The news services did get the data packets clearing the Rogers family. No evidence at all was found that showed them as guilty of any crime. However, the Rogers family was still unavailable for comment.
Several federal investigations had immediately begun surrounding the mysterious explosion that took the lives of so many people. Bodies were still being pulled from the rubble, but it was becoming obvious that several hundred people had been held in cells under the Ecogen complex. Surprisingly, very few people were wounded, and those that were had been hundreds of yards away.
Samantha was in a bit of a funk for not thinking that the government wouldn't hesitate to kill hundreds of people just to cover up what the lab had been doing.
In order for Brad and his family to remain at Heather's house, it was decided to let people know that Brad and Heather were a couple. The explanation was given that Brad's family was hiding at the Browns' to evade the thugs that Ecogen had sent to kill them. Since the Rogers' home had been destroyed by 'investigators', Frank had offered to let them remain at his home.
As Sammy predicted, by the next weekend the family could go out in relative safety without fear of getting arrested. However, getting mauled by reporters was a different matter. Brad decided to bite the bullet and talk to them in hopes that they would leave him and his family alone. So with the help of all the ladies, he wrote up a statement for the press, and had Frank's lawyer look it over. He agreed it should be okay.
So, the Monday following the explosion, all six kids left for school early. As predicted, the reporters followed them to the school. Brad, backed by his sisters, and holding hands with Heather, turned to wait for the reporters to finish assembling. As each reporter arrived, they immediately started screaming questions at him. He calmly stood his ground and didn't say a word.
When it was apparent that no more reporters were going to arrive to scream at him, he turned and Stephanie handed him a folder that held printed versions of their statement. He opened the folder, and began to read loud enough to be heard over the shouted questions.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, my name is Bradley Rogers, and for the purpose of issuing this statement, I represent my family. After I read this statement, I will give you all a printed copy of this statement. By accepting this statement, you, and through you, your respective broadcasting companies agree to not misquote, take out of context, or otherwise alter the meaning and intent of this statement.
"The last week has been very hard on our family. We lost our father, and were accused of many horrible crimes. We knew we were not guilty of these crimes, but Ecogen had very long arms, so we hid from authorities until we could be sure we wouldn't be harmed. Recent events, regrettable as they have been, have proven our innocence. We have done nothing wrong, and feel that continued coverage by the news services would be a violation of our right to privacy. Currently we are cooperating with federal investigators who are looking into the events of the last week. The federal government has dismissed charges of evading arrest against us, and aiding a fugitive directed against Mr. Brown, citing extenuating circumstances. We trust that you, as news professionals, will be responsible in your reporting of this incident. Thank you."
The reporters began trying to shout questions again, ironically most of which he had already answered in the statement, while he began handing out the printed statements. As he handed them out, Stephanie wrote down each reporter's name and station or agency. When all the statements had been handed out, Brad bid the reporters a good day, and led the ladies inside the school building.
Animosity toward the kids was still high, and by noon it was becoming obvious that there was going to be a problem. The Vice Principal, Ms. Myers, now acting as Principal, called the kids into a conference room.
"Kids, I'm sorry about how the rest of the students are treating you. However, I have to think of your safety while you're here, and it's becoming more obvious that we can't guarantee it at this point. I've consulted the board of education and the superintendent's office, and we are in agreement. After reviewing your academic records and performance, we are willing to grant Tara, Terri, Heather and Bradley your high school diplomas. Samantha and Stephanie only need a couple of credits to complete their requirements, so we are willing to give you the opportunity to test out of those classes. If you don't feel comfortable doing it at this time, we will provide a tutor for you until you do feel you can pass the tests.
"I've spoken to your respective parents and they've agreed to allow this if you all agree," she finished.
Brad looked around at his stunned ladies. "Are you asking us to leave, Ma'am?"
She let out a deep breath, "Yes, Bradley. We don't feel it's safe here for any of you right now."
"I guess we don't really have much of a choice. I just don't understand how they can be mad at us," Stephanie said, trying to sound young and inexperienced.
"Well, I don't understand it either, sweetheart, but people can be strange animals at times. People are angry at the loss of their parents or loved ones. They see you as a convenient target for that anger since you were involved. They don't stop to think that you were as much a victim as they are," Ms. Myers tried to explain.
"Well, I guess we should go clean out our lockers and head home. Thank you for explaining it to us, Ms Myers," Brad said.
"My pleasure, Bradley. I'll make sure a security guard stays with you until you leave school property."
As they climbed into the big SUV for the drive home, Heather checked her cell phone for messages. There were four, three from Tabby, and one from Janie. As she listened to the voicemails, tears came to her eyes, and Brad pulled over.
"Tell us what's wrong, honey," Brad said, taking her hand.
She punched to replay the current message and then turned on her speakerphone.
"You Skanky Slut! You're fucking him aren't you? How could you fuck such a lowlife then actually admit it in front of a camera! I just saw your skanky, slut ass on the television holding that slime-ball's hand! My God it made my skin crawl! Don't bother calling me back, you whore. I wouldn't be caught dead with you!" Janie's voice screamed out of the phone.
"Message deleted — next message, left today at nine-thirty-two am."
A crying, sniffling, voice was heard next. "How could you? Heather, those people killed my Daddy! They're terrorists! Heather, how could you do this to me? I thought I was your best friend? Why... ?"
"Message Saved — next message, left today at nine-forty-nine am."
"You're such a whore! You've fucked them all haven't you? All those years you said you hated Terri Rogers and you've been fucking her the whole time, haven't you? HAVEN'T YOU! SLUT! BITCH! TELL ME THE TRUTH, WHORE!" there was a pause during which hard, heavy sobs could be heard. "You've been fucking her, all these years, when I was ... While I was ... While I ... loved you." The last was said very softly and almost hidden among sobs.
"Message Saved — next message, left today at ten-ten am."
Sniff "Heather, please call me, I ... I'm so sorry I said those things to you; please forgive me. Don't hate me, Heather. I ... I love you, Heather. Please call me back."
"Message Saved — end of new messages."
Heather shut the speaker phone off and hung up. She hung her head and just cried. Stephanie reached forward from the back seat and caressed her head, while Brad held her hand.
"Tabitha's in love with you. She has been for years from the sound of it," Stephanie said.
Heather nodded; "I didn't know. She's always been all about her getting a rich husband, and having a perfect life. She never once gave me a hint that she was interested in me. I feel like such an idiot; I'm her best friend, I should have known!"
"Lover, does she know you're bisexual?" Brad asked.
"I don't think so, but she almost caught me masturbating while sniffing her panties once," Heather said.
"How?" Tara asked.
"Well, she was still wearing them at the time, and we were supposed to be asleep. I had rolled so my head was next to her crotch. I could smell her and it turned me on, so I wiggled closer and started stroking my pussy. It was dark, so I don't think she could've seen me, but I heard her softly call my name, so she wouldn't wake Janie. I was so scared, I pretended to be asleep," Heather said.
"So you never told her you liked girls too?" Terri asked.
"Are you kidding, she would have caught on to the real reason I hated you so much. I never could give a good reason for how I acted," Heather said. "I think she's figured it out now, though. She didn't even mention Brad."
"I think you should call her," Sammy said. "She'll need you now more than ever."
"I love her, but not like that; not like I love you guys. Hell, I would have even fucked her if she would have shown even the slightest interest. I just don't know what to say to her that won't hurt her more right now," Heather said.
"Call her anyway; she needs to know you don't hate her. Just talk to her; you don't need to shove our relationship down her throat, but she is still your friend," Stephanie said.
Heather opened her phone and pushed a button. She held the phone to her ear and waited.
"Hi Tabby, how are you doing?"
"No, sweety, I don't hate you, you're still my best friend."
"Uh, well, that's kind of complicated."
"Yeah, I've been in love with her for a long time. I just didn't know you liked me that way."
"Yeah, with him too. Like I said, Tabby, it's complicated."
"Um, you're gonna have to come to my place. They asked us to leave school for our own safety. Everyone blames..."
"No honey, they didn't. They were attacked by them, then went into hiding."
"No, they couldn't, you see, they were hiding at my house."
"Honey, I know they didn't. They couldn't have, they never left the house."
"Because I was in bed with them."
"Yes, all of them. Like I said before, it's complicated.
"No, I definitely would have seen something like that."
"Look, Tabby, just come over and listen to their side of it. They are victims of this too."
"Honey, they lost their father too. He was killed in the initial attack on them."
"Okay Tabby, we'll be waiting for you. Talk to you later."
"Bye"
Heather hung up the phone and leaned back against the seat. "Well, she agreed to come over to listen to your side of it. I don't know if she believed me or not."
"What was all that about you sleeping with us?" Brad asked as he started driving again.
Heather chuckled; "She was trying to tell me how you could have snuck out in the middle of the night and planted the explosives. When I told her you couldn't have because I was sleeping with you she asked, 'all of them?' I didn't want her to get her teeth into the incest thing until we can trust her, and she twigged on that right away, so I denied it. Funny, she didn't say a word about Janie giving her brother head every morning."
That comment seemed to crack up the ladies in the back seat, who howled with laughter.
"What's so funny? I seem to remember a certain group of girls who like to suck their brother's cock," Brad said.
"I take it you've never seen Janie's brother?" Stephanie asked.
"No, I assumed he was like any other senior guy," Bill replied.
"Johnny isn't a senior; he's a freshman, and skinny as a rail. Janie's actually bigger than he is, and she's a tiny little thing," Samantha said.
Tara was still chuckling; "Little miss 'I'm too good to talk to you' is sucking her freshman brother's dick before school every morning. That's rich!"
"I guess we really were first class bitches, weren't we?" Heather asked softly.
"Yeah, you were, but you're not anymore. People change. I'm really glad you did," Terri said.
Something in Steph's bag beeped at her, and she dug out a small PDA. She grinned like it was Christmas and typed in a message with the stylus, tapping send triumphantly when she was done.
"Good news?" Heather asked from the front seat.
"Yep, another step to world domination is complete," Stephanie replied grinning.
Knowing the amount of power her lover could bring to bear, Heather couldn't decide if Stephanie had been kidding or not.
Tabitha looked a lot like Stephanie and Sammy, but resembled Joyce the most. She was five-seven and weighed maybe a hundred and twenty-five pounds soaking wet. She had cute but impish facial features, and her silky brown hair flowed all the way down to the top of her tiny, perfectly shaped ass. She was absolutely beautiful, she had the body of a super-model, but her personality had made her one of the ugliest girls in the school.
At two-thirty she rang the Brown's doorbell.
Normally, Marie or Walter would answer the door, but Heather beat them all to it. She pulled open the door to face her friend and found her arms filled with a hundred pounds of sobbing girl. Grief had distorted her features into an ugly parody of her normal beauty.
Heather pulled the girl along and sat with her on the sofa in the living room. Marie had thoughtfully brought some juice and a new box of Kleenex. Samantha was cuddled on Brad's lap in one of the easy chairs while the rest of the family and most of the serving staff all sat around waiting for the girl to calm down.
When Tabitha looked up, she was surprised to see the room full of people, and tried to hide her face in Heather's shoulder.
"Tabitha, we're all very sorry for the loss of your father. We didn't have a very good relationship with our father, and when he was killed, I guess it didn't affect us as badly. It's obvious though that you and your daddy had a really good relationship. The kind I wish I could have had," Brad said.
"Hea ... Heather says you didn't kill all those people." Sniff; "She says you never left this house. Is that true?" Heather handed her friend a tissue and she blew her nose, then wiped her eyes with another.
With as much detail as he could, and omitting any indication of the relationships that existed between his sisters and him, he told her their story from the beginning. He was monitoring her thoughts, and was ready to change something if he had to, but it wasn't necessary. She had decided on her own that Brad was telling the truth, and these people had suffered a great deal at the hands of her father's employers. They had been for their whole lives. "So the reason they wanted you back so badly is that you are super-human?"
"No, we do have some abilities that normal people don't, but we are no better than anyone. We just want to be left alone to live our own lives," Terri said.
"So if you didn't blow up Ecogen, who did?" Tabby asked.
Samantha sniffed and took one of the tissues for herself. "We think they did it themselves. Ecogen was doing a lot of illegal research into the fields of gene manipulation and cloning. Hell — we," and she indicated her brother and sisters, "are living proof of their crimes. Once it became obvious that the lab would be discovered for what it was, they blew it up to destroy all the evidence. All those unidentified bodies they are finding in the sub-basements of the lab complex were people just like us. Not really born so much as created. They were poked, prodded, raped and abused. Then killed and dissected, all in the name of science."
"How do you know all this? How can you know all this?" Tabby asked.
"Can you keep a secret, Tabby? Promise me you won't tell anyone not sitting here about what I'm going to tell you?" Samantha asked.
Brad: "What are you doing? We can't really trust her yet."
Samantha: "I know what I'm doing, handsome. Besides, if I'm wrong, you can always wipe her memory."
Brad didn't look happy as Tabby answered yes, she would keep the secret.
"I'm a bit of a computer hacker. I broke into Ecogen's computer system to see why they were after us. That's where I learned all this," Samantha said.
While Brad was monitoring her thoughts, he felt her thought process shift into a calmer, less emotion driven path. Brad felt a strange sort of surge go through the girl, and his eyes were drawn to the window. Outside, the rain that had been constant since the explosion finally stopped.
The hair on the back of Brad's neck stood up and he dove into the girls mind, pushing her into a dazed, trance-like state.
Feeling his alarm, Tara and Terri immediately rose to protect him. "Brad? What's wrong?" Tara asked, her eyes scanning the room.
"Tabitha's one of us. She's an Ecogen mutant, but she doesn't know it. She was told her mother died giving birth to her, and her father raised her alone. She just turned eighteen, so the authorities are letting her stay with her aunt, her father's sister. Until she is emotionally stable enough to live on her own," Brad said. "You can sit down again girls; there is no danger, but thanks anyway."
As Tara and Terri sat down Brad let Tabby 'wake up'. "Sorry about that, I guess I must have zoned out for a minute."
"Tabby, I hope you understand now, that we didn't have anything to do with what happened at Ecogen. I'm sure your daddy wasn't involved though, he doesn't sound like the kind of person that would be," Stephanie said from her place beside Vanessa.
"Miss Wright, you've know us for a few years, ever since you and Miss Heather made friends back when you were little. You know the house staff always knows the secrets of those that live in their house. I can honestly, and with a clear conscience, tell you that these young people are some of the nicest, most trustworthy people I know," Walter said, surprising everyone.
Joyce got up from where she was sitting on the floor beside Brad and Samantha. With her collar clearly visible on her neck, she knelt and kissed Walter on the cheek, "Thank you, that's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said about me."
As she returned to her place at Brad's feet, the question was very clear in Tabitha's eyes. "She chose to be my slave, Tabby. She says it makes her feel comforted and loved. Why such a beautiful woman would chose a young geek like me is a wonder though." Brad reached out to caress Joyce's hair.
As Tabby looked at Joyce she got a strange look on her face. A look of mixed awe, wonder ... and fear. Brad quickly read her thoughts and saw that Tabitha was completely convinced that Joyce was her mother. It was the same feeling Brad had gotten when he knew that William wasn't their father. Oh boy, was this mess getting more confused by the minute. Tabitha's abilities were ripe for awakening, and she now knew she had more in common with these people than she had originally thought.
Tabitha left Heather's side and knelt in front of Joyce. Joyce was watching her with tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "I didn't know, baby. They never told me."
Tabitha threw her arms around Joyce and this time there were tears of joy. The blackness in her mind was lifting. Outside, the sun broke through the clouds and the winds had died down.
"I don't understand how I know, but I can feel it. You're my mother. But I don't know how you could be; you're only a couple of years older than I am," Tabby said.
"Honey, I'm almost thirty-four years old. I entered puberty when I was ten. But they had been taking all sorts of samples from me for as long as I can remember. I didn't have sex for the first time until I was fourteen though. One of my guards..." Realization dawned on both of them as Joyce said that. The guard had been Tabby's father.
"He knew." Tabby started to cry again; "He knew what was going on down there, and didn't do anything about it. But why did he want me?"
"Tabby, from what I remember, he was always kind to us. No, the sex between us wasn't consensual, but I didn't try to stop him. I didn't know what I was doing, and he only did it to me once. I think he felt bad for what he'd done. After that he was extra nice to us, and even got reprimanded once for talking to us. I don't know why or how he got them to give you to him, but I'm glad they did. I think he was a good man that was caught in something he couldn't do anything about," Joyce said as she stroked the girl's hair.
"We'll never know, now. But I wish I knew. He lied to me my whole life. Was he even my father?" Tabby asked.
"He was your father in all the ways that matter, Tabitha. He loved you. He cared for you and raised you. That's what a father really is," Vanessa said. "Does it really matter who your sperm donor was?"
Tabitha looked at Joyce. "I don't even know your name."
Heather slapped her forehead. "Damn! I'm sorry Tabby! It just slipped my mind. I think you know Brad, on his lap is one of his little sisters, Samantha. Your mother's name is Joyce, you've met Terri and Tara, and the others are Stephanie, Sammy's twin, and Vanessa, their mother. I think you know everyone else."
"Two sets of identical twins? That just screams manipulation to my eyes," Tabby said.
"Well, we do look alike, but are far from identical. People can easily tell us apart." Tara said.
"Only if they know you. If you dressed alike, and didn't move or speak, I don't think I could tell, and I've known you as long as I've known Heather," Tabby said.
"She's right, when you two are asleep right next to each other, none of us can tell you apart. It's the same with Steph and Sammy," Vanessa said.
"So how long have you all been lovers?" Tabitha asked. "It can't be something that's been going on for years, so it has to be new. I'd be willing to bet it's only been the last week or so."
"What makes you think we're all lovers?" Terri asked amused.
"Body language. You're all so afraid I'd figure out your secret and tell someone that you gave it away. I know," she paused to stress the word, "that Heather and Brad are lovers. I also know that Heather and Terri are lovers, which means that Heather and Tara are as well. I think all twins are lovers on some level, but the way both sets here interact, it's obvious that it's a physical love as well. Joyce is Brad's body slave, so that makes her lovers with Heather, Terri and Tara too. Finally, the love you all feel for each other is obvious in your eyes. Now it's never been a secret that Carrie is more than Frank's bodyguard, but less obvious is that Frank feels the same way about Hal. Walter and Marie should have been married years ago, and Aaron and Janice can hardly keep from holding hands in each other's presence.
"So, Aaron and Janice would marry if it were legal. Walter and Marie would marry if Walter would ever ask her. Frank, Hal and Carrie are together, and the rest of you are a group. Am I correct?" Tabby finished.
When everyone hesitated to answer her, she gave a small grin. "You're all so scared I'll tell someone about you, aren't you? Don't worry. I won't. I'm beginning to get the idea that I've led a pretty shallow, selfish life. If I don't want to end up alone, I'm going to have to let someone in." She said the last while looking directly at Heather.
"Well, yes, you're pretty much right on all counts. Heather and I made our relationship public so we would have a plausible reason for hiding here, and for staying here," Brad said.
Tabby looked confused. "Why would you need to stay here?"
"That involves some other issues that we really can't tell you about, at least not yet," Brad replied.
"Okay, I won't press on that. I do feel better now. Coming over here has helped, a lot. Aunt Dawn didn't want me to come here, but I put my foot down. Now I'm glad I came. I found a mother I didn't know I had, and I've seen love that I didn't know existed. Heather, I love you, I have for years. But I can see how you feel for these people. I envy you that. I still want to be your friend if you'll have me, and I'd like to get to know my mother," Tabby said.
"There is more you need to know, Tabitha," Brad said. "When we first got together, that is, the first night we were all together, something happened between us. We bonded deeply but it also woke something in us. We're aware of our abilities, and are learning to control them. You have abilities as well, but you don't have full access to them. They are random and dependent on your emotions. I know one of your abilities is weather control. I can't feel if you have more or not. If you do, I don't think they are as obvious as the weather control," Brad said.
"How do you know what my ability is? How do you know I have one; I've never been able to do anything that I know of," Tabby said almost defensively.
Thunder could be heard outside, but the sun was still shining. "Look outside, Tabby. You've been depressed and missing your father all week. We've been having the worst weather on record since the explosion. Now you're feeling better, the sun is coming out," Brad said.
She glanced at the window but snorted. "Coincidence. That doesn't prove anything. Besides, I just heard thunder."
"Of course you did. You're nervous and scared," Brad said reasonably. "Besides, I felt it in you."
Suddenly, Tabby burst out laughing. "Jesus! I figured it out! Don't you have enough pussy Brad? Seven of them not enough for you?"
"More than enough, actually. I don't want more mates. I would like you to be my friend, but I've got more lovers than I need right now," Brad said.
"It's not the act of sex that awakens our abilities; it's the bonding with another mind. The stronger the bond, the stronger the abilities," Vanessa said in a flat voice.
"So she only needs to find someone to bond with to awaken her powers," Stephanie said.
"No, she has to find someone like us to bond with to awaken her powers. The link needs two enhanced minds to form," Vanessa said, again in a flat voice. She looked like she was in a trance.
"But how could Heather join us? If what you said is true, she shouldn't have been able to," Brad said.
"Two things made that possible; there were more than two minds being bonded, and one of those minds was a telepath, which enabled the opening of her mind," Vanessa answered.
"What if one of us bonds with her?" Tara asked.
"It won't work with Heather, but if Tabitha bonds with any other of us, she will bond to all. Bonding is for life, and cannot be broken except in death," Vanessa answered. "I must go, Vanessa must return."
Suddenly Vanessa seemed to collapse. She shook her head and groaned. "What happened? Did I phase out again?"
"Yeah, it's like you were channeling someone else, but she speaks with your voice," Stephanie said.
"Okay, hold it! What the fuck was that?" Tabby said pointing at Vanessa.
"Mother's ability is clairvoyance and premonition. Sometimes we get some of our answers from her, other times she scares the hell out of us," Sammy said from Brad's lap.
Tabby rose and started backing away toward Heather nodding, her head rapidly in agreement. "Uh ... yeah, I'm right there with ya. That sure pegged my weird-shit-o-meter." She sat beside Heather again. "What was all that about me bonding with someone to awaken something? This is really starting to freak me out, guys."
"You have abilities like we do. In order to awaken those abilities, you need to bond with another person like us. If one of us were to be the one you bonded with, you would be bonded to all of us because we are all bonded now. So, either you accept us all as mates, or we find another like us that you could bond with," Brad said.
"Bond ... like marry, right?" Tabby asked.
"Pretty much. The main difference is that it's for life. You can't divorce part of your soul," Heather said softly.
"So you're stuck with them? Did they trick you into doing this?" Tabby asked.
"No, they didn't trick me into anything. I could have said no at any time, and I chose this. I don't honestly believe I will ever regret that choice. I can feel their love for me, up here," she pointed to her head, "As well as in here." She put her hand on her breast. "When we bonded, we can share each others abilities to a certain degree," Heather explained.
" ... And you guys want to bond with me to awaken my ability, right?" Tabby asked.
"Not exactly. We were trying to figure out what it would take to awaken your ability. Right now, there just aren't a lot of options for you," Terri said.
"You're all assuming I actually want this. I ... I don't know what I want right now. The world will see you all as freaks. I'm not sure I want to be a part of that or not," Tabby said.
"Do you see us as freaks, Tabby? Do you see Joyce and Heather as freaks?" Sammy said.
"I ... I don't know what to think right now. I need more time. Please, I just need to think," the girl said.
"You're right, Tabitha. The world will see us as freaks, and for that reason alone will fear us. The government will hunt us for more 'experiments' like they were doing at Ecogen. Right now our only defense is anonymity. They can't hurt us if they don't know about us," Brad said.
"This whole thing seems like some surreal episode of the X-men," Sammy said, quietly.
In the silence that followed, Frank, who had been sitting quietly with Carrie and Hal, got up, and walked over to his daughter and her friend. He knelt down and took one of her hands in his. "Honey, I know this whole week has been hell on you, and learning everything you have today is overwhelming you, but during your mental deliberations, you really need to keep one thing in your mind; regardless if you chose to bond with someone and awaken your gift, you will still be one of these people. Their fate and yours are the same. It is the legacy you were born with. What you choose to do with it is entirely up to you, but the lives of these people are also in your hands. The knowledge they gave you today could get them all killed, including my daughter. Consider that if you decide to tell anyone else."
"I promised, Mr. Brown. I'll keep my word," Tabby said. "I'd like to go now, can I call you tomorrow, Heather?"
"Sure Tabby. Uh, you should know that Janie broke our friendship. She called me all sorts of horrible names and told me never to call her again. So if you tell her you've been over here, she'll probably hate you too," Heather said.
Tabitha nodded. "That sounds like Janie. She'll always be in front of the crowd as long as she knows what direction they're going. I imagine she'll call and tell me all about what kinda of horrible slut you are for fucking Brad. I know you honestly love him, so you don't need to worry about her changing my mind. Hell, if she gets too nasty, I might just dump her ass, so she can see how it feels."
As they had been talking, Heather had been leading her to the door. When she opened the door to let her friend out, she was assaulted by intense feelings of excitement, followed by mild disappointment. Underlying it all was a vague feeling that made her nauseous and more than a little afraid. Looking around she saw a nondescript utility van parked across the street. She'd seen enough movies to recognize a surveillance van when she saw it. The government guys couldn't be that sloppy could they?
Tabby was saying goodbye and Heather tried her best to act normally. She watched as Tabby drove away waving to her. The men in the van didn't seem interested in Tabby at all.
Heather quickly retreated back into her house to tell Brad and the rest what she felt. Apparently Sammy's little set-up missed a few.
As the door to the house opened, the observer's excitement began to build. One of the creatures might be coming out. When two girls exited the door, one of them looked right at the van.
"Get me an ID, now!" commanded a voice from a speaker above the bank of monitors along one side of the van.
"Sir, the black haired one is the Brown girl. She's human. The other is one of her friends, also human, from the local high school - Name; Tabitha Wright. Neither girl is one of our targets," one of the men said.
"Continue surveillance. Notify the teams when you verify all the targets are in the residence. Try to time the assault to minimize human casualties, but the objective has priority. All of the creatures must be returned for study. They are exhibiting far more potential than previous subjects."
"Yes sir. We'll notify the teams. However, there is a ninety-eight percent probability that all the subjects are present right now," The other man said.
"I understand that, Mr. Jones. However, in case you missed it, it's still light outside. That means more witnesses. If nothing changes and no one leaves the house, notify the teams to stage the capture tonight."
"Yes sir," both men said.
"Good, I'll notify The Director that the situation will be taken care of tonight. If this assault fails, you know what to do, correct?"
"Yes sir, no survivors," Mr. Jones said.