I looked at him. Actually, I looked slightly down at him. They were not tall men. Sinewy, muscled, hard and lean. Dangerous. He looked over at Diego and gave me one last parting comment, "That one will transgress again."
I nodded. No shit.
I glanced briefly at Jade, who was standing by Sophie and John. Safe and uninjured. At least there was that.
I walked to the lawn, three eruptions of dirt and the meat of the earth splattered in crumpled bits around the lawn. They walked over to their respective places and like candy in tubes, stood over the holes. The ground rippled under their feet, the push of my power reversing, flowing over their bodies, the mingling of the surge finding their resonating signatures. They shot down into their graves like torpedoes, honing in on a signal only they could track.
And me.
CHAPTER 11
The medics piled Diego in the back of the ambulance and off he went in a wash of blue and red lights, bursting from a strobe on top of the vehicle.
"Have you pulsed the parents?" Garcia asked Gale.
"Yes."
He nodded, notepad open, pen poised. "Okay, Mr. O'Brien, can you start from the top and give me the total run down one more time?"
Gramps sighed, going over the whole episode again.
Jade and Sophie were by the gate, handing out candy for the trick-or-treaters. Carson's group, including Buddy and a beat-up Christi were being interrogated by Gale. Christi's attention was caught up in Tiff, shooting her dirty looks about every three seconds.
Finally, with the interviews over and the candy gone, Garcia herded the group together. Archer hung back as far as he could get away with, warily gazing at Carson and Crew.
"Here it is," he said as he looked at Carson. "One more altercation instigated by you or any one of the kids you run with and it will be jail time. You're of emancipated age, correct?" Garcia said, not really asking.
"Yeah," Carson answered, sullen.
Garcia let the silence stretch out until Carson responded with a little more enthusiasm, his eyes dropping from Garcia's.
Garcia went over, in detail, his rights as an Emancipated Adult. The days of eighteen being the Big One were over. Now, if you transgressed illegally, you could have your ass hauled in and thrown in the old slammer.
Carson was skirting that fine edge. He was about ready to be screwed out of a get-out-of-jail-free card. That was the one Garcia talked about last year. I think my understanding had caught up with that.
Gramps looked at Archer and said caustically, "Looks like I'm going to be headed down to that courthouse again."
Lewis raised a brow.
"Restraining orders." He looked around at the assembled jerks, his eyes flicking to Christi again and that garnered a smirk, she glared back, one eye swelling shut as I watched. "Several restraining orders."
"Do you think that's really necessary, Mr. O'Brien?" Garcia asked. Then he added, "I think they will think twice about coming on your property again."
"I think this group are slow learners. They may need The Solution."
Garcia's brows came down above his eyes in a thud. "What does that mean?" he asked slowly.
"What it means is I would then be in a position of strength." His eyes landed on Carson. "That's right, ya candy ass. The next time you think you can take on my old ass, you better have more than those two hands and an attitude. If you set foot on my property, I'll have the proper paperwork to back up my solution."
Carson said, "Yeah, my dad will take care of you. Even I know you're breaching all kinds of environmental crap here." He swung his hand out at the extensive environmental rejection of Gramps' property.
Gramps gave the first grin since the cops showed up. "He can try. I cross my T's and dot my I's. As Caleb would say, bring it."
Huh.
Garcia frowned. "Do I want to ask what The Solution is?"
Mom moaned in the background and Garcia's frown deepened.
"Nope. But everything I got is a-okay. Cleared. Legal-for-me-to-possess. So no worries." Gramps shrugged then turned his attention to Carson. "Leave. Now."
Garcia nodded. "Go ahead and go home. Now, just because you're emancipated does not mean that your parents, as guardians, will not be notified of this incident. That you keep cropping up as a perpetrator does not bode well for you, Mr. Hamilton. But," he tapped his notepad, flipping it shut and pushing it into the chest pocket of his uniform, "you did show some restraint with not using your Pyrokenetic ability."
Everyone's eyes swung to me. I could feel the heat in my face and was totally grateful for the night that would hide my embarrassment. Jade had moved up quietly behind me, slipping her small hand into mine. My shoulders relaxed, her presence comforting.
"This will be your second strike too, Caleb." My mouth dropped open. How could this be? I hadn't done jack. These idiots had come here to Gramps' and started all the shit. As usual.
Mom rushed forward. "Just you wait a second," her eyes flashed and she raised her finger at Garcia and Gale came forward, circumventing whatever rant Mom had been going to start.
"We are aware of the history here, Mrs. Hart." When Mom opened her mouth again, Gale continued in the pause, "But he already has a strike against him. He is willing to use. That means that when an altercation happens... "
"We know what it means, Officer Gale," Dad said, obviously pissed, Mom pressed against his side. "As long as you remember how I responded to last year's gang-beating of Caleb." His eyes met the cops and Garcia flinched a little at the intense eye contact. "These boys have established a trend. They beat this boy," Dad paused and indicated Lewis. "Four boys against one. Not great odds. About the same odds that Caleb endured."
Tiff snapped and crackled a bubble about five hundred times, drilling the still air like a woodpecker. "Don't forget that 'ho, Christi."
Mom slapped her forehead and Gramps got the crooked mouth. I did too. That Tiff.
"Yes, thank you Miss Weller for your information," Garcia said, looking at Christi's pulverized face. He sighed.
Bry crossed his arms and said, "That Diego's gonna be gunning for Tiff."
"Yes, Officer Garcia, what assurance can you offer, Caleb?" John asked and Dad smiled.
Brody snickered and Christi laughed. I guess being smart was a big amusement for the siblings.
Jonesy was on it. "Sibling IQ still in effect, Dumb Ones."
Nice. I gave him a knuckle bump.
Brody's hands clenched into fists. "Shut up, Jones."
Jones folded his arms in front of his chest. "Make me."
"Okay!" Garcia yelled over the guy's posturing. "I am not going to call back up. Because, if I do, everyone is going to spend the night in the cell!"Helen did a sound in the back of her throat. "I have an infant here, I'm not going anywhere. The police station is full of germs."
"Go mom," Jonesy said, the sarcasm ringing like a dull bell.
Gale smiled. "Listen, I think this whole thing can be toned down a notch if all the uninvited guests leave and the invited participants remain. We have begun the paperwork with the strikes duly noted. You all have been put on notice and know where your standing is with the law. One more strike and it's," she made her finger do a swipe against her throat in the universal slice gesture. "Got it?"
Gramps raised a hand. She called on him like we were in a classroom. Outside in the dark, on Halloween.
Yeah right.
"Yes, Mr. O'Brien?"
Gramps legs were spread and his arms folded over a barrel chest, his gut a thing that'd be on a thirty-eight year old. An in-shape one. "Yeah, when are these jack-wagons going to get their butts off my property?"
"We're going old man," Carson said with a smirk, Gramps glowered not even realizing he'd made a move toward him when my dad said, "Mac," Gramps turned to him, "just let the police escort them out."
Gramps looked at Mom, then me. "Fine, but be quick about it. I'm not known for my patience."
Ya think?
Garcia herded everyone off Gramps' property and we filed back to the fire. With a poke, prod and a few more chunks of wood, it blazed back to life and we sat back down in the loose circle of assorted seats.
There was a long silence in which Gramps broke it with, "I don't abide fools gladly," he said slowly, palming his chin.
Dad and Mom sat perched on a log bench, quiet. Finally Mom, because she couldn't help herself said, "I'm starting to feel like we can't protect Caleb, Pops."
Dad looked a little miffed and she put a finger over his lips. "It's not that you couldn't protect us if you had to. But," she spread her hands away from her body, "you work and I'm at home."
She didn't say the obvious thing. Last year, Jade's loser dad had flung his drunken ass at the house, manhandled Mom and hit Jade. I could kinda see her point. Clyde had come in and cleaned things up. Been thorough about it too.
Gramps stabbed the fire with a metal stick, twisted and smooth with age, having roasted a thousand marshmallows. He looked up at her, all the teens eyes on him. "Listen up Peanut. Caleb is a good boy, but he's got a streak of bad in him," he swiveled to look at me. Just the truth, that look told me. Then his attention came back to Mom. "He will do what needs doin'. He doesn't need me, or you, or Kyle. He's got a battalion at his disposal. Didn't you tell me on the phone that Clyde has been hanging around the house?"
I could see Mom gulp by the firelight. "Yes," she said reluctantly.
Helen's brows arched. "Are you kidding me, Ali? You have a corpse, what... as part of the family?"
"It's complicated, Helen," Dad interjected.
This was so uncomfortable. My friends all looked at me. Jade already knew and squeezed my side where her arm rested.
"I'll put him back!" I said loudly, defensive.
"Hey man, far be it from me to discourage you from having a pet corpse around," Jonesy said, his hand over his heart in sincerity.
Brother, gee thanks for that.
I sighed loudly. "He's not a pet, Jones."
"He's something," John said and Alex nodded, rubbing his shoulder where it hurt from grappling with the dorks.
"He's like a bodyguard," Bry said and Gramps smiled like, exactly.
Gramps slapped his knee and Jade jumped with a squeak.
"Jumpy," Tiff said, popping another bubble and Mom gave her The Look. Tiff saw and chucked the gum into the fire. "Fine. It was gettin' old anyway."
Amused, Gramps continued with his thoughts, "You know, maybe Caleb shouldn't... put Clyde back. Ever."
"Wait a second, Mac," Dad said. "That's not even a remote possibility."
Gramps' eyes narrowed. "Is there a law, Kyle?"
Dad paused, not answering immediately and I saw John's eyebrows shoot up. Dad was usually pretty glib on the rebuttal.
"No. But it doesn't make it right."
"Right for who?" Sophie said. "As I see it, with everything that's happened," she shrugged, "it seems safer."
"Furthermore," Gramps gave a vicious stab at the fire with his poker, "I'm thinkin' Caleb movin' in with me for a time may be safer for everyone."
Mom's eyes got big. "No Pops. I don't want him to not live with his family. Split up. I'm sorry, that's a bad idea."
Onyx wagged his tail and leaned into Gramps. He liked the idea, I could tell.
Gramps looked at Mom and Dad steadily. "I am family. He can drive to school." He shrugged.
My friends and Jonesy's parents were quiet.
Finally, Dad said, "If things get unsafe, like before, we may take you up on it." He looked at the assembled group. "But I do not foresee that inevitability, after all we're plumb out of serial killers and the Graysheets have cooled their jets so what could happen?"
Death Intent and Astral Projection attackers, that's what.
I exchanged a long look with the J's and Jonesy looked ready to ignite a verbal firestorm when I said, "Thanks for the offer, Gramps. I think I'll hang with the Parents a little longer."
He clapped me on the back and my ass moved forward an inch. "Good deal, kiddo. I got your back."
Yeah he did.
He and Clyde.
CHAPTER 12
"Okay, I gotta ask, ya dick... where's the wheels?" Jonesy asked. He went on before I could respond, "I was fully expecting a ride home today. A chauffeured ride. You've wrecked my potential for coolness today."
Like anyone was capable of that.
I crammed my backpack in my locker after jerking out the pulse-reader. I had synced all my classes finally and now I could thumb them and be prepared for subjects. A totally alien concept until this year. Something I learned from Terran when I wasn't zoning out while he was extolling the virtues of academia. God. Just shoot me.