The Strength of His Heart

by Victoria Sue

  Dominic’s eyes rounded. “You don’t have to sit on the floor.”

  Vance grinned. “It’s fine. I don’t want to break your chair.”

  The blue eyes deepened with a little humor.

  “You don’t have lessons?” He nodded to the two other boys in the common area. Vance thought they all were about the same age.

  Dominic shook his head. “I’m allowed one book a day.”

  Which sounded very odd to Vance. “What’cha reading?”

  Dominic showed him the book. “Advanced Latin.”

  “Looks Greek to me,” Vance deadpanned.

  “No, it’s—” Dominic snapped his mouth closed as he got the joke and blushed.

  Dominic glanced at the podium and back to Vance. Vance didn’t look; he knew Eduardez was probably watching him like a hawk. Vance studied Dominic, who showed him a clearly advanced textbook, but that still didn’t explain why he was in here. “And I guess if you’re studying Latin, that means you’ve got everything else covered?”

  Dominic smiled again and nodded shyly. It was hardly fun, though. He might know more than the teacher, but a little social interaction wouldn’t hurt.

  “What happens for the rest of the day here?”

  “We get to go in the gym this afternoon.” Dominic shuddered like he’d just been told to walk the plank.

  Vance just hoped all the equipment was reinforced if he was going in there. “I met Kit and Lawrence at breakfast, and I talked a little to Jamie last night.”

  Dominic followed Vance’s gaze. “That’s Tom, Carlos, and Jack. They’re all finishing their AA.”

  Vance stilled—a million thoughts running through his head—because their records indicated the three boys were Carlos, yes, but an Ethan Stills and a John MacGregor. John could quite easily be called Jack, as that wouldn’t be unusual, but the third boy should be Ethan, not Tom.

  “No one else?” Vance asked casually, because he couldn’t say he already knew the names.

  “There used to be Sean and Ricky, but they’re not here anymore. They were released,” Dominic added with a wistful smile.

  The other kids were told they were released, huh? While the authorities were told they escaped, and neither boy had family to ask any questions.

  “It looks intense,” Vance commented as he watched one of the older teenagers argue his point to the tutor.

  “That’s Carlos. He’s wanting to study law, and he’s quite passionate about the enhanced status rules.”

  “Really?” Vance watched with interest as the discussion seemed to become quite lively, and he wished he could hear them. Finn had said Bryan Duvall promised to look at the law of being able to class enhanced as unlawful combatants and therefore not subject to pesky rules such as the Geneva Convention. In fact, Vance knew a similar clause had been enacted after 9/11 for suspected terrorists. For enhanced, though, it had been used since the 1990s when the first children were deemed dangerous and the government simply didn’t know what to do with them. About ten years ago, the law insisting a legal review above the age of twenty-one was introduced, but up to that, enhanced could be and often were locked up indefinitely. It was still argued that minors could not control what were essentially dangerous abilities. Unfortunately, it was used as an excuse to lock up any enhanced who committed a small infraction, and equally as heartbreaking, it was used as an excuse for the parents to throw them away like yesterday’s trash.

  “Why don’t you study with them?” Dominic was obviously very intelligent.

  “I used to, but the new warden brought in age-appropriate lessons.”

  Vance glanced at where Kit and Lawrence were studying.

  “Mrs. Comey said I can study on my own and ask her questions.”

  So Dominic was stuck. Too advanced to join his peers and deemed not old enough to join the college-level class. It was ridiculous.

  There was suddenly a buzzer sound, and the two podium guards stood up. “Rooms, now,” the order went up. Vance scrambled to his feet. What the hell?

  All the boys immediately stood up. The two older ones and Lawrence and Kit both walked quickly to their rooms. “What’s happening?”

  “It means there’s a new admission,” Dominic said, standing up.

  “And do they lock us in?”

  He shook his head. “Not always. Depends on the admission. We just have to clear the communal area.”

  The door opened, and Jamie walked through, helped by the female guard. He sagged in her arms like he was ready to topple over, and she was obviously trying to hurry him to the stairs. Vance took one look at Jamie’s white face, left Dominic’s room, and jogged toward them, hoping he wasn’t going to get into trouble. The guard saw him, and the hand she wasn’t holding Jamie with hovered near her gun. The other two guards were escorting all visitors out.

  “I only want to help, ma’am,” Vance said as Jamie groaned weakly and his knees buckled. Vance darted forward just in time to stop his head hitting the floor and swung him up. The guard pointed to the nearest downstairs room, where Dominic was. “Put him in there.”

  Vance strode in quickly. Jamie weighed nothing, and Vance carefully lowered him to the bed. The guard’s radio crackled, and she answered, then looked at Vance. “It’s a lockdown order.”

  “I’ll stay with him,” Vance said. “What’s wrong, ma’am?”

  “Officer Ryder,” she supplied and stepped back just as the doors all slid closed.

  Vance turned to Jamie, rolled him onto his side, and checked he was breathing okay. “Do you know what they did?” Vance felt for a pulse. Rapid but strong.

  “He’s had blood taken.” Dominic crouched down at the foot of the bed.

  “Too damn much,” Vance said with feeling, just as Jamie’s eyes fluttered open. “Hey,” he said and sat down as carefully as he could. Jamie’s eyes focused briefly before they slid shut again, and Vance clasped his hand, completely forgetting he was supposed to be some badass drug dealer.

  “They usually bring him a glucose drink and let him sleep it off the rest of the day.”

  “Usually?” Vance repeated. “How often does this happen?”

  “Tuesdays and Fridays.”

  “But today’s Saturday.” Which explained why Jamie had questioned it this morning. Dominic nodded miserably. Vance heard the door open downstairs, and much as he wanted to look, he had no intention of taking his eyes off Jamie. He heard a couple of barked-out orders from Graves and a high-pitched cry that reminded Vance of something, but he wasn’t sure what.

  Dominic got up from the bed and went to the glass window. “No,” he said in shock. “Th-that’s just not possible.” Vance glanced over at him, but he couldn’t see directly to the door, as the podium steps were in front of it.

  “What’s impossible?”

  “It’s a new enhanced,” Dominic said in complete awe. “And it’s a girl. But… I thought enhanced were only male?”

  Vance closed his eyes, immediately understanding why he had recognized the indignant cry. It was Marie from the school. What the hell was she doing here?

  “She’s called Marie,” Vance supplied, “and I would never normally betray someone’s privacy, but she’s transgender.”

  “How did you know that when you can’t see her?”

  Vance looked down at Jamie. His eyes were open, and he was breathing steadily.

  “Voice recognition is an ability of mine. I met her last week at her school, but I have absolutely no idea why she is here.” How did she go from being expelled from school to being locked away in a kiddy prison? “How are you feeling?” he asked Jamie and tried to ignore the shouting downstairs.

  “They’ll use the Tasers on her if she’s not careful,” Dominic said, hopping from one foot to another.

  “I’m okay. Go if you need to,” Jamie urged.

  “The doors are locked,” Vance said but stood up and went to the glass. He could see Marie being dragged forcibly to the cells by Graves. She was struggling and kicking.


  “You pathetic little faggot,” Graves said and laughed as Marie tried to twist out of his grip.

  “Well, at least I’m not as stupid as you. I like girls, you moron,” she raged, then cried out in pain as Graves deliberately bent her arm back. She twisted again, and Graves pulled out his Taser. Vance swore and looked at the glass. He knew it was reinforced, but could she hear him? Could he distract her?

  Then she shrieked again as Graves yanked her arm, and before anyone knew what was happening, both plastic benches and all ten chairs toppled over. Graves staggered back as if a strong wind was buffeting him.

  “What the fuck?” he shouted.

  “Get off me!” she screamed again, and the contents of the desk on the podium blew straight off and a telephone, monitor, and keyboard crashed to the floor. Graves let go, and both of the other guards reached for their rifles.

  Officer Ryder shook her head at Graves. “Give me a minute?” she begged, and Vance knew all the others were preparing to shoot.

  Three? He looked in horror at Marie. She stood in the middle of the rec area with her arms outstretched and her head tipped back. Wind swirled around her, papers flew in every direction, and chairs skidded some more from where they had fallen.

  Graves and the two guys managed to pull their pistols out, even though they were both leaning heavily into the gale-force wind Marie was creating. “She’s a child,” Ryder shouted in horror, but she couldn’t take a strong enough step against the wind that battered her.

  Shit, three? Marie was small. There was no way she would survive being shot by three of those sedatives. Her body wasn’t big enough or strong enough. They would kill her. Graves managed to get leverage against the wall, and Vance took three steps away before running back and ramming his shoulder against the door.

  At the split second he connected with it and it burst open, Dominic raised his hand, and all three pistols sailed up into the air. Graves yelped, but the others seemed dumbstruck. Vance burst into the rec area and forced himself to take the four steps to Marie. He folded his arms around her, and she yelped but then caught sight of who it was that held her, and she burst into tears, clinging on for dear life.

  Vance held her while she sobbed and all the wind died away.

  “Get away from her, Connelly.”

  Vance looked up at Graves’s voice as Marie whimpered and held on. He stood up, holding Marie.

  “I said,” Graves repeated, his voice low and threatening, “get away from her. Ryder, get the cuffs.”

  “Let’s just give her a minute,” Ryder suggested. “She’s scared—”

  “She’s fucking dangerous,” Graves snapped out, tipping his chin to the ceiling, where three IM pistols were still hovering out of reach. Marie raised her tear-stained face to the ceiling.

  “That isn’t me.”

  “You’re a liar,” Graves screamed and raised his Taser. Vance reached and caught Graves’s hand before he even thought about it.

  “Eduardez,” Graves yelled, struggling, and Eduardez took a hesitant step forward, clearly not knowing what to do.

  “It was me,” a voice behind them said, and everyone turned to Dominic. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, clearly terrified.

  “Come here,” Graves growled and yanked his arm away from Vance. Vance still had his arms full of Marie and shot a worried look at Ryder, who wasn’t happy at all. “Cuff him,” Graves ordered Eduardez and the other guard. “And get Jamie over here. I don’t trust him either.”

  “He can’t walk,” Vance protested. This had gone far enough, but the other guard jogged to the cell and shook Jamie roughly.

  “This is ridiculous,” Ryder said. “They’re kids. You can’t treat them like this.”

  “Oh no?” Graves asked quietly as he shot out a hand and grabbed Dominic. “And who’s going to stop me?”

  Dominic cried out at the rough grip, and Vance had had enough. Fuck the job. These were kids. He stood up to his full height.

  “Well, I am, for starters. My name is Special Agent Vance Connelly, and I’m an FBI agent on the Human and Enhanced Rescue Team. I suggest you very slowly and carefully let go of Dominic’s arm and back away.”

  Marie, obviously recovered, grinned, whooped, and tried to high-five a startled Officer Ryder. “You tell ’em.”

  Ryder shook her head in disbelief.

  “I’m undercover,” Vance admitted, “or maybe not so much now.”

  “And we’re supposed to believe that?” Eduardez challenged.

  “No, of course not,” Vance agreed. “But if you call 813-252-1000 and ask to speak to Talon Valdez—he’s my team leader”—Vance hugged Marie and Dominic tight—“you might wanna tell him I blew the undercover job.”

  “You certainly did,” a voice he didn’t recognize said from behind him.

  Vance cursed, knowing the noise Marie made had covered the door opening. The order to “Stay still” was accompanied by a sharp jab to his back.

  “Sir.” Graves stood to attention.

  Oh, thought Vance, so this is the warden, huh?

  Marie’s eyes widened, and the voice behind Vance carried on talking.

  “Young lady, if I feel so much as a gentle breeze upon my face, I will shoot your friend dead, and the bullets in my gun are very, very real.”

  He glanced at Dominic as five more fully armed men ran in, all wearing street clothes. “You could risk it, but is it worth it to assume you can disarm everybody without at least one of us getting a shot off?”

  Vance edged over to where Jamie was practically being carried by the other guard.

  “If you would all follow me?” The warden nodded to one of the men, and before she could react, the man disarmed Ryder. He glanced at the other guards. “Does anyone else want to join the children in their rebellion, or are you happy to keep yourselves and your families safe?”

  The threat was clear. Eduardez glanced at Ryder, but then he lowered his head. Graves grinned triumphantly at Vance. Jamie just looked gray as he tried to walk.

  “For fuck’s sake,” Vance spat. “Why does he have to be here? He’s no threat.”

  Vance felt the gun move but saw the other man raise and deliberately point his Glock at Vance. A bigger man stepped in front of Vance. Vance catalogued the gray hair, the expensive suit, and the sneer. This was Raymond Cryer, then.

  Cryer nodded to the man nearest the door. “You know where we’re going.” He gestured to Jamie. “Carry him if you’re so concerned.”

  Vance glanced at Marie, and she nodded and stepped back. Vance lifted Jamie gently and held him tight.

  “I’m sorry,” Jamie whispered. “I thought they were going to take it all today.”

  Vance shushed him and pressed him close. He would never say it, and he would fight with his dying breath for every one of them, but he had an awful feeling that was exactly what it was going to come down to.

  The warden left one of his men and the guard with the instruction no cell doors were to be opened. Vance tried to smile reassuringly at Lawrence and Kit, who were both staring in horror. They carried on down the corridor Vance had been in yesterday, and just as they passed the end room, Christopher hurried out, his arms full as usual. He stopped, his eyes opening wide.

  “Damn,” the warden said, realizing that Christopher had seen Vance carrying Jamie.

  Christopher immediately took a step toward Jamie.

  “Get Talon,” Vance urged, just remembering in time not to issue the instruction out loud. Christopher’s eyes widened, and he took an automatic backward step.

  “Christopher,” the warden snapped out. “Return to your duties.” But Christopher hesitated just a second too long. The warden’s eyes narrowed. “Hmm, maybe you aren’t as obedient as you have been trying to convince us?”

  The warden’s eyes flickered an instruction to the man behind Christopher, and before anyone could react, he brought the butt of his gun down on Christopher’s head. Christopher was unconscious before he hit the floor. Marie c
ried out and clung harder to Vance. Vance cradled Jamie and watched helplessly as Christopher was hoisted over one of the gunmen’s shoulders. He’d had maybe five seconds, and he had no idea if Christopher had managed to talk to Talon.

  The reality, like it or not, could be that Vance was on his own.

  VANCE WAS shoved none too gently into what looked like a hospital area. In fact the whole place was more like one than any sort of prison. He stared, taking in as much detail as he could.

  “What should we do?” one of the gunmen asked Cryer.

  Cryer nodded once in acknowledgment, and all his men patiently waited for an order. He looked to one by the door. “Instruct Dr. Benson to get four patients ready for transport quickly. Help him with whatever he needs, but make sure they leave in ten minutes at the latest. I’m afraid Ryder and the other prisoners are going to be killed during a jailbreak.” Vance’s heart sank. He had been expecting something like that.

  Graves looked confused. “You want us to kill them?”

  Cryer smiled. “No, another enhanced is going to kill them when he loses his temper.”

  “Which one?” Graves asked eagerly, but Vance knew. He’d known immediately, and for a sick second, he almost admired the planning. Blaming everything on him, especially with his reputation already in shreds, would be child’s play.

  Ryder gasped. “You can’t do that.”

  Cryer smiled. “I’m afraid I can do exactly what I like.” He hesitated and studied Ryder. “I should add, I am going to take Jamie with us, but one second of trouble from you and I will simply put a bullet in him.”

  Ryder’s eyes widened, and Vance acknowledged how clever the man was. Ryder would have risked everything, knowing she was going to die, but he had just effectively used the threat of murdering a child to stop that idea.

  One of the men immediately came and took Jamie out of Vance’s arms, and Jamie whimpered. Cryer eyed Graves and two of his other men. “Take them back to the cells and lock them in while you do some damage to the place. Destroy it if you have to. Then let him out and shoot him.”