Blood Sisters

The Terrible Trio stepped out of the darkness into the unused office in William Deed's suite of rooms at Heart's Desire. The information gleaned from their blood reconnaissance of several staff and security personnel of the resort gave them a good understanding of the layout of the residential building where Deed's rooms were. Their telepathic clairvoyance had worked even better then Victor had hoped. Every staff member that worked at the resort was screened by security with a variety of detectors. But none of them were designed to detect something like Michaela's blood infection.

According to the thoughts of the resort staff, Dr. Daedalus had been ill of late; and was bed bound. It wasn't the policy of the resort to have intensive security in its resident's private rooms, but they had emergency alert panels that could be activated in any of the three rooms in each resident's suite. The alarm could be triggered either by pressing on the panel, pressing a switch on a remote that the residents could carry with them, or by saying an personalized emergency codeword out loud. The Dead Man was fairly certain that The Silhouette could cloak the alarm panels with shadow which would prevent them from being triggered manually, or from the IR signal from a remote. With the viscous nature of shadowstuff it might prevent the audio trigger as well, but just in case Victor had whipped up a portable white noise generator.

“Michaela, guard the door that leads to the hallway, Silhouette, with me”. Victor directed quietly. The Silhouette moved into Deed's bedroom, blending into the shadows. One shadow she stretched over the alarm panel. The Dead Man entered and activated his white-noise device. The old hero Dr. Daedalus lay in his bed, asleep. There was a stale smell in the room. The sick man had thin wispy white hair, and what flesh remained on his bony face was sinking into his cheeks.

Victor stepped over to his old foe. Leaning down, he pressed his black gloved hand over Deed's mouth. The man started awake, and looked up with foggy eyes trying to make sense of his assailant. Dr. Daedalus moaned into Victors glove. It was clear that the sick man could barely speak. “William” Victor spoke quietly into his sagging ear. “I need the answer to one simple question, and then I shall leave you in peace”. Fear crossed over deeds sallow face as he realized who was speaking. Davos continued “Your enough of an engineer to recognize this noise generator” he raised it so Deeds could see it. “I have also disabled your alarm panel” he pointed to the wall “ and I have the outer door guarded”. Victor leaned closer “there will be no help coming for you old friend”. The old man trembled and slowly nodded his head. Davos freed his mouth. Hoarsely, Dr. Daedalus whispered “What do... what do you want to know?” The Dead Man gave a satisfied smile the defeated man. “Where is your last lab, the one that has your dimensional field machinery?” The old man looked confused and managed to get out “its not... Victor its not there anymore, they took it”. Davos Muerte scowled, he leaned down right into Deed's face, and spoke with an serrated edge of menace “Who took it... and where?!”. Dr. Daedalus tried to answer, but could not get out the words. Victor turned his ear right over Deed's lips. The Dead Man closed his eyes in exasperation and gritted his teeth at what the sick man told him. “Fine” he spat out venomously to himself.

The Dead Man put his gloved hand back over the man's pale lips then whispered into the Deed's ear. “I said I would leave you in peace, and so I shall. Let me tell you something that few people know. There are no secrets from the dead. Whenever I go into my dark sleep, I always come back with knowledge”. William looked over at Victor with a rising terror. “Heart's Desire was quite a woman, lively and vivacious, with a smile like the sunrise and eyes like the ocean. Everyone loved her. But Chris Knight was -in- love with her, I was in love with her, and so were you. The only man Millie loved was Chris. She was devoted to him, as faithful as any woman ever was. You, William. You who worked with her every day, bitterly loving her more and more, jealousy festering in your selfish heart like gangrene, turning it black and rotten”. The Dead Man squeezed his hand over Deed's mouth harder, though not enough to bruise. He whispered with restrained rage into his ear. “You could not have her, so you would take her, and so you did. Dragging her back to a secret lab, you arrogantly tried to use your pathetic skills to bend her will to you, didn't you, with your tainted potions and monstrous primitive electrodes”. Deeds started to cry, shaking under Victors glove. “All you did, you fuck; was poison her and melt her brain. You couldn't have her, so you killed her. She died on your table afraid, cold and alone. All of the rest of us... a part of us died with her”. Davos bit off every word with bared teeth “Of all the men I have killed, over all the years of my life, none of them deserved it more then you. I wish you could know how much I regret I can not make you suffer, that I don't have the time to torture you, to flay the very flesh from your bones and chop up your body piece by piece while you scream, dying by inches”. Deeds eyes were filled with terror, and he began to shake his head, silently pleading. Victor reached over and took hold of the water pitcher on Dr. Daedalus' bedside table. “I also can't have you telling anyone that I was here and what I am looking for. I would have killed you just for that. But that wouldn't have been personal. This death that I bring to you, this death could not be more personal”.

Victor grasped the back of William Deed's neck and pulled it up, forcing his head back and his mouth to open in a dry gasp. “They are going to find you cold and dead, your lungs full of fluid. They are going to think you simply drowned from your foul infected lungs”. Victor pulled out a faded picture of Heart's Desire and presented it to him in condemnation. “Would I could pin this to you with a dagger though your heart like you stabbed mine when you killed her. Farewell, William Deeds. I leave your body in peace, may your soul rot in the darkest corner of hell”. With quick efficiency, The Dead Man murdered a sick old man in his bed. The Silhouette watched him do it from where she lurked in the shadows, feeling ill. Candelaria realized with chilling certainty that she did not know Davos Muerte at all.

The Terrible Trio came together back in Daedalus' dark office. The Silhouette was stunned and silent. Michaela hissed “Well?” Davos looked at the two women and said with bitter irony “The equipment we need has been moved to a secret, secure government R&D facility”. He sighed “It is at Fort Miles, carved out of the rock under Shay's Mountain.” The Silhouette spat “mierda.”

***

Cricket woke with a yawn, stretching her sore young body. She was in a bed, in her own bedroom, for the first time ever. Cricket smiled out the window, looking out over the Goldstar Ranch bathed in the morning sunlight, beautiful horses running free and dancing on the range. It was the best night's sleep she had ever had. Despite all that had happened since the day she woke up next to the twisted metal, smoking engines and broken glass on the highway she felt a sense of hope, that she could be happy, that everything just might be okay. Cricket had a sister now, and it seemed that she might also have a mother. A mother so strong that nothing would be able to harm her ever again. She rode high on that thought for a while, then her thoughts turned to Jake, and she felt a stab of fear for him. She wanted to talk to him so much, to know he was OK. She wanted him here, so he could be safe too. He could even bring Trixie if he wanted.

Jenny knocked on her door, then peeked her head in “Hey Lil' Bug, come get some breakfast, seeing as you actually have to eat”. Cricket smiled sadly and followed Jen down into the open center of the Goldstar ranch house. It was all ceramic, wood paneling, indoor trees and plants. The smell of breakfast reached her, and her belly growled. Suddenly Cricket felt uneasy, this was all so... different. She needed Jake, he would let her know that this was all OK. The Goldstar's sat at the table for a good old-fashioned country breakfast, complete with a pan of Allison's famous cornbread.

Marty waved at Cricket and motioned to the chair next to him “Hey kiddo, I thought you might want to know that your friend Jake is okay. We, ah, pulled a few strings and got his charges dropped. He should be back at his shop in a day or two”. Cricket beamed, her eyes misting “Man that's awesome, thanks Marty! I was so worried about him...” Cricket closed her eyes squeezing out some tears, and more tightness in her chest unwound. Goldstar grinned “any time Lil' Bug”.

The worries able to be put aside now, there was the matter of breakfast. Cricket dug into the food and heaped a small mountain of it on her plate. Allison sat at the table, still wearing her apron which had the US presidential seal on it with the caption “Hail to the Chef” on it. She took Marty's hand and smiled at her family. She spoke quietly to Marty “Goldie, did Winter happen to call back yet? I was hoping she could join us this morning.” Goldstar shrugged “nope, after we eat I will jet up to Shay's and see what she's up to.” Allison gave a nod in agreement. She spoke to Cricket “If you want, we can have Mr. Harris... Jake down for a visit, if he would like to come of course”. Cricket looked gleeful, almost bouncing. “That would rock! Thanks Double-A.” Allison nodded “Double-A, Allison Ashton, I get it, cute.” “Rock on.” Marty winked at Cricket.

The family talked of small and pleasant things, Jenny sitting with them, just talking and glowing since she didn't eat. Towards the end of their meal, the phone rang and Allison said “Ah, that must be your Aunt Winter”. She stepped across the room to answer the phone. “Hello.” “Allison, it's Paul Desnoyers”. “Paul?” Allison said in surprise “What... why are you calling, is everything okay with Winter?”. “Yes... she is just in a debriefing.” Allison could hear the strain in Paul's voice. Something was up. She hesitated, and the asked “Okay, what can I do for you then?”. Allison looked over at Marty, and the two shared the silent communication that only the long married can. She could hear Paul clear his throat “I have some... news about the fugit... that is the girl, Cricket. The one that escaped the city with your daughter, and who I understand is with you right now”.

Miss Liberty spoke coolly into the phone “Listen, Paul, I appreciate that you have a job to do, but there is something funny going on here, and until I get some answers about why this girl looks and feels like a second daughter to me, she is under my protection.” She heard Paul sniff on the other end “I agree with you, Allison. In fact, I have come across some information about that very thing. Your not going to like it, Allison. I need you to come down here, bring Cricket with you. I promise she won't be arrested at this time. But you have to see this.” Allison frowned “Is this about Project Bloodsister or whatever its called?” Paul started to ask her how she heard that name, but then realized where. He spoke quietly “Yes, exactly. Allison, Its worse then you think. Please come right away”. Allison was suspicious. But she trusted Paul. “Okay Paul, you got it.” Miss Liberty looked over at her husband “Suit up Goldie, were all going to Shay's Mountain.”