Who would have ever guessed that I’d be talking about Hell as a real thing, and trying to save my almost-adopted son from its influence.
“And if it’s a regular run away problem,” Ellie said, “more eyes are better.”
Wren finally nodded. “Okay, all right, fine. Ellie, you go with Bastian. Lincoln can take the twins, and they can drive the area. Make sure he has his sword. Fischer—”
“You and I are going to work in the hospital. He could still be hiding. Dogs and cops aren’t always perfect.”
“Tell that to Lily,” she mumbled.
I chuckled. “Come on. Ellie, you can get everyone else moving appropriately?”
She nodded. “Of course. Do you want me to call Miriam and Laxmi?”
“Not yet,” I answered. “Let’s see if we can get Ben back without them. Lily’s probably all over this anyway, and she’s running the show.”
When Wren and I walked in the door, that’s exactly what we found. Lily Haden was standing at the front desk of the hospital, barking orders and getting people to move dogs through the halls while trying to not wake up and scare the kids.
“Doctor Skillman, Mrs. Skillman,” someone called, walking over.
Lily sucked her teeth at that title.
“Have we met?” The man who approached with his hand out for a shake tripped on his feet at my clipped words. No one called Wren Mrs. Warner, and especially not around me. And to use the wrong last name…?
“Sorry, I’m Doctor Sil Gura,” he said, trying to get his balance back. “Doctor Skillman, yes? And this is your…”
“Doctor Temperance Warner, LSWAA, LSWAIC,” she growled.
Gura paled. He fucked up. Big time. There was no way this man had been in the hospital even a day and hadn’t heard Wren’s name.
“Doctor Gil started on Monday,” Lily said, walking over. “I see he hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet, Wren.”
And I thought men asserted dominance? These two were just pissing all over him. I scratched my nose to keep my smirk from showing.
Alpha females. Yum.
“Where is Ben?” I asked, standing up a little straighter, trying to take control of the situation brewing.
Gura screwed the thing back up by turning to me to address the question. “We’re not sure yet.”
“What happened?” Wren asked.
He answered me, though. “The person who was supposed to do the ten p.m. checks—”
“Talk to me,” Wren growled. “If I asked the question, you answer me. Not the nearest convenient male.”
Gura gave me a questioning look and I grimaced. “Doctor. You need to address her. Stop looking to me for permission to talk to her. She’s the other half of the parenting unit here.”
“But you—”
“Ahem, Doctor Gura.” Lily’s voice cut through the words, the very stupid words he was about to utter. “Perhaps you could head up to your office and deal with some of the other issues I’m sure have cropped up related to this.”
“I feel that—”
“You’ll want to take the detective’s out, Doctor,” Glencoe said.
I liked her.
He nodded and headed off. I was sure he had no idea how he had just insulted Wren. And me and Lily and Glencoe.
The nurse sighed. “He came so highly recommended, but his manners and awareness are just so atrocious.” She looked at Wren and me. “Know anyone on the board who can fix this? The president liked him, but the president is a dude.”
“Ironically, yes,” Wren said.
“We do know someone.” I laughed. “I’ll talk to him later. Can you please tell us what is going on here? Where is Ben? How did you lose him?”
Glencoe sighed and shrank a bit. “Our second shift nurse decided to take a nap. I had the security guard wake him up at ten after ten and throw him out the front door. Checks have to be done on time for a reason, and they have to be routine for the patients.”
“Isn’t Ben sharing a room?”
“Yes.” She hesitated. “He’s missing too.”
“Where are his parents?” I asked.
“Mother and she’s working a twelve at UPenn.”
“How old?” Wren asked.
“Same age. Seven.”
“Could this be a random adventure?” I glanced at the three women standing around me. “Boys are known for their inability to sit still. At their developmental stages, the tendency to be bolder than they are safe, it’s common for them to wander off and seek adventure. As it were.”
Glencoe brightened. “You could be right. Both of those boys are incredibly bright and figuring out how to sneak through locked doors and hide in closets would make the whole thing seem like even more of an adventure.”
“Did we check to see if they took their clothes?” Lily asked.
“No,” Glencoe said.
“Let’s do that now,” Lily said. “Wren, come with us? Fischer, hang here in case they try to sneak by and haven’t actually left the building.”
I nodded and watched as the three of them nearly sprinted down the corridor. I pulled out my phone.
Fischer: We have two runaways. Ben took his roommate with him.
Lincoln: Got it. We’ll drive the neighborhood. No Tabi, it’s voice messaging.
I laughed. Tabi had yelled at him for texting and driving.
Bastian: Ellie and I are walking the neighborhood. There are a lot of abandoned buildings around here. They could be anywhere.
Fischer: Should I ask for dogs for you?
Ellie: No. I think we’ll be fine.
Ellie was getting good at being Ellie, so I trusted her. Lincoln would get yelled at by the twins a few more times. Tabi liked her rules and like to protect the people she loved.
She had definitely come to love Lincoln. She also adored that we all helped her protect her brother.
Tim. Holy—
Fischer: Linc, ask Tim what he would do if he had a chance to be a part of an adventure.
I waited a moment while the dots on the screen bounced, and finally a full two minutes later, a voice message appeared.
I lifted the phone to my ear and kept the volume low. “Hey, Fischer! Dad said you think Ben went on an adventure? That’s a lot of fun! He could escape from the building in a whole bunch of different ways, but Dad asked where I would go and I would go to the zoo. I love the animals. I think Philadelphia has a big zoo with tigers? That’s cool. I love tigers—”
The one minute time ran out, and I laughed.
Fischer: Does he know how to use the bus?
Tim’s voice came out of the speaker again. “I never used the bus, but a lot of my friends at school do. They said that the drivers are super nice to the school kids, and help them get places all the time. But they said that they’ll report them to the police at night. One time, Billy tried to take the bus to the grocery store at four in the morning—”
“Thank you, Tim,” Lincoln cut him off, and the message ended.
Fischer: Where did Billy hide when he couldn’t get to the grocery?
Lincoln: His basement.
That didn’t help us at all. Damn it.
My phone pinged for a direct message and not the group message. I glanced at the message quickly, and started when I realized it was Ellie.
Ellie: Dad, I didn’t want to ask Mom, and I don’t want to wake up Laxmi. But I feel him. Like a little tug on me.
Fischer: What direction, baby doll?
Ellie: That’s the thing…I don’t know, not for sure. With the twins it was clear, and if it was even just a little more clear with Ben, I’d flash there. But Bastian made a good point. Flashing out in the general direction could make me the next Philadelphia Experiment.
Fischer: No more Ancient Aliens.
Ellie: Tell that to Lincoln.
Oh, for the love of God. The man was one of the Seven Deadly Sins and he was watching Ancient Aliens?
Ellie: But…honestly. What do you think I should do here? Should I c
all Laxmi? Should I wait for the feeling to clear up a bit? Slash my palm and make a blood sacrifice?
Fischer: Dramatic much, my dear?
Ellie: Am I supposed to be able to feel him the way I sense all of you?
Was she? This wasn’t my area of expertise—I just kind of dealt with the sins. I wasn’t even sure what the hell that meant yet.
However, Ellie was clearly frightened by what was going on. My job there was clear: I was her father and I needed to help her. I stared at the screen.
Fischer: If he’s your brother, then I’d guess yes. Maybe he’s not as clear as we are because he’s your halfbrother?
Ellie: I can sense the twins just fine. And I don’t sense anyone who doesn’t have After blood.
What the actual fuck?
Fischer: You and Ben share a mother, right?
Ellie: Yes.
Then what the hell was going on. If that was the case, that she could only sense people with After blood… It would lead one to think that Ben’s father also had After blood.
And we knew who Ben’s father was.
Ellie: …holy shit.
Fischer: Same, baby doll. Same.
Lincoln
“Daddy, everything feels weird to me out here,” Tim said.
I let out a breath. “I know, Tim. Me too.”
It was the first time I had really noticed that something felt weird. Every other time the After crap intruded, it was plainly obvious—as in I could see things. Snakes, cuts, bruises. We’d even started to realize that certain illusions meant certain sins.
But this time, there was something in the air, a sensation that I didn’t like, like a collar that had been over-starched. Itchy and distracting.
“I want to find Ben,” Tabitha said, looking out the window. “I want Ellie to have her brother back.”
“So do we all, Bits,” I answered. “Can either of you think of a place he could hide? It’s okay if the places aren’t safe or might be illegal. Mom, Fisch, and Aunt Lily are convinced he thinks he’s on a great adventure.”
“That’s not the right kind of adventure,” Tim said.
“No, it isn’t,” I agreed.
“Adventures should stay in the backyard,” Tim continued. “Or the playroom.”
Tabitha nodded along with him. “Our playroom can be plenty adventurous. Especially when evil demons create electric tornados in the corner. That wasn’t fun.”
“Not even close to being a good adventure.” I shivered a bit at the memory.
“How come I can feel him?” Tim asked. “It’s like he’s a light in my brain.”
“Well, that’s a bit of a story, Tim, and we’ll have to talk about it when we get home, okay? But can you follow that light?”
“I feel Ellie too,” he whispered. “It’s like the light from Ben bounces off her, and makes it stronger.”
Well, that was interesting.
My phone pinged.
Ellie: What the hell…I can feel Tim clear as a bell, and I can feel Ben. Help?
Lincoln: I wish I knew what was going on.
Tim gasped, “Ben’s moving away fast. A lot faster than walking, and a lot faster than the bus.”
Ellie: He’s moving fast.
What was going on here? “Tabi, can you feel him?”
“Just a little. I wouldn’t have known he was moving. He’s like a weird…echo? Ghost?”
Well then. That was something I would have to tell Wren and Lily. “Can you tell me which way he’s going, Tim?”
Tim closed his eyes and pointed. “That way. Kinda. There’s a whole bunch of turns. It’s faster than running, but not like race car speed.”
Ellie: He’s moving south west.
The exact direction Tim had pointed.
Lincoln: Tell Wren and Lily exactly what you’re sensing, and I’m going to have Tim help me figure out where we’re going.
Ellie: Got it.
I pulled the car on to Aramingo, and made a right toward the south west. “Tim, I need you to tell me where I’m going. You don’t need to give me directions. Just point.”
He nodded and sat up straighter. I watch him grab his sister’s hand and squeeze. I was glad these two had each other, and I hoped that they would always have that.
I freakin’ missed Vance.
Aramingo led me down toward Center City and Tim’s pointing got more and more west as I reached Fishtown. Navigating the mess that was the on and off ramps for 95 South, I managed to get on to the Vine, and go west. The further west I went, the more south his pointing went again.
We were heading to University City.
I got off for the Museums, and swung around on the back streets until I hit the Walnut Street Bridge. Tim’s arm swung with the turn, and he was pointing at the hospitals. I managed to swing around and get into the staff lot with the card Fischer had left.
“Here, Tim?”
“Inside.” He nodded, and they both unbuckled themselves.
Lincoln: We’re at Penn Medical. I used Fischer’s card to get into the lot. Tim says they’re inside.
Wren: I’ll have Fischer call.
“Come on, kids,” I said, grabbing their hands. “Let’s go find out what’s going on here.”
Walking down and in the front door, there was a conglomeration of cops and staff standing near the reception desk. Between Wren and Fischer, I’d been in enough hospitals to know that many people at front desk was normal at two in the morning.
I headed over, and found the police standing around two little boys, and the instant Ben saw me, he screamed and tried to run.
The officer right next to him grabbed his arm, and pulled him around. I stopped where I was when I saw the wild look in his eyes. He was ready to do whatever it took to not go back to the that hospital.
The sergeant in charge must have seen the look as well. “And you are?”
“Lincoln Foster,” I answered. “These are my kids, Timothy and Tabitha.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Looking for Ben,” Timothy said, pointing at him.
“No! No! My name is John! I’m not Ben!” He was screaming at the top of his lungs. His friend looked terrified, and just huddled behind the officer who had a hand on his shoulder. Ben pointed at him, and screamed again, “Tell them! Tell them I’m John! I’m not Ben.”
“Why are you scared?” Tabitha asked.
“You’re going to put me back! You’re going to make me go back to that horrible room and you’re going to leave me there forever!”
Oh, boy. This sounded really bad. I was glad I had stopped where I was. “Officers, his name is Benjamin Sheehan, and he’s the adopted son of Fischer Skillman and Wren Warner. His parents and sister are looking for him at St. Christopher’s. He’s been there for a few weeks. He was…rescued from that raid.”
One of the officers grimaced. “That raid? Down in Delaware?”
“That one.” I nodded. “He and his friend absconded this evening after the second shift nurse on duty decided that they were going to take a nap instead of doing rounds.” All of this was being shouted over Ben’s wailing and denial. “They thought that this would be a great adventure.”
“We brought them here because Masin said his mother works here,” the Sergeant offered. “We’re waiting for her to come down. Is there any way that you can verify any of what you’ve said about him?”
“I have to get Fischer or Wren here.”
“Fair enough,” he said. “I appreciate you standing back. I can see you’re not going to hurt him. We’ll wait for the nurse—”
“Masin?” A woman in scrubs with hair up came running down the hallway to the front lobby. “Masin Anthony, what the hell are you doing here? God, child, you’re supposed to be at St. Chris!”
“I wanted to see you, Mommy.” His voice was quiet as he stepped out from behind the officer. “I miss you.”
She dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him. “Oh, baby, I miss you too, but you can’t leave th
e hospital! You’re too young to be out in the city at night. God, shit. How did he get here?”
“Officer Franks found them about half a mile from St. Chris,” the Sergeant said. “Since Masin here said he was trying to find you and this is where you worked, we brought them here.”
“Thank you,” she whispered into his air. “I’m so glad he’s all right. But how did he get out?”
“The second shift nurse took a nap,” I said. “They exploited the opportunity.”
The sergeant tipped his head. “Ogilvy. You think you can handle three kids and a mom for hot cocoa?”
“Not a problem, Sarge.” Ogilvy motioned Masin and his mother, and the twins, to head down the hall. “Come on. I know they have a small café that’s open for tea and coffee and cocoa.”
“Can I have coffee?” Masin asked.
“Good Christ, child, no.” His mother let out a breath.
The sergeant looked back at me as they disappeared down the hall. “So, how long will it take for one or both of Ben’s parents to show up?”
Lincoln: You guys on your way?
Wren: The instant Ellie told us you had him. We’ll be there in about twenty minutes.
“Twenty minutes sound good?” I asked.
“Any way we can calm this kid down?” The sergeant looked down at Ben who was bleating and crying and yanking against him. “I feel like he’s going to have a pulmonary incident.”
I ran a hand down my face, and walked toward Ben, who started thrashing and screaming even more. I knelt down slowly so I could see him easily and didn’t tower over him. “Ben, please stop. You’re going to hurt yourself like this. You’re going to pass out.”
“I’m not going back! I’m not going back! You can’t make me!”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Benjamin. I can make you go back. You’re seven, and you’re not allow to make decisions like that. But, I don’t want to send you back.” Taking a deep breath, I really hoped Wren would forgive me leaping ahead on the plans. “None of us want you in there, Ben. We’ve been waiting for you to show us that you’re ready to come home. You keep acting out, though, bud. You keep showing that you’re not ready to come home with us and live in a house—and we want you to. Ellie misses you. Tabi and Tim want a brother. Fischer and Wren want their son.”
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