The Watchers 15

The Watchers

Welcome back to another chapter of The Watchers! So sit back, grab a bite and a drink and enjoy!

Like any author, I have relied on past experiences to draw from while writing this story. It is entirely a work of fiction. There is a mixture of personality traits of people I have known, but in no way does any character truly reflect any one real life person. This story does involve graphic descriptions of sex between two gay teenage boys. If that offends you, then you should not read it. Any similarity to any real person is purely coincidence. Your feedback and comments are welcome. Feel free to email me at Jevic@direcway.com

Chapter Fifteen

"Blast the Bitch"

"So, Cameron, you're the one who has been gifted with the powers of the olden days?" asked Docta.

"That's what everybody keeps telling me," I sighed.

"You don't sound too convinced," he said as finished cleaning the kitchen.

"Well, I know I have some pretty awesome powers but, to me, any power would be awesome. And there's still a whole lot that I have to learn about them. Everybody seems to think I'm so special ... except me."

"Cameron, from the stories I've heard, you are special," said Docta.

"Well I don't feel that way. I'll tell you what I do feel like, and that's a hunk of meat that everybody wants to get hold of. Every time I turn around there's somebody else that wants me, or more specifically, they want my powers. It's just real frustrating." Docta came and sat down beside me. He was a handsome man in his mid twenties, but his eyes spoke of experience well beyond his years.

"Cameron, what you have is a very special gift. You can't make it go away and you can't give it away. You're stuck with it. How you choose to use that gift is entirely up to you. But I will tell you this, the gift does not manifest itself in just anyone. From what I have read, it only comes to those of pure thought and deed. In other words, the gift chose you, because it knows that you will use it well. Once you've accepted the responsibility of the gift, it will flourish and grow beyond your wildest dreams." As I listened to Docta talk, I sensed that there was a whole lot more to him than he let on.

"Docta, let me ask you something," I started. He nodded. "I sense that you know a whole lot, particularly about me and my powers. I also sense that this is not just knowledge from a book." Docta smiled and lowered his head. "I further sense that I should trust you ... even with my very life. Who are you Docta?" He lifted his head back up and looked me square in the eyes.

"I am here for you Cameron. The gift that has been bestowed upon you comes with great responsibility; even more than one person can deal with. I have been given a different kind of gift. My gift allows me to help and protect the bearer of the gift of powers. I am here to help and protect you Cameron."

"I don't understand. Who sent you?"

"No person sent me. The powers that are within you come from centuries ago, from our ancestors. They were the ones who originally developed your powers. There are forces at work that none of us are aware of, Cameron. Forces on another plane of reality, but still having connections to our own reality. In other words, we are being watched over by our ancestors."

"You're freakin' me out."

"It's true, Cameron. I first realized when I came of age that I would have a job to do. I knew that you would be coming and that our paths would cross. I did not know when, but I did know why."

"You know w-why I'm here?" I stammered. The door burst open and Devin quickly walked in.

"We've got to move, NOW!"

"What's wrong?" asked Docta.

"The enemy is right behind us."

"How many?" I asked. Devin looked at me like I was an idiot.

"At least thirty. It's more than we can handle. Come on, let's go."

"Wait a minute," I said.

"Perhaps you didn't understand. I said we go, and we go NOW!" said a frustrated Devin. I got up quickly and went out the door he had just come in. "Cameron, NO!" he yelled. I quickly surveyed the situation. There were indeed about thirty armed soldiers moving down the road toward our building. I quickly crouched down so they wouldn't see me. Devin and Docta came out to get me, but I grabbed them both and pulled them down with me.

"Watch this," I said quietly.

"Cameron," Devin whispered harshly. "We've got to go. We have to run now."

"Watch," I told him again. I started charging up my tingling. I needed to hit the whole group and hit them hard. I wanted to take them out in one blast. My tingling was really humming. I concentrated and threw a tremendous burst into the middle of the soldiers. Bodies went flying through the air. At least twenty of them were instantly killed. The remaining few scattered and ran. Devin fell back against the door in shock. I looked over at Docta. He had a small smile on his face. I looked back over at Devin. He had this incredibly confused look on his face. I stood up and looked down at him. "Devin, I don't run. I've been running all my life up until about three months ago." He just sat there looking up at me like I was some kind of freak, so I kept on. "I don't like running away. It doesn't solve anything. It just prolongs the inevitable. It's much better to face it now than to have to worry about it in the future."

"Now I know why Bahar wants you so badly," Devin said. I reached out my hand to help him up. He grasped it firmly and I helped him to his feet. "They'll send more troops. I'm not suggesting that we run, but I think it would be a good idea to regroup. What do you think?"

"I think you're right," I said.

"Cameron," came the voice softly in my head. "Cameron!" I'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Jevic!" I called back telepathically.

"Oh thank God. Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Where are you?" Devin and Docta both noticed that I seemed to be lost in thought.

"Dad and Joel and the guys and me are on the 'Cyclopean'. We're about an hour from Kelmar. We're chasing Bahar's ship." I looked at Devin and Docta.

"It's Jevic, my boyfriend. He's on a cargo ship chasing Bahar. They're about an hour out. Let me see what else I can find out," I explained. They both nodded, eagerly waiting to see what kind of help was on the way.

"I got away from her," I said to Jevic telepathically.

"I know. I got your message, but you couldn't hear me."

"Cameron, more troops!" said Docta pointing toward the road. "We gotta go!" I nodded at Docta and continued my telepathic conversation.

"Jevic, I've got to go. We're under attack and we gotta move. As soon as we find a safe place, I'll contact you, OK?"

"Cameron! What do you mean you're under attack?"

"I don't have time to explain. I'll be fine. I love you, Jevic. Tell everybody I'm OK."

"Please be careful."

"I will."

"I love you, Cameron, and I miss you so much!" A shot from a Quantum rifle hit the wall just above my head, exploding on impact and sending chunks of concrete into the air. I ducked and quickly darted through the door. Docta motioned for me to follow. We hurriedly made our way down the corridor and turned into a small room. Devin threw back a small rug exposing a trap door. He quickly pulled it open and looked at me.

"Let's go, Cameron, you first," he directed. Another Quantum blast exploded at the other end of the corridor. They were close and I didn't hesitate as I quickly climbed down the ladder. Docta followed me down. I could hear footsteps above and more Quantum blasts. Standing by the bottom of the ladder, I waited for Docta. Another Quantum blast and a scream came from above. Docta stepped off the ladder just as Devin fell to the floor beside us. Docta turned him over quickly and we both saw the huge burn in his chest. Devin was dead. Another Quantum blast hit right beside us. Docta grabbed me and pushed me back against the wall.

"Be very quiet and move very quickly," he said to me telepathically as we started down the dark corridor. I could hear the soldiers' voices behind us.

"Docta, let me blast them. That will at least buy us enough time to get out of here." He stopped, looked back at the approaching squad of men and then at me. He nodded. My tingling was already charged up, so I swung around and threw a huge distortion block into the darkness of the corridor behind us. We immediately heard lots of screaming, but we didn't stick around to see what happened.

* * * * *

"Madam, we're an hour from Kelmar," the officer said. Bahar looked up from her desk.

"Is everything ready?" she asked.

"Yes, Madam. Arrangements have been confirmed."

"Good. I'll go check on our guest. You're sure that the containment field at our complex is set up for the absolute maximum strength?"

"Yes, Madam. He won't be able to get out of it. There's no way. I'd stake my life on it."

"Good, then you can guard him for the first day," she said coldly. Bahar pushed herself back from the desk and stood up. She glared directly into the officer's eyes. "Let me make this crystal clear. There will be no screw ups. I want this kid working for me. I know Paulik will send a rescue team. Once we have them in our grasp, we'll hang them over Cameron's head. The little shit will do whatever I can imagine ... and my imagination can be pretty vivid. We're taking over and nothing is going to stop us. Not the Council, not the Shifters, not the Watchers, nobody, and I mean nobody will stop me."

"Yes, Madam," the officer said softly. He quickly turned to leave but was almost run over by another officer.

"Madam Bahar! Madam Bahar!" he called out breathlessly.

"What!" she said sternly.

"He's ... he's gone. He got away." Bahar's eyes glared, then slowly squinted almost shut. She held her icy stare at the officer. "I'm sorry, Madam. I don't know how he could have escaped." She reached into her drawer and pulled out a Quantum pistol. Without any hesitation or change in emotion, she fired and vaporized the reporting officer. Then she looked at the other officer. She could see the terror on his face and could even feel it in the room. She relished the raw emotion. She fed on it. It gave her strength and made her feel powerful.

"Search the ship!" she said coldly. "He's gotta be here somewhere."

"Yes, Madam, right away," he said and turned quickly to leave. But before getting out, he once again was blocked by another officer.

"Madam Bahar, we've detected a ship following us. It's closing in and will overtake us before we arrive at Kelmar."

"What ship is it?"

"I don't know, Madam. It's operating in stealth mode. We can detect its presence, but not its signature."

"Increase our speed."

"We're already at maximum, Madam. Pushing the engines any harder will jeopardize our safety." Bahar clenched her teeth tightly and slowly raised the Quantum pistol and pointed it directly at the officer.

"You will increase our speed to whatever it needs to be to assure that we will arrive at Kelmar well before the ship following us. Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, Madam. I'll attend to it personally."

"Good," she said and then she pointed the pistol at the other officer. "You can't find him by standing around." She fired the pistol and vaporized him. She quickly looked at the other officer. "Search the ship. Cameron has escaped. He must be on board somewhere. Approached him carefully. He has many powers. Do not harm him. Just stun him. Make sure all weapons are set to stun. I don't want any more mistakes." She looked down at the ashes on the floor and smiled slightly. Looking back up at the officer, she continued. "Send someone in here to clean up this mess and keep me informed of the search ... and that damn ship."

"Yes, Madam," he said and quickly left her quarters.

* * * * *

Jevic came running onto the bridge. Paulik and Joel looked up. He was trying hard to catch his breath.

"What is it, Jevic?" asked Paulik.

"I've ... I've talked with Cameron!" he said still gasping in lungfuls of air.

"You talked to Cameron?" asked Shane, getting up from his post and walking over toward Jevic. "I knew you could do it, Jevic," he said grinning. Scott and Brandon joined them smiling as well and waiting for the news.

"He's OK," started Jevic. "He's with the Shifters on Kelmar. I told him we're chasing Bahar's ship and that we'd be there in about an hour." Jevic took another deep breath and continued. "Everything was going great with our conversation and then he said he had to go. He told me they were under attack. I ... I tired to find out more, but he said he had to go and that he would be in touch later."

"Commander Joel," interrupted an officer. Joel looked over at him and nodded. "I've detected an increase in speed in Bahar's ship. I know that ship well and she is pushing her engines well past the safe zone."

"Have we been detected?"

"I don't know sir."

"Well, it's obvious that she wants to get to Kelmar before we do. She must know that Cameron isn't on her ship. I bet she plans to capture him before we arrive." Joel paused and looked at Paulik. "This could get ugly."

"It doesn't have to," said Scott. Everyone turned to listen. "I've been studying the weapons this ship has. What it lacks in firepower is made up in accuracy."

"What do you mean?" asked Joel, now intently interested.

"We don't have a lot of weapons, but we do have a Quantum Torpedo. I've studied it very carefully. It has deadly accuracy. While we can't blow up her ship, a well placed hit could disable her engines." Joel quickly turned back to the officer.

"Do we have schematics for Bahar's ship?"

"Yes sir, I can pull them up from the main computer."

"Good, do it and find the best place to aim for." The officer nodded and turned back to his console. Joel beamed at Scott. "I am so glad you're here." Scott smiled and Brandon gave him a great big hug.

"Why don't I just get Cameron to mind travel here and we can turn around and go home?" asked Jevic. Everyone stopped for a moment.

"Yeah, why can't we get him to do that?" asked Paulik.

"Because," started Shane, "it's one thing to move off of an object going as fast as we're going, but it's quite another to move onto an object going this fast. Yeah, you're mind traveling, but you've got to have a clear destination, preferably one that isn't moving. Mind traveling here would be very risky, even if we were to stop. Jevic, you said he was under attack. We all know that mind traveling through weapons fire can be deadly. Our best course of action is to try to disable Bahar's ship. If we do, then we can land and send back a squadron to arrest her. If we don't, well, we'll just have to put a lot of trust in Cameron's ability to keep his head down and not get shot until we can find him." Shane looked around at the faces of the group. They all seemed to be in deep thought.

"I've located the best place for a hit to Bahar's ship, commander," the officer called out.

"Well, commander," said Joel to Shane, all the while grinning from ear to ear. "It's your call."

"Let's blast her!"

"Good call," said Paulik. Shane turned to Scott.

"Can you give me some of that same firing technique you used against the Talons?"

"You bet I can. Just give me a target."

"OK boys, let's do it," said Joel. Scott immediately went to the weapons console. Jevic manned the surveillance station and Brandon quickly took his place at the defense station.

"Jevic, I'm going to have the exact location on the ship that needs to be hit sent to your station. Use your long range scanning to determine the exact coordinates and then send them to Scott for targeting," said Shane. Jevic nodded. In a few moments, Scott called out.

"Got 'em. Thanks, Jevic!" Scott entered the coordinates into his console. "I'm ready to fire." Shane looked up at Joel. Joel nodded back to him.

"Scott," Shane said. "Blast the bitch." Scott reached up on the console and pushed a big red button. A long red streak rocketed out of the front of ship.

* * * * *

"Docta! Cameron! Quick, this way." I looked up just as we emerged from the tunnel and saw Aaron urging us on.

"Aaron!" I exclaimed.

"Come on! There's a transport waiting!" We hustled and followed him around the corner. What looked like a minivan was parked at the edge of the road. The side door was already open. Aaron jumped in first. Docta waited for me to get in, then got in himself and quickly closed the door.

"Quadrant Four, Section K, Level 7. Request emergency clearance. Authorization One Six Zulu," Aaron spoke while looking at a terminal screen. The vehicle immediately rose into the air a few feet, paused for a moment and then jetted off toward our destination.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Safe house," was Aaron's reply. I quickly thought of Aaron's brother Devin. I didn't want to tell him bad news, but it had to be done.

"Uh, Aaron," I started.

"I already know," he said quietly. Aaron turned and looked at me. For the first time, I noticed his eyes were red and puffy.

"I'm so sorry, Aaron," I said. I moved closer to him and gave him a big hug. He was trying hard, choking back a few tears as he hugged me back. Docta put his arm around Aaron and pulled him in tight. We held each other for a few moments, letting the emotion of Devin's loss wash through us.

I relaxed back into my seat and looked out the window. Kelmar was very much like Earth. There were lots of trees and grass. I could even see some mountains in the far distance. A few puffy white clouds hung in an otherwise crystal clear blue sky. The vehicle turned to the left and a city came into view. More vehicles similar to ours were zooming around the streets, several feet above the pavement. Our vehicle turned onto a major road, moved to the outside lane and immediately sped up.

"What city is this?" I asked.

"This is Kutal," answered Aaron.

"Bahar told us that the Shifters had attacked the city and almost leveled it," I said recalling Bahar's comments when she first arrived on Earth.

"That's not exactly true," said Aaron.

"I didn't think so. What happened?"

"Bahar sent in hundreds of her men. They viciously attacked and indiscriminately killed innocent people. We fought against them in a terrible battle. We lost many good men, but we eventually pushed them out of the city. It was a terrible day," Aaron recalled sadly. I could see the pain and hurt on his face as he recalled the memory.

"So what exactly is the deal with Bahar? I mean she's the Chairwoman of the Council. Has the Council declared war on the Shifters?" I asked.

"It's more like Bahar has declared war on everybody, only the Council is completely in the dark. They believe everything Bahar tells them. They have given her absolute control and power to defeat us," explained Aaron.

"Sounds to me like somebody needs to set the Council straight," I said.

"You've got that right. But it's hard to get to the Council. Believe me, we've tried."

"Well, we'll just have to see what we can do about that," I said. Aaron looked at me kinda funny, then Docta joined the explanation.

"Bahar has the Council fooled. Not only is she using Kelmarian forces to suppress us, she has aligned with a small faction of Shifters. She made them many promises. They are working as her elite force and take care of her dirty work. She has them working behind the scenes to overthrow the Council and put Bahar in absolute power."

"I knew she had a personal agenda," I said.

"These are dark days for us, Cameron. No one in power realizes what she is doing. When they finally do realize it, she'll already have everything in place to assassinate every council member. The Shifters are doing everything they can to overthrow Bahar."

"You say that like you're not a Shifter, Docta?" I asked.

"I'm not, but I believe in their cause and I'm doing everything I can to help fight Bahar and return Kelmar to the peaceful planet it once was," he explained.

"I want more than anything for Bahar to be put in her place and there's people on the way that will help too," I said.

"Thank you, Cameron. We'll need all the help we can get." Docta smiled at me. I smiled back and looked over at Aaron. He had a slight smile on his face, despite the tragic loss of his brother.

I looked out the window again and noticed that we were passing many vehicles. "We sure seem to be going faster than everybody else."

"Emergency clearance will get us through all this traffic quickly. We'll be there in just a few moments," said Docta.

"It's pretty strange riding in a vehicle that nobody's driving," I said.

"We found out a long time ago that it's much safer to have a computer do all the navigation," said Docta.

"Makes sense I guess, but I was really looking forward to driving," I said remembering that I had just turned sixteen and could finally get my license.

"You can still drive. It's just safer to let the computer do it. I'll take you out later this afternoon if you want to."

"That'd be awesome!" Aaron frowned.

"You two better be careful. Bahar's forces are everywhere."

"You're right, Aaron," said Docta. "Maybe it would be better to wait a little, Cameron." I slumped back in my seat and watched the buildings go by. I knew Aaron was right, but I still wanted to have a go at driving. In less than a minute the vehicle slowed, then turned and entered into the parking area under a building.

We made our way to the turbo lift and soon found ourselves in a small apartment. Aaron quickly checked all the rooms. There were two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen and a small living room. He closed the blinds and asked us if we wanted something to drink. Docta and I both said yes and then we sat on the couch. Aaron came back with drinks for all three of us.

"Docta, I've got to try to go back and get ... and get Devin's body. I've got a couple of guys ready to help me. We're going to meet in Quadrant Two and go from there. You two should be fine here. I know we weren't followed and this has always been a good, safe place."

"Aaron, we'll be fine. You go ahead and please be careful," said Docta.

"I will," he said standing up to leave. I stood up and gave Aaron another big hug.

"Aaron, I'm so sorry about your brother," I said quietly as I hugged him tight. "He certainly seemed like a good man. I never thanked you for helping me get off of Bahar's ship. You're a special friend and I'll never forget what you're doing for me. Thank you." Aaron choked back a few tears and forced a smile at me.

"Thanks, Cameron. I'll see you soon," he whispered in a choked up voice and then he disappeared out the door. I sat back down on the couch beside Docta.

* * * * *

Bahar turned to her communications station, adjusted it for maximum security and placed her call.

"Yes, Madam," came the response.

"Cameron has escaped. I'm pretty sure that he is on Kelmar and is probably with Devin. Send a squadron of your best men and get Cameron back. Do not harm him. He must be taken back unhurt, but if there is no way to capture him alive, kill him. I'd rather not have him working for them."

"Madam, we just received news that Devin has been killed in an attack on their headquarters."

"Excellent! Great news! Was Cameron with him?"

"There was no mention of him, but our men were not aware he was here. There were reports, however, of a strange weapon."

"What kind of weapon?" Bahar asked.

"I'm not sure, Madam. The squadron commander reported that they were making their way down the street toward the reported Shifter headquarters when all of a sudden, with no warning, they were hit by an incredible force that killed twenty men instantly."

"Shit. That sounds like Cameron. Damn it! Send every available man we have to that area and search it thoroughly. I want that boy and I want him bad, but if I can't have him, then nobody will. Do I make myself very clear?"

"Yes, Madam." Bahar flipped the switch ending the transmission. As she turned back to her desk, the ship suddenly shuddered violently. Bahar grabbed her desk and held on. As the shudder ended, Bahar jumped to her feet and quickly made her way to the bridge.

"Captain! What the hell was that?" she demanded.

"We've been hit by a Quantum Torpedo."

"Return fire!" she screamed.

"We can't, Madam. The torpedo hit us directly in engineering. Our engines have been damaged and we have no way to maneuver."

"What!"

"I have the whole engineering staff working on it, but I'm afraid that the majority of our engineers, the ones with the technical expertise, were killed in the blast."

"Get my shuttle ready!" she barked.

"Once again, I'm sorry, Madam, but the shuttle was also damaged in the blast. Since we were running at a hundred and twenty-five percent power, the engines themselves contributed to the blast."

"Well fix it first. I've got to get to Kelmar."

"Madam, even if we could fix the shuttle, we're still too far from Kelmar. The shuttle can't make a light jump and it would take weeks to get there under normal power." Bahar was seething. She clutched her hands tightly into fists. An officer entered the bridge to make a report to the Captain. Bahar looked over at him. Her eyes narrowed and she quickly grabbed his Quantum Pulsar Pistol, whirled around and blasted the captain, instantly vaporizing him. All the officers on the bridge quickly turned to look at her.

"Get this ship fixed and get it fixed now!" she screamed. Bahar held the pistol up and pointed it around the room. Everyone was frozen in horror. A sudden beeping went off at the communications station. "What's that?" she asked hatefully.

"We-we've got an incoming message," the communications officer stammered.

"Well answer it you imbecile!" The officer pressed a button and the speaker crackled.

"This is Commander Joel of The Watcher ship 'Cyclopean'. I order you to stand down your weapons and prepare to be boarded."

* * * * *

"I'm hungry," Docta announced. "Why don't you try to contact your, ah, boyfriend?"

"Yeah, Jevic is his name. He's Paulik's son," I explained.

"I know of Paulik. He's the Liaison to the Watcher Council on Earth."

"That's right. He's a great leader."

"That's what I've heard. You go ahead and see if you can make contact. I'll fix us something to eat."

"OK, thanks Docta." He got up and headed for the kitchen. I stretched out on the couch, closed my eyes and concentrated on Jevic. I just wanted to tell him that I was all right. The familiar cloak of darkness welcomed me and was once again accompanied by the strong wind noise. "Jevic," I called out. "Jevic, it's Cameron."

"Cameron! Thank God! Are you OK?" he answered.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but a new friend was killed by the soldiers."

"Cameron! You've got to get out of there. I can't stand the thought of losing you," Jevic pleaded.

"I'm being careful, Jevic. Where are you?"

"We're about a half hour from Kelmar. We just shot Bahar's ship and disabled its engines."

"Great!"

"We did it, Cameron. I mean it was the guys and me, not dad's men.

"Cool! I guess Scott was at the weapons console?"

"He's a dead eye!"

"I miss the guys, Jevic, but most of all I miss you. The last time I saw you we weren't exactly nice to each other."

"I know and I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

"It's OK, babe," I thought to Jevic. "It's OK. I miss you so much."

"Everybody misses you and they're real worried. We need to know where you are so we can come get you."

"I'm at a safe house in Kutal, Jevic. When you get to Kelmar, contact me again and I'll come to where you are." My concentration was suddenly interrupted. I felt as though I were being watched. It made me feel uncomfortable. "I gotta go. Something strange is going on and I need to check it out."

"Please be careful, Cameron!"

"I will. Tell everybody hey for me. I love you, Jevic!" The cloak of darkness released me from its hold. I opened my eyes and saw Docta standing in the kitchen doorway looking at me. He had a strange expression on his face.

"What?" I asked. Docta jerked quickly as if being brought out of a trance.

"Oh, ah, nothing. I was just thinking." I looked at him intently. I knew that there was more to this guy than he let on and it's high time to find out exactly what it is.

"Docta," I said quietly, focusing my concentration on him. "Come over here for a moment." I felt my tingling start to rise. Something isn't right here and I intended to find out. Docta hesitated for a moment, but then walked slowly over to the couch and sat down. He looked straight ahead, avoiding my eyes. "Look at me Docta," I directed. Slowly, he turned his head and looked me in the eyes. My tingling moved up a notch or two. I stared intently into his eyes and was immediately flooded with Docta's memories. He sat quietly, as if in a trance, while I leafed though the pages of his memory.

Docta's thoughts came to me easily. At first I saw him as a very young child. "Too far back," I said to myself. I leafed forward and saw him when he was eight or nine. In one particular scene he was standing with his parents. His mom was holding an infant. The expression on Docta's face was one of pride as he looked at the infant. I couldn't help but think about my mom and dad. I wondered what they were like. I leafed forward and saw Docta at a funeral ... a double funeral. His back was to me in the scene, but I could tell it was him. A man was holding his hand as the minister was speaking. I wanted to see more and manipulated the scene so I could see Docta's face. When it came into view, I openly gasped. The man holding Docta's hand was Paulik and standing beside him was Bahar. She was holding the infant. I watched as the scene slowly faded. I paged back and played the scene again, but this time I enhanced the sound so I could hear what was being said.

"I just can't believe it," I heard Paulik say with crystal clarity.

"I know, Paulik. It's so sad," came Bahar's answer.

"It seems like just yesterday that Docta's father was killed. Now, here we are burying not only his second father, but his mother too. It's so unfair."

"I never really agreed with her for choosing him as a mate," said Bahar.

"Please dear, not now," said Paulik quietly.

"It's not right to mate with his kind. It's against everything we stand for. It's against, it's against ... well, it just should never have happened."

"Please, Bahar, Docta will hear you."

"Docta's not the one I'm worried about, Paulik. It's this baby," she said looking down at the infant.

"They've both lost their parents and I grieve for them both. It's so sad."

"What are we going to do with their children?" Bahar asked.

"They have a cousin on Kelmar that can take Docta, but Cameron will probably have to be put up for adoption."

"WHAT!?!" I screamed out. Docta fell back on the couch as he was released from my tingling. He blinked his eyes and looked over at me.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You're my, my brother?" I asked breathlessly.

* * * * *

Copyright © 2003 Stonemark. All rights reserved.

Note from the Author:

Many thanks to Davin and Cody for their editing expertise and to Paul for his technical guidance. As you've figured out by now ... I love a cliffhanger! So, Docta and Cameron are related ... Wow! How will that fit into the mix? And Behar just keeps on showing us how evil she can be! Wouldn't you just love to be able to see Bahar's face when she got that message from Joel? Hehehe! And now we know the boys have to go to Kelmar to get Cameron. No mind traveling back to the ship. The excitement continues to build, so check back next week and find out what happens!

As usual, each new chapter will be posted by Wednesday, sometimes earlier ... and as always, be sure to email me at Jevic@direcway.com and let me know what you thought of Chapter Fifteen. And hey, ... be careful out there ... play, but play safe!