{"id":278,"date":"2014-12-30T04:54:07","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T04:54:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=278"},"modified":"2021-11-08T20:33:33","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T02:33:33","slug":"part1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode5\/part1\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 5: \u00a0Bunnies in Black<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 1<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

A great bolt of lightning illuminated the night sky. Seconds later, thunder boomed, sending the nocturnal critters of the Nevada desert scattering in fear to find shelter. The low, inky clouds opened, and torrents of rain fell to quench the dry earth.<\/p>\n

Cool and dry beneath the roof of a large storage hangar, Emerald watched the downpour through the raised door and sighed in contentment. \u201cI love thunderstorms,\u201d she mused, wrapping her muscled arms around her body. \u201cDidn\u2019t you just love to play in the rain when you were a kid?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her companion chuckled. \u201cNah, not really,\u201d his voice rumbled, as gravelly as the thunder itself. \u201cMy grandma always told me I\u2019d catch a cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPsh,\u201d she scoffed. \u201cThat\u2019s an urban legend. It takes a virus to get a cold; a little rain\u2019ll never hurt anybody. Not that I had anybody looking out for me anyway. I coulda got myself struck by lightning, and no one would have noticed.\u201d She said this matter-of-factly, not miserably. Then she paused in consideration. \u201cDidja ever wonder what that\u2019d feel like? To get struck by lightning?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, Em?\u201d Jay chuckled. \u201cI hope I never find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMeh.\u201d Emerald gazed upward, listening to the rain batter against the metal roof over their heads. She had the sudden urge to grab his hand and pull him out into the storm, rip off his wifebeater and her own, and screw his brains out beneath the electric fury of the sky. Storms like this, with thunder and lightning, just made her feel so wild and free, and it was the kind of thing she might have really done ten years ago when she was chasing rock stars and roadies across the country. It wouldn\u2019t be the first time she\u2019d done it with Jay either. But he was technically her boss now, and even if he was as horny as she suddenly was, it wouldn\u2019t really be appropriate.<\/p>\n

Then again, she\u2019d never really been the type to base her decisions on what was appropriate. Emerald Ecstasy tended to do whatever the hell she felt like. She didn\u2019t play by the rules; she made up her own. However, Himitsu Takana put up with her because she kicked ass as an agent. That, and the fact that Jay found her irresistible. He was the one who had recruited her in the first place, saving her from the alcoholic, sex-crazed road she\u2019d been heading down as a rock groupie. Then he trained her to be the fierce crime-fighter she\u2019d grown into.<\/p>\n

She had become significantly more disciplined than when she first came to HimTak. Even so, a romp in the rain sounded seriously tempting to her right then. But before she could act on that urge, a bright light flared before her eyes. At first, she thought it was just another bolt of lightning, but then she heard Jay mutter, \u201cWhat the hell?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked over to find him squinting out of the hangar at what she now recognized as a pair of headlights, their beams cutting through the sheets of torrential rain. The vehicle — she couldn\u2019t tell what kind beyond the brights — was racing up the narrow road that led to the Himitsu Takana complex. That in itself was a rare sight, for few cars not belonging to the agency itself or the government made it this far. Their headquarters were located in the middle of nowhere and unplotted on civilian maps. The nearby Area 51 attracted its fair share of tourists, who wasted gas and time to come and gawk at its heavily guarded gates for no reason other than to say they\u2019d been there. But not HimTak. No one knew it was even there.<\/p>\n

There was a gate there, too, of course, not so heavily guarded, but surrounded by barbed wire and signs warning of the penalties that awaited trespassers. They\u2019d never had an issue with the latter, not in the few years this compound had been the organization\u2019s main headquarters.<\/p>\n

But now, the rogue vehicle raced toward the gate with no sign of slowing its speed. Beside her, Jay uttered an expletive seconds before the SUV crashed through the gate, ramming it open and warping the car and fence.<\/p>\n

And it didn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n

The vehicle kept driving, barely even braking, heading straight for the light spilling out of the open hangar in which they stood. Instinctively, Emerald drew the handgun she kept holstered at her hip and looked to Jay. He, too, had pulled out his weapon and stood still, his narrowed eyes trained on the incoming SUV. For all the tattoos on his rough exterior, AJ McLean was a big softie inside, but when he was in agent mode, he was tough as nails. Emerald could see the intensity in his eyes and knew he wasn\u2019t going to let this guy, whoever he was, get past them any more than she was.<\/p>\n

The pair of agents raised their guns at the same time, pointing them straight at the windshield. They could see nothing through all the rain and the headlights shining in their eyes, but Emerald put on her bitch face and glared the SUV down anyway.<\/p>\n

And, to both her relief and her unease, it slowed.<\/p>\n

The vehicle came to an abrupt stop just a few yards from the hangar, its tires squelching in the sodden sand, leaving deep ruts. Before Emerald or Jay could approach it, the driver\u2019s side door flew open, and the shape of a man jumped out.<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp!\u201d he bellowed above the roar of the rain, running toward them, waving his arms wildly above his head. \u201cPlease, I need help!\u201d<\/p>\n

The agents were on guard, but the man seemed genuinely distraught and appeared to be unarmed. Emerald lowered her gun but kept it clutched tightly in her hand as the man drew near. When he staggered into the light, they got a better look at him: white guy, early thirties, dressed in a rain-soaked t-shirt and shorts, his hair plastered to his scalp, his face twisted in panic.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve just trespassed and destroyed private property, sir,\u201d Jay said through his teeth, his voice a growl. \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease,\u201d the man panted, lifting his hands in defense before doubling over, resting them on his knees while he tried to catch his breath. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but\u2026 my wife\u2026 she\u2019s in labor. We\u2019re not gonna make it to the hospital in time, and I think she\u2019s\u2026 she\u2019s dying. Please\u2026 I know you guys are some kind of government facility; you\u2019ve got to have someone here who knows something about medicine. Don\u2019t you?\u201d He looked from Jay to Emerald, his eyes desperate and pleading.<\/p>\n

Emerald thought of Red Jewel and of the gleaming, high-tech infirmary inside their headquarters, then looked at Jay. But before she could say anything, he spoke up. \u201cLet me take a look at her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nodding, the man led him back out into the rain. Emerald followed as they jogged back to the SUV, the rain saturating her hair and clothes within seconds. Wiping the cold droplets from her eyes, she peered into the vehicle as the man opened the back door, allowing light to flood the interior. An obviously pregnant woman was sprawled across the back seat. She clutched her belly with both hands and breathed in a series of short, gasping whimpers that made it obvious she was in unbearable pain. Her nightgown was drenched, and there appeared to be a dark stain on the upholstery beneath her bent knees.<\/p>\n

That was enough for Emerald. \u201cWe can\u2019t turn them away,\u201d she muttered to Jay out of the side of her mouth, hoping, for the love of God, he wouldn\u2019t take any more convincing than that. She was no doctor, but instinct told her this woman didn\u2019t have time for them to argue about it.<\/p>\n

Jay closed his eyes for a moment but made a quick decision. \u201cFine,\u201d he replied with a nod. \u201cYou grab her legs; we\u2019ll get the rest of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quickly yet carefully, the three of them slid the woman out of the back seat. They whisked her out of the storm and into the cave-like hangar. Emerald bore the dead weight of her legs while the two men cradled her on either side. They yanked the cover off one of the HimTak cars and spread it out over the poured concrete to provide her with some minimal cushion while they lay her down to wait for backup.<\/p>\n

When the husband\u2019s attention was on his wife, Emerald turned away from them, reached beneath her tank top, and pulled the black strap of her bra toward her mouth. Pressing a tiny button in the center of the strap\u2019s buckle, she spoke quickly. \u201cSend Red to the North hangar, A-sap.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Red Jewel came racing into the hangar minutes later with a gurney at her side, her medical bag perched on top.<\/p>\n

She had shed her white lab coat for the night and was dressed in a pair of satiny pajama bottoms and a camisole, her ruby cross swinging around her neck. But when she knelt beside the panting woman, she showed the quick-thinking, cool-headed demeanor of a professional.<\/p>\n

Emerald and Jay stepped back to watch her work as she asked the woman her name — \u201cBree,\u201d came the breathless reply — and took her vital signs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to have to get her inside so I can deliver this baby,\u201d she decided within minutes.<\/p>\n

As a rule, civilians were not allowed inside the headquarters, unless they had a connection to a case. But all three of them knew, as Emerald had told Jay earlier, that they couldn\u2019t turn their backs on this woman and her frantic husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thing Pearl just finished the prototype of those memory-erasing pens,\u201d Emerald muttered to Jay as they followed the gurney into the central building.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Dr. Julianne Llewellyn had delivered many babies during her semesters at the teaching hospital. Since starting her practice within the walls of Himitsu Takana, Red Jewel had delivered none. To those watching, she appeared calm and collected, but the insides of her latex gloves were slimy with sweat.<\/p>\n

Birthing babies was largely an instinctual task\u2026 unless there were complications. And everything about her examination of the woman writhing on her infirmary table suggested complications. Her heart rate was unusually high, her color was off, her amniotic fluid appeared bloody, and her pain was severe.<\/p>\n

Red had started an IV with a painkiller, but it was not enough to deaden the pain without sedating the newborn as well. She knew her best shot was to get the baby out as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n

Though she spent more time bent over the microscope in her lab than an actual patient these days, Red Jewel had been praised during her internship for a bedside manner that was patient and soothing. She summoned these traits now, as she looked over the woman\u2019s knees, into her eyes, and told her it was time for her baby to be born.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next time you feel a contraction, I\u2019m going to have you push, Bree,\u201d she instructed the obviously scared woman. \u201cPush as hard as you can, for as long as I tell you to, and we\u2019ll get your baby out. It would help if your husband could hold your hand on one side\u2026\u201d She gestured to the drenched man who had come in with them, looking like he\u2019d just climbed out of a lake.<\/p>\n

\u201cJim,\u201d Bree choked out his name.<\/p>\n

\u201cJim,\u201d Red repeated, giving the husband a nod of acknowledgement as he took his place next to his wife and gripped her hand. \u201cAnd Emerald\u2026 I think it would help if you were on the other side.\u201d She gave Emerald a meaningful look. The dark-haired woman who exuded such confidence and attitude actually looked nervous, but she didn\u2019t protest. She let Bree\u2019s free hand grip hers and braced herself for the squeezing.<\/p>\n

Bree wailed as the next contraction came. Red urged, \u201cPush!\u201d and looked between her legs as the crown of a head appeared. She was thankful it wasn\u2019t breech. The fetus slid out a little at a time, its smooth scalp coated with blood and vernix. The skin beneath appeared bluish-gray, and Red felt a rush of concern that it was suffocating. \u201cOne more big push, Bree,\u201d she coached.<\/p>\n

The mother screamed as she put the last of her strength into expelling the fetus, and her offspring slid out into Red Jewel\u2019s gloved hands. When the red-haired doctor looked down at what she was holding, her mouth fell open.<\/p>\n

Then she, too, began to scream.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Though he sat in an interior room, deep in the central hub of the Himitsu Takana complex, Jay could still hear the rumble of distant thunder. He couldn\u2019t recall ever fearing storms, but tonight, the thunder and lightning outside only made things seem eerier inside the headquarters.<\/p>\n

A single, fluorescent utility light hanging above the metal table lit the entire interrogation room. Emerald sat beside him, unusually quiet and pale. He saw her green eyes flicker across the table to the man, Jim, who was slumped upon it, his face buried in his arms. His drying hair stuck out from his scalp in all directions, and his shoulders shook as he wept shamelessly.<\/p>\n

In her office in the medical ward, Jay knew that Red was every bit as distraught. She\u2019d kept her composure long enough to pronounce the death, then fled to the office and locked the door. He\u2019d heard her muffled sobs through the walls as she\u2019d broken down, but there had been no time to see that she was okay. She would be, in time, he knew.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, he and Emerald buried their own feelings, delaying their imminent reaction to what they had just witnessed. They faced the task of seeking answers, of finding an explanation for the traumatic scene that had just played out before them in the infirmary. They had a job to do, and it started with questioning Jim Kimble.<\/p>\n

Jay cleared his throat awkwardly, not sure how to continue the interview without seeming insensitive. He felt for the man, who had lost his wife less than an hour ago in a way that was both shocking and disturbing. He, himself, was still shaken from what he\u2019d seen, and he knew it would only get worse once he came down from the rush of adrenaline that was keeping him focused now. In a way, he welcomed the mission that had been thrust upon him. It gave him something to do, something to keep his mind from simply replaying the scene over and over again until he went crazy from it. He wondered if that was what was going on in Jim\u2019s head now.<\/p>\n

\u201cJim?\u201d he spoke quietly. \u201cI know this is hard, but we have a few more questions, and it would really help give us a starting point for our investigation if you could answer them for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man lifted his disheveled head just slightly, only enough for his bloodshot eyes to peer at them over his elbow. Then his head fell back to his arms as if he\u2019d lost the strength to hold it up any longer.<\/p>\n

Jay tried not to sigh, releasing his breath slowly instead. Patience was the key, he knew. Patience and understanding. Two qualities that didn\u2019t come easy to him, nor Emerald. They weren\u2019t the best pair of agents to be doing this part of the job, but they were the only ones who had seen it, and so it was theirs.<\/p>\n

Emerald opened her mouth to speak, but the click of the door opening interrupted her. Both agents turned to look as K slid in, walking silently across the tiled floor. \u201cSorry to interrupt,\u201d he apologized. Then, resting his hand on Jay\u2019s shoulder, he bent down, so that his mouth was close to Jay\u2019s ear. \u201cIt\u2019s in containment,\u201d he murmured in a low voice, \u201cand the feds have been called. I\u2019ve got this from Pearl, for when you\u2019re done here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Underneath the table, he passed Jay what appeared to be an ordinary penlight. Jay turned the pen over in his hand a few times before pocketing it. Catching his eye, Emerald offered a grim nod of approval.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be in my office,\u201d said K in a meaningful tone that told Jay he should go straight there once the interview was over. K, of course, had been debriefed on the incident, but there was still much to discuss.<\/p>\n

Jay nodded, and K left. When the door latched tightly behind him, Jim looked up. He took a rattling breath, swiped at his red-rimmed eyes, and asked miserably, \u201cWhat do you want to know? I don\u2019t know any more than you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d said Jay patiently, believing him. \u201cBut even so, what you tell us tonight might point us in the right direction so that we can all understand what happened here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim shook his head. \u201cI\u2019ll never understand\u2026 never\u2026\u201d he mumbled, speaking more to himself than to the inquisitors.<\/p>\n

He was still in a terrible state, but at least he was talking again. Jay took the opportunity to press forward. \u201cTell us about the pregnancy, Jim. You said Bree was only seven months along. Other than the premature labor, was there anything else unusual about her pregnancy? Any complications or\u2026 oddities?\u201d<\/p>\n

It seemed a silly question now, but Jim shook his head slowly. \u201cNo\u2026 nothing. E-everything was perfect. It was like a\u2026 a miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat made it like a miracle?\u201d Jay probed.<\/p>\n

Jim took his time in answering. When he did, his voice wavered. \u201cWell\u2026 see, we\u2019d been trying to conceive for a long time\u2026 two years, at least. No baby. We went to the doctor and got tested, both of us. Turns out I was the problem.\u201d He paused to swallow hard. \u201cLow sperm count; that\u2019s what the doctor said.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how long ago was this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019 Bout a year. Everything seemed to fall apart after that. Bree tried to be understanding; she said she didn\u2019t blame me, but I knew how disappointed she was. And I blamed myself. It was my fault she couldn\u2019t get pregnant.\u201d He sighed, drawing his hand over his eyes. \u201cWe wanted to try in vitro fertilization, but it\u2019s expensive, and our insurance wouldn\u2019t cover it. We didn\u2019t have the money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo one weekend, I got desperate just thinking about it, and I decided to go to Vegas\u2026 you know, see if I could win anything to help pay for it. It was a long shot, but I took it. I\u2026 I guess I just sort of needed to get away for a weekend, you know? So I went to Vegas and got wasted the first night. I mean, completely trashed. I met a girl in one of the casinos — real beautiful woman — exotic, you know? She\u2019d actually posed for Playboy<\/em>, showed me her spread and everything. Next thing I knew, I was waking up next to her in her hotel room.\u201d He sighed again and shook his head, refusing to meet Jay\u2019s eye. \u201cOne night stand. First and only one of my life. I\u2019m not proud of it, but\u2026 it happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay nodded, keeping all signs of judgment off his face. \u201cDid you tell your wife?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim hesitated, then shook his head. \u201cNo, I couldn\u2019t. I thought about it\u2026 but in the end, I thought it would just hurt our marriage more. We were already struggling. But then\u2026\u201d Suddenly, fresh tears sprung into his eyes, and his voice sounded choked as he squeezed out the rest of his sentence. \u201cThen Bree got pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight after this Vegas trip?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found out about a month later, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay nodded again. \u201cDid Bree take any trips herself around the time of conception? Or\u2026 pardon my asking, but\u2026 do you know if she was involved with anyone else herself?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim didn\u2019t seem to take offense at the question, but he shook his head vigorously. \u201cNo, not my Bree. I know she didn\u2019t. She wouldn\u2019t. She was always faithful. I was the cheater.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo trips?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2026 nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you can\u2019t remember anything unusual that happened around that time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim racked his brain but ended up shaking his head again. \u201cNothing that stands out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d Jay watched Emerald make some notes on the tablet in front of her, then eyed the tape recorder that recorded their conversation. \u201cJim, I know this hasn\u2019t been easy for you, but we appreciate you answering our questions. I just have one more for you right now. The girl you were with in Vegas\u2026 you said she\u2019d been in Playboy<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim nodded slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember her name?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay felt Emerald kick him beneath the table, but he ignored her, waiting for the man to answer. When he did, he hissed, \u201cWrite that down,\u201d to Emerald. He caught the exasperated roll of her green eyes, but she scrawled the name below her notes anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Jim,\u201d Jay went on. \u201cJust one last thing\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the penlight out of his pocket and held it up. Pushing a button on its top, he shone it directly into Jim\u2019s eyes. He watched as the man\u2019s pupils dilated, fixed upon the light.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to send you to a motel for the night, Jim. When you wake up in the morning, you won\u2019t have any memory of what happened tonight. This is what you will remember: You were involved in a car accident in the storm. You sought shelter in the motel while your car was being towed. You were alone. You\u2019ve always been alone. You never had a wife or a child. But when you go back home, you\u2019ll get back on the dating scene. You\u2019ll find a new mate and live a happy life, free from the burden of what you witnessed tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay released the button, and the penlight went off with a click. As soon as it did, Jim\u2019s wide, blank eyes drooped shut, and he slumped forward onto the table again, blissfully unconscious.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 2<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 5: \u00a0Bunnies in Black Part 1   A great bolt of lightning illuminated the night sky. Seconds later, thunder boomed, sending the nocturnal critters of the Nevada desert scattering in fear to find shelter. The low, inky clouds opened, and torrents of rain fell to quench the dry earth.\u2026<\/p>\n

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