Gust of Wind

By R.G. Bisig

The world is experiencing the next step in human evolution, an additional chromosome is starting to appear in the human genetic code, giving humans unique abilities. Called ‘mutants’ by those that fear them, they make up only 1% of the world’s population, and 99% of the world’s attention.

The United Nations is prepa

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lost Horizon Publications LLC
• Release date: Sep 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781732452411

R.G. Bisig

R.G. Bisig has been reading X-Men and Legion of Super Heroes comic books since what seemed like the beginning of time. Or at least it was for him. Soon after the release of "The Empire Strikes Back", he wrote his own version of Episode VI on a typewriter on board the USS Hammerhead. Sadly, it wasn't what George Lucas had in mind. After a tour in the US Navy, he went on to be Dungeon Master for several D&D groups. His scenario "Busy Night" for the Living Verge RPGA community debuted at the 1998 GenCon gaming convention. R.G. Bisig lives in Columbia, Missouri. This is his first published novel.

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Contents

Chapter One - Honolulu, Twenty-six Years Ago

Chapter Two - Boston, Wednesday Afternoon

Chapter Three - Fredericksburg, Wednesday Evening

Chapter Four - Colorado Springs, Two Years Ago

Chapter Five - Quantico, Thursday Morning

Chapter Six - Quantico Marine Corps Base, Thursday Morning

Chapter Seven - New York, Thursday Afternoon

Chapter Eight - Moscow, Thursday Evening

Chapter Nine - Atlantic Ocean, Thursday Evening

Chapter Ten - Ann Arbor, Seven Years Ago

Chapter Eleven - Winterport, Thursday Afternoon

Chapter Twelve - St. Petersburg, Late Friday Morning

Chapter Thirteen - London, Friday Morning

Chapter Fourteen - St. Petersburg, Friday Afternoon

Chapter Fifteen - Winterport, Friday Morning

Chapter Sixteen - St. Petersburg, Friday Evening

Chapter Seventeen - Winterport, Friday Afternoon

Chapter Eighteen - Winterport, Friday Evening

Chapter Nineteen - St. Petersburg, Saturday Morning

Chapter Twenty - Winterport, Friday Night

Chapter Twenty-One - St. Petersburg, Saturday Afternoon

Chapter Twenty-Two - St. Petersburg, Saturday Evening

Chapter Twenty-Three - Winterport, Saturday Afternoon

Chapter Twenty-Four - Winterport, Monday Morning

GUST OF WIND

R.G. Bisig

GUST OF WIND is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, planes, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2018 R.G. Bisig

Cover by Eight Little Pages (eightlittlepages.com)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ISBN-13: 978-1-7324524-1-1

Second Printing

To Jerry and Joe, for creating super-heroes

To Stan and Jack, for creating mutants

To Mom and Dad, for creating me

If you don’t know who Jerry, Joe, Stan, and Jack are, you obviously don’t read comic books. I’ll understand if you don’t know my parents.

Except for any chapter set in years past, all chapters are in chronological order, although it may not seem like it from from the chapter title.

CHAPTER ONE

Honolulu, Twenty-six Years Ago

The mutant threat is real!

A cable news channel played on the television in the waiting room of the OB/GYN’s office in downtown Honolulu. A reporter stood on the streets of New York, flurries blowing around her as she stuck the microphone in the face of bystanders.

These people have got to be controlled. A man held on to his fedora as he shouted at the reporter. If not, they will take over the world.

The reporter pulled the mic away from the man. That’s extreme, don’t you think?

Call it what you want. Mutants were the reason for 9/11.

A native Hawaiian, Leelee Knight rubbed her hand across her white ‘bun in the oven’ t-shirt, trying to calm down her unborn child. Her wedding rings twisted around her little finger, her ring finger already swollen.

Seriously? Guess the planes had nothing to do with it. Leelee thought.

Adam, her two-year-old son, sat on the floor at her feet. Making engine noises, he whirled his toy fighter jet in the air, similar to the Air Force plane his father flew.

Magazines covered the small table sitting beside her. A photo of a twenty-story building, fire engulfing the top one-third, splashed the cover of the national news magazine from four months ago. The headline read: Attempted Rescue By Mutant Vigilante Kills 35. She moved it aside and picked up a celebrity magazine instead.

Adam jumped to his feet when a tall, sandy blond man in a blue and white camouflage uniform stepped into the lobby.

Daddy! He dropped the toy and held his arms up as he ran to his father. Air Force Lieutenant Zachary Knight swept Adam up and brought him up to his hip. He collected the toy off the floor and sat next to his wife.

Something wrong? Leelee frowned at the look on his face. His brow furrowed, some serious thoughts were going through his mind.

I lost O’Brien today. Zach let Adam slide down to stand between his legs and play with the toy plane.

My god, Zach. What happened? Leelee felt a tightness in her chest. A pilot in a flight of three other pilots and a dozen airmen, Zach served as safety officer for the squad. A fatality would be a serious blow to the safety record at the air base.

MPs arrested him, took him to Medical. I was told two hours later that a medical discharge was being handed down. All because he tested positive as a mutant.

Leelee breathed a sigh of relief that no one died. Still, she knew O’Brien played a major role in the squad.

I know you always knew him to be special but never a mutant. Did someone report him?

Two weeks ago, some idiots in town challenged him to a memory contest, which he passed with flying colors. Someone in the bar saw the contest and reported it to Medical. This morning, the flight chief showed up at muster with four MPs in tow.

He wasn’t a danger to anyone. I mean, he’s been to our house.

He’s smart, with an eidetic memory. Never a threat to anyone. Zach waved his hand at the television, recounting the events in a Miami suburb. Not like he could start a fire and burn down part of Florida.

Zach’s right leg bounced, his toe planted while his heel tapped on the floor. The carpeting helped to dampen the sound of his lace-up boots. Leelee tried to calm him, rubbing her hand across his arm, gripping his hand.

A medical assistant stepped out from a door and called for Leelee. Zach picked up Adam and followed Leelee as the assistant led the way down the corridor to an exam room.

At four months, it was difficult for her to be comfortable as she laid on the examining table. She pulled her shirt up under her bra, her deep tanned legs with her lime green gym shorts covered with the thin off-white hospital blanket. Leelee was thankful she didn’t have an IV in her left arm this time. She had done better keeping hydrated. With January’s daytime temperatures rising for the island, Leelee carried a bottle of water with her at all times.

She winced a little as Dr. Jennifer Reid squirted the cold jelly from the tube on her abdomen and spread it around. The baby also reacted and squirmed. The obstetrician grinned and shrugged at Leelee’s reaction to the gel, pushing her rose-framed glasses back on her nose with the back of her blue-gloved hand.

Zach stood at her right side, holding Adam in his right arm and Leelee’s hand with his left hand. He wasn’t paying attention. Something had a hold of his thoughts.

Still dealing with the loss of O’Brien, and how to explain why to his squad.

Adam’s third birthday was six months away in the middle of June. His sibling was due in the same week. Leelee hoped that her second child would be born later in the year but nature had its way of controlling everything.

Is that where my sister is? Adam laid his head on Zach’s shoulder and pointed at his mom.

Could be a sister or a brother, Zach said. They had hoped for a daughter but he had stated a few times how another son would give Adam a brother to play with. Zach had an older brother, Allen, and they were close.

She’s a sister. I know. Adam spoke as if everyone knew.

You’d like a sister, wouldn’t you?

So I can watch over her like you and mommy does me. Adam reached around Zach’s neck and hugged him.

Leelee watched as Zach hefted Adam up, shifting the grip he had on the child. She caught Zach’s gaze and smiled at him. When his look of concern changed to relief, she knew her smile worked.

The doctor cocked her head as she also looked up at the boy. Well, why don’t we see what we have in there, huh? She stretched the spiral cord out and moved the ultrasound device over Leelee’s belly. A grainy black-and-white image appeared on the screen as the wand ran over her abdomen. The baby’s heartbeat resonated over the speaker attached to the monitor.

You’re right, there she is, the obstetrician said, adjusting settings on the screen. She then pressed a few buttons, making snapshots for her and the family. Leelee and Zach gazed at the screen. This child had none of the signs of being a boy as Adam had. Leelee remembered Zach being proud as a father when the ultrasound displayed Adam’s genitals.

When will you know about, you know… Zach paused, About the results of a test taken last week.

Dr. Reid looked at Zach, then glanced at the technician standing beside her. Why don’t we get Leelee cleaned up first. Come to see me in my office when you’re ready. She stood up and made room for a technician to help Leelee with the smeared jelly.

Twenty-five years ago, the world discovered someone billed as 'the first known mutant', a boy born with angelic wings. Scientists discovered an extra chromosome which caused the mutation. After the news broke of the ‘angel child of Kentucky,’ news media publicized more children having superhuman abilities.

The public reconsidered people claiming to have ESP as potential mutants but many refused medical testing. Doubters called them hoaxes, fakes made to popularize the tabloid magazines of the time.

A twenty-fourth chromosome was not that rare in humans. However, when this additional gene, dubbed the XZ chromosome, caused the person to possess abilities above and beyond normal human capabilities, both fear and wonder of the future became the norm.

Some scientists believed XZ-positive humans existed for many years, believed to appear soon after World War II. Science had yet to determine who the first mutant was since there was no direct lineage between mutant and human. A random chance, its appearance could not be pinned to any specific cause or condition.

Their son carried the extra chromosome, a secret they kept from both of their families. There was no way of knowing what Adam’s mutation was, what his powers would be. When mutations were not physical, such as the angel child, they did not manifest until puberty came around.

The doctor was not in her small office when they entered. Zach let Adam stand as they sat down in the standard thin-cushioned lobby chair. Adam stepped over to his mother and climbed onto her lap. He played with a toy airplane while she pulled back her long black hair and wrapped a hair band around it.

As they waited for the doctor, Leelee noticed Zach’s leg was bouncing up and down. Trying to calm him, she reached over and touched it. It didn’t work, however; he switched the nervousness to the other leg.

Dr. Reid stepped in and closed the door. She removed the long white lab coat and laid it on another chair as she walked behind the large wooden desk. Picking up a digital tablet, she tapped the screen to wake it up before sitting down. Scrolling through the files to find the one she wanted, she took a breath and sighed.

Have you come up with a name for your new baby girl?

We were thinking Lani for a first name. Maybe Anika for her middle name, my mother’s name.

Lani, good Hawaiian name. Nice. Dr. Reid’s eyes dropped to the tablet, then up to the parents again.

Well, Lani has twenty-four pairs of chromosomes, the extra being the ‘XZ’ mutation. We won’t know to what extent whether it is an active or recessive gene until she’s a few years old. Otherwise, she appears to be a healthy child.

Excuse me, Zach said. But what do you mean by ‘otherwise’?

Dear, Leelee said, trying to get his attention to calm him down. Let’s hear what Doctor Reid has to say.

Ah, I meant nothing by it. The XZ chromosome is becoming more prevalent but still found in less than one percent of the world’s population. Many people with this twenty-fourth pair of chromosomes have unique physical features or, if you will, super-powers. Dr. Reid paused before continuing. Some families are considering abortion.

And why are they calling it a ‘mutation’? Is it not the natural evolution of mankind?

Honey, calm down. Let’s go. Leelee put Adam down, then stood up, oversized purse in hand.

Sir, I understand. I’m not allowed to sway any parents toward or against abortion, only in severe cases. However, with the recent events in Florida, I can understand how you might feel should you and your wife wish to end the pregnancy.

Leelee saw Zach’s face turning red. He wasn’t one to succumb to anger but he was one to hold back his opinions.

My children will not be called mutants. I lost the best airman I had in my squadron because the Air Force said he was different. He could remember everything he saw, everything he heard, and repeat it back with no errors.

Zach stood. pointing at the tablet in Dr. Reid’s hands. He was better than any computer spreadsheet, document, or recording. Better than any internet search engine. But because of his genetic code, he’s less than human.

He scooped Adam into his arms. They are as human as you and me. Perhaps enhanced, improved but human all the same. Huffing, he cleared the distance to the door, opening it for his wife and closing it with a boom behind him.

In the hallway, Leelee grabbed Zach’s free hand and held it tight. She could feel his shaking decreasing, the anger fading away. Her closeness helped to calm him.

Zach spoke tenderly. Our children may differ from others. But they will learn to respect those differences, just like every other person.

Yes, dear. She leaned in close to him, wrapping her arm around him. Adam wrapped his arms around his father’s neck.

In the parking garage, Zach opened the back door to the SUV and placed Adam in his car seat. He strapped him in while Leelee stowed her bag on the other side of the back seat. Sitting in front, she could see her husband’s frustration was still high, visible by his tight grip on the steering wheel. Leelee reached over to him and ran her hand up and down his arm. Several seconds passed before Zach relaxed, the tension released.

Leelee glanced back at Adam as Zach started the car and drove for the garage exit. Adam zoomed his toy airplane back and forth then dropped his hands into his lap.

Don’t worry, Mommy. Adam smiled at his mom. Sissy will be okay. She’ll be able to fly like Daddy does.

Leelee made a quick glance at Zach, then back to Adam. How do you know?

I just know. I can tell.

CHAPTER TWO

Boston, Wednesday Afternoon

A Boston police officer walked across Keene Street, yellow police barricade tape reeling out of the spool from a signpost on the south sidewalk. Lani Knight parked the black government-issued Suburban in the middle of the lane behind several police cars and a SWAT van and pulled the keys out of the ignition. Jaxon Davis, her partner, pointed to activity to her left.

A white van with a local television station’s logo splashed across the side stood ahead of them. The mid-October breeze blew around a woman wearing a mid-length khaki colored coat. She stood with a microphone in one hand, testing audio levels. A cameraman, studio-grade camera up on his right shoulder, a red plaid shirt sleeve sticking out of a quilted vest, stood ten feet away from her, giving hand signals to her.

Just once, it would be nice to do this without the whole city watching, Jaxon commented. Lani could hear a ting of frustration in his voice.

Maybe just the city, and not the entire world? Lani replied, looking for the positive.

Well, that would be nice too.

She glanced out the windshield at the gray October sky, rain clouds rolling overhead. Putting her badge lanyard over her head, she tucked it under the collar of her Airman’s Basic Uniform jacket. The green and light blue camouflage pattern melded together as she zipped it up halfway.

Deep tanned Hawaiian complexion and shoulder-length chocolate brown hair up in a French braid, Lani stood tall enough to make the Air Force cut for minimum height for pilots. With a skin tone several shades darker than hers and a clean-shaven head, Jaxon hailed from Georgia. Muscular-build, he stood a few inches taller than her. He checked his sidearm, loaded and chamber cleared, then stuffed it back in the holster, leaving his jacket unzipped.

Born with a twenty-fourth chromosome that gave her special abilities, Lani could do many things that a human could not. She could find and control electronic devices and listen in on radio frequencies used for cellular communications. Gathering cosmic energy, Lani can send out forceful blasts. Last, that cosmic energy enabled her to fly. Fast. Also a mutant, Jaxon had the ability to absorb or induce kinetic energy or change the effects of friction on items. All of which meant he could cause objects to move or stop moving with a thought.

Out of the vehicle, she watched the TV crew as Jaxon came around the front. Badge? Lani held her gold badge of the Air Force Office of Special Investigation up for Jaxon to see. He nodded, pulling his badge out from inside the jacket and showing it to her.

Agents from the OSI, the US Air Force’s version of Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), they worked the Mutant Affairs division. When Lani explained it to her mom, she compared it to ‘internal affairs,’ investigating crimes committed by airmen and officers who were mutants.

Lani moved to OSI after graduating from the Air Force Academy twenty-eight months ago. As a Captain, she outranked Jaxon’s Lieutenant stripes. Jaxon came to OSI fifteen months ago, earning his commission from the Air Force ROTC, having graduated from Georgia Tech.

Too bad all of their camera batteries are going dead right about now.

The cameraman lowered the camera off of his shoulder and checked the controls on the side. The reporter gave a huff, putting her hands on her hips. He took the large battery pack off the camera and headed for the van.

You are incorrigible. Jaxon jogged a few steps to keep pace with Lani as they strolled through the maze of cars parked haphazardly on the street.

A cold breeze swirled around her and she shivered under her jacket. Lani pocketed her hands and held her arms close. Even though she spent her teenage years in Michigan and later in Colorado, she disliked the cold. She blamed it on her mother’s tropical island heritage.

The Vandenberg Building rose thirty-five floors above the street. The building’s windows reflected the face of the Sacco Tower, standing five stories above it.

Hey, police line. An officer, dark blue jacket, white shirt, and blue slacks leaned on the front fender of a black and white police car. He called out as Lani reached for the police tape to walk underneath.

And a very nice one. Jaxon held up his ID, light reflecting off the gold badge. Lani knew from that distance the officer could not read the text on the badge. But it seemed to satisfy the officer, so she kept on walking. She passed under the tape, holding it up for Jaxon to follow.

Lani found the officer-in-charge, identifiable by his white shirt, bright orange mesh vest and, as she noted, the rotund abdomen. Three other officers, wearing dark blue jackets and holding Starbucks cups, stood at the back of a tall, squarish command van.

Good morning, sir. Lani got their attention. She didn’t want to say a rank or position; each city was different, and each officer hated being called by the wrong title. Special Agent Knight, this is Agent Davis. Air Force Special Investigation.

What, he’s not so special, one officer off to the side muttered.

Lani grinned and winked at the guy. In her snug light-colored camouflage fatigues, she knew her deep Hawaiian complexion and shapely figure got lots of looks. It made it easy to toy with most guys.

The second officer tapped the man’s arm, and they bumped fists. Jaxon did a double take between Lani and them. She looked at Jaxon and shrugged.

Captain Lewis. The man turned and tugged at his belt while he gave Lani and Jaxon a once-over, then pointed upward. Looks like some of your guys got themselves some hostages up in the penthouse.

You know they are Air Force? Jaxon asked. It wasn’t an important point, one that Lani would skip most of the time but with all the Armed Forces wearing identical uniforms, it was tough for civilians to tell them apart.

I know they are military. Army said they had all of their people accounted for, and well, someone sent you here. But what do I know?

Yes sir, someone did indeed. Lani nodded. What can you tell us?

Inside.

Captain Lewis grabbed hold of the handrails on the back of the van and climbed in. Jaxon stepped up and followed. Lani stood outside and looked up at the buildings for before climbing inside.

Forty floors. An easy flight.

The van was a mobile command unit. Mounted high in four corners were video monitors, getting feeds from cameras on top of the van. Three radio microphones sat on a small desk to the left. Opposite of that sat a large table, papers strewn all over the top. Lewis stood at the table and pointed at a set of floor plans. They were basic blueprints—walls, doors, wiring, plumbing, etc. The outline of the rooms mocked the same shape as the building itself.

Vandenberg Building, penthouse, 35th floor. At least four guys, one of them may be a woman, dunno. Camouflage fatigues like yours, a couple had assault rifles. Half a dozen hostages, maybe a few more, dunno. We have the rest of the building evacuated.

The hostages, are they hotel staff or did they come with the assailants? Jaxon asked.

Nobody came with them. The hostages are whoever was in the lobby as they entered the building.

Our report said there was mention of mutants. Can you confirm that?

Yeah, one guy was a mutie.

Lani glared at Lewis, her body tensing, her hands balled into fists at her sides. She wanted to say something about his comment but Jaxon put a hand on her shoulder.

It was an insult to her, equivalent to a racial slang used against people of color. She held her opinions back. Lani’s parents taught her and her brother to be tolerant of those who were naïve or uncaring. Being a mutant gave them abilities, not powers, something humans did not have or could not understand. They have a talent but it did not make them better than humans.

A mutant? Jaxon asked. And you know this because…?

The man’s arms and legs stretched. He looked like a clown guy on stilts.

Jaxon nodded. Great. Any other description that might help us better understand what we’re up against?

Captain Lewis gave Jaxon a frown, then walked to the back of the van. He shouted out to an officer nearby. Lewis came back to the table, a Caucasian woman in a dark green hotel outfit following.

This woman is a concierge for the building. The captain cleared his throat. Ma’am, if you would again explain to these folks here what you saw when the terrorists came in.

I was in the lobby when these people in uniforms like yours came in. One of them had a machine gun and shot at the ceiling. Another one yelled for everyone to gather around them.

Anything else? Lani prompted her, waiting for any information that would show they were mutant.

Some guests ran away. The tall guy reached out and grabbed them with his long arms.

Long arms? Just how long? Lani chewed on her bottom lip, knowing her interviewing skills lacked in professionalism.

His arm kinda wrapped around them like a snake would. The concierge whirled her hand around an invisible circle. That long.

Iskander Gorshkov? Lani whispered to Jaxon.

Maybe. But I thought he wasn’t in the country. Nothing from the International Mutant Terrorist Watchlist, anyway.

Jaxon turned back to the employee. Okay, any other details?

Oh yeah, the guy with the sunglasses. He took them off and beams shot out of his eyes. Destroyed most of the lobby from what I saw afterward.

Mikhail Cherkasova? Jaxon asked Lani.

Probably, if it was Gorshkov.

Lani pulled out a smartphone and tapped on the screen.

And where were you during this?

Hiding behind the counter at my station. It stands against the front wall. Guess they didn’t see me.

Lani nodded and looked up from the smartphone. Jaxon looked at her, and she shrugged. She tucked her hands under her arms and stood with her weight on one foot. They would not get any more information from Lewis or the witness.

Not exactly going in blind but damn close.

Thanks. Jaxon pulled out a business card and handed it to the employee. If you think of something else, call us. He walked her to the back of the van and handed her off to the cops standing on the street.

Lani stood with her arms across her chest and Lewis with his fists on his hips. Jaxon turned to look at her, a questioning look on his face.

Anything else?

Captain Lewis and Lani responded at the same time. Dunno.

Jaxon rolled his eyes. Okay, well. Let’s go get ’em.

Lani led the way out of the van and into the middle of the street. They crossed the twenty feet of open space. Jaxon reached for another string of yellow Police Line tape. Instead of following, she turned toward the main entrance of the Sacco Tower.

Hey! He called out to her as she stepped into one of the rotating doors. By the time he reached her, she was