The Link

Chapter 19 - Sam

"None...No there's no more. I dumped everything. I swear, there's no more in the house." The voice was pleading and invading my dreams. I had a vague memory of its tone, something familiar I could barely place. My eyes were sluggish and fought the light when I tried to open them.

A person, the voice, was pacing at the foot of my bed. A woman, my mother, was talking on the phone. I closed my eyes when she turned, desperately trying to understand the call.

"Sammy," my mother called to me. My eyes shut too slowly. "I got to go, he's awake," she added before pocketing the phone. "Sammy, please wake up." She moved to the side of the bed and sat down. I felt her warm hand against my face. Memories, pleasant ones, came back to me. I was so much younger the last time I felt that hand's safe embrace.

"Hello," I said, trying to smile. My voice was raspy, and my lips felt chapped.

"Thank God," Mom sighed. She bent over me, hugging me close. It was strange how the past can swim back upstream and invade the present so quickly. I was ten again with a brief desire to never grow older.

"Who was on the phone?" I asked, trying to return to the now. Mom sat up with her sober smile. I had missed its strength. It was so...intentional.

"My sponsor, Pam" mom lost her smile and paused a moment, "I was thinking I needed a drink. She's been calling me every couple of hours." She bit her bottom lip, and her eyes went sad, "I'm still not good at it alone. Pam knows and made me pour out all your liquor." My eyes must have looked confused. "It's the stress," mom added quickly, "I didn't know when you'd wake up. Betty told me that it would be today, but the temptation was there. I'll pay you..."

"Don't worry about the booze," I interrupted, "you look good." Her smile returned, stronger this time. I received another hug that was as enjoyable as the first. "Betty was here?"

"She helped me get you into the house. I was going to call an ambulance, but she seemed to know what had happened." Mom looked at me and tilted her head, "What did happen? I barely understood what Betty was telling me."

It was hard to get started. I knew both my girls were okay for now. Fishing in the man's brain on the helicopter had told me how important their safety was. I also knew I was expendable, now ignorable. The one blessing is they didn't know how strong Teegan had become. They didn't know I could find her anywhere. They had brought Natalie along to limit the number of new people that would bond with Teegan. Natalie would be her 'governess' for lack of a better word. At least, they would have each other until I could get them back. The morons thought me an idiot, a petty criminal. I bet they didn't know where the Magna Carta was enacted.

I was on my third cup of coffee before my mom was satisfied with Teegan. I could tell she doubted some of what I said but trusted that I thought it was true. Most of her questions were about Natalie. The thought of a grandchild made her eyes sparkle.

"So the government took them," Mom summarized.

"No," I clarified, "it was a guy by the name of Douglas Corbett."

"The billionaire guy, Corbett Industries?"

"That's him," I replied, "he bonded with Teegan after she was born and sees her and her progeny as a profit stream. He somehow feels it is best for all."

"But you didn't see them. How do you know it was him?"

"I fished in one of his men's minds. The guy who orchestrated yesterday's kidnapping," I said, "it's what made me pass out."

"You can read minds?"

"Sort of. If I'm angry or determined enough," I replied, "it usually just feelings, and only those of Natalie and Teegan." I smiled at the memory of some of those feelings. "You can't do it for a living. You saw the side effects."