Alternate Soul

Chapter 11

"What am I going to do if I lose my brother?" Jared was close to tears. He was really worried. It had been hours since Tomo called and told him about the attack. He hadn't known how bad Shannon was hurt. He said he would call when he knew more.
As soon as he had gotten off the phone with Tomo. His phone rang again. It was someone who told him a jet was waiting for him at the closest airport and to leave the keys to Doc's bus inside and it would be brought to the campground later.
"Shannon is strong Jared. He's been in more fights than I can count and he's always been fine. Remember that's how we all met is when you brought him in to the clinic to get stitches after a fight. It was the first time I had to patch him up but it certainly wasn't the last and this isn't going to be either."
"I know Doc, but this is the first time he has called the Echelon to get him. So, it must be bad."
"He called them because he had to use the shortwave." She was trying to reassure him.
"I know, I know. I'm just worried." He got up out of the seat to go make a drink. "You want a drink?"
"Sure." Doc got up to help just as they hit some turbulence and almost fell. Jared caught her and stood her back on her feet. It was the first time he had touched her since they kissed. She felt the electricity from his touch run through her and wondered if he felt it too. "Thanks" She said.
He just walked to the galley and started making their drinks.
"How long do you think until we get to Kentucky?" Jared asked.
"At least two hours."

Two hours and neither of them could get away from the other. Great. Jared thought. He hadn't been able to get that kiss out of his head. He had never thought of her in that way but now that's all he did. His brother is hurt and he's still thinking about kissing Doc. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to see where things between them would go. But he was afraid if things went bad then this great friendship that they had would be ruined and he definitely didn't want that.
"I wonder where they took her. Do you think she's still alive Jared?" Doc asked softly.
"Yes." He answered still lost in his thoughts.
"You know the Echelon is looking to you for guidance. They want to know what to do."
"Hell, I have no idea. I don't even really know why they take the people they do. Other than they are odd and when you run background checks on them they don't exist or they have been dead for years. So, their identities are bogus." He watched her closely. Her reaction talking about this was different this time. She looked away from him.
He took a drink and pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Jared hadn't smoked in years but every now and then when he got really stressed or nervous he had to have one.
"Jared what are you doing? You quit a long time ago and you know you're not supposed to smoke on planes."
"It's a private plane. I can do whatever I want." He said. He got lost in thought. Thinking about when they first met.
"Do you know anything about why they would take Haley?" He asked her without looking up.
Maybe now was the time to tell Jared the truth. He needed to know so he could make the right decision on what to do with the Echelon and The Knights of the White Shadow.
"Well do you?" He knew she knew something.
"I have heard that some have some kind of genetic marker that make them different somehow. I don't know exactly what that difference is though. I haven't really been able to talk to anyone who had studied it and I don't have the equipment to do it myself."
Jared's phone rang pausing their conversation.
"Its Emma." He answered it. "Hey Emma, have you heard anything yet?"
"I talked to Mike. He's one of your Shadow people." She half laughed. "Wow, I don't know if I'll get used to this cloak and dagger stuff." Jared had just let her in on the entire Echelon group and what they do. She had known about part of it but he needed help with it all now. So, he told her everything.
"Anyway, Mike said Tomo got there a while ago and took charge. He's in talking with Shannon. So we know he's awake. Mike doesn't know how bad Shannon is. He saw him briefly and he was incoherent then. Every time someone would try to touch him he would take a swing at them. The guys that got him on the stretcher are sporting some impressive black eyes and one needed stitches. They are hoping that he'll let Doc examine him."
That's my brother always a fighter. If he's swinging at people in a semi-conscious state then he'll be fine. Jared got up and went to the galley to make another drink and to talk without Doc over hearing.
"Emma, I need you to do me a favor and get ahold of Terry. I need him to run a check for me."
"What!? Terry is in on this too?" Emma exclaimed.
"More people than you could imagine. He's going to try to say he can't because he's busy or some shit. Tell him it's personal to me and Shannon. And that I have to make some of the most important decisions of my life based on what he finds."
"Who do you want him to check out?"
"I'll text him the name. Just the two of us need to know."
"Ok Jared. If I hear anything else I'll call you. Be safe." Emma hung up. Jared quickly text Terry and went back to his seat.
"How's Shannon?"
"He'll be fine. He's swinging at anyone that touches him so you'll have to take care of him. Tomo is with him but hasn't updated anyone." Jared took a drink and looked out the window. It was dark out but he could see they were flying over a city. The lights were beautiful. He loved looking at them. He wondered what all those people were doing right now. Did they know that the decisions he'd make over the coming days could affect their lives? It was just his little group. If he took on the A2 he was starting a revolution. He knew he could do it. He could lead the Echelon but is this what he wanted? Was this the right time? The right reason? Over a woman? Well not really it was for all the people the A2 had taken and would take in the future. But taking Haley was the straw that broke the camels back. Jared knew Shannon wasn't going to let this go. There was some kind of other worldly connection between him and Haley. He had loved her from the second he laid eyes on her. He hadn't needed or wanted to know anything about her he just trusted his heart.
"Are you ok Jared?" Doc laid her hand on his shoulder and rubbed gently. There was that tingle again. Had a kiss really changed everything. He closed his eyes. He had always felt soothed by her touch, but now.... Now every time they touched his mind went right back to the kiss and he wanted to kiss her again. He was fine as long as they didn't touch.
He turned and looked at her. How had he not noticed how beautiful she really was. He always thought she was pretty but now looking at her. He noticed she had incredibly soft long hair. He reached out and twirled a lock of it in his fingers. Her eyes could hypnotize you. They sparkled full of love and compassion.
She was frozen she couldn't make herself turn away. Something was happening here. Jared was making some kind of decision. She didn't want to move anyway. She was content to stare into his eyes forever.
He dropped the lock of hair and cupped her cheek. She leaned her head into his palm, half closing her eyes. He looked at her lips so full. She ran her tongue across them. That made something start twitching. He smiled. He ran his thumb across them.
"Jared I..." She started to say something