A man pulled up in front of the old factory shifting his car into park and turning to look in the backseat. His daughter sat there quietly staring out the opposite window. Her eyes were tired from the early morning and despite the fact that the sun was not yet shining she was dressed in her favorite princess dress with her hair done.
She caught his eye and he smiled. It was forced and fake. He was too worried for a real smile but it was the best he could manage. He just hoped it was enough to calm her down, though he suspected he was the only one panicking. Why would she panic, her father would never lead her into danger.
There was an almost inaudible squeak and he turned. A man had appeared in the doorway of the grey building. He was larger but not fat with several days worth of stubble and wore grey plaid suit pants with a matching vest over a maroon long sleeve dress shirt. The shirt was partially untucked and the top two buttons were open revealing a hairy chest.
After shutting off the vehicle, the father got out of the car opening the door for his daughter. She unbuckled and hopped down slipping her hand into his. He smiled down at her then stepped around the car and toward the door with her in tow. Gravel ground under their feet as they walked. The sun had not yet risen above the horizon but the sky was lightening already showing signs of day.
The man said nothing as they reached him. He just smiled and stepped inside. The father followed him and his daughter tucked herself in close to him grabbing his pant leg. The man led them through the factory's large workroom, footsteps echoing, with dead equipment still inside left behind to gather dust to a single door. The high windows along the rusted walls shed little light casting odd shadows along the floor.
The door like everything else was made of metal and was discolored by rust and grime. The man opened the door, which whined in protest, and stepped inside. The room beyond was very dim with a table in the center and a few cabinets around the perimeter. Pages were scattered about trodden down. The whole building smelled of mildew indicating a leak somewhere. The father pulled the girl ahead of him holding her close to himself wondering what he had gotten them into.
The small girl was led into the room her father right behind her arms on her shoulders. She couldn't be older than ten.
“Don't worry.” The man leading them said smoothly breaking the silence. “The men that came for her will leave you alone after today.”
“Are you sure?” The father asked. He was panicked shaking from head to toe. In fact he looked more scared than the child but maybe she didn't really know what was going on.
“Yes.” The voice came from the back of the room. The father could not see the man clearly and the thought came to run from the room. “If you do that, well not to sound too scary but your daughter won't last a month.”
The father gasped. Clutching tightly to the girl his eyes going wide. She grimaced in pain but the expression didn’t rid her of the fear in her eyes.
The man moved forward into the single dim light. He was far younger than the father had expected. He estimated him at mid twenties. The man had a smirk that curled into a smile when he looked down at the daughter. Her blond hair was in ringleted pigtails and her big blue eyes were flooded with unshed tears.
The man approached and knelt in front of her. He was still smiling when he asked. “What's your name?”
The girl hesitated and her father's mouth opened then, “Samantha.”
“Hello Samantha, I'm Jake. Do you know what’s going on?”
The girl nodded half a nod then shrugged. “Daddy said I have a disease that lets me do things and you have a cure so the bad guys won't want me anymore.”
The man called Jake smiled again. “That's right but first would you mind showing me your ability?”
She nodded then focused on something behind him. He stared at her a focused scowl on his face then the object she had been looking at shot toward her. She tried to catch it but missed and it hit her father in the stomach. He grunted more in surprise than pain the object was nothing more than a pen.
Jake nodded then stood picking the girl up and setting her on the medal table behind him.
“Alright I'm going to cure you.” He said. “ just look into my eyes okay. You're going to get sleepy but I need you to keep your eyes open okay?”
“Okay,” came the tiny response. Jake nodded again and they locked eyes. Nothing happened for a moment but then, after the father was about to say something, his daughter's face was suddenly bathed in a yellow glow.
Her eyes drooped but she snapped them back open. Jake locked his hands on her shoulders as she began to convulse violently. Fear surged in the father's heart and he yelped but before he had time to even take a step the shaking had ceased.
Still he moved toward the two reaching his hand forward. It was stopped just before he touched the young man. He turned. It was the other man. Larger and older slowly shaking his head. The father had forgotten he was there. The father grimaced in pain holding back tears and let his arm drop.
As soon as it started, it stopped. The light dimmed and his daughters eyes fell closed. She tipped forward into the arms of Jake. He scooped her up and turned to her father.
“She will be tired for a few days but she'll be fine.” He muttered. His eyes were unfocused and hazy. “I suggest you leave here as quickly as possible.”
The father nodded taking his daughter from the man and turning to leave. No one walked him out as they had walked him in. He got into his car and drove away, but if he had stayed he would have seen the man who had introduced himself to the child as Jake collapse to the cement floor. He would have seen the other man drop to the ground next to him grabbing his trembling shoulders and heard their conversation.
“Jake, I don't know how much longer you can keep doing this.” The bigger man muttered his voice soaked in worry. “ it's beginning to take its toll.”
“I have to Solm. And don't call me Jake. They're gone they can't hear.”
“Fine, El. I'm just worried about what all this is doing to you.”
El smiled up at Solm. “I know you are but I'll be fine.”
The shaking stopped and he climbed to his feet. “We should get out of here. They'll be here soon.”
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