Page 65 of Freak Camp
In retrospect, assaulting and branding the face of a Freak Camp guard and refusing to apologize was not how one went about sucking up, even in Jake’s very limited experience.But every time he remembered those smiley-face burns on Toby’s arm, he knew he was a cowardly piece of shit.Of course he’d kiss any body part of every Dixon he could find, a thousand times over, if he could just get Toby safe.
After some research and consideration, he called his cousin Leah Dixon who worked in the D.C.office.The few times he’d needed something straightened out, she’d been a total boss at getting it done faster than a wendigo jumping a sleeping camper.
The call felt awkward and unnatural as hell, but Jake did his best to make a good impression and asked about procedures and protocols for getting a monster out of Freak Camp—andnotwith a short-use bait permit.
She was silent a long while on the phone, which was not a good sign.“Tell you the truth, Jake, I’m not sure.I don’t know if anyone’s ever gotten that kind of request through.I’ll ask around and let you know if I hear anything.”
Jake swallowed, resisting the urge to thud his head against the window of the Eldorado, which was where he was making the call.“Thanks, Leah.I’ll owe you everything, down to my fucking ass.”
She laughed shortly.“Don’t say that, now.You don’t know how much that could be worth here in the Beltway, let alone the paparazzi.But I’m not about to sell out family.”
Jake had never been so thankful for a Dixon to call him family.
***
When Jake finally gotback into Freak Camp—eight fucking weeks had never felt so much like forever—he thought at first they were hassling him because of what he’d done to Karl (sonuvabitch deserved a lot worse).They took the blood tests a hell of a lot more seriously, dumped a cup of holy water over his head,andread an exorcism.They did an honest-to-God pat down when he was going through security, and for once they didn’t allow him to keep his gun or his knife when he went through.The standard-issue bayonet they gave him—loaded with a mix of blessed silver and iron buckshot, topped with a silver blade—felt like cheap shit in his hand.
They tried to give him shit about the sandwich too, but they let him pass eventually.Jake kept his opinion of their asswipery behind his teeth and did his best to smile.If it looked a little like he was baring his teeth, well, that was okay too.
Only when he stepped out into the yard—no private rooms were being issued without prior appointments, according to the new cold-eyed Dixon secretary sitting in Madison’s chair—did he realize that maybe it was about more than just him.The guards were all heavily armed and sweating under the extra weight of flak jackets.A lot fewer monsters were in the yard, and any that seemed too close to a guard got a cuff to the head or a club against the ribs.Jake saw two monsters get knocked down in the short walk from Reception to the barracks area.
When he asked where to find Toby—89UI6703, the sandy-haired guard with a scrape along his scalp told him to “find the freak yourself.”
Jake felt something in him relax, a fear that had been growing in his chest.He hadn’t seen Tobias anywhere, and there were so few monsters in the yard, and clearly, some kind of shit had gone down.
He found him eventually.Toby was huddled with a group of monsters in a narrow strip of shade between the barracks, but the second he saw Jake, his eyes widened and he scrambled up toward him, into the light.
First Jake saw Toby’s expression: massive relief washing over with happiness.Then Jake saw the damage.
The sunlight, so bright that Jake was squinting even through his sunglasses, brought into sharp relief the blue-and-purple bruise along Toby’s cheek.He was limping too.Not obviously, but Jake could tell from watching Dad—and practicing it himself often enough—that Toby was placing every step carefully to avoid showing weakness.
Jake hissed, stepping forward.“What the hell happened, Toby?”Not getting enough information last time had landed him in that eight-week shithole.This time he wasn’t going to fucking abandon Toby in some interrogation room.This time he would be calm, collected.He would gather information and be polite while filling out whateverformsit took to beat the fuck’s face in.Or at least he wouldwaituntil the guy was off work to jump him.
See, Jake Hawthorne could be rational and professional.Suck that, Matthew.
Toby stopped, and Jake got a glimpse of the smile vanishing under pure fright before Toby dropped his gaze to the ground.Immediately Jake felt like the complete ass he was.Sure, eight weeks had sucked for him.But that had been plenty of time to think of how Toby hadn’t known what the hell was going on, and Jake had justlefthim.
Jake was trying to put together an apology when Toby answered.“There was a ...raid.About two weeks ago.Monsters tried to ...I don’t know, we’ve been in lockdown and high security since they tried to breach the loading gate, and ...I’m sorry I don’t know more, Jake.I’m sorry.”Toby’s gaze was fixed on the ground.
Aw, fuck.Jake stepped closer and brushed Toby lightly on the arm.“That’s not what I meant.”Toby’s head snapped up, his eyes wide, but Jake squeezed his shoulder.Part of him was just relieved that Toby wasn’t flinching from the touch.Maybe there were no moregoddamn fucking smiley facesburned into his skin.“No, it’s okay.I guess that’s why you look a little knocked around.”
“I’m sorry.”Tobias’s eyes fell as sure as gravity to somewhere around Jake’s middle.
There was something else going on here, something that Jake didn’t like at all.But he was afraid that pushing for it would only hurt Toby more.Like a goddamn burn.“Toby, don’t be.I just meant your face and ...”Jake gestured to the leg that Toby had been favoring.Guards and monsters were watching—not staring directly, but Jake could tell.He knew from long experience when someone or something was watching him.
Toby looked relieved.He raised a hand to his face, as though making sure that nothing else had happened to his cheek.“Yeah.It’s just because of the raid.Everyone’s been ...upset.”
“Hey, Toby.Look at me.”Jake waited until he did.“I’m sorry I was gone so long.I lost my temper and ...Fuck, I’m sorry.I was so pissed off that they’d been hurting you, and I didn’t know—I kinda lost it.They haven’t ...you’re okay, right?Now, I mean.”
Toby stared at him, stared at him like Jake had spoken only gibberish, and then smiled.It was the smile that put the sunlight to shame.“No, don’t worry, I’m fine.They haven’t ...they stopped after ...last time.”
Jake nodded.“Good.They hassle you, Toby, you tell me, okay?I’m sure there’s some paperwork I can fill out to let me smash their faces in.”
Tobias smiled and ducked his head.“Yeah, probably.I’m really okay, Jake.They’ve done nothing I haven’t ...they’ve done nothing.”
“Good.And it better stay that way.”Jake stretched and wiped his forehead.It was already September, but it was still fucking hot.“Hey, wanna play cards?”
They found a spot in the shade—Jake felt a little bad at how the other monsters scattered out of the cooler spot next to Reception, but when he glanced at the doors to Administration and saw the guards posted there in heavy armor, he figured he probably wouldn’t be able to get himself and Toby inside.
