A Wolf's Purpose

•Chapter 2• Three Boys

"Jayden, Jack, and Jerry Salvini. Triplets. Seventeen years old." Officer Hayden Smith spoke up as he read the papers in front of him. "Kidnapping and attempted murder." He continued, "Sounds a lot like Bill." He added. His partner, Lucas Brown, nodded in response. He pulled out another piece of paper and placed it in front of Hayden. "Look at this," Lucas tells him. Hayden's eyes focused on the sentences in front of him. One in particular. "The victim is Megan Greenwood, seventeen years old." Hayden read out loud. He looked up at Lucas. "Greenwood? As in Sel-" he continued. Lucas nodded. "Selena Greenwood." He filled in. Hayden glanced down at the paper again. His eyes trailed over the words and sentences. "Sounds like they were retracing their father's footsteps. The cabin, the Greenwood family... everything." He noticed. He looked back up at his partner. Lucas was leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. The fabric around his arms and shoulders tightened a little, showing off his slightly muscular figure. "My theory?" He started, "He set them up to his." He continued. Hayden frowned at him. "Do you think he set this all up? Everything?" He asked. Lucas shrugged. "Guilty or not, Bill Salvini had some issues." He said. "Well, that's one way to put it." Hayden chuckled. Lucas stepped away from the wall and placed his fingers in a claw-like manner on the desk. "But there is no way these boys could have followed all these steps without Bill interfering." Lucas continued, "Look, whatever this is, we have to be aware of these boys. They are potential threats to the outside world. We need to know where they are, and know what they're doing." Lucas spoke. "Where are they now?" Hayden asked. "The prison that's located a few miles out of Hill City," Lucas replied. "The highly restricted one?" Hayden questioned. His partner nodded in response. Hayden focused his eyes on the text again. "Just like Bill." He whispered. "Indeed. And just like him, there isn't a lot of proof to go on. We can only go on that what has been told to us." Lucas said. 

"Keep moving, dipshit!" The man said. Jayden was led into a small, dark room with one light hanging from the ceiling, and a very small window on his left. His hair was already starting to grow longer. Also, his lip was cracked and his eye was bruised along with his cheek. Above it all, his face appeared a lot paler than usual, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He was tired. He had barely shut his eyes ever since he came here. His thoughts were always running wild. Whenever something horrible came into his mind, he would try to make it better. He couldn't lighten his thoughts or mood most of the time. He cursed himself for getting them into this. He was full of regret. Especially about his sister. The young man was set down in his chair and told to wait patiently before he got left alone in the room. A couple of minutes later, a woman opened the door behind him and stepped into the room. She walked past the boy and sat across the table from him, putting down the papers she held in her hands. "Morning, Jayden." She greeted him. The dim light in the room could not hide his bruises from her. She let out a disappointed sigh. "You're still not getting along with the others?" She asked him. "It's not them who I don't get along with." He said. He then turned his head to the right to look into the mirror-like glass. He was very aware there were a couple of guards and police officers standing behind that glass, watching, and observing him. "Jayden?" The woman called out to him. The young Salvini turned back to her and glared at her with a blank expression, showing no emotions to her. "Can you tell me what happened?" She asked, "Can you tell me where you got the bruises?" She continued. "Why?" He snapped back. "Well, I would like to know who you're not getting along with. If it's not the other inmates then who is it you're not getting along with?" She asked.  His eyes widened. He jumped up from his seat, rushing towards the glass that separated the cafeteria from the hallway. "Jayden!" Jack exclaimed. Jayden made his way over to the glass door. He pulled and pushed against the door, trying to get to his brother. But the door was locked. He slammed on the glass. "Jack! Jack!" He called out. The guard standing behind Jack tried to pull the boy away from the window. A guard on Jayden's side had also noticed the boys standing by the glass. "Jack, are you okay? Where's Jerry?" Jayden asked him. The guard made his way over to the boy, pulling him away. "Jack, talk to me!" Jayden exclaimed. "I don't know where he is!" Jack replied. The guard turned Jayden around. "You need to step away from the glass, boy!" He said sternly. Without hesitation, Jayden punched the man in the face. Jayden turned around again to see his brother getting dragged down the hallway. "Jayden!" Jack called out. Jayden slammed on the glass again. "Keep your hands off my brother!" He yelled. All of a sudden, Jayden got pulled away from the window. He was turned around and punched in the face by the guard from before. It didn't last long before the other inmates joined in. A woman was sitting on the opposite side of the table.

The young teenager didn't respond. The lady let out a sigh. "Jayden, this is going to take a lot longer if you don't cooperate." She tells him. Jayden leaned forward slightly. "Where are my brothers?" He asked. "We can't give you that information. You know that." The woman replied. Jayden sat back in his chair, leaning against the back. "Then we're not having this conversation." He said sternly. The woman eyed him up and down. He seemed very tense and alert. Donna is a strong lady, and the woman partly responsible for the triplets. Working for the police, she has had a lot of cases on her hands. Fixed them all. And to her, this case wasn't any different from the others she had worked on in the past. No mother, a mysterious father, and a lot of siblings. Not to mention the man visiting their household a lot, but no name or address. Nothing to trace him. Then, of course, there were the neighbors from across the street. Some people would call them insane for living so close, considering their history with the family. A lot of issues and a lot of people. "You've got a lot of people to take care of, right?" Donna asked him. Jayden locked eyes with her but didn't speak a word. "A lot of people can cause a lot of trouble." She points out. "Where are you getting at with this?" He asked her. Donna straightened her papers before she folded her hands together. "You were very young when your mother died, correct? Parker Salvini?" She asked. Jayden's jaw clenched out of anger. "Do you remember how she died, Jayden?" She continued. Jayden didn't answer her, he refused to reply. "Did your father kill her?" Donna asked. Jayden jumped up from the chair and slammed his hands on the table. "I kill every single person who talks about my mother in a disgraceful way. I don't care who you are. No one speaks of my mother. Got it?" He threatened. Donna tilted her head slightly. "Are you threatening me, Jayden?" He asked. The teenager sat back in the chair. "You do realize you're not making anything better with threats," Donna tells him. "I'm aware," Jayden replied, "But no one talks about my mom. Not even you, ma'am." He added.

The woman in front of him was biting down on the inside of her cheek harshly. Jayden's eyes were glued onto the woman. He observed every move she made. She inhaled deeply and made eye contact with the boy in front of her again. "You know, if you would just answer the questions I ask you, you might get out of here." She informs him. Jayden glared at her with his darkened eyes. "Let me ask you something," Jayden started. The woman let out another sigh. She was starting to get frustrated. "What happens when I tell you everything you want to know? What exactly happens? Because I think neither of us will get out of here if we tell the truth. Ever." He said. Donna looked at him. She didn't know what to tell him. Whatever his truth was, it might not get any better for him or his brothers. Not to mention that the police are still searching for their sister. And they're also still questioning other suspects in the case. Donna sighed and stood up. "I will come back. You might want to think about answering me next time." She spoke sternly before leaving the room. "And maybe you want to rethink your questions before you ask them," Jayden tells her as she left. Donna looked at the boy as she stood in the door gap. "Because I'm not selling anyone out. Not even my dead father." He added. And with that, Donna left him.