Beneath This Mask

by Victoria Sue

  “Michael Ramsay, principal.” He put his hand out to Talon. “I’m so sorry, gentleman. There seems to have been a misunderstanding.”

  “There isn’t a teacher being held hostage?” Talon queried.

  The man blushed. “No. We have a small group of children with learning challenges. One of the older boys was tormenting one of the kids in there, and as ‘payback’ for us calling his parents and suspending him, he rang the police to cause trouble.”

  “And one of the children concerned is enhanced?” Gael asked.

  Mr. Ramsay stiffened. “And why should that make a difference?”

  “It shouldn’t ever,” Jake said immediately before any of the others did. “Unfortunately, this unit has to justify tax dollars spent, the same as everything else. We have no wish to upset or offend anyone, only to make sure a child—any child—isn’t in distress.”

  Mr. Ramsay smiled slowly. “The child concerned does have a mark, yes. And I know some of you will especially feel a certain affinity, but I just had to practically barricade the school against a military incursion, so I’m not feeling very friendly toward anyone wearing a uniform at the moment. Whatever else, these are children.”

  Jake knew exactly what he meant. Mac and the others had probably wanted to drag all the kids away and lock them up.

  Gael took a step forward. “I have to say, we’re intrigued.”

  “Sir?” Sergeant Hernandez from the TPD stepped forward.

  Talon smiled. “False alarm. But I’m hoping Mr. Ramsay was just going to give us a tour, if it wouldn’t upset anyone?”

  Mr. Ramsay’s smile grew huge, and the sergeant grinned.

  “I’ll get everyone to stand down.”

  Mr. Ramsay stepped up to a door and entered a code. “The children will be getting collected soon, as we close at five.” He pulled open the door and waved everyone in. “We don’t have classrooms in here, just one big space.”

  The team walking in caused quite a stir. Two children came running over, both very vocal with their demands for attention, and Sawyer and Finn immediately got dragged away. Vance sauntered over to a little girl in a wheelchair. Gael was motionless, and Jake followed Gael’s stare. There was a boy, around ten or eleven maybe, sitting in a chair clutching what looked to be a children’s version of an iPad, staring out the window. Gael took a step and looked back inquiringly at Mr. Ramsay.

  “That’s Derrick. He is the child we mentioned.”

  “Can I go say hello? I don’t want to frighten him.”

  Mr. Ramsay smiled at Gael. “He has never shown fear about meeting new people.” He hesitated. “He just won’t respond.”

  “Autism?” Jake asked quietly, coming to stand behind Gael.

  “Fetal alcohol syndrome, but we think he might be on the autism spectrum also. Derrick is reasonably new here. He lived in a secure residential home after his mother gave birth. He was never returned to her, and she was found dead of an overdose when he was three. He’s been coming here daily for the past nine weeks, since his other day care place closed down.”

  Mr. Ramsay followed Gael, and Jake walked on the other side of him. “He has never presented with any ability that we are aware of. He has some hearing loss and is registered partially blind. He makes sounds when he is distressed but doesn’t speak, and we don’t know whether he can’t or simply won’t. Communication is the biggest challenge we face. We have been trying sign language but not very successfully. He loves it outside, and that’s where he was. The yard is totally secure.”

  “How did the bullies manage to get in, then?” Jake asked.

  Mr. Ramsay sighed. “We have a volunteer program from the main school. The idea is that kids come here to earn credits to participate in social and sport programs. They were here already, and it was only when we heard Derrick cry that we found the boys had taken his tablet and trapped him in the netting we cover the strawberries with.” He blew out a breath. “They were poking him with a stick through the netting.”

  Gael was already kneeling down in front of the boy and smiling, talking quietly. Mr. Ramsay tilted his head and looked at Jake. “Your colleague has some experience?”

  Jake smiled. “He’s something of a communication expert.” He scanned the room, taking in the brightly colored walls, the soft play area, the ball pit, and the piles of mattresses. “How many kids do you have?”

  Mr. Ramsay’s smile faltered slightly. “We have the room to take up to eight children a day, from five years upward, but half the week has been reduced to five because I’ve had to let some of our specialist staff go.”

  “Why?”

  “Funding. Our unit is incredibly expensive to run, and most of our kids don’t have parents to fight for them. Currently the state is arguing it would be more economical to move the entire unit to Miami, where there is a similar unit with double the space attached to a large pediatric facility. Obviously that would mean none of our current students could travel that distance on a daily basis.” Mr. Ramsay nodded toward Gael. “I think Derrick has found a friend.”

  Gael had sat down next to Derrick, but he didn’t seem to be doing anything.

  “Why?” Jake asked.

  “Because Derrick hasn’t turned away. He tends to put his back to people.”

  “What is he holding?” It was a small green plastic tablet that reminded Jake of his Kindle, except for the color.

  “It’s similar to a child’s version of an iPad. He came with it, holds it constantly, but it doesn’t work.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “At least it would work if it had batteries in, but every time we attempt to put them in, Derrick just takes them out. Even though they screw in, he eventually finds something he can undo them with. He just stares at the blank screen. We were worried it was unhealthy, but it’s really only like a comfort blanket or a teddy bear.”

  Talon came and stood by them, and Jake left them both talking and went to sit down by Gael and Derrick. He took in the small differences in the little boy. His eyes were small for his face, and his top lip was narrow and seemed to be a little out of proportion. His nose seemed short and his eyes were unfocused, but as Jake looked, he turned to Gael. Jake watched quietly as Gael tried to draw what looked like a circle on the back of Derrick’s hand. He guessed Gael was trying some sort of sign language. The movement was repetitive and gentle. Derrick didn’t look at Jake once; all his attention was riveted on Gael.

  Jake knew just how he felt.

  “I’m using tactile signing,” Gael said in acknowledgment of Jake sitting down on the mattress.

  “Because he’s partially blind as well,” Jake answered, understanding. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

  Gael glanced away from Derrick and over at Jake. “It’s kind of new.”

  Jake blinked. “Are you telling me you’ve just learned it, or are you telling me you just discovered you can?”

  The faint flush on Gael’s cheek was his answer, and Jake resisted the urge to exclaim oh shit or something like that. Based on what he had seen Talon and Sawyer do a few weeks ago, sign language was really nothing, and he hadn’t been joking when he had called Gael a communication expert. Finn had filled Jake in on all the things Gael could do with languages, which was good. He just wished Gael trusted him enough to tell him himself.

  Gael had stopped the repetitive movement on Derrick’s hand while he talked to Jake for a second, and Derrick suddenly made a low, distressed noise, almost a whine in the back of his throat. Gael immediately covered Derrick’s hand with his own, and Derrick subsided instantly.

  Gael’s fingers started again.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I started with hi, but now I’m spelling my name. What did Mr. Ramsay say about the LeapFrog?”

  “Huh?”

  Gael smiled. “The tablet. Does games, spelling, math, that sort of thing.”

  “He says it’s dead because Derrick won’t let anyone put batteries in.”

  “Wh
y?” Gael stopped again but kept his hand on Derrick’s.

  “They don’t know. He just takes them out.”

  Gael shrugged. “I might speak enhanced, but Derrick has a lot of other things going on. I wish I could get him to say hi. I don’t even know if he understands what I am signing.”

  Derrick made another guttural noise, and Gael immediately started signing again.

  “He seems to like that anyway,” Jake said, almost mesmerized by Gael’s long fingers. Then he nearly groaned himself and deliberately pushed the thought away before it could form.

  “Hi, Derrick,” Gael continued, speaking as he drew on the back of Derrick’s hand. “My name is Gael.”

  Nothing. Gael sighed in frustration, and Mr. Ramsay and Talon came over to them.

  “We have been trying tactile sign language for weeks and have never managed to get any response. He doesn’t usually like complete strangers touching him. We only have certain members of staff he allows to help him eat and go to the bathroom.” While they were watching, Derrick lifted his other hand to his face and traced the scar on his cheek.

  “He does that frequently as well,” Mr. Ramsay added.

  “Has he ever met any other enhanced?” Jake asked as a thought occurred to him.

  Mr. Ramsay blinked. “Do you know, I don’t think he has. He is certainly the only enhanced child here, and we have none at the main school or the residential home he lives at.”

  Jake fixed his eyes on Gael, willing him to understand what he didn’t want to say in front of Mr. Ramsay. “Maybe he needs to know he’s not so unusual,” Jake said carefully, feeling his way. He knew by Gael going very still he understood immediately what Jake was suggesting. Those blue eyes rested on his, almost pleading. Jake had watched Gael for weeks and knew his bravado only came with putting his uniform on. Knew he hated his scars.

  Jake held his breath as Gael looked down at Derrick. His right hand, the one nearest Gael that he had been touching the back of, was still clutching his plastic tablet. His left hand was fingering his scar. Gael took a breath and gently reached over and touched Derrick’s left hand. Derrick went still but didn’t pull away. Very slowly with barely any pressure, Gael drew Derrick’s hand toward his own cheek. Gael clamped his jaw as Derrick’s fingers rested on his scar. Derrick made a surprised noise in his throat. Gael dropped his hand slowly and stayed still as Derrick traced Gael’s mark. His fingers brushed the scarred skin under it, but Derrick never reacted to it or pulled away. Over and over his finger traced the mark on Gael’s face.

  Gael relaxed a little and then brought his other hand back to Derrick’s. “Hi. My name is Gael,” he spoke and signed.

  Jake wondered if he was the only one who heard the effort to hide the pain in Gael’s voice.

  The whir and bleep from the tablet in Derrick’s hand made him jump, and as Jake and Mr. Ramsay stared at the small tablet, words flashed across it. “Hi, Gael.”

  The biggest, heart-stoppingly beautiful smile Jake had ever seen broke over Gael’s face.

  Mr. Ramsay’s mouth fell open. “H-how?” He managed to stutter out what Jake was about to say.

  Derrick let his hand fall down and he gripped the small tablet tighter. Just then the doors at the back of the room opened and some ambulance drivers walked in.

  “It’s Derrick’s transport,” he said faintly.

  Gael immediately signed on the back of Derrick’s hand. “I promise I will come and see you as soon as I can,” he said out loud at the same time, and then he stood.

  Mr. Ramsay seemed to realize he was still standing openmouthed and hurried to organize the children going home.

  “EVERYTHING OKAY?” Talon asked as the other guys stepped up to Jake and Gael.

  Vance shrugged. He’d been sitting with the little girl in the wheelchair. Jake smiled. In the last few weeks, he had spent the most time with Vance and knew Vance’s shrug wasn’t because he was unaffected. It would have been the exact opposite.

  Jake was quiet as they drove back to the office, still stunned at what he had seen and completely unsure of whether to talk about it.

  “Derrick was able to power the tablet himself,” Gael said. “He only got a ‘Hi, Gael’ out, but the machine had no batteries in.”

  Jake held his breath, and after a few seconds, looked around at the other guys.

  Vance grinned. Finn nodded.

  “Good for him,” Talon said quietly.

  Jake took a breath, but he got it. Their abilities were amazing. Jake was sure he didn’t know everything they could do. Making a kid’s computer screen turn on by itself was merely a blip on their radar.

  “How much funding do they need do you think?” Finn asked suddenly.

  Jake smiled wryly to himself. He seemed to be the only one sitting in the car who was impressed at all.

  “I don’t know. Did he mention it to you, Talon?” Gael asked. Talon grinned, and Gael narrowed his eyes. “What are you planning?”

  “I have an aunt who’s a producer of a TV program called Double Standards.”

  Jake looked at Talon. “I’ve heard of that.” He couldn’t for the life of him remember where from, though.

  “Oh yes,” Vance exclaimed. “My mom loves that show.”

  “What is it?” Sawyer asked.

  “Well, each week they pick a deserving cause and give the family, supporters, whoever seven days to raise as much cash as they can, up to quarter of a million dollars,” Vance explained. “Whatever they raise, the program matches—hence Double Standards.”

  “Two hundred and fifty thousand is a great chunk of change, but I would imagine even that won’t go far for this place,” Jake said.

  “But the publicity they get from the program usually doubles, even triples it,” Vance said. “Long-term it’s a great thing. Talon, you gonna call her?” Vance and Finn immediately started plotting various fundraising ideas.

  “You know,” Vance said after another minute, “I bet my dad could get the guys down at the precinct in on this. They’re always up for a charity football match or something.”

  Jake let the chatter go on around him. The truck was warm, he was tired, and he was still trying to process what he had seen. He saw Gael rubbing his eyes once or twice and surreptitiously studied him. He had said there was something he wanted to tell him. Gael had mentioned asking everyone out for a drink after work, but to be honest, he looked beat and was struggling to keep his eyes open.

  When they got back to the office, Drew was talking to Cortes, and Jake quickly brought them both up to speed with the interview they had done with Mateo Huras. Gael continued explaining everything about Adero’s background and, more importantly, mentioned the incident with the dead ex-wife.

  “Jesus. That was Miriam Jenner. I worked that case.” Cortes was stunned. He glanced at everyone. “You think this has credibility? Seriously? It sounds like something off a bad sci-fi flick.”

  Gael sighed. “My life has been a bad sci-fi flick for eighteen plus years.”

  Cortes looked stricken. “I’m—”

  Gael waved his apology away. “Sorry, I’m a little wiped out.”

  Cortes excused himself and left, eager to follow up on what he had been told.

  “I hear the school was a false alarm?” Gregory said as he came into the room.

  Jake jumped in and praised Gael for how he’d clicked with Derrick, and said he had communicated with the boy using a child’s computer. He never mentioned the battery issue. Gael’s eyes were warm on his, and he struggled not to keep glancing at them.

  “They’re struggling for funds,” Vance said and explained their fundraising idea.

  “This is exactly the sort of thing we need for the team,” Gregory enthused. “Gael, maybe you and Drew can go back there tomorrow? I’m sure the department will want to get behind this.” He rubbed his hands eagerly and beamed at everyone, including Jake.

  Jake felt like he’d been kicked. He stepped back a little while Drew chatted with Gael, saying h
e wished he hadn’t been reading case files while all the excitement was happening. Jake stayed quiet. He knew if he opened his mouth, resentment would come flooding out. He wanted to be the one to go back with Gael tomorrow. Childish, pathetic, but….

  “Why don’t you go home?” Talon interrupted his thoughts, and Jake blinked, but Talon was looking at Gael, not him. “You can write up your report at home and send it in.” He looked around. “In fact, you all look beat. Let’s call it a day and see what turns up tomorrow.”

  Everyone stood, and Jake edged closer to Gael. “You might as well get a ride with me. I’m only five minutes away.”

  Gael looked startled, and Jake was willing to bet he’d never given his damaged truck another thought.

  They walked out mostly in silence. It was only a little after five, but Gael looked like he hadn’t slept properly. In fact, he looked like shit. If it wasn’t for some report Jake had read saying the enhanced didn’t get sick, he’d have said Gael was coming down with the flu or something.

  They headed for Jake’s battered pickup that he’d never gotten around to selling, and Jake opened the door. Gael got in and leaned back, blinking wearily. Jake tuned the radio to the soft jazz he liked, and he was willing to bet it wouldn’t take Gael more than a couple of minutes until both his eyes shut.

  Jake pulled up as the lights turned red and looked at Gael. Big guy, not huge like Vance, but definitely Talon’s size and bigger than Jake’s own five feet eleven. Jake worked out and liked to think he was in good shape, but he honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Gael could hold him down with one hand. He clamped his lips shut to stop himself groaning out loud and shivered, which was nuts, as it had been heat, not cold, that had rushed through his body. He wrenched his eyes away from Gael just as the light changed.

  Fifteen minutes later he pulled up outside Gael’s. The truck was still in the sorry state it had been this morning, but somehow he didn’t think their friendship was.

  Chapter Five