Rattle His Cage: The Baxter Boys #4 (The Baxter Boys ~ Rattled)

by Charles, Jane

  Her mouth tightens as she shakes her head and opens the file.

  I sit forward. “What? You know where Noah is?”

  “We have an idea, but I don’t understand why she didn’t just tell you.”

  “What? Where is he?”

  “We think he’s in the army, but you should read these first.”

  She hands me a stack of letters.

  * * *

  Mrs. Hood,

  * * *

  What has happened to me is bullshit! Just because my parents cooked meth does not mean I’m doing or dealing drugs. The dealer is the son of the family you put me with. He figured with me being the foster kid that I’d take the fall. I almost did without any help from you. If he hadn’t been busted while I was sitting in Juvie, then I’d probably be tried for the crime instead of him. You did nothing to help and assumed I was guilty because the rich kid from the good home couldn’t possibly be doing anything wrong.

  Well, I’m fed up. I’m fed up with the system. I’m fed up with you. I’m fed up with this family. And, since you won’t tell me where any of my family is, I’m done.

  * * *

  Noah White

  * * *

  I look up. He was arrested?

  “The charges were dropped,” Mrs. Kragen assures me. “The family did try to pin the dealing on him, but it didn’t stick. That’s when he ran away.”

  * * *

  Mrs. Hood,

  * * *

  Requests for information regarding the location of my brother have gone unanswered and I did not appreciate having to come to your office to get my answers. A phone call saying that you could not locate Dylan could have saved me time and trouble. I know that you thought that by getting me into the offices of child services that you’d get me back in the system to be placed with another stinking family. It didn’t work. I’m done with the system and better off on my own. I have friends and a place to live. I hope to hell you are treating my sisters better than I’ve been treated.

  * * *

  Noah White

  * * *

  What the hell? “She’s always known exactly where I am. I made sure to keep my contact information updated in the file.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” Mrs. Kragen finally says. “Mrs. Hood violated so many of our policies and decided on her own what she thought was best for the families. Sadly, yours isn’t the only one, which we’ve recently learned.”

  It’s a good thing she retired or I’d find a way to make sure she was fired.

  But, this isn’t Mrs. Kragen’s fault, and it’s unfair for me to take it out on her. She deals with enough crap.

  * * *

  Mrs. Hood,

  * * *

  As I am now 18, I demand to know where my sisters are. They are my blood, my relations, and I should have this information. This is my formal request for their contact information.

  * * *

  Noah White.

  * * *

  Mrs. Hood,

  * * *

  I understand your hands are tied with regard to where my sisters are located because of their age. Thank you for taking time to speak with me. I will wait until they are 18 and return for their information. In the meantime, I’ve obtained my GED and have enlisted in the army.

  I will contact you when Nina is an adult. I will send you contact information as soon as I am stationed at a base after my basic training is complete.

  * * *

  Noah White

  * * *

  My heart is pounding. My brother is in the army. I look for the next letter, but there is nothing.

  “Where is his contact information?”

  “That’s just it. There isn’t any and, he hasn’t contacted us demanding Nina’s information.”

  “How do I find someone in the army?”

  Her hand covers mine. “We are already working on that. I swear, we are. I hope to hear back by the end of the day or tomorrow at the latest. They need to go through some red tape. You know how the government is.”

  The hope that just built deflated immediately.

  “Why the hell wouldn’t she tell him where to reach me?” That probably pisses me off more than anything else.

  “We can’t even begin to guess, but I’ve talked to the supervisor and because of this, there is going to be a thorough review of all her files. We do try to keep families together whenever possible, as long as it is a healthy relationship. You kids never even got a chance. I can assure you that once he’s located, we will be interviewing Noah and possibly a formal interview with you. If Mrs. Hood hadn’t retired, she’d very likely lose her job and her pension.”

  If she hadn’t retired, I’d still be stuck at knowing nothing about my family.

  “This is still more than I knew this morning,” Dylan says. “Thank you.”

  “What about Jade?” I ask.

  Mrs. Kragen smiles. “We know exactly where she is.”

  Dylan relaxes beside me. Finally some good news.

  “What are the chances of me seeing her?”

  “That will take a bit.”

  “Why?” His patience is gone and I don’t really blame him.

  “The family is on vacation,” Mrs. Kragen says. “Jade has been with them since she was thirteen. She’s happy and well taken care of.”

  “Did you talk to her, or is that just in the file?” Dylan pointedly asks.

  I get his anger, I really do, and I wouldn’t really trust what’s in a file right now either.

  “Point taken.” She stacks the files. “I called the husband and the wife. I didn’t tell them what this was about, just a checking in, and they said they’d call me when they get back.”

  Dylan is staring at her, as if he doesn’t believe her.

  “Look, this family has had a number of our kids. They all left happy and healthy. I am very familiar with them and have no reason to doubt what they are telling me.”

  “And you are sure she is okay?”

  “Yes! She’s also a very lucky little girl.”

  “What do you mean?” Dylan asks.

  How can anyone be lucky being a foster kid?

  “I’m not supposed to tell you anything specific, but I will tell you this. Jade was a very sick little girl when we got her.”

  He nods. It’s because of that illness everything went to pot.

  “Had she gone even a day longer without proper medical care, she would have probably died.”

  Dylan sucks in a breath, and I grab his hand again.

  “Pneumonia in both lungs. She was put in ICU and from the notes in the file, they really didn’t expect her to recover. There was a possibility of more serious charges against your parents if she had died.” Mrs. Kragen smiles sadly. “Despite how sick she was, she wouldn’t let go of a bunny, which they allowed her to keep because it gave her comfort.

  “But she is okay?” he asks to clarify.

  “Yes and the only reason I’m telling you this now is because you need to let go of the guilt you are carrying.” Mrs. Kragen leans over and puts her hand over Dylan’s. “None of this is your fault.”

  Maybe now Dylan can let go. If he wouldn’t have gone to the neighbors, his sister would be dead.

  “Thank you for telling me.” Dylan scrubs a hand over his face. “When will they be back?”

  Mrs. Kragen grimaces. “March.”

  “March?” Dylan cries. “Doesn’t Jade need to be in school? She’s only sixteen.”

  “Calm yourself,” Mrs. Kragen snaps. “She is homeschooled and the family spends the winter hosting youth and church groups in the mountains.”

  “She’s not even in the city?” He asks in disbelief. “How do you even know she’s safe or where they say she is?”

  Mrs. Kragen blows out a labored sigh. “I told you. I know the family. I’ve been to the inn. We’ve made several surprise visits over the years. It is what they say it is. I can assure you.”

  “Then tell me where it is. Maybe I want to go skiing or
something.”

  Mrs. Kragen gives him a pointed look over her glasses. “You know I can’t. Not without permission from the court.”

  Their eyes are locked in a silent battle. I’m not sure if I’m more afraid of Dylan blowing up completely or Mrs. Kragen ordering him out of here and refusing to tell him anymore.

  Finally, he looks away. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m frustrated and it isn’t your fault. I just hate the rules, I hate not knowing where my sisters are, and I hate that Noah wasn’t told where I was.”

  “I do understand completely,” she says. “I promise to let you know the minute I know anything.”

  I finally relax now that this crisis has passed. I just hope Dylan doesn’t go over the edge between now and Tuesday, waiting on word about Nina. And, please, I send a silent prayer up, let them find Noah sooner than later.

  28

  I’m not sure what to feel. Angry, relieved, frustrated. I still don’t have my family, but I have some answers. Who I am really pissed at is Mrs. Hood. She’s lucky she’s retired and I don’t know where she lives or I’d give her a piece of my mind that she wouldn’t soon forget.

  Where the hell does she get off manipulating people like that? Not just deciding what is best for the kids under her care but lying to them.

  That bitch has a lot to answer for, and someday I hope she does.

  “Are you okay?” Mary asks as we step outside the large building that houses child services.

  “I’m not sure.”

  She grabs my hand and squeezes it. “It can’t be that hard to find someone in the army. It sounds like Jade is with a good family, and hopefully, you’ll be able to talk to Nina on Tuesday.”

  I know Mary is taking all the positive points from my meeting with Mrs. Kragen, but that doesn’t help the damage already done by her predecessor. “I gave her that bunny.”

  “Jade?”

  “On her fourth birthday. A ratty, secondhand bunny I found at the thrift store.”

  “She probably still has it.”

  I ball my hand into a fist, wanting to hit something so badly.

  I know Mary is trying to help, but my head is in a very dark place right now. I should feel better because I finally have answers, but I don’t.

  And none of this is Mary’s fault, but that’s who I’m taking it out on. I need to get away before it’s too late and she sees the really ugly side of me. The part I didn’t tell her about. I know my anger. I’ve kept it under control for years, but I’m very close to exploding for the first time since I was fourteen.

  That, I cannot do around Mary, or anyone. I’ve got to get a grip.

  “Do you want to grab some lunch?” she asks.

  I’m not hungry. My stomach is in knots. I can’t just sit and enjoy a pleasant meal, even if it is with Mary. “You go ahead.”

  “Go ahead?” She stops and looks at me. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know,” I blow out a frustrated breath.

  “Hey.” She turns to me. “Focus on the good. All of this can be fixed.”

  “Not the past three years of Noah being lied to.” Three years since I fucking believed Mrs. Hood about my family. Three fucking years of not demanding answers. I should have sat in that damn office and waited until somebody told me something.

  “True, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the future.”

  She’s practically scolding me.

  “I know, but I’m so fucking pissed.”

  “Which will solve absolutely nothing.”

  One of the things that drew me to Mary is her happiness and positive outlook. She’s bubbly and bright, but she doesn’t have a clue what I’m feeling. I don’t want to be cheered up right now. And, I can’t just shove everything aside and wait, when so much wrong has been done. “You don’t get it.”

  “Get what?” She counters.

  “My family was taken from me, and every time I tried to fix it, someone was scheming behind my back.”

  “And it will be fixed and you’ll be able to undo the damage,” she comes back at me.

  “How can you be so certain? What if Mrs. Hood poisoned them against me? What if they never want to talk to me again? What if they hate me? What if something bad happened because I wasn’t there to protect them?”

  “It wasn’t your job to protect them,” she yells back at me. “You were fucking 12 years old. All of that falls directly on your parents. Not you.”

  “I should have known. I should have fought. I should have found another way.”

  “Because a kid can do all that. You were too young to understand.”

  “You got that right.” I yell back. “Because of me, I marched right to a cop and described the meth lab in the basement and destroyed my family.”

  “Thank God you did or your sister could be dead,” she yells back. “Hell, you could all be dead. Do you have any fucking idea how many meth houses blow up?”

  I hear her and I know what she’s saying is true, but it doesn’t make any of this right.

  “You did not destroy your family. Your parents did,” she reminds me.

  “Well, I’m not going to just sit around and wait and hope things work out great on Tuesday.”

  Mary pulls back. “What are you going to do?”

  “Find Nina.”

  “How?”

  “I know what school she attends. I’ll knock on every fucking door in the district until I find her.”

  “Or get shot in the process,” she says. “It’s not the best area to be going around knocking on doors.”

  “All the more reason to find my sister, don’t you think?”

  Mary just stares at me, sympathy in her eyes. I’m not sure if it’s because of what happened to my family or if she thinks I’ve lost it. Maybe a little of both. “Look, you don’t know what it’s like to lose someone when there’s something you could have done to prevent it. It’s not like your dad. These are my siblings, and I can’t just sit around waiting to make it right.”

  She pulls back as if I’ve struck her. Maybe I am being harsh.

  I take a deep breath and try and calm my tone. Mary doesn’t deserve to be yelled at. She’s here to support me and I just turned on her. “I’m not in a good place right now. I should be alone.”

  Mary reaches a hand out to me. “I’m not so certain you should be.”

  “I know best. I’ll just end up saying something I regret,” I answer. “I’ll be fine.” With that, I turn and walk away from her.

  As much as I do want Mary around, if I don’t get away from her right now, I’ll probably destroy anything they we’ve started to build, if it’s not already too late for that.

  “Well?” Alex asks when he and Kelsey come into the brownstone.

  “Well, what?” I counter, though I have a really good idea.

  “She won’t tell you and she won’t tell me, other than Dylan is out wandering the streets looking for Nina,” Mia says.

  Kelsey sinks down into a chair. “She’s missing?”

  “Temporarily,” I say. “I don’t want to say more. I just want you to know he’s upset, but he can tell you the rest.”

  It is really not my place to tell them Dylan’s business, even if they all know him better than I do. He didn’t ask me to keep what happened today private, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to blab what I learned to everyone either. It’s not my place.

  “So, are you two still interested in an apartment?” Alex asks.

  That’s what Mia and I had just been discussing, searching online, but unable to come up with something that was roomy enough that also fits into my budget. It looks like I’ll be stuck with Shelby and the gang until I graduate.

  “Daddy George already said he could get Mary out of her lease, but we can’t find anything,” Mia says.

  I couldn’t believe Mia would do that for me, or that her former step-father would do it for free, but I was there when she made the phone call. After we sent screen shots of the lease and I told
him what had been going on, he said it would be no problem. I had to tell him to hold up until I found a place because I didn’t want to be homeless my last semester. Once Nina gets here on Tuesday, there won’t be room for Mia or me, and neither of us really want to live in the basement.

  It’s not that I don’t like the brownstone and the guys, but I’m not so sure Dylan and I need to be living in the same place yet.

  “I know the perfect place,” Alex says and Mia and I both sit forward. “It’s a three bedroom, two bath, kitchen and living room, but there is one catch.”

  “What?” Mia asks slowly.

  “Alyssa lives with you.”

  I’ve only met Alyssa once, but if she’s friends with these guys she’s got to be ten times better than who I’m currently stuck with.

  “She has a place,” Mia says.

  “Building was just condemned. She has a week to get out.”

  Mia snorts. “That place should have been condemned before she ever moved in.”

  “Where?” I ask. “And, how much?”

  He and Kelsey share a look and Alex shrugs. “Above Just Ink About It.”

  “Of course.” Mia throws up her hands. “Why the hell didn’t I think about that?”

  I have no idea where that is except that the tattoo shop is the place Alex is looking to own one day.

  Mia tilts her head and looks at Alex. “If we move in, where are you going to go brood?”

  “I wasn’t brooding!” he yells. “You guys are never going to let me forget my slip in judgment are you?”

  Kelsey grins and Mia answers, “Not as long as we’re alive.”

  “Kelsey says that you guys paid what, fifteen hundred for your tiny spots.”

  I nod.

  “I’ll make a deal with you.” He leans forward. “It’s kind of the same deal we have here.”