Keditha's Destiny

Chapter Fifteen

"What did you do with them?" I snap. I move towards him but the men holding me forced me to my knees.

Hollister grins. "Woah, calm down. What did I do with who?" He questions.

"Don't lie to me!"

"Come on  Julian, I would never lie to you. You know that." Hollister moves pass the desk he was sitting at, grabbing my chin to make me look up at him. "And on the matter of who was taken, you'll have to be more specific

"Kenny and Louis. I know you have them."

"And how do you know that? Possibly from that trap you had set up." Hollister questions.

"You knew?" I frown. My suspicions about Ralph possibly being a mole wasn't sounding too bad currently.

"Of course I knew! That plan was way too obvious." Hollister laughs as he starts pacing the room. I almost smile at the thought of what Donnie would do to him if he was here. "But I can assure you I didn't take them."

I watch him carefully, wondering if he was telling the truth. Did he not take them? And if he didn't, what happened to them? I had no reason not to believe him besides the fact he was a lying rat. But he was also very prideful and would take the opportunity to brag about his new victims.

"It's too bad you'll never know what happened to them." Hollister opens a desk drawer and grabs something from it. I inhale sharply when I see the gun in his hand.

"Wait! Perhaps we can strike a deal?" I suggest, struggling against the men holding me. There was no Athena or Kenny here to save me now.

Unless Hollister is lying and Kenny is here.

"I don't work with Germans. I'm sure you understand why." Hollister tells me, slowly loading his gun.

"Come on, I'll be willing to pay you, anything!" I say desperately.

That causes Hollister to pause. "Anything?" He asks grinning.

I nod, already regretting it. Hollister places his gun down on the table. "What do you propose? And I must warn you, make this good or I will kill you."

I swallow. Make it good? "If you are telling the truth, then I'll help finding my friends. If you help me then I'll will give you anything you want."

Hollister thinks for a moment. He then looks down at me, grinning. "Anything? Even... Athena?" He asks me.

I frown. No way, I definitely didn't want to give him Athena...but I barely knew her and Kenny and Louis need my help. I had no choice.

"Yes."

Hollister almost laughs. A victorious   smile on his face. "I help you find your men and you'll give me Athena?" He reached his hand out. "Deal?"

I reluctantly take his hand. "Deal."

            ______________________

I carefully search every inch of the room. This is where Kenny and Louis were positioned and nothing was here. There was no indication that anyone was here.

Whoever did take them was smart. They had done this quietly and carefully. They even must've cleaned the whole room before they left.

I steady my breathing, trying to remain calm. I'm not much use when I'm freaking out.

This was a lost cause. There was nothing here. I'll just have to head back home and hope Hollister contacts me with something.

Before I leave the empty room, something gleaming on the floor catches my attention.

Kenny's ring. It was his grandpa's ring, he got it when his grandpa passed away. Why would he take it off?

I pick it, stifling a gasp when I see the dried blood on the floor. I had a sneaking suspicion it was Kenny's.

It was enough blood for him to have been stabbed or shot. I assume he might've gotten the snot beat out of him.

I stuff the ring into my pocket, swaying back and forth. What happened here? All of this seems so professional so it obviously couldn't be Hollister. But who took them then? And why would they want Kenny and Louis?

The only person I know that I've ticked off is Hollister... well and everyone who hates Germans.

Sighing heavily, I stand up. There isn't much here so I should head home before Donnie has to worry about me too. Plus I need to get my face cleaned up.

I get into my car and drive back to them apartment. "Woah, what happened to you?" Donnie asks when I enter the apartment.

"Nothing, I'm fine." I mumble. They pretty much remained in the same spot they were before I left. Guilt flooded me when I looked at Athena. She didn't know I just gave her over to Hollister in exchange for his help in finding Louis and Kenny.

"Want me to look at it?" Donnie asks me.

"No, I said I'm fine, leave me alone." I head straight for the bathroom, grabbing a clean rag and wetting it.

"Did you find anything?" A softer voice asks.

I look up to see Athena, cautiously standing in the doorway. "Hollister didn't take them, someone else did." I carefully move past her and walk into my room. She follows me.

"You saw Hollister? That's why your nose is bleeding?" She asks.

"Obviously." I say rather shortly.

She pauses, sighing. "Well, if he didn't take them than who did?" She chews on her bottom lip, looking deep in thought.

"I'm not sure." I was half tempted to tell her about the deal but I couldn't do that. I doubt she would agree to it and then I'd lose Kenny and Louis forever.

I see her hesitate slightly. "Um, may I ask you something?" She asks, her voice much more quiet.

I nod. "About my mother. You said you didn't do it but I saw you." She mutters.

I raise an eyebrow. "You saw me? Are you sure? Because I don't remember killing anyone back in 1919."

She sits on my bed. "I know but I could've sworn it was you. It looked exactly like you." She shrugs. "I don't know, maybe it was just a coincidence."

I sit next to her, messing with the rag in my hand. I hadn't even bothered to clean my face yet. "You know I didn't kill her, right?" I ask her.

"Yes I do know that, somehow I trust you. But do you think maybe we can find who killed her? I mean after all this blows over?"

I smile softly at her. "Yeah, we can do that."