vehement

19

• ARCHER •

"Hey, Ally." I say on the phone, leaning back in my seat. Mason glances at me in the rear view mirror, because that's the first sound any of us have made since Mr. Romano said to get in the car.

     "Hi Archie." She responds. Immediately I relax a little bit at hearing her voice. "I'm going to bed now."

     "Okay, goodnight."

     "Will you be here when I wake up?"

     "I'm not sure yet, kid. I'll message you when I know."

     "Okay." She whispers nervously. Then, "goodnight. I love you."

     "I love you too."

     "Archie?"

     "Hm?"

     "When you get Amalia, will you make sure she knows I didn't mean everything I've said about her? I didn't mean to be horrible when I was ignoring her." She's crying now. "I was just having a bad day. I didn't know I wouldn't see her again."

     "I know, Ally. She knows that too. Don't worry."

     "I don't want her to be mad at me." She lets out a sob.

     "She's not. I'll make sure she knows, okay? Go to bed now." I say.

     "Okay." She hiccups, and then the line cuts off.

     A few moments pass before Mason grabs something out of a bag. He holds it out to me, and my eyes widen when I see that it's a gun.

"Where the hell did you get that?"

He tosses it on my lap, and I don't touch it.

"What, you don't wanna get a shot in?" Cole remarks.

     Mason smiles, reloading another gun with ease. I watch as he does it, like he's repeated the action thousands of times.

     "We have to walk the rest of the way." Mr. Romano says. "If he sees a car he'll probably know. This is the only house for miles."

     I get out, turning my phone on silent. I stay behind them, keeping my distance as I test the gun in my hand. It feels odd. Like it's not meant to be there.

     We walk for about half a mile until we come up to a small, secluded house. I immediately think how Amalia would hate it, because while it seems peaceful at a first glance, it's too isolated.

     And it's too far from home.

Mr. Romano goes to the front door. It's dark, and late, and all the lights are shut off. He holds his gun with one hand and in one quick motion kicks the door down.

We go in after him, and I rush up the stairs. I open one of the doors, and I find myself in a kids bedroom. I flip the light on, allowing me to see more clearly the small, empty bed in the corner and the five toys on the floor, two of which are broken, like someone stepped on them.

     "Enzo?" I whisper, even though I know he isn't in here. It's more of a consolation to myself, to remind myself that he's at least close by.

     When I turn back, Cole is checking one room and there's only one unopened door. I open it, finding another bedroom, but I immediately know that the double bed in the middle is where Amalia has been sleeping. My eyes water as I look around. My eyes land on a spot on the floor, and I peer my eyes and crouch down to get a better look at it.

     "The fuck are you looking at down there?" Cole asks.

     "I think it's blood."

     He shoves me aside, looks at it and then rushes back downstairs.