The Holiday Killer ✔️

Ch. 13 A Life Saved

Rangeblade walks down the street to Panera Bread. She walked in on Crosshairs and Drift, trying to get Jamie to stop crying. Even though she doesn’t know the cause, Rangeblade hopes some cookies will help Jamie’s mood. She didn’t think she’d find a kid like Crosshairs did. Rangeblade knew by the way the kid looked he wasn’t visiting the park. She notices how he’s poorly dressed for the cold as she watches the kid.
No way he’s visiting the park. Rangeblade believes and contacts Ratchet.
“Yeah, he’s trying to warm himself,” she explains.
“I don’t think he’s visiting the park. Try to get him to come back to the base with you. We’ll figure out his story then.”
“I was on my way to Panera Bread. Should I take him there?”
“Might help get him to trust you. Just be careful; he’s possibly frightened.”
Rangeblade ends the call, worried about the plan.
Why do I still feel that if I fail, my past being a con will come to bite me? Rangeblade sighs, frustrated.

The young boy is confused as Rangeblade approaches him, but he doesn’t feel the need to run.
“Where are you from?” Rangeblade asks, but the little boy says nothing, “are you waiting for a parent to pick you up?”
“No,” the boy says, sad.
Scrap, he’s homeless, and I should wait until he’s at the base to get answers. Rangeblade believes.
First, she gets him to let her take him to Panera Bread. She worries about how long it’s been since he ate. The kid holds on tightly as Rangeblade carries him to their destination. She knows this is not normal behavior.

The boy eats as if he hasn’t eaten in days. Rangeblade doesn’t like the silence, but figures talking to him privately in the medbay is better to get answers. Once she gets the cookies she planned on getting — happy she has a bag with her — she carries the boy to the base.
The boy becomes tense seeing the guards and barbed wire fencing.
“Easy, this is a safe place,” Rangeblade assures him, but he won’t relax.

As Rangeblade figured, Drift is waiting with Jolt and Ratchet as Jasmine leads Rangeblade to an exam room. The boy is afraid of seeing two medics and Drift and won’t let Range set him on the bed. She sits on the chair with him on her lap, and he trembles as Drift takes his hand.
“You’re safe,” Drift assures the boy.
Rangeblade tells the mechs there are cookies in her bag, hoping the young boy will take one and relax. He takes the cookie and lets Drift cover him with a blanket as the four Autobots notice how cold the boy is. Everyone introduces themselves with their holoforms name, hoping to get the boy to talk.
“What’s your name?” Rangeblade asks the boy.
“Russell Hayes,” he replies, “dad abuses everyone. Mom and Leah ditched me.”
Russell cries and hugs Rangeblade.
Ratchet texts Prowl about the developing situation for him to investigate.
The four Autobots couldn’t believe that Russell had been at the park for two days. He even went to school, but no one thought he appeared cold, hungry, and has been crying. 
They find out where Russell lives, not expecting him to panic about the possibility of going home.
“You’re staying here for now,” Ratchet assures him, “until I clear you medically and we find a safe place for you.”
Russell talks about how his grandparents live in the next town over, and he loves going to their house. Ratchet relays the information to Prowl, hoping he can find the grandparents and Russell can stay with them.
He can’t go home, and he’s too frightened to go to a foster family’s home. Ratchet believes.
Ratchet explains to everyone what he’s hoping to do, then explains to Russell that he’d like to do an exam to make sure he’s ok. Russell isn’t liking the idea of being nude, even if Drift will wash his clothes and they’ll be warm when he gets back. The four Autobots know Russell is still scared, but they need him to meet Optimus and Prowl.

Ratchet talks to Prime and Prowl in his office while Rangeblade  keeps Russell busy until Drift walks in with clean clothes. Once he’s no longer nude, Russell lies on the bed and is asleep quickly.
“...no one is at the address that city hall has on file for the Hayes family. I did a little more digging and found who’s Russell’s grandparents are; his mother’s parents. I found pictures of his mom and sister,” Prowl pauses, “his sister is the girl Blades tried to save. She said her mom is dead, a reason she believed she shouldn’t live.”
“Russell only said his dad is abusive. Nothing about another person hurting the family,” Rangeblade reminds everyone, “I don’t think we’re dealing with more victims of the holiday killer. Also, where’s the abusive father?”
“Neighbors hadn't seen anyone enter the house in two days. The lights have been off,” Prowl explains.
Prowl isn’t sure if Russell is in danger. As with the Knight twins’ parents, Optimus wants patrols passing Russell’s grandparents’ house. Ratchet wants Russell to stay at the base for a couple of days before going to his grandparents’ house. For a few days, Optimus assigns Rangeblade to a new room.
“So what if she likes having her own room?” Drift jokes.
Rangeblade quickly defends sharing a room with three other femmes.

“We’ll tell him about us soon. I know he’ll be shocked, but he’s dealing with enough,” Optimus tells the others.
“Well, this didn’t go as planned,” Rangeblade tells Drift, “I got these cookies for Jamie. Didn’t think I’d find a lost kid.”
“So I did hear a door open and close,” Drift comments, “well, it’s a good thing you thought about getting Panera Bread for Jamie.”
“I wasn’t sure if that would help her, but I know she likes the cookies.”
The two worry about Jamie but know they saved Russell. Now they hope he’s not in danger since his abusive father is out there.

Rangeblade didn’t think Russell would be happy to be staying with her for a while since they just met and she’s still a stranger. For now, Prowl grabbed a few items and some clothes.
“I know who’d you’d like to meet,” Rangeblade smiles as the two go down the hall.

Rangeblade is happy that Sideswipe is playing video games in the lounge room and that he doesn’t ask questions about Russell before letting the kid join him playing video games while Rangeblade watches, already feeling like this kid will be back often once it’s determined that he’s safe. Even if he doesn’t know who he’s met yet.