Season 1 Episode 2
"Dirty Dealing"
It had been nearly two months since the total distruction of the Latnok warehouse. For awhile Kyle had constantly looked over his shoulder wherever he went, afraid that the remaining members would come after him. Or worse, his family. But nothing had happened. His life had been blissfully normal. His fears had faded, but he was still careful.
Because the one thing that always haunted him, was Cassidy. A few days after the explosion, Foss and a special trusted team that he had aquired had searched every inch of the warehouse wreckage, and no sign of Cassidy's body had been found. It looked like he had escaped and was still out there. Somewhere. And there was no telling when he would decide to pounce. Kyle was sure that he would want revenge. But he wasnt really worried about his own safety. If Cassidy should come after him, he could handle it.
He had been working harder than ever to develop his abilities even more. He had managed to make himself immune to electric shocks by conditioning his mind and body against them. He was confident that if he should ever be struck by Cassidy's stun gun again, nothing would happen. One less weapon that could be used to subdue him.
What did worry him was the possibility that Cassidy would go after his family or Amanda in order to get to him. He was going to have to protect them and make sure that didn't happen. If Cassidy attempted to come anywhere near them, he was a dead man.
But there was something even more important on his mind at the present moment: The confession he was going to make today. He had decided to finally tell Amanda everything. The whole truth and nothing but. He was going to trust her with the secret of who he really was. She deserved to know. She had stuck by him through a lot of things. Through everything that had happened with Jessi. Through all of the dates he'd had to cancel without really being able to tell her why because he couldn't reveal that he was going to meet Foss. And she'd gone to Nate's dorm room with Jessi to help retrieve the information on Adam Baylin he'd had on his computer without knowing exactly what it was or how it pertained to him.
And that was why he was sitting on the bench by the lake in the park so early in the morning. He'd called Amanda as soon as he'd woken up, dressed, and had breakfast and asked her to meet him there. He was so lost in thought, he didn't hear her approach.
"Hi, Kyle." She said as she sat down next to him.
"Hi, Amanda." Kyle replied with a smile. "Thank you for coming. You look amazing." He couldn't help but stare at her for a minute. She was wearing a pale pink blouse that accenuated her creamy complexion perfectly and a white, full skirt. It seemed to him that every time he saw her she got more and more beautiful.
"Thank you." Amanda replied. "So what do you want to talk to me about? Is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine." Kyle said, trying to reassure her. "I just want to tell you something."
"Are you sure you're alright? You look a little freaked out."
"I'm fine. It's hard to say it, but I haven't always been totally honest with you. I've been keeping secrets from you. Secrets about my past. I think it's time I let you in on them. I should have a long time ago. But I need you to promise me that you won't say anything until I'm finished."
"I promise."
"Thank you."
Worried about how Amanda would react, Kyle began his story, hoping to make it less complicated than it was. He started with how he had been created in an experiment invented by Adam Baylin, his "father", and had spent the first sixteen years of his life in a special pod that was actually an artificial womb.
He explained how Tom Foss, a security guard at the facility where the experiment was kept, and who was loyal to Baylin, had saved him when the people at Zyzzx had ordered his termination. And then, after being found wandering alone by the police, he had been taken in by the Tragers and become a part of their family.
He told her that he had never gone to Conneticut with the Petersons. They had really been working for Foss and had brought him to Adam Baylin's safe house where he had finally learned the truth about himself. There, Adam had been shot and supposedly killed, and Foss had heped him to develop his amazing abilities, and it was Foss he had gone to see when he had canceled their dates.
Then he got the part about Jessi. He revealed how she was just like him. She had been created the same way. And Madacorp, a company that only seemed legitimate, had used her to try to get the information inside his head that he had taken from the Zyzzx computer when he was in the pod. The underground tunnels that they, along with Declan, Lori, Jessi, and Josh and Andy had gone to that long ago night, were really the ruins of Zyzzx. That had been the reason he he hadn't wanted to go there.
He was now up to the night of the Prom. He finally admitted what had really happened that night. They both had been kidnapped by Latnok, a secret group of scientists, but he had managed to escape. Then with Jessi's help, he had rescued her and taken her home before the sedative she had been given wore off. He had come up with the fake explanation to protect her.
And last of all, he told Amanda the most recent events. How Cassidy had had him kidnapped and taken to Latnok's hidden facility where they had planned to use him to recreate Adam Baylin's experiment. He ended with how Jessi and Foss had come to his rescue, how he had met Baylin's daughter Cora, and how the warehouse had been destroyed in a massive explosion.
"And that's it." Kyle finished. "Now you know everything. Are you okay?"
***************************************************************************************************************************
To be continued...
Amanda didn't answer. She just sat there, looking at him with wide eyes.
"I know this is a lot to take in all at once." He continued. "You don't have to say anything now. I totally understand if you need time. I'm so sorry I have kept all of this from you. I wanted to protect you from all of the danger that always seems to follow me. Everything I have done, I did because I love you."
Still Amanda didn't say anything. Then she surprised Kyle by leaning foward and embracing him. "I don't need time, Kyle." She finally said. "Thank you for sharing your secrets with me. I know it couldn't have been easy for you. I'm so happy you finally let me all the way into your life. And nothing you could ever tell me would ever change the way I feel about you. I love you too."
Kyle smiled. Her reaction was way better than he had expected. And he felt tremendous relief. She didn't hate him, and she still wanted to be with him. "You're really okay?" He asked, just to be sure.
"Absolutely." replied Amanda. "I mean, you're right. It is a lot to take in. It's kind of overwhelming. I always felt like there was a part of you that you kept hidden from me. But to know all of this about you, it's just incredible. I'm really glad you told me. I promise I will never tell anyone. Your secrets are safe with me."
"I know. You're amazing."
"So are you. Everything makes sense now. I always knew there was something special about you." Amanda leaned in close to Kyle and kissed him tenderly. "I do have to go now, though." She said when they parted. "My mom will have a cow if I'm not home in time for breakfast. I'll call you later."
"Okay. Sounds good." said Kyle.
Amanda got up, bent over, and gave Kyle one last kiss. This one longer and more passionate than the one before. "Bye, Kyle."
"Bye."
As he watched Amanda walk away, he felt a profound happiness. Telling her the truth had felt great, like a very heavy burden had finally been lifted. Best of all, she had accepted him for who he really was. After everything he had been through, it was nice to have something good happen.
But it was time for him to go too. Suddenly he was hungry for Nicole's cooking. She was probably in the kitchen at that very moment, making pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. At least he hoped she was.
Kyle got up from the bench and started to walk home. Just as he was exiting the park, a homeless man wearing a dirty, ripped up green jacket with the hood up and stained jeans, with a scruffy white beard and bushy eyebrows, bumped into him, almost knocking him over.
"Sorry." The man mumbled as he hurried away.
For a moment, Kyle had thought he detected something familiar about the man's voice. But then he decided it had just been his imagination and kept on walking.
*******************************************************************************
The homeless man stood behind a large oak tree and removed his jacket, letting it fall carelessly to the ground. Underneath he wore and expensive polo shirt. Next the man reached up and removed the false beard and eyebrows from his face. When he was finished, he was no longer the dirty, down on his luck man he had been. He was clean shaven with long dark hair and a muscular build.
Standing there, watching Kyle walk further and further away, was Micheal Cassidy. Unbeknownst to anyone, he had gotten out before the warehouse had exploded. Until now, he had made sure to lay low until the perfect oppertunity came for him to reappear. His bosses at Latnok had not been pleased to learn that all of the experiments had been totally destroyed. They had made it very clear that he would pay dearly if he did not find a way to rebuild what had been lost.
The only problem was every scrap of information on Adam Baylin's experiments had gone missing, and as Baylin's daughter Cora had been killed in the explosion, there was only one option left open to him. He knew that Kyle still had all of the information he needed in his head. And he would get it from him one was or another.
Cassidy opened his hand and let fall an empty syringe. He was sure that Kyle hadn't even felt the prick of the needle. He had been warned what would happen if he fought against Latnok. Very soon he would find out just what the consequences were.
***************************************************************************************
When Kyle got home, he found Nicole in the kitchen, cooking breakfast just as he'd thought. It smelled great, and his stomach growled.
Hi, Kyle." She said as she kept an eye on the bacon, sizzling on the stove. "I thought you'd still be sleeping. Where have you been up to?"
"I was with Amanda." He said. "I told her my secrets. Where I came from."
Nicole couldn't hide her surprise. "Why would you do that?"
"Because she deserved to know. She's always stood by me."
"And how did she take it?"
"Wonderfully." Kyle replied with a big smile. "Our relationship is stronger than ever."
"I'm so happy for you. I hope you're hungry. I made your favorite. Chocolate chip pancakes."
"Sounds yummy. I'm just going to go relax for a little bit."
"Okay. You were up early. I'll call you when the food is ready."
"Thanks."
Kyle walked slowly to his room. Suddenly, he was feeling very tired. And strangely weak. Maybe he was coming down with something. Like the flu. He would just lay down in his tub for a few minutes and rest.
But before he could take another step, he got very dizzy. The room was spinning. His vision went blurred, and his body felt like dead weight. He collapsed to the floor, and the last thing he thought about before he lost conciousness was that he would not get to eat any of Nicole's delicious pancakes.
*****************************************************************************************************************
To be continued...
"Kyle! Breakfast is ready!" called Nicole, thinking he would come right away. She placed a heaping plate of bacon next to the platter of golden pancakes and the steaming bowl of eggs already on the table.
Josh and Lori had appeared quickly and began piling food onto their plates. "There's nothing better than sleeping late on a Saturday and stuffing myself full of mom's awesome cooking." said Josh with his mouth full.
"Well save some for the rest of us." laughed Lori.
"Morning my wonderful family." said Steven as he walked into the room.
"Good morning, honey!" replied Nicole, giving her husband a quick kiss.
"It sure smells good in here. I see two of my children are digging right in. But where's Kyle? Isn't he hungry?"
"He was up early, and he went to his room to rest. I've been calling him." Nicole tried again. "Kyle! Breakfast! Come and get it!" Still there was no answer. "Steven, would you go and check on him? Maybe he fell asleep."
"You got it." He walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway to his son's room. The door was closed. "Kyle?" He called out as he knocked loudly. "Are you awake?" There was no response. Now he was a little worried. He decided to go in.
Slowly Steven opened the door, and the first thing he saw was Kyle lying unconcious on the floor. "Oh my God!" He exclaimed as he rushed to his son's side. He knelt down and immediately felt for a pulse. To his relief, it was there, but it was very weak. Then, because Kyle was lying face down, he gently rolled him over onto his back. He shook him a little as he said, "Come on Kyle, open your eyes!" But he remained unresponsive. "Nicole! Nicole!" He shouted. "Come quick!"
She appeared almost instantaneously. "Steven, what's wrong?" She asked, Then she saw Kyle. Turning pale, she gasped, "Oh my God. What happened?"
"I don't know." He replied. "I found him like this. I can't wake him up, and his breathing is shallow. I just barely found a pulse. I think you better call 911."
In a panic, Nicole ran out of the room. A few minutes later, she returned, followed by Lori and Josh. "The paramedics are on their way." She said.
"Is Kyle going to be okay, dad?" asked Lori, softly.
"I don't know." Steven said, looking stricken. "I just don't know."
"He has to be." Said Josh. "He's Kyle."
Then the doorbell rang.
"Thank God. The paramedics are here." said Steven, though that was only a small relief.
"I'll go let them in." said Nicole. But when she opened the door, she saw not the welcome sight that she was expecting. It was something that filled her with dread. Micheal Cassidy was standing there. "You!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I think it would be in your best interest to listen to what I have to say." Cassidy replied, calmly. "And Kyle's."
"Just leave us alone! Leave my son alone!" She tried to shut the door, but he pushed it back open.
"I wouldn't do that. I suggest you hear me out." he said. "If you want to save Kyle. He has less than two hours to live."
Suddenly Nicole felt like she was going to be sick. "That's not true."
Cassidy grinned wickedly. "It is. You see," he said. "I have injected Kyle with a very strong poison at the park this morning. I expect it has started to affect him already."
Nicole nodded, hating to admit it to the odious man standing smugly before her. "He's barely alive. But the paramedics are on their way."
"They will not be able to help him. The poison was my own invention. I have the only antidote. I tested it on mice before I used it on Kyle. The ones that didn't get the antidote died within two hours. The ones that did survived. By my calculations, I injected Kyle with the poison about twenty minutes ago. The clock is already winding down for him. How this will all end is up to you. It can end happy, or you can lose your son."
"What do you want?"
"Simple. I want the information about Adam Baylin's experiments. I know it's all in Kyle's head. Give me that, and you get the antidote that will save his life."
"How am I supposed to get it? It's not like he can tell me. He's dying."
"That's not really my problem is it? I'm sure you'll find a way." Cassidy reached into his pocket, pulled out a small business card, and handed it to Nicole. "Here is the number where I can be reached. Call me when you are ready to make a deal. I wouldn't take too long to decide though."
Without another word, he turned and walked away. Just as he disappeared around the street corner, an ambulance pulled into the driveway with its sirens flashing. Three paramedics got out and rushed to the door, pushing a stretcher in front of them.
"Maam, if you would just show us where your son is." said one of them.
"Actually it was just a false alram." replied Nicole as calmly as possible. In reality she felt like she was going to explode. It was all she could do to keep her composure. "Everything is fine."
"Are you sure Maam?"
"Absolutely."
"Okay." The paramedics went back to the ambulance shaking their heads. They stowed the stretcher in the back and drove away.
Nicole shut the door and just stood there for a moment, leaning against it. Her whole body was now shaking. But she knew she couldn't waste anymore time. She ran back to Kyle's room.
"Are you alone?" asked Steven. "Where are the paramedics?"
"I sent them away." Nicole managed to say.
"What! Why the hell would you do that?!"
"We have to have a family meeting right now. Something happened. When the doorbell rang it wasn't because the ambulance was here. It came a little later."
"Then who was there?"
"Cassidy."
"Oh God no. Please tell me you are kidding."
"I wish I was. Obviously he wasn't killed in the warehouse explosion. I had a feeling. Anyway that's why we need to talk. Now."
"Okay. But first let's get Kyle off of the floor. We should make him as comfortable as we can." Working with Lori and Josh, he managed to lift Kyle and get him into his tub. Then nicole covered him with a blanket.
"Let's go into the living room." She said after she had planted a kiss on his forehead. "We don't have a lot of time."
**********************************************************************************************************************
To be continued.......
Once everyone was gathered together, Lori and Josh on the couch and Steven in a chair, Nicole told them everything that had transpired between her and Cassidy. When she was finished, They all had looks of shock and horror on their faces.
"So that sick bastard poisoned my son, and if we don't give him the information he wants, Kyle will die?" Asked Steven with clenched fists.
Nicole nodded with tears on her eyes. She was barely holding it together. "In less than two hours. Unless we get the antidote."
"Well I say it's no contest!" said Josh. "Let's give Cassidy whatever he wants! We have to save Kyle!"
"But would Kyle want Cassidy to have the information that he's protected all this time?" Put in Lori. "Look at what he went through to keep Madacorp from getting it. There is no way he would want Latnok to get their hands on it."
"We can't just let him die!" shouted Josh.
"We won't." said Nicole,firmly.
"That's right." said Steven.
"Maybe Cassidy was lying about everything." said Lori. "It's not like he is a trustworthy guy."
"No, he was telling the truth." said Nicole. "I could see it in his eyes. He even knew Kyle was sick before I said anything."
"And we are going to do whatever it takes to save him. Even if we have to make a deal with the devil." said Steven. "But we have a problem. I don't see how we are going to get that information. I destroyed the file that Amanda got from Nate. Kyle is the only source now."
"There may be a way." said Nicole. "Jessi got it out of his head once. She used their special connection. It wasn't on purpose, but it happened. Kyle told me about it. I'm sure she could do it again. I know she will want to help him. I'm going to go call her. I'll use the phone in the kitchen." She left the room, leaving the rest of the family still in disbelief from everything she had told them.
"I can't stand feeling so useless." said Steven, getting to his feet. "I need to do something. I think I'm going to call Tom Foss. He might be able to help too." He took his cell phone out of his pocket and made the call as he paced around the room. Only minutes later he was finished. "He is on his way here." he said.
At that moment Nicole reentered the room. "I got ahold of Jessi." She said. "She is on her way here."
"Good." replied Steven. "So is Foss. I thought it would be a good idea to have him here, so I called him. He's always protected Kyle."
"You're right, Steven. We're all in this together. I know we can get that antidote from Cassidy. I'm just going to go check on Kyle."
When Nicole walked into Kyle's room, he was so still that for a moment she was afraid that he had already succumbed to the poison and she had lost him forever. But when she got closer, she saw that his chest was slowly rising and falling. He was still breathing. Still alive. Sighing with relief, she knelt down beside the tub. Taking Kyle's hand, it made her heart break to feel that his skin was cold and clammy. "I'm so sorry this happened." She whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. But I promise, I will make everything okay." This time she couldn't stop the tears from falling. She wanted to be brave, but she hated seeing Kyle fading away before her eyes. Life had become so much richer and wonderful after he had become a part of the family. The thought of losing him was more painful than anything she could imagine. She didn't even know that Steven had entered the room until he touched her on the shoulder.
"Nicole, Foss and Jessi are here." he said.
"I'll be right there." She replied as she wiped her eyes.
"How's he doing?"
"Not good. He's getting worse. Oh Steven, he's barely alive."
"All the more reason for us to get the antidote as quickly as possible. Come on, I already filled Foss and Jessi in on everything."
"I'm ready. Let's go."
When they returned to the family room, all eyes turned in their direction. Jessi jumped up immediately. She had been sittong next to Josh and Lori on the couch.
"I can do it, Nicole." She said. "I can get the information out of Kyle's head. Then we can save him."
"With all do respect," said Foss, speaking up. "I think that is an extremely bad idea. We can in no way let Cassidy and Latnok recreate Adam Baylin's experiment again. Kyle has fought too hard to stop them and protect Adam's work. We can't just give it up."
"Are you suggesting I let my son die?" asked Nicole in an icy tone.
"Of course not. I know you love Kyle. I care about him too. I will do everything in my power to help him. All I am saying is, we need to keep our heads on straight and really think about this. Think about all of the consequences."
"I don't give a damn!" said Steven. "We have no time! Kyle will not last much longer! We need that antidote now!"
"How do you know Cassidy won't double cross you once you give him what he wants? And even if you get the antidote, how do you know it will work?"
"I don't. Cassidy has us backed into a corner. Kyle's life is on the line here. If we don't try, if we fail, he will pay the price. I will NOT lose my son. We have no choice. We give Cassidy what he wants. Jessi will help us do that."
Foss sighed. "Well if you won't listen to me, then maybe you will listen to her." He gently pushed foward the young girl who had been quietly standing next to him. "This is Adam Baylin's daughter, Cora." He continued. "I am sure she will agree with me."
"So you're Cora Baylin." said Steven, stepping foward and offering her his hand to shake which she did after a little hesitation. "It's good to meet you. Kyle told us about you."
"She's hot." whispered Josh.
"Shut up!" exclaimed Lori, nudging her brother in the ribs to keep him quiet.
"It's nice to meet all of you." Cora said with a small smile. "I came here with Foss because I very much want to help Kyle. I also think that we should not give in to Cassidy's blackmail. My father would not want that. But I have another solution that will work."
What is it?" asked Nicole.
"I know all about how my father created Kyle and Jessi. He showed me all of the journals where wrote down all of his experiments, his sketches of the pods, and the formula for the gestational fluid. Let me make the deal with Cassidy. I can give him exactly what he needs. Jessi can come with me. Once I get the antidoye from him. she can bring it back here to Kyle."
"What about you?" asked Steven. "What will you do?"
"Obviously I'm not going to really help Cassidy." Cora replied. "I'm just going to make him think that I am. Just long enough for Jessi to get far away. After that, I'm sure I can manage to get away from him."
"It's too dangerous." said Foss. "Tricking Cassidy will end badly. He could kill you."
"It doesn't matter." said Cora. Kyle saved my life. He didn't have to, but he did. It's my turn to save him now." She looked at every face in the room in turn, daring them to challenge her. No one did. Last of all she turned to Jessi. "Are you in, or not?" She asked.
"Im definantly in." replied Jessi. "Let's do it."
********************************************************************************************************************
To be cont.
"Right behind you." Just before she left the room, Cora turned back to Nicole and Steven. "Don't worry." She said, confidently. "I promise you, we will succeed. I will not let you lose Kyle." Then she was gone.
"I hope her plan really does work." said Steven.
"It has too." replied Nicole. "It's our only chance." She looked at her watch. "Kyle only has an hour left."
No one else said a word. But they were all thinking the same thing. If Cora did not get that antidote, all hope was lost. And even if she did, would it be in time? All they could do was pray.
**************************************************************************************************************
Micheal Cassidy was deep in the woods near the dam. He had just received a call from Nicole Trager. He knew it would happen. She was ready tp make the deal. She had told him, barely controlling her anger, that Jessi had used her abilities to get the information he needed out of Kyle's head. She would meet him wherever he wanted and give it to him in exchange for the antidote that would save his life.
Cassidy had readily agreed and had told her where to send Jessi, giving her very detailed directions. So there he was, waiting for her to arrive, a smug smile on his face. He was so close now. Closer to being back in Latnok's good graces, and closer to being on top again. He could practically taste the victory he was about to achieve.
His plan had worked brilliantly. He had known from the beginning that the Tragers would do anything to save their precious Kyle. And now he was about to get the most valuable information in scientific history. Perfect.
Just then he heard someone approaching. The sound of twigs breaking and leaves crunching underfoot. He waited, with all of his senses on high alert in case he needed to act quickly and hide. Eventually he could see that it was Jessi. And to his surprise, she was not alone. When they were close enough, he could see exactly who her companion was.
"Cora Baylin." Cassidy said, his expression revealing nothing. "I see you survived the explosion."
"So did you." replied Cora,coldly.
"Yes. I was lucky. I got out before it happened. And you?"
"I almost died, but Kyle saved me."
"I'm not surprised. Let me guess, you're here to return the favor."
"Something like that."
"Well then, let's make this real simple. All I need is what Jessi took from Kyle. and you get this." Cassidy reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe filled with and amber-colored liquid.
"Actually Jessi doesn't have what you want." said Cora. "But I do."
"What do you mean?" asked Cassidy, becoming suspicious.
"Jessi never took anything from Kyle. She didn't need to. I know all about my father's experiments. He told me everything. Every single detail. So the new deal is, you give Jessi the antidote, and I tell you what I know."
"And how do I know this isn't a trick?"
"You don't. But let me put it this way. My father was very well respected at Latnok for a long time. Therefore I was a trusted intern. I knew what they were planning to do with Kyle and my father's work. And as I'm sure you probably already know, I am the one who helped him escape. Do you really think after all that I would let you kill him? I will save him even if it means I have to help a disgustingly evil, gutless person like you."
"You are a feisty one. We have a deal. But if you double cross me, you will regret it."
"Your threats don't scare me. Let's just get this over with."
"As you wish." Cassidy tossed the syringe to Jessi. She caught it and put it in her pocket. "Now it's your turn."
Cora walked over to him without hesitation and stood by his side. "I will do my part."
"Good."
But Jessi was still standing there. She had't moved yet. She was staring at Cassidy, not believing it could be so easy.
"Jessi!" Cora shouted. "Go! Kyle doesn't have much time! You have to go now!"
That finally roused her to action. She gave Cora a meaningful glance, hoping to convey how grateful she was. Then she took off. She made it back to the car in a matter of minutes. Tom Foss had loaned her and Cora his SUV. He had wanted to provide them with any protection he could. It was bullet proof and had two pistols under the driver's and passenger's seats. Thankfully they hadn't had to use them. She jumped inside and sped off, squealing.
When she got to the main road, she found, to her dismay, that she could go no further. There was a huge traffic jam. Bumper to bumper. She could see lights from an ambulance up ahead. There had to be an accident. There was no going foward.
Jessi looked at the clock on the dashboard anxiously. She only had twenty minutes to get the antidote to Kyle. That meant she had no choice. She threw the car in park, opened the door, got out, and ran, leaving the keys in the ignition. She allowed herself no rest. Even though she could run faster than a normal human, it was goingto take all of her energy to make it in time. Failure was NOT an option.
Just when she felt like she could last no longer, she finally made it back to the Trager's. She dashed up the driveway and rushed inside. She found the living room empty. Thinking only of Kyle, she raced to his room. She saw everyone gathered around his tub.
"I got it!" She exclaimed, excitedly. "I got the antidote!" No one said a word. Then she noticed for the first time that the whole family was crying. "What's wrong?" She asked, apprehensively. Suddenly she felt like her legs were going to give out.
Nicole walked slowly up to her, her face tear-stained. "Jessi," She said,soflty. "It's too late. Kyle is gone."
"What?" Jessi felt her whole world collapsing. "No, that can't be! I made it in time! I know I did!" Becoming hysterical she rushed to the tub and leaned over it. Kyle was pale. And very cold to the touch. She gently put her ear to his chest and listened. There was no heart beat. She began to sob. Her tears dripped onto Kyle's face. "NO! Please no! Don't leave me Kyle, please don't leave me! I'm so sorry, i'm so sorry!"
Nicole pulled her way from the tub and wrapped her arns around her. "You did everything you could." She said, trying to soothe her. "Kyle was very lucky to have you for a friend."
"No!" Jessi screamed, pushing Nicole away from her. "I can still save him!" She took the syringe out of her pocket, and before anyone could stop her, she plunged the needle into Kyle's arm and released the liquid inside. Nothing happened. Jessi took kyle's hand in hers. "Come on Kyle, fight dammit! Do it for your family! They love you! Do it for me! I need you because you always believe in me! Do it for Amanda and for the love you have for her! Don't give up!" Then, leaning in close to his ear, she whispered, "Come back to us. Please." Still nothing.
And then.....a miracle!
********************************************************************************************************
To be cont.
Suddenly, Kyle took a breath and squeezed Jessi's hand. "He's alive!" She shouted, this time crying tears of joy. "He's breathing! Look!"
And then to everyone's utter amazement, Kyle opened his eyes. Nicole ran to the tub, threw her arms around him, and hugged him tight.
"Thank God." She said. "I thought I had lost you."
"What happened?" asked Kyle as slowly sat up. "Why is everyone in my room? Why is Foss here? And why do you all look like someone just died?"
"Because someone did." said Josh. "You. Everyone thought you were a goner, but not me. But I knew you wouldn't let some nasty poison get the better of you! You're super Kyle!"
"Yeah. The last thing I remember is coming into my room after I got home from talking to Amanda. And feeling so weak. Wait, did you say poison? What poison?"
"Cassidy tried to kill you, Kyle." Said Nicole. "He somehow injected you with some deadly concoction he made." Then she told him everything that had happened. From how they had found him collapsed on the floor, to the deal they had had to make with Cassidy in order to save him. "By the time Jessi got back with the antidote, you had already died." She finished. "But luckily she refused to believe it was too late and gave it to you anyway. It worked. It brought you back to us."
Kyle thought for a moment and suddenly remembered something. "Then that homeless man who bumped into me at the park this morning must have been Cassidy in disguise."
"What?"
"Never mind. Tell you about it later. Hold on. You said Cora went with Jessi to meet Cassidy. Why isn't she here too? Where is she?"
"She stayed behind with him." said Jessi." She has all of the knowledge of Baylin's experiments, and she convinced him that she would help him rebuild them if he gave me the antidote. That's how I got it. She is a very good liar."
"You left her alone with Cassidy!?"
"I had to. Besides she told me to. She said she would manage to get away from him somehow. I'm sure she is fine."
"She doesn't know how dangerous Cassidy can be! He is a psychopath, and he will not hesistate to hurt her. I have to go after her."
Kyle started to get out of the tub, but Nicole pushed him back down. "Kyle, no. You can't go." She said, firmly. "You're still weak. You haven't fully recovered from the poison yet. I won't have you getting hurt again."
"I'll be fine." Kyle replied, stubbornly. "I already feel stronger. Cora has saved my life twice now. I can't just leave her out there alone. I'm going." Kyle got out of the tub, and turning to Nicole he said, "I'll be back soon. I promise. I will deal with Cassidy and stop him once and for all. He will never get near me or the people I love ever again." Then he took off like a streak of lightning and never looked back. He was out of the house in a matter of seconds. He didn't even care that he was on foot. He ran faster than he ever had before, a new determination spurring him on.
***************************************************************************************************************
Back in the woods by the dam, Cora was still staring at the spot where she had last seen Jessi. "I hope she makes it in time." She said softly.
"I am sure she will." replied Cassidy. "She's fast. So shall we get on with it? We have a lot to discuss. I'll take you back to my office at the University, and we can get started."
"Oh please." replied Cora, coldly, crossing her arms. "Do you really think I'm going to help you? I would never betray my father like that. I was good though, wasn't I? I got you to give up your only leverage just like that. You're not as smart as you think you are. You let yourself be blinded by your lust for power. And now that Jessi is long gone, there is nothing you can do about it."
"Cassidy's face turned bright red, and his eyes flashed with a deep rage. He hated being the loser "We had a deal." he growled.
"Well, that's the funny thing about deals," said Cora, "You should always get them in writing. Too bad. Looks like I won. You have no more cards to play so why don't you go back to the slimey cave you crawled out of." She started to walk away.
"You little bitch!" Cassidy screamed. "No one makes me look like a fool!"
Then before Cora realized what was happening, he had flown at her, knocking her to the ground. "Get off me!" she screamed. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong. He had her pinned down so she couldn't move.
"I am going to kill you." he said, his dark eyes deadly cold, as he wrapped his hands tightly around her throat. "No one can save you."
"Please," She gasped "Don't."
Cassidy grinned wickedly and squeezed tighter.
Cora could barely breathe. Her lungs were burning. She knew that she was going to die. But she wasn't scared. She had accomplished what she had come to do. Her life for Kyle's was one deal she WOULD willingly make.
But then, in the next instant, Cassidy suddenly flew off of her, smashing into a tree several yards away. Coughing and gasping, Cora quickly got to her feet and saw Kyle standing a few feet away, his arm extended out in front of him. The look of anger and resolve on his face gave her chills. She knew that he dad telekinetically tthrown Cassidy away from her. Then he came and stood by her side.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes full of concern for her well being.
"I'm fine." Cora replied. "I'm happy to see you are too."
"Thanks to you."
Cassidy got slowly to his feet. "Well, Kyle, I'm glad to see you are alive and well." He said.
"Shut up. You don't get to talk." said Kyle, furiously."I don't care what you do to me, but nobody messes with my family! How dare you put them through such pain! When you poisoned me, you didn't just hurt me, you hurt them! You have no shame, no conscience, and no heart. What you did was sick."
"I had no choice." Cassidy responded, despite Kyle's threatening looks. "You don't know what it's like to work for Latnok. They are ruthless people. If I don't give them what they want, they will kill me. I did what I had to do to survive. Just as you have always done what you had to do."
For the briefest of moments, Kyle thought Cassidy looked vulnerable. "It doesn't matter." He said. "Nothing can justify what you did. You say you had no choice. But you always have a choice. You could have chosen to do the right thing all along. Instead you killed Sara, kidnapped me and Amanda the night of the prom and me again a couple of months ago, and then you tried to kill me today. And Cora. You still have a chance Cassidy. You can redeem yourself. Do the right thing now and just walk away."
*********************************************************************************************************************
To be cont...
"I'm afraid I can't do that." replied Cassidy. "If I do, I'm a dead man. Either Cora comes with me and gives me what I want, or you do. I don't care. Refuse, and I will never stop . I will take away everything and everyone you love."
"You know I can't help you." said Cora.
"It's over." said Kyle.
"Fine. Have it your way." Cassidy raised his hand, and in it he held his special stun gun. The same one he had used before. "You both had such amazing potential."
Kyle was unafraid. Just as Cassidy lunged at them with his weopon, he stepped in front of Cora to shield her. He was struck in the chest and electrocuted. But nothing happened. No pain. He smiled.
Cassidy looked surprised. Immediately he sent more stronger volts of electricity into Kyle. And still nothing happened. "I don't know how you are able to withstand it," He said, "But I assure you, you will not last long against me." Then he turned the stun gun up to the highest setting. "Let's see how you like this." He jammed it into Kyle's chest.
"This ends now." And he could press the trigger, Kyle grabbed Cassidy's arm and twisted it so that the weopon was pointed at his own chest. And then he activated it.
Cassidy screamed as thousands of volts of electricity went through him. His whole body shook. Then he collapsed to the ground and was totally still. Cora walked cautiously over to him and nudged him with her foot. Still he didn't move. Upon closer inspection she saw that his eyes were open, and his pupils were fixed and dialated. "He's dead." She said.
"I didn't want to kill him." whispered Kyle. "I gave him a chance. He wouldn't take it. Why wouldn't he just take it?"
"Because he was desperate. He knew what would happen to him if he failed Latnok. But he made his choice. And he would have killed us both if you hadn't stopped him. It was self defense."
"I know. But I still feel terrible."
"You wouldn't be you if you didn't." said Cora with a smile. "The most important thing is, we are free now. With Cassidy gone, Latnok won't come after us. The people in charge always depended on him to do their dirty work. He was the only one they had left. They won't come out into the open themselves. And there is no one to do their bidding. We finally beat them."
"Maybe. But they will probably just get a replacement for Cassidy. It's only a matter of time."
"True. But for this moment, let's just enjoy our victory."
Kyle smiled. "You're right. So what will you do now?"
"Well, now that I can finally have the normal life I always wanted, I think I'll call on my grandmother. She lives in Colorado. I haven't seen her in a really long time. I think she would be happy to see me."
"I hope everything works out for you. Thank you for everything."
"You're welcome. You were totally worth it. I hope you are always happy. I know that's what my father would want. You'll do great things. I know it."
Kyle blushed.
"Now we just need to get rid of Cassidy's body." said Cora.
"I'll take care of it." replied a voice.
Kyle turned to Foss standing there. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I came after you a few minutes after you left." replied Foss. "I wanted to protect you. Although it looks like you didn't need me."
"No. But thank you for being here. It means a lot to me that you are always there for me. Thank you."
"You're welcome. You can go home now. I'll take care of everything here. There will be no evidence of what happened."
"Again, thank you." Kyle turned to Cora. "You coming with me?"
Cora shook her head. "I'm going to have Foss drop me off at home so I can pack a few things. And then I'll grab a taxi to the airport when he's finished here. I'm going to catch the next flight out to Denver. It's time I started to really enjoy life. You know, stop and smell the roses once in awhile."
"So I guess this is good bye?"
"For now. But I'm sure we'll meet again someday."
"I hope so."
"Cora gave Kyle one last hug. "Good bye." She said.
"Bye, Cora." replied Kyle. "I think you will do great things too." Then with a smile and a wave, he turned and headed for home. And he returned to the biggest most wonderful homecoming of his life.
END OF EPISODE
"Dirty Dealing"
It had been nearly two months since the total distruction of the Latnok warehouse. For awhile Kyle had constantly looked over his shoulder wherever he went, afraid that the remaining members would come after him. Or worse, his family. But nothing had happened. His life had been blissfully normal. His fears had faded, but he was still careful.
Because the one thing that always haunted him, was Cassidy. A few days after the explosion, Foss and a special trusted team that he had aquired had searched every inch of the warehouse wreckage, and no sign of Cassidy's body had been found. It looked like he had escaped and was still out there. Somewhere. And there was no telling when he would decide to pounce. Kyle was sure that he would want revenge. But he wasnt really worried about his own safety. If Cassidy should come after him, he could handle it.
He had been working harder than ever to develop his abilities even more. He had managed to make himself immune to electric shocks by conditioning his mind and body against them. He was confident that if he should ever be struck by Cassidy's stun gun again, nothing would happen. One less weapon that could be used to subdue him.
What did worry him was the possibility that Cassidy would go after his family or Amanda in order to get to him. He was going to have to protect them and make sure that didn't happen. If Cassidy attempted to come anywhere near them, he was a dead man.
But there was something even more important on his mind at the present moment: The confession he was going to make today. He had decided to finally tell Amanda everything. The whole truth and nothing but. He was going to trust her with the secret of who he really was. She deserved to know. She had stuck by him through a lot of things. Through everything that had happened with Jessi. Through all of the dates he'd had to cancel without really being able to tell her why because he couldn't reveal that he was going to meet Foss. And she'd gone to Nate's dorm room with Jessi to help retrieve the information on Adam Baylin he'd had on his computer without knowing exactly what it was or how it pertained to him.
And that was why he was sitting on the bench by the lake in the park so early in the morning. He'd called Amanda as soon as he'd woken up, dressed, and had breakfast and asked her to meet him there. He was so lost in thought, he didn't hear her approach.
"Hi, Kyle." She said as she sat down next to him.
"Hi, Amanda." Kyle replied with a smile. "Thank you for coming. You look amazing." He couldn't help but stare at her for a minute. She was wearing a pale pink blouse that accenuated her creamy complexion perfectly and a white, full skirt. It seemed to him that every time he saw her she got more and more beautiful.
"Thank you." Amanda replied. "So what do you want to talk to me about? Is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine." Kyle said, trying to reassure her. "I just want to tell you something."
"Are you sure you're alright? You look a little freaked out."
"I'm fine. It's hard to say it, but I haven't always been totally honest with you. I've been keeping secrets from you. Secrets about my past. I think it's time I let you in on them. I should have a long time ago. But I need you to promise me that you won't say anything until I'm finished."
"I promise."
"Thank you."
Worried about how Amanda would react, Kyle began his story, hoping to make it less complicated than it was. He started with how he had been created in an experiment invented by Adam Baylin, his "father", and had spent the first sixteen years of his life in a special pod that was actually an artificial womb.
He explained how Tom Foss, a security guard at the facility where the experiment was kept, and who was loyal to Baylin, had saved him when the people at Zyzzx had ordered his termination. And then, after being found wandering alone by the police, he had been taken in by the Tragers and become a part of their family.
He told her that he had never gone to Conneticut with the Petersons. They had really been working for Foss and had brought him to Adam Baylin's safe house where he had finally learned the truth about himself. There, Adam had been shot and supposedly killed, and Foss had heped him to develop his amazing abilities, and it was Foss he had gone to see when he had canceled their dates.
Then he got the part about Jessi. He revealed how she was just like him. She had been created the same way. And Madacorp, a company that only seemed legitimate, had used her to try to get the information inside his head that he had taken from the Zyzzx computer when he was in the pod. The underground tunnels that they, along with Declan, Lori, Jessi, and Josh and Andy had gone to that long ago night, were really the ruins of Zyzzx. That had been the reason he he hadn't wanted to go there.
He was now up to the night of the Prom. He finally admitted what had really happened that night. They both had been kidnapped by Latnok, a secret group of scientists, but he had managed to escape. Then with Jessi's help, he had rescued her and taken her home before the sedative she had been given wore off. He had come up with the fake explanation to protect her.
And last of all, he told Amanda the most recent events. How Cassidy had had him kidnapped and taken to Latnok's hidden facility where they had planned to use him to recreate Adam Baylin's experiment. He ended with how Jessi and Foss had come to his rescue, how he had met Baylin's daughter Cora, and how the warehouse had been destroyed in a massive explosion.
"And that's it." Kyle finished. "Now you know everything. Are you okay?"
***************************************************************************************************************************
To be continued...
Amanda didn't answer. She just sat there, looking at him with wide eyes.
"I know this is a lot to take in all at once." He continued. "You don't have to say anything now. I totally understand if you need time. I'm so sorry I have kept all of this from you. I wanted to protect you from all of the danger that always seems to follow me. Everything I have done, I did because I love you."
Still Amanda didn't say anything. Then she surprised Kyle by leaning foward and embracing him. "I don't need time, Kyle." She finally said. "Thank you for sharing your secrets with me. I know it couldn't have been easy for you. I'm so happy you finally let me all the way into your life. And nothing you could ever tell me would ever change the way I feel about you. I love you too."
Kyle smiled. Her reaction was way better than he had expected. And he felt tremendous relief. She didn't hate him, and she still wanted to be with him. "You're really okay?" He asked, just to be sure.
"Absolutely." replied Amanda. "I mean, you're right. It is a lot to take in. It's kind of overwhelming. I always felt like there was a part of you that you kept hidden from me. But to know all of this about you, it's just incredible. I'm really glad you told me. I promise I will never tell anyone. Your secrets are safe with me."
"I know. You're amazing."
"So are you. Everything makes sense now. I always knew there was something special about you." Amanda leaned in close to Kyle and kissed him tenderly. "I do have to go now, though." She said when they parted. "My mom will have a cow if I'm not home in time for breakfast. I'll call you later."
"Okay. Sounds good." said Kyle.
Amanda got up, bent over, and gave Kyle one last kiss. This one longer and more passionate than the one before. "Bye, Kyle."
"Bye."
As he watched Amanda walk away, he felt a profound happiness. Telling her the truth had felt great, like a very heavy burden had finally been lifted. Best of all, she had accepted him for who he really was. After everything he had been through, it was nice to have something good happen.
But it was time for him to go too. Suddenly he was hungry for Nicole's cooking. She was probably in the kitchen at that very moment, making pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. At least he hoped she was.
Kyle got up from the bench and started to walk home. Just as he was exiting the park, a homeless man wearing a dirty, ripped up green jacket with the hood up and stained jeans, with a scruffy white beard and bushy eyebrows, bumped into him, almost knocking him over.
"Sorry." The man mumbled as he hurried away.
For a moment, Kyle had thought he detected something familiar about the man's voice. But then he decided it had just been his imagination and kept on walking.
*******************************************************************************
The homeless man stood behind a large oak tree and removed his jacket, letting it fall carelessly to the ground. Underneath he wore and expensive polo shirt. Next the man reached up and removed the false beard and eyebrows from his face. When he was finished, he was no longer the dirty, down on his luck man he had been. He was clean shaven with long dark hair and a muscular build.
Standing there, watching Kyle walk further and further away, was Micheal Cassidy. Unbeknownst to anyone, he had gotten out before the warehouse had exploded. Until now, he had made sure to lay low until the perfect oppertunity came for him to reappear. His bosses at Latnok had not been pleased to learn that all of the experiments had been totally destroyed. They had made it very clear that he would pay dearly if he did not find a way to rebuild what had been lost.
The only problem was every scrap of information on Adam Baylin's experiments had gone missing, and as Baylin's daughter Cora had been killed in the explosion, there was only one option left open to him. He knew that Kyle still had all of the information he needed in his head. And he would get it from him one was or another.
Cassidy opened his hand and let fall an empty syringe. He was sure that Kyle hadn't even felt the prick of the needle. He had been warned what would happen if he fought against Latnok. Very soon he would find out just what the consequences were.
***************************************************************************************
When Kyle got home, he found Nicole in the kitchen, cooking breakfast just as he'd thought. It smelled great, and his stomach growled.
Hi, Kyle." She said as she kept an eye on the bacon, sizzling on the stove. "I thought you'd still be sleeping. Where have you been up to?"
"I was with Amanda." He said. "I told her my secrets. Where I came from."
Nicole couldn't hide her surprise. "Why would you do that?"
"Because she deserved to know. She's always stood by me."
"And how did she take it?"
"Wonderfully." Kyle replied with a big smile. "Our relationship is stronger than ever."
"I'm so happy for you. I hope you're hungry. I made your favorite. Chocolate chip pancakes."
"Sounds yummy. I'm just going to go relax for a little bit."
"Okay. You were up early. I'll call you when the food is ready."
"Thanks."
Kyle walked slowly to his room. Suddenly, he was feeling very tired. And strangely weak. Maybe he was coming down with something. Like the flu. He would just lay down in his tub for a few minutes and rest.
But before he could take another step, he got very dizzy. The room was spinning. His vision went blurred, and his body felt like dead weight. He collapsed to the floor, and the last thing he thought about before he lost conciousness was that he would not get to eat any of Nicole's delicious pancakes.
*****************************************************************************************************************
To be continued...
"Kyle! Breakfast is ready!" called Nicole, thinking he would come right away. She placed a heaping plate of bacon next to the platter of golden pancakes and the steaming bowl of eggs already on the table.
Josh and Lori had appeared quickly and began piling food onto their plates. "There's nothing better than sleeping late on a Saturday and stuffing myself full of mom's awesome cooking." said Josh with his mouth full.
"Well save some for the rest of us." laughed Lori.
"Morning my wonderful family." said Steven as he walked into the room.
"Good morning, honey!" replied Nicole, giving her husband a quick kiss.
"It sure smells good in here. I see two of my children are digging right in. But where's Kyle? Isn't he hungry?"
"He was up early, and he went to his room to rest. I've been calling him." Nicole tried again. "Kyle! Breakfast! Come and get it!" Still there was no answer. "Steven, would you go and check on him? Maybe he fell asleep."
"You got it." He walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway to his son's room. The door was closed. "Kyle?" He called out as he knocked loudly. "Are you awake?" There was no response. Now he was a little worried. He decided to go in.
Slowly Steven opened the door, and the first thing he saw was Kyle lying unconcious on the floor. "Oh my God!" He exclaimed as he rushed to his son's side. He knelt down and immediately felt for a pulse. To his relief, it was there, but it was very weak. Then, because Kyle was lying face down, he gently rolled him over onto his back. He shook him a little as he said, "Come on Kyle, open your eyes!" But he remained unresponsive. "Nicole! Nicole!" He shouted. "Come quick!"
She appeared almost instantaneously. "Steven, what's wrong?" She asked, Then she saw Kyle. Turning pale, she gasped, "Oh my God. What happened?"
"I don't know." He replied. "I found him like this. I can't wake him up, and his breathing is shallow. I just barely found a pulse. I think you better call 911."
In a panic, Nicole ran out of the room. A few minutes later, she returned, followed by Lori and Josh. "The paramedics are on their way." She said.
"Is Kyle going to be okay, dad?" asked Lori, softly.
"I don't know." Steven said, looking stricken. "I just don't know."
"He has to be." Said Josh. "He's Kyle."
Then the doorbell rang.
"Thank God. The paramedics are here." said Steven, though that was only a small relief.
"I'll go let them in." said Nicole. But when she opened the door, she saw not the welcome sight that she was expecting. It was something that filled her with dread. Micheal Cassidy was standing there. "You!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I think it would be in your best interest to listen to what I have to say." Cassidy replied, calmly. "And Kyle's."
"Just leave us alone! Leave my son alone!" She tried to shut the door, but he pushed it back open.
"I wouldn't do that. I suggest you hear me out." he said. "If you want to save Kyle. He has less than two hours to live."
Suddenly Nicole felt like she was going to be sick. "That's not true."
Cassidy grinned wickedly. "It is. You see," he said. "I have injected Kyle with a very strong poison at the park this morning. I expect it has started to affect him already."
Nicole nodded, hating to admit it to the odious man standing smugly before her. "He's barely alive. But the paramedics are on their way."
"They will not be able to help him. The poison was my own invention. I have the only antidote. I tested it on mice before I used it on Kyle. The ones that didn't get the antidote died within two hours. The ones that did survived. By my calculations, I injected Kyle with the poison about twenty minutes ago. The clock is already winding down for him. How this will all end is up to you. It can end happy, or you can lose your son."
"What do you want?"
"Simple. I want the information about Adam Baylin's experiments. I know it's all in Kyle's head. Give me that, and you get the antidote that will save his life."
"How am I supposed to get it? It's not like he can tell me. He's dying."
"That's not really my problem is it? I'm sure you'll find a way." Cassidy reached into his pocket, pulled out a small business card, and handed it to Nicole. "Here is the number where I can be reached. Call me when you are ready to make a deal. I wouldn't take too long to decide though."
Without another word, he turned and walked away. Just as he disappeared around the street corner, an ambulance pulled into the driveway with its sirens flashing. Three paramedics got out and rushed to the door, pushing a stretcher in front of them.
"Maam, if you would just show us where your son is." said one of them.
"Actually it was just a false alram." replied Nicole as calmly as possible. In reality she felt like she was going to explode. It was all she could do to keep her composure. "Everything is fine."
"Are you sure Maam?"
"Absolutely."
"Okay." The paramedics went back to the ambulance shaking their heads. They stowed the stretcher in the back and drove away.
Nicole shut the door and just stood there for a moment, leaning against it. Her whole body was now shaking. But she knew she couldn't waste anymore time. She ran back to Kyle's room.
"Are you alone?" asked Steven. "Where are the paramedics?"
"I sent them away." Nicole managed to say.
"What! Why the hell would you do that?!"
"We have to have a family meeting right now. Something happened. When the doorbell rang it wasn't because the ambulance was here. It came a little later."
"Then who was there?"
"Cassidy."
"Oh God no. Please tell me you are kidding."
"I wish I was. Obviously he wasn't killed in the warehouse explosion. I had a feeling. Anyway that's why we need to talk. Now."
"Okay. But first let's get Kyle off of the floor. We should make him as comfortable as we can." Working with Lori and Josh, he managed to lift Kyle and get him into his tub. Then nicole covered him with a blanket.
"Let's go into the living room." She said after she had planted a kiss on his forehead. "We don't have a lot of time."
**********************************************************************************************************************
To be continued.......
Once everyone was gathered together, Lori and Josh on the couch and Steven in a chair, Nicole told them everything that had transpired between her and Cassidy. When she was finished, They all had looks of shock and horror on their faces.
"So that sick bastard poisoned my son, and if we don't give him the information he wants, Kyle will die?" Asked Steven with clenched fists.
Nicole nodded with tears on her eyes. She was barely holding it together. "In less than two hours. Unless we get the antidote."
"Well I say it's no contest!" said Josh. "Let's give Cassidy whatever he wants! We have to save Kyle!"
"But would Kyle want Cassidy to have the information that he's protected all this time?" Put in Lori. "Look at what he went through to keep Madacorp from getting it. There is no way he would want Latnok to get their hands on it."
"We can't just let him die!" shouted Josh.
"We won't." said Nicole,firmly.
"That's right." said Steven.
"Maybe Cassidy was lying about everything." said Lori. "It's not like he is a trustworthy guy."
"No, he was telling the truth." said Nicole. "I could see it in his eyes. He even knew Kyle was sick before I said anything."
"And we are going to do whatever it takes to save him. Even if we have to make a deal with the devil." said Steven. "But we have a problem. I don't see how we are going to get that information. I destroyed the file that Amanda got from Nate. Kyle is the only source now."
"There may be a way." said Nicole. "Jessi got it out of his head once. She used their special connection. It wasn't on purpose, but it happened. Kyle told me about it. I'm sure she could do it again. I know she will want to help him. I'm going to go call her. I'll use the phone in the kitchen." She left the room, leaving the rest of the family still in disbelief from everything she had told them.
"I can't stand feeling so useless." said Steven, getting to his feet. "I need to do something. I think I'm going to call Tom Foss. He might be able to help too." He took his cell phone out of his pocket and made the call as he paced around the room. Only minutes later he was finished. "He is on his way here." he said.
At that moment Nicole reentered the room. "I got ahold of Jessi." She said. "She is on her way here."
"Good." replied Steven. "So is Foss. I thought it would be a good idea to have him here, so I called him. He's always protected Kyle."
"You're right, Steven. We're all in this together. I know we can get that antidote from Cassidy. I'm just going to go check on Kyle."
When Nicole walked into Kyle's room, he was so still that for a moment she was afraid that he had already succumbed to the poison and she had lost him forever. But when she got closer, she saw that his chest was slowly rising and falling. He was still breathing. Still alive. Sighing with relief, she knelt down beside the tub. Taking Kyle's hand, it made her heart break to feel that his skin was cold and clammy. "I'm so sorry this happened." She whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. But I promise, I will make everything okay." This time she couldn't stop the tears from falling. She wanted to be brave, but she hated seeing Kyle fading away before her eyes. Life had become so much richer and wonderful after he had become a part of the family. The thought of losing him was more painful than anything she could imagine. She didn't even know that Steven had entered the room until he touched her on the shoulder.
"Nicole, Foss and Jessi are here." he said.
"I'll be right there." She replied as she wiped her eyes.
"How's he doing?"
"Not good. He's getting worse. Oh Steven, he's barely alive."
"All the more reason for us to get the antidote as quickly as possible. Come on, I already filled Foss and Jessi in on everything."
"I'm ready. Let's go."
When they returned to the family room, all eyes turned in their direction. Jessi jumped up immediately. She had been sittong next to Josh and Lori on the couch.
"I can do it, Nicole." She said. "I can get the information out of Kyle's head. Then we can save him."
"With all do respect," said Foss, speaking up. "I think that is an extremely bad idea. We can in no way let Cassidy and Latnok recreate Adam Baylin's experiment again. Kyle has fought too hard to stop them and protect Adam's work. We can't just give it up."
"Are you suggesting I let my son die?" asked Nicole in an icy tone.
"Of course not. I know you love Kyle. I care about him too. I will do everything in my power to help him. All I am saying is, we need to keep our heads on straight and really think about this. Think about all of the consequences."
"I don't give a damn!" said Steven. "We have no time! Kyle will not last much longer! We need that antidote now!"
"How do you know Cassidy won't double cross you once you give him what he wants? And even if you get the antidote, how do you know it will work?"
"I don't. Cassidy has us backed into a corner. Kyle's life is on the line here. If we don't try, if we fail, he will pay the price. I will NOT lose my son. We have no choice. We give Cassidy what he wants. Jessi will help us do that."
Foss sighed. "Well if you won't listen to me, then maybe you will listen to her." He gently pushed foward the young girl who had been quietly standing next to him. "This is Adam Baylin's daughter, Cora." He continued. "I am sure she will agree with me."
"So you're Cora Baylin." said Steven, stepping foward and offering her his hand to shake which she did after a little hesitation. "It's good to meet you. Kyle told us about you."
"She's hot." whispered Josh.
"Shut up!" exclaimed Lori, nudging her brother in the ribs to keep him quiet.
"It's nice to meet all of you." Cora said with a small smile. "I came here with Foss because I very much want to help Kyle. I also think that we should not give in to Cassidy's blackmail. My father would not want that. But I have another solution that will work."
What is it?" asked Nicole.
"I know all about how my father created Kyle and Jessi. He showed me all of the journals where wrote down all of his experiments, his sketches of the pods, and the formula for the gestational fluid. Let me make the deal with Cassidy. I can give him exactly what he needs. Jessi can come with me. Once I get the antidoye from him. she can bring it back here to Kyle."
"What about you?" asked Steven. "What will you do?"
"Obviously I'm not going to really help Cassidy." Cora replied. "I'm just going to make him think that I am. Just long enough for Jessi to get far away. After that, I'm sure I can manage to get away from him."
"It's too dangerous." said Foss. "Tricking Cassidy will end badly. He could kill you."
"It doesn't matter." said Cora. Kyle saved my life. He didn't have to, but he did. It's my turn to save him now." She looked at every face in the room in turn, daring them to challenge her. No one did. Last of all she turned to Jessi. "Are you in, or not?" She asked.
"Im definantly in." replied Jessi. "Let's do it."
********************************************************************************************************************
To be cont.
"Right behind you." Just before she left the room, Cora turned back to Nicole and Steven. "Don't worry." She said, confidently. "I promise you, we will succeed. I will not let you lose Kyle." Then she was gone.
"I hope her plan really does work." said Steven.
"It has too." replied Nicole. "It's our only chance." She looked at her watch. "Kyle only has an hour left."
No one else said a word. But they were all thinking the same thing. If Cora did not get that antidote, all hope was lost. And even if she did, would it be in time? All they could do was pray.
**************************************************************************************************************
Micheal Cassidy was deep in the woods near the dam. He had just received a call from Nicole Trager. He knew it would happen. She was ready tp make the deal. She had told him, barely controlling her anger, that Jessi had used her abilities to get the information he needed out of Kyle's head. She would meet him wherever he wanted and give it to him in exchange for the antidote that would save his life.
Cassidy had readily agreed and had told her where to send Jessi, giving her very detailed directions. So there he was, waiting for her to arrive, a smug smile on his face. He was so close now. Closer to being back in Latnok's good graces, and closer to being on top again. He could practically taste the victory he was about to achieve.
His plan had worked brilliantly. He had known from the beginning that the Tragers would do anything to save their precious Kyle. And now he was about to get the most valuable information in scientific history. Perfect.
Just then he heard someone approaching. The sound of twigs breaking and leaves crunching underfoot. He waited, with all of his senses on high alert in case he needed to act quickly and hide. Eventually he could see that it was Jessi. And to his surprise, she was not alone. When they were close enough, he could see exactly who her companion was.
"Cora Baylin." Cassidy said, his expression revealing nothing. "I see you survived the explosion."
"So did you." replied Cora,coldly.
"Yes. I was lucky. I got out before it happened. And you?"
"I almost died, but Kyle saved me."
"I'm not surprised. Let me guess, you're here to return the favor."
"Something like that."
"Well then, let's make this real simple. All I need is what Jessi took from Kyle. and you get this." Cassidy reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe filled with and amber-colored liquid.
"Actually Jessi doesn't have what you want." said Cora. "But I do."
"What do you mean?" asked Cassidy, becoming suspicious.
"Jessi never took anything from Kyle. She didn't need to. I know all about my father's experiments. He told me everything. Every single detail. So the new deal is, you give Jessi the antidote, and I tell you what I know."
"And how do I know this isn't a trick?"
"You don't. But let me put it this way. My father was very well respected at Latnok for a long time. Therefore I was a trusted intern. I knew what they were planning to do with Kyle and my father's work. And as I'm sure you probably already know, I am the one who helped him escape. Do you really think after all that I would let you kill him? I will save him even if it means I have to help a disgustingly evil, gutless person like you."
"You are a feisty one. We have a deal. But if you double cross me, you will regret it."
"Your threats don't scare me. Let's just get this over with."
"As you wish." Cassidy tossed the syringe to Jessi. She caught it and put it in her pocket. "Now it's your turn."
Cora walked over to him without hesitation and stood by his side. "I will do my part."
"Good."
But Jessi was still standing there. She had't moved yet. She was staring at Cassidy, not believing it could be so easy.
"Jessi!" Cora shouted. "Go! Kyle doesn't have much time! You have to go now!"
That finally roused her to action. She gave Cora a meaningful glance, hoping to convey how grateful she was. Then she took off. She made it back to the car in a matter of minutes. Tom Foss had loaned her and Cora his SUV. He had wanted to provide them with any protection he could. It was bullet proof and had two pistols under the driver's and passenger's seats. Thankfully they hadn't had to use them. She jumped inside and sped off, squealing.
When she got to the main road, she found, to her dismay, that she could go no further. There was a huge traffic jam. Bumper to bumper. She could see lights from an ambulance up ahead. There had to be an accident. There was no going foward.
Jessi looked at the clock on the dashboard anxiously. She only had twenty minutes to get the antidote to Kyle. That meant she had no choice. She threw the car in park, opened the door, got out, and ran, leaving the keys in the ignition. She allowed herself no rest. Even though she could run faster than a normal human, it was goingto take all of her energy to make it in time. Failure was NOT an option.
Just when she felt like she could last no longer, she finally made it back to the Trager's. She dashed up the driveway and rushed inside. She found the living room empty. Thinking only of Kyle, she raced to his room. She saw everyone gathered around his tub.
"I got it!" She exclaimed, excitedly. "I got the antidote!" No one said a word. Then she noticed for the first time that the whole family was crying. "What's wrong?" She asked, apprehensively. Suddenly she felt like her legs were going to give out.
Nicole walked slowly up to her, her face tear-stained. "Jessi," She said,soflty. "It's too late. Kyle is gone."
"What?" Jessi felt her whole world collapsing. "No, that can't be! I made it in time! I know I did!" Becoming hysterical she rushed to the tub and leaned over it. Kyle was pale. And very cold to the touch. She gently put her ear to his chest and listened. There was no heart beat. She began to sob. Her tears dripped onto Kyle's face. "NO! Please no! Don't leave me Kyle, please don't leave me! I'm so sorry, i'm so sorry!"
Nicole pulled her way from the tub and wrapped her arns around her. "You did everything you could." She said, trying to soothe her. "Kyle was very lucky to have you for a friend."
"No!" Jessi screamed, pushing Nicole away from her. "I can still save him!" She took the syringe out of her pocket, and before anyone could stop her, she plunged the needle into Kyle's arm and released the liquid inside. Nothing happened. Jessi took kyle's hand in hers. "Come on Kyle, fight dammit! Do it for your family! They love you! Do it for me! I need you because you always believe in me! Do it for Amanda and for the love you have for her! Don't give up!" Then, leaning in close to his ear, she whispered, "Come back to us. Please." Still nothing.
And then.....a miracle!
********************************************************************************************************
To be cont.
Suddenly, Kyle took a breath and squeezed Jessi's hand. "He's alive!" She shouted, this time crying tears of joy. "He's breathing! Look!"
And then to everyone's utter amazement, Kyle opened his eyes. Nicole ran to the tub, threw her arms around him, and hugged him tight.
"Thank God." She said. "I thought I had lost you."
"What happened?" asked Kyle as slowly sat up. "Why is everyone in my room? Why is Foss here? And why do you all look like someone just died?"
"Because someone did." said Josh. "You. Everyone thought you were a goner, but not me. But I knew you wouldn't let some nasty poison get the better of you! You're super Kyle!"
"Yeah. The last thing I remember is coming into my room after I got home from talking to Amanda. And feeling so weak. Wait, did you say poison? What poison?"
"Cassidy tried to kill you, Kyle." Said Nicole. "He somehow injected you with some deadly concoction he made." Then she told him everything that had happened. From how they had found him collapsed on the floor, to the deal they had had to make with Cassidy in order to save him. "By the time Jessi got back with the antidote, you had already died." She finished. "But luckily she refused to believe it was too late and gave it to you anyway. It worked. It brought you back to us."
Kyle thought for a moment and suddenly remembered something. "Then that homeless man who bumped into me at the park this morning must have been Cassidy in disguise."
"What?"
"Never mind. Tell you about it later. Hold on. You said Cora went with Jessi to meet Cassidy. Why isn't she here too? Where is she?"
"She stayed behind with him." said Jessi." She has all of the knowledge of Baylin's experiments, and she convinced him that she would help him rebuild them if he gave me the antidote. That's how I got it. She is a very good liar."
"You left her alone with Cassidy!?"
"I had to. Besides she told me to. She said she would manage to get away from him somehow. I'm sure she is fine."
"She doesn't know how dangerous Cassidy can be! He is a psychopath, and he will not hesistate to hurt her. I have to go after her."
Kyle started to get out of the tub, but Nicole pushed him back down. "Kyle, no. You can't go." She said, firmly. "You're still weak. You haven't fully recovered from the poison yet. I won't have you getting hurt again."
"I'll be fine." Kyle replied, stubbornly. "I already feel stronger. Cora has saved my life twice now. I can't just leave her out there alone. I'm going." Kyle got out of the tub, and turning to Nicole he said, "I'll be back soon. I promise. I will deal with Cassidy and stop him once and for all. He will never get near me or the people I love ever again." Then he took off like a streak of lightning and never looked back. He was out of the house in a matter of seconds. He didn't even care that he was on foot. He ran faster than he ever had before, a new determination spurring him on.
***************************************************************************************************************
Back in the woods by the dam, Cora was still staring at the spot where she had last seen Jessi. "I hope she makes it in time." She said softly.
"I am sure she will." replied Cassidy. "She's fast. So shall we get on with it? We have a lot to discuss. I'll take you back to my office at the University, and we can get started."
"Oh please." replied Cora, coldly, crossing her arms. "Do you really think I'm going to help you? I would never betray my father like that. I was good though, wasn't I? I got you to give up your only leverage just like that. You're not as smart as you think you are. You let yourself be blinded by your lust for power. And now that Jessi is long gone, there is nothing you can do about it."
"Cassidy's face turned bright red, and his eyes flashed with a deep rage. He hated being the loser "We had a deal." he growled.
"Well, that's the funny thing about deals," said Cora, "You should always get them in writing. Too bad. Looks like I won. You have no more cards to play so why don't you go back to the slimey cave you crawled out of." She started to walk away.
"You little bitch!" Cassidy screamed. "No one makes me look like a fool!"
Then before Cora realized what was happening, he had flown at her, knocking her to the ground. "Get off me!" she screamed. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong. He had her pinned down so she couldn't move.
"I am going to kill you." he said, his dark eyes deadly cold, as he wrapped his hands tightly around her throat. "No one can save you."
"Please," She gasped "Don't."
Cassidy grinned wickedly and squeezed tighter.
Cora could barely breathe. Her lungs were burning. She knew that she was going to die. But she wasn't scared. She had accomplished what she had come to do. Her life for Kyle's was one deal she WOULD willingly make.
But then, in the next instant, Cassidy suddenly flew off of her, smashing into a tree several yards away. Coughing and gasping, Cora quickly got to her feet and saw Kyle standing a few feet away, his arm extended out in front of him. The look of anger and resolve on his face gave her chills. She knew that he dad telekinetically tthrown Cassidy away from her. Then he came and stood by her side.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes full of concern for her well being.
"I'm fine." Cora replied. "I'm happy to see you are too."
"Thanks to you."
Cassidy got slowly to his feet. "Well, Kyle, I'm glad to see you are alive and well." He said.
"Shut up. You don't get to talk." said Kyle, furiously."I don't care what you do to me, but nobody messes with my family! How dare you put them through such pain! When you poisoned me, you didn't just hurt me, you hurt them! You have no shame, no conscience, and no heart. What you did was sick."
"I had no choice." Cassidy responded, despite Kyle's threatening looks. "You don't know what it's like to work for Latnok. They are ruthless people. If I don't give them what they want, they will kill me. I did what I had to do to survive. Just as you have always done what you had to do."
For the briefest of moments, Kyle thought Cassidy looked vulnerable. "It doesn't matter." He said. "Nothing can justify what you did. You say you had no choice. But you always have a choice. You could have chosen to do the right thing all along. Instead you killed Sara, kidnapped me and Amanda the night of the prom and me again a couple of months ago, and then you tried to kill me today. And Cora. You still have a chance Cassidy. You can redeem yourself. Do the right thing now and just walk away."
*********************************************************************************************************************
To be cont...
"I'm afraid I can't do that." replied Cassidy. "If I do, I'm a dead man. Either Cora comes with me and gives me what I want, or you do. I don't care. Refuse, and I will never stop . I will take away everything and everyone you love."
"You know I can't help you." said Cora.
"It's over." said Kyle.
"Fine. Have it your way." Cassidy raised his hand, and in it he held his special stun gun. The same one he had used before. "You both had such amazing potential."
Kyle was unafraid. Just as Cassidy lunged at them with his weopon, he stepped in front of Cora to shield her. He was struck in the chest and electrocuted. But nothing happened. No pain. He smiled.
Cassidy looked surprised. Immediately he sent more stronger volts of electricity into Kyle. And still nothing happened. "I don't know how you are able to withstand it," He said, "But I assure you, you will not last long against me." Then he turned the stun gun up to the highest setting. "Let's see how you like this." He jammed it into Kyle's chest.
"This ends now." And he could press the trigger, Kyle grabbed Cassidy's arm and twisted it so that the weopon was pointed at his own chest. And then he activated it.
Cassidy screamed as thousands of volts of electricity went through him. His whole body shook. Then he collapsed to the ground and was totally still. Cora walked cautiously over to him and nudged him with her foot. Still he didn't move. Upon closer inspection she saw that his eyes were open, and his pupils were fixed and dialated. "He's dead." She said.
"I didn't want to kill him." whispered Kyle. "I gave him a chance. He wouldn't take it. Why wouldn't he just take it?"
"Because he was desperate. He knew what would happen to him if he failed Latnok. But he made his choice. And he would have killed us both if you hadn't stopped him. It was self defense."
"I know. But I still feel terrible."
"You wouldn't be you if you didn't." said Cora with a smile. "The most important thing is, we are free now. With Cassidy gone, Latnok won't come after us. The people in charge always depended on him to do their dirty work. He was the only one they had left. They won't come out into the open themselves. And there is no one to do their bidding. We finally beat them."
"Maybe. But they will probably just get a replacement for Cassidy. It's only a matter of time."
"True. But for this moment, let's just enjoy our victory."
Kyle smiled. "You're right. So what will you do now?"
"Well, now that I can finally have the normal life I always wanted, I think I'll call on my grandmother. She lives in Colorado. I haven't seen her in a really long time. I think she would be happy to see me."
"I hope everything works out for you. Thank you for everything."
"You're welcome. You were totally worth it. I hope you are always happy. I know that's what my father would want. You'll do great things. I know it."
Kyle blushed.
"Now we just need to get rid of Cassidy's body." said Cora.
"I'll take care of it." replied a voice.
Kyle turned to Foss standing there. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I came after you a few minutes after you left." replied Foss. "I wanted to protect you. Although it looks like you didn't need me."
"No. But thank you for being here. It means a lot to me that you are always there for me. Thank you."
"You're welcome. You can go home now. I'll take care of everything here. There will be no evidence of what happened."
"Again, thank you." Kyle turned to Cora. "You coming with me?"
Cora shook her head. "I'm going to have Foss drop me off at home so I can pack a few things. And then I'll grab a taxi to the airport when he's finished here. I'm going to catch the next flight out to Denver. It's time I started to really enjoy life. You know, stop and smell the roses once in awhile."
"So I guess this is good bye?"
"For now. But I'm sure we'll meet again someday."
"I hope so."
"Cora gave Kyle one last hug. "Good bye." She said.
"Bye, Cora." replied Kyle. "I think you will do great things too." Then with a smile and a wave, he turned and headed for home. And he returned to the biggest most wonderful homecoming of his life.
END OF EPISODE