”Where’s Anna?”
”She didn’t come to the library?”
“No. I haven’t seen her since she left to school.” Shit.
“If I find out she’s been out with Tommy again I’ll…”
“Logan! Calm down! He’s Anna’s boyfriend!” Boyfriend my ass. I have seen that punk hanging around with some bad people. Kind of with swastikas tattooed to every bare inch of their skin and nasty blades hidden to the sleeves of their jackets.
“I have told her about thousand times how I feel about Tommy. He’s no good for her.”
“Is there even such a thing? Good enough boyfriend for Anna?” Fuck you. You know perfectly well what I mean.
“I’m sure there are several suitable candidates. I don’t like the company Tommy’s keeping. Same guys beat up and raped that mutant girl from few blocks away from here last spring. Remember?”
“And you blame Tommy for that? He wasn’t even in town when it happened!”
“Doesn’t mean a thing. Had he been here that night, he would have been there with them, cheering and getting his part from the loot. I know him. I know guys like him…” I can’t believe she’s that naïve! It’s Anna we’re talking about!
“Have you ever even talked with him? Other than growled and threatened to strangle him if you find him anywhere near Anna?” Nope. If I spend too much time in close proximity to that brat my knuckles start to itch. And it’s not allergy…

“Logan?”
“Why this has to be so fucking difficult? Everything was just fine when she was just a kid. Now… Fuck. I’m getting old. Too old for this shit…”
“Who was it at the phone? At this hour?” Do the math. There are exactly two people in this house right now. Anna is missing.
“Anna. Tommy’s car died down. Needed somebody to pick them up.” Oh, I will pick her up. Bring her home and lock her to her room. She will get out of there when she’s about eighty years old.
“Maybe I should come with you…”
“For what? Afraid that I’ll ventilate that poor kid?” Because I sure as hell would like to.
“No. But I could use some fresh air. I’m not that sleepy after all…” Yeah? You’re a fucking poor liar, Marie. Always were.
“I was going to take the bike. There’s room for one passenger only.”
“You’re going to leave Tommy to the side of the road?”
“No. I’m going to leave him to the gas station from where Anna called. He’s big enough to take my little girl to a drive. He’s big enough to find his way home after that…”

Oh, fuck. Maybe I’m just a paranoid asshole. Too wound up and beaten to this world. But the thing is, when I look at Tommy, I don’t see what Marie and Anna see. They see an average kid with average looks, well, maybe Anna sees something more, but you get my point… I see every fucking thing that is wrong in this world. Every fucking insult and obscenity I have had to swallow. Scalpels. Hot, liquid metal. He doesn’t even have to talk or move. His whole posture screams trouble and danger to me. I know those people he hangs around from time to time have connections to all kinds of ‘Humanity First’ –movements. I would hate to see Anna get hurt because of me. Because of what Marie and me are. And it’s only a matter of time before she slips out something. I have been waiting for that to happen from the day she came to me and asked what a mutant was. That was seven years ago. Seven fucking years and I haven’t managed to scare that brat off from her skirt. Persistent little fucker…

“Good evening, mister D’Ancanto.”
“Tommy.” Little prick. Drop dead.
“Daddy!”
“Hi pumpkin. Had some car trouble?”
“Yes. Uhh… Could you… Would it be possible for you to take a look…” Jesus. Brat is practically wetting himself.
“Anna, go and wait me over there. I’ll go and see if there’s anything I can do.” Good girl. Practically glued herself to the bike.

“Okay. What happened?” Because as far as I can tell, there’s nothing wrong with Tommy’s wheels. Engine is purring like a pussycat.
“I know what you are.” Ah-ha!
“And what are you going to do with that information?” If he thinks there’s big money waiting for him, he’s in for a huge surprise.
“Nothing. I have known for years now. I know you and Anna’s mom are both mutants.”
“And…” He better cough up rest of that sentence pretty fast before this sick urge to skewer him grows too big to resist.
“I heard some guys talking about you earlier tonight. They’re going to burn down your house tomorrow night. Flush you out and finish you all to the spot.”
“And you’re telling me this because…” What is he looking at? Oh… Anna.
“I may have a problem with muties. But I have no problem with her. Leave. Take her with you. Keep her safe.” Well, what do you know? Little prick has some balls and a backbone after all…

“Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“What did you talked about with Tommy?”
“Cars. We talked about cars. And bikes.”
“Oh… For a moment I was afraid that… I know you don’t like him. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you earlier today where I was going.”
“Don’t worry about it, pumpkin. Tommy and me... We have our differences, but I guess he’s an okay kid…”
“Thanks, dad!”
“That still doesn’t mean that I want you to hang around with him.”
“Dad…” Crap. How to tell her that she’s not going to see Tommy anytime soon again? Most likely never? Fuck. Have to talk with Marie first. She’ll know what to do. She’ll know what to say. I’m no good with words. At the end of the day there’s only one thing I’m wired for.