“Molly actually told Eli she had started using baby powder to help Bo on with his suit,” Finn said. “He’s started going in their own pool without it, and it’s difficult for him to get on afterwards when he’s hot, and Molly’s burned herself a few times trying to help.” Finn sighed. “She hates to see him struggle.”
Daniel could imagine. His mom would be exactly the same. He’d heard the team refer to Bo’s Spidey suit, and he understood from Talon it was made from a similar blend of Polybenzimidazole used to make firefighters and even astronauts’ suits. Very cool. “Is he there, then?”
“No,” Finn said. “He left Saturday, but the good thing is Bo is learning to control things. Eli’s been showing him how to dial it back. They don’t know, obviously, but it would be fabulous if he could manage his ability.” Bo was blind, and after developing his ability, his father had kept him half-starved and locked up. Luckily the bastard was now getting similar treatment at Baker Correctional Institute. Daniel personally thought it a shame the state had to feed him.
“Let’s carry on,” Talon decreed. “We’ll keep trying to get him on his cell.” Talon looked around at all the team as if deciding what he was going to say. They were all there with the obvious exception, and Daniel glanced at Sawyer and Adam. They were the only two still without regular partners, and he wondered how long it would be until they were matched up.
He knew when his brother Vance had originally joined the team they had a month to see if the team could work, and the founding rule was that each enhanced had to be partnered with a regular human because the FBI felt it might make the team more acceptable.
“We’ve got Special Agents Lin and Wright from the Orlando office waiting downstairs who want to talk to us,” Talon said.
“About another team?” Daniel asked.
Finn shook his head and glanced at Talon. “No, they’re working on a human trafficking case.”
“Trafficking?” Sawyer said in surprise. “I wonder what they want.”
Daniel’s pulse picked up.
The door opened and ASAC Anthony Gregory walked in holding a piece of paper and frowning as he was reading it. He folded it and looked up. Barely two steps behind him walked in a man who Daniel assumed was one of the feds. He was followed by a female agent, who smiled cheerfully at them all.
Talon rose to his feet, and Gregory introduced them. Agent Andy Lin seemed friendly enough, but he’d looked completely startled as he had walked in as if he wasn’t expecting them to be there, which was ridiculous because he had requested the meeting according to Gregory. His partner, Agent Samantha Wright, was quieter and didn’t seem fazed about meeting a roomful of enhanced one bit. Talon introduced everyone else. Gregory pursed his lips and glanced down at the note he had been reading when he came in, then pushed it in his pocket and gave his attention to Talon. “The Orlando office has some concerns that are serious enough this case will take precedence over the other new area assignments.”
Daniel immediately took more notice. If Talon and Gregory were willing to put on hold the hopes of expanding the team, it must be very serious. He looked at Talon, and Talon met his gaze.
Sorry.
It wasn’t spoken. The word was never uttered, but every nightmare Daniel had in the last year came rushing back. The crying, or even worse the silence. The clothes. Some dressed in party dresses. Some in pajamas. Some in barely anything at all. The terror, the bewilderment, and the confusion.
And then the acceptance. That was the most heartbreaking of all. The blank expressions on children who had given up on adults rescuing them, on any rescue at all.
Daniel fisted his hands and tried to block out the image of one little girl’s face in particular. Blond pigtails, freckles, a cute button nose…and cold, very empty, very dead eyes.
Andy Lin looked around the room and then at Talon and laughed nervously. “We weren’t expecting to see everyone, just Agent Stuart.”
Daniel focused on Sawyer and his puzzled look.
“Why are you looking for Agent Stuart?” Finn asked lightly.
The flush that stained the agent’s neck was suspicious. “We have been trying to break a pedophile ring that has been operating in Orlando for some time. We’ve never been close to identifying any players other than low-level individuals that are kept out of the loop, but we got some chatter about a new player that seems to be much higher up.”
Daniel didn’t hear what any of that had to do with Eli.
“Chatter?” Talon queried. “What sort of chatter?”
“It’s taken us months,” Wright said. “Started very basic. A local ad about a Christmas toy drive.”
“Which is very common,” Daniel commented.
“Meaning?” Adam glanced at him.
“Ads in local online sale sites advertising something innocuous but spelled incorrectly. The word Christmas may have a capital T, and it spells out something to someone that knows whatever code they are using,” Daniel explained.
“It was PTHCX,” Lin confirmed, clearly realizing Daniel had experience.
“PTHCX?” Finn queried, looking between Lin and Daniel.
“PTHC stands for preteen hard-core,” Daniel explained flatly, and Finn paled. “I don’t know what the X is unless it’s simply extra. It will be an ad for whatever child they have,” he added, trying to do his best to keep his voice even.
“You’ve worked on something similar?” Wright asked Daniel.
Daniel just nodded. He wasn’t giving any details until he found out what was going on.
“And this has what to do with Eli?” Sawyer asked.
Lin looked uncomfortable for a second but glanced back at Wright. “We think Agent Stuart might know some of the individuals we have identified.”
“Know them?” Sawyer asked. “What do you mean know them?”
“Specifically, a Maximillian Caffrey. He used to run a foster—” But the agent didn’t get any further before Gael snapped out,
“He’s dead.”
Lin shook his head. “Edward Caffrey—Maximillian’s brother—died. Caffrey was a mess, but he survived.”
“And you were just going to spring this on him?” Sawyer asked in disbelief.
Daniel wished like hell he knew what was going on, but he wasn’t about to ask in front of the Orlando agents.
“I wasn’t expecting to see the whole team,” Lin protested. “Our office requested an interview with Agent Stuart and his supervising agent.”
“So you’re not here because you need our help,” Talon said. Lin shook his head.
“We have the case covered but my ASAC thought it was time we consulted Agent Stuart.”
Daniel knew reluctance when he heard it. Agent Lin had clearly been made to ask for help.
“There have obviously been some crossed wires,” Gregory said mildly and glanced at Talon. “Can you and Daniel come with me while everyone else stays here?” Daniel rose, wondering why Gregory wanted him. “Agents, if you wouldn’t mind waiting?”
Lin nodded, still looking like he’d eaten something nasty. Wright asked if anyone minded if she got some coffee.
Daniel followed Talon and Gregory into Gregory’s office two doors down, and Gregory waved them to the chairs and shut the door. “Have either of you spoken to Eli this weekend?”