CHAPTER FOUR
The team could hear the music before they even saw who it was playing. When they got to the guard at the door, they explained why they were there.
“Oh, yes sir. I believe there’s already two big, giant men, uh, bigger than y’all, wanderin’ around. Mr. Marchand said someone was going to come take a look. I didn’t think you’d come today. All the artists have left.”
“Left? Who is that playing the piano?” asked Eric.
“Oh, I assumed it was one of those other two fellas.”
“I can assure you that is not my father, or his uncle,” said Eric pointing to Luke. They pushed past the guard and stood at the edge of the stage, watching as a little boys’ fingers flew across the keyboard.
Tailor and Alec stepped out of the shadows and held their fingers to their lips.
“That’s crazy good,” said Luke. “Is he one of the artists?”
“Look at him, Luke,” said Alec. “That boy is wearing rags. He’s got no shoes on his feet and he’s about as dirty as a little boy can be.”
“We need to speak to him,” said Cam. The men stepped forward and suddenly a little girl came running on stage. She gripped the boy’s arm and pulled him off the bench.
“Don’t hurt him! He didn’t do nothin’ wrong. He just wanted to see the piano.”
“Honey, we’re not going to hurt you or the boy,” said Alec.
The little boy stared up at him, his eyes wide with terror. Alec remembered that same look from his own son, Keith. He kneeled on front of him and stared at the boy.
“My name is Alec.”
The boy said nothing, turning to stare up at all the men surrounding him and the girl. Tailor decided he should kneel as well. He held out his hand and the boy jumped back.
“We won’t hurt you,” said Cam.
“He can’t hear you,” she said quietly.
“What?” frowned Luke. “How can he not hear but play like that?”
“I-I don’t know. It’s been that way for a few years now. We didn’t mean to touch the piano it just makes a sound like we’ve never heard before.”
“Sweetie, you can touch that piano all day long if it makes y’all happy,” said Alec. “But I’ve never in my life met a musician who is deaf.”
She shrugged her shoulders and her brother reached for the keys again, as if desperate to finish his playing.
“He can play,” said Luke. “It’s alright. I swear to you we will not hurt you or him.”
The girl turned the boy toward her and moved her fingers in front of her body, as if playing an air piano. He looked at the men and they all nodded, smiling at him. His face lit up as he took the seat on the bench again and his fingers started to move.
“What’s your name?” asked Luke. The girl appeared frightened at first, then just let out a long breath and shook her head.
“If you separate us, we’ll just run away again.”
“Honey, we don’t want to separate you, we want to help you if we can,” said Eric.
“We were all in the military, soldiers and sailors once upon a time. Now we help people who need it. I think you need it. I can tell that your clothes are dirty, worn, torn in places and it doesn’t look as though you’ve had a good meal any time recently. ”
The little girl sat down on the stage and the men all lowered themselves, some kneeling, some sitting to be at eye level with her. Tears silently fell down her cheeks as she shuddered with deep breaths.
“I’m so tired,” she croaked.
“Honey, what’s your name?” asked Luke.
“Sutton. That’s my brother, Pippen. We call him Pip.”
“We?” asked Hex.
“You swear you’re gonna help and not split us up?” she asked with dirt-streaked tears.
“I swear on a stack of bibles as tall as I am,” said Eric.
“There are four others. They’re back stage hiding right now.”
She stood up and stomped with her right foot hard on the wooden floor. When nothing happened, she did it again. Suddenly four young, dirty faces appeared from behind the curtains. One was carrying Erica’s violin and the other had Amanda’s guitar.
“Well, that was the fastest solved case in history,” smirked Luke.
“They can’t hear you either,” she said. “None of ‘em can hear.”
“And they all play?” asked Hex.
She nodded and pointed to them. Alec could tell it was a crude, rough form of sign language. Some of it was correct, some of it was obviously just learned signals.
One of the children lifted the violin and began playing the most haunting melody they’d ever heard, the piano still playing behind them. Then it was the flute and guitar.
They couldn’t help it. Even if they had wanted to, they wouldn’t have been able to help themselves. They were sobbing.
“Alec, explain this to me, brother,” said Tailor.
“I wish I could. I need to get Keith down here.”
“I just texted him,” said Cam. “He’s visiting the center to see Molly and Asia. He’s on his way. He should be here in a few minutes.”
The children never even looked at them. They were so lost in the playing of the instruments, the could have cared less if anyone was near them or not.
“Hey. What’s going on?” signed Keith. “I can feel the music. It’s beautiful.”
“Well, I’m glad you can feel it,” said Alec, signing to his son, “but all these children, except Sutton, the beautiful little lady there, are deaf.”
Keith looked at his father and chuckled, then saw the serious expressions on all their faces. He looked back at the children and moved toward them, signing. Alec tapped his shoulder.
“I don’t think any of them are fluent in ASL.”
“I know some,” said the little girl. “I just don’t think any of them learned all the way. I mean, we talk but it’s different. I usually write notes.”
Keith nodded at the little girl, then turned, staring at the others. He walked toward the piano and lay his hand on the top of it, feeling the vibrations of the music. It hit his soul so hard, his knees nearly buckled.
“Sutton, where do you live, honey?” asked Luke.
“It’s an old house. It’s boarded up but I got a lock on the door so no one bothers us.”
“But you stole those instruments,” said Cam. She swallowed and nodded.
“Yes, sir. It’s the only thing they want. Music. It’s the only thing that makes ‘em happy. I’m sorry but I’ve been takin’ food when I can and other things. I’ll pay it back. I swear but please don’t take me from my brother and all of them.”
“Sutton, you need a safe place to live. All of you,” said Hex. “We have a place where’d you be safe, well-fed, clothed, and you’d even get music lessons if you wanted them.”
“Are there doctors there?” she frowned. Luke looked at the others and nodded.
“We have doctors and nurses. Good doctors and nurses who help people when they’re sick. Are you sick? Is someone here sick?”
“No. No, sir,” she said. “The doctors hurt ‘em. All of ‘em. That’s why we ran.”
“What doctors?” asked Hex.
“The ones at the place where the orphanage sent us. They saw Pip playin’ the piano and wanted to open his head up. The others too. They did it to Melvin. I don’t think he sees good now. But he sure knows how to play.”
“He sure does,” smirked Eric. “Sutton, we would never, ever hurt children. If you come with us, we’ll make sure that you have whatever you need. Do you have parents?”
“No, sir. We were all orphans. Our folks were killed, me and Pip’s. The others were just left there. Miss Farmer, she was the lady at the orphanage, she was real good to us but then the doctors said they could help Pip.
“I kept runnin’ away to the hospital because I promised my daddy I’d watch out for him.
They finally let me stay but I heard ‘em. I heard what they were gonna do and I heard the others screamin’ in their own way.
Don’t know if you’ve ever heard a deaf person scream but it’s about the scariest thing ever. ”
“Unfortunately, I have heard that,” said Alec.
“How much can you sign?” asked Keith. She tried to position her fingers just right and then moved very slowly.
“I can say my name,” she signed slowly. “S-u-t-t-o-n. I can sign hello. I love you. And danger. I can do a few other things but not very fast.”
“I could teach all of you how to speak very fast,” smiled Keith.
“What’d he say?” she asked.
“He said he could teach all of you how to speak very fast,” said Alec. “We own a school for the deaf and children who are alone or in danger. Everyone would have their own room, you’d have your own bathroom, clean clothes, and the best food you could ever hope for.”
“Do we have to see doctors?” she asked.
“Only to be sure that none of you are sick. For instance, that boy over there has a cut on his foot that looks infected. We want to get that taken care of so it doesn’t get worse.”
She reached inside the small sack hanging over her shoulder and pulled out a tablet and marker. In spelling and writing that indicated she was way behind other children her age, she wrote a note to her friends.
The children all stared at her, then at the men behind her. One of the little girls slapped her arm, then a cheek, then her own bottom.
“No. They won’t hurt us,” she said not believing it herself.
All she knew was they were right. They needed food, clothing, and a safe place to sleep.
At least for now. The children nodded, following Sutton and the men toward the parking lot.
As they were squeezed into the back seat of the big SUV, Alec and Tailor took the fourth row, Cam and Hex the third row, Eric in the passenger seat and Luke driving.
He didn’t bother to turn the music on, just sitting quietly as they made their way south. They’d already given everyone notice of their cargo. When a song began playing, Eric frowned, hitting the radio button.
“It’s not on,” said Luke.
“Oh, that’s him,” said Sutton pointing toward the boy. She shrugged. “Can’t hear or speak but he can sing like an angel.”
“Holy fuck,” muttered Alec. Sutton turned around frowning.
“That’s a bad word.”