Page 15 of Freak Camp (A Monster By Any Other Name #1)

Jake sat back. Not often did he run into a stubborn belief contradicting what he knew to be true, but he’d been learning how to do research to prove he was right. It could be really boring, but sometimes totally worth it. “Okay, Toby. I’m gonna find out your birthday for you. Just you wait.”

Tobias looked at him like he was crazy, a look that Jake got at least once a visit, usually when Jake told him about his latest showdown with a teacher, principal, or mall cop. “How are you gonna do that?”

“You’ll see.” Jake stood up. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Tobias bit his lip, nodding as he dropped his gaze.

“Really,” Jake insisted, because he didn’t like Tobias looking the same way he did when Jake had to leave. “I’ll be back in a flash.” He turned and headed for Reception, quick and determined.

The guards let him through with a basic silver-cut test, just to make sure he wasn’t a shifter trying to sneak out. The lobby was empty, except for the receptionist, Mrs. O’Donnell, so Jake went straight up to the desk, folding his arms on it, and smiled brightly through the Plexiglas. “Hi.”

Mrs. O’Donnell looked like she might smile for a moment, but instead she said, “Where’s your father?”

“Special Research. Don’t worry, he can take care of himself.”

Now she did smile a little, before turning stern again. “You should stay here to wait for him.”

“Nah. He likes me to have firsthand experience with monsters. Actually, he sent me here for a bit of research. I need some information on one of them.”

Mrs. O’Donnell raised her eyebrows, even as her fingers moved to the computer keyboard. “What supernatural would that be?”

“Eighty-nine U I six seven zero three.” He had been sure to get a good look at Tobias’s collar before he left.

She typed it in, frowning a little. “What does he need to know?”

“How old is he? Dad wants to know exactly, down to the birthdate.” When she hesitated, Jake put on his best I’m a very trustworthy young man face. “Dad’s very interested in 89UI6703.”

Mrs. O’Donnell shook her head. “We don’t always have that information, particularly for those brought in for bounties.”

Jake’s stomach dropped. He didn’t know how else he’d find out, unless he found out Tobias’s hometown and persuaded Dad somehow to visit there. He had to find out after promising Tobias—it seemed really important to prove that he was right about Tobias having a birthday.

“Most of the information on 89UI is locked—I suppose because he’s unidentified. But I do have his birthday here: April 11, 1984.”

Jake repeated it, once aloud and again in his head so he wouldn’t forget. “Cool. Thanks, Mrs. O’Donnell, my dad’ll appreciate that.” He flashed his best smile again— never let your guard down, Jake, whether it’s a monster or a con —and he darted back out before she could stop him.

Tobias was still in the same spot, and he looked up as Jake approached, eyes wide.

“Guess what I found out!”

“What?”

“You,” Jake informed him, “have a birthday.” Tobias didn’t look blown away, so Jake went on. “It’s April 11th, 1984”— same year Mom died , he realized, but pushed the thought aside at once—“and that means you’ll be seven in a few months.”

Toby looked like he didn’t know what to do with this information. He blinked at Jake, then glanced at the ground.

Jake’s glow of triumph slowly slipped away. He looked around at the packed dirt yard, fences, and patrolling guards, and realized that Tobias had been right. Monsters might have a birthday, a day they were born, but it wasn’t the same kind of birthday everyone else had. It couldn’t be—not here.

It made him kind of mad, after all that hard work he did, after he’d promised to prove to Tobias he had a birthday.

“It’s okay, Jake,” Tobias said. “I have lots of birthdays. It’s my birthday whenever you come see me.”

Jake laughed, and though Tobias smiled too, it didn’t look like he was kidding.

He was still going to bring Tobias something awesome when April rolled around. But maybe he wouldn’t remind Tobias that it was his birthday. This was an idea that Jake would keep safe for Tobias until he could enjoy it himself. Though he didn’t know how that could ever happen.

***

T heir next visit, a couple months later, started off with Dad storming angry.

Jake left him in Reception shouting at the new receptionist—Ms. Hart didn’t look nearly as nice as Mrs. O’Donnell—while he went to find Tobias.

In his pockets Jake had crammed a foot-long submarine sandwich and chips, plus a jumbo bag of M it always made him want to hit them.

He saw now that they did it because there was nothing else to say.

“Why?” said Tobias expressionlessly, and Jake realized he wasn’t crying. “She was a monster. That’s what happens to monsters.”

Jake grabbed his shoulder hard, angry for a reason he didn’t fully understand. “She was your mom, Toby. Doesn’t matter that she’s a monster, she was your mom. I’m sorry she’s dead.”

Tobias shuddered. He didn’t raise his head, but a moment later he slowly leaned his head against Jake’s arm. He still wasn’t crying, but his breathing was ragged.

Jake swallowed and nudged Tobias gently, not to push him off. “Hey, remember what we talked about? Maybe our moms are together now.”

Tobias looked up, blinking in confusion. “How? Your mom’s a hero. Mine’s a monster. They wouldn’t be in the same place.”

Jake shook his head. “Becca was a good mom too, even if she was a witch. I saw that. I think my mom could see that too and wouldn’t mind hanging around her. They could be friends.” He looked down at Tobias. “Like we’re friends.”

Tobias’s mouth opened. He stared at Jake with his widest look of astonishment yet, bigger even than when Jake told him about waffles. “Friends,” he repeated. Like he couldn’t quite believe it. Jake watched as his breathing went uneven again, and his eyes filled up.

He pulled Tobias against his chest, resting his head on top of Tobias’s as the little kid buried his face into Jake’s shoulder and his shoulders shook. Jake held him until he heard the guards start calling for him. He left both halves of the sandwich in Tobias’s hands.

He wasn’t sure what made him feel worse: how close Toby had been to crying, or the fact that he never really had.

***

H alf an hour away from Freak Camp, Dad noticed that Jake was only halfheartedly responding to his diatribe about fucking ASC bureaucracy.

He stopped himself in the middle of another explicit description of Matthew Dixon’s character to glance at Jake.

Dad half coughed, like he had to clear his throat to get the anger out. “You’re awfully quiet.”

Jake shrugged, not looking at him, still staring out the window. He’d been thinking, and something had occurred to him about Tobias’s mom. Something horrible that he couldn’t get out of his head. He didn’t really want to ask, but he had to know. “Dad—what happens to monsters in Special Research?”

Dad looked surprised, then his expression closed down. “Why do you want to know?”

I think Tobias’s mom went there. Jake shrugged. “Just wondering. It’s where you always go.”

Dad didn’t answer for a long moment, until Jake thought he wouldn’t. “It’s not pretty,” he said at last. “It’s where hunters find out what they need to know.”

Jake stared at him. “You mean—torture?”

Dad sighed, resettling his hands on the steering wheel. “No, not torture. It always has a point. And they’re monsters, Jake, like the ones that killed your mom.” His voice hardened. “Don’t forget that. Don’t go feeling sorry for them.”

Jake would never forget, he couldn’t believe Dad would think that, but—Toby’s mom hadn’t killed Mom. But then again, she had been a witch. She had hurt people.

But Tobias hadn’t. He couldn’t even remember what made him a monster. Jake couldn’t imagine Tobias hurting anyone.

He scuffed his shoes on the floor mat, trying to ignore the sick, twisted feeling in his stomach. He didn’t want to think about how Tobias would feel if he knew his mom was tortured before they killed her. “Do all monsters go to Special Research?” he asked, a little desperately.

“I don’t know, Jake.”

He swallowed. He had never been carsick before—having the flu or shaking off the nausea of a near-miss curse wasn’t the same thing—but he was starting to think it might happen soon.

“Not all monsters are the same, though. Some of them get caught when they’re babies, before they do anything. Why should they—”

“Jake.” Dad’s voice held a warning. “I know you’ve been talking to that freak kid, and I would never have brought you to Freak Camp if I hadn’t thought you’d learned what I taught you and got your head straight. Monsters are monsters.”

Tobias is a monster. Jake slumped back. He would not cry or puke. He would not think of Toby going to Special Research. Monster or not, he would never let Toby go there. He had no idea how he could stop it. But he would.

“Yes, sir.”