Gifted Connections 3

“When did Dad give you that?” Jaxson asked suspiciously.

Noah shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve had it for a while.”

The other teams came out of the woods, circling us. Some of them seemed transfixed and horrified at the burning building in front of us and the downed helicopter approximately one hundred yards away from us.

“Someone needs to see if there are any survivors,” Terrance muttered as he stared at the building.

“There are,” the man with the x-ray vison gasped in horror.

“Let’s go,” the man with the ability to manipulate water stated as he started to run towards the building.

A group of gifted jogged after him including Gavin, Marcus, and Sierra. “Be careful,” Remy stated. “We don’t know when or if the building will collapse.”

“Copy that,” Gavin yelled back over his shoulder.

Yaris knelt down beside one of the teens, extracting a canvas pouch much like Noah’s. Jace looked at him with a raised brow.

He shrugged. “I was a medic in the Army before I joined this outfit. I’m no Noah but I can navigate around this,” he stated with a wry grin as he injected the first teen. It didn’t take long for the injections to take effect before he slumped down.

Remy knelt down and picked him up. “We need five people to return back to the choppers to accompany them back to base and restrain them. I think most of them have physical gifts but don’t take them for granted.”

“They’re so young,” a Non muttered in a revulsion as he lifted the first teen Noah had injected.

“Horatio kidnapped, bought, and rescued most of them. He knew if he indoctrinated them early they can be loyal soldiers,” Troy explained as he lifted the next teen Yaris administered the sedative to.

“This is why they need to be stopped,” Spencer said grimly.

“My thoughts exactly,” another Non nodded.

“I’ll go back to base with them,” Terrance volunteered. “Most of my team is here. Can you ensure Potter, Bryant, and Harrison return on another chopper?”

“Will do,” Jace reassured him.

“If they are child soldiers, why are we taking them back with us?” the teacher asked barely repressing a shudder.

“Even dogs taught how to fight can be rehabilitated,” Drake explained to her patiently. “They’ve been brainwashed and abused. What should we do with them?”

She shrugged, seemly chastised as she turned to look at the wreckage of the helicopter.

Sounds of the other helicopter coming filled the air as more of the teens were administered the shot. We carried the teens off. Some of us pairing up to do so. I was exhausted from using my gifts too much, so there was no way I was going to tap into my gifts any longer.

“Maybe you should rest,” Jace suggested gently as he helped Gavin with one of the people that was rescued from the building.

I shook my head resolutely. “I’ll stop when I need to.”

“You need to get your wound looked at,” Remy frowned at me.

I looked down at the bandage on my arm and shrugged. “It can wait.”

“I can fly,” Ford said in wonder as he took his seat across from me. I was leaning against Noah, seeking his warmth as he placed his healing hands upon me.

“We saw that,” Jaxson said with a grin. “I don’t think I ever seen a gifted fly.”

“He doesn’t even have wings,” Yaris grunted as he looked at Ford a bit suspiciously.

“My brother and Dad aren’t going to believe this,” Ford said with bemusement. “When my gifts didn’t manifest as a teen, I didn’t think I was going to get them. By the time I joined the marines at eighteen, I’d given up all hope.”

“How does that even work?” Spencer asked. “As a boy, everyone raved about how strong and fast my Grandma’s plant grew. When I was teen, I caught her growing them. She finally confided in me with her secret. I never realized how many…gifted people were out there. I know she thought she was the only one out there.”