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There was a brief two-second pause. “I just got a call from Shore Elementary. New kid seems to have transformed overnight but tried to hide it. Asa Cassidy, ten years. Came to school with a bandage on his face. Said he’d gotten burned, but the teacher didn’t like it and sent him to the school nurse. Asa said his foster-mom bandaged it this morning and just sent him.”
“What does the foster-mom say?”
“They can’t get hold of her. Can you come for back-up because apparently he’s got two brothers here as well, neither transformed, and one’s kicking off. The principal is threatening to call the cops, and Sawyer’s off on that course in Orlando.”
“Right away. Richard’s with me. I’ll bring him,” he said into his phone. Finn agreed, sounding relieved.
“Finn’s got a school situation and needs help.” Richard followed Talon out.
It was nearly another thirty minutes with school traffic before they got to Shore Elementary. Talon sighed at the three police cars and the two ambulances. Once they showed their IDs though, they were immediately allowed access.
They were met by the principal, who told them Agent Mayer was in the classroom with all three kids and had said no one else was allowed in there until his partner got there. He took Richard with him, and they were escorted to a classroom that was currently surrounded by at least seven cops, all with their guns drawn. Shore Elementary was in a district that had a new commander, and infuriatingly, it was one that didn’t seem to have any of Vance’s brothers working in it. He glanced at Richard. “Can you call the captain and get them to stand down a little?” At least until he found out what the fuck was going on.
Richard nodded and stepped away. Talon took a step toward two of the cops only for both to raise their weapons. Talon paused. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he snapped out. “Can’t you see the huge-ass badge around my neck?”
The younger of the two immediately reddened and lowered his gun, stammering apologies. The second cop didn’t move a muscle, just drawled. “I don’t work for you.”
Talon knew two things. One, this Schwarzenegger wannabe was an asshole. Two, if Talon got himself shot and missed the wedding, Finn was likely to finish off whatever the bullet didn’t achieve. He was saved from making a bad decision by footsteps. “Corporal,” a voice snapped out. “Lower your weapon. Agent Valdez has full access.” Talon didn’t look at the sergeant behind him even though he appreciated it. He wasn’t about to take his eyes off the asshole.
“Sir,” the corporal acknowledged and stood aside but his eyes burned into Talon’s.Wonderful.
“The bigger boy trashed the classroom,” the younger cop said. “We were called because there’s a possibility he has a weapon, but Agent Mayer invoked the enhanced regs since he was here first. We were told to wait here while they got hold of the social worker.”
Talon nodded, opened the door, and walked through, closing it behind him. He was met with what looked like the angriest little boy he’d ever seen, and considering most of the angry ones he’d seen had a scar and could do quite a lot of damage, that was saying something. The younger one, Henry, looked tiny huddled next to his brother. Talon knew Henry was eight. Finn was sitting on the floor next to another boy with the same mark on his face that Talon had. He was immediately struck by his gorgeous black skin and hazel-green eyes. Very unusual. His tear-swollen eyes were matched by the puckered skin on his cheek. It looked red and angry. He didn’t remember his hurting, but it had itched like crazy. Talon immediately bent his legs to get down on the floor, but Finn stopped him. “Asa needs to go to the bathroom. Can you stay here until we get back?”
Talon nodded and they left. The remaining boy was Asa’s older brother, Elijah. They weren’t twins but because there was only eight months between them, they were in the same school year. Elijah had just turned eleven, but he looked much older, bigger certainly. Apparently, they also had a baby sister who was nearly five months. Mom was an alcoholic who wasn’t interested in drying out. Providing food for her kids was a theoretical concept.
She sobered up enough to go to church once in a while and get food donations, but from what was on file, one of the social workers thought she was selling the food. From the brief details Richard had read out on their way over, this cycle had been going on for years. She’d drink, the kids would get taken away, she’d find Jesus briefly enough to get them back and then it would happen all over again. No dad or dads were in the picture.
Apparently their latest foster home was one of the only private ones willing to take all four kids. Not that they’d been able to contact either of the foster parents.
“I just wanted to see Asa,” Elijah said, defensively. “The teacher sent him to the nurse and wouldn’t let me go with him. When he got back he said the cops were coming. I won’t let them lock him up.”
Talon nodded and put his back to the wall, sliding down it. “Firstly, no one’s locking Asa up. The cops were called because you lost your temper and they’re frightened you’ll hurt him.”
Elijah scoffed. “Hurt him? I’m the only one protecting him.”
“Because of this?” He gestured to his face for the second time that day.
Elijah didn’t answer the question, but said, “Why does him getting that mean he has to go to a different place?”
He wished he knew.
But then again he didn’t know he would have to as they still hadn’t spoken to the foster parents. “You’re worried you’re going to be split up again?” It was true that four was a lot and the baby would practically be fought over if put up for adoption. Henry too. This little angry guy and Asa? Not so much. Talon’s jaw clenched.
“Nurse sent him back in here without the bandage on.”
Talon wanted to rage himself. He could imagine the reaction.
“I don’t want us to be split up, but I want them safe.”
Talon thought about this. Finn was far better at this than he was, and he thought Elijah was trying to tell him something, but he didn’t know what.
“Do you have a weapon?” Talon asked. “I can’t allow my partner to bring Asa back in here if you do.” He didn’t think Elijah wanted to hurt him at all, but the fact was, he’d threatened a teacher. Whatever happened to the rest of them, Elijah wouldn’t be going home with his brothers today.
“How do I know you aren’t lying?”
“You don’t,” Talon said simply knowing he hadn’t answered the question. “But the cops out there won’t let this go on indefinitely.” He was lucky they’d waited this long.
