Checkmate

39. Banding together

I raced back to Granny's as fast as I could, almost bumping into David as he exited the building, coffee in hand and Miss Blanchard close behind him. "Thomas!" The woman gasped at the sight of me, my cheeks red and my chest rapidly rising and falling.

"I know who has her."

"Mr Gold!" gasped one boy, arriving behind me. "He isn't in his shop and is the only one not accounted for."

"Nibs! Everyone in work who is supposed to be in work, except for Felix." Came another bounding towards us.

"Felix?" gasped the first boy, Nibs. "Well, don't just stand there Curly, get Fritz and get looking."

"Who is Felix?" I asked, pulling their attention. The two became wide eyed and looked between each other worriedly.

"Your... your brother," Curly admitted. "We call him Felix."

My dream came to me once more, my brother's darkened face under his hood, the name Felix on my tongue. I looked rapidly between the boys as I gulped; they gave me a look I couldn't read before I cleared my throat. "He's in the forest. He told me that Gold has her."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?!" Curly snapped. "We have to find her." I rested my hand on the boy's shoulder, wordlessly calming and silencing him.

"We haven't accounted for him yet," Nibs quietly admitted as I removed my hand from Curly's shoulder, the contact strangely uncomfortable. "I wouldn't even know where to start."

"What is plan M?" I repeated from our earlier conversation. Nibs gulped as Curly suddenly found his feet to be very interesting to look at.

"Plan M is simple," came the voice of a boy behind me, startling all of us.

"Shucking heck, James!" Snapped Nibs, grasping at his chest. I smirked at the interaction between the three as Curly punched James lightly on the shoulder. "Plan M requires us to investigate everyone within a certain radius to find whoever is missing," Nibs began.

"I watch for any shifty interactions," James added.

"And then when James gives the signal," Curly paused for the boy to make a strange bird sound with his mouth and his hands. "We know something is up and we strike."

"Sounds rather vicious," Miss Blanchard admitted quietly. David nodded in agreement.

Nibs tilted his head at his teacher. "Well, how would you have done it?"

"Tracks," she said plainly. "Like how I taught you."

Curly crinkled his nose at the woman. "But that's for animals."

As they spoke, I slipped away, seeking to find the people my brother had told me to find, unsure if he even was my brother.

I made it to the church with an extra two shadows following close behind me, Miss Blanchard and David having caught up to me rather quickly. I waited for them to come closer, a smile on my face as I tilted my head to indicate they join me.

Emma appeared not too far behind them, the dark circles under her eyes indicating she needed more than just a coffee. "Couldn't let you guys have all the fun." She grinned dozily, her eyes slightly drooping. Miss Blanchard muttered something to her about sleeping, but Emma brushed her off with a shrug.

"You think this is fun?" I asked stoically, my face emotionless. "Annie is missing and you're half asleep."

The blonde scoffed. "Kid, why do you even care?" She gestured to me haphazardly. "You got a pretty little redhead on your arm."

I felt my nostrils flare at the thought of her, the girl having been an afterthought when paired with Annie. "Keep her out of this."

"Why do you even care about Bethany?" Emma repeated firmly. "Come on kid, she is a little nothing, someone else's girl, useless and pathetic."