Thursday
"The dog is registered to Abram Tilt, and was registered in Winconsin," Susie said, delivering a report to Jane. Jane looked up, surprised. "She's running DNA still," Susie said, knowing Jane was looking for Maura. Jane nodded.
"Thanks - good work on this." Jane turned back to her computer, started running the name, turned back when Susie remained where she was.
"You haven't had coffee yet, have you?" Susie asked, and Jane jumped to her feet with a quiet curse.
"I was running late, I grabbed one on the way in. Dammit, is she upset?" Jane asked, shrugging on her jacket and grabbing her wallet.
"She looked... Sad..." Susie said, following Jane to the lift. "I only noticed because she normally brings her coffee in for the morning checks."
"Oh man," Jane groaned, slapping the elevator button repeatedly. "Thanks for reminding me," she said, turning to Susie. "It's a thing, since I spilled her coffee my first week back."
"That's why I brought you the report. Couldn't take her moping."
"Aw, man," Jane whined, getting into the elevator, Susie following her and hitting the button for the basement. "You know if she's partial to any of the baked goods they sell at Boston Joe's?"
"I've seen her with a blueberry muffin once," Susie offered.
"And you take a long Mac, yeah?" Jane asked, and Susie smiled.
"Unnecessary, but it would be welcome," Susie said. She hesitated. "She said you were cute," she added. "It is pretty cute that you care this much about her feelings."
Jane's eyes widened, but she shrugged.
"He's living up in Williamstown now," Frost said when Jane came back. "Nothing overly suspicious on his record but..." Frost pulled up some records - bank statements, receipts, cellular service provider records. "He happened to be in every single town a kid was taken those three months Lt. Keanally sent through. Coincidence?"
"Nah," Jane said, glaring at his screen. "Let's go bring him in. What is it, a three hour drive?"
"I'll call ahead to the LEO's, let them know not to approach the property," Korsak said.
Jane hesitated. "If he's got rid of all of them, we got nothing," she said. "Other than dog hair... We bringing any lab techs?"
"We can," Korsak confirmed, and Jane nodded.
Frost really was too polite, Jane thought, glaring at him from the passenger seat. He let in every car he saw, he never touched his blues, and he stopped for every yellow. It was enough to drive her insane.
"Ok, but can you drive like a bunch of abused, traumatised children are relying on us?" Jane snapped at him finally. He looked over, saw her worried face and nodded. He hit the blues and siren, accelerating so fast Jane had to grab the passenger side door. "Now that's what I'm talking about," Jane whooped, looking behind them to see Korsak and the crime lab following suit.
Jane slung her bulletproof vest on when they stopped at a pullover bay near the property, surprised when Maura jumped out of the mobile lab and came forward to adjust the straps.
"I didn't know you were coming along," Jane smiled at her.
"I have appropriate experience in canine hair analysis," Maura said, tightening the fit and pulling Jane's hair out from the collar. Jane looked up and saw Frost's amused expression at Maura fussing over Jane.
"Ok, enough," Jane said, flailing at Maura's hands. "I can put a vest on by myself," she huffed.
"I know you can. What do they usually say before something like this in the movies? When they go into a raid?" Maura asked.
"'Don't get shot', probably," Jane said.
"Ok, Detective Rizzoli. Don't get shot. Sergeant Korsak, your vest?"
"I could use a little help," he admitted, and Maura went over to help him as well.
Frost came over.
"That's the quickest turnaround I've ever seen," he said quietly. "Your first week back, she as much as threatened to shoot you and only a couple weeks later she's telling you not to get shot."
"I was unfair to her," Jane admitted. "Really unfair." She smiled ruefully at Frost. "We should walk in to the property, leave the cars here with the van. Let me see that satellite image again?" Frost pulled out his tablet, and Korsak came over. "I can take the front, it looks like there's a back door here. I think he's going to run, so we only get one shot."
"Looks like he parks here," Frost pointed out. "We can disable the truck and he won't get far on foot."
"Good thinking," Jane said, slapping his arm, rolling her eyes as he winced.
"The happier she is with you, the more it hurts," Korsak said, chuckling.
Jane drew her gun, watching as Frost deflated the tyres of the truck quickly with a valve tool. She nodded when he glanced her way, and Korsak nodded from the far side of the field. They closed in on the building quickly, Jane flinching as the door was flung open and a German Shepherd bounded out towards her, snarling. Korsak whistled and barked a command, and the dog paused midstride before running composedly towards Korsak, sitting politely at his feet. Jane nodded as he used his tie to hold the dog against the fence, and they moved forward again.
He came out with a shotgun. It might have been loaded, it might not. Jane felt her palms sting as the sweat from adrenaline came between the gun and her palms.
"Abram Tilt," she called. "This is Boston Police. Put the weapon down." He eyed the three of them, all with guns fixed on him, and he aimed at Jane, firing a shot, and she threw herself to the ground, easily rolling up and away as Korsak closed in on him, cuffing him.
"You're trespassing," he hollered.
"And you just tried to shoot a BPD detective who announced themselves, see how far that defense gets you," Korsak growled at him. "You take him," he told Frost. "I'm bringing the dog in."
"I'm looking for the kids," Jane said. "Tell the LEO's you're bringing him in, we might need cadaver dogs too." She picked up the shotgun with her gloved hand. "We got a warrant, but you made this easy on us." She grinned at him as he scowled and struggled, tossing the gun to Frost. "Take that to the lab, we need to check the caliber."
Jane made it through the entire house without seeing a single sign that a child had ever lived there. She tagged a computer and some serious film equipment and went outside.
"The dog hair is a match," Maura said, coming up the front steps.
"So the kids have gotta be here somewhere. That dog - hey, Korsak!"
"Yeah?"
"That dog know where the kids are?" Korsak talked to the dog, and it took off without him. The three of them followed the dog, Jane surprised to see Maura on her heels. Korsak grabbed the dog and led it away as Jane approached a door; there was a shed in an overgrown part of the property that they'd missed on the satellite images. She gestured Maura to get back as well, pulling her gun.
She opened the door. There was a campervan in the shed, and she stepped forward and knocked on that door.
"Boston Police. This is Detective Jane Rizzoli." There was silence and Jane's heart sank. She opened the door and saw no one in view. Kids had been here; there were meals on the stove, dishes in the sink, small clothes through the area Jane could see in the dim light. She could see, now her eyes had adjusted a little, the top of a head behind a counter. Someone young enough to not realise that just because they couldn't see Jane didn't mean that Jane couldn't see them. She sighed with relief. "I was hoping to find someone who knew Caiden," she said quietly, holstering her gun as she saw movement.
"Caiden?" A small voice said hopefully.
"We found him with another child. We'd like to know who she was so we can find her parents too," Jane said. "So they can be buried together," she added, to let the children know he wasn't alive and waiting for them back in Boston.
"So he did kill them." A thin boy came out from behind a screen. "I was hoping they got away," he said sadly. "He kills us when we get too old."
"Hey. I'm Jane. How many of you are there?" She asked softly, not making any sudden moves, careful not to use any terms of endearment, not knowing what terms the people who abused them had used.
"Only six, now," he said.
"Any broken bones over there?" Jane asked, remembering the x-rays, what a brutal experience Caiden and his friend had been through. He nodded. "Can you get out on your own?"
"I'd better help the others," he mumbled, stepping out of the way. It was dark in the campervan, but Jane could see all six of them now, normal looking kids cradling an arm here and there.
"Can you turn on the light? I have a doctor with me, I want to make sure we don't hurt any of you getting you out of here." The light flicked on and Jane stepped back, gestured to Maura. "She's probably going to be as scared of you as you are of her," she said when the children drew back when Maura came in.
"Scared of us?" The oldest boy scoffed. "Why would anyone be scared of us?"
"People aren't always kind, are they?" Jane asked, and each child shook their head knowingly. "She doesn't normally work on people who are still alive, either, so you're going to have to be patient with her, please." Jane's voice was smooth and low and non-threatening. The oldest boy came forward first, to show the rest there was nothing to be scared of. He flinched a little when Doctor Isles brushed a bruise.
"He left me alone, mostly. So I could take care of the others." Maura nodded, letting her gloved hand take his for a moment.
"Thank you for taking care of them," she said quietly, and he nodded. "The dog is out there - do we need to get it away?"
"Korsak is out there too, and he happens to look a lot like..." Jane stepped to the door and made a series of hand gestures, and Korsak disappeared with the dog to be replaced by Frost. "Ok, my friend Detective Barry Frost is out there, and he won't come near you. My other friend Sergeant Korsak is calling for an ambulance, and we'll be taking you all to the nearest hospital until we can find your families. Ok?" He nodded, looking at the door apprehensively. Jane sighed. "Hey Frost, got anything a kid would enjoy on your tablet?"
"I got a show Cam likes," Frost called back, and even though his voice was soft, Jane saw every kid in the campervan flinch.
"Pull it up," she called back. She turned back to the kid. "I promise, he won't go near you, but he's here to protect every single one of you, ok?" Jane put her hands on his shoulders. "You're going to have to trust me on that. You can go take the tablet from him, or you can ask him to put it on the ground and pick it up, whichever makes you more comfortable. We'll send out the rest once they've been checked." He nodded, looking scared, and Jane cupped his face. "I got no clue who you are, but I'm so glad to see you," Jane said, turning away and brushing at her nose. "Can you walk?" She called to a small child, and hurried over to see what she could do to help.
Jane came out of the campervan, blinking in the daylight. Five kids were crowded around Frost's tablet, watching a cartoon, Frost a respectable distance away. They appeared to have forgotten he was there.
"Who's Cam?" Jane asked, stepping in beside him.
"Brother. Half brother. Step brother, really. Mother's partner's kid. Well. Secret partner. It's a whole thing."
"Well, tell him he has good taste," Jane said, watching the children with various bandages and splints laugh in unison at the show. Maura came out carrying the last child - a small girl with a broken ankle - her arms firmly wrapped around Maura's neck. Maura's jaw was set and firm and Jane wondered if she'd asked too much of her, if they should have waited for the ambulance. She showed no sign of putting the child down, joining the children, not laughing even when Jane and Frost chuckled.
But the sight of Maura with that child in her arms did something to Jane. It made her think about what Maura would look like with a child of her own, or holding Jane's child. Either way, Jane would shoot a hundred criminals if it meant keeping both of them safe. Her jaw set too, and when Maura met her eyes they nodded, waiting for the ambulance in a little cluster around the tablet.
The hospital in North Adams was confused about the police arriving with six small, malnourished children, confused how little detail they got, confused by the amount of broken bones and injuries they had to treat immediately, and how many broken bones had been left untreated. Jane kept watch over the kids like a watchdog, sending back male doctors and nurses, watching the children's reactions to each of the staff before allowing them through. She'd called Lt. Keanally earlier, and she was heading in overnight. They'd managed to identify a few of the kids, Frost sending photos through to BPD HQ to get matches on the rest. Some of them had been so small when they were taken that they didn't remember their last names.
Frost had ingratiated himself to the group with his tablet, and Jane was pleased. He and Jacob - the oldest - were running through baseball dream teams, and Jane was pleased with the compassion he was showing. A new partner was sometimes a crapshoot, but other than the occasional barf, he'd impressed Jane. He was kind and gentle with the children, and helping them trust him would help them in future to deal with their trauma. There was going to be a lot of that. She remembered her words to Maura last week, on seeing the x-rays. She remembered how she'd handled the bodies of the children with respect. She looked for Maura but she was gone. Korsak placed a key in her hand.
"We all have rooms at Hotel Downstreet," Korsak said, looking in at the kids on the ward. "I'm rooming with the dog. I'll find him a good home in Boston."
"You're a good man, Korsak," Jane said, patting his shoulder. "Wish these kids could see it."
"I don't take it personally," Korsak said. "From what it sounds like, I fit the profile of their Johns." They both shuddered. "The identikit will be here tomorrow, we'll get as many as we can. And once BRIC goes through that computer, I'm sure we'll get enough of them to make me feel like I can sleep at night."
"Here's hoping," Jane said softly, looking over the sleepy children. They'd been in pretty good shape, overall, and seemed in good spirits, considering.
"I told Doctor Isles she's in charge of making sure you get fed," Korsak said. "I'm going to go write up my reports and take care of Kujo."
"Kujo? Really?" Jane asked, but Korsak just walked away.
Jane looked down as something was placed in her hand. Maura smiled and continued on her way, handing a sandwich to Frost as well.
"The restaurants will all be closed," Maura said. "And you need to eat."
"Aw multigrain," Jane complained. "How come he got white?" Jane asked, pointing to Frost's sandwich, and Maura chuckled.
"Just eat it," she said. "I'm going to turn in - my team and I have been processing all afternoon, and we'll have another long day tomorrow. I had to call in a sitter for Bass, and not everyone knows how to care for him."
"Bass?"
"African Spurred Tortoise. Easy to take care of, but I worry about him overnight. If I'd known, I would have packed more clothes as well."
"Me too," Jane said, looking down at her suit. "Maybe we can buy something tomorrow. Sleep well," Jane said, taking a big mouthful of sandwich. Maura hesitated.
"Room 201," she said. "If you need anything. It's been a long day."
"Thanks," Jane said, muffled by the sandwich she'd inhaled. She reached out a hand and took Maura's, swallowing. "I mean it. Those kids - I couldn't have managed on my own."
"You're welcome, Detective Rizzoli," Maura said, gripping Jane's hand. Jane watched her walk away, wishing she'd said more.
Notes:
I really wanted a moment where there's a gunshot and Jane covers Maura/the kids with her body but I couldn't fit one in with this one.
Also really needed to write something where the police do their job and rescue kids. Rizzoli & Isles is copaganda, and it's difficult to write about a system that fails so many. American police work differently to ours, but not differently enough. I'm trying not to be political on here but it's difficult when your entire existence and basic right to exist is hinged on politics.
In terms of reviews - can y'all do me a favour please? If you're only going to be typing the word 'more', or trying to get me to write more, it makes me feel like I'd rather not be writing 10k words a week across multiple fics because it feels like you're never satisfied. It's giving me some serious anxiety. Even typing this asking for it to stop is giving me serious anxiety. Instead, please just say something you like about it. This fic is on a schedule, Be my Guest will be returning soon, and the other two get updated once a week. For those of you who are reviewing - and those people who post a thank you, I do appreciate it, and thank you for reading.