Psych Investigation Episodes: Episode 1 (A Young Adult Scifi / Fantasy) (29 page)

Paro too seemed to be in good humor now. “That
was much less painful than I thought it would be, Jack. Thank you
for making this so much easier on us. And look, you’ll get used to
waking up at six a.m. Trust me, after the first week it’s like
you—”

“
What?”
Jack shouted.
“Six a.m.? I’m out of here!”

Jack tried to flee, but Melissa grabbed him and
held him in place. “Sit back down, you idiot! You’ll get used to
it, trust me.”

Jack relaxed over the course of the next few
minutes, while Paro and Michael for the zillionth time went over
everything that had happened since the first murder, ending with
the execution of the Davins’ family. Occasionally, they asked Jack
a question or two, which he once again answered to the best of his
knowledge. Sometime during the middle of the team’s discussion,
Jack remembered there was something very important he had to
ask.

“
Can I ask you guys
something?”

“
What’s up, Jack?” Michael
answered.

“
What’s gonna happen to these people
if we catch them alive? Like, let’s say we were able to find out
who their accomplice is and he agreed to cooperate. Would we be
able to let him go free if he didn’t mean to cause any
harm?”

Paro looked at Jack with an expression of
regret. “No, Jack, unfortunately not. Even if he or she is just an
accomplice, they will probably spend the rest of their lives locked
away for the massacres they aided in.”

Jack struggled, trying with everything he was
worth not to let any worry or anxiety show on his face. “But what
if they really, really didn’t mean it? Then could we make an
exception?”

“
I’m afraid not,” Paro answered. “I
don’t know what awaits the two that you and Melissa fought in the
park. But as for the accomplice, he or she will have a tremendous
punishment waiting for them. But at the very least, they’ll be
alive. If we don’t solve this problem soon, the Op. teams will step
in and start piling up bodies.”

“
Op. teams?” Jack asked.

“
They’re a division of Psychs like
we are, but they exist as a mirror to us. Their job is to kill what
we can’t catch.” Paro spent the next few minutes explaining how the
Psych departments worked.

Jack visibly shook at the explanation. So,
there were teams that went around killing the criminals that Psychs
like Paro couldn’t catch? Jack couldn’t believe something like that
was permitted.

“
Okay, just to make sure I got this.
No matter what the situation is—if someone comes forward willing to
cooperate and surrender, they still have go to jail for a long
time?”

“
Yes, Jack.”

“
May I please be excused? I know I’m
supposed to get a ride home soon, but there’s something nearby I
really need to take care of. I need to pick up something at a
grocery store that I promised I’d get for my mom. Is that
okay?”

Sarah and Paro were studying him with an almost
scientific gaze. Paro nodded. “Well, I guess if you’re going to be
on this team then we can at least treat you with the respect of a
member. So yeah, go ahead. Just make sure you head home soon. There
are still crazy people after you, don’t forget.”

“
Thanks, Paro.” He rose from the
seat and grabbed his schoolbag.

“
Wait,” Melissa said, “have you
forgotten once again that you’re not supposed to leave my
sight?”

Damn,
Jack thought to himself.
I
need to get to Andy’s right away, but I can’t bring her along with
me.

“
Umm, can’t I go by myself, for just
a little bit, please? If I’m gonna be a member of the team, won’t
you have to trust me too, Melissa?”

Melissa growled at this. “Not at all, Jack.
You’re not going anywhere with—”

“
Melissa, let him go!” Paro
commanded.

“
But Paro! He’s—”

“
I said, let him go.”

Jack didn’t know what was going on between the
two, and he honestly didn’t care, either. Based on what they had
told him, Andy’s life would be ruined forever if he got caught.
Jack had promised to help Andy, and he didn’t intend to break it.
He’d head over to his house and get Andy as far away as possible
from this place.

Jack sprinted out of the room, running faster
than he had ever run in his life. The personnel around the
garage-turned-base gave him odd looks as he soared by
them.

Andy,
hang tight, I’m
coming
.

Jack ran as if his life depended on it, or
rather, his friend’s life. Andy’s house wasn’t very far from the
garage that Paro’s team
—
his team now—had rented out. It was
only around three p.m. and the sun was still out in full force. Had
it not been for such a sense of urgency, Jack might have actually
enjoyed the run.

To his left was an open baseball field, with
young children learning and practicing the game. To his right, Jack
spotted fully-detached houses with gardens and large fountains
dotting the landscape.

Jack’s feet kicked up small pebbles and rocks
as he raced his way down to the next block. He ran past a series of
rather large homes. Swimming pools, hot-tubs, basketball hoops, you
name it, Sparrow-Road was a higher income neighborhood. It was one
of the most fascinating things about Elms New Jersey. Walking even
one minute from a set of low income homes could bring you to a set
of mansions. Finally, at the end of another block he came across
the semi-detached home that Andy lived in. It wasn’t bad for a
middle income house, with two floors, a basement, and four
bedrooms.

Jack had been there quite a few times, though
never exactly invited. Andy was always alone, and while Jack had
Adam, Andy didn’t have anyone, so Jack came over every so often and
hung out with him. Even if Andy told his mom he wanted to be alone,
she still let Jack come see him. Hopefully, this time would be no
different.

He walked over the white rocks that decorated
the front lawn and rang the bell. It opened so quickly that Jack
was convinced Andy’d been waiting on the other side for him the
entire time.

“
Jack,” Andy said, his eyes lighting
up. For the briefest moment as he was opening the door, he had that
defeated, haggard look he’d worn as of late, but once his eyes
registered the visitor, his boyish expression returned with full
glamour.

“
Come in.” Andy waved Jack inside.
His face darkened when Jack almost knocked him over trying to push
him through the door.

“
Andy, pack your things right now.
We’re leaving.”

“
Don’t tell me … please, Jack, don’t
tell me.”

“
I’m sorry, Andy, but we need to
leave. I’ll walk with you to the nearest train station. I have
enough money to help you pay for a ticket. You need to go far … as
far as you can, and never show your face to anyone around here
again.”

Jack’s heart burned for Andy. Tears slid across
his friend’s face and that same desperate look returned.

“
Is there nothing else that can be
done, Jack? Is there no deal or negotiation that can be
made?”

Jack wanted so badly to be able to help Andy,
but this was one thing he just couldn’t do. No matter how hard Jack
tried, he would never be able to stop Paro and the team from
locking Andy away in a cell and tormenting him for the rest of his
life.

“
Andy, if you don’t leave then those
two will probably kill you, won’t they? I know it won’t be easy,
but you can still have a life. I’ll come find you some day, and
I’ll make sure that it won’t be so bad, but right now you need to
go. Pack your things and come with me—hurry!”

Andy scrambled out of the room and sprinted up
the stairs. Jack could hear the thump on the second-floor above him
as closets opened and closed, and drawers slammed shut. Finally,
Andy came running back down the stairs with two small traveling
bags. Jack’s heart almost melted at the sight of pure grief and
loss on his face.

”
Th-this,” he sobbed. “This is all I
am now? These two bags, and then I’m all alone? I don’t even have
my mom now.”

Never before, not through all the bullying, the
years of torment, or the endless pain of loneliness had Jack felt
so powerless.

Why can’t I do anything?
Jack
wondered.
Why isn’t there something else I can
do
?

“
I’m so sorry,” Jack said, “but this
is all we can do now. It’s our only option. If we leave now we can
make the next train. Come on.” Jack had to almost drag Andy to get
him out of the house.

Together the two walked away from the home.
With each step, Andy’s legs wobbled and he looked more and more
like he was about to collapse. They walked slowly, much slower than
Jack had wanted, but this would be the last time Andy saw the town
he had grown up in. Jack supposed a few minutes wouldn’t kill
them.

Andy took in every sight, as if recording it
all to memory. Jack felt his heart rip at the thought that Andy
would never see his mother or father again and would be truly
alone. But what other choice was there? It was either that or
spending the rest of his life rotting away in some cell.

“
Umm, Jack?” Andy asked. His voice
sounded worn and exhausted. “Will you really come see me some time?
I don’t know anyone where I’m going. Heck, I don’t even know
where
I’m going. Do you think you can sneak away and hang
out with me some time?”

“
Yeah,” Jack lied. It was a painful
lie, one that shredded him on the inside. Andy relaxed at the false
promise, furthering Jack’s guilt.

Despite the sedate pace, they arrived at the
transit terminal well before the next train was scheduled to
depart. Andy hesitated while following Jack in, forcing Jack to
once again drag him.

The terminal was a two-story building, with the
second-floor on the ground level that they entered on. Below them,
and down a wide flight of stairs, was where the trains arrived and
departed. There were waiting benches, vending machines, and
newsstands, although most seemed to be empty, probably because of
the off-peak hours. Looking around, there wasn’t much activity
going on. A few people waited patiently on the benches while a sole
cashier waited for any customers.

“
One ticket to Tampa, please,” Jack
said, stepping in the empty line. He nearly stuck his tongue out
when he heard the price but thought the better of it. Eighty
dollars? Were they selling tickets or the train itself?

Jack led Andy down the wide staircase, and
together they took a seat on one of the many unoccupied benches.
Andy tensed and then began to shake and twitch. He looked like a
wreck, with tears still falling down his eyes. Even his legs
started to tremble. He was traumatized.

For a very serious moment, Jack wondered if he
was making the right decision. Andy did not look at all like he was
going to be okay, like he was going to be able to someday recover.
The confusion and indecision was almost painful to Jack, as once
again he tried to think of some way, any way, that things could be
different. But it all came down to this. Andy’s only chance was to
leave and never return.

“
I’m going to miss school,” Andy
whispered. “And my mom. And my dogs, too. I love them so
much.”

Jack didn’t respond. He did not know what words
to say, if there even were any. Was there anything in this entire
world that Jack could say at this point to make things
better?

No
,
this is all that can be done,
and I’m doing it. There’s nothing else
.
No words, no
gestures, nothing.

Jack forced a reassuring smile. “Do you want
something from the vending machine?”

“
No,” Andy said with a
sniffle.

“
If there’s anything you need, just
let me know. The train should be here in half an hour.”

Jack tried to make more conversation, but Andy
was now trembling, shaking, and sobbing himself into silence. After
a few moments of remaining motionless, Andy looked into Jack’s
eyes. Something was off, and Jack became alarmed. Andy’s face was
bright red, distorted, and full of depthless misery.