Page 86 of Freak Camp
She’d played it pretty cool, and he thought now, sitting across the table from her, that she didn’t need to play anything cool.
“So,” she began.“I appreciate what you told me on the phone and for coming out all this way to talk some more before I see how much I can help with this paperwork.Has Roger told you much about me?”
Jake shrugged.“Only that he’d want you at his back in any hunt.And you, uh, got this church.”
She laughed, her eyes wrinkling at the corners.“According to some, I do.Others disagree, but they ain’t managed to kick me out of the building yet.People come here on Sundays if they want to.”
“You ...preach?”
“I try.I get up there and talk and read Scripture and tell everyone how I messed up but aim to do better tomorrow.I don’t go on as long as some, and I think that helps.”
“I don’t believe in God.”Jake hadn’t meant to say that, but something about her calm, matter-of-fact demeanor moved him to tell her the truth.“I was never part of any church, but we visited them often enough for the holy water and blessed silver and whatever.There’s some reason why those things work against werewolves and shapeshifters, but why does salt melt a slug?Nothing I’ve seen has convinced me there’s a god managing everything behind the scenes.If there is, he’s got a bad sense of humor.”
Alex nodded, unperturbed.“I see plenty of reason for that.It takes a lot to have faith and not much to lose it.I wouldn’t blame anyone for that.And it’s not my job to make people believe something they don’t want to.I try to be here for those who want to ask questions, who can’t make sense of all the hurt the world brings—why everything’s so goddamn unfair.”
Jake caught his breath.He hadn’t expected to hear that, or for her to look straight at him as she spoke.Like she already knew about Toby, about how angry Jake felt all the time.Life had been a bitch to her too.
He took a minute before speaking.“Well, I did come here with one question, and that’s if you can help me get a friend out of a place that’s going to kill him any day now.”
Her brows drew together, and she leaned forward on the table, clasping the mug between her hands.“I’ll do what I can.I’m no miracle worker, but I take God at his word that my faith can move mountains.We just gotta target the right mountains.Now.”She smiled at him, sitting back.“Tell me about Tobias.”
***
The Director took alast bite of his steak, removed the gravy-stained napkin from his neck, and leaned back in satisfaction.“The cook here is truly excellent.I’m surprised he’s not in New York, the things he can do with a basic sirloin.”
He wasn’t talking to Tobias and thus wouldn’t expect a response.Tobias, on his knees beside the conference table, kept his eyes locked on the area of the Director’s hands, his breathing perfectly even, his expression empty but alert, and did his best not to smell the food, not to look at it, not to think about it.
Then his stomach growled.
He couldn’t stop his breath from hitching with the sudden surge of terror.Wait wait wait,he told himself, fingernails digging into his palms to give himself a focus for the panic.Moving now would just make it worse.Begging before he was given permission would just make it worse.
When the Director pushed his plate over the side of the table, crashing the cheap ceramic against the wooden floor and scattering food everywhere, Tobias couldn’t help flinching.But he managed not to make a sound.
The Director sat back.“Clean it up ...any way you want.As long as you remember what you are.”
Tobias crawled forward, head down, words spilling out automatically, requiring little conscious thought.“Thank you, sir.Thank you for the food, sir.”He lowered his mouth to the steak bits and lukewarm potatoes and ate as quickly as he could without making noise.
He flinched involuntarily when he felt the Director’s hand in his hair, but the Director made the noise that meant Tobias should continue doing exactly what he had been doing, so he continued eating, expecting any second for the Director to jerk his head up or kick him away.But there was no pain and no blow.Instead he ate while the Director petted his hair.
***
Tobias was exhausted.Hollowed out, hungry, and exhausted from not enough sleep and not enough food.Wednesday hadn’t been bad as far as Wednesdays went, but it was always dangerous to sleep, to let his guard down even a little on Thursdays, even when he knew Kayla would watch his back, at least as far as making noise if someone tried to sneak up on him.
Now it was Friday, and he was kneeling silently against the wall, eyes locked on the Director’s hands as he had his dinner.
Crusher stood in the corner, slowly smacking his club against his thigh while he watched Tobias.
After a few minutes, the Director put down his fork and turned to Crusher.“Would you stop that?I’m having dinner.Water.”
That last was for Tobias.Quickly and silently he rose, retrieved the pitcher of filtered ice water from the tray farther down the table, and refilled the Director’s glass.He concentrated hard on keeping his hand steady.He couldn’t let a single drop spill.
“I don’t like it, sir,” Crusher said.
If the Director had looked at Tobias that way, he would have dropped, but Crusher just looked uneasy.“You are under no obligation to guard me, Mr.Sloan.”
“Not that, sir.”Crusher jerked his head at Tobias.“It’s just ...you’ve said the progress has been good, but the little freak’s still ...”
“Unbroken in the only way that matters to you?”
