Stealing Childhood

by Terry Persun

  The eight of them listened to Jason having dinner with his new workmates, who all sounded so completely normal that it surprised Dan. More than once, he wondered whether this was all a hoax, that Jason was just having dinner with some old friends. The impression was strong. Everyone seemed so cordial and polite. They asked a lot of questions about Jason’s life, and Dan recognized most of the answers. No one tested his ability to translate, not once. Toward the end of dinner, Jason asked some questions of them as well.

  Dan and the agents learned that two were doctors, one a nurse, and two others were lawyers. Five in all, two were women—one of the doctors and one of the lawyers. That information alone appeared to be more than they had collected the whole rest of the time they’d been on the case.

  All sounded as though they had prominent practices, although none used their real names. They used fake first names only, with the letter of the last name. In fact, they asked Jason to take on a pseudonym as well. They suggested, Jersey J. At the dinner, those attending never once mentioned anything about the job Jason was to perform.

  “We all agreed to sound like a bunch of rappers. You especially.” They all laughed.

  Dan turned toward Agent Mercer. “Did you get all their names?”

  “I think so,” he said.

  “How’d you get Jason inside, if you didn’t know these guys?” Dan asked.

  “Proxy,” Mercer said.

  One of the new agent translators got up for coffee then stood over Mindy while he sipped at it. The man kept looking down at her. Dan squirmed in his chair while watching the man. He wasn’t against admiring a good-looking woman, but the leering wasn’t quite appropriate in such close quarters. Besides, when he considered the job they were on…creepy. When he got the chance, Dan stood as though stretching his legs and the man backed off. Rafsky seemed not to notice.

  After dinner, Jason was shown to his room. One of the men said, “We’re glad you’re with us. Don’t worry, we’ll treat you well.”

  “Chuck-O, right?” Jason said.

  “You got it, Jersey J. It’s pretty easy to pick up once you’ve been working with us for a little while. It’s all just kinda fun. Sleep well.” They heard a slap, as though the man slapped Jason on the shoulder. “You’ve got the easy job, trust me.”

  “I appreciate the work,” Jason said before closing the door. “First a catered dinner in the board room and now a hotel-like bedroom,” he whispered.

  Agent Rafsky pushed a button in front of her. “Don’t talk with us. You can only talk to yourself and only what you might normally say. The room is most likely bugged.”

  That ended all conversation with Jason.

  They let one person listen in using headphones, as the rest of them sat around and talked. The men were all interested in Mindy, but Rafsky kept their inquiries to a minimum. “Leave her alone.” That’s all she had to say and the conversation got more general. No one really wanted to discuss the case, and Dan felt as though that was because of his and Mindy’s presence. Agent Blake took over listening in on what Dan could only guess was Jason getting ready to retire for the evening. Agent Rafsky dismissed the other translators. After they were gone, she turned to Mindy. “I’d like to request that you allow my people to translate most often. You can stand by in case they get into trouble. Does that work for you?”

  Dan was about to intervene when Mindy surprised them both by saying, “No.”

  Agent Rafsky’s head jerked back, her chin up, in surprise. “Excuse me?”

  “I said, ‘No,’ that doesn’t work for me. I believe that I’m working for this man.” She pointed toward Dan. I don’t take orders from you or any of your other monkeys.”

  “Then you can’t be here,” Rafsky said.

  Dan stepped in. “Interpretations can vary when you’re translating a language. She understands the nuances of my work—and might I remind you they have two shamans working for them as well. And Jason, who might also speak in images rather than simple words.”

  Agent Rafsky said, “We don’t know how they’re using the shaman. It’s just something Richard told you. It might not be true. How would he know? They weren’t even introduced to Jason, so they can’t be that important in the operation.”

  “They’re more important than those guys at dinner could possibly know,” Dan said.

  Agent Rafsky made a face and started to turn away.

  Mindy reached for her arm, barely touching it. “It’s not what they believe, but what the girls believe.”

  Agent Rafsky lowered her gaze to her arm, and Mindy backed her hand away. “I don’t like it.”

  “We understand,” Dan said.

  “For now. But only until I say otherwise.” Agent Rafsky reached into her purse and pulled out a key and handed it to Mindy. “In the meantime we secured you a room down the hall. You two can both go if you’d like. We’ll take shifts monitoring Jason and call when things start happening again.”

  Mindy accepted the key and said her goodbyes.

  “I’ll stay for a while,” Dan said.

  Agent Rafsky nodded her approval. “I understand.” She turned back to Agents Blake and Mercer. “One of you can leave until around four.”

  Agent Blake was still wearing the headset and nodded toward Agent Mercer to go, which he promptly did.

  It was just the three of them. Dan sat down again and placed an elbow on the table. He looked up at Cora. “So, why have you been trying to keep me away from all this?”

  She smiled, which was not a common event. “I don’t believe in what you do. That’s all. I don’t want this screwed up.” She nodded toward the equipment. “Your son being in there is bad enough for me. He’s not trained. He’s not one of ours. But I have to do something with you two or I’ll be reprimanded. This was my best compromise.”

  “Just because you don’t believe doesn’t mean what we do doesn’t work.” Dan got up and walked over to the window. “You’re okay with putting him in danger, though.”

  “You brought him with you.”

  “What about me?”

  “Sorry, Dan, but you’re too old. You heard them at dinner. They’re all rather young and appear to think this is fun and games, and that they can’t be caught.”

  “You don’t even know who they are, do you?”

  “Too early,” she said. “But with what we got tonight…”

  “I thought you’ve been on the case for a while?”

  “Not this particular part of it.” She appeared nervous with his questions.

  “Entrapment isn’t legal,” he said, giving her a break. “I suspect that’s why they have two lawyers in the group.” He put his feet on one of the empty chairs. “Why do they need lawyers and doctors for prostitution or a trafficking ring?”

  “Why don’t you meditate on it,” she said sarcastically.

  Dan smiled at her then dropped his feet back to the floor, leaned forward, and reached out to place his hand on Agent Blake’s shoulder. “Call me the first sign of anything going on.” He stared at Agent Rafsky for a moment, then got up and walked toward the door.

  “You’re not going to want to leave yet,” Agent Blake said. He flipped a switch on a panel in front of him. Through a small speaker, Dan heard a knock at Jason’s door. “Your son appears to have a late-night visitor.”

  “One moment,” Jason said. They heard some rustling before the door opened. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Shush.” The door clicked closed. “I can’t believe you’re here either. What are you thinking?”

  Dan turned to Agent Rafsky. “Koko!”

  Rafsky shrugged. “We knew she was there.” She sat next to Agent Blake, while Dan sat on Blake’s other side.

  “Are you going to tell them?” Jason asked.

  “No.”

  “Aren’t they listening to us now?”

  “They’re not the FBI,” she scoffed. “They don’t tap every room you’re in. I don’t know if they’d know how, or care to. But I kn
ow you must be wired.”

  “No I’m not,” Jason said. “Hey, what are you doing?”

  They heard drawers opening and closing. “You didn’t bring much,” Koko said.

  “Forget that. What are you doing here and why aren’t you going to tell them? What’s going on? There’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “I’m working with the Council.”

  “What Council?” Jason asked. “Oh, that Council. You mean Dad’s friend?”

  “We can stop this using our own methods. The FBI causes more trouble than they help.”

  “You still have the tourmaline necklace Dad gave you.”

  “Protection, right?”

  “Look, I’m here, so I need to do what I’m told. Do what I came here to do. I can help,” Jason said.

  “Don’t do anything, that would help. We can handle this.”

  “We? You and Richard? Or are there more?”

  “I’m Sarah Running Deer. I’m not seventeen, and I’m not Koko. I’m twenty-seven.”

  “You don’t look—”

  “Spare me the compliment. Look, stay low and do nothing stupid. Let us handle this. If you do anything, just do the translations and stay out of our way.”

  Agent Rafsky put her hands on her hips and turned toward Dan. “You knew this.”

  Dan shook his head. “Not at all.”

  “I should have you arrested.”

  “Seriously, Richard never said a word to me. I would never have guessed…” But he knew he should have guessed; he just didn’t want to believe it. He could have kicked himself for not figuring it out when Richard showed concern about Sarah.

  “How can he allow his own daughter…” Agent Rafsky stopped herself from finishing. “I wouldn’t.” She swung away from Dan in a huff, then turned back again. “Are you all like this?”

  “Like what?”

  “Willing to put your children in harm’s way?”

  “First of all, they’re not children.”

  She ignored him and turned away again.

  Agent Blake slammed the table with his palm. “Knock it off, you two. We need to listen to this conversation.”

  “You’re taping it aren’t you?” Cora said.

  Blake went back to his duties, but didn’t look happy about it.

  Dan shook his head and lowered his eyes. First, he’s told to stop pandering to his son’s needs and protecting him and a moment later he’s reprimanded for allowing Jason to go into harm’s way. The world was crazy. The people around him crazy.

  And he didn’t fit in. He had always known that.

  He waved a hand at Rafsky and walked toward the window. He needed to breathe. He needed to think. First the FBI appeared to be blocking him, then Richard lied, and now his son was inside the hornet’s nest with a fake prostitute and two shamans no one has even met. He swung around, saw that Cora was about to say something, and threw up both hands as though giving up. But he wasn’t giving up. “Enough of your bullshit and your slow progress. I’ve got to find out what’s going on.” He tapped Blake’s shoulder.

  The man looked up at Dan while holding the headsets close to his ears. He pulled one away.

  “Anything important, yet?” Dan asked.

  “Not now. She left. But when they were talking it was all in some code language, about Moose and Snake, and Mouse and Crow, as though they were the names of people.

  “Play it back,” Dan said while reaching toward a headset lying on the table.

  Chapter 17

  Dan listened to the conversation while Agent Rafsky paced. When he was through, he headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?” she yelled after him. “You can’t go there.”

  He stopped and gave her a strange look on purpose. “Of course I can’t. I’m going to journey.”

  “Do it here. I want you in sight at all times.”

  “You don’t trust me.”

  “That’s been established.”

  “But you don’t believe in what I do, so what would it matter?”

  She stood stoic and proud in front of him.

  “Fine. You can walk with me to my room. I want a drum.” He opened the door and Agent Rafsky rushed out behind him as he walked down the hall. “Blake will contact you if anything goes on?”

  “Yes?” she said.

  “Good.” Dan got to his room, opened the door, and stepped inside, threw on a light switch, and grabbed his drum. He sat in the stuffed chair.

  “Back in the surveillance room,” she said.

  “Not on your life. I’m going to journey where I won’t be disturbed.” He pushed up into an erect position. “You can leave or stay, but be quiet.” He took a deep breath and raised the drumstick.

  Agent Rafsky reached toward him. “I’ll do that for you.”

  “You don’t know how.”

  “I’ve listened in on your journeys often enough, I think I can match the rhythm.” She waved her hand in a circle to get him to give her the stick.

  “It’s a heartbeat rhythm,” Dan said while handing the drum and stick over. “Think of it that way. I mean it. While drumming you think of my heartbeat. And relax first.” He stood and reached for her shoulders. Gripping them softly. “Let your arms become relaxed, your shoulders and neck flexible.” He rubbed her shoulders and down her arms to her wrists. The tension eased. When he looked up, their eyes met. She stared at him. For a moment he felt something between them, an indescribable emotion. “Take a deep breath.” He watched as her body adjusted to his words. It was that easy. He moved her over. “Sit on the edge of the bed. Good,” he said softly. You’re going to drum for about fifteen minutes then you’re going to stop for two heartbeats, just two. After that, you’re going to drum in three sets of four beats with pauses between them. Finally, you’ll do the callback, drumming as fast as you can for about ten to fifteen seconds. Then stop. Do you have it?”

  “I do,” she said softly.

  “Don’t close your eyes. You may want to fall asleep, and I need you to be alert. Stand if you have to, look out the window, wander around the room. Just don’t sleep. And don’t stop in the middle for any reason whatsoever. Nothing. You have to bring me back.”

  “I’ve got it.” Her voice had a slight edge to it.

  Dan smiled at her. She meant what she said. She could do it. He sat in the stuffed chair. “Begin.”

  He fell into a theta, then delta state almost immediately, like walking down a few steps. He landed in a forest, but could easily see sky through the foliage, which meant a large clearing wasn’t far. As he walked forward, a branch lowered in front of him. “Looks like I’m going to the upper world today.” It had been awhile and made him feel satisfied inside, free. He climbed the branch, crossed other branches that appeared, and out over the vast and blue ocean. Below him water splashed upon a sandy beach. The air felt tropical, even though the trees didn’t look so. What a pleasant day. He scanned the distance and saw gray whales breaking the surface of the water, rolling their bodies forward, and dipping below the surface again. Then one breached. Then several more. They were playing.

  Dan had the urge to visit them. In a journey he could do anything, so he dived from the tree into the depths of the ocean and swam toward the whales. There were three, and they dove deeply. He followed. As the water became darker, he asked for a guide. One of the whales responded by slowing and swimming with him. “Where are we going?”

  “Deeper,” the wale responded without a word.

  “Why?”

  No answer came.

  Because journeying leaves you conscious, Dan heard a ruckus in his room, some knocking, then whispering. He blocked it out, not wanting to break the journey for any reason. He had experienced such a break of focus before and it had never worked out for him. He’d missed information, gotten into more trouble, misinterpreted his situation. So he held onto his state, pushing the physical world further back from consciousness.

  As they approached the bottom of the ocean, h
e could barely see. But what he saw shocked him. Before he could register the image and what it meant, the drumming stopped and the return began. He was far underwater, too far. Something had gone wrong. He turned toward the gray whale and it leaned its back toward him. He had trouble breathing and realized where he was—below the surface of the ocean, running out of air. He lay across the whale’s back as it swam quickly toward the surface. Dan felt as though he was about to black out. He could hear himself moaning. The whale, his guide, swam dangerously close to the beach. It surfaced, and Dan took a long gasp as he rolled into the water. He still needed to swim, not far, before he could stand. He was out of breath but took a moment to thank the whale and watch as it wiggled its way back into the ocean. He ran ashore and into the woods, not quite where he had started when the drumming stopped.

  His breathing remained heavy as he opened his eyes.

  Rafsky was kneeling near the chair. “You were choking and moaning, then breathing heavily for the last minute.”

  “I was drowning,” Dan said. “What’s happening with Jason?”

  “How did you know something happened?” Rafsky asked.

  Agent Blake stood behind her and poked his head around.

  “What the fuck?” Dan said. “Who’s monitoring?”

  “Being recorded,” Cora said. “You’d better come with us.” She had set the drum on the bed and was heading out the door.

  Dan jumped from the chair and stepped right in behind her. Blake was ahead of them both. Cora asked Dan again, “How did you know?”

  “I didn’t. Or I was told somehow. He was in my journey, lying at the bottom of the ocean.”

  She stopped in her tracks. “What?”

  “Dead,” Dan said. “We’ve got to get him out of there.”