by Raathi Chota
“Lana’s in trouble. While she was walking, we saw someone in the background,” she stated as my eyes widened. “Then the FaceTime ended.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lana
My heavy breathing was the only thing I heard. My phone died when I spoke to Miranda and Liam, but in time, I spun around to see someone walk past me and down the hall. Again, the person was dressed in black, and I wondered how he or she got in. I was in the unicorn onesie that Aidan got me for Christmas. I felt like a psycho whenever I sniffed. The doors were locked, and my keys were upstairs, yet I was too scared to get them. I stepped forward, then glanced around the living room. “There’s no way out!” I yelled. “If it’s Mike, Christo, or James, you’re gonna get caught!” I added, then ran down the hall into Dad’s office. I quickly locked the door then leaned against it as I exhaled furiously.
I hoped Miranda or Liam had the intelligence to call my parents. I walked to my dad’s desk and searched for a phone or something to protect myself with. Since I found no phone in the drawers, I crouched down to open the bottom one. My eyes widened as I stared at the shiny revolver in Dad’s desk. The corner of my lips suddenly went dry, and my hands trembled.
The house was so quiet I heard footsteps above me. With every step, the person took, the floorboard screeched. I lowered my head to the revolver and cautiously took it, then stood up. My hands shook. I aimed the gun at the door as I took sharp breaths. I couldn’t hear the steps anymore, which scared me. I put my right hand on the doorknob. I shut my eyes for a moment as I leaned my ear against the door. It’s as if the rest of the world had lost its sound. I only heard me breathe, but not a single soul on the other side of the door.
I slowly twisted the knob and opened the door then looked down the hall. It was empty, yet my eyes trailed up and wondered if the person was still upstairs. I raised the revolver in front of me. As I tiptoed down the hall, my eyes flicked everywhere for any type of movement. I stopped and stood a few feet away from the front door. The living room was on my right, and the stairs were on my left. As I put a foot onto the first stair, a shattering noise erupted throughout the house. I got such a fright that my index finger twitched on the trigger. I shut my eyes and waited for the revolver to jerk from the bullet, but nothing happened. I opened my eyes and let out a sigh of relief because when a revolver was used, the hammer must be pulled back. Out the corner of my eye, I saw the front door open, and someone rushed in. My heart skipped a beat as I raised the revolver.
“Lana, whoa,” Dad said as he stared at me and the revolver. I let out a sigh of relief as I lowered the gun and walked to him. He wrapped his one arm around me and took the revolver with his other hand.
“Daddy, I’m so sorry. I’m so sca—”
“Shh, shh, it’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe now,” he whispered as he rubbed my back. I bit my lip as tears streamed down my face. Dad assured me that it was fine while he caressed me. After a while, I slowly pulled away to see Deputy Paul and Officer Jackson walk in. “Check the house,” Dad instructed them as he put an arm around my shoulder. I watched as they pulled out their handguns. Officer Jackson looked through the kitchen while Deputy Paul went upstairs. “I taught you self-defense, honey, not how to use a revolver,” Dad said as he stared at it in his hands.
“I’m sorry, I just panicked. My phone died,” I mumbled.
“It’s fine as long as you’re okay,” Dad said, then pulled me in for another hug. I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my chin on his shoulder. I looked out the front door to see cop cars flash. Another car pulled up, and the man jumped out and walked up the porch.
“Sheriff Willson,” Detective Kale greeted as Dad pulled away and spun around.
“Detective Kale. What are you doing here?” Dad asked.
“We’re working together now, Willson.” Detective Kale smirked, then turned to me. “Who was it?”
“I-I don’t know. He was dressed in black. I didn’t see him,” I answered, and he rolled his eyes.
“Did he say anything?”
“No, I don’t kn—”
“Leave my daughter alo—”
“How did he get in? When did he get here? Was anyone wi—”
“Detective Kale, I do not give you permission to question my daughter now. As you can see, she was here because she was feeling ill. When she’s better, she’ll answer.” Dad cut him off as Officer Jackson walked in.
“Clear,” she announced, then looked at my dad and Detective Kale.
“Jackson, go with Detective Kale and scout the area. Ask around, because he or she might still be on foot,” Dad commanded as Officer Jackson nodded. Detective Kale stared at me, then left with Officer Jackson.
“Sheriff!” Deputy Paul called from upstairs. “You might want to see this.”
Dad and I exchanged looks, then walked upstairs. Deputy Paul was in front of my room, and my eyes widened. We approached the door, and I glanced up to see my window shattered. The glass was on the ground, and I stepped forward, but Deputy Paul stopped me. “It’s a crime scene, Lana. You’ll have to wait.”
“Go downstairs, sweetie. There are officers there too, so you have nothing to worry about.” Dad smiled.
“Daddy, you don’t think it’s…” I trailed off, then looked at my window again.
“I do. Yesterday, Detective Kale and I found out the name of James’s other crewmember. The one who was with him along with Mike…” Dad reminded me as I nodded. “Yeah, his name is Ernst, been working with James for ten years.”
“Then who’s Christo?” I thought what Noel told me. Then it suddenly clicked that Noel said there were three guys and James. So it must’ve been Ernst, Mike, and Christo.
“James is a dangerous man, Lana. He knows a lot of people,” Dad said, then motioned me to go downstairs.
“Err…okay,” I said and did as I was told while Dad spoke to Deputy Paul. When I walked out of the house and folded my arms, I stared at the officers. Half the neighbors got questioned to see if there were any witnesses. From the corner of my eye, I saw a car pull up my driveway. My shoulders relaxed as I saw Miranda, Benny, Ethan, and Melissa get out of the car. Miranda ran toward me and engulfed me in a hug. I instantly wrapped my arms around her torso as I sniffled.
“Thanks for calling my dad,” I said as we pulled away.
“Of course I would. Oh my god, Lana…I swear when I saw that guy walk behind you, I got such a fright,” she bawled out.
“You scared the shit out of me!” Melissa yelled, then squeezed me.
“Just glad that you’re okay,” Ethan said as his mouth curved into a smile. As I pulled away from Melissa, I saw Benny stare at me with a lost look. He eyed me up and down, then approached me. I looked up at him to see dried blood on his temple and a cut lip. His mouth parted as a cold expression filled his face. He pulled me in for a hug. I didn’t know why, but a tear rolled down my cheek as I leaned on his chest and heard his heart beat fast. He exhaled loudly and stroked my hair.
“Fucking hell, I got so scared. I thought something wa—”
“Ssshh.” I stopped him as I looked up and placed my index finger against his soft lips. “Everything’s okay. I’m all right,” I assured him, then slowly removed my finger.
“Yeah, you’re fine. Everything’s fine,” he mumbled, then kissed my forehead. I held his hand, then brought him down as we sat on the porch steps. Everyone else spoke to the cops while Benny and I watched. As he looked forward, I turned to him and stared at his face. I dragged my finger down his cheek, and he turned to me. He let out a sigh as I leaned my head on his shoulder.
“What happened when you gave the phone to Liam?” I asked.
“I don’t like him calling you that, and he’s acting like a douche lately. You’re my girl. You’re my everything, and every time I see you with him or Levi, I feel like you’re slipping away,” Benny mumbled as I lifted my head.
“But I’m your girl. Not theirs. I don’t even like that he calls me that…”
I said as I placed my index finger on his chin, then turned it so that he looked at me.
“I call you babe and bright eyes, but I love to call you by your name, Lana Willson. It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
“So you and Blake fought.”
“Yep. Now we’re suspended for the rest of the week.”
“What? Was it really that bad?”
“Not really, but when we got to Principal West’s office, Kelly was there. She just made things more dramatic.”
“So what are you gonna do?”
“Blake and I have to do volunteering for a few hours. We got different shifts so we won’t kill each other. Other than that, I’m grounded till the end of the month.”
“There goes our lazy date. Now I have to watch reruns on my own.” I pouted. Benny laughed as he swung his arm around my shoulder.
“I promise when this month is finished, we’re not doing a lazy date, even though it’s our favorite. I’m going to take you anywhere you want. Just you and me, babe.”
“I’d like that,” I stated as the corners of my mouth turned up. I kissed his cheek, then turned so that I’d wrap my one arm around him. I leaned against his chest, and I took in the scene in front of me.
They could only stay for ten minutes, then lunch would end. Even though Benny was suspended, his mother wanted him home as soon as possible. The rest of the day I watched TV while Dad sorted things out. Mom came home, but only for a while because she had to do a big surgery. I couldn’t go in my room because they were busy. I got off the sofa and walked to the kitchen to make myself a sandwich. I found Dad, who spoke to a man in uniform. I walked to the fridge and took out what I wanted on my sandwich. As I spun around, the man shook hands with my dad, then left.
“Who was that?” I asked.
“He’s putting in the security system tomorrow. Also, the guy who is fixing your window,” Dad replied as I took the bread out.
“Do we really need a security system?”
“Yes, this is the second time something like this has happened, Lana. I want to keep my family safe.”
“Okay,” I murmured, then made my sandwich.
“Yeah, and you’re not going to school tomorrow.”
“What? Why?”
“You’re still sick, and you just need to…have some rest, with everything going on these past few months,” Dad responded as I sighed. An officer came into the kitchen with a bag, then glanced at my dad. I gave him a smile and walked out of the kitchen with my sandwich. As I walked into the living room, the doorbell rang. I groaned as I put my sandwich down, then walked to the door. When I opened it, I saw Uncle Griff with a concerned look. Outside, I didn’t even notice that the sun already set.
“Sorry I couldn’t be here sooner,” he exclaimed, then hugged me.
“It’s okay,” I mumbled as he crushed me and kicked the door closed. I walked into the living room with him behind. I sat cross-legged on the sofa as I ate my sandwich. Uncle Griff sat down opposite me, then leaned back on the couch.
“Are you okay, though?”
“I’m all right.”
“Even though I can see that’s a lie, I’m not going to pressure you to tell me. But just remember, other than your dad, I’m the only male whose been here your whole life.” Griffon let out a dry laugh. “So, if you ever need an adult’s perspective, I’m here…not just as a teacher, but as your godfather and uncle.”
“Thank you.”
“Have you heard from Levi yet?”
“No. He’s probably busy with college and stuff.”
“Uh huh,” Griffon murmured as I blew my nose. I stared at him with a questioning look, then put the tissue in the trashcan that I kept next to the sofa.
“Uncle Griff, what do you know about Levi?”
“He reminds me of a younger version of myself. So reckless and just…living in the moment, you know? Yet he’s sort of, how do I say it?” He snapped his fingers. “He likes to have authority, but there’s a small part of him that he only shows to you, Lana, and that’s affection.”
“Then why doesn’t he tell me anything? He treats me like a child sometimes.”
“He just doesn’t want you to worry. If I could tell you, I would, but he said that he intends to tell you when the time is right.” Griffon shook his head.
“When is the time right? When I go to college?”
“He was supposed to tell you when he was here. Yet he just stalled. Typical Radcliff.”
“You said ‘us’ earlier. Who else knows?”
“Obviously his parents, who are dis—” Griffon cut off when the doorbell rang. He gave me an apologetic smile, then got up to answer the door. I folded my arms and huffed because whoever was behind that door better be important to interrupt. I stood up to get my phone that was charged upstairs, but Uncle Griff came into the room with two people behind him.
“Hey, Lana,” Keene greeted as he gave a half-smile.
“Hi…Keene a—”
“Pumpkin!” Axel exclaimed as he approached me, then picked me up. “You’re okay! You brave little pumpkin, you’re okay!”
His muscular arms wrapped around my waist as he swayed me. I placed my hands on his shoulders to stop him. He looked up with a bright smile on his face, then set me down.
“I will never understand how you choose your friends,” Griffon stated as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Hey, Griffon. Long time no see,” Axel said as he greeted Griffon with a handshake.
“Same to you, Axel.” Griffon smiled as I looked at them.
“How do you two know each other?”
“Err…we met at a bar,” Axel replied as Griffon opened his mouth. “Yeah, a while back, so…nice seeing you again.”
“You too,” Uncle Griff stated, then walked into the kitchen. We sat down, and I glanced up to see Keene look around while Axel sighed. I awkwardly played with my sleeves and sniffled.
“Blake couldn’t be here. He’s grounded,” Axel said as I nodded. “Your principal is a real prick, you know that?”
“What happened?”
“Blake wasn’t even supposed to get suspended, but since Katrina is his daughter and they dated, he obviously suspended him,” Axel scoffed, and I laughed at the name.
“It’s Kelly, dude,” Keene corrected.
“Whatever.” Axel shrugged. “We would’ve come earlier, pumpkin, but I was busy with classes, so…”
“You go to college?” I tilted my head.
“Yeah, my friend Tamia said I should start, so I did.”
“How is she?”
“She’s good, still sassy, but you gotta love that about her.”
“You two a thing?” Keene asked Axel with a lopsided grin.
“Nah, we’ve known each other since we were kids, like you and Levi.” Axel pointed at me.
“That must be fun,” I mumbled.
“Yeah.” Axel smiled as he looked at the ground.
“Can I use your bathroom?” Keene asked.
“Of course. You’ve been here so many times, so I don’t need to show you the way,” I said. Keene smiled, then walked out of the living room and upstairs. I turned back to Axel, who anxiously played with his fingers.
“My brother told me why he got suspended and how Benny was going on about…” Axel started as my mouth twisted. “Can I still call you pumpkin?”
“You call me pumpkin like it’s my name,” I said and watched as his face reddened. I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when I heard Dad and Griffon yell in the kitchen.
“A drug dealer is after my daughter, Griffon! Those four boys who didn’t do their job had to pay, and since James knew Lana, he will try and ge—”
All of sudden, it went quiet, and Axel and I locked eyes. He smiled as I got up. Axel stood up and gripped my arm; I looked up to see him shake his head. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Uncle Griff enter the room with his wallet in his hand. Keene walked downstairs as Uncle Griff took out cash.
�
�Angie won’t be back till late, so…” He gave Axel the money. “Take her out for a while, have pizza or something.”
“What about Dad? Is he okay?” I tried to walk into the kitchen, but Griffon stopped me.
“He’s okay. We’re just gonna talk,” Griffon said.
“And he’s okay with them taking me out?” I pointed at Axel and Keene.
“Yeah, we trust them.” Griffon nodded with a smile plastered on his face.
“Err…okay. I’ll just go and change,” I said, because I still wore my onesie.
“Oh no, you look fine, pumpkin. You look cute and warm, plus it’s at night. Nobody’s gonna notice.”
“You don’t have to go upstairs. Here,” Keene stated as he handed me my phone and black combat boots.
“Boots with a unicorn onesie, nice,” Griffon commented as I put on my shoes. When I was ready, I wanted to say goodbye to my dad, but Uncle Griff said it wasn’t a good time. I gave him a weird look, but he rolled his eyes and shooed me away with Axel and Keene.
It was strange to drive with two guys who were twenty and twenty-three years old at night. I didn’t know where we were going, but I wasn’t even hungry. Griffon watched me eat my sandwich, so I knew he wanted me out of the house.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see. We’re first gonna get your adrenaline pumping, then eat,” Axel said as he looked away from the road, then turned to me.
“Adrenaline pumping? I have the flu. I sound like a blocked drain,” I groaned.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be gone in no time,” Keene assured me from the backseat.
“I hope so. I got so much stuff to do.”
“Don’t worry, pumpkin, you’ll get in there. They’ll be stupid not to accept you.”
“Yeah.” I forced a smile. After we drove for another twenty minutes, we finally arrived somewhere near downtown. I got out of the car, and the wind blew in my face. “Where are we?” I asked and looked at the old concrete building where people entered.
“You wanna see some entertainment?” Axel asked as we walked. I didn’t answer but followed him with Keene behind me. We didn’t go through the front entrance where everyone else did but rather the back. I entered the building and noticed the people around us were much older than me. I followed closely behind Axel because I got weird looks from people, but I didn’t blame them since I was dressed strangely.