Free Glory (Book 3) by Michael McManamon

added. "They were both dead. Petey might have killed them. Maybe they hurt him in the process. I don't know. He was locked in the back room and couldn't get out. He couldn't even walk."
    "And he just died?"
    "Yeah, he just died."
    Charles shook his head. "I can't believe it. Are you sure it was Petey?"
    Jane opened her mouth to respond. But, as she did, another voice got their attention.
    "Did you sa y Pete y ?" Robert asked. He was standing behind them in the doorway. He rubbed his eyes, sleepily. "Did you see him?"
    Jane rushed over to the little boy and knelt down beside him. She wrapped her arms around him. "No, sweetie, I didn't see him. We were just wondering where he was; if he was okay."
    "He's not okay," Robert told her. "He turned into one o f the m . Now he's dead. I know it."
    Jane didn't know what to say. She couldn't believe that this little boy could speak so openly about his brother. She knew that if the roles were reversed, the situation would have had her in tears. Actually, it already had.
    She looked back to Charles. He was trying to smile at the little boy, to pretend that everything was okay. "Did you have a good sleep?" he asked.
    Robert looked at the old man and shook his head. "Not really. I think I had a bad dream. But I don't remember it any more."
    "No matter. Bad dreams are best forgotten. Can I get you something to drink?"
    "Okay." Robert smiled at the old man and ran beside him. Charles reached down and patted the boy's head.
    "I've found a few little treats you might enjoy too," Jane added.
    Robert turned to look at her. "You did? Where?"
    "While you were sleeping, I went to the store across the way?"
    "Really?" Robert eyes opened wide. "Did you find a Mighty Mutan t ?"
    " A wha t ?" Jane wasn't sure what the little boy was talking about. But she couldn't help but think of his brother . Yes, she had found a mutant.
    "It's a big toy," Robert said. "A man with big claws and huge teeth. My mom had always said it was too expensive to get. But maybe now..."
    "No, I didn't see one of those."
    "Oh…" Robert shoulders hunched. Then they perked back up. "That's okay. I still have Mr. Baker. My brother used to say that I was too old to have a stuffed animal. But I don't care. I love Mr. Baker and he loves me."
    The little boy looked so proud of his toy. Though he seemed even more proud of his decision to keep the toy regardless of what others said.
    Jane smiled. Charles did as well.
    "That's a good idea," the old man said. "I like Mr. Baker. I wouldn't want an y Mighty Moogi e scaring me all night long."
    Robert laughed. " Mutan t ," he corrected him. "No t Moogi e ."
    "Well, whatever. I like Mr. Baker better all the same."
    "Me too." Robert stuck out his chest as he spoke.
    Charles patted Robert on the head once more, then turned to get him a drink. He grabbed a glass and filled it with a bottle he took from Jane's backpack. He handed it to the boy.
    Robert took the cup and sat down at the kitchen table to drink it.
    Jane watched him as he did. He seemed so innocent, so defenceless. She turned to Charles.
    "Did you find a wagon?" she asked.
    Charles looked at her in surprise. He had forgotten all about that. "No," he admitted. "I was too busy worrying about you. I couldn't leave the front door until you came back."
    Jane understood. She wished that he had tried to find it, but she couldn't really get mad at him for that. It was nice that he was concerned about her.
    "That's okay," she said. "We can find one later."
    "You want a wagon?" Robert asked once he had swallowed another mouthful of juice.
    "I do."
    "I have one. It's out in the back yard."
    "Really? Is it big? Can you fit in it?"
    "Sure, my father used to pull me around in it all the time. Why?"
    "Because we want to use it to pull you too," Jane explained. After a pause, she added, "When we leave."
    "We're leaving? When?"
    Jane didn't want to bombard the young boy with all of this information, but she wasn't going to keep their plans from him