*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 23

Kale's Activation

 

                Blake fell into his chair and groaned, "This can't be happening...I'm training bodyguards, not killers!  With Kale a fugitive, it'll give my business a bad name!  People will stop using my services...I'll go out of business...And...no...I can't lose this job...it's the only thing still paying for Helen's medical bills..."  Blake started crying.  It was over.  It was all over...no WAY was he going to keep this business going!  Kale was the best one here, and he'd doublecrossed Blake...how the hell was he going to convince anyone that his business was honest?  It had been hard getting the approval to DO this thing in the first place.  Sure, he could have just built a gym, but there wasn't half as much profit in that as there was in this!  He couldn't afford anything less than what he earned now...

                "Blake, you okay?"  Griffin asked as he came in, "The police took away that other guy, and they're going after Kale right now..."

                Blake shook his head, "I'm doomed...once this hits the papers I'll never be trusted again.  No one will use my men anymore...Helen will die..."

                "Whoa, whoa...hold on a minute.  What's wrong?"

                Blake dried away his tears, "My wife...Helen.  She has heart problems...her liver doesn't function as good as it used to...she's dying, and without this job, I have no way to keep her alive!"  He broke into tears once more.

 

                Griffin let Blake cry for a minute before speaking again, "You know...I think I can help your wife...I have some skills in healing."

                Blake looked up at him, not understanding.

                "It's a little different than ordinary doctors, I can cure whatever problem she has."

                Blake shook his head, "No you can't.  There's no one on the island who can...all I can do is keep her going, I can't cure her, and no amount of money can buy a cure.  There isn't one for what she's got."

                Griffin sighed, "I know it's hard for you to understand...but you need to trust me.  I CAN help her...better than any average doctor in the worl--island"

                Blake glanced up at him, "More of your human mumbo-jumbo?"

                Griffin frowned, "I'm not asking you to believe me, just to trust me...let me see her once.  Let me try.  What have you got to lose?"

                "A wife...the love of my life, and the trust of my daughter, who I promised I would do everything to keep her mother going."

                Griffin sighed, "You're willing to do anything to keep her going, but you won't let me help?  I can do it!  I swear!..proof...I need proof.  Are you injured anywhere?  An old scar from a while back?  A permanent limp?"

                "What are you getting at?.."

                "Well?"

                Blake sighed and gave in, "Alright...I have this catch in my shoulder.  On a good day, I can ignore it, but on a bad day, It hurts like hell."

                "And the days in between?"

                "It hurts on and off.  It's kind of numb right now, but I can feel it the--what the HELL are you doing?!"

                Griffin had started to glow.  He held Blake's arm with one hand, eyes closed, trying to find the source of the injury..."Just hold still...It'll only take me a minute or two."  The glow surrounding Griffin spread to Blake's arm.

 

                Blake watched, dumbfounded, "What the hell is he doing?"  He almost started to panic when the glow spread up his arm, but it brought a pleasent feeling with it...eased the pain...the glow lasted for a full minute before it even showed signs of leaving.  The glow just...faded slowly away...

                And the pain that had been in Blake's arm was gone...completely.  He'd been so used to the constant bit of pain that this relief from it was a shock!  Blake looked back at Griffin, who was just then slumping into a nearby chair, looking as if he'd just had the workout of his life.  Blake almost believed he had...

                Griffin smiled, "See?..I told you I could do it..."  His eyes closed, and he fell asleep.  Blake couldn't do much more than just stare at his arm.

 

                Don opened his cell phone and answered, "Yeah?"

                "Your friend Griffin is amazing."

                "Mr. Gargan?  What's wrong?"

                "Absolutely NOTHING!!!!!!"  There was a joyful shout on the other end.  Don winced and held the phone away from his ear until Blake had calmed down, "Come on over and pick him up.  He's completely worn out.  I'll help you take him back to wherever he's staying."

                "Uh...Mr. Gargan, he doesn't HAVE a place to stay.  Why's he so tired, anyway?"

                "You wouldn't believe me if I told you.  Just get down here.  At least help me get him to a vacant room so he's not in anyone's way!  I can't carry this guy all by myself!"

                "Uh...I'm not exactly the heavyweight champ myself..."

                "I just need someone to help me out, okay?  None of my men here will leave their rooms...most of 'em are too scared of Griffin right now?"

                "How come?"

                "He just beat our top man.  Are you coming or what?"

                "I'm coming..."

 

                Kale woke...feeling strange..."I can't feel my hands...I can't feel any part of my body!  That guy tricked me!!!!!!"  He started thrashing around.  It was pitch black, "Where are you Kain?!!  You tricked me!!!!!  You tricked me Kain!!!!!  I'll kill you for this!!!!!!!"

                A voice answered him, "Settle down...you just need to be activated.  Oh, STOP THRASHING already!!!  I'm not letting you out if you won't let me near you!  And for God's sake, you can open your eyes!"

                A lady?.."I can't...I don't have any feeling left...I can't open my eyes..."

                She laughed, "Oh, you're kidding right?  Since WHEN does a machine feel?  You have no sense of smell or touch anymore.  The rest are simulated.  Open your damn eyes.  I'm not prying them open FOR you."

                "Fiesty..."  Kale sighed and concentrated on his eyes.  Slowly...VERY slowly, they creaked open.  He found himself staring up at an electric, "So...you're here to turn me on, is that it?"  He asked with a half sneer.

                She ignored the bad joke, "Settle down.  You're back up reserves aren't going to last forever."  Then she smiled, "Then again, maybe you SHOULD waste them.  They only said I had to make sure you woke up, nothing else.  I could leave you here to rust."

                "Yeah?  And when someone found me?"

                She didn't answer.  Kale smiled and motioned for her to move it.  She scowled and reached over and hit a button on the wall.

                Kale jolted, "What the hell...what did you do?"

                She smiled, "Get up.  You'll need get used to your new body...without me."  With that, she left.  He watched her go, smiling when he heard her footsteps quicken to a run, "Heh...damn...maybe I can ask Kain if he'll give her to me."  It would be fun to have a toy...

                Later.  He had to figure out how he worked.  The copy of Kain entered the room, "I'm here to tell you how to move."

                "I'm listening."

 

                "HOW did he damage you?"

                Babe sighed, "I already told a thousand times!  Bill, can we PLEASE just skip to the part where you help fix me up and we figure out how to stop that?"

                Bill frowned and studied the damaged area, "It's too bad we never got our hands on Kain's technology...we could have figured out how he made that shield...we need to replace the whole back panel."

                Sarah walked in, already holding the replacement part, "And we'll need to remake the wings.  I hope those people don't mind you being gone for a while.  You're stuck to the ground until we make a new pair of wings."

 

                "Wait...who's..."  Griffin mumbled as someone jolted him out of a dream.  He woke up enough to recognize the two people standing above him, "Blake?..Poseidon..."  He smiled, "How's your arm, Blake?"

                Blake grinned back, "Incredible, Griffin.  How did you do that?"

                Griffin sat up, "It's a bit hard to explain...some other time, okay?"

                Poseidon glanced between Griffin and Blake, "What'd he do to your arm?"

                Griffin grunted as he was helped up, "I fixed his arm...don't worry about it."

                Blake was beaming, "And he can help my wife..."  Blake suddenly grabbed Griffin by the shoulders, "How much?"

                Griffin chuckled a little, "It's nothing...don't worry about it."

                "What?  I'd never be able to repay you if you helped her!!!"

                "So don't try.  I understand."

                "But...but it wouldn't be right if I didn't try to thank you somehow!"

                Griffin sighed, "I haven't done anything yet...and I need some time to get my energy back.  I can help her, but you need to wait a little longer, okay?"

                "Oh...okay..."  He let go, looking crestfallen.

                "I said I would help...at the very longest, I'll need to wait a day, alright?  It isn't that much longer...and it'll go faster if I can find a decent place to eat."

                Blake was beaming again, "Then come on!!!!!"  He grabbed Griffin and ran out the door, "I know a GREAT place to eat!"

                Poseidon flew to keep up with them...unsure what was going on.

                Griffin smiled and let Blake have his way.

 

                "Okay...I think I've got basic movement down...what about weapons systems?..or flight?..I DO have that now, right?"

                "Yes, but Kain doesn't trust you with that yet.  He controls the weapons systems, and you'll get your wings AFTER you grab Griffn for him."

                "WHAT?!  How the HELL am I supposed to get close to Griffin without wings?!  He'll get away from me EASILY!!!!"

                "So shoot him.  There's a camera link in your head that Kain installed.  He'll see everything you do and know when to fire."

                "Of all the damn...When this is over you had BETTER get rid of all that."

                "Of course I will."  The copy smiled.

                Kale eyed him, but let it go, "Fine...Now what do we do?"

                "You'll need to understand your targeting system.  You've heard Griffin speak, correct?"

                "Yeah..."

                "Good.  The system works two ways.  First off, you can detect any living presence within two miles.  The same works for electronic pulses.  After you've heard someone's voice...found out their name...you can instantly identify that person again.  Understand?"

                "So that's how I find him?  I listen for his voice?"

                "Yes.  That's all.  DON'T let yourself be heard.  Griffin has incredible hearing.  The sound mechanism you use for an ear almost isn't as good.  And watch out.  Griffin's microchip can hold you in place.  If he gets a chance to use that on you, there's no way you'll get away."

                "Wonderful.  Why can't I just kill the bastard?!"

                "WE NEED HIM FOR RESEARCH!!!!!  Don't you LISTEN?!!!"  The copy growled, "Yes, it's hard, but not impossible.  He IS susceptible to poisons...just not for very long."

                "Yeah.  I figured that out."

                "Go.  You know enough.  Bring Griffin back and I will get rid of every last hold Kain has on you."  The copy smiled again for some reason, but Kale ignored it.  That robot was getting on his nerves.

                He headed for the door, "I'll get even with that bastard for doing this to me.  I don't know how, but I WILL make them all pay.  Griffin, Kain...everyone.  I'll kill Blake's wife to get back at him.  I don't care.  I'll stop everyone who comes after me.  I'm THE best there is."

                "Oh, Kale..."

                Kale looked back at the copy, "What the hell do you want?!"

                "There's a new weapon in it for you if you bring Griffin back today.  Kain's scientists have been working on it for something close to a year.  He's willing to give you the finished product if you manage."

                Kale smiled, "Tell him I'll be expecting it soon.  He'll have his damn experiment.  I'm the best there is...no one gets away from me unless I WANT them to."