“Sure.” Tony took a seat on the next step above him and to the side. He ran a hand over Dex’s hair, comforting him, before leaning against the wall. Dex pressed Play.
“Your father and I loved you with all our hearts. What we did, we did for those children, and for you. I know it might be hard for you to understand, but your father and I can’t sit back while these children are tortured and murdered. I know there’s a chance you might never hear this, but those behind the research facility will come looking for the evidence I’ve collected against them. There’s no place they’ll leave unturned. This was the safest place I could think of. On this tape I’ve recorded my findings, while the remaining four contain all the detailed recordings made by Dr. Abraham Shultzon. Perhaps some of this evidence will be admissible in a court of law, but at the very least, if given to the proper operatives, an investigation can take place. Please listen to the tapes in their entirety, in a secure location, and more important than anything, stay safe, baby.”
Dex closed his eyes and listened.
“My name is Dr. Gina Daley, medical officer for the CDC Registration Office, Department of Therian Children. The date is May 8, 1985. Next year the government will launch the First Gen Research Facility in order to determine the cause behind the rising mortality rate of Therians as a result of postshift. The facility will be under the direction of Dr. Abraham Shultzon. What originally began as a noble scientific endeavor for the salvation of Therians has become something truly deplorable. The original proposal for the facility encompassed the examination of Therian children. Examinations that would be carried out by some of the world’s top medical professionals in a controlled environment. No other tests were proposed. These children were merely to be examined and observed throughout their growth into adulthood within their own family surroundings, with all parents of the children informed and educated so that they might better understand the Therian biology. Postshift and other assessments that posed risks would be conducted solely on adult Therian volunteers. Not children.
“Dr. Shultzon possessed a list of names, one I’ve made a copy of and hidden in your most cherished childhood possession. The original was burned. The list contains the names of Therian children, all First Gens, who will be taken for research purposes, tests, and experimentation. Their shifts are being kept from their families. I have personally examined one of the children, a healthy male jaguar Therian named Sloane Brodie. Shultzon has taken great interest in several of these children. Upon further investigation, I’ve discovered these particular children contain anomalies in their blood. However, these anomalies cannot be fully explored until the children reach maturity. Dr. Shultzon intends to study these particular children. For what, I don’t know, but from what I’ve gathered, these Therians have the ability to impact humans and the world around us. Judging by the facility’s equipment and medical invoices, I fear some of these children may not survive whatever is in store for them. After several failed attempts with the board of trustees, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands.
“The world is burning around us. It crumbles at the hands of greedy, narrow-minded, power-mad adults whose ignorance threatens to tear us apart, along with everything we stand for. If something isn’t done, this poison will spread to our children, and the legacy we leave them will be nothing but a world reduced to ashes. Dex, baby, listen to Tony. Lead a happy life filled with joy. Never lose sight of the good, and help those who appear lost. I don’t know what will happen to the children on the First Gen list. If I fail, find them. Help them. Find Sloane Brodie. He’s the first. He’ll need you. Need you to show him the world is a better place with him in it. He needs love, baby. I can see it in his eyes. You can do that. Your heart is so big, it’ll have enough love for everyone. I love you. I love you so much, my angel.”
The tape ended, and Dex wiped the wetness from his cheek. He bit down on his bottom lip and tried damn hard not to give in to the sting behind his eyes. His vision blurred, and the harder he fought, the more it hurt. Tony sat beside him and pulled him into his arms.
“It’s okay, son.”
“I don’t want to let her go,” Dex said through his tears.
“Who says you have to?”
“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? Grieve and move on?”
“You grieve, you move on with your life, but you never forget. They were your parents, Dex. They adored you, and they’ll always be with you.”
Dex nodded. He buried his face against Tony’s shoulder and cried. It was like grieving for them all over again. Only this time he was an adult, and he understood all the reasons, the whys, but it didn’t mean it hurt any less. He let his head rest on Tony’s shoulder and just sat there with him for a while in the quiet basement. “Thank you, for taking such good care of me. For always being there for me. And for being such a great dad.”
“You’re welcome, son.”
Dex cleaned his face up as best he could with his shirtsleeve. His nose was stuffed up, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Not that he cared if his family saw him cry. He wasn’t even bothered that Ash was included in that thought. Dex asked Tony to get the guys back downstairs. As soon as Sloane reached the bottom of the stairs, Dex slipped his arms around him and held him close, needing to feel his strong, warm body against Dex’s. He let out a shuddered sigh before stepping back.
“So the file Shultzon was talking about? It’s all on tape. The first tape is my mom, recording her findings. The next four are Shultzon’s recordings.”
“What are you going to do with them?” Cael asked.
“Keep them safe. Listen to them. Then hand them over to Sparks.” Not to mention make a copy of each one. He wasn’t handing anything over without taking precautions. “Oh, and my mom said she hid the list of First Gen Therians with anomalies in my most cherished childhood possession.”
Tony scratched his stubbled jaw. “I looked through all your toys after the funeral, but I came up empty.”
“Well, she said most cherished. Which is it?” Ash motioned to the ocean of boxes.
Dex shrugged. “I don’t know. I cherish all my childhood stuff.”
“Was there one thing you loved more than
anything else?”
Sloane put his arms around Dex’s neck from behind, and Dex leaned back into him, thinking.
Something he’d loved more than anything else? “If there was something, it wouldn’t be down here in a box. I’d have kept it somewhere else.”
Dex and Tony exchanged glances before Dex ran for the stairs, the box of tapes cradled in his arms.
“I know where the list is.”
He pointed to Tony, knowing TIN was probably listening in. Everyone followed him upstairs, and Dex paused. The tapes. He couldn’t leave them here. He ran to the front door, grabbed his messenger bag, and stuck the box inside before he settled the strap across his body.
“Why don’t we all go get some dinner? I’m starving.” He wasn’t letting these tapes out of his sight.
“Dinner’s on me,” Tony said, following along. “Why don’t we go over to my place? I got those Therian-sized pizzas in the freezer, some beer in the fridge.”