Caleb 13 - NSA

"What the fuck, Billy?" yelled Dean. "Why is a fourteen-year-old operating farm machinery? You know OSHA will be all over my ass about this."

"He was here helping his pa," Billy responded. "We let him drive because we can get stuff done far faster that way. He's a good kid and has been working the farms with his pa for years. He made a mistake."

"Where's the backhoe? We can use that to pull it out."

"We can't," Billy said. "It's in the shop. We're waiting for a new pump to arrive."

"Where's the next nearest?"

"Old Man Hardman's, but it's thirty miles away. Danny has already set out, but I doubt he's even halfway there yet."

I looked down into the ditch and could see the boy in the cab. It looked like he had a broken arm, and he was grimacing in pain. He was also in the water and was shivering.

"He'll get hypothermia if he stays down there much longer," I said. "We need to get him out at least."

Billy gave me a 'who the fuck are you?' look, but since I had turned up with his boss, he chose to respond like a professional.

"Cab's twisted, so we can't open the doors. The screen is safety glass, pretty much bulletproof, so we can't break that out, and the side windows aren't big enough for him to get through. We won't be able to get him out until we pull it out of the ditch."

I looked around. I had no idea if I could even lift something of that size with my TK, but I knew I couldn't do it with so many people watching.

"Let me go take a look," I said to Dean. "Maybe I can figure something out."

"Okay," said Dean, "be careful."

"Dean, what the hell?" asked Billy, "I've already told you..."

"Is him taking a look going to make things worse?" Dean asked quietly.

"He might injure himself climbing down," said Billy.

"You're worried about OSHA now?" Dean asked scathingly.

Billy had the grace to look embarrassed.

I clambered down into the ditch until I was at the side of the tractor. I was standing in four feet of freezing cold water. The poor kid was lying almost completely immersed in it, and his arm was sticking out at an unnatural angle.

"Hi," I said, through the side window. "I'm Caleb."

"Jonas," he replied through chattering teeth.

"How's the arm, Jonas?" I asked.

"It hurts."

"Jonas, I'm going to get you out of there," I said, "but I'm going to need your help."

"I'm kinda busy just now," he quipped, and I chuckled. The kid had balls. They were probably deep-frozen, but he had them. He had stopped shivering and was starting to get sleepy.

"Jonas," I said, "I need you to stay awake and keep talking to me, okay?"

I looked at the cab and saw how it had been twisted. It was only about an inch or two out of alignment, but it was enough to make opening the door impossible. I thought I might be able to twist it back and get the door open, but I needed a plausible explanation as to how I had done it.

"Humour me," I sent to Dean.

"Dean, you got any chain in the truck?" I shouted up.

"Yeah," he replied. "We use it for pulling stumps."

"Does it have a hook on the end?"

"Both ends."

"How long?"

"Thirty feet or so."

"Attach one end to your truck and drop the other down here. I think we can pull the cab enough to open the door."

"That won't work," said Billy. "The truck won't get enough traction, and even if it did the whole weight of the tractor is setting on the roof. You won't pull it out enough."

"Got any other ideas?" asked Dean, and Billy shook his head.

Dean backed his truck up almost to the lip of the ditch, taking care to not get too close and risk the edge caving in as it had done under the tractor. Then he attached one end of the chain to his tow hitch and then passed the other to me.

The other hands watched with skepticism as I found somewhere to attach the chain that looked even remotely like it might pull the tractor straight. My plan was to twist the cab using TK until I could open the door, but I needed a diversion.

"Now," I shouted. "Don't jerk - a steady pull."

Dean sent Billy to drive his truck. After putting it in low-range four-wheel drive, he took up the slack and began to pull at the chain.

As the chain started to tighten, I flexed my power and started to try and twist the cab. It felt like trying to lift a bowling ball with my little finger. Pain lanced through my head and my nose started to bleed.

I turned away so that nobody could see and pushed harder. The cab creaked and I saw it start to shift. The pain was becoming worse, like someone driving a needle through my eyes and into my brain, but it was working. I could handle the pain. I felt a trickle of blood from my ear, and I wiped it away. My vision was starting to blur when I saw the door swing open under its own weight.

I relaxed my will and the tractor shifted back.

My head was throbbing, and I wiped away the blood from my nose with my sleeve. I reached into the cab as gently as I could and tried to extract the boy. He screamed as his arm moved.

"Jonas," I said. "I'm going to press on your shoulder. There's a nerve bundle there, and if I get it just right, it will stop the pain. It will only last an hour or so, but it will help for now. Is that okay?"

He nodded and I put my hand on his shoulder. I pressed, doing an impression of a Vulcan nerve pinch, and at the same time, I blocked all the pain signals from his broken arm.

Dean, Billy, and the boy's father were clambering down. I was starting to feel dizzy, so I stepped back and let them retrieve the boy. I told Dean that I had blocked the pain for an hour, but he obviously needed to go to the hospital.

His father carried him out of the ditch and into his own truck, which was nearby. Dean helped me out and into his truck.

"You get that fucking tractor out of the ditch when the gear gets here," Dean said to Billy. "When that's done, come up to the house. We need to talk."

I heard him unhitch the chain from the back of the truck and throw it into the bed, then I heard him get into the driver's seat, and that was the last thing I remembered.

When I came to, I was naked, covered by a blanket, lying on the couch in the living room. My head throbbed. Jules was sitting on the floor, her back to the couch, but holding my arm around her and stroking my hand gently.

Amanda knelt beside her, her head on my lap. Mary was sitting on the couch, my head in her lap, and Ness was literally lying on the back of the couch above me, holding my other hand.

"If this is a wake," I croaked, "shouldn't I have pennies on my eyes?"

All the girls jumped - Ness so much so that she squawked as she fell off the back of the couch.

"Welcome back," said Mary, smiling down at me.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"About six hours," she said.

"Why am I naked?"

"You were freezing cold and wet," she said. "We needed to get you warm and dry."

"How do you feel?" asked Jules. She had turned around and was kneeling up, still clutching my hand.

"I have the mother of all headaches," I said, "and I'm hungry. Actually, not hungry - starving."

In no time flat, I was sitting up, supported against Mary, while Ness fed me a bowl of soup.

I could have fed myself, but since Jules refused to relinquish one hand, and Amanda was holding the other, I was at her mercy. Ness seemed to be enjoying playing nurse, so I let her get on with it. I was just desperate to eat something.

After the soup, she fed me two full dinners' worth of meat and potatoes, followed by apple pie. And then some more apple pie. And then I was finally replete.

"That really took it out of you, huh?" Dean asked as he came into the room.

"How's Jonas?" I asked.

"He's fine thanks to you," he said. "Doc said he probably wouldn't have survived another hour in that water. He'll be in a cast for a while, but other than that, no harm done. Doc also wants you to teach him about this nerve cluster in the shoulder that blocks pain messages. The boy wouldn't stop talking about it."

"Did they get the tractor out?" I asked.

"No," he said. "I'm going to have to get a heavy crane in. It's jammed tight. The backhoe couldn't shift it. You saved that boy's life today, Caleb."

"Team effort," I said.

"What team?" he asked.

"You ran interference for me," I said. "It was either that or set the cows dancing again."

He smiled. "His father wants to come and thank you too."

I sat up straighter. "He didn't see..."

"No," Dean said. "He saw a kid who had the brains to figure out a way to get his boy out of the jam he was in when everyone else was standing around with their thumbs up their collective asses. He believed the story, but he still knows you saved his son's life."

"You in trouble with OSHA now?" I asked.

He shook his head. "What OSHA doesn't know won't hurt me," he said. "The boy fell over and broke his arm. Could have happened anywhere. Not a workplace accident; OSHA doesn't need to know. They don't care about farm equipment."

I went to stand up, and then remembered I was naked under the blanket. I blushed.

"No need to be shy," Ness said, laughing. "I kind of already saw."

"Well, just remember," I said, deciding it was too late to worry about it, "that water was very cold."

Dean laughed. "That's what they all say," he said.

Amanda went and got me some clothes, and Ness had the decency to give me a little privacy to get dressed. I still had a headache, and wondered to myself if I had done permanent damage. Apart from the headache, which was fading, I didn't feel any different, but I hadn't tried to use any powers again.

Half an hour later, Mary, Amanda, Jules, and Ness were sitting out on the deck with me. Dean and Cheryl were in the house doing something.

"Testing, testing, 123," I sent to the girls. They winced.

"Too loud!" Mary sent back. That was strange. I had used my normal level of power to send but I dialed it down by half.

"How's that?" I asked.

"Much better," she said out loud. "Why are you testing, anyway?"

I sent them the memory of my using my TK to untwist the cab, and Mary and Amanda both paled.

"You could have done yourself some serious damage," Mary said worriedly. "Let me call Grandmother and..."

"No," I said.

"But..."

"No!"

"Caleb, we..."

"I'm seeing Dean's buddy tomorrow," I said. "I can ask him. Right now, I don't want to give the FBI any information about what is going on with me. If what I have been doing this week has damaged my power, they may think I'm vulnerable."

"But it's our grandmother," Mary said, looking upset.

"I know, hon," I said sympathetically. "I hate it too, but right now I don't trust any of them, not even my parents. They have all lied to me and manipulated all of us to get what they want - all, it would appear, at the behest of Maggie Forbes. Until I have a stronger position, I don't want any contact with any of them."

"Is that why you haven't turned your phone on since we left?" she asked.

She was right; I hadn't. My phone had been switched off since I had walked away from James and Maggie at the gym.

"The only people I want to speak to," I said, "are all here." I indicated the girls around me. "Mary, please tell me you haven't told your grandmother what our plan is." I tried to say it as gently as I could, but I could feel myself getting agitated.

She shook her head. "I haven't, and before you ask, neither has Amanda," she said. "Grandmother called me to tell me that the house had been sold. I don't think they know who bought it, since it was done via some corporation or other. She wanted you to know that it wasn't the FBI that was forcing us to move out."

"Wait, have Josh and Louise been thrown out?" I asked.

"Not yet," she said. "The notice to vacate is for next Saturday."

"I need to speak to them," I said, "to tell them to sit tight, no matter what the notice says. Let me speak to Dean and see how we can make sure they don't get evicted. I don't know about you, but I'm not in a tearing hurry to go back."

"I do miss talking to Grandmother," she said sadly.

"Let's get tomorrow out of the way," I said. "Once I've spoken to Dean's buddy, I will have more of an idea as to what our options may be. I also have a thought as to how Dianna might earn her way back into my good graces."

I had been considering that for a few days. I knew that the twins loved their grandmother, and I couldn't ask them to choose between the two of us. I also knew that Dianna was in a very difficult position, being under the command of Maggie and an agent in the FBI, but also a loving grandmother. Despite my knee-jerk reaction at the house, I did actually believe she loved me too.

But I was mad at her. In fact, 'mad' was an understatement. I hearkened back to the time we shared, and her assertion that I could basically fuck her back into my good graces. That was what had given me the idea.

Mary looked at me. "Will you tell me?" she asked.

"Only if you promise not to tell Dianna before I am ready," I said.

She nodded.

Since Ness was sitting there, I sent Mary an image of what I had in mind.

Mary's eyes went wide as an orgasm ripped through her. The other girls stared at Mary, and then at me.

"What the hell was that?" asked Ness.

"Mary just came," said Amanda in amazement. "What did you do to her?"

"I just showed her my idea for your grandmother to redeem herself with me," I said.

"Show me," demanded Amanda.

"Later," I said. "I didn't think it would have that kind of an effect on her, otherwise I would have waited to show her too."

"Can I see?" asked Ness.

"Sure, but later," I said. "In your case, about eight months later." I had stumbled upon Ness's birthday. It remained a mystery whether she, Jules, or maybe even Cheryl had made sure I'd learned it.

Ness pouted. "That's not fair," she said.

I smiled at her. "Good things come to those who wait," I said.

Ness stuck her tongue out at me.

Mary had recovered but was still breathing a little heavily.

"Caleb," she said, "Will you really..."

"It's totally based on what she told me that first night," I said, sending her the memory of that Saturday night.

Mary giggled. "Please can I be there when you tell her?"

I smiled. "I plan for you AND Amanda to be there."

Mary shivered.

"Just stop," said Ness, "You're doing this deliberately."

I stood up and steadied myself, still a little dizzy.

"I think I need to go to bed," I said. Despite my six-hour nap, I was tired, even though it was only just after eight in the evening. Jules and Ness walked with me to the bedroom and made sure I got into bed okay. Ness leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.

"Night, Caleb," she said as Jules curled up beside me, her head on my chest.

I was asleep before the door had completely closed behind Ness.

Four o'clock the next morning rolled around before I knew it, and I was wide awake. My headache had completely cleared, and, to my amazement, I didn't just feel normal. I felt downright incredible. I felt so good that I didn't even question why I felt so good.

I slid out of bed and got dressed before going downstairs and out onto the deck. Once again, the dogs were there to meet me, giving me a quiet, friendly greeting before settling down to enjoy the show. I wondered what they found so fascinating.

I examined the memories from James, deciding what to concentrate on, and noticed they looked different. They were clearer somehow. They were the same memories, but for some reason, I understood them better than I had before.

I chose one of the later katas to practice and started. The moves flowed much easier and felt more natural. Seemingly all the practice I had been doing had paid off. I ran through my entire repertoire, and everything just felt right. Unfortunately, I ran out of memories. I needed more.

Dean came out on the deck, two mugs of steaming coffee in his hands. I finished up and took a seat in what had become my usual chair, gratefully accepting the brew.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Surprisingly good," I said. "I did wonder if I'd done something permanent yesterday."

He shook his head.

"You shouldn't have put yourself at risk like that," he said. "The fact that you did says a lot about you as a man, Caleb. Jules tells me that you are constantly doubting yourself, second-guessing your motivations for doing things. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Reflection can be a very powerful way of making sure you are on the right path, but there have to be limits, and not just on how much or how often you do it. You do need to have some confidence in your beliefs and your intentions. You need to build up some kind of a foundation.

"You have good instincts and a good heart. You have proved it over and over again. Trust them and trust yourself. Also, remember you are not alone. There is always help available if you need it."

He got up and went back into the house, leaving me alone with my coffee and my thoughts.

"Caleb?"

I was startled; I hadn't heard Jules come out.

I smiled up at her. "Sorry, I was miles away."

"Ness told me to come get you," she said. "Breakfast is ready."

I stood, and before she could turn to go back into the house, I pulled Jules into a hug. With all that had gone on, she had emerged as the only person who was not involved in the games - the only person whose only agenda was to love and be loved. My doubts about the twins had lessened, but I couldn't say that they had been completely erased. I could look at the bond and see the love, but my doubt over the origins of that love was still present. What I felt from Jules was pure and certain.

"Thank you," I whispered into the top of her head as I held her to me.

Jules, for her part, had relaxed into my arms, and returned the hug, holding me, and allowing me to take whatever I needed from her. I knew that she would stand there all day and all night if needed.

Finally, I released her, and she looked up at me. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"I'm getting there," I said, trying to recapture my mood from earlier. "Let's go eat; I'm hungry."

She laughed. "You're always hungry these days," she said.

After breakfast and a shower, we all piled into two cars and drove the thirty minutes into the local town. My girls and I took Amanda's car, and Cheryl and Ness rode with Dean in his truck.

The town's main claim to fame was actually not in the town at all but was about ten minutes outside: a huge mall. Even thought I was only twenty, I found it quite sad that it was difficult to identify where in the country you were anymore. Most malls were all pretty much clones of each other, and, apart from some niche stores, were just full of big chains, selling the same stuff everywhere.

Jules was excited since there was a big electronics store there. She loved to browse around, and since her Daddy - or at least her Daddy's credit card - would be there, she was going to take advantage of the situation. The twins were excited because... well, girls and shopping, and Ness was excited to hang out with the girls, and of course her Daddy's credit card. Our plan was that Dean and I would go and see his NSA buddy and then meet up with the girls for lunch at the food court, or maybe one of the anchor restaurants.

After we left the girls, Dean and I traveled into the town, to the hotel where we were going to meet up with his buddy.

"His name is Major Wragge," Dean said in answer to my inquiries about his friend. "I already told you he was the CO of the Psi ops that were out in Iraq with him. I did a full tour with him. I'm warning you: he takes no prisoners. But I put my life in his hands more than once, and I trust him."

I nodded.

Major Wragge stood as we entered the conference room that Dean had booked for the meeting. I noted that although he was probably only in his mid-forties, he leaned heavily on a cane. He was my height and was solidly built. His hair was blonde, but like Dean's, it was buzzed short. He shook hands with Dean, and then Dean made the introductions.