Murder Genes (9 page)

Kyle heard Tim grunt as pen scratched paper.
 
"How do we prove it if they ask?"

"They won't.
 
We're established medical professionals out testing everyone for The Code, how could they doubt us?
 
Kyle," Del said.
 
"Come here."

Kyle climbed to his feet, holding the broken soldier behind his back.
 
He sheepishly came forward.
 
He held it out.
 
"I accidentally broke it.
 
I'm sorry."

Tim frowned but Del laughed.
 
"It's OK, Kyle.
 
I used to take my Barbies apart intentionally.
 
Give it."
 
She waved her hand.

He handed it to her and she gave the soldier's leg a quick squeeze and twist.
 
"See?
 
Good as new."
 
She held it back to him.
 
Kyle took it, moving the leg but being careful not to pull too hard.
 
"Now Kyle, we need you to stay here for a bit.
 
We need to run a few errands.
 
Can you promise to wait inside?"

"Yes, Ma'am.
 
I won't move an inch."

She ruffled his hair.
 
"Oh, you can move, as long as you stay inside.
 
There are cookies on the counter wrapped up.
 
I'm sure you'll want to move to get at them."

Kyle nodded.
 
"OK, Ma'am."

Del smiled at him and patted his head.
 
"Good boy."
 
They opened the trailer door where Del paused.
 
"When I get back, you call me 'Mom.'"

He frowned.
 
"That's weird.
 
I never really had a mom."

She gave him the saddest look.
 
She smiled.
 
"Well, you will in a few hours.
 
For the rest of your life.
 
And a new Pa, too."

There was another grunt outside from Tim.
 
"Let's get this over with."

The door swung closed and clicked locked.
 
Kyle immediately pulled himself waist up on the counter and shimmied his way around to a plate of cookies by the sink, wrapped in foil.
 
He grabbed one and paused before tearing off a bit of foil.
 
Then he was back on the ground, his soldier equipped with a silver gun.
 
"No more weights for you," Kyle said, flinging the figure backwards because of the insane recoil from the alien gun.
 
"Whooooaaa, now that's what I call firepower!"

He needed another cookie.

Kyle bunched Sergeant Jay into a fist and hopped up to the counter again, kicking and pulling his way up to sit cross-legged on the counter.
 
He plopped himself by the plate and began fashioning a suit of alien armor.

"Psst!"

Kyle lifted his head.
 
There was an open window above the sink near his head.
 
He leaned and peered out.
 
A monster appeared in front of his face.
 
Wiggling tendrils and tongue and a loud "Blaaaah" made Kyle fall back and hit his head on the corner of a cupboard.
 
"Ow!"

The monster dropped her hands and she covered her mouth.
 
"Oh, I'm sorry!"
 
It was the girl Kyle had seen earlier during the blood draw.

Kyle rubbed his head and glared at the cupboard that had assaulted him.
 
"It's all right.
 
You scared me."

She gave him a big grin.
 
"Yup I did!"

"It's OK to be scared, you know?
 
Nothing wrong with that.
 
Only really brave people admit they are scared, and dumb people don't when they really are."
 
Pa had said that to him whenever Kyle was too scared to try something.
 
It always helped.

"I know."
 
She wobbled in the widow a bit.
 
"Thanks for being nice last week.
 
And for the cookie."

He pushed open the window more and pushed his face to the screen to see what she was standing on.
 
She had a bunch of cardboard boxes stacked up on the trailer's side.
 
"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I recognized the trailer and I thought you might be here and wanted to see.
 
Didn't know you'd be alone, though.
 
My brother's here with me.”
 
She frowned.
 
“Somewhere.
 
Where are your parents?"

She seemed trustworthy.
 
"They aren't my parents.
 
I was lying.
 
They want to be my parents though, at least Del does."

"The nice lady?"

"Yeah.
 
Where'd you get the boxes?"

"There's a dumpster around the corner with a whole bunch of them."

"Ah," Kyle pressed his face harder into the screen.
 
"Hey, I don't know your name."

"I'm C..."

"No no no, wait.
 
We have to do this right.
 
Watch out."
 
When she leaned back, Kyle kicked the screen, knocking a corner loose.
 
He went butt first through the window, his leg feeling for the box.
 
He felt a pat on his low back.

"You can drop now."

He stopped kicking.
 
"Oh."
 
He dropped.
 
But when he did the box rocked.
 
And then he was falling.
 
He heard her cry out and Kyle hit the ground.
 
There was a box around his waist.
 
He pushed it off.
 
The girl lay beside him and he got up and knelt beside her.
 
"Are you OK?"

She rolled, and looked at him.
 
"Oooh."
 
She grimaced.
 
"Yeah, I think so."

He took her wrist and felt at the thumb side.
 
"Strong pulse, you'll be fine."

"You're smart," she said.

He winked.
 
"Yup, my Pa taught me that.
 
He also taught me how to push on someone's chest if there’s no pulse."

"I've seen that on movies."

"Yeah, but they actually do it wrong.
 
It's dangerous if you do it when they don't need it," Kyle said.
 
He helped her to her feet and held out a hand.
 
"I'm Kyle."

"Callie," she answered, taking his hand.
 
They shook.

"How old are you, Callie?"

"Nine, almost."

"I'm ten."
 
Almost
.

She nodded.

"You're kinda cute when you aren't crying," he said in his best tough man voice.
 
"I felt bad for you when Tim had you."

She gave him a sour frown.
 
"He gave my arm a bruise."
 
She showed him.
 
Her upper arm had a tinge of green on the inside.
 
"But I have a lot of bruises, so dad didn't even notice."
 
She pulled up her pant leg and leaned away, pulling up her shirt.
 
There were black and green splotches all over her.

"How'd you get those?"
 
Some looked newer than others.

"Da says I play too hard.
 
Mom...she's been gone a while."

"Does your dad hit you?"

She shook her head.
 
Then brightened.
 
"Hey!
 
Let's go for a walk!
 
There's a lake nearby with ducks and birds and squirrels and things."

Kyle stopped.
 
Uh oh.
 
"I'm supposed to stay inside."
 
He looked at the window he had come out of and the broken boxes below.
 
How was he going to get back in?

"I'll help you back up.
 
But only if you walk with me first."
 
Callie grinned, took his hand and pulled at it.
 
"C'mon, let's go!"

He saw her green-blue eyes sparkle and with one last glance at the window he went with her.
 
They walked to a dirt road trail that circled a lake shaped like a horseshoe.
 
"Soooo, where are your real parents?"

He looked at her bright hair and then at their clasped hands.
 
He pulled his hand away.
 
"You aren't a spy, are you?"

She shook her head.
 
"Nope.
 
Why?
 
Are you in trouble?"

"Not me.
 
Not really," he said.
 
"My mom's dead, dad...he's in Murderer City."

"Your dad's a murderer?"

"No!
 
He's never killed anyone.
 
I promise."
 
He put a hand next to his mouth and whispered to her.
 
"That's why I lied.
 
People are after me too and I haven't killed anyone, either.
 
Del and Tim say they are going to protect me."

Her eyes were big, and her mouth formed a large 'O'.

"Don't act so surprised.
 
Someone might see," he warned severely.

She snapped her mouth closed and nodded.

"Are you afraid?"

She shook her head hard from side to side.
 
"No.
 
You're one of the nicest people I've ever met."
 
She suddenly leaned forward and planted a solid, and
wet
, kiss on his cheek.

He wiped it off.

She pouted.

So he took her hand again.

They made their way around the lake, stopping to chase after a duck that quacked alarm and retreated into the lake.
 
When he saw the duck he laughed.

"What?" Callie asked.

"Pa used to tell me something.
 
He'd tell me to be like a duck."

She made a face at him that wrinkled her nose silly like.
 
"Why would you want to be a duck?"

Kyle grinned.
 
"Calm on the surface--kick like
hell
underneath."

She giggled.
 
"Your dad sounds nice."

"Yeah..." Kyle trailed off.
 
"He really was."
 
On a whim he glanced at the trailer.
 
A blue two-seater car that Del and Tim drove was driving up the distant road.
 
"I have to go," he said urgently.

Callie followed his gaze and nodded.
 
Together they ran toward the trailer, he slowed a bit for her but kept pulling so she'd keep up.
 
They laughed at each other.
 
Then they stopped.
 
A boy a few years older than them appeared standing in the path.
 
He had a scowl on his face and his arms crossed, light blond hair and a mole on his cheek.
 
He looked a lot like Callie.

"Jeff!" Callie said.
 
She looked afraid.

"What do you think you're doing, sis?" the boy said, angry.

Kyle stepped in front of her.
 
"We were just going for a walk.
 
What's it to you?"

The boy stalked forward and grabbed his shoulder, throwing him to the side.
 
Kyle stumbled, tripping to the ground.

"I..." Callie said, not finishing.

Jeff hit her, right on the face.
 
Not even a slap but a full on punch.
 
Callie fell.

Kyle scrambled to his feet as fast as he could.
 
Like a duck.
 
He ran forward and threw his weight at the boy, shoving Jeff a few steps back.
 
"Hey, back off!
 
You didn't have to hit her."
 
Kyle positioned himself above Callie, standing as tall as he could.
 
He reached back, keeping his eyes on the older boy and offered her a hand.
 
"Are you OK, Callie?"

His hand grasped air.

"Callie?" he asked again.
 
Jeff smirked at him.

Her voice came out quiet and subdued.
 
"You'd better go.
 
You might get in trouble if Tim and Del finds you gone."

He refused to take his hand away, pushing it insistently at her.
 
"I'm not going anywhere.
 
Take my hand."

Still, only air.

"Get lost, before you get hurt," the older boy said, crossing his arms again.
 
"Callie and I have things to talk about."