The Tracker
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He checked the address again.  Surely, the office must have messed up yet again.  Normally, these places looked like dumps, not like this mansion.  no, it was not high visibility - and the grounds could have used some maintenance... but still, it was not like the dives he was used to seeing.  the place looked deserted - cobwebs, leaves piled up in the corners of the yard ... rain gutters clogged ... and a few screens showed need of repair.
He had a strange feeling about this place, and all of a sudden he found himself entering the house - something he never did!  but it was as if he was being led - he saw the corridors leading off the main foyer, and he knew it was the last one.   he turned right, and there was the narrow staircase leading downstairs.

He could sense there was no one in the house, and he adjusted his flashlight to a wide range.  He started going down the stairs, and he heard a sound.  It was not coming from upstairs... and there was no hum of electricity, save for the room downstairs.  He moved stealthily to the bottom of the stairs... and then applied a quick pressure to the door - feeling it give easily.

He heard the soft gasp, and he brought both hands to wrap about the gun... all his senses going to full alert, as he noticed the sound came from the corner of the room.  it was an animal in a cage!  He felt repulsed at how people could treat an animal in such a cruel manner.   He holstered his gun, and moved closer to the cage.  As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized it was not an animal - but a woman.  There was no foul smell in the air of death, and the sounds she had made were not those of someone in pain.  He crouched down and looked into the cage, wondering if she was hurt.

she was blindfolded... and her wrists were cuffed.  He frowned, as he recognized the police cuffs.  He slid the key from his pocked and undid the cuffs.  her sounds were muffled, and he winced as he saw the tape had dried about the edges of her mouth.   her guttural sounds were all too familiar as he could detect the pleading tones.  her body shook as she sobbed gently, and he could see the tracks on her face of her tears.  He helped her stand up slowly, knowing her muscles would be cramped... and once she had her balance, he took off his jacket and covered her gently.  she looked up ... and she tilted her head, unsure of this gentle touch - this caring touch.

she tried to swallow, and he could sense how painfully dry her lips and mouth must be.  He picked her up easily and headed back to his car.  He opened up the Evian bottle, and poured it over her mouth, getting the edges of the tape wet, and allowing droplets to seep through.  as she looked into his eyes, she nodded as he gripped the edge of the tape, and quickly pulled.   He had expected her to scream, but all she did was tighten her body, and then she passed out... slumping against him.

He took her to Janet's house... he could trust Janet, and he was not ready to turn this girl over to the interrogation he knew she would be subjected to.  He turned to Janet, and before he could say a word, he heard her soft voice, "I know... I know... this is my niece from up north visiting me.  And no, you weren't here tonight, either."
He chuckled, as he hugged his oldest friend.  

How many kids had she saved?  how many kids throughout this area called her 'mom' - and would do anything for this gentle woman?  He smiled as he went to get a cup of hot coffee, and he could hear the shower running.  Later, she came out, and told him the girl was asking for him.  "Is she all right?  I did not detect any of the telltale signs of drug usage.  did you see any tracks?  did she start bartering right away?"
Janet looked at him, "no, she is clean, as far as I can tell... but... she was physically abused.  she has some scars, but no broken bones or major blood vessels.  The scars on her wrists - how long were the cuffs on her?"

He chuckled, knowing Janet saw way too much.  "Who knows?  The house was reported without activity for almost a month now.  interesting thing though ... the cage was clean.  but I didn't look around completely to see what accommodations they may have allowed for her hygiene."

"She was tortured, but you knew that already.  and I believe she was left there to die a slow death.  You found no evidence of drugs, or paraphernalia, did you?  and yet - all the signs point to that.  Find out who she was, and what she did for them... and you may have more answers than you ever dreamed of.  But for now, go talk to her, she was almost in a panic as she asked for the man who found her."

He arched an eyebrow.  Janet returned the look, "Whatever it is - you know I am here to support you.  now, go find out what this is about." 
He entered her room.   she was laying on her stomach ... the sheet draped down to her hips - he saw the delicate slope of her soft flesh and he could feel his focus increasing, allaying the typical reaction.   her voice was soft, clear as she spoke "Please... you will need your knife.  not the one that is in the sheath at your left hip.   the small, surgical one - the one you keep in the special compartment of your belt.  We have about 2 minutes, if you don't extract the small unit at the base of my neck - i will be destroyed, and all those within a 10 block radius."

He heard her words, and started removing his belt - questions filling his mind, but if she spoke the truth, he could not afford to waste time - and if she was setting him up, well she would reach hell before he did.  "cervical vertebrae?  fourth or fifth disc?"  He straddled her hips, bracing her easily yet, firmly.  again he focused his thoughts, as he felt her warmth permeating his jeans.  her voice was soft, almost as if in a trance, "fifth vertebrae - right side.  the skin must be  - ...."  her voice faltered, as he easily sliced her flesh open - and he saw the glint of silver - he also saw the two wires tracing upwards and realized they were embedded into the medulla. 

He took out a small vial and poured the thick gelatinous liquid over the microchip.   "Do not move.  if I cut the wires, there is a smaller charge that will kill you.   This will hold the microchip in electromagnetic frenzy until I can move you to the hospital."  Now he understood why she had been in the cage - the bars had seemed to be made of a different alloy.  He took his cuffs and gently pulled her arms back into position - making sure the cuffs made contact with the microchip.  the titanium, plus the electric current from her body would keep the explosives from detonating.   "Do not move."

Janet stood at the door, "you want your special unit to meet you at the station?  or do you want them to pick her up here - they're enroute already."  He chuckled, yes Janet definitely saw much more than anyone realized.

"They are going to have to do the procedure here.  I can't risk moving her." He looked at his watch, the 2 minute mark was approaching.  He heard Janet's voice, "this room can handle the blast.  you know Tracker, you would think after all this time that I hadn't learnt stuff from you."  She kept on with quiet conversation, nothing really requiring an answer of him, but quiet noise that would keep the girl calm - in case she was still conscious.  

the girl was lying still, her eyes closed.   she knew what she had bartered - but she also knew she must keep her family safe, no matter the cost to her own well-being, or for that matter, her life.  she wondered if he had noted the other mutations within her being.  how long ago?  when had she ceased to be normal?   and if the explosion occured, would she truly be better off dead - than this existence? 

who was this man?   she knew she had been prepared for him, specially.   and she wondered what made him so special, that they wanted to insure his death.  when he had entered the house, she was very aware of his energy signature - it had left her shivering - and it took all she had to keep from responding fully.  when he had immobilized her, she found she was craving more of his touch.  and she knew, that he would not torture her.    the pain it had cost her to override the commands as she told him of the presence of the chip - she felt her muscles knotting, and again she sought that quiet pool of sanction deep within the recesses of her mind, the one place they had not been able to reach.  she found herself shutting down, the 5 second countdown approaching quickly.  mercifully, they had allowed her that request - and her last thoughts, she chose to focus on him - hoping he would forgive her that she had been chosen to be the instrument of his destruction.

she heard his voice, and she gasped softly.  she felt his gentle touch as his fingertips lightly grazed her cheek and she almost moved.  then, too soon, she heard the sounds of the trucks approaching.   the men entering the house, their steps heavy, as they carried special equipment.   she felt the needle slide into her left forearm, and she slipped into the sweet oblivion she had been denied for so long.