Of Hearts And Stars (Classic Editon) (The Cadet Starship Chronicles) (6 page)

It was for the best then that Frankie had closed his eyes. The thing that stood before him no longer resembled Leoric Swift. The stone gaze on his face had melted into a fiery mess of wrath and fury. His frozen over eyes had erupted into blazing pyres of hatred that bore down on Frankie with savage intensity with nothing but the cruelest of intentions.

“
I followed them as they carried his body up to the roof and threw it off to make it look like he killed himself.” Frankie balled his fists and shouted “They killed him! They killed him and I couldn't stop them! I'm sorry!”

Swift no longer saw Frankie, the empty room, or anything for that matter. He stood there with his eyes burning, tears threatening to rush the rims of his eyelids, and thoughts racing through his mind. His heart was rioting in his chest, slamming against the walls that held it as he began to lose his mind. He might have set upon Frankie right then and there in his anger, dashing his skull against the floor. Yet somehow he heard the apology, and even though it did nothing for the immense pain that now clouded his rational thoughts, it did allow him to spare Frankie at least.

“
You're always sorry Frankie.” Swift said, his words husky and thick “That makes you a sorry person.”

Frankie flinched in anticipation of a face demolishing punch, but it never came. Instead he opened his waterlogged eyes to see Ollie's empty room with Swift gone. He ran into the hallway just in time to see Swift sprinting full speed towards the cafeteria stairwell. Frankie gave chase and got downstairs as Swift kicked open the cafeteria doors.

-
17
-

Swift marched in and tore off his jacket; throwing it to the floor and eliciting gasps from anyone who could see his back. The most recent whipping he had received burst the skin on his back; bright red blood bloomed like floral print on the fabric of his snow white polo.

Swift roared above the din and clamor of the other orphans having dinnertime conversations “Butch! Fight me!”

Everyone fell silent. Butch then made an ill informed move by standing up and looking for who had called him out. That is when Swift saw him and knew where he was and who he was. This was the guy who wasn't getting away. The cramped aisles between the tables provided no fast access to Butch. So Swift, in a blood haze, leaped onto the nearest table, sprinted the length and jumped, repeating the process until he was just above Butch. Stunned by the absurdity of this sight, Butch did not immediately react, and Swift dove onto him with a punch to the face. So brutal was the initial strike that Butch was rendered unconscious immediately. His goons were quicker than him however and grabbed Swift, but not before another heavy punch shattered Butch's eye socket. Again it was a Marcus and George on each arm, and again it did not go as planned for them. The surrounding children had moved to give them space, cheering and going crazy with excitement over the violence they were seeing. Swift leaned back to swing his arms forward with a tremendous force, causing Marcus and George to bump heads. Punches were thrown before they could even recover from this, and as a result Marcus received a broken jaw. George took two rib crushing body blows and wished he had just finished his banana pudding instead of fighting. Both hit the floor and stayed there from fear of future thrashing.

Swift shouted at the three incapacitated bullies “Get up! Get on your feet you cowards! You want to gang up on people? Gang up on me if you can! I really
wish
you'd
try
to throw me
from the roof!”

Suddenly his back exploded with renewed pain and he staggered forward onto one knee. He became aware of the boos and jeers coming from the other kids. Swift turned his head to see a caregiver standing triumphantly over him. There was a paddle wet with Swift's blood in his hand. Food and dinnerware began to rain down upon the caregiver from the angry audience.

He turned and raised his paddle, booming at them to “Cut it out before I beat the life out of all of ya!”

Fed up with his own beatings, Swift rose and tackled the caregiver from behind. The paddle flew from his hand and to the floor, where several small and mischievous feet kicked it far from the fray.

“
You little punk!” The caregiver bellowed and tried to hit Swift with his elbow.

Swift pushed back off of him to dodge this strike and put his hands up. His head was swimming from the pain he felt in his back. He could hear his heartbeat rumbling in his ears like a thunderstorm. There would be no fight between the two however. The other caregivers on duty had arrived and grabbed hold of Swift. Despite the adrenaline coursing throughout his body he had begun to feel very weak and tired. Even so he managed to break free only to be taken down right away by a sedative.

-
18
-

The next day Swift sat in the visiting room. Hazy gray light, the kind that was the signature of a foggy morning, shined down in his eyes from a window high upon the wall. He was still mildly drugged when Bob Hookanos strode in. Therefore when he did not respond to the greeting Bob had given him, it was taken as a sign of insolence.

“
Not in the mood to talk today either I see.” Bob said curtly as he sat down across from Swift.

“
Hullo.” Swift said in a funny voice that he didn't recognize as his own. Better late than never he thought and laughed. This too sounded funny to him and a little creepy as well.

Bob gave him a disdainful look and continued “I've heard that you've assaulted some of your peers recently.”

“
Yup.” Swift said, only he didn't because it wasn't really his voice anyway.

“
Care to tell me why?” Bob asked without looking up from his clipboard.

Swift stared at the wall behind Bob and did not answer straightaway. He found it really hard to think for some reason. Really hard to care actually. Why did he get in that fight anyway he wondered. Then it hit him like a steel freight train, and his mind came back to the world of the living if only for a little bit.

“
They killed Ollie. He was my best friend.” he answered in a small, sad voice. He recognized it as his own this time, and he was relieved to hear it.

Bob looked up from his clipboard in shock and declared “That troubled child committed suicide. He couldn't cope with the emotional stress dealt to him from having lost his parents at such an early age.” Bob explained. Truth be told he had no idea why that kid decided to become sidewalk pizza and he didn't care. That wasn't his job.

“
That's a total lie.” Swift said. He was getting angry and didn't like it, but this conversation was waking him up so he ran with it “He was beaten to death by Butch and his lackeys. Then they dumped his body off of the roof to cover it up!” He was coming back pretty rapidly now “Ask Frankie!” he shouted.

“
Calm down this instant!” Bob raised his voice and adjusted his necktie “We spoke with that child, and he has been punished for his lies.”

That did it.

Swift stood up in a fit of rage and shouted “Horseshit! This is horseshit!”

Bob began to rapidly press the button on the underside of the table.

Swift went on shouting “You people are monsters! They 'punished' him huh? Did they whip him like they whipped me?”

Several caretakers barged in and apprehended Swift.

“
You had a part in this! You looked the other way while he was bullied and beaten everyday!”

“
Shut him up!” Bob screamed at the caregivers. One took a syringe full of clear liquid from the breast pocket of his shirt.

“
You...” Swift couldn't finish his sentence before the sedative whisked him off once more to a drug induced dreamland.

Once he had been removed from the room the head caregiver, Miranda Sweetwater, entered and spoke with Bob.

“
What a nuisance.” she said with disgust regarding the young orphan who had just been carried out and asked “What do you think we should do with him?”

“
I don't think we should transfer him.” Bob said while adjusting his necktie “We can still help the child.” He then pretended to check the notes he never actually took and said “For now we should keep him sedated indefinitely.”

“
Thank you doctor.” Miss Sweetwater said, they shook hands.

When Bob got into the hallway he took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead. He could not afford to let this one get transferred. That kid's loud mouth could cost him his job, and he couldn't have that. Leoric Swift could stay a vegetable for the rest of his life for all Bob cared.

-
19
-

Zach strolled into Bird's Nest Orphanage and walked directly to the building map hanging on the lobby wall. So far Swift's messages had been highly accurate with descriptions and directions, but a little visual aid never hurt anyone. When he had located the A wing boy's ward he headed towards the hallway entrance.

“
Excuse me sir!” The receptionist at the front desk called out, as a sharp looking man dressed in a three piece suit nearly walked by her.

“
Oh?” replied the man who in his early thirties, still had a bright and youthful way about him that suggested he was far younger “My name is Zachery Method. I am here to pick up my nephew Leoric Swift.”

“
That boy has no family.” The receptionist, a young female, replied curtly.

“
Ah! So sorry for the confusion. I didn't ask you whether or not he has any family. I mean, how would you know? No, no, that would be rude of me to ask. I actually
told
you that I am here to pick up my nephew Leo.”

“
Now you listen here-”

“
Oops! Almost forgot.”

Zachery retrieved an envelope from the inner breast pocket of his coat and laid the contents out for the receptionist to see.

“
This right here is the last will and testament of Ryan and Marceline Swift. As you can see, ipso facto, here, here, and also there that I have been granted full custody of Leoric Swift.”

Sure enough it was signed and dated by both Ryan and Marceline, their attorney, and notarized as well. The section regarding custody of Leoric Swift roughly stated that in the event that no blood relative came forward, or in case of emergency, Zachery was to be granted full custody of Leoric Swift. He had also laid his photo identification card alongside the will to prevent any misunderstandings about his identity.

“
Fine. Do you have an appointment?” she asked.

He smiled warmly and said “Yes I do Miss.”

The receptionist began tapping and clacking noisily on her computer's touch pad. Zach assumed that she was looking up his appointment, but figured she might be faking it.

“
You're not in our database.” she said followed by more tapping.

Zach was beginning to wonder if it was really necessary to type like that when she said “Leoric Swift isn't scheduled for pick up either.”

Zach arched his eyebrows “I spoke directly to a Miss Miranda Sweetwater via video conference about this matter. Could you please double check?”

“
I triple checked. No appointments found.”

“
Triple?” he asked incredulously.

“
That's three times sir.” she answered sarcastically.

“
You know what? I'm just going to go check Leo out myself. You don't even have to get up.” Zach said while turning to head once again to the A wing Boy's Ward.

As he made his way towards the hallway to the Boy's Ward a heavyset young man moved to block him. Zach looked at his name tag. Written at the spot below the word Caregiver was the name Greg.

“
Boy” Zachery spoke in a voice as cold as a chilling winter wind “I will snap your arm off and beat you with it.”

“
You're done for today pal.” Greg said unflinchingly “You should leave before it gets ugly.”

“
I should leave before it gets ugly!” Zach cried, throwing his hands up in mock dismay “Well you're already here, so you actually mean 'stays' ugly. Why don't you leave so it gets pretty?”

The receptionist stifled a laugh and Zach winked at her. This agitated Greg even more.

“
I love beating up wimps like you.” he threatened while flexing his arms.

Zach made no effort to hide his amusement and laughed right in Greg the Caregiver's face.

“
He loves beating up wimps! Wimps!” Zack said, and put his hands over his face to finish laughing “I wouldn't want you to crush me with your hidden muscles!” he exclaimed, pointing to the Greg's considerably large belly “I mean they're not here yet, but when they do get here I might have to run!”