A single bullet // M.C ✔️

22

Three hours, that's how long it took for the kids or whoever it was to disappear away from my house. Each time I went to call the police or Morgan Luke and Kensie stopped me, mainly Luke as Kensie was fast asleep.

"I'm not a fan of you," I grumbled to Luke sitting at the kitchen counter, my head pressed firmly against the cool marble counter and eyes firmly shut.

"I know," he rebutted, shrugging and grabbing a pan out of the cupboard.

"But you seem to make Kensie happy," I sighed, closing my eyes before rubbing them, feeling exhausted.

"I hope I do," he opened the fridge and grabbed some eggs, cracking them into a bowl he had also grabbed moments before.

"I'll grow fond of you," I shrugged, seeing him make some breakfast. "If you throw some eggs in for me."

"These weren't for me, Nicky," he laughed softly, looking over her shoulder as he tipped the eggs into the pan. "I don't do breakfast."

"And neither does Kensie; perfect match," I joked, lifting my head up.

"I have been trying to make her sometimes. After my busy late nights, she stays up and she's always hungry come 8 a.m." He chuckled, putting the eggs on a plate and handing it to me. "I'll do some toast for you too."

"Thanks, Luke," I grabbed a fork and started digging into the soft scrambled eggs, resting my head on my free hand, just staring at the back of Luke.

He isn't the kind of person I expected, from making me do multiple articles so I get one measly day off work for something that hasn't even happened, to cooking breakfast for me in my kitchen without his girlfriend asking.

"I know he's hot, Nic, but no need to stare at my boyfriend," Kensie, I smiled and faced her, shovelling more eggs into my mouth.

"He isn't that hot, Kens, but he can cook."

"Debatable. Nine times out of ten, he burns everything. I'm shocked those eggs are edible," she joked, pushing Luke's shoulder as she walked by him to grab a glass.

"Love you too, babe." I smiled hearing Luke say those words to my best friend. It isn't something I pictured with his appearance; this whole tough guy exterior who's actually a big softy for his girlfriend.

"Hey, Luke?" I broke the silence we had fallen into as my eyes locked on something on his neck.

"Yes, Nicky?" He spun around, hiding the mark from me.

"Never mind, actually. It's gone from my mind." I feigned a smile, not wanting to bring attention to it anymore as Kensie and Luke went into their own conversation.

With furrowed brows, I finished the eggs and toast, standing up and placing the bowl in the sink before leaving the room, smiling as I walked past the couple. Where have I seen that before? The familiar mark, the recognisable colour shade, a unique shade of blue, a very faded blue; almost bruise-like. The shade of blue that stands out when you're looking for it but blends into the skin when you're not. It just looks like a bruise... it was a shape that hid the details unless you were close or had seen it before. And I'm sure I've seen it before.

But where?

Cool material was under my fingertips as I grabbed my laptop, opening it up and going straight to Google. My fingers typed frantically as I searched and searched, each one coming up with a dead end. No one had searched this yet, and any answers it was giving about what it was were bullshit.

"Fucks sake," dead ends, and I hated not getting answers for stuff. The thought to just ask Luke passed my mind at every answer left the question even more unanswered; it was just growing. Why was this being hidden? It's so generic. Until, finally, an article right at the bottom of the page.

Frantically, my eyes scanned the words on the page before me as my brain took it in.

The tally mark is a popular tattoo that was taken over by a gang in New York. The five dashes each represent a member of the four leaders. The four killers with the fifth one being a mystery. It is yet to be revealed who the mystery person is, someone behind the scenes? Or maybe it represents the murders they do.

The four leaders have the tally in the same or similar place on their body with their followers having it elsewhere. Everyone who is associated with the gang is said to believe they also have the tattoo. But it isn't that easy, since this came out more and more people have the tattoo hiding the gang even further from the police. Some even getting them in the familiar spot the leaders have to help hide them further.

No one knows if it's a sick joke people do or if they are actually in the gang, but if you encounter anyone with this tattoo, we advise you to stay away from them and/or report them to the local authorities. This isn't just seen in New York, so stay safe if one of these is spotted out and about.

If you have encountered anyone with the tally mark tattoo, please let us know in the comments below.

It was a fucking tally mark on Luke's neck. I felt sick to my stomach after reading that, knowing that it's linked to the 5sos gang and the fact he was Kensie's boyfriend. I scrolled and scrolled through hundreds of comments of people telling their stories until a single one caught my eye.

I don't really have anyone to tell this to, but I need to get it out. I'm from New York, and the fear we have over this gang is ridiculous and quite frankly gives the gang power... is what I thought until what happened to me happened. I had been dropping some food off to my aunt who has recently fallen victim to these scum while she was at work; she had rushed out nearly late.

There was a load of commotion as I neared her office after walking straight through the building (no one was around) before I heard the single gunshot. And if that wasn't enough from them, an ear was sawed off, only revealed by the police later on after they took the body to the morgue. To make matters worse, an X was also on her body, making me sick to my stomach that the new murderer had come out to play and kill my aunt.

I never saw anyone leave that building except for a tanned guy dressed in all black holding a single knife, which I believed was the murder weapon. The boss soon arrived, hustling me out of the building as it was now a crime scene. I never got to watch my aunt's body be taken away as I was banished. I never got to answer the questions burning on my tongue. The main one being where was the boss as this was all happening.

Someone was in his place of work where employees go to be safe and make money. There was no security allowing this tanned man to barge in and shoot her. Pretty shitty boss if you ask me. There were a few further suspicious people lurking around the building, but that's too much to go into. A female who I believe worked there soon entered the building, and that's when I left. I couldn't stand to be that close to the body.

There's still so much I could say about this gang, and I have a feeling I know who at least one member is, and that terrifies me. The fact that everyone knows him, he's just the sweet grandson of someone everyone loves. I believe he pulled the trigger, but I also think he had help. It's just where were they hiding?! They weren't found out, I was later told by the police. No one who was there shouldn't have been there.

If you want to know more about what I know, message me at XXX-XXX-XXX, and I'll get back to you. It's my duty to bring these people to light. It's all Aunt Sarah would have wanted. I miss you. X

Holy shit, holy shit! Sarah's niece was there, saw a member, saw me go into work... Her number was rapidly saved to my phone as I tried to remember to message her later. I had to know more. Tell her what I knew as I was there. Wait, my eyes snapped back up to my screen as I placed my phone down, rereading the end of her comment.

'The sweet grandson of someone everyone loves' no, it can't be. Sweet, Margaret? Calum?!

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