Chapter Text
Prologue
"9-1-1, what's your emergency"
Grace Ryder hears the labored breathing of someone in response to her question, struggling to control their breath as she presses her earpiece close to her ear calling again "Hello?". She takes note of the sharp intake of breath and hears a barely adolescent boy's voice in reply.
"1927 Dane Street. House on fire."
Grace's heart skips a beat at the fragile voice of the boy and notices the hint of hollowness in it as she types the incident while questioning the boy "Ok Sir, my name is Grace. Do you know if someone is inside the house?"
"42 years old, Male, Santiago Sanders, 22 years old, Female, Luna Sanders, and 8 years old, Male. Diego Sanders. " She hears the boy take a quick breather while she notes down the victims for the fire to rescue "Ok baby the Firefighters are on their way. Can you tell me your name?".
"Dhruv Sanders."
"Ok Dhruv, are you injured?" Grace inquires as she pulls up the Sanders family record and sees the mother Amrita Sanders is dead and realizes the rest of his family are currently in the fire. "You didn't try to go near the fire recklessly did you?"
There was a short hollow mirth unfit of a child in response "Diego was inside."
She heard his sudden pained hiss possibly from the injuries he sustained from the fire "He ran in because Lu just came back home, which was evident from her bike parked before our house and he handed me all the groceries and I was just a few steps behind him."
Grace waited patiently, an ocean of dread threatening to overtake her feelings "The explosion threw me off. But I wasn't knocked off, I know I wasn't because I saw the fire spread fast and quick."
His voice became harsh and hard, "And I was only frozen a second and I heard. " A pause, "I hear their screams".
"Baby, it's o-" Grace tried to interrupt the young boy. She couldn't make him tell everything, make him relive what could possibly be the worst moment of his life. But lord, was she wrong.
"I ran to the door and tried to open the door.". He began to stutter like he just became aware of something, Grace suspected it was the pain from his injury that was being dulled by the adrenaline until now "But the knob. It was lava hot and I couldn't."
"Dhruv. Baby it's ok, it's not your fault." Grace rushed to console the boy, as she eyed the monitor indicating the arrival of 126 at the scene. "You should see the firefighters now honey. The EMS-"
"They're dead aren't they?"
"D why did you buy churros? I told you and gave you only the list of things we need." Dhruv scolded his little brother who stopped his churros devouring and gave his brother a toothy grin which he thought was charming.
It wasn't but Dhruv wasn't about to break the little kid's fantasy. Not yet.
"I was hungry."
"Well, my little brother. Get ready to starve for this month's end, like last summer." Dhruv snaked, making Diego stop in his tracks and look at his brother in confusion.
"I wasn't starving last summer". Dhruv gave a cynical smirk full of amusement contrary to his next amusement-less statement in reply "I did and now it's your fault and your turn."
Dhruv chuckled ruffling his little brother's brown curls, while securing his bag of medical equipment purchased with a definitely legit receipt in his right hand. Suppressing the hiss of pain spiked from his back shoulder.
Diego quickly hugged his brother's legs, the only part he could reach, and looked at his brother with his most innocent puppy dog eyes "Then you'll help me out like last week again right??"
Dhruv sighed, remembering the consequence and blame of his little brother's mistake while breaking our latest (more like lamest-second-rate-at-best-and-who-knows-where-it-has-been-before) cutlery plate, our father has 'worked hard to earn'.
Crouching before his little brother, Dhruv cracked a small smile marveling at his little brother who looked so much like the father he loathed. He cupped his cheeks affectionately, "Nope."
"Bu-"
"Actions have consequences, Diego. Everyone can expect it to be equivalent to the action but it's not. The consequence can be unfair to you and sometimes those who are around you."
Diego swatted his brother's hand away in annoyance, cursing him for being so wise while the person in question placed his palm in his lap and continued expectedly "What did I teach you?"
"Life's a bitch, people are trash but" Dhruv lifted his pinky and broke a smile when his little brother connected his pinky around his "I survive and strive to always carry kindness in my heart".
They broke their fingers and placed their respective palm on each other's chest "Because if I lose this. There is no I."
Dhruv gazed at his brother's eyes full of pride and hope while the goofball broke a wide grin and pointed behind him breaking the moment.
"D. D. Look, it's Lu's bike!!!"
Dhruv's eyes snapped to the Blue-Black KTM blah blah model bike that his sister owns parked before their house and before he could react, Diego dashes towards the house screaming his sister's name, leaving his pessimistic, cynical brother in the dust.
"Really feeling the love little brother," Dhruv muttered, while subconsciously recalling the last words his sister texted him before missing 2 of their check-in dates and racking his brain to find the reason for her to come by unannounced to him.
It was unlike her and as Dhruv turned from the sidewalk and toward their house making a mental list of questions to ask Luna, the house exploded. Literally.
"What do you think cap?" TK Strand questions his caption, Tommy Vega quietly. Both of whom were eyeing the 11-year-old brown Asian -possibly Indian native boy getting treated by Nancy Gillian for a non-fatal burn mark in his palm from a distance.
He was quiet, still, and most of all void of any emotions on his face that TK could decipher making the kid an enigma. Especially considering the situation he is in.
"He is in shock," Tommy replied, sighing and massaging her neck while an uncomfortable thought made her compare this boy to her at one of the worst night of her life.
"He's paralyzed." TK countered, looking at his stillness despite the burns he would be experiencing when Nance was bandaging his palm.
"What does the CPS do with me at the hospital."
The child's unexpected question put the team out of the loop, making Nance pause while the other two came close to being present in the conversation.
"I have grandparents." The boy sighed, casually rubbing his eyes from the bridge of his nose as if he hadn't just sustained quite painful burns on his palm, and continued "They're not in the right physical nor mental state and can't provide for me with their minimum life-saving. I have school f-"
"Honey, you don't have to worry about that." Tommy consoled the boy gently placing her palm on his shoulder making his still brown eyes look at her which if she was being quite honest sent a shiver down her spine "You just need to focus on recovering your wounds and grieving your family."
Tommy could not believe she had the unprecedented thought but just before the boy started to cry and her team rushed to console him she saw the calculating eyes of someone much more damaged than they should be at his age as this facade fell over him.
Like he just realized something and that something is not what a child should be able to know or recognize.
The act of being vulnerable.
The fear of being vulnerable.
"Hey mom" Little 7-year-old Dhruv greeted his slender tall jet-black curly-haired brown-skinned woman aka his mother, who was looking more and more sick as the day passed.
"Hey, thangam" (Gold -in Tamil one of the Indian languages -A term of endearment like babe/darling) Amrita replied slowly sitting at the foot of her son's bed while eyeing cautionary at the door she just came through. "How do you feel? About everything?"
Dhruv sighed, sliding his homework away and moving closer to embrace his mother whose skin was ice cold but he persisted thinking he could share some of his warmth. Physically and emotionally.
He recalled the current fight of the household, Luna deciding she had enough of her parent's bullshit and going to move away now that she is 18 years old and got in some Uni at Dallas where she will work to the bone to fulfill her degree in Forensic Science for obvious reasons,
Dad's against it because she will be catching pricks like him and Mom will be supporting him like the moon orbiting the sun, or that's what I thought but she's surprisingly on hold on the decision, like this woman actually has a backbone to stand up to the prick and has actual care for her children in that worn out dry heart of hers.
Ergo the hug.
"Let's see. Against dad always, love/hate Lu and the jury's still out for you though."
Amrita laughed at her son's words, he always was the quirky, sarcastic one with a big heart. She recalled with a ghost smile not quite reaching her eyes.
"And you? You want to follow on you're sister's footsteps?"
"Forensic Science? God no." She let out a huge breath she was holding in relief but quickly her heart dropped at his proceeding words "Police academy is what I'm aiming for. Catching and putting away pricks like him is a reward in and of itself. If I can work with 'Una along the process it's double the jackpot."
Amrita froze, sighed harshly, and untangled her son's arms around her while standing up quickly making him look at her in confusion. "Ma?"
"You ungrateful brat! How could you say that to the person who raised you and gave you all you could ever need?!! Is this how you repay us??!." Amrita yelled, her thoughts racing to the worst situation where Santiago is in prison and she will be put back into rehab by court. Her connection to every dealer will be gone and she will be left with these brats who don't even know how to take care of her needs!!. He can't go to prison.
Her delusional thoughts were unheard and unaware of Dhruv who was for the first time genuinely confused and terrified of his mother. His mother also suffers from her father's belts, hot poker, slaps, words, and god the words he uses.
Alas, the young boy was yet to understand how and exactly why his mother still stayed with him.
Dhruv thought she was here because she still cared for the children she gave birth to. His eyes snapped to her belly.
The child she is going to give birth to. Protect them from the big bad monster-
That she chose to marry and stay-
Because there is no other w-
There is always another way. Little Dhruv just took a day later to realize why his sister left.
"I told you mi amor" Santiago reprimand his wife who ran to his side shaking violently which he ignored entirely while looking fiercely angry at his son "They're all ungrateful little shits."
Dhruv is smart, cold, and many more qualities possessing child but right this second.
"Da. I. I. Didn't"
When the torn leather belt of his father whipped through the air the screams of Little Dhruv echoed through the cold, empty house.
He was nothing but a naive child.
Whittering on the ground in intense pain Little Dhruv shielded his eyes from his father's continuous assault and searched for his mother's shaking terrified one.
Amrita may have died from overdoes 3 years later but one thing haunted her every waking second of every minute of every hour of every day and night of her worthless life was the moment when the eyes of her child collided with her.
His eyes were void of hope, full of coldness, hatred and streaming tears burning down his cheeks which many may mistake for pain or even hate but she knew.
She knew it was her son's disappointment in her.
Inside the Texas Ranges meeting room, Ranger Carlos Reyes is presenting his findings and theories on the current investigation.
"The cartel's activity has been, to put it in a way revolutionizing for the past 3 months. New routes, increased quality of substances, dynamic base of operation which they somehow always changes at times of our raid."
Ranger Reyes flipped through images supporting his argument of road map highlights, lab results on confiscated samples, and so on.
"These changes suggest a change in leadership or something equivalent. " Ranger Sam Campbell carried forward with a nod to his partner "And after months of cat and mouse chase, we caught the mouse. The base."
Image of old white picket fence house contrary to the activities conducted there.
"And the head of that area."
Image of a young 20-ish old big muscled blond haired male posing like a vogue model, planting some suspicion in everyone present in this room.
"This knucklehead?" Chief Ranger Bridges scoffed, everyone present in the meeting mentally agreeing to his statement.
"We know sir." Ranger Reyes also agreed, "And so I and Ranger Campbell interrogated the suspect, and here's where it gets a little unusual."
Image of an 11-year-old light chocolate skin color boy of possible Indian origin, healthy body, with caramel messy hair with one streak of white highlighted hair falling quite adorably over his face.
"Cute kid." Chief commented, "And he's connected to this how?"
"Dhruv Sanders here is the adopted son of Kyle Justice. " Ranger Campbell informed and added with an intriguing scoff "And this kid's life is nothing but cute sir."
The panel image switches to images of a Mexican/Italian man and Asian/Indian woman in 40's indicating Dhruv is their kid along with two others. Early 20 Mexican young woman and 8-9 years old Mexican boy. All of them have in common their family name and the deceased mark.
"Orphaned 6 months ago in a house fire accident but lost mother 5 years earlier drug overdose." Ranger Campbell continued switching to show adoption documents of Dhruv Sanders from Gloria and Alejandro Sanders to Kyle Justice dated 5 months ago.
"And his family in a house fire accident. He is supposed to be living with his grandparents, Gloria Sanders 70 years old and Alejandro Sander 75 years old but according to Kyle, he quote unquote felt pity for his deceased best friend who he met and got close to in high school but Luna Sanders decided to move to Dallas for Uni while he decided to stay behind."
"He states that he saw and talked to Dhruv during the Sanders funeral and saw his situation at home, then with the older Sanders alleged agreement he adopted Dhruv to help him out in as a way of repaying his late best friend."
"It's not totally unbelievable." A ranger commented, flipping through the case file "He seems to have a legal income source and can provide for others. "
"Yes but, we think this child can give us a lead on finding the puppeteer who's controlled the cartel of this region for the past months." Ranger Campbell presented, "Children are noisy, gullible, and can be quite easy to convince after all."
"Not to mention Kyle gave us names." Ranger Reyes pressed, "Lots of them are in our case database but have been long dormant or so we thought. So if this kid can help us."
Everyone turned toward Chief Ranger Bridges who shut the case file and nodded at the Rangers, "Bring him in, and keep in mind he's a kid." He glanced at the grinning face of Dhruv and muttered "A kid who's been through a lot."
"Of course sir."
"I told you, officer, I don't have any other people I can call."
"Then we have no choice-"
"I'm not going to an orphanage." Dhruv sighed, tiredly looking at the CPS officer who looked at him equally tired and sad "I can't get emancipated either right?"
"Not until you're 16 honey" Grace Ryder informs coming in through the hospital door, "Sorry for intruding, I was waiting outside but it was taking too long. I'm -"
"Grace, the 911 operator I spoke to." Dhruv deducted waving hi to her with his freshly bandaged hand, who waved in return and shook the CPS officer's hand in courtesy "Are you here to check up on me?"
"Yes, I am. I just wanted to give my condolences for your loss."
Dhruv smiled, which was obviously forced on the adults and to himself, "I appreciate it, fair warning -I'm high on pain meds and also generally sarcastic, sorry in advance."
"He really is." The officer muttered in emphasis, rubbing her temples, "Kid-"
"Full offense because I requested you repeatedly to not treat me as a child, but I have the cerebral capacity to understand that I have absolutely no say in this. So, I'll ask questions, and if you could just answer Yes or No, I'll go lie back down and you especially would not get any more emotional damage from an 11-year-old. capisce?"
"Wha- Does it even-" The officer groans in confusion and annoyance while Grace laughs softly, then explains to the officer who gives a quiet appreciation and a thumbs up for Dhruv to start his assault of questions.
"I'm going to my Grandparents."
"Yes"
"I can't get emancipated? Thereby all the family savings and investment in the bank are in the hands of my grandparents."
"Yes"
"Do I get a say on cremation or burial?"
"Yes"
"I have the option of therapy."
"No, it's mandatory."
Dhruv scoffed "Oh you haven't met my grandparents yet." Shanking his head, Dhruv waved his hand goodbye "Thank you, that's all I have and a word of warning don't try to argue with my grandparents. You're always wrong."
The officer waved goodbye and practically ran out which is when Dhruv finally saw Grace who was eyeing him sympathetically, "How are you holding up?"
"Uh let's see, I'm currently in the process of Bargaining in the 7 stages of grief and all out of tears to shed. Pain meds are wearing out so, another kick is incoming, I have a funeral to attend in which I have no say on how it should be-"
"Your grandpa-"
"Are traditional, conservative, narcissistic people, who just shut me down whenever I try to give my opinion on anything. It's pointless, believe me, I've tried."
Grace was lost, she wasn't expecting the recently orphaned child to be this self-aware of his situation, and worst of all to see him as right, just made her gut feel so wrong.
"So if you'll excuse me, I'll go back and cry myself back to sleep or jump off the building. Who knows I'm feeling especially spontaneous today."
Grace stopped the boy by the shoulder and pulled the kid into a bear-crushing hug before she knew what she was doing.
All she knew was the kid was not ok and her heart was shattering when she felt the hesitant movement of the child to reciprocate the hug, "No one's hugged me this hard in years."
Ruffling Dhruv's hair Grace offered with a soft smile, "You can stay however long you want honey.". She felt the wetness of tears on her top as the kid muffled out, "Thank you."
"Dhruv Sanders, I am Ranger Campbell and this is Ranger Reyes. we just have a couple of questions to ask you about Kyle Justice." Ranger Campbell introduced, while both he and Ranger Reyes took a seat before the boy.
Dhruv wore a white top with a button-down black shirt above it, and matching black cargo pants that fit him. The bump on the white top indicates a necklace of sorts under his shirt and Dhruv was understandably fidgety and switched between looking over both of them and under the table in an effort to hide his anxiety.
Carlos doesn't blame the boy, confined to an empty heavily microphoneed and surveillance room with two unknown strangers albeit in uniform. Looking at his partner, Carlos indicated he would start and took the initiative with the approval.
"How long-" Carlos started opening his file to note down the interview and to refer to some points he wished to ask but the kid beat him to it.
"Is Kyle in trouble?"
Both Rangers looked at each other hesitantly, the boy looked so innocent and they didn't understand the relationship between them fully.
Not yet.
"Yes but, with your help we can clear that up Dhruv." Carlos ended with a hopeful note, offering the kid a smile that wavered when he just nodded in answer.
"How long have you and Mr. Justice have known each other?"
"Years ago. I first saw him with my older sister Luna, he was a stonehead and would try to rope my sister into doing drugs and other things. I recently saw him at her funeral and, he was nice to me."
"Nice?" Ranger Campbell questioned, prompting an elaboration.
"Yeah, I guess since the bar was so low, Satan is practically tripping on it in hell." Dhruv snarked in response, causing the two to look at him in confusion.
"My dad's an alcoholic, drug dealer, and an abuser and Mom was a drug addict with Stockholm syndrome to my dad of all people. If someone I knew wasn't hitting me or cursing me, they're a good one in my books"
"We're sorry to hear that" Carlos responded guiltily, his heart cracking for the kid and imagining all the things he went through.
"Thank you, so when Kyle came and was actually nice and even decided to adopt me in a way to honor my sister's memory. I had no reason to refuse."
While Sam wrote on the report Carlos presented the kid with 4 photos mixed with people Kyle IDed with so that they could verify if they were actually there. Carlos was hoping for small recognition or an offhand comment on how he saw him once or twice around the house.
Not the flip of a facade in the child's face.
"No way, " Dhruv sighed, face-palming himself while the Rangers looked at each other in confusion and surprise, "That no-brain dumbass ratted them out. I thought he knew better." Dhruv cursed, his face contracting into a hard look as he took 2 correct suspects' pictures.
"What?" Both Rangers voice out their confusion at the child's switch in demeanor.
Dhruv sighed irritated and ran a hand through his hair and sized the Rangers up in a calculated way like he was assessing his situation "Listen up, Kyle is a proxy for my dealing with the cartel."
"Yo-"
"Don't interrupt my backstory monolog, I needed a way to securely finish high school and get away from Texas before the cartel got hold of me."
"Why-"
"I'll not say again Mr. Ranger soup-for-last-name," Dhruv snapped making Sam shut his mouth while even if Carlos would not say it out loud he was amused.
"As I mentioned earlier, my good-for-nothing father -rot in hell shit face, was a loan shark and drug dealer for the cartel. Wasn't big until I was forced into the dealing."
Dhruv now began to take up space in his seat unlike how he had a minute ago, Sam noted that the more he talked the more his confidence built.
"Ass-dad had the brilliant idea to bring an associate of the drug cartel bloodied and battered courtesy of you guys I assume -to the house of a toddler and a 7-year-old, who is me in case you needed clarity."
"This guy needed medical care, and the cartel cannot call the police due to obvious reasons and shit-for-brain dad had the brilliant idea to ask me to treat him."
Dhruv let out a humorless laugh at his tense situation in the story, he felt weird and he didn't want that "That shithead had the delusion since I was still in one piece even after all his beating, I would know how to patch that guy up."
"Spoiler alert I did, and another plot twist that no one foresaw-"
"Cartel took you in as the medic for emergencies." Ranger Campbell filled in, causing Dhruv to wink at him with a smirk "Bingo, hence I was in and shit-dad was proud and...."
Dhruv struggled visibly to find the words, "Encouraged? me to climb the cartel ranks. I don't know if you encourage your child for doing shit like this but, hey people are trash and I got the short stick at life."
Both Rangers by now have deducted a few things, and all of them have made them come to one conclusion -This kid is not who they thought he was.
Carlos was, torn between the joy in the information poring into their lap about their long-standing enemy while the other part of him was angry for the boy. He knew it was not fair.
"But it became even shorter when I lost Diego and Luna. -"
"What about your mother?" Carlos interrupted, and was surprised when the kid didn't snap at him but just looked at him blankly still unlike the face he made when giving quirky comebacks or morbid jokes almost like he was shocked by the question or Carlos.
Possibly both, but Carlos pressed on, "You lost her-"
"5 years ago, catch up Ranger Reyes the dead's gone and I hope she went up and saw the pearly gates -slip and fell into hell lava then was punished to try to get out but slip and fall again and again for all eternity."
"Wow, biblical much?" Sam questioned off handily receiving an unfazed shrug contrary to his statement, "The amount of hate I have for that woman cannot be expressed in words. But it does not impose any restrictions on me to not try."
He glanced at Carlos nodding, "Moving on, I and every penny shit-dad saved up was at the feet of my grandparents. Who by the time I came into the house was already wrapped under the fingertips of the cartel."
"Which means, I was back where I started but the difference is I don't have anything to lose. So I used Kyle, he's not my sister's friend it was a cover story we made up. You can't question the dead-"
"We could have asked around." Carlos interrupted again testing the waters with the kid while Campbell eyed him warily. Dhruv squinted his eyes still not snapping at him, "We could have seen if he was in the same year as your sister-"
"Not same year but same school."
"Asked her friends-"
"To ask the so-called friends you needed to come to the only person who knows her and is alive, i.e. Moi who has the ability to lie effortlessly if you haven't gathered."
"Social media-"
"Reset password, delete account."
"Uni faculties"
"Let's be honest here Ranger Reyes you don't have the luxury of chasing my sister's trail that far to verify Kyle's story when the easier option of accepting it is right in front of you, practically salivating."
Carlos pressed his lips in thin lines and nodded to continue, while Sam eyed the kid incredulously. The level of intellect and strategic thinking one needs to be this thorough on covering their tails while building a believable back story was astounding and he made an almost perfect one.
"Kyle was new blood to the cartel and had to prove himself, I offered myself as bait he could use and we cut a deal where he thought he was superior -He does as I say and we rise in the cartel while being alive."
"He didn't understand with power comes responsibilities and in cartels, if you make a mistake you're out permanently, especially in high positions."
Sam filled in or so he thought when the kid nodded agreeing with him, he didn't like " He wanted power and connection but didn't know the risk, I needed living necessities while bidding my time to create a plan and get out of the cartel for good."
"So you used him?"
"It was mutual, but yeah I did. He was new blood and didn't know the risk so I took responsibility for him."
"And who's responsible for you?" Carlos questioned with intrigue, "Who's head is off when the cartel finds out you ratted them out?"
"Mine, Ranger Reyes." Dhruv scoffed offended, "I told you I have no one for me."
"What about Kyle?" Sam took over noticing his partners needed time to process the answer to his question which might have hit close to home.
"Why do you think I told you all this? That dumbass is unaware of the danger he is in and I got the Rangers to make sure he is safe. It's not my responsibility anymore."
They were stunned for a second by his reply, how a kid of his age shouldering not only his life but taking accountability for another one that he essentially used but made the effort to at least protect him.
"You got him in." Sam pressed on, still can't believe he was using this strategy on a kid, "He's in danger because of you."
"Oh please." Dhruv laughed, masking his guilt that piled up at the stab. He knew what he did was wrong but he'll be damned if he showed them that and worse if they spin it back on him.
He can't have that, "I kept him alive, he was going to be used as a pawn and thrown away -"
"But instead you used him" Carlos countered, face hard and angry which wavered at the kid's smirk in response, "So did he, like I said it was mutual."
Dhruv leaned into the table for the first time, looking at Sam intensely, "At least I used him and threw him away alive and some ways to survive, unlike the other party -which we all know how it ends."
In a ditch with bullet wounds, both Rangers thought bitterly, "So what happens to you and him now that you've fessed up?"
Dhruv slumped back in his chair and sighed, blowing raspberry lazily, while internally he pulled up his backup plan for this situation he predicted and recited it "We're both highly involved assets in this high-level and highly sensitive case and if we cooperate we can possibly earn full protective custody. New identity and that whole shit you know."
"So you're saying you'll cooperate?" Carlos asked apprehensively, he was expecting the kid would reject and demand protective custody but not cooperation which could be a valuable asset for them.
"Was my backstory monolog not evident enough of my cooperation Ranger Reyes." Dhruv quipped in response with a smirk that fell, "I don't know about Kyle but, I'm all yours to use and throw away. Don't try to throw me away though, 'cause if I survive, I'm coming back for revenge."
Both Rangers took a sharp breath, glancing at each other in worry while the kid giggled like he didn't just basically give them a double-edged blade in the form of a giddy psychopath that can bite the hand it feeds.
"Also decided quickly, it's school a night and it's a school night and I'm a bitchy person if I don't get my beauty sleep."
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