Kevin’s punishment lasts for what feels like years, even though it is only a couple of months. He does get more fit in that time and his fighting skills improve dramatically because he pushes himself through the pain as a self imposed punishment. He is quiet in his briefings with the colonel and he does work with the scientists without a word. He feels like guinea pig, a test subject in a lab, a prisoner, but he is demoralized and hopes that by giving himself completely to his captors that they can make advantageous use of his ability that he could not manage in all the years of his life. He doesn’t really talk to Anish anymore, even after she takes over his training again. Their conversations are direct and to the point and he prefers to be alone when he is not needed.
Meanwhile, the colonel spends a lot of time in closed-door meetings with his aids and scientists developing a safe strategy for deploying Kevin the field. Today, he and Dr. Eakran discuss a new arrival to the facility, the woman known as Alia who has demonstrated the ability to read minds.
“So how exactly is this going to work?” The colonel asks. The two sit in an all white conference room at a long table across from one another.
“It’s as I explained before,” Eakran says, “Alia can read the minds of anyone one within close proximity; that we know for sure. But apparently she can also sense the brain activity of humans under extreme stress from very long ranges.”
“That’s not really preemptive.” The colonel says. “That requires people to be in a hostile situation or something right?”
“Yes, but stress isn’t just the fear from a threat is it?”
“I would imagine that it is.”
“What I’m saying is that Alia doesn’t just feel the collective stress of people held as hostages. She can feel a room being whipped into a frenzy over illegal immigrants if the animosity is palpable. She can sense a cell of people preparing to commit a terrorist attack. But the range of this sense depends on the number of people involved. If it’s one suicide bomber in Israel, she won’t feel that here.”
The colonel thinks over this information. “So, right before, we can know who they are and where they are?”
“Theoretically, yes, but you understand that we have been unable to confirm this ability?.”
“Right. How could you without potentially putting scientists in danger? But we can test it now. Do you believe that this is trustworthy intel?”
Eakran smiles as he answers. “Alia is an amazing woman. Undoubtedly she is troubled and she has an extensive history of mental illness, but my scientists have been working very hard to separate her perceived mental illness from the extraordinary talents that she has displayed since we started our observation. The Alia never ceases to amaze us. I think it is definitely worth a closer look.”
The colonel nods pensively.
Eakran continues, “There is one thing that I will caution. Alia is convinced of the existence of aliens.”
The colonel laughs audibly. “The boy with the thing in his head is too.”
“Colonel, what is the military’s official stance on extraterrestrial life?”
“The US military does not acknowledge the existence of aliens. But doctor, you’ve seen the device in that boy’s head. Our scientists are convinced that it has to have been manufactured by some advanced alien species.”
“Or maybe,” Eakran says, hoping to sow seeds of doubt, “there are human beings who are smarter than your scientists. The human mind never ceases to amaze me either.”
The colonel nods and considers the point.
“I bring this up because I think it’s important that Alia’s delusions are not indulged. My scientists have worked very hard to sort out Alia’s reality from her fictions and in order to help her, we have to make sure that she can make that distinction for herself. There should be no mention of aliens or alien technology to this woman.”
The colonel thinks that it is a sensible request.
Kevin does not meet Alia when she first comes to the facility. Not even when the colonel gives him a mission based on intel from the woman’s ability. Kevin doesn’t really care to meet her. He is mostly eager to get back into the good graces of his superiors and he listens earnestly as the colonel outlines the mission.
“This will go pretty fast kid. We have intel and we want you to go in and do an extraction.”
Kevin nods at the colonel.
“Ok, let’s have it.” The colonel signals to an aide who stands and presents details of the operation.
Kevin walks out onto the roof of the facility and gets into a helicopter where Anish is waiting for him.
“You ready?” She asks as the helicopter takes off.
“As ever.” Kevin says.
“Stay tight on me and don’t forget that we’re stealth on this. We want to apprehend as many people as possible.”
They’re not in the air long before the plane touches down in Tacoma, WA. The helicopter shuts down and the two make their way from the field toward the city just over a hill. They walk casually to an abandoned factory, the suspected location of their targets. They sneak in through a door with a broken handle.
“Maybe we’re in the wrong place. It’s so quiet in here.” Anish whispers.
Kevin shrugs as they move deeper into the building. It had been a mattress factory and there is a large empty space on the ground floor. The two stick close to the walls when they are inside and it does appear to have been abandoned for a long time. They take stairs up to the second floor and spot an open door. Inside, they are shocked to see a huge cache of weapons. There is a sudden noise from the floor above, rumbling that shakes dust loose into the room from the second floor ceiling.
“I’m going up.” Kevin says.
“We both are.” Anish says.
“Let me go alone. I can do this. Call back up and secure these weapons. I’ll round up everyone upstairs.” Kevin starts to leave.
Anish shakes her head and frowns. “Kevin, you’re with me on this…”
“I’m not letting anyone get hurt today. I’ve got this. Please.”
Anish nods and Kevin makes his way up to the third floor. As soon as he makes it to the top step, he sees a group of five men focused on one who is bloody and barely standing. One of the five hits the bloody man who makes no sound, but falls to the ground.
“That’s good.” One of the men says. “He still has to drive.”
“I’m so ready for this.” Another of the men says. “I’m vibrating out of my skin. Let’s slaughter some sheep.”
When Kevin hears this, he imagines chains that wrap the entire group tightly together and he approaches them.
“What were you all planning?” Kevin yells into the face of one of the men.
“Who the hell are you? What’s going on?”
Kevin imagines another chain that he wraps tighter around the men as they scream in pain.
“Answer me or it gets tighter. What were you planning?”
Before anyone can answer, Kevin adds another chain and one of the men starts to cry.
“We were gonna shoot at Freaknight!” The man screams. “Please, please…it hurts!”
Kevin radios down to Anish to confirm backup on the scene. They move in quickly and apprehend the men.
Anish and Kevin stand outside the factory building as agents wrap up their sweep.
“Amazing,” she says. “You did an amazing job.”
Kevin nods without emotion.
PRL Serials 