Page 36 of Daddy's Little Sunshine

“No. No visions, either. Not really. I just… know things. I knew you were a Variant the moment I met you. Same with Lainey. Things just sort of,” she gestured vaguely, “pop into my mind.”

“You sure you’re not just your garden-variety psychic?”

Ms. Edith chuckled. “I’m sure. We’re almost there. There’s a sign up ahead. Turn right and let me do the talking.”

Instinct screamed at him to just barrel in, guns blazing. But Edith was his in, and they had a better chance of getting Lainey out safely if they slipped in and out as quietly as possible. He stopped at the heavy iron gate blocking the drive and rolled down the window.

The man who approached the car looked friendly enough, if it hadn’t been for the slight bulge under his jacket giving away the location of his weapon. A genuine smile lit his face when he leaned in and spotted Ms. Edith in the passenger seat. “Ms. Edith! What brings you out our way? We don’t have anything on the books for you today.”

“Ben!” Ms. Edith’s smile was genuine. “How are Sheila and those beautiful babies of yours?”

The man’s own pleasant smile widened into a grin. “They’re great. Sheila’s a champ. The twins are keeping us on our toes, but we’re loving every minute of it.”

“I’m sure. Ben, this is my nephew, Donny.” She smacked Donovan on the arm. “Say hi to Ben, Donny.”

“Hey.”

If Ben heard the barely restrained anger in Donovan’s voice, it didn’t show. “Hey, Donny. Nice to meet you.”

Leaning across Donovan, Ms. Edith dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Ben, Donny here really wants to see our rehabilitation program. He has a boy at work who could really benefit. I know it’s unusual, but could we pretty please take a look around?”

Ben’s pleasant smile faltered. “I’m sorry, Ms. Edith. Planned visits only.”

“Can’t we make an exception? Just this once?”

“Sorry, Ms. Edith. Those are the rules.”

Donovan’s knuckles turned white on the steering wheel, but Ms. Edith just leaned over him and held a hand out to the kid. “Oh, well. It was good to see you again, Ben.”

The kid slipped his hand into Ms. Edith’s – and immediately slumped against the car, passed out cold.

Donovan jumped in his seat. “What the fuck!”

“Well don’t just sit there, Donny. Drag him up to that little box up there and see if you can’t get this gate open.”

He stared at her a moment before shoving the door open. Hooking his arms under the kid’s armpits, he hauled the dead weight up to the control box.

“‘I just know things’, my ass,” he mumbled to himself. “What the hell else does she have up her sleeve?”

The controls for the gate were easy enough. He flipped the switch for ‘pen,’ then pressed Ben’s hand to the glowing screen for what he assumed was a fingerprint scan. The iron gates slowly slid open and he jogged back to the car.

“How long is he going to be out?” he asked as they drove through the opening.

Ms. Edith shrugged. “Half hour or so.”

“Anything else in your bag of tricks?”

Tossing her head back, she cackled. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

He was pretty sure she was joking. But considering she’d just knocked out a full-grown man with nothing but a touch to the hand, he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. “Noted. Where are we going?”

“Well, how the hell should I know? I thought this was a rehabilitation center, not a test lab.”

Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, he considered his options. “Any buildings you’ve never been in?”

Ms. Edith snorted. “Plenty. We pretty much only went to the rec center and the cafeteria the few times I’ve been here.”

His sarcastic response was cut off by a chorus of shouts. Checking the rear-view mirror, he spotted a dozen guards running after the car.

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