He nodded his head. “Ginger is fine. So is Pepper. We’re going to get you out of here. Do either of you know if the other prisoner held on the other side is still alive?”

The two girls looked at one another. The one who had signed to him turned back, her fingers moving again.

“My name is Trap. I’m a friend of your father’s. We’re like you. Enhanced. I don’t know if you know what that means, but we’ve had experiments done on us.” He bent to examine the bodies of the two soldiers, looking for keys. He could open the cells, but it would be easier with the actual keys.

Adrenaline had kept him going, but now that the two guards had been dispatched, he felt the effects of the wrenching of his body through the cement. He felt sick and dizzy. He couldn’t think too much on it because he had to get out of the cell and into the next one if he was going to try to save that prisoner as well.

“Give me a minute,” he said, and sank down to the floor beside one of the fallen soldiers.

The children were a little unnerving with their wide, unblinking eyes staring at him, trying to make up their minds whether or not he was friend or foe. Still, they looked just like Wyatt. Wyatt was one of the few people he could call his friend and he was intensely loyal to his friends. There was no doubt in his mind that these were Wyatt’s children.

The little girl signed again.

He smiled at her. “Yes, I’m all right. Going through that thick of a barrier, like the outside of your cell, is hard on my body.”

She frowned, and he found himself smiling. She was so tiny, her hands and feet like a doll’s, but her intellect showed in her facial expressions and she looked so much like Wyatt when she frowned that Trap wanted to laugh. Her little hands moved even faster.

“How did I go through the wall?” Trap asked the question aloud. He put his head down and drew several deep breaths, trying to recover. The idea of repeating the experience was becoming harder to think about. “It’s complicated, and no, you can’t do it. Your bodies won’t allow you to do it.”

For the first time, the other child signed.

Trap’s heart jumped when he saw her question. “What’s a father? That’s a good question, baby. I didn’t have much of one, but your father is the best. The absolute rock solid best. You know how Pepper takes care of you? Looks after you? That’s a mother. A father is the male version of a mother.”

He didn’t know how better to explain it to them. He felt a little silly sitting on the floor of a prison beside two dead bodies attempting to explain parents to two seventeen-month-old babies. How could they possibly comprehend the things he was telling them?

He opened the jacket of the soldier closest to him, for the first time realizing how cold the cell was. “Do they always keep it cold down here?”

The two babies were both shivering. He had barely registered that fact; now he could see that they were very cold. The more adventurous one signed again.

“They keep it cold so you can’t move around very fast, is that right? Is that what you’re saying?” Trap asked, feeling a slow burn of anger all over again.

The little heads nodded, the dark caps of wavy hair bobbing around their faces. He felt his heart melting a little. He didn’t even like kids. Well… that wasn’t exactly the truth. He didn’t know if he liked them or not. Most of the time they seemed annoying. He ignored their existence, but these children seemed bright. He connected with intelligence, no matter the age.

The idea that these children, who clearly had a difficult time functioning in the cold, were kept in such conditions kept his anger growing. Pepper, it’s freezing down here. Hurry up. I found the keys to their cells.

I’m on my way, Pepper responded. It’s very narrow in here. I’ll be there in a few minutes.

Don’ open the cells, Trap, Wyatt advised.

They’re cold and afraid, Trap explained, feeling a little ridiculous. He wasn’t the kind of man to even notice such things other than in a purely scientific way, but for some reason, he wanted to hold both little babies close to him and warm them up. He figured it had to be because of his relationship with Wyatt. They deliberately keep these cells freezing.

They have somethin’ in them other than snake, possibly cheetah, Wyatt said. So they’re extremely fast. I saw Ginger runnin’ in the swamp and I couldn’ believe how fast she was. Faster than we are, Trap. They must keep it cold down there to keep them from movin’ around too much.

Trap held up the keys to the two children. “Your mom’s on her way. She’s coming in through the air vent, just like she did when she managed to get your sister out. I can open your cells if you’d like and you can snuggle up in the soldier’s coat to stay warm while you wait for her. Once you’re warm you’ll be able to move faster. But I don’t want you to be afraid of me. If you’d rather, you can stay where you are until she gets here. You make the choice.”

He figured the children weren’t given many choices. The two babies looked at one another again, clearly talking it out in some telepathic language only they spoke. Eventually the more outgoing one nodded her head.

“What’s your name?” Trap asked.

“Cannelle.” For the first time the child spoke aloud.

“Thym.” The other one added.

Pepper, I’m opening the cells. I can’t stand them being so cold. If they bite me, at least it saves me from having to go through the wall again to get to our other prisoner.