47: Michael, you tricked me!

The evening breeze rolled in through the top of the vehicle, and Jack felt himself relaxing with each passing second. Hanging out wasn’t so bad after all.

“So, where are we going?” Jack asked.

Michael was tapping his wrists against the steering wheel, bobbing his head along with the music. They’d come to a simple compromise: Jack picked the songs, but he picked them from Michael’s list. Surprisingly, he actually had a few songs that Jack liked. They were listening to “Green Day,” a personal favorite of Jack’s dad, one that Jack knew well.

“Don’t worry about it, bud,” he hummed. He tapped on the steering wheel, singing along. “Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me.”

Jack laughed, joining him. “It all keeps adding up. I think I’m cracking up.”

It’d been a long time since Jack had fun doing something other than watching movies or playing video games. He needed to get out more often.

The car picked up speed. Michael looked down at a small device every so often near the cigar lighter while he drove. He tipped his hat to every woman they passed along the way, especially to any who seemed to be admiring his silver Camaro. He even offered a devilish smile to an elderly woman driving an Oldsmobile. When Jack asked about it, Michael’s responded, “I love all women, Jack. They’re all beautiful to me.”

Jack became curious about the small device Michael continually glanced at. It was a small rectangular thing, with fast-scrolling green letters. “We’re making great time,” he mumbled whenever he looked at it. Jack tried asking what it was, but Michael told him not to worry about it.

The sun turned into a giant golden ball, casting an orange light around the cloudless blue sky with the two of them racing into it. It was exhilarating. The car slowed, and they pulled onto the nearest exit. Jack had been here before. There were shopping centers and outlets every few miles on the right side of the road.

“Is this where we’re going? To a mall?”

“Nope, not this time,” he said. “You’ll see when we get there.”

Jack shrugged. He trusted Michael’s judgment; nothing was ever boring around him. Jack caught sight of something cute and waved at a nearby driver, whose dog was sticking its head out of the window, its tongue flapping in the air. The man waved back, and the dog barked.

The shopping centers became scarcer, until they no longer passed any. Where were they heading? Jack knew Michael wouldn’t take him to a bar, but what about a club or a skating rink? The car slowed again, and Jack’s question was answered. Michael turned, pulling into a wide park, at least the size of three football fields. There were crunching sounds as the car drove over the gravelly parking lot.

“So, umm, we’re gonna pick up women in the park?”

Michael stretched, turning the gesture into a shrug. “Well … not quite. You’ll see. We’re right on time, bud. Just wait a few more minutes.”

Jack was agitated. “Come on, man, please. Just tell me the plan.”

“All right, fine. In about five minutes a team of Psychs are gonna pull up next to us, and we gotta help them with a little something.”

Jack was quiet for a moment, his mind scrambling to make sense of the unexpected words. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up a second. Did you just say that Psychs are on their way?”

“Yup.”

“And that we need to help them with something?”

“Yup again.”

“Michael, did you … did you just bring me to work!” Jack shouted.

How could Michael betray him like this? School and work: the two things in Jack’s life that he’d never asked for but were forced to do anyway. Now, on what was supposed to be a night of fun, he’d been conned into the latter. The only way things could be any worse would be if Michael brought along a math textbook as well.

“Just relax, buddy. There’s more to this than you realize.”

“No!” Jack pouted. “We’re doing more stupid Psych-stuff. Gah, I should’ve known. What about the art of woman-hunting? What about these stupid sunglasses? You tricked me!”

“Will ya calm down for a sec and listen to me? That is why we’re here. See, I’m not like the rest of the team, ya gotta trust me on that. They’ve tricked you before, and they’ll do it again. But me? No way. Look, here’s what you need to know, bud. Right now, there are two hotties heading our way. One’s my age, a real looker, too. She’s the team-leader of another Juvenile Investigative team, a Kinetic, like us. Her daughter, your age, is also a Kinetic. She’s pretty cute too, from what I hear. Now look, I’ve had my eyes on this one for a while. You be my wingman, and I reckon I’ll be yours.”

Jack looked at him, checking him for any sign of deceit. “Why Psychs? Why couldn’t we just go to a club or something?”

“First of all, you can be honest with Psych-women. It’s nice to be able to talk about your worries, concerns, or things that bother ya. Secondly, we’re doing some good in the process. I need you to believe me, Jack. We’re here because I thought it’s what’s best for us. Oh, and did I mention we get paid?”

The last part caught Jack’s attention. “Wait, we get paid to do this stuff? How come I never got paid from Paro, then?”

“‘Cause you weren’t really part of us at the start of the last case. This’ll be your first official job. Aside from splitting the cash with me, you’ll get a positive mark on your record. The more of those you get, the more money you make in the future.”

Jack decided to trust Michael, if for no other reason than the fact that he’d always been on his side throughout everything that Jack had been through since they’d met.

“But this doesn’t make any sense. First of all, since when can we just show up at a case? I thought it had to be assigned. Also, why do they even need us?”

Michael nodded at his questions. “All right, so it’s like this: as long as we stay within our own department—Juvie, in this case—we’re allowed to freelance when we ain’t got nothing better to do.”

“How come they need us?”

“They’re here to make an arrest. Take a new Psych in, you see? Now, here’s the thing. We Investigators, we like to use as many people as we can, ya know? Do everything to make sure we get the job done with nobody getting hurt. And by nobody, I mean not just us, but the people we go after as well. Sometimes all the recon officers are busy, so the team making the arrest asks us for a bit of help. It’s pretty standard stuff. We’re not Op. teams, so we don’t wanna use any force. That’s why we try to use as many people as we can, even if we don’t think there’s any real danger. “

Jack admitted it made sense. He felt slightly ashamed. “I shouldn’t have flipped out. I got angry before I heard you out, and I’m sorry.”

Michael gave him a nudge on the arm. “You really gotta cut that out. It’s gonna keep getting you into trouble.” His eyes turned serious, and Jack tensed. Michael almost always wore his toothiest grin, so when his face became void of all humor, Jack knew to take the man seriously.

“Jack, we may be here for the ladies, but do I gotta remind you how serious this is? I hope you haven’t forgotten why we do what we do, and why it’s so important.”

Jack reassuringly placed a hand on Michael’s shoulder and nodded. “Trust me, I know.” For a moment he remembered Anthony and his quick and ruthless death by Cemmera’s Op. team.

“All right, bud, that’s good. So, now do you see why I brought you? You can help save someone’s life while learning about the thrill of woman-hunting.”

Jack laughed and gave Michael a nudge of his own. “I get it, I get it. Hey, is that them?”

A van pulled up next to Michael’s Camaro, and the side door slid open. Five people leapt out. One, who Michael pointed to and claimed was the team-leader, was a blond-haired beauty with a vivacious smile.

“Hey, I’ve been wondering something, Michael—how old are you? ‘Cause I know that Paro is only in his mid-twenties.”

“Hmm? I just turned thirty, bud.”

Jack thought his eyes would pop out of their sockets. “Whoa, man! You’re way older than I thought. How come you’re so old but you can act so … ?”

“Smooth?” Michael asked with a grin. “Age is meaningless. You’ll learn that one day.”

Michael waved and the woman waved back. Walking behind the woman, looking like a younger and more beautiful clone, was a girl who Jack took to be the woman’s daughter. She was stunning, and Jack felt a jolt rush into his stomach as he took in her features; it was enough to make him shake.

“There’s no way,” he breathed. “I’ve got no chance.”

“Yeah you do,” Michael said. “Shh, they’re coming. Just trust in yourself.”

Michael opened the door and stepped out, Jack following in suit. The last time he’d been this nervous, he’d supposedly set a classroom on fire. Now, he worried he’d cause a volcanic eruption as his gaze settled appreciatively over the woman’s daughter.

The girl was gorgeous: the very example of what his dad used to call a “blonde bombshell.” She was around Jack’s height, and though her frame was thin, the thinness ended there; ample breasts pressed against her pink tank top, and the curves of her hips made Jack’s mouth water. She didn’t walk so much as stroll towards the Camaro, where Jack looked on with his mouth hanging open.

She smiled at him and waved. Jack was lucky to be wearing the sunglasses, or she’d definitely spot the apprehension in his face. He felt his legs shake as he got out of the Camaro and ambled over to her, the gravel crunching under his feet.

“Hey there, Amanda,” Michael said. “We were in the area, and I saw your request for backup. Mind if my pal and I here give ya a hand?”

The woman, Amanda, smiled. “No, of course not. So, who’s the young stud?” She winked at Jack.

“Ah, this here is my main man Jack Harris. He’s sixteen, like Juliette—special age clearance and everything.”

Jack tapped Michael on the shoulder, trying to keep his voice from breaking as he spoke. “What do you mean special age clearance?”

Amanda answered in Michael’s place. “Well, hun, to get on a team, you normally need to be eighteen years of age. But, being a team-leader, I was able to get my daughter on board a bit earlier. I don’t mean to be rude, but … hmm, Harris … I know that name. Are you perhaps Alana’s boy? There’s been a bit of a buzz since she returned, and everyone’s saying she had a kid that no one knew about.”

Jack gulped. “Yeah, that’s my mom.”

Her daughter, Juliette, held her hand to her mouth and gasped. “Wow, that’s so cool. Your momma’s a general?” She waved her hands at her own mother then let out a nervous half laugh. “Not that … not that you’re not also awesome, Mom.”

Amanda wore a fake, exaggerated look of disappointment. “I see how it is,” she said with mock sadness. She and her daughter shared a laugh. “Anyway, the three men behind me are as follows. Chris,” she called.

“That’s me,” a man said, stepping forward to shake Jack and Michael’s hand. Jack followed along with Michael, doing exactly what Michael did. First, he repeated his own name, and then he followed in with a handshake.

“I’m the Telepath, so be gentle.” Chris was a skinny man with a thick pair of nerdy-looking glasses, and a white, button-up shirt. He looked more like a scientist than a Psych.

“Daryn.”

The muscular black man to her right stepped forward and repeated the process. “I’m the one that needs to be gentle,” he mused. “I’m the team’s Reinforcer.” He had a firm handshake.

The next man stepped forward without being announced, offering a dramatic bow. “I’m Roger,” he said. “Feast your eyes on the only sane Manipulator you’re likely to ever meet. Well, as sane as we get. At heart, I’m not a Psych, but an actor! I live for the dramatic arts.”

Jack liked the team. They seemed like really cool people. When it was Juliette’s turn to introduce herself, Jack held his breath while he shook her hand. She had a strong handshake and a bright smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jack. Cool sunglasses by the way.”

She thinks I look cool! Jack beamed. Never had he wanted to hug Michael as much as he did right then. The cowboy had been right—this girl was hot, hot, hot!

“Now that we’ve been introduced,” Amanda said, “I’ll give you boys a rundown of the situation. Basically, we’ve got a Telekinetic, age fifteen, male. His name’s Sal Georgario, and right now he’s considered non-violent.”

“What’s he done?” Michael asked.

“Just the usual petty teenage stuff. He’s robbed a couple of ATMs, vending machines and the like. He has no known Psych relatives, and he’s completely ignorant to our existence. We’d like to be gentle with him. He’s very frightened, and in a pretty emotional state, so be careful with this one.”

“Umm, excuse me,” Jack said. Amanda turned to him and raised her eyebrows.

“Yes?”

“How do you know he’s frightened?”

“Good question. When we tracked down who was responsible for the ATM robberies, the first thing we did was get his cell phone number and give the kid a call. Every team works differently, and we like to be as least threatening to the non-violents—as we call them—as we can. My daughter spoke with him, told him everything would be okay, and that he should meet us somewhere he feels comfortable. Well, either that, or we come looking for him. He agreed to meet us out here, and from Chris’s reading he’s pretty shaken up. I’m actually kinda glad the recon teams are all busy, because the last thing the kid needs is to see those men charge at him with weapons drawn, making a whole big scene.”

“So what do we do now?” Jack asked.

Michael cleared his throat, and all of them turned to look at him. “I got a suggestion, if I may? I know this is your case, and I’d hate to be rude and tell yall how to run it.”

“No, please. Feel free,” Amanda said. “I’d love to hear your take on things.”

“Well, why don’t we let Juliette and Jack handle this? They’d be the least threatening of us all, and I reckon they’d make things go over a lot smoother with our frightened little Kinetic.”

“Not a bad idea,” Roger said.

“Agreed,” Daryn added. “They’ll be able to relate to him. I think we’ve got ourselves a plan.”

And just like that, it was settled. Michael winked at Jack when no one was looking. The two had developed a means to communicate without words, and his message came to Jack loud and clear: “You owe me one, bud. Go get her.”

Jack pushed back his fear and removed his sunglasses. “Well, I guess we should get to it then?”

“Kay,” she said. “Let’s go.”

Jack had to hand it to Michael: the guy knew how to pick winners. Not only was her voice sweet, but her personality was wonderful. Heck, even her name was pretty. None of that mattered, though. With a depressing sigh, Jack realized he didn’t have a chance with the beautiful Juliette; someone else, maybe, but not him.

“We’ll be right here if you need us,” her team-member, Chris, said. “See if you can get him to come to us on his own. I’ll sense it if anything goes wrong, so don’t worry yourselves.”

Juliette waved to them and grabbed Jack’s arm. “Let’s go get him,” she said.

The touch of her hands on his arm caused Jack to swallow nervously. He followed along, ambling through the park’s field of trimmed grass. There were two baseball fields, a basketball court, and a football field, all connected to form one large playing area. Kids and adults alike were engaged in a variety of activities. Some were playing sports, while others fed the birds, flew kites, or played with remote-controlled cars and helicopters.

“So, you do a lot of freelance work?” she asked. There were a few freckles on her face, but rather than deter, they added another layer of beauty to her otherwise spotless face. She had small cheeks, and round, wondrous eyes.

Get a grip, Jack. Don’t forget, you’re only here to learn how to talk to girls so that you can impress Sandra. But oh man, she’s so beautiful.

“This is my first time doing this,” Jack admitted. “Michael dragged me along.”

“Do you go to school?” She let go of his arm. As her hand slid away, Jack drowned in an ocean of disappointment.

“Umm, yeah. I go to Elms High, you?”

“Topa High,” she said, “Not far from Atlantic City.”

They made idle chat while they walked through the park. Jack forced himself to listen, answer, and return questions of his own. He’d never get any better with girls if he didn’t at least try to speak with them. They cut their conversation short when they came upon the boy.

Jack felt pity the moment he set his eyes on the kid. He was sitting alone on the swing, tears in his eyes and fear visible in his every movement. He was shaking, his eyes bright red from what was likely hours of crying. He sniffed, looking around, probably wondering when he’d be taken away.

“The poor thing,” Juliette said. “Come on, Jack.”

Jack followed her, and the boy looked dubiously at them as they took a seat on the swings to both sides of him. “Hey,” Jack said. “How’s it hanging?”

The boy met Jack’s eyes for just a moment before averting away in fear. “H-hi.”

“Do you remember my voice?” Juliette said. “We spoke on the phone.”

He trembled and kept his eyes downcast, refusing to look at either one of them. “Y-yes. I-I’m Sal, I am I … my name …”

“It’s all right, you can talk to me,” Juliette said. “Hey, would it make you feel better if I told you you’re not in that much trouble?”

“I-I’m not?” he asked.

“Nope, not at all. Right, Jack?”

Jack had no idea what the penalties were for Psychs, but then again, he’d set a classroom on fire and came out all right for it. “You’ll be fine,” he agreed.

“What’s gonna happen to me? I don’t wanna go with you.”

“We’re here to help,” Juliette said. She jumped off the swing, and stood in front of the boy. She held out a hand, and he took it. Gently, she pulled him off the swing. He looked up into her eyes with a pleading, tearful gaze.

“No one’s gonna hurt me?”

“Not at all, I promise you. Right, Jack?”

“Yup, no one’s gonna hurt you, Sal.”

Sal took in the two of them then nodded. “I didn’t know what I was doing could be, well, I didn’t know other people could do it too. Am I gonna go to jail?”

“Probably not,” Juliette said. “You’re a first time offender with no criminal record.”

Jack remembered asking Paro one time why Psychs were able to get away with stuff that, if done normally, would result in much harsher sentences. He’d told Jack that because there was no deterrent in place, studies of human behavior showed that a significant amount of people would act a certain way. Very few would use their powers to commit acts of violence, and so naturally those who did weren’t given any leniency. Many, however, would try to use their powers for monetary gain, and so after years of research on the topic, it’d been concluded that people who discovered their abilities and used them to gain wealth were simply doing what any other person would’ve done in their shoes. Although, if they continued the behavior once they learned of the deterrent, then the penalties would rival those a normal citizen would receive.

Looking into the face of the frightened Telekinetic, Jack began to understand the reasoning. It didn’t make what he did right, but it did make it understandable. He must’ve woken up one day, realized the incredible things he could do, and his first thoughts were of money and the things he could buy with it.

They led the boy back to the parking area, where Michael and Juliette’s team waited for them in silence. They were leaning against the van with relaxed postures, most checking their cell phones and texting. They were clearly trying to be as unintimidating as possible.

“Ah, hey,” Amanda said, not once gazing up from her phone.

Their casual behavior had the desired effect; Sal relaxed and approached them of his own will. “Hi, I’m Sal,” he said. “I’m really sorry for what I did, and I want to cooperate.”

Amanda smiled and ruffled his hair. “Good boy,” she said. She turned to Jack, who stood next to Juliette. “Good job, you two. I guess that’s a wrap.”

Jack, not wanting to miss his one—and possibly only—chance, blurted out the words before he could stop himself. “Umm, Juliette, wanna get a bite to eat?”

Three things happened at once: Michael beamed with the strongest show of approval Jack had ever seen on him, Amanda gave Michael a wry grin, and Juliette blushed, her face turning a dark red. “Umm, yeah, of course!”

Amanda licked her lips and stared at Michael as she said, “Tell you kids what. I’m giving my team the rest of the day off, so, why don’t I take you both out for some pizza. That is, if your friend Michael wouldn’t mind coming along. I’m sure he wouldn’t have a problem with that, would he?”

Jack knew he didn’t have to beg Michael to say yes; the old rogue would want to spend some time with Amanda just as badly as Jack wanted to spend time with Juliette. Michael tipped his cowboy hat and grinned.

“Sounds good, except for one part: a gentleman never lets a lady pay. This one is on me.”

*******

Alana put down her book and removed her reading glasses as she heard the knock on her front door. She sighed, then glided over to the door and opened it. “Hey, Melissa,” she said. “Come in, come in.” Melissa had been stopping by more and more frequently for girl talk, and Alana was delighted to see her.

“I’m actually not here to chat today,” she said. “I, umm, I kinda owe Jack a date, and I’ve been blowing him off. I feel bad about it, so … hey, is he around? I wanted to surprise him.”

Now this is something I didn’t expect, Alana thought. Crap, what do I do?

“He’s, ahh … out at the moment. He went somewhere with Michael.”

When out of uniform, Melissa was a friend, despite being so much younger. She was someone to talk to, gossip and share rumors with. On the other hand, Jack was her son, and he was doing God knows what with Michael.

“Weird, I wonder where Jack would’ve gone to.”

Alana tried to remind herself that the chance of her son actually finding a girlfriend was slim to none. Wow, that’s a horrible thing to think as a mother. Still, Alana was optimistic that Jack and Melissa would be an item, but if she told Melissa what her foolish son was up to, it could ruin everything.

“I’m not sure where they went,” Alana lied. “But I’m sure he’ll be back before it’s too dark. Why don’t you stay for some tea.”

Melissa shrugged. “That’s all right, I’ll find him. Michael keeps his tracker on at all times, so I’ll just go to wherever he is.”

“Ahh, about that,” Alana began—but it was too late. Melissa had already bolted out of the house, intent on surprising Jack.

It’ll be all right. More than likely those two idiots are by themselves alone somewhere, wondering how they failed to pick up a single woman.