Chapter 20: Run, Run, Get Away

"Well, where did you find the tracker?" General Branch asked the security team member on the phone, his voice cracking with anger. "I see. Get back to Phoenix, to the National Guard Hanger at Sky Harbor Airport. That's our CP for now," he snapped, before disconnecting the call and whirling on Master Sergeant Denison.

"Did that bitch call Connor?" Robert asked angrily.

"No sir," Dick snapped. "The only two calls she's made were to her kids, telling them to go straight home."

"I expected her to do that," Robert mused. "After the scare I threw into her, I'm surprised she didn't go pick them up personally. I wonder what scared him off?"

"If he found the tracker, he may have just bolted," Dick replied with a shrug. "He was a Ranger, and an investigator now. My bet is that he's pretty cagey."

"Yeah, well, we need to find him," Robert growled. "He needs to die, and in a way that ensures the Captain comes to me for protection." He turned to face the Master Sergeant, and in a quieter, deadly voice, said, "That's the only way I'll get what I want, and the only way you'll get your hands on either of those kids. Find him, and get him into a position close to the Captain, so we can finish this."

"Yes, Sir," Master Sergeant Denison replied, and hurried from the room.

Kim slammed her books down on the kitchen counter and announced to the world, "Men are jerks."

"Is that what you learned at school today, or is that just a general observation?" JJ asked, as Amy began scanning the room for bugs.

"They have a one-track mind," Kim said, in response to JJ's question.

"I can only detect one bug," Amy informed JJ. "It's in that plant on the counter."

"Thank you Amy," JJ said courteously. "Please tell Alice and Aaron how to find bugs. They can search the house for any more."

JJ saw Kim stiffen, and knew that she had received the message. A door slammed down the hall, and she knew Blake had been informed, too.

Twenty minutes later, the three of them sat at the kitchen table. Three bugs had been found. The plant on the kitchen counter had been set on the back porch and watered. JJ hoped the bug was expensive. The bug in the living room was listening to Blake's boom-box play hip-hop and rap. Someone's brain was going to rot. JJ hadn't decided on what to do about the one in her bedroom yet. The bugs made JJ feel threatened. They made her feel like her children were threatened. That was not a good thing, for the General.

"Okay," JJ said, getting herself under control. "In the interest of maintaining some type of normalcy, I think we should review our first full work-day with our Companions. Kim, you mentioned that men are jerks. I'm not sure why you find that surprising, but you are only seventeen. What happened?"

"Every guy that I talked to today only had one thought," Kim replied angrily. "All guys think about is sex!"

"Duh," Blake said, sarcastically. "Blame Mother Nature!" Blake continued. "She hard-wired guys, especially teens, to think like that. Especially when we talk to a fox."

"You think I'm a fox?" Kim asked, startled.

"No," Blake answered defensively. "I said we're wired to think like that when we talk to a fox. If every guy you talked to thought about sex, then they must have thought you were a fox. Completely different situation."

"Good, analytical thinking," JJ said with approval to Blake, while trying to hide a smile. "Kim, Blake's right, in a way, but don't be upset about it. I'd be really hurt if Caleb didn't think about ... um ... you know, when he saw me."

JJ turned to Blake and asked, "How about your day?"

Blake rocked his hands like a balance scale, saying, "Not bad. Not great, but not bad. Remember the bully I told you about that was bothering me?"

At JJ's nod, he continued with, "He came around today. He tried to shove me a few times, but it didn't work this time. With Aaron's help, I was able to counter everything he tried by just moving out of the way. He kept trying until one of the teachers saw him, and took him to the office. He's probably going to try to kill me tomorrow," he said glumly.

"I don't think that will happen," JJ said drily. "Anything else? Any other complications?"

"Linda Sands doesn't really like science fiction," Blake said dejectedly. "She only said she likes sci-fi to talk to me. She didn't even read the Heinlein book I recommended for her! She read reviews about it."

"You know, honey," JJ said carefully. "If two people like each other, they don't have to like all the same things."

"I know that, mom," Blake said. "But aren't relationships supposed to be based on honesty?"

"Yes, they should," JJ replied carefully, trying to offer the best advice possible. "The thing you need to ask yourself..." JJ paused and glanced at her daughter before continuing, "The thing both of you need to ask yourselves, is why? Caleb didn't tell me about Al, so you could say we didn't start our relationship based on honesty. On the other hand, he had very good reasons for not telling me."

JJ sighed before saying, "Blake, you liked Linda before receiving a Companion. Kim, I'm sure you liked some of the boys that you're angry at, before you received a Companion. I'm sure that you were 'In Love' with at least a couple of them."

"I wasn't that bad, mom," Kim protested.

JJ ignored the rejoinder, saying, "So you discovered they weren't being completely honest, or were too focused on certain aspects of the relationship they hoped to develop. If you two liked someone before receiving a Companion, and feel disillusioned now, you need to be careful about rejecting them out of hand. Remember, you have an unfair advantage now. Ask yourselves why they are so inappropriately focused. Maybe it is like Blake said, Mother Nature. Or maybe they just wanted to get to know you better, and couldn't think of another way to do it than to pretend to like something that you like. Even if Linda didn't read those books, Blake, she did go to a lot of trouble to find out about the books, so she could talk to you about them."

The teenagers nodded sheepishly before Kim looked up and asked, "How about your day? Why is the Army bugging our house if they're watching Caleb?"

"My day started out pretty fantastic," JJ admitted with a brittle smile. "They call a doctor's office a doctor's practice, because that's really all doctors can do. We try to heal people. When we fail, we need to learn from the mistakes and apply what we learn to the next similar case. This morning, I don't think I was practicing. I knew exactly what to prescribe, and why."

Then she gave a bitter chuckle before saying, "That General that I told you about, General Branch, came to my office a little after noon. I think I need to show you what happened, and what I found out."

Their Companion's connected, and in moments, JJ passed the full scenario from her office to her kids.

"Do you think Caleb's guilty of anything?" Blake asked guardedly.

"No way," Kim said, reluctantly.

"Not for a moment," JJ said, discarding the moment of doubt that she had felt.

"I don't think so either," Blake said. "I don't like the way he turned our lives upside down, but I don't believe that he would do anything like what that General said."

"So what do we do now?" Kim asked worriedly.

"Caleb has a plan," JJ said. "We're aware of the danger, and we're not helpless. We sit tight, and follow Caleb's lead. If it gets dangerous here, we go to Mom and Dad's place.

"I guess that's all we can do," Blake agreed, thoughtfully.

"Wait a minute," Kim protested. "I have to go to Linda's this evening. We only have two weeks to finish our report for Honor's Lit!"

"Honey, our lives are more important than a school report," JJ pointed out.

"Mom, this report is half our grade for the semester," Kim explained, trying to sound patient, but only emphasizing her agitation. "I really need to go over there tonight. I can drive, or you can drive me, but I really need to go. We're supposed to meet at seven, and work on it for two hours."

"I'll see what I can figure out," JJ said with exasperation, wondering when teens learn about priorities.

Kim huffed, and headed towards her room.

Blake began thinking about how he had been able to avoid the bully's blows and pushes. Now, if he could enhance that surprising ability just a little...

Aaron began pulling memories from Al, of Caleb learning to fight, and inserting the memories into muscle memory areas of Blake's mind.

"Where are we going," Jorge asked curiously.

Caleb was driving the old Dodge towards Mesa, while considering the different options available to him. He didn't think the Army, or the General, had connected him to Francisco or Bianca, so that was going to be his first stop. Bianca had his power-of-attorney, and was also a signatory on his banking accounts, so the connection would be made eventually. He had been serious when he told JJ that Bianca thought she was his big sister.

Caleb thought he could also do a good thing for Jorge. The boy, or man Caleb corrected himself, needed a break. Caleb was going to make sure he got it.

"We're going to the restaurant where I saw you the other night," Caleb replied. "Tell me, is being a used car salesman what you want to do with your life?"

"No," Jorge said emphatically. He shrugged and said, "It's just a job to make some money, and to stay busy until I can find something better. I'm going to change my life," he said with determination.

Caleb nodded before saying, "My friend, Francisco, runs that restaurant. Maybe you've met him?"

"Big guy, eats babies for breakfast and nails for lunch," Jorge replied, nodding. "Si, I've met him," he said, shivering.

Caleb chuckled and said, "Yeah, that's him, but he's not quite that bad. I'll tell him you said that though. He'll like that. Anyway, Francisco has helped me get guys and girls that end up on the wrong path, back on the right path. I think he can help you."

"I thought I was going to help you get away from the Federales," Jorge objected.

"I think you can help," Caleb agreed, "But I'm not sure of the best way yet. I need to talk to Francisco first." He hesitated a moment before saying, "Jorge, I'll be telling Francisco some things that you can't know about. If you knew, it would put you in danger. I'll take you in with me, but when I get to the sensitive information, I'll have to ask you to leave. Please don't take offense when I do that."

"I understand," Jorge said with a nod. "All holy men carry other's secrets."

"I'm not really a holy man," Caleb said guardedly. "You know that, don't you?"

Jorge chewed his lip for a moment before slowly explaining, "I know you are not a priest. My mama told me once that a holy man can come in any kind of package, and that the priesthood was not the only one. She also said that not all priests were true holy men," he concluded on a grimmer note.

The recently reformed gang member glanced at Caleb before focusing on the road ahead, and saying, "Many people see to the heart of things. Many people know the right thing to do, based on what they know. Few people can do both. A person that can do both, and do them well, is a holy man. You are a holy man."

Caleb sighed, as he pulled into the parking lot of Refugio.

"JJ, I'm at Refugio. Are you and the kids okay?" Caleb asked JJ thru their telepathic connection, via their Companions.

"We're home and safe," JJ replied. "There's a car parked in front of the house with two men sitting in it. I assume they are the General's men."

"Good. Are you sure that you wouldn't be more comfortable at your parents?" Caleb asked.

"I think we'll be fine for now," JJ said.

"Okay. Tell me exactly what was said, and what you read from Branch," Caleb directed, slipping into a team commanders mindset.

JJ dumped the entire encounter to Caleb, like she had with her kids, via their link.

"This guy really is a loose cannon," Caleb commented. "Going after you is stepping over the line. Considering the kids as tools to further his goals is way over the line,"

He paused, thinking for a moment before continuing with, "We need to throw some curves in the game. Kim's boyfriend is going to come visiting this evening."

"Kim doesn't have a current boyfriend," JJ pointed out.

"All the better," Caleb said. "Branch and his flunky don't know that. They're trying to play a close game. We're out-gunned, and with his DHS connections, we don't have a legal recourse. Branch is trying to control all aspects of this engagement. The best way to beat that type of offense is to throw so many variables into the mix that he has to back off. I'm going to send Jorge to the house as Kim's boyfriend. He will be another loose end for the General to manage, and he'll be added protection for you and the kids."

"Who is Jorge?" JJ asked, surprised.

"You didn't meet him, but you saw him in the parking lot at Refugio's Saturday night," Caleb explained.

"Okay," JJ agreed, not sounding like she agreed at all.

"It'll be okay, JJ," Caleb said softly through the link. "Trust me, Babe."