Words We Didn't Get To Say

2

Summer's pov

13 years old

"Summer, I know this is hard but I need you to tell me about your life in the orphanage, under Ms. Jacinda's care."

"I want Adam." I stared into the eyes of the man who wouldn't let me see my best friend. It had been a couple hours since the fbi showed up at the hospital and took all the kids. They've separated us all and won't let us see each other. Won't let me see Adam.

"I know this is hard. I know that Summer," he stressed, "but like I've already told you, Adam had some extensive injuries and burns from the fire. He's getting treated. But while he's doing that, I really need you tell me about the orphanage."

I stared at Agent Cruz. He was younger than what I would have imagined an FBI agent to be. He had curly black hair with deep blue eyes. Eyes that were imploring me to talk to him. I wasn't trying to be unreasonable. It was obvious that the fbi knew or at least suspected what was going on behind the purple doors of our own personal hell and the deceivingly pretty gardens surrounding it. I know that whatever I say to him could potentially help send Ms. Jacinda and also some others to jail. But all I wanted was to see Adam.

Agent Cruz took a deep breath, looked at the file in front of him, and then looked back up at me from across the table. "Could you tell me anything? Please, Summer."

I take a deep breath and look out the window of the office we were in.

"The last time I saw Adam was yesterday afternoon. The rest of us were finishing up our language lessons for the day. Ms. Jacinda has some sort of.. fixation.. with wanting us to 'be intelligent and 'refined' so that included learning different languages."

"Really? How many languages can you speak?"

"10.. fluently..a few more I can fumble my way through."

Agent Cruz just stares at me. "That's amazing," he finally says. "But you're only 13. That's remarkable."

I shrug. "Languages have always come easy to me. Anyways, the last time I saw Adam was yesterday when Mr. Ivan dropped him off.

"Mr. Ivan? Ivan Surkov?"

"Yeah. He's Adam's coach."

"Coach?"

"Mhm. Mr. Ivan owns a gym. He's some sort of trainer. Adam says that he has some sort of secret fighting ring. He takes Adam there to fight. Apparently, Adam's really good and makes him a lot of money. B-but you have to know," I try to say quickly. "Adam...he doesn't do it because he wants to. I mean... he doesn't like to fight. Ms. Jacinda and Mr. Allen make him. T-they threaten him." I look at Agent Cruz and hope he understands. "They know he'll do anything to make sure I'm safe. T-they know we're best friends so they always threaten us with each other."

"Okay, okay. I get it. Take a deep breath."

I do as he says and take a deep breath. Once I've calmed back down I look back up at him.

"Tell me why Allen was there yesterday. Was he picking up Adam to take to him to another fight?"

"No. He was dropping him off. After a fight. The fight was the night before but Mr. Ivan sometimes lets Adam sleep at his house after a fight before dropping him off the next day."

"Can you tell me more about Ivan? Anything you may know about him? In fact, can you tell me about any other people that to meet Ms. Jacinda? Anything at all. Whatever you have will be very helpful."

I complied. I complied and told him everything I knew about Mr. Ivan. Then told him about some of the people that sometimes come around to meet Ms. Jacinda. And when he asked about other things, like how Ms. Jacinda ran the orphanage I broke down and told him.

I told him everything. About every single beating, punishment, and consequence. About every time we tried to escape and were dragged back. Then I went ahead and told him about tonight. About the fire. How we were locked in our room so the only escape was the window. How I saw Adam running out of the house carrying little Timmy right before a huge blast knocked me unconscious. I told him all of it.

He seemed satisfied yet haunted by the time I was done and looked down at his notebook where he had written down all the information I'd given him.

"Thank you Summer. Thank you so much for telling me all that. You have no idea how much this will help with putting away Ms. Jacinda and a lot of others. I promise of you, you will not go back to her."

I laughed at his declaration. I laughed and laughed and laughed. I couldn't stop.

"Summer...." He looked at me warily.

"I'm only 13, Agent Cruz. I'm still stuck in this system. Who's to say that wherever I end up next won't be the same, or hell even worse," I told him.

Agent Cruz put both his hands together on the table. "I promise you, Summer, wherever and whoever you end up with, I will vet and check out myself. You will NOT end up in another hell," He declared vehemently, his blues looking stormy.

I scoffed. "Sure," I said unbelievingly. "Take me to Adam now."

He sighed and got up. "Come on, let's go check on him."