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For the power of man to make himself what he pleases, as we have seen, the power of some men to make other men what they please.

– C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man

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Chapter 1

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GABRIEL JAMES WAS NOT sewn together from the corpses of fallen men.  He wasn’t brought to life by electricity generated from a mystical bolt of lightning.  And he wasn’t a tragic or horrifying figure to his creator.  Not in the least.  In fact, he was genetically engineered from a single cell.  And he was his maker’s crowning glory.  The shining example of the future of mankind. 

A perfect specimen. 

Gazing out toward the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city skyline—one composed largely of grim, Soviet Block housing—Gabriel watched as the sun sank into the frozen horizon line, leaving shades of deep orange and salmon that darkened to breadths of violet in its wake.  The rays of dwindling light transformed the bleak, snowy landscape to an unearthly electric blue that nearly matched Gabriel’s eyes in color. 

All around him, the earth was snowy and rugged, but not nearly as rugged in appearance as the being beside him.  Chiseled in every sense of the word and made by the same hand that created Gabriel but for vastly different purposes, Eugene loomed just as the two giant volcanoes overlooking Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky did.  And he possessed as much deadly potential as the volcanoes. 

Dr. Franklin Stein had created Eugene from a single cell just as he’d created Gabriel, only Eugene had been created as a tool of sorts.  An instrument to protect his most prized creation: Gabriel.

A mountain of a man, Eugene towered at six-foot-nine-inches tall, though it was difficult to categorize Eugene as a man at all at times.  His body resembled that of a human male. His face was another story entirely. 

Noticing that Gabriel’s gaze had skimmed him, Eugene whipped his head around.  Drilling him with feline eyes, Eugene’s words rolled like a growl.  “I don’t know why Dr. Stein sent you here with me.  I handle these matters alone.  I don’t need you.”  He stared at Gabriel unflinchingly, his expression as calm and predatory as a lion lying in wait.  Neither Gabriel nor Eugene had been designed to feel emotion—their maker believed it was the cause of humanity’s shortcomings—but Gabriel could fairly see the trembling veins of rage coursing through Eugene’s blood.  Rage he should not be feeling. 

“I’m not here to interfere.  Take care of it yourself.  I’ll stay out of your way,” Gabriel said. 

“Yes, you will,” Eugene snapped.  His eyes were narrowed to lethal slashes.  “This is what I do.”

Gabriel didn’t understand any more than Eugene did why Dr. Stein had sent him to the Kamchatka Peninsula.  After all, this was what Eugene did.  It was what he’d been designed for.  The fact that Dr. Stein had sent him with Eugene on this particular mission led Gabriel to believe his maker was testing him in some way.  How, exactly, remained unclear.  But perhaps it was linked to his impending departure.  In just three short days, he was leaving the Russian Far East and heading to the United States, where he would begin his integration into society.  He’d be enrolled in a high school in a place called Harbingers Falls, New York.  There, he’d be presented with the challenge of blending seamlessly into society.  This relocation was the ultimate assessment of his success or failure as a creation.  It would provide empirical proof for Dr. Stein.  If Gabriel performed as his maker believed he would then Gabriel would be the first of his kind.  The first of many more to come. 

“It’s time.” Eugene’s voice was a rumble that echoed from somewhere deep in his chest.  His amber gaze was zeroed in on the nondescript sedan they’d been watching.  The undercover vehicle contained two agents of the central law-enforcement body in Russia, who operated under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.  The agents were staking out a prominent member of the Russian mafia, one with whom Dr. Stein had many dealings.  The specifics of his maker’s interactions with the Russian mobster remained a mystery to Gabriel, but he assumed those dealings were the reason for this current mission.  So he’d stood for hours, vigilant in the bitter cold, and surveilled the agents.  The agents’ vehicle was parked just beyond the hideout and out of sight. 

Neither man inside the vehicle was aware that as they watched the hideout, they, too, were being watched by Eugene and Gabriel. 

Darkness had fallen, deepened by the shadow of the towering volcanoes and mountains surrounding the hundreds of miles of woodlands at Gabriel’s back.  He and Eugene had not wandered far into the wooded area.  Not that distance would’ve mattered much.  It wouldn’t have obstructed their view any more than the darkness did.  Both of them had been designed with vision so advanced it enabled them to see equally well at night as they did in daylight hours and with razor-sharp clarity from any distance.  From where they stood, they couldn’t be seen but had a clear view of the sedan parked just down the road from a brick warehouse.   

Eugene knelt and scooped up a small rock.  Without looking at Gabriel, he hurled it through the night with such force it made a whistling sound.  It collided with the hood of the sedan with a loud ding.  Gabriel swore he glimpsed a smile curl the corners of Eugene’s mouth, but returned his attention to the sedan when the driver’s side door swung open.  A man slipped out, clutching his gun in one hand as he circled the car.  The passenger window lowered.  “I don’t see anything, Yuri,” the man outside of the car said. 

“Was probably an animal or something.  Get back in the car. You left the door open, Sergei,” Yuri said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Sergei replied.  “Wouldn’t want you to freeze.”  Gabriel watched as Sergei rolled his eyes and slid his foot forward.  But before a second step was taken, Eugene bolted.  Racing at an inhuman speed, he closed the distance between him and Sergei in the space of a breath, grabbing him and pulling him out of Yuri’s sight.  Not only had Eugene’s actions happened quickly, the deep darkness concealed the world just a few feet in front of the sedan.  He was confident Yuri hadn’t seen the interaction.

But Gabriel saw. 

He saw it all.

He saw every move made. 

Descending on Sergei with the rapaciousness of a jungle cat, Eugene had snapped his neck with one hand as he’d pulled him into the darkness. The gun fell to the snow-covered ground without a sound and Sergei’s body fell limp.  Eugene hoisted the agent’s corpse over his head and tossed it with ease.  Sergei’s body flew twenty feet through the air until it landed atop the windshield.  Flesh and bone met with glass, the sound a horrid clatter that echoed through the frozen ether. 

Yuri, the agent inside the sedan, didn’t move right away.  Undoubtedly frozen with fear, Gabriel was certain the man’s mind struggled to process what he’d just seen.  Or what he should do. 

Eugene, waiting and trembling with what could only be anticipation of what was about to happen, sniffed the air.  Perhaps he sought to draw in the scent of Yuri’s fear, an alkaline stench that hung in the air heavily.  Or perhaps he breathed to savor the moments before his attack.  Either way he radiated a palpable energy.  Kinetic and charged.  And volatile.

The moment Yuri exited the car clutching his gun in a trembling hand, Eugene took off toward him. 

The strike of footfalls against the ground caused Yuri’s head to whip in the direction of the sound. But his reaction was seconds too late.  Long enough for Eugene to be upon him, grasping his gun-wielding hand and crushing it so that the weapon fell.  Crying out, Yuri reached his free hand toward the mangled one, his face contorted in pain.  As the agent doubled over, Eugene seized him by his throat, lifting him off his feet until they were eye to eye. 

Drilling into Yuri’s eyes with his intense, tawny gaze, Eugene rasped through his teeth, “Cowardly little man.  You thought your gun could protect you from me.” His massive grip tightened.  Yuri’s face turned an unhealthy shade of red then magenta.  Veins rose to the surface of the skin of his face and his eyes bulged.  But Eugene didn’t collapse his windpipe right away.  He waited, extending Yuri’s suffering, until finally, incrementally, his trachea yielded.  Mouth opened on a silent scream and eyes wide with terror, Yuri’s body wilted, drooping to one side.  Eugene released him and allowed him to fall to the snow-covered earth lifelessly.  Gabriel approached, joining Eugene as he glowered at Yuri’s body before stalking off toward their waiting vehicle.  Left alone with the dead agent, Gabriel noticed an item that had fallen from his pocket.  He bent and picked it up.  It was a photograph.  Yuri stood, beaming with his arm draped around the shoulders of a woman who cradled a baby.  Flipping the picture over he saw there was a handwritten note on the back.  “Anna and I miss you and love you very much.  Get home safely. Love, Antonina.”

The baby belonged to Yuri and the woman.  The woman expressed love for him, not only from her, but from the baby as well.  And a want for him to return to them safely.  They were a family. 

Yuri wouldn’t be returning to his family.  Not safely.  Not ever. 

Standing before the fallen agent and staring at the loopy writing on the back of the picture, an inexplicable heaviness settled over the vicinity of Gabriel’s chest.  Releasing his grip on the photo, he allowed it to drop to the ground.  He turned on his heel and began walking toward Eugene and their waiting vehicle.  But with each step he took, the heaviness grew.  An odd ache joined it along with a twisting sensation in his stomach.

Gabriel James was created without emotion.  That much he knew.  He wasn’t designed to feel.  His job was to simulate human sentiment.  But as his footsteps crunched along the frozen terrain, he realized the odd sensations besetting his body were caused by an emotion.  An emotion he wasn’t faking.  An emotion that could only be described as guilt.

Chapter 2

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COLD CREPT UP MELISSA Martin’s body the moment her backside touched the roof of the garage.  She shivered and paused, huffing a lock of hair out of her face.  “What the hell am I doing?” she closed her eyes and whispered to no one, her words trailing from her lips in a plume of opaque vapors.  She opened her eyes once again turning and peering into the pitch-darkness of her room.  Beyond her door was a hallway at the end of which her father slept, oblivious of what she was doing. 

Sneaking out. 

Sneaking out and betraying every bit of trust her father had in her. 

She was sneaking out to meet Kevin. 

And on a school night no less! 

Shaking her head slightly as if to clear her thoughts, she returned her attention to the frost-covered world before her.  “This is crazy,” she mumbled.  “I should just stay home, shouldn’t I?”

The inky night replied with staunch silence at first, then a gust of wind moaned balefully through the treetops.  Melissa felt the fine hairs on her body rise and quiver.  She was about to turn, open her bedroom window and abandon the plan to meet Kevin when a text-message notification sounded from her phone.  Terrified her sleeping father would somehow hear it from down the hall, over the sound of his TV and through the pane of glass, she fumbled for it before realizing she was sitting on it.  When finally she pulled it from her back pocket, the locked screen glowed with a message. “Where are you, beautiful?  I’m waiting,” it said.

“Dammit,” she muttered as her heart began to drill the base of her throat.  “He’s here already.”  She began to slide down the slope of the roof of the garage, farther away from her room, and farther away from what she knew she should do, until she reached the outstretched branch of an oak tree that grew alongside the house.  Carefully avoiding the full gutters at the edge of the roof, Melissa reached for the branch and began her downward descent.  When she reached the lowest limb, she dropped to the hardened grass below and jogged down her driveway, making her way down the road a bit. 

Pausing to dust off her backside, Melissa took a few steps but then stopped to look behind her.  She glimpsed her house.  It stood as it always had, but somehow looked different.  The upstairs windows glared at her like sightless eyes.  The front door was a mouth agape in shock.  A chill raced up her back. One that had nothing to do with the temperature.  Wrapping her arms around her midsection, she turned slowly just as her phone sounded again.  She glanced at it.  Another message from Kevin.  Judging from how he’d persisted, asking her out until she said yes and how he kept texting her now, she had to believe he really wanted to see her.  Why else would he keep after her?  Icy fingers tiptoed up her spine in answer.  Melissa shivered.  Perhaps she should’ve just told Kevin no.  Why did he want to hang out so late anyway?  He said that with football practice and his tutor this was the only time he had, but it didn’t make sense in her brain.  To be fair, nothing did at the moment.  Her thoughts were scrambled.  Cold and tired and confused, her phone sounded again, the single-note alert chirping impatiently this time.  “I might as well just go,” she sighed as she hurried down her street.  Moving quickly, she hardly noticed the houses on Blackstone Drive.  Her own home, modest and nearly identical to all the others, grew smaller and smaller in the distance until it disappeared altogether. 

She neared the edge of her neighborhood in the unassuming community of Harbingers Falls, New York and immediately saw Kevin’s car.  His sleek, black Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe was unmistakable.  Shining as if it should be in a showroom and not anywhere near her street, it was freshly washed and waxed.  She opened the door carefully, afraid to leave so much as a fingerprint on the finish, and saw Kevin.

“Hey!” he said with a smile. 

“Hi,” Melissa replied and wondered how Kevin managed to look perfect, even under the dome light of a car.  She guessed he’d look good in any lighting.  After all, he was gorgeous. 

As if reading her thoughts, he smiled confidently.  “I’m glad you finally decided to come out with me.” Tall and athletic, the smile he just flashed was perhaps his best feature.  The single dimple on his right cheek paired with his blindingly-white teeth was enough to make anyone return the smile.  And while she’d always found herself smiling when he smiled, tonight Melissa didn’t.  For reasons that were unclear, she had to force a smile, and found his cocky. 

“Do you think your dad heard you leave?” he asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” she replied and felt her stomach clench at mention of her father. 

“Excellent.  You’re free then,” he said and smiled again, his eyes glittering with mischief. 

Melissa forced a chuckle.  It came out as an awkward, nervous sound.  She looked away briefly, out the passenger-side window, and felt her cheeks heat.  Kevin’s eyes remained on her.  She felt the press of them like a fiery brand.

“You look hot,” he said, and for a split-second, she wondered whether he could see that her cheeks were bright red and that her sweater clung to her back where beads of sweat had broken out.  The dome light had gone out, so it’d be impossible for him to see.  Still, she worried.  “And you smell phenomenal,” he continued.  Turning her head, she glanced at Kevin and saw that he wore a wicked expression.  But she looked away before she saw him coming, before he stunned her by leaning across the center console and placing his nose just below her earlobe.  Brushing it lightly, he inhaled.  “Mmm,” he purred.  “Sweet.”  He referred the blend of vanilla, caramel and coconut scents of which her fragrance consisted.  The very fragrance she suddenly regretted wearing. 

Melissa recoiled.  She supposed his whole neck-sniffing gesture was meant to be some kind of seductive move, but it had the opposite effect.  Instead of feeling enticed, she felt annoyed.  He was smooth, too smooth.  “Thanks,” she replied halfheartedly.  She’d heard rumors that Kevin was a womanizer.  But she wasn’t first to hear anything.  As a member of a category of people far removed from the in-crowd, rumors were grossly distorted by the time they reached Melissa and her small circle of two friends.  If they reached her at all.  She didn’t want to believe anything she’d heard about Kevin.  She’d ignored it all, in fact.  Now, however, she sensed there was truth in what she’d heard. 

“I was thinking we’d go over to the Rec Center and hang out.  You know, get to know each other better.”  Kevin’s words were a statement, not a question. 

Melissa felt her muscles stiffen.  By day, the East Fallkill Recreation Center was a run-of-the-mill area for activities.  Playground, track, baseball fields, tennis courts.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  At night, all of that changed.  It became a hangout.  Most notably, a hangout that involved drinking, sex, or both.  She guessed that talking was the last thing he had in mind. 

The womanizing rumors about him slammed at her temples like a sledgehammer.  She needed to think fast and steer clear of the Rec Center. 

“Why don’t we go to the diner in town?  We can talk there.  And eat!  I’m starved,” she suggested a little too enthusiastically.

Kevin tipped his head in her direction, pushing out his lower lip in exaggerated disappointment.  “The diner is fine another time.  Tonight, I don’t want to share you.  I want to just be able to talk privately and not hear a bunch of other conversations.  I want to be with just you.”  His words sounded sweet enough, but something about the tone didn’t match.  He then reached his right hand over the center console and gave her knee a gentle squeeze.  But instead of moving it right away, he let it linger. 

Melissa felt her pulse speed and her stomach churn.  She wanted to tell him to take his hand off her and to forget about the Rec Center.  To tell him that it was the diner or home for her.  But the words lodged behind a lump of dread that had formed in her throat.  Kevin was not only rumored to be a womanizer.  He was also rumored to be spiteful.  Stories she’d dismissed as gossip came to mind.  Snippets of stories about him not taking kindly to hearing the word no or being rejected by a girl floated in her mind like nebulous puzzle pieces.  She didn’t want to be on either end of what she’d heard.  Her only hope was that he’d meant what he’d said about wanting to get to know her better.  After all, he must’ve heard rumors about her before he’d asked her out.  The ones about her being a virgin, which were not merely a rumor, but the truth.  Surely he knew the chances of her having sex with him tonight in his car were nonexistent, right?  She hoped so.

She hoped all the way to the entrance of the East Fallkill Rec Center. 

Clearing her throat, she said, “I can’t stay out long.  My dad’s a light sleeper.  If he wakes up and sees that I’m gone, he’ll freak out.  Probably ground me until graduation.”

“Wow,” Kevin said without concern.  “He sounds tough.”

Melissa realized she’d need to lay it on thick about her father being protective.  “Oh yeah,” she said.  “You have no idea.  Since my mom died and he became a single parent, he made it his life’s work to know what I’m doing at all times.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he has that app that tracks my location.”

“The one that uses GPS to locate your phone?” Kevin’s eyes were wide. 

“Yup, that’s the one.” She nodded.

“Jeez, that’s a bit extreme.” Kevin frowned.  “I’m surprised you came out tonight.”

Melissa felt like saying, “Me, too, and I wish I hadn’t,” but didn’t.

“Between your protective dad and the fact that all the other times I asked you and you said no, I’m shocked.” he said.

“You can thank Daniella for that,” Melissa admitted.  “She talked me into it.”

Daniella, one of Melissa’s best friends, was largely responsible for her agreeing to meet Kevin.  Daniella had helped convince her that the rumors about Kevin couldn’t be true and that he was merely misunderstood.  Essentially, Daniella had painted an ideal picture of Kevin that didn’t prove true.  She planned to fill her friend in as soon as she saw her in the morning.

Thoughts of the next morning and yearning for the evening to end already, Melissa was nauseated when Kevin pulled his car into the driveway of the East Fallkill Recreation Center.  Particularly when he tested the engine of his sports car and sped down the long pathway past tennis courts, baseball fields, a concession building and a football field, before reaching a play area.  Just beyond the playground, the pavement extended into an expansive lot.  Both the lot and the playground were poorly lit—a perfect place for privacy.  He slowed, then stopped and shifted the car into park before switching off the headlamps.  Panicked and feeling sweat trail to the small of her back, she contemplated fleeing when he leaned toward her.  She didn’t know if he was moving in for a kiss, but was relieved when he rested his elbow on the console.  He touched his index finger to her chin and smiled his blindingly white, single-dimpled smile, then said, “Hey, I’m sorry about your mom.  How old were you when she died?”

She stiffened at his touch, and more so at his mention of her mother.  Her mother was not a subject she was comfortable discussing in general, much less with someone unfamiliar.  She reluctantly answered, “I was seven.”

“Huh.  That must have been rough.  I bet she was as beautiful as you are.”

Melissa stiffened. Gnashing her molars, she felt the small muscles in her jaw bunch and flex.  She did not like shameless flattery.  Pairing in with mention of her mother made her so angry she balled her hand to a fist and clenched it tight enough for her fingernails to bite into her palm.  She contemplated a curt response, but came up empty.  Try as she may, the words she longed for, ones that would put him in his place, would not come.

As she tried to formulate a retort, Kevin surprised her.  Without warning, he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers.

At first his kiss was confident and gentle.  Quickly, however, it transformed from being unexpected to offensive.  His lips began crushing hers.  His tongue probed for hers as his hands seemed to multiply, exploring intimate parts of her.

Raising both hands, she pushed away from him.

“Hey! Quit it, Kevin!” she exclaimed and pulled away from him.

He backed off, but only slightly.  He leaned in to kiss her again and cupped her breast in his hand.

“I’m serious! Get off!” she continued more forcefully.

“I just find you so beautiful.  I have a hard time controlling myself,” Kevin argued and made no effort to remove his hand.

“I want to go home!  Now!” she yelled and shoved his hand off her, finally gathering the courage she should have had in the first place.

“Are you kidding me?  What the hell is wrong with you?” he shouted.  “You come out in the middle of the night with me, here, looking the way you do and smelling the way you do and expect me to act like a saint?  Are you kidding me?”

Her mind reeled.  She couldn’t believe he was actually accusing her, as if she were wrong for not wanting to be groped. “Hey, don’t blame me. I thought we came here to get to know each other better, like you said.”

“Ha! That’s cute. I love the naive act!” His words dripping with acid.

“Naïve,” she started but was interrupted.

“Yeah, I think you need to go home now.  I’ll take you home, gladly.”

Melissa sat in stunned silence.  Her heart hammered so loudly she feared it would be heard above the engine as he started it.  His personality had transformed completely.  He morphed into the monstrous pictures painted of him in the rumors she’d heard.  He had acted like he wanted to get to know her in the weeks leading up to the present.  He’d pulled out all the stops to get her to go out with him.  Why?  Why would he go through all of that?  Just for sex? None of it made sense.  Plenty of girls at school would be willing to have sex with him.

At a loss and wondering what the hell she should do, she contemplated getting out of his car and walking home.  He seemed abnormally angry given the circumstances and it might be a safer choice. Her hand grazed the lever on the passenger side door.  She was about to pull it when he switched on the headlights and slammed the gearshift into drive.  He stepped on the accelerator and the engine responded immediately.  The car lurched forward.  He sped down the driveway and out onto the main road.  Once on the main road, he obeyed the speed limits, but they traveled silently. 

The silence was so loaded with tension, Melissa felt like screaming.  By the time they reached Blackstone Drive, the frustration she’d been feeling had risen to a point where she did not trust herself to speak without crying.  Kevin stopped the car several houses away from hers and turned off the headlights. 

He did not say a word.  And he did not flash his trademark smile.  Instead, he stared straight ahead.  She looked at him searchingly, but he refused to meet her gaze, so she climbed out of the car.  She had just shut the passenger side door when he abruptly pulled away.  She watched him go, watched him reach the stop sign at the bottom of her hill and turn his headlights back on.  She then heard the sound of spinning tires kicking up gravel as he sped off into the night.  She stood for a moment, after his car had vanished, and felt the tears she had held back for the entire car ride well.  She tried to blink them back, but it was no use.  She cried silently as she turned and began walking up her hill. Her night had been disastrous.  In her heart, she had known it would be; she just hadn’t wanted to admit it. 

As she approached her house, she realized her disastrous night was about to get much worse.

Nearly every window glowed.  Only her bedroom window was dimmed by her father’s silhouette, which disappeared as soon as he saw her.  Her heart sank as she walked up her driveway to the front door.  It opened before her key was in the lock.

“Why didn’t you answer your phone? I called at least a dozen times,” her father said.

Melissa froze.  She reached into her back pocket and retrieved the phone she hadn’t checked since she’d climbed into Kevin’s car.  There, staring at her on the locked screen, were fourteen missed call notifications from her father. 

“I would ask you where the hell you’ve been, but I already know,” her father continued. “Do you know how worried I was? What were you thinking? I thought you were smarter than this.  Boy was I wrong!”

Her father was not a temperamental man.  He was not prone to outbursts. The fact that he was shouting at her meant he was monumentally angry with her, and disappointed.  Tears threatened anew.

“Dad, I’m so sorry. I know how angry you are,” she attempted.

“Angry?” he interrupted.  “You think I’m just angry?  I’m beyond angry!  I was worried sick about you!  I woke up coughing and went to the kitchen for a drink of water.  When I passed your room and you weren’t there, I assumed you were still up.  Imagine my surprise and horror when I realized you were gone! I didn’t know what the hell had happened.  I thought about calling the police but tried Alex instead. She said she didn’t know where you were so I called Daniella.  She answered the phone by asking how things went with you and Kevin tonight!” he roared.

He knew everything, or almost everything.  He stood before her with his hands on his hips glowering at her.  She had never realized how intimidating her dad looked before, how his thick muscles and barrel chest strained against his T-shirt and how a large vein protruded like a lightning bolt down his smoothly shaven head when he was angry.  Perhaps she only saw him as the gentle man he was because he had not been angry with her in as long as she could recall.  She began to cry.

“I made a mistake, a horrible mistake.  I’m so sorry.”

Seeing her tears, her father softened. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m disappointed, Missy. I’m not going to lie. I love you, but I really don’t like what you did.”

“I know,” she whispered.

“You’re only seventeen. What were you thinking? What kind of guy wants to meet you in the middle of the night? You could have gotten yourself hurt, or killed.”

“Or mauled,” she said under her breath louder than she’d wanted.

“Mauled,” he asked and she saw the anger flash in his eyes. “What do you mean mauled?”

“Nothing, I meant nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me again,” he warned.  “Did he hurt you, this Kevin guy?  Which Kevin was it, Kevin McNally or Kevin Hartwig? Was it that jackass jock Anderson?  Whichever it was, I can take a drive over there right now and let him try to maul me!” 

“No, no Dad. Everything’s fine,” she lied and felt warmth spread across her cheeks.  She was unaccustomed to lying to her father.  “I was just, uh, supporting your argument.”

He did not seem convinced.  “Melissa, you broke my trust once today.  Do not try for a second time. When you lie to me I can’t trust you or protect you.”

The last thing she had wanted was to lose his trust, though she’d known it was a consequence from the start.  She hated herself for being so stupid earlier, for choosing to do something that threatened the trust between them.  She had been wrong, plain and simple.  And earning her father’s trust back would not be easy.  She cried quietly.

“Get some sleep, Missy.  We’ll talk in the morning,” he father offered with a pained look.

“Aren’t you going to ground me ‘til I’m thirty?” she asked through sobs.

“Nope. I doubt it. I don’t think you’ll be sneaking out to meet that jerk, or any other, anytime soon.  But in the meantime, I’m calling Ronnie and Frank tomorrow to see about chopping down that old oak by your window,” he said and winked. “Love you.  And please don’t pull any crap like this again, okay?”

“Okay,” she breathed and watched as her father disappeared upstairs.  She waited a moment before going up to her room. Once she heard his door shut, she ascended the staircase and went straight to her room. She sat on her bed and a fresh wave of tears washed over her.  She felt shame for her bad behavior, and agonized over the days to come, days that included Kevin.  He sat at the desk behind her in third period English class.  The thought of him looming one desk away from her after the evening they spent together made her cringe. In a few short hours, she’d be forced to face him.  She desperately wished she could rewind the night to the moment she’d received his text.  She would have made an excuse, or told him her father was awake, anything to have avoided the whole ordeal.  But she knew that time continued, that there was no rewind button in life.  If there were, she’d go back even farther, to when her mother had been alive. She slumped down on her bed and allowed her body to fall back against her pillows.  She closed her eyes and willed the night away. And the night vanished.  Within seconds, deep, velvety oblivion enveloped her and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter 3

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DR. FRANKLIN NICHOLAS Stein had but one goal in life, and that was to overhaul humanity.  To some, his was an ambitious plan. But then again the “some” who’d see it as such would never be accused of being visionaries.  Or intelligent for that matter.  Sure, a few among the pedestrian masses possessed a shred of what could pass for sense.  The rest were dullards, rotting in the cesspool commonly known as society.  He was tired of them.  Tired of seeing them, dealing with them, listening to them whine and gripe about problems they created themselves, and tired of the chaos created as a result.  He was tired of it all.  But instead of surrendering and allowing himself to be carried on the sludgy current of humanity—complaining all the way as he existed alongside the filth that inhabited the planet—Dr. Stein had decided to act.  To actually do something to rectify that which was condemning humanity to a cycle of failure.  

Human beings were a nasty lot.  That much was true.  Lazy and indulgent to a fault, all while being unable to ever see fault within themselves.  He, of course, didn’t count himself among them.  He was different.  Special.  He saw all of their faults.  That was one of his many gifts.  And rather than acting as a giant mirror and reflecting their flaws at them, which they’d never believe, he’d decided to grace them with his extraordinary intelligence.  With his ability.  He decided to be a benefactor to the masses.  They were undeserving, loathsome creatures, selfish to the core and motivated by their basest desires.  But he had a vision for a better world. He knew the problem.  Could see it as clearly as the new world he envisioned.  See beyond the layers to identify the root of why they succumbed to desire and impulse, all of which created a path to destruction. Meticulous scrutiny had led Dr. Stein to know precisely why human beings were in such a sad state.  Emotion.  Emotion was the culprit.  Emotion was the cause of all societal woes.  It was the critical flaw of humanity.  As a result, Dr. Stein sought to rid the world of emotion.  To transform humankind as a whole.

Rooting out emotions in humankind would be both a challenge and a process.  He knew that.  But it was his destiny.  And he was never one to ignore destiny when it beckoned him.  But several obstacles needed to be addressed before he overhauled humanity and pursued his destiny.  One such obstacle had arrived at his house moments earlier and was walking across his property.

Dt. Stein heaved a sigh and pursed his lips.  He felt his stomach drop to his feet as he looked out his window.  Dmitri Ivanov approached.  He watched, revolted, as the man lumbered up the snow-covered walkway to his front door and he felt his stomach churn again.  The sight of Ivanov was revolting in so many ways.  With bright-red skin that looked perpetually sunburned, he face was ablaze as it flickered across the snow like firelight.  He was as ugly as he was intimidating.  His platinum-blond hair was lost in the backdrop, camouflaged completely by the frozen landscape.  Dr. Stein groaned aloud at the thought of sitting across from him, of being forced to look at his face up close.  As soon as the sound passed his lips, Ivanov looked up, trained his bulging eyeballs on Dr. Stein and stared hard, as if he’d heard the sound, as well as his thoughts.  The eye contact was intense and unsettling.  He stepped back nervously.  Away from the window and away from the penetrating glower beyond its pane.

Once out of sight, Dr. Stein thought about dashing across the living room and leave from the back door in a last-ditch effort to avoid his meeting with Ivanov altogether, but was halted by a banging sound at the front door.  He froze and turned to look over his shoulder only to see Ivanov’s red face in the glass to the left of the door.  He’d felt the weight of his stare before he’d turned and realized with a sinking feeling that there was no escaping.  Reluctantly, he walked to the door and opened it.  As soon as he did so, he was greeted by Ivanov’s enormous form crowding the doorway. 

Menacing without saying a word, the air around Ivanov seemed the quiver with the threat of violence.  He didn’t need to open his mouth to get a reaction.  His mere presence sent Dr. Stein’s stomach plummeting to his feet.  He hated the feeling.  Being cowed.  And for what?  Ivanov was so far beneath him, he was a veritable bug.  But since he was brawny and smelled vaguely of blood, Dr. Stein couldn’t risk a possible confrontation.  His life mattered too much.  His purpose.  So he was to be belittled by the man.  Criticized and threatened in his own home by a man as enlightened as a cockroach. 

“Hello, Dmitri.  What a surprise it is to see you,” Dr. Stein said flatly and rolled his eyes, not bothering to mask his disdain for his uninvited guest.

“Hello Doctor,” Ivanov replied and smirked.

Without being invited in, Ivanov stepped across the threshold and pushed past him.

“Excuse me!” Stein exclaimed, unable to conceal the exasperation in his voice.

Ivanov did not flinch or bother to respond verbally.  Evidently, the buffoon did not view his utter rudeness as an offense.  To Stein, Ivanov represented all that was wrong with humanity.  He wanted nothing more than to shout at him.  To order him out.  But knew better than to open his mouth.  Instead, he swallowed hard, his pride struggling to bypass the lump of dread lodged in his throat.

“Let me take your coat, Dmitri,” he offered and made his tone more hospitable.  “We can sit in the kitchen.”

Ivanov plodded into the kitchen area and sat in a chair before a small, wooden table.  Stein had no choice but to follow and sit in the remaining chair.

“Can I get you something? Tea perhaps?” he asked and made a concerted effort to be civil.

“I am not here for a tea party,” Ivanov replied sarcastically.  “You know what I’m here for.”

“No, Dmitri, I do not,” he lied.

He looked on in horror as Ivanov’s red complexion deepened in color to an unhealthy shade of violet.  It had become obvious that he’d infuriated Ivanov and immediately regretted toying with the man.

“We are through playing games, Stein!” Ivanov thundered.  “You have been paid your money and still, we have nothing!  This is your final warning!  Either you deliver, or we’re going to have a problem!”

“What do you mean by problem?” he asked and felt his concern skyrocket along with his pulse rate.

Ivanov did not answer right away, which was never a good sign.  His pale brows gathered and his nostrils flared several times, another sign that trouble brewed, then he leveled his cement-hued eyes at Stein. 

In that instant, words were unnecessary and Stein felt as if the air had been sucked from the room.  He realized Ivanov had not come to argue or complain.  He’d come to threaten his life.

Dr. Stein shifted in his seat.  The temperature seemed to rise.  He found himself uncomfortably warm despite the scarcity of air.  He wanted to run, run out of the house and into the snow, to be anywhere other than where he was.  But he knew fleeing was not an option.  So he stayed where he was, sweating and seated opposite a man who’d kill him without a second thought.

He knew he ought to say something—anything—to acknowledge what Ivanov was implying.  But words escaped him. His mouth had gone dry.

Seconds felt like hours and when finally he was able to choke something out, “Oh. I see,” was all he managed.

His mind raced. He panicked and wondered whether the threat would be carried out sooner rather than later.  As in today.  Now.  He wondered whether they were on to him, whether he would die in mere moments.  Dmitri Ivanov, the head of a small faction of the Russian Mafia, did not make empty threats.  He had known that from the beginning, knew that if he failed to deliver what he’d been contracted to create, he would be killed.  To date, he had not delivered.  His assassination order loomed on the horizon, perhaps closer than he’d originally thought. 

“Do we understand each other?” Ivanov growled through clenched teeth but did not break eye contact.

“Of course Dmitri, of course, you will have what you need,” Stein began.

“What you were hired to and paid to produce!” Ivanov interrupted.

“Yes, yes. You will have what I was hired to produce,” Dr. Stein agreed and felt annoyance begin to prickle.  He was not used to being spoken to with such disrespect.

“We have people waiting on you!” Ivanov reminded him as if he needed to be reminded.  He held multiple doctoral degrees, for goodness’ sake!  And this man—this thug—what accolades did he possess?  None.  That’s how many.  Unless, of course, there were some kind of degree program for violent criminals.  That would be the only program in which Ivanov could possibly earn a diploma.  Stein had revolutionized reproductive cloning, yet had to answer to a buffoon with a gun.

The absurdity of his situation made him feel as though he were going to explode.  He could not withstand the hounding any longer, and interjected without considering the dangerous nature of his company.

“Dmitri, you do realize that constructing a nuclear weapon alone has been a challenge.  I cannot rush the process.  Rushing would be foolish.  Disastrous even.  Surely you understand that, right?” he said and did not curb the condescension in his voice.

“I am not here to understand you, Dr. Stein!” Ivanov shouted as he slammed a solid hand on the table between them.

The gravity of his predicament suddenly weighed on him with leaden heaviness.  He recognized the need to proceed far more cautiously.

“Fair enough, Dmitri.  Fair enough,” he said calmly.  “I was not trying to insult you.  I only meant to explain that what I’m working on—what I have nearly completed—has been a long, arduous process.”

He was certain Dmitri Ivanov hadn’t the slightest idea what the word “arduous” meant.  He doubted the he’d ever even heard the word.  His use of the word had been intentional.  He enjoyed small, subtle acts of superiority that often went undetected.  They allowed him to passively own Ivanov and entertain himself at the same time.

“Arduous, huh,” Ivanov said as he rubbed his scarlet face with one hand before raking it through his white-blond hair.

Stein struggled to determine what Ivanov’s thoughts were.  His hardened features were unreadable.  He guessed Ivanov was wondering what exactly “arduous” meant and was too embarrassed to ask.  He found himself suppressing a smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.  He could not expect Ivanov to understand a synonym for the word difficult, much less the extreme level of intelligence, patience and tenacity involved in nuclear fission.

“Yes, Dmitri, extremely arduous,” he continued and was delighted by his own wittiness.  “But now that it is almost completed, it will be yours to use as you wish.  Just tell me how we will go about delivering it.”

We are not a delivery service. We are not picking it up. You will bring it to us,” Ivanov demanded. “We’re not going to risk blowing ourselves up with something as unstable as a nuclear weapon.  We’ll know it was assembled correctly if you make it to the location in one piece.”

Offended by Ivanov’s implication of incompetence on his part, he watched as the grotesque thug retrieved a small slip of paper from his pants pocket and balled it into his fisted hand.

His outrage quickly turned to fear as he became uncertain of what exactly Ivanov intended to do with his large fist.  He cringed as the mobster launched his brawny arm toward him.  Then, stopping short of his jaw, Ivanov’s arm froze.  Confronted with four impressive knuckles a mere fraction of an inch from his nose, he sighed imperceptibly as Ivanov unclenched his hand and dropped a crumpled piece of paper on the table between them.

“Here,” Ivanov grunted.  “This is the date, time and address of the drop site.”

The theatrical nature with which Dmitri Ivanov exchanged information was impressive. Dr. Stein wondered whether the burly thug had missed his calling in life.

“Thank You, Dmitri.”

“Then it is set. We will see you very soon,” Ivanov snarled.

“Yes,” Stein lied.

Though he had agreed to the terms set forth by the Russian Mafia, Dr. Franklin N. Stein had no intention of delivering a nuclear weapon to Dmitri Ivanov or his associates.  He’d never even attempted to build one.  He had the ability to, but thought it an utter waste of his talents.  Instead of wasting his time and talent fashioning a weapon of mass destruction, he’d been using their money for his genetic research and development.  His work had originated when he had lived in America.  He’d made unprecedented advances in his field.  But strict government regulations had forced him to leave the United States and relocate to the remote Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East to continue his work independently.  Initially, he had financed his own work, but saw his money wane quickly.  He’d been desperate for funding when he had approached Ivanov and offered his expertise in physics and unique ability to build a nuclear weapon for the organized crime group.  He saw working for them as an opportunity to receive a steady cash flow.  He knew they would research him and discover that his sterling reputation spoke for itself.  That he had been the most respected nuclear physicist in the world.  And when they did, they enthusiastically sanctioned his financial backing.

As he reflected back, he could not believe Ivanov and his associates had been foolish enough to believe a man of his caliber would actually provide them with a nuclear warhead.

He did intend to deliver something to the Russians, however.

He nearly smiled as he thought about what it was they would receive, but stopped as Ivanov, satisfied that a drop site and date had been established, rose from his seat unexpectedly and stretched, flexing and straightening his brawny form.  He stood, as well, and felt like a child in comparison.  Lengthening his spine and rounding his shoulders, Dr. Stein reminded himself that stature was hardly a measure of a man’s worth.  Still, he wouldn’t have minded an extra five or six inches of height and thick, ropey muscles at the moment. 

Ivanov, studying him, narrowed his eyes. He offered a look of disgust then puffed out his chest.  He tipped his chin in a show of dominance.  Dr. Stein was all too familiar with this portion of their meetings.  It was what he’d come to refer to the victory stance that preceded a painful handshake.  He dreaded the handshake as much as he dreaded looking at Ivanov.  His hand ached at the thought of it.

Then, as if on cue, Dmitri Ivanov reached his arm across the table and offered a meaty hand to him.  He reluctantly accepted it and felt a tremendous amount of pressure being applied.  Though the handshake was a regular part of their meetings, knowledge of it didn’t prepare him for it.  There was no way to prepare for it.  Ivanov would squeeze his hand until he winced in pain.  It was a juvenile act meant to emasculate him.  The only redeeming part of it was that it meant their meeting was over.

He envisioned Ivanov leaving as he felt the man’s powerful hand squeeze tightly, unbearably.  He felt his breath catch in his chest, but resisted the urge to react.  Instead, he tried something new.  He accepted the pain and denied Ivanov the response he so desperately desired. 

To his dismay, his passive aggression seemed to incense Ivanov further. Ivanov unexpectedly jerked his hand forward and yanked him.  He found his upper body draped across the table and dangerously close to Ivanov.

Ivanov bent and leaned in close.  Placing his face just inches from his, he whispered, “I will personally slit your throat if you disappoint us again.”

Dr. Stein felt the color drain from his face as Ivanov froze, glaring unflinchingly at him.  Neither of them moved.  He was unable as his hand was being squeezed and contorted with impossible pressure. Ivanov’s eyes bored holes into his skull.

After several seconds passed and the bones in his hand risked collapse, Ivanov relinquished his ironclad grip.  He turned toward the front door and walked out, but not before he slammed the door so hard the wood threatened to splinter.  Dr. Stein was left, still lying across the table and with his hand smarting.  He breathed then righted himself.  Once standing, he closed his eyes and envisioned the future.  A future absent of Ivanov.  Smiling, he took comfort in knowing that, despite what he’d just endured, soon, Ivanov would get exactly what he deserved.  All of them would. 

He took a moment and breathed deeply, trying to compose himself.  Nauseated, demeaned and drained, he knew he deserved better than the likes of Ivanov.  Not long ago, he’d been revered by scientists, professors and researchers worldwide.  Now he’d been reduced to absorbing insults from a glorified murderer.

Although associating with degenerate criminals sickened him, he realized the necessity.  His recent projects didn’t fund themselves.  The price he paid for the funding of his genetic research included interacting with them, as well as living in a house that should be condemned.  Both seemed small inconveniences to endure when he considered how the work done there with the criminals’ money supported the eventual transformation of humanity.

That thought, the thought of his work and how it would affect the planet, made him smile.  He glanced around the unfortunate-looking living space a final time before grabbing his coat and leaving.  He stepped out into the cold and trudged through several inches of snow on his surrounding property before reaching a large, white, rectangular piece of plastic.  To anyone else, the material would have gone unnoticed, blending seamlessly with the snowy landscape.  Beneath the plastic, however, lay a formidable steel door.  Once opened, a concrete staircase led to his secret facility.

Twenty feet below the snow-crusted soil, an underground refuge that had once been a small nuclear fallout shelter was now his laboratory.  It retained some of the most sophisticated technology in existence, some of which he had personally fashioned.  It was both his living chamber and workspace, where he preferred to spend most, if not all, of his waking hours.

Before moving from the United States to the Kamchatka Peninsula, he had expanded the square footage and installed updates that supported electricity, telephone and Internet connection and cable television.  The space had also been supplied with a ventilation system that circulated fresh air and deterred insect infestation.

Fluorescent light fixtures had been mounted to seven-foot ceilings and lit the workspace.  Computers that performed various tasks edged the walls while stainless-steel tables equipped with electron microscopes, test tubes, beakers, petri dishes, flasks and centrifugal equipment occupied the interior area.

Both Gabriel and Eugene had been created in this facility. 

Gabriel. 

Gabriel was the future of humanity.  Gabriel was his opus. 

Every organ in Gabriel’s body had been grown from human DNA and functioned better than humans born traditionally.  Each of his cells had been modified, but still maintained organic properties.  All had been genetically altered to function more effectively and more efficiently so the aging process by which cells begin to die in the human body would be slowed.  By selective processes and meticulous engineering, Dr. Franklin N. Stein had created perfection.

A perfect specimen devoid of human emotions.

Dr. Stein believed that without emotional connections, Gabriel would not only live far longer, but also be free to recognize his fullest potential.  He thought that by unlocking and engaging parts of his brain that had been used for controlling and regulating emotions, Gabriel, and his offspring, would be able to build a world free of all chaos and wrongdoings.  That every problem in the world would be resolved when logic trumped sentiment, when rational choices were made and romanticism was removed.

Dr. Franklin N. Stein was confident that, through his unique genetic adjustments, he would be able to achieve what neither man nor God ever had.

He had a vision of an improved world; a world where common sense and education prevailed, a world where people did not need to be shepherded by corrupt politicians or disillusioned religions.

Gabriel was the key to his vision.

He had every bit of faith that Gabriel was prepared for his mission.  He did not doubt the time and effort he’d invested in his master creation.  He had unwavering faith in his own skills.  In his genius.  His resume supported his confidence.  He had prospered at every task he’d ever attempted.  He’d excelled as a physicist and had worked for the United States Defense Department soon after his early graduation from his doctoral program.  Shortly thereafter though, the stifling stranglehold of operating under the constant scrutiny of the government prompted him to move on.  Moving on had been necessary.  He needed to challenge himself.  To continue to excel.  Remaining would have wasted his most precious resource: his genius.

After leaving the Defense Department and the field of physics, Dr. Stein earned another doctoral degree and began working with the Human Cloning Organization.  But he’d grown restless there, as well.  Too many governmental restrictions had been in place in the United States and had held him back from his true interest, his obsession: reproductive cloning.

Reproductive cloning had enabled Gabriel’s existence.  Had he stayed, he never would’ve created Gabriel and his plan would still be a distant dream.  The thought made him shudder.

Now, Dr. Franklin Stein was returning to the United States, but not to work for any government-sponsored agency.  He would work off the global grid.

He would integrate Gabriel into society and record his findings.  He was certain that academics would not present a problem.  After all, Gabriel had received an impressive education at Stein’s research facility on the Kamchatka Peninsula.  Through a rigorous series of streaming educational downloads, Gabriel collected and processed information at an almost direct computer-to-brain pace.  His advanced brain function supported an accelerated learning rate.  School would not pose a challenge or risk exposure.  Interacting with others did.  He needed to behave identically to his peers.  If he didn’t, he’d be a failure and destroyed.  And all of the time he’d invested in Gabriel would’ve been wasted time.

Dr. Stein flinched at the thought of such an outcome.  Especially since Gabriel was just the tip of the iceberg in his plan.  He had so many projects in the making, technology and processes that would take the global research and development community by storm.  But all of that would have to wait while he integrated Gabriel, a fact that chafed him. 

He supposed he should be pleased with the advancements he’d made thus far.  After all, they had been cutting-edge.  He had pioneered an enormous, tubular stainless-steel tank that served as a surrogate womb for his first two creations.  No one else could boast an accomplishment like that.  And while he craved recognition for triumphs such as his tank, complete with his own enhanced version of amniotic fluid, he had to remind himself that Gabriel was the end result of his technology.  He would be proof enough.  Gabriel would take the medical community by storm more so than anything else, especially since both the tank and the fluid had been used for his formation.

But Dr. Stein didn’t plan to stop at Gabriel’s creation.  He wanted more.  He was on the brink of applying the same success that could be achieved by the tank and fluid, only making it more accessible to the general population.  He was closing in on a way to accomplish the same results on a pregnant human host.

He believed that no expectant parent would refuse the opportunity to birth the perfect child, a child invulnerable to genetic defect or abnormality, to disease, a child who would be physically appealing.  They would jump at the chance to have children born with exceptional health, as well as exceptional beauty.  They would need virtually no convincing. 

His peers, however, posed an entirely different challenge. Their persuasion depended on Gabriel’s successful integration into society. 

Everything depended on Gabriel.

By having his perfect subject blend seamlessly, he could prove how, over the course of a generation, the human species could begin a dramatic process of improvement.  The face of humanity would be restructured.  Revolutionized.  Reborn.

Dr. Stein inhaled deeply as a swell of nervous energy surged inside of him.  Within hours, he would leave to join Gabriel in America and what had begun as a vision would be set into motion.  He knew it would take time, but felt certain that ultimately his handiwork, combined with the basic rules of natural selection, would prevail.  His dream of an improved world would be realized.

Chapter 4

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GABRIEL WAS HOME.  Or at least he was at the address where he’d be staying for the foreseeable future.  A house on a considerable piece of land in Harbinger Falls, New York his maker had chosen.  He was pretty certain he should have felt at home.  Yet nothing about the place felt like home.  Not. One. Thing. 

Not the drive down the long driveway.  Not the sight of the sprawling Gothic Revival-style home with its cream-colored brick, steep roof pitches and lead-glass windows, which, positioned as it had been against the waning light of day, resembled a castle.  A menacing castle, blackened against a sherbet-orange sky.  Not the entry beyond the double doors with its circular Persian rug.  And certainly not the room in which he stood at the moment: a dining room with garnet walls, cream-colored wainscoting and crown molding.  Situated in the center of it was an oversized cherry wood table.  Polished to a high shine and with a blood-red runner down the center that matched the fabric cushion covers of the chairs as well as the walls and window treatments, the table comfortably seated eight.  An ornate chandelier hung from the tray ceiling, its nickel finish gleaming as brightly as the bulbs within it.  It was a far cry from the dining area in the rundown shack his maker owned in the Russian Far East, which consisted of a rickety wooden table and two chairs.  The shack was just for show, of course.  The underground space was where they’d spent the majority of their time.  It was where Gabriel had been created.  Another such facility had been created here, too.  On this lot, with this much acreage and with such a striking home to distract attention, Gabriel was certain no one would ever suspect that a fully-functional lab existed beneath the well-manicured grounds.  From the looks of the meticulous decorations in the dining room, he was also certain no one would suspect his maker of being a gifted geneticist.  They’d mistake him for an interior designer.  But Gabriel knew otherwise.  He knew of Dr. Stein’s plan.  Gabriel knew the truth. 

Tomorrow was his first day as a student at Harbingers High School.  It would be the first day he’d spend with students who looked his age and with whom he was supposed to blend seamlessly.  While his maker would come to the states soon, he’d be on his own.  He’d follow orders as he always did.  He’d smile when others smiled.  Laugh when relevant.  Study.  Socialize.  He’d been trained to follow even the subtlest of social cues.  Not a single detail had been ignored.  Well, perhaps one had been ignored.  The very one he neglected to share with Dr. Stein. 

Even now as he wandered around the spacious house and explored each room, he couldn’t shake the feeling he’d had when he’d accompanied Eugene to the stakeout point.  Two agents of the Ministry of Internal Affairs had been slaughtered right before his eyes.  Their deaths should’ve have evoked any emotional response in Gabriel whatsoever.  .  The agents were staking out a prominent member of the Russian mafia.  Their elimination had been necessary in order to eliminate the mobsters they’d been watching.  It had been a simple mission.  The kind Eugene carried out regularly.  Not Gabriel.  And while Eugene wasn’t bothered by it in the least—in fact, he seemed not only adept at it but enthused by it—Gabriel had been.  He’d felt an unfamiliar sensation.  Unease.  A pang of conscience.  That feeling hadn’t abated over time.  It worsened.

Shaking his head as if the rid himself of the feeling, Gabriel brought his bags up a flight of stairs to his room.  He’d shower first then put away his clothes and get settled in.  As he set about gathering his toiletries and towels, he caught a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror.  He put his towels down and placed his palms flat in the vanity, leaning forward.  Studying his features—features his maker had claimed were perfect and befitting the perfect human specimen—he noted the contrast of his cerulean-blue eyes and his thick, dark eyelashes. The way his nearly black hair and tan skin sharpened his chiseled features and full lips.  He analyzed every angle.  Every slope.  He did not feel even the remotest sense of pride.  Aesthetically, he was deemed pleasing.  But it was meaningless really.  He looked upon himself and felt...nothing.  Just as he’d been designed to.  Allowing his eyes to become unfocused but still leaning close to the mirror, he considered his first day of school.  He imagined encountering countless people, more than he’d ever seen in his existence.  He recalled how Dr. Stein said they’d react, and he didn’t experience so much as a flutter of excitement, nervousness, dread, hope or anything for that matter.  His insides felt like a motionless body of water. 

Heaving a deep breath, Gabriel focused his gaze on the mirror again.  He stared straight into his own eyes and searched them.  And when he did, he features went slack.  His head slowly tilted back, away from the reflective glass.  A sensation washed over him.  One that drained the color from his face and made him feel as if his blood were pooling at his feet.  Disgust.  Disgust was what overcame him.  And not the nose and brow-wrinkling disgust experienced as a powerful warning sign that safeguards one from rotting food or contagious disease, but an entirely new phenomenon.  Stomach turning and feeling as if every cell in his body quivered violently, the slaughter outside of the warehouse—Eugene’s mission—came to mind.  The two officers were innocent.  They’d been seen as collateral damage.  But Gabriel’s vision had changed in the seconds after their lives ended.  The picture... It flashed in his mind, flickering for the briefest of seconds.  A smiling family.  A baby.  Two lives affected by a loved one not returning home.  Ever.  And he could’ve stopped it.  He could’ve tried to stop Eugene and prevented their deaths.  But he didn’t.  He’d had his orders and he’d followed them.  He always followed orders unquestioningly.  Perhaps he that had been the purpose of the mission.  To see whether he would follow orders regardless of the circumstances.  To ensure he didn’t have an emotional response that would cause a reaction.  One that would cause him to break protocol.  Either offense would result in his termination.  Both meant the same thing: he was a failed project. 

Gabriel James had no idea what was happening to him or why he felt a sudden sheen of cold sweat glazing his skin.  All he knew was that he’d never tell Dr. Stein any of it.  He wasn’t supposed to care whether he continued to live or was destroyed by his maker, but in the moments his trembling hands released the edge of the marble countertop of the vanity, Gabriel realized he didn’t want to die. 

Chapter 5

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A SONG THAT CAUTIONED of a bad romance blared from the tiny speakers of Melissa’s alarm clock radio.  She fumbled clumsily with her covers, exhaustion trumping coordination, and attempted to silence it.  After several tries, she found the correct switch and quieted the music only to find that it was twenty minutes later than she normally woke.  She muttered a swearword under her breath and sprang out of bed on shaky legs.  She hurried into the bathroom prepared for a revised, and shortened, version of her morning routine. 

She did not have time for a shower so she quickly brushed her teeth, washed her face and freshened up.  She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and looked in the mirror.  A pair of puffy eyes stared back at her.  The swelling was courtesy of too few hours of sleep and too much time spent crying.  Her shoulders slumped dejectedly.  She did not want to go to school at all, much less looking as she did.  She would see Kevin shortly, and possibly be the next recipient of his brand of payback.  The face looking back at her did not offer her the slightest bit of confidence.  She immediately began filling the sink with cold water.  While she waited, she pinned back any errant hairs that remained around her face.  As soon as the sink had filled, she submerged her face in it.  The cold felt like thousands of needles pricking her at once and would have taken her breath away had she not been holding it.  She remained, with her head in the sink, for several seconds.  When she could no longer take the cold, she lifted her face, patted it dry with a towel and drained the water.  She did not bother to look at herself again before she went to her room to dress. 

Jeans and a long-sleeved T shirt was her outfit of choice.  After slipping into a pair of boots, she returned to the bathroom and discovered the swelling in her face had gone down considerably.  She applied a touch of makeup and started downstairs.  As she did so, the night before rushed at her, the realization of what was to come crashed into her like a freight train.  In a short while, she would see Kevin.  Whether it was in the parking lot, the hallway, or her third period English class, she could not avoid a run-in. How could I be so stupid? she thought.  Kevin’s reputation was well-known.  She had been aware of it well before he had shown interest in her.  He loved girls, all girls, especially the good-looking ones who were open to the idea of sleeping with him.  He was, and had always been, promiscuous.  She was not promiscuous.  She was a virgin, and not interested in offering herself up as a conquest to anyone.  She had simply been flattered by the attention he’d paid her.  And while she hadn’t deceived herself completely about his interest in her, she had believed it was at least partially genuine.  But she had been wrong.

Each of her mistakes would culminate in a matter of moments.  The smell of coffee coming from the kitchen meant that her dad had not left for work, and was likely waiting to serve her a complete course of guilt with a side of righteous lecturing.  She could not argue with anything he could possibly say.  She was wrong, after all.  What would be the point of arguing?

As she rounded the corner into the kitchen, she saw her father hovering over the stove making pancakes.  She nearly groaned aloud.  He did not cook.  She assumed responsibility for preparing their meals.  His attempt at breakfast almost certainly meant that a lengthy conversation would accompany it.  She did not want to be reprimanded before school.  Her day promised to be bad enough.  She decided to try to keep things light and behave as normally as possible.

“Hey Dad,” she said as cheerfully as she could. “What’re you doing?”

“Just making a little breakfast,” he replied casually.

Typically, her father would have responded sarcastically when she asked him what he was doing.  He would have answered, “Knitting, what does it look like I’m doing?” then would have smiled and winked.  He would have kept his usual sense of humor, if things were okay between them.  Clearly, they were not.

“Sit down,” he said and placed a plate piled high with misshapen pancakes on the table.  “We need to talk a bit.”

“Okay,” she said nervously and sat down.  “I’m sitting.”

“I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he began.  “I’m guessing you didn’t either.”

“No, not really.”

“What you did was awful.  Let’s be clear about that.  But I don’t think punishing you is really necessary.  I think you beat yourself up about it pretty badly already.  Am I right about that?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“So I feel that you know what you did, you know it was wrong, and you won’t do it again.  Am I right about that, too?”

“Yes, of course!”

She couldn’t believe it.  Her father was treating her like an adult, and letting her off the hook.  No lecture.  No punishment.  Optimism filled her and she thought perhaps her day wouldn’t be as bad as she’d originally thought.

“I am not going to punish you then, per se,” he added

“Per se?  What do you mean?”

“Well, there is the issue of your road test.”

“My road test?”

“Yes.  Before last night, I thought you were responsible enough to take your road test and get your senior license.  Now I feel like maybe you’re not ready.”

Her theory of being treated like an adult ended abruptly.

“Dad, Come on!  Getting my senior license and driving a car without you has nothing to do with what happened last night,” she protested.

“Oh really?  So respecting rules and behaving responsibly has nothing to do with driving a car without me?”

She could not dispute his argument.  He was right.  “Seriously, Dad?” was all she could manage before her throat constricted and tears filled her eyes.

“I’m not trying to be a jerk, Missy.  I want to keep you safe.  You’re all I’ve got.”

She did not respond verbally, but nodded in compliance.

“How about we put off the DMV, just for a few weeks, and see how things go.  We can talk about things then, okay?”

She nodded again.

“All right, hurry up and finish up your pancakes.  The girls should be here any minute,” he said.

The girls he referred to were Alex Georgopoulos and Daniella Colucci, her best friends.  They were they closest thing to sisters Melissa had ever had.  Together, they existed on the outskirts of the “in” crowd, happily and safely.  She worried, however, that their happy safety would be threatened by Kevin.  She knew that whether it was a physical altercation or in the form of vicious and unending rumors, he always retaliated.  And she had rejected him.  Surely, her actions would not go unpunished; she was no different from anyone else who had ever opposed him.  If anything, her offense was far worse than any other she could remember.  She had hurt his ego.  Thinking about what he was capable of doing to her socially, how he could cast her into social purgatory, made her pancake breakfast sour in her stomach.

Her worry-filled thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a horn honking from her driveway.

“You’d better go, Missy.  Daniella is waiting,” her father nodded toward the door before adding, “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

She wondered how, at times, her father seemed capable of reading her thoughts.  She shook her head at him and smiled then left the kitchen.  She quickly grabbed her coat from the hall closet and her backpack from the kitchen table just as Daniella honked the horn a second time.

“I’m coming!” Melissa said to no one. “Jeez!”

“Bye sweetie!” her father said.

“Bye dad.”

Daniella waved to her from the driver’s seat of her Toyota Prius.  Alex nodded in acknowledgment before pulling down the passenger-side mirror and inspecting her lip gloss.

Melissa opened the rear door of Daniella’s car and climbed in.

“Hey!” Alex greeted and turned her attention from the mirror to Melissa then back again.  She smoothed her long, black hair. Every time Melissa saw Alex, she couldn’t help but think her friend’s appearance looked more befitting a lingerie catalog than anywhere else. 

“Hey, Alex,” Melissa began. “Hello Daniella.  Boy, do I have a bone to pick with you.” She was about to begin ribbing her friend about encouraging her to go out with Kevin, and for the conversation she’d had with her father when Daniella surprised her.

“I’m so sorry about last night, Melissa.  I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.  When your dad called, I thought it was you.  I never thought he’d be up so late,” Daniella said in one breath as she backed out of the driveway.  She had a tendency to speak quickly, and abundantly, when she was nervous.  She was obviously feeling guilty, and Melissa decided not to give her a hard time about it.

“Don’t worry, Daniella. It’s fine.”

“Ooh! Things must have gone really well with you and Kevin then if you’re not mad at me for the thing with your dad,” Daniella said and her tone changed.

She supposed Daniella could not help herself.  After all, her longtime friend was an optimist whose positivity bubbled over at times.  For her, the glass was always half-full.  Fittingly, her appearance echoed her upbeat personality.  From her sandy-blonde hair that bounced in a riot of curls past her shoulders, to her dimpled, effortless smile, each feature echoed cheerfulness.

Unfortunately, optimism hadn’t been enough to make her date with Kevin better.

“Not exactly,” Melissa offered.

Alex turned in her seat to look at Melissa. “What the hell does ‘not exactly’ mean?”

Never one to beat around the bush, Alex got right to the point.

“Well, as it turns out, Kevin hasn’t changed at all.  He took me straight to East Fallkill Rec and jumped on me,” Melissa answered.

“What!” Daniella exclaimed.

“Are you kidding me?” Alex asked incredulously.

“Nope. I wish I were,” Melissa began. “I suggested the diner.  He said he wanted to get to know me better and wanted to go to the Rec Center.  Stupid me, I agreed.  As soon as we got there, he assumed we were gonna do more than talk.”

“Well, of course he did.  What did you think he meant when he said he wanted to go to the Rec Center?  He was telling you he wanted to fuck you,” Alex fumed.

She knew that Alex possessed an expansive vocabulary; that she was capable of speaking without swearing, but seldom did.  She was unapologetically foul-mouthed, brutally honest, crude, and at times, downright disgusting.  She belched often and with abandon and had, on occasion, been known to ask a friend to pull her finger.  Her vulgarity was as much a staple of her personality as was her beauty.  A statuesque goddess of Greek descent, Alex was intelligent and studious.  With long raven locks and irises so dark they appeared black, she was breathtaking.  From her full lips to her bronze skin and voluptuous curves, Alex’s stood out in every crowd she had ever been in.

Alex’s beauty would not serve her at the moment.  And Melissa was not in the mood to endure her brutal honesty or profanity-laden tirades.  She just wanted to get through the day as quickly and painlessly as possible.  There would be plenty of time to inform both of her friends of all the awful details surrounding her date with Kevin.  The present moment was not the right one.

“Thanks a lot Alex!  Way to be my best friend,” Melissa snapped.  “And to think, I thought you’d be on my side!”

Alex locked eyes with her.  She watched her friend’s demeanor soften, how her eyes, hardened earlier, turned to liquid onyx. Alex knew she’d gone too far, that she should have been more supportive; her eyes said as much.

Daniella, in an attempt to diffuse the thickening tension in the car, began regaling Melissa and Alex with tales of her study group for the remaining moments of their drive to school. Filled with minutiae humorous exclusively to those who were actually present at the study group, Melissa listened politely and laughed when she thought it appropriate. All the while, she was comforted by the familiarity of the conversation, and the fact that it did not involve Kevin.  But her comfort was short-lived.

“Melissa, I’m sorry about what I said.  I’m such a dick sometimes.  That fucking asshole thought you were gonna screw him in the car on the first date, and that makes him an even bigger dick,” Alex said. 

Melissa laughed.  “Yes, I guess it does,” she agreed.  It wasn’t the best apology she had ever received, but it was the best one Alex could offer.  And it made her laugh.

Her laughter ended, though, as they turned in to the driveway of the school, and was replaced with upset.  A familiar car pulled up behind them then slowed and dropped back out of sight.  Daniella parked her car in the front lot, and Melissa watched as the black Infinity reappeared, and as Kevin maneuver it over one of many large speed humps interspersed along the path to the rear lot.  He did not act as if he’d noticed Daniella’s car, or Melissa sitting in the back seat.  But she was sure he had.

Her stomach churned, threatened to expel her father’s deformed pancakes.

“Melissa, are you okay?  You’re like, really pale,” Daniella observed.

“I’m okay,” Melissa said. “I’m just a little nervous about seeing Kevin today, how he’s going to react.”

Alex and Daniella nodded solemnly before climbing out of the car and flanking Melissa. They walked together across the parking area. As she approached Harbinger’s High School, she took a deep breath and steeled herself for what lay ahead.

Chapter 6

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A BURST OF WARM AIR whooshed in Gabriel’s face the moment he opened the door to Harbingers High School.  It smelled of dirty laundry, disinfectant, low-quality food and a generous helping of sweat.  For reasons he couldn’t explain, he didn’t find it entirely offensive, just...different.  Different from anything he’d ever smelled.  But then again, everything about what he was doing was just that: different.  He had left the only home he’d ever known for the United States and was attending his first day of school.  He’d read all about schools and the range of experiences students had.  He thought he’d been prepared.  But none of what he’d read had detailed the precise experience he was having.  Or the smell.  The material had also failed to mention the slickness that would gather on his palms when every set of eyes in his immediate vicinity landed on him the moment he crossed the threshold.  The scrutiny grew more intense with every step he took, moving deeper into the building. 

Breathing deeply to try to steady himself, Gabriel made his way down the hall.  Teenagers filled the space.  Some were as young as fourteen, while others were as old as eighteen.  He’d expected that much.  His preparation for this day had been in the making since the day of his creation.  He’d been groomed academically, taught via computer programs his maker had created, as well as distance learning facilities.  Attending school was a formality, really.  A means of integrating and doing what a boy his age ought to be doing.  But what he’d learned was fact-based.  Fact: students in high school range in age from fourteen to eighteen.  Fact: high school spans from ninth grade to twelfth grade.  Fact: Math, ELA, Science and Social Studies are required courses in high school, with additional courses such as Music, Physical Education and Art included.  The facts were plain.  Easy to understand and accept.  What wasn’t easy to understand or accept was why everyone stared at him so pointedly and with such curiosity—especially since there were so many people loitering about—and why his pulse had picked up tempo.  Dismissing it as a physiologic response to exposure to a new environment, Gabriel took another deep breath only to have it set off at a sudden gallop the moment he noticed a pair of green eyes trained on him like twin laser beams. 

Heart stumbling like a clumsy runner, an odd sensation bolted through his body like quicksilver.  He couldn’t place it.  Had never felt it before.  Like everything else that was happening, it was a first. 

Sweat gathering between his shoulder blades and trailing to the small of his back, he tried to keep his eyes facing forward.  But a pull akin to the earth’s gravitational pull drew them back to the gaze. 

Chancing a glance, he saw a girl.  Three of them actually.  They were all attractive.  But one among them stood out.  The girl with the green eyes.  Of course he’d seen green eyes before.  He’d seen males and females society deemed “aesthetically pleasing”.  His maker did not deny him the ability to appreciate beauty.  Dr. Stein had merely disconnected the pathways in Gabriel’s brain that would cause him to act impulsively or irrationally.  Being able to discern beauty was one thing.  The sudden acceleration of his pulse was quite another.  In fact, it was unprecedented.  He’d never had a reaction to beauty as he was having now.  Pale skin and lengths of fawn-hued hair framed eyes as crystal clear as malachite—eyes that seemed to see straight through him. 

What was happening?  First the reaction he’s had upon seeing the picture the deceased police officer held and now this...

He knew he ought to discuss such matters with Dr. Stein.  That once made aware, his maker wouldn’t rest until he knew what was happening.  After Gabriel was destroyed. 

The thought of being destroyed sent a shiver up Gabriel’s spine. 

While Dr. Stein had invested a tremendous amount of time, energy and money in Gabriel, he’d made it clear that if either of his creations failed to perform as he wished, they’d be destroyed.  So yes, his maker would find the root cause of his malfunction. But it would be after Gabriel was terminated. 

Gabriel didn’t want to be terminated.  Along with other instincts, a basic, innate desire to stay alive had evolved within him.  And while he didn’t exactly possess a passion for life, he did not want to die either.

***

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ALEX AND DANIELLA ACCOMPANIED Melissa into Harbingers High School as they did nearly every morning.  It was a familiar routine that had begun their first day of high school and had continued until now.  She was grateful for the now-familiar routine.  Back then she couldn’t imagine setting foot inside a building so large and with so many people without her two best friends.  The notion of it was panic-inducing.  While she had come to school alone since that first day and had survived just fine without them, Melissa preferred the company of Alex and Daniella to solo appearances.  They’d park.  Alex would smooth her hair.  Daniella would check her eyeliner.  Then they’d enter the school with an obligatory groan and have a quick chat session at Melissa’s locker before heading off to first period.  Nothing was different today.  While Melissa grabbed her Math textbook from her locker, Alex debated Daniella about who should be crowned the winner of a reality television singing show.  But the conversation halted abruptly.  Melissa looked up in time to see an unfamiliar face among the sea of familiar ones just as Daniella spoke. 

“Who is that?” Daniella asked Melissa and Alex. 

“I don’t know, but he’s hot!” Alex replied and clipped her chin toward perhaps the most attractive boy Melissa had ever seen.

Mouth dry and suddenly unsure of what to do with her hands, Melissa tried to look away.  She didn’t want to gawk as Alex and Daniella were.  As everyone was.  It was an effort to peel her eyes from him, especially since he didn’t strut down the hall like guys half as good looking as he did.  To the contrary, he seemed a little self-conscious.  Weird to think he would ever feel like that, and maybe she was just imagining it, but it didn’t seem imaginary.  He seemed nervous and uncomfortable as everyone around craned their necks to get a look at him.  She found that vulnerability compelling.  She also found herself feeling bad for him. 

Swiping an errant lock of hair from her forehead and tucking it behind her ear, Melissa slid her textbook into her backpack then slipped a strap over one shoulder.  When she looked up to tell Alex and Daniella it was time to get to class, she realized that the new guy was close.  Not only close, but looking right at her.  Gaze connecting with hers for several beats, it was if time stood still.  All she could hear was the thunderous beat of her heart and her breathing.  All else had fallen silent.  One corner of his mouth lifted and his brow quirked.  A slight, shy smile lit his features.  And when they did, Melissa felt the air flee her lungs.  The moment was magic.  Just the kind of moment she’d seen in movies.  What differed was the rush of noise that returned on a roar the second he looked away and walked past her.  The strange ache in her chest was as unexpected and unpleasant as the noise.  The dreamlike quality was gone.  Had she imagined the entire interaction?  If it could even be called an interaction...

Suddenly embarrassed, Melissa’s cheeks heated.  She dropped her gaze to her feet as scolded herself for thinking a boy like him would look at her.  That they shared some kind of moment.  It was more likely that he was looking at something behind her. Or just next to her.  Whatever he looked at, it was point that gave the illusion of his eyes meeting hers.  But he smiled at her.  Sort of. 

Shaking her head in a pathetic effort to calm the rushing thoughts in her head, Melissa turned to her friends and found both of them staring at her with their mouths agape. 

“Oh! My! Gawwwwd!  Did you see how he stared at you?” Alex exclaimed.

“Lower you voice!” Melissa looked around to make sure no one heard her.  Then she added, “Yeah right.  No way was he looking at me.”

“Are you crazy?  He looked right at you.  And no one else,” Alex replied.

“Come on, Alex! That’s ridiculous!”  Melissa looked over her shoulder again.  Knowing her luck, the new guy would be standing right behind her and say, “She’s right, I wasn’t looking at her!” and then she’d die of embarrassment.  Thankfully, he wasn’t there, though a small part of her wondered what he’d smell like...

“Believe what you want, but I know what I saw.”  Alex’s hands were on her hips, a stance she assumed only when she was prepared to argue.  And Alex only argued when she was right. 

“I have to agree with Alex on this one,” Daniella chimed in.  “He looked directly at you.”

“You guys are nuts!” Melissa countered.  “I can’t even listen to this nonsense.”

“Suit yourself, Melissa.  But you’re wrong.  And clueless!”  Daniella said playfully.  “I have to run.  See you later!”

Daniella walked quickly toward the staircase leading to the next floor where her locker resided.

“See ya, Daniella,” Melissa said.

“Later,” Alex chimed in.

Alex turned to Melissa and spoke. “I gotta go, too.  I’ll see you later.  I need to go to the nurse before the bell rings.  I need an antacid or something.  That breakfast burrito I had isn’t sitting well,” she said patting her chest to encourage a burp.

“Good luck with that,” Melissa said as Alex turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Alone and with the traffic in the hallway clearing, Melissa found herself alone.  She began walking to her first period class.

Kevin was not in either of her first two classes.  She was not sure whether that was a blessing or a curse.  On one hand, it bought her time to prepare for their awkward confrontation.  On the other hand, it allowed for time—a lot of time.  Time that would be spent worrying over how the situation would play out.  The interim between their date the previous night and third period English was nightmarish.

After several worry-filled seconds, she decided to push Kevin to the back of her mind and focus on her classes.  Determined, she walked confidently to her locker and grabbed her books for her morning classes.

First and second period passed quickly.  There had been no social repercussion whatsoever.  As far as she could tell, no one knew of their middle-of-the-night date, how it had ended poorly.

As she sat in her third period English class and waited for the room to fill, Melissa expected the proverbial ax to fall as she waited for Kevin.  When Kevin finally did arrive, he breezed in past her and did not offer so much as a fleeting glance in her direction. Flooded with relief, a small smile played across her lips.  She hadn’t entertained the possibility that nothing would happen.  She’d expected drama.  Rumors.  Nastiness.  But got...nothing.  Feeling as if a weight had been lifted, Melissa began to question everything.  Perhaps she was overly negative.  Perhaps her penchant for negativity had grossly exaggerated Kevin’s meanness.  He was lecherous, but perhaps not all bad.  She allowed herself to relax before the bell rang and felt certain the day would not be as awful as she originally believed.

Chapter 7

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EUGENE LOATHED PRETENTIOUSNESS.  He loathed those who were drawn to it even more.  Idiots who, like moths to flames, couldn’t resist the lure of something shiny or glowing. 

Gabriel was shiny and glowing. 

The glowing achievement of their maker.

That’s why Gabriel had been sent to the United States and he had been left behind. 

A low growl rolled from deep in Eugene’s chest and a tremor of anger rumbled through his body like thunder. 

Gabriel was flashy.  Grandiose to the verge of vulgar.  Gabriel, Dr. Stein’s prized possession, would give humanity that which they valued above all else: something pretty to look at.  They were a sickening and shallow species.

Eugene was not pretty.  He was not flashy either.  But he was magnificent by every definition of the word.  His beauty delved deeper than his appearance, and his appearance was worthy of marvel.  It was original.  He was a one-of-a kind.  He was Dr. Stein’s original creation. 

But he wasn’t Dr. Stein’s only creation, as he should have been.  Gabriel James was, too.  Just thinking of Gabriel made bile burn up the back of Eugene’s throat. 

His maker, Dr. Franklin N. Stein, always strove for greatness.  He always sought to improve what he’d created.  He strove for superiority.  Superiority was acceptable—essential even—when developing new technology for his projects and creations.  But Gabriel quickly became more than a mere project or creation of his maker’s.  Gabriel became his maker’s obsession.  His masterpiece.  It was no secret how Dr. Stein doted on Gabriel, how he invested every ounce of his time, energy and hope into him, but it was when his maker had declared that Gabriel was the improved version of Eugene that the magnitude of the situation took hold.  Improved meant better.  Dr. Stein believed Gabriel was better than he.  The realization of that piece of information had landed like a sledgehammer to his temple.  His maker saw Gabriel as the “better” version of him. 

Balling his hands at his sides, Eugene felt his nails bite into his palms.  It was he, not Gabriel, who possessed the capabilities to transform humanity.  He was what Dr. Stein should have envisioned for the future of humanity.  He was stronger, faster.  And far more punishing.  Better.  In every way.  Gabriel was just a softer, weaker version of him.

While Eugene was confident that a scientist as brilliant as Dr. Stein would eventually realize the error he’d made in choosing Gabriel over him, the time between now and that moment felt endless.  Endless and maddening.  But when Dr. Stein did finally realize his mistake, Gabriel would be terminated immediately. 

A bolt of intense, violence-filled satisfaction flashed through Eugene at the thought of Gabriel’s demise and caused him to shudder.  He needed to reign it in.  He needed to compose himself.  Sitting at once in a nearby chair, Eugene positioned his enormous body and breathed deeply.  He looked around his room, trying to find a point on which he could focus and calm himself.  The room was small—sixteen by eighteen feet—and simply furnished.  A twin-sized, metal-framed cot, an oak chest with five drawers, an oak computer desk and the straight-back chair in which he sat was all it held.  On the far wall—smooth, windowless concrete walls, painted an institutional shade of pale green—was a simple, black-and-white clock.  He rested his hands on his knees with his back ramrod straight and his face serene and concentrated until the tremor passed.  Until the desire for bloodshed quieted.  He was created to not experience human emotion.  He understood this detail of his construct and knew that changes had been made to the left side of his temporal lobe and the deep limbic system of his brain.  Despite these adjustments, however, instinct had unexpectedly evolved.  A natural predisposition gave him bloodlust.  Fury unparalleled in humanity.  He’d mastered the ability to look calm outwardly while rage stormed within him.  He had to.  Otherwise Dr. Stein would have to destroy him, and he’d never live to see Gabriel fall.  Eugene couldn’t allow that.  He wanted nothing more than to see Gabriel die.  Slowly, if possible.  He needed to conceal what went on beneath his tranquil veneer. 

Only when his master commanded was he allowed to release his wrath.  Deprived of that directive, he was forced to remain in a meditative trance.  Staring at his clock on the wall was all that stood between him and his thirst for savagery.

Struggling to contain his violent urges was a full-time job.  More so lately.  It seemed much of his time was spent staring at the clock in his tiny room, lulling and entrancing himself with the rhythmic sweep of its hands.  But it was not an easy feat, for Eugene was wrath incarnate.  What bubbled beneath the surface of his skin like molten lava far exceeded blind rage, though.  It was focused.  Focused on Gabriel.  Focused on all of humanity.  Eugene loathed the human species.  He saw them as little more than transitory beings inhabiting the planet, clinging to material possessions as mold adheres to decaying fruit.  He longed to kill them.  Kill them all.  He knew that he was the future of the humanity.  That he was superior to the useless scum that occupied Earth, and far superior to Gabriel.  Yet he was forced to live in exile, alone in a small, cell-like room, tucked in an underground bunker.  He was not permitted to leave, and he was forbidden from integrating into society. 

But Gabriel would.

Gabriel would be released to the masses, even though he was weaker and slighter of build than Eugene.  Gabriel was similar to lowly humans.  Especially in appearance.  And he despised Gabriel as much as he despised humanity.

Eugene was the embodiment of strength and speed, far larger and superior in form and function to Gabriel or any human being.  On the infrequent occasions he ventured out among the sparsely populated towns surrounding Dr. Stein’s lab, he observed those around him.  Humans were much smaller, slower, inferior beings.  He towered over them.  Standing erect, he reached six-foot-ten inches, his large skeleton enshrined by thick muscle.  Most humans were insulated by layers of fat on their small frames.  He wondered how such deficient creatures laden with so much extra weight managed to reproduce. 

He, on the other hand, was a far more formidable specimen.  He was hulking and muscular.  Yet despite the sheer size of his limbs, he was agile.  With responses that were nearly immediate, Eugene was everything humans weren’t.  Quick and deadly. 

And then there was his face...

His face was his most arresting feature.  Distinguishing him from all others in humanity were his widely spaced, honey-colored eyes.  Although he deemed them magnificent, breathtaking even, his creator disagreed.  Dr. Stein said that they were too feline.  He thought it necessary for Eugene to keep them hidden behind dark sunglasses. 

But his eyes were not the only distinctive characteristic he had.  When scrutinizing his reflection in the mirror of the lab restroom, an act he seldom performed, Eugene observed how the bridge of his nose was wider and flatter than the average person, and that it sloped steeply to thin compressed lips.  He noticed that people on television and in person had a much different appearance.  Their collective features were not just closer together, but the proportions were different, too.  Their lips were fuller.  Their noses were thinner.  And their smiles were less intimidating.  Their looks were unlike his.

When he mirrored his maker’s smile, as was taught to him through conditioned response techniques, he watched Dr. Stein recoil in horror.  His maker had even commented, saying that Eugene’s smile was menacing and maniacal.  Eugene was offended by his responses, especially since Dr. Stein never recoiled from Gabriel.  Not when he smiled.  Not ever.  Dr. Stein beamed when Gabriel smiled.  Eugene couldn’t understand why.  Gabriel looked like every other human being.  His features, though refined and improved upon, were nothing special.  Not like his.  Still it was he, not Gabriel, who had been warned to keep his eyes hidden, never smile, and limit his contact with the world to a minimum.  His maker had also told him that people would find him hideous.  He could not understand why Dr. Stein wanted him to believe such obvious lies.  He knew the real reason he had to hide his superiority.  He knew humans were incapable of comprehending his magnificence.  A species as unimaginative and uninspired as humans could only handle improved, but nonetheless ordinary, attributes such as Gabriel’s.

Eugene was not ordinary.  He embraced his extraordinary features.  They gave him an edge.  When presented with an adversary, shock proved a worthy weapon. Therefore, his appearance served an important purpose and was a direct result of his genetic makeup.  His composition differed markedly from Gabriel’s.  Eugene enjoyed a blend of genes as unique as his face. Dr. Stein had altered his DNA at the embryonic stage of development just as with his contemporary, Gabriel. The crucial difference had been that Dr. Stein had synthesized human and animal genetic material.  For Eugene’s development, Stein had experimented by uniting human DNA with the DNA of a male lion.  In doing so, Dr. Franklin Stein had created an individual as vicious as he was intelligent.  He’d created Eugene.

Eugene regarded the unusual circumstances of his bio-molecular configuration as a gift.  The interspecies combination sharpened his senses beyond that of human beings.  It also enabled him to develop into a ferocious fighter.  Moreover, he came to enjoy not only hunting his prey, but killing it as well.  He considered every attack and expertly executed each with precision.

During routine training exercises, he refused to concede defeat.  Instead, he persisted until an opponent was overcome permanently.  His maker had introduced a variety of beasts and placed them as battle challengers.  All had attempted to best him but none had posed a threat.  His cunning and kill methods had proved superior.

His work ethic did not end in the physical arena.  It extended to his learning as well.  He devoured knowledge as an animal devours its prey.  His maker had exposed him to every literary genre yet he focused on works that centered on war and power and the mastery of one’s emotions and surroundings.  Though written by prosaic humans, surprisingly, he had discovered that they had strategic value, that uninspired people who struggled to conquer their passions had far more useful information than he had originally concluded.

Eugene’s preference for books about aggression and their relation to battle had not gone unnoticed by Dr. Stein.  He had observed how his enthusiasm for such works was misinterpreted by his creator.  His passion had been dismissed as diligence, a characteristic his maker viewed as devoid of emotion. One that carried evolutionary purpose.  What his creator did not know was that killing was a rare treat Eugene savored.

Sent to resolve conflicts where his skills were warranted, he was called out of his room to assassinate people who threatened his creator or the nature of his work.  He accepted his calling for murder.  He had been called on intermittently in his short existence and looked forward to each occasion.  In the coming days, his talents would be used for a situation involving his maker and an organized crime group in Russia.

Dr. Stein was sending him to kill Dmitri Ivanov and his crew.  How the killing would be carried out would be left for him to decide.  His bare hands would be his weapons of choice.  The deaths would be among the most satisfying yet.  Especially since there’d be several.  Only one death could top them all.  And that would be Gabriel’s. 

Soon.  He hoped that day would be soon.  Dreamed of it.  Dreamed that he’d one day be called upon to destroy Gabriel. 

But until that time came, Eugene would have to be sated by the deaths his maker sanctioned. 

Chapter 8

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GABRIEL WAS LATE FOR his third period English class.  The second of two electronic bells had just sounded and he was not where he was supposed to be.  Judging from the campus map he’d been given just minutes ago from his guidance counselor, the classroom was on the opposite end of the building.  He’d be really late and class would be underway even if he ran at this point.  His meeting with the guidance counselor, a man named Mr. Kevin Fleck, ran long, as did introductions to the principal, vice-principal, nurse and student council president.  He was supposed to have a tour of the building courtesy of the student council but forwent it in favor of getting to class.  Now, as he stood looking at the crude sketch they called a map, he almost wished he’d taken them up on the tour offer. 

With the map in hand, Gabriel jogged down hallways and trotted up staircases until he reached Mr. Adam’s room.  The door was closed of course so he knocked lightly.  Several moments passed without a response so he knocked again, louder.  Seconds later, the door swung open and a tall, lanky man with gray hair stood before him. “Yes?” Mr. Adam’s asked.

Gabriel cleared his throat and said, “Hi, I’m Gabriel.  Today’s my first day here,” as he handed the man his late pass signed by the principal.”

“Oh yes...Gabriel,” the man said as he looked at the pass.  “Come in.  Welcome.”  Mr. Adam’s waved him in and closed the door behind him. 

All eyes focused on him as he entered the classroom.  The unfamiliar sensation of discomfort resurfaced.  Unsure of exactly how to manage it, Gabriel shifted his weight from one leg to the next, waiting for his teacher to point him toward an empty desk or give him some form of instruction.  But Mr. Adam’s did neither.  Instead, he left Gabriel standing in the front of the classroom and began a formal introduction.

“Class, your attention would be nice.  Okay.  Direct your eyes to the front of the room, please.  Thank you,” he said in a monotone.  “People, let’s welcome Gabriel James.”  He then added in a lower voice to Gabriel, “Take the desk in back.” He pointed to an empty desk in the far left corner of the rear of the room.

As he made his was to his desk, Gabriel quickly scanned the room.  Most of the unfamiliar faces looked friendly enough.  Most in the class glanced up to take a quick look then resumed interest in whatever they’d been doing prior to his arrival.  One didn’t, however.  One male student stared at him hard and with an expression that was anything but friendly.  Though seated, Gabriel could tell he was tall and athletic.  He watched Gabriel through narrowed eyes, all the while wearing a crocked smile that revealed a single dimple in his right cheek.  Gabriel met his gaze, did not look away, but matched the dimpled boy’s intensity.  His intention was not to be confrontational.  He merely wanted to make plain that large athletic high school students posed no threat to him, that he was not intimidated in the least.  Gabriel did not feel fear.  He was not afraid of the guy looking at him.  Not afraid of anyone or anything.  Gabriel watched as the boy with the dimpled cheek ran a hand through his spiky blond hair and turned to the person sitting next to him and whispered loudly “pretty boy” then laughed. 

The person to whom he spoke did not share in his laughter. 

Neither did Gabriel.

Gabriel stared at him.  He guessed that his stony expression and unflinching eye contact was enough to warn off the dimpled guy who’d called him a pretty boy as his smirk capsized and he took a sudden and intense interest in his textbook.  Good, Gabriel thought.  There was a definite pecking order among high school males.  He was not interested in hormone or ego-driven games. 

Satisfied that the fleeting incident between him and the boy with the dimpled cheek had been adequately handled, he scanned the back row again and realized that the seat assigned to him was next to someone he had seen before.  His desk was beside the girl with the green eyes from earlier in the morning.

Her eyes were cast down toward papers in front of her but she looked up as he brushed past her desk.  Their eyes locked for a split second and without warning, his pulse rate accelerated again.  He wasn’t sure why, but he felt compelled to talk to her.  He could reason that a conversation would benefit him and that forging friendships was a necessary element of his integration process.  While true, it wasn’t the real reason.  He just wanted to hear her voice and hopefully see her smile.  At him. 

***

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MELISSA FOUND MR. ADAMS’S English class to be the longest and most boring of all her courses.  Though it was fifty minutes, just as all other classes, it seemed to drag on for days.

Typically, the point at which her misery peaked was the precise time the bell would ring to end the session, but not on this day.  Instead, twenty minutes into class, Mr. Adams droned on and on but stopped briefly to introduce a new student who had just entered the classroom.

She recognized him immediately.  She’d seen him earlier in the hallway before school had started.  She didn’t stare like everyone else had.  Everyone including Alex and Daniella.  She didn’t do it earlier and she wouldn’t do it now, even though she wanted nothing more than to look, so she focused on her notebook.  She focused on the words but her brain refused to actually read the words.  Giving in to curiosity, she allowed herself to glance up just as he passed her desk and took his seat beside her.  For a fraction of a moment, they made eye contact.  There was no mistaking it this time. 

He sat and turned to her unexpectedly.  “Hi.  I’m Gabriel,” he said in a smooth, even voice.  With his sapphire eyes trained on her, he and waited for a response. 

Melissa felt heat creep up her neck.  Her throat went dry and words eluded her.  Her name eluded her.  She was too stunned to speak.

“Your name is?” he asked after several awkward seconds passed.

“Um, Melissa, I’m Melissa Martin,” she fumbled when finally the words made it past her lips.  She smiled.  Even though she couldn’t see the expression on her face, it felt goofy.  Warmth spread across her cheeks.  This was not the first impression she’d wanted to make.  What the heck is wrong with me! she screamed in her head.  Embarrassed, she immediately turned from him and feigned interest in her study materials, trying desperately to avoid resembling a tomato with hair.  She felt his eyes on her and was grateful to have long hair behind which she could hide.  Straining to see him through a curtain of golden-brown tresses, she stole a quick glance at him and noticed that he’d lowered his gaze.  Eyes veiled by thick, dark lashes, he seemed preoccupied with his textbook so she allowed her gaze to settle in his general direction.  She scanned the far wall with him still in her line of vision.  She glimpsed at the analog clock mounted on the wall.  She looked over notes her instructor had scribbled on the dry-erase board.  She tried desperately to remain inconspicuous, but it was almost impossible to keep her eyes averted.  Especially when his profile was right there for her to study.  The straight line made from the base of his nose to the tip, the gentle indentation of the skin between his nose and upper lip, the ampleness of his lips, the architecture of his high cheekbones, the strength of his jawline...all of it formed what she could only describe as perfection.  He looked unlike anyone she’d ever seen.  Like an extraordinarily handsome work of art.

Without warning, Gabriel lifted his chin and turned back to face her.  She froze briefly, likely resembling a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.  But didn’t look away immediately.  He looked back at her, puzzled.

Luckily, the electronic bell rang signaled the end of third period English and the end of their awkward staring contest.  She gathered her belongings as quickly as possible and left.

Fortunately, fourth period was lunchtime.  Embarrassing or awkward interactions could be kept to a minimum.  After what had just taken place, she was in need of a moment to herself.  She planned to make a quick exit by taking the rear staircase to the back doors that led out of the school but was stopped by a voice calling out to her.  “Hey Melissa!” it called.  She turned and looked over her shoulder only to find Gabriel making his way toward her. 

He jogged toward her but stood there wordlessly.  He shifted his weight from one leg to the other as if searching for something to say.  Melissa wanted to believe he was nervous.  He looked nervous.  But why would he be nervous around her?  Surely he owned a mirror and had been alive long enough to watch as girls craned their necks to get a look at him.  Still, the silence loomed and the awkward shifting continued.  It lasted so long, she actually began mirroring his behavior. 

When finally so much time had passed that even she couldn’t bear it any longer, she mustered every bit of courage she could and started to ask if he needed anything when he spoke. 

Gabriel cleared his throat.  “Does Mr. Adams always sound like that, or is he sick or something?”

Melissa paused briefly then laughed aloud.

Though embarrassed by her outburst, she could not stop herself from laughing.  The tense moments and the awkward silence leading up to his question were the cause, but she didn’t want Gabriel to think she was laughing at him.  Or crazy

“No.  He’s not sick,” she giggled, wiping tears.  “He just has an unusual voice.  You’ll get used to it, eventually.”

“Wow.  That’s a nice way of putting it.”

She laughed again.

Gabriel remained, smiling at her as she fumbled through her purse for a tissue to blot her eyes.  He continued chatting with her, asking about other instructors and courses.  As he did so, various girls, many of whom were barely acquainted with Melissa, suddenly stopped to ask her an assortment of questions.  She knew they were just excuses to be around Gabriel as most, if not all, were ridiculous questions about homework assignments for classes she was not a student in, foreign language programs she was not affiliated with, and hairstyling tips she did not have.  With Gabriel at her side, Melissa was suddenly the most in-demand person at Harbingers High School.  Yet as each girl spoke, their eyes remained on Gabriel, not Melissa.

Gabriel stayed despite looking as though he wanted to flee the pack that had descended on him, circling and stalking him like wolves surrounding wounded prey.  He stayed as she addressed absurd questions and deflected others altogether.  She tried to stay calm.  Her tone was neither sarcastic nor angry and she kept her facial expression neutral.  But the more she interacted with them, the more obvious their agendas became.  She also noticed that Gabriel was uncomfortable.

Unlike Kevin Anderson who loved the attention and would’ve basked in a group of adoring fans, Gabriel looked like he was being held hostage.  Melissa watched as they pawed at him, thrust out their chests, giggled and tossed their hair and fought for his attention.  The display was shameless.  And pathetic.  Unable to watch it a second longer without puking, Melissa told everyone he had a schedule conflict and had to get back to the guidance counselor.  They then bolted from the group.  As soon as they were out of earshot, she found herself apologizing for the girls. 

“Sorry about that,” she said and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.  “That was hard to look at.” She blushed and rolled her eyes at what she was saying.  Maybe he liked the attention and only looked uncomfortable.  “I mean, maybe that was weird for you.  Maybe not,” she mumbled.  She cleared her throat and silently chastised herself for even mentioning it then doubled down with, “Anyway, I would have been freaked out if I were you.”

Gabriel didn’t say anything on the subject.  Instead, he listened intently.

In her head, Melissa was screaming at herself.  Outwardly, she composed herself and asked, “So, where are you from Gabriel James?”

“I am from Russia, the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East to be exact.”

“Huh.  That’s cool,” she said then added.  “You don’t have an accent or anything, though.” Melissa wanted to kick herself for her comment.  What would it have mattered either way? 

“No.  I don’t.”  He chuckled softly.  “I was educated exclusively in English, taught American history.”  He looked at her and shrugged.  “What can I say?  My education is all-American.”

She smiled at him.  He smiled in return, and easy, effortlessly smile.

“Do you speak Russian?” Melissa inquired.

“Yes, I do, fluently.”

“Huh.  You’re bilingual.  Cool.”

Melissa continued toward the exit doors, but paused in front of the gymnasium and turned to face Gabriel.

“Hey, are you hungry? I was going for a walk, but I can show you where the cafeteria is,” she asked.

“I’m not really hungry,” he replied.  “Do you mind if I walk with you?”

She thought about it for a moment, though there was nothing to think about.  Of course, she wanted to walk with Gabriel!  Even though she’d made a fool of herself in front of him a handful of times in the five minutes she’d known him, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more.  Who wouldn’t want to walk with him? “Sure.  Why not?” she said and smiled.  “I just need to drop my books in my locker.  Wait here.  I’ll be back in just a sec.”

As she turned around and started toward her locker, Kevin, with his blinding smile and solo dimple fully engaged, was heading toward her. 

Her stomach rolled at the sight of him.  He’d ignored her in class just moments ago.  Melissa doubted she would be so lucky this time as he was looking directly at her.  She wondered what ugly words awaited her behind his fake smile.

To her surprise, however, Kevin spoke pleasantly, as if he simply had not noticed her during class, and the night before had never happened.

“Hey Melissa!” he called cheerfully.

Melissa found him remarkably chatty and upbeat given the circumstances.

“How are you?  How’d you sleep?” he asked and wrinkled his nose in exaggerated concern.

“Not good, Kevin, not good at all,” Melissa responded honestly.

“Huh.  Sorry to hear that.  I was thinking that maybe we could go to the kegger together tonight after the bonfire.”

It was Friday, but not any ordinary Friday.  It was the beginning of homecoming weekend.  A school-sponsored bonfire was scheduled on campus for that night.  The bonfire would be immediately followed by a gathering of popular students in the woods behind the school.  They would huddle around a keg of beer for as long as the police stayed away.  Inevitably, the police would come and everyone would scatter in varying states of intoxication and attempt to find their way to their cars.  Melissa considered it a sad rite of high school students, one that did not interest her in the least.  Spending time with Kevin did not interest her either, especially after what had happened the night before.

“Seriously, Kevin?  After last night?  I don’t think so.”

“I was hoping you’d forgiven me for last night.”

“You never asked me to forgive you.”

“I’m asking now.  Please forgive me.  I was a bad boy last night,” Kevin frowned exaggeratedly.  Then in a voice Melissa deemed positively cloying, he continued, “You just have this effect on me.  I don’t know what it is.  I’m crazy about you Melissa Martin.  But I promise you, I will behave.  Just give me another chance.  I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

Melissa felt sickened by his nonsense, but knew better than to start an argument or humiliate him.  Everyone treated him like he was a god.  And anyone who’d ever become his enemy has been shunned. She was also pressed for time.  Gabriel was waiting for her by the gym.  She was too afraid to think he’d want anything more than friendship from her.  But she still didn’t want to keep him waiting.  She was actually eager to see him again. 

“Well, I’ll be at the bonfire with Daniella and Alex.  Maybe we’ll run into each other” she said distractedly.

“That sounds great!  I’ll find you there tomorrow!  We’ll hang out.”

She was growing increasingly impatient.  Gabriel was waiting for her, and Kevin was not letting the whole bonfire thing go. 

“Fine.  I’ll go with Alex and Daniella.  We’ll talk when I see you there,” she said.  “But no joking around, we’re just going to hang out and talk, right?”

Kevin held up three fingers on his right hand in a Boy Scout salute and said, “Scouts honor.  I’ll meet you at the bonfire?”

“Fine, see you later.”

***

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GABRIEL WATCHED AS the guy from his class, who’d called him “pretty boy”—the same one he saw talking to Melissa seconds earlier—strode toward the gym.  He joined a group of guys that had gathered.  All were tall and athletic-looking and appeared to be waiting for him inside the gym.  One broke away from the rest and made his way to Kevin.

“Well, what did she say?” he asked.

“What do you think she said, John?” Kevin replied arrogantly.  Gabriel now knew the person to whom he spoke to was named John.  “She’s meeting me after the bonfire at the keg party.”

“No way man! After last night?” John asked incredulously.

“Yup.  You’ll owe me twenty bucks each when I tap that ass.”  Kevin laughed.  “When’ll you guys learn?  Never bet me.  I never lose a bet.”

“You think you’re really gonna bang her?” another of his friends asked as he approached.  He rolled his hips in a thrusting motion as he spanked the air with his hand.

“I’m gonna hit it tonight, whether she likes it or not, Eric!” Kevin bragged and high-fived the boy before him named Eric.

Gabriel, just outside the doors of the gymnasium, overheard the interaction between Kevin and his friends.  As he listened, an unfamiliar feeling surged inside him: anger.  He thought it impossible for him to feel anything.  Yet, the rage he felt at Kevin’s intentions with Melissa was undeniable.

He had just met her, but felt compelled to protect her.  She had awakened something in him that could only be described as emotion for the second time that day.

Gabriel glared at Kevin, John, Eric and another boy whose name he had not yet learned as they made their way toward a rack of basketballs.  The nameless one looked over his shoulder at Gabriel.  Gabriel stared unwaveringly at him and the others.

“Come on, Chris!” Kevin called to the boy who looked at Gabriel, only now he had a name.  Chris.  The name was branded in Gabriel’s brain.  Kevin waved his friend near.  But Chris did not budge.  He did not join his friends immediately.

“Got something to say, douche bag?” Chris asked Gabriel, sarcasm and venom lacing his words.

Gabriel did not mimic Chris’s expression.  He didn’t parrot his sarcasm.  He’d learned watching instructional video sessions provided by Dr. Stein that doing so would’ve escalated an already-tense situation.  Gabriel did, however, lock eyes with Chris, as unfamiliar reactions stormed within him.

The intensity and boldness of Gabriel’s stare warned Chris off for he did not volunteer another word.  Instead, he retreated to his friends and began playing basketball. 

While he warmed up and shot basketballs at the hoop, Gabriel glowered at him from afar.  Chris pretended not to see him, but Gabriel saw him glance in his direction several times.

Once the adrenaline surge passed, Gabriel took his eyes off Kevin’s pack.  The words “Whether she likes it or not,” resonated in his mind.  And he knew he would be attending the bonfire scheduled for later in the afternoon and the keg party that followed.

Melissa returned to where Gabriel waited outside the gym.  He inhaled deeply as he caught the faint scent of her fragrance.  He’d never smelled such a scent, save for his first interaction with her.  He couldn’t place exactly what the specific notes of the perfume were but wished he could smell it forever.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

“Yep,” he answered, dizzied momentarily by the rush of sensations he was feeling.

They traveled the rest of the short hallway in silence.  They approached the rear exit doors that opened to a student parking lot.  Gabriel opened the door for Melissa.  He was momentarily blinded by the brilliant golden light which filled the unseasonably warm November morning.  He spoke first, inquiring about the unusual weather.

“Wow.  It’s so warm.  I thought November was a colder month around here.  Is this normal?” he asked.

“No.  It feels like a day in late April, not November.  That’s climate change for you,” Melissa offered.

“In Russia, there isn’t much change in temperature between November and April,” Gabriel began nervously. He took a deep breath before continuing. “Summers on the Kamchatka Peninsula are from June to October.  But we lived in a more remote area in the Northern portion of the peninsula.  It had more of an arctic climate,” he babbled, tensely trying to maintain a conversation.

“Oh,” was all she said and he felt the tension in his muscles strain.

“This feels great compared to winter nearly year-round,” he continued and wondered whether he was boring her.

“I keep forgetting that you’re not from around here.  It’s hard to remember that you aren’t American.  I mean, your English is better than most Americans.”

“Thanks.  I haven’t been here long.  But my dad says the same thing.  He was born here then moved to Russia for a while. ”

“Oh.  So he’s American?”

“Yes, he is.”

“So your mom is Russian?”

“I wouldn’t know.  I never met her.”

“Did she, I mean, is she,” Melissa stammered.

“Dead?  I have no idea.  My dad never talks about her.  And it’s always been just the two of us.”

Melissa stopped walking and turned to face Gabriel.  Her eyes were sympathetic.  She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.  “I am so sorry.  It must be really hard for you.  Not having a mom and all.  I can relate.  Trust me.”

At her touch, Gabriel felt a tremor pass through his stomach.  His heart raced again.  He identified the response as nervousness but was unsure why he was feeling it.

They continued walking and had wandered across the parking lot and on to a residential street.

“How about you?  What’s your family like?  Do you have any brothers or sisters?”  Gabriel asked.

“No brothers or sisters.  My mom died when I was seven.  It’s just me and my dad.”

“It must be hard for you,” Gabriel said and could see pain plainly in her eyes.  Oddly, her pain created a strange clenching sensation in his chest.

Melissa looked over her shoulder at him as they walked.  Her eyes shined with emotion and the clenching tightened.

“You’d think that with all the time that’s passed, I wouldn’t miss her so much.  I mean, it’s been ten years,” she said earnestly.  “But I really do, especially now.  There are so many things I want to tell her and things I want to ask her about.” 

Melissa stopped talking abruptly.  Her cheeks turned rosy.  Gabriel had never seen such a response.

“Whoa!  I’m sorry,” Melissa said wiping under her eyes with her fingers. “I’m so embarrassed.  I didn’t mean to get all emotional on you.”

Gabriel knew that the parent-child connection was powerful among human beings.  Though he had no such relationship, he was inexplicably overcome by a flood of emotions.  Emotions of which he had knowledge but no firsthand experience.  He was created to be devoid of sentimentality, had lived as such for his entire existence.  Her effect on him was baffling.

Unequipped to deal with the sudden rush of feelings, Gabriel realized he had connected with her despite the nature of his composition.  He sensed her sadness and began to feel what could only be described as sympathy.  He felt the sudden urge to wrap her in his arms, inhale her sweet fragrance and offer her comfort.  He was unsure of precisely how to execute such an act.  He’d never done such a thing but wanted to.  He just didn’t have the slightest clue how.  So he opted to place his hand on the small of her back.  The sensation of his hand on her back stole the breath from his lungs as he leaned in and said, “Hey, don’t be embarrassed.  There is nothing to be embarrassed about.  I can’t imagine what you go through every day.  It must be so hard.”

Gabriel hoped his words were helpful and that the physical contact was appropriate.  He did not wish to offend her.  Though Melissa did not tense at his touch, he worried that his actions were too forward.  Hesitantly, he removed his hand from her back and backed up.

They began walking again.

“What about you?  Here I am whining.  At least I have memories of my mom.  You don’t even have that,” Melissa said.

Gabriel considered Melissa’s question and statement.  He searched for an adequate response.  He didn’t want to lie to her more than was necessary to preserve his and Dr. Stein’s safety.  His silence was interpreted as offense.  Melissa began apologizing.  He had deliberated on the topic for far too long.

“Look, Gabriel.  I am so sorry.  That was a stupid, insensitive thing to say.”

He watched as she chewed her lower lip nervously, agonizing over the presumed offense.  Her cheeks reddened again.

“I say really dumb things sometimes.  I mean, really.  You don’t know me.  But if you did, you’d know that my mouth might as well have a sign that reads ‘insert foot here.’”

Gabriel held up a hand and interrupted her.  He would not allow her to feel guilty.

“I think you’re great.  Please don’t call yourself dumb anymore, okay? You’re great.  Really,” he asserted.

“But,” Melissa tried to interject.

Gabriel continued.

“And you didn’t upset me or anything.  I was just thinking about how to phrase what I wanted to say,” he admitted.  “I didn’t know how you would take me saying that I am not bothered at all that I don’t have a mother in my life.  I don’t have any memories and that’s fine.  Can’t miss something or someone you never had, right?”

Melissa stopped walking.  She looked pensive.  He hoped he didn’t  come across cold or uncaring.

“I guess I see what you’re saying.  I mean, things are what they are, right?” Melissa offered.

“Yes.  I just didn’t want you to think I was cold or anything.”

“You just met me.  I mean, what would you care what I think.” Melissa touched her hand to her forehead before saying, “That came out all wrong. I just meant to say why would you worry about me judging you?”

Then, under her breath she muttered, “I should not be allowed to speak.”

Gabriel surprised himself by taking Melissa’s willowy arm in his hand and turning her to face him.  In the sunlight, her eyes were a kaleidoscope of subtly varying shades of green.  The complexity of the color was layered, emerald with hints of olive and turquoise.  Gabriel felt his breath catch in his chest.  He tried to compose himself before he spoke.

“I’m not sure why, I know we just met, but for what it’s worth, I do care what you think of me.  I don’t worry that you’re judgmental.  As I said before, I think you’re great,” he said honestly.

Suddenly aware of their physical proximity and the implications of such closeness, Gabriel released Melissa’s arm.

Her face glowed.  Everything about her was radiant.  His heart threatened to beat out his chest as he studied each feature.

But all too quickly, Melissa dropped her gaze and lifted her wrist.  Eyes on her watch, she said, “Oh man!  We’re late.  We’ve got to get back to class, like, right now or we’re going to miss fifth period,” she said.

Crestfallen, Gabriel turned and followed Melissa as they doubled back at a jog toward Harbingers High School.

Chapter 9

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THICK FOG SHROUDED the Kamchatka Peninsula.  An unusually mild air mass had settled over the area and drew murk from the deep snowpacks in the Northern section of land.  Eugene was unbothered by the fog, though.  He traveled oblivious of it and with a single objective: kill Dmitri Ivanov and his men. 

A small smirk threatened to play across his lips.  He could fairly smell the blood he’d spill.  The iron-rich scent...

Behind the wheel of a Hummer H1 Alpha, every cell in Eugene’s body quivered with anticipation.  He could hardly contain his excitement as he drove along icy, unpaved roads toward Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the main city on the peninsula, which was situated on high, snow-covered hills surrounded by volcanoes.  His destination, the one that promised multiple opportunities to kill, was an abandoned building.  It was the drop sight for a nuclear warhead Dr. Stein had been contracted to create.  Ivanov was expecting Eugene to deliver it.  He’d deliver something alright.  But it would be a far cry from what they were expecting.  They expected a weapon of mass destruction.  They’d receive terror.  Violence.  Bloodshed.  Death. 

Carnage filled his imagination.  An involuntary shudder pulsed through him, nearly doubling him over.  He struggled to repress it, narrowly managing to steer his vehicle.  He knew Ivanov and his men were alone.  He’d surveyed the site earlier.  Like lambs awaiting slaughter, they’d been unaware that he, the predatory wolf, had stalked them.  That element added to the thrill.

Visions of crimson-splattered walls and the crunch of bone beneath his fists had frenzied Eugene’s bloodlust as the drop site came into view.  The building, a squat, sad-looking structure with peeling paint, was a location befitting the grisly deaths Ivanov and his men would receive.  Once upon a time, it had been an automobile repair shop with a crisp, white concrete exterior and black, framed windows.  Now, it bowed in dilapidation.  Moss and graffiti littered the walls.  Paint peeled along the casement frames.  Of the five windows on the garage door, three were broken, replaced with flimsy plywood.  A worn wooden door with a broken fixture beside it held a bare bulb and was the only entry and exit point.  Pathetic humans had constructed it, and equally pathetic humans had ruined it.  And soon, pathetic humans would die in it.

Eugene circled past the building and parked the Hummer in the wooded hills beyond it.  That’s what Ivanov had requested.  Ivanov had informed Dr. Stein that no one was permitted to park their vehicle in the vicinity of the drop site.  To do so would risk drawing attention.  The last thing Eugene wanted was to draw attention to himself.  He didn’t risk sullying what was about to transpire.

He scanned the surrounding area just to be sure then grabbed a large metal briefcase from the passenger seat and dark glasses to mask his feline eyes before climbing out of the Hummer and moving on foot toward the decaying building.  Impervious to the cold and snow, Eugene moved toward the impending conflict unarmed.  He believed that weaponry was reserved for the weak and cowardly.  He believed that in order to appreciate and fully enjoy a kill, it needed to be performed with his hands.

As he approached, he spotted two members of Ivanov’s gang posted at the door.  Though they were hidden by dense fog, he could see they were large and nearly identical in appearance.  They paced back and forth, armed and with such swagger Eugene had to consciously keep from charging them, stripping them of their guns and punishing them for their arrogance.  Guns were weak.  They feigned strength where true strength didn’t exist.  All they offered was a false sense of security.  No matter, they’d be useless against him.  He’d teach them their lesson soon enough.

Eugene advanced toward the pair.  His heavy tread on the ice-crusted snow alerted them.  Both men looked into the white abyss.  Perhaps they expected to see a wild animal.  Perhaps they expected a man less imposing than he.  Either way, when he stepped out of from the veils of fog and from the concealment of the woods and loomed over them, their haughty smiles faltered.  They took in his impressive form and traded nervous glances. 

“I’m here to see Dmitri Ivanov,” Eugene said and set the briefcase he carried at his feet.  “Lower your weapons,” he added, careful to keep the disdain from his tone.  “I’m unarmed.”

“Are you here to deliver the package?” one of the men guarding the door asked.  Though he’d tried to sound confident, a small tremor in his voice betrayed him.  Eugene reveled in it and decided to unsettle the man further by gesturing rather than speaking.  He found that silence was far more threatening than any words could ever be.  He pointed to the briefcase in the snow at his feet.

The men traded glances again before the one standing to the left turned and strode away, out of earshot.  His twin was left clutching his gun.  He shifted.  The light from the bare bulb shined on his face and neck.  Eugene could see the man’s pulse drilling the base of his throat and knew for sure he was terrified.  And for good reason.  Instinct still prevailed.  Satisfied that the terrified man wouldn’t react yet, Eugene allowed his gaze to zero in on the guard who distanced himself.  Off to the far left, he spoke into a small, handheld transponder and alerted Ivanov to his arrival.  The man with the transponder listened intently while the voice on the other end instructed him.  Eugene heard he was to be fully searched before being allowed to enter the building.

The guard with the radio transceiver returned and his partner stopped fidgeting.  Aware of what their orders were, Eugene stepped forward with his arms outstretched in expectation of their check.

Ivanov’s guards, surprised by Eugene’s actions and compliance, allowed their harnessed automatic weapons to hang slack against their chests as they stepped forward to search him.

As their hands traveled over his body in search of weapons, their facial expressions divulged their awareness of Eugene’s strength, that each limb was more solid than the next.

As they continued, Eugene fought to overcome the intensifying sensations that surged inside of him.  Excitement mounted, rolling and boiling and threatening to spew at any given moment.  The need to kill beckoned.  He could hardly wait.  He tensed slightly, fighting to control his urge to act.  Ivanov’s guards felt him stiffen.  They exchanged a cursory glance and suddenly realized their enormous oversight.  Neither man had kept their gun fixed on him.  Both men frantically reached for their weapons.

But it was too late.  Eugene struck.

In an instantaneous motion he lashed out both of his massive arms, ensnaring the two men by their throats and lifting them off the ground.  He squeezed with measured, vice-like pressure.  His hands crushed each of their windpipes, cutting off their air supply and rendering them dead simultaneously.  The speed of his kill was necessary to not alarm the three remaining men inside.

Dropping their bodies to the ground, Eugene smirked at the irony of synchronized deaths issued to the nearly identical humans.  He kicked them aside and opened the door.  After stepping over the threshold, he found himself inside the decrepit building.  A long, darkened hallway ended at a room. The room was sparsely furnished with fluorescent lights overhead that flickered at irregular intervals.  Three large wooden tables and one small table along with a dozen wooden chairs in various states of disrepair cluttered the area.  A filmy clock that no longer kept time hung on the far wall alongside an old calendar featuring scantily-clad women posed on motorcycles.

Eugene stepped into the room.  Thanks to his creator’s description, Eugene immediately spotted Ivanov seated behind a worn desk in the rear of the room.  With translucent blond hair and a complexion colored a vivid shade of red, Ivanov leaned back in his chair confidently with his two arms folded across his broad chest.  Flanking him were two men armed with automatic weapons.

Dmitri Ivanov tensed visibly and straightened his posture at the sight of Eugene.  His bulging gray eyes widened and seemed to bulge farther.

“Put the case on my desk!  Do it slowly!” Ivanov barked commandingly.

Though Ivanov had tried to address him with authority, Eugene had heard his voice falter ever so slightly.  That slip gave him away.  It showed fear. 

Eugene, playing along, obeyed and slowly approached.  He placed the briefcase on the desk in front of Ivanov.

Ivanov’s scarlet face flushed with anger at the sight of the case that was clearly too small to hold a nuclear warhead.

“What is this?”  Ivanov spat angrily.  “You’re supposed to be delivering a nuclear warhead, and you’re sent with a case that’s not even big enough to hold the money that I paid for its construction!”

Eugene remained silent. 

Ivanov glared at Eugene and yelled, “Speak dammit!  Is this some kind of a joke?”

“This is what I was given,” Eugene stated adding an inflexion of perplexity.  “This is what Dr. Stein instructed me to deliver.”

“Your boss has been warned.  And now he plays games!”  Ivanov shouted, his face a dangerously dark contrast to his pale hair.

Eugene pushed the case closer to Ivanov.  Ivanov angrily grabbed at the case and opened it.  Upon seeing its contents, the man’s red face blanched.  He froze in horror.

Inside the container was an explosive device.  Fastened to the center of the bomb was a digital timer in the process of counting down from ten.

Eugene watched Ivanov’s guards from behind his dark lenses.  The shorter of the two, a ginger-haired man of squat stature, stood to the right of his boss.  He had beady eyes the color of soil that shifted about nervously.  Whether it was drug use or nerves that caused his eyes to dart, Eugene did not care.  He simply knew the dumpy redhead would die first.  The bodyguard standing at Ivanov’s left was a tall rangy man with black hair. His face drooped and sagged like an aged hound dog.  A prominent nose filled much of his face and arched continuously from his forehead, curving outwardly as it sloped to his blubbery lips which jiggled and shook in sync with his racing pulse.

Eugene watched as their confidence collectively waned, replaced with dread, with fear.  Their weapons lowered as they stared in shock at the contents of the case, a mistake that would prove deadly.  Such a misstep allowed Eugene a fraction of a second, sufficient time to act.

In a motion orchestrated with skilled precision, Eugene descended on the guard to Ivanov’s right.

Caught by surprise, he looked up just in time to see Eugene advancing.

Eugene moved with the speed and grace of a jungle cat descending on his prey, grabbing his adversary by the face.  He used the full weight of his enormous frame and drove the redheaded guard’s skull into the concrete wall behind him.

Eugene quivered, elated by the sound of bone meeting the hardened surface.  The sound of the man’s cranium crushing under his blow. 

Eugene felt cheated that he could not linger and allow himself to be fully enraptured by the redhead whose life was slipping away incrementally.  He wished to lock eyes with the dying man; to be hypnotized by his death and delight in it.  But such luxuries could not be afforded.  Others needed to die; individuals with loaded automatic weapons that would soon be pointed at him.

Instead, Eugene moved without pause to the other man.  His movements were instant. Ivanov’s remaining guard had no time to react.  He attempted to fire his weapon, but Eugene was already on him and had seized the gun by its barrel, ripping it from his hands as bullets sprayed into the far wall.

After being disarmed, the raven-haired guard wanted no part of a confrontation with Eugene and turned to run.

Eugene extended his arms, swiftly landing his hands on the fleeing man’s narrow shoulders.  With a swift grabbing motion, he positioned the man in front of him then hoisted him high overhead.  With one hand on his groin and the other at his armpit in a hold resembling a professional wrestling maneuver, Eugene brought Ivanov’s gangly guard crashing down on his raised knee.

A loud, sickly snap was heard as the spine and surrounding vertebral bones were severed.  Death quickly overtook him.  A tremor passed through Eugene as he tossed the carcass to the floor.  He then turned his attention to Dmitri Ivanov.

As he moved toward the mob boss, the timer on the explosive device bottomed out to zero.

It signaled the end of its countdown by issuing a distinct ding sound as benign as a toaster.  No explosion ensued.  The artificial bomb proved a successful distraction.

He advanced further, stepping slowly, relishing Ivanov’s reaction. 

Dmitri Ivanov sat mouth agape.  Eugene removed his dark sunglasses revealing his unnatural, feline eyes.  He parted his thin lips and stretched them across his teeth into a twisted smile.  Like a ferocious animal baring his incisors, his face contorted into a nightmarish image.

He watched as Ivanov’s carotid artery pulsated erratically; he could practically hear its fitful drumming. The burly, blond criminal’s expression was no longer cocky.  Instead, he more closely resembled a man who had seen the devil himself.  Fear and horror flashed across his reddened face as he stared into Eugene’s eyes.

Dmitri Ivanov, though shocked and horrified, attempted to feign strength.

“What the hell are you?” he asked.

Eugene leaned toward Ivanov and spoke, “What I am is the man who was sent to kill you, Mr. Ivanov.”

Eugene paused, allowing the weight of his words to be fully absorbed.

“You’ve insulted Dr. Franklin Nicholas Stein.  You threatened his life.  Now, I’m here for yours.”

“If you kill me, you will start something you cannot finish!” Ivanov said, his words pressured by fear he sought to suppress.  “Do you have any idea how many men I am connected to?  There is no country in the world that you or DR. Stein will be safe in.  You’ll be tracked down like dogs.  If you let me live—” he tried, but Eugene had heard enough.  He interrupted Ivanov’s ramblings and spoke, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

“Let you live?  I don’t think so.  But I will give you a sporting chance and offer you a count of twenty to flee before I come after you.”

“Do you hear me?” Ivanov asked, his voice turning shrill.  “There is no—” he tried again futilely.

“Twenty!” Eugene spat angrily, alerting Ivanov that there would be no bargaining.

“You’re a dead man!” Ivanov proclaimed as he rose from his chair.

Eugene smirked at Ivanov, before resuming his countdown.

“Nineteen!”

Accepting his fate, Dmitri Ivanov frantically scrambled out the door in to the surrounding wooded hills.

Eugene, true to his word, gave Dmitri Ivanov a full count of twenty before slowly walking to the door of the dilapidated structure.  He paused at the threshold and sniffed the air.  Though thickened by fog, the scent was distinct; it lingered.  Savoring the trail for just a moment, Eugene felt a familiar emotion swell with in him: rage.

He needed to kill.  His entire body quivered involuntarily before he stepped outside to begin his pursuit.

Swiftly closing the distance between him and Ivanov, Eugene descended on his prey.

There was no longer a need for him to rush, he was able to take his time and enjoy himself.

If anyone had been in the forested hills of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, they would have heard the tortured screams of Dmitri Ivanov suffering at the hands of his killer.  Fortunately for Eugene, no one was present to hear the cries.

Chapter 10

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GABRIEL SAT AT HIS desk in fifth period History and wondered what the hell was happening to him.  He’d been created without human emotions of any kind.  His maker had endowed him with intelligence, strength, reflexes, agility and physical attributes that far surpassed that which humanity could conceive of.  But emotions had been left out of the mix.  In fact, Dr. Franklin Stein had taken every precaution to eradicate them on a cellular level.  Had tested him again and again to ensure that emotional reactions were absent.  His maker had educated him.  Gabriel knew of their existence and was informed of their physical manifestations.  He could identify them in human beings and respond appropriately, mirroring them so that he was able to feign empathy.  But sentiments simply hadn’t been part of his design.  Not until recently. 

Until a few days ago, Gabriel had functioned exactly as his maker had expected.  A minor glitch occurred when he’d traveled with Eugene, but it’d been nothing compared to what happened a few hours ago.  Today, an array of strange reactions had stormed and surged inside of him without warning.  Particularly when he’d been around Melissa Martin. 

Melissa intrigued him in every sense of the word.  But as much as he wanted to be around her to learn everything about her and feel the curious reactions storm within him again, he knew that he had to abandon the notion.  His life was at risk.  If his maker were to detect the slightest hint of emotion, he would be deemed a failure and terminated immediately.  Gabriel wouldn’t allow that to happen. 

***

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“HE IS so hot,” Alex exclaimed about the new student at Harbingers High School.  “I’m telling you, that guy Gabriel is even hotter than Kevin.”

Melissa looked over her shoulder at her best friend, her vision slightly blurred from scratches in the lenses of her lab goggles.  She couldn’t argue Alex’s point.  But she felt compelled to add to it.  Especially after spending a little time with Gabriel. “He seems really nice, too.  We went for a walk together at lunch.”

Alex’s jaw unhinged. “What?  Really!” she said in a voice far too loud for fifth-period chemistry.  Their teacher, Mr. Steindler, looked up from the papers he was grading and shot them a stern look.  “You went for a walk with him and you’re just telling me about it now?” Alex said in a slightly lower voice.  “And just what happened during this walk, hmm?”  She could hardly contain her excitement and arched one of her meticulously-groomed eyebrows in expectation of juicy gossip.

“What?” Melissa asked distractedly as she dipped a piece of litmus paper into a green solution in a test tube.  The paper turned blue.  “Alex, write down that test tube A contains a basic solution.”

“Ah, she won’t answer my question,” Alex commentated to no one.  “Something happened between you and Gabriel.”  She bobbed her brows and smirked. 

“You’re horrible!” Melissa shook her head.  “And what are you implying?” Her cheeks flushed.  The heat from them made her eyeballs feel as if they’d melt as his flashed in her memory.  A small part of her wished something had happened.  That he’d kissed her.  The thought of his lips on hers deepened the color of her complexion further.  It was absurd to even daydream such a thing.  She’d just met him!  “Nothing happened during our walk.  I mean, we walked and talked.  That’s it.”

Alex studied her, as if reading her thoughts.  She raked a hand through her shiny black hair.  Even with safety goggles on, she managed to look sensational.  Her rubber apron fit her like slinky lingerie, accentuating all her best assets.  Her perpetually sun-kissed skin, chocolate-hued eyes and generous curves made for a striking presentation as she tossed a hip out and rested her fist on it.  Then, without apology, she produced a loud belch.  Surrounding students turned to gape at her.  Embarrassed, Melissa contemplated crawling under their workstation.  But her friend did not seem to share in her embarrassment. To the contrary, Alex appeared oblivious and continued to question her.   “So you spent lunch with the hot new guy.  I hope this means that jackass Kevin is out of the picture for good.” 

“Actually, Kevin and I spoke just before lunch,” Melissa offered, “He wants me to go to the bonfire with him tonight. I told him I was going with you and Daniella and that I would talk to him for a few minutes if I saw him.”

“You cannot be serious,” Alex said heatedly.  “After what happened last night?  Seriously?  You’re actually going to hang out with him again?”

“No!  No way!  I only said I’d talk to him to shut him up.  Gabriel was waiting for me.  I just wanted to get the hell away from him.”

“Good, because after what happened, that guy proved he’s nothing but an asshole.”

“You won’t get an argument from me, Alex.  He is an asshole,” Melissa said and they both giggled.

They finished their lab assignment, laughing and chatting until the bell rang and ended fifth period chemistry.  They quickly cleaned up their workstation and submitted their findings to their teacher.  Both girls had a free period next.

“Hey let’s go see if Daniella will cut class and hang out with us,” Alex suggested mischievously.

“No way!  She’d never do it and I wouldn’t want her to.  That girl is going to go to Harvard.  No way would I mess with that.”

“Ah, you’re no fun,” Alex snarled her upper lip and swatted the air playfully

“Yes, yes, I know,” Melissa laughed as they walked down the hallway toward their lockers.  They stopped at Alex’s first.  As Alex fumbled with her combination, Melissa’s noticed someone waiting at her locker.  Gabriel.  Gabriel James stood, leaning against her locker and smiling at her.

Heart skipping a beat and stomach somersaulting, Melissa struggled to steady her voice.  “Hey,” she said and hoped she sounded causal.  “How’d you know this was my locker?”

“I asked the girl with the curly blonde hair and blue eyes I saw you standing with this morning.  I think her name is Danielle or Daniella.”

“Daniella,” Melissa corrected with a smile.  “She’s been my best friend since kindergarten.”

“Cool,” he said.  “She was very nice and very helpful.”

Alex, who had been watching from her locker, approached.  She brushed her raven locks out of her face and over her shoulder turning her head ever so slightly.  Melissa marveled at how her friend managed to make an ordinary gesture look sensual.  She had applied a fresh coat of lip gloss and, standing with her back arched more than usual and her lips slightly pursed, she looked as though she were ready for a photo shoot for a men’s magazine.

Melissa was relieved that Gabriel didn’t check out her friend as all other guys did.  Not that she’d have blamed him.  Alex was stunning.  She wasn’t jealous of her, but at times it was easy to disappear around guys in Alex’s presence.  Luckily, Gabriel appeared oblivious of Alex’s looks and his focus remained on her.  “I’m glad,” Melissa continued. “What’s up?”

Alex cleared her throat.

“Oh, sorry. This is Alex Georgopoulos, my other best friend since kindergarten,” Melissa said and introduced them to one another.

“Nice to meet you,” Gabriel said barely looking at Alex.

“Likewise,” Alex replied slightly irritated.

“Anyway, Melissa, I heard that there is this bonfire tonight and a party afterward. Are you going?”

“Umm, yeah, I am going. I mean, I’m going with Alex and Daniella.  I’m supposed to meet someone after, you know, at the party, but I’ve changed my mind.  I’m going to go for a little bit and head home.”

“Oh.  Well, I’m going to the bonfire, too,” he began.  “I was hoping we could go together, you know hang out for a while.  But I don’t want to ruin your plans with your friends.  I’ll just see you there.  You can give me all the goods on everyone another time.”

Melissa was about to speak when Alex piped up.  “We can all hang out at the bonfire.  That’s not a problem for me.  I’m sure Daniella won’t mind either.”

Melissa traded a quick glance with Alex.  “Yeah, that sounds like good idea,” she agreed.  “Why don’t we do that?”

“Great. I’ll see you there,” Gabriel said to just Melissa.

As Gabriel walked away, Melissa felt excitement bubbling despite her many self-doubts.  Every cell within her buzzed and hummed.  But pure excitement was replaced by negative self-talk as soon as her gaze traveled to Alex.  Alex looked as if she were about to burst as she waited for Gabriel to walk far enough away for her to begin gushing.  With her head cocked to one side and her eyes pinned on his butt, she was surprised a puddle of drool hadn’t formed on the floor in front of Alex. 

“Hello! Earth to Alex!” Melissa snapped her fingers in front of Alex’s face in an attempt to break the spell. 

Completely enthralled by his backside, Alex was unaware Melissa had even spoken, much less snapped her fingers in front of her face.  Only when Gabriel’s shape disappeared from sight did Alex shake her head and mutter to herself, “That boy is just too damn fine.”

Melissa felt her heart sink a bit.  If Alex liked Gabriel, she would back off.  Alex was her best friend and boys never came between them.  They’d never allowed it before and certainly wouldn’t start now.  No one was worth ruining their friendship over.  Apart from that, she couldn’t compare to Alex.  The girl was a Grecian goddess.  Deflated a bit, she was shocked when Alex spun to face her and said with wide eyes, “Holy shit! He is so into you.” 

“Huh?” Melissa said, stunned by her friend’s words. 

“He’s into you.  I can tell!” Alex exclaimed again. 

“Oh, you’re back,” Melissa chided and changed the subject.

Now it was Alex who said, “Huh?” and was genuinely confused.

“Never mind,” Melissa giggled.

“He’s hot for you,” Alex said confidently.  “I know it.”

“No way.” Melissa shook her head, not daring for a second to believe what Alex had said.   

“Are you nuts?  Did you not just see what happened?” Alex asked incredulously.  “He didn’t even notice me.  He’s clearly into you!”

“No, he’s not.  I’m the only person he knows here,” Melissa said, reasoning more with herself than Alex to tame any hope that cropped up.  “He’ll probably ditch me as soon as he’s at the party and hooks up with his own kind .”

Melissa shifted uncomfortably.

His own kind?  What the hell are you talking about?” Alex screwed up her features in both confusion and annoyance.

“You know, guys and girls that he belongs with.  Popular people. Jocks.  Cheerleaders.” Melissa shrugged as if what she was saying was common knowledge. 

“Excuse me but what the hell is wrong with you?” Alex glared at her.  “You are his kind.  You’re beautiful and sweet and smart and funny.  Hate to lay it on ya, but that’s everybody’s kind.  And, where do you get off thinking he’s a jock?”

“Come on Alex, with that body.  How could he not be?” Melissa smirked mischievously to diffuse the situation.

“Good point.”  Alex closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, clearly envisioning Gabriel.  When her eyes snapped open, she resumed what she’d been saying.  “But still.  He seems into you.  Go with it.  Wear that blue shirt of yours.  You know, the one that brings out your eyes.  And wear your good ass jeans.  You got to bring you’re A game tonight, girlfriend.”

“My good ass jeans?” Melissa echoed.

“Come on. Don’t play dumb.  It’s me you’re talking to.  The ones from Hollister. They make your ass look majestic.”  Alex then burped and slapped Melissa on the backside.  “No mercy tonight, girl.  Bring it.”

They both laughed out loud and walked the remainder of the locker-lined hallway past the door to the gymnasium and out to the rear parking lot.  Melissa felt nervous and excited.  She could not wait until the end of sixth period to tell Daniella everything that had happened and get her take on things.  She hoped Daniella would agree with Alex.  She hoped Gabriel did have interest in her.  But hope was always a dangerous emotion.  Hope had led her to sneak out with Kevin.  The fallout from that was still fresh.  For the time being, she’d remain cautiously optimistic.

Chapter 11

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INSIDES STILL BUZZING from his hunt, Eugene returned to Dr. Stein’s laboratory. Ivanov and his associates hadn’t been a match for him.  His speed and power was unsurpassed.  They never stood a chance.  Still, it had been satisfying.  He felt energized.  Exhilarated.  Even though the task he was about to perform was anything but exhilarating.  Back at the lab and equipped with numerous canisters of highly flammable materials, would douse the entire bunker and set it afire with Dr. Stein still inside.  Not the Dr. Stein, the geneticist who’d created him, though.  The Dr. Stein that would die in the laboratory fire was a clone.  The real one had already left for America.

The clone did not have altered DNA as Eugene and Gabriel did.  There hadn’t been any gene enhancement.  It also had not been educated as Dr. Stein had been.  It did not perform experiments or conduct research.  To Eugene’s knowledge, it wasn’t even capable of speech.  Rather, the clone existed as an empty vessel that spent its waking hours confined to a small cell in the laboratory. Just as well.  It had but one purpose, and that was to die in the laboratory fire.  With genetic material identical to its creator, the clone provided Dr. Stein with a unique opportunity.  It would perish.  And the world, or more specifically the Russian Mob, would believe him dead.

Dr. Stein owed the Russian Mob an undisclosed amount of money.  Eugene guessed it was an eight-figure number at least.  Not providing that which he’d been contracted to create or not repaying them would result in certain death.  No negotiations.  Therefore it was imperative for his creator to disappear.  Death was the only out.  The lab would burn and the clone would perish.  Problem solved.  The added bonus was that Eugene had been ordered to assassinate Ivanov and his men.

His creator viewed the death of Ivanov and his men as an essential phase of the plan.  Their deaths had been as vital as the creation of the empty sleeve that appeared to have housed a nuclear warhead and occupied a large section of his lab.  They were all components of an elaborate illusion, that Dr. Stein had, in fact, spent their resources on the intended project–a nuclear warhead–and died at the hands of an enemy faction.

Eugene believed his maker’s plan to be flawless.  It did not leave any loose ends.  To the Russian mafia, Dr. Stein’s death and the alleged theft of the nuclear warhead, together with the slaughter of Dmitri Ivanov and his men, would appear to be the actions of a rival organization.  The Russians would exhaust innumerable hours and manpower scouring the Earth for the phantom group. 

In death, Dr. Franklin N. Stein would be absolved of all debt, and he would not have to flee and live the life of a fugitive. Additionally, he’d have unrestricted access to his inheritance that had been transferred incrementally over his years on the Kamchatka Peninsula to numbered Swiss bank accounts.  Eugene admired his maker’s intelligence, as well his disciplined work ethic.  He’d given meticulous attention to every detail of his plan.  A genius plan.  One that included his current task: dousing the lab with flammable liquid.  Fumes burning his nose, Eugene had one thing left to do.  He looked toward the far end of the laboratory.  A wooden door stood.  Behind it was the clone.  He moved toward it, shedding his dark glasses, and after turning the handle, strode inside. 

Filling the room immediately with his extraordinary size, Eugene looked around.  The space was tiny and furnished sparsely with a metal-framed cot and a three-drawer side table.  The clone sat on the makeshift bed and looked up at him.  It didn’t react.  Not as others did at least.  It didn’t recoil or gasp.  It simply regarded him with wide, bespectacled eyes and a lopsided grin.  Frail and childlike in appearance, his slight build and smooth face gave it a serene and youthful appearance. 

Eugene had been instructed to allow for the clone to burn to death in the fire.  Yet as he looked at the small figure in front of him, he was overcome with confusion.  The face of the clone was that of his maker.  But younger and far more innocent-looking.  Loyalty and another unnamed sentiment clouded his judgment.  Incinerating the Dr. Stein clone suddenly seemed unwarranted. 

Gripped by a wave of uncharted sensations, Eugene made a decision on impulse.  He gripped the clone’s small face in his hand and pinched his nose, covering his mouth simultaneously.  He began to smother it. 

The clone did not struggle or fight.  It accepted its fate and allowed life to escape it.  Every other creature he’s claimed fought for life.  Every. Last. One.  But not the clone.  This being submitted to him, offering up his life almost life a gift.  All the while watching him with wide, dark eyes. 

Eugene removed his hand and the lifeless form slumped against the wall behind the cot and felt constriction in his throat.  He backed away slowly, the room suddenly too small.  Too crowded.  His chest heaved.  His breaths came in short, shallow pants.  Loyalty and mercy were not feelings Eugene was accustomed to having and the tightness in his throat gave way to frustration.  Frustration quickly birthed anger.

Anger was familiar.  Anger was beneficial.  Anger fueled change. 

Feeling his anger mount tumultuously, Eugene circled the lab, stalking the very equipment that enabled his creation.  Breathing heavily through bared teeth, his chest rose and fell, and his mind flooded with thoughts of destruction.

He balled his massive hands and began swinging them.  He battered the equipment in the lab, hammering computer screens and monitors, anything that stood in his way.

Rage coursed through his body. 

Trembling, he turned to face the far corner of the facility.  There stood the tank that served as a surrogate womb to genetically cloned embryos created by Dr. Franklin Stein.  It was the vessel that bore he and Gabriel and the clone.

The large tubular receptacle sustained the harvested eggs and donated sperm of unsuspecting women and men that would be modified by his maker.  It nourished and supported the accelerated growth of the manufactured humans.

Erupting at once, he pounded the tank.  As he drummed on the steel walls, large indentations formed, the metal buckled.  Frenzied, he exhausted himself, leaving the once-cylindrical container U-shaped.

Sweating profusely and still panting through bared teeth, Eugene struck the first match.  The highly flammable chemicals ignited immediately.  The gases produced glowed in an array of colors, blue then blue-green, before assuming the light yellow-orange of typical fires.

Dr. Stein’s laboratory and his clone blazed.  Flames enveloped the destroyed computers, microscopes and centrifugal equipment before encircling the U-shaped development tank.

The fire raged as Eugene stepped out of the laboratory through a steel door.  The door opened to a narrow, concrete staircase that traversed ten feet of earth to the surface.  As Eugene exited, he did not bother replacing the large, white rectangular piece of plastic that concealed the entrance, blending it seamlessly into the vast snow-covered landscape.  Without its covering, the charcoal entryway was easily visible.  The Russians would certainly find the charred facility in search of his maker and their money.  He was confident they would locate everything they were intended to discover.

Eugene, above ground and a safe distance from the underground facility, looked skyward.  Dark-gray clouds moved quickly, Snow would fall soon; Eugene could smell it in the air.  The snowfall would conceal his tracks but not the smoldering metal door.  It would stand out against the silvery terrain.

Satisfied that his maker’s plan had been executed, he replaced his dark lenses and walked toward his Hummer.  Once the evening grew darker, he would proceed to the docks in search of a vessel traveling to America.  Eugene would then reunite with his maker.

Chapter 12

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GABRIEL COULDN’T FOCUS on a single thing during his ride home from Harbingers High School.  Not a single thing except Melissa Martin.  It wasn’t for lack of trying.  In fact, he tried numerous times.  Unsuccessfully.  But as he drove his hunter-green Ford Explorer along the winding roads leading to his house, his mind refused to do anything but swirl with thoughts of her.  Her face continuously appeared in his mind.  Her shy smile and full lips.  Her pale-green eyes.  Her hair.  Her voice.  Everything.  And his thoughts wandered.  He envisioned them together at the bonfire, the firelight illuminating her exquisite features.  He daydreamed that she would focus her attention on him.  The more he visualized himself with her, the more his insides stirred.

Stirrings would not be something his maker would take lightly.  He couldn’t understand them himself, let alone explain them to Dr. Stein.  After all, he’d been deliberately designed without emotions.  That much he knew.  Yet strange and unfamiliar reactions that could only be identified as feelings had begun to arise.  As much as he wanted an explanation for what was happening, Dr. Stein was the last person he would ask about them.  His maker wasn’t stupid.  Not by a longshot.  In fact, he was a genius. A genius who would immediately recognize was what happening to him.  His maker would consider him a failed experiment.  And failed experiments were destroyed.  He’d never see Melissa again.

The thought of not seeing Melissa again made Gabriel’s heart stumble like a clumsy runner.  Not only did he need to conceal what was happening to him, but he also needed to see Melissa again.  Tonight.  That would require him somehow convincing Dr. Stein that the bonfire was necessary to his integration.  A social convention of sorts that required his attendance.  Dr. Stein had arrived earlier in the day and had sent Gabriel a text message. 

As the web of convincing had begun to weave itself in Gabriel’s brain, a knot formed in his stomach.  That knot tightened further as he pulled up to his house and saw Dr. Stein’s car. 

He was sure that his maker was in his laboratory so he had a moment to collect his thoughts and organize his reasons to go to the bonfire.  He’d state calmly that it was imperative for him to attend to further develop his social skills.  He would argue that it was also a necessary annual rite, and that as a result, he would stand out for not going.  The whole purpose of his mission was to blend seamlessly, not stand out in any way.  Hopefully that angle would appeal to Dr. Stein. 

Gabriel needed to be there, but not because anyone at all would notice his absence.  He’d just started school.  Who’d notice if he didn’t go?  He hoped Melissa would.  Especially since they were supposed to hang out there.  Melissa was the reason he needed to convince Dr. Stein.  After meeting her, his mission to blend with his peers fell out of focus.  It was replaced by a drive to just be around her.  How or where didn’t really matter to him.  He couldn’t aptly articulate the impact she’d had on him.  He couldn’t describe the rush he’d experienced.  The intense jolt that had sent his heart racing.  Nothing could’ve prepared him for that.  For the shockwave of emotions that had manifested themselves.  Emotions he was unaware he could possess before meeting Melissa.

It was precisely those emotions that had made him want to lunge at Kevin Anderson when he’d told his friends he planned to get her away from Alex and Daniella and have sex with her whether she liked it or not.  He saw her as a conquest. Nothing more.  Sweet, lovely Melissa.  A conquest.  Feeing his blood boil, a fierce sense of protectiveness overtook Gabriel.  Heart pumping and adrenaline coursing through his veins, he knew now just as he knew then that he needed to be at that bonfire to make sure Kevin left her alone.  He needed to calm himself though.  He couldn’t allow his maker to sense even the slightest hint of emotion.  But no matter how hard he tried, Kevin’s smug face kept cropping up in his mind’s eye, sparking a burst of rage.  He was unprepared to experience what he was feeling, much less cope with it.  Prior to meeting Melissa, anger—or any type of sentiment for that matter—had been a remote emotion he’d read about and seen on his educational downloads.  But watching them or seeing emotion represented by actors in movies and on television had been for the purpose of studying.  He’d mirror their expressions and feign emotion when he had to.  That was the original plan at least.  But that plan flew out the window like a drunk bird the moment he’d met Melissa. 

Taking a deep breath, Gabriel closed his eyes and blocked out the image of Kevin’s arrogant face.  He needed to be stoic when he spoke with his maker.  Once he felt sufficiently composed, he exited his SUV and walked toward the underground bomb shelter.

He walked until he reached an unremarkable patch of grass among the rest of the sprawling, well-manicured lawn.  Using his foot, he lifted a rectangular area of sod to reveal a steel door laying flush against the earth.  He used a key from his keyring and unlocked the door.  With a soft whoosh, the lock released.

Prior to their relocation, Dr. Stein had replaced a rickety wooden door with a vault door that opened silently.  The original shelter was gutted and refurbished.  Thick concrete walls lined the expansive, updated area.  The ceilings were raised to seven feet tall and the entire facility measured approximately thirty-six-hundred square feet.  It retained inlets that supported electricity, telephone and high-speed Internet connection and cable television.  Turbine vents circulated fresh air throughout and each vent was equipped with an insect screen.  Fluorescent light fixtures lined the ceiling and illuminated the space.  Computers of varying sizes lay flush against perimeter walls while stainless-steel tables cluttered with electron microscopes, flasks, test tubes, beakers, petri dishes and centrifugal equipment ornamented the interior of the main room.  The entire space rivaled any fully operational, state-of-the-art laboratory.  Any university in the country would have salivated at the chance to have one like it.  But this laboratory was not up for auction.  It belonged to his maker, Dr. Franklin N. Stein.

Gabriel spotted Dr. Stein hunched in front of a microscope in the far corner of the room.

Dr. Stein was a smallish man.  His face was rumpled and perpetually frowning, undoubtedly creased and lined from countless hours spent squinting into various magnification instruments.  Atop his puckered face sat a mop of meticulously coiffed, jet-black hair.  Inky and harsh, it contrasted his pasty complexion, washing it out further and drawing out the shadows beneath his small, sunken eyes.  The color of coal, they hid behind wire-rimmed glasses that balanced on the bridge of his aquiline nose.

“Dr. Stein?”  Gabriel’s voice echoed hollowly through the lab. 

Without looking away from his project, Dr. Stein responded.  “Hello, Gabriel,” he said.  “Did school provide sufficient academic stimulation?”  His tone was all business.  He didn’t offer a “how are you?” or discussion of his travel to the United States.  No pleasantries were offered whatsoever.  Dr. Stein behaved as if he’d been in this lab all along with Gabriel as opposed to thousands of miles away in the Russian Far East without him.

“Yes, sir,” Gabriel replied and matched it.

“That’s hard to imagine, considering the sad state of the American educational system.  But if you say so...”

He didn’t bother to oppose what his maker had said.  He was too busy mustering the courage to ask the question he’d come to ask.  Inhaling silently to steel his nerves, he finally said, “Sir, there is an event scheduled on campus this evening.  I believe it will enhance my understanding of adolescent functioning, that attendance would benefit your mission.”  Gabriel was shocked by how steady his voice sounded.  How robotic he sounded.  He knew that would appeal to his maker as it reflected the way he spoke. 

“What is this event, Gabriel?”  Dr. Stein didn’t hide his exasperation. 

“It is a bonfire.”

Dr. Stein looked up from his microscope.  “A bonfire?” he asked disdainfully.  “What skills could you possibly acquire from congregating around and staring at burning rubbish?”

“Sir, the students attend.  They gather and interact socially.  It could yield invaluable information.”

“Invaluable information,” his maker scoffed.

“Yes sir.”  Gabriel realized that by said that one word, he’s kicked a hornet’s nest.  He braced himself when his maker’s head whipped around and he trained his tiny black eyes on him.

“The invaluable information you have acquired has been provided by me,” Dr. Stein began.  “You possess superior DNA and have received superior schooling designed to augment your worthier genes.  You are to mimic their behavior only when necessary, and to mirror them to keep attention off us.  Do not forget that, Gabriel.”

“Yes sir,” Gabriel said evenly, but struggled to remain poised.  He needed to see Melissa.  He needed to needed to convince his maker.  “It is my thinking that I will be provided with a better vantage point to observe the students when they are in a relaxed, social setting as opposed to an academic environment.  I can hone my skills and pick up on subtleties without drawing attention to myself.  A less structured situation, such as this bonfire, will provide me with a unique learning opportunity.”

“I will not grant you permission to waste our time.  Your observations will be made at school as per my instructions,” his maker stated impassively.

“But sir, this could be a very useful opportunity for me to,” he began but was interrupted.

“Are my words somehow lacking clarity, Gabriel?”  Dr. Stein enunciated each word with emphasis.

“Sir, I just thought it could be beneficial—” he tried again and was cut off a second time.

Dr. Stein’s frustration had mounted noticeably when he interrupted Gabriel this time.  His small clenched fists rapped the desk to punctuate each word as he spoke.  No longer bearing the aloof demeanor he possessed earlier, his maker spat, “You are my creation!  You will be where I tell you to be!  You will not go to this or any other extracurricular activities of any sort!  I forbid you.”

“Sir, I’m—” Gabriel attempted.

Regaining his composure, Dr. Stein interrupted him a final time and ended further discussion by coolly stating, “We will not speak further about this matter.”

Gabriel stood in silence as Dr. Stein turned his back and resumed his experimentation.  He’d effectively ended any further discussion. His decision had been made.  Gabriel could not go to the bonfire.  He had never disobeyed his maker’s orders.  Such an idea had never occurred to him.  Now, however, he contemplated leaving despite the instructions given to him.

His maker would not live in the old Victorian with Gabriel. Instead, he lived in his underground lab. Gabriel could easily leave the grounds and go to the bonfire without him ever knowing.  But the consequences were dire.  Was he willing to risk his life to spend one evening with Melissa?

A small voice inside of him screamed, “yes”, urging him on.  That voice was supported by Melissa’s face, which remained as fixed in his brain as the constellations in the night sky.  She would need him tonight.  Of that he was certain.  

Turning, Gabriel left the lab and returned to the main house.  Hours passed, and in that span of time, Gabriel wrestled with the notion of disobeying Dr. Stein.  But with every moment that ticked by, the answer became clearer.  He was compelled by a certainty he’d never felt before.  He knew what he needed to do.  Gabriel would go to her.  He’d risk his life to see Melissa Martin. 

Chapter 13

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MELISSA PACED BACK and forth in her bedroom.  Her mind swam in dizzying laps, circling around Gabriel.  The bonfire was less than an hour away.  She couldn’t wait to see him there.  Especially since she’d spent the rest of her afternoon daydreaming about him.  Imagining the two of them at the bonfire.  Talking.  Laughing.  Holding hands.  She’d wondered what his lips would feel like against hers.  How they would taste.  She wondered still.  The thought of kissing him made her heart feel like it would beat right out of her ribcage.  He’d made quite an impression on her.  She couldn’t remember a time when anyone had affected her as he had.  He’d piqued her curiosity for sure.  But did she do the same for him?  Growing up in Harbingers Falls didn’t offer much in the way of culture and sophistication.  It was just a small town in upstate New York.  Not the Russian Far East where he’d grown up.  But geography was just geography, right?  She wanted to believe that he might actually be interested in her as she was in him, and that what her friends had said was true.  But inevitably, self-doubt crept in.  She worried she was getting her hopes up for nothing. 

And then there was Kevin. 

Kevin presented an entirely different potential problem where her evening with Gabriel was concerned.  She’d made the mistake of promising him some of her time after the bonfire.  True, she’d done so just to get rid of him so she could get back to Gabriel, but Kevin didn’t know that.  And now he’d expect her to make good on her promise.  The thought of any time with him made her feel unsettled after the way he’d behaved.  But the addition of alcohol was the wildcard in the situation.  It was a well-known fact that a lot of drinking took place both before and after the bonfire.  Kevin would undoubtedly drink, too.  He was belligerent in general.  Popularity and privilege had fostered it.  But when he drank, his personality worsened.  If she were to snub him in favor of Gabriel, she worried how aggressive his response would be.  Especially since Kevin was much bigger than Gabriel.  If he started a fight with Gabriel, she’d never forgive herself.  Stomach feeling as if it were filled with snakes slithering over and under each other, Melissa was overcome with the sudden feeling that going to the bonfire wasn’t a good idea at all.  She crossed her room to grab her phone which was charging on her desk and was about to call Daniella and cancel when the doorbell startled her.  Leaving her room with her phone in hand, she took a quick glance at her phone and realized that not only was it too late to cancel, but that it was likely Daniella at the door.  Time had raced at an impossible speed while she’d lost herself in thoughts of Gabriel and stressed about Kevin.  Canceling was no longer an option, so she left her room and dashed down the steep staircase.  She opened the door and saw that Daniella waited beyond it.

“Hey, Daniella,” she said.  “You look great!”

And her friend did look great.  Wearing her favorite red sweater and impeccably tailored jeans, Daniella was radiant.  She smiled brightly at the compliment.

“Thanks!” Daniella said cheerfully.  “I’m so excited about tonight!  But you!”  Her eyes widened, sparling with delight.  “You must be freaking out!  Gabriel!” His name came out as a squeal.  “What’re you going to wear?”

Daniella’s enthusiasm was contagious, but her mention of the outfit Melissa had neglected to pick out tempered it.  “I have no idea, which is not exactly helping with the freaking out as you can imagine.  I couldn’t eat.  I’m starving, but the thought of eating makes me nauseous.”  She heard herself rambling and cringed.  “Ugh! I’m a mess!”

“Well, that’s why I’m here!  And Alex, too.”  She looked around.  “By the way, where is Alex?”

“Who knows?” Melissa shrugged.  “You know her.  She’s always late.  She’ll be here.”

“We’re here to help was my point, but since there is no we, just me, then I’m here to help,” Daniella said and she followed Melissa upstairs.  “I hear the band is supposed to be good this year.”

“Yeah, I heard that, too.  I’m really excited.”

“You should be! I know I’d be.  Just picture it: you, Gabriel, the romantic lighting of the bonfire.  It’s perfect!”

“I’d love to believe that.  In fact, it’s all I imagined all day.  But the reality is, he’ll probably show up, say hi to me and bail.”

“What? Why would you say that?” Daniella asked with a shocked expression.

“Come on, really?  I mean, you have eyes don’t you?  Look at him and look at me.  We don’t exactly match up, you know?”  Melissa could feel her cheeks heat. 

“No.  I don’t know.  Look Melissa, you’re beautiful.  Everyone sees it but you.  And he likes you!  If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have asked you to the bonfire in the first place, right?”

“I don’t know,” Melissa hesitated.

“Well I do!” Daniella said sharply.  “So stop it with the ‘he’s too good looking’ crap, got it?”

“Whoa, calm down there, Daniella.  Crap?  Really?  That’s some tough talk there,” Melissa joked.

“What can I say?  I’m not exactly Alex in the swear department!”

“No, you’re not.  And I’m glad,” Melissa said and the doorbell rang again.  “Speak of the devil.  Let me go get the door.”

Melissa went back downstairs and opened the front door.  Alex stood, framed by the doorway, and looked like a model that had fallen from the pages of a magazine and onto her doorstep.  Clad from head to toe in black form-fitting clothes, she looked stunning.

“Wow, Alex.  You look amazing,” Melissa said.

“Thanks, but can I use your bathroom. I have to take a mean dump,” Alex announced.

And with those words, the spell was broken.

“Sure. Umm, go right upstairs,” Melissa muttered.

“Great. I hope you have matches in there.”

Alex climbed the staircase slightly hunched and clutching her stomach.

From Melissa’s bedroom, Daniella called out to Alex, “Hello to you, too, Alex,” just as the bathroom door slammed shut.

“Nature is calling pretty loudly. My guess is she had Mexican fast food after school again,” Melissa offered.

“God help me, she’s sleeping at my house tonight,” Daniella fretted aloud.

Melissa laughed so hard her eyes began to tear.

After several flushes, Alex emerged from the upstairs bathroom looking relieved.

“Oh my Lord, if I ever say I’m getting drive-thru Mexican food again, shoot me!” she said.

Pinching her nose between her thumb and index finger, Daniella said, “You may want to go light another match or something.”

“Shut up, bitch,” Alex answered playfully and plopped down onto Melissa’s bed.

Daniella ignored the comment with an eye roll and a smile.  “So we’re here to help.  Put us to work,” she said.

“I guess I need an outfit first,” Melissa began.

“I’ll cover that,” Alex interrupted.  “Just pick something tight.  Something that hugs your curves and shows off your biscuits.”  She cupped her breasts as she said the word “biscuits”.

“That’s easy for you to say. You actually have curves.  And biscuits,” Melissa replied and looked down at her small chest.

“Well, then your ass.  You have an ass, so play it up!”

“Again, not much there either.”

“What do you want me to tell you?  You’re a boy with no curves to play up?”

“Why are you being like that?” Daniella asked.  “You know she’s nervous and not in the mood for you brand of...I don’t even know what you call it...humor?”

“Don’t lecture me! I’m trying to loosen her up!  She knows she’s not a boy,” Alex said.  “And what she lacks in boobs she makes up for in other ways.  She has a small ass, but it’s a great ass, am I right?”

“Jeez, Alex!” Daniella groaned. 

“What?  Her boobs are fine too.  Guys just need a little something to grab hold of.  She’s fine.” Alex swatted the air in front of her. 

Melissa stepped into her closed and considered shutting the door to muffle the sound of her friends bickering, but didn’t.  Instead, she called out to them, “Please stop discussing my boobs and my butt!”  They both apologized like scolded children and turned their conversation to the band playing at the bonfire.  With more gentle talk at hand, Melissa came out of her closet and glimpsed her reflection in the mirror.  As it turned out, nothing Alex had said was untrue.  At five-foot-five inches tall and just a touch over one hundred pounds, Melissa was by no means curvy.  She was the opposite of curvy really.  Her arms and legs were long and thin.  Her hips were slim but her waist was slimmer.  She did have a figure, just a slight one.  Many cautioned her to enjoy her stick-thin body as they called it, that it was a genetic gift.  But Melissa sometimes wished to be fuller-figured, particularly on nights like this one.  Being around Alex did not help matters either.  Although she never felt jealous of her friend, it was hard not to notice the attention she commanded from men of every age.  Her voluptuousness had universal appeal.  And while Melissa didn’t categorize herself as ugly by any means, at times she wished she filled out her clothes a bit more.  While today could’ve been one such time, she decided to force such superficial wishes out of her mind and be kind to herself.  She was fine exactly the way she was.  With a smile, she reached among her shirts on hangers and found one she liked, as well as a pair of jeans.  The outfit was one that suited her small shape and one in which she felt comfortable and confident.  She stepped out of the closet then looked in the mirror again.

Her blue, long-sleeved T-shirt clung to what little curves she had.  Rather than focusing on what she lacked, however, she focused on her attributes: how the blue of her top reflected in her eyes giving them a teal hue, and how her long hair cooperated fully, and fell in golden-brown waves down her back.  She was not entirely displeased with her reflection and began to feel slightly less nervous.  She even began to feel excited by possibility.  By hope.

She strode away from the mirror to her bureau and selected a cosmetic in a long slender tube.  She opened it and quickly applied a coat of the blush-colored gloss to her lips before spritzing herself with her favorite body mist.  

“Yeah baby! Shake that ass!” Alex said and sat up and slapped Melissa on her backside.  “Look Daniella, she’s rocking her good-ass jeans.”

“And she should.  Tonight is a special night.  She’s going to get rid of Kevin and reel in Gabriel,” Daniella added.

“I was just starting to calm down a bit, but thanks for reminding me about the whole Kevin thing,” Melissa said sarcastically.

“Oh God! I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean anything by it,” Daniella apologized.  “I just wanted to join in.”  She blushed slightly then added, “And the whole Gabriel thing is so exciting!”  She paused for a moment.  “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Melissa assured.  “The Kevin thing is my fault.  I should have just told him ‘no’ in the first place, but I don’t know what happened.  I froze I guess.”  The scene replayed in her mind.  “I didn’t think for a second that Gabriel was into me.  I’d just met him.  He was waiting for me by the doors but I really didn’t think he was interested in me.”  She groaned silently.  Self-doubt reared its ugly head.  Like a serpent began slithering back into her thoughts.  “Kevin did the whole persistent thing and I was in a hurry to get back to Gabriel.  I still can’t believe I agreed to meet up with him,” Melissa agonized and raked a hand through her hair.

“You don’t have to explain.  We get it,” Alex said.  “Kevin is a dick and doesn’t take no for an answer.”

“Uh, yeah, that pretty much sums it up.” Melissa nodded.

“And you thought Gabriel would never be into you because you’re an idiot,” she continued. 

“Wow, Alex.  That was a fine forensic analysis,” Daniella joked.

“A what?” Alex asked confusedly.

“Never mind,” Daniella replied.  “We’ve got to go.  Are you guys ready?”

“We are.  Are you?” Alex asked.

“I hope so,” Melissa said as they left her room and headed down the hallway to the staircase.  Once at the bottom, she paused at the front door to say good-bye to her father.  They then climbed into Daniella’s Prius and headed to Harbingers High School.  With the window open and music playing, the smell of burning timber infused the crisp autumn air and grew stronger the closer they drew to the school.  Melissa’s stomach began to quiver once they reached the driveway that led past the main entrance and around to the back where the bonfire was being held. As soon as they parked and made their way to the grassy, L-shaped clearing that separated two wings of the building that feeling multiplied tenfold. 

“Ooh this is going to be so much fun,” Daniella said of the bonfire, which was an annual homecoming tradition at their high school.  “And hopefully romantic too.”  She nudged Melissa ad waggled her eyebrows. 

Melissa wanted to say, “Let’s hope!” but didn’t as the band Sorrowful Rejects, a local band comprised of five students, began a new set.  They played to the left of the bonfire and were flanked by fans who bobbed they heads in time with the music.  Even a few members of the local fire department and several officers from the Harbingers Police Department who were stationed on campus kept time with a head bob.

But as grateful as she was for their presence and service, Melissa didn’t really care to see what they were doing.  She was looking for one person: Gabriel.  She scanned the crowd for him, studying each face, but didn’t see him.  Just a sea of faces that appeared mesmerized by the bonfire.  As she and Daniella and Alex moved through the crowd and she got a clearer view of it, she understood why.  She stared in amazement as pillars of spinning clouds—small and large—emerged.  They started on the ground and began their rolling, whirling dance before disappearing into the night sky.  It was breathtaking.  But something was missing.  Or rather someone was missing.  Where was Gabriel?

An hour passed.  Then another.  And then thirty more minutes.  Still, no Gabriel.

With each second that ticked by, hope was dashed.  She became certain she was being stood up.  She concluded that Gabriel must have come to his senses and realized she was simply not good enough for him.

Dejected, she turned to Daniella.  “Two and a half hours was long enough to wait for him.  I got stood up.”  Her voice faltered slightly as she spoke the last sentence. 

Daniella and Alex traded glances then looked at her with pure sympathy.  “Let’s get out of here,” Daniella said.

“Yeah, fuck this place.  Let’s hit the diner and get burgers and milkshakes and talk about what shitbags people are,” Alex said.  Her eyes were hard and her tone protective.  Melissa knew the comment was meant for Gabriel.  Despite the obvious fact that he’d stood her up, she struggled to think of him as a “shitbag” as Alex had so eloquently stated.  But maybe he was.  She was having trouble thinking at the moment. 

“Sure, fine.  Sounds great,” she replied absently. 

They made their way through the crowd and were almost at a clearing when Melissa spotted Kevin.  He’d just arrived and his over-bleached teeth glowed in the moonlight. 

“Ladies, ladies, what’s the hurry?  You guys aren’t leaving now, are you?” Kevin asked.  “The real party is after this lame, campfire stupidity is over.”  He looked around for a moment, zeroing in on the band, and snarled his upper lip in disapproval.  Then he returned his attention to Melissa.  “We’re supposed to hang tonight, remember?  Me and the guys already set up the keg in the woods.”  He winked at her jauntily, as if a keg of beer in the woods was somehow a selling point. 

“Yeah, about that, umm, my head is killing me.  It must be a migraine or something,” Melissa lied hoping to make a swift, uncomplicated exit.

Kevin frowned with his lower lip sticking out exaggeratedly.  “Oh no,” he crooned in saccharine tone.  “That’s not good.”  He thought for a moment.  “Hey, I think I have some Tylenol in my car.  If not, I’m sure one of the firefighter dudes has a first-aid kit with something that will help.

“Uh, no thanks.  I’m just going to go home and sleep.”  His persistence was draining.

“Come on, I thought we were gonna hang tonight,” Kevin whined.  “Just stay for an hour.  How about that?  I’ll get you some Tylenol.  Take one or two and we can hang out.”

“You can’t be fucking serious after last time!”  Alex began, but Melissa shot her a look.  

She had no desire whatsoever to spend time with Kevin.  The thought, in fact, made her head begin to ache for real.  But it couldn’t hurt to hang around a while longer.  Gabriel might show up after all.  And she wouldn’t look pathetic if she were talking with a group of people rather than just waiting around with her two best friends. 

After exchanging a number of furtive glances with her friends and receiving the crystal-clear message indicated by Alex’s erected middle finger behind Kevin’s back, Melissa decided that staying an hour wouldn’t kill her.

“Fine, Alex and Daniella and I will stay for an hour.  But that’s it,” Melissa said firmly.  Even she heard the edge of annoyance in her voice.  It was a wonder Kevin didn’t.  He just smiled his smug smile while Alex mumbled curses under her breath and Daniella pursed her lips disapprovingly. 

“Great,” Kevin said and cocked his head to one side.  “I’m so glad.”  He looked around for a moment.  “I’ll go get some Tylenol for you to help out with that headache, okay?”

“Sure,” Melissa replied and watched as he turned and strode confidently toward the parking lot.  She closed her eyes for a brief moment and wondered what the hell she’d just gotten herself into. 

***

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KEVIN STRUTTED AWAY, pretending to search for Tylenol for Melissa.  Her head hurt.  Ha!  Like he gave a shit.  He had to act like he cared.  That was part of the game.  But in reality, he was nauseated by the whole I’m-a-doting-guy-who-cares bullshit.  Especially since he was way out of her league.  If she were a twelve on a ten scale like he was, maybe he’d be a little less annoyed by the whole act.  But Melissa wasn’t a twelve.  Or a ten. She was a seven at best.  Cute.  A little skinny and flat-chested, but cute.  But he could do much better.  He’d done much better.  The only intriguing part of her was that she didn’t chase him.  She didn’t hang on his every word or throw herself at him.  It kind of pissed him off.  Like a wild horse that needed to be broken.  Lucky for her he was just the guy who’d break her. 

With a sly smirk curving his full lips, which drove girls crazy, he trudged along past mediocre girl after mediocre girl.  He noticed how all of them looked at him adoringly and it got him thinking.  The more he thought, the madder he became.  He wondered how the hell an average-looking girl like Melissa had had the nerve to reject him.  She should have considered herself lucky to have been with him.  Any other girl in the school would have been thrilled to be in her place.  They wouldn’t have turned him down.  Her prissy little virginal act was infuriating, but also oddly enticing.  Nothing got his adrenaline pumping like a challenge.  And she was a challenge.  She resisted him and didn’t want to give herself to him willingly, so he decided he’d help her pharmaceutically.  He kept a prescription bottle with several Vicodin inside in his car.  A couple of them along with a few beers and Melissa would be far more... cooperative.  He’d have her on her back in no time. 

His smile broadened.  His deep dimple was likely working overtime.  Everyone loved his dimple.  Loved his smile.  He continued working his way through the crowd, feeling as beloved as a celebrity walking a red carpet until he reached his friends, John DeNardi, Eric Sala and Chris Mace.

John spoke first.  “What’s up, man?  Where’s the princess?”

“I left her back by the bonfire with her babysitters.  I’m getting the royal virgin a little something for her headache.”

“She better make your head ache later!  Know what I’m sayin’!”  Eric joked.

“You know it, man!”  Chris chimed in, fist-bumping his friends.

“Tonight’s the night.  No more of her cock-tease bullshit,” Kevin said.

“You wanna guarantee payment, just slip her a Vicodin or two chased with a beer and she’ll have her panties down like all the others did,” Chris added.

“That’s the plan, my brother!  I’ll see you guys in a little while.  I gotta get the bitch something for her pain.  I’m gonna run to my car and serve her up some real pain relief.”

“Take care of business, man.  Take care of business,” Eric said and laughed.

Kevin jogged to the rear parking lot to retrieve a pair of small white pills from an orange prescription bottle in his glove compartment before jogging back to Melissa.   

***

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MELISSA LOOKED UP JUST in time to see Kevin returning.

“Here’s your Tylenol,” he said, extending a hand that held two pills toward her.

She accepted the medicine despite the fact that she did not, in fact, have a migraine headache or any other pain that a pill could cure.  But before she put them in her mouth, she inspected the oval-shaped tablets.  They didn’t resemble the ones she kept in her medicine cabinet.

“They look funny.  I mean, don’t they usually have one red end and one blue end and the word ‘Tylenol’ written in the center?” she asked.

“It’s generic,” Kevin lied before adding, “It’s the same thing.”  Then he said, “Oh damn. I didn’t grab you a water bottle.  You’ll have to just wait to take it at the kegger.”

“Fine.  Whatever,” Melissa replied. 

Three hours into the annual bonfire at Harbingers High School, the fire waned and students began to disperse.  As the crowd grew smaller and smaller, Melissa and her friends decided to leave.

Kevin informed Melissa, Alexa and Daniella he would meet them behind the school at the entrance to the woods.  Beyond the entrance was a trail leading to where the party was set.  Normally, the trail would be tricky to navigate, but Daniella came equipped with a small flashlight.

Alex and Daniella walked ahead of Melissa and Kevin.  He tried to take her hand in his. Melissa, uninterested in any type of advances, subtly rebuffed his gesture by putting her hands in her pockets feigning to search for a pair of gloves.

After walking along the footpath and arriving at the clearing, she and her friends found a large boulder to sit on.  Kevin went to one of the kegs to get them each a beer.

“Ladies, your drinks are served,” Kevin quipped pretending to be a butler tending to his employers.

“I’m driving. None for me,” Daniella told him.

“Are you fucking kidding me?  If I come home with this shit on my breath, my father will kill me.  And then my brothers will kick your sorry ass,” Alex crudely snapped.

Melissa watched as Kevin smiled tightly.  “Suit yourself,” he replied, handing a plastic cup filled with beer to Melissa.  “More for us, then.”  Holding his beer in his left hand, he reached into his front, right pocket and pulled out the two white pills from earlier.  “Oh, Melissa, here’s your bargain-brand Tylenol.”  He held them in his hand and thrust it forward, looking at her expectantly. 

Without any other choice, she accepted them.  To placate Kevin and maintain the charade, Melissa popped them in her mouth and swallowed them with a swig of beer.  After they passed down her throat, she looked around.  The clearing quickly filled with students.  All held tall, red plastic cups that they’d paid seven dollars apiece for so that they could visit the kegs an unlimited number of times. The goal, it seemed, was to drink fast and achieve intoxication as quickly as possible.  The threat of patrol cars with their sweeping spotlights loomed ceaselessly, lending the gathering an air of urgency.

Melissa had barely finished her first beer when Kevin, beaming, arrived with another.

The alcohol was affecting her more than normal, going straight to her head.  Without warning, she felt lightheaded and loopy.  Her surroundings took on a fuzzy, indistinct quality.  Muffled voices faded in and out.

Kevin spoke to her and his voice sounded as if it were echoing from the end of a long tunnel. “Wanna take a walk?” he asked.

“Are you crazy?  I’m not going anywhere with you,” Melissa laughed loudly and felt less inhibited than she’d ever felt before.

The large smile he’d been wearing sagged.  He looked over both his shoulders, checking to see if anyone had heard her.  When he looked back to her, his eyes had hardened.  “That’s cool, whatever.  No walk,” he said tightly.  “I’ll catch you later.”

Kevin walked over to a group of girls and began chatting with them.

“Holy shit!  That was fucking awesome!”  Alex gripped her elbow and gave a hearty shake, “I never thought I’d see the day when you’d grow a pair, but damn girl!  You shot his arrogant ass down!”  She laughed.  “I’ve always wanted to punch that fucker in the dick but you kind of just did.  Just verbally.”  Alex howled with laughter and Daniella chimed in. 

Melissa wanted to tell Alex how she was feeling, that her inhibitions had melted away, and that her thoughts floated around in her head like nebulous puzzle pieces that refused to click together.  Nothing made sense, least of all the reason why the beer was hitting her harder than normal.  Maybe it was because she hadn’t eaten.  She’d been too nervous and excited about seeing, she’d been excited about seeing Gabriel, too excited to eat.

Gabriel, she thought.  He could be looking for her right now. 

“I’m going to go back to the bonfire to see if Gabriel is there,” she surprised herself by announcing in a voice far clearer than she felt. 

“We’ll go with you,” Alexa offered.

“Yeah, we’ll come,” Daniella said.

“No, no, you guys stay in case he comes straight here,” she said. 

“I don’t want you walking through the woods by yourself,” Daniella worried.

“Don’t be such a worrywart!” Melissa slurred a bit.  Her mouth didn’t seem to cooperate with the words as they tried to come out.  “It’s just down that path,” she pointed toward a narrow clearing.  “And there are people everywhere.”

Daniella knit her brow concernedly and slid Alex a glance.  Alex shrugged. 

“All right, just be careful and come right back, okay?” Daniella hesitated.

Melissa saluted her and said, “Yes, ma’am.” She giggled and tottered then headed toward the path.

She began walking through the woods along what she thought was the path.  Voices of party-goers began to fade and the canopy of trees above her seemed to hover lower than before.  She turned, looked behind her and realized nothing looked familiar.  Brush pulled at her ankles where it hadn’t on the way in.  She narrowed her eyes, squinting against the deepening darkness to get her bearings, but could not.  Everything had assumed a fuzzy, muddled quality.  Her heart began to race frantically.  She wondered what was happening to her, why everything looked blurry, how she’d gotten herself turned around on a path she knew well.  Beer had never affected her as it was now.  A cold sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead.  She was lost and on the verge of tears when a voice sounded from behind her.  Startled, her heart made a mad leap to her throat.

“Hey, if you wanted to get me alone, all you had to do was say so,” Kevin’s voice said nearby.  “You don’t have to play these games, you know, making me follow you and all.  I saw that look you gave me before you walked off.”

What?  What was he talking about?  She hadn’t looked at him.  “I didn’t give you a look.  I didn’t even look at you,” Melissa snapped.

“I said enough with the games, Melissa.  You know you want me.  Stop with the tease routine.”  His voice was edged with steel, all humor bled from it. 

Melissa spun to face him, to shout every curse word she could think of, but felt the world tilt violently.  She stumbled, the woods suddenly spiraling.

“Whoa,” she said and shot both arms out to her side to grip something, anything.  “I think I need to sit.”

Kevin rushed to her side and grabbed her waist.  She supposed she should have felt grateful for him being there to help, but she did not.  Her skin crawled at his touch.  Warning whispered through her and made her shiver.

“Let me hold you.  You’re shivering,” Kevin said embracing her as he seated her atop a moss-covered fallen tree.

But quickly, his embrace progressed to something else entirely.  Something unwelcome.  He began kissing her neck, tightening his hold on her.  Melissa, despite feeling inexplicably hazy, stiffened.  

“Hey!  What the hell are you doing?” she protested.

He did not respond.  Instead, his lips moved from her neck to her mouth.  

“Stop it!” she said and tried to shove him, but her arms felt as if they were made of lead and moving in slow motion.

He continued to kiss her, but she did not kiss him back.  He persisted, his lips flattening hers, suppressing her ability to speak. 

Melissa panicked.  Her arms and legs were uncooperative.  Her responses were sluggish.  She felt as if she were moving against a current of water.  She fought against it, and after a lot of effort, managed to bring her arms between their bodies.  She tried to push him off of her with the heels of her hands, but her effort was ineffective.  He did not let go.  Rather, he moved his hand up under her shirt and under her bra.  Anger replaced her wooziness and she tried to fight, to resist him.  She struggled and pushed harder with her hands to unpin herself, but to no avail.  Kevin leaned on her with all of his weight, slammed her back against the felled tree and positioned himself on top of her.

With her heart slapping against her ribcage, Melissa turned her head and tried to scream, but Kevin covered her mouth with his.  She shoved at him, tried to force his body back and off hers.  But he did not budge.  Tears singed her cheeks as the gravity of what was happening became clear.

In the distance Melissa thought she heard Daniella and Alex faintly calling her name.

Flooded with terror and adrenaline, her mind reeled.  Scattered thoughts failed to present a defined escape, but she knew she needed to keep fighting.  She writhed and twisted and turned her head from side to side. Screams escaped each time she turned, but all he did was grope at her more aggressively.

She thrashed and wriggled, fought him as best she could with limbs that refused to help, and brought one hand from between their bodies.  She clawed at his face, hoped to gouge an eye, but missed.  Her effort did distract him long enough for her to free one leg and bring her knee up between his legs.  She thrust it as hard as she could and landed it squarely against his crotch.

Kevin released her immediately then cursed and fell to the ground clutching his groin.  She paused as a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her.  She steadied herself and attempted to run but was halted as Kevin seized her ankle.  She fell to the ground on her hands and knees.

He dragged her back toward him before rolling her over and slapping her across her cheek.  The blow stung, disorienting her into temporary silence and submission.  Her face throbbed.

“You little bitch!” he spat.

Melissa regrouped quickly from the unexpected strike.  Instinct compelled her to continue fighting.  She flailed and scratched once again, this time marking Kevin’s face with a bloody scrape.  His hands immediately went to the area just below his right eye, felt where her fingernails had broken the thin skin and pulled them back to inspect them.  He screwed up his features in anguish at the wet and reddened fingertips he retrieved.  Melissa saw Kevin’s preoccupation with his injury and attempted to seize the opportunity.  She twisted more forcefully, resisting his weight atop her and struggled and fought as hard as she could.  But her exertion was useless.  He outweighed her by more than a hundred pounds.

Seeing his blood, Kevin flew into a fit of rage.  A flash of what she could only describe as hatred flickered in his eyes before he raised his hand to her again.  From high above his head, he brought the back of his hand crashing down against her face.  A blast of white-hot pain exploded from her cheek and her ear rang deafeningly.  Over the incessant ring in her eardrum and the intense pain emanating from her cheek, she heard Kevin shout at her.

“No more of your fucking games!” he screamed spraying spittle at her as he began tearing at her jeans, unbuttoning them. “I will not be dicked around anymore. This can go one of two ways. You can let it happen or things will have to get rough!”

***

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GABRIEL ARRIVED AT Harbingers High School just as the annual bonfire was ending.  The crowd had thinned to a small group of stragglers surrounding a smoking heap of scorched wood.

He quickly scanned the faces of those who remained and approached a small group of girls to ask where everyone had gone.  They told him that most of students that had attended the bonfire had gone to the wooded area behind the school’s rear parking lot for a keg party.  The girls even escorted him along the footpath that led to a clearing in the woods where the gathering was being held.

After thanking them for their help, he wound his way past drunken classmates.  He examined every person he passed, searching for Melissa.  He spotted Alex and Daniella at the edge of the clearing.  They seemed to be gazing off into the darkened woods.  Melissa was not with them.  And Kevin Anderson was nowhere in sight.

An immediate feeling compelled him to go off in search of Melissa.  He could not explain it, but something deep inside of him.  Something primal sensed that she needed him.

Striding blindly into the thicket, he wandered slowly at first, allowing his superior vision to adjust to the blackened shadows of the forest.  Stepping over copses and averting entanglement in various prickled shrubs, he ambled aimlessly until a feminine voice was heard in the distance.

Though muffled, the sound was distinct and urgent.  He continued toward it, his feeling growing stronger.

His feet crossed the leaf-strewn forest floor soundlessly and with agility, responding stealthily to every obstacle that presented itself.  He halted when he heard screams slash through the darkened canopies. 

The voice was unmistakable.  

It belonged to Melissa.

No one else would have heard it.  But he did.  And the sound propelled him forward.  Running full-speed, he raced toward the sound.  He arrived at a small clearing.  In the distance, he could distinguish two figures, one was Melissa.  And the other was Kevin Anderson.

Kevin was atop her.  They were struggling.  A hand was raised.  A slapping sound followed.

Rage flashed through Gabriel like lightning slicing through a midnight sky.  He thundered forward, fury storming within him, fueling him.  Melissa was beneath Kevin.  Dirt and blood streaked her fear-stricken face.

Running as quickly as his muscles permitted him, he heard a barely audible but distinct threat issued.  Through the rush of wind in his face and the sound of his own blood pounding in his ears, he saw Kevin atop Melissa, clawing at her pants.  Before Kevin could complete another sentence, Gabriel, never breaking stride, burst from the shadows and launched his body forward, slamming himself headlong into Kevin.  The force of the impact sent both of them hurling to the leaf-covered ground.

Gabriel sprang to his feet effortlessly, unaffected by the collision.  Kevin, however, slowly clambered to his feet, a look of shock and indignation plaguing his features as he saw Gabriel already standing, positioned and primed to fight.

“You just made a big mistake, brother,” Kevin said.  “I’m gonna fuck you up!”  He said raising his tightly clenched fists.

“C’mon!” Gabriel screamed with his arms outstretched, urging Kevin toward him.

Kevin needed little provocation.  He swung at Gabriel.  Gabriel swiftly sidestepped the intended hit. Bowing then rising deftly, Gabriel struck a quick jab followed by a powerful uppercut that landed evenly on Kevin’s jaw.  The impact of the blow knocked Kevin to the ground on his backside.

Kevin’s facial expression quickly transformed from one of astonishment to one of utter confusion.  His confusion rapidly morphed into indignation.  He scrambled to his feet.  Wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand, he spoke.

“Sucker-punching bitch!  Now you’re gonna pay!” Kevin exclaimed and charged at Gabriel, swinging blindly, fiercely.

Gabriel dodged the assault and delivered an effective shot to Kevin’s abdomen.  He felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction as Kevin dropped and gripped his stomach.  As Kevin knelt in the dirt below, Gabriel landed another blow to his face just below his eye.  Kevin tumbled into the underbrush on his side.

Trembling with wrath, Gabriel walked over to Kevin who remained in a prone position and spoke.  With every ounce of restraint that he possessed, he managed to avoid striking Kevin again and again, pummeling him until every ounce of his anger was spent.  Gabriel wanted Kevin to feel fear and pain.  Fear and pain like he had caused Melissa.

Swallowing the bile that filled him, Gabriel managed to say, “Just stay down, Kevin!  This is over.  I better never see you near her again.”

“Fuck you!” Kevin spat as he raised himself to a crouched position.  From his squatted stance, Gabriel watched as him reach for a pointed, shiny object sheathed at his ankle.  He tried to conceal the knife under the cuff of his shirtsleeve before staggering to his feet once again. But Gabriel saw it. 

Kevin lumbered toward Gabriel.  Leaves and twigs littered his clothes.  Blood and dirt caked his cheeks.  Gabriel didn’t retreat from Kevin.  Instead he planted his feet and kept his eyes trained on Kevin.

As Kevin moved closer and positioned himself at arm’s length from Gabriel, he lowered his eyes to the ground and put a hand up, palm facing outward, an implication of surrender of sorts while the other lay slack at his side.  Gabriel didn’t buy it, though.  And rightly so.

Instantaneously, Kevin lunged at Gabriel brandishing a knife and stabbing at Gabriel.

“I’ll kill you!”  Kevin shouted as he cut through the air at Gabriel.

Gabriel narrowly missed having the weapon plunged into his torso.  Instead the cutting edge grazed him, lacerating his forearm.

Incensed, Gabriel seized Kevin’s hand that held the weapon and struck his face as hard as he could with his free hand.  The impact drew a snapping sound and an immediate gush of blood from Kevin’s nose.

Kevin fell to the ground.  His blade lay at Gabriel’s feet.

“Fuck!”  Kevin screamed with both hands at his nose.  “You broke my nose, asshole!”

As he clambered to a standing position, he glared at Gabriel defiantly and warned, “This is not over!  You hear me?”  Blood and snot burbled from his nose.  He swiped the slop with the back of his hand before turning and taking off into the surrounding woods.

Gabriel turned, half expecting Melissa to be gone.  But she remained, transfixed, sitting with her knees cradled to her chest on the leaf covered earth.  Tears streaked her dirt covered face.

Taking a deep breath to steady his insides that rattled with anger and adrenaline, he walked over to her with his palms facing her.  “Melissa?  Are you okay?”

Her voice quavered, “Just get me out of here.  Please.”

Gabriel offered his hand to Melissa and she accepted it.  He raised her to her feet and wrapped one arm around her waist.  Together, they found their way out of the woods to the parking lot. 

“Please, just take me home Gabriel,” Melissa said softly.

“What about Alex and Daniella.  They’ll worry.”

“I’ll call them from home.  I just need to get away from this place,” she said tearfully.

He did not say another word.  He opened the passenger side door of his hunter-green Ford Explorer for her and helped her in, making sure to fasten her safety belt.  After seating himself in the driver’s side and fastening his own seat belt, Gabriel and Melissa headed toward Blackstone Drive.

Chapter 14

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GLASS EXPLODED AGAINST the far wall, raining to the floor like razor-sharp confetti.  Dr. Franklin Stein stood, chest heaving as he breathed in short shallow pants.  Pure rage had overtaken him.  He had gone to the main house in search of Gabriel but found that his creation was not there.  He had left, though he had not been granted permission to leave the grounds.

Gabriel had defied him.

Heart pounding and with beads of sweat stippling his forehead, Dr. Stein bent at the waist and placed both hands on his knees, inhaling deeply then exhaling through pursed lips.  After a few deeps breaths, he wiped his damp brow with the back of his hand and straightened slowly. As he rose, he glimpsed his image in the stainless-steel paper towel dispenser near the decontamination and sink area of his lab.  An unfamiliar face stared back at him, startling him. His reflection revealed glasses that sat askew across the bridge of his nose, disheveled hair and a mouth contorted unnaturally.  He vaguely resembled the man who’d commanded worldwide respect a short time ago.  The genius he knew himself to be.  The man who would transform humanity.  Immediately, the anger that had claimed his seconds ago turned to another, less familiar emotion.  It turned to shame.

Shame rippled through his body, relaxing the muscles around his mouth and draining the color from his cheeks.  The image reflected back to him began to look more familiar as a result.  Smoothing a hand through his hair, he coaxed errant strands back into place.  He then tucked his dress shirt into his trousers.  Satisfied that his appearance was worthy of pride, he straightened his posture and felt in control of himself once again.   

After several deep breaths, his thoughts were righted, his emotions reined in. Once he was calmed, he began to survey the tremendous mess he’d made when rashly launching a beaker at the wall.

He had dozens more like the one he’d smashed, all identical in shape and size. He was not upset that a piece of lab apparatus had been destroyed.  He was upset, however, by what had caused it. He had been goaded to the point of emotionality, a loathsome state of existence.  

And all because of Gabriel...

His forced expressiveness was a direct result of Gabriel directly disobeying him. Gabriel had operated against ingrained conditioning that dictated he never act against his maker.

Yet he had. 

Gabriel disobeyed direct orders—his orders—and likely attended the bonfire. In doing so, he exhibited a sign of defect.  A mark of failure.  Failure was alien to Dr. Franklin Stein.  Alien and unacceptable.

The ramifications of such a catastrophic letdown implicated his work. It challenged his integrity and his genius.

He tried to force such thoughts from his mind to keep the rise of rage he felt at bay.  He inhaled deeply through his nostrils and exhaled through his mouth several times.  After several moments, he was able to relax once again and was grateful to narrowly avoid a repeat of the earlier incident.  With a clearer head, he began considering his choices.

Gabriel’s rogue behavior had provoked a simple but destructive act.  There would not be a repeat of that in any form.  He would make sure of it.  He also would not allow Gabriel to ruin all that he’d worked for.  To annul the significance of his work and make a mockery of him as he had. 

Fortunately, he prided himself on being pragmatic. He had a contingency plan, though it was not preferred in the least. A lifetime’s worth of work had been utilized.  Gabriel was the culmination of that work.  An alternative creation could be formed, though he never imagined he would need to do so.  That is, before Gabriel had disobeyed him as he suspected.  If evidence and admission corroborated Dr. Stein’s suspicion and Gabriel did not have a reasonable excuse for breaking protocol and going to the bonfire, then drastic measure would need to be taken.  He’d be terminated and a new creation would be activated.  Period.  And Dr. Stein would be forced to start from the beginning again, educating, training and preparing for the replacement’s successful integration.

It would present a whole host of problems.  Particularly with his relocation. With his alleged death fresh in the Russian Mafia’s mind, moving would be a tremendous risk. Finding another house that boasted an underground shelter would be challenging as well. Both threatened exposure and, ultimately, his life.

He would also need to dispose of Gabriel.

But before such drastic measures were taken, he needed to be certain that a defect did exist. And if so, it was imperative that he know whether Gabriel’s malfunction was correctable. So many questions swirled about in his mind. Gabriel’s failure would be his failure. Was it possible that he was capable of making a mistake?  Such a question seemed ridiculous, preposterous.

If he did not receive an explanation he deemed suitable and satisfactory from Gabriel, he would have to be destroyed.  A new creation would be produced to champion his cause and advance society to its future state of perfection.

Chapter 15

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MELISSA’S ENTIRE BODY shook.  She wrapped her arms around her body tightly.  But neither her arms nor the heat blowing from the vents in Gabriel’s SUV were sufficient to combat the chill that had seeped into her bones.  Her brain struggled to reconcile all that had happened.  All that she’d seen.  She’d have thought it a nightmare were it not for the throbbing pain radiating from her cheek.  She’d watched Kevin—a guy she’d known was capable of being a jerk—devolve into a monster.  Recalling the expression on his face in the seconds before he’d struck her beset her body with tremors.  Gabriel, in the driver’s seat beside her, looked her way as if he’d felt her shiver and had seen her thoughts.  She felt his eyes on her but didn’t glance at him.  Instead, her gaze remained fixed, staring straight ahead yet focused on nothing.  Stunned silence had claimed her.  She was barely aware of the fact that he’d stopped in her driveway until Gabriel shifted gears to park and said, “Please, let me walk you in.”  His voice snapped her out of her trance.  She didn’t respond. Not verbally.  Instead, she allowed her eyes to meet his.  They sat in silence for several beats, his fathomless sapphire gaze intense and soft all at once.  The connection was broken when a violent shiver shook her body.  Gabriel responded immediately.  He climbed out from behind the steering wheel, rounded the front of the vehicle and opened her door for her.  He offered his hand to her and she took it. 

Together, they went inside her house.  All the while, Gabriel held her hand.  They moved down the hallway, past the living room and dining room to the family room in the rear of the house.  She wasn’t sure why, but that room had always comforted her.  That room was where she wanted to be.  But her eyes widened as soon as she stepped inside and saw that her father occupied the couch. She released Gabriel’s hand, warning him with a look to stay back in the living room.  Her father, hunched over a tray table with a can of beer and fried cheese sticks, took one look at his daughter’s battered face and lunged forward out of his seat.

His features hardened as he sprang toward her.  “Missy, what the hell happened?” He called her by a nickname she’d been called as a child. 

Stunned, she retreated a step. “Dad, what are you doing here? I-I didn’t see your truck in the driveway,” she said and ignored his question.  Her voice sounded alien to her own ears, groggy and distant. 

Brow furrowed and eyes narrowed, her father looked perplexed.  “I parked in the garage.  But who cares?  I asked you a question! What the hell happened to your face? Were you in an accident?” he demanded.

“No. Dad, there wasn’t a car accident or anything.”  She felt as if the blood were draining from her body and pooling at her feet.  Could she say the words aloud?  Could she say what happened? And to her father, no less?  “I, well, I don’t know how to tell you. Gabriel—” she tried, but her father cut her off prematurely.

Making a connection between the welt on her cheek and the name she’d just mentioned, her father exploded, “Who’s Gabriel and where do I find him?”

Shaking uncontrollably, her father’s anger was not helping to calm her.  “No, Dad, Gabriel is in the living room right now.”

“What?” he shouted.

Her father stormed her toward Gabriel. She looked on in horror as he raged at Gabriel. “You did this to my daughter?” he shouted.  Quickly closing the gap between him and Gabriel, her father seized Gabriel by his shoulder. Hate etched his every feature.

Melissa moved swiftly, positioning her body between the two men and shouted in a voice that trembled in time with her entire body, “Dad, stop! Gabriel didn’t do this. Kevin Anderson did!” The words came out in a rush, halting her dad mid-step.  His face, contorted in rage, slackened for a moment as he processed the words that had just left her lips.  She felt her face blush to a deep crimson. “Kevin tried to attack me in the woods by the school after the bonfire. And I think he drugged me, too. ”

“H-he did what?”  Her father staggered backward.  “He drugged you and tried to attack you in the woods?”

He was silent for several seconds.  Then she watched as his face reddened. His features hardened and his eyes were molten steel.   Melissa had never seen her father so angry.  A large vein protruded from his otherwise smooth forehead as he hissed through clenched teeth, “I’m going to kill him!”

“No, Dad. You can’t kill him,” she panicked. “As much as I’d like you to, you just can’t.”

Her father resembled a caged animal that had been provoked and now contemplated its limited attack options as he began to pace.  “Tell me what happened,” he said through clenched teeth without halting his movement.

Melissa didn’t know where to begin. The connection between her brain and mouth had been temporarily interrupted.  She blurted disjointed pieces of what happened.  “There was a keg party in the woods after the bonfire. Kevin told me I was taking a Tylenol. I took it with a beer. Next thing I knew everything was hazy and spinning and Kevin was trying to, you know.”  She couldn’t give the details of the attack.  She couldn’t speak the words.  They caught in her throat as tears streamed down her cheeks.  She didn’t wat to recount the night’s events.  Not to her father.  Not yet.

Turns out, the words weren’t necessary.  Her father seemed to feel them in his blood for he erupted.  “Where does Kevin Anderson live Melissa?” he demanded no longer speaking through clenched teeth but screaming in a voice hoarse and raw with rage.

Melissa’s mind raced.  Nothing about her father’s demeanor even remotely implied that he’d calm down.  He wasn’t one to make idle threats.  She believed, with every cell in her body, that her father would find Kevin and kill him for laying harm to her.  The only reason she could think of for stopping him was that Kevin wasn’t worth going to jail for.  She’d lost her mother.  She wouldn’t lose her father, too.  And all because of that scumbag Kevin.

“Dad, wait! No!” Panic permeated every cell in her body.  “What? Why? I mean, calm down. Gabriel took care of him.” Her voice quavered as she brushed back tears.

But her father didn’t seem to hear her.  He stormed past her to get his work boots from the garage.

He slammed the door shut and declared, “I’m gonna to kill that Kevin Anderson.”

Incapable of controlling her father’s emotions, she instead sought to engage him with a piece of information she hoped would give him pause.  “Dad, seriously, Gabriel beat the crap out of Kevin. Even broke his nose.”

Though the information intrigued him, her father simply said, “Really?”  Then grunted, “Huh.” He blustered past Melissa and Gabriel toward the staircase.

“Yes! Dad, this is Gabriel,” Melissa said without knowing what else to do.  She gestured toward Gabriel in a feeble attempt to distract him with an introduction.  To get him to calm down long enough to think things through.  “He punched Kevin in the face and broke his nose I think.”

Gabriel extended his hand. “Hi, Mr. Martin, sir. I’m Gabriel James.”

“Good for you kid,” he fumed. “I’m glad you hit the bastard a few times. Glad you busted his nose. But she’s my daughter. And I’m going to kill that scumbag.”  Speaking seemed to enrage him anew. But one question remained.  The one she could feel hanging in the air like a mist.  The one he was afraid to ask because he was afraid of the answer. In a raspy whisper, he asked, “Missy, did he...violate you?”

“No, Dad.  He didn’t,” she answered.

“But the bastard tried to. And he hit you. I’m getting my shotgun!”  He thundered upstairs to get his Remington 12-gauge shotgun.

Melissa was dizzied with panic. She followed him but to her chagrin, she was much too slow. He reappeared almost instantly, armed and threatening. Before Melissa could intercede, Gabriel offered his thoughts. She was paralyzed by Gabriel’s bravery and stupidity as he led her father to the kitchen to talk.

“Sir, if I may speak,” Gabriel began in a calm, measured voice.  “I beat the hell out of him, I really did. If you were to find Kevin’s address and beat him to a bloody pulp or shoot him where he stood, you would be completely justified. But his parents would call the police and you’d be arrested, which would leave Melissa orphaned and vulnerable to retribution, sir.  Melissa has been through enough tonight. She has experienced enough violence,” he reasoned.

With his chin tipped up defiantly, her father was courteous and composed enough to listen and consider Gabriel’s thoughts.

“So what do you propose I do, kid, just let him get away with trying to rape my daughter?”  Frustration temporarily overcame her dad. He slammed his hand against the kitchen table. The sound startled Melissa.

“Absolutely not sir, I just think we need to act first. We need to call the police.”

“Maybe that makes sense to you, but you’re not her father! I want that asshole dead!” he seethed.

“Sir, you’re right. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling,” Gabriel offered. “I got to feel my fists pounding on that dirtbag. You ought to have the same satisfaction, but not now, not tonight. Pardon my language sir, but let him get the shit scared out of him with the cops showing up on his doorstep.”

Her father remained silent for several minutes. Brooding and deep in thought, his complexion regained its hue. The bulging vein diminished. His facial muscles relaxed.

“Huh.”  He scratched the scruff on his chin.  “There may be something to what you’re saying, kid. Let the whole damn neighborhood see their precious star athlete taken away in handcuffs.  Let them read about him in the paper.  He can kiss his scholarship offers good-bye.”

“Yes sir. And he’ll probably be benched and when he is, everyone will know why.”

Everyone would know why.  The words resonated in her head. If Kevin were arrested, it would be all over the school.  All over the town.  Everyone would know about the attack.

“Exactly!” she shouted. “Everyone would know what happened!” Melissa’s breathing became short and shallow.  With each rise and fall of her chest, she became more upset.  “Doesn’t anyone care about how this affects me?”

Both her father and Gabriel halted and turned to look at her.  She was raw.  And vulnerable.

“Wasn’t it enough that all this happened in the first place without every student, every parent and every teacher knowing about it?” she began. “I mean, I don’t want everyone staring at me and talking about what happened. It’s just so awful and embarrassing.  I just want this to be behind me.  Don’t I get a say?”

“Missy, this scumbag deserves to be punished and embarrassed.  He deliberately drugged you.  He told you that you were taking Tylenol.  I am no lawman, but I’m guessing that’s illegal.  And I know for a damn fact that forcing yourself on a woman is,” her dad explained.

“Your father is right, Melissa. And since you are a minor, I imagine that the authorities can’t disclose your name without the consent of your father,” Gabriel added.

“It doesn’t have to be in the paper either,” her father reasoned. “So the only people who will know what happened apart from us and Kevin would be the police and Kevin’s parents.  And trust me, they will not want this to get out any more than you do.”

Though for a moment, she felt like neither her father nor Gabriel understood her and how upset she was, their intent was clear, as was their logic.  She considered what they’d said.  She knew that what Kevin did must not go unpunished.  He drugged her, tried to render her powerless and strip her of her dignity.  Though she had no control over her situation earlier, she would have control over its outcome.

“Fine then, let’s do this. Let’s report Kevin,” Melissa asserted wringing her hands.

Her father crossed the room and picked up the telephone. As he dialed, the doorbell rang.

Melissa answered the door to find Daniella and Alex standing at the entrance. She could only imagine the thoughts that raced through their minds as they looked at her bruised face.

Judging from their horrified expressions, she looked as bad as she felt.

Melissa opened her mouth to speak but Daniella beat her to it.

“Melissa! Oh, my God! What happened?” Daniella exclaimed as she stepped through the doorway. 

Her face, usually the picture of happiness and vivacity, was twisted into one of horror. Melissa immediately felt guilty for upsetting her friend.

“Who the hell did this to your face? That fucking asshole Anderson?” Alex questioned heatedly.

Before she could continue her profanity-laced diatribe, she was interrupted.

“Uh, nice language, Alex,” Melissa’s father quipped. “It’s warranted, but can we try to keep things PG-13.”

“Sorry, Mr. Martin,” Alex said slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t see your truck in the driveway.”

“Fair enough,” he said to Alex.  Then, to the rest of the group, “The police are coming. I called and a pair of officers should be here any minute.”

“Okay, Dad,” Melissa said dreading the task ahead.

“Melissa, tell us what happened. Did Kevin really do this to you?” Daniella asked incredulously.

“Umm yeah, he did,” Melissa admitted as fresh tears welled in her eyes.

Daniella embraced her. Melissa and her friends walked into the living room and settled on a large, black leather sofa. Gabriel sat on the matching loveseat positioned at a ninety degree angle to the couch.

Melissa described what had happened to her two best friends. After she finished reciting the details, Alex had a single question for Gabriel. She fixed her near-black eyes intently on him and accused, “Where the hell were you? If you had shown up when you were supposed to, none of this would have happened.”

Gabriel lowered his eyes sadly.  “There were some complications. I had trouble leaving my house. I got there too late and the bonfire was over,” he offered contritely. “On my way to the party, I heard a girl screaming.  I followed the sound of her voice.  When I got to the small clearing I saw that it was Melissa. I saw what that dirtbag was trying to do to her and I flipped out.”

Melissa’s heart clenched.  Guilt laced his every word and the shame in his posture pained her.  She considered Gabriel a hero, yet he somehow held himself accountable.

“I hope you beat the shit, uh, snot out of him,” Alex said flatly as she exchanged a quick glance with Melissa’s father who smirked approvingly at her choice of words.

“Don’t worry about that. Gabriel leveled him. We’re pretty sure he broke Kevin’s nose,” she chimed in. “Kevin kept coming at him but Gabriel dropped him every time.  I mean, Gabriel, you handled him like he was nothing.”

“It was just an adrenaline rush. I was really angry,” Gabriel said modestly.

“You really handled Anderson like that?” her father inquired.

“I suppose so, sir.”

“That guy is a monster. What is he like, six-four and two hundred twenty pounds?”

“That’s a fair estimate, sir.”

“He’s all-state in football, too. Huh, pretty impressive. Do you box or something?”

“I had a little training. Nothing formal though sir.”  Gabriel shifted his weight from one leg to the other. 

“Huh, impressive,” her father mumbled again as he walked to the kitchen to prepare a pot of coffee.

Melissa followed him but was distracted by headlights illuminating the windows of the kitchen. A black-and-white patrol car had pulled in to the driveway.  Two uniformed officers exited the cruiser Melissa watched as the pair approached the front door.

“They’re here,” Melissa notified her father.

Her pulse raced and her palms slickened with sweat. She took a deep breath to steady herself before answering the door. She acted so quickly, the police officers didn’t have time to ring the doorbell.

“Come in,” she said and ushered the male and female officer down the hallway and into the living room. The officers remained standing.

Daniella and Alex took the police presence as their cue to leave.

“We’ll call you tomorrow, sweetie,” Daniella said.

“Yeah, if we can help at all, give them our numbers,” Alex added.

Officer Mark Nettle introduced himself to Melissa, her father and Gabriel in a rich, melodic voice. The contrast of his voice and his physical appearance was remarkable.  A narrow-shouldered man with thick, black hair trimmed to a buzz-cut and with piercing black eyes.  Melissa was unnerved by his intensity, yet oddly soothed by the quality of his voice.

Officer Nettle then presented the group with his partner, Officer Charlene White.  Officer White had smooth, coffee-colored skin and an easy smile. A portly, large-bosomed woman in her mid-thirties, Charlene White maintained squatness that measured her to be as tall as she was wide. Her function would be to work with Melissa.

Officer White spoke first.  “So tell us what happened tonight in as much detail as possible,” she instructed in a, gravelly voice.

Melissa’s ears ached at the quality of Charlene White’s coarse and jagged tone.  It conflicted with her smooth, rounded appearance.

Melissa recounted the evening’s events in explicit detail to the two police officers.  Sickened by the graphic nature of the incident, she pored over every fact while Officers Nettle and White took notes.  They asked many questions posed with an array of terminology.  They inquired about specific threats that were issued and abusive language that was used against her.  She was asked to articulate, in vivid detail, every act that was violent or sexual in nature.  She was asked what she thought, felt and feared during the attempted attack.  Her condition was observed and documented in the police report.  Melissa spoke emotionally as the officers remained inexpressive.  Recounting it was painful and left her nauseated.

As Melissa described what had happened, she was aware of Gabriel’s presence. He remained at her side.  Positioned attentively with flawless posture, his intense cobalt eyes never left her face as she addressed the officers.  He remained stoic save for the intermittent and almost imperceptible cringes during the more graphic portions of her reporting.  His support eased some of her tension and embarrassment.  She felt like he somehow willed calmness her way, just by being supportive and unobtrusive.

As Melissa finished giving her statement to the two officers, Officer White asked, “Is that everything?”

She didn’t answer at first.  A question had been burning in her mind during her interview with the officers.  She was terrified to address a key concern, terrified of the answer she might receive.  But an answer was imperative.  She looked directly into Officer White’s hazel eyes and asked, “Will this all go away because I was drinking or because I took the fake Tylenol Kevin offered me?”

Officer White did not answer Melissa’s question. Instead, her partner replied in his rich, baritone voice, “Quite the contrary, Miss Martin, alcohol and involuntary drug use caused increased vulnerability, not culpability.”

“Culpability? I’m not sure what you’re saying,” Melissa said.

“Culpability is defined as,” Officer Nettle began in his silken cadence.

Officer White interrupted her partner.  Her voice was sharpened tacks against polished glass.

“It means even if you were as drunk as a skunk and went willingly with this Anderson guy with the intent to have sexual intercourse in the woods, once you said no, it should have been over.  No means no. You are not to blame,” she grated then added, “Before we go, we’re going to need to clip you nails.”

Officer White wheezed and puffed as she struggled to twist and reach for a plastic, forensic collection bag from her fanny-pack. 

“Since you allegedly scratched Kevin Anderson,” she continued, “his DNA will be under your nails. Our guys in forensics will be able to extract the material that will be put to use in the case against Anderson.”

Melissa proffered her hands as Officer White covered her own plump, russet-hued fingers with latex gloves. She then clipped Melissa’s fingernails. The trimmings were collected in a clear plastic zip-closure bag and labeled before being replaced in the officer’s fanny-pack.

“We’re also going to need a statement from you. You’re a witness.” Officer White pointed a meaty finger at Gabriel. “We’ll need you to come down to the station with us for that. How old are you?”

“I’m seventeen, ma’am,” Gabriel stated.

“Then we’ll need to call your folks,” she said.

“If you remember anything else just call us,” Officer Nettle added retrieving his business card from his jacket pocket.

He offered it to Melissa.  The small, rectangular card smelled of pine and leather, masculine and smooth, befitting his voice.

“And you can meet us at the station,” Officer Nettle said to Gabriel.

“Thank you very much officers,” her father said as he offered his hand to them.

Melissa watched as her father gave each a hearty shake then walked them to their cruiser.

He returned almost immediately.  After closing and locking the front door, he strode into the living room and addressed Gabriel.

“You’d better call your parents and get yourselves to the police station as soon as possible.”

“Yes sir,” Gabriel replied solemnly.

Gabriel looked sickened, like the mention of his father’s involvement terrified him.

Concerned, Melissa was about to ask if everything was okay. But before the words were on her lips, her father began soliciting information in his unique way.

“Gabriel, are you all right,” he asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you worried about telling your folks what you did?”

“It’s just my dad and I,” Gabriel admitted.  And Melissa heard what could only be described as pure fear in his voice.  “But yes sir. I am worried about how he’ll react.”

“He ought to be proud of you. You did a good thing. You saved a girl who was being attacked.”

Melissa was shocked and warmed by her father’s honesty. She waited for Gabriel’s reply.

“I’m not sure my father will see it that way, sir.”  And there it was again.  Fear.  She’d just watched him handle Kevin—a strapping athlete—with ease, but mention of his father sent a bolt of visible fear through him. 

“Want me to call him?” her father offered. 

“No thank you, sir. I’ll have to deal with him.” 

Deal with him...Warning bells rang in Melissa’s head but as emotionally fraught as she was, she didn’t trust herself to not jump to conclusions. 

“Well then you’d better get to it,” her father said with a note of solemnity in his tone.  Then, looking Gabriel directly in the eyes, he added, “And thanks.  For everything.” Unspoken words lingered in the air as her father extended his hand to Gabriel.  Gabriel clasped it and shook it.  Her father wasn’t the kind of man who went around sharing his feelings.  He reserved that for the people closest to him.  The fact that he’d expressed such profound gratitude for Gabriel made her eyes glaze with tears.  Once the handshake was over, her father said, “I’m going to grab a beer. Want a water or soda guys?”

“No, thanks, dad,” Melissa replied.

“No thank you, sir,” Gabriel answered.

Her father disappeared into the kitchen.

Seizing an opportunity to be alone with Gabriel, Melissa turned and spoke.  “Gabriel, I never thanked you. I mean, thank you doesn’t even seem like enough?” she began. “But thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful that you came through the woods when you did and heard me. You saved me.”

Melissa eyes filled with tears as she spoke. She walked Gabriel to the front door. Impulsively, she leaned forward and hugged him tightly then kissed him quickly on his cheek before shutting her front door.

***

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GABRIEL’S HEART POUNDED in his chest when Melissa embraced him. He returned her hug and held her briefly. When the tension marginally escaped her arms, he released her. To his surprise, she gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and said good night.

Dizzy with emotions, he walked to his car in a dream-like state.

His dream quickly transformed into a nightmare, however, as his cell phone alerted him to missed calls.  Twenty-three calls had been missed, all from the same number: Dr. Stein’s cell phone.  And a single message awaited him.

Dr. Stein’s call meant his maker knew he’d defied him and left without permission. Rebellion would not be tolerated.  Making matters worse was Gabriel’s involvement with the police.  That kind of attention would certainly warrant his demise.

Fear bolted like quicksilver through Gabriel’s body. 

He had seen Kevin’s face.  The wild-eyed anger. The malevolence.  Melissa would need him, of that he was certain. It was imperative that he live to help her. After all, Gabriel knew Eugene’s arrival was imminent. Eugene’s presence granted Dr. Stein unprecedented leverage and made him more dangerous to Gabriel than he already was.

It was clear that Dr. Stein knew that he attended the bonfire.  Once his maker was apprised of the magnitude of the situation along with the coming of Eugene, Gabriel’s life would be in grave danger.

Chapter 16

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THE WIND HOWLED LIKE a wounded beast, the unearthly din rocking Eugene’s vehicle as the night sky hemorrhaged fat snowflakes.  To say that the weather conditions were hostile would have been an understatement.  Unpaved roads crusted with ice marked his journey and made traction an impossibility.  Even with his Hummer H1 Alpha.  He was forced to rely, instead, on his enhanced vision and lightning-fast reflexes to guide his vehicle and navigate the terrain.  Of course flying would’ve been the safest and most efficient method of travel to traverse the five-hundred miles between Dr. Stein’s lab that burned outside Talovka, Kamchatka and the Avacha Bay.  Especially in the face of the fierce blizzard that confronted him.  Arrangements had been made for Eugene to board a fishing vessel docked in the Avacha Bay, a Pacific Ocean Bay on the southwestern coast of Kamchatka Peninsula in the port city Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.  There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he’d be late. 

Despite closing the vast distance in less than ten hours, he arrived at the harbor just before midnight, several hours behind schedule.  “Dammit,” he mumbled to himself as he searched for the dock where he was to meet a man named Sasha Titov, a Pacific salmon fisher headed to the rugged coastline of the Aleutian Islands.  Eugene had never met Titov.  Dr. Stein had made the plans, which included Eugene meeting Titov and his small crew at a numbered slip where the craft was moored.  He hadn’t the vaguest idea what the man looked like or whether he and his crew had left already.  He’d find out soon enough he supposed. 

Parking his Hummer in a designated space, Eugene hurried out on to the pier where a half-dozen ships were birthed.  As he strode along the jetty, the only sound he heard was his own footsteps on the sturdy structure below.  All else was still and silent.  Darkness enveloped the wharf, hushing it. Each ship loomed lightless, ensconced in the thick, velvety shadows.  His surroundings were so peaceful, he nearly waked past the slip where Titov’s ship was docked.  Luckily it was still docked.  He looked toward its bow and saw a burly, bearded man lumbering toward him.  Wearing a navy hat and parka, Eugene guessed the man was Sasha Titov. 

“Eugene?” the man said in Russian, one of many languages Eugene spoke. 

“Yes,” Eugene replied.

“I’m Sasha Titov,” the man said.  Removing his glove and thrusting a beefy hand at Eugene, Sasha Titov moved with a pace that betrayed his heft. Eugene clasped the brawny fisherman’s hand in his.  Titov smiled a genuine, affable smile.

Titov’s proximity enabled Eugene to inspect his appearance closely.  He was surprised to see that nothing about the man was weathered. His features were not hardened like other fisherman.  Instead they were soft and smooth.  His plump, pink cheeks gave the appearance of a perpetual smile.  Beneath his cheeks sat an auburn beard.  The curved line of his nose ended with a bulbous formation. Bushy eyebrows curled toward vibrant blue eyes fringed by eyelashes that arched up and outward.  Everything about the man was rounded and jolly-looking.  Almost like Santa Claus.  Right down to his pudgy build and generous belly, which strained against the zipper and threatened to separate the teeth that interlocked to hold it closed.

Pumping Eugene’s hand, Titov said, “I’m so pleased to meet you. I saw headlights in the lot and figured it must be you.” Titov laughed, a deep bass timber resonated in his throat.  After all, who else would be traipsing around this place in the middle of the night?”

“I’m sorry for holding you up. The weather was far more treacherous than I had expected.  Please accept my apology,” Eugene offered, curiously held by Titov’s sincerity.

“That’s not necessary,” Titov replied.  “Waiting wasn’t a problem.”

“Thank you for being so understanding,” Eugene said and waited for the comments about his appearance that always came.

“Wow, you’re a big man, and strong, too. I was told you were tall but I never guessed you would be so big,” Titov continued, smiling broadly.

And here they come, Eugene thought. 

“So I’ve been told,” Eugene responded with a half-smile as he awaited further remarks on the subject.  To his astonishment, Titov did not pursue the typical course of conversation concerning his appearance.  He didn’t mention a thing.  Not his dark glasses or unusual features, and not his physique. During the few instances when he’d encountered people, the focus has always centered on his looks.  The impression of immediate acceptance and nonjudgment from Titov was a first.  Such courtesy perplexed Eugene.

“What is your name, my big friend?” Titov inquired

“Eugene,” he said and didn’t offer a last name.  He didn’t have one. 

“Eugene,” Titov echoed.  “It is a good, solid name.”  He smiled.  “As you know, I’m sure, I’m Sasha. Sasha Titov.”

Eugene nodded.  “Nice to meet you.”

As they ambled along the length of the ship, Titov engaged Eugene in light conversation.  “I hope our accommodations will be suitable. The cabins are a quite small,” he said.

Eugene’s mind struggled to understand how a common human being could be interested in the comfort of another, least of all his comfort.  Human beings were loathsome, selfish creatures.  Titov’s concern for him was atypical.  It implied generosity.  Kindness.  It confused him further.  He found himself needing to redirect the conversation in an effort to draw out the man’s selfish side.  Surely he had one.  “I am sure the cabins will be just fine.  By the way, where is your crew, Mr. Titov?” Eugene asked.  “I don’t see anyone on deck.”

Eugene assumed that more people would be present. To his knowledge, when a ship was departing for a long journey such as the one they were embarking on, there would be a buzz about the boat.  Longshoremen loading it with supplies.  Families saying goodbye.  But no one was around.  The deck was deserted.

“Please, call me Sasha,” Titov said before adding,  “I told my men to get a few hours of sleep before we sail, that I would wait for you alone.”

Eugene studied Titov’s face for a moment.  Could this man be truly concerned with the welfare of others? He wondered.  Was he as genuine and thoughtful as he seemed?  “Again, I’m sorry for being late. I’ll apologize to your men when they wake,” he said.

“Don’t trouble yourself,” Titov batted the air in front of him as if swatting at the idea.  “The weather is not your fault.  They were happy to rest before our journey.”

Eugene paused in disbelief and the man’s easy smile and laid-back demeanor.  “I look forward to meeting them,” he said after a moment.  “How many men are there?”

“We have one member who does most of the cooking,” Titov began. “We think of him as our chef, and then there are three other crew members. Including me, there are five members total. They’re all good men. We’re like a family.”

Titov spoke of his crew warmly, protectively.  It was the first affectionate words Eugene had heard a human being speak of people not bound to them by blood.  It seemed as though Titov was not related to any of his fellow fishermen, yet he felt a kinship with them that surpassed that of familial constraints.  He embraced outsiders.  Such a notion intrigued Eugene.

“I hope I can be helpful.  I am not a fisherman, though.  I’ll likely be most helpful to you and your men by just staying out of the way,” Eugene said.  He’s never spoke of himself in a depreciating light.  Self-depreciation was not his strong suit.  This was a first. 

“Nonsense!  A strapping man like you will be very useful.” Titov said walking toward the boarding ladder of the ship. “Let’s get off this dock and onto the ship.”

“Sounds good,” Eugene said as proceeded up the ladder of the small trawler.

The modest craft was painted a simple white with the name Titov painted in black at the bow.  Large fishing nets, used to ensnare the intended catch, occupied either side of the boat.  The ship was meticulously maintained but old.

Eugene assumed Titov could likely afford a better vessel.  Dr. Stein’s compensation for Eugene to travel with him was likely enough to buy a new one.  Yet much to his puzzlement, Titov opted to retain his humble ship. Such humility was not in keeping with Eugene’s perception of the human species.  He was baffled, but not displeased.

“Let me release the bow line from the berth,” Titov declared as he released the stern line and bow line from the quay.  As soon as he did so, the vessel was adrift.  “I’ll give you a tour of the ship and make introductions as we cruise. Okay?”

“You’re the captain,” Eugene conceded.

Titov embarked.  Standing on deck, he took a deep breath. “Ahh! There is nothing like filling your lungs with good sea air, huh?”

“No, there’s nothing like it,” Eugene agreed and mimicked Titov’s action of profound inhalation and exhalation though he loathed the smell of decaying marine life and presumed only a human could enjoy such a foul stench.

The vessel groaned and complained as it drifted beyond its slip farther out into the bay.  Both men stared reverently into the blackened abyss.

Titov broke their pensive silence by offering, “Come. Let me show you the state-of-the-art bridge.”

Eugene allowed himself to be ushered by Titov to the ultramodern compartment that functioned as the control room of the ship. Various sophisticated nautical electronic devices occupied the console.

“Wow,” Eugene marveled as he picked up a small rectangular object. “What is all this stuff?”

Proudly, Titov began describing its purpose.

“This is a Garmin GPSMAP 5215 Chart Plotter,” he began. “It features a highly detailed Blue Chart g2 marine preloaded cartography to the Alaskan shoreline. It also has a worldwide base map with high-quality satellite images instead of more traditional maps.”

Next, Eugene retrieved a bulky object resembling a 1980s car phone. “This looks like the original model for the cell phone,” he joked.

Sasha Titov laughed a jovial, full-bodied expression.  “No, no, not an early cell-phone design.  This is actually an Inmarsat Isat Phone Pro, a global handheld satellite phone capable of voicemail, e-mail and text messaging and GPS location data.”

“Wow, but it’s so small,” Eugene wondered aloud. “Amazing!”

Eugene found Titov’s congeniality infectious.  He began unconsciously mirroring the fisherman’s enthusiasm, smiling even, though cautious to conceal his sharp teeth.  Titov didn’t recoil in horror as all others did. Instead, Eugene watched as he moved about his workspace excitedly.  He wondered how, despite his cumbersome build, Titov was so light-footed. He darted to a metal desk in the far corner of the bridge and selected a piece of apparatus similar to a high-tech flashlight.  He held it out, his face the embodiment of pride. 

“This, Eugene, is my newest acquisition,” Titov beamed. “It is a high-performance handheld waterproof thermal imager that provides superior night vision.”

With a grin that broadened, dangerously skirting the border between acceptable and frightening, Eugene gaped at Titov’s trinkets then spoke. “Such sophisticated technology.  I was unaware that all of this equipment even existed,” he offered, enthralled by what felt like a moment of show-and-tell.

Smiling, Titov said, “We have some of the finest maritime technology available.”

Interested in maintaining their conversation, Eugene continued, “Being a career fisherman must warrant such technology.  You’re out at sea three out of four seasons, right?”

Titov’s features sagged a bit, his expression growing serious.   “Sometimes we are gone for months at a time.  It’s not an easy life.  I’ve missed much.”

“Do you have a family?” Eugene asked spontaneously.

“I’ve been happily married for twenty-two years. We have four boys, all strapping young men,” he beamed, joy returning to his features.  “But I have missed many birthdays, many holidays.  My absence is necessary to put food on the table, so they forgive me.”

Eugene considered the idea of family.  A profound interdependence that exists among its members. A profession like Titov’s undoubtedly put on strain on everyone.  Including Titov himself.  “You’re lucky to have such wonderful people to go home to.”  The words sprang from him unexpectedly. 

After a pause, Titov continued in earnest. “After this trip I’ll return home to my wife and children, settle in to my life as we brace ourselves for the long winter when it becomes too cold and I cannot fish, when money will become scarce.”

“I hope Dr. Stein paid you well for letting me tag along,” he mentioned casually.  Surely, he was handsomely rewarded for his service and was lying. 

“The good doctor paid me.  The money went directly to my sister.  She’s sick.  The bills from her surgeries added up.  She couldn’t pay her bills or afford her medicine.”

“So you gave the money to her?” Eugene leaned forward and asked.  “Money that could’ve bought you a new boat, fed your family all winter and kept them warm...”

Titov shrugged.  “She’d have done the same for me.  This boat is fine and my family is a hearty bunch.”  He winked and smiled.  “We have each other and we have our health.  We’re lucky.”

Eugene shook his head in disbelief.  He never dreamed a human being could be...likable.  Yet he found himself dangerously close to liking the man.  He offered his large hand to the fisherman.   “You are a good man, Sasha Titov. I am happy to be aboard this fine vessel with you.”

Titov extended his hand and clasped Eugene’s. Eugene’s hand dwarfed his. The men shared a sincere handclasp.

He stared at Sasha Titov.  His gaze zeroed in on his round face.  Titov’s features withered slightly and began to display concern.  Eugene did not relinquish his grip. Instead, he held tightly.

Eugene considered Sasha Titov a likable human, the most likeable he had encountered yet. But he was still a useless human, nevertheless.

He glowered down at the fisherman, watched as Titov’s eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed in confusion.  Confusion quickly transformed to alarm as Titov tried desperately to remove his hand from Eugene’s vise-like grip.

Every cell within his construct hummed and vibrated as he tightened his grip. He savored the seconds that the plump, perpetually pleasant man ceased smiling and winced in pain.  But Titov’s wounded cries did not deter him.  They encouraged him.  Eugene grasped even harder as his thin lips spread across his abnormally sharp incisors and twisted into a cruel smile.

Sasha Titov’s pallor blanched as Eugene wrung his hand.  Within his crushing clutch, Eugene could feel the small bones in his hand yielding under the tremendous pressure being applied.  He basked in the man’s paling complexion.

Titov stared up at Eugene, his eyes bleary and unfocused.  Eugene glared back at him from behind his dark glasses.

“Why?” Titov pleaded in small voice.  “Why are you doing this to me?”

Fueled by the misery he was inflicting and still, grinning maniacally, Eugene employed every ounce of his superior strength squeezing and twisting Titov’s hand.  He felt knuckles shattering under the crippling compression as every bone in his hand splintered and fractured.  His stomach quavered as Titov vacillated between consciousness and unconsciousness.  The pain he was inducing being the culprit. 

When Titov came around, Eugene took the man’s face in one hand.  Squeezing his cheeks with his thumb and index finger, he removed his dark lenses forcing Titov to look into his feline eyes.

His face was stricken as he questioned Eugene one last time. In a weakened whisper, he asked, “Why?”

Eugene spoke with rancor lacing his every word as rage welled within him.  “You’ve seen my face, friend,” he said, his voice low and maleficent. “You also know who sent me.  I cannot allow for anything that could lead back to him.”

He stared at Sasha Titov with hatred as the fisherman managed to murmur, appearing to struggle against succumbing to blackout.

“What about my crew?” Titov begged feebly. “They’ve never seen you.”

“I will tend to them as I am tending to you.  Make no mistake about that,” Eugene growled.  “Although I intend to make their suffering far greater.”

“No, please, don’t!  They don’t know anything.  You can’t do this!” Titov begged with sheer terror in his voice.

Ignoring his pleas, Eugene cupped his hands around Titov’s face and cocked his head to one side to observe the burly, cherub–faced fisherman.  Disgust brimmed and boiled beneath the surface of his skin as he regarded the loathsome human who enjoyed the rancid odor of fish. Then in one swift motion he snapped Sasha Titov’s head sharply to the left, breaking his neck and severing his spinal column.

An involuntary shudder passed through Eugene’s body as the nauseating twinkle left Titov’s merry eyes, replaced instead with a fixed and vacant stare.  Sasha Titov’s lifeless body lay inert, with mouth agape in horror, on the floor of the bridge.  Eugene trembled a moment longer, his body overcome by exhilaration.  He delighted in the seconds that life escaped Titov, allowing himself the privilege of lingering longer than he had with past killings.  It was was a treat he afforded himself on rare occasions, but knew that in this instance such an indulgence was unnecessary.  He did not need to savor the fisherman’s death as the remaining four crew members slept in cabins below.  Eugene would be able to take his time with them and appreciate their deaths.

The thought of more murder frenzied his senses.  His insides buzzed and hummed, teeming with fervor.  Eugene relished in his body’s impassioned response to the crew members who unknowingly awaited his wrath. He did not need to focus on any other aspect of his journey.  Fortunately for him, the vessel captained by the late Sasha Titov was operating on autopilot. The steering mechanism was guided by a control positioned in the helm and interfaced with the ship’s GPS navigation system.  The system did not require further interference unless he deemed it necessary. A course had been plotted by Titov prior to their encounter.  The automatic pilot would steer the ship on the intended course. The vessel was headed for the Aleutian Islands, a chain of small islands in the Northern Pacific Ocean that separated the Bering Sea from the Pacific Ocean. Once it reached that destination, however, Eugene would change the coordinates and head to the United States of America.

As the ship headed out of the Avacha Bay, an inlet large enough to accommodate any ship in the world, Eugene glanced out of the port hole at the horizon. Tri Brata, a set of three rocks at the entrance to the Avacha Bay, could be seen, their outline blacker than the darkness of the night sky. The usually picturesque arrangement was considered a symbol of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.  Local lore suggested that they were the three brothers who went to defend the town from a tsunami and turned to stone.  In the obscurity of the nightfall, the array looked sinister and foreboding.  Eugene smiled broadly at the dark, stony brothers; their fate was far kinder than the one the remaining men aboard the Titov would receive.

Eugene headed out of Avacha Bay past the “Three Brothers” rocky pinnacles, through the mouth of the bay past Starichkov Island. He was destined for Alaska.  Once on American soil, Eugene would travel to Port Angeles, Washington and refuel.  He would be at sea covering nearly one thousand nautical miles.

In Port Angeles, Washington, a Hummer H1 Alpha identical to the one he abandoned in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky awaited him.  He would drive close to three thousand miles and cross through eight states to New York. He would travel a great distance before taking up residence in the rural town of Stonewall in upstate New York.

Chapter 17

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WITH HIS HEARTBEAT thundering in his chest and a sick pit in his stomach, Gabriel drove from Melissa’s home on Blackstone Drive to his house on the outskirts of town.  He did not bother returning Dr. Stein’s calls.  It was too late for that.  The severity of the situation required that they be face to face.

Turning in to his driveway, his stomach clenched as worry wound like a coiled snake.  That sensation multiplied tenfold when he pulled close to the house, waiting for the garage to open, and saw the soft glow of light coming from the downstairs windows.  His maker awaited him, undoubtedly with news of his execution.  Gabriel swallowed hard, pulling inside and parking, then exited his vehicle.  He climbed the staircase and as soon as he reached the highest step, stopped.  Beyond the door, he could hear the rhythmic clacking of heeled men’s dress shoes and the purposefulness with which each stride struck the hardwood floors. His maker was pacing.

Pacing was an uncharacteristic behavior for Dr. Stein.  It suggested agitation.  It suggested emotion. His maker was not an emotive man.  In fact, he was quite the opposite.  Typically detached and indifferent to everything.  The pacing did not bode well for him. 

Taking a deep breath to steel himself against what lay beyond the door, Gabriel turned the doorknob.

He immediately saw Dr. Stein walking across the width of the oversized formal living room. Upon hearing Gabriel enter, he stopped and turned to face him.

To Gabriel’s surprise, his face showed no trace of agitation whatsoever. Instead, it was eerily calm, serene.

“You left tonight despite my instructions, Gabriel,” Dr. Stein offered levelly.  His tone was calm enough but the atmosphere changed, shivering with the charge of an impending storm. 

“Yes, sir,” Gabriel admitted.

He noticed how Dr. Stein’s face hardened almost imperceptibly at his admission.

“And why, pray tell, would you do this?” Dr. Stein asked.

Gabriel felt his pulse quicken, though not together with pleasant sensations as it did when Melissa was present.  His stomach contracted violently and his palms were slick with perspiration. His mouth went dry.  Gabriel swallowed hard before replying, “I thought it crucial to our mission, sir.”

Dr. Stein paused briefly, his frame of mind indecipherable.  Unsure of what to expect from his creator, Gabriel waited.

Then without warning, Dr. Stein laughed.  A bitter, cutting laugh.

His odd laughter reverberated not with happiness or humor but with contempt, a stark contrast to his calm exterior.

“Yes, we discussed that,” he affirmed, abruptly ending his outburst. “And I expressly forbade you from going.”

“Sir, but—”

“No, Gabriel,” Dr. Stein snapped an interrupted him. “I will not allow this type of insubordination.”

Dr. Stein’s gaze met Gabriel’s.  With tiny eyes as sooty as coal, his gaze was as piercing as a shiv.  Gabriel wished that the bonfire excursion was the end of the bad news he had to report.  But what he was about to say was worse.  So much worse.  Feeling as if his throat were lined with sand, he disrupted his maker’s intimidating stare by speaking.

“Dr. Stein, sir. I am here to bring you to the police station,” he blurted, immediately tensing in anticipation of a reaction.  Though the air was rife with tension so thick it was palpable, his maker didn’t retort.  Gabriel continued, “There was a situation at the bonfire. A girl was being attacked and I fought off her assailant. The police were called by the girl’s father.”  Gabriel waited and tried to gauge Dr. Stein’s response. His maker’s expression remained unreadable.  He reluctantly added, “They were told of my fight with the attacker. They need me to give a statement.  The officers told me I needed a parent with me.”

Dr. Stein’s face remained impassive, but Gabriel could feel the hostility beneath his calm appearance.  “You have compromised our entire objective.” he hissed between clenched teeth.  His calm veneer fell away and his eyes turned glacial.  He approached Gabriel, his every movement slow and deliberate.  Though small in stature, his creator had tremendous presence.  His genius gave him unparalleled power.  His was brainpower, not brawn.  Gabriel instinctively sought to move away from his maker but found his legs uncooperative.  Suddenly leaden, they were unresponsive to what his mind commanded them to do.  Instead, he froze in place.  He couldn’t move.  Not until his maker raised a clenched hand high in the air did Gabriel flinch.  He expected an assault, but watched instead as Dr. Stein brought his fist down and pounded it against the coffee table between them in an act of controlled aggression.

Unnerved, Gabriel remained fixed in place as his maker roared, “Why, Gabriel?  Why?  After everything I have done for you!” Eyes wild and voice shouting so loudly it caused the veins in his neck to bulge, Dr. Stein hardly resembled the man Gabriel had come to recognize.  “I created you! Why would you destroy my work—my vision of the future—by intervening in a situation that did not concern you?”

Gabriel stood, his body rigid.  He couldn’t oppose Dr. Stein.  Doing so was against his code of conduct, an aspect so deeply engrained in his construct that it was woven into the fabric of his existence.  Instead, he stood, feet planted at shoulder-width apart, and watched as his maker attitude transformed yet again, morphing from carefully measured to enraged and back again. He had returned to his unflappable manner and cast his stony stare on Gabriel again.

“You have risked exposing yourself to the world and now you have put me at risk as well.  The police will see me. Someone may recognize me.” Dr. Stein said frostily. “This is an infraction I cannot forgive. You have single-handedly upended our objective.  It appears as though you need to be destroyed,” he offered as a final matter-of-fact thought.

“Sir, I was doing as you have instructed me to do,” Gabriel countered. “I was trying to behave as any other human would.”

“You were not created to behave as other humans do, Gabriel. You are to follow my orders,” Dr. Stein said emphatically.

“Sir, it has been my understanding that I am to act as other humans do. Human beings are motivated by their feelings, right?”

“Of course they are,” Dr. Stein answered flatly.

“Well, sir, the screams of a girl would generate an emotional response,” Gabriel began. “That is the case in most Hollywood films you have ever shown me. And in the ones that featured a person—usually a female—in distress, that person was rescued.”

Dr. Stein paused and began to listen intently. Gabriel sensed his maker’s desire to hear a plausible excuse.  He knew Dr. Stein to be a vain man therefore Gabriel’s missteps would represent his own. Failure of any kind was unfathomable to the geneticist.  Dr. Stein’s narcissism gave Gabriel more time to explain.  To persuade

“Go on, go on,” his maker urged.

Gabriel approached his manipulation of Dr. Stein with extreme caution.  He kept his face expressionless and his intonation flat and emotionless. It was imperative for him to present a lucid, rational explanation for his earlier actions.

“Wouldn’t it have drawn attention to me, and to us, had I ignored the situation and not helped a girl who was being attacked?” he asked then added, “And she saw me, too.  That would not have been in keeping with the behavioral patterns of feeling human beings.  Furthermore, I know that I disobeyed your direct orders by attending the school function. My objective was sound. My intent was to further submerge myself into the student populace, to blend seamlessly.  I told many of my fellow students that I was going. Not attending would have made me seem odd on my first day.  I am supposed to blend unnoticed,” he reasoned. “I went, as most other students did, and I responded in a crisis much like any of them would have, sir.”

Dr. Stein did not respond immediately, but allowed Gabriel’s counterpoint to linger in the air. He stood eerily still, his face expressionless and inscrutable.  His maker’s gaze did not waver.  It remained on Gabriel.  He was forced to wait uncomfortably as Dr. Stein deliberated internally.

When finally ready to speak, Dr. Stein was firm and businesslike.  “Let us go to the police station before the officers become suspicious of our whereabouts,” he said.  “Go to the study and secure our identification information from the desk drawer.  Remember, at the police station, I am your father.  You must refer to me as ‘dad’ not ‘doctor’.  I am Mr. James.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And as for the situation this evening, you will not associate with anyone in any type of extracurricular capacity, ever. Is that understood, Gabriel?”

Gabriel knew that such infractions would not be tolerated; that he had received a singular pardon. Though his creator was arrogant to a fault, he dared not underestimate him a second time.

“Yes, sir.”

“This must never happen again. If something like this happens again, I will destroy you,” he warned callously before releasing Gabriel from his arresting stare.

Gabriel’s mind spun out of control as he turned from Dr. Stein and walked to the study.  He knew he would disobey his maker again.  He had to see Melissa outside of school.  He’d be risking his life to do so, but knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was worth it.

Chapter 18

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ON MONDAY MORNING, Melissa arrived at school fifteen minutes before the first bell sounded. She needed the extra time to prepare for her day.  She didn’t sleep much over the weekend.  Too much time had been devoted to agonizing over this day.  She knew there’d be whispers and stares, questions even, and thought the sooner she arrived and handled whatever arose, the better off she’d be.

She felt certain the entire school knew what had happened at the bonfire Friday night, but she didn’t know what consequences to expect.  She’d been drugged.  Kevin had tried to rape her.  Though the facts were plain that she was the victim, she wondered whether his immense influence alone would lend him credibility and exonerate him from what he’d and what he’d tried to do.

Her thoughts swirled around the many factors that contributed to public opinion.  They churned along with her stomach at the idea that intentional drugging and attempted rape could be excused by his reputation and athleticism. 

Despite her incessant worry all weekend, she found it impossible to reflect on the incident without considering Gabriel.  She hadn’t spoken to him since Friday night, a fact that left her feeling oddly unsettled and disappointed each time her phone alerted her to a text that wasn’t from him.  Wondering whether he’d gone to the police department with his father and given his statement was almost an afterthought.  Even though she hadn’t known him long, she was confident he’d done the right thing and had given his statement.  In fact, she couldn’t imagine him doing otherwise.  But why hadn’t he contacted her?  And why did she care so much?  It wasn’t like her to be this way.  Given the circumstances and what he’d done for her, maybe he’d been waiting for a call or text from her...

Standing before her locker on the morning she had dreaded for two days, her cheeks blazed and hands trembled.  Not only was she nervous—okay, terrified!—about what the day would bring, but also worried that she’d somehow slighted Gabriel, the person who’d saved her from being attacked.  After raking a hand through the front of her hair, she fumbled with uncooperative fingers, attempting the combination on the dial of her locker.  After several unsuccessful tries, she finally opened it.

As she searched her locker for specific books, she heard footsteps approaching. For a fleeting moment, she wondered whether her body would fit in the narrow locker, and if she could closet herself inside until graduation.

Melissa assumed the impending footfalls belonged to a fellow student in search of juicy gossip. Her knees felt rubbery from nerves as she prepared for the beginning of a day of unending prying. Nevertheless, she stood ready to decline answering any questions.  She took a deep breath to calm herself before she closed the door of her locker and simultaneously attempted to balance a stack of textbooks and binders in one arm. But Melissa’s deflection was not necessary.  As she looked up from her toppling stack of books, she saw a familiar pair of deep-set, sapphire eyes staring at her. Entranced by the depth of their color, her hands trembled and her mind swirled for a different reason. Her pulse quickened and she felt the warmth of a deep blush return and spread across her cheeks as the notebooks and hardcovers tumbled from her arm and fell to the floor.

Gabriel smiled and stooped to help her gather her things.  She was relieved to see him.

“Oh you don’t have to do that,” she smiled and said as they collected her belongings. “Thanks so much for helping.”

“No problem,” he replied. “You okay?”

“Um, not really. I’m kind of a mess today as you can see,” she admitted as the book she’d been trying to pick up slipped from her hand.

“I’m so sorry.”  His tone was warm and sincere. 

“I didn’t hear from you this weekend.  I mean, I had hoped you’d call me.”  Melissa’s couldn’t believe the words that had just vaulted from her lips seemingly of their own volition.  The heat of her face grew so hot her eyeballs felt as if they’d melt. 

“Yeah, about that, my dad was not too happy about having to go to the police station in the middle of the night.”

Melissa winced.  “Oh God!  You helped me and I got you in trouble.  Great.  Way to go me! Did he ground you?”  Riddled with guilt, she was saddened to say the very least, and felt responsible for Gabriel’s punishment.  

“According to him, my punishment hasn’t even begun,” Gabriel mumbled.

“Gabriel, I am so sorry.  The last thing I wanted to do was cause problems for you.”

“He’ll get over it,” Gabriel said offhandedly. “It’s been a long time since he was a teenager.”

Melissa regretted ever agreeing to spend time with Kevin Anderson.  Doing so had begun a chain of events with profound consequences, some of which had yet to manifest themselves.

Gabriel opened his mouth to speak but closed it immediately as he turned and saw Kevin approaching.  His eyes were bruised and a piece of white tape sat across his swollen nose.

Melissa felt as if her blood were pooling at her feet.  Suddenly faint and dizzy, she feared she’d vomit as Kevin advanced.  Flanked by his minions, Chris Mace, John DeNardi and Eric Sala, Kevin shot her a withering glance.  Gabriel stepped in front of her, positioning himself protectively.

“Whoa, down boy,” Kevin said sarcastically. “Get a leash for your attack dog, Melissa.”

“What do you want, Kevin?” she asked, struggling to steady her voice.

“I just wanted to thank you for sending the cops to my house Friday night. It gave me the opportunity to tell them my side of the story.”  The smug smile that curled the corners of his mouth was pure spite when he added, “You know, the truth.”

“Your side of the story?” she wondered aloud.

“Yeah, you know, how you were popping pills at the bonfire and how you and your boyfriend here were drunk and drugged out and jumped me in the woods,” Kevin began.

“What?” Melissa asked incredulously.  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  She was the victim here.  What he claimed to have told the police was a lie. 

He ignored her question and continued. “Of course, I told them the facts after my parents called the family lawyer.  Made those flatfoots wait nearly an hour while Alan Shapiro drove up from his estate in Bedford Hills,” he bragged. “In case you’re wondering, yes, it’s the same Alan Shapiro that was on the Today show over the summer. He represents celebrities and my family.”

“Get the hell out of here Kevin, now!” Gabriel warned in a low, threatening voice.

Kevin persisted, disregarding Gabriel’s warning, with his unrelenting speech.  Melissa felt her legs threaten to give way beneath her as his monologue was beginning to draw a crowd.

The group formed with a single student who stood by her locker to be in earshot.  Quickly, however, more joined her.

Incited further by the gathering audience, Kevin carried on.

“The bullshit story that you spun, Melissa, was something else.  I’ll give you credit for that.  Me trying to rape you?  Please!  That’s about as obvious as a lie can get!”  He laughed then added, “Wishful thinking.”  He paused and looked around at the rather large group that had gathered to gawk.  His shoulders squared and he thrust his chest out.  His voice louder, he continued as if he were performing.  “After my parents and my lawyer finished with those cops, they were apologizing to me. And you?” Kevin gestured to Gabriel. “You’ve been here what, two days, and you go to the cops to try to set me up for this piece of white-trash ass?” he accused. “Do you even know who I am?  This is my school.  I’ve lived here all my life.  I am this fucking place.”

Kevin had raised his voice so that he was close to shouting. He began rattling off his accomplishments as if his school resume would somehow validate his story.

“I’m all-state in football, basketball and wrestling.  Teachers love me, my classmates love me,” he boasted. “You think your bullshit statement to the police is going to change anything?  I have a future...college, a great job, money.  And where will you go, Melissa?” Kevin directed his attention back to Melissa.  “Maybe you’ll go to community college or maybe you’ll work for you dad at the supermarket stacking bananas for him.  Either way you will always be poor white trash.”

Melissa was paralyzed by the ugliness of his words, by his cruelty. Her feet felt immobile, as if weighted by lead boots.  Her mind willed her to leave, to get out of the line of fire, but her legs remained inert as his words assailed her. Students circled her and Gabriel. Some whispered, others screwed up their faces and shook their heads in disapproval.  Her head began to spin.  Panic seized her. But his bitterness was unrelenting.

Kevin’s voice faded in and out as he spoke to Gabriel, “My dad even suggested that I press charges against you, pretty boy.”

Gabriel ignored Kevin.  Instead, he focused on her and her deteriorating condition.

“I’ll deal with you another time,” Gabriel threatened through clenched teeth. “And I promise you’ll have more than a broken nose next time.”

Melissa could not distinguish one menacing face from the next, they melded together to form a unified, nightmarish image.  The animosity of the horde was palpable, their ill will clear.  Gabriel wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her toward him before pressing through the crowd.

As they pushed passed the perimeter of students, her legs lightened and she quickened her pace from a brisk walk to a jog.  Shoving open the metal exit door, they stepped into the rear parking lot.

Immediately, Melissa and Gabriel were bathed in golden light.  The brilliance of the day was a stark contrast to the darkness that lurked in the confines of the school building.  Blinded briefly, they had to squint to locate Gabriel’s SUV.

After their eyes adjusted from the gloom of the school to the lustrous glow outside, Gabriel found his vehicle.  He quickly opened the passenger side door for Melissa then climbed in and turned the key in the ignition. The SUV roared to life.  He depressed the gas pedal and the two left the campus of Harbingers High School.

The abundant sunshine had warmed the leather interior of the vehicle but Melissa still felt cold inside. She wrapped her arms around her body to combat the chill. Gabriel, attuned to her need, turned on the heater. She felt drained by what had happened at the school. She could not summon the energy to speak. Instead, she tipped her head back on the headrest and gazed into the intense sunlight. She and Gabriel sat in silence as he drove to the entrance of Interstate 29.

After a while, Gabriel spoke. “Hey, don’t let that dirtbag get to you, Melissa.”

“Huh, too late for that,” she replied sadly.

“I’m serious.  That guy is scum. Everyone will see that.”

She turned to face Gabriel and saw how his golden skin glowed in the sunlight.

“You were there. You saw how those vultures gathered around us to get a front row seat. They don’t care if Kevin is scum or not. He’s Kevin Anderson. Every girl wants to date him and every guy wants to be him.”

She felt her sadness quickly being replaced by anger.

“This will pass,” Gabriel assured her.  “I promise you. Kevin had his five minutes to strut around. This will blow over. It’ll just take some time.”

“I can’t imagine that happening,” she said dejectedly. Then looking around she asked, “Where are we headed?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. But I have a full tank of gas and six and a half hours for us to decide. I’ll just drive until you tell me to stop, okay?”

Melissa didn’t object and Gabriel continued westbound on Interstate 29. They crossed a river and traveled across three entire counties. Just before leaving the state, the roadway crested at 1,275 feet, its highest elevation. Scenic overlooks occupied the right-hand shoulder and offered an expansive view.

“Can we stop here?” Melissa asked, pointing to a service area that bore a sign boasting a scenic view.

“Sure,” Gabriel answered as he directed the Explorer to the rest stop.

Once the car had stopped, Gabriel turned the engine off and they both climbed out of the Explorer and stretched.

The sky was scrubbed clean and was a clear, rich cobalt blue. Unfiltered sunshine lit the fall foliage on the rolling hills of the valley. Shades of red, yellow and orange highlighted the treetops. The view lived up to its title.  It was scenic and filled with vibrant colors and lush greenery.

Picnic tables had been placed on the grass and a small building stood to the side.  Along the wall of the building, various vending machines had been stocked with drinks and snacks. Passing one such dispenser, Gabriel bought two bottles of water and two bags of pretzels. He offered one of each to Melissa as they ambled along the grassy space and found a picnic bench.  They sat.

Looking out at the breathtaking view, Melissa spoke.

“Thank you for getting me out of there. I couldn’t take much more.”

“No problem. I would have liked to have crushed Kevin’s face in.”

“You wouldn’t have gotten an argument from me,” she joked.  “I would’ve liked to knock him around for what he said about me being poor white trash,” she continued. “I mean, everything he was spouting was total bull! Just because I am not living in the biggest house in Harbingers doesn’t make me poor or trash.”

Melissa felt her cheeks heat.

“And so what if I can’t afford to actually go to the schools I apply to?  There’s no shame in working and going to community college.  Last I checked a college credit is a college credit. I can get my Associate’s degree and transfer to a four-year school.”

“I’m so pissed that Kevin got to you like this. That jerk succeeded in making you feel bad. He wanted to make you feel small and ashamed, and he did,” Gabriel fumed. “It wasn’t enough for him to smack you around and try to force himself on you, now he’s going to make up lies and try to turn people against you and try to humiliate you? No way! I won’t have it. This will end. I’ll see to it myself if I have to.”

Warmed by Gabriel’s passionate rant, Melissa found her mood lightening slightly. She was reminded that she had skipped school, however, and decided that she should call her father.

“Gabriel, I need to call my dad.  Do you mind if I go back to the car?”

“Here are the keys. Take your time.”

“Thanks.”

Melissa returned to Gabriel’s SUV and called her father. She knew that he would worry if the school attendance office called asking where she was. He would call home and find her not there either. Then he would really be upset. Melissa wanted to spare her father any unnecessary anxiety, so she called him and told him exactly what had happened.  Honesty proved the right decision as her dad shocked her by telling her he’d phone the attendance office and tell them she was ill.

Never one to lie, Melissa knew her father to be a man who prided himself on being honest. His willingness to do so now, as perplexing as it was, was intended to be a show of unity. He was communicating his support for her, and she appreciated it.

Relieved and pleasantly surprised, Melissa joined Gabriel at the picnic table.

“Is everything okay?” Gabriel asked.

“Amazingly, yes,” she answered. “I told my dad I ditched school and why. I told him I was out here with you and instead of freaking out he called me in sick at school. I have the whole day. Go figure.”

“Wow. You’re lucky. If I called home and told my dad that I cut school and took off, I’d be a dead man,” Gabriel confided.

“I know what you’re saying. I mean, my dad used to be really strict like that. But lately, I don’t know,” she paused to ponder her dad’s recent behavior. “He’s changed. And after what happened this weekend I totally expected him to, like, lock me in the basement or something. But he didn’t. Instead, he’s been sympathetic and nice.”

“It sounds like he loves you and respects you. He wants to take care of you, make things easier for you.”

“He’s always had good intentions, don’t get me wrong. He’s just never gone about it like he is now.”

“That’s good. I wish I had a dad like that.”

Melissa considered the weight of Gabriel’s words. She had often thought of her tiny family of two in terms of what, or who, it lacked. After all, her mother was dead and she had no sisters or brothers. Her continual emphasis on the negative points of her life had blinded her to all that was positive.  She’d never bothered to concentrate on how very fortunate she was to have a strong and loving father and an extended family; to have grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins—a brood of people who loved her and she loved in return. Nearly every facet of life centered on family. Family was the core of her existence.

As she thought about her many blessings, she glanced at Gabriel, who looked lost in thought. She stared at him, enjoying the perfection of his profile. With every feature highlighted by golden sunlight, he appeared angelic.  She watched as he peered out at the spectacular landscape before him, his expression brooding and distant from their destination.

“Hey. Where’d you go?” she asked.

Suddenly, Gabriel’s eyes were upon her as he returned from his daydream. Puzzled, he responded. “Huh?”

“You were, like, elsewhere a minute ago. Your eyes glazed over. I mean, you seemed kind of lost in thought. What were you thinking about?” Melissa reddened at her bold questioning.

“I was just thinking about family and stuff like that,” he admitted.

“You live with your dad, right?”

“Yep.”

“Do you have any other relatives in the United States?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Seriously? No crazy aunts that wear a pile of lipstick and still pinch your cheeks even though you’re seventeen?”

“Nope. None of those.”

“How about an uncle who farts at the dinner table and tries to blame a dog you don’t even have?”

“Can’t say I have any of those either.”

“Wow. So what do you do for the holidays? I mean, Thanksgiving is in a couple of weeks, where will you go?”

“My dad doesn’t observe Thanksgiving, or any other holidays for that matter.”

This piece of information left Melissa reeling. Her brow furrowed as she considered Gabriel’s earthly existence without holiday celebrations of any kind. Such a world seemed bleak and empty and inconceivable.  She gave her next idea little thought as overthinking it would only invite self-doubt. Brightening, she asserted “It’s settled then. You will celebrate Thanksgiving with me and my dad. I won’t take no for an answer. You’ll get to meet all my cousins and my Aunt Lorrie, who wears like, a tube of pink lipstick and pinches my cheeks and my Uncle Steve, who is going through a midlife crisis complete with a wig and a sports car and, oh, there’s my Uncle Jack, who passes gas at the dinner table and tries to blame the dog.”

She paused and looked levelly at Gabriel before saying, “Gabriel, we don’t have a dog.”

At that, Gabriel laughed out loud. He couldn’t seem to stop himself. Fueled by his laughter, she continued.

“You don’t know what you’re in for.  Just wait till they all start sharing stories about their childhood. My nana chimes in after a glass of chardonnay and inevitably curses, which gets everyone behaving like rioting monkeys.”

Gabriel doubled over, laughing uncontrollably. She had never heard him laugh before and was enjoying the sound of it.

Gasping for breath, he managed, “I would be honored to spend Thanksgiving with the rioting monkeys.”

Delighted by his acceptance of her invitation and by his infectious laughter, Melissa’s mood soared. She subtly edged closer to him. Her leg brushed his. Gabriel tensed at the contact. Melissa, sensing his tension moved away.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“For what?”

“For, you know, getting too close. It never occurred to me that you might be gay.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“You know homosexual?”

“Where would you get an idea like that?”

Melissa’s cheeks reddened to scarlet. “Well. You know,” she fumbled. “I mean, when I just scooted closer to you and our legs touched, you stiffened, like you were uncomfortable. And the other night, you also tensed up when I kissed you on the cheek.”

“I am not gay.”

“Really? You like girls? I’m cool if you don’t, you know. No judgment,” Melissa added “I’m not going to lie, I’d be disappointed for other reasons but I wouldn’t stop being your friend or anything.”

“Honestly I’m not gay.”

“So you like girls?”

“I don’t like girls.”

“Oh?”

“Nope.”

“Gabriel, I’m confused.”

“I don’t like girls, just one in particular.”

Crestfallen, Melissa weighed the next question she wanted to ask but was uncertain whether or not she wanted to hear the answer.

“Is it Alex? I mean, I understand if it is. She’s so pretty. Every guy drools over her.”

“No. It’s not Alex.”

“A cheerleader?” Melissa asked and thought she’d choke if he said yes.

“Definitely no.”

Taking a deep breath, Melissa brazenly asked “May I ask who it is then?”

Gabriel turned toward her and looked directly into her eyes.  “Melissa, it’s you. I like you, a lot.”

Melissa felt her breath catch in her chest and the heat of a rosy glow burn her cheeks. Her entire body fluttered with joy.

This time it was Gabriel who inched closer. Sitting on the wooden picnic table with their feet resting on the bench, their legs touched. Neither of them were tensed nor did they attempt to move away.

“Just to let you know, I am nothing like Kevin,” Gabriel said gently.

“No, you certainly are not like Kevin,” Melissa agreed.

“I don’t think you understand what I’m saying. I don’t have the same familiarities he has.”

Confused, Melissa asked, “What, like his social circles or his athletic involvement or something?”

“Not exactly.”

“What? You mean his experience with the ladies?” Melissa quipped.

“I guess you could say that.”

“So you have no moves?” Melissa teased.

Laughing, Gabriel answered, “Nope. Not one.”

“That’s good to know. I mean, I don’t have any, either,” Melissa admitted. “In fact, if awkwardness were an Olympic event, I’d be a gold medalist.”

Melissa giggled, but Gabriel did not. Apparently, he did not find her awkward. He looked at her, intensely and with profound sincerity, as if he found her to be anything but. After a brief, mutual gaze, they continued talking. They broached many topics, many of which involved their hopes after graduation, the future.

Melissa had never talked so easily with a boy. Gabriel was different. He was a good listener and participated when she spoke by asking relevant questions, offering his opinions and laughing often. He seemed honest and at times refreshingly as nervous as she was. One conversation spawned another, and then another. They talked and talked, each discussion was fluid and effortless.  The only way she knew that time had passed was when she felt the sun beating down atop her head.  She guessed it was lunchtime.

Hours had passed effortlessly with Gabriel, hours that would have been interminable if spent at school. Unaware that he had continued watching her while she took in the beautiful landscape once again, Melissa turned her head and found herself face to face with Gabriel. She desperately wanted to lean in and kiss him on his full lips. But to her chagrin, his lips parted and began speaking.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“Starving,” Melissa answered.

“Want to get back on the highway and find a place to eat?”

“Sure, sounds good to me.”

Gabriel and Melissa walked back to his SUV. He opened her door and let her in, then got into the driver’s seat. They reentered Interstate 29 and headed westward.

The highway led them into Charming, the last exit before leaving the state.  Spotting a McDonald’s restaurant, Gabriel and Melissa decided it would be their destination for lunch. They pulled off the exit and into the parking lot of the fast-food restaurant.

Gabriel came around and opened the door for her. Each time he did this, she felt warmth within her as it was not merely a courteous gesture, but one that he performed without pretense.

They went to the counter and bought their burgers, fries and drinks and selected a booth in the far corner of the dining area. The lunchtime rush was in full swing and the place was filled with customers, many of whom slowed to look at Gabriel. Certain that they were among a celebrity of some sort, passersby stopped to gawk and stare. Some whispered and glanced subtly while one went as far as fumbling for her cell phone to snap a picture of him.

Melissa studied Gabriel’s reaction to the attention. She thought that while many teens with inflated egos like Kevin would have loved the absurd flattery, Gabriel was not amused in the least. He seemed completely unaware of his exceptional good looks and the effect he had on people. Moreover, he seemed nervous and uncomfortable and asked her if she were okay with them leaving.

She agreed to take their food to go and they left.  This time, they headed eastbound on Interstate 29. The drive home would take them about an hour, just in time for Gabriel to return home without arising suspicion from his dad. So they ate while he drove.

After finishing their food and drinks, Melissa packed up the trash and stuffed it in the bag in which it had come. She would throw it away at home and leave no evidence behind for Gabriel’s father to find. She would not risk causing another argument between him and his dad that could result in further punishment.  She’d done enough harm already.

As they continued along the highway, she couldn’t help but mention how people had stared back at the restaurant. She had never seen such a spectacle firsthand, much less been indirectly part of it.

“That was weird back there. Does that happen to you a lot?” Melissa asked.

“No. That was the first time. It was really bizarre. I felt like a fish in a fishbowl.”

“Maybe there’s some ‘it’ guy in a gossip magazine that looks just like you or something.”

“It’s possible. Those guys seem to be a dime a dozen.”

“I mean, people were staring at you, and one girl even took a picture with her phone. Weird.”

Gabriel appeared uneasy with their conversation. She wondered if the brand of handsomeness he was blessed with was commonplace in the Russian Far East and that such gawking was absurd. She found herself speculating that perhaps he was a celebrity overseas and came to the states to escape the paparazzi. She knew it was a farfetched theory, especially since Gabriel seemed far too well-adjusted to be a famous person of any sort. He had neither a shred of arrogance nor an overinflated sense of self-importance, two components she deemed synonymous with celebrity. He offered his estimation, interrupting her wild guesswork.

“You’re probably onto something with your ‘it’ guy theory. We’ll have to do some research and scour not only the gossip magazines but the gossip shows, too,” he joked.

“I think I’d rather have algebra homework.” She paused a moment then added, “Besides, I’ve tweaked my theory. I think maybe you’re the cutest guy they’ve seen in a while and in our celebrity-obsessed society, they figured you must be somebody, even if they didn’t know who, and they didn’t want to miss an opportunity to be like the paparazzi.”

Melissa blushed after blurting out that she found Gabriel attractive. She turned to look out the window so he would not see her embarrassment at her admission.

“That’s interesting,” Gabriel replied as he slid his hand over and offered it to her. With butterflies storming in her belly, she accepted his hand and held it the rest of the way home.

She struggled to contain the excitement that bubbled within her. She smiled continuously until her face ached as the Explorer navigated Interstate 29 to Harbingers Falls. Sadness enveloped her fully as Gabriel turned off Route 9 and onto Cornwall Road. From there he drove to Top Hill Road and her heart sank even further when he turned onto Blackstone Drive signifying the end of their afternoon together.

She was back in reality where school and Kevin Anderson awaited her the next day. As if sensing her anxiety, Gabriel gave her hand a gentle squeeze when he pulled into her driveway.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at school,” she said softly and released his hand.

“Can I pick you up for school?” he asked.

Brightening, she said, “Sure!”

“Great. I’ll pick you up at six o’clock,” he said enthusiastically.

Laughing, she said, “Yeah, umm, that’s a little early.”

“I know it is,” he said and lowered his eyes to his lap.  “It’s just that, I, well, I just want to be with you.”

For a moment, Melissa wondered whether she’d heard him correctly.  Surely, he couldn’t have just said he wanted to be with her straightaway.  Boys were never that honest, or that sweet.  They played games and delayed calling after dates. They never flat-out said what they felt.

“Do you want to be with me, too?” Gabriel asked nervously and his words set her heart pounding madly against her ribs.  Her mouth went dry and she could not catch her breath.  She feared she would hyperventilate.

When finally her breathing steadied enough for her to speak, she said, “I want to be with you, too.”

Gabriel’s glorious features brightened.  “How about six forty-five?” he asked.  “I’ll tell my dad I’m doing something school related. I’ll be creative.”

“That sounds great,” Melissa said as her pulse accelerated wildly once more.

“See you tomorrow morning,” he said and seemed as reluctant to leave as she felt about him leaving.

“See you tomorrow,” Melissa she said and echoed his words.

Every cell in her body screamed at once, urging her to reach across the console and wrap her arms around Gabriel’s broad shoulders. She wished she were forward enough to do it, wished her cheeks didn’t blaze at the mere thought of it.  But she was who she was, and she did not dare act on the impulse. Besides, she did not want to risk ruining whatever was developing between them. So she waited as he walked around to the passenger side of his car and opened the door for her.  He said good-bye to her and watched as she slowly walked up the stone pathway to her front door. As she watched him wave then drive away, she realized that six forty-five could not come soon enough.

Chapter 19

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MELISSA SHUT THE FRONT door then rushed to the kitchen window and peeked out it.  She made it just in time to see the tail end of Gabriel’s truck disappear.  Seeing him go generated a pang of sadness so powerful, it radiated throughout her entire being.  She missed him, plain and simple, and would have to wait more than twelve hours to see him again.  Twelve hours seemed like eternity.  She needed to find a way to pass the time.  She needed to distract herself. 

She slung her backpack over the back of a kitchen chair and set about inspecting the house, intent on finding things to do.  Loads of laundry needed to be done, the dishwasher needed to be filled and run and the floors looked as though they could stand to be swept and mopped.

She busied herself with housework that took far too little time to complete.  Before long, she found herself wandering to the family room at the rear of the house.

Each time she entered the room, she felt a blend of equal parts relief and grief.  The room had been her mother’s favorite.  Added when Melissa was three, it had not been part of the original construct.  It was a playroom during Melissa’s earlier years and was now a cozy TV room.

Her mother, Jennifer Martin, influenced every article of the room. Her image gazed out from framed photographs that filled the interior wall and offered the story of a happy family of three.  Such pictures comforted Melissa on most days but pained her on others.

In this particular room, her mother still existed. The happy family was still intact, even if only in pictures.  It was as if the cancer had never claimed her mother.

Growing up she imagined her mother looked out beyond the glass, past the void and into the room.  She dreamed that her mother lived beyond her grasp but still in sight.  As she grew to be a teenager, such notions were abandoned and replaced with the bitter truth: the photographs held no cosmic magic.  They did not exist as a portal between two worlds.  They were simply representations of the past.

She stepped into the family room.  Her feet were immediately greeted by thick, plush carpeting that cushioned her every step.  She looked about the space.  Long and rectangular and decorated in various shades of brown, the room ran the length of the house.

She moved past the entryway, each tread protected and supported by the plush carpet.  Selected by her mother, the tan carpet maintained near-new quality. Her mother lovingly deep-cleaned them regularly to keep them clean for her daughter and to uphold the best possible appearance of the fibers.

The carpet, nearly fourteen years old, was still meticulously maintained by her father who believed that preserving his late wife’s routine preserved her presence.

And preserve it he did as Melissa’s mother even existed in the furniture that outfitted the room.  An inviting leather sectional, selected before her death, still occupied the far-right corner of the room and was positioned in front of their fifty-inch LED smart TV. 

Along the internal wall where the television stood and the photographs hung, a simple, inexpensive desk resided. The cherry wood stained table was two tiered and wobbled dangerously.  It housed the family computer.  Though different from the computer her mother had sat at while earning her college degree online, the current model closely resembled the former.

The shaky bureau, assembled by her father, had endured countless wallops. Many nights of frustrating Internet poker tournaments provided ample opportunities for him to whack, bang and smash his hand against it, adding to its instability. Fortunately, a sleek laptop computer served as a portable workstation and homework center for Melissa as opposed to the sad, sagging desk.

Passing the desk and pausing to study her mother’s smiling face frozen in time and preserved by a simple wooden frame, Melissa sat on the welcoming sofa. Enveloped in the soft folds of its fibers, she relaxed. After locating the remote control, she turned on the television.  But just as she positioned herself in the cushions, her cell phone sounded and indicated that a message awaited her.

She sprang from her snug spot and jogged to the kitchen.  Her phone sat atop the counter. She touched an icon on the screen and was brought to a message. I miss you was all it said. The sender’s number was Gabriel’s cell phone. She smiled and was struck by how three simple terms wielded such enormous power. Her mood lightened significantly.  She smiled broadly and returned to her niche on the couch.

After an hour of staring vacantly at the television screen but not actually watching anything in particular, she turned her attention to preparing dinner. But whether attempting to view a program on TV or getting dinner started, Melissa struggled to concentrate. Her mind wandered and drifted from whatever task was at hand and found its way to Gabriel. The mere thought of his name sent shivers racing across her skin and a smile tugging the corners of her mouth. She had never been so preoccupied with a boy. She prided herself on not being the type of girl who sat through class, lost in a daydream, doodling hearts with the name of a boy at each center.  Yet now, she stood with a package of chicken in one hand and the refrigerator door ajar, fantasizing about Gabriel.

She blinked several times, tried to erase his image from her mind long enough to get dinner started. But halfway through her process, the familiar rumble of the automatic garage door opening distracted her.  The garage door opening meant that her father was home from work.

Her father held the position of produce manager at the Stop & Shop Supermarket in the neighboring town of Hartwell Cross. His commute was a mere seven minutes from home which allowed him to return from work shortly after her. Predictably, the door opposite the small half bathroom in the short corridor off the main hallway opened and her dad’s footsteps could be heard advancing toward the kitchen.

“Hey Dad,” Melissa called out “Take your shoes off, please. I cleaned today.”

“Hey Miss,” he answered. “Already did.”

Melissa could hear her father fumbling and muttering in the hallway immediately followed by the sound of a work boot hitting the floor then another.

“Thank you,” she called out letting him know she was aware of his shoe transgression.

She smiled as she ribbed him. Her father was a hardworking man. Each day he came home after a nine-hour shift dirty and tired. Such was his routine six days a week. This day was no different. 

He came into the kitchen with socked feet holding the mail in one hand and a stainless-steel coffee thermos in the other. His black uniform sweater was littered with stickers from various fruits and vegetables and his pants had patches where mud had caked to them.

“Fried chicken with rice and broccoli sound good?” Melissa inquired though she knew it was her father’s favorite meal.

“Sounds great,” he responded as he dropped his coffee mug and a stack of bills and sale circulars atop the counter. “So? Did your day get any better?”

“Oh yeah,” Melissa responded and couldn’t refrain from grinning as she spoke.

Her father looked worried. He furrowed his brow and asked, “Not too good I hope.”

Blushing, Melissa protested, “No, Dad. It was nothing like that. Gabriel and I just drove and drove.  We drove to the border of Pennsylvania, had McDonalds and came back.”

“McDonald’s huh? That’s all?” her father probed.  He narrowed his gray eyes and studied her face.

“I promise, Dad. We stopped at a scenic rest stop place. We sat on a picnic bench and talked.”

She left out the part when Gabriel professed his feelings for her and held her hand. Such details would be unwise to share with her overprotective father.

“That Gabriel kid seems all right. Not like that piece of crap Kevin Anderson. I still want to kill him,” her dad fumed.

“Me, too,” she agreed. “If you could’ve seen him today... ugh! Arrogant doesn’t even begin to describe him. He was beyond obnoxious. He was cruel, trying to shame me.”

“Shame you? You didn’t mention that on the phone this morning. What was he trying to shame you about?”

“Nothing, Dad.  Really,” Melissa lied.

Although she was generally against lying, she felt obliged to spare her father’s feelings. She knew he felt no shame in going to work daily, that he never regarded his job as menial or embarrassing. He did not love it by any means, but was a practical man who viewed his job as a means to an end. His job neither defined him nor limited him. But hearing the blatant insults of a pompous teenage boy might give him pause. Melissa would not risk opening the door of uncertainty for her father.

But he stood before her, scrutinizing her expression. She did not want to disgrace him with the cruelty of Kevin’s words, but she was a lousy liar. She felt the warmth of truth spread across her cheeks as she tried to avoid direct eye contact with her father.

“Melissa, I can look at your face and tell that you’re lying. Now what the hell else did he say?” Her father demanded.

“He just, well, he just said stuff about where you work and how I’d end up working part time for you and going to community college, if I were lucky. Like that’s somehow a bad thing.”

Her father folded his arms across his broad chest and grew silent. Her stomach clenched and churned simultaneously. She had dishonored her father. And though it had not been intentional, indirect, in fact, Melissa hated herself for it. She damned Kevin under her breath before weighing in with her thoughts.

“Dad, I am not ashamed of where you work. Your job supported me and mom when I was little and supports me just fine now,” she said. “He’s the jerk who should be ashamed of what he did to me and what he would have done had Gabriel not been where he was when he was.”

Melissa watched how the mere mention of her mother caused her dad’s eyes to moisten. In the days, months and years that followed her mother’s death, sadness was her father’s constant companion. It had slipped in and replaced his wife. She knew then that depression bore down on him with a mighty heft. She heard him explain to his mother, her grandmother, that breathing was an effort, getting up and facing each day, a challenge.  She never wanted to contribute to all that burdened him.

She saw how being brought back to a time, even briefly, when his wife was alive made breathing difficult again. She hated being responsible for that.

After he took a moment and collected himself, the sentiment passed and he rejoined their conversation.

“I really could kill the bastard!” he said through gritted teeth.

“I know, I know.”

“To think that what you told me on the phone earlier,” he began. “About how he and his fancy-ass lawyers have cooked up some story about you being a pill popper and conspiring with a guy who’s lived here for what, a week, is crazy. It’s just plain crazy.”

“I know. The worst part is, because he and his family are who they are, people will believe them.”

“Some people, Melissa. Damn stupid people if you ask me.”

“Yeah, but a lot of kids at school were paying attention when he was talking, like a bunch of sheep. It’s pretty obvious he’s going to make my life there a nightmare.”

“Well, we’ll figure out a way to fight back. We’re not going to let these rich pieces of crap get the best of us. Besides, we have the truth on our side and DNA. We’ll fight.”

In the moments that she was verbally attacked by Kevin, Melissa had forgotten the forensic aspect of the case and that he had been charged with a crime, not her.

She considered how, in his hubris, Kevin had pranced and pleaded his case in front of a jury of easily influenced teenagers. He could argue that her injuries had been sustained as he fought against her and Gabriel, that they’d been the attackers. After all, he had a more battered face than she did. But none of that mattered in a court of law. Everything Kevin was attempting to do was for the benefit of onlookers in the court of public opinion, which in this case, were his parents and his peers. Eventually, the students at Harbingers High School, and perhaps even Kevin’s parents, would be forced to accept the ugly truth about him. He was a monster.

Melissa’s father scanned the mail while she contemplated her predicament. Their thoughtful and mutual silence was interrupted by his words.

“Melissa, I’m sorry I can’t afford to send you to the colleges you deserve to go to,” he said self-consciously, not looking up from the papers he held.

She realized then that Kevin had managed to spread his poisonous words and infect her father’s self-esteem and undermine his ability to provide properly for his only child. Her hatred for Kevin deepened. She did not think it possible.  But now, she loathed him with every cell in her body. He had hurt her father, a good and decent man she adored.   

Melissa turned from the chicken she was breading.

“Forget that, Dad! You have nothing to feel guilty about,” she declared. “You’ve always taken good care of me and been a good father. College credits are college credits. Don’t let what that jackass Kevin said get in your head. The Andersons, they should be ashamed of the monster they created!”

Considering her last point, her father looked up and met her eyes and said, “Huh” before he walked to the counter where her hands worked to bread chicken tenders and kissed the top of her head.

“I guess I have lots to be proud of,” he said. “Look what I’ve created.”

He then turned and walked out of the kitchen and ascended the steep staircase.

Chapter 20

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NIGHT HAD FALLEN IN Harbingers Falls. The India-ink sky was dappled with stars that seemed to float rather than remain fixed, as if humming and buzzing with nervous energy.  The stars mimicked the way Gabriel felt. He no longer felt part of the canvas upon which he’d been created.  He no longer felt a part of his maker’s plan. In fact, every part of him felt disconnected from the house he lived in and his existence with Dr. Stein. All he could think about was his new life, and the new relationship developing between him and Melissa.

Melissa... 

Her name whispered through him and made his stomach flutter.  Sitting on the edge of his full-sized bed staring out into the indigo abyss, he struggled to remain still. Excitement pulsated within him. Spending an entire afternoon with Melissa, talking with her, eating with her, holding her hand...all of it had left him invigorated. Enlivened. He felt a sense of drunken euphoria he had only read about. But alcohol was not responsible for the way he felt. Melissa was. It was all her.

Melissa had awakened something in him that he had been devoid of, something he never knew he was capable of experiencing. The inebriating thrill was not accurately described in the written word, nor was it correctly portrayed in movies. It was so much more.

He closed his eyes and pictured every feature of her face: her pellucid green eyes, her delicate nose and full lips and her hair, like heated caramel, spilling over her shoulders and down her back. He envisioned her smiling and laughing as she so easily and often did. He could almost hear the sound, pleasant and charming.

But it was not just her outward appearance that enthralled him, though it did personify her greatest attribute. Melissa had a quality that transcended her looks. She had grace. Gabriel believed her grace to be where her truest power rested; she was the embodiment of grace. Every facet of her personality seemed effortless, fluid. And while she did not seem aware of this gift, he was.  Even under duress, she managed to maintain a sense of decency and dignity. In his eyes, she was the kind of girl that moved artists to create and writers to write. He wondered what attracted her to him. After all, he knew what he was.

Thoughts of his creation, the implications of it, spun like a never-ending wheel in his brain. It was nothing new.  He’d wondered about it since his first days. But his previous thoughts had been less personal than they were now.

As he sat awake in his bed, his creation and the method by which he’d come to be, troubled him again. In the dark recesses of his mind a question had arisen and nagged at him unendingly. He had pondered it often, but it had taken on new meaning now that Melissa had entered his life and awoken feelings in him, feelings he was not supposed to have. He wondered whether he was, in fact, human.

Gabriel knew he was not like other humans beings. He was fashioned from superior DNA, designed to be free of all human sentiment as his creator believed that sentiments were responsible for all the ills of society.

He was not the product of a man and woman uniting their genetic material. He was not born of love or lust or anger or violence. Gabriel had been manufactured by a selective process. His chromosomal components had been handpicked, chosen for supreme function not by God, but by the geneticist Dr. Franklin Nicholas Stein. Dr. Stein’s genius constructed him to reject conventional sentiment and, instead, use the area of his brain that was used by most human beings for higher cognitive function.

For most of his existence, he believed that his maker had succeeded, that what other scientists and geneticists could only conceive of, Dr. Stein had attained. Gabriel had grown and absorbed knowledge at a much faster rate than the most advanced human being. His creator had documented every milestone of his development. He had read every record for himself. He knew of his many feats and cerebral prowess. Included in every file was his inability to exhibit any form of emotion despite being provided with ample stimuli.

His maker had been thorough in his experimentation. Gabriel had been exposed to every literary genre available—poetry, novels, short stories, and plays—all by authors who employed various tones, styles and lengths for their material and covered a wide range of subjects. None of the works had generated an emotional response of any kind.

His exposure did not stop with literary heavyweights. He was given religious reading material as well. He had been provided with the Holy Bible, the Qur’an, the Torah, the Vedas, the book of Mormon, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Avesta, the Zhuan Falun and various books by L. Ron Hubbard, author of Dianetics and founder of the Church of Scientology. Religious conviction did not sway him either. In truth, they confused him further.

Each work spoke of a spiritual essence of a person, a soul. Supported by the world’s greatest thinkers including Aristotle and Plato, the soul had been presented as the personification of a being. It had been believed to directly affect one’s earthly actions and was thought to function as the guiding force behind one’s thinking, emotions, memory, desires and will.

This idea of a soul was the antithesis of what Dr. Stein had taught him. His maker had instilled in Gabriel the uselessness of emotions and the baseness of desires.

Until recently, he found himself without reason to disagree. History indicated that countless atrocities had been committed, wars had been waged, all in the name of religion, politics and greed and all fueled by impassioned people. So moved were these groups, so convinced of their righteousness that each clung vehemently to their convictions despite the loss of human lives. Before he’d met Melissa, Gabriel had embraced his maker’s philosophy, despite being perplexed by the mystery and mysticism surrounding the soul of a human being, and what it means to truly be human. Now, however, he challenged the concept of his creator’s core thesis. He was confronted with the possibility that Dr. Stein was a sanctimonious madman hell-bent on transforming the human populace into an emotionless, utopian society.

The significance of such a dilemma weighed heavily on Gabriel.

He allowed himself to fall back on his bed. When he did, his mind reverted to thoughts of Melissa. He felt very human. He felt moved by vastly human forces in him that superseded the teachings of his maker.

Against Dr. Stein’s revolutionary developments and techniques, and despite his preaching, emotions had evolved in Gabriel. Though unexpected, they had emerged and developed as rapidly as he absorbed, processed and retained information. He reasoned that this progression of sentiment was inherent in human beings, not mere creations. Yet despite such rationalization, he viewed himself as a monster. How he’d come into existence shamed him.

Cupping his head in his hands, he agonized over his existence.  He wondered if he was human. Flooded with uncertainty, he began to wonder whether Melissa, too, would see him as a monster if she were made aware of the truth. Entertaining the notion of her not just rejecting him, but repelling him, caused an ache in his chest so profound it caused him to wince aloud. He could not bear the thought of her eyes on him with disgust.

He sat upright and rose to his feet. He walked across his room to his bureau and retrieved his cell phone.

Without hesitation, he dialed Melissa’s cell-phone number.

The phone rang just two times then suddenly her voice was on the other end. He had not concocted an excuse for calling, especially this late in the evening.

“Hello?” asked the melodious voice on the other end.

“Hi Melissa,” he said nervously.  “Um, it’s Gabriel.”

“Oh. Hi Gabriel,” Melissa answered. The tone of her voice suggested that she was smiling. “You’re saved as a contact in my phone.  I knew it was you.” She giggled then asked in a more serious tone,  “What’s up? Is everything okay?”

“Uh, not much.  I was just, you know, uh, here in my room, uh thinking about stuff...you,” he said and hated how idiotic he sounded.  He was slobbering all over a call he had made impulsively.  He wished he would have thought it through.

“Oh,” she said and he could not gauge her tone.

He swallowed hard and took a deep breath then blurted, “I’m not going to lie. I just needed to hear your voice. I’m sorry for calling so late. I was just sitting here thinking and I wanted to hear the sound of your voice.”

A moment of silence hung heavy in the air.

“I’ll let you go,” he said and felt so foolish for calling, his cheeks blazed with embarrassment.

“No, don’t go!” she said quickly and his heart skipped a beat.  “And don’t be sorry either. It’s not too late to call. I mean, I wasn’t sleeping or anything. I’m glad you called.”

“You are?” he said and his stomach flip-flopped.

“Yeah, I was sitting here thinking about you, too, actually.”

Gabriel closed his eyes and savored the new and exhilarating feelings flickering through every part of him. He was hot and cold at the same time, dizzy and nauseous yet he could not stop smiling.

“I had a good time today,” Melissa continued. “I mean, except for that whole Kevin thing and the fact that everyone at school hates me now.”

“No one at school hates you,” he reassured her and felt his smile droop.

“I don’t know. I’m pretty sure Kevin and his friends would disagree with you on that one,” she teased and the fact that she was attempting to joke about it reinforced his belief that grace was her finest attribute.

“I guess you got me on that one,” he laughed softly. “But seriously, don’t worry about those guys. I won’t let them give you a hard time. I promise. And as far as the rest of them are concerned,” he continued, “anyone who is dumb enough to go along with that ridiculous story Kevin is spinning, doesn’t deserve a second thought. They’ll forget about this as soon as the next drama unfolds.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just can’t help but feel nervous about tomorrow,” she began. Hearing that she was worried made his heart clench. “I mean, I appreciate that you want to stick up for me, and I’ve seen you in action. But I have to deal with this on my own. You’re not in all my classes. You know?”

He understood and respected that she wanted to be able to get a handle on the situation with Kevin and the vicious rumors he was circulating, but he felt an inherent need to protect her. He could not explain it, just felt that she needed protection. He struggled to suppress the anger that mounted within him at the actuality of what had happened, the brutality that Kevin had perpetrated against her, and the cruelty he continued to perpetrate.

Swallowing the bitter rise of rage, he said, “I know. But I am always a call away. If you need me at any point during the day, just hit the send button on your phone and I’m there, no matter what. I won’t let him hurt you again.”

She seemed to understand the gravity of what he was saying. She responded with a solemn, “I believe you, and thank you.”

“Listen why don’t we do something this weekend?” he said and shifted their conversation. “We should go out, you know, on a date.” Gabriel heard the words come out of his mouth without thinking them through. He hoped he wasn’t being presumptuous.

“I’d love to, but I thought you were grounded. I mean, didn’t your dad freak out about the Kevin thing?”

Gabriel breathed a silent sigh of relief after hearing her say she wanted to spend more time with him.

“He did, but there’s always a way around things,” he said. “We have a few days. In the meantime, I’ll try to figure out a way for us to do this. The only problem is my car. He always knows when I’ve used it.”

“Maybe we can enlist some help from Alex or Daniella,” she suggested.

“They would do something like that for you?”

“Well, yeah. I guess. I mean, they’re like sisters to me. We would do anything for each other. So, it couldn’t hurt to ask, right?”

“Sure, why not.”

Infused with hope and inspired by courage born of optimism and deep emotions, he felt compelled to share his true feelings with Melissa.

“Listen, I need to tell you something,” he began and ignored the doubt trying to edge its way into his mind. “I feel something for you, something that I’ve never felt before,” he said before suddenly, he lost his words and much of his courage. He no longer felt brave enough to tell her what he needed to say, at least not on the phone.

Fearing rejection, he completed his sentence with “I just miss you, a lot. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait to see you,” she said then paused. “Gabriel, are you sure you’re okay? You sound like you’ve got something on your mind. Anything I can help with?”

Melissa’s voice, so pleasant and full of compassion, affected him deeply. He wanted to tell her.  Tell her everything. Tell her he wasn’t supposed to have any feelings whatsoever yet he felt everything for her. He wanted to explain his existence and that despite the ugliness of it, he felt sure he was falling in love with her. But the words were lost on his lips.

Instead, he answered her question with a simple, “I’m fine, really.”

“Okay.”  She paused.  “If you say so,” she added but sounded unconvinced.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” he replied and knew he’d be counting the hours until sunrise.

“Yep, looking forward to it,” she said simply.

After saying good-bye, Gabriel placed his phone on the nightstand and plugged in the charger. He sat back with his fingers interlaced behind his head only return to his troublesome thoughts.  Melissa was the only balance brought to his growing worry.  Yet the fear of losing her was his worry.  He needed to tell her.  She deserved to know the truth. He hoped against hope she wouldn’t run from him.  He hoped against hope she wouldn’t see him as the monster he saw himself to be.

Chapter 21

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AFTER KILLING TITOV’S men and pitching their bodies overboard, Eugene voyaged from the Russian Far East, enduring the notoriously erratic weather conditions of the Aleutian Islands, to the Alaskan island, Kodiak.  He’d crossed the Alaskan Gulf before arriving in Port Angeles.  As Dr. Stein had promised, a Hummer waited there, hidden at an abandoned shipyard.  He’d rested briefly then began his journey from Port Angeles, Washington, through Idaho and picked up Interstate 80, the second longest Interstate Highway in the United States. He drove along this thoroughfare across Wyoming into Nebraska.

As he passed through state after state, Eugene’s grip on the leather laced steering wheel tightened. Held by an overwhelming fury that seized him with the urgency of a laboring woman, compelled to push her offspring into the world, he needed to birth his rage.

Each time his thoughts reverted to his destination, a small cottage in rural New York, wrath clutched him and surged with intensity. But he knew his anger must be tempered. His seclusion was ordered by his creator. Though he realized his distance was a necessary step in his maker’s process, the thought of wasting countless days in exile spawned resentment. He would be forced to wait, banished and isolated until he was called upon by Dr. Stein. It would be an utter waste of his time. After all, he was designed to hunt, to battle; to kill. Woven into the very fabric of his DNA was the inherent need to pursue and conquer prey. Ostracism in a vacant cabin was an utter abuse of his fundamental talents.

Bitterness flooded Eugene as he contemplated Dr. Stein’s master plan, a plan that did not include him integrally. His maker had created Gabriel to be the future of the human species, a prototype of sorts. Gabriel was the geneticist’s proposed gift to the world—his intelligence, his refined DNA, his physical perfection. Eugene grasped Dr. Stein’s vision of a transformed species. He simply regretted that it would be Gabriel’s superior DNA, not his, initialing it.

He boiled at the notion of Gabriel changing humanity through procreation as his maker intended. Such an idea was a source of great indignation and contempt. It aroused questions, questions of loyalty and allegiance to his maker. He believed himself to be superior to Gabriel in every way. He viewed himself as the ultimate specimen. The specimen after which others should be modeled. He contended his creator’s theory, though only in his mind, and believed that more like him ought to be created. He was the perfect fusion of human and animal genes. The best of both kingdoms. If a legion of men were all manufactured like him, they could start the systematic annihilation of the weak and the feeble.

He, and others like him, would eradicate the human species. The extermination process would proceed swiftly as opposed to gradually as Dr. Stein intended.  Eugene’s plan offered circumstances that would give him the freedom to kill as he pleased, at his discretion, liberated at last from preordained orders. Each time he entertained such considerations, a new feeling began to stir within him. The revamped design of a new race with himself as the model filled him with an odd sensation that he struggled to name. It could best be described as hope.

He had read of hope before and dismissed it as ridiculous, impractical and evident of disordered thinking—typical human behavior.  Yet now, hope manifested itself in a more logical form. It suited his needs and served the original purpose of his maker.

But hope was a dangerous and futile notion for Eugene to harbor, for he was created without the ability to disobey his orders. Nevertheless, Eugene still questioned how he could pledge his allegiance to a man incapable of seeing the obvious flaw in his strategy, that he had selected the wrong archetype.  He caught himself wondering whether Dr. Stein was nothing more than a self-righteous windbag too arrogant to acknowledge his oversight.

As he brooded over a revolution, Eugene looked down at the gas gauge and saw that the needle was fast approaching empty.  Thoughts of mutiny and mutilation had blinded him to his basic maintenance duties. Seconds earlier, he had passed a blue sign indicating that food, gas, and lodging were located at the next exit. He reached for his dark sunglasses and baseball cap before turning off the interstate to a gas station.

He pulled the behemoth Hummer around to a pump at the farthest corner of the location to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention. After swiping a debit card linked to an account Dr. Stein set up in his name, Eugene began pumping fuel into his vehicle.

While he did so, a large tractor-trailer pulled up to the pump parallel to him. A burly trucker climbed down from the cab. Wearing a worn denim jacket and equally tattered jeans, the barrel-chested man lumbered around the front of the cab to the fueling chamber. As he did, his long, bushy beard and bedraggled, shoulder-length hair stirred in the breeze created by passing cars on the expressway.  A large, mesh and foam hat perched atop his uncombed hair read ‘Born to Haul’ and threatened to blow away at any moment.

As the truck driver passed, Eugene noticed how the slovenly human glanced at him but immediately looked away. Then, doing a double-take, he snapped his head back in Eugene’s direction, with eyes wide and mouth agape. The act of stealing a second look incensed Eugene. He felt the familiar rush of anger, felt it flashing just below the surface of his skin. Attempting to calm himself, he breathed deeply to contain the blaze that burned.  While he inhaled and exhaled deeply, the man turned his head to look over his shoulder and gawk at Eugene again. He studied him from head to toe, examining him with such unapologetic intensity that he nearly walked into a concrete support column. His unrelenting scrutiny fueled the growing firestorm.

Eugene’s breathing became shallow. Taking short quick breaths, the inferno propelled him.  He advanced a single step, burning instinct urging him to descend on the truck driver. He paused to consider the disastrous consequences of such a rash act. He chose to repress his urge. Instead, he glared at the man from behind his dark lenses, willed him to look away.

He watched and waited as the trucker, sensing the hatred Eugene radiated, turned his attentions toward the convenience mart. Eugene continued fueling the Hummer, fighting to calm himself.

The trucker returned from the store quickly. Too quickly, for Eugene had not fully recovered. He watched as the man passed, clutching a large wooden block with a key attached to it in his dirty hands.

The grotesque human plodded past him toward the men’s restroom. Eugene was briefly relieved, the burning in him quelled. Though he longed to murder the trucker, such an act was not sanctioned by Dr. Stein. If he did so, there could be consequences. 

His relief ended abruptly, however, when the trucker turned to look back over his shoulder at Eugene.

Blinded by all-encompassing fire, Eugene stalked off after the rumpled truck driver leaving the nozzle of the gas pump in his Hummr. He trailed him the entire distance between the pumps and the restroom. Driven, he opened the door and entered the restroom.

The trucker stood at the sink washing his hands as he stepped behind him. Eugene’s body trembled with anticipation as he bore into the back of the man’s head from behind his sunglasses. Though trembling, he was poised, ready to strike. The man looked up in the mirror and saw him looming in the reflective glass.

“Can I help you with something, pal?” the trucker asked as he continued cleaning his hands.

Eugene smirked, observing how careful the man was to avert his eyes.  He saw how desperate the wretched creature was to not seem confrontational, allowing himself just a fleeting glance at Eugene.

Eugene said nothing but continued to stare from behind his dark glasses. The only sound he emitted was his ragged breathing. Supreme frustration flooded, threatened to extinguish the glorious hell raging within, as the established rubrics set forth by Dr. Stein came to mind. He was all too aware of the many restrictions enacted by his maker. In particular, he was not permitted to act without permission. He was not to interact with anyone without the expressed consent of his maker. Moreover, he was forbidden to kill or harm anyone unless ordered by Dr. Stein.

As he remained, towering over the trucker, the need to attack overwhelmed every muscle in his body. He grappled to suppress the urge. Deprived of instruction, he could not act. The trembling became violent. Resisting the urge to attack was nearly impossible.

“Are you hearing me, pal?” the man asked. “What are you some kind of fag? ‘Cause I don’t swing that way my friend,” he continued, his fear masked thinly by a pathetic attempt to diffuse the tense situation with a homophobic comment intended to be humorous.

Eugene did not laugh. Instead, his body produced one last powerful tremor before he went still.

The trucker looked confused. And terrified.

Without warning, Eugene’s motionlessness ended abruptly. Madness overpowered him and he seized the man by the back of his head and thrust it forward, smashing his face into a mirror mounted flush against the concrete wall. With a thunderous thud created by skull striking glass, the mirror exploded on impact, cascading bloodstained shards in every direction.

With his shoes crunching on splintered glass, he spun the truck driver around hoping that the force of the blow had not killed him.

To his delight, the trucker clung to life.

Eugene swiftly grabbed him by the neck and hoisted him off the glass-littered floor. Raising the dying man to eye level, he listened to meek pleas for life.

Eugene could not grant such a request.

He looked upon the imploring slob with contempt and felt no sympathy whatsoever. What he did feel was a need for release.  The darkness in him demanded death. His mouth twisted into a malevolent smile as his body issued a final shudder. Then, applying pressure unparalleled by the strongest hands in world, he compressed the trucker’s throat, mindful to keep the dying man elevated high enough to stare directly into his eyes.

He watched closely as the trucker resisted death at first, flailing and kicking, before succumbing to his fate with bulging eyes and tongue thrust between clenched teeth.

Still holding the dead man with one powerful hand, Eugene hauled him by his broken neck, then kicked open a stall door and tossed the lifeless body inside. He closed the door then stepped up to a urinal to relieve his bladder before leaving. He took precaution to not trounce the foam and mesh hat that sat, wilted, in front of the restroom entrance.

Eugene finished fueling his Hummer A1 Alpha before climbing in and reentering Interstate 80.

He struggled to recall what had unfolded at the rest stop. It remained a blur to him. In his mind, indistinct images swirled and eddied without taking form. They existed as phantom representations, elusive and indefinable. 

From the dark recesses of his mind, an innate sense warned that he had succumbed to an urge, that he had broken protocol. The gravity of his departure from how his creator, Dr. Franklin Nicholas Stein, expected him to behave sent him spiraling into despair. Eugene realized his actions threatened to jeopardize everything.

Chapter 22

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NERVES HAD AWAKENED Melissa from a fitful night of sleep. Each hour was interrupted by an incessant need to check the alarm clock on the nightstand by her bed. Her restlessness was not entirely unpleasant, though. It was generated by excitement, pure and simple. She was genuinely eager to see Gabriel. Waking multiple times was a small price to pay to know that she would be able to see him for even a short while before school.

She stayed in bed until six, daydreaming and fretting over her less than glamorous wardrobe before deciding to primp.

For forty minutes, Melissa passed her time preparing for Gabriel. She showered, brushed her teeth, dried her hair, dressed and applied a small amount of makeup.  Then she turned to her closet only to be disappointed by an array of sweatshirts, T-shirts and jeans.

Her wardrobe was pathetic by teenage girl standards, but fashion had never been that important to her. Now, however, she found herself wishing she’d been more fashion-conscious when buying clothes. She searched and searched though the sea of frumpy, lackluster garments before settling on a fitted, long-sleeved, button-down shirt and her favorite go-to pair of jeans. She took a quick look at herself in the mirror then gathered her books and backpack and dashed downstairs.

She checked the clock on the microwave on the counter between the stove and the refrigerator.  It read 6:40 a.m., about five minutes before Gabriel’s anticipated arrival.  She took a deep breath to steady her anxiety then set about rummaging through the cabinets, food pantry, refrigerator and freezer in search of something for breakfast. She intended to piece together a meal to be packed into a cooler and shared with Gabriel.  But after examining the sad contents of the cupboard and the fridge, Melissa came up empty. She desperately wanted to do something for Gabriel, to express her affections for him and convey a fraction of the gratitude she had for his presence in her life.

Instead, the best she could offer him were two overripe bananas, one frozen chocolate chip waffle and a box of granola bars with an expiration date of more than six months ago. Abandoning her breakfast idea, Melissa chose, instead, to open the front door and wait for Gabriel.

At precisely 6:45 a.m. Gabriel’s hunter-green Ford explorer pulled into her driveway. He was smiling at her from behind the safety glass of the windshield. Leaving the engine running, he stepped out of his SUV and made his way up the footpath to Melissa’s front door.

In the luminous light of the dawning day, Gabriel was stunning. His chiseled features, punctuated by deep-set sapphire eyes, the linear structure of his nose and the fullness of his lips were splendid. His appearance made Melissa’s breath catch in her chest. She had to look away from him distract herself to avoid the possibility of hyperventilation. She turned and grabbed her backpack off the kitchen table then opened the storm door. Gabriel held it ajar for her as she stepped out.

“Good morning,” Gabriel said, smiling as he spoke.

“Good morning,” Melissa replied as she shut the front door and locked it behind her. “How did you sleep?”

“I had some trouble. I was looking forward to today,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Me, too,” she confessed.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Do you want to get something to eat?”

Melissa had not eaten during the time she was awake. And, although being with Gabriel offered her comfort, anticipation of his company had the opposite effect. 

“Sure, sounds great. What did you have in mind?” Melissa answered.

“I don’t know. We can go to Joe’s Deli and look around. Everyone says they make a great egg sandwich. Or we could go to McDonald’s if you want.”

Preferring to not waste time at the deli instead of spending time with Gabriel, Melissa chose, instead, the familiar menu choices of the fast-food restaurant. 

They pulled out of her driveway and traveled to Route 9. After visiting the drive-thru window and receiving their meals, Melissa and Gabriel headed toward Harbingers High School.

Gabriel navigated the length of the winding, paved pathway leading to Harbingers High and parked in a spot in the rear lot. Once the ignition was turned off, Melissa set about distributing their respective breakfasts, napkins, straws and cutlery.

She watched as Gabriel chewed his bacon, egg and cheese biscuit before he playfully asked, “What do you think of my diabolical plan for the weekend?”

Melissa thought about his question for a moment as she cut her steaming hotcakes with a plastic knife. “Well, I wouldn’t necessarily call it diabolical,” she joked. “I’d definitely like to spend time together outside of school this weekend.” Melissa blushed as she continued, “I’m just so worried that you’ll get caught and be, like, banned from seeing me ever again.”

“That’s not a possibility,” he answered quickly without the faintest trace of humor. 

He seemed repulsed at the thought of punishment involving separation from her. Though she could not be certain, such a notion sent a tremor of delight through her stomach. She smiled and took a bite of her food to keep her trembling hands busy.

“Do you really think Alex or Daniella will agree to help us?” Gabriel inquired.

“Umm, yeah, I’m pretty sure. Besides, they’re such romantics.”

“So let’s see, Friday night works for me. But so does Saturday night.”

“It’d be great if Alex took one night and Daniella took the other,” Melissa thought aloud then couldn’t believe she’d actually said the words.

“That’s a great idea! Do you think they would do that?” Gabriel said enthusiastically. 

Thrilled that Gabriel wanted to see her both weekend nights, Melissa contemplated the enormous favor she intended to ask of her friends. She sincerely hoped they would at least consider extending such an enormous service to them. A vague “We’ll know soon enough,” was the best she could offer.

They finished their breakfast and engaged in light conversation. Too quickly though, the clock on the dashboard radio indicated that their breakfast date was over. Much to Melissa’s disappointment, the adage about time flying when one is having fun proved true. First period was about to begin.

Leaving the SUV, Melissa and Gabriel crossed the parking lot to the rear entrance of the high school. Beyond the doors were the cafeteria and a wide corridor known as the common area that featured over a dozen finished wooden benches that lined the perimeter of the windowed walls. “The Commons,” as they were called, offered students a place to assemble indoors yet enjoy nature through a panoramic view of the park-like campus.

Directly across from the commons were two sets of widely spaced double doors that opened into the gymnasium.

Melissa and Gabriel passed the cafeteria and the common area and paused past the first set of double doors. Loud, rhythmic thumping could be heard.

Peering into the gymnasium to locate the source of the pulsating noise, Melissa eyed a large sound system. On the hardwoods, a group of about twenty cheerleaders were assembled for an early morning practice session.

Clad in various skimpy articles of workout wear, the girls strutted and gyrated in a formation similar to that of a line dancing troop but with choreography more closely matching strippers at a gentleman’s club.

Kevin Anderson, Chris Mace, John DeNardi and Eric Sala grouped in the gym as well. Melissa knew their predatory presence was not a show of support for their cheerleaders. They leered and gestured obscenely, making plain their intent to survey prospective conquests. But the cheerleaders did not seem to mind. Rather, it incited their behavior.

The bass of the song rumbled as the cheerleaders, aware of their appreciative male audience, performed each move more erotically than Melissa had ever seen them perform, writhing and shaking seductively. Melissa could not help but stare at what looked like a perverse mating ritual, unbridled and animal.  She immediately worried that Gabriel, too, was as tantalized as the other boys. He looked on just as she did. Their overt sensuality was undeniable. Yet when she turned to face him, she realized he was not looking at the girls. He trained his gaze, instead, on Kevin Anderson’s pack. 

“Wow. That’s something, huh?” Melissa asked.

“What? What’s something?”

Melissa was relieved by Gabriel’s response. It did not seem contrived or artificial. It seemed genuine. Gabriel seemed oblivious of the vulgar display in the gymnasium, of the girls.

“Them. I mean, those girls, the way they move.”

“Oh, them,” he muttered, disgust lacing each word.  “Yeah, there’s a word for that. Gross.”

Thrilled by his aversion, Melissa celebrated silently, but was still bothered by sporadic bouts of self-doubt. After all, she couldn’t writhe and slink about as they did. She was lucky she could walk and chew gum simultaneously. The thought of attempting to dance and gyrate seductively invited disaster–or at least a trip to the emergency room.

“They have talent. I mean, I’d land myself in the hospital if I tried to do what they’re doing.”

Looking Melissa directly in her eyes, Gabriel affirmed, “You don’t need to be half naked and prancing around like a stripper. You’re too good for that. You’re beautiful and smart and have self-respect. Those girls in there, they’re auditioning.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look over there,” Gabriel gestured to the far corner of the gym where Kevin and his friends gathered. “You see Kevin and his crew? Why do you think they're there?” he asked. “I’ll tell you, they’re not there to offer any kind of help, that’s for sure. They’re there because this practice session is like a sick buffet to them.”

“Oh,” was all Melissa could manage.

Blushing, she turned away from the spectacle in the gym in revulsion.

“Melissa, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you with my crassness,” he began. “Really, I just get so mad when I see that guy, after what he did to you, what he wanted to do to you, and here he is objectifying these girls.”

Melissa waited while Gabriel paused and glared at Kevin.

“And the sad part is that the girls don’t seem to mind. They seem to be willing participants in their objectification.”

It became clear that Gabriel interpreted her blush as shock at his frank talk. She was not offended, though. To the contrary, she was impressed by his perception and sensitivity.

“I get pissed too. Believe me,” Melissa admitted. “That’s why I can’t even look in there. I wasn’t mad at you. You weren’t crass as you said. I mean, really? I’m best friends with Alex for heaven’s sake. She curses like a sailor. I don’t even notice anymore,” Melissa laughed aloud.

“And if anyone knows what Kevin Anderson is, it’s me,” she added solemnly.

Gabriel’s face relaxed as he questioned the truth of her explanation.

“Are you sure?” he asked.  “Because I would never want to hurt you in any way. You mean...so much to me.”

“Gabriel, you didn’t hurt me. I promise. You make me feel the opposite of hurt,” Melissa fumbled, blushing. “I mean, you make me happy.”

Then Gabriel took her hand. Interlacing his fingers with hers, he gave a gentle squeeze as they began walking. They continued down the hallway, side by side, to Melissa’s locker.

“By the way Gabriel, when did you become such a smarty-pants? Objectification?” Melissa laughed again. “You can’t use words like that on me this early in the morning. It’s like 7:30 a.m. You have to wait at least until lunchtime to start working the SAT power words,” she teased.

Gabriel laughed aloud. His mirth was infectious. Melissa found herself laughing too.

Approaching her locker, she was reluctant to release Gabriel’s hand. She adored his deep understanding of people and shuttered at the thought of parting with the warmth of his personality. She noticed his unwillingness to let go as well.

Satisfied that the need to stay was mutual, Melissa turned to face Gabriel. Emboldened by an overwhelming urge to express her affection for him, she leaned toward him, positioning herself closer.

Her heart began to pound, threatened to beat out of her rib cage. She never acted so boldly before. And she did not have a plan. Unsure of exactly what she was doing, Melissa arched her body toward his and silently hoped he did not recognize her complete inexperience.  Dizzied by an unrelentingly racing pulse, she said nothing but leaned in even further and tipped her head slightly. She was drunk with adrenaline, overtaken by the profound need to press her lips against his, feel the tender skin of his mouth touch hers.

Her pulse thundered in her ears. Gabriel seemed to grasp what her positioning suggested. He bent forward in expectation, dipping his head lower. As their faces drew closer, her mind flooded with racing thoughts. Each was worry-filled. She panicked.

She worried she was going about things incorrectly. After all, a boy as attractive as he was had surely kissed many girls before. What if her skills were subpar? Did she even have skills? She had little practice. Each question swirled as they inched closer to each other slowly. Then suddenly, with their lips about to touch, all of her negative thoughts were quieted. In her mind there was complete silence; peace. She abandoned all fears and, instead, proceeded with the most natural, exhilarating action she could possibly begin. But just as her lips grazed his, a familiar voice grated in her ears.

“Hey Bitch!” Alex greeted Melissa. “Ugh. I feel like shit. I’m getting my period. I have such cramps and I’m so gassy and constipated.”

Melissa felt frustrated and disappointed simultaneously. She cringed then looked at her best friend with a look of puzzlement and watched as Alex patted her chest and belched before asking, “What the hell? Am I interrupting you guys or something?”

Reluctantly, Melissa stepped away from Gabriel. The distance pained her.  She feared her disappointment was etched on her face.

Hello?” Alex continued. “Are you people deaf? Do you hear me?”

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Melissa replied, “Wow, mental pause, sorry Alex. It’s been an interesting few days. Sorry you’re not feeling well.”

“Yeah, you know how backed up I get before my period. If the cramps and bloat are not enough,” she began.

“I apologize for interrupting you, Alex,” Gabriel interjected. “But I have to get to my locker before first period. I’ll leave you two to chat privately. Melissa, remember what I said. My phone is on. I’ll see you in third period.”

Melissa watched as Gabriel walked away toward the staircase. His locker was on the second floor. Even though he had just left her, she missed him already.

He was out of sight when cheerleading practice concluded and the cheerleaders began leaving the gymnasium.  Three were approaching their lockers beside Melissa’s.

Kelly Primrose, Marci Davis and Kristen Taft, a trifecta renowned in Harbingers High School for the malicious nature of their gossip and supreme bitchiness, strode up to Melissa and Alex.

As they passed, each turned and looked over her shoulder to glare at Melissa.

“Slut,” one hissed.

“Whore,” another said.

“Bitch,” one spat.

Melissa looked nervously to Alex and pleaded, “Let’s just go. Come on. I need to get to class anyway.”

Ignoring her friend, Alex spun around to confront the trio.

Excuse me?” She demanded. “Do any of you fucking bitches have something to say?”

Refusing to meet her eyes, the threesome just tossed their heads back and laughed. More cheerleaders advanced. Some pointed and whispered and made slanderous remarks while others just stared at Melissa. She felt vulnerable and withered by their stares, weakened by their words. Yet, she had nothing to feel ashamed of. She had done nothing wrong. In her mind, her words rang true. In the court of public opinion, Kevin was judge, jury and executioner.

She could do nothing but watch as Alex began, at their goading, to defend her friend and distribute her wrath.

“Who the fuck do you think you are!” she shouted at the group. “You have no idea what happened. You’re just a bunch of sheep. You believe whatever bullshit that asshole Kevin feeds you! You’re too fucking stupid to question him! He tried to rape her!”

As if on cue, Kevin rounded the corner and moved toward the scene unfolding.

“Ladies, what’s all the drama? I certainly hope a fight results from this. You know, clothes get ripped off when girls fight.”

“Only on your porn channels, asshole,” Alex spat.

Before Kevin could retort, Arlene Cardwell, a retired prison guard who, was now the hall monitor for Harbingers High School, came out of the cafeteria. Hearing the commotion and sensing an impending skirmish, Arlene made her way down the hallway toward them and ordered everyone to get to class.

“Come on guys. Let’s go,” Arlene instructed. “Everyone has a class they need to be in! The first bell rang already!”

The group disbanded slowly at first. The closer Arlene got, however, the more quickly the process proceeded.

As the group dispersed, some of the cheerleaders made comments, snickered. Kelly, Marci and Kristen lingered the longest, as did Kevin.

“I’m sorry, Melissa. I have to get to class. If I’m late again, I’ll get detention,” Alex explained.

Despite feeling a knot form in her stomach that squeezed intensely, Melissa knew it was not her friend’s battle to fight. She did not want someone else she cared about getting into trouble trying to rescue her.

“Don’t be silly. Go. I’ll be fine,” Melissa offered. “And thank you.”

Alex embraced her friend. “No problem,” she said sincerely. “See you later.”

From behind the open locker door of Marci Davis, Melissa heard one of the nasty trinity of cheerleaders sarcastically jest, “Aww. Her babysitter is gone now. Hope she’s able to find her way to class all by herself.”

Snarky laughter followed as the three remaining girls continued their scathing interaction aimed at her.

Melissa slammed her locker shut. She summoned as much courage as she could muster at the moment and fired back.

“Why don’t you three go to hell?” she said.

Then she turned on her heels and headed with trembling legs toward the stairwell. Footsteps were heard behind her. Too heavy to be one of the girls, she guessed it was Kevin Anderson that followed.

“What’s your hurry, princess?” he asked mockingly confirming her presumption.

“Just go away Kevin. This is your fault.”

“This is only the beginning. You think this is bad?” He warned.  “Just wait and see how much worse it’s going to get if you don’t.”

Kevin did not finish his sentence. Instead, he let the last word hang in the air to draw a response from her.

Baited, she asked, “If I don’t what, Kevin?”

“Call this off. Take back your statement to the police, call off the cops and end this crap with me.”

She could not believe what he was proposing. He wanted her to recant her statement–the truth–and absolve him of any offense. In doing that, she would not only pardon his actual and intended acts but also sully her reputation further. She struggled to fathom how he could be so arrogant, so presumptuous. She never imagined she could find him more vile than she did on the night he tried to rape her. Yet by threatening her to get her to retract her statement, he had managed to make himself even more despicable.

“Kevin, you and I both know what happened, what would have happened if Gabriel hadn’t come when he did,” she said careful to keep her voice calm and controlled.

“Yeah, well you got roughed up. Who cares? You’re such a tease anyway. You’ll be begging for what happened then once you get a load of what’s gonna happen next.”

What? What do you mean?” Melissa asked incredulously.

“Oh, you’ll see. You know you can avoid all of this if you just cooperate.”

“We both know that is not going happen.”

“Suit yourself. Can’t say I didn’t warn you,” Kevin laughed. “I am going to make your days here a nightmare,” he threatened before taking the steps two at a time ahead of Melissa.

Shaken, Melissa felt as though she would vomit. She took deep breaths to try to calm down. Sweat beaded her forehead, lightheadedness disoriented her. She wanted nothing more than to call Gabriel, have him leave the class he was in and whisk her off school grounds again. But she knew that that was not an option. She understood that she would have to survive the day–and many more like it–before it all ended, before the truth was finally revealed. Melissa took a moment and steadied herself before continuing up the staircase to attend her first period class.

Chapter 23

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DR. STEIN PACED ABOUT in his underground laboratory. Unable to devote the level of concentration that was required for his research, he stalked about his work area. The heels of his black, patent-leather shoes generated a distinct rhythmic clacking sound upon the pristine, painted concrete floor with each step he took.

As his sense of prudence prevailed, he realized such parading was a waste of energy. He opted instead to perch on the edge of his wall-mounted cot in the alcove that served as his makeshift bedroom.

With one arm folded across his chest and the other stroking his chin, Dr. Stein unconsciously rocked back and forth. He was unnerved by Gabriel’s blatant decision to defy him.  He could not tolerate rebelliousness. Though Gabriel had offered a sound argument to explain his insolence, the fact remained that his creation should not have been capable of defiance.

He trusted in his creation’s conviction, that the bonfire excursion was crucial to his process of blending into mainstream society, but Gabriel’s disregard for protocol left him unsettled.

Outwardly, no one would guess he was troubled. He always projected composure, coldness. Despite his visible calm, however, Dr. Stein battled bouts of paranoia. Uneasiness festered in him like a wound, chafing until it became raw.

He continually revisited and questioned every aspect of Gabriel’s behavior in the days after the incident of insubordination.  It became a pervasive presence in his life. It affected Dr. Stein’s eating habits, disturbed his sleeping patterns. The occurrence galled him to the point where it became so persistent it interfered with his research and development.

While Dr. Franklin Nicholas Stein could contend with sleep and food consumption disruption, distress during his numerous hours of work was simply unacceptable.

Distraction in the laboratory inhibited his ability to build on the foundations of his previous works, to create. His drive and dedication and tireless trials, continuously seeking to surpass his last achievement, had led to the creation of his masterpiece: Gabriel.

Gabriel would be his legacy, his gift to the world. Even his designation was selected to carefully articulate his purpose. Bearing the name of the archangel Gabriel who, according to Abrahamic religions, was a messenger of God, the geneticist considered his creation to be otherworldly, if not angelic, in appearance. His name, however, did not reflect Dr. Stein’s religious convictions, for he possessed none. To Dr. Stein, religion was reserved for the weak-minded.  The name Gabriel maintained its implications only to serve as a suggestion of an emissary that would transform the world.

Gabriel and his subsequent offspring would transform the fabric of the human species. He would evoke a revolution. Because Gabriel was his conception, it would ultimately be Dr. Stein who was responsible for the reformation of mankind.

The thought of having to destroy his stunning success drove Dr. Stein to the brink of madness.

Gabriel was formed with free will but had been adapted to never challenge his maker. Though he was equipped with a brain that absorbed, processed and retained information at a rate unequalled in the history of humanity, conditioning Gabriel was relatively simple.

Dr. Stein implemented fear conditioning, a process by which a person learns to fear new stimuli. Fear conditioning imparted Gabriel with a physical response similar to fear. This fear was reserved solely for his creator, Dr. Stein.

Though designed to be devoid of human emotion, Gabriel received this subliminal distress. Dr. Stein viewed it as a necessary means of controlling his subject. Therefore, fear was permitted and was to function on a somatic level as opposed to a psychological one.

If a design flaw were to occur and Gabriel considered defying his maker, a physical response similar to that of a paralyzing anxiety attack would overtake him. Such an overt display would alert Dr. Stein and warrant immediate destruction. Under those circumstances, Gabriel would be considered a failure.

Dr. Stein considered the prospect that Gabriel had flouted him, superseded his authority, and managed to circumvent the conditioning he had received. Such a notion was preposterous. It would represent a mistake.

Though Dr. Stein believed himself to be incapable of such a mistake with Gabriel, he thought it necessary to consider the remote possibility. He reasoned that observation of Gabriel’s behavior when he was unaware of such scrutiny would yield empirical evidence as it did with every other subject he researched.

Compelled to act immediately, Dr. Stein researched and visited numerous websites that offered an array of surveillance equipment before he decided on a large quantity of wireless devices that would provide him with audio and visual feed directly uplinked to his personal computer. 

Thanks to overnight express delivery, Dr. Stein would receive his investigative instruments the following morning.

He would utilize the full six and a half hours during which Gabriel was at school allocating numerous mini cameras in virtually every corner of the stunning Victorian house. He would mount minute motion-activated reconnaissance apparatus in lamps and overhead lighting fixtures, clocks, fake plants, framed art work, cabinets, closets and mirrors.

No room would be unmonitored, no corner unexposed to the watchful eye of Dr. Franklin Nicholas Stein.

To even the most observant of people, the paraphernalia he purchased would be nearly invisible. Gabriel would detect no difference in the furnishings of the home. He would go about his day-to-day routines and he could observe and study his subject’s behavior, record any changes.

Inspired, Dr. Stein also purchased a duplicate of his initial order for his laboratory.  Though he did not consider his clandestine research site to be vulnerable by any standards, in the interest of meticulousness, it was imperative that it not be neglected.

Dr. Stein would not be constrained by time when wiring his lab as he would be when connecting the system in Gabriel’s residence.

Each row of florescent overhead lighting fixtures would be equipped with devices that would survey the entire quarters and provide more than twenty-four hours’ worth of streaming video with audiovisual authentication. 

Once all cameras were tested and proved to be fully operational, Dr. Stein would be satisfied with himself once again and able to resume his daily activities without distraction. He would be able to recommence his genetic explorations and advancements.

Chapter 24

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MELISSA WAS GRATEFUL that her first and second period classes passed uneventfully. Save for the occasional stares that lingered or whispers between classmates that she could not be sure involved her, the day was proceeding as usual. She found herself feeling cautiously optimistic. She even entertained the notion that perhaps the occurrence before school was an isolated incident, that the possibility existed that somewhere deep inside Kevin lurked a shred of human decency. But such thoughts were pure guesswork, and dangerous at that. 

The bell rang and snapped her back to more rational thinking.  It also signaled the start of third period with Mr. Adams. It meant she would see Gabriel, as well.

She hurried to class. As she entered, she scanned the room for Gabriel. To her disappointment, he wasn’t there. She took her assigned seat near the rear of the room and waited for him. In the front of the class, Mr. Adams positioned himself behind a black metal music stand that was his makeshift podium. His eyes were focused on the analog clock mounted on the wall beside the door. The tolling of a second bell would signal that the class officially began. Any student arriving thereafter would be deemed tardy.

Just before the second bell rang, Gabriel crossed the threshold. Melissa felt a rush of relief at the sight of him. She was not the only person who enjoyed his arrival though. As one of the last to enter, Gabriel held an audience of more than twenty-five students spellbound. She watched as all eyes in the classroom tracked him. He garnered a response that was equal parts captivation and appreciation. They stared approvingly, like art aficionados admiring a famous work.

She believed it impossible to look at him any other way. Gabriel James was a masterpiece. He was not good looking by conventional standards. He could not be categorized as merely noticeable. Instead, his attractiveness was worthy of awe, his features so flawlessly arranged they seemed divine.

As he sat next to Melissa, Gabriel turned and looked at her. He offered her an open, honest smile. His guilelessness was something she marveled at. She wondered how a person as breathtaking as he remained so genuinely unaware of his perfection. Kevin, on the other hand, was not nearly as attractive but relished in attention, preened more often than anyone she had ever known and continually stole glances at his reflection in any surface with a reflective property. He was vain by every definition of the word. But not Gabriel. Gabriel was different. Dramatically different.  He was neither cocky nor conceited. Rather, he was calm, composed and humble.

Melissa smiled back at Gabriel. He mouthed to her, “Are you okay?”

She silently answered by shrugging and tipping her head to one side.

As if reading her mind, Gabriel reached across the aisle that separated them and wrapped his hand around hers, a gesture so warm and affectionate a rosy glow spread across her cheeks.

“Let’s get to work people,” Mr. Adams began droning. “And to Melissa and Gabriel, let’s focus on our classwork please. Thank you.”

Melissa unwillingly let go of his hand, opened her notebook and began transcribing Mr. Adams’s lecture.

After a lengthy fifty minutes, the session ended. With the sound of another bell, the class was freed from their instructor’s incessant whining. Happily, Melissa left Mr. Adams’s classroom hand in hand with Gabriel.  Lunchtime was next and her spirits were buoyed. She smiled broadly while they walked to her locker. Gabriel suggested they grab a sandwich from the cafeteria and head out to his Explorer to eat. As they approached her locker, however, she realized Gabriel’s plan might change.

Daniella stood, waiting at Melissa’s locker.

Though Melissa was always happy to see her lifelong friend, she needed to be with Gabriel, just Gabriel. She did not want to hurt Daniella’s feelings nor did she want to alienate her friend for a boy. Both she and Gabriel had been through traumatic events together recently. And with his punishment, school was the only place she would be able to spend time with him.  She knew Daniella would understand.

As Melissa and Gabriel approached, she spotted a familiar and unfriendly trio of vultures circling behind Daniella. Kelly, Marci and Kristen, the vapid pride of Harbingers High’s cheerleading squad, lurked about.

“Hey you two! Any lunch plans?” Daniella inquired.

“Umm, we were just going to get something from the cafeteria and eat in Gabriel’s car,” Melissa answered.

“Huh. Good. We won’t have to look at the whore while we eat,” Kelly muttered.

Melissa did not dignify Kelly’s cruelty with a response. Instead, she ignored the comment as did Daniella. Her friend calmly continued asking, “Want to go to my house? My mom made, like, a vat of her vegetable soup,” she offered.

Melissa’s mouth watered at the thought of Mrs. Colucci’s soup.

“My dad is off today,” Daniella continued. “He’d be happy to see you, Melissa. Alex and I are going. You’re both welcome to join us.”

“Be careful, she may try to do your dad,” Kristen murmured then laughed snidely.

Melissa lowered her head sadly. Unwilling to engage the trio in an argument, she turned instead and began to walk away.

Unexpectedly, Gabriel lashed out. In a low, almost hoarse voice, he assumed an arrogant tone that could have rivaled the most loathsome leading man on television.

“Hey! You’re calling her a whore?” he hissed. “None of you have an ounce of the dignity and self-respect she has! You three skanks walk around here dressing and acting like hookers and you have the nerve to call her a whore? What a joke!”

Judging from the expressions on their faces, his tirade did not prove as effective as he had intended. So he added, “None of you are anything to look at anyway.”

Melissa was confident that insulting their appearances had landed a direct hit; he had struck them in their self-esteem. She had never heard him speak a mean word, didn’t know he could do so. But she was proud of him.

She watched, pleased, as Kelly Primrose, Marci Davis and Kristen Taft froze, their faces a mixture of astonishment and humiliation. Gabriel had not yelled at them as Alex had. Instead, he ridiculed them.  His words were weightier, more significant than Alex’s because he was a boy; an extremely handsome boy. His words stung.

Unsure of what to do with their wounded egos, the threesome slunk away.

Melissa and Daniella turned to Gabriel in unison and grinned.

“Oh my God! That was amazing!” Daniella cried.

“Seriously, Gabriel, that was awesome! Did you see their faces? It was priceless!” Melissa exclaimed.

“I’m texting Alex right now! She may want to erect a statue in your honor!” Daniella declared as her thumbs worked feverishly at the key pad of her cellular phone.

Gabriel seemed uncomfortable with the praise he was receiving; he shifted uncomfortably before excusing himself.

To Daniella he said, “Thanks for inviting me for your mother’s soup but, I’m going to have to take a rain check. I’m going to grab a sandwich from the cafeteria and eat in my car.”

Gabriel smiled sincerely then added, “I have to review my history notes for fifth period.  We’re having a test and I didn’t have a chance to study last night. I’m really sorry.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I totally understand. Besides, my mom makes this soup, like, all winter long. It’s mine and my dad’s favorite. Melissa, are you coming?”

“I think I’ll stay with Gabriel if it’s all the same to you.”

“Sure no problem,” Daniella answered without a trace of animosity. “I’ll stop by your house after school, okay?”

“Sounds great,” Melissa said as she embraced her friend. She knew she could always rely on Daniella’s understanding nature and generous spirit.

Smiling broadly, Daniella turned to Gabriel once more and joked, “You’re a rock star, Gabriel James. Seriously, you’re my hero.”

Gabriel playfully rolled his eyes at her then snarled his lip imitating the great Elvis Presley and drawled, “Thank you, thank you very much.”

Melissa watched as Daniella, delighted by Gabriel’s impersonation, giggled and floated down the hallway toward the main entrance of the school in the front of the building.

They waited, holding hands, until Daniella left the building. Then, Gabriel turned to face Melissa.

“I forgot to dump my books off in my locker,” he began “And I have to ask my history teacher, Mr. Feldman, a quick question about the test today. I’m going to run upstairs and do that. While I’m gone would you mind getting the sandwiches at the cafeteria?”

Gabriel reached into his back pocket and retrieved his wallet. He opened it and produced a fifty-dollar bill.

“Sure. I mean, I don’t mind. Geez, Gabriel, do you have anything smaller,” Melissa wondered aloud looking at the large sum of money he was entrusting her with.

“Sorry, that’s all I have. Do you think the cashier will have enough to give you change?”

“I have no idea. But if you want, I’ll just buy fifty dollars’ worth of cafeteria food,” Melissa teased.

“Fine, but only if you’re really hungry. Hey and if you’re going to eat that much school food I hope your dad has a good health insurance plan. You’ll need it to cover the trip to the hospital from eating so much garbage,” he joked back.

She savored his sense of humor and adored their breezy banter. To maintain their repartee, she furrowed her brow and squinted.

“I resent that,” Melissa said feigning irritation. “Our lunches aren’t so bad. Besides, who are we to criticize when our meals together have consisted largely of fast food?”

“Huh. Good point. Well then, be sure to get extra mayo and extra Swiss cheese on my turkey sandwich, you know, just to keep my diet consistent,” he winked and smiled then continued. “And if we’re going to do this right, we’ll need some fries or chips, too.”

Laughing, Melissa asked “Will that be all? I feel like I should be writing all of this down.”

“Nah. I have faith in you. You’re a smart girl. You’ll remember,” he kidded. Handing her his keys, Gabriel said more seriously, “Are you sure you don’t mind? I hate to ask you to, I don’t know, serve me.”

“Honestly, Gabriel, you don’t have to worry. I don’t feel like your bossing me or anything. After all, you did save me the other night. Picking up lunch for you is the very least I can do,” Melissa said tenderly.

“You owe me nothing. I’m just happy to know you,” Gabriel smiled sweetly then added, “I’ll meet you in my car in like, ten minutes, okay.”

“Yep, see you in ten with a whole lot of food.”

Shaking his head and smiling, Gabriel trotted off in the opposite direction of Melissa before disappearing into the stairwell.

Just as Gabriel moved out of sight, Melissa spotted John DeNardi and Eric Sala leaving the common area opposite the gymnasium. They saw her and loomed closer.

As Kevin’s friends approached, Melissa gathered her books and stuffed them into her locker as quickly as she could. She shoved the fifty dollar bill that Gabriel had just given her into her front pocket and tried to flee to the cafeteria.

Somehow, they witnessed her shove the fifty dollar bill into her pants pocket. John DeNardi offered his thoughts first.

“Well, I guess it’s safe to bet what she got that for,” he began.

“Yeah,” Eric chimed in. “I guess fifty is the going rate for a roll in the sack with her.”

“Huh, so sad though, that she has to resort to turning tricks during school hours,” John continued, raising his voice.

A few students began to gather. Melissa tried to push through and escape but could not penetrate the unwilling crowd. A hostile audience had assembled and was enjoying the show again. Inspired by the spectators, Eric and John continued.

“Yeah, man. I guess her daddy doesn’t make enough stacking bananas or whatever it is he does over at Stop & Shop. His little girl has to work during school days instead of just on weekends,” Eric mocked.

Cruel laughter sounded from the growing mob.  Melissa felt the customary nausea that accompanied each encounter with Kevin or his followers. The group crowded her, encircled her in a ring of ridicule. She attempted desperately to break the circumference of the gatherers, but was denied access.

“Who’d you bang today, Melissa, a student, or have you moved on to the faculty?” John taunted.

“Leave me alone!” Melissa shouted as she frantically strained a second time, pressing to pass through the fringe of onlookers.

Undeterred, they persisted.

“Aww. So sensitive. I didn’t think your kind was so thin-skinned,” Eric derided.

“Yeah, I thought dirty whores were tough, like they are in the movies,” John insulted.

“Just let me through!” Melissa screamed on the verge of hysteria.

***

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AS GABRIEL RETURNED from his locker and preemptive meeting with his instructor, he paused at the top of the stairwell. He checked his cell phone to see if there were any messages from Dr. Stein. There were none. As he placed his foot on the first tread, he heard a voice; Melissa’s voice. It was shrill and distressed. His body immediately and inexplicably responded to her cries sending a surge of adrenaline through him. It activated every cell in him. He ran down the three flights of steps with dexterity and ease, descending them at full speed three at a time.

Reaching the last step then finally the landing, he ran and rounded the corner of the vestibule. He immediately saw the large group that had formed. In the center of the chaos, Eric Sala and John DeNardi stood.

“Hey!” Gabriel yelled as he approached the horde. He knew who was at the center enduring their verbal brutality before he even saw her. Melissa, fragile, vulnerable and with tears streaming down her face, was cowed before them.

Enraged, he screamed, “What tough guys! Picking on a hundred-pound girl!” as he shoved past the outer-edge of the crowd. Gabriel stepped up to Kevin Anderson’s two disciples.

Toe to toe, with his face just inches from theirs, he growled, “This ends here!”

Gabriel’s intensity and posturing forced both Eric and John to instinctively back away.

“Let’s do this right here right now!” Gabriel confronted.

Eric and John, stunned, offered no response. They simply stood there, looking at him dumbly..

Talking through clenched teeth, Gabriel challenged and spread his arms, “What, nothing to say now, you friggin’ cowards?”

Still, neither Eric nor John spoke.

“Where’s Kevin?” Gabriel demanded once again.  “I am ending this, with all of you, today, right now!”

John and Eric remained quiet and gestured, rather, to the double doors at the rear of the hallway that led to the back parking lot. As they did so, the mob that gathered to witness Melissa’s verbal bashing began to break up. Unflinching, Gabriel glowered at the set of followers. Most squirmed with discomfort before lowering their gazes to their feet and turning to walk away.

“I will see you both in the parking lot,” Gabriel resolved, addressing John and Eric.

To Melissa, Gabriel asked concernedly “Are you okay?”

When she answered him, her voice was overwrought and quavering. “Let’s just get out of here.”

“No! I’m ending this now!”

“Please Gabriel, just let it go.”

“I can’t let it go. It’s not going to stop. It’ll keep getting worse.”

“Please!” Melissa begged as she trailed Gabriel down the hallway.

Although Gabriel suffered at hearing her emotional appeals, he knew he must not be swayed. He recognized the necessity of confronting Kevin in front of his followers. He needed to be shamed the way he and his friends continually attempted to shame Melissa; he needed to agonize as she had over his many abuses. 

Rallied further by his irate thoughts, Gabriel slammed open the metal doors and stalked out into the rear parking area.

Across the lot, he had a clear view of Kevin holding court beside his sleek Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe, likely regaling a group of his adoring peers with tales of his many sports-related achievements: game winning touchdowns, expertly executed three-point basketball shots and complex wrestling maneuvers.

Smiling smugly as he spoke, revealing his signature set of blinding-white teeth along with his trademark solitary dimple on his right cheek, Kevin seemed to hold his audience spellbound. He gestured vigorously as he addressed them, giving emphasis to his every account.  Every gaze remained fixed on him.

The group of eyes veiled by adulation for Kevin proved beneficial for Gabriel. It gave him an advantage. Kevin’s admirers did not take notice of his advancement toward them; they did not warn him.

Utilizing the benefit of surprise, Gabriel strode with confidence and purpose as anger coursed through his veins. But he did so unnoticed. As he drew near, Kevin, as if possessed by his bloated and distorted sense of worth, did not even bother to look up until it was too late and Gabriel was before him.

“Hey, Anderson!” Gabriel shouted. “I thought I told you to leave Melissa alone!”

A faint expression of surprise flashed across Kevin’s face before he regained his composure and retorted. “Let your little whore fight her own battles.”

Hearing Kevin call Melissa a whore evoked a resurgence of rage in Gabriel. He longed to release his wrath on Kevin, to free the contempt he’d carefully harnessed at their last encounter in the woods.

“You better watch what you say about her, Kevin!” Gabriel warned.

“Yeah, what’re you gonna do about it asshole?” Kevin challenged.

Gabriel could tell it was fake confidence. He could see sweat trickle down from his hairline and the wild pulsation of his carotid artery. Gabriel assumed Kevin was hoping he would not accept his challenge.

“You want to settle this right here? Let’s go!” Gabriel accepted.

“Go away, Gabriel,” Kevin said. “Don’t make a fool of yourself. You’re not catching me off-guard now like you did at the bonfire.”

The mention of the bonfire, the night when Kevin drugged Melissa and struck her repeatedly and tried to rape her, was all Gabriel needed to incense him.

“If by off-guard you mean when I interrupted you attacking a defenseless girl you were trying to rape, then yeah, you were off-guard! I’m not going anywhere! This ends right here, right now!” Gabriel contested.

Gabriel remained, readied to jump at the first sign of aggression. With his shoulders squared, and feet planted, every muscle in his body yearned to attack. He listened intently and waited for Kevin to accept his challenge, and act.

“No, man. Another time, another place,” he faltered.  “Don’t embarrass yourself. You’re new here. I’ll give you a pass. Just go inside.”

Gabriel scrutinized Kevin as he spoke. His calm façade was just that. Gabriel guessed he was not the only one able to see past the thinly veiled fear imprinted on his every feature. He decided to exploit his opponents dread.

“What’s the matter, Kevin? All talk? Are you afraid or something?” Gabriel taunted. “We both know what would happen if we fought again, the same thing that happened at the bonfire. I’d kick your ass again like the little punk you are!”

“Shut up, asshole!” Kevin whined.

“Why don’t you come over here and shut me up! I’m standing right here!” Gabriel outstretched his arms. “Come on Kevin. What are you waiting for?”

It did not surprise Gabriel when Kevin did not move toward him. Predictably, Kevin just stood, astonished, unable to speak.

“Nothing to say now Anderson? Cause all you’ve done for the last few days is run your mouth about how you were jumped, how I, alone, couldn’t have messed you up like I did while you tried to rape Melissa in the woods! Well, put your money where your mouth is!” Gabriel shouted. “Let’s go! Right here right now! Prove to everyone what a badass you really are!”

Still, Kevin remained silent.

“Oh! That’s right. I forgot. If I were a drugged and defenseless girl, you’d be all over me. But I’m not, am I?”

The crowd that moments ago stood captivated by Kevin Anderson, began to slowly distance themselves from him. Gradually, the pack started to thin as onlookers became painfully aware that Kevin would not answer Gabriel’s challenge.

“See Kevin, even the sheep who worship you here are seeing that you’re not just a coward but a liar!” Gabriel yelled.

Kevin’s posture degenerated right before Gabriel’s eyes. Instead of standing with his shoulders back and his chest puffed out before a captive of audience, he slouched alone. With rounded shoulders, he hunched slightly.  His hands were now stuffed in the front pockets of his jeans.

More students departed. Some muttered negative comments about Kevin as they passed. His self-serving anecdotes would no longer have the potency they did earlier. Kevin had been humbled, shamed.

Gabriel suppressed a triumphant smirk as he witnessed the effectiveness of his public chastisement of him. Kevin turned toward the driver’s side door of his black sports car and, careful to not meet Gabriel’s stare, climbed in. After starting the engine, he shifted into gear and accelerated quickly. Dirt kicked up and scattered as his tires spun. He left, unceremoniously, quickly.

Gabriel watched as Kevin sped off before turning to Melissa, who had nervously witnessed the entire scene unfold.

Gabriel was pleasantly surprised when she approached him and wordlessly wrapped her arms around him

Chapter 25

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AFTER A LONG DAY AT school that included three tests and a confrontation with Kevin Anderson, Gabriel was glad to leave. He regretted that he could not drive Melissa home and spend time with her. He needed to go home. Dr. Stein would be expecting him.

He reflected on the day as he drove, losing himself in thought until he arrived at his driveway. As he traveled the length of the gravel-filled path, the Gothic Victorian came into view. The house, positioned against the waning daylight, looked menacing. Its many striking edges were not softened by the shades of gold and orange, but intensified. It loomed darker in contrast, each angle sharpened, every slope steepened. It stood, a blackened castle against a fairytale-hued canvas of colors, cold and dark, puncturing the warm and brilliant backdrop. Pulling up to the garage, Gabriel noticed that the interior lights were on. Dr. Stein was there.

Gabriel drove into the garage and turned off the engine. He remembered the last time his maker left the laboratory and visited the main house. The confrontation was fresh in his mind. Gabriel had already engaged in enough conflicts for one day. He did not need another.

He climbed out of his SUV, laden with concern, and entered the house through a door that led to the laundry room. He crossed the laundry room to a flight of stairs. As he ascended the staircase, anxiety filled him. He paused briefly to listen for sounds of activity. None were heard and he continued, unsure whether stillness was a good sign.

Gabriel reached the top of the flight and stood before another door that opened to a hallway. The corridor led in one direction to a bathroom and the other to a formal living room and dining room. He listened again and still heard silence. The quiet was eerie and unsettling.

Turning the knob and entering slowly, Gabriel did not see the geneticist at first. The bathroom door stood open, vacant. The formal dining room appeared unoccupied. Gabriel moved forward in search of what he could only imagine would turn out to be an unpleasant visit from Dr. Stein. Surprisingly though, his maker was not seated on any furniture in the formal living room nor did he inhabit any corners in the room. He was nowhere in Gabriel’s field of vision. Perplexed, he remained where he was, in the center of the living room, wondering where exactly Dr. Stein was. 

Finally, a man was heard clearing his throat from the kitchen. Surprised, Gabriel moved swiftly toward the sound only to find Dr. Stein leaning against the granite countertop of the center island, one arm folded across his chest while the other feverishly stroked the lower half of his creased, scowling face. He appeared deep in thought and looked ill. His thick hair, jet-black and always neatly arranged, provided a severe contrast against his skin.  Though the lighting in the house was more forgiving than the lab, his complexion was still ashen. 

“Hello, Dr. Stein, sir,” Gabriel said careful to not reveal his growing unease.

His apprehension increased as Dr. Stein did not reply right away. Rather, he waited, allowing his beady eyes to search Gabriel’s through wired-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. Inside, Gabriel felt his worry mount.

Finally, after what felt like an endless period of scrutiny, his maker elected to speak.

“Gabriel,” Dr. Stein replied remotely.

“Can I be of any service to you, sir?” Gabriel offered still fraught with questions about the unscheduled encounter.

“Yes, Gabriel. You can,” Dr. Stein began, enunciating each word with painstaking precision.  “I am going out of town for a few days. I am leaving Friday afternoon and I will be returning Sunday evening.”

“Yes, sir,” Gabriel answered still unsure of where the conversation was headed.

“I demand that you stay home. Do you understand me, Gabriel?”

Suddenly, Dr. Stein’s intention was clear. He feared rebellion. The bonfire incident had rattled him and made him distrustful of Gabriel.

“Yes, sir.”

“You must remain here in this house, Gabriel. No bonfires, no skirmishes in the woods,” he commanded icily.

“Yes sir,” was all Gabriel would allow himself to say. Feigning complete compliance was crucial.

“I want to be very explicit with my instructions. There should be no confusion. My instructions are not subject to interpretation.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I do not wish to be carted off at a ghastly hour of the night to the local police station to verify your fabricated identity.”

“Yes, sir.”

“It is essential that I make my demands clear as we both know what the consequences will be for noncompliance, Gabriel,” Dr. Stein warned bitterly as he stepped toward him.

Involuntarily, Gabriel flinched when his maker advanced. His heart began to race and perspiration beaded his forehead.

Dr. Stein appeared satisfied with the response he evoked and retreated, leaning once more against the counter. Only this time, his usually unreadable countenance bore the slightest trace of satisfaction. Of arrogance.

Feeling his pulse rate return to normal and the tension releasing within him, Gabriel internally questioned what was happening to him. Melissa had evoked a similar physical response but it was accompanied by a pleasant fluttering sensation and heightened his senses. It roused and energized him. The phenomenon that occurred just now with Dr. Stein was completely different. He felt paralyzed inside. Dulled to his surroundings, save for the expression on his maker’s face.

“Gabriel, do you understand what is required of you?” his maker asked in a tone that was terse and impersonal.

“Yes, sir. I do.”

“Very well then, I will return on Sunday sometime after five o’clock.”

After Dr. Stein stressed his expectations during his absence, he promptly left.

Gabriel watched as his maker turned on his heels and strode out of the kitchen. The rhythmic clacking of his dress shoes could be heard echoing through the living room and dining room and down the flight of steps which led ultimately to the garage.

Gabriel was shaken. Uncertain why his body responded as it did, he breathed deeply to steady himself. All the while he resisted the urge to call Melissa immediately and inform her that plans had changed and that he would have access to his car over the weekend. They would be free to be together. He opposed every compulsion that urged him to grab his phone and instead postponed texting Melissa with the good news until the sound of the garage door opening then closing could be heard. When both were heard, he immediately pulled his cellphone from his pocket and began texting.

***

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DANIELLA DROVE MELISSA home from school. She was happy to spend some time with Daniella, but she missed Gabriel.

As they sat at her kitchen table chatting, an alert sounded from Melissa’s phone. A text message had been sent to her.

Picking up her phone, Melissa was shocked to read the text message from Gabriel. It said that his father would be out of town for most of the weekend. 

They would not need to plan a double-date with another couple. They would not need to solicit favors from her friends. Gabriel and Melissa would go on an actual date. She was overjoyed as she turned to Daniella and told her of the change of plans.

“Daniella, you’re not going to believe this,” she began. “Gabriel just texted me. His dad is going out of town for the weekend!”

“Get out! Really?” Daniella replied with her eyes wide and a smile rounding her cheeks.

“You know what this means right?” Melissa asked but didn’t wait for her friend to answer. “He and I can go out this weekend, on a date!

“Oh my gosh! This is so awesome!” Daniella squealed. “But will your dad be okay with it?”

“I don’t see why not. I mean, Gabriel did pretty much save me...”

Melissa’s voice trailed off as she briefly relived the night of the bonfire.

“Melissa? Melissa? Hey! Are you okay?” Daniella was asking.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just everything that has happened, and is still happening, gets to me. It eats away at me every day. It would be impossible except, well, I mean, except for the Gabriel thing.”

She could not adequately explain to Daniella how much it meant to have Gabriel in her life. Anything she could come up with would sound corny. But their relationship was growing. It was far more than a shared dislike of Kevin. She realized it was never about that. She liked Gabriel. He was easy to talk to, open and honest. Though run-ins with Kevin often prompted their time together, they spoke of other things. Anything. Everything. Gabriel was intelligent and a good listener. He laughed easily and seemed to genuinely enjoy her company. And he was gorgeous. She felt fortunate to know him.

Daniella seemed to recognize the dreamy-eyed expression on her face and said, “You’ve really fallen for him, haven’t you?”

Bobbing her head with an enormous grin, Melissa replied, “Absolutely!”

“That’s so great,” Daniella gushed. “Have you two kissed yet?”

“Nope, we were about to, but guess who came up and offered way too much information about her monthly friend?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Daniella rolled her eyes. 

“Do I look as if I’m kidding?”

“Seriously? Please tell me Alex didn’t come up to you two as you were about to suck face and tell you about her period,” Daniella asked incredulously.

“Oh, but she did,” Melissa laughed. “And it gets worse. She went on to tell us how constipated she was, also.”

Both girls grimaced before erupting into laughter.

“Stop it! You’re kidding me, right?” Daniella giggled.

“No, I am not,” Melissa doubled over. “I wish I were.”

“Oh man, that girl is something else!”

“You’re telling me! But we love her!” Melissa managed, still laughing.

“We certainly do,” Daniella said between chuckles.

Blotting tears from her eyes, Daniella glanced at her wristwatch and sprang from her chair.

“Wow! I didn’t realize it had gotten so late! I have to get home and start studying for my calculus test tomorrow.”

Melissa stood and began walking her friend to the front door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Daniella said as she collected her keys and her purse from the kitchen table.

“Sure will. Oh, and do you think you could come over before my date maybe? I’m going to ask Alex to come too. I could use some serious fashion advice from the two of you. You know I’m challenged in that area,” Melissa continued. “I want everything to be perfect.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be here to help, not that you need it. You’d look stunning in a Hefty bag.”

“You’re the best!” Melissa said as she crossed the distance between them and embraced her friend.

Daniella left and the evening progressed uneventfully. Looking forward to seeing Gabriel was the constant that sped the passage of time.  And Melissa loved every second of it.  For the first time in as long as she could remember, she had something to look forward to.

Chapter 26

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THE EVENING OF MELISSA’S highly anticipated date with Gabriel had finally come. Friday arrived and while it had been a week filled with tests to prepare for and papers to write, it had been a pretty uneventful week. In the busy days leading up to their date, Kevin and his followers had been silent, a fact that Melissa had been grateful for even if it were temporary. It gave her time to daydream about her plans with Gabriel.

As the designated time of their get-together rapidly approached, Melissa was anxious. Alex and Daniella had come and gone earlier in the day and had offered Melissa a sufficient pep talk and their fashion expertise. They’d helped her select an outfit that they said highlighted her physical attributes. The advice and support of her two best friends was indispensable. Together, they’d managed to bolster her ever-fluctuating confidence and did nothing short of hold her hand as she dressed.

After they left, however, Melissa became a bundle of nerves.  Perhaps it was because she hadn’t eaten a proper meal all day or perhaps it was because she secretly worried she wasn’t good enough for Gabriel, but her insides felt abuzz as she looked in the full-length mirror in her bedroom at her reflection.

She was equal parts nervous and excited when she turned from the mirror and took a slender glass bottle from her dresser. She misted herself with a spritz of her favorite body spray then took a deep breath before shutting her bedroom light and moving to the top of the staircase. Her palms were slick with sweat as she steadied herself and held the railing and descended the steep steps. Her hand squeaked as it traveled the length of the wooden banister.

“Dad!” she called out once at the bottom of the steps.

“In here!” he replied from the family room.

Melissa walked down the short hallway, across the living room and through the dining room before entering the most frequented room in the house. 

Her father sat at the wobbly desk that occupied the interior wall just past the entrance to the family room. He was seated in a faux-leather office chair, partially reclined, one hand on the mouse while the other held a can of Budweiser beer. A dual-tone beeping sounded from the computer speakers and alerted him that it was his turn to act in his Internet poker tournament.

“Hey, Dad, I’m going,” she began.

“Just a sec, honey, I’m in this hand,” he said distractedly.

“I’m going out with Gabriel. He’ll be here any minute,” Melissa responded impatiently.

Her father slapped his hand down onto the desk, clearly unhappy with the outcome of the hand.

“Dad, focus here. Gabriel will be here any second. Do I look okay?”

“You look fine. Do you have money?”

“Yes Dad.”

“Do you have your phone?”

“Yes.”

“And the pepper spray I got you?”

“Yes, Dad. But I highly doubt I’ll need to pepper spray Gabriel.”

“Look, I like the guy as much as a father can like his teenage daughter’s boyfriend, but you never know. After the whole thing with that Anderson clown, I don’t want you taking chances.”

She watched as her father’s face turned an angry scarlet at his mention of Kevin Anderson. He worked to compose himself before chiding, “You’re lucky I don’t tag along as a chaperone,” then smiled impishly.

Melissa leaned down and kissed her father on his smoothly-shaven head.

“Bye Dad. Love you.”

“Love you, Missy. Have fun. Be home by midnight.”

“Fine,” she agreed.

With a few moments to spare, she headed to the front of the house.

As she did so, the doorbell chimed.

Melissa nearly sprinted to the front door. She couldn’t manipulate the knob fast enough and nearly cursed before turning it.  When she finally did, Gabriel stood at the threshold. 

Even in the shadowy light provided by the exterior fixture, Gabriel was exquisite, his every feature superb. He smiled at her. His smile was almost admiring, which made her heartbeat quicken.

“You look beautiful,” he complimented.

“Thanks. You do, too,” she fumbled then blushed at her gaffe. “I mean, you look great. Come in. I just need to get my jacket.”

Melissa held the door open as Gabriel entered. Once he was inside, she walked to the hall closet and snatched her coat from a plastic hanger. Before she maneuvered it onto her body, Gabriel took it from her and held it so she could simply slide her arms into the sleeves.

His gesture gave her goose bumps. They covered every part of her skin his hands had brushed against, and every inch he touched came to life.

“Hey Gabriel,” her father called from the family room, promptly interrupting her multisensory experience.

“Hi Mr. Martin,” Gabriel called back.

“Have fun and be safe. Her curfew is midnight. Not a moment later,” her dad warned.

“Yes, sir. She’ll be home on time. I promise.”

Melissa and Gabriel walked out together to his waiting Ford Explorer in the driveway. The engine was still running. Gabriel opened the passenger side door for her and she climbed inside.

“The movie starts in half an hour so we’ll have plenty of time to get our tickets and popcorn and find seats,” Gabriel began.

“I hear this movie is really scary. I just want to warn you, I’m a big chicken when it comes to horror movies.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you,” Gabriel offered jokingly.

“You think I’m kidding. The last time I went to the movies with Alex and Melissa, I kept a napkin over my face and peeked out from behind it.”

Gabriel laughed then seemed to notice that Melissa’s expression was earnest.

“If things get too intense, we can leave. I promise. Or we can see another movie if you’d like,” he offered. “I just want you to have a good time.”

“That’s so nice of you, really, but I checked the time clock and the movie is a little less than an hour and a half with credits” she reasoned. “So really, it’ll only be an hour and change of terrifying scenes for me to deal with. I think I’ll manage.”

“Wow. You’ve really got this all worked out,” Gabriel smiled.

“Yep,” Melissa answered touching her index finger to her temple and rolling her eyes. “I’ve got an exceptional mind for planning,” she said mocking herself.

“You’re really silly, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Not recently, not since I was, like, five years old.”

“Well you are; pretty, but silly.”

Melissa’s pulse quicken at the compliment. It didn’t slow until Gabriel pulled onto Route 9 and drove toward the neighboring town of Darling. The movie he and Melissa were to see was playing at the Regal Cinemas at the Darling Galleria.

Turning in to the entrance of the mall, Gabriel asked Melissa “I was thinking, maybe after the movie we could go out for a late dinner. What do you think?”

“That sounds great. Honestly, I was too excited to eat earlier,” Melissa admitted as a crimson flush spread across her cheeks.

“That makes two of us,” Gabriel confessed then reached across the console and took Melissa’s hand in his.

She felt her heart beat wildly and goose bumps dimpling her skin again.

After finding a parking spot, Gabriel and Melissa walked, holding hands, to the theater and bought their tickets.  They chose a movie about a young woman who suffers the misfortune of demonic possession.

Nestled in theater seats, they positioned their bodies as closely as possible. With fingers entwined and shoulders touching, the film began. Terrifying and horrific images flashed on the screen from the start. Satanic forces had assumed proprietorship of a teenage girl who went on a ritualistic murdering spree.

Typically, Melissa would have found the movie too intense, too frightening and would have opted to leave. With Gabriel beside her, the focus was not on what was projected but on the person next to her.  She couldn’t concentrate on the movie if she tried. It would’ve been an impossible feat.

Her insides quivered excitedly as Gabriel’s thumb stroked the soft skin on the underside of her wrist. Melissa longed to feel his lips on hers but intuited that it was not the right moment.

Mercifully, after the opening and closing credits were extracted, the movie was a little more than an hour and a half. Melissa and Gabriel left the cinema with all the other movie-goers and walked out to his Explorer.

“Are you hungry?” Gabriel asked once they were outside

“Amazingly, yes,” Melissa answered.

“And what’s so amazing about that?”

“Well, I can’t imagine how anyone would want to eat after seeing that movie. I mean, the possessed girl ate a human heart for heaven’s sake!” she said.

“That was pretty gross. I can’t imagine I’ll be eating any rare meat tonight, that’s for sure,” he joked.

“Yeah, I’m thinking salad or anything without meat for me,” she kidded back.

The drive from the movie theater to a local franchise restaurant opposite the movie theater on Route 9 was short.

As they walked in, Melissa noticed that the restaurant was crowded and very loud. Background music blared and diners were forced to shout conversationally to compensate. The combination was both distracting and deafening.

To add to the already suffering ambience, a rowdy group occupied the stools at the bar. A collection of men and women clad in professional attire had assembled for happy hour and remained long after it had ended. Melissa and Gabriel exchanged glances as she silently hoped they would be accommodated far from them.

They were ushered to a table away from the loud group at the bar. Melissa was thankful until she realized their table was in the center of one of three dining areas. After they were seated, the hostess handed them their menus and told them a server would be with them shortly.

Melissa glanced at her wristwatch. Time raced at an unprecedented speed. Two hours into their date, she and Gabriel had yet to spend time alone together. Peeved by this last fact and determined to spend some time talking to Gabriel, she silently vowed to order the simplest to prepare and quickest to consume meal the restaurant offered.

A server arrived and rattled on about drink, appetizer, entrée and dessert offers. Though she recognized that the waiter was doing his job, Melissa wanted to scream. She did not, however, but waited patiently until he finished the specials list before ordering a Caesar salad and diet cola. Gabriel took her cue and ordered the same meal she did.

After meals were served and consumed and the tableware was cleared, Gabriel and Melissa waited impatiently for their bill to arrive. They then paid and left quickly.

Stepping out into the crisp and comparably quiet fall evening, Melissa felt relieved; the best part of their date was before them. As they climbed back into Gabriel’s SUV, though, the clock on the dashboard warned that their time was limited.

Gabriel seemed attuned to their pressing time constraint and did not ask about a future destination. Instead, he drove to the East Fallkill Recreation Center.

Following the familiar long and winding driveway passed tennis courts and baseball fields, a concession building and a football field, Gabriel drove to the exact location to which Kevin Anderson had taken her. Instead of being filled with a sense of dread, however, Melissa felt electrified.

“At school, I overheard that this place was pretty quiet and private. I know what most people do when they come here so let me say up front that I am not going to try any of that with you. You have my word,” he began.

Slightly disappointed, Melissa followed with, “Oh, yeah, of course not.”

“I came here because I want to be alone with you, where it’s quiet and close to your house. If this makes you uncomfortable, we can leave,” Gabriel said and sounded nervous.

“No, no. This is fine. I’m fine,” Melissa fumbled. “Actually, I’m better than fine.”

“Me, too,” he agreed. “Oh, and by the way, I set the alarm on my watch so it will beep at ten minutes before midnight. I don’t want to risk bringing you home late for two reasons.”

“And what are they?” she asked playfully.

“First is that frankly, your dad scares me a little. And second, if you were to be late and your dad decided not to kill me, he would definitely ground you and that would ruin our weekend plans.”

“Gotcha,” she asserted.

“Are you sure this is okay, Melissa? Cause if this place freaks you out, we can go.”

“No, really Gabriel, I’m fine. I trust that you’re not going to, like, maul me or something. I mean, considering everything that’s been going on, the only reason I haven’t had a breakdown or something is because of you.”

Melissa blushed deeply at her admission and was thankful for the concealment of night.

Seconds fled into minutes and minutes hurried into an hour as time rushed by. Melissa and Gabriel chatted about everything yet nothing at all. She observed how she was not the only person engrossed in every word being spoken. Gabriel was outwardly intent and focused as well. He seemed to savor the fleeting moments as she did.

As time sped on and midnight fast approached, Gabriel took Melissa’s hand in his and brought it to his lips. Pressing his full, soft lips to the top of her hand, her pulse quickened. Her stomach flipped and stirred and she felt a foreign sensation. She shivered and felt goose bumps emerge on every inch of her skin.

Gabriel brought her hand away from his mouth and rested it on the center console, still enveloped in his.

“Melissa, I feel so much for you,” he confessed. “Feelings I’ve never experienced before. Feelings I never knew I had.”

The sincerity of his admission, the unabashed truth of his words, made Melissa’s eyes moisten with emotion.

Gabriel continued, “I’ve never loved anyone in my life, Melissa, but I can honestly say that I’m falling for you.”

“I feel the same way,” Melissa said in a voice trembling with affection.

Still holding her hand in his, Gabriel turned to face Melissa. He gently pulled her hand toward him and almost sent her into cardiac arrest as her heart raced madly, uncontrollably. Her mind swam with apprehension. She feared her inexperience would hinder his romantic effort. The thunderous palpitations of her heart did not help matters.

With one hand in hers, Gabriel lifted his other. It trembled slightly as it touched her cheek. Melissa recognized his tremor as nervousness as well. Encouraged, she brought her face closer to his, in expectation. Gabriel tilted his head to one side and slowly moved his lips to meet hers.

As he drew nearer, Melissa felt breathless. She felt the world spinning on its axis. She was lightheaded, giddy as he pressed his lips to hers chastely. His mouth was warm, his lips soft and supple. She delighted in their heat. Her heart continued to pound fervidly, threatened to escape the containment of her ribcage. She was completely unprepared for the euphoric sensation his lips inspired. She felt high in every sense of the word.

Then, with an unceremonious trio of beeps emitted from Gabriel’s wristwatch, Melissa and Gabriel were brusquely reminded of the time.

His alarm sounded.

Her curfew loomed just ten minutes away.

Their kiss ended.

It was time for her to go home.

Unhappily, Melissa accepted that their evening was over as Gabriel turned on the headlamps of his Ford Explorer and began navigating the curved pathway out of the East Fallkill Recreation Center.

The drive lasted less than ten minutes, ample time to deflate the emotions that surged and swelled moments ago. Gabriel turned onto Blackstone Drive before stopping at number fifty. He pulled into the driveway and switched off the headlights.

Dreading the valedictory portion of their every encounter was something Melissa had become used to. This night was no exception. In fact, it proved more difficult than usual. They acknowledged their feelings for each other, and sealed them with a singular kiss.

“I guess I have to go in,” Melissa said dejectedly.

“I’ll miss you,” Gabriel affirmed.

“I’ll miss you, too.”

“I’ll call you in the morning. We can talk about our plans for tomorrow night. I was thinking maybe we could just hang out at my house. I can cook you dinner,” Gabriel offered.

With spirits buoyed anew, Melissa smiled at his suggestion. “That sounds like a great idea. I can’t wait. I can make something if you’d like.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’d love the opportunity to showcase my culinary skills...for my girlfriend.”

Girlfriend.  The word suddenly held magical properties. She was certain she wore a goofy smile but could keep it off her face. Girlfriend. Gabriel had referred to her as his girlfriend.

The outside light flickered. Her father was awake and summoning her.

“Looks like I've got to go,” Melissa said as she gestured to the flickering fixture. “My dad is so subtle.”

Gabriel climbed out of the driver’s seat and came around to open the passenger side door for her.

“He just cares about you. And I do, too. What I mean to say is,” Gabriel stalled momentarily. He took a deep breath, his chest heaving then said, “I love you, Melissa.”

Heart fuller than it had ever felt in her life, yet light all the same, Melissa was certain her feet didn’t touch the ground. That she hovered just above the surface of her driveway, floating. Gabriel loved her. Words couldn’t begin to describe the warmth and joy she was feeling. “I love you, too,” she replied.

A smile that touched his eyes curved Gabriel’s lips. He gazed at her for a long while, wearing that same smile until finally he said, “I had an amazing time with you. I can’t wait to see you again.” He shifted his weight from one leg to the next then added, “You haven’t even gone in yet and I miss you already.”

The porch light flickered again.

Gabriel cleared his throat. “You’d better get inside,” he said sadly.  “Goodnight, Melissa”

“Goodnight,” Melissa said in an equally sad tone. She gave Gabriel a peck on the cheek and dashed inside.

Chapter 27

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GABRIEL DROVE AWAY from Melissa’s house on Blackstone Drive.  His heart thumped wildly as he replayed the evening in his mind, how Melissa’s fingers interlaced with his, how her lips melded with his. His hand unconsciously touched his mouth as if searching for a sensation that lingered and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Her words resonated in his ears, three in particular. The expression she articulated, I love you, was indelibly imprinted in his core. He had never heard those words spoken together, for him. Melissa loved him. She had said so herself. She professed the most profound of feelings a human being could have for another, for him.

Although that fact evoked an emotional and physical response more potent than any book or movie could convey, guilt circled Gabriel, stalking him as a ferocious beast shadows its prey.

He turned down the long driveway leading to his house. As he pulled his Explorer in to one of three garage ports, self-reproach descended on him. He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. Everything about him was a lie. His home and his relationship with Dr. Stein, why he was in Harbingers Falls, his existence—all carefully crafted lies. Shame overwhelmed him. Reluctantly, he exited his SUV.

His stomach rolled as he crossed the threshold of the beautiful house. It stood as a beacon, an elaborate reminder of his many falsehoods. The structure, bought not by his father as he had led Melissa Martin to believe, but by Dr. Franklin N. Stein.

Dr. Stein was responsible for his existence, had created him, but not as other men claimed responsibility for their offspring’s actuality. Gabriel’s maker had hand-selected and altered each strand of his DNA. Dr. Stein was singly accountable for his being, had offered little more than his genius to achieve it.

Gabriel knew Dr. Stein had acquired the genetic material of others, how he had preyed on those who sought the help of fertility specialists to enhance their chances of conception, and had exploited them. Utilizing several pseudonyms and the anonymity proffered by the World Wide Web, his maker had relieved countless fertility candidates of their samples but never united them as they had hoped. Instead, he engineered their matter to suit his scientific pursuits. He’d used it to create Gabriel.

Yet Gabriel did not view himself as an innovation or an idea realized. Nor did he regard himself as a product of corrupt activity. Rather, he considered himself as human as anyone he encountered thus far–more so in some cases. He wondered if presented with the truth, Melissa would deem him a monster. After all, she had not been given the opportunity to know what he really was. Melissa was not privy to the secrets of Gabriel’s formation.

Remorse slashed at Gabriel, threatened to consume him. He had lied to the one person he cared about, the one person on Earth who cared for him in return.

It became painfully clear that he needed to tell her the truth. He attempted rationalization, telling himself that if she loved him as she said she did, surely she would understand. But the reality of the situation was that he would not know until he told her.

Gabriel retired to his room and undressed. He desperately needed rest, a reprieve from the onslaught of thoughts in his head. But sleep eluded him. Torment supplanted slumber. He tossed and turned before surrendering his battle with insomnia and conceding defeat.

Instead of repose, he sought solace in his favorite volumes of literature. He took his sketch pad from beneath his bed but could not draw save for the exquisite lines of Melissa’s face. Every attempt at comfort failed. So he lay awake in his bed as the night progressed slowly, torturously until daybreak finally arrived.

He watched from his window as dawn crept at an equally cruel pace and the sun began its indolent ascent from the horizon line.  Reluctant rays lazily stretched and strained against the indigo heavens. A new day slowly emerged.

The rising sun signified a reckoning; it was the day Gabriel would confide in Melissa his deepest and darkest secret. He would tell her of his origins.

Motivated by an intense desire to please and impress Melissa, Gabriel began preparing and planning for his evening with her. He showered and shaved then brushed his teeth before making breakfast for himself.  After assessing the state of his house, he decided he would need to clean each room. He also planned to cook a romantic dinner for Melissa. But before doing so, he consulted an Italian cookbook and chose a recipe he considered both palatable and appropriate for the occasion. After deciding on a salad appetizer, a linguine and shrimp main course and a decadent dessert, he formulated a shopping list and went shopping.

Busied by various chores, the day passed quickly; quicker than Gabriel had expected. Shopping, cleaning and cooking had taken several hours. But he performed such tasks with relative ease. As part of his multifaceted learning program, domestic maintenance had an integral role.

His education embraced every nuance of etiquette. As a result, Gabriel had arranged a table setting that would have impressed Martha Stewart. Satisfied with his tableware arrangement complete with fresh flowers and candles, he double-checked that his shrimp linguine dish, perfected with fresh Portobello mushrooms and freshly-made linguine he had prepared after his grocery excursion, was simmering not burning.

Another phase of his comprehensive education included the acquisition of culinary skills. Gabriel had cooking competences comparable to world-renowned chefs. His maker valued the concept of a Renaissance man and held that his gift to the world should not merely have generous genetic endowments, but also be highly skilled in multiple fields and multiple disciplines and should have a broad base of knowledge.

In Gabriel’s accelerated learning curricula, exposure to numerous focuses was compulsory. Consequently, he was fluent in seven languages, had unsurpassed spatial awareness that gave him generous artistic ability and was proficient in cuisine creation, philosophy, astronomy, religious studies and literary techniques and analysis.

Cooking was one of Gabriel’s many learned skills that he found enjoyable, especially under the current circumstances. The speed with which he comprehended and executed each subtlety of the craft was courtesy of his superior genes. The pleasure he felt while preparing such fare on this night was credited singularly to Melissa Martin. The thought of her delighting in delicacies prepared by his hands excited Gabriel, filled him with a sense of contentment.

He smiled as he checked the strawberry tiramisu he had constructed. Melissa had a sweet tooth. Because of her fondness for sweets, he believed a store-bought version of this dessert would not be sufficient. He considered every strawberry he hulled, cleaned and quartered, contemplated the brand of rum used and brooded over the quality of the mascarpone cheese selection at the grocery store. He deliberated over every detail.

After a quick check of the time, Gabriel went upstairs to his bedroom and dressed. He selected a royal blue button-down shirt and khaki chinos.

At 5:15 p.m. Gabriel went to the garage and started his SUV. He pulled out and drove the length of his winding driveway and drove to Melissa’s house.

As he traveled the now familiar route, a pang of sadness struck him. He wondered if he would be driving this route with happiness and exhilaration ever again. After hearing the news that she was about to receive, Melissa may never want to see him again.

Panic seized Gabriel as he entertained the very real possibility of her rejection. His heart pounded. His palms slickened with sweat. His breathing became shallow. He fought the urge to pull his car off the road and vomit. Instead, he settled on opening the windows. The fresh air helped, but did not fully calm his fears.

After a brief blast of chilly air, he felt slightly better. He put his windows up and turned on the heating system as he turned on to Blackstone Drive. He did so for Melissa; she was always cold and would appreciate the warmth. He left the ignition on as he went to the front door to get her.

Melissa appeared seconds after he sounded the doorbell. Gabriel smiled when she opened the door.

“You look breathtaking,” he admired.

“Thanks,” Melissa said blushing slightly. “I went shopping this morning. Alex helped me pick out this outfit.”

Melissa looked sleek and sexy in dark-wash, fitted skinny jeans and black leather riding boots that rose to mid-calf. Her top was feminine and befitting her personality. Ensconced in pale pink, Melissa donned a camisole topped with a cropped cotton cardigan that tied at her waist.

Her emerald-green eyes, lined with charcoal liner and mascara, smoldered. Melissa looked stunning. Gabriel fumbled as he reached for her coat.

Her long, light-brown hair cascaded down to her elbows. Several curls tumbled over one shoulder. As Gabriel helped Melissa with her coat, she lifted her hair from beneath the woolen material. He detected a warm vanilla scent with caramel and coconut undertones, Melissa’s signature fragrance. Each time he inhaled it, he was intoxicated anew.

She looked up at him, caught him grinning as he relished in her fragrance.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

“Yes, he replied and hoped the tremor of fear in his voice hadn’t been divulged.”

“Bye Dad!” Melissa called out to her father.

“Remember, midnight, Gabriel. Not a moment later,” he called back.

“Yes, sir,” Gabriel replied.

Gabriel opened the passenger side door for Melissa before climbing back into the driver’s seat of his Ford Explorer and pulling out of the driveway.

Smiling and holding hands, Gabriel and Melissa drove in comfortable silence.

As they turned on to the private road that doubled as his driveway, his impressive home came into sight.

“Gabriel! Your house is...spectacular!” Melissa marveled. “I mean, you didn’t tell me you were rich!”

“Well, technically, I’m not,” he offered only half-joking.

“This house is amazing. It should be on the cover of Architectural Digest or something.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“No, seriously, Gabriel, it’s a compliment. Wow. Now I’m sorry I let you see my house,” she kidded.

“What do you mean? I love your house.”

“You live here. You cannot possibly love my house,” Melissa countered sarcastically.

“Yours is a home. Mine is just a house.”

“Is there a difference?” Melissa inquired.

“A house is where you sleep, eat and shower, where you exist. A home is where you live, where you make happy memories and, I don’t know, grow as a person.”

“Huh,” she said and looked as though she were considering his words. “That’s really deep. I mean, you’re pretty much saying that you’re not happy here, with your dad. Is that right?”

Cringing at the word “dad” but weighing the sincerity of each word as he spoke them, Gabriel proposed, “Not before tonight.”

Melissa did not respond verbally. Instead, parked in the garage of his house, she leaned over and gently kissed him on the lips.

“Let’s go inside. Dinner is ready and waiting for us,” Gabriel declared, still reeling slightly from the spontaneous kiss.

Melissa let herself out of the Explorer before he could get to the passenger side door.

“Hey, what was that about?” he asked jokingly.

“Gabriel, you don’t have to do that whole door-opening thing for me. I mean, it’s so sweet and gentlemanly of you to even want to, but really, it’s not necessary,” Melissa said.

“It’s not a chore. I like to. Besides, it’s part of who I am, how I was taught.”

“Then I stand corrected,” Melissa smiled. “By all means, open as many doors for me as you like. Knock yourself out,” she kidded.

As if on cue, Gabriel opened the door of the laundry room for Melissa and grandly stated, “After you!”

Laughing, Melissa crossed the threshold and ascended the flight of stairs with Gabriel in tow.

At the top of the staircase, Gabriel opened another door for Melissa and used the same exaggerated statement.

Melissa and Gabriel, both giggling, stepped into the hallway of his house.

He watched as her eyes widened upon seeing the gleaming hardwood flooring that extended the length of the hallway into the formal living room and dining room.

“This place is amazing,” Melissa commented as she surveyed the living space.

Gabriel knew of his creator’s eye for decorative design. Though Dr. Stein was continuously distracted by improving on his many achievements and chose to live primarily in a bunker, he did have an eye for beauty. Every piece of furniture in the house exuded refined taste and high quality. Impressive but not ostentatious, leather sofas were positioned around a grand fireplace and resembled furnishings befitting an exclusive hunt club. With cigar-hued distressed leather finish and fabric upholstery, the appointments were equal parts intimidating and inviting.

In the center of the arrangement of sofas, a hand-crafted mahogany coffee table rested atop an intricately designed area rug that incorporated the rooms earth-toned color scheme.  On the exquisite coffee table was a hand-painted rectangular black and bronze planter with an intricate fruit design painted on it. Artificial cream colored flowers and several pieces of wax fruit filled the planter. On the mantle of the massive, antique eggshell marble fireplace, an array of cream-colored vases adorned with delicate brown flowers sat. Two of the walls were lined with mahogany bookcases filled with books and extended from floor to ceiling. The remaining two walls were painted a light brown and trimmed with off-white crown moldings,

“Gabriel, I don’t even know what to say. This place is...wow. I mean where do I begin?”

Embarrassed, Gabriel did not acknowledge Melissa’s awe.

“I hope you’re hungry,” he faltered.

“I’m starving,” she replied as her eyes roamed the room. “But seriously, this place is a palace. I mean, I thought the outside was spectacular! You are so never allowed in my house again,” she teased.

Then, wrapping her arms around his waist Melissa added, “Hey, you okay? I’m sorry if I’m acting like, I don’t know, I’ve never worn shoes before or something.”

Gabriel looked at her, puzzled.

“What does that even mean?” he asked.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Melissa laughed.

Melissa’s arms encircling him and her melodious laughter relaxed him marginally. Tension still remained as the most daunting task was still before him. He had yet to share his secret with her.

She released her grip on Gabriel and he reluctantly freed her from his reciprocal embrace. He led her to the dining room.

As they entered, Gabriel watched Melissa. Her mouth fell open at the layout before her, the oversized cherry wood table flanked by upholstered cushioned chairs in a rich garnet shade. The colors of the fabric were all in the same color scheme as the walls and drapery and contrasted the cream colored crown molding. 

The room was illuminated by an ornate crystal chandelier and tapered cranberry candles arranged in a sterling silver candelabra. Every article in the space was lustrous, radiant. The chandelier sparkled. The silver of the candleholder glistened with the reflective properties of a mirror. Polished and perfect, every appointment resembled that of a royal chamber.

A runner lay in the center of the table. The fabric, an identical shade of blood red to the walls, candles and fabric covering of the chairs, was freshly laundered and pressed. Fine crystal stem wear, utensils and china were arranged deliberately, expertly. Gabriel took his time arranging, polishing, laundering and ironing each article. He wanted the evening to be special, unforgettable.

“Gabriel, who did all of this?” she looked at him with her brows knit and asked.

“I did,” he said.

“Are you kidding me?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper. “You did this yourself, for me?”

“Yes,” Gabriel answered simply.

Melissa’s eyes filled with tears as she spoke.

“This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. This must have taken you all day.”

He did not speak.

“Please tell me you have a cleaning service that just came today at least.”

“Nope. No cleaning service.”

“Oh my gosh!” Melissa said covering her mouth in astonishment. “This place is sparkling. I mean, it’s beyond clean. It’s immaculate. All of the silverware is freshly polished. The table is downright glossy. Everything is gleaming!” she exclaimed. “So much preparation, so much work went into this. I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me; how much I appreciate all that you’ve done, Gabriel.”

“There’s no need to try. I enjoyed all of it because it was for you. Now, can I persuade you, perhaps to sit down and eat?”

“Yes, of course. What’s on the menu? Surely, you didn’t have time to cook right?”

“Oh no, I cooked. I made linguine with a creamy shrimp and Portobello mushroom sauce and,” Gabriel began.

“Hold on a sec,” Melissa interrupted. “I am sorry for cutting you off, but, you made a fancy dinner for me and cleaned and arranged this elaborate table setting?”

“Guilty as charged,” Gabriel said sheepishly.

“I may need to lie down or something,” Melissa joked. “I mean, my head is spinning. Is there anything you can’t do? Your grades are fantastic and you don’t seem to ever study so you’re, like, a genius, you’re pretty much Martha Stewart at home and you look like an underwear model.”

Gabriel watched as Melissa’s face turned the crimson color of the drapery at her last divulgence.

“I’m sorry about that last part,” she stammered and blushed more deeply. “But really, you’re polite and chivalrous. I could go on and on. You’re unlike anyone I know or have ever known. What the hell are you doing with plain old me?”

Struggling with the confession that remained to be imparted, Gabriel measured each word before uttering them.

“First of all, there is nothing plain, or old, about you. You are perfect. I love everything about you,” Gabriel admitted. “And part of what I’m hoping to talk to you about tonight, that is, if we ever manage to eat dinner, is about my origins, why I am the way I am.”

Wordlessly, Melissa turned to Gabriel and kissed him tenderly on the cheek before seating herself in the chair he stood behind.

Gabriel disappeared into the kitchen. When he returned, he carried two heavy, salad plates laden with various field greens, ripe cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese. He relished in the moment that Melissa inhaled deeply and smelled the tangy-sweet aroma of aged balsamic vinegar.

“My gosh. Even the salad smells terrific,” she said. “The dressing, it smells so sweet.”

Gabriel did not respond. Instead, he smiled and returned to the kitchen a second time. He reappeared with a decanter of sparkling water and a carafe of white wine. In one of the two crystal glasses in each setting he poured water, in the other, wine.

He then seated himself in a crimson armed chair at the head of the table, placed his burgundy cloth napkin in his lap and waited for Melissa to eat before doing so himself.

After eating their salads, Gabriel cleared the emptied plates and vanished into the kitchen. He reentered with dinner plates. He served shrimp and Portobello mushrooms atop linguine. He garnished the main course with fresh parsley and carrots peeled carefully and precisely to form a rose. He was pleased with the overall presentation but awaited Melissa’s seal of approval.

“This looks wonderful,” she complimented.

“Thanks,” Gabriel smiled as he went to the kitchen and retrieved a chunk of fresh parmesan cheese and a handheld grater.

He began shredding the granular block over her dish. Flakes of aromatic cheese fell on her food.

“Thank you,” Melissa said.

“Sorry. I didn’t even ask you if you like Parmigiano-Reggiano. It just compliments the sauce so nicely.  Try it. If you hate it, I’ll get you a fresh serving.”

“No this is fine. I trust your judgment.”

Gabriel watched intently as Melissa took her first bite, how she closed her eyes, seemed to savor the rich flavors. He guessed she was enjoying the meal he lovingly prepared for her. He was pleased.

“This is outstanding!” she complimented enthusiastically. “Did you go to culinary school in Russia?”

“No not exactly, but I did read a lot of cookbooks.”

“You have a talent. You really do. I mean, I can read a cookbook, but I would not be able to do this,” Melissa said gesturing to her dinner.

Gabriel shrugged and raised his hands self-consciously, “Thank you. I think.”

“You are so humble, too. I’d be bragging like crazy if I could do all that you do.”

“I’m just not used to the attention, that’s all; all of the compliments.”

“Well, don’t expect me to stop. You’re going to have to learn to deal with it,” Melissa teased.

Gabriel leaned across the table and kissed Melissa’s lips. He smiled then continued eating.

Once dinner was eaten and the tableware cleared, Gabriel brought out his strawberry tiramisu.

“Would you like to eat this in front of the fireplace?” he asked.

“Are we allowed to? I mean, I’m kind of clumsy. If I spill something, I’ll just die.”

“It’s just furniture. I’ll drop something first if it will make you feel better.”

“It just might,” Melissa kidded.

“Grab the wine and glasses and I’ll bring the dessert.”

“I’m so full, I can’t imagine eating another bite, but this tiramisu looks so delicious. My sweet tooth wins I guess.”

Gabriel placed the plates on the mahogany coffee table and began arranging wood in the fireplace. Once the wood was positioned correctly, Gabriel lit a long match. The fire was started.

The combination of Melissa’s fragrance and the burning wood mingled with the warm, rich notes of the leather of the couches. The scent was inviting, enchanting. No one had ever sat on the upholstery, much less entertained in the room. Neither he nor Dr. Stein had ever used the formal space or the fireplace. Everything was new and pristine. 

Melissa was a glorious image framed by the striking setting. Each of her features was illuminated by the firelight. The gold of her hair was softened further. The clarity of her porcelain skin was brightened. And her green eyes glowed. She faced Gabriel. Their knees touched. He struggled to repress the urge to take her in his arms and leave, take her away from Harbingers Falls and Dr. Stein. From the truth. But he knew he could not. She deserved better. She deserved to know. He braced himself, preparing for the words he was about to speak, words that could never be unspoken.

“Melissa, the love I feel for you,” Gabriel began. “It’s a new feeling for me. I’ve never loved anyone before. My feelings for you were... unexpected.”

“I love you, too, Gabriel. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love either. I mean, this is a first for me, too.”

“There are some things about me, really serious things that you don’t know about,” he added softly.

Kindles twirled and danced about the tinder before enveloping it entirely in flames.

“You’re not a serial killer are you,” Melissa attempted comically. “I liked Dexter as much as the next person but being in love with a serial killer might be a bit much for me.”

Gabriel loved her sense of humor; saw how she used it to defuse awkward or tense situations. He couldn’t resist indulging her and seeing her dazzling smile, perhaps for the last time.

“No. I’m definitely not a serial killer,” he said with a wry smile. “And who is Dexter? Do I know him?”

“It was this amazing show about a blood spatter expert who worked for Miami Metro Police by day but by night, he methodically picked off serial killers,” she said excitedly.  “He was a vigilante, but a killer, too. Watch it! You find yourself loving this guy even though most people would consider him a monster.”

Her last point intrigued him. Gabriel added, “That’s very interesting. Do you like this Dexter character?”

“Oh yes. Absolutely!”

“Huh. It sounds like a show I’d like, too. I’ll check it out.”

“Good, and sorry for going off on a tangent there. You were about to share something and since I’m nervous that you’re going to tell me that you have a wife and kids in Russia or something, I’m rattling on and on.”

“I promise I don’t have a wife and kids in Russia.”

Melissa took a deep breath and looked as though she were steeling herself for bad news.

“Okay. Let me hear these serious things about you, Gabriel,” she said.

“First, the most important thing for you to know is that I love you, okay.”

Gabriel inhaled and exhaled deeply.

“The man I live with is Dr. Franklin N. Stein. He is a geneticist, a genius really, who has made unparalleled strides in his field of research and development of cloning.” Gabriel paused and inhaled deeply again. Then in a calm, measured voice he uttered, “He created me. But he is by no means my father.”

“Well, father is a subjective term. I mean, of course he created you. You don’t have to love him for that.”

“No, Melissa, you don’t understand.”

“Sure I do. I can understand how that could happen,” she began.

“Melissa everything about me is a lie,” he interrupted desperate to voice what needed to be said. “He didn’t create me conventionally...with a woman or anything.”

“So you were adopted?” she asked then paused. “Wait, what? I ‘m not sure I understand.”

“Dr. Stein created me.  He harvested eggs and sperm from unsuspecting donors, altered the DNA and made me.”

Melissa stood. Her expression was stricken. “What?” she managed. “Gabriel, you’re not making any sense.”

Abashed and terrified that she would walk out immediately, Gabriel pleaded, “Please sit down. Let me explain everything.”

To his surprise, she complied and reluctantly sat.

“Melissa, I love you. Just promise me you’ll keep that in your mind while I tell you everything. Okay?”

“Yes, sure. Just tell me!” she insisted.

“Okay,” he said knowing full well he was setting circumstances into motion, the results of which he was uncertain of, terrified by.  “Dr. Stein, he specializes in human cloning. He used to work here in the states with the Human Cloning Organization but felt too restricted by government watch-dog groups. He wanted to further his research and development but couldn’t do so with all the administrative restraints in place. So he left the country and went to the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East, where he set up a state-of-the-art underground facility and continued his work off the grid. You see, Dr. Stein has this vision. He wants to change the world. He feels the human species suffers from emotionally-charged decisions. He believes that if emotion is factored out, wars would end, drug addiction, political corruption, and terrorism in all its forms would all end.”

“Okay. So this Dr. Stein guy, this genius geneticist you live with, he went rogue and fled the country to Russia?” Melissa asked warily.

“Yes. I was created there,” Gabriel said as tears burned down his cheeks.

Shaking her head in disbelief Melissa’s voice quavered, “You keep using that word, created, like this doctor put you together piece by piece like Frankenstein’s monster or something. What does this mean?” she panicked.

“Dr. Stein changed the DNA he came across. He improved it. His alterations eliminated every emotional point in my brain so I could use a greater amount of brain matter and have higher cognitive functioning.”

What?” Melissa demanded incredulously. “What does this all mean? You’re not telling me!”

“I’m saying I am a new version of human beings Dr. Stein will create.”

“So what does that mean? This is all an act? All of this love stuff! For what reason?” Melissa sprung to her feet and took her head in her hands. 

“Melissa, please sit down,” Gabriel begged.

“No, thanks. I’m fine where I am.”

She lifted her chin. Her features had hardened. She was no longer readable, no longer open.

“Listen. I was designed not to feel anything. That was Dr. Stein’s plan. But—”

Melissa cut Gabriel off.

“Oh! Wait a second! I get it now. How could I be so stupid! Now I realize what’s going on here.”

Melissa touched her forehead as if visualizing her epiphany.

“This is your deranged idea of a breakup! It makes perfect sense!” she began. “I’ve heard about guys who make a nice dinner for their girlfriends before they dump them, like a parting gift or something, then make up some ridiculous story about why they can’t be together anymore, you know, the guy is really in the CIA and she would blow his cover or he’s leaving the country. I’ve seen the shows. I know all about this stuff!” Melissa ranted.

“Melissa, I am not breaking up with you. I’m telling you because I love you and I think you deserve to know. I don’t want to keep anything from you and I don’t want to lie to you.”

“Then stop!” Melissa commanded. “Just stop all of this craziness! Is it that you want me to break up with you? Because I’ve heard of that too, a guy makes himself sound like a nut because he’s too chicken to break it off with the girl, claims he loves her and all then she dumps him because of all the crazy business. Is that what’s happening here?” Melissa questioned.

“No not at all.”

“Then tell me Gabriel! Tell me! How can what you’re saying be real?” Melissa voice was shrill. She was crying and yelling, gesturing with trembling hands.

“Melissa this is the last thing I wanted to do. I love you. Please—“

“You just said that you were programmed not to love. Remember? You have no emotions because the mad scientist made his monster that way!” Melissa fumed.

Monster. The word stung. He was not a monster; some fiendish beast concocted in a dungeon with parts sewn together, animated by a bolt of lightning. He was human. Furthermore, he was not responsible for how he came into existence. He was responsible for how he chose to exist.  Despite Dr.Stein’s objective, the pivotal tenet of his theory had failed. Gabriel possessed feelings. He loved Melissa. He simply could not leave things as they were, with her condemning him as a monster, an aberration.  He needed to counter her faltering opinion of him.

“That’s the point!” Gabriel refuted. “I was not supposed to feel anything. But I do. I feel everything for you. I’ve loved you since the day I met you. Don’t you see? I am not an unfeeling monster. I’m not a monster at all.”

Tears streamed from his eyes, raw and honest. He looked to Melissa, noticed that emotion overtook her as well. Her tears pained him further. He watched as she wrapped her arms around herself and stepped back, away from him, suddenly cold. He could do nothing to warm her. Her posture warned him as much.

“This can’t be real. Gabriel, this is just too much. Underground labs. A scientist creating a new race. I mean, this is science-fiction; fiction being the operative word.”

Resigned, Gabriel put his head in his hands, ran his finger through his russet locks. Then, wiping the tears from his face, he stood, closed the distance between them and reached out to Melissa. But she stiffened at his touch.

“I’ll show you. I’ll show you Dr. Stein’s lab,” he said as defeat laced each syllable. “He has one here. It was originally a nuclear fallout shelter. Before we came to America, he had it gutted and renovated. It is now a sophisticated laboratory.”

Melissa looked to Gabriel disbelievingly.  “Take me, then,” she ordered. “Take me to this lab.”

Chapter 28

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MELISSA WAITED, STILL uncertain of whether she believed Gabriel’s story. It seemed impossible. Such stories were the works of science-fiction novelists, not reality. She stood with her arms folded across her chest in the living room while he grabbed flashlights from the kitchen. When he returned, he handed her one and kept the other for himself. He then directed her out of the living room and down the short hallway to the staircase that led to the garage. After opening one of the garage doors, they crossed the expansive property.

Devoid of the sun’s warmth, the air had grown much colder. The fall evening had darkened considerably. Melissa regretted leaving her coat behind as they ambled in the chilly autumn night. They walked several hundred feet from the house before Gabriel stopped at an unremarkable location in the grass. She watched as he used his foot and kicked over a large, rectangular patch of sod. Beneath the sod was a steel door flush against the ground.

Gabriel produced a ring with many keys on it from his pocket. After selecting the corresponding one, he opened the door. Anticipating a loud screech from the steel door, Melissa braced herself for the sound. But there was none; it released with a soft whooshing sound similar to a vacuumed seal being broken.

A concrete staircase was before them. Gabriel descended the steps first. Melissa followed. She was more than skeptical of what lay beyond.

Motion-activated overhead fixtures lit in succession as Gabriel and Melissa moved down deeper into the subterranean dwelling.

Once at the bottom of the steps, the laboratory was fully illuminated. Her eyes widened in disbelief.  From the indiscernible patch of grass directly overhead, no one would have ever guessed at what resided beneath. She stood below seven-foot ceilings amply lit with bright fluorescent light fixtures. Thick concrete walls lined the impressive area. The single-level refuge appeared larger than her home. There were innumerable computers stationed along the walls. Rows of stainless-steel tables filled the interior portion of the space and held a variety of scientific equipment—all of it foreign to her. If she had not descended the steps, she would have difficulty believing she was underground. She had expected it to smell musty as a basement of a house might, but it did not. Instead, fresh air circulated through screened vents. Every surface was gleaming, strangely immaculate.

Viewing the entire facility, Melissa’s mind was dizzied, spinning with disjointed, incomplete thoughts. As her mind whirled and revolved faster and faster, she desperately wanted—needed—to reach out and anchor herself to a coherent thought, something concrete, something that made sense. But opportunity to do so did not present itself. And somehow she knew the spiraling would gain momentum in the moments to come.

“Come on, I want to show you something,” Gabriel said to her as he took her by the hand and led her toward the far corner of the construct, toward a massive stainless-steel tank.

Staring at the cylindrical chamber Melissa gaped, “What is this thing?”

“This is where I was developed,” Gabriel said as shame burned plainly on his face.

He began turning a large, steel wheel affixed to the cistern. As he did so, a locking mechanism was disengaged, and a portal began opening. As the small entryway expanded, Melissa could see inside.

She gasped and her hand reflexively covered her mouth. She felt her face twist into a tortured expression as she withdrew in confusion, in horror.

Before her in the reservoir, submerged in a thick, opaque fluid was a partially formed human being.

Alien-looking with bulbous stumps where limbs should have been, the creature immersed in the milky liquid had a small, curved torso atop which a bald head with eyes that peered out from its temples sat. The being resembled an adult-sized fetus in its eighth week of development.

She needed to look away but was held, compelled by curiosity, paralyzed by fear and revulsion. She was transfixed. As she watched, the rounded ends where limbs would be elongated. They continued to lengthen to form crude-looking arms.

Her mind spun even faster, dangerously, threatened to lose control.

Inhaling sharply, Melissa cried, “Gabriel! Did you see that?”

She looked to Gabriel as he regarded the form in the tank with shock and dread.  A strange expression clouded his features. It was more than shock and dread. She saw pain, and understanding.

“I assumed the tank would be empty,” Gabriel whispered more to himself than her. He studied the vessel.  “It was supposed to be empty.”

“Gabriel, what is all this? What is happening to that thing?” she breathed, as a flood of tears spilled down her cheeks.

“This tank, it is like a womb of sorts.  The milky substance inside was created by Dr. Stein. It allows extremely rapid development; development unparalleled in humanity.”

“That creature in there, it is going to form into a human?” she asked as her eyes, moistened with emotion, searched his for an explanation that would make the horror of what she’d witnessed somehow acceptable.

“Yes, well, sort of. It’s not a creature in the sense that you’re saying it is.  It’s already a human, created from human DNA.”

“Fine, but it’s been changed, dramatically,” she exclaimed hearing her voice become shrill bordering on hysteria.

“Melissa, I don’t know what alterations have been made to the DNA of the person growing in there. Dr. Stein must somehow know that I am a failure. But I can tell you this: I am every bit as human as you are,” Gabriel emphasized every word as he spoke as if trying to punctuate their importance.

“Gabriel, I don’t feel so good. My head is spinning and I feel nauseous,” she confessed.

The spinning, coupled with tremors that racked her body, shook her limbs violently.

“Let’s get out of here,” Gabriel said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Melissa tensed at his touch. Typically, she would allow her body to meld into the contours of his. But now, inexplicably, her body resisted contact with his, repelled the comfort he offered.

He led her quickly across the vast underground research facility to the stairs that ascended to the earth above.

Once the steel door had been closed and locked and the rectangular piece of sod had been replaced, she walked with Gabriel, slowly, back to his house. Returning to the earth above, to reality, the cold air felt refreshing, cleansing. Stopping on the grass just before reaching the stone–edged border of the gravel driveway, she inhaled the crisp air, turning her eyes heavenward as she did so.  She noticed how clouds had gathered and obscured the brilliance of the moon, shrouding the constellations in a murky mask.

“Melissa, I know you’re upset. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I love you.”

“Gabriel, I am something other than hurt,” she said struggling to remain composed. “I’m...I’m, reeling, okay. I mean, I can’t begin to wrap my mind around everything I’ve heard and seen tonight. Here I thought we might experience a first tonight, together.” She couldn’t even blush. Shock prevented it. “Well, I had a first all right! Boy was I wrong about what kind of first I would experience, though!” Melissa exclaimed, her voice laden with self-derision.

“This doesn’t have to change anything. It shouldn’t change how we feel about each other,” Gabriel said softly.

He took her trembling hand in his. It felt warm and soft, a sharp contrast to hers. He placed his other atop hers so her fingers were enveloped in the warmth of both of his hands.

“Please, Melissa. I can only imagine how confused you must feel, how betrayed.”

Gabriel placed her hand on his chest, over his heart. She watched as tears flowed freely down the breathtaking planes of his face. He continued.

“I’m the same person you fell in love with; the same person who loves you despite what Dr. Stein’s original intent was. You evoked feelings I was never meant to have. You, Melissa.”

Melissa leaned in toward Gabriel allowing her hand to soften beneath his, above his beating heart. She rested her head on his chest and let him to pull her close to him. The tension in her body relaxed as sobs escaped her lips. Gabriel held her as she wept unabashedly.

After agonizing moments passed, Melissa’s tears had run dry. She looked up into the face of the person she thought she loved. She did not feel anger or revulsion. She did not feel sadness or confusion.

“Please take me home, Gabriel,” she whispered.

Without protest, Gabriel released her from his embrace.

He walked with her wordlessly to the open garage door where his Ford Explorer waited.

He opened the passenger side door for her and climbed into the driver’s side before turning the key in the ignition.

Melissa glanced out the window as Gabriel directed the SUV out of the large garage. Clouds had assembled and thickened considerably, fortifying their alliance against the hazy moon and stars. With each celestial body eclipsed by their charge, the substantial veils of vapors threatened precipitation as they drove away from Gabriel’s house.

Darkness fully shrouded the ornate structure where Gabriel lived. It no longer resembled the house they approached just hours ago.  Instead, cloaked in shadows and blackness, it was arcane and ominous.

Melissa shivered and hugged herself. Responding immediately to her needs as he always did, Gabriel raised the temperature of the heating system.

She did not speak as he navigated the winding roads to Blackstone Drive. Silence prevailed until the Explorer turned in to her driveway.

Ranks of rainclouds sprayed the earth with a fine mist of water. The only sound emitted was the intermittent swiping of windshield wipers pushing drizzle from the glass.

Gabriel put the SUV into park and spoke, his voice strong and measured.

“Melissa, I love you. Nothing has changed. Please don’t end this, don’t end us.”

“I’m not ending us,” she said in a voice wavering with emotion. “I’m just really confused. I mean, I feel like I’m in a dream, like none of this is real and I’ll wake up tomorrow and everything will be fine again. But in my heart of hearts, I know that’s not true.” She took a deep breath to compose herself then continued. “The way I feel about you hasn’t changed. I just need a little time to process all of this.”

Gabriel could not meet her eyes. He seemed unable to speak, as if doing so would somehow undermine what she needed. Silently, Melissa turned Gabriel’s beautiful face toward hers. She leaned across the console of the Explorer and kissed him tenderly on his lips before leaving. He waited in the driveway until she disappeared into the house before driving away.

***

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ONCE INSIDE, MELISSA observed from her kitchen window as Gabriel hesitated before backing his SUV out of her driveway. She watched as the illumination of his headlamps was enveloped in the indistinct darkness, how quickly their brilliance faded and was absorbed by the obscurity. A sharp pang of sadness pierced her heart as his Explorer disappeared in the night.

She turned from the window and looked through the dining room and into the family room.  The space was dark; no lights illuminated the downstairs rooms save for the single fluorescent overhead bulb of the stove.  Thankful for the dimness and what it indicated, Melissa stepped quietly away from her position in the kitchen. She moved past the front door and up the steep staircase and down the hall to her bedroom.

She passed her father’s bedroom first. His door was shut, signifying that he slept. Grateful for the solitude that her father’s slumber offered, Melissa stepped into her room and stripped off her outfit, the clothes she bought for her special night with Gabriel. 

Forcing his image from her mind temporarily, she pulled off her boots and jeans before shrugging out of her sweater. She peeled off her pink camisole and slung it over her desk chair sitting at an askew angle from her computer desk against the windowed wall.

In her undergarments, Melissa left her clothes where they had fallen on the floor and stepped into the bathroom. With her father sleeping soundly, she did not risk indecency with her state of undress. Closing the door behind her, she turned the shower on full blast and stepped behind the curtain.

She stood before the spray, allowing its powerful flow to massage her weary body. Melissa turned the temperature control knob to the left making the water hotter, attempting to rid her body of the chill that settled on her and infiltrated her very core.

With copious beads of steaming water cascading down her body, its warmth enveloping her, relaxing her, Melissa cried. Her tears blended with the running rivulets of the shower. They were cleansing sobs; cries of sadness and confusion, of regret and distress.

Gabriel had confided in her a secret so profound it overwhelmed her.  Melissa closed her eyes tightly as the image of that partially formed abomination in the steel tank appeared in her mind. She rubbed at her eyes with both hands, trying to expunge the horrible image from her mind.

When the image had sufficiently cleared—even if momentarily—she could envision Gabriel. She rationalized that Gabriel, in his beatific glory, was not a mere fabrication. He was not inhuman despite what Dr. Stein’s plan was. She recalled every tender action he performed, every polite gesture he undertook. They did not seem contrived or artificial. He was genuine and generous of spirit, more so than anyone she had ever met. Gabriel embodied benevolence and kindness. He was patient and protective; brave and bountiful.

Melissa opened her eyes and turned off the stream of water. With the sudden realization that she knew Gabriel, knew what kind of person he was, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. Determinedly, she strode out of the bathroom and into her bedroom.  As she dressed in her bedclothes, she fully appreciated the importance of her epiphany. It did not matter how Gabriel came to be. It did not matter what the original intent of his creation was—no more than how or under what circumstances any other human being on the planet came to be. Gabriel James was every bit as human as she was.

Satisfied with her insight and firm in her resolve, Melissa Martin climbed into her bed and slept. In the morning she would rise and go about her day. She would call Gabriel and tell him of her newfound understanding. She would tell him she loved him. 

Chapter 29

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GABRIEL WAITED UNTIL Melissa was safely inside her home before he pulled out of her driveway. The final moments they spent together replayed in his head. He’d refused to look into her eyes. He believed that doing so would compel him to beg her not to leave—even if the separation was temporary. He knew that begging would not have been fair to her. She needed to process all she had seen. She needed to decide whether to be with him based on her needs, not his. And he would be forced to accept whatever choice she made.

He stopped at the bottom of her hill as earlier events of the night repeated in his head. Images of her troubled face flashed before his eyes. In the flashes, she did not resemble the person he knew. She was wild-eyed with fright, wrought with confusion. With disgust. The memories bombarded him, streaming her horrified expression over and over again. They were seared in his mind. He was powerless to erase them, despite having caused them.

He removed one hand from the steering wheel and pounded it, damning his very creation. His eyes clouded with emotion as he began driving again.

Mist had turned to a steady rainfall as droplets precipitated more purposefully.

He drove the Explorer dangerously, swerving on rain-slickened pavement, testing the engine as he stepped down heavily on the accelerator. Conditions were terrible. Driving became a challenge. But Gabriel did not care.

Struggling to stay on the road, he agonized over her impending decision. That morning would bring about a painful verdict and he would lose Melissa forever.

Envisioning his life without her was unbearable. His days would be meaningless. Dr. Stein’s vision, his many genetic gifts...all of it was inconsequential. His existence worthless if she wasn’t a part of it.

His erratic driving continued during his ride home. He sped down the gravel driveway and directed the SUV in to the garage before turning off the engine and getting out. He walked through the laundry room and climbed the steps. As he opened the door to the hallway and peered into the living room, a fresh swell of despair racked him. Before him was a once-inspiring setting, romantic and filled with promise. Now, however, it was empty.

He immediately spotted the plate Melissa had eaten from sitting atop the coffee table. The once meticulously stacked dessert, lovingly prepared, sagged, melted and malformed.

The fire still burned in the hearth. Candles still glowed in the dining room. He was now charged with cleaning, restoring everything to its previous position.

After he cleaned, Gabriel surveyed the living room and dining room. As his eyes scanned the space, he noticed a piece of charcoal-gray woolen cloth draped behind the sofa. He walked to it and picked it up immediately.

Recognizing the shape of the material and its owner, he realized the small coat belonged to Melissa. She hadn’t worn it when they went to Dr. Stein’s laboratory. She’d left it behind and didn’t wear it home.

He stood for a moment, clutching the fabric in his hands before raising it to his face. The warm, familiar scent lingered. Notes of vanilla, caramel and coconut—Melissa’s fragrance—brought Gabriel to his knees, an unrelenting pang twisting in his chest.

Outside, the rain picked up in intensity and mixed with sleet. Tiny ice pellets showered down, mortaring the roof tiles. Frozen precipitation bounced and ricocheted about the house and its surrounding property before changing back to a heavy rainfall again, soaking and saturating everything in its wake.

A fresh wave of agony washed over Gabriel, threatened to drown him in a churning sea of misery. Instead of retiring to his room as he originally intended, he lay on the couch fully clothed, grasping Melissa’s garment.

Thoughts swirled about his mind, muddled and fragmented until mercifully, sleep found Gabriel. Comforted temporarily by dreams of a future with Melissa, he was granted repose for several hours. But with dawn came reality.

The rain and sleet had stopped. Beyond the window, the sun punctured the horizon and sliced through the darkness, bleeding the blue-black refuge in torrents of crimson and shades of sallow ginger.  As it did, a small, dark presence appeared before Gabriel.

Sitting up, Gabriel rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. The blurred image of his creator came into focus. Dr. Stein stood, looming over Gabriel with his feet planted at shoulder width, his hands on his hips. His thin lips were pursed and the creases that lined his rumpled forehead were deepened further in pensive silence. 

Dr. Stein was alerted to his awakening; the nearly imperceptible twitch that arched his left eyebrow revealed as much. Gabriel watched as Dr. Stein, from behind his wire-framed glasses, trained his small, watchful eyes on him and searched, narrowing them until his minuscule, coal-hued irises were nearly invisible.

“Sir,” Gabriel said groggily. “I wasn’t expecting you until later this evening.”

Dr. Stein remained, unflinching and eerily still, his gaze as stony as his stance.

“Who were you expecting Gabriel? Melissa Martin?” Dr. Stein asked and enunciated each word slowly, icily.

“Sir, I can—”

“Do not insult me by attempting to concoct a story, Gabriel. I know everything. The question in my mind is: how long have you felt such stirrings?” he continued, his inflection flat and formal.

“Sir, it began when I met her,” Gabriel confessed. “But how did you—”

“Know?” Dr. Stein finished Gabriel’s question coolly then continued. “After the incident with the school bonfire when you defied me, I decided to install numerous extremely sensitive audiovisual recording devices. Tiny cameras with microphones were put in almost every article in this house and in my laboratory, though I doubted you would have the audacity to trespass in my inner sanctum. Yet you did,” Dr. Stein said levelly.

“The information recorded was routed directly to my personal computer. Then, I lied and told you I was going away to buy more equipment for the lab. But, I checked in to the Hilton Hotel in Fallkill to watch what you would do when you thought you were alone. As I did so, I became aware of various interesting developments in you construct, of your flaw. Then the piece de resistance came when you invited her here and cooked her dinner. I do not need to recount the rest. You just experienced it; as did I. And what a pathetic display it was,” Dr. Stein said emotionlessly. “I don’t know who cried more, you or her. Nevertheless, she will be dealt with as well.”

Gabriel hung his head not in shame or defeat but in emotional exhaustion.

After summoning his strength, he spoke.

Dealt with?”

“Yes, Gabriel.”

“But sir, I love her,” he said.

“Love?” his maker questioned. “You do not love, Gabriel.”

“But I do, sir,” Gabriel countered.

Anger flashed almost undetectably, fleetingly, in Dr. Stein’s hardened eyes. “You were not created to experience such a useless emotion. I made sure of that.”

“Sir, I know what your intentions were with me.  My feelings for her were entirely unfamiliar, unexpected. I’m not certain whether they evolved subtly or—”

“An explanation is unnecessary. This situation will be handled,” Dr. Stein interrupted.

“Sir, I realize what I’ve done. I have jeopardized everything. But I will speak to Melissa. I assure you, she will not say anything to anyone.”

Gabriel regarded Dr. Stein.  His maker’s face was impassive and unrevealing.

“Are you proposing that I just trust some foolish teenage girl? You have unparalleled intelligence, Gabriel. Surely, you do not expect me to take a chance with a random, hormone-saturated adolescent. That would be absurd.  If anyone were to discover the nature of my work or that I live, everything I have achieved could end; my life would be jeopardized. No, Gabriel, I am not willing to risk the entirety of my research and development-all of my work-by trusting your limited little girlfriend. No, absolutely not. And you, you will be destroyed and dissected by nightfall.”

“Sir, I’m not sure I understand. Melissa has done nothing wrong. What do you intend to do with her?” Gabriel asked.

His mind raced, searching for an explanation for his creator’s vague plans for Melissa. The expression “dealt with” being used concerning her fate. A direct threat had been made. Dr. Stein made plain his intent to kill Gabriel. But that fact was irrelevant. He feared for Melissa.

“That is no longer your concern. Your work is complete. I have no further use for you.”

“It is my concern, sir. She is my concern. She will not tell anyone. I am certain she would not share what she knows. I assure you, I will speak with her. She will listen to me.”

“Oh yes, Gabriel. I know; because you believe she loves you, right?” Dr. Stein offered flatly. “Such nonsense. She has to be disposed of. There is no alternative.”

Gabriel lifted his chin and met his maker’s intense glower.

“Sir, I understand the consequences for my transgressions. I accept my fate. But Melissa...”

Gabriel’s breathing became labored.

“Sir, you’re not going to kill her. I won’t let you.”

Dr. Stein laughed the shrill staccato laughter of an evil man before declaring plainly, “Gabriel, you will be dead. You will not be able to do anything.”

“No, no, no,” Gabriel shook his head in disbelief. “This can’t happen. You’re not a monster. You wouldn’t kill an innocent.”

“An innocent?” Dr. Stein raised his voice slightly. “She could destroy everything!” he vented, shedding his composed veneer. “It astounds me that you somehow believe any of this could be taken lightly! After all Gabriel, you sealed her fate the moment she crossed the threshold of this house.” Dr. Stein accused, then after calming himself he added more levelly, “Eugene is already en route to deal with the situation.”

Gabriel’s mind reeled. Panic settled upon him. He had no idea that Eugene had even arrived yet. Stopping Eugene would be nearly impossible. Eugene was far stronger than Gabriel, but his deadliest attribute remained his uncompromising obedience to his maker.  He would kill on command, targeting whomever Dr. Stein deemed deserving.

Melissa would be his target. 

Infused with rage equal in intensity to the love he felt for Melissa, Gabriel stood, towering over his maker and hissed angrily, “Neither of you will touch her!”

Dr. Stein seemed genuinely shocked by Gabriel’s threatening tone and posture yet tried to speak with authority.

“It is done, Gabriel. It’s over,” Dr. Stein said.

Gabriel suddenly realized that all the doubts he had about his humanity were unfounded. He was not a monster. But Dr. Franklin Stein was.

Gabriel erupted in a furious rage. His body was suddenly overtaken by an intense, primal urge to harm the man standing before him.

“NO!” he heard his voice scream, foreign to his ears, before he attacked Dr. Stein.

Gabriel outstretched both arms, snapping them forward with the entire weight of his body behind them and shoved the diminutive geneticist by his shoulders.

The blow exploded against Dr. Stein’s body and forced him backward, slamming him against one of the mahogany bookshelves in the living room.

Gabriel watched as his creator’s head struck the shelves, hard, before his body slumped in a near seated position, unconscious on the hardwood floor.

Gabriel looked at Dr. Stein with both satisfaction and misgiving. But he wasted no time on consideration. His mind had ceased its dizzying whirl. His thoughts were no longer confused. His next steps were clear.

Trembling, Gabriel turned and ran for the door. He needed to get to his car.

He needed to find Melissa.

Chapter 30

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DR. FRANKLIN N. STEIN contacted Eugene by telephone late Saturday night, shortly after he arrived in New York. He had barely settled into his cottage when Dr. Stein informed him that Gabriel had presented with a flaw and was to be killed. But not before another matter was dealt with first.  An additional problem had arisen, one that demanded his immediate attention.

After apprising him of the recent developments between Gabriel and a human teenager, his maker charged him with another task. He was to hunt down and kill a seventeen-year-old girl named Melissa Martin before he executed Gabriel. Eugene was given her address and wasted no time in his pursuit. He quickly traveled to her home, his insides trilling all the while.

Though hardly a worthy adversary, the thought of slaughtering a weak, female adolescent excited him. He had never killed a girl before. He wondered what differences the experience would offer. 

Receiving permission to kill gave Eugene the chance to do what he excelled at. What he hungered for. What he enjoyed. The addition of a foreign element heightened his anticipation.

He parked his Hummer at the bottom of Blackstone Drive. Barely able to contain his enthusiasm, he traveled on foot up the steep slope of Melissa’s street.

Thanks to the season and colder weather that accompanied it, neighbors were not roaming about. Eugene moved past Melissa’s house unquestioned and noticed that a second-story window was illuminated.

He boldly stepped on to the Martin property and strode across grass hardened by frost to the back of the structure. No one saw him or stopped him from proceeding. He heard neither the baying of dogs nor the shouting of concerned citizens.

He climbed a flight of small wooden steps to a door. He tried the handle, found it locked. But the door yielded effortlessly to Eugene’s strength.  The owner had not bothered to engage the deadbolt.

Eugene crossed the threshold of Melissa’s Martin’s home.

He entered through the rear of the house and found himself in a rectangular room. Framed photographs filled with smiling faces stared at him and lined the far wall. Under the photographs, a flat-screen television resided, along with an unstable looking desk equipped with a personal computer. A leather sectional rested against the outer wall. No one sat upon it. The room was unoccupied.

Silently, Eugene continued. He crossed the space and entered a small dining area next to a living room. Still, he encountered no one.

He skulked through both areas before prowling down a short hallway. His shoes strode soundlessly on the hardwood flooring.

At the end of the corridor, Eugene was at a landing between a flight of steps and the front door. He paused briefly to listen for the home’s residents. He heard the faint sound of music coming from upstairs.

With feline grace and agility, he scaled the steep staircase, his strides remarkably quiet despite his size. He quickly climbed the incline of stairs and was in a long hallway.

Music permeated the stillness of the house, the sound amplified.

He moved toward the increasingly loud music, down the carpeted hallway and found a haloed doorway.

Eugene followed the light.

As he approached the door, a sign shaped like a crown with the words “Princess Melissa’s Room” emblazoned on it signified that Eugene had located his prey.

Slowly, he pushed the door back and stalked in.

Chapter 31

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ON A ROAD STILL DAMPENED by rainfall from the previous night, Kevin, John, Eric and Chris watched through the darkly tinted windows of Kevin’s car as Gabriel sped out of his gravel-filled driveway.

“What did I tell you? I knew we wouldn’t have to wait long,” Kevin said.  “I bet you he’s going to meet that little whore right now.”

Kevin’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, Gabriel had made a fool of him twice, and it was time for payback. If he wanted to regain his former status at school and in the eyes of his friends, his retaliation needed to be significant, memorable. Kevin was going to make a big statement and show everyone at school what happens when he is crossed.

“I can’t wait to fuck up that pretty face of his,” John added.

“He called me out at school, made me look like a little bitch,” Kevin complained. “Did he really think I was gonna let him get away with that shit?”

“He made us all look like punks,” Eric grumbled.

“He’s gonna get the ass-kickin’ of his life,” Chris chimed in as he gripped his weapon.

Kevin and each of his friends were armed with aluminum bats.

Kevin felt a surge of adrenaline as he realized his plan for revenge would be a reality. His excitement grew by the moment. He would make Gabriel pay dearly for his transgression.

“I’m gonna crack his fuckin’ head open,” Kevin spat. “And when I’m done with him, I’m gonna make that little bitch of his pay.”

Kevin felt his anger rise to a new level as his thoughts shifted to Melissa. Twice, she had come on strongly to him, only to back off after they had begun to fool around. He knew she wanted him, but she was a tease. She would have learned her lesson at the keg party if Gabriel had not come.

“Yeah, man. She was all over you at the bonfire, goes off in to the woods with you; then has the balls to say you tried to rape her,” John said.

“Like I need to rape that scrawny skank? She’s just pissed her boyfriend caught her all over me,” Kevin declared haughtily, enunciating the last three words of his declaration venomously.

Sheltered between two minivans, Kevin Anderson and his friends watched as Gabriel sped precariously along the saturated stretch of road.

“Where the hell is this guy going?” Chris asked

“I don’t know but he’s driving like a maniac,” Eric added.

***

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GABRIEL FRANTICALLY tried to call Melissa as he sped, stomping on the accelerator and testing both the engine and traction of the sturdy vehicle against the road conditions. A ringing sound immediately began.

“Come on! Come on! Please pick up!” he pleaded impatiently as the car swerved briefly, veering toward the shoulder before he resumed control of the steering wheel.

After nearly a dozen rings, Melissa finally answered, her voice hushed, but still sweet and melodious. 

“Hello?”

Relieved at the sound of her voice, Gabriel sighed. She was still alive. Eugene had not gotten to her, yet.

“Melissa! It’s me, Gabriel. You need to get out of the house, right now!” Gabriel ordered.

She was immediately alarmed by his urgency. She panicked.

“What’s going on Gabriel? You’re scaring me.”

“Listen to me, Melissa. Where are you? Are you home?”

“No, I’m with Daniella. She called and offered to take me out for brunch. We’re at the diner. Why?”

“I need you to meet me,” Gabriel said. “Can you do that?”

“Yeah, sure. I was going to call you when I got home anyway,” Melissa fumbled.

Gabriel struggled to focus on navigating his SUV along the winding roads of Harbingers Falls as the rain-doused streets and his mist-veiled eyes conspired to undermine him. When he managed to speak, his voice was thickened with emotion as his mind quickly recalled the events of the evening past. 

“Look, I know you don’t want to see me right now, maybe never again. But,” he began.

His voice faltered. He took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing.

“There is something I need to tell you. It’s an emergency and I can only do it in person.”

“Gabriel, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about-”

Gabriel interrupted, expecting her to chastise him.

“I know, Melissa. An apology isn’t good enough given the circumstances. But listen you are in dang—”

The cellular reception began to break up. He could not be certain Melissa heard his warning; that she was in danger. He began panicking that the call had been lost, that Eugene would get to her before he did.

“Melissa, are you still there?” he asked, desperate and raising his voice.

The interruption in their call felt endless. Finally, the silence crackled and Melissa’s voice resounded out of the void.

“I’m here,” she assured him before continuing. “Look, my feelings for you have not changed. And last night was, well, intense, you know? But none of that matters. I know you. I know what kind of person you are. That’s all that matters.”

Momentarily relieved by her words, Gabriel breathed deeply and braced himself for what he had to tell her.

“Melissa, you are in danger,” Gabriel blurted out, his meager composure faltering.

“What?” Melissa asked incredulously.

“I was just on my way to your house. I need to turn around. Meet me in the back parking lot of the school, at the entryway to the trail. You remember the place, right?”

“Yes, of course. But Gabriel, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.”

“I’ll explain everything to you when I see you. Whatever you do, do not go home, Melissa. Promise me you won’t go home!” Gabriel pleaded as he turned the wheel sharply, directing the Explorer in to the shoulder.

His tires skidded along wet pavement as he took the turn too abruptly, narrowly avoiding a collision with oncoming traffic.

“Okay! Okay! I won’t go home!” Melissa agreed urgently.

“And tell Daniella not to go home. She isn’t safe either,” Gabriel revealed, his car now pointing in the direction that would take him to Harbingers High School. “Get to the entrance of the trail as soon as possible. Don’t stop off anywhere! Do you understand me?”

“Yes! Yes!” Melissa said her voice shrill with terror.

“I love you,” Gabriel whispered before ending the call with Melissa.

***

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SUDDENLY, TIRES SCREECHED in protest in the distance as Gabriel’s SUV made a dangerous U-turn upon the busy thoroughfare it traveled along before racing back in the opposite direction. The Explorer headed back toward them barely eschewing an accident with another vehicle in the opposite lane.

“What the fuck is he doing?” Eric exclaimed.

“Shit! He’s gonna see us!” Chris yelled.

Gabriel raced by them, his gaze resolute, intent. He did not offer a glance in Kevin’s direction.

“He didn’t even look at us! Quick, turn around!” John shouted.

“No shit! What do you think I’m doing?” Kevin countered as he traveled farther down the road and out of sight before cutting the wheel of his sleek sports car sharply to the left and directing it in to the shoulder executing a U-Turn to continue his pursuit of Gabriel.

Kevin followed Gabriel’s Explorer at a safe distance and watched as he navigated the SUV hurriedly into the entrance of their high school.

“He’s turning in to the school,” Kevin noted with a hint of confusion in his voice.

“Why the hell would he be doing that?” John questioned.

Kevin slowed to a halt, remaining at a distance that concealed them sufficiently. He and his friends observed Gabriel park his car in the far corner of the rear parking area before climbing out of his vehicle and looking around anxiously.

Clouds began to thicken again. Filtered sunlight was buried by impenetrable, gray masses. Malignant clusters, dark and foreboding, crowded out any blue sky and lightness in its wake.  A storm brewed in the atmosphere.

“He’s meeting her here I bet,” Kevin speculated. “This couldn’t be any better!”

Kevin picked up his baseball bat, thrilled with the change of events. No one would be on school grounds. He and his friends would be able to take their time with Gabriel and Melissa, make them suffer.

“This shit is gonna go down now!”  Kevin rallied.

Chapter 32

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EUGENE SCANNED THE room. A bed adorned with a frilly, lilac covering sat flanked by twin cherry wood night tables with small amethyst-shaded lamps atop them occupied the middle of the room. A matching cherry wood dresser lined the wall opposite the bed. In the far corner a full-length mirror resided in a matching finish. Directly ahead, double-hung windows curtained by lengths of lavender material offered adequate natural light. Positioned below them was a small, wooden desk of shoddy construction with a varnish similar to the other furniture. A simple, wheeled desk chair was tucked beneath the small table and a laptop computer rested atop it.

Melissa was not home but had left her room lit by an overhead fixture. An alarm clock radio blasted noise from its small speakers filling the house with a discordant form of ambient melodies. Wasteful humans he thought as he traversed her room.

He picked up several pieces of clothing that littered the floor and sniffed them. All were suitable. All provided a scent that could be tracked. But a pink camisole tossed haphazardly over her desk chair offered a particularly potent scent. The garment bore a sweet mixture of vanilla, caramel and coconut mixed with natural secretions unique to Melissa’s body chemistry. Closing his eyes, Eugene pressed it to his face and inhaled deeply.

Sweat, oils and pheromones, and the perfumed substance on Melissa’s clothes, frenzied him.  His mouth watered. A strong urge overtook Eugene.

He did not merely want to kill Melissa, he hungered to; he needed to. 

Eugene shuddered as he inhaled the pink material a final time before replacing it on the chair.

He struggled to compose himself, to control his bloodlust. He began opening the drawers of Melissa’s bureau. He found nothing of interest. He searched her walk-in closet and nightstand. Still, no useful items were unearthed.

He did not want to waste time performing fruitless inspections. He decided it was time to leave.

Before he left, he surveyed the room a final time.

A piece caught his attention. A small, leather-bound book peeked out from beneath lavender ruffled bedding. Intrigued, he reentered her bedroom and moved toward the bed.

He picked up the book and immediately sensed he had found an article of great importance.

He opened it and began reading. His superior vision and comprehension skills enabled him to speed-read Melissa’s diary.

In doing so, Eugene became privy to Melissa’s innermost thoughts, her most personal moments.  He was introduced to the people closest to her. More specifically, he was familiarized with Daniella Colucci and Alex Georgopoulos. Evidence contained in the pages suggested that the likelihood of locating Melissa Martin with either of the girls was great.

Melissa’s diary also brought to Eugene’s attention the intimate nature of her relationship with Gabriel James. He found himself laughing aloud for the first time in his life, a vicious, demonic cackle, when he read that Gabriel, Dr. Stein’s perfect specimen designed to remain devoid of human emotions, proclaimed his deepest affection for Melissa. Moreover, Melissa claimed to love Gabriel in return.

These developments provided Eugene with an advantage greater than physical dominance. By torturing and killing Melissa, Eugene would be tormenting Gabriel, as well. He had longed to torture Gabriel since his creation.

Invigorated, Eugene tossed the journal back on the bed and reached across to grab the pink camisole. Stuffing it in the pocket of his parka, Eugene left the Martin home.

He moved swiftly and stealthily down Blackstone Drive. He stopped briefly at a cluster of communal mailboxes. Under the postal boxes were bagged telephone directories for the community’s residents.

Errant droplets of rain began to fall as Eugene grabbed a phone book before continuing down the street and climbing into his Hummer to continue his hunt for Melissa Martin.

Alex Georgopoulos, Daniella Colucci, the names of Melissa Martin’s closest friends were branded in Eugene’s mind.  He was sure he would find Melissa with one of these girls.

He quickly consulted the directory to locate either girl.

One Georgopoulos was listed in Harbingers Falls. It didn’t get much easier than that.

Confident that listing was the one he sought, he set his GPS navigation system with the address registered and found that her home was just under a mile away.

The dark sky opened with a ceremonious rumble of thunder before large drops of rain began showering down from angry heavens.

Chapter 33

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ALEX GEORGOPOULOS WAS sitting on her bed painting her toenails when the ringing of her telephone interrupted her pedicure. Careful not to smudge the freshly applied lacquer, she tottered on her heels to her dresser where her phone charged. Grabbing it, she saw that it was Melissa.

“Hey, bitch,” Alex greeted.

“Alex! Thank God you’re home! Listen to me. You need to get out of the house, now!” Melissa ordered.

“Are you high or something?” Alex asked snippily as thunder rumbled, shaking the house briefly.

“No I am not high!” Melissa retorted, her voice shrill with panic. “Gabriel called me and told me that we’re in danger, and none of us—me, you, and Daniella—should be home. Daniella is going to the mall. She said she can pick you up after she drops me off at the school.”

“You guys are fucking with me. Don’t think I’m going to fall for it this time,” Alex chided. “Besides, my brothers will be home in, like, an hour. If what you’re saying is true, which I don’t think it is, I’d feel bad for anyone who came here trying to hurt me.”

“Alex, this is not a joke! Get out of the damn house!” Melissa screamed.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever,” Alex antagonized. “By the way Melissa, your acting has gotten much better since last time. Bravo.”

With that, Alex ended the call.

“Idiots,” she muttered to herself smiling.

Her best friends, particularly Melissa, often attempted playing practical jokes on her throughout their many years of friendship. She had yet to fall for any of them and was not about to start now. Though she had to admit, Melissa had upped the ante with this most recent phone call. Her frantic and pressured speech pattern was convincing; almost. She was impressed with her friend’s acting skills. She briefly envisioned Melissa moving out West and pursuing an acting career, then laughed aloud at the absurdity of her wild imaginings. Still smiling to herself, she crossed her room and replaced the phone on her dresser.

She paused and looked out her window and saw a chaotic display. Winds whipped through trees, littering the ground below with splashes of vibrantly hued leaves. Rain poured in sheets, limiting her visibility to her property.

As she continued to watch nature’s elaborate show, she was startled by a loud noise from downstairs. A thunderous sound crashed inside her home. The crackle of wood shattering and splintering sounded as though the backdoor leading from the yard into the kitchen had imploded.

Frantically, Alex raced out of her bedroom to the hallway. Peering over the balustrade offered her a partial view of the kitchen.

Fragments of wood were strewn across the floor. The doorframe was in shards and slivers on the ceramic tiles.

Gripped by panic, Alex returned to her room, shutting her door behind her as silently as possible. Surveying the area hurriedly, she searched for a quick exit from her second-story bedroom. She immediately realized there was none. She was trapped.

Her heart pounded frenziedly in her chest as the staircase groaned and creaked, divulging stealthy footsteps on it. Then, almost as suddenly as they began, the groaning stopped. The footfalls ceased. Whoever had broken into her home had halted outside the threshold of her bedroom.

With nowhere else to go, Alex scanned her bedroom, her pulse thundering, before finding refuge in her closet.

Through slatted louvers, she peered out and saw the door to her room opening slowly.

A hulking figure stalked through her room, picking up and sniffing strewn clothes that cluttered his path. Taller and broader than any man she had ever seen, the colossal being filled the room.

Panic seized every cell in her body. What was happening? What was the thing in her room? Why was he here?

To kill her. 

Instinct shrieked that without a doubt he’d kill her.

Alex involuntarily whimpered then covered her mouth to suppress a scream as he trained his gaze in her direction. His eyes were an unnatural yellow hue and were spaced widely from each other, his nose wide and flat, sloped to a thin line where lips should have sat, but didn’t. His face was hideous, inhuman.

He sensed her presence, looked directly at her.

Her pulse rate quickened, resounded in her ears. Her breaths became short and shallow, threatened hyperventilation. Rivulets of perspiration trickled down between her shoulder blades, beads of sweat stippled her forehead.  She crouched, alone and defenseless in her closet as the gruesome beast swung the wooden closet doors open violently. He stood before her, glowering down at her huddled and trembling form.

Every nuance of his demeanor suggested an inherent need to tear her limb from limb. Alex was confronted with her impending demise. She turned her head to one side and squeezed her eyes shut. Tears escaped her closed eyes as visions of her life flashed before her.

The behemoth creature advanced.

Though she refused to look at him, she felt the heat of his body as he loomed over her, his ragged inhalations and exhalations upon her. Her mind raced faster than ever. Her thoughts made little sense; except one. She was going to die. It was a certainty. She would never see her family again. She would not graduate or go to college. She would never marry nor have children. Instead, she would be murdered in her closet.

Her heart rate accelerated dangerously. She prayed a heart attack would claim her before the killer did.

Suddenly, the house phone began ringing. It alarmed her further, though she could not imagine how that was remotely possible. It rang loudly until the fourth sound chimed and a recorded message indicated the Georgopoulos family was not available but would return any incoming calls at their soonest convenience.

Daniella’s voice echoed from the machine.

“Hey, Alex. Listen, Gabriel is having me drop Melissa at school by the entrance of the woods. Something is going on. She wasn’t kidding.  I’m glad you left. I hope you’re meeting me at the mall. I should be there in a few minutes. I’ll try you on your cell. Bye.”

The answering machine beeped to signal that the message had ended.

Though the fiend was briefly distracted, Alex did not dare open her eyes; terror did not permit her to do so. They remained tightly shut as she silently implored God for a miracle.

Seconds passed. The monster did not strike.

Alex cautiously opened one eye, then the other. To her surprise, no one stood before her. The beast was gone. Her prayers had been answered.

Chapter 34

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MELISSA WAS DEAFENED by the sound of rain hammering against Daniella’s car and the endless stream of questions her friend asked as they drove from the diner to meet Gabriel. Frustrated that she could answer so few of Daniella’s inquiries, Melissa was relieved when they finally arrived at Harbingers High School. They proceeded along the length of the winding driveway to the rear of the school where she immediately spotted Gabriel’s hunter-green Ford Explorer. They pulled up beside him and Melissa thanked Daniella profusely before climbing out of the car and into the storm.

In the short time they traveled from the diner to the school, the winds picked up. Strong gusts sent rain cascading to the ground at a slant. Large droplets pelted her face as she turned to watch Daniella’s Toyota Prius power out of sight. She then ran to Gabriel’s SUV. He started to get out and open her door for her but she called out for him not to bother. After all, it was pointless for both of them to be soaking wet.

As she climbed in, she was instantly greeted by his worried, tortured expression. The beauty of his features was contorted and veiled by fear. He looked at her briefly and did not speak. Instead, he shifted gears and began driving.

She sat, a sickened entanglement of nerves, and waited as he drove along a service road used primarily by the maintenance department of the school district. The dirt road traversed the woods, paralleled the clearing where keg parties ensued and where Gabriel rescued Melissa from Kevin, and ended finally at a squat building that housed various landscaping apparatus.

Stopping in front of the stout construct, Melissa could not endure the silence and spoke first.

“Gabriel, what the hell is going on?” she demanded. “Why are we parked here?”

“I need to keep my car out of sight. The person who’s hunting you, I mean us, knows my car.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Why would someone be hunting us?” Melissa exclaimed.

“Melissa, Dr. Stein knows I showed you the lab. He had everything wired—the house and the laboratory—with cameras and mikes. I had no idea. He’s insane, and now he wants us dead.”

“Oh my God!” Melissa whispered. The moment felt surreal, nightmarish. All of it was more than her mind could process. A rogue geneticist wanting to create an improved human species, a half-formed being in a tank, and now, someone was pursuing them. She felt like she was rapidly approaching a breaking point from which there was no turning back.

“What I told you, the things you saw, no one else knows about. The kind of research Dr. Stein is doing is not allowed. If the Russian mob found out he was alive, they’d kill him. If the government found out he was alive, he’d be arrested. Either way, he can’t risk what he does getting out.”

Gabriel paused and put his head in his hands.

“Melissa, I’m so sorry I ever got you involved in this. I shouldn’t have had you over the house or showed you the lab. I shouldn’t have even gotten involved with you. I was selfish. My feelings for you, I let them cloud my judgment. You don’t deserve any of this.”

Gabriel took a moment before continuing. “The man that’s after us, his name is Eugene. He was created by Dr. Stein for situations like this. To tie-up loose ends.”

We’re loose ends?” Melissa cried in disbelief.

Before Gabriel could respond, a familiar black car pulled up behind his SUV, blocking him in.

She turned in her seat to look out the back window and was shocked by what she saw.

From the driver’s side door of his car, Kevin stepped out, heavy showers plastering his hair to his skull. She watched as he stood straight, a smug smile spreading across his lips as he moved toward them leaving the engine running. She squinted, perplexed to see that he brandished a silver aluminum baseball bat.

Without warning, the remaining three doors of his sports car opened. John DeNardi, Eric Sala and Chris Mace climbed out wielding similar weapons.

“Oh my God,” was all she could manage.

“What the hell is going on here?” Gabriel muttered.

“This can’t be happening!” Melissa exclaimed.

Melisa jumped as loud thumps pounded against the body of Gabriel’s SUV. Her heart raced as she saw Kevin and his crew rounding from the rear; the source of the pounding became clear. Wind-driven precipitation lashed as they shouted for both Gabriel and Melissa to get out of the vehicle.

“Get the fuck out of the car!” Kevin ordered.

Afraid, Melissa watched as Gabriel put his hand on the door handle and pulled. He leaned across the console and kissed Melissa. 

“I got us into this. Let me deal with them and see if I can get us out of it. I’m so sorry, Melissa.”

Frantically, she pleaded with him to stay in the car.

“Gabriel, don’t go! They’ll kill you!” she screamed.

Melissa looked imploringly at Gabriel as she tugged on his arm, pulling him closer to her.

“There’s nothing you can say to him that will make him back off,” she argued in a more controlled voice.

Taking her face in his hands, Gabriel kissed Melissa once more and said, “They won’t kill me. And I have to try to stop this somehow.”

“Please,” she began and clutched his arm, but offered nothing more. The resolute look on his face warned her off. She withdrew her hands that attempted to restrain him and Gabriel pulled the lever the remainder of the distance. She could do nothing more than sit idly by as he opened the door.

Despite the closed windows of the Explorer and the pounding, windswept rain, Melissa was still able to hear Gabriel’s muffled voice as he made an effort to reason with Kevin and the others.

“Guys, come on, move your car so we can get out of here, all right?” she heard Gabriel say levelly.

She then heard Kevin raising his voice. He shouted, “Not a chance, asshole. We’re settling this right here, right now.”

She immediately recognized that Kevin was mimicking Gabriel’s words from their parking lot skirmish days earlier.

Gabriel’s posture seemed unperturbed. She heard him say, “Settle this?” as rain poured on him, obscuring his serene features. “You call four guys with bats against one unarmed guy a fair way to settle things?”

Another voice chimed in. Eric shouted, “We don’t give a shit about fair, asshole!”

“Yeah. We just wanna kick your ass!” John added, yelling.

“Did you think we were gonna let you get away with that shit you pulled the other day?” Kevin snapped sarcastically. “This is our school! You thought you were going to come to our school and fuck with us!”

She watched as Kevin stepped toward Gabriel as he spoke. Then without warning, he swung his bat high and Gabriel’s head became the intended target. Gabriel ducked and dodged the swipe before Eric, John and Chris descended on him. 

With aluminum bats attacking him from every angle, even someone as strong as Gabriel could not fend off the strikes. Melissa screamed from inside the car and slid to the driver’s side as she reached for her cellular phone. She immediately dialed 9-1-1, desperate to contact the police, but her location and the inclement weather conspired against her; call service was unavailable.

Melissa cursed and shifted her position and tried again.

As she expected, there was still no service. She watched in horror as a blow landed against Gabriel’s back, causing him to arch his body and howl in pain followed by another swing that struck him in the arm. A third hit landed against his thigh, knocking him to the ground.

His face was pained. With no other choice than self-preservation, she saw that Gabriel remained on the ground and protected his head with his arms as Kevin and his cronies advanced.

Their assault was tireless. Melissa watched as Kevin, Eric, Chris and John kicked Gabriel about his body with fervor and conviction. He could do little to defend himself. They were fierce, merciless.

Melissa swore again, raging at Kevin and his group, at her inability to call the police. She was powerless to help Gabriel.

Gabriel would not be able to sustain many more blows. He was bruised and bloodied.

Without thinking, she jumped out of Gabriel’s Ford Explorer.

Stepping into the hellish rainstorm, Melissa began screaming in a voice panicked and piercing, alien to her ears.

“Leave him alone!” she shrieked repeatedly.

Kevin turned toward Melissa. He no longer resembled the handsome, star-athlete beloved by most people at Harbingers High School. He looked like a wild-eyed criminal, like a monster. Rivulets of rain streamed down his face lending him a distorted, demonic expression befitting his malicious actions.

He glowered at her and shouted, “You’re next, bitch! Don’t think we’ve forgotten about you!”

She knew his threats were anything but hollow.

She listened as John, Eric and Chris jeered at her as well, taunting as they kicked at Gabriel.

Gabriel screamed at her from his prone position.

“Run, Melissa! Get out of here now!” he screamed.

Melissa paused, briefly immobilized. She knew she must leave and get help but could not fathom abandoning him. Her heart and her mind contended with each other, one preventing the other from acting effectively. Finally, words were formed on her lips. She heard herself say to Gabriel, “I’ll get help!” then she reluctantly turned from him and ran.

With her head down, she strode as fast as her legs would allow. Her mind had a single objective: get help. Despite the consequences, she needed to get help. She ran against the rain as it gusted and mixed with snow periodically, deeper into the woods.

***

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FROM THE LEAF-LITTERED floor of the woods, pain radiated from every part of Gabriel’s body. Despite his injuries, he was thankful that Melissa was gone. Kevin and the others had retreated for the moment. Gabriel lifted his head. He sensed their silence was anything but reassuring. As he did so, he saw Kevin watch as Melissa ran off into the woods. On his face, he wore the realization that she would quickly happen on another trail that led her to a residential road, a road where she could easily be granted access to contact the authorities. He watched as Kevin clenched and flexed his jaw contemplating his next move.

Suddenly, Kevin roared, “Get her!” to Eric Sala, a track star, and fellow football and basketball teammate. “Get that bitch back here! I don’t care if you have to drag her by her hair to get her back here!”

On command, Eric sprinted into the thicket after Melissa.

Unadulterated rage coursed through Gabriel’s veins as Kevin ordered Eric to accost Melissa. Adrenaline surged through him, enabled his battered body to rise.

“You will not touch her!” he howled standing erect and squaring his shoulders.

Chris charged at him with his aluminum baseball bat. Gabriel anticipated the blow, allowed it to strike his body. Instead of absorbing the swipe, he tensed his abdominal muscles at the precise second of impact and immediately dropped his arm on the bat trapping it. Then Gabriel yanked the bat with both of his hands, seizing it from Chris’s grasp.

With the weapon in his hands, Gabriel used the butt of the bat and struck Chris squarely in the jaw.

Devastated by both the force and swiftness of the blow, he staggered and fell to the ground clutching his chin and writhing in pain.

Gabriel turned, now armed, and confronted John, who approached behind his fallen friend. Confounded by what he had witnessed, John advanced more cautiously than Chris had.

Gabriel noticed that John approached, tentatively at first. Then, trying to surprise him, John charged. He swung his weapon wildly, recklessly. With no specific target intended though, John’s swings were easily deflected by Gabriel.

Gabriel blocked and dodged the many, fevered strikes. John struck with zeal but without strategy. As he stepped back drawing both arms to one side trying to swing the bat with all of his might, Gabriel saw that John left his back exposed, vulnerable. Gabriel calculated the ideal time to launch a counterattack against him. He spun and rammed the butt of his own bat forcefully into the back of John’s head. John dropped to the ground and fell, unconscious.

With John and Chris down, Kevin remained the last member of the group on his feet. He looked at Gabriel with deep concern, with fear. Gabriel guessed Kevin had not planned to fight him alone.  He did not want to let Kevin off so easily this time, but time was a complication. Time was ticking away. Eric still trailed Melissa. And Eugene was undoubtedly in pursuit of her as well, though it was unlikely he was in the woods. Nevertheless, Gabriel could not consider Eugene at the moment. Instead, he focused his anger on Kevin and faced off with him.

Mixed precipitation teemed down from grayed heavens as they stood before each other.  Each droplet rained angrily, pointedly, pelting and pummeling them, obscuring movements.

But Gabriel held a genetic advantage. With his unmatched vision, he assessed Kevin’s every action, each step taken. He noted the slightest shift in his opponent’s body and was prepared for an attack from any angle. He did not need the advantage of his superior sight, however, to see that Kevin no longer retained the arrogance he enjoyed earlier when all his friends were present. He assumed the pallid hue of a man outmatched.

Yet despite the inkling that he would be bested, Kevin attacked first. He intended to land a blow to Gabriel’s head.

Gabriel studied how Kevin swung his bat with speed that was both astonishing and impressive. Familiar with the feel of a bat gripped in his hands, the star baseball player, who captained his school’s team, handled the equipment with acuity, with adroitness.

But Gabriel’s reflexes were unparalleled. As the club approached his temple with a mere fraction of a second to spare before impact, Gabriel dropped on one knee. Narrowly avoiding a blow to the skull, he swung his weapon directly into Kevin Anderson’s kneecap.

The knock brought Kevin down hard on the thicketed ground.

Howling in pain, the celebrated athlete gripped his injured knee.

Gabriel then balled one powerful fist and hurled two blows in quick succession. One landed on Kevin’s temple while the other fell on his jaw. Kevin’s head slumped back as consciousness escaped him.

Though his adversary was unconscious, he wanted nothing more than to hammer at Kevin with both of his fists, to dole out the punishment he deserved. But there were more pressing matters, more dire situations to contend with. He needed to find Melissa. He needed to protect her from Eugene.

Summoning every ounce of restraint he had, Gabriel refrained from beating Kevin Anderson to a bloodied pulp. Instead, he dashed off in the direction that Eric ran to find Melissa.

Chapter 35

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KEVIN ANDERSON REGAINED consciousness and found himself on the brush-covered floor of the wooded area behind his high school. Rain and sleet pounded him. Intense pain radiated from his fractured kneecap.

Cold, wet and wounded, he rolled to one side to ease the pressure on his broken bone. As he turned, he felt his face throb. Instinctively, he raised his hand to his cheek. Beneath his fingertips, he felt swollen, tender flesh. He squeezed his eyes shut in agony.

He opened his eyes to a sight that had gone unnoticed earlier. In his blurred line of vision he saw his friends, Chris and John, struggling to their feet in the thicket. Both had been bruised and beaten. But he no longer cared about them. Gabriel was nowhere in sight. His friends failed him.

Despite pain searing through his body, Kevin seethed. Word of his fight with Gabriel would spread quickly. Respect for him would be lost, impossible to regain. Something more than his body began to hurt: his pride.

He realized he wouldn’t be superior to his peers anymore. it was a realization more painful than he could articulate.

A noise interrupted Kevin’s self-pity. It directed his attention from his friends, as well. His eyes were drawn to a dense cluster of bushes that moved noisily.

From inside the bushes came a rustling louder than the lashing elements. Rain and sleet pelted his face as it cascaded and whipped about from overhead. With his vision obscured by the elements, Kevin squinted at the brush as it parted.

Kevin stared in shock and disbelief at what emerged from the bushes. It appeared to be a man, but it wasn’t. It was larger and more heavily muscled than any man he had ever seen. Kevin gaped at what loomed in the distance.

The being’s brawny body was impressive, intimidating. But the genuine horror of its manifestation was its gruesome face. It was not human.

Like a nightmarish apparition arising from a cryptic tomb, the immense creature stepped out from the brush.

Through precipitation that poured and pounded, feline yellow eyes glared at Kevin hatefully, murderously.

Instinct urged him to flee, but his injured knee prevented him from doing so.

Instead, Kevin squeezed his eyes tightly shut. He was certain the figure before him was a hallucination, a result of a severe concussion. He shook his head from side to side, tried to clear the image from his mind.

Yet when he stopped shaking his head and opened his eyes again, the monster remained. And it had busied itself.

Kevin looked on in shock as the creature grabbed Chris, writhing, off the ground by his neck and hoisted him high in the air to meet his unnatural honey-hued gaze.

Chris squirmed and flailed to free himself from the clutches of the veritable boogeyman. He cried out in terror, pleaded for his life. But his pleas were pointless, it was impervious to appeal.

Kevin watched as the leviathan glowered at Chris. He heard a loud cracking sound as it squeezed his friend’s neck.

Chris stopped moving, his body hung limp.

The yellow-eyed behemoth threw his friend’s corpse to the forest floor and shuddered. He seemed to rejoice in killing him.

An intense piercing noise suddenly echoed through the woods. It clawed at Kevin eardrums. He moved his hands to cover his ears before realizing the noise was coming from him; it was the sound of his own panic-stricken screams.

The goliath remained, unperturbed by his shrill cries. He seemed intensely focused on John. John sat motionless on the ground, paralyzed by shock, catatonic from fear. Kevin watched as the beast lifted John by the front of his T-shirt, raising him with ease.

The spell of unresponsiveness was broken and John suddenly comprehended his fate. Sobbing uncontrollably, he tried to maneuver his body out of his T-shirt, but could not. The giant had him throttled.

Then, in one sinuous motion, the fiend slammed John’s flailing body against the trunk of a mature tree.  He stopped moving. The blow killed him. The monster released his body, allowing it to fall to the saturated copse.

He turned toward Kevin and advanced, quickly closing the distance between them.

Kevin no longer worried about Melissa Martin or Gabriel James. His reputation at Harbingers High School was suddenly irrelevant. A gush of fluid warmed his lap.

Wounded and saturated in his urine, Kevin Anderson looked up pleadingly into the face of pure evil and saw not the vaguest capacity for mercy. He saw hatred.

The monster lifted his leg and suspended his foot over Kevin’s head.

With tears in his eyes, Kevin Anderson drew his last breath as he stared up at his final vision, the sight of an enormous booted foot as it came crashing down on his skull.

Chapter 36

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AMID THE STINK OF FEAR-saturated secretions of teenage boys who had recently met their demise, a new scent perfumed the air.  The sweet aroma permeated the atmosphere despite the downpour from the angry heavens.

As the wind blew stirring branches and limbs and whipping colored leaves in its wake, a familiar scent lingered: vanilla, caramel and coconut.

The notes alerted Eugene’s senses. Inhaling deeply, he immediately recognized the intoxicating fragrance.

His mouth salivated profusely and his body shuddered.

Thunder rumbled through the trees, shook the forest floor.

Eugene stalked off after the trail of Melissa Martin.

***

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GABRIEL SPRINTED, ALUMINUM bat in hand, into the wind and precipitation that refused to commit to being frozen or liquid. Alternating between sleet and rain, it stung his face as he ran as quickly as he could.

In the distance, he saw them. Eric tackled Melissa to the ground, her body slammed against the leaf covered forest floor. Writhing and kicking frantically, Melissa attempted to free herself. Eric straddled her, seized her wrists and held them in one of his hands then raised the other to slap her into submission.

Gabriel saw the impending strike, but had only seconds to close the considerable distance between them. It would be impossible for him to physically halt what was about to ensue. Instead, he looked to the aluminum bat in his hand and made a decision.

His rapidly approaching footsteps diverted Eric’s attention. From atop Melissa, he snapped his head up quickly to see who advanced. When he did, he glimpsed Gabriel hurling an object into the air.

Instantly, the expression on his face registered recognition of the article racing toward him. An aluminum baseball bat tumbled end over end, too rapidly to dodge.

The barrel of the bat caught Eric in the upper-portion of his forehead. A loud popping sound echoed as the aluminum struck his skull. Blood trickled from his hairline and he collapsed sideways, unconscious, off of Melissa.

Gabriel rushed to Melissa’s side. “Are you okay?” he asked frantically. “Has he hurt you?”

“No, no. I’m all right. What was all that screaming I heard?”

He reached out and helped her up.

“It’s time to go. Now!” Gabriel told her.

“What? I mean, what the hell happened? What was all that?” Melissa stammered, lost for words.

He did not have time to fully explain that the bone-chilling cries she heard indicated Eugene’s arrival.

“Melissa, he’s here,” was all he managed.

“Who?”

“Eugene! Eugene is here now! We have to go!” Gabriel ordered. “You have to double back. You can’t make it on foot to the street. It’s too far. He will outrun you. You’ll have to double back. Get to my car!”

“But the car is pinned between Kevin’s car and the maintenance shack,” Melissa countered.

Gabriel recalled that the daytime running headlamps of Kevin’s sports car were on during their skirmish.

“Not Kevin’s car. His car was still running.”

Gabriel did not know how to tell her that Kevin was dead, that he had been killed by a murderous beast created by Dr. Franklin N. Stein, the same man who created him.

Despite Kevin’s malicious intents, his death was abrupt. He found himself briefly mourning the death of a fellow human being.

“Okay. Yes, you’re right. His car was still running. But won’t Kevin try to stop me?” Melissa asked.

“Melissa, Kevin will not need his car.”

Gabriel paused to insure Melissa fully comprehended what had happened.

“Ever again,” he finished.

“I’ll stay back and draw Eugene here. That should buy you enough time to get to the car.”

“What? No! I’m not leaving you Gabriel!” Melissa shrieked.

He knew she did not have the slightest chance of outrunning Eugene, doubted whether he could either.

“You have no choice, Melissa. You can’t outrun him. I can at least slow him long enough to get you safely out of the woods.”

“But Gabriel, he’ll kill you,” Melissa whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“I’ll distract him until I hear you pull away. Then I’ll run to the parking lot,” Gabriel managed. “If I’m not out when you get to the lot, leave.”

A tear streamed down Melissa’s dirtied cheek as she breathed, “No. I won’t leave you here to die.”

“Go, Melissa. Now! I’ll make it back to you. I promise!” Gabriel pledged in hopes that his assurance was more than empty words.

Reluctantly, Melissa took off deeper into the woods.

Once she disappeared, Gabriel bent and retrieved the aluminum bat from the ground. He found a large, mature pine. Intending to hammer the bat into the formidable trunk, certain that Eugene would hear the sound, Gabriel drew the bat back but stopped mid-swing as he heard footsteps approaching swiftly through the brush. Eugene stepped into view.

Gabriel fortified his stance clutching the bat in both hands like a sword. He faced Eugene.

Spreading his thin lips across menacing fanged teeth, Eugene’s face contorted into a hideously sinister smile before he spoke.

“That’s quite an uninspiring weapon, Gabriel. Just what do you intend to do with that little stick?” he asked.

Gabriel did not speak. Instead, he met Eugene’s gaze, fully prepared for confrontation.

“What’s the matter Gabriel? Have you nothing to say to me?” Eugene taunted shaking his head from side to side. “And here Dr. Stein thought you were his masterpiece, his opus. And what did you do, Mr. Crowning Glory? You fell in love.”

Eugene paused. A wicked laugh escaped his compressed lips.

With an insignificant human!” he finished sarcastically.

Eugene and Gabriel slowly circled each other.

“Where is she, your precious Melissa? I can smell her.  Her scent is so thick in the air,” Eugene menaced as he sniffed the air dramatically. “But it moves farther away,” he said closing his amber eyes. “No worries though Gabriel, I will be able to catch her before she gets far. My only regret is that you won’t be around to see her die; you’ll already be dead.”

The sound of a rapidly accelerating car engine and tires spinning on dirt interrupted Eugene’s rant.

Snapping his head immediately toward the sound, Eugene’s features expressed realization that he had been outwitted.

“Clever,” Eugene hissed.

Gabriel launched the aluminum baseball bat he gripped at Eugene, striking him in the temple. The blow, though ineffectual, further incensed Eugene. Gabriel turned to run as the bat was released from his grasp.

Racing toward the paved parking area in the rear of Harbingers High School, Gabriel did not think of his safety or survival, but of Melissa’s. 

Engaging in battle with Eugene would be futile. Gabriel did not stand a chance against the trained killer who outweighed him by nearly two hundred muscled pounds. He needed to live. Without him, Melissa would die.

Racing through the bushes, the parking lot came into view. Behind him, Eugene’s murderous stride was gaining momentum.

He advanced with inhuman speed quickly closing the distance between him and Gabriel.

Gabriel pushed his body to its limits, tested the boundaries of his muscles and surged ahead, adrenaline supplementing his speed.

As Gabriel passed the phantasmagoric scene of mangled bodies, the corpses of Kevin, Chris and John, he averted his eyes and pressed forward.

Eugene’s vicious gait approached rapidly. Gabriel did not turn to see the monster behind him.

Gabriel’s feet finally landed on asphalt just as he spotted Melissa behind the wheel of the late Kevin’s black Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe. The car was stopped and the passenger side door stood ajar.

Gabriel did not break stride but shouted at Melissa, “Go! Go! Go!” as he slid into the passenger seat. Melissa stomped on the gas pedal. Tires fought the rain-slickened blacktop, struggling for traction and protesting Melissa’s haste as she simultaneously slammed the gear shift from park to drive and depressed the accelerator as far as it would permit.

Eugene appeared at the edge of the woods. He stepped onto the pavement and ran toward the car.

As the car finally found grip on the wet pavement, the powerful 3.7-liter V6 engine of the Infiniti roared to life at Melissa’s command responding at once, moving them rapidly out of harm’s way.

Gabriel glanced behind him and saw that Eugene’s powerful engineering was bested by the powerful engine of the sports car. Thoroughly vexed, Eugene would not relent. He continued his pursuit, crossed and riled. 

“Go! Go! Go!” Gabriel continued to prompt.

“I’m trying!” Melissa screamed as she looked up at the rearview mirror.

“Don’t look back!” Gabriel cautioned too late. He saw her horrified reaction when she stared rearward at the creature threatening from behind. He knew the mirror reflected an image more frightening than neither literature nor Hollywood could produce, that the image of Eugene’s face would be etched in her mind’s eye forever.

When Melissa finally tore her eyes away from him, Eugene produced a guttural din, ferocious, savage.

Eugene hoisted his fists high into the air and brought them crashing down on the trunk of the sports car. Enormous, balled hands descended with a deafening boom as metal caved beneath his strike.

“Oh my God!” Melissa screamed as the Infiniti Sport Coupe tore out of the long driveway leading to and from her high school and onto Shelton Road. Without hitting the brakes, she directed the vehicle through a reddened traffic light fearful of oncoming traffic that continuously flowed along the busy residential street.

Both Melissa and Gabriel were met with the sound of rubber opposing wet pavement as cars were forced to break unexpectedly, abruptly. Horns honked indignantly. Drivers issued curse-laden directives and threats. Some offered obscene gestures while others merely raised an irate hand.

Despite being angrily greeted by fellow motorists with their sudden entrance into the flow of traffic, Melissa and Gabriel were grateful that they had momentarily dodged Eugene and being plowed into by the movement of onrushing cars along the main thoroughfare.

Melissa began to cry, softly at first then at once quiet tears gave way to uncontrollable sobbing. She struggled to maintain control of the powerful sports car.

Wiping her eyes and composing herself slightly, Melissa spoke.

“Gabriel, what the hell was that thing?”

“That was Eugene,” he said simply.

“This can’t be happening. I feel like I’m in a nightmare. I mean, he killed them all! I thought it was just me he was after.”

“He’ll kill anyone who gets in his way, Melissa. He will not stop until we are dead,” Gabriel said solemnly.  “We need to get you as far away as possible.”

“He’ll go to my house,” Melissa declared. “My dad will be home from work now. Gabriel, we have to go back!” she panicked. “We need to get my dad!”

“Melissa, we have to keep moving.”

“And what? Let this Eugene kill my dad?”

Gabriel paused before offering, “Call your house. Have him meet us.”

Melissa removed one hand from the steering wheel and fumbled in the front pocket of her jeans. After retrieving her cellular phone, she handed it to Gabriel. He quickly touched an image of a house on the illuminated screen labeled “home.”

He waited, listening intently for a ringing sound. Instead, he heard an incessant buzzing repeated at regular intervals.

“It’s busy,” he said. “We’ll try back again in a minute.”

“Gabriel, you don’t understand! We have call-waiting! There should not be a busy signal!”

Melissa pulled on to the shoulder of the road. After checking for approaching cars, she promptly made a U-turn.

Heading back toward Melissa’s humble home on Blackstone Drive, Gabriel’s mind raced. Gripped by panic and fear he was unfamiliar with, he struggled to remain calm, but he knew he must do so for Melissa. He was now charged with saving her and her father, an insurmountable task. He silently vowed to protect both of them. He would fight to the death if necessary.

Chapter 37

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GABRIEL BURST THROUGH the front door of Melissa’s home on Blackstone Drive with her at his side.  Instantly, he was greeted with an eerie silence. Stillness had settled over the house like a thick layer of freshly fallen snow, stifling and silencing the hum and buzz of machinery. Ordinary household sounds—the ticking of the clock, the whirring of the refrigerator, the purring of the heating system—were muffled. Deadened.

He noticed Melissa was alarmed as well and immediately began calling out to her father.

“Dad! Dad!” she shouted, but was answered with silence.

Gabriel scanned the space before him. A long hallway leading to the living-room area was ahead. From where he stood, he had a clear view of the living room.

Melissa’s father was not in the hallway or living room

He decided to search the house. Something or someone was responsible for the unnatural silence. Gabriel feared the worst. That Eugene had beaten them to the Martin home and murdered Christopher Martin and that he remained, lurking in the confines of their home waiting for the moment to strike. Unwilling to waste another moment and possibly prolonging an inevitable confrontation, he cautiously turned to his left and moved into the kitchen. Melissa followed, silent and anxious. Gabriel rounded the corner into the kitchen and quickly inspected the area fearing that at any second he would unearth Christopher Martin’s lifeless form crudely positioned as both an affront and preview of things to come for both of them.

No corpse was visible. The room was empty. However, atop the wooden dinette, various articles of mail and flyers were strewn. Such evidence suggested that her father was home but not answering his daughter. Gabriel’s concern grew.

Prompted by the silence that filled the house and a profound worry for Melissa’s dather’s life, Gabriel moved faster.

Swiftly, he continued the length of the vacant kitchen and proceeded into the dining room. The chairs were unoccupied. Only a laundry basket filled with cleaned and folded clothes rested on a chair.

Gabriel looked to Melissa. Her face was filled with worry. She did not utter a word, but her eyes spoke of panic, of dread. He reached out and took her hand in his, gave it a reassuring squeeze. She accepted the gesture and returned the grasp then smiled thinly. Gabriel knew it was a halfhearted attempt at feigning confidence; that it was done for his benefit. He knew she feared for her only family member’s life.

Gabriel’s hatred of Dr. Stein intensified. Dr. Stein was responsible for Eugene, for him, and, for Melissa’s pain. Whether or not Christopher Martin lived, Gabriel was uncertain. But he was certain Melissa would. Standing in her dining room, he silently pledged to not fail her as he imagined he had failed her father.

From the dining room he swiftly led Melissa into the family room at the rear of the house. The otherwise cozy living space stood uninhabited. As Gabriel suspected, her father was neither seated at the desk, nor did he rest on the sectional in front of the flat-screen television.

“Gabriel, let’s check the basement, see if my dad is working out or something,” Melissa said, her voice breaking with emotion.

Then she paused and reconsidered as if thinking aloud before adding, “Wait, we should look in the garage first and see if his car is there. I mean, there’s a slight chance he had to run out or something.” 

Taking her lead, Gabriel dashed down the hallway. Directly across from the doorway to the basement lay a short corridor. In this passageway, straight ahead stood a door to the laundry room and lining both sides were ingresses as well. One led to a small half bathroom while the other led to the garage.

Melissa rushed to the entryway of the garage and opened the door. A black Toyota Rav 4 occupied the bay, her father’s SUV.

“His car is here,” Melissa said quietly.

Gabriel did not speak. He did not have the right words to soothe her, if such words existed. Instead he stared into her emerald eyes wordlessly willing her to be strong and know that he loved her, that he would protect her. He believed she received his psychic message of love as she tipped her chin up defiantly, refusing to accept the possibility of her father’s death. She shut the door to the garage and left the short hallway. Melissa stepped into the main hallway with him following and opened a door along the wall. Beyond the entryway was a painted, wooden flight of steps leading to the basement.

“I’m going first,” Gabriel said, leaving no room for argument.

Melissa did not fight him but moved out of the way and followed him. 

Gabriel stepped gingerly from each tread to the next and held fast to the guardrails on either side of the partially finished staircase. His heart pounded as the silence of the house grew thicker the deeper they descended into the basement.

Stepping off the last rung of the staircase and on to the black linoleum flooring, Gabriel felt colder. He placed his arm out protectively in front of Melissa with his hand at waist level. He found the light switch and turned on the overhead fixtures then quickly surveyed the room. Furnished with a weight bench and an array of free-weight plates and bars, a Bowflex exercise machine, a treadmill, an elliptical trainer and a power cage that provided safety for her dad when he lifted heavy weights, the underground room was a shrine to physical fitness. During several conversations, Melissa lovingly referred it as her dad’s “man-cave”, teasing that when she stepped into the room, her voice dropped an octave in response the high levels of testosterone present. Gabriel smiled sadly at the loving anecdote.

Melissa looked warily at Gabriel.

“He isn’t down here. Let’s look upstairs,” she said meekly.

Gabriel’s stomach churned nervously. He had inspected the main floor of the house and the basement. Only one level remained. He was convinced that it was on the top floor that they would find her father’s corpse, and possibly Eugene. He switched off the lights and both he and Melissa ascended the staircase.

After shutting the door behind them, they strode down the longer corridor past the front door and began climbing the steps slowly at first, then faster, more resolutely.  Gabriel raced up the staircase with Melissa behind him.

“Dad! Dad!” Melissa shouted again.

No one answered immediately. Overhearing movement from the master bedroom, Gabriel paused at the top of the steps.

“What? What’s going on Gabriel?” Melissa asked.

Her hearing was not as sensitive as his. She had not heard the sound of footfalls coming from the room down the hall.

“Melissa, leave. Now!” he commanded.

As the footsteps grew closer, Melissa heard them.

“Run!” Gabriel shouted.

Suddenly, from the master bedroom, Melissa’s father emerged.

“What’s all the yelling about?” he grouched. “Can’t a man use the toilet for heaven’s sake?” he asked, gesturing to the small bathroom off his bedroom.

“Gabriel,” he nodded in recognition. “What the hell is going on with you two?”

Relieved, Gabriel smiled. “Hello, Sir,” he said.

“Dad, I was calling and calling. Why didn’t you answer me?” Melissa began.

“I was in the bathroom with the fan on. I didn’t even hear you. Besides, last time I checked I’m the parent and you’re the child,” her father began lecturing.

“We have to get out of the house!” Melissa interrupted impatiently.

“What’s with the attitude, Missy?”

“Dad, just listen to me! There’s no time to argue! We have to leave right now.”

“Why? Is the house on fire?” Christopher asked with concern.

“No, Dad. Something much worse is happening. You’re going to have to just trust me. We have to get out now!” she urged.

“Calm down Missy and tell me what the hell is going on!” her father demanded uneasily, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Dad, don’t you hear what I’m telling you? We have to leave now!” she pressed.

Gabriel watched as Christopher Martin embraced his daughter, how the safety of his embrace allowed her to crumble.  Emotion engulfed her fully. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she began to sob.

“He killed them, Dad. He killed them all! We have to get out of here.”

Her father’s jaw flexed as he tried to process his daughter’s cryptic statement. He held her back and looked directly at her.

“Who is ‘he’? Who did ‘he’ kill?” he asked, his voice laden with confusion and alarm.

Before Melissa could answer her father’s question, the sound of the front door slamming redirected their attention.

From the top of the staircase, Gabriel, Melissa and Christopher glanced over the balustrade to the landing below.

What the fuck!” Christopher screamed.

At the bottom of the staircase, a hulking and familiar presence loomed. Eugene had arrived at the Martin household.

Gabriel saw Christopher Martin hesitate at the sight of Eugene. He recoiled in horror briefly before an intense instinctual inclination compelled him to act. He did not need further instruction but knew that the beast intended to harm him and his home’s inhabitants. Heeding the inherent warning, he responded instantly, running back into his bedroom to retrieve his Remington shotgun that remained loaded and waiting on a rack on the interior wall since the night that he intended to imperil Kevin Anderson.

When Melissa’s father returned to the hall, Eugene was at the top of the steps, but froze as Christopher Martin pointed the barrel of the shotgun at him.

Christopher shouted to his daughter without taking his eyes off of Eugene.

“Missy, get in your room and lock the door! Don’t open it at all, for any reason! Do you understand me?” he yelled.

“Yes, Dad! I do!” Melissa cried.

With no other exit route available, her father stood, ready to defend himself and his daughter.

Eugene slowly advanced taking a tentative step forward.

“Don’t take another fucking step!” Christopher shouted.

Eugene halted and raised his hands, his giant palms turned outward in a mock show of cooperation, of surrender.

“Gabriel, go! Go with her,” her father commanded.

“No, sir. I am staying with you,” Gabriel said in a level, voice.

Though he had no plan for exactly how to protect Melissa and her father, he intended to fight. He would not run and allow Christopher Martin to stand alone against Eugene.

As if he understood Gabriel’s commitment to both he and his daughter, Melissa’s dad did not bother trying to discourage him. Instead he ordered Gabriel to remain where he stood. Gabriel, of course, would not stand idly by. He would defend the Martins. For the moment though, he did as her father told him.

He was forced to observe the wide-eyed gaze of Melissa’s father as he seemed unable to look away from Eugene. Then unexpectedly, Melissa’s father exchanged a mysterious message with her, stole a furtive glance in her direction as he called out, “Missy, remember the tree! I never did what I said I’d do!”

Melissa locked eyes with her father fleetingly before shutting and locking the door to her bedroom. She understood her father’s secret instructions. Though Gabriel was not privy to their clandestine code, he could only hope that it contained an escape route.

In that instant, Eugene capitalized on Gabriel and Christopher’s grave mistake. They had taken their eyes off him for mere seconds allowing him ample time to advance.

As he and Melissa’s dad turned to refocus on the monster, they realized they were under attack. Eugene descended on them, moving faster than was humanly possible.

Reflexively, Christopher Martin discharged his weapon hitting Eugene in the shoulder. Eugene howled in pain. Gabriel waited to see if he had been stopped, then quickly discovered that while he was wounded, the bullets did little to halt his advancement.

Shocked at the ineffectiveness of his gun, Christopher cocked and aimed the shotgun and attempted to squeeze off another round. But before he could successfully fire his weapon, Eugene swatted at him with his enormous hand. The blow sent Melissa’s father crashing into the far wall of the hallway. The shotgun landed at his feet. His body was still.

Eugene began to move toward the felled man. Anger and fear melded as Gabriel realized he stood about to battle with the personification of death. Though not cloaked in a long black cloak and not a mere skeleton of a man, Eugene performed as Dr. Franklin N. Stein’s personal Grim Reaper, as an executioner. It was the sole purpose of his creation. But Gabriel was unwilling to allow Eugene the opportunity to orphan Melissa. He stepped out from the recess and made his presence known.

Gabriel confronted Eugene, his posture defiant, prepared for the inevitable physical confrontation that would ensue.

Incensed by Gabriel’s impudence, Eugene launched a rage filled assault. He delivered a punch with unparalleled speed. Gabriel narrowly dodged the blow. He did not recover from its velocity in time to see the second swipe coming. It crashed into his skull just above his temple, knocking him to the floor. Pain exploded from his head. He saw a burst of blinding white light followed by a pinwheel of colors.

Stunned and reeling, Gabriel’s eyes slowly focused. He lifted his chin and looked over his shoulder. From his prone position, he spotted the shotgun more than an arm’s reach away. He extended his limb as far as it would allow, his fingertips grazed the warm steel of the recently discharged weapon.

Watching his attempt, Eugene extended his powerful arm outward and seized Gabriel’s foot. He dragged Gabriel toward him, positioning him away from the gun.

“Did you honestly think you’d be quick enough to get that gun before I crushed you?” Eugene spat.

He towered over Gabriel, obviously enjoying the moment before he would release his vengeful, violent fury.

***

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FROM HER BEDROOM, MELISSA listened in horror to what occurred outside her bedroom door. Helpless to assist the two men she loved, she realized she needed to obey her father’s instructions.

Melissa crossed her room and opened the window. Leaning out, she lifted one leg and hoisted herself out on to the roof of the garage and slid down the length of the shingled surface on her backside and grabbed a large, outstretched branch of the mature oak that hugged their home.

Once enveloped in its sturdy branches, Melissa moved down, navigating its interlocking limbs before landing on the lawn below. She looked left then right, contemplated which neighbor was closest. She went to the right, though not to seek a neighbor’s help, but to reenter her home.

Melissa pushed open her front door and dashed into the kitchen unnoticed. From the ten-slot wooden knife block sitting atop the kitchen counter, Melissa selected a twelve-inch butcher knife. It had not been used since her mother was alive, but the blade retained its shine and a razor-sharp edge.

Peering around the corner from the kitchen, Melissa had a clear view of Eugene. He stood with his back to her. With stealth and silence, she swiftly stole up the stairs. She saw that Eugene was intensely focused on Gabriel. He did not notice her approach until seconds before she reached him.

The abomination loomed over Gabriel. He raised his muscled arm to strike at him as Melissa sprang into motion.

As she mounted the treads and was just steps from him, Eugene inhaled deeply. It became clear to her that his sense of smell alerted him to her presence. He shuddered and snapped his head to the side as she plunged the blade of the butcher knife into the center of his back. 

Eugene cried and grabbed for the knife between his shoulder blades. Melissa slipped past him to the opposite end of the hallway and into the spare bedroom.

Using the distraction, Gabriel scrambled to the shotgun. Once the weapon was in his hands, she watched as he rolled onto his back and leveled the weapon at Eugene. He squeezed the trigger, blasting a bullet directly at the behemoth beast.

The shell exploded into Eugene’s chest, knocking him back several steps. As he staggered, Gabriel got to his feet. Once standing, he pumped the shotgun extracting the spent shells as Eugene approached. He fired again, hitting Eugene once more in the chest and knocking him back to the top of the stairs.

Gabriel then stepped forward and engaged the weapon a final time. The round sent Eugene flying down the staircase before landing, a lifeless mountain, at the front door.

Gasping and crying simultaneously, bordering on hyperventilation, Melissa moved immediately to her father’s side as Gabriel descended the staircase.

Her father’s body was in the hallway, in the alcove where he’d initially been when he’d warned her to get into her room. His eyes were closed and a thin rivulet of blood ran from a gash in the side of his head. Although she always viewed her father as strong and capable, indestructible, Melissa now saw him as the mortal man he was.

She called his name and lightly tapped his cheek.

“Come on, Dad!” she pleaded. But he remained unresponsive. She pressed her fingertips to his neck searching for a sign of life. A strong pulsation radiated from his carotid artery.

Relieved, Melissa hugged her father and cried.

***

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AT THE BOTTOM OF THE steps, Gabriel stepped cautiously around Eugene. When confident that Eugene would not strike, Gabriel used his middle and index fingers and depressed a point midway down the length of Eugene’s neck.

In the hollow between Eugene’s windpipe and the thick, ropey muscles of his neck, Gabriel examined him for a pulse. None was detected.

Eugene’s corpse presented a problem for Gabriel. Eugene’s distinctive facial characteristics and exceptional size, together with the circumstances surrounding his death, would raise questions.

Gabriel needed to leave.

He ascended the staircase and joined Melissa at her father’s side. Christopher Martin stirred. Melissa sat upright.

“Dad, are you with us?” she asked and put her face in front of his.

“Oh! Missy, what the hell happened to me? I was out for a while,” Christopher murmured, his voice thick, his eyes darting and disoriented. “That thing,” he continued “that was some kind of monster. No man is that big and those eyes,” he rambled.

“Shh, don’t speak Dad. Save your strength. I’m calling an ambulance,” Melissa said as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket.

Melissa called 9-1-1 and was told an ambulance was on it’s way.

Gabriel turned to Melissa. “You understand that I need to leave now,” he said earnestly. “This is what we wanted to avoid. I have no choice. Questions will be asked, questions that will lead to Dr. Stein. To me.”

Wiping the tears that streamed anew, Melissa nodded her head in understanding.

“I understand, Gabriel. Will I ever see you again?”

“I’ll call you later, after I speak with Dr. Stein,” he managed, his voice quavering with emotion. Gabriel took Melissa’s hand in his and whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Melissa breathed.

Gabriel descended the staircase again and, stepping over Eugene’s colossal corpse, left her home.

He climbed into the driver’s side of Kevin Anderson’s black Infiniti and turned the key in the ignition. Gabriel’s Ford Explorer was still at Harbingers High School.

As he rounded the corner of Blackstone Drive and began traveling on Top Hill Road, the sound of wailing sirens drew near.

The siren howled like an injured animal, warning of the approaching emergency vehicle. It marked a painful comprehension of what was to happen.

Gabriel knew that there was only one way to insure Melissa’s safety. He needed to kill Dr. Franklin N. Stein.

Chapter 38

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GABRIEL OBEYED EACH speed limitation imposed and was mindful to stop at every yellow light to not draw unwanted attention to the fact that he was driving a dead man’s car.

He drove with vigilance and caution until he reached the private gravel-filled road that doubled as his driveway.

He did not bother entering the house. Instead, he strode directly to the unremarkable patch of sod that covered the portal to Dr. Stein’s underground research laboratory.

Using the keys that remained in his pocket from days earlier, Gabriel disengaged the locking mechanism. With a soft whoosh, the door opened.

He moved down the concrete staircase, stepping down slowly on each tread. The corridor was already illuminated indicating that Dr. Stein worked, waiting for confirmation from Eugene that Melissa and Gabriel were dead.

To the right resided an alcove with a fold-down cot, a chest of drawers and a nightstand. The sparsely furnished niche was Dr. Stein’s living quarters when he slept. Atop the chest of drawers sat an instrument resembling a thin, black notebook. The apparatus was not a notebook, however. It was Dr. Franklin N. Stein’s personal computer, a device that contained hours of filmed research and development and journals of the results of hours of experimentation.

Gabriel took Dr. Stein’s computer before continuing, a single purpose propelling him.

Stalking down the center of the formidable facility, Gabriel spotted a small figure perched on a steel swivel-top stool. He was hunched over a stainless-steel table looking into an electron microscope.

Dr. Stein peered through the dual lenses, unaware of his visitor.

Gabriel approached his maker. He reached his hands out behind the collar of Dr. Stein’s crisp, white dress shirt. In one swift motion, his hands would clutch his maker’s neck, squeeze and collapse his windpipe. Dr. Stein’s death would guarantee Melissa’s safety.

Gabriel wrestled with the idea of murdering his creator. Aggression against Dr. Stein was a breach in protocol. Killing him would be an epic violation. Gabriel doubted he could do it.

His hands began to tremble. His breathing became shallow. Beads of sweat dappled his forehead. His anxiety-riddled body would not comply with what his mind instructed it, urged it to do.

He spun Dr. Stein in his chair to face him. Shock marked the geneticist’s features.

“Surprised to see me?” Gabriel asked through clenched teeth.

“Gabriel! I don’t know what to say,” Dr. Stein began in a shrill voice.

“Then don’t bother saying anything,” Gabriel interrupted, “I will do all the talking.”

“Eugene is dead,” Gabriel continued evenly. “I killed him. But not before he murdered three teenage boys. Their bodies and my SUV are in the woods behind the high school where the killings took place.”

Gabriel paused, gauging his maker’s response. Dr. Stein’s face was blank, unreadable.

“Eugene went to Melissa’s house, tried to kill her father. I stopped him. His body is in her foyer. An ambulance is heading there now. A police cruiser will not be far behind. You know what all of this means, don’t you?”

Dr. Stein bobbed is head in affirmation.

“Investigations, autopsies, everything will eventually point to us. We will have to leave.”

Dr. Stein opened his mouth to speak. Gabriel raised a hand, warning him against doing so.

“You will not destroy me. And you will not harm Melissa,” Gabriel commanded. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” Dr. Stein muttered feebly.

“If you so much as imply that she will be contacted by you or any of your creations, I will go straight to the FBI and tell them everything. They will lock you up and destroy all that you’ve achieved. You will be powerless to stop them. You will sit idly by and rot in prison while untrained strangers rub the Earth clean of your existence.”

Then, Gabriel leaned in closely and whispered, “I have your laptop. It has hours of footage of everything you’ve been doing down here. That will be my insurance policy.”

Dr. Franklin N. Stein assumed a more sickly pallor than usual. He swallowed hard, but did not speak.

Gabriel offered his final condition.

“You will leave, tonight. And never return to this continent. I will monitor you from wherever I go. If I get the slightest inkling that you are planning anything that involves Melissa, you will suffer.”

His maker nodded and indicated he understood Gabriel’s demands.

Gabriel turned and walked, with Dr. Stein’s personal laptop computer tucked under his arm, the length of the clandestine facility to the concrete staircase that rose to the grass above. He fastened and secured the steel door before replacing the patch of grass on top of it.

After crossing the property, he entered the house in Harbingers Falls for the last time to pack a few items for his journey and to retrieve a large sum of money.

He would wait until sundown to handle the last phase of securing Melissa’s safety.

Chapter 39

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GABRIEL JAMES WAITED until nightfall before going to Melissa’s home on Blackstone Drive.

Turning off the headlamps of the nondescript tan Toyota he drove, he left the vehicle at the bottom of her hill and went on foot to her driveway.

He looked up into the blackened universe.  The sky was clear and only stars ornamented it. To most, the night would have been considered perfect. Exquisite. But nothing about it felt remotely right to Gabriel. He lowered his gaze to his feet and the pavement they walked on, concentrating on the rhythmic sound they created as each foot alternated, one in front of the next, until he reached the edge of the Martin’s property.

He stepped across hardened, icy grass and approached the tenacious oak that stood sentinel beside the garage. Its bark, furrowed and scarred with wounds of battles past, was beautiful in its imperfection. Standing beneath the boughs of the majestic oak, Gabriel marveled at the sheer dimensions of the tree, at its many paradoxes.

He placed a foot tentatively on its rough outer covering as he reached up and grabbed a branch. He began climbing pausing briefly to admire how each branch, though pliable in form and function, refused to relinquish its interlocking grip.

Gabriel gazed up into the network of branches that reached and stretched, expanding to the heavens.

But his destination was not heavenward. He was going to Melissa’s bedroom window to say good-bye, a descent into a personal hell.

Reaching the top of the garage, Gabriel scrambled over frost-coated shingles and saw Melissa’s delicate features framed in the window.

Throwing open the pane, Melissa smiled and gestured for Gabriel to enter.

“Hurry, you must be freezing,” she urged.

“I’m fine,” Gabriel offered.

He knew Melissa immediately sensed falsehood in his demeanor; his lips smiled, but his melancholy eyes betrayed them.

“What happened with the police?” he asked.

“My dad and I gave our statements. I mean, I didn’t mention Dt. Stein or anything. I just told them that we were in the woods talking out by the maintenance building, you know with Kevin and his friends, when this enormous lunatic came out of nowhere and attacked. I said he must’ve followed us home, here, because we were witnesses. They seemed to buy it.  My dad and I said we thought he was drugged out or something because the attack was unprovoked.” Melissa paused then added, “They’re looking for you, to take your statement.”

“What’s really weird though,” Melissa continued, “is that we gave our statements, like, four hours ago and we haven’t heard anything since. I mean, is that normal? There was a dead body in our house, for heaven’s sake! You’d think there’d be some kind of follow up or something.”

Gabriel sat silently, his heart aching.

“What’s happening Gabriel?” Melissa asked alarmed. 

Gabriel was reluctant to answer right away. He gazed into Melissa’s pellucid green eyes as he measured his response.

“I’m leaving tonight,” he said finally.

Melissa did not ask why. He could not answer her if she had. His lips would not form the words. His throat constricted so tightly it threatened strangulation. Heaviness settled in his chest.

Wiping tears with the back of her hand, she asked, “Will I ever see you again?”

“Yes,” Gabriel whispered, his throat burning, struggling to articulate each sound. “You will.”

“What about Dr. Stein?” Melissa asked. “He wants me dead.”

Gabriel’s thoughts immediately refocused to the reason for his departure. The raw, squeezing feeling dissipated briefly and allowed easier communication. “You won’t need to worry about him. I have dealt with him,” Gabriel offered cryptically.

“Dealt with him? How?” Melissa worried.

“Put it like this, I have an insurance policy of sorts. I have very incriminating audiovisual feed that, if placed into the correct government branch of law enforcement, could end Dr. Franklin Nicholas Stein. He would never risk offering up his life’s work for you.”

“Why wouldn’t you just give it to the authorities now, turn him in? Then you could stay, with me,” 

“Who knows what else Dr. Stein has sent out into the world? I simply will not risk your life, again.”

“I’ll go with you, then.”

“And what about your father? You would leave him here alone?”

Melissa shook her head in frustration.

“If we could tell him, explain to him what’s going on I could come with you. I could call him and check in from wherever we go.”

“Melissa, you know we can’t tell your father about me,” Gabriel reasoned gently. “And while I’ll be able to contact you, I will not be able to disclose my exact location.”

“Gabriel, I don’t understand. How I will ever see you again?”

“I love you. I will find a way,” Gabriel promised his eyes stinging with emotion.

“Please don’t leave,” Melissa begged.

“I have to leave, at least until things die down here. I am connected to murders, murders of people who could easily be considered enemies of mine. It won’t be long before others students at school are questioned and my name comes up over and over again with Kevin and his friends.”

“But you didn’t kill them!” Melissa protested, tears streaming anew.

“Shh. Please don’t cry, Melissa,” Gabriel soothed, lightly touching his fingers to her soft lips. “You know that having me stay would be impossible. But I promise you, we will be together again.”

Gabriel climbed through Melissa’s window into her bedroom and took her in his arms. He pressed his lips to hers, tenderly at first, then with urgency.

His heart throbbed and smarted. Everything that meant anything to him was in his arms right now. Their kiss was brief and bittersweet.

Gabriel held Melissa tightly, pulled her as closely as his arms allowed. He inhaled deeply, breathing the warm vanilla, caramel and coconut scent of her hair and skin.

Finally, with tears burning down his cheeks, Gabriel released Melissa from his grip.

“I’ll call you in a few days, when I get where I’m going. It’s only goodbye for now,” he said. “I love you, Melissa Martin.”

“I love you, too, Gabriel,” Melissa managed through sobs.

Gabriel climbed out of Melissa’s bedroom window and slid on his backside down the length of the frost-coated roof of the garage. He then found an abiding limb outstretched to him and grabbed it. He descended the intricately dovetailed branches of the oak that shielded a large section of the house before landing atop the frost-crusted grass below.

An unremarkable beige Toyota awaited his arrival at the bottom of the hill.

He walked, unable to feel the earth below his feet. All he felt was pain.

A hole had been punched in his heart. A vacuous space, raw and ragged, ached. Each breath that he took hurt more than the last.

The crisp autumn air offered no reprieve. It did nothing to ease the burning pain that etched at him.

Though the notion offered little hope, he knew that someday he would be whole again. He did not know how. He did not know when. Everything, save for the agony he felt, seemed unclear.

As he strode down Blackstone Drive, Gabriel was certain of one thing and one thing only: as long as his heart beat in his chest, he would return to Melissa.

About the Authors

Jennifer and Christopher Martucci hoped that their life plan had changed radically in early 2010.  To date, the jury is still out.  But late one night, in January of 2010, the then stay-at-home mom of three girls under the age of six had just picked up the last doll from the playroom floor and placed it in a bin when her husband startled her by declaring, “We should write a book, together!”  Wearied from a day of shuttling the children to and from school, preschool and Daisy Scouts, laundry, cooking and cleaning, Jennifer simply stared blankly at her husband.  After all, the idea of writing a book had been an individual dream each of them had possessed for much of their lives.  Both had written separately in their teens and early twenties, but without much success.  They would write a dozen chapters here and there only to find that either the plot would fall apart, or characters would lose their zest, or the story would just fall flat.  Christopher had always preferred penning science-fiction stories filled with monsters and diabolical villains, while Jennifer had favored venting personal experiences or writing about romance.  Inevitably though, frustration and day-to-day life had placed writing on the back burner and for several years, each had pursued alternate (paying) careers.  But the dream had never died.  And Christopher suggested that their dream ought to be removed from the back burner for further examination.  When he proposed that they co-write a book on that January night, Jennifer was hesitant to reject the idea outright.  His proposal sparked a discussion, and the discussion lasted deep into the night.  By morning, the idea for their first series was born.

The Dr. Frank N. Stein series, as well as the Arianna Rose series and the Planet Urth series, The Vampire Extinction series and the Demon Hunter series are works that were written while Jennifer and Christopher continued about with their daily activities and raised their young children.  They changed diapers, potty trained and went to story time at the local library and served as room parents. All while writing.  Life simply continued.  And in some ways, their everyday lives were reflected in the characters of each series. 

As the story line continues to evolve, so too does the Martucci collaboration.  Lunches are still packed, the “Mom taxi” still exists and time remains a valued and precious in their household.  All has grown and changed.  Jennifer and Christopher agree that the sound of happy chaos is the true background music of their writing.  They hope that all enjoy reading their work as much as they enjoyed writing it.

Books by Jennifer and Christopher Martucci:

The Dr. Frank N. Stein Series (A YA science fiction/paranormal romance series)

Dr. Frank N. Stein: The Rise of Gabriel (Book 1)

Dr. Frank N. Stein: The Faceless Man (Book 2)

Dr. Frank N. Stein: The Hunted (Book 3)

The Arianna Rose Series (A paranormal romance series)

Arianna Rose (Part 1)

Arianna Rose: The Awakening (Part 2)

Arianna’s Awakening (Part 1 & 2)

Arianna Rose: The Gathering (Part 3)

Arianna Rose: The Arrival (Part 4)

Arianna Rose: The Gates of Hell (Part 5)

The Planet Urth series (A YA science-fiction/futuristic series)

Planet Urth: (Book 1)

Planet Urth: The Savage Lands (Book 2)

Planet Urth: The Underground City (Book 3)

Planet Urth:  The Rise of Azlyn (Book 4)

Planet Urth: The Fate of Urth (Book 5)

Planet Urth Extinction (Book 6)

Planet Urth: Remains of Urth (Book 7)

Planet Urth: The Black Forest (Book 8)

Planet Urth: Sin City (Book 9)

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THE DEMON HUNTER SERIES

The Demon Hunter: Rise of the Hunter (Book 1)

The Demon Hunter: The Dark One (Book 2)

The Demon Hunter: Hunter of the Damned (Book 3)

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THE VAMPIRE EXTINCTION Series

The Vampire Extinction: Greyson Undead (Book 1)

The Vampire Extinction: Alex Undead (Book 2)

Oh, One Last Thing Before You Go...

When you turn the page, you may be given the opportunity to express your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter automatically.  If you enjoyed our book, please take a second to click that button and let your friends know about it.

If they get something out of the book, they’ll be grateful to you, and we will be, too!

Thank you so much!

Love,

Jenny and Chris