Tracker

by Adrianne Lemke

  “And this made them call us in early?” I asked cautiously. Dan seemed more on edge than a street kid showing up at the station would warrant.

  “She probably wants to know how Jason is doing,” I continued as I drove down the street. My anxiety level rose slightly, knowing by the hesitation in Dan’s voice that something else was up.

  “I’m almost there,” I said calmly. “Make sure she knows that I’m coming, and tell her that Jason is doing well. Even if that isn’t her main reason for coming, she probably still wants to know.”

  “I’ll do that,” Dan said. “I’ll see you when you get here.” Without waiting for a reply he hung up, and I was left wondering what was going on.

  “Five minutes,” I muttered under my breath. That five felt too long as I got stuck at a red light and crawled forward slowly after a student driver. When I finally arrived at work, I rushed in, almost dropping my keys in my haste. “Where is she?”

  “Ginny is right over there,” Dan said pointing to my desk.

  The little blonde girl had her head down so her hair fell over her face as she stared at the floor. Her shoulders were tense, but shook slightly; I then realized she was crying.

  “What’s wrong with her?” I asked quietly.

  Dan shook his head and shrugged. “I have no idea,” he answered softly. “She’s been crying for several minutes already, but she won’t let me or anyone else talk to her.”

  I could see that Dan was upset by his inability to help the girl, but I needed to figure out what was wrong, so I left my partner and walked over to Ginny. “Ginny. What’s the matter?”

  She looked up when I spoke, her face streaked with dirt and tears, but her eyes shone with hope when she saw me.

  “Erin and Sam are gone!” she exclaimed as she threw her arms around me and wept.

  “Oh, honey,” I mumbled as I held her. “We’ll try to find them, okay? Tell me what happened, and Dan and I will go out and find them.”

  Ginny shook her head against my shoulder as she continued to cry. “No, no… we can’t… he said…” she gave a hiccupping sob and stopped talking for a moment.

  “Who said what?” I asked, trying to stay calm as I dealt with the distraught girl. It was difficult, because my mind was making a connection that I really didn’t like. She’d said ‘he said’ and that most likely meant someone had taken the other two kids and left Ginny as a messenger.

  “Who took them, Ginny? You can tell us.”

  “A man,” she sobbed. “I didn’t recognize him. He took them and told me… he said to tell you that Jason needed to come out and play. Jason needs to save them or he’s going to hurt them!” Ginny had made an obvious effort to speak around her sobs but once she stopped talking, she gave in to them again.

  “It’s okay,” I said gently as I rubbed her back. “Sit here for a minute, okay? I need to talk to Dan.”

  “A—-All right,” she said, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “Before I go, where are the others?”

  “In the alley. They didn’t want to come to the police. The boys don’t trust the other cops.”

  “Okay. I'll be right back, and then I’m going to take you and the others back to my house. How does that sound?”

  “Really? You’ll take us to Jason?” The eager anticipation in the girl’s eyes made me smile, despite the circumstances.

  “Yeah, you’ll be with Jason. Wait here and we’ll leave in a couple minutes.” Ginny nodded and wiped her eyes again, her fears settled at the thought of going to Jason.

  “Dan, we have a major problem,” I said quietly. “Mason didn’t give any time for Jason to recover. He or one of his men took two of Jason’s kids off the street. He wants Jason in the open or he’s going to hurt them.”

  Dan spat a curse as he glanced at Ginny. “We should have gotten them off the street right away when Jason got hurt. We knew this was a possi—”

  I cut him off. “We can play the ‘what if’ game later. For now I need to go get the other kids over to my house. Then you and I need to hit the streets. Jason isn’t up to playing Mason’s games. We need to find the kids and buy him some time to heal.” Dan wasn’t the only one fuming over the lack of foresight in protecting the kids; Jason was going to flip.

  “Why is he so hung up on this kid? Jason hasn’t really threatened any of his businesses yet, and he’s not the only resource we’re using on this case. Why would Mason go this far to get at him?”

  I shrugged, feigning a lack of knowledge on the subject. “I don’t know. That’s something we’ll have to ask Mason about when we catch him.” I didn’t like lying to my partner, but it wasn’t my secret to tell. “Look, right now we need to focus on finding Erin and Sam. I’ll talk to the other kids and try to get a description of the guy that took them. Would you—”

  Dan interrupted. “Canvas the area around the alley and find out if anyone saw anything? Of course. Good luck with Jason,” he called out as he walked out of the building.

  I groaned aloud at the thought of having to tell Jason that his kids were in danger, but I went to my desk, collected Ginny, and we went to the alley.

  “We’re gonna go to Jason!” Ginny exclaimed when we found the boys hiding by the dumpster. Paul and Jeffrey came out slowly, the older boy glared at me as he pulled Ginny to him.

  “This is your fault,” the sixteen-year-old accused. “If you hadn’t gotten Jason involved, none of this would have happened.”

  Behind the anger, I could read the fear in Paul’s blue eyes as he yelled at me. All of the kids had a fierce loyalty to Jason and would never blame him, even though he had agreed to help me. I had not coerced him in any way, and I couldn’t help feeling a bit upset by the accusation.

  “Paul, that’s not going to help,” I said sharply. The boy ran a hand through his dark brown hair as he continued to glare at me. Jeffrey stood silently as the older boy allowed his anger out. He seemed upset also, but didn’t turn it at me. “Yes, I asked Jason for his help, but there was no way I could have known that he would end up in danger because of it. This is not the first time I’ve asked him for help.”

  “No, but it had better be the last,” Paul warned.

  Paul was quite often angry and sullen, but it had always been directed at his life before he’d run away from his family. With his street family, he’d been happy. I had become a threat to his new family, and he was trying to warn me off. The threatening effect was somewhat tarnished by the fact that Paul was about 5’10” and weighed in at about a hundred twenty pounds. He was not a threatening figure by any means, but I believed he would fight fiercely to protect the people he cared about.

  “That is going to be entirely up to Jason. Keep in mind that he keeps you clothed and fed with the money he pulls in from helping me with cases. I know you’re scared for Erin and Sam, but the sooner we stop arguing and start discussing what happened, the sooner my partner and I can go out looking for them.”

  I paused, waiting for a response from the angry teen. I received none so I continued, keeping my voice calm as I tried to prevent my previous frustration from coming through. Paul was scared, worried, and lashing out. I was the adult and I needed to remember that Paul was just a kid who needed help. “Please come with me, and we’ll go to Jason and tell him what happened. Chances are he’ll have the same opinion as you.”

  “Fine. We’ll come with you,” he said grudgingly. Ginny looked relieved as the older boy agreed to come. She must have been afraid that he would say no and she wouldn’t be able to go to Jason.

  “Jeffrey, are you okay?” I asked. He hadn’t said a word, just continued to stare at the ground. The thirteen-year-old seemed willing to let the older boy deal with everything. I suspected the boy had some kind of learning disability, but I hadn’t spent much time with him. He always seemed to speak and act like a young child rather than a teen, but he clearly loved his street family.

  “Scared,” he mumbled. “Erin and Sam are scared.” He looked up a
t me, trust in his eyes. “You’ll find them?” he asked. “You’ll get them back and keep Jason safe, right?”

  I nodded, trying to hide the fear I felt for the missing children. “I will certainly do my best, Jeffrey.”

  “We need to get to Jason now,” Ginny took Jeffrey’s hand leading him toward the car. “Officer Alice needs to get back to work and Jason needs to know what happened.” The young girl sounded like Erin, and the look she gave Paul was a mix of Erin’s glare and Jason’s ‘listen to me now’ frown. She had clearly been paying attention to the leaders of her little group.

  Paul still looked rebellious, but after a pause when I thought he was going to refuse to come, he said, “We’ll come. We need to know what Jase wants us to do while he’s healing.” The teen glared at me. “Whatever he wants to do is what we’ll do. If he wants to be done with you, we’re out. We’ll find Erin and Sam on our own.”

  “You have police help regardless,” I tried not to snap at him. The open hostility was getting hard for me to deal with, but pushing him too hard wasn’t the way to get his cooperation. “We’re already involved, and if Jason is going to search for them, he’ll need whatever backup we can provide.” I left it unsaid that I knew Jason would demand police backup even if it had to be covert. Paul wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say, but he would come with me now to see Jason. Their unwavering loyalty to Jason never failed to impress me.

  My phone rang as we were getting into my car. “Dan? What’s going on?”

  “You need to get back here ASAP,” he said urgently. “Mason left a message for Jason.”

  THIRTEEN

  Jason

  My day started out uneventfully. I had woken up when Alice left for work. Despite her attempt to be silent, I had heard her moving around the house as she made coffee and used the bathroom. The click of the door was enough to wake me completely, but I had no desire to get out of bed. The basement room was cool, and the blankets made a warm nest where I could hide from the chill. I fingered the fabric of the top blanket; it was a quilt, handmade. Possibly a grandmother or great-grandmother had made this quilt, lovingly and painstakingly piecing it together as a memento for future generations.

  The room was like the quilt; slightly old-fashioned in its design. There was an antique roll-top desk in one corner, closed so I could only guess at the contents. On the walls were old photographs that were difficult to make out in the dim light that filtered in through the small window. A record player sat on an old dresser against the wall near the door, the records kept on a shelf next to it.

  I wondered who had set up this room. It was unlike the rest of the house, which was more modern. Neither Alice nor Hannah had ever mentioned having a grandparent living with them, but it was possible that they had simply inherited the stuff and were unwilling to part with it for sentimental reasons.

  My musing was interrupted when I heard Hannah moving around upstairs. I wondered if I’d be able to convince her to drive me to my alley to show the kids that I was okay. It was good that Dan had told them, but they distrusted him and would be happier if they could see me for themselves. I also wanted to see Sam to make sure he was okay after Mason’s goons had grabbed him.

  My headache had subsided after getting some sleep, and I felt more clear-headed than I had since I’d woken up in the hospital. I groaned as I rose from the bed and stretched, reaching for the clothes I had next to the bed. Despite what Hannah may have thought, I’d definitely been knocked around worse than this before. Granted I’d never been shot, but I had concussions worse than this with no hospital visit to make sure I was okay. But if I had my way, she’d never know about any of that. After getting dressed, I went upstairs to talk to Hannah.

  I squinted against the harsh glare of the sun as I walked into the kitchen from the basement stairs. It sent a spike of pain through my skull, but it subsided as I turned away from the window. The brightness dimmed and I realized that Hannah had seen my pain and closed the blinds on the window.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled as I shuffled toward the table in the dining room. Hannah and Alice had always been nice, but this was the first time I’d spent more time than to have a meal at their house. I was feeling a little awkward about taking over their space.

  “No problem,” she said. “Do you want some juice?” Without waiting for my reply, she opened the stainless-steel refrigerator and took out some apple juice. She poured a cup and grabbed some pills from the counter and set them in front of me on the table. “Take these,” she instructed.

  “You’re kinda pushy in the morning, aren’t you?” I asked with a slight smile. “What are these?”

  “Antibiotics,” she answered. “You were kinda out of it last night and skipped a dose, so take these and don’t argue,” she said strictly, but with the barest curve of a smile on her lips.

  “Yes, ma’am.” I saluted her and took the pills with no further argument. After I had swallowed them I said, “I need to go outside for a minute and check on the kids.” Alice and Hannah’s house was not too far from the alley where the kids would be so I would be able to feel them moving around.

  “All right.” Hannah had to agree. She knew I wasn’t asking permission, only letting her know where I’d be. “Go out the door next to the one leading to the basement, there’s a garden out there where you should be able to focus energy to see where the kids are.”

  “Okay. I’ll be back in a couple minutes,” I told her as I rose from the table.

  The garden was small, but well maintained. There was a row of daffodils around the four sides and in the middle were neat rows of different vegetables. I found a small patch of plain soil and knelt, digging my hand into the soft earth and sending a tendril of power in the direction of the alley. I can’t explain exactly how it works, but I was soon feeling the footsteps of Paul, Jeff, and Ginny. I also felt Alice heading toward them. Sam and Erin were either somewhere else, or they were simply standing still. Paul was pacing obsessively and Jeff was heading toward Alice.

  I figured I could ask Alice later how the kids were dealing with everything, so I pulled my consciousness back and rose, brushing dirt off my hands as I walked back into the house.

  “How are the kids?” Hannah asked as she looked up from washing some dishes. “Oh, there’s some cereal in the cupboard next to the fridge. Help yourself if you’re feeling up to eating.”

  “Thanks. The three kids that I was able to check on were with your sister in the alley. I’m not sure where Erin and Sam are, but they could have been standing still.”

  Hannah nodded, rinsing the last dish and setting it in the rack. “That’s very possible,” she agreed as she dried her hands and sat at the kitchen table.

  I looked in the cupboard and chose Cheerios. Hannah had already set out some bowls and spoons, so I assumed she would be eating as well. I grabbed the milk out of the fridge and joined her at the table.

  “So what’s on your agenda today?” I asked as I poured myself a helping of cereal. “I assume you aren’t just going to sit around and babysit me all day.”

  She shook her head. “I have classes today, starting at nine. I have time to eat and grab my stuff, but then I have to get going. There are DVDs in the cabinet next to the TV. When we’re done with breakfast I’ll show you how to set it up, if you’re interested.”

  “Thanks,” I said with a shake of my head. “But I don’t think watching movies is going to help the head any. I’ll probably just read or something. Don’t worry; I can entertain myself pretty easily.”

  She shrugged. “No problem. Just let me know if you need help figuring it out.” I nodded my agreement, and we ate our breakfast in silence.

  When we were finished, I cleared the dishes off the table and rinsed the bowls in the sink while Hannah got her textbooks and homework for her classes. “I’ll see you this afternoon. I should be done with class by about three.”

  “Sounds good. Drive safely, Hannah.” I watched as she started the car and pulled out of the drive
way. As she drove down the road, I glanced across the street and saw the police officers who were assigned to guard the house. I greeted them with a wave and a nod, then frowned as I noticed Alice’s car pulling onto her street. It was only about eight-thirty. She shouldn’t be done with work, and I knew she didn’t make frequent stops home during her workday.

  My frown deepened and my anxiety level rose as I noticed three of the kids in the car with her. Erin and Sam were not in the car.

  “What happened?” I demanded as soon as she stepped out of the car. Ginny’s face was smeared with tears, Jeff looked lost, and Paul looked ready to kill someone. “Where are Erin and Sam?”

  Alice glanced down for a moment before meeting my eyes. “Someone took them,” she said.

  “Mason,” I growled, clenching my fists at my side, anger surging through my body.

  Alice gasped, the kids eyes widened in fear, and I realized the ground around me was surging and shaking. The rage had let loose my abilities, and I kept it going for a couple minutes to emphasize my wrath. “I’m gonna kill him, Alice. If he lays one finger on them…” I trailed off, body shaking with emotion.

  “Jason, you need to calm down. Please. You’re scaring them,” she said quietly using her eyes to indicate the kids. They were staring at me, faces pale with a panic I wasn’t used to seeing from them. I took several deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.

  “Are you okay, Jase?” Ginny asked walking hesitantly toward me.

  “It’s fine, Ginny,” I said, trying to be comforting, but I was still forcing the power to subside. The ground finally stopped moving and I breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t often that the power got away from me, but it had happened. At those times it was like the power was trying to control me, using my anger to boost my abilities. Only rarely had I tapped into that power on purpose, the warehouse being the most recent.

  “What does he want?” I asked. “He wouldn’t just take them; he’d want something in exchange, right?” I asked hopefully.