The Keys to freedom

Charm, wit, and a dork

"Are you sure one of them was Pyke?" James asked running his hands through his hair and pacing the room.

Her heart pounded in her chest, but she didn't hesitate. She didn't need to see his face to know. She could recognize him anywhere. The way he moved, the way he carried himself, even the energy around him—it was unmistakable to her.

"It's him," she whispered, with heartbreak. "I know it was him."

The room fell silent as her words sank in. She inhaled a deep breath of air, reality hitting her like a punch to the gut. "He was also probably with them the night we were shot at too. But why?" She looked to James, her voice cracking. "Why would he do this? He's got everything—his is rich. Why would he want the treasure this badly?"

Before anyone could respond, Evie, standing in the corner with a confused face, finally spoke up. "Will someone please tell me, what the hell is going on... what treasure? What are you guys talking about?"

The group exchanged uneasy glances. They knew there was no lying their way out of this one, they had no choice but to tell her. She was in this now, whether they liked it or not.

James let out a heavy sigh and stepped forward. "It's... a long story," he started, rubbing the back of his neck. "We've kind of been on a treasure hunt.

Something our dad left behind for us. We've been following clues, and that's what was stolen,"

Her face twisted. "All of this," she said motioning her hands around at the destroyed house. "Is because of some treasure hunt?"

They all nodded in unison.

"Well, count me out. I don't want any part of it." She said turning to leave.

"No one asked you anyway," Grayson mumbled, earning a slap on the arm from Jessper.

"Wait," James called, reaching out to stop her.

"Every time I'm with you guys, we're either fighting or almost getting killed!" She looked at them all, shaking her head. "I'm done. I'm sorry, but I can't do this." She said stomping off toward the door, her hands resting on the handle before turning her head back. Her eyes softened slightly as she looked at James. "I guess I'm not built for the chaos after all." She hesitated, her voice faltering for a moment. "Goodbye, James." without another word, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving the group behind.

"And then there were five," Grayson said with a dramatic flair.

Eric rolled his eyes. "There were always just five, you idiot."

"So, what do we do now? Do we call the police? Do we go after the key, or do we leave it alone?" Jessper asked in a low voice, her eyes flickering between the group.

"I say we eat food," Grayson replied already making his way toward the kitchen.

Eric scoffed. "Yeah, because eggs will really solve our life-or-death problems right now."

Grayson hadn't eaten in days, so for him it was life or death problems.

Oz glanced at the others. "If Pyke and whoever else he's working with are willing to kill for this, maybe we should just let them have it," she said, her voice quieter than she intended.

"Screw that," James cut in. "We can't just walk away now. We've solved what no one else could. This treasure is ours. If we have to dodge a couple of bullets to get it, so be it."

"Okay and what if we can't dodge all the bullets?" Eric asked.

"Maybe we should slow down. We're not exactly... prepared for this level of danger." Jessper added.

Grayson returned with a plate of scrambled eggs and plopped down on the couch. "Prepared? Who needs preparation when you've got charm, wit, and..." He held up his utensil. "A deadly aim with a fork."

"More like dork," Jessper rolled her eyes.

Oz sighed, sitting down and raking her fingers through her hair. "The point is, if we do this, we can't afford to screw it up. If we're not careful, someone's going to get hurt... or worse." She frowned glancing over at Grayson shoveling in his eggs without a breath.

James leaned forward. "Then we plan. No more running into things blind. We figure out this clue, where it leads, and we make a strategy. If Pyke and his people are playing dirty, we've got to play smart."

"And maybe arm ourselves with something better than forks," Eric muttered under his breath.

Oz nodded slowly. "Okay. Then we're in this together. Anyone that wants to back out, better speak up now," she said glancing around at their silent faces.

Grayson raised his fork like a knight lifting a sword. "To victory... and treasure."

"To survival," Eric corrected grimly.

"To not getting shot again." Jessper added.

"To our futures," James said with a quiet smile.

"To sticking together, no matter what happens." Oz glanced around the room, her heart swelling.

This group was her family—flawed, chaotic, but hers. And no matter how dangerous things got, she knew one thing for certain: she wouldn't ever face it alone.