Chapter 13: H.Q

Astounding didn’t begin to describe it. The sensation Jack felt as the helicopter descended to land in the wide parking lot was a cross between excitement and wonder.

Small glass bottles, dirt, and empty potato-chip bags were sent flying as a gust of wind hit the six of them. The helicopter touched down on the lot outside of the Golden Pearl. Jack attempted to charge into it like a dog fetching a bone, but Melissa grabbed the back of his shirt, halting him in place.

“Are you an idiot, Jack? Wait until the propeller stops spinning or you’ll be cut in two halves.” Jack ignored her.

Stupid Melissa, not knowing what she’s talking about. How could a propeller cut me in half? That only happens in the movies.

“Window Seat!” Jack called out, ignoring the sighs of frustration around him. As soon as the pilot opened the side-door, the blue-suited man was forced to leap out of the way. Jack took a nose dive into the aircraft. This was a dream of his, one of many. He always wanted to ride in a helicopter, almost as badly as he wanted Buffy to return for another season.

The interior was just what Jack had expected, only better. This was the type where he could stick his legs out while they were flying, just like in those old Vietnam war movies. The piloting console was amazing, too, with buttons and lights and all kinds of other neat stuff. Jack wondered if everyone would be annoyed if he pushed a few just to see what they did. He decided against it. After all, the last thing Jack needed was Melissa getting on his case again just because of a teeny-tiny little helicopter crash.

One by one, the members of Paro’s team entered and strapped themselves in around Jack. Melissa sat next to him, with Sarah taking a place beside her. On the other end Paro, Kazou, and Michael strapped in and passed around large headsets.

Jack placed one over his ears. “What are these for?”

“It’s so you can hear us, Jack,” Kazou said. “It gets pretty loud when we’re flying, but we can communicate easily with these on.”

“It’s so cool, isn’t it?” Michael asked. “I love flying in these things too.”

The propeller resumed its loud whine as it spun faster and faster with each rotation. Jack could swear his heartbeat accelerated to match the thumping sound of the vehicle.

The first twenty seconds were pure bliss. The helicopter lifted off and slowly gained distance from the ground. Jack could see the Golden Pearl, the highway, and the trees around him become smaller while he reigned over it like a God.

The wind beat against him, ruffling his clothing. The helicopter was only a few hundred feet up, but Jack was still filled with pure joy. He tried to look in every direction at once. Flight was truly one of the most amazing and magnificent things that human beings had ever brought to this world.

As the helicopter lurched forward, Jack felt tears form in his eyes while he watched the small cars on the road. He wondered if they were looking up at him, wishing they too could soar over the skies. They were nothing more than little dots that whizzed by on the highway.

Paro said the flight would probably only be about forty-five minutes, so Jack tried to take in every detail and burn it into memory. He wiggled his feet, feeling the force of the wind push against them. He looked down as they flew over the residential areas.

Jack watched in a fascinated trance as he flew over swimming pools, rooftops, and kids playing basketball in front of their homes. Several people looked up at him and pointed.

“Hey, Jack, do you like it?” Michael asked.

“Oh, hell yeah! Can we go back to the diner and start over? I think I missed a few details along the way.”

Melissa sighed into her headset. “You’ve just landed yourself one slap in debt, Jack.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Michael chimed in. “She’s just trying to kill the fun of flying.”

“Yeah,” Jack said, laughing. “Melissa hates fun. We should call her the ‘Funinator’ from now on.”

At this, even Kazou seemed to join in, chuckling with Michael. A feminine growl came from the headset. “Two slaps.”

The helicopter soared over New Jersey, until the land turned to water and they flew over the ocean. Jack delighted in the misty wind that hit his face. In the distance, he could spot the outline of Manhattan Island. This was beyond a doubt one of the coolest things he’d ever done. He looked at the water, only a few dozen feet below him, hoping to see a fish.

If Jack had been amazed early on, he nearly lost his ability to speak when they reached Manhattan. It was a dream world of tall buildings, cars, pedestrians shuffling across streets, and giant skyscrapers with flashing lights visible even during the day.

The helicopter set down on the landing pad of a giant, grey building. Jack had no idea what part of Manhattan this was, but he didn’t care. All he wanted was to stay in the helicopter and redo the flight from scratch.

He unbuckled his restraints and jumped out, almost tripping and falling on his face. Melissa, Kazou, Michael, and Sarah followed close behind while Paro whispered something into the pilot’s ears. He was the last to join them. Before Jack had time to take in his surroundings, he felt a pinching sensation burn across his face.

“That’s for being stupid and calling me the ‘Funinator’.”

Jack rubbed his cheeks and stared menacingly at Melissa. Whatever, he wouldn’t let her spoil his good mood. And she was a Funinator.

Paro led them off the landing pad and pressed the call button of an elevator opposite the helicopter. Within seconds, the doors opened, and Jack cheerily entered with the rest of the team. He was immediately intrigued by the myriad of buttons and labels. One said Homicide, while another said Theft.

Paro pressed the button labeled Juvenile Crime just above Special Operations, and the elevator lurched downward at a speed Jack hadn’t been expecting, causing him to lose some of his balance and tumble into Melissa. The two made a light thud as they bumped into the corner of the fuzzy elevator wall.

“Whoops,” Jack said.

Melissa pushed him off and scowled at him. “Be careful, Jack.”

The elevator door opened, and Jack stepped out. He was greeted with an incredible sight. They were in a wide, tall room, with two sets of stairways leading up three floors. Hundreds of people answered phone calls while the buzz of conversation rang through the air.

There were vending machines and eating areas with large glass tables. Looking up, Jack could see massive windows that displayed beautiful views of Manhattan with neighboring buildings in the distance.

“Do all these people know about us?” Jack asked.

Sarah nodded. “Every single person here has taken an oath of secrecy and some are even Psychs themselves. This is where our team works. It’s here that we handle all matters pertaining to you younger Psychs.”

Paro put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. He appeared to be in a decent mood for once.

“Jack, our department’s pretty big, and we’re not the only team that works here, either. There are a few of us. We’ve got quite a few amenities here. Food, a gym, sleeping rooms, a holding cell—cooperate with us and you won’t have to see the last—and most importantly, our planning room. We’ll be taking you there in just a bit, but why don’t you get some rest? You were up all night with no chance to relax, so go ahead and sleep for a few hours.”

Paro beckoned a small woman with a tiny headset and an earpiece attached to her face. “Margaret, come here, please.”

The woman, Margaret, hurried over. “Yes, Paro?”

“Will you kindly show Jack to a room for a bit? I need to have a word with my team, and Mr. Harris here has been through quite a bit.”

Jack felt like sticking his tongue out. “I’m not tired at all, Paro! I wanna see everything here, and then maybe Melissa and I can go see Phantom of the Opera. It’s not every day I get to come to the big city.”

Michael laughed and gave Jack a pat on the back. “It’s too soon for that, bud. Just rest up and I promise you we’ll have some fun later, okay? I’ll make sure of it.”

Reluctantly, Jack followed the woman past the rows upon rows of people speaking loudly into headsets and typing madly on computers. He followed her up the first flight of stairs, and Jack couldn’t help but stop for a moment to take a glance out of the large, rectangular glass windows. Manhattan was beautiful, truly and surely. He could make out at least five other buildings this high up, and he wanted to visit each one of them.

Margaret opened up another door and led Jack into a hallway with doors on each side. Halfway down, she stopped to open yet another door, this one leading into a small, hotel-sized room. It had a bathroom, a bed, and a fridge.

“This is where you’ll be staying for a bit, Jack. If you need anything else, please let me know.”

She closed the door behind him, and Jack resisted the urge to follow her out. He decided to at least try and get some rest. He doubted he would be able to sleep with so much excitement still on his mind. He wanted to replay each moment of the helicopter ride in his head.

Jack lay down on the bed, and although it was comfortable, he seriously doubted he would get any rest.

Within four seconds, he was snoring.

*****

Melissa closed the door to the planning room, struggling to contain her anger. She had decided not to undermine Paro in front of Jack—she respected Paro too much to go that far. But now that they were alone as a team, she would let him have it.

The team didn’t require any data on screen at the moment, so the room was well-lit and cool. Melissa took a seat on her leather chair next to Kazou and Michael, leaving Paro and Sarah on the other side of the round table.

“Melissa, I can see you’re angry,” Paro began, “but you must know that what I’m doing—”

“Save it, Paro!” Melissa didn’t care how much he hated being interrupted. This time, he’d gone too far.

“You’re going to get Jack killed. Did you even stop for a minute to think about what you’ve just set in motion?”

Paro sighed, apparently willing to let Melissa slide for the disrespect. “Melissa, don’t think I haven’t thought about this carefully. This is our first chance to find who is responsible for the travesties that have been committed. Can we really afford to let this opportunity slip away?”

Michael, Kazou, and Sarah said nothing. They knew better than to get in the middle of a Melissa-Paro feud. Melissa liked Paro the best on the team, and usually the two got along wonderfully. But when they clashed, they really clashed.

“This is an innocent’s life we’re playing with, damnit. You didn’t spend as much time with Jack as I did. He’s not like anyone else I’ve ever met, Psych or otherwise. We can’t throw him to these animals. He’s not some piece of meat to be devoured. What if he dies? What if they kill him?”

Paro’s face remained unchanged. “We have no reason to believe he’s in any danger. From what you’ve told us, the two rogue Psychs you ran into wanted him pretty badly.” Paro shook his head. “They won’t kill him.”

Melissa couldn’t help herself. She picked up a water-filled glass in front of her and threw it into the wall behind Paro, shattering the cup and leaving a dark, wet spot on the white surface.

“How can you possibly know that, Paro?” she screamed at him. “You’re the one who’s always telling us we can’t assume to know what’s going on in the minds of people this deranged. How can you know they simply won’t walk up to him when we least expect it and murder him like all the others?”

She felt embarrassed for her sudden display of outrage. Even Michael didn’t offer a quip in response.

Jack, she thought to herself. I can’t bear the thought of him being killed like the others. No, I won’t let that happen.

Her emotions were still a mess from when she kissed him. Feelings, thoughts, they were all scrambled and didn’t make any sense. He was immature, he was sometimes an idiot, but he looked at her like she was the most wonderful thing in the world. When she kissed him …

She forced the thought from her mind, trying to seal it behind a mental-door made with the densest metal.

“Are you finished?” Paro asked. He stood up from his chair and retrieved a broom and pail, then spent the next few moments cleaning up the glass.

“Melissa,” he said with a sweep, “I know that on some level you must like this boy—and quiet—do not think to interrupt me again. This is the first chance we’ve had to finally solve all of this and put an end to these massacres. If you’ve learned anything about me from your time here, you should’ve learned that I do not take these things lightly.”

Paro emptied the broken glass into the trashcan in the corner of the room.

“When I say I will succeed at something, I do.” He walked to where Melissa was sitting and knelt on the floor to look directly into her eyes. His gaze was not his typical. He held a fierce look to his face, a tightness that promised death to whoever dared to gaze for too long. Melissa couldn’t help but feel a pinch of fear.

“I will not let Jack Harris die. And, he will help us catch the men and women responsible for these killings. If you’ve got any further objections, we can step outside. I’m not the type to report my own team-members for disobedience. No, I handle it myself. Do we have an understanding?”

Melissa choked on her pride and nodded. Paro smiled and returned to his seat.

“Now,” Paro said, “we need to work on stabilizing the Harris-kid. This isn’t going to be easy. It’s rare enough for a Psych to not to be able to control himself, but it’s even more complicated when that same Psych is Jack Harris. So, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to get the kid just comfortable enough with his abilities, at least to the point where we don’t have to worry about repeat incidents, and then we’re going to set him loose. Melissa, since you go to his school, you are to stay with him at all times. You want to make sure he’s safe, yes? Well, here’s your chance to do it. We’ll be within a half-mile of you at all times, if not closer.”

Melissa nodded yet again. This was good. Now at least matters were in her own hands, and she could do what she must to keep Jack safe, provided he listened to her. And she would make sure he listened, she thought with a grin.

I’ll teach him to show me respect! Calling me the ‘Funinator’ in front of everyone, oh, I’ll have him barking on command.

Sarah broke the short moment of silence. “So, should we register him now?”

Paro nodded. “Yeah, we’ll need to take a small sample of his blood. It’s already beyond a doubt that he’s a Telekinetic, but we still need him to test-positive and get him in the records. His mother will need to be informed and sworn to secrecy. For this, at least, we can go about our normal routine.”

Melissa laughed. “Alana isn’t going to like this.”

Paro’s eyes widened in the biggest display of shock Melissa had ever seen on him. “Melissa, I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“Umm, I said Alana, his mom—she’s not going to like this news.”

“Jack’s mother, her name is Alana Harris?”

Kazou and Sarah looked at each other for a moment before Sarah craned her neck to face Paro. “Yeah, didn’t you read the file, Paro?” she asked.

Paro sat back in his chair, motionless and silent, causing Melissa to become confused. From the looks of things, so was everyone else.

Finally, he spoke, “Harris is a pretty common name … it’s just a coincidence. It has to be.” There was a sound of fear in his voice, and Melissa saw a trickle of sweat roll down his face.

“Paro, what’s this about?” Kazou asked. He was never one to show much expression, but there was a certain curiosity to his look.

“Alana Harris, she’d know better than to have a kid and not report it. It’s just me being irrational. It’s a common name after all, and that’s all that there is to it.”

Kazou met Melissa’s eyes and shrugged.

Paro’s face took on a pleading look, and he shook his head. “No, the similarities, I just … I’m an idiot, because I … but then …”

“Paro, you’re rambling, bud,” Michael said. “Wanna tell us what’s going on here?”

Paro looked at his team. Melissa had no idea what had him so spooked.

Paro inhaled then said, “I think we might be in some trouble, is all. I mean, just, let’s proceed as normal and forget I said anything.”

The intercom on the center of the table rang. Paro reached over and flipped the red switch.

“Paro, there’s a call for you from someone. They requested to speak to your team specifically.”

Paro gulped. “Pass it through, please.”

The room quieted at the sound of an enraged voice from the other end of the device. In the background, Melissa could hear heavy traffic, frustrated drivers, and roadwork. It added a sense of chaos to the thunderous voice.

“Paro, where is he!” the voice shouted in a high-pitched shriek.

Paro looked like he was ready to cry. “Easy now, Alana, I didn’t know he was yours. Just give me a chance and I can explain everything, but please, calm down, for the love of God.”

“Calm down? Calm down! I’m gonna beat you like you’re sixteen again, Paro. Tell Jack mummy’s coming. You better pray I like your explanation, because I haven’t been this angry in a long, long time.”

Melissa wondered what was going on. It didn’t make any sense for Alana to be calling, but the voice indeed belonged to Jack’s mother.

Paro visibly tensed. “Look, this is an official investigation, and you can’t just come barging in. You had no right to not report him. Keeping this a secret from us was a crime. Oh, and I’m not a child anymore, so don’t treat me like one.”

“Or what?” the voice mocked. “You’ll throw another one of your ‘temper tantrums.’ I didn’t deal with them when you were a kid, and I certainly won’t deal with them now. You’ll always be just a little boy to me Paro. Now, you better have Jack bundled up and ready to go home by the time I get there, or I’m going to whip you in front of your little friends.”

Paro growled. “Listen to me, Alana, I’m a captain now, and you do not possess the authority to tell me what to do! Your precious little brat set a school on fire, and thanks to your criminal act of keeping him a secret, we didn’t even know there was a Psych attending it in the first place. Now, you can turn that car around and go home, or I can press charges against you for not reporting Jack. It’s your choice. Let’s be reasonable here.”

“Oh, I’ll be reasonable alright! By the way, is that Melissa girl there?”

Melissa forced saliva into her mouth and answered, “Yes, Mrs. Harris.”

“I wanted to tell you earlier, but I forgot. I love your shoes. I was thinking of getting a similar pair. But we’ll talk about it when I get there. Alana out!”

Michael laughed, while the rest of the team remained silent, with the exception of Paro. He wore a scowl and curled hit bottom lip. With frightening growl, he grabbed the intercom off the table and threw it. It smashed into the same spot on the wall where Melissa’s cup had hit only moments before.

Paro poured his anger into his voice as he shouted, “Goddamn Telekinetics! I’m so sick of them … I’m so sick of all of them!”

It was a lot to take in, but Melissa learned that in this world, she had to adapt quickly. Paro held out his hands and inhaled, and his voice calmed. He looked around the room.

“That conversation meant nothing. Nothing has changed. Proceed as we planned, and let’s get to work. We need to register Jack and work with him to get his abilities under control. Don’t worry about anything you’ve just heard. Now, all of you—get out of my sight. If the Harris kid gives you any trouble, knock him over the head a few times until he cooperates.”

Melissa waited until she was certain Paro couldn’t see her and then smiled. She wasn’t sure why, but she really liked Mrs. Harris.