The Hunt: The Oakmont Saga, Book 2

“Welcome to Beijing, President Balashov. President Yen is eagerly awaiting your arrival,” a man in a Chinese military uniform said, as the President of Russia stepped off of the jet.

The military attache escorted the Russian leader, along with his entourage, to a waiting limousine. Once everyone was comfortably seated, the car drove away from the large, very nondescript jet toward the political headquarters of the People’s Republic of China, the Great Hall of the People. The trip was a fair distance, but with the military ensuring the roads were clear, they made quick progress.

As President Balashov walked into the building, his escort led him toward an elevator, and then to the top floor. He found himself in a very ornate suite, which was rather impressive, even to him.

“President Balashov, what an unexpected visit, and not from one of your ambassadors, either,” President Yen said as he stepped out of the elevator.

“This was too important to leave to chance between our diplomats,” President Balashov replied. “And why are we speaking English?” the Russian leader asked.

“Because I do not speak Russian and I do not believe you speak Chinese. However, we both speak English rather well,” he said, giving a small smile as well.

“Understood. Now, please forgive me for being blunt, but have you received any unusual reports from your Ministry of State Security?” he asked.

“What type of reports are you referring to? I receive many on any given day,” the Chinese leader said, being somewhat coy.

“The Americans, and a project called Oakmont,” the Russian said.

“I have become aware of it, thanks to that news report from their media in Seattle. What a fascinating demonstration, and such wild claims by the little girl. She was made up to get the best impact. An amazing stage performance. Why do you ask about this Oakmont?” the Chinese man asked.

“Do not play with me, Yen. This project changes everything, and you know it. The Americans have unlimited access to all of our secrets with this, if what that girl said is true,” Balashov stated.

“Why do you come to me with this? You Russians always work alone, and especially not with us Chinese,” Yen replied.

“So the Chinese are not concerned with this?” he asked.

“I did not say that, but your people have a tradition of doing things by yourself. To be honest, I was surprised when I heard you were coming. I assumed it was about this,” Yen said.

“My Foreign Intelligence Service was instructed to inform you that I was coming,” Balashov said.

“And they did,” Yen agreed. “What is the real purpose of this visit,” Yen then asked.

“I want to find a way to neutralize this project, this threat, the Americans have,” Balashov declared.

“We are not convinced of it being a threat. The Americans seem to not have control of the project, very much. I think they have, how do they say, ‘put it out to pasture.’ What I have read is that the Americans have ended it and are trying to contain the potential damage of this thing they have created. They are even charging a Senator with crimes for it,” Yen told him.

“But they do have it, and if my intelligence is right, it gives them an advantage we cannot overcome without having it ourselves,” Balashov told him.

“Now that is an interesting thought,” Yen mused.

“I’m glad you think so,” the Russian remarked, with a smirk that was only slightly sarcastic.

“So, instead of a cold war with nuclear missiles, we will have a cold war with telepaths. I like it. Now, what are you suggesting, to the people of China,” Yen asked.

“Melanie, wake up!” Aliyah was yelling, while shaking me.

“What?” I groaned, as I returned to consciousness.

“You were screaming in your sleep, again,” she said, as she took my hand and held it.

“I’m sorry,” I told her. I’d almost quit having nightmares lately, at least that I could remember. However, I was still screaming in my sleep. The psychologists that were working with me assured me that it would get better with time, and I had to be patient. I was trying, if for no other reason than it made Mom and Dad happy, and I wanted more than anything to make them happy. They’d suffered enough because of me.

Besides Mom and Dad, Aliyah had become a driving force to make it succeed. Aliyah had become one of the rocks that kept me grounded, and stable. She always got to me when I started having one of my inner attacks, the ones no one knew were happening until it was too late.

Oddly, Maggie had started becoming aware of them, and was filling in when Aliyah wasn’t there. Maggie had taken it upon herself, ever since we escaped Oakmont together, to be my personal caretaker. I had to admit, she was very good at it, too.

The new school was coming along nicely, in a very short time. Most of the cell blocks had been torn down, and new buildings were being built. It was actually looking like a boarding school, what we could see. Several of the cell blocks were still standing, which was our temporary housing. One was for the girls and the other for the boys. There was a large administrative building under construction, which was modelled after the one at Werdlmyre.

“What time is it?” I suddenly asked, all of those thoughts forgotten.

“Too early,” Aliyah replied, knowing where my mind had gone. Although we didn’t maintain a constant link, we could almost read each other’s minds anyway. We knew each other that well.

“Crap!” I exclaimed.

“Go back to sleep, but be quiet,” she said, and although it almost sounded rude, I knew she was playing with me.

It had taken me a long time to go to sleep that night, as I was so excited about the next day. We were going out, having an outing in the city. It was our first outing since we’d moved to the new place.

Some of the older kids, like Richard and Chelsea, were allowed to split from the group and go on semi-chaperoned dates. I was a bit surprised when I discovered they were dating, even though I shouldn’t have been, looking back on things.

Actually looking back on how everything happened, there were a lot of things that surprised me. Some turned out not to be so good.

Gabriel’s brother turned up again, thanks to Dad finding him. He’d actually found himself a place to hide out in Wichita Kansas. Dad had him captured really fast, under the guise of national security. He did know about us telepaths, after all.

I never told Gabriel what he’d done. He had meant well, after all, and Gabriel needed his brother. Once Dad brought Brandon to Alaska, he had been sent to a foster home in Eagle River, with a family that already had several kids. He wouldn’t be adopted, but it did give him a stable, and safe place to live the last little bit of his childhood.

Gabriel did find out what had happened, of course. That was thanks to Brandon apologizing to him, and then to me. Gabriel wasn’t mad with him, but at me, even though he never acted mad. He looked at me with a disappointed look, turned and left the room.

I never understood why, but it created a rift between us, and no matter how much I apologized, I couldn’t fix it. Oddly, it was something that after the initial incident, developed slowly, and we simply drifted apart. To be honest, he drifted apart, and I had no choice but to accept it. I often regretted losing Gabriel, which happened thanks to my own stupidity. He filled a hole in me that was again empty. I loved him, and I knew it.

The reality was, his leaving me was probably for the best, though. Other than his knowledge of top secret things, he was out of danger, thanks to our breaking up, if we were ever truly together. That didn’t make me feel any better about my situation, though, but life goes on. Thankfully, it really does go on.

It was just another wound, piled on top of the mountain I already had. It wasn’t as painful as some, but more than others. There were times where I’d cry, missing him, though, like I was about to do.

Shaking myself, I sat up, and breathed deeply, one of the techniques the therapist taught me. It usually didn’t work, but I followed instructions like a good girl. Maybe I’d eventually convince myself that it did work, and it would.

“You alright?” Aliyah asked, as she slid under the covers and laid down beside me.

“Yeah, I think I am,” I replied, smiling at her in the dark. Oddly, I really was alright, mostly.

“Good,” she said.

“Do you think Dad could arrange to have the Ramirez family come visit?” I asked.

“Probably,” she replied, then yawned very big.

“Go to sleep,” I told her, and laid back to try and do the same thing. I had a big day coming up, and I didn’t want to be yawning through it.

When we woke up a few hours later, I felt well rested, even energized. Today was going to be a special day, unlike any I’d had in a very long time. This would be my first outing of this type since before I left for Oakmont the first time.

I worked my way out of bed, jostling Aliyah as I did. She was still asleep. She was also not as energetic, or as excited as I was.

Grabbing my clothes, along with all of my personal stuff, I opened the door to our room and almost kicked a small package on the floor outside the door. Putting my things down, I went and picked the package up. It was addressed to me and Aliyah.

I opened it up, and saw a small journal, along with a letter. The journal really had me curious, but I decided to read the letter first.

Dear Melanie and Aliyah,

You do not know me, but I do know you and have been watching your development for some time. I was involved in engineering the abilities you possess, along with many other things. Until about three years ago, I was ashamed of what I had done, but the five of you give me hope. Also, I have found one that has shown me God’s hand in this.

Let me give you some history. Many years before all of what you know, I was enlisted to help alter the human condition, enabling people to possess abilities that were only dreamed of. Our team was told how good this would be for protecting America and the ideals of a free nation. I believed it, because it made sense.

In the initial phase of the project, Werdlmyre, the recipients were to gain physical abilities, telekinesis. The second phase of the project was to give mental abilities, telepathy. I know you are already well aware of all of this, but maybe not that each project was only a phase of a greater project. Neither program was allowed to be aware of the other, for fear of contamination of both. What we quickly discovered was that the people leading the Oakmont program were unscrupulous, so we attempted to shut down both programs. As you are again aware, that did not work out as hoped.

Through some odd quirk of fate, or maybe a miracle, you were born children of X5. That formula was never supposed to have been used, as we knew it was flawed. Once the two of you were recruited into the program I prepared for the possibility of the fulfillment of the program, though I never expected it would actually happen. I only hoped...and prayed. But the two of you did take the X6 serum, which fulfilled the final objective of the program, invoking the third phase, which unfortunately had never been tested.

I did not want this out of my scientific curiosity, or for any desire to see the program succeed. I wanted it knowing that X5 would eventually kill you.

Since you did take X6, you have an ability that neither a singular telepath, or a telekinetic possesses. You can use energy from either and pool it, along with tapping into their skills. Each of you have the ability to make a force that cannot be stopped, at least not very easily. That was the initial goal of the program, which was forgotten too quickly and too easily by the politicians and the short sighted military men who oversaw the project.

I wish I could offer some wonderful bit of wisdom, or maybe some incredible final outcome, but I can’t. Know, however, that you are a force to be reckoned with, if you have the need. If there are more than one of you together, then you become a force of nature, or maybe God. Knowing this, I beg you to use your power wisely, and with humility.

I do not know how soon it will happen, but I will do my best to come to you. It is necessary so I can complete what I have begun.

Humbly and hopefully,

Your Friend

[signature: Dr. Rudolph Hammond]

p.s. Please destroy everything about the program, once you have read it. I don’t want this to ever be recreated, but I did want you to understand.

P.s.s. Melanie, I am truly sorry for what you have endured. It should never have happened, and wouldn’t have but for the choices I made. Unfortunately, I would make the same choices again, knowing what I know. In spite of your many trials, you have persevered where most would have stopped fighting long before. I pray for you, always.

Done reading the letter, I opened the notebook, and began reading. There was a lot of technical jargon, but what caught my eye was that there were only a few that could become his phase three creations.

X3 recipients could never transition to this final product. They could get a lot stronger with X6, though. That meant that only Aliyah, Ben, Eliana and myself could be this new thing. There was more, as well...a lot more, but that piece was immensely important.

Then I saw something that wasn’t in the journal I read back at Oakmont. There was a list of the people that had been given X5, and there was a third name in that list. This man wasn’t in the military, either. His name was Allan Shephard Price and he was listed as deceased. He had a son, Uriah Sampson Price. The part about the son looked as if it had been added later, like an update, probably at the same time the deceased notation was added. That meant there was another kid like us, and he very likely hadn’t been given X6, unless...

I had no idea how long I sat on my chair, staring at the pages of the book, but not seeing them. It was quite a while, though.

“Mel, are you going to get ready, or what?” Aliyah asked. When she looked at me, my attention slowly returning to the real world, she sat down beside me. She was worried.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing,” I replied, smiling. “Nothing, at all. As a matter of fact, I think everything’s going to be okay,” I replied, closing the journal and putting it away. I handed her the letter.