“Yeah,” he said.“I think I am.”
Archie watched him and smiled.“Good.Because we’re not done yet.I want to talk to Finn.”
“Me, too.”
He wasn’t there as a hunter—he’d left that part of his life behind because he’d wanted to help people, not to hurt them.He could still do that.He wasn’t just a monster or a hunter.He wasJasper, and he was exactly where he needed to be.
Doing exactly what he needed to do.
* * * *
THE DRIVE TO THE HENDERSONS’house was quiet except for the sound of the engine and the occasional sniffle from the back seat.Archie kept his eyes on the road, but his attention was split between that and Finn’s reflection in the rearview mirror.
The kid looked exhausted.One of the hunters, who apparently was trained as a paramedic, had cleaned and bandaged Finn’s injuries and had declared that he’d be okay, but his bruises were stark against his pale skin, and he held himself like every movement hurt.Jasper sat next to him in the backseat, just in case, close but not too close.Finn hadn’t let go of the blanket someone had given him, clutching it like a lifeline.
“Your parents are going to be so happy to see you,” Archie said, breaking the silence because it was getting heavy.“They’ve been looking for you since you disappeared.”
Finn nodded but didn’t speak.He was looking out the window.
“How long were you in that warehouse?”Jasper asked quietly.
“I don’t know.”Finn’s voice was rough.“They moved us around a few times.Made it harder for anyone to find us, they said.I didn’t think anyone would.”
Archie’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.The Hendersons had hired him a week ago, and Finn had been missing for three days before that.He’d been in that place for ten days because the police hadn’t taken a missing monster kid seriously.
“You’re safe now,” Archie said.
“Am I?”Finn looked up, meeting Archie’s eyes in the mirror.“Those hunters who escaped know me.They know where I live.What if they come after me again?”
He looked older than his fifteen years, and Archie hated that.He should be allowed to be nothing but a kid, but instead, he’d seen things he’d never forget.
“They won’t get near you,” Jasper said.“Martinez is going to have people watching your house for a little bit.And if they try, they’ll have to go through all of us first.”
Finn seemed skeptical, but he relaxed.“There were others,” he said.“Other kids.They took them away before you came.I don’t know where, but they said something about another place being more secure.They only kept us here because it was supposed to be temporary.”
Archie’s stomach dropped.Of course there were other kids.This operation was too organized and well-funded to be just one location.Archie had suspected it, but hearing confirmation made it real in a way that he wasn’t sure how to deal with.He’d been paid to find Finn, but what about the other kids?And the adults who didn’t have a choice but to fight to earn enough to survive?
“How many others?”Jasper asked, leaning forward slightly.
“I don’t know.At least six or seven that I saw.Maybe more.”Finn wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand.“They were younger than me.They were so scared.”
Archie forced himself to keep his voice calm.“Did you hear anything else about where they might be taken?Any names, locations?”
“No.They were careful about that.They didn’t want us to know anything.”
They pulled onto the Hendersons’ street.Archie had called to warn them they were coming, so he wasn’t surprised to see lights in almost every window of their house.Finn’s parents were waiting.
Finn sat up straighter.He watched the house as Archie parked the car, almost vibrating out of his skin.The car had barely stopped before the front door burst open and Mr.and Mrs.Henderson came running out.Archie got out quickly to open the back door, and Finn practically fell out of the car and into his mother’s arms.
The reunion was everything Archie had hoped for when he’d agreed to take this case.Mr.Henderson shook Archie’s hand so hard it hurt, then pulled him into a hug.Mrs.Henderson did the same to Jasper, even though she’d never met him.She was crying so hard it was hard for her to speak.
“Thank you,” Mr.Henderson kept saying.“Thank you, thank you.We can never repay you—”
“You already paid us,” Archie said.“Just take care of him.He’s been through a lot.”
“We will.We promise.”Mrs.Henderson pulled back, still holding Finn against her side like she’d never let go again.“If there’s anything you need, anything at all, let us know.”
“Just keep him safe,” Jasper said.“And if you see anything suspicious, call immediately.We don’t think anyone’s going to come after Finn again, but we’d rather be cautious.”
