Inspiration Point (33 page)

I smiled at my father, and saw the same man who had
always been there for me no matter what I needed all my life, just like he is
now.  It doesn’t matter how I was created, or how the past played out, all
that matters is the next few hours.  If I can just get through it, I might
have a chance at a happy family, best friend, and it looks like a
boyfriend.  Hell, what was I waiting for?

After Dad’s words, the mood had changed for all of
us.  The boys looked confident and ready for what was to come, as was
I.  I looked over to Mum who was trying to share a somewhat private moment
with Dad.  She had a warm and happy look in her eyes, and it was reflected
in Dad’s eyes to.  I snuck a look at Emin, and he had noticed them as
well.  Maybe there was hope for our family after all.

We quickly checked over all our equipment, even though
there was no real need to, we were ready for this.  Dad had taken his work
on the DNA strain out to help with our illusion for Spencer.  After a few
more minutes, we all heard voices from upstairs.  I looked at my watch, it
was nearly two.  This was it.  I turned to look at all my loved ones,
no words were spoken, but everyone knew our moment had arrived.  Zeke was
the only one who moved from where he was standing.  He walked straight to
me and held my face between his warm hands.  My heart was racing with the
look in his eyes.

“We ready Hayl’s, we can do this,” he said looking
confident and powerful, and I knew he was right.  “I love you Hayln
Michelle Knox,” he said as he kissed me like there was no-one else in the
room.  Like always our kisses never lasted long enough, but as I looked
into his eye’s I knew we would have our moment soon. 

“I’m ready,” I said to everyone, and we took our
places.

Within seconds, all three men were coming down the stairs,
Davis first then Spencer and Ian.  Davis surveyed the room and stood
between Tyler and Spencer just were we wanted him.

“Davis tells me, you want all your family here for
this Knox,” Spencer said looking around at all of us.

“That’s right Spencer, I won’t be apart from them
now.  Not when there is so little time left.” He spoke confidently which
seemed to amuse Spencer.

“Things don’t have to be so dramatic Ethan,” Spencer
said shifting his gaze to me.  “Didn’t Hayln tell you about my offer?”

I was kind of hoping that this wouldn’t have come up
yet in case I needed a bargaining chip later.  But I wasn’t going to argue
with him now.

“I have spoken to my family,” I said watching everyone
carefully.

“And, how was it received?” He said smugly, as if I
had a real choice.

“They weren’t keen on the idea actually.”

“You did promise to take my offer seriously,” he spoke
gravely trying to convey a message to me without words.  The message was -
your family is in danger.

“I did, and that’s why I’ll agree to come with you on
a couple of conditions,” I said cautiously.

“Conditions?” Spencer questioned.

“Yes, I need your word that no-one here will be hurt
now or in the future.  And I would like you to keep your word that I can
have visitors while I am with you.”

“Of course Hayln, like I said, I am not a cruel man,”
he said with a slight smile.

“Then it’s settled, I will go with you tonight as long
as you are happy with our work here.”

“No Hayln, you can’t agree to this,” Zeke moved
forward quickly towards Spencer.  I wasn’t worried, I could tell by the
way he moved he wasn’t trying to start trouble - he was putting himself into
position.  I grabbed his arm going along with our charade.

“Zeke we spoke about this, it will be alright, I
promise.”

He followed my lead and now stood next to Spencer who
was his mark.  This left Tyler with Davis and Emin next to Ian.  We
were in position.

“I am sorry about that Spencer,” I said sheepishly wanting
him to believe he was in control of this situation, and that I knew he was the
boss.

“No need to apologize, Hayln.  I can still
remember what it is like to be in love,” he said arrogantly.  I tried my
best to ignore how painful this man was and looked at Dad.  I wanted to
get this show on the road.

Spencer seemed anxious for the same thing.  “Well
I guess this is the moment of truth Knox, are you ready to show me my DNA
strain.” The look on Spencer’s face made me angry.  It was pure greed and
exploitation.

“I’m ready, are you Hayln?” Dad questioned looking at
me.  That was our signal, I only had to say two words, and all hell would
break loose.

“I’m ready,” I said a little breathless.  I sent
a quick prayer that this would work out and then everything happened at once.

The three boys moved simultaneously with their
syringes.  Emin was first with Ian.  He wasn’t paying attention, and
he went down easily without much of a struggle.

At the same time, Zeke had Spencer in a
headlock.  He actually had a little more fight in him that I expected, and
for a quick second, I thought maybe he should have been Emin’s mark.  Zeke
was still healing from his injuries.  A few seconds later Zeke had him
under control.  And as he slipped into unconsciousness he mumbled something
about regretting what we were doing and then he was out.

That left Davis, he was always going to be the problem
even with Tyler’s extra strength.  He was just so quick.  He already
had his gun drawn before I gave the signal – maybe he anticipated something. 

Tyler was struggling with him as Ian and Spencer went
down.  Emin went to Tyler’s side to help and grabbed the syringe, but
Davis had his gun still pointed at us.  I am not sure how I knew, but all
of a sudden I could see that the bullet was going to leave his gun, and I could
see the trajectory.  I moved quickly but not quick enough.  As Emin
stuck the syringe in his neck Davis fired his gun. 

I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the
path of the bullet.  I wasn’t sure whether I had been quick enough, but I
hoped it would have at least missed her heart, which was where it was going.

Everything had only taken about twenty seconds, and I
don’t remember hearing anything but the gun, but after those twenty seconds,
four people were lying on the floor in the lab and my mother was one of them,
and then I saw the blood.

“Mum,” I screamed trying to see where the bullet had
hit her.

“I’m alright Hayln,” she spoke softly, but I could see
the pain in her face.  “It’s my shoulder.”  She tried to move, but
Dad and Emin were at her side now keeping her still.

“I need everyone to listen to me,” Dad’s voice
beckoned across the room.

“Tyler go get Zeke’s car, we need the equipment here
now.  We only have just enough anesthetic, so we can’t wait.  Call
Maive on the way and have her come here as well.  Now go!”  Tyler ran
to the stairs and was gone.

“Zeke do you have any painkillers left?” Dad said as
he put pressure on Mum’s wound.

“Yes, in the bedroom I will go get it,” he said and he
disappeared to.

“Evelyn I can’t sedate you, do you understand,” he
cupped her face bringing her eyes up to meet his.  “Zeke is bringing pain
killers, and then I will have to remove the bullet,” Dad explained to her.

“I will be fine Ethan just stick to the plan,” she
said coughing a little.

“Emin, help your sister get the men ready for the
procedure.  Just do whatever she tells you, alright.  I will stay
with your mother and remove the bullet.”  Emin hesitated, and Dad’s voice
got louder.  “We don’t have time Emin your mother will be fine, I am
capable of removing the bullet and closing the wound, now please help your
sister.”

Zeke was back from upstairs with the pain killers and
some water.  Dad helped Mum to swallow the pills.  He and Zeke carried
her to the table and then he looked at me.

“This is up to you now Hayln, you can do this, I know
you can.  I need to remove this bullet, and you need to complete the
procedure on all three of them.  Tell Emin and Zeke what you need, and get
it done.  I will be right here alright.”

I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what I
was about to do.  But I couldn’t seem to take my eyes from my
parents.  Dad had removed part of her shirt and had a scalpel in his hand.

“Hayln, what do we need to do?” Zeke said bringing me
back to reality.  I had to snap out of it.  Of course Dad could
handle himself, and mum seemed to be talking him through it.  Now it was
my turn.

“I want to start with Ian, I think he will be the
easiest.  Put him up on this table, I will administer the anesthetic to
him first.  The other two can be put over there, and I will do them next.”

The boys did exactly as I asked them, moving quickly
and taking care with the men as they moved them.  I started gave the men
the exact doses of anesthetic Dad, and I had calculated.  Ian was entirely
under when I came back to him.  I hooked him up to the monitoring
equipment, and I was ready for my serum.

I hesitated for just a moment and then Dad
spoke.  “Everything is well over here Hayln, I can see the bullet clearly
and should have it out in no time.  Keep going.”

I double checked the monitor and then made the first
of a number of injections.  Zeke kept an eye on the heart rate monitors
while Emin watched the other men and Mum and Dad.  Ian was handling the
procedure well.

We all heard voices from upstairs and Tyler and Aunt
Maive came down.  She let out a little gasp as she entered the room.

“Emin, can you give me a hand bringing in this machine
for Hayln?” Tyler asked quickly.  Emin went straight to the door as Tyler
looked to Dad.  “I filled Aunt Maive in on most of it on the phone and out
the front, but I knew you wanted to talk to her.”

“Thank you Tyler,” Dad said wholly focused on removing
the bullet. 

Tyler dashed up the stairs after Emin, while Aunt
Maive seemed stunned in the doorway.  I had just about finished my last
injection when I heard the little plink of the bullet dropping in the
sink.  We all shared a little moment as Dad got ready to close the wound.

“Thank you for coming Maive, I’m sure you must have
some questions for us,” Dad said to her.

“Will this really work?” She asked in a shaky
voice.  “Can we get our lives back?”

“We certainly wouldn’t have put ourselves in this
danger unless we believed this could work Maive.  Of course there are no
absolute guarantees, but Hayln’s research is ground breaking,” Dad said
confidently.

“And they won’t remember this, or any of us?” She said
still sounding doubtful.

“Yes, that is the plan,” Dad answered.

“And now you want to know who’s side I’m on,” Maive
said nervously.  “And if it is Spencer’s then that happens to me
too.”  She pointed to Ian on the table with all the equipment hooked up to
him.

“I don’t think it is quite as black and white as that,
but yes, we do need to know where your alliance is.”

“I will always be grateful for Spencer giving me the
chance to be a part of Tyler’s life, but that is where my fondness for him
ends.  I’ve had to endure being physically hurt by that man, as well as
having to watch him hurt Tyler.  The thought of finally being free from
him…. is like a dream come true.”

Dad had sutured Mum’s wound and looked at Maive. 
I could tell he had decided it was safe for her to keep our secret – I saw it
in his eyes.

“Our family just wants a normal life like you and
Tyler, and this is our best option given the circumstances we are in.  If
you can live with that, and keep our secret, then you and Tyler will be free of
Spencer also.”

“I can give you my word, your secret is safe with me,”
she said sincerely. 

She put her handbag down and asked if there was
anything she could do.  Dad said he would appreciate a hand with Mum’s
wound, and she went to his side to attend.  Emin and Tyler came downstairs
then with my equipment and set it up to my left, just in time.  Ian was
ready for the next step.

Tyler and I had used this machine in Professor
Gregor’s office a number of times, and it was fairly easy to set up.  I
tested it a couple of times before I adjusted the voltage of the current and we
were ready.  Just like Patch we had decided to pass two currents through
his body.

“You’re ready Hayln.”  Dad’s voice surprised me a
little, I hadn’t realized he had stopped to watch.

I turned the machine on and let two, ten second
currents run through his body.  He twitched the same way Patch did, as if
he was sleeping restlessly or having a bad dream and his heart raced.  It
took a little longer for his pulse to settle, but once it did it returned to a
perfect rhythm.

“Ian will be ready to implant a memory in about
fifteen minutes, so let’s get Davis set up in the meantime,” I said to the
boys. 

Dad had finished with Mum’s wound and taped it up, so
she took the seat near the window, and we transfered Ian to where she had
been.  It took all three of the boys to bring Davis to my table.