by M. M. Koenig
Fuck. It’s been a while since I had to pick a lock with just paperclips. It’ll have to do.
I walked back to the building with a quick glance to Trey to hurry it up. He ignored me and focused on Bri, who was trying really hard not to cry, but losing the battle. I knew she disliked the idea of leaving him, especially down here. Trey leaned through her open window, brought his lips to hers, and kissed her more passionately than we’d ever seen him do.
“I love you Bri. I'll call you soon,” Trey promised.
Her eyes widened the second she heard those words and she crashed her mouth into his with force. Trey ran his hands along the back of her neck and allowed her to take every part of him.
“I love you too. Please be careful. Take care of each other,” Bri said, her lips quivering.
She leaned into her seat and let her fingers linger along his cheek. Jackson and Shane whipped their heads back to the front. I watched Bri – the happiness in her eyes was undeniable, but there was far too much fear. The uncertainty of the night loomed over her moment with him. It made me feel horrible that she lost that first with Trey. He squeezed her cheek before walking over to me as they drove away.
“You ready?”
I stared blankly ahead. My mind was slowly shutting down. The black spots that flitted through my head were just one of the many signs that I was on the verge of completely losing it. Trey shook me back to reality.
“Mia, I know you’re scared. But we’re together, so everything will be alright. Let's go look for Micah,” Trey said, pushing me towards the metal door and stopping just as fast after he noticed the lock.
I dug into my pocket to retrieve the paperclips and flashed them in his direction, along with a miniscule smile. Trey gave me a knowing smirk. I snapped the larger paper clip in two and bended the pieces off into ‘L’ shapes. I rammed them into the lock and twisted until the tension was right and the lock unfastened. Sliding it off, I took a deep breath and slowly pulled the door open. Trey released a noticeable sigh of relief and protectively strode in front of me. He used the app on his phone as a flashlight. I did the same. I wanted to slap myself silly for not grabbing the flashlights in Jackson’s glove compartment.
I gazed around the warehouse. My nerves were pretty much fried just trying to handle this dark and eerie place – that was before a bird scared the shit out of me. It flew out of one of the broken windows, making me jump and nearly trip over my feet. Trey motioned to keep it down. He pointed towards the left side of the building as he ventured off to the right. I gulped against the golf ball in my throat and flashed my phone towards the old wooden stairs that were falling apart. I shuffled along as my phone scanned back and forth to catch anything out of the ordinary. Plenty of wooden pillars had fallen so it was like walking through a maze. I hit the end of the warehouse and didn’t find anything showing Micah had been there.
My heart sank as I turned around. A muffled noise echoed around me. My head whipped towards Trey. His gaze met mine with the same sense of alarm. My eyes grew wide as we came to the realization that neither one of us was responsible for it. He held his finger to his lips and gestured for us to get the hell out of there. My heart began beating like racehorse on its final lap. I hurdled my way through the pillars to get towards the front. Trey moved just as fast. We paused again when we heard what sounded like a soft moan.
Trey paused to check out some stacked crates, so I hustled over to the staircase. I was about to give up when my feet snagged the end of a pillar poking out from underneath the stairwell and I tumbled to the ground. I muttered obscenities under my breath as I reached around to grab my phone. It had slid between several of the fallen pillars that were crisscrossed over one another. I cringed at the gooey substance all over my hand. Once I had my cell, I focused the light on the sticky mess. After squinting for a minute, it was clear that it was blood.
“OH MY GOD!”
“What is it?” Trey yelled, sprinting towards me.
I flashed the light into the space beneath me, screamed even louder, and pulled Micah up to my lap. My breath caught as I stared at his body. The beating he had endured was so bad I could hardly make out his face. His nose was broken. His eyes were plastered shut with blood. The exposed parts of his arms had bruises, gashes, and welts. It looked like he had been tortured. The blood was what scared me the most. His clothes were soaked through – and he was still bleeding. I tried soaking up what I could with the ends of my sweatshirt, but it was useless. He was bleeding from too many places. My fingers ran over his wrist to find a pulse, but I was shaking so hard that I couldn't tell if he had one.
“Mia, let me see him,” Trey said breathlessly, kneeling next to me.
I clutched Micah even tighter as I sobbed into his head.
“Mia, let me see if he’s alive,” Trey requested with more urgency as he took my hands from Micah’s head. I reluctantly passed him over. Trey ran his hand up to Micah’s throat and sucked in a huge breath. “He's alive, but barely. We need to get him to the hospital now. Call 911,” Trey ordered. His face turned white as his eyes ran across the damage on Micah’s body.
I didn't move. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. My eyes drifted back to Micah and my vision blurred. I was ready to pass out. Trey grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.
“Call an ambulance. He's not dead. I need you now Mia. Micah needs you. Focus for me,” Trey said each word deliberately, as if he was talking to a child.
I slowly nodded and hit the emergency dial on my cell. They dispatched an ambulance out to us with an expected arrival time of twenty minutes. I prayed Micah wouldn’t die. We had no idea of the extent of his injuries. The only thing we knew was that he was in bad shape from his shallow, uneven breaths. Trey positioned Micah on his back in between us. I clutched his hand with force. I wished he’d wake up and tell me to lessen my grip or tease me for being over-dramatic, but he didn't move a muscle. He looked like he was dead. I started crying again. Every part of me ached so much that it made me want to rip away every area baring the agony.
“He's not dead Mia,” Trey whispered.
“This is my fault,” I sobbed.
“No, it isn’t. We don't know what happened to him. He could’ve easily got beaten up by one of the junkies around here.”
He was trying hard to hide the terror from his face, but his voice spoke volumes. His tone carried so much fear. I shook my head to prevent myself from completely losing my mind. A thousand thoughts flew through my head to such an extent that it made my concussion seem like a joyride. I dried my tears while doing my best not to let the waves of crushing horror cripple me.
“I know you’re saying that to keep me from losing it, but we know this is my fault. I don’t see how it couldn’t be,” I contended.
“You always were a bright girl,” a voice echoed from the other end of the building.
Yeah. This is my fault. If that motherfucker crosses me, I might just kill him tonight. Any court in America wouldn’t question an insanity plea. I’ve definitely hit that point.
We sprang up and took a protective stance over Micah. Trey kept me behind him as he cautiously moved forward with his fists clenched. “Why don’t you come out here and show your face? If you’re going to threaten us, be a man instead of a pussy!”
I pinched his back to discourage him from flipping out. We had nothing to protect us. As much as I loved his fists of fury, they weren’t going to do anything against a gun pointed in our direction, and that was the defense of choice down here.
“You always were a hot head Donovan,” Ian goaded, stepping into view.
My feet froze when I spotted his gun. It didn’t faze Trey as he continued towards Ian with a clear purpose in mind.
“You piece of shit. Why don’t you step a little closer and say that to me?” Trey yelled.
Ian chuckled, fuelling Trey’s rage even more. I looked back at Micah, who remained lifeless. I forced air into my lungs, directed my attention to Ian, and sidestepped arou
nd Trey.
“What the fuck are you doing Mia?” he hissed, grabbing my sweatshirt.
I pushed his hands away and took another step forward. “Why did you do this, Ian?”
“I take it back. Maybe you aren’t that bright,” Ian retorted.
“If you wanted my attention, you knew damn well where to find me,” I sneered.
Trey jerked me back with alarmed eyes. I ignored him and focused on Ian, who was twirling his gun. I longed for my own so I could just kill him. Ian stopped toying around and pointed the gun at me.
“It’s a reminder to finish what you agreed to,” Ian threatened, with a snakelike smile.
“This is more than a reminder. Micah hasn’t been seen for weeks. Answer the question – why did you do this to him?” I asked, my wrath breaking free. My palms were full of sweat but it didn’t stop me from curling my hands into tight fists.
“Micah had valuable information that he wasn’t at liberty to share. He made a very huge mistake by trying to play Harrison, and he paid for it. It happened to be a bonus that we could use him to teach you a lesson at the same time,” Ian answered haughtily.
Trey stepped next to me and shook uncontrollably with anger. My eyes remained glued to the ruthless prick in front of me. “He’s been tortured. What information did he have?” I asked through gritted teeth.
Ian cocked an eyebrow and said, “It’s none of your concern. Your part is to show up for the meeting, or Micah won’t be the only one left like this. The meeting is set for Monday. Show up and you’re done. Take matters into your own hands and people will pay.”
Trey jumped forward, ready to spring into action. I tugged at his arms to keep him from making a huge mistake. I didn’t have to fight with him for very long because Ian shook his finger at us and shot his gun above him. He wasted no time in pointing it back at us and firing another shot above our heads. Trey and I hit the floor to dodge it.
As we began to uncover our heads, we heard another gunshot, only from behind us this time. We ducked down again but weren’t on our knees for long. Several pairs of hands pulled us up. Trey immediately began swinging, but stopped just as quick. His flushed face became strikingly pale when he noticed Ian in a pool of blood. When I turned around to see who was behind us, I almost fainted.
The Fitzpatricks. I’m pretty sure we’re as good as dead now.
“I always hated that fucking punk,” Kieran said with a slick smile.
My head whipped between him and the rest of his brothers. They had a few other people with them that I’d seen over the years. The one off to the far end with bright green eyes looked weirdly familiar to me. My brain didn’t have the time or space to dwell on it. Kieran snapped his fingers at his crew and directed them towards Ian.
Kieran returned his attention to me. “We’ll take care of him. This is a one-time pass for you two. Make sure you do your part by telling a damn good story to the cops. Speaking of which, they’re getting far too close. It’s time for us to leave. If our paths cross again, I suggest you come better prepared.”
His brothers picked Micah up and leaned him against Trey’s shoulders. Kieran strutted towards the rest of his crew as they made their way towards a boarded window they had destroyed to get out of the warehouse. As he was stepping out, he paused to look at me.
“Mia, I’d follow Ian’s instructions. We caught the tail end of your conversation. This entire evening has been, eye-opening. Dad’s going to love it,” Kieran remarked before disappearing.
Trey scared the hell out of me when he sank to the concrete with Micah. He placed him off to the side as he took several deep breaths. As the sirens grew closer, Trey rushed over to me. His lips were moving, but I didn’t understand a thing. I started stumbling in circles when my vision vanished due to the tears that ran endlessly. The compression in my chest became too much for me to handle. As I started to collapse, Trey caught me and pulled me into him. I slowly slipped into darkness.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Losing My Mind
When I came to, I sat up to see an ambulance crew working on Micah. They had hooked him up to an IV and ventilation as they moved him into the ambulance. Trey was off to the side giving a brief statement to some cops. I rolled onto my hands and knees in just enough time for everything inside my body to splash against the concrete. When there was nothing left, I sat down again and began rocking hysterically. Every ounce of fear that I had shoved aside in the past several months flowed through me at full force.
Trey crouched next to me and tugged me into his chest. He took deep breaths and forced me to do the same. “Mia, breathe,” he repeated, urging me to do so in time with him. Once I had calmed down to his satisfaction, he brought us to our feet. “We're going with them. I called Jackson. They’re going to meet us there,” Trey whispered, guiding me towards the paramedics.
I didn't say anything. We hopped into the ambulance and sat on either side of Micah. Trey pulled out his phone. His face paled as Micah’s parents’ number flashed on the screen. He took a deep breath when Micah’s mom answered. I looked away and plugged my ears, with tears dripping down my face.
When we got to the hospital, they wheeled Micah towards the ER. I headed to the waiting room. I couldn’t deal with whatever was going to happen to Micah without completely losing it. Trey went with him to keep tabs on his condition.
I sat in a chair in the far back of the waiting room. With my chin on my knees, I got lost watching the different people that came and went with varying emotions. Some had tears of happiness as they welcomed a new bundle of joy into the world, while others came with sobs of despair as they accepted the loss of a loved one. Micah’s beaten body flashed through my mind as Ian’s words ran like a broken record. My heart became erratic as the rest of me began to shatter from the weight of it all.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket. I knew it was Ethan. I hadn’t got in touch with him yet. I removed it from my pocket. The call went to voicemail only to start buzzing again to announce a new text.
I haven’t heard from you. I regret letting you leave. Please call me.
I didn’t really have it in me to deal with Ethan so he would just have to wait. With my head buried in my knees, I heard Jackson, Shane, and Bri run into the room. Jackson and Shane gasped when I lifted my head.
“Mia! What happened to you? Where’s Trey?” Bri cried.
“Huh,” I mumbled.
Bri kneeled down and waved my bloody hands in front of me. I almost started laughing because it seemed like ages ago. The last hour seemed like days – at least that was what my body felt like. Jackson and Shane sat down next to me. Jackson immediately began rubbing my back. Bri kept my hands in hers as tears started to well up in the corners of her eyes. I forced out a breath and freed my hands from her grip. I didn’t want her comfort. The hollowness inside of me grew as the hatred for myself continued to eat away at me. I arched my back away from Jackson’s reach and got up.
“Trey’s with Micah so he can monitor his condition until his family arrives,” I said, shuffling away from them.
Keep your distance from them Mia. This is your fault. If you think otherwise, you really are nuts. If you screw up in any way, they’ll be next.
Bri scrambled to her feet and held up a hand for Jackson and Shane to remain seated. Jackson opened his mouth but she shot him a look that had him snapping it shut. She hustled next to me as I hit the edge of the room to drift down the hallway.
“Mia, stop,” Bri demanded, snatching my arm and tugging me closer to her.
“Bri, let go of me,” I whispered, as the tears began to press for release.
“No. You can’t shut me out. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“Please let go of me. Your support right now feels like spikes ripping across my skin. I don’t deserve it. Micah might die and it’ll be my fault,” I pleaded, trying to free my arm.
“Mia, he made his choices. You can’t blame yourself for the things he willingly did,” Bri disputed, tightenin
g her grip.
“Micah went missing because of me. Ian showed up tonight to make that clear.”
The color in Bri’s face faded and her eyes grew wide with panic and she pushed us towards the bathroom. Once inside, she loosened her grip and darted into the closest stall. I followed and kneeled down next to her with my hand on her back. With my other hand, I swept away the hair from her face. I gently rubbed her back as she continued to heave at an alarming rate. After several minutes, Bri rested her head on the seat as she caught her breath. I leaned over her to flush it away.
“Are you OK?”
“This fucking kid is going to kill me. I’ve never puked this much or this often – ever.”
Bri rose from the floor. I did the same, keeping an eye on her to make sure she wasn’t downgrading how bad she felt. She nudged me to move forward. On my way out, I caught my reflection in the mirror. There was blood along the side of my cheek and on the exposed parts of my arms. My eyes were vacant, matching how crushed I felt inside. Knowing Bri was back on her feet I inched away from her. She edged closer, with a raised finger for me not to push her any further.
“Mia, you need to get cleaned up.”
I blinked. I heard the words but made no attempt to do as she instructed. My thoughts were stuck on Micah dying. My legs unconsciously moved me away.
“Dammit Mia! Don’t make me tap on junior for another round of ‘what did Mom eat today’, just so I can get close to you long enough to help you. You look like hell!”
A smile curled at the corners of my lips after hearing Bri refer to herself as ‘Mom’. “I don’t think you can touch your stomach and junior will do with what you want,” I breathed.