Freddy Anderson’s Home: Book 1 (6 page)

She got down on my level and asked, “Freddy, can you hear me?”

I looked up, tears just pouring down my face, mixing with the blood, and I started shaking. I said, “Mommy?” and then shut my body down.

“Now, that’s more like it.”

Everything went black.

“Master?”

“Taking a beating just to ensure his plan. Now that’s more like the warriors we met in battle. Brave, willing to sacrifice themselves, capable of reacting quickly and decisively.”

“And that’s to be admired?”

Gray looked closely into Green’s face and smiled. “We do the same every day to protect your miserable green hide. Do you think our freedoms come cheaply?”

“No, master.”

“What with the undead war on the Northern Ice Gate and the rebellions on Black Patch, they cost Gray lives every day. Continue!”

Chapter 6
Making Them See

P
assing out was a gimmick I used on my nanny once. Shut down the body, and it looks just like you passed out. My saying “Mommy” did the trick. It kicked in Mrs. Crain’s motherly instincts, and she picked me up and carried me into the inn, giving everyone who had gathered a look of total disgust. She took me to my room and sat me down in the tub. She turned on the water and started cleaning me, all the time talking slowly to me, trying to assure me that everything would be all right. When she had finished cleaning me, she picked me up, covered me with a large towel, and held me in her arms in a rocking chair. I was still bleeding, and she was becoming a mess.

Becky, Johnny, and Annabelle looked on in shock that someone from their town would do this. Annabelle was crying and asked, “Is he going to die?”

Mrs. Crain said, “I hope not, dear.”

Carroll came running in with the doctor. The cut on my forehead required four stitches, and I needed six stitches in my knee. What worried the doctor most was the bleeding from my ear and eye. It had stopped, but she couldn’t find any external reason for it, which meant there was an internal reason. I turned my body back on and woke up as they were stitching up my knee. The doctor appeared to be a very friendly but “no nonsense” black woman. I could feel the intelligence almost radiating from her. She was probably the most intelligent person in the town, and her dark eyes held concern and empathy. Her thick, smooth hair hung down her back in a tight braid. She was beautiful.

I said, “Ouch!”

That startled everyone. The doctor looked up and smiled. “The dead arises! Hello, I’m Dr. Karen Jenson. I apologize for the pain I’m causing you, but you were out cold, so I saw no reason for giving you any anesthetic at the time.”

I flinched at every stitch but asked, “How long was I out?”

“Oh, for about thirty minutes or so,” the doctor said as she tied off the last stitch. “How do you feel?”

“I feel like I was beaten to death by four big boys in an alley.” I looked at Mrs. Crain and saw my blood all over her. She also had a burn on her arm from setting a pan of hot cooking oil down a little too quickly while trying to get to me. I pretended to panic, and with tears in my eye I asked, “Are you all right, Mrs. Crain? You’re bleeding! Doctor, she needs help too.”

Mrs. Crain hugged me, saying, “No, dear, don’t worry. I’m okay.” She handed me over to Carroll and said, “Get him into some clean clothes while I clean myself up. Bring him downstairs when you’re done.”

Carroll washed me up a little more before putting me into some fresh clothes. I was a little embarrassed about having a twelve-year old dress me, but what could I do? She was just like a mother, taking care of a child who had fallen down. She talked to me in soothing tones and let me know everything would be all right, just like her mother had done earlier.

While Carroll was taking care of me, the doctor told everyone that she did not want me going back to sleep for the next six or so hours—she believed that I had a mild concussion. When she was sure that everyone understood her instructions, she picked up her equipment and left. I watched her mind, and she was furious about what the boys had done to me. I thought that the mayor had better stay clear of that lady for a while.

Carroll brought me downstairs and told the rest of the kids to keep me company. They were to be careful, as I could not go out or play rough for a few days. I felt relief come over me and looked around for the source. I saw the doctor outside, talking to the navy woman, who seemed very relieved to hear that I was going to live. I got up and walked to the door. She saw me, and I motioned for the navy woman to come over.

“How you feeling, kid?” she asked.

“Better, babysitter.” This got a laugh from the other kids. “Next time, do me a favor—save me before the beating, please.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks. I have a feeling your best is much better than most people’s.”

She smiled. “I have a message for you from Admiral Bates. He’d like to see you tomorrow morning. He’ll send a car around, if that’s all right with you—say, ten o’clock?”

“Tell him that’s good for me and that I’m looking forward to it.”

Looking around, she added, “This town is not acting right. Normally, the people here are really friendly. I don’t understand it.” Then she said, “Tomorrow.”

I went back inside. Johnny was having a hard time sitting down. I asked him why he’d gotten another spanking. He looked surprised but said, “I messed up on my chores. Want to play a card game?” When he said this, I noticed that Annabelle started to pout.

I answered, motioning toward Annabelle, “Only if everyone can play.”

Becky smiled and asked, “Annabelle, where are the Old Maid cards?” Annabelle laughed and ran from the room to find them. Becky looked at me and said in an analyzing tone, “You care a lot about how others feel. You were worried about the blood on my mom, with little thought about yourself. You care about how my brother feels, and you care that Annabelle is happy, because you included her in the card game. You have not said a word about wanting revenge for the way the townspeople—and especially the boys who beat you up—have treated you, yet I bet you have the ability to harm them. I saw you talking with that navy woman. She’s been watching you like you’re someone very important.” She had obviously been analyzing things for a while. I was beginning to like this girl.

Annabelle returned with the cards, happy and ready to play. We sat around the coffee table and played until we were called in for dinner. Becky never took her eyes off me, and I’m sure she caught me cheating so that Annabelle could win. When she did, I smiled and winked at her. She smiled back. Most of the time, I was not paying much attention to the card game. I needed to get on with the next part of my plan, so every once in a while, I let a few tears fall.

Dinner was wonderful, but I was still working my plan, so ate hardly anything and would shed a tear every now and then. I told Mrs. Crain, “The food is great, but I’m just not hungry right now.”

Annabelle asked the needed question: “Mommy, why is everyone treating Freddy so bad? I’d cry too if they treated me like that.”

Mrs. Crain said, “I’m not sure, baby, but I bet the mayor has something to do with it.”

Carroll said, “I asked some people. They said they were trying to make him leave town. They don’t want anyone using that property, not even one little boy.”

I looked at her with surprise and asked, “Why?”

“The town has had some bad problems with the army and wants to be left alone.”

I pretended rising panic. “They don’t understand. I have no choice. I don’t want to be forced to live alone, way out there.”

Mrs. Crain touched my arm to calm me down. “What do you mean, you have no choice, dear?”

“I’m
 
…” I hesitated, wanting them to draw it out of me.

“You’re what, dear?” Mrs. Crain gently asked.

I could feel the anticipation and fear start to form in her mind about why the government would force a little boy to live in the woods, away from everyone. I figured I had better answer before she drew the wrong conclusion.

“Because I’m intelligent.”

Everyone relaxed, and Mrs. Crain said, “I can see that, dear.”

“No, you don’t understand.” I looked directly into her eyes and said, “My IQ is so high that they can’t measure it. I have four doctorate degrees and a dozen master’s degrees. I have invented things that are making me a lot of money. I can build almost anything. When I went to Washington, DC, they found out I can heal people.” I reached out and touched her arm where she had burned herself earlier. The red was gone instantly and the pain with it.

“My goodness!” said Mrs. Crain. Everyone started talking at once except Becky. She just smiled. Mrs. Crain said, “That’s very good, dear, and thank you very, very much, but why don’t you heal yourself?”

“I can’t,” I lied. “I can just barely do the little I did for you. It takes a lot of strength that I just don’t have. Please don’t tell anyone
 …
please.”

“Dear, being intelligent and having this wonderful ability is no reason to send a little boy into the wilds by himself. And yes, people should know, and in a little town like this, it will get around anyway, so I won’t make that promise.”

I looked embarrassed. “Mrs. Crain, the government knows that I am still growing. I’m inventing things that they don’t understand, and they don’t want me doing it in Washington, DC, or where other governments can find out just how smart I am, but I can’t stop. I love inventing things. They wanted me to invent things for them, but I said no. I don’t want to invent things that hurt people.”

Mrs. Crain said, “But that’s good, dear.”

With a little indignation, I added, “The people in the government weren’t happy about my decision. They drew the wrong conclusion. The politicians do not like that idea one bit. Because I refuse to build what they want and do what they want, it makes me a possible national security problem. They can’t just kill me to get rid of the problem, because they might need me someday. My little healing ability can do wonders when used around the heart or liver, and I healed someone with enough power to get them to agree that I was useful to them, They decided that putting me out here keeps me under the eye of our government, yet keeps me out of trouble and hidden away from other countries. The choice was given to me: live out here or have an accident.” The gasps from everyone broke my train of thought for a second, but then I said, “Now the whole town is against me too. I’ve never harmed anyone, so why do people hate me?”

“Oh dear, it does look like you’re between a rock and a hard place. I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t hate you,” Becky said, and I smiled at her.

“Interesting.”

Everything went black.

“What now, master?”

One of the Gray’s tentacles reached out and slammed into the Green’s head, knocking the Green away from the vat. “
Don’t you ever use that tone of voice with me!
Ever!
”

I was drifting down in the gel-like substance of the vat, and the Green quickly reinserted its tentacles to hold me very gently. The Green asked sincerely, “Master, if this one dies due to your interference with my process, how long will you live?”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Master, this vat is shielded in such a way that it keeps his energy drained to a point that he cannot use his mental abilities. I am holding him in the center to ensure that he does not touch the sides or bottom. If he does touch the shielding, his energy will be drained completely in a single count. He will instantly die. You nearly made me kill him just now.”

I could plainly see the fear in the Gray’s eyes.

“Someone would be dispatched, and I would not live very long, Green, not very long. Why is that light blinking?”

“Master, it is a warning light and alarm. The boy was only a fraction of a drop from touching the left side. We will have company very soon.”

“Continue when you are ready. We must have something to report when they arrive.”

Chapter 7
Plan B

“I
t’s not your fault,” I told the people at the table. “You’ve been very kind to me, all of you, and I appreciate it very much. The town has ruined everything, but I have a way out, a Plan B that I’m going to have to fall back on. It’s guaranteed to be successful, but I was hoping not to have to use it, because it goes heavily against my not wanting to be involved with the government.”

Everyone was quiet for a little while, and then Mrs. Crain asked, “What does your Plan B entail, dear?”

I looked up at her and said, “Nothing hard. A general from the army called me up just before I came out here. He said he’d trade me workers, materials, and anything I wanted if I would do him a favor. He seemed very nice to me and quite upset with this town—he said they were a bunch of
 
… pardon the expression, ‘hick fools.’ He told me they would hate me here because I’m different and that they would do everything they could to make my life miserable.”

“That’s not true, dear.”

I looked at her with wide eyes and said, “Other than this family and a nice lady named Nancy at the diner and her mom, the general hit the nail right on the head, as far as I can see.”

Annabelle said, “Aunt Betty and Cousin Nancy.”

Her mom smiled and looked at me. “Family.”

Carroll said, “I can see his point, Mom. I think the mayor just played right into the general’s hands. Freddy, what did the general want from you?”

“Oh, nothing much—something I can easily give him but that will cost me hardly anything at all. It really seems like the best way to go, considering the circumstances. I’ll call him tomorrow.”

Mrs. Crain looked worried now. “Sweetheart, this is very important. What did he want?”

“He wants ten square miles of land on my northern border to set up a permanent compound. Since my land borders this town, I would say that’s right at the backside of the last street in the south part of town. When I asked him why, he said he had some undesirables that the town near the base begged him to transfer. He needs a new town to keep them in, about two hundred of them.”

Mrs. Crain nearly fainted, and I could see the look of terror on the kids’ faces. I knew this information was about to explode though the town, so I needed a little insurance. “I don’t see what all the fuss is about. The land reverts back to the army’s use if I leave or get killed anyway. That almost happened today.”

Mrs. Crain turned white. She got up and told Carroll to please watch the younger kids and clean up the dishes because she had to go somewhere right away. Before she left, she asked, “Freddy, why are you going to see the admiral tomorrow?”

“Oh, I’m supposed to check in with him. He’s having me watched to ensure I don’t try to leave. I’m sure the president, or Congress, or the FBI ordered him to make sure that I stay here or die, one or the other.”

She looked outside at the woman who had been watching the house for days. I got up and came to her. “Haven’t you noticed that the navy SEALs—trained killers—have been watching me since I arrived?”

“Oh dear, she can’t want you dead.”

“It’s like I said, ma’am; either way is all right with them. They’d prefer me alive because I can be useful to them, but dead will work too. You notice she never tried to help when I was being beaten up, even though she was right across the street. She could have easily stopped it, but that’s not what she was ordered to do.”

“That’s cold-blooded,” said Carroll as she walked up next to us.

“Don’t worry about the kids, Mrs. Crain,” I said. “She doesn’t have orders about them. She’d never harm anyone unless she was ordered to do so. She’d probably protect them with her life as long as it didn’t interfere with her orders regarding me. I know her kind. She can really be nice, but she’ll do her job with perfection.”

Mrs. Crain bent down and looked at me with tears in her eyes. Then she straightened up and left. Carroll immediately took over, and the kids listened to her without issue. She let me help with the cleanup, as she wanted to keep an eye on me like the doctor said to do. This made me very happy. Becky quietly helped and watched me very closely. She noticed I was happy with helping, and this made her smile even more.

The Gray said, “Hold.”

Everything went black.

“Master?”

“So, their military is intelligent enough to know that the boy is dangerous. No wonder we had such a hard time getting to him. He was protected by far more than their president.”

“Yes, master.”

“Where is the lady going? She has the boy and her children to watch after.”

“Just a moment, master.” The Green’s expression went blank for a second. “We scanned that entire family. As you know, most humans are weak-minded, without the mental protections this boy has. They are evolving and developing mental protections that will stop our ability to grab information. However, this family has none, so we copied and recorded their memories and let them go. The Body System has everything on file. Would you like me to play the female’s memories back for you?”

“Absolutely!”