Chapter 3

Elaine came by monthly. She called it therapy, but it was so much more than that. She asked a lot about them leaving this place. She needed to know who she could save and who was too far gone. She needed information from them so she could save the others. W-17-D, among a couple of others, showed promising signs. They wanted to leave. They wanted to see the sun, they wanted to feel the grass, they wanted to go somewhere where they didn't have to do experiments and survive. That, she would give them... When the time was right.

"You won't tell anyone, right?" The first time was always the hardest. Elaine had been all across the world, meeting other Series and trying to shut them down. Finding children as old as W-17-D who didn't have Stockholm syndrome was hard to come by. The boy was special. "I won't tell a soul, 17." She promised the almost adult. He relaxed a little, his ears folding back uneasily as he retreated to his bed on canid paws. He was very special indeed.

Another promising one was W-35-T. W-35-T was a 12-year-old colored boy with poofy chocolate hair, pointed ears, and sharp hazel eyes. His nose had unfortunately started to take on a wolfish shape, rounded with large nostrils for tracking. It was a lot more sensitive than most of the others his age. His back teeth had started to sharpen, as well as his nails. Despite this, he was a pretty bright and bubbly boy who wanted to go home to his parents.

The other was W-03-Z. She was the youngest at 5 years old. She hardly showed any animalistic features but wild green eyes, claws, and her abnormally long tongue. Oftentimes, it would stick out. Her skin was as pale as the others who had never seen the sun, and her raven hair was messy. She was quiet and shy, but she liked to listen to Elaine. She wanted to go home to her mother and father and twin brother.

Elaine was going to bring these kids home.

Elaine left the building with her notes on the 644 remaining children in the facility. The W Series was such a depressing place. It was no wonder they needed a "therapist" there to help those kids out. All the trauma they'd been going through and halls A through E couldn't even remember anything about their time before the facility. The government may have to keep them in custody for the remainder of their lives, which was also likely cut short due to the experiments they'd been through. They'd probably only live to their fifties.

She went home to where her husband was waiting. Took her shoes off at the door and went to her home office to set down the files. "Is that my wife I finally hear home?" She heard her husband call out. "No, just a dog of the government!" She replied back as she let her hair down. She headed to her room where her husband must have just gotten home, seeing as he was changing out of his own police uniform. "Well, well, Detective Moore~, how was work?" The man shrugged. "Same old, same old. Took down some drug smugglers. And you, Agent Moore? How's your secret mission?"

"Still a secret and still a mission," Elaine replied simply. "Details will come out if I can finish this right, but for now, it's hush-hush." The detective hugged his wife and kissed her temple. "I understand, and I know you can do it, baby. You got this." She smiled up at her lover. "Thank you, Jon."

Jon and Elaine were busy people, naturally. With him as a detective, he was gone all hours of the day and the night. Elaine was an agent of the government, working the dirty dealings of the States and around the world, things like the 'Series' that have been popping up. They hardly ever got a mundane night like tonight. A simple dinner, meatloaf that they made together. They talked about how things had been since they'd last had a moment like this.

It was a very nice night.

It was back to work the next day for both Jon and Elaine. She was at her desk now, flipping through the documents she'd collected on the three most likely candidates. Facial recognition wasn't working well for W-17-D. probably because of all the changes he'd gone through. Nothing was pinging on his actual identity. The only reason she'd known his age was because of the few records they allowed her to see on him. The other two were easier. W-35-T was Westley Tucker, who'd been kidnapped from Andover County six years back. W-03-Z was Tiffany Estes, who had only been there for about a year and was kidnapped from Milan County.

"Heeeey 007, how's the spy gig?" Richard Smith, Elaine's coworker and best friend, poked in. "I am not a spy." He huh'ed as he slipped in and peeked at her files from over her shoulder. "You are using a fake name to gather intelligence and take down bad guys. You are totally a spy." She tried not to get amused by his comment. "Is there a reason you are here, or are you the comic relief?" Richard snorted. "One of those? The kind of name is W-17-D anyway?"

"It's not a name at all. I just can't find anything on him." Richard made grabby hands. "Let your old pal Richie help you!" Elaine did smile this time and gave him W-17-D's file. He opened it eagerly only to flinch. "Oh damn, no wonder - that's a face only a mother could love -" Elaine punched him instantly. "Be nice! He's had it bad there..." Richard gave a small smile. "Yeah, ok, sorry. Look, I'll seriously see what I can get on this kid, but I am not calling him 'W-17-D' or whatever."

"Deal, thanks, man."

She dug more into Westley and Tiffany's homes. Westley's parents divorced about a year after losing their son. Probably couldn't make it work, blaming one or the other for not watching him. Who could've known that they were targeted, though? Who was really at fault then? Tiffany's parents moved out of state. They probably wanted to live somewhere where they knew their remaining child would be safer. Oh yes, a grandparent's house, ex-military from the dad's side. Wise choice. Couldn't be easy on the boy. Tyler Estes. When the day came, she wasn't looking forward to telling these families what their children had been kidnapped for. What they'd been subjected to. They were going to be devastated.

Life was unfair.