Phoenix Legacy Read online

  Del didn’t know what to say to that. It sure explained Tammy’s opposition to abortion, though. “Thank you for telling me.”

  She looked back at Bar & Grill, looming behind the dock. It wasn’t much, it wasn’t pretty, but it was a good watering hole for the locals. And it was hers. She had finally settled down and was happy. She didn’t want change. She liked things this way.

  “You think I should give up the kid for adoption?”

  “That’s better than cutting off any chance the baby has for a life,” Tammy said. “What the father did has nothing to do with the baby. The first time that child smiles at you, you won’t give a damn how conception happened. You’ll just love him back.”

  “You sound sure about that.” I’m not.

  “You care. Look at today.”

  She wanted this over. But Tammy was her friend, and she was making sense. There could be people out there just waiting for a kid to be part of their lives. Del could make that happen. Take something lousy and make it something good.

  Maybe the kid that she never wanted, hadn’t asked for and wished didn’t exist should have a chance, if not with her, with somebody. She touched her stomach. If someone had held her responsible for her father’s sins, she’d be dead. This baby had nothing to do with the man who’d raped her.

  Though if she ever found the rapist, she would use her hammer to bash his head in.

  She hoped the kid would be okay with that.

  Chapter Two

  Philip Drake pulled into the entrance of the bland suburban New Jersey condominium development just as many of his neighbors were leaving on their morning commute. Feeling perverse, he gunned the ’67 Charger, making more noise than necessary. He might live here but he’d never be one of them.

  He smiled as the Charger took the corner on a dime. Old, but not feeble. Like him. Though the car looked its age, standing out, not in style anymore.

  Unlike him.

  He had wanted to experiment with the limits of his newfound conscious healing ability. Instead, he’d de-aged his body to at least a decade younger. Days of trying to reverse the process had convinced him he was cursed to look like this for a long time. Maybe until he died, whenever that was.

  He was too damn old and cynical to look under thirty.

  He’d never get his gray hair back. He would never grow old, either, at least not naturally. Still, given what he was, it was always possible someone might kill him in the meantime. That was a comforting thought.

  He spotted the car parked outside his condo from the top of the street. Beth’s Honda. He was definitely too damn old to be visited by his adult daughter this early in the morning, especially after the debauched way he’d spent the night. He wanted a shower. And sleep.

  And then…well, he hadn’t figured that out in months. So maybe Beth’s visit was a good thing. He’d worn so many identities over the years, even as a child, and now his current alias of Philip Drake. He had no clue which of him was his real self or even if he had one.

  Being Beth Nakamora’s foster father—that was solid ground.

  He parked next to Beth’s vehicle and entered through his garage. He nearly tripped over a beer can. He tossed it back in the overflowing recycling bin. Hmm…he hadn’t realized there were so many cans. At least Beth hadn’t come this way. She worried too much about him as it was.

  He opened the condo to the smell of coffee and the blinding brilliance of early-morning sunshine. He blinked and squinted to shut out the light. She’d opened all the curtains in his kitchen.

  “Hey, Drake.”

  Philip nearly growled. This wasn’t his daughter at all. It was her boyfriend.

  “What do you want?” he snapped.

  Alec Farley leaned casually against the kitchen counter. Drake didn’t trust the man, but he did understand his daughter. There was no denying Farley was handsome and well built, and his telekinetic and firestarting abilities produced a palpable aura of charisma that surrounded him whether he was using his power or not.

  Philip grudgingly granted that Farley was also good to Beth. In fact, he seemed to adore her unreservedly. As well he should.

  “Uh, maybe you want some coffee? I made some.”

  Philip grumbled under his breath. Alec filled a mug with coffee and used his telekinesis to send the mug floating in midair toward him. Philip snatched it and held it up to his nose, hoping the smell would restore his alertness. He should have known Alec was in the house. He was usually more careful.

  “You could have just handed the mug to me,” Philip said.

  “I was worried you’d slug me if I got closer.”

  “Not now. I’m tired. Come back in a few hours.”

  “You don’t look tired. Hell, you look younger than the last time I was here.”

  “So?”

  “How’d it happen? Side effect of your healing ability?”

  Philip shrugged, took a large gulp and studied Farley again. The firestarter seemed taller than he remembered. Or maybe Philip had shrunk himself accidentally. Could he do that with the healing power? No idea. He drank more coffee. “Why did you open my curtains?”

  “It seemed like a tomb in here with them closed, Dad.” Beth walked in from the hallway. “That’s a new look. I think I’m going to miss your gray hair.”

  “Me too.” Philip smiled.

  His daughter smiled back, and all was better with his world.

  “I like it dark inside. It’s more secure that way. What brings you here so early?”

  Alec and his daughter exchanged glances. Their eyes grew distant and unfocused. They were probably speaking telepathically, so he couldn’t overhear.

  Damned nuisance.

  He couldn’t read minds, like Beth, but Philip didn’t think they were here for something personal. For that, Beth would have come alone. “I assume you’re here for something to do with the Resource?”

  “Not me. Alec needs your help,” Beth said. “And I have to run. I have a plane to catch.”

  “You’re going out of town without Alec?” The firestarter had one valuable quality: he was a fierce protector. Beth was safe from harm with him.

  “Yes, without Alec,” Beth said. “I think I can manage this one. I have a possible new client in Charlton City. Someone who needs my specialized help as soon as possible.”

  “Someone who needs your telepathy,” Philip said. “Are you absolutely certain it’s safe?”

  “I sent Daz out there for recon first. He’ll be her back-up,” Alec said.

  Daz, the head of Alec’s special-ops combat team. Philip’s opinion of Alec’s intelligence went up a notch. “Good.”

  “I’ll be fine. Dad, do you think you can help Alec without too much grumbling?”

  Philip shrugged again.

  Beth walked over, kissed Alec goodbye and went out the front door. Alec sighed and watched the Honda pull out of the driveway. His eyes lost focus again.

  The pair was sharing a telepathic goodbye. Philip turned his back and poured another cup of coffee. “So what’s this problem?”

  “It’s a leftover I inherited as part of the Resource. Like you warned me, Lansing hid a lot of his holdings. I wish we’d found this one sooner. It’s another of his genetics labs.” Alec grimaced. “From what we pulled from the records, they made some advances in genetic manipulation.”

  “Lansing was trying to grow an army of supermen, like you. That’s no shock.”

  “Yeah, but this lab’s research is advanced. We think they might have gotten as far as genetically altering DNA to create or improve on certain psychic powers. It’s also possible they’re enhancing Lansing’s sperm to ensure passing on his immortality too.”

  “If Lansing provided sperm samples, he wouldn’t have told them it was his sperm. He was too secretive for that. What else?”

  Alec looked away. “The lab probably was working with my sperm too. Lansing could have had some lab techs take it from me when I was unconscious. It’d have been just like him.”
>
  Philip threw the empty coffee mug against the wall. It shattered with a satisfying sound. Once again, he wished he’d killed Richard Lansing a very long time ago.

  “Send F-Team to surround the lab and shut it down, by force if needed. I’ll help.”

  Alec looked at the shattered remains of the mug and shook his head. “I won’t do that. It’s a legitimate lab on the outside. The people working there could be innocent.”

  “Innocent to a degree, but none of them have their hands clean. If you don’t want to shut it down by force, why did you come to me?” If Alec didn’t eliminate the lab, Philip would. Explosives were easy to come by if you knew who to ask.

  “Yeah, well, even if all the workers knew about the DNA being taken without consent and they’re all scum, I still want to evaluate the place first. I’ll learn more that way.”

  “You came to me because you need a spy.”

  Alec nodded. “You can blend in and not look scary. I’m not sure how you do it, but every time I see you in public, you look nondescript. Normal. Nobody will mistake me or any member of F-Team for normal. We all look like soldiers.”

  “People sense your power,” Philip said.

  “And not yours. How do you do that?”

  “It’s easy to learn to blend in when standing out can cost you your life.” Philip had learned that lesson as a child. The years with the CIA had only honed that skill. “But I’m not familiar with genetic laboratories. I would need a full briefing before being able to advise you on it.” How big was this lab? How much explosive would he need to destroy it?

  “How about a visit to the lab today? It’ll give you a chance to look it over.”

  “I won’t necessarily know what I’m looking at.”

  “You notice everything about people. You’ll know if they’re trying to hide something.”

  He nodded. “True enough. But your visit could spook them anyway. Once you show up, you have to assume they’ll know who you are. They might rabbit.”

  “Yeah, I thought of that. I’m going to have F-Team put it under surveillance the minute we leave. I thought maybe you could plant a few bugs while we’re inside to keep tabs on them too.”

  “You know, Farley, sometimes you don’t act as young or naive as you are.”

  Alec smiled. “You know, Drake, somewhere in all that I think there was a compliment.”

  “Why not watch them first for a while?” Philip asked. “I can plant bugs without making them aware they’re being watched.”

  “Because we need to act quickly.”

  “Why?”

  Alec looked away again. Philip felt the temperature in the room rise. That happened when the firestarter became angry.

  “The report I read said that the experiment had gotten as far as a pregnancy. They either implanted an experimental embryo in a woman or they used altered sperm to artificially inseminate her.”

  “They’ve done what?”

  Philip stood and drove a shard of the shattered mug into his palm. The pain triggered a pleasant surge of adrenaline, dissipating the anger. Pain felt very good lately. He feared he might be becoming addicted to it. “Women have been used as lab rats? Without their consent?”

  Alec nodded slowly. “The records we uncovered talk about at least one test subject. We know there’s a woman out there pregnant with the results of their first experiment. I just don’t know the exact details.” Alec balled his hand into a fist. “Someone out there could be carrying my kid, Drake. I’ve got to find her and protect them both.”

  Even from the grave, Lansing had hurt innocents again.

  “I’ll look at this lab. And then we’ll sort out how to destroy it.”

  Chapter Three

  “Tammy, you didn’t have to come.” Del whispered, trying to not let the words carry to the others in the waiting room. “It’s just a simple ultrasound.”

  “Of course I had to come. I’m the one who talked you into it. I said I’d help, and I will. You’re not alone in this, Delilah.”

  Well, that settled it. No use arguing with anyone when they used your full name. Del tried to settle in the uncomfortable chair. Drink lots of water, they’d told her. A full bladder was needed for a clear look at the fetus. And now she felt ready to burst.

  Idiot. She should have never let Tammy talk her into carrying the baby to term that day three months ago at the dock. Nobody had given her a warning that pregnancy would be like this.

  They’d better call for her soon or she’d have to go to the bathroom and then reschedule and have to do this all again.

  “I don’t know why I need to do this.”

  “They need to know how the baby is growing and when it was conceived.”

  “I know the exact date of that.”

  “But they just want to be sure. It’s for the baby’s health,” Tammy said.

  The baby’s health. Del shook her head and looked at the other women in the waiting room. A couple were visibly pregnant, their faces tired. Already? One of them had a toddler with her. The mother tried to calm the fussy toddler, first with reading a book—thirty seconds of quiet—then with an electronic toy with noises and whistles—a whole two minutes of toddler quiet but electronic noise—and, finally, with a discreet snack of crackers the mother carried in her pocket. That produced a lengthy quiet.

  Adoption was definitely the way to go. Del could never have that kind of patience.

  Several other women didn’t look pregnant at all, and one of those was accompanied by a man Del assumed was the father of the child. Of course, maybe their ultrasound wasn’t for a pregnancy. They did all kinds of ultrasounds here.

  “It will be fine, Del,” Tammy said again. “This is the fun part. This technology was barely around when I had my last one.”

  “I don’t want there to be a fun part,” Del whispered.

  She didn’t want to like being pregnant. She didn’t want to get excited about it. This kid was going to a good home. There was absolutely no reason to get attached. “Why do you act as if I should be excited?”

  “You might change your mind about adoption.” Tammy patted her hand. “My kids would all make great babysitters.”

  “They’re not going to get up with me in the middle of the night.”

  “That part is over quickly,” Tammy said.

  Del snorted.

  The toddler started crying. Her mom picked her up and soothed with a few more crackers. Seemed if you wanted to do motherhood right, you had to plan ahead and be on constant alert. That leaves me right out.

  Del supposed it was possible the ultrasound would show a problem. Maybe the fetus wasn’t growing normally. After all her agonizing about this, what if the decision was taken out of her hands?

  Her name was called. Tammy came with her. They followed the nurse/technician/office worker/whatever she was down the narrow hallway.

  Tammy clutched her hand while a humorless attendant applied the gel to her bare stomach. The attendant had her hair pulled back, wore no make-up and didn’t even crack a smile. Some bedside manner.

  The gel felt cold, then warm as the tech moved the device over her now slightly swollen abdomen. There was definitely a baby bump. Small but growing.

  Del looked over at Tammy. Tammy smiled at her, encouraging. Stop being so happy, Del thought.

  The tech kept her eyes glued on the monitor. Del had no idea what she was looking for since she certainly couldn’t make out anything in all that black and white static.

  Finally, the attendant smiled.

  Careful, your face might crack. “So, how’s it look?” Del asked.

  “We have fingers,” said the attendant, pointing. Del squinted and wished she could reach out and trace what was on the monitor. Tiny, tiny blobs. She’d have to believe they were fingers. Huh. The alien child had fingers.

  “This is wonderful,” Tammy said.

  If you say so, Del thought.

  “And here.” The attendant played with a dial and moved the ultrasound to ano
ther area. “Listen.”

  A tiny, tiny heartbeat, sounding unbelievably loud, echoed around the room. Del swallowed, feeling as if her throat had closed. A heart.

  Her baby’s heartbeat.

  Tammy grinned.

  Del shook her head. A person was growing inside her. It happened every day. People got knocked up all the time, and all those babies had hearts.

  Del still felt stupidly excited about it. She didn’t want to be.

  The attendant stopped the images, stilling the heartbeat for a second, panicking Del.

  “She’s just stopping it to capture the images, Del,” Tammy said.

  Del nodded. First, she didn’t care about the kid, then she worried it might not be healthy, and now she’d nearly panicked at the idea it was dead or something.

  Motherhood. Some rollercoaster. And this was what Tammy wanted her to sign up for?

  In a few seconds, the images went live again. Del started breathing once more. Photos, they were taking still photos. Relax.

  There was the little baby’s head. First fingers, then a heartbeat and now a head.

  “Do you want to know the sex?” the tech asked.

  “No,” Del said. The less she knew, the better.

  “Yes,” Tammy said. “I know you, Del. You hate surprises.”

  True. Plus, maybe knowing the gender might make the kid easier to adopt. Some people cared about that.

  “Okay.” Del looked at the tech. “So, boy or girl?”

  “Boy,” the tech said.

  A boy. A boy with fingers, a heartbeat, a head and a penis.

  A baby.

  “Your son, Del,” Tammy whispered.

  Del couldn’t speak. She watched the monitor instead. All those swirling images were distracting.

  A son? She had a son?

  The tech narrowed her eyes and looked at the clipboard containing Del’s chart. “About five months along?”

  “Four months,” Del snapped. It wasn’t like she could forget that morning she’d woken up on her bar floor. Before that, she hadn’t had sex for two years. “Why do you ask?”