Jaden Baker (12 page)

Why, though? Why were they here? Dalton had not mentioned them. It was some kind of research facility. Were they going to do experiments on Jaden, Derek and Jenny? Test diseases? Remove their organs and give them to dying people? Clone them?

Jaden looked down at the fresh tattoo on his forearm. A barcode. Like he was bread at the local store. What did the pyramid mean? He examined it with more skepticism. The pyramid was three colors: one side black, one white, and the bottom, the base, was gray. Right side up, the pyramid was upside down.

They, Dalton and whoever else, branded him and put a collar around his neck to control him. His eyes flickered over the room and landed on the odd bed.

Nothing could be moved.

The door slid into and out of the wall. No joints, no hinges. It was impossible to open from the inside.

His chest constricted again, not out of sickness, but as if the walls were shrinking in on him.

There was no way out except through this door, and whoever constructed this room knew Jaden could not get out of it. It had been designed to keep him in. To keep
Jaden
in. Nothing could be moved, not even the toilet had a lever to flush. It was automatic.

The Kauffmans were not here.

They know the secret.

How? He hadn’t told anyone except Derek and Jenny, and they swore secrecy. Unless they were the ones who told...

No. Someone else confessed, there were plenty of people who knew Jaden was strange. The family Jaden had lived with before the Kauffmans had taken matters into their own hands. They made a connection that Jaden did weird things. It could be them.

Whoever told, that’s why he was here. Dalton and whoever else, wanted to study
him
to learn why he was the way he was.

Jaden’s situation was dark, yet his mind was strangely focused. He would have to play dumb. That much was obvious. Somehow he’d have to force his ability down and keep it from cropping up. If he wasn’t special, if he was just like any other nine year old, they’d let him go. Why waste time on a nobody?

Or they would kill him instead, so he wouldn’t talk.

Jaden grabbed his knees to his chest and rested his head on them, rocking back and forth, thinking, worrying about what would happen if he could not think of a way out of this.

It
was
a nightmare. A real one.

There was no clock. No window to see outside. No calendar, no electronic devices, nothing at all. Nothing told him the time, weather, ambient temperature, or whether it was night or day.

The air was neither hot nor cold.

His gray clothes were like nurses’ uniforms. Scrubs. He wore thick socks instead of shoes. His nails were trimmed short, so he couldn’t use them to scratch.

A shelf under the sink in the bathroom held a small toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. No floss and no comb for his hair. But there was no need, for even his hair was gone.

His throat was constricted every time he swallowed. He tried yanking and prying the collar off, but it would not come loose. As long as it was there, he could not hope to break free.

It felt like hours since Dalton introduced himself. The drugs’ effects were gone, as Dalton had predicted: no more nausea. Despite his anxiety, exhaustion set in. Fear kept him alert. Uninterested in current events, his stomach ached and growled with hunger.

What was he supposed to do? There was no way to communicate, and what would he say if there was? Jaden was helpless.

Finally the door opened. Jaden concentrated on its sound, trying to hear how it operated, as if that would somehow help him escape, but he could only hear the clanking. He stood and watched Dalton enter, taking three steps inside. There was a second door behind the first. Before the door to his room would open, the other had to be closed and locked. Double security.

“Hello, Jaden,” Dalton said, smiling.

Jaden kept his mouth closed and watched Dalton carefully. Dalton kept his hands in his pockets. One gripped the remote control, no doubt. Dalton was tall and slender. His dark trousers were pleatedironed. Underneath the white coat was a white collared shirt with a red and gray striped tie. Dalton did not have a watch, though a white tan line around his left wrist suggested he did.

“I thought we could talk,” Dalton continued. “If you’re ready.”

Jaden had questions. Derek and Jenny were his first concern. Were they still alive, or victims of collateral damage?

“Where are the Kauffmans?” he asked.

Dalton nodded. “They’re fine. They’re home in Napa, happy as can be.”

Jaden frowned. “What do you mean?”

Dalton smiled in false sadness. “They got some happy news. They were chosen for a baby.”

“What?” he mumbled, his lips numb.

Dalton sat on the bed’s edge, crossed his leg on his knee, and held his skinny ankle. “They’ve been on a list for a long time, but like so many hopeful and qualified parents, they were glossed over. They got a call shortly after you ran away with the good news. They’ll be adopting a baby in a few months.”

No, that wasn’t right. “I didn’t run away, you took me,” Jaden said, his voice quivering. He felt pressure and heat behind his eyes, but stifled his emotion.

“Well, yes,” Dalton said, “that’s how you saw it. But the police report says you ran away. Your backpack was missing from the house along with some clothes and food. Since there were no signs of forced entry, and because you have a long history of running, the police concluded you packed and left.”

Jaden found himself shaking his head and staring at the floor. “But I didn’t.”

“You already ran away from them once. Why not do it again? Foster children can be so unpredictable and rash,” Dalton said as Jaden stared at him. “They won’t look for you.”

Jaden broke his gaze, turned his back to Dalton, and cried quietly.

“They always wanted a baby. You were a last resort. I think they liked you, but they’d only known you a week. They hadn’t even formally adopted you yet,” Dalton added. “It would be best for you to move on and not think about them. They’re probably not thinking about you. Last I heard they bought a crib and paint for a nursery.”

Dalton knew exactly where to aim. His words left Jaden winded. They were more paralyzing than anything Dalton had done thus far. Jaden had liked the Kauffmans and their home, only now did he realize just how much. He wiped his eyes and faced Dalton again.

“My parents,” Jaden started, “my real parents. They’ll look for me,” Jaden said, hoping.

Dalton smiled with pity. “I almost wish that were true. You know it isn’t. I’m not afraid of anyone finding you here. Your life will be easier if you accept this is where you live, and no one is looking for you.”

Easier? Heat rose to Jaden’s face and his temper flared. “Easier?”

“Yes,” Dalton said. “If you do what I say, it will be much easier. The longer you fight, the harder and more painful it will be.”

“What are you going to do to me?” Jaden asked, his voice cracking. “Why am I here?”

Dalton was quiet for a moment. “Don’t you know?”

Jaden shook his head.

“You have a gift.” Dalton paced the length of the room. “You know that.”

“No,” Jaden said. “I’m a nobody.”

“Well, if I were a religious man I’d say you were a miracle.” Dalton glanced at him then continued pacing. “Your mind, your existence, has generated a special survival technique. It’s not unheard of, but it’s extremely rare, and no one knows how it works. We know the why, but the how is a mystery. You are special, Jaden. You must know that.”

Jaden tried looking confused, but he blushed.

Dalton chuckled under his breath. “It’s called psychokinesis. PK for short. It’s the mind’s ability to move things and manipulate matter. Most people think it’s a pseudoscience, the paranormal, or a mockery of what science really is. The cases are limited and the subjects temperamental. PK comes and goes, which makes it difficult to control. You discovered that the hard way, didn’t you?”

Jaden said nothing, he was too busy thinking.

Dalton continued. “You use it as a defense mechanism. It first set on when you were six, and saved your life. It probably would have vanished, but when you called it again it took a different form. I think the subconscious controls PK, which is why you can’t control what it does. When that family locked you in a closet, PK manifested into something so bizarre, outside help was required, and
that
saved you. PK remained with you, becoming stronger and more frequent should you need it again.”

There it was. The story of his life according to Dr. Dalton. In a nutshell. Dalton had the answers and apparently knew everything about Jaden. Denying the truth would be foolish. Now here he was, locked in a room much larger than a closet, but ultimately just as confining, with
no
way to defend himself.

“You’re here to learn how to control PK. Once you’ve learned how to use it, you’ll be able to do amazing things,” Dalton said, smiling.

“And then what?” Jaden asked.

Dalton tilted his head. “Pardon?”

“Then what happens? After I learn to control it, what happens next? You’ll let me out?”

“Maybe,” Dalton said, but Jaden knew he lied. Dalton subtly averted his eyes when he answered.

“Right,” Jaden said. “I’m not doing it. I won’t do anything for you. You can click your damn button all day long, electrocute me if you have to, but I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re not curious to see what can happen?” Dalton asked.

“I don’t want to be here,” Jaden said, crossing his arms. “I want you to let me go.”

Jaden’s stomach lurched with hunger, though he was not in an eating mood. Learning he was stuck here for the rest of his life was a depressing thought—his stomach didn’t care.

“Hungry?” Dalton asked. “We have a full kitchen.”

“I’m not eating anything.”

“I see. You’re going on a hunger strike?”

“Wow, you’re a lot smarter than you look,” Jaden said. “I guess it’s a good thing you’re a doctor, isn’t it? You’re a genius. Yes, I’m going on a hunger strike. I’ll starve to death if I have to.”

Dalton laughed again. It was grating on Jaden’s nerves. Was this a game to him? Was his life just a game?

“I’ll tell you what, Jaden, I’ll bring some food. I’ll even leave it here if you don’t want to eat right away. Make your decision and we can go from there.”

Jaden wanted to yell obscenities in his face but didn’t want another shock. He was not going to eat, no matter how hungry he became. If this was a test of wills, Jaden would be the victor. Dalton was not going to get the best of Jaden, he would not win.

“Fine,” Jaden said. “Go get it.”

“It’s coming,” Dalton said, and on cue, the steel door slid open and a second man, carrying a tray, entered the cell. He set the tray on the corner of the bed, looked at Jaden, and left.

“Thanks, Alan,” Dalton said, staring at Jaden. “Well, there you go, Jaden. Your meal is served. I hope, for both our sakes, you eat it.”

Dalton left.

Jaden glared at the door, avoiding the mirror. He knew he was being watched. Every movement he made was studied, he was sure of it. He looked at the food on the corner of the bed. Three fried eggs, hash browns, slices of ham and whole wheat toast with melted butter, with a tall plastic glass of orange juice to drink. His mouth watered, and he wanted so badly to eat. His stomach rumbled, pleading with him to pick up the fork and break the yokes and spread it around the toast.

Instead, Jaden carried the tray into the bathroom, dumped the food into the toilet, watched the toilet flush and splutter, was disappointed it didn’t clog, then returned the tray to the edge of the bed. He crawled onto the mattress and sat cross-legged, waiting.

A few minutes passed and Dalton returned. Jaden grinned at him.

“Aw, I missed you,” Jaden said. “I flushed it down the crapper.”

“Yes you did,” Dalton said, and he too was grinning. “I hoped you wouldn’t.”

“That’s life, isn’t it?” Jaden said. “You don’t always get what you hoped for. God, it’s so unfair, huh? You put so much effort into catching me, and I go and act like a prick, flushing your food down the toilet. God, that must piss you off,” Jaden said, throwing the tray at Dalton, who ducked, his grin unwavering. The tray hit the wall, the plastic glass of juice splashed everywhere.

“You’re going to make this hard, aren’t you?” Dalton asked.

“Yeah, I hope so.”

“Okay. Have a nice sleep.” Dalton left again, only this time he did not return moments later. The lights shut off, casting Jaden into silent darkness.

“Fuck you!” he yelled, but no one responded.

The dull buzzing light acted like a ringing alarm, waking Jaden. He must have fallen asleep. Squinting, he walked into the bathroom. Jaden wasn’t happy with whoever watched him pee from the other side of the mirror, but he had to go so bad he was beyond caring. It occurred to him, as the toilet was flushing, that he should have done it all over the mirror instead. Next time.