CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

About a Week Ago

Before they reached Oklahoma, Dr. Randolph knew he had to tell Jack something. He drove in the car with Jason silently approaching their next gas stop. It had been hours since Jack flew away back in Texas. Since then, he had drifted away up ahead in the clouds. He just kept flying and left the rest on earth. Dr. Randolph pulled into the interstate rest stop and got out of the car to gas up. Jason sat in the front seat with headphones on, connected to his laptop. The car shook and Jason felt a shift in the car. He looked up and Jack was sitting in the driver's seat.

Jason took his headphones off and greeted him, "How you doin' DarkFlood?"

Jack was all hyped up and catching his breath, "Great! I'm starting to really get the hang of this. Don't tell the Doc but I'm gonna try teleporting into the car while its on the highway."

"That's seventy miles an hour."

"Good thing I can't get hurt."

"But you can teleport into the frame of the car... then what?"

"Good point, kid. I'll try not to-" Jack teleported out as Dr. Randolph finished pumping, waited for the receipt to print, and got back in the car. Jason appeared to still be listening to his music, and they were on the road.

"I wonder where he is." Dr. Randolph said out loud. Jason pretended not to hear him but had a laugh to himself. That's when Jack materialized in the back seat of the car screaming. Dr. Randolph screamed as well and nearly crashed the car before Jack disappeared again. Dr. Randolph was out of his skin. He was terrified and furious at the same time, but still had to drive. Jason was holding his side, he was laughing so hard.

Jack teleported into the car lying flat on the back bench.

Dr. Randolph and Jason didn't even notice he was there. Randolph was still getting over the screams. "Keep driving, Benson." This time Jason nearly jumped out of the seat along with Randolph. Jack always got the last laugh.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Things settled down after that, as they continued on their trip to Oklahoma. Home. It was a long drive, but there was no way Jack could fly commercially. He could not go anywhere near an airport, especially since he was thought to be dead. Well not Jack, but Philip Dresden. Jack Hanover had an opportunity to become his own person in New York. That was before DarkFlood.

"Jack there's something I need to tell-"

"If you're so good at teleporting now," Jason interrupted Dr. Randolph, "why don't you just teleport home?"

The kid had a good idea. He sat in the backseat and ignored Randolph's admission of guilt. He tried and tried but Randolph could not get Jack's attention. Jack was concentrating on his old house, his parents' house. He pictured it in his head.

He gathered every aspect and detail he could from his memory and put the picture together like a jigsaw puzzle. He included the feelings of being home and the sentimentality of childhood memories to trigger the release of energy brewing within him. It catapulted him out of the car. Through the cracks of reality Jack reappeared standing in front of his parent's house in Oklahoma City.

"Phillip! We thought you were dead."

* * *

About four hours later, Dr. Randolph and Jason arrived at the house. Dr. Randolph got out of the car and walked across the front lawn. Jack teleported directly in front of him and shouldered him to the floor. Randolph scurried back.

"YOU SLEPT WITH HER!" Jacked yelled.

His mother and father ran out of the front door. Jason stood by, he had no idea what to do. Jacked jumped on top of Dr. Randolph and they wrestled on the floor. Mr. Dresden tried to break them up. Along with Jason's help, they were able to get between them.

"Philip! Settle down!" his mother yelled.

"Philip?" Jason wondered.

"Its a long story, kid," Jack/Philip, sighed, "Where is Sarah?"

"They took her away, Jack." Dr. Randolph was defeated.

"Who?"

"They know I'm alive?"

"We do now." Dr. Fitzsimons said, as he came out of the house along with fifty armed troops hiding all around the property.

Jack’s anger suddenly turned to glee. He had found an outlet for his fury. Time to test everything he had learned and push himself like never before.