Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

JJ

Aziza arrived shortly after lunch, and we sat in the living room. Shep brought drinks and some snacks to them just in case. I could tell he was nervous. Angel and Shep wanted to stay in the room, but Aziza said she'd ask Four. It was his session, his recovery, and therefore his choice. I imagined he didn't get many of those.

"Four, before we begin, would you like it to just be the two of us, or are you okay with anyone else being in here?"

Four looked at me first and I tried to appear encouraging; then his attention was on Angel and Shep.

"I…it's okay if they stay." He stammered, which was new, so I took his hand.

"It's your choice, Four. No one here will be upset if you ask us to leave."

He regarded me for a beat, and then his shoulders relaxed. "I'm okay if you three stay."

Aziza nodded. "Very well." She turned to Angel and Shep. "I'll ask you both to keep quiet while Four and I talk unless he addresses either of you. Stay out of his eye line for now as well. Four?" She faced him again. "Like yesterday, you and I will have a conversation. If you have questions, please ask."

"Okay."

She smiled. "Great. Now, I know we talked yesterday about your earliest memory, but I wanted to dig a little into some things that have been rattling around in my brain overnight."

"Okay."

"Did you have parents? A mom or dad? Maybe a guardian?"

Four tilted his head in confusion. "I have never called anyone those words."

That would be a no. I saw Shep from where I sat, and his fists were clenched. Angel was stoic and just listened.

"Did you ever hear anyone mention parents?"

Four's eyes traveled the room, as if he were either thinking or maybe contemplating how to answer.

"Once. A boy. He said he wanted to go home. He was whipped for that."

Angel was narrowing his eyes while Shep got redder by the moment.

"Home. What's home to you, Four?" Aziza scribbled on her notepad.

"I don't know."

"Would you say that being here with JJ and the others feels like what home might be like?"

Again, he took his time answering. "Maybe. I like it here."

"I'm glad you do. Feeling safe is a luxury many people take for granted. Do you agree?"

Four shrugged.

"Four. I need to ask you a hard question, but if you're not ready to answer it just say pass, okay?"

"Okay."

Aziza took a deep breath as if she were bracing herself for the answer.

"What were you trained for with the Alabastrine Consortium? What job did you have?"

Four flinched when Aziza said "Alabastrine Consortium," and I realized that it was the first time she'd said the name out loud. The last time we'd outright asked about them, he'd gone feral. This time he didn't.

"I'm not allowed to talk about that."

"I understand that's what you were told, Four. I don't want you to say anything today that makes you uncomfortable. We're all just trying to find the best way to help you and to do that, I have to ask the hard questions."

After he still didn't say anything, Aziza motioned for me to interject. Right…uhm.

"Four?"

He turned his head, broken eyes staring at me.

"I know they said you can't talk. They told you a lot of things that weren't true. Here, in this house, you're safe to say anything you want. No one will punish you, no one will shout or take something away from you. We want to know so we can help you. No matter how impossible you think our help is, we are going to try. Our best bet to win this is to have all the facts. Will you please help us?"

Four didn't look away from me for a few seconds; then he blinked as if he'd come to a conclusion. He faced Aziza again.

"The boys in the Alabastrine Consortium are trained to be weapons to do their bidding. We are taught how to fight, withstand torture and severe environmental conditions. We must learn the manuals set before us to know the crimes others commit so that we might be able to inform the wrongdoers as judgment is set upon them."

Wow, that was the most he'd ever said in one go.

"Thank you, Four." Aziza's grin didn't reach her eyes. How could it? This consortium was made up of monsters that raised children to become weapons.

"What of the girls?" Aziza spoke softly.

"I don't know. I only saw one once. She was taken to the pink house."

Shep and Angel were whispering to each other, and Angel was texting. I was sure it was in our group chat to keep everyone informed of what was happening. Aziza wrote something and moved on.

"Yesterday you told us how you were allowed to talk as a reward with sweets, right?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever talk other times, maybe with some of the boys?"

"Some boys did."

"What sort of things did they say?"

"Wanted to leave. Cried. Some asked for hugs."

As if there were any part of my heart that wasn't broken, another crack formed.

"I think we'll stop here today, Four. How did you sleep last night?"

He lifted a shoulder. "What you gave me let me sleep."

"Would you like to sleep again tonight, Four?"

He'd been staring at the floor, but he looked up at Aziza and nodded.

"Okay. I'll leave it with JJ to give to you tonight, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Aziza left and there was no question Four was exhausted or at least mentally drained. So I put a couple of brownies on a plate with a big glass of cold milk and set him up in the fluffy chair in the TV room. He favored cartoons, I'd found out. Probably because he didn't know any cartoon monsters, and they were as far from his reality as possible.

I joined Shep and Angel in the kitchen, where Shep was prepping a pot roast for dinner.

"What were you two whispering about in there?"

Angel answered. "Aside from how fucked up that place was, he said ‘the pink house,' and I know of one place, a Victorian house. It's Pepto-Bismol pink and obnoxious. I sent a text to the twins to look into it, but honestly, with all they have on their plate, I don't know if they'll get to it before it matters."

I snorted. "I'm sure they were grateful for the added work."

We all laughed because the twins' frustrations were great amusement for us.

At dinner we filled in Gabe and Mason on everything that had happened. Four ate, and then I gave him his pill and followed him to his room. I sat on the bed while he changed, no longer needing help. And when he slipped under the covers, he took my hand.

"I didn't say anything today to Aziza. But at night, in the quiet, I would talk to myself. I'd make wishes."

"What kinds of wishes?" I whispered in the silence of the room, not wanting to shatter the peace.

"I'd wish for a brother. I knew that word. One kid mentioned he had one at the home. Sounded nice." He squeezed my hand tighter. "Maybe you can be my brother."

I leaned down and hugged him with everything I had. "Absolutely, Four. I'd be honored."

After he fell asleep, I slipped out of the bedroom and into the living room, where everyone was sitting and talking. One thing Four said had gotten me thinking.

"I may know where they're getting the kids."

"How?" Mason asked.

"Something Four told me just now. One of the boys talked about a brother he had at the home. Is it possible the consortium is adopting kids and bringing them in to be these weapons and whatever the girls are?"

Noel groaned. "Come on, Nick. Break's over, now we gotta dig into orphanages."

"This is bullshit." Nick stood. "When this is all over, you're all being taught computer skills."

I didn't say anything, but I silently hoped we'd all be here when this was over.