Healed (The Found Book 3) (6 page)

“So do I Jeremy.” Amy winked at Sarah. “Let me get this next batch, you sit. I can’t believe how good I feel.”

“Let me help.” Sarah went into the little kitchen. “How are the ribs?”

“Surprisingly well. What did you do?” She looked over to Jeremy. She spoke in a low voice, “the doctor at the hospital said I had cracked ribs. I could barely hook my bra, but today, it’s like weeks have gone by. What did you do?”

“It must have been the massage.”

“Sarah, I felt your hands heating up, this is part of you being
found
, isn’t it?” She turned off the burner, and took the two extra pancakes to Jeremy.

“Yes it is,” was all Sarah said as they sat down to watch the little boy wolf down the rest of his meal.

“All done. I’m going to go get dressed so we can go walking.”

“Okay little man.” Amy immediately turned back to Sarah.

“You know, there were rumors when you suddenly up and left Atlanta. Kyle talked to Chris on one of their bonding sessions,” Amy said with air quotes. Sarah winced. She remembered those. Chris was Kyle’s captain on the police force and often took Kyle out for too many beers and had to pour him home. That was one of the major reasons she hadn’t told them why she was doing, she knew her family would be on Chris’s side. Not only was there Chris, her Uncle Marshall had gone to the police academy with Chris.

“Are you listening to me Sarah?”

“I’m sorry, I was remembering how it was between Chris and Kyle. Chris sure did have a lot of influence over my brother,” Sarah said dejectedly.

“I know. Tell me something, if you hadn’t seen all of the bruising and the ring marks, would you have believed it of Chris? Especially after seeing us together like you have?”

Sarah thought back to when they had attended Johnson family barbeques. It had seemed he was besotted with Amy. But when Sarah really thought back to it, something had been off. Yeah, it was going to be a hard sell to her brother and uncle that Chris abused Amy, even with the pictures. However, her brother, Cyrus, was from a different precinct, and he was a cynical bastard by nature, and Sarah’s ace in the hole.

“Before Jeremy comes back, can you answer this, did your hands actually heat up and then you healed me with
found
abilities?”

“Let’s talk about this while we’re on a Bambi search, okay?”

Sarah laughed. “Okay, I’ll hold you to that.”

****

Sarah missed the forest. California was beautiful in its way, but as far as she was concerned, it didn’t hold a candle to the Chattahoochee National Forest. Growing up the Johnson clan hadn’t had much money for big family vacations. Instead they would pack up the family station wagon with camping gear and head to the National Park.

Her dad was scout leader for her brother Cyrus, and four of her brothers had made it all the way to Eagle Scout. She tried Girl Scouts for a few years, but it was never really her thing, but spending time with her family was always a pleasure.

The fresh air and caffeine finally cleared most of Sarah’s cobwebs, or maybe it was the amount of time since the healing session. Whatever it was, Sarah felt capable of clearly assessing what she should and shouldn’t tell Amy Jeffries.

As soon as they left the clearing they were under a canopy of trees and Jeremy was running ahead on a well-worn path.

“Jeremy, not too far, I need to always be able to see you.”

“Okay Mom.” His exuberance was a joy to watch.

“So last night you saw all my secrets, can you tell me yours?” Amy asked.

The two women kept a keen eye on the little boy as he ran to and fro, from one flower and plant to another, fascinated by all the forest path had to offer.

Sarah looked sideways at the woman who had been such a good friend to her in elementary and middle school. They grew apart in high school when Amy had been more involved in athletics, and she had been more into academics. Sarah ended up skipping a grade and they lost track of one another.

“It’s strange and complicated. You know how I was discovered in the backyard of the Johnson’s house when I was little.”

“Sure, we talked about it a lot. You could never remember where you came from.”

“Well, I kind of remember now. Not a lot, but some. It was after I met some of the others who were
found
.” They both looked as Jeremy brought them a stick he found, and then proceeded to poke a dead log with it.

“You mean like Kelly Wachowski?”

“Yep. She goes by Kali now. She married a man named Noah.”

“Wasn’t she kidnapped? I read about it in the newspaper last year.”

“Yes, it was terrible. But she got away. There are some really awful people who want to get their hands on the
found
.”

“I also read about Alfred Hawley in England, he was killed last year when someone attempted to kidnap him.” Sarah shuddered, remembering how she felt when reading the story in the newspaper.

“He was.”

“That’s why you’ve been in hiding. You’re in California aren’t you?” Sarah stopped on the path.

“How’d you know that? I know you contacted me through Ramone and he gave you my number but it was an Atlanta number, so how did you know I was in California? Damn it was it Kyle shooting off his mouth?”

“Don’t blame Kyle too much. Chris has a way of getting everyone to talk to him. He always wants to know everything. That’s how he kept people under his thumb.” Sarah looked up the dirt path and saw Jeremy using his stick to press against a toadstool.

“Still, he shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I don’t think he said anything more than you being in California, otherwise Chris would have told me. He liked bragging about how much he knew about things.”

That made Sarah feel a little better.

“So people are trying to kidnap you? Hurt you?”

“Damn it, you just said he didn’t say anything more than me being in California!”

“I’m not stupid, if they kidnapped Kali, and killed Alfred, obviously they’re after you too.” Sarah calmed down. She needed to keep it together.

“There have been a few different types of groups out to get the
found
. Some have been out and out hate groups that want to kill us. I think those groups have been stopped. But the one that tried to kidnap me, wants me for a breeding program.” Sarah pulled her jacket tighter around her, the warm air in the forest suddenly feeling cold.

“A breeding program? I don’t understand.”

“Somebody thinks combining my eggs with their sperm will make some kind of super baby. They want to breed with me. I don’t know if they just want to harvest my eggs, or what.” Sarah kept her eyes on Jeremy, not wanting to see the horror mirrored in Amy’s eyes. She still couldn’t stand to think about it. The whole idea of someone wanting to use her to for such a purpose, and then steal her babies made her sick.

“But you got away.”

“I did. With a lot of help. There is a naval unit is tasked to protect the
found
. Their leader is actually
found
himself. Apparently there were a lot more children who came to this world on that day then were ever publicized.”

“This world? What do you mean this world? Are you from outer space?” Amy’s eyes were wide green circles that reminded her of Jeremy.

“No. The memories I have before waking up in the Johnson’s backyard are pretty foggy. I rely a lot on what others have told me. We came from another universe. We came from Earth, just a different Earth.”

“What do you remember?” Amy asked, obviously fascinated.

“I remember having an aunt I really loved. I remember making the decision to come here after talking to her and a lot of adults.”

“Why, if you really loved her?”

“I was going to make a difference, I could be of service and make a difference. I knew I was going to come and live in a big family that would love and care for me, and it would be fun. But the most important thing is I would make a difference and help people who needed it.”

“That’s amazing.”

“Then I learned even more from Kali and Noah.”

“What did you learn?”

“That after about twenty years we were going to find other
found
and our gifts would start manifesting, and we could help more.”

“Is your gift healing?”

“Yes. I mean, I’m a doctor. You know that. But since I’ve been in contact with some of the other
found
, I have been able to touch people and bring relief to their injuries.” Sarah couldn’t quite meet Amy’s eyes.

“That’s bullshit, you didn’t give me relief. You healed my cracked ribs.”

Sarah rubbed the back of her neck. It’d be great if she could totally heal her headache, because it seemed to be coming back with a vengeance. “What about my baby. Is my baby okay?”

Sarah stopped, and so did Amy. “Your baby is fine. Amy’s smile lit up her entire face.

“You’re sure.”

“Absolutely.” Amy threw her arms around Sarah.

“Thank you, thank you so much.” Just hugging her, touching her, Sarah could feel the life growing inside her. The baby was a girl. “Oh Amy, I just felt her, you’re having a baby girl!”

“I am?”

“You are,” Sarah assured her. Amy stared at her, a look of joy on her face.

“You can tell those types of things, oh my God. That’s a miracle.” Then a look of dread came over Amy’s face.

“Sarah, how dangerous was it for you to come here?”

“What?”

“I asked you how dangerous was it for you to come here.”

“I was careful.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I. Not only do I not want to be captured, I would never put your son at risk.” Both women smiled at the little boy squatting as he pushed at something with his stick.

“Why did you come? I mean I really wasn’t expecting you when I contacted you on Facebook. What made you decide to help me after you talked to me on the phone?”

Now that was the question. Sarah chose her words carefully. “I remembered the girl I grew up with. You always stood up for me, even though I was different for being adopted. Also, I researched you. Your story was such a direct conflict from the report the doctor wrote, something seemed fishy.”

“How did you know what the doctor wrote?” Amy asked.

“I might have hacked into the hospital records.” Sarah’s cheeks heated up. Hacking into medical records was something she would have totally abhorred in the past, but the last eight months in hiding had changed her perspective.

What’s more after talking to Amy, she knew she was telling the truth, and checking the records was a double check.

Amy opened her mouth, as if to ask another question, but then closed it. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. How did you explain to someone you now have a sixth or even seventh sense about people, and you could pick up their intentions over the telephone? That wasn’t her gift really, it was Kali’s gift. But the more time she spent with other
found
people, residual amounts of their abilities became hers. These days other
found
could now do a slight bit of healing.

Jeremy came running up with both of his hands full of blossoms.

“I picked flowers for each of yous.”

“They’re beautiful,” they said simultaneously and laughed. It might just turn into a good day.

Chapter Four

It was a shit day. He’d been looking for Amy for almost two days. He had to find her. She couldn’t really have left him. She loved him, like he loved her. They were meant to be together. He knew he fucked up five days ago, but she told him she had forgiven him.

A little voice in his head reminded him he didn’t really screw up. He had done what was necessary for the good of their relationship. They had the worst argument of their entire marriage. Amy refused to see reason. An abortion was their only option. How often had he fantasized about having her all to himself as it was? There was no way he was going to tolerate another child, especially a baby. Babies took up too much of Amy’s time.

When she refused to listen to reason and threatened to take Jeremy and leave, he saw red. He had grabbed her and shoved her to the ground. It was like he was outside of himself, when he saw her lying there. Then he realized, within her she held that thing that was going to keep them apart and he could do something about it. So he saw himself kick her.

He was appalled but he kept doing it, trying to drive out the little piece of humanity that was spoiling everything. He wasn’t doing anything to her, he rationalized to himself, even as she lay there bloodied, he was just trying to get rid of the thing that was going to monopolize all the time that rightfully belonged to him. Didn’t she understand he loved her? That he would do anything to keep them together?

It took him a while before he came back to himself and realized what he had done. Before he had realized he had hurt her. She was bleeding. Hopefully she lost the baby, which would be a blessing. She was crying, begging for mercy. When he saw the bruises on her face, he realized he hurt Amy, so he stopped. He got her into clean clothes and called Ed, and they met at the hospital. Ed and he went way back, he had gotten him out of a bad situation a few years back when he had been driving drunk. Ed owed him.

He immediately gave her some painkillers and sedatives, and then started treating her for injuries. He corroborated Chris’s story that Amy had been in an auto accident. The few times Amy tried to say something, both men overrode her, until she finally gave up and fell into a drug induced sleep. Chris took her home, and treated her like a princess that night and the next day. She told him the next night she had lost the baby and three days later she was gone.

Now here he was trying to track her down. She must have taken the battery out of her cell phone, because it wasn’t showing any way for him to track her. She hadn’t taken her brand new SUV. So he couldn’t use the GPS in the vehicle either to track her. He couldn’t figure out how she had left. He hated when it came down to old fashioned police work.