“Is Track working on this? I want in.”
“No he’s not.”
“Then who?” He turned from Mancini to me. “Are you working it alone sir? I want to help.”
“Why would you think that he’s working it alone? It’s a very sensitive matter that involves a lot of people not just Caitlin.”
“I don’t give a fuck, if you don’t let me work on this I won’t even spit on you if you’re on fire in the future. You can find someone else to work with Saunders’ team, I’m out.”
“”Where are you going kid?” I held back my laughter as he flew up from his chair. I don’t think I’d ever heard him swear before, and the way he looked at Mancini I was sure I was about to see some of that training Hank had paid for.
“I’m going to find Caitie, then I’m going to find out who these Friends of Alice are and whatever else is going on.”
“Sit down!” Mancini didn’t even look flustered when he gave the order. I guess he’s use to dealing with hotheads
The boy looked from him to me, and gave his head a little nod after he seemed to come to a decision. He dropped back into the chair looking pissed all to hell and refused to look in Mancini’s direction.
“Might I ask why you’re so mad at me? It’s not as if I put her in the book.” When did this fucker become a high born Englishman?
“I know you didn’t put her in the book but all this time I’ve been asking you if she was in danger. You had me going out there protecting other people while my girl is in trouble? That’s fucked up even for you.”
“And had I told you back then what you wanted to know, what would you have done?”
“I…” He opened and closed his mouth a few times before slumping back in his chair.
“Precisely, now sit back and listen…”
That had been the conversation the three of us had been having before they both left my office a little bit later. Just minutes before she walked in. I’d been sitting there bemoaning the fact that it felt like I was giving her away, like somehow I’d come to terms with the fact that she was no longer my little girl, and now this.
“Wait, what did you mean? You were mad at me and Todd said that I’d never hurt you? What did he say exactly?” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and pulled herself together.
“He just said that you must have your reasons for telling me no, because he knows how much you love me, he said you love me more than your own skin. He’s a really great guy daddy.” Yeah, I’m beginning to think so. Fuck!
CATALINA
I’m so mad! That uncle Hank came and messed up everything. It had taken me forever to get the right stuff and now I have to start all over again. I’d had to learn what type of wand daddy used to scan his room so that Nia could make something he couldn’t pick up, or not too easily anyway.
Then we’d just fiddled around with Bunny’s ID chip on his leash and added a few things so that when he moved around the house I could see and hear things on my computer, which I only did once I got home in the evening.
Now daddy knows everything, drats. Oh well, I’ll just have to come up with something else. I have to contact Nia and Lily as soon as possible and let them know about this. We were just in the middle of something too, something very important.
I wonder if Aunt Cierra would help? I nodded my head at the idea. Of course, aunt Cierra is the best person to ask. She works for the FBI after all. And besides, uncle Hank would just tell daddy again. Tattletale! Good thing everyone is so busy with their own thing, I can get back to what I was doing no problem.
But daddy hadn’t said much of anything come to think of it. That’s not like him; usually he’d sit me down on a chair in the den and lecture me to death for an hour or so. I use to not listen much, but then he started asking me to repeat everything he said, drats.
I snuck into my room with Bunny and closed the door. I’m not sure how much time I have before daddy remembers to take my computer, as I’m sure he will. I booted up and went in search of my friends. Not in the chat room of the gifted program, but in our own secret little place where we’d decided it would be best to do what we do with no one snooping around. Adults can be so tiring, sheesh.