Five Minutes Longer

by Five Minutes Longer [Dreamspinner MM] (retail) (epub)

  Finn stared at a photograph of a young boy with light brown hair, freckles, and brown eyes. He looked about seven or eight. He quickly turned the pages and saw three more photos of kids, all boys. The oldest was probably about sixteen.

  “Those of you who were present at the school on Tuesday will remember the child, Oliver Martinez. He was the enhanced who transformed and, after rejection from his parents, was taken into state custody.”

  “Who are the others?” Talon asked. “There is only one with the mark.”

  Finn looked back at the photos. He was right. The older child only, and he was staring quite defiantly at the camera.

  “They are all enhanced children who have transformed in the last year, year and a half. The ones without marks are merely because we were provided with no recent photographs.”

  Vance grunted in disgust, and Finn understood why. The implication was that no one wanted photos of their kids once they became freaks, as Talon had told him.

  “They are also all the children we know of who have disappeared in the last six months—most notably, Oliver Martinez.”

  “He’s disappeared?” Talon looked up quickly from the folder.

  Gregory ignored the question and continued. “Apparently his mom had a change of heart she didn’t tell her husband about and turned up requesting a visit. When she was escorted to his room, Oliver had vanished sometime in the night, and no one knew how or why. The group home in DC and the one here are monitored. Cameras have been interfered with and put on a repeating loop. We have no way of knowing if Oliver ran away or was taken, and no way of knowing what time. We know he was still there at midnight when the last rounds were done.”

  Finn listened in horror. Kids? Kids were going missing, and he didn’t even know there was a unit in Tampa. “Why is this only being flagged now?”

  Agent Gregory looked uncomfortable. “There is a thorough investigation starting. Apparently the unit in Tampa wasn’t as strictly controlled as the one in DC. They’re saying it’s not uncommon for kids not to return after school or trips out. They’re reported, but in a state that ranks third in cases of missing persons, often children, those numbers are not uncommon.”

  “Not uncommon? Not return?” Talon repeated incredulously.

  “What he means is that no one looked. That’s right, isn’t it?” Sawyer asked bitterly. “None of these kids have families who care where they are. These kids are just swept under the carpet and forgotten about. They’re probably happy to have one less to worry about when someone doesn’t get off the school bus.”

  Finn stared at the photos of the kids. One photo of a little boy with blond hair had obviously been cut out of a family group. His head was bent, but as Finn looked, bruises were visible on the bottom of his cheek.

  “This is our case now,” Talon said defiantly, as if he were daring Gregory to disagree.

  “Start reviewing the files,” Gregory said. “Oliver was not only the youngest to disappear, but he was the only one who had any family to kick up a fuss. Deputy Director Cohen wants daily updates, but how you handle everything is up to you.”

  Gregory got up and walked to the door, then glanced at Gael. “I want the doctor to look at you before you go anywhere. There will also be vests issued for everyone included in your lockers.” Not waiting for a reply, he left the room.

  THEY SPENT the next few hours going over the files. There was barely any investigation after each disappearance. The first and oldest boy was Luis Rodriguez—fifteen when he went missing. He spent the day at school but never got on the school bus to return home. He would have been sixteen two months ago. The cops interviewed his teachers, the staff at the unit, and his friends, but no one reported seeing him after school. The cops noted no one seemed surprised, as he was such a loner.

  “He’d been in trouble a few times with the cops for stealing cars before he disappeared,” Gael read aloud. “No one could ever work out how he did it, as there was never any sign of the cars being broken into, even the ones that had immobilizers and electrical kill switches, so the cops had tentatively noted that he may be some sort of ability.”

  “What about the other two?” Vance asked. He had the photographs laid out on the table in front of him.

  “Mark Brady,” Gael continued. “Twelve when he transformed two years ago. Says his ability is incredible speed, but it’s never been measured. And Lee Miller, nine when he transformed three years ago. He seems to be able to stop any sort of electrical power. Can just turn things off. It’s noted that all the power was cut to the entire street where the unit is the night he disappeared.”

  “So the youngest by quite a margin is Oliver,” Finn stated. “How many other kids are in the unit now?”

  “Three. One who seems to have some sort of telekinetic powers.” Talon whistled. “There’s a couple of reports of chairs flying at school when he lost his temper. He’s not allowed back at school and has tutors instead. The other two are of a similar age to Oliver and have transformed in the last few weeks. Neither of them have demonstrated any ability.”

  “Even defensive.” Finn felt nauseous. Apparently another child who never went into the foster home, Dale Smith, was being attacked and beaten by his stepfather when the cops were called. His mom was a crack addict, and the so-called stepfather her pimp. She was glad to see the back of him when the cops said he could go into the unit. Something happened to the car and it crashed. Both cops were knocked unconscious, and when the EMTs arrived, Dale had vanished.

  Talon looked at his watch. “It’s late. First thing tomorrow, Sawyer and Vance go interview Oliver’s mom. Gael, you and Eli go see what cops you can get any more information out of. In fact….” Talon paused. “Scratch that. Vance, you do the cops. Throw your name around a little.”

  Vance chuckled.

  Talon looked at Finn. “I want to visit the unit. When a new child, an enhanced, gets admitted, they aren’t permitted to go to school until assessments are done and the ability is deemed non-life-threatening. If they are safe, they can attend school with provisos. If they are designated as dangerous, they get transferred to the nearest locked facility.”

  “Kiddy prison,” Vance said in disgust. “Which is why we need to stop this shit from happening.”

  FINN SHUT the washer door with a snap and rubbed the crick in his neck. None of the team mentioned anything else about their abilities after what Talon said in the truck, so Finn quietly got his gear from his locker and went home when they finished going through the files. He pulled his towel around him a little more securely after stripping off his swimming shorts to add to the pile in the wash.

  The pool was just as good as he had been expecting, if a little crowded because of spring break. He’d hoped by nine o’clock at night it would be fairly empty, but no such luck. He tried a couple of lengths, but then he joined in with some kids playing water volleyball, or trying to. Finn chuckled. The oldest had to be about thirteen. He had fun, though. He was on the same team as a kid who could barely swim, and he quickly worked out that he could swim up behind him and lift the kid up so he could catch the ball. The mom came to thank him afterward, and he got an invite to a barbeque next week. Lifting the kid was a better workout than any gym, and he made friends, even if they were children.

  Finn was stepping into the bathroom to take a shower when someone rang his doorbell. He gathered his towel tighter and looked through the peephole on the door. Surprised, he immediately opened the door to Drew.

  Drew looked sheepish, holding a six-pack of Buds. He grinned and waved at them. “Thought you might have some questions from today? I saw the news and heard you got a case.”

  Finn hesitated, but Drew had already taken a step inside, so if Finn hadn’t stepped back, he would have blocked him. Awkward. He had a ton of questions, but he didn’t think he should be asking Drew any of them.

  “Just let me grab some clothes,” Finn said, walking toward the bedroom and glancing back when he didn’t get a reply.

 
; Drew slowly slid his eyes up to his face, and Finn’s body heated a little. He didn’t pause to meet Drew’s eyes, just dived into his bedroom and raced to grab a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He would swear the guy was checking him out, but Drew had never given off any gay vibes to him, ever. But then, Finn didn’t give off any gay vibes either. He’d never dared.

  Liar. Talon’s face swam in front of him, and he thought about something gross to stop his dick from deciding to get any sort of vibe. Like his mom getting a boyfriend—or even worse, Deke getting a girlfriend.

  Finn pulled on some old shorts. He really was gonna have to go to the store, and soon. No, he was really gonna have to wait until he got paid. It was a good thing the office was so casual and they were given uniforms. He’d rushed out of his house and didn’t even think to grab his laundry pile. He had more books in his bag than clothes.

  He took a deep breath and walked out. Drew sat on his balcony, already on his second beer. Finn sat and pulled the top off a bottle.

  “So I bet you’ve got a ton of questions, huh?” Drew asked, almost eagerly.

  Shit. Finn covered his indecision up by taking a long pull from the bottle, wondering what he could ask without feeling like he was going behind the team’s back. He put the bottle down. “Do you know what made Gregory want to set up the unit in the first place?”

  Drew looked surprised at the question, but he tilted his head to one side and put his empty bottle down. “I’m not totally sure, but I did hear that he has a kid that’s an enhanced.” Drew squinted. “Or maybe a younger brother.”

  “What’s the oldest age of any enhanced?” Finn asked.

  “Recorded thirty-nine, but it’s entirely possible we’ve still got quite a few under the radar.” He paused. “Gregory’s fifty-seven. There was talk he was putting in for retirement before this came up, or maybe he’s here because he’s putting in for retirement.” Drew smirked.

  Finn frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s quite common for agents to request the last transfer to wherever they want to retire.” He grinned. “You’ll have to ask him.”

  Drew took a small silver flask out of his pocket, and Finn watched him in surprise as he took a drink and offered it to Finn. Finn shook his head and gazed at him assessingly. Drew had knocked a few back the other night as well, even though he’d been driving.

  “I thought you might want to ask about what that reporter said about your partner,” Drew said.

  Here we go, thought Finn.

  “Just in case you were worried,” Drew continued without pausing.

  Finn shrugged and tried to laugh it off. “To be honest the whole thing is kind of freaking me out. The press conference made no difference.”

  Drew nodded and grinned, stretching his legs out. “I tell you, it’s like being on vacation every day, living here. All I’ve been doing today is monitoring wiretaps.”

  Finn took a cautious sip and tried to think of another easy question. “How long have you worked in Tampa?”

  “Three years straight out of the academy. There’s not much action, though. I was thinking of trying to specialize. Get some extra training. Everyone says field agents are the way to go to get a solid career, so I’m just keeping my nose clean and an ear to the ground.” He gestured at the scene below. “Although I can’t complain about waking up to this every day.”

  Finn smiled and watched carefully as Drew popped his third bottle. “Is your family from around here?” That was a safe subject, surely.

  “We used to live here around ten years ago—that’s how I know Hannah—then Dad got a transfer to upstate New York. He retires in two years, so I think they’ll come back. He’s a bank manager,” Drew said. “You?”

  “One brother, an insurance salesman from Cookeville, Iowa. Mom’s alive. Dad died three years ago.”

  Drew picked up his silver flask, and it slipped through his fingers before he could take a swig. “Oops,” he snickered.

  Finn grinned; he’d definitely been at this awhile. “So no girlfriends, significant others in your life?” Finn teased, stretching his legs out.

  Drew looked at him steadily. “Nah, wouldn’t want a girlfriend.”

  Finn blinked. Drew was gay? He hadn’t imagined being checked out? Was that what he was trying to tell him?

  “What about you?”

  Finn just shook his head mutely. He had no intention of telling Drew anything.

  Drew grinned and got up, swaying slightly. “Just gotta go take a piss.”

  Finn waved him to the bathroom and stood when he heard the washing machine finish. He needed to throw his stuff in the dryer if he wanted some clean clothes for tomorrow. He heard the toilet flush and the bathroom door open as he was bending down to the washer. He straightened up and turned to find Drew suddenly right in front of him. Finn swallowed. He couldn’t back away because of the washer.

  Drew stepped up next to him. “Hey, I’m not wrong, am I? I’m getting the right signals from you?”

  Finn opened his mouth like a fish. Signals? No. No way. No signals. Even if Drew weren’t an agent. Drew lunged for him, and Drew’s lips met his in an uncoordinated rush of tongue and teeth. Finn froze for a millisecond, then pushed away. Drew brought his arms around him and pressed in. Finn put all his weight behind the next push.

  Drew stumbled back, windmilling his arms. “Aarghh!” Drew yelled as his arm struck the side of the counter, taking two plates, a coffee cup, a glass, and a box of cereal with him. Everything hit the floor and shattered in a huge crash.

  There was complete silence for a beat as the noise echoed around the room.

  “Finn!”

  Finn turned to the door as it banged open, and Talon burst into the room. He gaped at Talon, then stared at Drew, who was rolling on his side, laughing hysterically.

  “Fuck me! You playing hard to get?”

  Finn closed his eyes in horror and exasperation as Talon stiffened at Drew’s words. He glanced at Talon. “He’s been drinking,” Finn said, pleading for understanding as Drew rolled around laughing.

  Talon just stared at Drew, then bent down and hoisted him to his feet. “Which apartment,” he growled, but Drew seemed to sober up and realize Talon was there.

  “I can manage,” he said, pulling his arm away from Talon. He gave them both a murderous glare and stumbled out the broken door, which was hanging from only one hinge with a busted lock.

  Talon huffed and stalked after Drew.

  Finn was astonished. Talon broke his fucking door, and he was just gonna leave? And what the hell was he doing here anyway? Wasn’t he going drinking with the rest of the team? Finn heaved an angry breath and bent to pick up the broken pieces that littered the floor. Glass was everywhere, and he didn’t so much as have a vacuum cleaner to get it up with.

  He sighed and dug out the dustpan and brush. He started sweeping the glass shards and emptying them into the trash. He heard another sound at the door as he reached for a piece, taking his eye off it for a second. He parted his lips in astonishment.

  Talon was back, carrying a toolbox.

  “Ahh, shit!” Finn yelped and brought his hand up quickly. Fuck me. He went and sliced it on the glass, not looking what the hell he was doing.

  “Let me.” Talon was suddenly in front of him, pulling his hand down. Finn forgot about the cut, forgot blood was dripping down his finger, forgot the pain. With his large hand wrapped around Finn’s, Talon gently directed him under the faucet and turned it on with his free hand, and Finn didn’t seem to be able to get his brain to work to say a word about it.

  He stared at Talon, who was looking questioningly at him, as if he wanted an answer. Had he asked him something? Finn tried to clear his throat. “W-What?”

  Talon’s lips tilted in a wry smile, and Finn suddenly couldn’t drag his gaze away from Talon’s mouth. He stared at Talon’s tongue as Talon slowly licked his plump pink lips. “I said, Vance’s mom would have said you need a keeper. You got any Band-Aids?”
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br />   Finn blinked, completely dazed, small shocks racing up his arm from where large fingers were clasping it. “I—”

  Talon frowned a little. “You okay?” He glanced at the beer bottles sticking out of the trash.

  Finn shook his head a little to clear it. “Yeah, I haven’t even had a whole one. I think Drew had something before he got here. He’d only been here fifteen minutes,” he added hurriedly. Finn snatched his hand back in embarrassment, and Talon shrugged.

  “None of my business, but you need to be careful around the office.”

  “We weren’t.” Finn started again. “I wasn’t….”

  Talon turned his back and walked the three feet to the door. “You go see to your hand, and I’ll mend the door.”

  Finn’s heart sank. Why did he insist on making a complete fool of himself every time he was around Talon?

  He thought there were some Band-Aids under the sink. The apartment was stocked with the basics when he arrived. He’d clean the rest of the glass up after he’d taken care of his finger. He turned and stepped into the bathroom, crunching glass under his flip-flops as he went. At least he had them on.

  When Finn had gotten his hand sorted, splashed water on his face, and given himself a stern lecture to calm the fuck down, he opened the bathroom door and spied Talon screwing the hinge back on the door. He looked down. All the glass had been swept up. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  Talon opened and closed the door, ignoring the comment. “Call maintenance in the morning before you leave and report it. It’s okay because the block is fairly secure, but it’s just temporary. It won’t stop anyone serious about getting in.”

  Finn huffed and leaned on the counter. “Ya think?”

  Talon glanced back and had the grace to look a little uncomfortable. “I heard the shout. I didn’t realize you had company,” he said steadily.

  And just like that, Finn was fiery red again. Although it should have been Talon who was embarrassed for the BS line he’d just given him. Heard the shout, my ass. He glanced at the floor, desperately trying not to groan.