Bad Jack ((Ascension: Book 1)) (19 page)

Melanie met him at the elevator to ride down together. She kissed him as soon as the doors were closed. He pulled back, still affected by the weird elixir. “Have you been keeping something from me; something about the boy?”

It was a shot in the dark but the elixir was still affecting his train of thought.

She asked, “What do you mean?” but he could sense the barely controlled panic in her voice. He might not have detected it before the shot. He wished he had the glass right now. He’d chug it to figure her out instead of playing mental chess.

“I drank from one of the artifacts and it pried open reality to its raw nerve. I
think I saw things I missed before. You have a connection to Jessie. It showed me that. I know you’re keeping a secret from me. I want to know what it is.”

She bit her bottom lip
as she stared at the floor of the elevator. She didn’t bother arguing that he had it all wrong.

“Not now. I’ll tell you everything later tonight.”

The juice must have worn off because he couldn’t tell if she meant it or not. He had to trust her. That didn’t make him feel very good.

The elevator doors pinged
upon their arrival.

Brett was
standing guard at the door again. This just pissed Jack off even more.

He walked ahead of Melanie and shouted, “What’s up Brett? Back for more, huh?”

Brett put his palms up in surrender; wincing at the pain this caused his ribcage. “I’m very sorry for what happened yesterday sir. I hope you can forgive me.”

Jack guessed he was only saying this to keep his job or because he was ordered to but that
was ok, he would let him off the hook. This time. He took it down a notch; he was keyed up and on edge and it worried him as soon as he realized it. “No problem, we’ll just call it a simple misunderstanding. All’s forgiven.” He handed over his ID.

Brett pretended to look at it
. He gave it back right away. He did the same with Melanie’s.

If every asshole
on the planet would just pretend to be nice, what a better world it would be.

The
Doctor met them on the other side of the clean room. He looked harassed. “Jessie’s been crying all morning. He keeps asking for you.”

Jack said disgustedly, “So you took me away from my work so I c
ould come down here and give the boy a hug. That’s ridiculous.”

He knew the work wasn’t
as important as the boy. The truth was that he missed the elixir already. Maybe his crankiness was a come down from the go-juice. The withdrawals were turning him into a jerk.

“Sorry
Doc, I’m just a little cranky.”

He
made the mistake of not turning away when they passed the toad’s cage. He saw it shitting out that tiny naked guy. It made his stomach tumble.

When they passed his most recent clone
, the Jack monster was tossing the death ball from one hand to the other.

That was new.

He could hear the sobs as they left the warehouse and entered the patient wing or whatever Oliver and the doctor called it. The boy was hysterical.

Oliver’s soothing voice broke over the top like waves, “He’s coming Jessie.”

When they entered Jessie’s room the crying slowed to choking gasps and finally ceased altogether. Jessie jumped out of bed and ran at Jack. He wasn’t expecting that so he took a step back out of fear but the boy just clasped him around the waist in a bear hug.

Oliver gestured for the rest of them to leave
by nodding his head towards the door. He followed them out, leaving Jack alone with the sobbing child.

When the door was closed Jack
asked, “What’s the matter buddy?”

Jessie didn’t answer him. He just hugged his
abdomen even tighter. Jack shuffled them both toward the bed and gently pried the boy loose. Jessie sat on the bed without looking at him.

Jack lifted his chin up.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”

The boy’s
eyes were bloodshot. His face was ashen. He whimpered, “People are going to die because of me.”

Jack wished for the truth juice again. Then he wouldn’t have to pry answers out of the boy. “Who’s going to die?”

“I don’t know, but it’s going to happen tomorrow.”

Jack accidentally gasped. “Nothing’s going to happen
tomorrow. It’s just your imagination running wild.”

“I don’t want people to die. How do I stop it?”

“I won’t let anything bad happen.”

Jessie stared into his eyes and through tears said, “Jack, you’re the one who kills them.”

Jack could easily imagine someone else taking a life but he was the type of guy to put spiders outside rather than squash them. He’d gone vegetarian three times because he didn’t like the idea of an animal dying just to fill his belly. He was no killer.

“I don’t have it in me to take a human life. I wouldn’t even know how. You just had a bad dream.”

The boy didn’t seem fazed by his reassurances.

“I’m sorry Jack. I’m sorry for what will happen.”

Jack’s patience had worn thin.

“Listen boy, I will not kill for you or anyone else. Killing takes passion and I don’t have any to give. If you really think I’m going to murder for you then you seriously overvalue our relationship.”

The child looked stricken.

Jack followed up with, “I’m sorry buddy, but you’re wrong about tomorrow. You’ll see.”

Oliver opened the door and stepped inside. Jessie fell silent.

Jack
whispered, “I’m here if you need to talk again.”

He stood to leave and Jessie
blurted out, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be” Jack said as he followed Oliver into the hall.

Just before Jack closed the door Jessie whispered, “It’ll all change when you find out who I am.”

Jack had the sudden urge to rush back in and shake the boy until he spilled the beans. He felt like a pawn in someone else’s game. Then he gathered his senses. There was no grand plan.
He was no killer and the boy was not that important to him. Even if he was, against all rationality, the messiah, that meant nothing to Jack.

Let the boy dream,
he thought. By this time tomorrow he’ll see his imagination just got the better of him.

“What did he say?”
Oliver asked.

“Nothing rational, he
’s just hysterical. I need to speak to Melanie in private right away if that’s alright.”

Oliver seemed unnerved
by the sudden demand but he agreed to it.

Melanie was standing beside the
Doctor in the surveillance room.

Jack stared right at her.
“Let’s find somewhere to talk.”

Oliver said, “Let’s give them a moment.”

The Doctor nodded and begrudgingly followed him out of the room.

Jack waited until the door was fully closed before roun
ding on Melanie. “Tell me what’s going on. I refuse to wait another second.”

Chapter 51: The Truth

Melanie gestured for him to sit at the makeshift break table. She looked at him as though weighing him as a human being.

She started, “That boy isn’t just a carnival act. Some of us know what he is. Some knew long ago while others were summoned by him. He summoned you too; I guess you just didn’t feel it. I’m here because Oliver sent for me. Jessie told him that I would be important. He said I’d fall in love with the one Oliver called The Embodiment. When you showed up, I knew it was you. And now I’m sure because I’m in love with you.”

She paused to search his face for a reaction but he gave up nothing.

She continued, “Jessie’s the most important person on the planet. He’s the only one who can open the portal between earth and all the nether realms. You are also important. Once he’s opened the portal you’ll become the lord in human flesh.”

Jack smiled, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Or maybe she was just nuts. Befor
e he could stop her she said, “You will change this terrible planet.”

He interrupted. Even though he hadn’t expected the conversation to go this
ludicrous route, here he was so he’d better get a handle on it; bring some sanity back to the world.

“So the boy’
s some kind of wise man and he’s decided that I’ll become Jesus. Let me ask you something, how the fuck do you know it’s true?”

“We have evidence. We have a videotape of his conception. The woman who conceived him performed the
proper ritual. It’s all right there on the sex tape that was found at Jessie’s house when his mom was reported missing. Here’s the funny part,” she looked down at her hands, “the man who is having sex with this woman was you Jack.”

He
opened his mouth to protest but she stopped him.

“We didn’t know it was you at first
, you look so different now, but Oliver ran a blood test on you on a whim yesterday and it turns out there’s a ninety nine percent certainty that Jessie’s your son. I just found that out too so I’m as shocked as you are. Jessie doesn’t even know.”

It had gone from quirky to
down right scary in less than a minute. What the fuck was she babbling about?

“
Alright, that’s enough. I’m not playing along. This is childish and you’re starting to freak me out.”

“I’m sorry. I wanted to ease you i
nto it but you were pretty insistent. I guess I’d rather you find out from me than stumble on it yourself.”

“I’ve had it.”

He stood up to walk away but she hurriedly explained, “On the tape it’s a young man, maybe in his late teens or early twenties. The woman’s around the same age. She’s a Goth chick or into like new age stuff or something. Her hair was black with blue streaks through it and she had a nose ring. This would have happened ten or eleven years ago. Does it ring a bell?”

It did.

He sat back down. He remembered exactly who she was referring to. It was that fucking weirdo he picked up at the coffee shop a decade ago, before he went off to college. The same chick who had video taped the act without his consent. He’d wanted to steal that tape after he found out but the girl was scary so he just bailed on her.

“There was a girl back then and some of what you’re saying rings true but I think I’d know if someone was using me for some type of sexual ritual. Plus, that girl was definitely not a bible thumper.”

She gave him that look again like she was trying to decide if he was smart enough or level headed enough to handle what she had to say. “What’s important is that Jessie’s in danger here. Let’s pretend that he’s not the messiah. He’s a ten year old boy who’s being treated like a lab rat by men who don’t want him to ever escape and when they’re done with him he’ll be put down like a dog. The only people in this facility that even know he is who he is are you, me, and Oliver. We need a real plan or we stand no chance.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Are you suggesting we try to smuggle him out of here? We wouldn’t make it ten feet.”

“Yesterday, at your apartment when I went out for coffee, I sent a message to others outside this facility who are aware of the situation. Oliver gave me the phone number. They just needed the address where Jessie is being held. They will be waiting outside for a signal. When they see that we’re escaping they’ll help us.”

If this was true, it sounded like a really crappy plan, Jack thought.

Then he had an epiphany. “Wait, you mean those Jesus freaks that shot at me in my own apartment?”

As he said it he realized he’
d inserted himself into the conversation as a willing participant. But a small, underdeveloped part of his brain was starting to believe. The nut-jobs at his place had planted the first seed suggesting the presence of a messiah. Then he’d seen and interacted with all the exotic artifacts and then followed that up by seeing the bizarre creatures - it all made him question his version of reality. Next he met Jessie and witnessed what he could do. He had to admit, the things the child was capable of were in fact miraculous. And now Melanie, the only person on the planet he felt close to, was insisting on it with all of her heart. He did trust her, didn’t he?

She
replied, “Oliver told me what happened. He said the woman that pulled her gun on you has been excommunicated from the group. You’ll never see her again.”

Jack put his head in his hands. He wanted very much to just laugh and laugh in
her insane face. He felt like his mind was being sucked into a black hole. Once again, he wished he had that elixir so he could peal truth away from fantasy.

Instead of losing his mind
or arguing he asked, “If Jessie’s the messiah, why don’t you just go to the Doctor or the General and tell them? If you convinced them then they might be able to get Jessie released. The General told me himself that the U.S. government would never want to be a part of something like that.”

She
smiled but the smile was sorrowful. “If we told them what we know and then proved it they’d say that we knowingly infiltrated this facility because of our knowledge. Then they’d execute us for it. And I’m not so sure I buy into the government releasing Jessie if they were to find out what he is. The government doesn’t like loose ends and they don’t like situations that can get away from them. Right now Jessie’s a mostly harmless curiosity but even so, he might be executed at any time for any reason. Imagine if the guys at the top believed he was not controllable.”

He
asked, “Have you tried to find his mom? If she showed up here with a news crew there’d be a public outcry for them to be reunited. He might even be allowed to live a normal life.”

She shook her head. “Protocol insists that if word leaks that a ten year old child is being detained here by the government all evidence
will be immediately destroyed, including the child. None of us know what happened to his mom but I’m guessing she’s not about to resurface anytime soon. It’s a shame, he deserved better from his own mother.” She gave Jack an odd look. “But at least his father’s in the picture now.”

That last remark only sent a flash of fury through his senses. He couldn’t understand why it did, but it did. Maybe it was because he felt like
she was trying to tug at his heart strings to manipulate him. Maybe it was because he’d never wanted children. Jack felt like his guts were being clenched in an angry fist.

He didn’t
allow his anger to affect him beyond that. He needed proof before he was going to leap into fantasy land where Melanie had clearly taken up permanent residence. “I’d like to see this tape for myself before I dive into this weirdness with you.”

“Ever the skeptic. I’ll get it from Oliver and we can watch it
later.”

He
thought that was pretty odd, that his current girlfriend would watch a ten year old sex tape of him, but then again it was par for the course nowadays. It sounded like she’d just watched it this morning anyway, after Oliver’s blood test had confirmed he was the father. The idea creeped him out.

Just then Oliver and the
Doctor returned.

The
Doc was all smiles but Oliver was ashen and twitchy. Jack thought it was because he knew the cat was out of the bag.

Melanie whispered something to Oliver
. When she was done he said to the doctor, “I’ll be right back,” and then left the room.

The
Doctor barely noticed as he got situated behind the monitor. “I’d like to try out a few things later tonight if you’re up for it Jack. Now that you’re here we can conduct some experiments with a success rate higher than we’re used to.”

Jack nodded
but he didn’t like the word experiment being used when it came to a ten year old boy.

The
Doctor continued, “Now that Jessie has calmed down you can resume your research upstairs. The General won’t be happy if we keep you all day and night.”
 

Jack didn’t care either way. His thoughts were miles away; maybe even in a different dimension.

Melanie walked him as far as the clean room when Oliver appeared and slipped something to her. He said to them both, “Careful with that, it’s the original.”

She
slid the disc Oliver had retrieved into Jack’s lab coat pocket and then kissed him on the cheek. “Hide it somewhere and we’ll watch it tonight.”

He
said sarcastically, “Yeah, I can’t wait.”