The name had an odd ring to it, and he shivered at seeing the sign again. They reached the main building, and she stopped the car.
Heath slowly slid out and scanned the area. He’d hadn’t had a chance to really look around the previous day. Now the place seemed busy. A bunch of bigger boys messed with a scruffy dog over by a stand of trees. Assholes. Some smaller kids played with a soccer ball in a dirt field a ways away. His gaze caught on a boy sitting on a log fence by himself just watching everyone. He was frowning at the big kids.
Sylvia followed his gaze. “That’s Ryker. He’s another boy I study.” Her voice had a low tone Heath couldn’t quite read, but a shiver wound down his back.
He swallowed. Nothing in him wanted to be studied. Did he have a choice? Probably not. “Do you study a lot of kids?”
“Only the two of you.”
The shiver got bigger. What did “study” mean? He didn’t want to wonder, but he couldn’t help it. “Why the two of us?”
She turned to face him full-on. “You’re special, Heath. Both of you are.”
He tried to smile for her and play the game, but his mouth wouldn’t work. Did she know all about him? About the way he could hear things other people couldn’t? His eyesight and memory were weirdly good, and he could move really fast if he had to. There was nowhere to hide from this woman, so he didn’t try. “How are we special?”
“We’re going to find that out.”
Maybe she didn’t know what he could do. He sure wasn’t going to tell her. Heath looked back at Ryker. There was something about the boy that called to him. Did Ryker have freaky skills, too? Why else would Sylvia study him? Heath’s heart beat faster.
Sylvia smiled. “I’ll go get Ned Cobb so we can discuss your plan here. I know you met him yesterday. Why don’t you introduce yourself to Ryker?”
Heath didn’t move. What if Ryker punched him in the face? Then he’d punch back, and he’d be in a fight right off the bat. But maybe Ryker knew a way out of the boys home. Heath had known bad people during his life, and when the hair on the back of his neck rose, it was time to run. Was there anywhere to run?
He rubbed the back of his neck.
Sylvia disappeared into the building.
Heath watched Ryker, and Ryker had turned his full attention on Heath. Then the older boy moved toward Heath, and he walked like a tiger Heath had seen on television one time.
Heath hunched his shoulders but didn’t back up. He planted his threadbare tennis shoes that were a size too big.
Ryker had bluish green eyes and fresh bruises along his jaw. “I saw you save that cat yesterday.”
Heath blinked. He hadn’t realized anybody had been watching. That was rare for him. “He was alone and scared.” The scruffy little thing had just wanted food, and Heath had peanuts. “Um, I’m Heath.”
Ryker eyed him.
Heath cleared his voice. “Who hurt your face?”
Ryker didn’t even twitch.
Yeah. That’s what Heath had thought. How far did the woods go? He could run that way. “Sylvia said she studies you.”
Ryker’s eyes flared and then shut down. Jumbled emotions came from him and bombarded Heath. “You her new pet?”
Acid crawled through Heath’s stomach. “I hope not,” he blurted. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around the perfectly clean place with no litter anywhere. The sun was too bright. Most of thecleanin his life was just on the surface. This home . . . had dirty all over it. He could feel it. “Is this a good place?” His voice was too high, and he blanched.
“No.”
That’s what he’d figured. One beating from Ned Cobb was all he was gonna take. “Then I’m outta here.” He turned for the road.
“You won’t make it.” Ryker sighed. “Not today, anyway. Don’t try it.”
Heath paused. “Sylvia said she wants to study me, too.”
Ryker’s gaze narrowed. “Did she say why?”
“No.” Heath swallowed over a lump in his throat. The kid didn’t seem to want a friend. “Do you like being studied?”
