Kindred

  Kindred

  Earthshaker Series

  —Book Two—

  By: Adrianne Lemke

  Copyright © December 2013 Adrianne Lemke

  All rights reserved

  Proofread by Brittany King

  Cover design by Christian Bentulan

  Also By Adrianne Lemke:

  Earthshaker Series:

  Tracker

  Hunter

  Mystery:

  Fear

  Anthologies:

  Bite-Sized Offerings

  When Disasters Strike

  Coming Soon:

  Fantasy:

  Secret Power

  Earthshaker Series:

  Oblivion

  ONE

  Jason

  I slowly lowered myself into the computer chair, staring at the note card and picture that were identical to what I'd received nearly six months ago. The basement bedroom, which had seemed so cozy and safe a few minutes earlier, suddenly seemed to hold an ominous chill. I shivered slightly as I looked at the picture. The man was familiar. According to the note, the victim had been with my father six months ago when he'd tried to abduct me. He and my father were guilty of so much more, and I wasn't sorry they were dead. There had been times when I’d dreamed of killing my father myself. At the same time, I couldn't allow the man known as Kindred to keep killing people to thank me.

  Kindred, the mysterious ‘ghost’ who’d been at the Farm when I was abducted last November, obviously appreciated that I'd freed him from Trevor Mason the previous fall. But how long would he haunt me? The steps creaked and I jumped slightly when Hannah called, "Jason? Can I come down?"

  I sighed. Despite the time that had passed since my ordeal at Mason's hands, I still needed advance warning any time someone came downstairs. My nerves were raw, and I had very little control of my abilities once I got startled. "Jason?" Hannah's voice came again, and I realized I hadn't answered her yet.

  Hannah and Alice Farrow were my closest friends; I’d known them since I was thirteen, only a few months after I’d run away from my father. They were the first people I’d told about my abilities, and it had been the first time I’d called myself a Tracker. My brother and the children I’d protected while living in the streets were the next to find out, followed by more people than I wanted to know. Unfortunately, that included Trevor Mason. Last November he tried to make me into something I never wanted to be—a slave to use as he pleased. He’d even given me a new nickname, one I wasn’t very fond of: the Earthshaker. Unlike me, he focused on the more destructive aspect of my abilities, the power that allowed me to cause earthquakes and destroy buildings.

  "Come on down, Hannah," I yelled back. I stuffed the card and picture in my pocket so she wouldn’t see them.

  It bothered me that Hannah and Alice could no longer move freely in their own house, but they wouldn't listen any time I mentioned the possibility of leaving. For the well-being of my little brother, Sam, I was grateful. For my own… well, that was slightly more complicated.

  Hannah entered my room and sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay, Jason? You disappeared down here after getting the mail, and you look like you've seen a ghost," she pushed a strand of long hair behind her ear and looked at me with concern.

  It was a look I'd become familiar with over the last few months. I'd seen it from all of my friends since last fall; more so since I'd admitted my inability to watch out for the kids. It had been one of the hardest decisions of my life, but with Alice and Dan's help we'd been able to get Paul, Jeffrey, and Ginny placed with Dan and his wife as a semi-permanent foster situation. The captain at their precinct had helped smooth the way for them with Social Services, so they hadn’t gone through too much trouble to get the placement approved. The children wouldn't be moved as long as Dan and June were willing to care for them.

  My brother, Sam, was the only one to remain with me at Alice and Hannah's home. I refused to be separated from him, and he practically threw a fit when the possibility was mentioned. It wouldn't happen… ever. "Jason?" Hannah's voice showed no impatience; only her worry that I still wasn't back to normal.

  "I'm okay, Hannah," I assured her apologetically. "I just need to go talk to Alice. Could you keep an eye on Sam for me?" My brother was upstairs, getting things ready for when he and the other kids would begin attending school the next week. They'd been getting tested to see what level they were at, and would be entering the school right after the fourth quarter, when summer school was in session. They were a bit behind, but I had confidence that my kids would catch up by the time school started in the fall. Jeffrey was my only real concern. He had some kind of learning disorder, or so it seemed to me.

  Hannah nodded. "I'll watch him, but we're supposed to be meeting Dustin down at the park in about an hour to study."

  "Right," I said with a wince. Dustin and Agent Mark Jones were the most recent people who’d learned of my powers. It had been through necessity, since my abilities had been out of control after my ordeal at hands of Mason. Control was something I worked on in my free time. I didn’t want to ever accidentally hurt anyone just because I was afraid or angry.

  In addition to practicing with my more dangerous abilities, I'd started taking a couple classes through the college this semester, one of which was with Dustin and Hannah. It was my own attempt to find some semblance of normality, but it was so different from what I was used to that it only highlighted the contrast between me and everyone else. Nobody there knew what I’d been through except Hannah and Dustin. I spent a lot of time trying to cover up my scars to avoid the other students seeing them. "I'll try to get there, but I'll probably be late. Could you bring Sam down to the park with you? He'd love to play some basketball or catch with Dustin."

  "Sure. You feel like telling me what's going on?" Hannah asked with narrowed eyes.

  I hesitated. "Maybe after I talk to Alice."

  She looked at me skeptically. Based on my behavior lately, I couldn't blame her. Despite moving forward with my life, I had to admit—even if only to myself—that I had not dealt with what had happened to me. Instead I tried to push it down and ignore it, pretending to everyone else that everything was back to normal. Apparently, my acting needed work. Everyone around me could still tell that I wasn't really okay.

  "I'll tell you later," I repeated, grabbing a light spring jacket and moving to the stairs.

  "Sure. See ya," she said with a sigh.

  I stopped in the living room to tell Sam where I was going to avoid upsetting him. He always became alarmed if I left without telling him where I would be. My little brother had been kidnapped and beaten by Mason's gang a few days before they'd gotten to me and he still needed reassurances of my safety. An undercover FBI agent, Mark Jones, had saved his life, but he'd still been in bad shape. Jones had also been the one to find me after Kindred had dragged me out of the shed and into the woods at the Farm.

  Somehow Sam had gotten through his ordeal with less mental anguish than I had. It could have something to do with all the time he'd been spending with Dustin. He was studying Psychology in school, and was a stable male role model for my brother. Sam talked to him, and Dustin did what he could to talk him through his issues.

  He'd offered the same option to me, but… I just couldn't. I didn't want to air my problems to someone I'd only met a few months ago. My brother didn't have nearly the same trust issues as I did; a fact for which I was extremely grateful. Sometimes I was a bit envious of his ability to open up and share his feelings with others.

  "Jase?" Sam was looking at me curiously, and I realized that once again I had zoned out.

  "Sorry, Sammy. I'm back. You're going to go to the park with Hannah and Dustin. Maybe if you ask nicely he'll play some basketball with you."

&nbs
p; Sam's face lit up, his concern from a few moments ago was gone. I felt a flash of jealousy that someone else could put that happy look on my brother's face. All I'd managed lately was to get looks of confusion or concern.

  Sam ran up and gave me a hug. "What was that for?" I asked with a chuckle.

  Sam shrugged. "Just wanted to make you smile; you looked really serious and a little sad."

  My smile dropped slightly, but I forced it to show again when he looked up at me. "Thanks bud," I said ruffling his curly brown hair. "I'm gonna get going now. The bus will be at the corner soon."

  "Okay. Love ya, Jase!" My brother grinned and ran into his room, most likely to grab the basketball Dustin had bought for him a few weeks back.

  "Love you too, little brother," I said softly as I pushed the door open to leave the house.

  I barely made it to the bus stop in time, but I rushed on just as the driver was closing the doors. The bus was nearly empty, and the few people there were ignored me as I moved to the back of the bus. I knew from experience that if I hadn't pulled the jacket on before leaving the house, I'd have gotten quite a few looks. The scars from what Mason had done were very visible, and even when I wore a T-shirt, the burn scar from the brand showed under the left sleeve. Because of that, and a multitude of other scars, I rarely went outside without wearing long sleeves.

  I forced myself to stop thinking about that event, and focused on the current problem. Alice and Dan would not be happy. We'd spent the last five months trying to find out who my father's accomplice had been, and find him before Kindred got to him. Because of my belief that he'd been in jail, Zach Bierman had not even entered my thoughts as a possibility.

  The bus pulled up in front of the police station and I got off, getting a few curious looks from passengers who wondered why I needed to go to the police. The sun was quite warm, so entering the cool lobby was a relief. I went straight to Alice's desk, where she was bent over paperwork. She rubbed her neck and glanced up at me before I could say anything.

  "Jason," the detective said, searching my face for clues to why I was there. "What happened?"

  I fished the card and picture that I had brought from home out of my pocket and Alice visibly paled. "Kindred again?" she asked. I had told her about the enigmatic man who'd dragged me out of Mason's shed of horrors and to the woods. After he'd killed my father, she had tried to get me to stay out of the investigation, but I couldn't. Eventually, she stopped objecting.

  "Yeah. He got to my father's accomplice before us," I said with a shrug. I saw the look Alice exchanged with her partner, who sat at his desk next to hers, but I couldn't pretend to care that my childhood tormenters were dead. However, what Kindred was doing was starting to freak me out. Was he done? And if not, where would he stop?

  "He also added a warning this time," Dan added, coming up behind Alice and reading over her shoulder. "'Do not look for me, or there will be consequences'," he read with a frown. "Not very specific, but oddly formal."

  "It's clear enough," I said. "We need to catch him."

  Alice frowned, and I guessed at what she was about to say. "You don't need to be involved," she said, confirming my suspicion. "You should try to relax and work on your classes…" Her voice trailed off as I shook my head.

  "You have a better shot with my help. This guy is dangerous and he needs to be stopped." I clenched my fist at my side and the ground under the station rumbled in agreement as my power manifested from my anger.

  "So, where do you want to start?" Alice asked me. Dan looked at her in surprise. He'd heard the rumble, and obviously saw it as a reason for me to not be involved. The older man and I had come to an understanding. I trusted him to take care of the kids, but it was Alice’s opinion I valued more than his. When she voiced a concern about my involvement, I might listen. Or not. It really depends what kind of mood I’m in. Most of the time, I preferred to do my own thing. I ignored him and considered Alice's question carefully.

  Unfortunately, as of yet, I had no clear idea of how to proceed. "I have no idea. But I'm sure we'll think of something."

  "But will it be in time?" Alice asked. "Will we come up with a plan before or after Kindred kills again?"

  TWO

  Kindred

  Gratitude: to be grateful. I was familiar with the concept, but my life hadn't given many instances where I could use that particular emotion. Anger. Hatred. Fear. Those were more familiar, and easier to deal with. I had been… trained excessively in those emotions. Trevor Mason had taught them to me to such an extent that I could hardly feel anything else.

  So when the Tracker had killed my master, I had been confused by the emotion I'd felt. I was finally free of my tormentor. For once, I could use my skills for me, instead of being forced to use them. And any profit that came from that would go to me and me alone. I sat on the edge of the bed in the dirty motel room and ran a cloth over the blade I held, relishing the freedom I had discovered. I had been liberated and was free to thank the person responsible for my sudden ability to choose my own actions.

  Finding the Tracker's father had been easy. Mason had a phone number, and it was only a matter of calling him and setting up a meeting. He knew ‘John Doe’ from his previous contact with Mason, and hadn’t flinched at setting up a meeting. When he’d arrived, the John he knew—a quiet but intense Goth kid—had disappeared. What he’d seen instead, was my true form. The assassin who’d been trained in the art of pain and fear: Kindred. The man I’d become after Mason had been through with me. McCoy’s fate had been sealed with the first sign of hesitation he showed when he’d seen me change in front of him. Too easy, but still fun.

  His friend had been harder to find, but I had finally succeeded. I took away his ability to trap or hurt the Tracker—Jason—again. My mind drifted as I idly flipped the knife in my hand. There had been other emotions that had been brought out when I witnessed the young street kid hanging from the ceiling of Mason's shed: sympathy and regret.

  I regretted that the Tracker had to go through what I'd been through. It seemed like a waste. The kid had people who cared about him. Mason's actions would have kept him from his loved ones, and changed him into someone they wouldn't even recognize.

  Exactly as he had done to me. I don't remember my life previous to working for Mason, but I don’t think I was ever completely on the side of legality. However, I did suspect that I'd had a family at some point. Perhaps they had even looked for me. Now I would be unrecognizable to them. I am no longer who I was before; I am no longer enslaved to anyone—I am no longer what Mason made me. Perhaps with time, the person I was before would emerge and reveal the secret of my past.

  There was a knock on the door. I slipped the knife into the sheath I wore under my shirt and opened the door. "May I help you?" I asked the overweight deliveryman.

  "Mr. Smith?" he asked, consulting the envelope and clipboard he held.

  "Yes."

  He held out the large envelope. "Have a good day," he said as I took the delivery.

  I nodded absently, staring down at the envelope as I closed the door. I slid the picture out of the envelope, and committed the face to memory. Flipping the photo over, I saw the information I would need to find the man displayed on the front. There was also a phone number to call when the job was done. I slid the last thing out: a smaller envelope containing ten thousand dollars in cash. I would receive the rest when I called after the job was finished. My client had made contact; it was time to move.

  I stuffed my few belongings into my bag with my clothes, put on a pair of latex gloves, and wiped down the entire room. Covering my tracks had become second nature to me after several years in Mason's service. My other talents came in handy for that as well. The woman at the check-in counter might remember a nondescript white man with light brown hair and dark eyes, while the delivery man would swear in court that the man he'd given the envelope to had been Latino. Neither would be correct. Covering my identity had become akin to breathing—it came automatically.
That had been the main reason for the warning I'd placed in the last gift I'd given the Tracker. He might be the only one in the world who could find me, and I didn't want him to try.

  I swept my gaze over the room once more, making sure I left nothing behind. It was clean, as far as motel rooms go, so I pulled the door shut and tried to decide where to go next. The man in the photograph lived on the other side of town, so I'd go there, find a motel, and follow my prey until I found my opportunity to strike. I felt a spike of adrenaline as I drove away from the dingy motel, and a smile appeared on my face. All thoughts of my past vanished with the excitement I felt now. There was nothing like a good hunting trip to make the blood flow.

  THREE

  Jason

  After meeting with Alice and Dan, I headed to the park to meet Dustin, Hannah, and Sam. I found them quickly and walked over to the basketball court where Dustin and Sam were playing a game of Horse. I ignored the other people who were playing Frisbee in one area, and football in another, skirting around the edges of the games in order to reach the basketball court. Hannah sat on a bench on the sidelines, watching and laughing at Dustin's intense concentration as he lost to a twelve-year-old.

  Dustin was letting Sam win, but he was doing a good job of looking like he was trying his hardest and kept the game close. The look of joy on my brother's face as he made the last basket made me smile. It was good to see him having fun. He hadn't been able to have much fun in his life, and now that we were in a relatively stable situation, he was able to be a kid again. If only his big brother wasn't so screwed up. I felt a pang of self-pity for my own lost childhood, but quickly pushed it away. What was done, was done, I reminded myself firmly. There was no point in dwelling on it.

  The sun was nearly blinding, so I reached into the backpack I'd retrieved from the house before coming to the park, and grabbed my sunglasses. "Hey guys," I said walking up behind Hannah. She jumped and squealed slightly. "Sorry," I said with a laugh. "Didn't mean to scare you."