Sparrow & Tulip

Rachel went back out, but the shooting had already stopped. Everything was quiet and in the distance he could sirens. Theo concentrated on watching Shep's chest but heard the strangers outside yelling to each other. Shep's eyes struggled open and he groaned.

"Stay still," Theo said quietly. "You got shot."

"You don't say," Shep whispered. "Vest got it?"

Theo picked up the bullet to show him.

"Buncha assholes," Shep whispered and closed his eyes again.

Theo wondered who he was talking about. The voices outside were coming nearer. Kawehi came in the door and knelt beside Shep.

"How's he doing?"

"He opened his eyes for a little bit."

"Good. Next time, try not to be a hero, okay?"

In spite of what she said, Kawehi leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

Theo felt his face get hot again as his heart pounded. If she was going to kiss him, he'd be keeping an eye out for chances to be a hero.

"That was incredibly brave, Theo. I'm so proud of you," Kawehi said softly, looking into his eyes.

Theo wanted to kiss her again but then someone climbed in behind her and Kawehi got out of the way. The woman that Shep had whistled at took Kawehi's place and unrolled a medical kit. Theo got out of the way as two more people climbed in.

He ended up sitting at the little table between Nate and the angry looking woman that everyone called Chief or Boss. The RV rumbled into life and as they pulled away, there was some clunking from the back. They began to roll forward and Theo jumped as both motorcycles roared past on either side. As they pulled back onto the road, he craned his neck and saw that two of their cars had been left behind, along with the trailer. There was smoke billowing from one car, and as they pulled onto the road, he saw flames beginning to jet out from under the hood of the other one.

These people seemed to really like burning cars.

"The people that were in those cars, they're okay? You got them?" Theo asked the angry looking woman.

"One of them is right there," the woman said, pointing at the woman helping Shep. "Two got on the bikes and Ian is riding in another car. I run this team and I don't leave anyone behind."

She acted like he was some kind of simple. Theo was already upset and embarrassed, and at home he would have known to keep quiet. But it had already been a very long, very strange day.

"You almost left him behind," Theo snapped, pointing at Shep. "People keep saying I shouldn't have helped him. So, yes, ma'am, I wondered if you left anyone behind."

Her eyebrows went up and she looked at Nate. "What's he talking about? I thought Rachel grabbed Shep."

Nate glanced at Theo, no expression on his face. "She went after the kid, they both dragged your guy back."

Theo looked at Nate and wanted to hit him all over again. A police car going in the opposite direction raced past the RV, siren screaming. Two more passed them a few seconds behind it.

"Anything about us?" the boss woman asked whoever was driving.

"Just 'shots fired,' so far." someone answered. "There's an off-site eighteen miles away, abandoned campground, overhead cover."

"Do it." She turned back to Theo. "You ran because...?"

"Because he was laying on the ground," Theo said, making sure to say it like she was the simple one. "I didn't see him until after that one threw me in the camper. Then Rachel came to help me pull him back. You can ask her yourself."

Marisol looked at Theo and it felt like a long time to him.

"Okay, kid, here's the deal," she said. "First off, I'm going to repeat what everyone said; stay under cover if shooting starts."

Theo started to protest, and she raised an eyebrow. He closed his mouth and she chuckled.

"Look, I really need you to stay safe. You're the whole reason we're out here. More importantly, you haven't trained with us. My people are used to a specific pattern of doing things. We practice a lot together. When people start trying to help, they get in the way. That make sense?"

"Yes, ma'am." Theo looked down and concentrated on the plastic tabletop. Marisol put her hand on the top of his head and turned him back to face her.

"Sometimes people yell at you because they're worried," she said, her eyes flicking to Nate's momentarily. "And sometimes they're just assholes who need a pop in the mouth."

Nate grumbled something and slid out of his seat. He went to the back where Kawehi was sitting. Marisol had a small smile on her face.

"Most importantly, thank you for going after Shep He's an old friend of mine. It was hardcore, just wait to do it again until you've trained with us, okay?"

He smiled back. "Yes ma'am."

She smiled at him, suddenly looking friendlier and younger.

"My name is Marisol. Stop calling me ma'am."

May 14, 2041

Previous site of KOA #302

REDACTED, Southern Ohio

The convoy, now consisting of the RV, one of the cars and both bikes, got off the freeway and followed a narrow, two-lane road for half an hour. Then they turned and followed an overgrown two-track. The branches squealed and scraped against the outside of the RV as it slowly pushed through the waist high grass. Ahead of them, one of the motorcycles was sitting beside a rusty old gate. Theo looked back and the rider was pushing the gate closed. The motorcycle caught up and slowly followed them along.

The two-track ended in a clearing. There was a large shed on one side and a collapsed building on the other. The engine died away and Theo noticed again how quiet everything seemed. After a few minutes, someone radioed that everything was clear. Theo stayed in his seat while everyone else gathered outside.

"You people just keep insisting on being all badass," he heard Marisol say. "If anyone didn't hear, this is an off-site. Let's get everything under the roof over there. I was looking at the map on the way here, no way those townies stumbled into us by accident. I want to know how they tracked us before we move a single mile closer to home. We're going to go through every piece of gear, every inch of these cars, until we find out how."

After they'd moved all the vehicles under the shed, Marisol finally let Theo out of the RV. Around him, everyone was busy with something. Some of them were laying out their gear, others had taken everything out of their old cars and were poking around the insides. No one mentioned him being brave but stupid, which was a relief. In fact, people stopped what they were doing to say hello and introduce themselves.

The medic came over to see what was going on. When she saw Theo, she hugged him from behind.

Rachel laughed at the look on Theo's face. "Aww, Deidre! You just scared him out of a year's growth."

Theo was turned around. The woman with the deep tan and red-brown hair gave him a big kiss.

"Hi Theo, my name is Deidre. Thank you for pulling Shep out of the line of fire. That was fierce."

"How's he doing?" Rachel asked, seeing that Theo had no idea how to respond.

"Not so hot. He got tagged in the middle of the chest with a round from a hunting rifle. The impact broke his sternum and a few ribs. Moving him would be..."

"Wait, you can't move him like that," Jonesy interrupted as he was walking by.

Deirdre glared at him. "Really? Strangely, I just said the same thing to Marisol. And, you know what? It turns out that I'm the fucking medical specialist. Would you believe it?"

Jonesy put his hands up. "Doc, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to step on your toes. I'm worried about that idiot and...y'know."

The angry look was gone as quickly as it had come, and Deidre gave Jonesy a hug.

"I know, me too. A little duct tape and he'll pull through."

"What can we do for him?" the short blonde woman named Betsy asked.

Deidre let go of Jonesy. "Moving him is out of the question, they're figuring out how to get a medevac in with the Head Office right now."

"Real medevac? To Echo? I think I want a transfer to a CONUS team," Willi muttered.

"Get the fuck out then," Marisol said as she walked past, slapping him hard on the ass. "Listen up, you animals. First item, the Administrator sends her warmest thanks and profoundest gratitude, her Ladyship's exact words. So, stop picking your noses, you've impressed the royalty. Second item, we're holing up for the next eighteen hours or so. Medevac will be here sometime after dark tomorrow. You'll know when I know. Third, and lastly, there's a cache here. Grab whatever you need, be sure to put it on the list beside the hatch. Questions? Can you not be a jackass, Willi?"

Willi put the hand he'd been waving down. "Can I talk to the team social worker? I think my boss is sexually harassing me."

There were chuckles around the group.

"You wish it was sexual," Marisol said. "First light, we'll start looking for the bug again. Put me on the watch list tonight. Now go get some sleep."

"You got an okay for a medical flight that fast?" Deidre asked as everyone else walked away.

Marisol shrugged. "Maybe it's the kid, or real-life Tango Agents. Either way, Lady Amanda is paying close attention. They would have sent medevac now, but the Marmots only fly at night."

"Medevac on a real live Marmot? Wowzers."

"It's almost like we're secret agents or something," Marisol said, bumping shoulders with Deidre as she went to find somewhere to sleep.

May 14, 2041

US 60 Picnic Area, Mile 43

Southern Ohio

Jacob leaned on the fender of the Cadillac, arms crossed and watched as Lon Stedman's pickup headed back up the dirt road they'd used to get here. The van, along with the corpses of Stedman and his brother-in- law, had been left back at the truck stop when they'd fled the sounds of police sirens. Jacob and Pebbleman had caught up with them, after grabbing a couple of the stragglers who'd taken off across the fields. They'd finally run them down at a small roadside park.

Their bravado ruined, none of the men had a word to say other than they were all going home. Pebbleman had tried to get them riled up for another chase but they'd ignored him. His own brother-in-law had started to put one of the wounded in the back seat of the Cadillac, but Jacob had kicked the door shut again, nearly catching his hand. Ignoring the glare and clenched fists, Jacob announced that he wasn't a fair-weather believer, that he'd stick to the job he'd given, like an American.

But nothing shamed any of them into staying. It was probably for the best, the Pebbleman was getting kind of strange. It wouldn't have been long before they were all asking questions Jacob didn't even want to think about let alone answer.

"As I said before, you are the only one I can place my trust in," Pebbleman said from behind him.

Jacob turned around and looked at the man. He was still wearing jeans too big for him with a buttoned-up work shirt. There was black dust around the man's mouth and nose. As he watched, Pebbleman took another bite of some charcoal he'd found in one of the grills. Jacob winced as Pebbleman chewed it noisily.

"Why are you eating that?"

Pebbleman looked around, as if he had some huge secret.

"Because it tastes good," he whispered and then giggled like it as the funniest thing he'd heard all week.

Jacob had had enough. "I put up with a lot today, y'hear? Tell me what's going on, or I swear to Holy Lord Jesus that I'll leave you here and head on home myself!"

Pebbleman stared at him, his black eyes expressionless. Jacob didn't care. Angel or prophet or whatever, the pale man owed him some answers. As he stared, Pebleman finished chewing. After a few seconds he spit a few black fragments out.

"Since you do not possess a sense of humor, I smell carbon in this. There are...processes. Processes trying to repair the damage done to my brain. It all requires carbon."

Jacob frowned. "And are you an angel of the Holy One?"

Pebbleman cocked his head slightly, staring at Jacob with emotionless eyes. The casual murder of McIntyre was very much on Jacob's mind but he'd never been one to back down.

"There are reasons why I should not answer you," Pebbleman finally said. Abruptly he was screaming. "Strong reasons! So, so strong that I would immediately end your insect life before I'd answer! End it bloody and leave the mess on your blessed porch. Let wifey see what kind of man you are! Inside and out! But those nest-less sshiit- heels closed that door to me!"

Jacob didn't look away, hardly even blinked. He was very happy he had the hood of a 1972 Fleetwood between them. Pebbleman shook his head and pressed his temples with his fingertips.

"I have startled you," he said, in a normal voice again. "The control of impulses was damaged, but it will be repaired soon. What I am trying to calmly relate is that I cannot remember why there are things you should not know. That concept is an obscenity, curiosity exists to be satisfied."

"I'm gonna go ahead and assume you're not an angel then."

Pebbleman waved his hand. "Of course not. Those are fairytales for children, put them out of your head."

Jacob's eyebrows went up. "And you being a servant of the Holy One?"

"I remember that. But that phase is secondary to recovering our filthy lamb. Now that they have escaped, I will have to attempt to use the interface of one of the rectum-biting Questions."

With that, the Pebbleman got into the passenger seat and folded his arms.

"Well, shit," Jacob said to himself. After a minute he got back behind the wheel. Even with a lunatic, this was better than hanging around that shit town.

May 15, 2041

Previous site of KOA #302

REDACTED, Southern Ohio

The next morning, Rachel stayed near Theo as the rest of the team continued to search for the transmitter that had given away their position. Despite their surroundings, Theo was delighted. Rachel had explained tablets and showed him how to use hers. He was especially taken with the electronic book application and spent an hour just browsing the books she had in memory. After a lifetime of hiding his curiosity and intelligence, he was finally allowed to set both free. She didn't try to explain the internet, no one was connected for obvious reasons, but she could imagine Theo's face when confronted with something like Wikipedia.

Jonesy came over to where they were sitting just before lunch. He'd been closely examining the other cars and piles of gear, including everything from the RV. He waited for Rachel to finish explaining how something worked on the tablet before he spoke.

"Hey guys, we can't find anything in the cars, so I'm trying something a little different." He showed them a small box. "This thing looks for all kinds of radio signals. Would you mind if I waved it over you?"

Rachel got up first and held her arms away from her sides. Jonesy waved the box over her, but nothing happened. Theo got up and held up his arms as well.

"Want me to turn out my pockets?"

"Nah," Jonesy said. "I'm just making sure they didn't hide anything in your clothes. Be done in just a second."

As Jonesy moved the device over him there was a small chirping noise. He didn't say anything, but Theo's heart was immediately pounding, and his stomach was full of butterflies. He hadn't done anything wrong, they hadn't even asked him hardly nothing!

Jonesy had Theo turn around and he repeated the process. Again, there was a high-pitched noise. Theo tried not to flinch, it sounded like the box was accusing him.

"Relax, kid," Jonesy said. "I think maybe there's something hidden in your clothes, not your fault at all. Would you mind taking off your shirt so I can look?"

Theo pulled off his shirt and handed it over. Jonesy examined it closely and then waved the box over it. Nothing happened.

"Weird, maybe it picked up a stray signal," the man muttered.

Theo saw the look on Rachel's face. She didn't think it was whatever the man had said. Then he saw Marisol and Nate walking over and Theo's stomach knotted up. His mouth was as dry as dust and his knees began to tremble. Jonesy was running his hands through his hair, but Theo hardly felt it. Rachel was saying something, but he couldn't hear over the roaring in his ears. The butterflies in Theo's stomach turned to acid as a hand captured his shoulder. They weren't hurting him yet, but it was coming. Then there was a brush over his back and shoulders and then over the back of his head. The box immediately chirped.

Theo's teeth began to chatter, his whole body shuddering now. They would beat him for this, he knew how it worked. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to tighten the muscles in his belly without throwing up. Any moment now the first punch would land, knocking him to the ground.

"Theo, I'm right here."

It was Kawehi's gentle voice, suddenly right beside him but Theo didn't dare look at her. She was going to hate him now and the thought made him even more miserable.

"Can you hear me?" she asked. "Everything is fine, I promise."

He felt more fingers lightly probe his neck and the back of his head. Nobody could know about that! Theo gulped, desperately holding back the sick coming up from his guts.

"Hey buddy, what's that little scar from?" Jonesy asked from behind him.

Now they all knew! Flickering black dots filled Theo's vision and he felt himself heave up the food they'd given him. There were distant sounds of alarm as his legs gave out. The last thing he remembered was the smell of sick and a slimy feeling on his face. It wasn't important now, he couldn't talk to them. Nothing mattered but hiding the secret. As consciousness faded away, Theo frantically tried to bury everything.

Deidre looked up when Jonesy shouted, just in time to see Theo collapse. She grabbed her med kit and ran over.

"What happened?" she demanded, kneeling beside him.

"Something in the kid's head pinged back when I scanned it. He was starting to get squirrely. When I asked him what the scar on his head was, he puked and collapsed."

Deidre gently opened Theo's mouth, making sure he wouldn't choke. Satisfied, she looked up to see Rachel crouched by the kid's feet.

"Grab his legs, we're going to turn him over," Deidre told her.

On his back, they could Theo's eyes twitching back and forth under his eyelids. His lips were moving slightly, it looked almost like he was repeating something over and over and over. Deidre put a blood pressure cuff on him and taped another probe against his chest. Her tablet beeped as it connected to the sensors and showed Theo's pulse was slowing but was still over 120 BPM. His blood pressure was low but slowly climbing toward normal.

"Where's the scar?" she asked.

"Back of his head, right below the occipital knob," Jonesy said. He turned Theo's head carefully and brushed the hair aside to show her a thin white scar. "It pings a RF when the active scan hits it."

"For chrissakes, don't power it up again," Nate warned, looking over their shoulders.

Deidre ignored him as she looked closer. "It's a clean cut, too clean to be an accident. Hand me the imager."

Kawehi handed her an open box with a small cylinder nestled inside. Deidre took it out and made sure it was connected to her tablet as well. A noise began, higher than a mosquito's whine. Deidre began moving it slowly over Theo's head and neck. As an image began to form, Nate crowded closer to see it. Deirdre stopped what she was doing and looked up.

"Back off and let me do my job."

Nate glared at her. "Keeping a Trojan Horse away from the Project is my job."

Deirdre rolled her eyes and went back to the imager. "Great, now go away, I'll let you know what I find."

He didn't move and Kawehi cleared her throat. When he ignored her, she went over pulled him back.

"Let her work, you'll know what it is as soon as anyone else."

They all heard him muttering angrily as he stepped back.