Chapter 66

David and Brie finally made their way downstairs as Tina was serving breakfast. "Ah, I see the proud parents have finally emerged", Tina said with a huge grin.

"Yes, we have, but do I WANT to be up right now? No, I was sound asleep before Mikey came and told me the news", Brie said as she sat down at the table.

"So you know that your brother go out?"                    

"Yeah. Am I surprised? No, not really. Am I upset that he killed people? Not sure yet. I want to hear his side of the story first."

"Mom", Malachai said, "I made a birthday wish last night that Uncle Matt would get out of jail, and my wish came true!"

"Good for you, 'Chai." She mussed his hair.

"Hey, Dad, can Uncle Mikey cut my hair into a Mohawk for my birthday?"

David pinched the bridge of his nose. "Geez! Mike! Really? A mohawk? Why?"

"He asked", Mike answered.

"I haven't even had my coffee yet." He turned to Malachai. "Let me get woke up first, then I'll give my answer. Okay, son?"

Malachai thought about it for a moment. "OK!" he said in a exasperated tone. "But, Dad, remember. I asked last year to shave my head bald, and you said no. You owe me."

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"Just a few more miles, Matt. You can do this. The house is just ahead", Matthew kept saying to himself as he ran. He'd had no sleep, but you can sleep when you're dead. That was the Marine Corps. way of life. He leg was throbbing from where the scouting party that spotted him had shot him, but that didn't matter. Pain was weakness leaving the body. He had to keep telling himself this to make himself keep moving. There was no turning back. As David said in "Down with the Sickness", they'd woken up the demon. They had brought this on themselves. "They should never have backed me into the corner. I come out swinging."

And still he ran. Just over the hill, he spotted his destination. There were people there who would help him, because they knew who he really was. Not the facade that he'd had to put on, but the real man that was inside his chest.

And still he ran.

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As the Disturbed Family sat and ate their breakfast, someone pounded on the door. The men all went on high alert, grabbing pistols that they'd hidden in various places throughout the house. Dan was the one they'd designated to open the door should something like this happen. The guys all crept carefully into the living room and Dan opened the door, and caught the man that was on the other side as he fell.

"MATT!" David yelled. "Mikey, call for the Doctor."

Mike moved with the quickness to the emergency phone that they had installed only two months before. It was a direct line to the Agency's medical unit. "We need a doctor, stat." and he hung up. "There should be a doctor here any minute now", Mike said as he shut the door behind Dan and David.

"Good. He's lost a lot of blood", David said. He looked at his brother- in- law. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Had to get out. They weren't going to let me go, no matter what", he whispered, his throat dry.

David nodded. "We've all been rooting for you, Matt. Now, conserve your strength and wait for the doctor. I'm going to go tell your sister that you're alive."

Matt nodded and coughed. "Tell her not to worry. I covered my trail quite well."

David nodded and left Matt laying on the couch.