CHAPTER NINE
Rocko
Rocko couldn’t have designed a better day if he’d had a word with Mother Nature herself. The sun was shining, and the sky was brilliant blue. It was warm enough to walk outside without a jacket, and even the animals took advantage of the sunlight by basking in its rays.
Rosaline was busy cooking, the aromas filling the house as she chased away anyone brave enough to enter her kitchen domain.
Most of the crew were gathered around the dining table, digging into trays of eggs, bacon, pancakes, sausage, and other breakfast goodies.
It all seemed so natural, homey even, and a familiar ache hit Rocko in the chest as he observed the scene.
The first thing Rocko noticed was that Apollo and Griffin were missing.
“Morning, Rocko, are you hungry?” Ellen asked.
“Yes, famished,” he said before sitting beside her and loading a plate. “So, what are the plans for the day?”
Before she could answer, Apollo and Griffin walked in and sat at the table.
Apollo came to sit beside Rocko, and his skin prickled with delight.
What the fuck is wrong with me? How am I so attached to this man?
He wasn’t the type of guy who believed in insta-love, but he did believe in insta-lust. What he was feeling went well beyond that.
“We have to run over to the Fitzgerald farm for a bit this morning,” Apollo announced as he grabbed a piece of bacon. “We’ll be back in plenty of time for the barbecue.”
“The Fitzgeralds?” Rocko asked. He hadn’t heard that name before, and with his supercharged memory, he would remember if he had.
“Yeah, Mary from the restaurant, her father Frank Fitzgerald’s farm.” Ellen filled in the blanks. “You’d better not be late for the barbecue.”
“Oh yeah. The waitress. I remember you guys had helped him with something before.”
“He’s had some issues with his health over the past six months, and we help out where we can,” Griffin explained.
The man was certainly more talkative toward Rocko since the accident.
“It’s Frank running the place, but his daughter Mary helps out when she can,” Renee said. “She’s a single mother. Her daughter, Asher, is three.”
“What happened to Asher’s father?” Rocko asked.
“Bastard did the dirty and took off,” Ace growled.
“Yeah, up and left her and the kid. Haven’t heard anything since,” Hendrix added.
“Asshole move,” Rocko agreed.
“Yeah. She came back here to live on the farm with her daughter. Frank’s been all by himself since his wife died a few years back,” Griffin said.
“I’m sure he’s glad to have them around,” Renee said. “It’d be awfully lonely out there by himself.”
“Anything I can help with?” Rocko asked. “I can come along to Frank’s and lend a hand.”
“Sure,” Apollo answered.
“Maybe see if the Fitzgeralds want to come out?” Ellen said.
“Not sure that’s a good idea,” Apollo said. “We can’t risk anyone seeing something they’re not supposed to.”
“I’m sure we can all control our abilities for a couple of hours,” Renee commented. “It’d be nice to have friends.”
“Friends open us up to danger, sis,” Griffin said to Renee. “You never know when they can turn on you.”
“I’ll think about it,” Apollo agreed. “But no guarantees, okay?”
Ellen and Renne both smiled widely.
“Thanks.”
Within an hour, Rocko, Apollo, Griffin, Jagger, and Hendrix were in one of the trucks headed to Frank’s farm, which wasn’t more than five minutes down the road.
As they’d been headed to the truck Hendrix pulled Rocko aside. His face was pale and the man looked as if he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a while.
“Hey, man, um…I haven’t had a chance to talk to you one on one. I’m real sorry about leaving those bundles on the edge of the roof and you getting hurt. If we hadn’t had a healer nearby…” His words trailed off, his tone reflecting the guilt he so obviously felt.
“It was an accident.” Rocko smiled at him. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Yeah, well all the same, it happened and it’s my fault. If I hadn’t been so fucking careless in the first place, you wouldn’t have been hurt.”
“I don’t blame you—honestly. Shit happens.”
“Yeah, well, I blame myself enough for the both of us.” Hendrix bowed his head.
Rocko placed his hand on Hendrix’s shoulder. “You know what? It all turned out for the best.”
“The best? How can you fucking see it that way?” Hendrix’s face was the picture of disbelief and Rocko chuckled.
“Well, Griffin’s been nicer to me lately, or at least I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to gut me anymore.”
Hendrix grinned.
“How do you do it, man?”
“Do what?”
“See shit the way you do.”
“I spent a lotta years angry. The problem with having this suped-up memory is remembering every last detail of every event since the day you first opened your eyes. Every nuance, word, gesture. Overanalyzing until my head throbbed and I was still no closer to whatever answer I kept searching for. It was a hell of my own making until the day I realized that shit happens. It’s just random bullshit day in and day out. ”
Hendrix shook his head. “I don’t see where you’re going with this. ‘Shit happens’ is your mantra in life?”
Rocko shrugged. “It all comes down to one thing. What you do with the information in front of you. For example, if the girls weren’t walking down that path, the bundles would have fallen onto the ground.
If I didn’t happen to be looking the other way, I wouldn’t have seen them teetering.
If we weren’t working on the barn, there’d be no reason for the shingles to be up there.
If Apollo hadn’t decided to get livestock, there’d been no barn to build.
If Apollo’s grandmother didn’t leave him the land, no one would even be here.
If the Noah Group hadn’t attacked your team in New Orleans, you’d still be living there.
Hell, if I hadn’t met a detective from all the way across the country from me, I wouldn’t have met the Fire Lake crew or been sent here. Are you getting what I’m putting down?”
“That there’s a shitload of ‘ifs’ in this world,” Hendrix answered thoughtfully.
“Now, how the hell can anyone control all that? I learned that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and the more time you spend worrying and trying to control the ‘what ifs,’ the less time you have living.
So, you asked how I see the world the way I do?
Honestly Hendrix, I decided not to give a fuck about the ‘ifs’ and the random nature of it all and live in the here and now.
Right now, we’re alive, right now we’re going to help someone, right now we have a barbecue to look forward to, and right now there’s no place I’d rather be. ”
Hendrix stared at Rocko for a couple of seconds before saying, “Right now, I’m thankful you decided to be here.”
“Me too. So, no blame, no fault, just random shit on another random day.”
“Are you two done kissing and making up?” Griffin yelled from the truck. “’Cause we got places to go and we ain’t got all day.”
Rocko wrapped his arm around Hendrix’s shoulder and led him to the truck.
“So, what does Mary’s dad need help with?” Hendrix asked as he jumped inside.
“A few fences and trees were downed in the last windstorm. Before he can let his cattle out for spring, he needs those fences fixed and trees cut down,” Apollo explained.
“Easy enough,” Jagger said as he adjusted his ever-present dark glasses. “Shouldn’t take too much to get them up and ready.”
“Let’s wait to see the damage before making any assumptions,” Apollo said.
“True. Got it, boss,” Jagger agreed.
Finally, Apollo slowed the truck and pulled into a long laneway leading to a ranch-style house with two good-sized barns.
The place was well-kept, but Rocko could see the damage caused by the recent storm.
A few trees lay on their sides, and large branches were strewn across the property.
The wooden fence to the left had at least two visible gaping holes, and a small shed had its doors blown off.
“That was one hell of a windstorm,” Rocko said.
“Yeah, it hit a couple of days before you arrived. I wish Frank had reached out to us sooner. He tried to clean up this mess alone, but Mary told us what was happening.”
“Why do I get the feeling Frank doesn’t know we’re coming to help?” Rocko asked.
“Hell no. The last time we offered to fix the hole in the barn’s roof, it took two weeks of pestering and Mary’s persistent begging before he agreed. This time, we happen to be driving by, showing our visitor around.”
“Glad to be of service in your ruse,” Rocko chuckled.
“Just play along,” Griffin said.
“Like I wouldn’t.” Rocko laughed at Griffin’s gruff response.
They pulled up to the side of the house to find an older gentleman emerging from the garage door. Mary, the woman Rocko had met previously, was with him, looking a bit nervous as she held a blonde little girl.
“Here we go,” Griffin said.
Apollo jumped out, and the rest of them followed.
“Hello, Frank,” Apollo said with a wave before pointing toward Rocko. “We’re showing our friend around town.”
“Oh yes, I met him the other day at the restaurant,” Mary said. “Welcome to our little town.”
“Thanks,” Rocko said. “I’ve gotta say the area is stunning. All these trees and lakes.”
“Where do you come from?” Frank asked, cutting to the chase.
“Florida. I know sand and palm trees. This is such a welcome change.”
“World of difference around here, son,” Frank said as he walked closer. Rocko noticed his limp. He held out his hand for Rocko to shake, and he did. “A man could lose himself and find himself out here,” Frank said with an honest smile.
“I’m sure he can. It’s a place that leaves an impression.”
“I see you weren’t spared during that windstorm a couple of weeks back,” Apollo said. “One hell of a storm.”
“That it was. Haven’t had a spring so turbulent in a long time,” Frank said. “I’m getting around to cleaning it up.”
“Well, we’ve got nothing on our schedule this morning. How about we give you a hand?” Griffin offered, right on cue.
“No, I couldn’t ask you fellas to do that,” Frank said.
“You’re not, we’re offering and already here. Letting you do all this work alone wouldn’t be neighborly of us. Ain’t right,” Apollo assured.
Frank looked back at his daughter, who shrugged and said, “I’ll go make some coffee,” before taking off back into the house.
“Well, I suppose it’d be okay for a bit if you’re sure.”
Apollo looked around at the men, who were all nodding, and Rocko played along.
“I’d love the opportunity to get my hands dirty. Sitting behind a desk at the station gets awfully boring.”
“Station? You’re an officer or a fireman?” Frank asked.
“Detective, sir.”
“A detective from Florida. You’re well off the beaten path around here, son,” Frank said with another genuine smile.
“That I am, sir. That I am.”
“Well, let’s get to it, men,” Apollo ordered, and the cleanup began before Frank could change his mind.
The team split up to tackle the downed trees, shed doors, and broken fence.
Rocko helped repair the shed doors, which didn’t take more than fifteen minutes, and then went to help haul away the larger limbs and pieces of trees that had been knocked down or cut down.
It felt good to be moving around and using his muscles after being laid up for days.
The sun shone, and he worked up a good sweat, elevating his mood by the minute.
Although he and Apollo were separated by a short distance, Rocko could still feel his presence and the calming effect it had on him.
Their connection had grown and strengthened over the time they’d been together, extending to short distances.
He couldn’t help but wonder if it was also changing for Apollo.
The question rolled around in his mind as Rocko walked past the side of the house, his arms full of branches, to see Asher playing with her dolls on the back deck.
She was adorable. Big blue eyes, blonde pigtails, and an infectious smile.
What kind of man leaves his child’s mother and young daughter without a word?
An asshole, that’s the kind. Sadly, the world was full of them.
She hadn’t seen him yet, and before he could say hello again, the little girl lifted her tiny hand, and a few feet away, a doll rose into the air and floated into her arms. Rocko spun back around before he was seen, dropped the branches, and went in search of Apollo.
Mary’s daughter had telekinetic powers. Holy shit.
His heart was racing. Did this mean Mary was a survivor, or even Frank, her father? Perhaps this was why Frank didn’t want people around. He was protecting his daughter and granddaughter.
Rocko found Apollo and Griffin working on one of the fences, repairing the last of the broken boards. He quickly scanned the area to ensure neither Frank nor Mary was in sight before walking up to him.
“You have to invite them to the barbecue,” Rocko blurted out.
“What?” Apollo frowned. “I’m still thinking about it. We could be taking a risk,”
“Asher was playing on the back deck, and I saw her levitate one of her dolls,” Rocko whispered.
Griffin dropped the board he was holding directly onto Apollo’s foot. “What?”
“Ouch, damnit,” Apollo growled as he shook out his boot.
“Asher has powers,” he repeated.
Rocko knew Apollo worried about the potential impact of public knowledge of their abilities and the chaos that would ensue.
As of now, their fight was held in the shadows, away from the general public’s knowledge.
But an invisible timer had already started ticking down the days, hours, and minutes before their anonymity was destroyed by those in power or a survivor unable to control their abilities.
Apollo’s mouth fell open. His eyes darted between Rocko and the house.
“That might be why Frank is so careful about having people over,” Apollo said.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. It makes sense. She’s only three and wouldn’t know how to control her ability or to censor it when strangers are around,” Rocko agreed. “Poor Mary had to be desperate to get help for her father while hoping to hide her daughter’s ability.”
Apollo stood in silence, and both Rocko and Griffin waited. This changed everything.