Nevaeh ran out of the warehouse into the seediest part of Kent, no plan or path in front of her.

She just needed to escape.

Back to running.

*

"Nevaeh!" Parker yelled in a hoarse rasp after her departing back, the door slamming at her departure.

He swung and hit Zondorae all in one motion. "You fucking prick!" Parker bellowed, Zondorae's head snapping back as the front legs of the chair caught air, then settled with a clunk on the cement floor.

Parker's death energy rippled through the air, like a wave without a shore.

Nevaeh felt it a half mile away and shuddered as it caressed her. She straightened her body from a hunched crouch and pressed forward harder.

Zondorae spit blood out on the hard floor, looking at Parker. "I knew you'd try to knock her up, before the sterilization could take effect." His eyes pegged Amanda, Christopher... then landed again on Parker. "How'd that go?" Zondorae gave a sharp cackle.

Parker went forward to beat him, reason leaving him in a smooth mudslide of rationale. Christopher stayed him, giving a subtle shake of his head. "He doesn't know, Parker."

Christopher gazed at the wretched excuse of humanity in front of him. "We've been tampering fools, like I've already elaborated."

Zondorae spit more blood on the floor. "The journalist is dead, the reversal has come full circle, the paranormals are sterile..." He gave an abbreviated shrug, constrained by his bonds.

"Caleb Hart is not sterile," Christopher said and Zondorae's eyes widened.

"And neither is that girlfriend of his," Amanda said.

"As we speak, the pulse-hacker that Anderson gave the slide to has gone viral with your plan. The world knows, Zondorae," Parker said, his very being aching to find Nevaeh, who had completely misunderstood everything.

Yet, he had this bit of unfinished business here. Parker was a follow-though guy, and no fool to priorities. But as he saw this through, a vulnerable prodigy walked around without his protection.

Ignorant of what she was.

And already she might carry his child.

"Finish this, Parker," Amanda said.

Parker told Zondorae the rest.

After Parker finished, Zondorae hung his head. "You don't know what you've done. You know what Nevaeh and Hart are. What they could do if they procreated. Abomination is not too soft a term, Parker. Think," he begged of Parker.

Parker grabbed the arm rails of the chair and gave it a hard shake. Zondorae didn't break, his eyes narrowing on Parker.

"That's not all," Parker said, his eyes boring into Zondorae's. "I have a certain distant relative that's alive enough, my friend. And he will, By. God. Be alive again."

Parker shoved the chair and it rocked on its legs, teetering.

"No," Zondorae breathed out in horror.

"Oh yes," Parker said, planting his hands on his hips. "The Helix Complex lies exposed and will be disbanded. My zombie relative is charged and a miracle has occurred."

"An abomination!" Zondorae yelled, straining against his bonds.

Parker nodded to Christoper and he cut Zondorae free.

Zondorae stood. He rubbed his wrists where the zip tie bindings had chafed his skin, presenting a painful stripe of abraded flesh.

"I'll have that boy and that crazy AFTD killed, Parker. I don't care if she was the best piece of tail you've ever had... they must die." He looked at the trio. "You're all crazy if you think those two can be allowed to perpetuate their genetic signature on this world!"

"And the zombie, Jesus," Zondorae scrubbed his face.

"I don't think God has anything to do with it," Jeffrey said.

"You're going to kill me now, but that won't solve anything," Zondorae said, stalling.

"Maybe. But I'll feel better," Jeffrey said. "Besides," he continued, giving Zondorae a hard stare, "I've learned very well by example."

Joe Zondorae watched the three zombies move into the room and flank Parker.

He began screaming before a rotting finger could touch him.

Parker, Amanda and Christoper left to the sounds of his wailing.

The shrieks stopped after Zondorae's head was forcefully removed and the brains he had so revered became a meal for the dead he so despised.

*

Caleb

one month later

By the end of that fateful day, the entire world knew. My nemesis had a name: Helix Complex. They'd been the Graysheets, and now they had been demystified.

All their covert wrangling had been untangled and laid before an unforgiving public. Most paranormals were now in various stages of their abilities melting away. Many had slipped through the cracks. My former school? It was now an "alternative" school. There for those few paranormals who remained.

What had been the dream of the Zero Populationists was now a reality and the globe was calling for anyone and everyone to have children. An entire generation had been obliterated because of the widespread sterilization practices implemented by the corrupt Helix Complex.

Gone was the supposed morality of the ages.

There would be such a huge swing of the pendulum for birth rate in the negative direction, there was speculation our world couldn't recover.

I knew differently.

Jade was pregnant with our child. And I knew why.

Well, obviously I knew why.

But it was Parker that told me the how.

We met and had a conversation to end all and he put in a request I couldn't refuse.

After all, I'd do anything for love.

I already had.

*

the dump

"Hey," I said, the weather warm again after the rare snowstorm that had ran through the prior month. Our lives had changed along with the swath of cold and snow that had swept in, cleaning out the old and bringing in the new.

Parker stood there in the warm post-Christmas weather, a false spring day teasing us with its near-miss, in just a tee-shirt and slacker jeans. Parker seemed so much more him. I didn't know how, he just did. Maybe more in his own skin.

He smiled. "I heard congratulations are in order."

I nodded. "Yeah, we're young and all..." I began, starting to feel defensive. Although, with the climate as it was right now, society was thrilled for anyone's pregnancy. It was a three hundred and sixty degree position from what had been the collective thought process of just a few months ago.

"Ah," Parker lifted a finger, "but you've lived a lifetime."

That might be true but I held my tongue.

"Is it over?" I asked. That was the only question that burned inside me. I wanted Jade safe, I wanted... our child protected.

He nodded. "I took care of that." He paused, "Okay that's not exactly accurate. The boys took care of it."

Zombies moved into the light then retreated again into the shadow line the stacked cars gave off.

Zombies weren't big fans of sunlight.

I'd known they were present, they were always a part of me.

He gave a slight shake of his head. "Zondorae?" I asked.

"He won't be part of the equation in the future."

"What happened?" I asked.

Parker looked at me, his eyes glittering darkly in his skull. "He lost his head."

I laughed.

He didn't.

Gotcha.

"It's a tough break about Anderson," I commented, changing the subject from headless Zondorae, though I couldn't feel bad about it. He'd almost ended my life. He'd certainly dicked up billions of people's futures with the HC interference and manipulation.

He'd tried to play God and failed. After all, there was only one.

Parker met my eyes. "He was responsible for the exposure."

I nodded, I'd bet on that. Anderson had been a tenacious sort of guy. It was a loss.

"So it wasn't in vain. His sacrifice...." I trailed off.

We were quiet for a time, our hands jammed in our pockets.

"I need a favor, Caleb."

He told me what he needed.

Well hell, I could do that.

"What are the chances?"

"She found us, didn't she?" Parker asked me and I thought about it.

"Yeah she did." Where would a five-point AFTD go if they were all alone and hurting? If the paranormals were truly rare now, if AFTD was still the shittiest ability to possess.

I knew.

Parker and I looked at each other.

"She thinks I used her for some HC agenda."

My eyes scanned his face. "Did ya?"

He shook his head. "I was through with them before I met her. Besides, she scooped my guts out the minute I laid eyes on her," he said, grabbing a hunk of his tee and patting his chest.

I barked out a laugh. Hell, I knew that feeling.

Parker grinned. "I didn't think that the love at first sight bullshit was real."

"It doesn't happen to everybody, Parker," I noted.

His eyes found mine again. "I know," he hesitated, "that's why I've got to find her." Those hazel eyes flared. "Because, for the first time in my miserable life... I've got a chance. And I'm not going to fuck it up."

"I hear ya," I said and we shook hands.

We left the dump, the dead trailing behind like faithful soldiers of the peace.

Our peace.

I turned around one last time as we closed the gate and it clanged with finality as it shut.

Nostalgia kicked up dust at the sight of my childhood hideaway.

It seemed smaller when I returned as an old man.

CHAPTER 21

It was pizza at the parents and Onyx sat glued to Jade's feet. He'd suddenly taken a liking to her and it was weird, but cool. I was figuring he'd better get used to her in a whole new way. A lot had changed but also remained the same. Jade and I would be together in our own house soon.

Right now, Jade and the rest of the gang were having a last hang session at the house before we moved into the new one. I leaned over and scratched Onyx behind the ear, right where he loved it best and he gave a nudge of his head into my hand but remained where he was, by Jade, leaning his head into my hand rather than coming over to me. Funny ass dog.

The Dog wished to remain close to the small female, for she smelled like pack. One recent day when she returned with his Boy, her scent had changed and suddenly, she smelled somehow like the Boy. The Dog recognized that she was somehow more vulnerable than before and he wished to help protect this one of the pack that had the least defenses.

The female did not even possess proper teeth.

The Dog settled near her feet after the Boy gave him the special pet behind where the Dog listened.

He loved his pack.

Wag-thunk-wag.

I watched Onyx wag his tail briefly as he resettled himself beside Jade. She leaned down, giving him an absent stroke and he gazed at her with his soulful brown eyes then put his chin on his paws again.

Jonesy came rushing by, grabbing a handful of cookies over Jade's head. "Excuuuuse me!" he said.

Onyx gave a low growl.

"Quit it, Onyx," I commanded.

"Whoa, Hart, guard dog-much," Jonesy said, a cookie halfway in his mouth.

I shrugged, wasn't sure what that was about. "He's become protective of Jade recently."

"It's 'cuz she's PG, man," Jonesy said.

Swell.

Sophie did a facepalm. "Stay classy, Jonesy."

His brow furrowed as he took another bite of cookie. "I was, I didn't even say it out loud. Knocked up, pregnant, preggers, 'with child'," he palmed his chin then put a finger up in the air as my mom's face became contained thunder. "Bun in the oven..."

"Mark. Cease and desist," Clyde said.

"Thank you, Clyde," Mom said.

"You are most welcome," Clyde returned.

Awkward didn't even begin to cover this.

Tiff chimed in at Jade. "I think it's cool that you were able to sell your old house and get the money from it."

John nodded, his fingers laced in Tiff's. When she wasn't looking, he slipped the tag of her hoodie back underneath the cloth where it had stuck up like a flag. She turned and smiled at him.

Tiff was softer for her experiences but hard when it was needed.

We were all glad Carson Hamilton was dead. Though none of us said it.

When John had been hauled off to jail, his parents had secured the best lawyer in the state. It wasn't too hard to get John off with an obvious self-defense plea. Hamilton had already been under probation for the attack. He'd broken his pulse ankle cuff and attacked the same victim again. I couldn't help but remember he'd been paces away from Jade in the same hospital. Unlike John, I knew I couldn't have stopped.

I'd have killed him.

Happily.

But Terran had stopped. He was healed and back to his normal succinct and intellectual self, snark included.