Confrontation
By Brate
Disclaimer: Don't own any, just having fun.
Notes: AU, set in different present. Third in the Haven series. And a huge thank you to those people who have enjoyed this AU and asked for more.
"Why are they in an office building?" asked JD. The Magnificent Seven stood on the roof of the ten-story parking structure and looked at the building across the way.
"Baines wants to keep his operation hush-hush," Josiah answered. "If he were in a government building, there'd be too many questions asked. This way he can hide as a normal businessman."
"What floor are they on?" Larabee asked, trying to gauge the security of the thirty-story building. It was situated in the middle of the city, but the building had a private cul-de-sac in front, somewhat separating it from the surrounding structures. And its semi-privacy made sure that there wouldn't be a whole lot of foot traffic around.
"Twenty-second," replied Sanchez.
"What's our timetable?"
Buck answered, "They'll get shipped out Sunday."
"Four days." Chris nodded and made a quick decision. "We'll hit tomorrow then."
The date surprised Nathan. "That soon?"
"The closer it gets to the moving time, the more security conscious they'll be," Chris informed them. "We'll hit them in multiple places. Ezra and Nathan will get the kids out while the rest of us cover their escape."
"He's here," reported the telepath softly.
Chris swung his head around to face his friend. "Who's here?"
Vin narrowed his eyes, staring at the building. "Baines."
"How can you tell?"
"I can sense his absence."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Ezra.
"He wears a jammer. An electronic shield."
JD was confused. "What's that?"
"It makes sense." Josiah nodded wisely. "Imagine a man surrounded by sentients at all times. In order to retain any secrets, he'd have to keep them from invading his mind."
Tanner listened to the explanation. "Yep. Creates a void... he's over there."
"Okay, that doesn't change anything," Larabee continued. "We've got a job to do. JD, we'll need your help nailing down which room they're in."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vin was quiet on the way back to the trailer. Since Vin was usually quiet, no one but Chris noticed.
Tanner tuned out the rest of the men and recalled when he'd been caught by the Guild. He was hiding out in an old warehouse, sneaking out only for food, trusting no one, and trying to stay clear of everyone. With the news of the PCCA being stringently enforced, the young man was scared.
On one of his rare journeys outside his small domain, Tanner was picked up in a sweep. He was taken with a group of three others in a windowless van to a small, nondescript building. Under guard, he and the others were taken inside and descended in an elevator; the longest elevator ride the young man had ever been on. He kept his head down, trying to block out the fearful thoughts of the captured. Vin stepped out into a huge underground complex and was shoved along, past several rooms and numerous armed guards, until he and another of the detainees were pushed into a nearly empty sterile room. It was a stark white room, with only three chairs and a table in the middle. The two strangers nervously looked around, their gazes never stopping on each other. They were saved from having to talk to each other by the arrival of the first doctor.
The telepath was startled from his musings by his friend's voice and a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, Vin. What's up?" After watching Vin stare vacantly out the window for the past twenty minutes, Chris couldn't take it anymore.
"The sky."
"Try again."
"Jest worried 'bout tomorrow is all."
Chris watched his best friend, hoping to see if that was the truth. Taking the sentence at face value, he responded, "You'll do fine. We'll do fine."
"Yeah," Vin agreed, but without any strength behind it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JD Dunne waited until most of his team left. In case he was caught, the others should be far away. The young man straightened his hat and, with a slow stride, walked through the lobby of the Harcourt Office Building. A few people were milling around, but ignored the young man as he marched up to the front desk and addressed the guard.
The guard looked up as a teenager in a pizza delivery outfit came up to the desk. "May I help you?'
"Yep," said JD. "I have a pizza for office," he made a show of looking at the delivery slip, "twenty-two sixteen."
"I don't have a request for that," replied the guard with a wary expression. The kid seemed harmless, but he was paid to keep the unwanted out. "What's the name on that?"
"Name?"
"Yes, the name on the order."
"Jenkins." He was glad he'd thought to glance at the listing for that suite on his way through the lobby.
The guard flipped through a few computer screens before nodding. "Okay. Leave it here and I'll see he gets it."
"Sure," replied JD, sounding confident, while feeling anything but. "Twenty-five bucks."
"That's outrageous!"
"That's the price of the pie, dude. If you don't got it, I walk." JD turned as if to leave.
"Wait." The security guard cursed his coworker for being off on rounds. "Okay, you have fifteen minutes to deliver the pizza and get back down here or I'm coming up after you."
The young sentient breathed an inward sigh of relief. "No problem, bro. I'll be down in a flash." He strolled into the elevator and pushed the button for the correct floor. He'd have to do this in a hurry, but would try his best if it meant keeping innocents out of the hands of the Guild. As the elevator door opened on his floor, JD took a deep breath and started to glide along the corridor. The psychometrist lowered his shields as he touched the doorknobs to each office complex. His ability to get information through touching objects was invaluable in this mission. His pride, however, was tampered by his fear; any mistake could ruin the entire plan.
He glanced at his watch, noting that he'd already used up half his time, and still had many offices to go. Thank God they were suites and not individual offices, otherwise he'd never find the teens. Hurrying his gait, he passed by the next office and had to stop in his tracks. Moving slowly in reverse, he placed both hands on the part of the door where people would normally touch to push it open. Images shot through his mind and he sorted out those he needed. JD noted the office number and backtracked toward the elevator. As he passed number twenty-two sixteen, he quickly opened the door and handed the pizza to the first person he saw. "Compliments of Matthew," he called out and disappeared around the corner before they could ask questions.
Dunne rode the elevator down, hoping there would be no call for the guard to stop him. Sauntering through the lobby, he waved in the direction of the desk and then hurried out the front entranceway. The youth ran around the corner, ditching his delivery outfit in a trashcan. He walked three blocks north, where he was picked up by Josiah and taken back to the trailer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While they didn't have unlimited funds by any means, thanks to some shrewd investments on Ezra's part, the team had quite a bit of ready cash. Standish played the stock market and had a knack for knowing when to buy and sell. He maintained it was just good business sense, but the others were sure he received a useful flash now and then. And with some of their money they had bought a large travel trailer, one of the biggest on the market. It allowed them to blend into the parks and campgrounds surrounding various cities while maintaining some space to avoid being caught in a sweep.
Chris and Vin were quietly watched the children play in the park down the way from their site, Ezra sat at the picnic table playing solitaire, Nathan studied some medical and scientific manuals, and Buck perched himself on top of the trailer keeping watch.
"Incoming," Buck called out. After a tense moment he smiled. "It's just the preacher and the kid."
JD bounded out of the car, followed by a more sedate Josiah.
The crew met at the picnic table, pushing Ezra's card game out of the way. Larabee eyed his youngest team member. "Did you find out where they are?"
"Sure did. And you're right, Vin. I saw that Baines was there, too."
"Okay, kid," drawled Buck, "tell us what we need to know."
JD told the others what information he had come by. He finished his tale with, "All in all, security was pretty lax, so we shouldn't have too hard a time getting in beforehand."
"Good." Chris was pleased. "And with the low security, no one should get hurt."
If most people off the street heard a sentient say this, they would have laughed incredulously. The anti-psionics had done a good job spreading the propaganda that sentients, if allowed to exist in a free society, would take over the country, and possibly kill all those without the power. Normal fear of the unknown did the rest. No one knew why lately there were more and more people born or discovered with psychic abilities. Maybe it was nature's way of protecting the species, part of evolution. But one thing was certain: with the knowledge that sentients were out there among the population, fear increased exponentially.
Guided by that fear, Congress was quick to pass the PCCA - the Psionic Control and Containment Act. If someone was known to have psionic power, they were taken away where they couldn't harm "normal" people. They offered a large reward for turning in a suspected sentient; thus no one with psionic abilities was safe. Unfortunately, most normal people were unconcerned with what happened to those psionics after they were taken. But it was of utmost concern to these seven men.
"Good job, kid," the telekinetic leader congratulated JD. "We'll stick to the original plan, and everyone carries a backup."
All the men carried backup weaponry since most of them didn't have offensive powers, and the rest didn't want to rely solely on their abilities. They practiced with the weapons before they left the ranch and found that Vin had the makings of a sharpshooter. Chris was the fastest shooter, followed surprisingly by JD. Nathan still preferred his throwing knives, and Ez had a sidearm in addition to a derringer rig up his right sleeve. Buck and Josiah, although not the best, were both very good marksmen.
The team split up to enjoy the last hours before sunset and to get ready for their mission.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although it was a large trailer, the seven men were large themselves, thus it was a tight fit when it came time to go to sleep. The first night after its purchase, when sleeping arrangements were being discussed, Tanner had taken one look inside and remarked he'd rather sleep under the stars. He grabbed his sleeping bag and climbed on top of the camper, ensuring himself a claustrophobic-free sleep. Tonight was no different as each man settled down for the night. Ezra was annoyed at the enforced bedtime, but quieted down with a quick glare from Larabee. Tanner waved goodnight to everyone and climbed on the trailer's roof.
Vin watched the stars above for a while, too wired to sleep. He held doubts about tomorrow and hoped his team had not made a mistake, bringing him in. The longhaired man not only worried over his abilities, but also he didn't want his new friends being targets because of him. He took deep breaths, focusing his energy inward. Slowly his body relaxed and his mind followed.
The telepath drifted off to sleep, coasting deeper and deeper until he reached REM state. His dreams started out like they normally did. First he dreamt of his time in the Dungeon and on the run after his escape. But somehow, they changed. Tanner watched Chris playing with his son in front of a small farmhouse. His wife smiled down from her place on the porch at the antics of the father and son. Suddenly the scene switched drastically. It showed Chris arriving home with Buck in time to see his wife and son being shot in the back as they ran away from Guild members. Vin could see and feel Chris' rage as he lashed out at the murderers, raising them forty feet in the air before releasing them to fall to their deaths. Chris gently and lovingly placed his wife and son in the house on the bed, kissed them both, and then went outside, motioning to Buck. The house was burned down as the two sentients watched.
Tanner woke up with a start, heart pounding, and breath coming out in gasps. He tried to calm his racing heart, realizing he'd subconsciously entered his leader's nightmare. Oh my God! He'd known that Chris' family was dead, part of the reason for the sorrowful aura surrounding the man, but he'd had no idea that they'd been killed while attempting to escape from the Guild.
Sleep was impossible now; the image of Larabee's dying family etched in his mind's eye. He sighed and sat up, deciding to take a walk around the grounds. Vin lightly scanned the men in the trailer before he started out. The small gesture gave him some measure of comfort; he knew that he was no longer alone.
Vin ended up at the edge of the river, watching the slow current drag by. Baines had done a good job with the telepath. He had made him comfortable after his initial fears were put to rest and made him think that he was becoming part of something special. Baines was a man who has no psychic abilities and he became the "leader" of the psychics. Yet another irony that Vin needed Josiah to talk to the Almighty about. Tanner may have fallen for it if Baines hadn't let his shield slip. It was a malfunction, or maybe the shield recalibrating, but it was enough for Vin to see what Baines tried to hide; he had been taught well enough. The telepath played along until he could escape, and then he made it his mission to keep as many sentients away from Baines as possible. And tomorrow would be the first of many blows against the Guild he would make with his new team.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nathan once again marveled at the Southerner. That man could talk himself out of or into any situation, which was fortunate because he so often ended up in one. Within a minute of entering the office building, both the healer and the clairvoyant were on their way, zooming upstairs toward the teenagers. They maintained radio silence and would continue to do so until they had the three prisoners downstairs and ready to exit. Ezra and Nathan would then signal the three teammates outside to begin their attack. JD and Josiah would arrive quickly to recover the susceptives and take them to safety.
Chris, Vin, and Buck waited across the street inside their van in the parking garage. Knowing they'd have to leave the vehicle, Ezra managed to finesse a used one for a test drive. It would be none the worse for wear, and would be returned to the car lot once found. Vin kept a telepathic connection with his two friends inside the office building. Once they entered the elevator, the three in the van would exit the vehicle and take their places to await the signal.
"Listening" to his friends as they moved toward and through the building, Vin remembered being part of Baines' group. They taught him to control his abilities, to read minds, to "push" people, although not all people were accessible to him. Some had natural shields, some were just unreachable, but the majority of people could be pushed to perform certain tasks. This is what Baines hoped for; this is what he strived for. The telepath would become an assassin for, and protector of, the Guild. And anyone who was foolish enough to go against Baines would end up dead and listed as a suicide, and it would be completely untraceable back to him or his circle. Now Vin used his learned abilities to go against his "teachers."
Vin was roused from his musings. "They're on their way up." Chris nodded and the trio left the confines of the van to move into position just down the street from the targeted building.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paul Baines settled down into a chair in his borrowed office on the twenty-second floor of the Harcourt Building. He ran his hand through his white-blond hair. Normally not involved in the day-to-day business of the Guild, he was intrigued by these three young susceptives taken in last week's sweep. Again, he looked at the file containing the test results of Tamra Lee, Angelica Santos, and Louis Garter. They all ranked on the high end of the psionic spectrum but for some reason, only when together. Separately, the teenagers were unremarkable in their abilities, but banded together, they had the potential to be astounding. Unfortunately, they were currently unrealized, but Baines hoped that in the next few days his group could jumpstart their powers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ezra closed his eyes outside of suite twenty-two thirty-five, and again wished his power to be able to be called upon at will. It would be useful especially now, at one of the most vulnerable parts of the mission. When they must take a chance opening the door and hope no one was there to see them and sound the alarm.
The healer stood behind Ezra with one of his knives clutched tightly in his hand, ready to defend the mission. Gunshots would attract too much attention; stealth was the key.
Knowing it was time, and every second wasted was adding to the danger of detection, Ezra sighed and pushed the office door open. Nathan motioned him forward, indicating that he would continue to cover the clairvoyant.
In the center of the suite was a waiting area with a couch, chair, and two tables with outdated magazines. The room where the teenagers were being held was somewhat separated from the other four in the suite. All five doors were shut, and preferably the other four would remain that way . They moved quickly to the first door on the left, where JD had told them the three young people were being held. Ezra listened at the door, hoping that the teens would still be here. He tested the doorknob, bending down to pick the lock of the door when he found it was engaged.
"Hear anything?" whispered Nathan.
Ezra looked up from his position at the door. "Not a thing." He made a final twist of his wrist and the lock clicked.
"Well, open it up and see what's inside. The others are waiting."
Ezra nodded at the healer, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open. Nathan moved inside, leaving the gambler to cover the door. Sitting around a small television were three young people. They couldn't be more than sixteen years old, if that. One looked up from where she sat on a lounge chair, glaring at the newcomers.
"I already told you to go away," the Hispanic girl snapped. "Are you all that stupid?"
The two other teens looked up at the harsh words and saw the men standing in the door. "Ignore them and maybe they'll leave," the red-haired boy quietly said. He shook his head, returning his attention to the television, and slapped the blonde girl's knee sitting next to him on the couch. She, too, turned to watch the drivel being displayed on the tube.
"Y'all need to come with us right now," spoke Nathan urgently. He kept his voice low, while Ezra watched the other doors in the suite for signs of trouble.
"It's not time for tests, we just got here," the spokesperson of the group said. "We get two hours free time before the quacks get a whack at us." She turned to the television as well, effectively blocking both men from her attention.
Knowing the time for subtlety was over, Nathan marched over to the TV and yanked the plug, ripping it from the wall. "We came here to rescue you, but we will be caught if you three don't get off your butts and come with us right now!"
The hostile voice of the girl was replaced with something that sounded suspiciously like hope. "Really?"
Nathan softened his tone. "Yes. We're working against the Guild, but if we don't get downstairs in about five minutes, we're goners."
The three looked at each other for a few seconds before nodding simultaneously. "We're coming," the boy announced.
Quickly, Nathan pushed the trio out into the suite's common room. "You've been busy," he said to Ezra as he gazed upon the clairvoyant's work. Standish had managed to tie wires to the doorknobs of the remaining four rooms, stretching them around a post in the main room. Whoever was inside of the rooms would have a hard time getting out.
Ezra shrugged. "I was bored."
Nathan led the way; Ezra followed after the teens. Once they'd arrived in the relative safety of the elevator, the healer turned to the oldest girl, the one who'd told them to get out. "I'm Nathan and this is my friend, Ezra."
"I'm Angel, that's Louie, and she's Tamra."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance." The gambler bowed and Tamra, the smallest of the three, giggled.
A tense silence fell in the small elevator, each person realizing that this was a crucial time. They'd gotten this far without mishap, but they'd been lucky. The elevator chimed, announcing their arrival on the ground floor.
"Mr. Jackson, take them to the back, I'll take care of the elevators." Nathan hurried Tamra, Louie, and Angel along, and Ezra hooked up an electronic device to each of the elevator controls, short-circuiting the system.
"That should slow down those reprobates." He smiled, showing off his gold tooth, and rushed to meet Nathan and the others.
As soon as Ezra arrived at the rear entrance, Jackson brought his radio up to his lips and stated, "We're in position." He looked at his fellow teammate and the trio responsible for this mission. "Now we wait." They couldn't open it until their friends started their diversion because the rear door had an alarm attached to it. It sent an immediate call to a guard posted near the back of the building, and an alarm through the security panel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, pard, I think she likes me." Buck was eyeing the girl working at the newsstand on the corner, smiling when she winked in return.
"Well, she won't think much of ya in a minute, Buckley," responded Tanner.
The leader's radio crackled, "We're in position." Larabee scouted the area to make certain no innocent bystanders would be caught in the line of attack. It was still fairly early so there was little foot or car traffic around. "It's clear, let's hit 'em."
They moved to the middle of the cul-de-sac in front of the Harcourt Building. The closer they were to their target, the less energy they would have to use to cover the distance. Josiah called it "needless energy expenditure."
"Buck," called out Larabee.
The pyrokinetic gathered his energy around him, tightened it into a ball, and threw it at a car parked just outside the office building; he had perfect aim. The fireball hit the gas tank with enough force to drive it through, igniting the fuel and blowing the car up in fiery splendor. Buck quickly gathered more energy and attacked another empty car. The results weren't as explosive, but the interior glowed with flame. An alarm sounded within the building and two guards quickly rushed outside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baines leaned back in his chair, setting the files down, and looked out the window at the skyline of the city. From far below he heard a large noise that shook the windows of his office. He jumped up from his chair and looked out, but could see little save a small fire down below. The building's security alarm sounded, but when he called down to see what was amiss, no one answered. The Guild leader ran to his door, wrenching his shoulder when it didn't open as expected. He tugged on the door, twisting the knob and discovered that it wasn't locked, but was being held shut somehow. Baines took out his handgun and fired two shots at the knob, blowing it out of the door. He shoved his hand in the now-empty socket and yanked the door open.
Baines scowled in disbelief at the scene before him. The door to the teens' room was wide open, and they were nowhere to be seen. The other doors of the suite were tied like calves at a rodeo. His men were yelling and beating on the doors. Idiots. He cut the lines with his pocketknife, and listened as one of his men stumbled back and fell at the sudden release of the tension.
"You assholes get out here!" The three Guildsmen surrounded their boss, taking in the empty room where the kids should be. They all tried to avoid looking in the dark eyes of their boss, knowing there would be only censure and disapproval.
"Those brats are loose and I want them found... now!" Baines followed his men out of the suite, pushing past curious office workers wanting to know why the alarm was sounding, and watched as two went toward the elevators while one left to scout the floor. They promptly found out the elevators were useless. Baines sent the two men down opposite stairwells, while he called for backup on his cell phone. He told the new men to start searching the area around the building when they arrived. He looked around the twenty-second floor and chanced across a janitor's closet, checking to make certain his charges weren't hiding inside. Baines cackled in triumph as he saw the maintenance elevator in the rear, got in, and took it to the ground floor.
He wanted to check to see if the disturbance downstairs related to his missing susceptives. Paul Baines didn't like, and didn't believe in, coincidence. He exited out the back door, noticing the red alarm light flashing above the door, and made his way around toward the front.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the loud explosion from out front, Ezra and Nathan tensed, and when the building alarm went off they hustled the three susceptives out the rear door and into the plumbing van that JD and Josiah had obtained. Nathan got in, while Ezra went to get the other car to pick the trio up in front. "See you there!" hollered Nathan as the gambler closed the van's sliding door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the first car was burning, two guards rushed out of the building. Larabee harnessed his TK force, snagged the guns from the holsters of the security men, and dropped them down a sewer grate. Deaths, even inadvertent, were to be avoided at all costs. Sentients needed no more bad publicity.
Seeing more guards arriving, Vin called out, "I got 'em." He focused his mind and entered those of the three newest guards. Pushing their will, he made them go sit down Indian-style at the far end of the building with their hands clasped on their laps. It took a bit of energy and a lot of concentration to control all three guards. Luckily they were office guards, not guards from the Guild; Guildsmen are trained to ward off psi-attacks.
The gun-less guards spotted the trio and charged at them. A quick fireball thrown at their feet made them rethink that strategy. Clouds of smoke were beginning to roll into the courtyard, coming from the burning cars and Buck's fireballs. Chris used his TK and lifted the two guards into the air, sitting them gently on a building's ledge at least twenty feet from the ground.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ezra Standish drove the Buick Regal around the corner, watching as his friends defended their position. Buck was still conjuring fireballs to toss, but Ezra could see his friend's energy level was fading quickly. Vin gave his attention to three men sitting on the side. Chris stood beside Vin, glaring at two men who then flew up onto a ledge. The gambler glanced around and spotted a man slinking around the side of their targeted building.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sentients were concentrating so hard on the men in front that they hadn't seen Baines coming around from the rear. He'd made his way down the freight elevator, exited, and crept around the side of the building.
He was startled when he recognized two of the attackers. It was that goddamned Larabee! Larabee and his men had been making trouble for Baines for more than a year now. And it looked like Tanner had teamed up with those troublemakers; this would not do at all. The head of the Guild still had hopes of recruiting Vin, so he raised his gun, setting his sights on Larabee. Baines tightened his grip and pulled the trigger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vin kept his three guards down and tracked the others out of the corner of his eye. He saw Buck and Chris dispatch their guards, and then the telepath started scanning for Ezra's imminent arrival. He connected with his friend just as the clairvoyant saw Baines raise his gun. Ezra's alarm shot through the link and Vin reacted. He threw himself at Chris as the shot rang through the air.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Larabee was using his TK to hold the doors of the Harcourt Office Building closed, ensuring no one else would be coming out of there although the police would be on their way, and the fire engines were already sounding in the distance. He bellowed for Buck to retreat and turned to relay the same message to Vin, when he was hit solidly by the telepath and went down hard. Chris heard the bullet hit the building behind him.
Ezra saw Vin save Chris, and pulled his pistol out firing at Baines. He didn't hit him, but scared him enough to back away. The gambler raced his car over to his friends, screeching to a halt and ordering them inside. Buck ran to the car, jumping in the front passenger seat of the Buick, and looked back to his other friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris motioned for him to head to the car and started running himself. Vin was relieved when he saw his leader wasn't hit, but it turned quickly to dismay. The telepath realized in his haste to protect his friend he'd released the security guards under his control. Vin looked back and saw the guards he'd formerly had control over draw their weapons and point them at the fleeing sentient.
//Chris, DUCK!// shouted through the blond's mind. Chris dropped to the ground, grunted as a bullet blazed through his upper arm, and hearing another pass just over his head. Vin rushed to his side. Larabee saw the men preparing to fire again and tried to push them away with his TK, but couldn't summon enough energy to hurl more than one of them away. Vin grasped his arm to pull him up, and energy flowed into the telekinetic, allowing him to toss the two remaining guards aside. Chris found himself yanked to his feet and shoved into the back seat of the Buick. Vin jumped in after him, slamming the door behind.
"Go!" ordered the telepath.
Ezra took off in a flash, leaving a trail of rubber on the pavement behind.
Buck leaned over the seat watching the blue-eyed telepath take his overshirt off and press it against the older man's wounded arm. "You all right, pard?"
"I'm okay," said Chris harshly, holding back a groan as Vin increased the pressure on his wound.
Buck looked over his shoulder at the driver. "Anyone following us?"
Ezra glanced in the side mirror and shook his head. "I'm certain that they did not have time to summon vehicular assistance."
"Change of plans, then. We're heading to Nettie's."
"No," Chris argued. "We'll endanger everyone. Go back to the trailer like we planned."
"Chris, you're hurt."
"I'll live."
"That's right, you will 'cause we're taking you to Nathan. If we can't go back safely, we'll ditch the trailer."
"Thank God," murmured Ezra, who hated living in the traveling camper.
"You will do as I say, dammit!" yelled the blond.
Buck ignored his oldest friend and looked over to Vin who had been sitting quietly, awaiting the outcome of the argument. "Vin, anyone on our trail?"
The telepath closed his eyes and scanned, reaching his mind out as far as he could. "No, we're clear."
"It's settled." Buck turned around and dropped down in the passenger seat, pointing at Ezra to continue on. "Nettie's it is."
"You're a dead man, Buck."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wilmington called ahead to let his friends know about the change of plans. As they pulled up the gravel drive to the Wells' ranch house, Ezra saw the healer come onto the porch and watch their arrival. The clairvoyant stopped the car as close to the house as he could, and Nathan was next to it before the engine was shut off.
"What happened to you?" Nathan demanded to know as he helped Chris out of the back seat.
"Tried to outrun a bullet."
"I see you lost." Nathan motioned to the men around him. "Okay, let's get 'im inside." The healer took Chris on his injured side, and Buck grabbed the leader's other arm. They slowly made their way into the house, with Vin and Ezra trailing close behind.
Chris was starting to show some weakness from blood loss, but that didn't stop him from barking orders. "Ezra, I want you to get rid of the car in case it was spotted. Buck, follow in the van and bring him back here. We can't stay long; we don't want to endanger Nettie."
"Don't give me any of that, Chris Larabee." Vin hadn't noticed the smaller grey-haired lady before she started her tirade. "You'll stay until you're well, and if you try to leave before, I'll have Josiah tie you down!"
The telepath smiled at the feistiness of the old lady. She noticed his grin and sent him a wink.
"Nettie," Nathan called, "could you find some alcohol for me?" At her nod, he continued his directions. "Josiah, I'm going to need my bag from the other room, including the bandages." The preacher responded immediately, heading to get the specified items.
Chris groaned as another wave of pain shot through his injured arm. Nathan moved him into the dining room. "I want you to lie down on the table."
"I'm fine, Nathan, I can sit up."
"You will lay down or else I'll knock you down."
Instantly Chris positioned himself on the table, knowing better than to tempt fate with his healer.
Nathan Jackson noticed all the people crowding around, waiting to see if their friend was okay. Even the rescued teens moved toward the back of the room, standing close together with fearful eyes taking in everything. Nathan waved his hands. "Can y'all stand back for a bit? I gotta check him out." Everyone maneuvered their way out of the dining area, gathering around the doorway. The healer thought that was better, but not by much. At least they weren't hanging over his shoulder anymore. Nathan placed his hands upon Chris' wound and closed his eyes.
Louie was nervous. He'd never seen anyone shot before. Taking in the dark clothes and western boots, he asked nervously, "Is the cowboy going to die?"
Chris' head whipped around, pinning the boy in place with his glare. "Did he just call me a cowboy, JD?"
JD glanced at the redhead, not that much younger than himself. "I think he did, Chris."
"Don't do that," the green-eyed man said quietly at the boy. It was the low timbre that made Louie even more anxious. He scooted farther away from the door.
Chris wasn't upset, although he despised that nickname; he was actually relieved to see the three susceptives safe, knowing their mission had been successful. The telekinetic also struggled to keep from crying out as his healer pressed against his wound.
The telepath happened to be scanning his friend, trying to pick up on how badly he was injured when Chris reprimanded Louie. So Vin realized just how much Chris hated being called a 'cowboy.' He could definitely have some fun with that.
Sighing, Nathan opened his eyes. "It went straight through; he'll be fine with rest," he told those gathered around. The healer accepted his bag from Josiah, and started to unpack. He picked out some thread and a needle, handing them back to the empath. "Can you please soak these in the alcohol Nettie's bringin'?" Josiah nodded his assent.
"I'm not a damned sideshow," roared Larabee. "Everyone go away."
The healer nodded and pushed everyone except the preacher out into the living room, not wanting his patient more upset than he already was.
After Nettie Wells delivered the alcohol, she patted Chris' head gently before retreating with the others.
An advanced knowledge of the body and his healing ability let Nathan fix the damage quickly, sparing his leader any more pain than absolutely necessary. After the damage to the muscles had been repaired and he'd stitched up the wound, Nathan once again placed his hands over his friend's injury, willing Chris' body to start healing. Josiah watched the deep concentration of his friend, swearing he could see sparks fly from the healer to his wounded friend.
The healer smiled as he finished and bandaged the arm. "The bullet went straight through the upper arm with no nerve damage or injury to the bone. It'll be fine, although it'll hurt like hell."
"Nothing new," commented the injured man.
"Ain't nothing to be proud of." Nathan scowled. He and Josiah helped Chris into the living room and onto the couch, so he could be near his friends. Ezra and Buck had returned; both were relieved to hear that their friend was on his way to a recovery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Louie, Tamra, and Angel sat together on the floor near the fireplace. Not sure of their place in this group, by mutual yet indeterminate assessment, they decided to remain silent. That resolve didn't last long as Josiah, who felt the unease fairly flowing off the children, decided to intervene.
"Tamra?" The small blonde glanced up at the huge preacher. "How are you doing, my child?"
"Fine," she answered softly. Josiah could sense her confusion.
"Is there anything you want to know?" She shook her head. "How about the rest of you?"
Angel looked over at Louie, who nodded back at her. The older girl cleared her throat nervously, glancing at the group of men and Nettie before asking, "What's going to happen to us?"
JD smiled, "It's okay, we're going to send you to Haven."
"What's Haven?" Louie asked.
The preacher smiled. "Just what the name implies... a safe place."
"Sort of a refuge for people like us," Nathan added. "Somewhere Baines and the Guild can't find you."
"How did they find us?"
"Probably in a sweep," Tanner answered.
Angel perked up. "What's that?"
"It's where a Guild Scanner goes around, trying to pick up signs of sentients or susceptives."
"What's a scanner?"
"It's someone who can sense sentience," Ezra said. JD chuckled at his friend's tongue twister. The gambler glowered at him and said, "Not a very constructive ability except for its usefulness to the Guild so they can hunt down sentients more successfully. Luckily it's a rare talent and easily hidden, so Baines has a hard time finding anyone to hunt for him." He looked up to see Vin watching him. Ezra raised his eyebrows in question, but the telepath merely shrugged and looked away.
Tamra broke her silence. "But why does that man want us?"
"Baines is a power hungry son of a bitch," Larabee snarled. He yelped when Nettie slapped his wrist.
"I'll not have that kind of language in my house, young man." Six of The Magnificent Seven chuckled at the mortification of their normally unflappable boss. Their smiles were smothered when he turned the glare on them all.
"Sorry, Miss Nettie."
Josiah chose that time to deflect some unwanted attention away from his leader. He resumed the discussion of Paul Baines. "If he thinks you have a power or special ability, he'll try to use it for his own gain. And if he can't have it, he'll keep anyone else from having it."
"But we can't do anything!" Louie protested.
"Yet. You all are still unrealized; you're strictly susceptives." Buck referred to the fact that they haven't come online with their abilities thus far. "But when you get older and your power comes to you, who knows what you'll be able to do."
Angel took all this information in. "So where is this Haven you were talking about?"
"Can't tell y'all its actual location," Vin told the teens. "Very few know it; too dangerous."
"Its full name is Potter's Haven, but no one calls it that anymore," Josiah said. "Gloria Potter started it years ago after her husband was killed in one of the Guild's experiments. Mr. Potter was a wealthy businessman and after his death, Gloria wanted to do all she could to make sure no one has to go through the kind of pain she had to."
"She bought some land outside the country's borders under assumed names. The government has no authority over it, and she's hired protectors, so our friend Baines has no hope of finding it."
"And we'll be safe?" Tamra asked timidly.
Josiah ruffled her hair. "As safe as we can make you."
Once again the three teens traded long looks. No words were spoken, but at the same instant they turned back to the group nodding. "We'll go."
Angel frowned. "What about our folks? They'll be worried about us."
"You can phone your parents to say goodbye, but they can't go with you. And you can't tell them where you're going. It wouldn't be safe for those at Haven or for your parents."
Each child nodded sadly, appreciating the truth of the situation.
Nettie wanted to ease the look of devastation on the youths' faces so she announced that diner was ready. Chris begged off, claiming exhaustion, so Nate and Vin led him into one of the guest rooms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once the healer had placed Chris in the bed and fussed over him a bit, he withdrew, leaving the two friends to talk. The blond watched as Vin settled down into a chair next to the bed. "You were in my head, weren't you?" he asked.
"Yeah, sorry. It was reflex, just seemed faster."
"Can you do that anytime?"
//Yes.//
"Holy shit," Chris breathed as the affirmative echoed in his head. "How?"
"If I work at, I can do it with most people. With you, it's as easy as breathing." Vin looked almost apologetic. "I don't know why."
"I ever tell you about Sarah?" Vin shook his head no. "Well," Chris began, "she was better than sunlight. As beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. I wish I had a picture to show you."
"I've seen her."
"What? When?"
"I wasn't gonna tell ya, but somehow I got in yer dream last night. I saw what happened." Tanner lowered his head and refused to look at his friend.
"Vin?" No response. "Vin, look at me." Still the young man refused to look. At Chris' soft, "Please," the telepath finally raised his head, blue eyes wary of the condemnation he might find. "I'm not angry." Chris almost chuckled at the look of relief on the young man's face. "I'm a little overwhelmed, but not angry." He lay his head back on the pillow and burrowed deeper into the covers. "Sarah and I were a pair from the start. Buck couldn't believe how fast she 'tamed' me. We got married, and within a year Adam was born. My God, I was never so happy in my whole life. Even Buck stayed around, content to share in my family..." Chris drifted off.
"What happened?" Vin asked softly.
"The Guild," Chris spat, snapping back to the present. "The PCCA had just passed and Sarah's pa tried to turn me in. He never liked me, but there was one thing he never counted on Sarah was a telepath."
Vin gasped in surprise; he'd had no idea.
"Nowhere near as powerful as you," Chris told Vin, "but we could communicate pretty well. The Guild found out somehow and probably figured that the son of a telepath and a telekinetic would be powerful in his own right. When Buck and I left town for a couple days, they tried to steal Adam away. Sarah, of course, tried to stop them. I came home just in time to see them die," Chris said bitterly.
Vin tried to stop his friend's story, but Chris refused. He had to get his anguish out; it'd been held it inside for too long.
"I'm not proud of my reaction -- the men never had a chance -- but I don't regret it. I said goodbye to my family and then I told Buck to burn the house down with their bodies inside; I didn't want to take the chance on the Guild using their bodies for research."
Not normally a tactile person, Vin couldn't prevent himself from reaching out and covering his friend's hand with his own. //I'm so sorry.//
Chris was starting to blink from fatigue and his voice slowed. "Now you see why we have to stop the Guild. Why I have to stop the Guild."
"You were right the first time, Cowboy. We will stop them."
Larabee growled, "Just 'cause I have a hole in my arm doesn't mean I can't kick your ass, 'Cowboy'."
//In yer condition you couldn't beat a rug,// the telepath sent back at him.
"Fuck you, Tanner," Chris mumbled, drifting off to sleep.
Vin just smirked and settled in to stay with his friend. He was certain Larabee would sleep soundly, but didn't feel comfortable leaving him alone just yet. Buck knocked softly on the door before walking in.
"How's he doing?" the ladies' man asked softly.
"He'll be okay."
Wilmington looked at the younger man watching his oldest friend sleep. Buck realized Chris would indeed be all right with the help and friendship of the scruffy, blue-eyed telepath before him. He grinned and slapped Vin on the back, startling him.
"Watch it, Buckley."
Buck just grinned wider. "You go on and get something to munch on, Junior. Everyone else is done eating. I'll watch over ol' Chris, make sure he don't get in no trouble."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
At Wilmington's insistence, Vin left the bedroom and made his way to the living room, smiling when he saw Josiah helping the kids call their parents from Ezra's cell phone.
"Hey, Vin. Chris'll be fine, right?" Although he trusted the healer, JD knew that Tanner had a special bond with his hero.
"He'll be up and bitchin' by tomorrow, kid." JD smiled his relief. "Where's Ezra?" Vin asked, looking around the place.
"He and Nathan went to trade in the van for another vehicle so when Chris is better, we can leave."
"Oh, okay."
"Mr. Tanner?" Vin glanced up at his name and saw the small, older woman standing in the doorway.
"Vin, please, ma'am."
"Vin, then. Come on, you need to eat something." She smiled as the lean man slowly entered her kitchen, looking around warily, taking in everything. Too long on the run, Nettie thought. Over the past few years she'd seen more than her share of people running scared. She motioned him to sit down at the table as she prepared a portion for him.
He followed her suggestion and watched her scoop up some stew in a bowl for him, adding biscuits and a glass of milk to the tray. Tanner'd heard the others talk about Nettie Wells, but, until today, had never met the woman. She was a key member in the Underground Railroad system that Haven set up to help sentients, and Vin felt instantly, amazingly comfortable with her.
"Would you like some honey for your biscuits?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Do you need some salt and pepper?"
"No, thank you."
"Manners, I like that. I ain't used to gentlemanly behavior."
"Ah, hell. I ain't no gentleman, ma'am."
"What did I say about language, Vin?"
"Sorry, ma'am."
"Never mind that. You eat up." She set the tray before him and sat down on the other side of the table. As Vin started on the stew, Nettie reached across and snatched a biscuit off the plate. She nibbled on it while he ate.
After a little while, she commented, "The group sure has taken a shine to you, young man." She watched his expression quickly change from guarded to smiling.
"Feelin's mutual."
"How long have you been on yer own?" Nettie hoped she wasn't pushing too hard, but felt at ease and thought he needed someone to confide in. Vin finished his meal, taking the dishes to the sink and rinsing them off. The woman recognized the stall tactic for what it was. Once his self-imposed chores were done he came back and sat across from her once again.
"I been on my own fer a long time." Vin saw the openness of Nettie's expression and her willingness to listen. The story spilled out before he knew he started. "My mom died when I was just a little feller. I lived with my uncle 'til I got to be a teenager."
"What happened?"
"When my powers started to show, he wasn't so kind. He called me a freak and kicked me outta his house. Told me I should consider m'self lucky he wasn't reportin' me to the hotline." Vin referred to the national toll-free hotline set up by the Guild so that people could turn in suspected psions for a possible reward. "I lived on the street, met up with Baines, and got away from 'im. Been on my own ever since. Well," he chuckled, "'til I met up with this bunch."
Nettie knew there was a lot left unsaid in this man's story, but he'd surprised her by saying as much as he had. "You're a brave man, Vin Tanner."
"I think yer mighty brave, Miss Nettie. Not everyone's willin' to take the risk and help sentients."
"Ain't courage... it's fear. There's an old saying, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' And I don't plan on standing by when good people are hunted down and treated like animals."
The two new friends smiled at each other, enjoying the shared affection. Vin was content, knowing his circle of friends had just grown.
