Protection Program • Run or die

chapter 7

Erick walked into the living room. He had just ended a call with Jacob. He smiled as he saw Ana and Andrew on the sofa talking softly. He went over and the two of them and stopped. It took a few moments before they looked up and noticed him.

"What is it?" Ana asked, she knew that Erick had just had a call, he had heard the phone.

"Jacob would like to see Andrew today," he answered softly, "I hope you don't mind but he would like to see you at the Yard," he said as he looked at Andrew.

Andrew shook his head, "No, I don't mind, what does he need?" he asked him, a little curious. A part of him was scared about going out of the flat, but he wanted to help catch this killer.

"Just a talk with the Social Services. They are on his case about you, but he hasn't told them where you are. They wish to talk with you and find out your situation. But all I want them to know is that you are fine, not where you are. He also wants something else I believe, I could hear that in his voice," Erick answered him.

"Right, then we better get ready," Ana said as he looked pointedly to Erick who was in his pyjamas still and his blue silk robe.

Erick rolled his eyes but turned around and went to his bedroom. It wasn't long before he came out in his usual suit. Ana had cleaned up the kitchen a little. She didn't mess around with Erick's experiments, even though she was tempted bin the lot at times. Andrew watched them, feeling a little odd and nervous. There was a sense of routine between them, that Andrew wasn't part of. They were soon ready and then left the flat. Erick called them a taxi and they got in.

"Andrew," said one of the women that were in Jacob's office when they got there.

"Yes," he answered back as he looked at her, wary green eyes watched her.

"We can find you a temporary home and we need to find your family. I have no doubt that they would be worried about you," she replied with a gentle smile.

Andrew snorted, "Miss me? My family worry about me? No they would more likely kill me and then dance on my grave," he said with a shake of his head, "I am never going near them again if I can help it," he added with a glare at the woman, "I know what they are like, I've lived with them for most of my life. I know they won't miss me at all, or even worry about me. All they would want from me is all the housework done and all the meals cooked, and then they could lock me away and forget that I even exist," he told her.

The two social workers were silent as they looked at each other, "Well then, we have a home that you can go to, I know the police are saying that you need to remain where you are but it isn't proper," the other said as she smiled at him. Not liking the fact that they had no proper address and only that he was in London.

Andrew shook his head, "I'm safer where I am at the moment and if that is all I would like to go back," he told them.

Jacob looked at them as he said, "Andrew has witnessed a crime and the killer is trying to go after him. I have him at a safe location at the moment and I am hoping it will remain that way."

The two women stood up as one of them said, "As soon as this is over please make sure to contact us so we can get him into a home."

Andrew ignored them, as soon as September came he would be leaving anyway, he would just disappear. He didn't want to do that to the three peoples that were left in the room, as they had began to show that they could be trusted. But he wasn't allowed to tell them where he was going. He bit his lip, trying to come up with something that he could tell them.

"Okay, sorry about that Andrew," Jacob said, "They needed to be reassured that you were being taken care of," he smiled a little, "Now, the reason I wanted you here is because I want to get a sketch artist to draw the killer and I need your help with that."

"You want me to describe him you mean?" he asked.

Jacob nodded his head, "Yes," he said as he someone knocked on the door, "and that would be him now. Come in," he called out as a young man entered the room.

Andrew worked with the sketch artist over the next two hours. Andrew had taken to closing his eyes to try and recall the killer and what he looked like. Andrew looked at the drawing when it was done and nodded his head, "Yeah, that's him, he's the one that murdered Norman."

The man left with the sketch and Jacob looked at him. "Thank you Andrew," he said smiling.

Andrew smiled back, "Welcome, I hope we can get him."

"We will, don't you worry about that. We have Erick and Ana helping as well and they are really good at this," Jacob chuckled lightly as he glanced at the two peoples.

"Of course we are," Erick huffed. Andrew chuckled as well.

"Okay, can we go h… back to Bayer Street?" Andrew asked as he looked at the two of them behind him apologetically.

Ana smiled and nodded his head in understanding. She had heard the little slip of almost calling Bayer Street home, "Of course, back home."

Erick nodded and they left the Yard, with Jacob thanking them for coming again. They got in a taxi and Erick and Ana sat next to each other, letting Andrew sit near the window so he could look out the window. Ana and Erick were talking quietly as Andrew suddenly gave a whimper and moved back from the window, pressing against Erick who had sat in the middle. Andrew hadn't said nothing as he carried on staring out of the window. Erick looked at see what had spooked the teen but the taxi had started up again and moved on.

"What is it Andrew?" he asked him, as he and Ana looked at him worriedly.

Andrew said nothing just kept himself out of sight. He didn't want to look out the window again. The arrived back at Bayer Street and as soon as the door was open, Andrew rushed inside and up the stairs to his room. Andrew was scared and worried, he hadn't even felt like this when he had gone up against your uncles. He hadn't even felt this scared when he had gone into the house and up against marge Why was he so scared now? Was it because it was a teenager and he couldn't use your force?

Ana and Erick followed him and went into the bedroom. Erick stood by the door as Ana went over to Andrew, who was huddle in the corner of the room. Ana settled down next to him and pulled Andrew to him and held him as he asked him, "What is it Andrew?"

"I saw him," he whispered, "I saw him when we were in the taxi," he told to her, turning frightened eyes onto her. He couldn't help but shake as he thought of the man being able to find him then kill him and the others living at Bayer Street.

"Don't worry, he doesn't know where you are," Ana assured him gentle as she held him.

Andrew began to calm down, Ana held him and kept him close, she could feel the heartbeat going faster than it should. It took a little while, but he calmed and they went down stairs to spend the rest of the day around the flat.

XxXxX

Andrew lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't been able to sleep and part of him didn't want to sleep. He'd had nightmares again last night. Andrew looked at the door to listen to Ana say goodnight to Erick and went to their bedroom. Andrew knew that Erick didn't sleep much each night. He got up and went down stairs. He stood shyly by the entrance to the kitchen, where Erick was looking at something through the microscope.

"What is it Andrew?" Erick asked as he glanced up from the eyepiece and over at Andrew.

Andrew winced a little and walked into the room, "Sorry, I don't mean to disturb you. I was hoping it would be all right for me to be down here. I can't sleep," he told him.

Erick could see that was a lie, but he let it slide as he answered, "I don't mind, you can join me in here or go into the living room to read."

Andrew smiled and joined Erick at the table, "What are you doing?" he asked him. He was curious as to what Erick was doing.

"I am looking through my pollen slides that I have collected. It's for a another case. The victim had pollen on them and I am trying to identify it. Doing so may lead us to the killer, or to a place that the killer has been to recently," he explained.

Andrew nodded and the two of them began talking quietly. Erick let Andrew look at the pollen and helped with notes. Erick identified which one it was, but he wanted to challenge Andrew and to make him think. He told Andrew to identify the correct pollen. Andrew went through them again and correctly identified it, Erick couldn't help the proud smile that appeared on his face. Andrew was smiling and trying not to yawn as the night wore on. They continued to do small experiments, Erick recreating a few that he had done when he had been a young child and curious about the world of Chemistry and science in general. Andrew had never had the chance to do such things and found it all fascinating. The sun began to rise in the sky and the two were still awake, going over the last of the experiments that they had done together.