Page 165 - My Home on the Earth

‘It was Jake?’ said Alan
‘We didn’t know who it was and I left it to Kate to report back. A woman visited the cabin at different times to bring food and provisions in shopping trolleys. There is no doubt in Kate’s mind that he knew her. We don’t know where she lives at the moment but we have monitored their movements in the town every day. My organisation has no authority to stop and question members of the public but we are concerned for the boy. Living alone is far from satisfactory, but the alternative was to contact the authorities. Jake would have entered the care system immediately.’
‘It’s just as well you didn’t. I might never have seen him again,’ said Alan despondently. ‘My son has experienced just such an authority after he was implicated in a tragic accident. To this day, I don’t believe he was involved, but I couldn’t prove otherwise.’
‘I’m very sorry. I agree the system is complicated. However, having security on-site 24/7 reassured me your son would be safer there than alone on the streets. I doubt he knows he is being watched, let alone filmed. From what I’ve been told, he’s an active lad and quite capable of caring for himself.’
Alan seemed shocked. ‘That doesn’t sound like the same boy. He depended on his mum for everything.’
‘Not any longer,’ assured Stuart. ‘I think we need to visit him, now! A car is downstairs and it will only take a few minutes. What a relief he wrote to you.’
Stepping out from the car, Alan was overcome with apprehension. The site was large and in a mess. Stuart
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