The closer the clock got to evening, the more nervous he became. The approach of the evening meant they would all be moving from the hospital to a safe house. This was unfamiliar, and for Kieran, completely nerve wracking. He had started nervously chewing at his thumbnails almost incessantly. So far, Thomas and Mary had thankfully stayed out, but his father had come down and had a long, hushed talk with the FBI agent. Finally, once he was finished talking to the agent, he headed over to Kieran with a sad smile.
“Hey, how are you doing?” Father reached out and ran a hand over his head.
“Sore,” he muttered, shifting again. “I did not notice that before.” He continued nibbling his thumbnail.
Father sighed, seeing he had already chewed both thumbnails down to the quick and was very quickly going to make them bleed. He reached out and took his hands down from his mouth.
“Kieran, look, I know there’s a lot you didn’t know, and...I’m sorry, but your mother, she made me promise to keep you out of this. I-I had no idea something like this could happen,” he sighed deeply. Kieran felt his hands twitching as Father held them, his need to chew the nails still gnawing at him. “But, you can’t do this to your hands.” He squeezed Kieran’s hands gently. “You know how bad of an infection could show up if you keep this up.”
Kieran nodded, biting his lip. “I just... What am I going to do without you while I am away?” he asked, almost tearing up.
His father smiled at him. “Son, you know what, this amazing thing happened when I wasn’t looking. My little boy turned into a grown man. And I know, now at least.” He glanced away from Kieran for a minute before turning back to him. “I know I should have taken a bigger role in your life instead of letting Thomas do so much. I thought he knew best, and I trusted him. You are not incapable of making your own choices, and I had no idea he was telling you what to do like he was. I thought... Well, he said those things were your choices. Now I know it is not true, and I need you to promise me from now on you aren’t going to let anyone make your choices for you, not even me.” He gave him a curt nod.
Kieran nodded. “So... So, you do not think it was my fault?” he finally whispered, looking at his father with wide and vulnerable eyes. “I did not make this happen?”
“Oh, Tae-Hyun, no, not one bit,” he told him, pulling him into a hug. Kieran smiled a bit. His father had not used his Korean name in quite some time. “You are not responsible for anything that has happened. And anyone who even indicates for a moment that it is, I will gladly deal with them personally, my sweet son.”
Kieran looked up as the FBI agent came over. She smiled at him and then looked at Father. “Alright, everything’s in place. The story being released is both of you are on a trip to Korea to visit Jae’s side of the family due to a small family emergency, and everything has been put through to make it look like you left this morning. Jae, you’ll be going to one of our safe houses in St. Peters, and Kieran will be going to the main safe house with the other three.”
“Why can he not come with me?” Kieran asked, looking at her with that same wide-eyed expression.
She sighed. “I need to separate any family members from you four to ensure everyone isn’t in one place. Kieran, the sanction I got for the safe house you’re going to was hard to get. As it was, they wanted to split the four of you up, but considering we’re out of options at this time, we couldn’t. The only reason is this group has a history with both the FBI and these Irish crime families. The house you’re going to has been used as a safe house quite a bit over the years. I am the only one besides my direct supervisor and the two agents being sent with you who knows the location of the safe house you are going to, Kieran,” she stated, nodding to him. “That is essential, as I have a leak in my office. I’ve brought in outside field agents for the details on the family members, but it hasn’t been easy to keep information in the hands only of essential personnel.”
Kieran nodded. “I suppose that makes sense. Bu-but... What if...”
His father put a hand on Kieran’s cheek. “Shush, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Believe it or not, your mom put a few things in my head about what to do if something like this happened. She wasn’t fooled into thinking we were ever clear of the danger presented by her family. She hoped you having my looks and last name would stop anyone from looking at you more than once in connection with her family. It was something we spent lots of time talking about,” he explained, sighing deeply again. “I-I just hoped to keep it away from you. To think Thomas would have someone publish the fact you were Liam’s grandson. I guess... I guess if I’d prepared you better...”
Lauren put a hand on his father’s shoulder. “Don’t you start blaming yourself, Jae. Chances are, no amount of preparation could have stopped anything from happening. These people are unpredictable, especially now since the old man is aging. He second is already putting out feelers on what happens when he finally dies. Unfortunately, this Redmond has taken this schism between O’Brien and Callaghan and the coming conflict as an opportunity. I’ve already seen the reports and they’re ramping up for what’s coming. No matter what, you and Kieran need to be out of it. Callaghan is known for collateral damage.” She sighed deeply. “I know O’Brien will try to avoid hurting anyone else, but from what I’ve seen, he’s out for blood this time, and I truly think the old bastard isn’t going to rest until he’s wrung the very life out of Callaghan with his own hands...”
“Grandfather is a tough man,” Kieran said, tipping his head as he looked at her. “He said when mother died- He said it did not matter what happened, he would help me if I needed it. I did not understand then. It makes more sense now.” Kieran paused to think about his grandfather for a second. “Bu-but now because of me, he is going to throw what is left of his life away... I cannot...”
His father hugged him again. “Kieran, stop. Your grandfather knows what he’s doing. He’s not going to do anything if he can’t succeed in what he’s trying to do. It is his life, and he’s lived this way for almost all of it.”
Kieran nodded, hearing the door open and he turned to see a slightly shaken looking Carmine come into the room. “What...what is wrong?” He moved his head to see around his father.
Carmine looked up from the floor where his eyes had been focused, looking surprised for a second. “Oh, nothing, I just talked to my mom,” he explained, smiling at Kieran. “I kind of take care of her most the time, and when I told her I had to go away, she started yellin’ at me in Italian. Prolly a good thing she didn’t teach me how to speak it,” he muttered. “But I can understand enough so I got an idea of what she said. But... I had the agent talk to her, and she got calmed down a bit.”
“What was she mad about?” Carmine came closer and sat down on the edge of the exam table near his feet.
“Well, see, she worries all the time these days some cop’s gonna arrest me for something stupid, or I’mma get shot or something just for being black, well, half black. She watches too much TV,” he shrugged and smiled sadly at Kieran.
He returned the smile then placed a hand on his, their skin colors in opposition. “I think your skin is very nice,” he commented without glancing up at him as he brushed his fingers over the smooth skin of Carmine’s hand. He turned his eyes up and looked at his dark brown eyes. “And you are very nice, too,” he continued, blushing a bit. “I... I would have gone to coffee with you.” Kieran felt his blush deepen, and he turned his face away. “I got mad at Thomas because he would not even let me answer.”
Kieran glanced up at his father to see what he thought about this. He had never spoken about being interested in others in front of him, and he supposed after the way Thomas had acted this was his way of testing his father. He noted Father wore an amused grin. “Son, you should have told me about what he was doing. There is no reason for you to have been unable to enjoy your life. You should have had a social life, and I shouldn’t have listened when he insisted you couldn’t have a normal one.”
Wi
th a pointed look at his father, Kieran’s voice was soft when he spoke. “I thought-I thought you would be upset. If-If you knew...”
Father leaned forward and kissed the top of his head. “Kieran, don’t be silly. I want you to be happy, and your mother would want you to be happy.”
Kieran nodded, smiling at him again. “Okay, I... I want to be happy.”
Smiling back, his father ruffled his hair for a second. “Alright, I’m going to say see you later, son. The FBI guy’s already waiting downstairs for me. But remember, I love you more than anything in this world. And I want you to choose what to do with your life from now on, even if I don’t agree, or even if I say I don’t want you to do something, it doesn’t matter. You do what you want with your life, Tae-Hyun,” he spoke softly, just above a whisper. He kissed him on the forehead one last time. He glanced at Carmine though, and his eyes narrowed.
“I expect you, and anyone else, to abide by that as well,” he snarled, his voice taking a tone that was very much one not to be trifled with.
Carmine nodded. “Of course, of course. Sir,” he stammered. He peered at Kieran and then back to his father. “Um, whatever he wants, that’s what he gets.”
Father nodded at him. “Better be that way. I’m Korean. Did you know Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial art? Hmm?” Carmine shook his head. “Now you do.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the room in an eerily silent manner. Kieran felt his eyes roll.
Seeing Carmine staring after his father with a scared look on his face, Kieran snickered. Carmine turned to him. “Do not listen to him, he does not know any Tae Kwon Do,” Kieran giggled with a shake of his head. “He tells everyone that. At least... I do not think he knows it...” Now that he thought about it, he was not sure if his father did know any martial arts or not. He actually only knew that his father had gone to school to be a doctor in South Korea before he met Kieran’s mother.
“That doesn’t make me feel much better,” Carmine mumbled under his breath.
Kieran groaned, shifting his weight again before collapsing on his side. He saw Carmine watching him as he laid down facing him. “You okay?” he asked, brow creasing.
“Just...sore. Every time I sit up,” he muttered. “I do not like that part.”
Carmine sighed. “Yeah...” He paused and looked at him. “Hey, I really ain’t got no idea what to say to you about this.” Kieran looked at him for a moment before Carmine flushed a bit and continued. “I mean, I ain’t like Dev, I never been on the receiving end before, well, not really. Had a couple girls that tried to stick their fingers up there.” Carmine stood and leaned against the exam table near his head. He reached out and put one of his hands on his head, though. Carmine smiled at him, but then he frowned deeply. He was not sure what kind of look Carmine was making. It was somewhere between confusion and frustration.
“What is it?”
“I’m sure there’s somethin’ I forgot, but I can’t remember what it is no matter how hard I try.” Carmine thoughtfully chewed his lip for a second. “Somethin’ important, and I bet it was in my phone, but they took them when we came in.”
Kieran heard the door open and he saw Varick being let back into the room. There was still an agent stationed outside the door, he saw.
“How’d it go?” Carmine asked as Varick came in, hands stuffed deep in his jean pockets.
“Well, Clair was none too happy, to say the least, to hear she was under surveillance by the FBI for the next weeks or months...” Varick muttered. “She said she’d abide by their instructions though. She refused the safe house, no surprise, but she at least agreed to the tail and having someone outside her work and she’s going to stay with Charles while this is going on. At least that way, if someone comes to her place where I was staying, she won’t be home. But with Charles being ex-army, she should be fine even with his bad leg. He brought a whole lot of shit back from Afghanistan.” He glanced at Carmine. “What’s with that face?” he asked him.
Kieran was beginning to lose the conversation, mostly because they had brought him some anti-anxiety meds a few hours ago. The room was beginning to dim as the sun began to set, and he was becoming sleepy.
Carmine glanced at Kieran as he started to doze off. He continued to run his fingers through his hair as he slipped deeper into sleep. Varick came over and leaned against the bed near Kieran’s feet. It was good thing he was beginning to sleep since he had been awake most the day. Not only that, his sleep had appeared to have been restless when he did doze off.
“Um, his dad kind of indicated he would pull Korean Kung Fu on us if we fucked with his kid the wrong way.”
Carmine knew a little about stage choreography, and he’d been in more than one mock battle. He had no doubts that if Kieran’s dad did know actual martial arts, he was in trouble. Still, as he glanced at the young doctor’s face, he knew that it didn’t matter what threats came, he would stay with him. He smiled to himself, somewhat proud of the fact he’d fallen asleep the minute he started petting his hair.
Varick shook his head. “Well, better his dad cares about him then to have one who doesn’t give a shit.”
“Or wasn’t ever there to begin with,” Carmine added, glancing up at Varick. Varick gave him a knowing nod. He had an idea Varick had heard him talking to his ma earlier.
A few minutes later, Lauren returned with Devan in tow. He looked worried. Lauren came over to them. “We’ve got the arrangements made. We’ve got a van coming; your friend Mischka is bringing it. You’ll all go down to the basement and leave through the morgue entrance, so no one is any the wiser you’ve left. We’re leaving the hospital detail on, in case Callaghan goes through with trying to pull something here. We believe he may.”
A soft sigh alerted Carmine to the fact Kieran had woken up. He saw that he was blinking sleepily and trying to focus on the people around him. She smiled at the young doctor. “Hey, you ready to get going to your temporary home?” she whispered gently.
Kieran nodded, sitting up. He winced as he slid off the bed with a thump. Carmine smirked to see Kieran pull at the gowns he had been put in. It was obvious, even to him, that Kieran did not like the way the gowns fit, or perhaps it was the material bothering him. The young doctor looked at Lauren. “I need shoes...” The morose tone to the doctor’s voice made his heart ache a little bit.
Lauren nodded back, going over to the row of cabinets and opening a few until she found a pair of cellophane wrapped slippers. Ripping the package open as she brought them to Kieran, she then handed the light pink terrycloth slippers to him. He made a face at them before dropping them to the floor and sliding his feet into them. Carmine saw his left foot was still wrapped in gauze. Kieran then made another sour face as he stared at the shoes on his feet.
“Something wrong?” Varick asked, looking down at Kieran’s feet with him.
Carmine leaned over to look down at Kieran’s feet as well. What the hell is wrong now?
“I do not like the way they feel,” he muttered. “I do not like terry cloth, almost as much as I dislike polo material.” Kieran shivered. “This is strange, and I want to go home. I do not want to go to some safe house.”
Carmine noticed Devan had been quiet up until then but now he came around the table, and put both hands on Kieran’s shoulders. As Carmine watched, he peeked up at Devan.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. You trust Artemis, right? You’ve known him a long time?” Devan queried.
Kieran nodded slowly. “Yeah, since we were children.”
“Then you know he’s gonna look out for you, right?” Devan gave the doctor a bit of a smile.
“Yeah.” Kieran nodded again as though telling himself Devan was right. “He-He will not let anything bad happen to me, he... he has always been there. He started working here after I did... I think because he wanted to be close by, I do not know, but he always helps me when I need it. No matter how I need it.”
Devan smiled at him. “Then you know he’ll help with whatever you
need now too.”
Watching Kieran take a deep breath, Carmine noticed that he then looked around the room. “I wonder where Artemis is now? He left before lunch and has not returned.” Kieran his bottom lip and Carmine could see his hands shaking. He felt for the guy right then. The uncertainty across his face was apparent. “I feel as though everything is falling apart around me and I do not know what to do. You three have helped me, and I am glad, but without my father, I am so unsure of what I should do...”
There was a knock at the door. Lauren went and had a whispered conversation and came back. “Alright, they’ve cleared the hall to the elevator, and we’ll get out on the basement level and head to the morgue entrance. No one will be down there; we released a notice there was a gas leak, so the area was cleared a couple hours ago. All my agents are on the hospital floors, and only the two who are going with you have any knowledge of what’s really happening.” She tipped her head to them.
Carmine jerked in surprise when the sudden sound of jangling keys startled him. Devan had pulled his keys from his pocket and was handing them to Lauren. “My car’s out in the furthest slot from the hospital outside the ER entrance. I have a go-bag in there, and I had these two grab a hasty one,” he told her.
Lauren took the keys and put them in her pocket. “Got it, I’ll be coming by tomorrow morning to check in, I’ll bring them at that time. Ready?” She glanced around their group.
Carmine felt a bit jealous because Kieran reached for Devan, and Devan clutched his hand in return. It wasn’t that he was jealous of either in particular, but he felt somewhat disconnected from them.
“Okay, let’s go,” Kieran said quietly. Carmine smiled because he was glad Kieran was receiving comfort from Devan, even with the small kernel of jealousy that still existed. Devan also seemed to be getting something from Kieran and that, also, made him happy in a sad sort of way. Devan was one of those people who seemed infinitely sad inside, and Carmine had yet to understand why.
Stolen Innocence Page 32
