Page 11 of Invincible
“Memphis has an enhanced ability to appear to people in the form of a hologram using personal items of the missing person.He’s sort of like a trick search dog.”Knox took a long pull from his beer as Memphis glared at him.“I inherited the ability to throw fire.”Rubbing his hands together slightly, Knox tossed a small fireball at Memphis.
“Goddamnit!This was a new shirt, asshole,” Memphis groused at him, patting at his chest.
“Tyler, do you remember the game against Tatum when that big linebacker kept pummeling the quarterback?You finally had had enough and tackled that guy into the ground, breaking a couple of ribs through his pads.I watched your mom rail on you in the parking lot.”
“She was so pissed, my stepdad too.They didn’t like it when I threw my strength around like that.It felt good though,” she said, staring at the table, remembering that Friday night of her senior year.“Why?Why would that have to do with anything?”
“I began to connect the dots after that night,” Knox said, looking over at Memphis.“I broke into your locker at the field house to take your hairbrush.I sent it to a lab and had them run a DNA profile on it.”
“You did what?”Tyler said, standing.Stalking around the table, she grabbed Knox by the front of his T-shirt, ripping him up from the couch.“Why would you do that?”she growled.
Memphis snorted a small laugh when Knox held out his hands in surrender until she glared over at him.His smirk at seeing someone manhandle Knox for a change quickly changed to surprise when she grabbed the front of his shirt too.
“Easy, Tyler,” Knox said calmly.
“Don’t talk to me like I’m some angry dog.”
“Sorry.Let me just show you something.Memphis?”
Memphis slowly pried her fingers from the front of his shirt.Quickly, he pulled another file out of the messenger bag, placing it in Knox’s outstretched hand.
“The DNA reports are in here.It shows we’re related through the male donor.He must have had some sort of fucked-up genetics.It’s why we think we all have some enhanced physical power.Or mental power, in Memphis’s case.”
“Bullshit,” Tyler answered, pushing him back down on the couch while snatching the file out of his hand.Opening it, she walked back toward the kitchen bar as she studied it.
Memphis and Knox watched her as she looked at the DNA results, then checked them a second time before closing the folder.They were at least smart enough to keep their mouths shut as she worked to wrap her brain around it.
“Why don’t we just leave so you can think about this.Everything is in the file.”Memphis stood, pulling Knox up with him.“I’ll leave my card on the table.We’ll be in town until we can learn something.Just call me later if you decide to help us or if you have any questions.”Pulling one of his business cards out of his wallet, Memphis tossed it down on the table.
Motioning to the door with his head at Knox, the two men turned to leave.Stopping at the door, he turned back to Tyler.“We’ll understand if you don’t want to get involved.But on a personal note, I would really like a chance to get to know you a little better.”
With a sigh, she turned to look at the men.Could she truly have two more half-sibs?
After her biological dad had taken off, her mom had met a young geologist who had come into her office to request the geological surveys of the area the oil and gas company he worked for was researching.They had now been married for thirty years.Tyler had both a younger brother and sister and had been adopted by the only dad she had ever known.Her mother had never spoken much about her father, nor had she ever mentioned the possibility of her having siblings from him.
“I’ll think about it,” she said, looking at the two men standing at her door.
Now that she took a moment to really study them, she did recognize her startling green eyes on both of them.Memphis nodded at her with a smile before shoving Knox out the door.Staring down at the DNA test results linking her to both men, she slumped back down on the couch.
Rubbing her forehead, where the headache had started about five minutes after they had shown up at her door, Tyler tossed the file down on the coffee table.She would need to call her mom tomorrow.Maybe she could answer a few of the questions that were slamming around in her head.Either way, nothing could be done about any of it tonight.
Locking the front door, Tyler headed toward her bedroom.Tomorrow would be soon enough to start untangling this mess.
