Secrets - The secrets that protect us

Chapter 21

Lucas

Lucas was in Keene.
After discussing a few things with Jackson, Nicholas, and Charlie, he had taken his leave to drive here and find the old pack of Maverick Colton, in hopes they were able to give him some information about his whereabouts.

It was the only lead he had and it might lead him nowhere, should his parents know about his doings and decide to protect him. Lucas had to feel before what a parent was ready to do for his child. He was not keen to repeat that experience and he had learnt to never underestimate a parent when it came to their child.

The detailed records the ARIA held of the pack made it finding them easy. More than that, he had the address of the pack leader as well as the Colton's. The latter was also the address he was driving to right now.

In his head he replayed the conversation he had with Ashton Brinks, the current leader of the pack. He was no older than Lucas and shared his opinions and beliefs, which made talking and getting the truth even easier.

Ashton told him about Maverick when he had still been part of the pack. The picture he had drawn of that man only encouraged Lucas in believing that he was one of the men that had killed his mother, he just had to find the other nine and prove it.

Maverick had always been a troublemaker. From not listening to his teachers and doing his homework to bullying others, physically harming others, and breaking ARIA and government law. Lucas had directly asked Ashton if he could imagine that Maverick might murder someone. That's when he told him about the gang he joined and the things that he believed he had done. In short, the answer was yes.

Lucas parked the car in front of the two storey house and looked up to it. Ashton had told him that the Colton's lived with their parents. He had also told him to avoid telling them he came from the ARIA as he wasn't sure in how far they would tell him the truth when they knew.

Here went nothing.
Leaving the car, he walked up to the door and knocked. It took a few seconds, but then he heard footsteps coming closer. About a minute later an elderly man opened the door and smiled at him.

"Hello, young man."
"Hello, sir. I'm looking for the Coltons and been told to come here."
"That would be me, but also my daughter and son-in law. Who exactly are you looking for?" The smile the man was giving him, had something friendly, something soothing and calm.
"I'm looking for the parents of Maverick Colton," Lucas told him.

Suddenly, the man seemed tense. Lucas immediately understood what Ashton meant. Either they knew of his doings and would protect him or they were not close with him anymore.
"I met him through another friend and need some help finding that friend. That's why I'm looking for Maverick, I'm hoping he can help me," Lucas lied.

"Come in first. Let's see if we can help you," he said and let him in. "Mariabell, Elton. We have a visitor," he called on his way to the living room where he lead Lucas to the sofas and sat down with him. "Would you like some coffee?"

"No, thank you. I don't want to bother."
"Who is it?" A woman appeared in the door to the living room, a smile on her face. A man walked in behind her, smiling at his excited wife. The woman viewed him curiously, he gave her a smile and greeted them both. They sat opposite of him and the older man told them why Lucas was here.

"Well, I hope we can be of any help for you, but we barely see him ourselves," Mrs. Colton said.
"Do you talk to him?" Lucas asked carefully, not wanting them to shut up and send him away.
"We do, but only every few months. It's always him who contacts us and it's always a different number, so we can't even give you that so you can talk to him." Lucas nodded understanding.

"When was the last time you spoke to him?" There was not really something he wanted to know from him. He had the certainty that this man had participated in murdering his mother and he hardly believed that these good people, that's what they were, had any proof for what he had done.