them.

McClayne picked up a phone. "General," he said when the head of the New Army was on the line, "have you lost any female sharpshooters in the last six to eight months?"

When he was given a name of one female who had left the squad, McClayne dug into her background. Turned out that she hadn't turned to the Disturbed Ones, but left the squad because she was pregnant and chose not to return after giving birth. And she was twenty-seven. Too old.

"Back to fucking square one," he muttered.

----------

"Julia, we'd have to know what Joe is being given before we can determine if tranquilizing him would be effective," Dr. Shelby-Ann Mustaine told Julia when she presented her idea of somehow tranquilizing Joe so that he could be taken off the drugs the Illegals were giving him.

"What kind of drugs would make one susceptible to suggestion?" Julia asked.

"Any of the illegal street drugs would probably do it," Dr. Mustaine said. "They make the user paranoid and open to wild suggestions like the user can fly."

"Or kill?" asked Julia.

"Possibly," Dr. Mustaine said. "He'd have to be getting it in high doses and kept on a constant high in order for it to work. And that could cause him to become addicted to it, and the only way to get more is to agree to the suggestions."

"That's sick," Julia said, repeating the same comment she told Jeremiah when he told her of Joe's kidnapping by the Illegals. "So, Joe is basically being made a junkie so he'll come back here and kill us?"

"From what I'm understanding from you and from Dan Donegan's report, yes," Dr. Mustaine said, "Joe is being made a drug addict to do the Illegals bidding. They have his fix, and he has to perform to get more of the drug."

"Could too much of the drug he's getting kill him?" Julia asked.

"All drugs kill people everyday, Julia," Dr. Mustaine said. "People overdose on everything from cough syrup to heroin."

"I know my questions sound stupid, Dr. Mustaine," Julia said. "But we just want to save Joe. By saving Joe, we can save our families."

"If Dan could somehow get information about what drugs are being used, I might be able to tell you if you'd be able to use a tranquilizer or not," Dr. Mustaine said.

"I'll see what I can find out," Julia said. "Thanks for the info."

"Anytime," the doctor said; "and Julia, if you could bring me info about Joe, like his weight and height, that might be able to help me."

"I know Joe is six-two," Julia said, "but I don't have a clue how much he weighs. One sixty-five, maybe? I'll ask Jeremiah."

"Do that, because if we can do what you've proposed, then we'll need to know."

----------

Sarah Kathryn remembered the night she met Jayme for the first time.

She was young secretary who was out of work and had a new baby. The child's father left long before the baby arrived, and Jayme was having a hard time making ends meet. The girl was working in a strip bar that Neil frequented, and in talking to her later (after they fucked each others brains out), found that she hated working as a stripper and wanted to get back into secretarial work. Neil agreed to give her a ninety day trial at his law firm. Jayme proved more than efficient as a secretary and soon had the job permanently. Sarah Kathryn was sure Neil was sleeping with her, too, but she really didn't care.

That is, until he brought Jayme home with him one night. Neil introduced Sarah Kathryn to Jayme, and something was triggered in Sarah Kathryn that she thought she had long since buried. Jayme was similarly affected.

Sarah Kathryn tried to forget the girl after that night, because those old feelings were illegal in her government.

So, without Neil's knowledge, Sarah Kathryn had Jayme come by her office at the White House every Tuesday at ten am for a some girl time. It helped Sarah Kathryn forget her pain, forget her life, forget she was the fucking President for Life.

Jayme was more than discreet, because if the real reason for Jayme's visits were to become known, Sarah Kathryn would not only be ousted from her position as President of the Republic, but she would be branded an Undesirable.


----------

wow

Holy hell! Sarah Kathyrn is bi! WHAT?!

you have to remember, Sarah Kathryn (formerly Katie Riley) was an abused child. She had to get positive affection from somewhere. All that will be explained later, when someone finds out her secret and lengths Sarah Kathryn will go to keep it.

I can't WAIT!!

An Atypical Life, Part 7--

Jeremiah's phone rang on the bedside table in the spare bedroom at Nik and KateLynn's apartment. He reached over to grab it and noticed the phone number screen was blank. He answered it anyway thinking it might be one on the band members with information about Joe's arrival.

"Hello?" Jeremiah said, stifling a yawn.

"Jere, it's Joe, I hope I didn't wake you. I know it's kinda early."

"Joe!" Jeremiah said; "Hey bro, where ya been? I heard you were mad at me."

"Yeah, I know," Joe said on the other end of the line; "I was being an ass. Hey, am I still welcome at home?"

"Of course you are, Joe," Jeremiah said. "We've all missed you. Nik and KateLynn had a little boy about eight months ago. Name's Matthias. Cute as hell. And Julia has a boyfriend now, and it's pretty serious!"

"Wow, I have missed a lot," Joe said. "Look, the job here in Maine is shutting down for a couple of weeks, and I thought I'd come home."

"It'll be great to see you!" Jeremiah said. "When will you be here?"

"Next Monday. I'm flying into O'Hare at 4:30pm local time," Joe said. "Can someone pick me up?"

"Yeah, give me your flight info and Nik and Julia and I will be there," Jeremiah said.

Joe gave his brother the flight number and the gate number and Jeremiah quickly wrote them down...on his leg when he couldn't find a scrap of paper.

"I can't wait to see everyone," Joe said. "I'll see you next week then."

"We'll be there and we'll catch up," Jeremiah said.

"Bye, Jere," Joe said and clicked off the line.

Jeremiah ran down the hall to the kitchen, where Nik was giving Matthias breakfast.

"Who was on the phone, Jere?" Nik asked.

"Joe. He'll be here next Monday at 4:30pm," Jeremiah said.

"What?!" Nik said. "We haven't even gotten intel from Dan about that yet!"

"I wrote the flight information he gave me on my leg," Jeremiah said. "We should grab Jules and go to the compound."

"Let me finish giving Matty breakfast and then we'll go," Nik said. "We have a week to prepare."

"I'll call Julia and let her know we're coming," Jeremiah said.

So it begins, Jeremiah thought. Either we neutralize Joe when he gets here, or he has a week to live.

----------

As Joe hung up the phone, the doctor monitoring his call said, "Very good Joseph. Your brother has no idea about what you're going to do to him and the rest of your family, right?"

"Right," Joe said in a near monotone.

"Okay, then, back to your room. You have a week to prepare."

"Yes. Sir."

The doctor make a note in Joe's file: "Subj. called brother. Next Mon @ 1630 assignment begins."

----------

By the time KateLynn woke up, Nik and Jeremiah were ready to leave to pick up Julia.

"Nik," KateLynn said; "be careful."

Nik kissed his wife's forehead. "I will, baby. I promise."

They then left and headed towards David and Jordan's safe house to pick up Julia. When they got there, Julia had a hard time pulling herself away from her fifteen month old twin sisters. They didn't want "Sissy" to leave.

"Sissy stay here?" Kimber said.

"Where Sissy going?" asked Niki.

"I have to go with Jere and Nik now," Julia said. "I'll be back later. Mama's still here."

Both girls cried out, "Mama, make Sissy stay wif us!"

Jordan came over to where the girls were and told them, "Sissy's a big girl and big girls get to do things that you two can't do yet. She'll be back later."

"Really?" Niki asked.

"I promise," Julia said as she tossled her sister's dark brown curls to one side.

"Pwinky swear?" This from Kimber.

Julia knelt down and locked both of her pinkys with each of her sisters. "Pinky swear."

She then left with her brothers as the twins looked out the window and waved frantically at her.

"Are they always like that?" Nik asked, laughing. "Is this what I have to look forward to with my daughter?"

"When you have one, probably," Julia said. "Is that what you're expecting next spring, a girl?"

"We don't know yet."

"They really love you, don't they?" Jeremiah asked.

"Ever since they figured out I was their sister, I've been their best friend," Julia said. Changing the subject, she said,

"Joe actually called you, Jere? How did he sound?"

"He sounded like Joe... only more serious," Jeremiah said. "I kept getting the feeling he was reading a script, though."

"Why's that?" asked Nik.

"When I mentioned that you and KateLynn had a baby boy and that Julia had a boyfriend, he didn't even react, just that he missed a lot."

"Weird," Julia said. "Not like Joe at all, is it?"

"No, and that worries me," Jeremiah said.

----------

The three of them walked into David's office, where he, Mike and John were already seated at the desk. Dan would be in shortly, they were told.

Jeremiah copied the information about Joe's flight that he'd written on his leg onto a piece of paper and placed it on the desk. Mike put the paper on top of a file folder that had all the pertinent info about Joe's case.

Dan walked into the office at that point and joined the others. David asked that Morbus be present as well, and Julia could hear his heavy footsteps echoing in the hall.

When all were present, David shut the door.

"Dan, what did you find out about when Joe will be here?" asked David; "and does it match up with what Jeremiah was told?"

"That his arrival is the afternoon of the 21st at 4:30pm," Dan said; "that's correct. It matches the info that we got."

"I put the gate number and flight info on a piece of paper," Jeremiah said. "Do you have that info, too, or is it new."

Dan looked at the report, saying, "No flight information in this report, so it looks like Joe gave information about it because he just got it before he called you."

"We know when he'll be here," John said. "But he isn't going to be able to bring weapons on a plane, how is he going to get a hold of weapons?"

"We'll have all the delivery services monitored for any packages coming in Joe's name," Mike said. "He'll probably ask you to take him to one of those places before coming back here."

"We'll need to knock him out," Nik said. "He'll fight us if he suspects that we're ganging up on him."

"Dr. Mustaine has tranquilizer syringes for you to use, based on his weight. It's a range between one hundred twenty and one hundred seventy-five pounds," Morbus said. "So it will account for any weight loss or gain within that range."

"Provided we get him neutralized," Nik said, "where do we take him once he's knocked out?"

"Take him to the Elochai Center," David said. "They have a facility about halfway between here and O'Hare. They'll be expecting him."

Jeremiah just sat and stared at the flight information still written on his leg. He couldn't believe they were talking about his little brother like this; like he was a raging drug addict. But, Jeremiah also had to accept the fact that is exactly the Illegals were doing. Making Joe dependent on them to get his next fix. He swore that someone was going to pay for what the Illegals did to his brother. Even if he had to do it himself without authorization.

----------

damn!

OMG! WHAT HAPPENS NEXT???

An Atypical Life, Part 8--

After leaving the compound and heading back to Nik's apartment, Jeremiah decided to play a hunch.

Dialing Amber's number, he hoped that she had the information he was looking for.

"Hello?" said a male voice on the other end of the line.

"Drew, it's Jeremiah, is Amber there?"

"Yeah, sure, let me get her," Drew said. He put the phone down and Jeremiah could hear him calling for his wife.

Soon, Amber was on the line. "Hey Jeremiah, what's up?"

"I had a hunch, and I was hoping you might be able to help me out," Jeremiah told his sister.

"What can I do?"

"Do you have a phone number for the place Joe was working in Maine?" he asked. "I wanted to find out if it's legit, or was an Illegals cover to find subjects for their experiment."

"I think I have a number, let me check," Amber said. After waiting few moments, Amber found it.

"Here it is, 207-555-0831."

Jeremiah wrote it down, and thanked Amber for her help, and promised to keep her updated about Joe.

Jeremiah contemplated the number for a few moments, then dialed Dan at the compound.

"Dan Donegan."

"Dan, it's Jere. Can you trace a number for me?"

"Sure," Dan said. "I can find out anything about a phone number. Great technology we've got now. What do you need to know?"

"I want to find out if it goes to a legitimate company before I call it," Jeremiah said.

"Sure, give me the number and I'll have an answer in about ten minutes."

Jeremiah gave Dan the number he'd gotten from Amber, and Dan said that he'd get back to him with any information in a few minutes.

After Jeremiah hung up, he walked down the short hallway to check in on his nephew.

Matthias was sitting up in his crib, playing with a set of teething rings.

"Hey Matty," Jeremiah said as the baby reached up for him. He picked him up carried him to a rocking chair and sat down. "What's my little Cubs fan up to today?" All he got in response were baby sounds, which made Jeremiah smile.

KateLynn came into the room at that point and just stared at Jeremiah and her son sitting in the rocking chair. She had a smile on her face.

"Jere, I was trying to get Matty to take a nap!" she said.

"Sorry, KateLynn," Jeremiah said. "I just wanted to see the little guy."

"It's okay," KateLynn said. "He loves his Uncle Jere, don't you sweetie?" She took her son from Jeremiah and put him back down in his crib. Matthias didn't much like that, but fussed little.

As Jeremiah and KateLynn left the baby's room, Jeremiah's phone buzzed. He excused himself to KateLynn and went to his bedroom to take the call.

"Jere? Dan. I have the info you wanted," Dan said.

Jeremiah grabbed a pencil and a note pad. "What did you find out?"

"The number's legit. It's to the Kittery Lobster Fishing Cooperative in Kittery, Maine. It's a bunch of independent lobster fishermen who sell to local restaurants," Dan said. "The number is to their main office, and they should be able to tell you who was on what boats."

"Thanks, Dan!" Jeremiah said. "I didn't want to call a number that was bogus or led straight to the Illegals."

"Good thing you are careful, Jere," Dan said. "You've always had a sixth sense about these things."

----------

Jeremiah called the number, and a pleasant female voice with a Mainer accent answered the call.

"Hello, my name is Jeremiah Donovan, and I'm looking for information on my brother Joseph," Jeremiah began. "He was working for your cooperative when he disappeared about six weeks ago."

"You have news about Joey?" the girl asked excitedly.

"Not really," Jeremiah said. "I was looking for information about who he was seen with before he disappeared."

"You'll have to talk to my father about that," the girl said. "My sister disappeared at the same time, and we can't get anything about where she is, or if she's still alive."

"What's your sister's name, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Tracy Pembrooke. She and Joey and four other guys all went out one night and never came back. Then they found Joey's car in New Hampshire we thought the worst."

"Is your dad available to talk right now?" Jeremiah asked.

"Yes, he's right outside here," the girl said. "Hold on a sec, okay?"

Soon, a deep voiced man came on the line and asked, "Tara says you're Joey's brother. How do I know that?"

"Sir," Jeremiah began, "He only has one biological brother, and that's me. My name is Jeremiah."

"He told us he had two brothers and two sisters," the man challenged.

Jeremiah explained his family's dynamic to the man, and he seemed to understand. "So you're his biological brother. So you look like him?"

"Yes, we do resemble one another," Jeremiah said. "But I wanted to know who he was with besides your daughter when he disappeared."

"Tracy had taken Joey under her wing, you'd say," the man, whose name was Frank, said. "He wanted to get some real life experience, and because he was so strong a kid, we took him on. He is a really hard worker. Doesn't talk much, but hell, he don't need to. Does everything we ask of him, then he asks for more.

"A bunch of 'em went out one night, and Joey was the designated driver because he's not old enough to drink. He didn't seem to mind. Tracy had just turned 21, so it was a birthday party of sorts. They had to be home early because we go out at 4am every morning. When they didn't show up, we went without 'em. When they still hadn't shown up by the end of the day, we called the police, then we called everyone's contact. I guess we talked to your sister Amber."

"He was living with her when he took the job," Jeremiah said. "Did you notice Joe acting strangely or out of character before he and the others disappeared?"

"All of 'em were acting strange about a month or so before they disappeared," Frank said. "But it hadn't started to affect their work until a couple of days before they went missin'. Never did figure out how five boys could all act the same weird way at the same time. Then my girl was acting the same way."

"Thank you for the information," Jeremiah said. "If I hear anything about Joe or the others I'll let you know. My family and I have been looking for Joe since we heard he disappeared."

"I know you are Disturbed Ones like we are," Frank said. "So if you can't find them, no one can."

----------

Although he didn't let it show outwardly, David was concerned about the mission he was going to send his stepdaughter and her two brothers on to save Joe. He thought of all the ways the mission could go wrong, even as well trained as Julia, Jeremiah and Nik were. David was worried mostly about Nik, because losing him meant his wife would be a widow and their children would not have their father. And that any death could come at the hands of someone they grew up with, it just didn't sit well with David.

Jordan came into the room and sat down next to David on the bed. She saw that though he remained composed to the casual observer, she noticed that he was, indeed, worried about something.

She put her arms around him and laid her head against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and laid them both back to a lying position.

They laid like that for a long while, holding each other and not saying a word. It was the only reassurance that David had that Jordan was okay with this, and that meant everything to him.

They later got off the bed and got undressed for the night. Jordan had removed her clothing and stood naked before the mirror before putting on her nightgown. David came up behind her and pressed his body into hers. She felt his arms go around her waist and his lips on her neck.

He then turned her around to face him, and Jordan thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he knelt before her with his head against her stomach. Jordan had only seen him do this one other time during their years together, and that was when he asked for forgiveness for something he thought he had done to upset her.

"Jordan, please forgive me," she thought she heard him whisper. At that moment, Jordan was sure of only one thing.

He was asking for his woman's forgiveness for showing his weakness. She was the only one he could bare his soul and his heart to.

----------

awww poor David...

Heavy is the head who wears the crown...

----------
An Atypical Life, Part 9--

Julia was wide awake.

She was at Ryan's, and as he slept next to her, she was thinking about the mission to save her brother, Joe.

We cannot fail, she thought over and over, we cannot let Joe do what he was programmed to do.

She knew she would have to do all the same preparations as she did with any other mission, except for one major thing.

Julia was going to take Ryan to the meeting on Sunday evening so he would know exactly what she, Nik and Jeremiah were up against. She'd let him decide if continuing a relationship with her was worth the risks to her, and ultimately, his safety.

Ryan understood that Julia was good at what she did, and that she would go on missions to save their way of life. But he had yet to understand that being involved with her also meant he was at risk as well. Julia loved him too much to keep him in the dark.

She tossed and turned, trying to sort everything out in her head. Eventually, she woke Ryan up.

"Jules, can't you sleep, baby?"

"I've got a lot of shit on my mind, Ryan," she said.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Julia looked at him in the darkness. Oh, Ryan, she thought, if you only knew.

"Ryan, do you know what you're in for being involved with me?" she asked him, "Knowing what I do for the cause?"

"Yes, Julia," Ryan said; "You're the best at what you do. I don't have a problem with that."

"Even if it meant you'd be as much a target as I am?"

"Meaning...?"

"Ryan," Julia began; "I go on these missions to save our way of life, and hopefully help restore the rightful government to its proper place. I kill people to make that happen. I sometimes have to role play to get close to those I have to eliminate. And because you're involved with me, that could put you in danger, too."

Ryan looked puzzled. "What are you trying to tell me, Julia? That you don't want to be with me anymore?"

"No," Julia said, feeling her emotions getting the best of her. "I'm telling you this because I love you. I don't want something I do for the cause to get you hurt because the Illegals want revenge."

"Oh," Ryan said. "You're giving me an out, then?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Julia said.

"You know I can't just walk away from you, Julia; from what we have," Ryan said. "I think that in order to make a relationship work is to be honest and upfront with each other. I know what you do for the cause pisses off the illegitimate government and puts you at risk of retaliation. What kind of man would I be if I walked away because of that? I love you, Julia, and I want to be the man who protects you. Because that's what a good man does...even if his girl handles guns better than most men."

Ryan took Julia into his arms and kissed her. She responded, curling her body into his.

"Come with me Sunday to the meeting at the compound," Julia said as Ryan stroked her skin; "So you can see exactly what we're going to do, how we're going to do it, and what the risks are."

"I will," Ryan said. "But right now, I think I need you."

Feeling his hardness against her, Julia knew he needed her, too. Just as she needed him.

----------

KateLynn stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at her naked body. Specifically, the fullness just starting to make itself known. This baby isn't going to be a spring baby, she thought. Or else I'm having more than one baby.

Nik came into the bathroom, and watched as his wife rubbed her midsection.

"Looks like someone's trying to tell us he or she is in there," Nik said as he wrapped his arms around KateLynn's waist. He kissed her shoulder. "You smell delicious, my dear..."

"I just smell like soap, Nik, you silly goose!" KateLynn said.

"Then you smell soapy?" Nik asked, laughing. "Can I help it if I'm getting turned on by the sight of my pregnant wife?"

"Are you now?" KateLynn said as Nik started to fondle her breasts. "Then maybe, Nikolai, you better get naked and do something about it!"

"Mmmmm, maybe I will," Nik said. "You think that maybe you're farther along than the doctor said you were? Looks like you're starting to show a little."

"I was just thinking that this is not going to be a spring baby," KateLynn said as she took of Nik's shirt; "Or I'm having more than one."

"Oh that will be fun," Nik said. "Three babies under two..."

"Three?"

"Well Matty, then twins if that's what you got in there?"

"I'll have to talk to the doctor," KateLynn said. "But right now, I think your pregnant wife needs some attention..."

Nik led KateLynn to their bedroom, where he made careful, yet sensual love to his expectant spouse.

----------


Later, after KateLynn fell asleep, Nik remained awake. He worried about Joe, about Julia and Jeremiah, and mostly, about the state of his family if something should happen to him.

He had life insurance, so the family would be taken care of. The one person Nik didn't worry about was Nik. He knew that they couldn't fail at this. They had to get to Joe to neutralize him, then get him to the clinic for evaluation. Nik knew that he, Jeremiah and Julia had the skills to get the job done. He just didn't want Joe's death to be the result.

Nik got up and went into the living room and stood in the darkness, deep in thought.

It was three days until they had to go meet Joe at the airport.

----------

Shit, I missed a lot while I was at school. It's all coming to a head and I can't wait to see it all explode!

wow, cant wait to see what happens...

Wait no more. New Section comin' at ya!

----------

Rescue Mission, Part 1--

That Sunday, twenty-four hours before Joe was due to arrive, Jeremiah, Nik and KateLynn, and Julia and Ryan, arrived at David's office at the compound. All four band members and Morbus were present.

"This is it," David said seriously; "We're going to talk strategy, outcomes, and actions. A human life is at stake, one we're all interested in saving. We fail, and we all die. There's no way around it." He paused then went on, addressing KateLynn and Ryan. "I'm actually glad that KateLynn and Ryan are here this afternoon. What happens here could affect you both, especially in the worst case scenario that Nik, Julia and Jere fail in their mission to neutralize Joe."

"We won't fail, David," Julia said in that odd voice that Ryan noticed she took on since walking into David's office. "But, yes, all sides need to be considered and their possible outcomes."

"Dan has the latest intel on the people who are holding Joe and approximately fifteen to twenty other people. Dan, what are we up against?" David asked.

"This is a medical experimentation group, funded by the illegitimate government and apparently supported by Sarah Kathryn Hope," Dan began; "They use unwilling subjects to see if mind control can be achieved by hooking subjects on one of two illegal street drugs, cocaine or heroin. Once subjects have enough of the drug in their systems, they have to earn their next fix by completing tasks. Everything from committing petty crimes to assault."

"So the subjects are forced to commit crimes to get their next high, by, what? Playing on their paranoia?" KateLynn asked.

"Exactly," Dan said. "And some subjects are promised other things if they complete their tasks, like visits to other subjects."

"To share the paranoia?" Jeremiah asked.

"Not really," Dan said. "Right now, there are five subjects who cannot participate because of medical issues. Since many of the subjects were captured in groups, like what we think happened to Joe, there are family members who can't participate in the experiment because the high doses of drugs would kill them. Two females are pregnant, one of them is the girl who was taken in the group Joe was in."

"What happens to them once the experiments are over, or the females give birth?" Ryan asked.

"The female subjects will be forced to give their babies up to the Illegals, then they would be either killed or sent to prison," Dan said. "They're essentially prisoners now, kind of like Julia's mother before Julia was born."

"But that's, that's, that's...inhuman! How can they be allowed to get away with that!" cried KateLynn. Nik put her arm around her to comfort her. "KateLynn, it's okay," he whispered to her. "We know it's not right."

"We can't allow that to continue," Julia said. "It's too much like Nazi Germany during World War two. Like that guy who did the experiments on twins in concentration camps, what's his name..."

"Josef Mengele," David said. "And yes, it's too much like that. State sponsored murder and experimentation."

"It's disgusting," Jeremiah said, who up to this point was silent. The Illegals doing experiments on his brother and his friends? It made him more determined to save Joe from the shit he'd been exposed to.

----------

The meeting lasted about four hours, then Jeremiah, Julia and Nik were taken aside for last minute instruction. Ryan and KateLynn waited in an outer office. Each was lost in their own thoughts.

For KateLynn, it was concerns about Nik's safety, though she knew he was well trained to take on the mission. She worried about their son and his unborn sibling(s), and what this might mean for them having a father who literally fought for the cause.

For Ryan, it strengthened his love and admiration for Julia. He wanted to be part of her life, and if fighting for the cause was part of it, then he wanted to be part of it, too. True, she was still only sixteen years old, but she was far more adult than even Ryan himself, he realized. He just wanted to take her home and hold her and tell her he was behind her all the way.

----------

Finally, Jeremiah, Julia and Nik were free to go and prepare for their mission. Nik, KateLynn and Jeremiah went back to their place; Ryan took Julia home to her mother and David.

"Jules," Ryan said. "I've been doing some thinking."

"Oh?" Julia said. "About what?"

"About what we talked about the other night, and about the meeting we just left."

"Okay," said Julia.

"Jules, you know I love you," Ryan said. "And nothing is going to get in the way of that. I want to be a real part of your life. I know that what you do for the cause is important, and I'm behind you all the way. And,"

Julia noticed the long pause. "And what, Ryan?"

"And, if I can get your mom and David's permission," Ryan said, "I'd like to marry you."

"What?!" Julia said, both surprised and delighted. "You don't think I'm too young for that?"

"Julia, you're more mature than I am sometimes," Ryan said. "Every man waits for that special girl to come along. Some men wait a life time for her. I'm a lucky man in that I found you early in life. I can't let you get away, because there won't be another girl like you, ever."

"Ryan, I don't know what to say," Julia said; "I'm at a loss for words."

"After you get back from your mission, we'll talk to Jordan and David about this, okay?" Ryan said. "We don't need to make any decisions right now." He took Julia into his arms and held her there on the back porch of her mother and stepfather's house. "You need to concentrate on your mission now. I can wait for you, Julia."

Julia said nothing. She just wanted to take it all in.

Tomorrow, she and her brothers needed to save one of their own.

----------

WHOA! That's all I can say. Just... WHOA!!!

Rescue Mission, Part 2--

Weeks ago, Joe figured it out.

The food he was being given was laced with drugs. Then the injections he got when he exercised were another drug.

He decided to pretend that he was doing what his captors wanted, because he knew he'd eventually be released to complete his mission.

They told him that he could take Tracy with him, then they said she "wasn't feeling well" and couldn't go. He wondered what was going to happen to her.

Joe never wanted to leave when he was allowed to visit Tracy. He was certain that something bad was going to happen to her.

The day he was to fly to Chicagoland, they changed their minds and allowed Tracy to accompany him. Joe had a plan of his own to make sure that he and Tracy wouldn't have to return to Vermont or wherever it was they'd been taken all those weeks ago when they and her cousins went into town for Tracy's birthday. He hadn't seen her cousins since then, and wondered if they were getting the same treatment he was or were killed.

Early that morning, someone drove him and Tracy to Boston to get on a plane to Chicagoland. Joe has specific instructions: kill his family, including the youngest members, then kill Tracy. Then he was to return, alone, to Boston to be picked up.

Joe had no intentions of killing anyone; not his brothers or sister; David, Jordan and their twins. Nik's wife and son. Or any of the members of Disturbed and their families. And he certainly was not going to kill Tracy.

But he wanted his handlers to think he was going to do all those things. It was his plan. He needed to get Tracy out of there. Even if it meant his death, he would sacrifice his life willingly for the mother of his child.

----------

At three that afternoon, Jeremiah, Julia and Nik were getting ready to meet Joe at the airport.

"I want you two to know," Jeremiah said, "that I hate that I might have to kill my own brother in cold blood."

"I hope that won't become necessary," Nik said. "Our mission is to save Joe, not kill him."

"I don't think I could live with myself if that had to happen," Julia said. "Joe is our brother. Whatever condition he's in when he gets here, we have the tools to neutralize him."

"We just need to be ready for whatever happens when he gets here," Jeremiah said.

They walked out to the car they would be using to get to the airport. Another car would be waiting at the Elochai Center for the return trip. Not even the three of them would be prepared for what Joe has in store. Killing them was not on his agenda that day. Or any other day.

They would not only be rescuing Joe, but someone else as well.

----------

Once they got on the plane, Joe and Tracy sat in their assigned seats and just looked at each other. Joe leaned into Tracy's neck and whispered, "We're almost free, baby."

"I hope so, Joey," Tracy whispered back. Joe took her hand and held it. He felt a little unsteady because of the drugs in his system, and holding Tracy's hand calmed him down.

Tracy then started to giggle.

"What's so funny, Trace?"

"The baby's moving. Here, feel this."

Tracy placed Joe's hand on the rise in her abdomen, and soon enough, he felt movement. He looked at her. "How long has this been going on?"

"Just in the last couple of weeks, Joey," Tracy said. "There really is a baby in there."

"This is why we need to get away from these people," Joe said. "Because it's not just us anymore."

"You have to get that shit out of your system first," Tracy said. "It does weird stuff to you."

"David and the guys will know of somewhere I can go to get this taken care of," Joe said. "And they'll be able to protect you and the baby."

Tracy laid her head down on Joe's shoulder. "I'm scared, Joey," she whispered.

"I am, too, Trace."

The flight attendants started giving out the pre flight instructions, then the plane was ready to take off. Soon, Joe and Tracy would be free, and his family would be safe. But there was still a lot of work to do.

----------

They arrived at the airport with about half an hour to spare. Jeremiah checked the gate information that Joe had given him over the phone the week before. He, Nik and Julia made their way over to the gate and waited.

"Remember, no matter what he looks like, it's still great to see him," Jeremiah said.

"Of course, Jere," Julia said. "We're not that dumb you know!"

"Sorry, Jules," Jeremiah said. "We just have to be prepared for anything."

"I think there are passengers coming through the gate now, you guys," Nik said.

The trio looked and there were people heading away from the gate entrance. Then Julia thought she saw Joe and a blond girl who was noticibly pregnant. They were holding hands.

"Wow," Jeremiah said. "I knew Joe was always stockier than I was, but, God damn, he's bulked up a lot!"

"Not exactly the raging drug addict we were expecting, huh?" Nik said.

"Who's the girl?" Julia wanted to know.

Joe then noticed them and he and Tracy headed in their direction. "There's my brothers and sister, Trace," he said.

Soon they were all embracing and Joe introduced Tracy to his siblings. Julia gave Tracy a huge hug and welcomed her to the family.

"When's your baby due?" Julia asked.

"Early December," Tracy said.

"Wow! We're going to have lots of little ones soon," Julia said, laughing. "Nik and his wife are expecting one in, what Nik, January?"

"KateLynn is going to find out," Nik said. "She thinks she's either farther along than the doctor thinks, or we're having twins, because she's just starting to show."

Jeremiah then noticed Joe's expression grow serious. "What is it, Joe?"

"They've sent me to kill you all," Joe said. "But I'm not going to. I just want them to think I was going to do it so Tracy and I could get away from them. I have to go to a delivery place and pick up a package. The package will have a gun in it. I'm going to fake shooting you all."

"How are you going to do that Joe?" asked Nik.

"The gun in the package has a tracer on it," Joe said. "They'll know when I pick it up, and when I use it. But all I want is to get the shit they've been giving me for the last two months out of my system and make sure Tracy and the baby are safe."

"We've already planned for you to go to a clinic to get you off the drugs," Jeremiah said. "We didn't know that you were aware of what was happening to you."

"I figured it out after about two or three weeks," Joe said. "The doctors there never did catch on that I was on to them. Once I was thinking clearly, I plotted to get them to agree to let me bring Tracy with me, then come here and get help. I knew I could count on you guys."

"We've always had your back, Joe, you know that," Julia said. "Now we have Tracy's, too."

Jeremiah thought for a moment. "Let's proceed as if Joe was going to carry out the Illegals plan for us, then fake them out. I'm sure someone will write a phony story about the deaths of the Disturbed Ones leaders. Then we'll get our revenge on the illegitimate government."

"That means, Joe, you'll have to pick up your package," Nik said. "Let's lull them into thinking their plan is working, then give them a surprise they weren't expecting."

"Like what?" Tracy asked, already loving Joe's family and the way they think.

"Instead of Joe returning to them," Jeremiah said; "Let's send them Morbus!"

"Oh, that'll scare 'em!" Joe said.

----------

oh damn! nice twist--joe knowing whats happening to him! thats great! i love it!

Ok, Joe knew what what happening! I'm relieved. I can't WAIT to read more!

Working on it. Will probably post it tomorrow morning some time. It was damn here 100 degrees here today, and it's just wearing me out! If I can post it sooner, I will.

I hear ya, its damn in the high 90's here! too damn hot!