Chapter 3:

Mr. Tang was up the same time I was, the dirty look from the cold shower concealed a grin. “Whatever you did to me last night was worth the cold shower this morning. I feel years better than I have in ages. You will need to do laundry, a few loads from the look of it, that bed is a mess.”

“I’m glad, sir. Would you like an apple with your Cheerios?”

He laughed. “Do you ever eat anything besides that for breakfast?”

“I like it. Why change?” Pulling the single open box out from beside the other four family sized boxes, I filled two bowls.

There was a knock at the door while we ate our breakfasts. “I wonder who that could be?” Mr. Tang asked before taking a bite out of his apple. His lack of reaction took the worry from me.

“Morning, Nathan. Lu.” Greeted Sheriff Mallory, who was holding a silver and black traveling coffee mug. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting breakfast. May I come in?”

“Okay,” I shrugged, I knew that I didn’t have a choice.

Once back at the breakfast table, “Strangely, I find out that South Lawn’s quietest resident had become our noisiest. Helicopters, Federal agents, I even received a call from the Powers Regulatory Agency this morning.”

“Sorry.” I was in a way.

“Well, you do sound sorry, so I will accept it at face value,” Sheriff Mallory replied with no hint of humor. I gulped down my Cheerios, nervously. “They are kicking out the Fasools this morning. It seems that you are getting new neighbors, Nathan. I stopped by to let you know your rights and what we can and can’t or won’t do for you. So, listen up.”

I put down my spoon and gave him my full attention.

“What we can do is treat you like every other minor in this town. What we can’t do is go toe to toe with the Agency’s laws such as keeping you under surveillance bugging your house, computer, phones, person, dog, or anything else. They will know what color underwear you have on and if you washed under your pits every time you shower.” I grimaced. I had read as much, but listening to the hard facts, made it seem worse. The sheriff continued on for another twenty minutes, detailing what they could and weren’t allowed to do. Including taking me into custody if they thought I used my powers to harm others. I wasn’t allowed to destroy the bugs, since they were government property, anything else was fine.

“What I won’t do is come running every time you two have a pissing match. This is your home, you have the right and obligation to defend it. The how is up to you. As long as you are inside your own home, and someone is trying to force their way in without a warrant, you can use any means to defend it. Kapeesh?”

“Yes, sir.”

The older man pulled out a tiny notebook and pencil from his breast pocket. “Nathan, you don’t seem to be one of those Physical types. Would you be an Elementalist?”

At Mr. Tang’s nod, “Kinda,”

“What does ‘kinda’ mean? Are you, or aren’t you?”

“I’m not sure that anyone has a classification for what I do?” I shrugged, knowing that I needed to answer his questions unless Mr. Tang stopped me.

“What can you do, Nathan?” He still kept his face blank of all emotions, but the advice he gave was more than enough to get on my good side. Besides Mr. Tang seemed to like and trust him.

“I’m kinda a Life battery. I can suck it in and project it out.” His pencil tip broke.

Looking at the utensil, he set it aside and withdrew a new one. “And are you a Class V?”

“I wouldn’t know, sir.”

“The Agency seems to think so.”

The Feds could kiss my ass.

“Anything I should know? You know, for the safety of others?”

At My lawyer’s nod, “Don’t harm me, and don’t shoot me. My body sorta reacts on its own when I get hurt.”

“Would you be the one that is responsible for the cordoned off area in Chesterfield park?”

“I think so.”

“Think so?” Sherriff Mallory repeated.

“Is it the dead area of grass about six feet round?” I clarified.

“That would be the one. I’ll let the deputies know. On my side, that means you stand still and do whatever my deputies ask of you. They won’t do anything stupid and neither should you. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, also if any moron tries to pick a fight with you, you run away. We haven’t had a killing here since Mrs. Illerdale found her husband in bed with ... Never mind that. I don’t want to fill out any more paperwork after today about you. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you have any questions for me Nathan?”

“No, sir, I wouldn’t know what questions to ask.”

“If only my idiotic son had your head on his shoulders. Let’s take a look outside, I thought I heard the movers arrive.” They had, about ten minutes ago.

A few hundred feet away, a long blue and white semi was backed into the Fasool’s driveway. Eight movers were already busy with a sheriff’s car parked out in front keeping an eye on things. The old couple watched in dismay as their life abruptly was in the process of being relocated. The Fed, in her working blue polo and khakis, was talking to two other Feds while looking in our direction. After the two other Feds drove off with the Fashools, the woman looked over and then disappeared into the house.

“Is that the person who is your new liaison Nathan?”

“Yeah, the brunette Fed.”

“Try to keep your anger in check. It won’t do you any good.” I knew that, but sometimes I couldn’t help it. “Nathan, do you know what a “honey trap’ is?” The sheriff suddenly brought up, after seeing the Fed return to her car and bend over retrieve something.

“Sorta, it’s when they send a woman out to compromise a man, usually for the purpose of intelligence gathering.”

“Not just for that. Other things too. Look it up after I leave.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Don’t let that brain of yours go to waste, Nathan. See you around Lu.” The sheriff walked next door and spoke with the Fed while Mr. Tang ushered me back in.

My guardian didn’t stay long. He had a real job and other clients to handle and last night’s call was pretty spur of the moment. After he left, I wrote down everything the Sheriff advised. Both good and bad. Starting my summer vacation early like this sucked, but that was all I could do for now. Reading my biology text with highlighters and tabs at the dining room table with a twenty minute break every two hours was how I spent the rest of the day.

Thursday and Friday were the same with the exceptions of working in the yard, repairing the damage that and my nighttime manipulation of the Life field in the neighborhood.

Saturday, Mr. Tang arrived on my doorstep, briefcase in one hand and a box of doughnuts in the other. “Morning Nate.” My guardian arrived with a smile. That he brought his briefcase meant that lawyer stuff was going to be discussed.

“Morning, sir.” I led him to the kitchen table and took my seat at the right as usual. He sat in dad’s place at the head.

“The Agency made a mistake with these.” He pulled out the file that the Fed brought and opened up the cover. “I spoke with a friend, and she agreed. You have a very strong case.” There was no such thing as a ‘slam dunk case’

“Dad’s Certificate?” I still had troubles calling it a ‘death’ certificate.

“Yes, Nathan. Gregory is dead and we have the documents to prove it.”

“What about the rest?”

“You know, no one has successfully won a court battle against the Agency,” he replied with that enigmatic look which meant he was hiding something good.

“But?”

“But that doesn’t mean that they haven’t settled out of court. And quite often at that.”

“Oh?” That was news to me. “What can we do?”

“First we get the death certificate that you need to live better than taking daily cold showers and subsistence living.”

Shrugging, “I’m used to it.” I was.

“But you needn’t be. With your permission, I will file on Monday with the Federal Court in Springfield.”

“What do I need to do?” I trusted him. Without Lu Tang I would have been on the streets the month after dad was taken.

“Sign where I underlined and initial where I ‘X’ed’. You might be called to testify, but that is doubtful. With these documents, the Agency admitted his death.”

“How long do you think it will take?”

“Depends if they contest it and how hard. Two weeks to a year for the death certificate, then the fun part of the major suit for withholding the information from his minor son for three years. There is no way that they can prove that your father was a threat in that condition.”

Taking a sip of coke, he continued, “I don’t want them to think they can delay Greg’s life insurance by filing both suits at once. We should wait until they acknowledge his death before proceeding with your lawsuit.”

“I trust you. Do what you think is best, sir.”

“Nate, when are you going to start calling me Lu?”

“When you aren’t my guardian anymore, sir,” I teased with a rare smile. This was good news.

Mr. Tang stole the sole Boston Crème, his favorite, and left me with the rest of the baker’s dozen doughnuts. Claiming he had a busy weekend ahead. my lawyer headed to the office to finish working on my behalf. He had spent too many hours and too much money over the years on me and I hoped to one day have a way to repay him.

Twenty minutes later, I was seated on the ground on an old patio cushion leaning against the Russian olive reading my Biology textbook and taking notes. Engrossed in my studies, I didn’t notice my pair of visitors standing ten feet away until Mrs. Moore coughed to get my attention.

Two pretty women with light brown hair, albeit too thin to be completely healthy, one mother, one daughter, stood there in white shorts and nice blouses. Cheryl looked very nervous, but Mrs. Moore was beaming with happiness.

“Thank you, Nate, for saving my life.” The tiny girl who was two months older than I was, yet stood an inch short of five-feet and weighed less than a hundred pounds, said in a rush.

“Eh? You weren’t dying or anything. I just helped some.” Maybe more than some...

“Nathan, Cheryl had uterine sarcoma. My family has a history of breast cancer. With the young age that she developed it, the doctors couldn’t stop it from spreading. Her odds were good with Chemo and surgery, but that meant my daughter would be in and out of hospitals for years. Cheryl nodded in confirmation of her mother’s words. The unusual cheeriness of both set me on edge.

“Nathan. Nate. The preliminary test that Dr. Rosenbalm did on Wednesday, returned cancer free this morning. Dr. Rosenbalm wants her to come back Monday for a retest. Her complete remission shouldn’t be possible and we have you to thank for it.” Tears ran down the older woman’s face smearing the light foundation.

My embarrassment levels were too high. I couldn’t speak if I wanted to. It took a few gulps of breaths before I could get out, “It’s okay. I’m just glad it worked.”

“Can you look and see if there is any more in her? I will do anything.” Cheryl’s mom seemed desperate.

“There are tiny spots floating around, but they are mostly dead and should be gone in a few days.”

“Are you sure?” Cheryl asked in worry.

I’d forgive her for doubting me. It was hard to believe. Still, I hated when people questioned what I said.

Shrugging, “Yeah, it will be gone in a few days. No worries.”

Dropping to her knees and avoiding the lower branches with the sharpened pointed needle spikes, Cheryl lunged forward knocking my book aside and hugged me with all her strength. Not that it was much, the cancer must have taken a huge toll over the past year or two and not just physically.

Half crying, half laughing, she held me as if I were her savior or something. Mrs. Moore stood where she was, holding herself back as if she wanted to join her daughter in the hug.

Awkwardly, I held my neighbor, the first girl to hug me since I was eight, until she calmed down. With a brief kiss on the cheek, Cheryl released me and stood, dodging the sharpened branches. She had played at my house when we were younger and knew the perils of getting stabbed by the spring growth of the Russian olive.

“Nate, can you come for dinner tonight? Five o’clock?” Mrs. Moore asked.

“Sure.” I just hoped that they backed off the gushiness.

“I’ll expect you then. Come on Cheryl, leave Nate to his studies.”

“Thanks, Nate. See you later.” Cheryl waved and the pair left by the front gate.

I had a sudden chill thinking of them telling everyone it was my fault and the Feds reacting.

Rushing to my feet, I chased after them and explained that I didn’t want the world to know of my Powers. “ ... Only bad things can happen once the Feds get word. Please don’t say anything. Please, Mrs. Moore.”

“You can do a lot of good. But we will keep your secret. I’ll see that Cheryl keeps her mouth shut too.” With that same eerie desperate smile as before, Mrs. Moore closed the screen door between us, watching me walk into the yard, unmoving.

This morning, despite the emotional drama, might have been my best in ages. I snatched a peanut doughnut from the box and returned to my place under the Russian olive. Biology was calling and I had a lot to learn.

Dinner at the Moore’s was strange. Mrs. Moore insisted that I call her Josie, I didn’t feel like it was right, but she insisted. Demanded really, and I gave in with bad grace. Cheryl made chicken breasts stuffed with ham and blue cheese while Mrs. Moore, Josie, sat with me and talked about my plans. I had none besides learning all I could about biology and anatomy. This was all too unexpected and too new.

With plainly seen ulterior motives, she suggested that I might want to visit the children’s ward at the hospital and read or just spend time with the ill children. That, I wasn’t comfortable with. At all. Too many would catch on too quick that I was the anomaly in their recovery and pooft, off to a lab I go. As Mr. Tang said, there were ways around my abilities and if the Feds were desperate enough, they would find a way.

“I’ll think about it, but not until I know more. Everything is too new and a little mistake could kill someone.” Josie dropped the subject and then asked if there was any change regarding my father?

“Mr. Tang thinks he can get dad’s death certificate. With that, I can get his life insurance released and pay off my loans.” Shrugging. “IF the Feds don’t fight it too hard. It could drag on for years or a month. He says it’s up to how the Feds want to play it.”

“And if you get the insurance money right away, then what will you do, Nate?”

“Still don’t know. The house needs a few things fixed and I need a better internet connection. Books, lots of books.” Mrs. Moore, Josie, didn’t offer any suggestions, believing that I needed to set a course for my life and live it.

Cheryl offered a few suggestions from the kitchen between preparation of dinner and sitting with us. Most were not feasible, since I was not allowed to enroll in college without a high school diploma and that wasn’t happening any more.

“Get your GED. Then you can enroll at the local college. It’s something at least and you won’t be home alone all day.” Cheryl offered, acting as if she solved world hunger.

I was sent home with a two dozen fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. First ones that I had in four years. Lying on the grass in the back yard and eating my cookie, I watched the sparse clouds pass by. GED and college. I did want to find out more about the human body and that was probably the best way now.

There was no way I would be getting an engineering job, even if I did get my degree at a real university. Winchester College would have to do, maybe a few biology classes to start. First, I would go back to the book store and get a GED guide and find a pretest online.

...

Sunday a small moving van arrived at the Fed’s house, followed shortly by a second from a different company. A tall, athletic blonde joined the average sized brunette living next door as my latest designated Federal stalker. She was in MORE perfect health than the first one. I didn’t think that was possible.

Sometime before noon, the blonde Fed with a short low ponytail, leaned against the chain linked fence wearing jeans and a flannel shirt with sleeves rolled up. “Nathan, do you mind if I come over and introduce myself?” the new girl asked cheerily, naturally full of energy.

Placing my bookmark, I closed the text. “Sure.” I went to get up to meet her in the house but she waved me off and easily hopped the fence with a hand on the top rail and her feet never touching as they swung parallel over it. Landing with grace, the blonde Fed brushed the dirt off her hands left from the slightly rusted top bar.

“Is that your attack tree?” she asked smiling. “Nathan, I am Lieutenant Veronica Lake of the US Army. I’ve been assigned to you as a watcher and bodyguard. Assistant too, if necessary, too.” Twenty-four-ish, about my height of 5’10”, pretty, not overly though. No makeup other than lip gloss, blue eyes, Nordic build, easy smile, along with a very friendly air. Lt. Veronica Lake was in excellent shape both emotionally and physically.

C-cup probably. I did my best not to stare.

I knew I was way outmatched in every sense of the word. “I need a bodyguard?”

“Someone thinks you do. I read that if you get hurt then a ‘Sphere O’ Death’ forms centered on you. Don’t you think that might be bad?”

Playful and sarcastic. Dealing with Lt. Lake wouldn’t be easy. “Okay.”

“Just ‘Okay’?” Seeing as how I wasn’t going to banter with her, she continued, “This is my card, it has my cell and email. I wrote my personal email on the back too if you don’t want the world to read it but then you would have to send it from a place not in your house.”

“You just admitted my house was bugged.”

“Your phones, your internet and probably a few bugs inside that ended up here and there when you weren’t looking. Not my doing or interest unless you are planning on Rampaging. Are you?” she asked with a smile.

“No.”

“Why the look? Not everyone is out to get you, Nathan.”

I snorted in disbelief. She admitted that she was going to be my watcher along with the other Fed.

Sitting across from me on the lawn cross legged, she kept speaking when I only wanted her to go away, “Nathan, my job is to keep you safe and make things easier for you. May I have your cell number and email address?”

“I don’t have a cell and my email is xxx@xxxx.org.”

“No cell phone? I’ll requisition one for you. I do ask when you go to town or anywhere in public, please let me know. I can either follow at a discrete distance or tag along. I don’t mind driving or can ride with you.”

“But you need to stalk me, right?”

“It’s pretty hard to be a good bodyguard if I am not by your side.”

“I don’t think I need a bodyguard nor want one.” I definitely didn’t want a stalker.

“If you give me your word and keep it that you won’t leave the immediate neighborhood, I won’t peek in your windows or put a tracker on you. I would have used the front door this time, but saw you sitting here when I was exploring the property. I noticed that you have fences on both sides of you, but you don’t have one behind your property. Were your neighbors trying to keep you out?” she teased, changing gears in mid thought.

“The Moore’s have a pool. The Fashools used to have a terrier that died two years ago, they were afraid of the racoons eating it.”

“And the promise?”

“I’ll think about it.” Not that I had a whole lot of choices.

Not moving from her position, nor done with the conversation, she continued, again, “I read about your parents. Why were you not granted Scionship?”

She sounded genuinely interested. Maybe her report of me wasn’t complete. “The Agency never released his paperwork and has dad’s body hidden away somewhere. No paperwork, no body, no death certificate. According to the courts, he is still alive.”

“You are one of the tens of thousands of orphans in limbo. At least you have a nice house to live in. Your guardian is Lu Tang. How does he treat you?” she asked pleasantly and possibly sincerely. Her aura was different than anyone else’s I had met.

“Great,” I honestly replied. Never would I say anything remotely negative about Mr. Tang and all his work for me over the years. I owed him more than I could ever repay.

“That’s helpful. You were thirteen when it happened. How did you keep the house?”

It was no secret. “When mom died, she left me her life insurance. I’m using that to pay for everything.” It was supposed to be my college fund.

“But it wasn’t much was it? Sergeant Dubois’ report on the condition of your house...” She tried to come up with a polite way to say sparse. “Poverty stricken.”

That about summed it up. Mr. Tang and I had planned for five years with me paying all the bills and were still short by a few months without his help.

Changing the subject, the blonde Fed said, “I see you are studying biology. What will you do about school?”

Shrugging, “Get my GED. Maybe Community college if I can find the money.”

“I’ll make you a deal. The carpeting needs to be ripped up in my bedroom. You help me with that and some other chores around the house and I’ll help you study for the GED.”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

“You’re missing out ♪ ... You have a phone in your house, right? Call me before you go to the bookstore to get materials or for any other reason at all. Even if it’s to bitch about being ‘stalked’. I’ll help you with what you will need. Or stop by and I will go with you.”

I shrugged at the noticeable lack of choices.

“Nathan it’s nice to meet you, Call me Ronnie.” Smiling, she stood, brushed off the back of her jeans and exited though the front gate. She did give me a knowing smile right before exiting the back yard, to acknowledge that she had caught the teenaged boy watching a pretty girl in tight jeans walk away. Even with my mind lost in the clouds at her overwhelmingness, I still was a healthy sixteen-year-old. My tell-tale-blush gave me away even with me ducking down pretending to reread the chapter on plant’s cell structures.

“He’s a nice kid.” Veronica Lake walked in the door of her new home for the next two years.

“He’s also a Class V walking, talking, death generator,” snapped Agent Dubois.

“Yet you were going to live with Nathan, so complain elsewhere. My job is to keep him healthy. Yours is to spy on his life to make his life miserable while quaking in your boots in case he does go ‘Rampaging’.

“Don’t give me that shit. You are ‘spying’ on him too,” her roommate accused snidely.

“It’s secondary and he knows it. And. I’m not a PRA or a cop. If you need me, I will be ripping up the carpeting. Nathan might stop by, if he does, holler please.” Knowing that talking to Agent Jessica Dubois or any Agency drone was useless, the Army Intelligence officer wasn’t about to waste time in fruitless debate. Besides, that room’s carpet and drapes smelled like old people on the way out...

I decided against the bookstore today. I did spend time on the internet reading up on the requirements for a GED. The test was comprised in four parts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and English. Taking the practice exam online, I aced everything but social studies. That I only got a seventy on. The questions on dates, I could only guess at, but those were memorization problems and not hard.

Monday morning the Fashool’s front lawn had rolled up carpeting and large black contractor bags lined up waiting for Wednesday’s garbage day pick up. Ronnie wasn’t kidding about ripping up the carpeting in her room. Probably other rooms too since there was a lot of it.

Eating my usual breakfast of Cheerios, a half an apple and a glass of milk. I saw my new ‘bodyguard’ run down the street towards our houses in skintight black running shorts and a dark green T-shirt with ‘Army’ in white blazoned across the chest. A half hour later after I finished cleaning the house and started laundry, a knock came at my door.

In a tight black T and jeans, the freshly showered bodyguard / stalker stood on my porch. “Hi, Nathan. Are you still interested in going to the bookstore today?” Ronnie asked with an early morning smile. One of those that said I’m happy to be alive and all is right with the world.

“I haven’t showered yet.”

“Anytime. Just let me know. I requisitioned your phone. It should arrive tomorrow sometimes. Hope you like black.” She waved and quickly walked across our shared lawns returning to her home.

Her home. That was odd to say or think. I wondered where the Fashools ended up and if they would be okay. Stupid thought. No, they weren’t okay. Both were dying and were just evicted out of their home. Fucking Agency and their stupid paranoia.

I did want to go to the bookstore this morning...

Sigh...

“Damn...”

Sigh...

Putting my shoes on and grabbing my wallet, I walked next door and knocked. The Fed answered in khakis and polo, must be a uniform or something for her.

“Hello, Nathan.”

“Hi, is Ronnie here?”

“One second. She is upstairs, you can come in.”

Uncomfortably, I entered and remained in the front hall while the brunette Fed walked up the stairs. The house still smelled bad. Like old people and baby powder. The few times Mrs. Fashool asked me inside were mainly to help move things that were too heavy for the elderly couple. Mostly they kept to themselves and their church.

The Feds both came down together. What struck me as odd was that there was tension between the two and that the brunette Fed was not pleased at all with Ronnie.

“Let me get my purse. Be right there.” The Fed walked past while Ronnie went into the next room and returned seconds later. Pulling out her keys from a large olive green purse, she led the way to her jeep.

“I’ll drive. You can show me around town. I heard that you even have a genuine Drive-in-theater.” We did, one of the two in the state.

She had a solid green jeep with a soft top. The radio was a dead giveaway. Besides the cheap am/fm one, there was a large base attached below in the console.

“Yup, Uncle Sam provided,” she replied noticing my look. “Has all the bells and whistles, just a crappy radio. But free gas and insurance and no car payments. Best of all, it’s dry as long as it isn’t raining.” Tapping on the canvas. “Lowest bidder for after market tops and it shows.” Glancing at me after she backed out of the drive. “I won’t bite, you can relax.”

Ronnie was going to drive me crazy with her manic attitude. I tried to relax.

“How about directions to the bookstore and everywhere else. Is there a mall in town?”

“Clarkston has one, its twenty minutes away.”

“Point the way...”

She left the car running, and turned to ask me, “Did you take a pretest?” We had just pulled in the parking of Rider’s book store.

“Yeah, I sucked with the dates in social studies,” after a few seconds, I admitted to my lack.

“What else, any problems?”

“No, the rest was easy.”

“Those would all be the ones from your senior year government class you haven’t had yet. I know where to start.” Turning off the engine, she hopped out of the car faster than I had my door opened. Not for the first time, I wondered if she had a Physical Power and which one.

Grinning as if reading my mind, “Four years at the best Academy on Earth. You’d be amazed what good healthy competition can do for the body and mind. Come on slowpoke.”

“Ugh, it’s going to be a long day,” I murmured to myself.

Ronnie was decisive, at least. Five minutes, and she was holding two manual sized books, one a GED social studies specific book and the other a Government school book from the used section.

“My suggestions, my purchase. If I’m right, you reimburse me. If not, I eat the cost. What do you say?”

“I’ll trust you. I’ll pay,” I replied stubbornly.

“Up to you.”

The GED help book was more expensive than I planned but the text book was only five dollars, which mostly evened it out against the hundred-seventy-five dollars for the other.

South Lawn, Missouri, located near the southwestern border of the state, had a population of fifteen thousand people. There wasn’t much to see in the main blocks of downtown, but I dutifully pointed out the two banks directly across from each other, the police station, library and courthouse. Mr. Tang’s office was a couple blocks away and I gestured behind the Mrs. Friday’s Restaurant pointing out the location, even if it couldn’t be seen from 5^th Avenue.

“Where is the mall?”

I was hoping to skip that. “Make a left at Pine Avenue, take that to Route 14 northbound.”

“Nate, what do you think of Jessica?”

“Who? Oh, her. Not much.”

“What do you think of me?” She asked with a grin, focusing on the road and the people crossing the street wherever they chose. Not too many but this was where the few offices our town were grouped together.