By Chance

ch15

I fall asleep for most of the ride. When I'm not asleep in talking to Gabriel about random stuff.
Me: favorite color?
Gabriel: orange
Him: favorite band?
Me: Cash Cash
Me: favorite food?
Him: spaghetti
Me: favorite . . . Sport?
Him: basketball

We go on like this, asking each other random questions, for about two hours.

"You have reached your destination." The GPS says as we pull into a trashy apartment complex. I bite my lip, second guessing my decision to come here. Gabriel notices my hestation. "You don't have to go. I'll go alone." He says. I shake my head. "No, it's to dangerous to go alone." I say stepping out of the car.

We look for the room number. We find it after going up three sets of stairs. Gabriel knocks on the door.
After a couple seconds it opens. A man about the same height as Gabriel steps out. He has blonde hair, and looks mabey two years older than me. "Hi I'm Bryan. Nice to meet you. Please come in." He says extending a hand and opening the door farther for us to come in. I don't shake his hand. Instead I cross my arms. "We'd like to stay out here actually." I say sternly. He shrugs. "Suit yourself." He says pulling his hand back. "You said you go a text from my sisters phone?" I asks. He nods. "What did it say?" I ask again. "It was a poem I think. It said
Every fire dims,
Every second ends,
Give us what we want,
Or say goodbye old friend."

Shivers run down my back. "Did they send you anything else?" Gabriel asks for me. Bryan nods. "They sent a picture." He says. "What was it?" Gabriel asks. "I'll show you. Give me a sec." Bryan says walking back into the apartment that looks just as bad on the outside as the inside. He tabs a flip phone of a side table. He walks back to us and presses a few buttons then the screen lights up. He waves his hand, motioning us to look closer. I lean forward.

Bryan yanks my arm causing me to lose my balance and fall forward. Gabriel reaches for me but misses. I fall barely catching myself.

Okay I've had enough of this kidnapping bullsh**.

Bryan closes the door behind us. I get up and put my hands up by my face. Bryan just smirks. "What are you going to do? Hit me?" He says in a mocking tone. "Yeah." I say and before he can react I punch him square in the jaw. His eyes roll back into his head and he falls like a rag doll.

Someone walks out of the adjacent room. A bald, heavily build guy who doesn't look to happy.

Crap.

I rush to the door, unlock it, open it, lock it again from the inside and slam it shut.

I turn around to a very confused Gabriel. I don't say anything, I just grab his hand and sprint down the stairs he seems to get the point. I hear the door open behind us. I run faster. Gabriel right beside me.

We make it down the stairs. Gabriel unlocks the car as we're running. We get inside and Gabriel's pulling out of the parking lot before I can fully close door.

I lean my head against the dash and process what just happened.

I pull the phone out of pocket. I grabbed it at the last second. I open it. A screen comes up. 'Please enter pin'. Dang it. "We need the stupid password." I groan. "54729." Gabriel says. I give him a confused look. "I watched him type it in." He says. I nod it try it. 'Password confirmed' is flashed on the screen and the last opened thing pops up.

The picture.

I slowly close the phone.

I feel like every emotion I have is competing. And their all losing.

"What was it?" Gabriel asks softly. After a few seconds of me not answering, he pulls over.

He takes the phone and opens it for himself. He bites his lip and then closes the phone again.

I shake my head. "What did I do to deserve this? What did she do?" I say. My voice barely audible. I cover my eyes as if to keep the tears from coming out. Gabriel takes my hands from my face and lifts my chin forcing me to look at him. I look at his bright green eyes for a second before I lose it. I start bawling. Gabriel just hugs me. Running his fingers through hair and whispering 'Everything's going to be okay' repeatedly. I just cling to him. After a few minutes, I calm down enough to whisper into him shirt. "She gone."

She's gone and they're gonna pay.