Protected

Caught!

RING RING! I gasp and grab my phone out of my pocket and silence it, but I'm too late. Footsteps come rushing out of the mansion.
"Get up here!" Smalls growled.
I stare at the boys, my eyes wide, and make a split second decision.
"Run!" I hiss and I'm off, pounding toward the road. Syd passes me and runs on, but Carson stays by my side, just matching my pace.
I start yelling, trying to wake the neighbors.
"Stop running! Stop yelling! Stop, or I'll shoot!" Smalls shouts behind me.
I skid to a stop, my hands up. Syd stumbles and turns around.
Smalls has his gun trained on us. "Stop or I'll shoot." He says again, quietly.
I glance at Carson standing next to me, his hands also up. Syd walks toward us until he's next to us.
"This gun is loaded. You three are going to walk forward into the house, without speaking or attempting to escape. If you do, there will be consequences."
We walk forward and I can feel the tension and fear in the air.
We reach the steps and cautiously climb up them.
"You, in the middle." The gun jabs my back. "Open the door, and don't try any funny business." Smalls commands.
I inch forward and cautiously turn the doorknob, apprehension filling me. I push the door open and enter, followed by Carson, Syd, and Smalls last.
There's a man standing with his back to us, and Smalls says, "Boss! Look who I found in the shrubs!"
Boss turns around and I gasp. His face is hideous. He has a bunch of scars cross-crossing all over his face, and his eyes are two different colors, light blue and dark brown. His mouth is cruel, and I feel suddenly that I will not live to see the morning.
"Well Smalls, let them go. They probably want to buy some weed."
"Oh no they don't, Boss. You shoulda seen 'em running. They musta overheard us talking."
"Well," Boss replied. "I guess we'll have to handle this. Line 'em up over by the couch." He reaches to his hip and pulled out a pistol. "I've got 4 bullets, and I'm a deadly shot. I would not recommend trying any funny stuff."
Smalls was shaking his head emphatically. "No Boss! I agreed to do this job, but I didn't expect to kill... to kill... Kids!"
The Boss stares at Smalls, and his gaze carves Smalls into lesser man. "Smalls, this is all part of the business. I will not go to jail over some kids. We have to kill them. Get out of the way. Now!"
But Smalls shook his head again. "Let's just take them with us. It won't be much of a life but they won't be dead."
The safety clicks off the gun and suddenly Smalls is sweating as Boss held the gun to his temple.
"Let me remind you who's in charge here, Smalls. Let me also remind you that I have four bullets, enough to kill you and the three kids. And one more reminder. Remember what happened to the guy before you?"
Boss pauses with a little chuckle and pulls the gun away. "But, let it not be said that I have no mercy. We take the kids, but they're your responsibility. If anything happens to them, it's on you. And don't let me elaborate on what happens if they escape."
"Th-they won't, sir." Smalls stammers.
"Take them upstairs and tie 'em up. Leave them in the front room. We leave tomorrow at 7 sharp."
Smalls motions toward the stairs with his gun. Carson moves and then Syd.
As I walk toward the stairs, I feel myself tensing up as I get closer to Boss. I'm right next to him when he reaches out and grabs my arm. I stifle a shriek.
He grabs my ponytail and snaps my hairtie with a jerk, letting my hair fall out and around my shoulders. He twists a strand of red around his finger and stares into my eyes. I avoid his gaze, the blue and brown irises harsh against my green ones. A long moment passes before he speaks.
"You're a pretty one." Bullcrap. I'm not pretty.
He laughs to himself. "This could be fun."
He pushes me forward and I stumble. Carson and Syd are waiting on the stairs, their march halted when Boss had grabbed me.
"Get going!" Smalls growls, and we continue up the stairs.
He shuts us into a front bedroom and sighs. "I couldn't let him kill you." He says as he ties us up. "You're the spitting image of my daughter, girl, and it would feel like killing my own little girl."
He shakes his head and leaves. I think we've found a comrade... Sort of.
I sink to the floor, hugging my arms to my chest. The rope around my wrist chafes, and it's painful.
"This is not good." I say.
"No kidding Sherlock." Syd snaps. "Who's idea was it to come here again? Oh right, yours."
"Well my sincere apologies, I did not realize we had criminals here!" I shoot back.
"I wanted to stay back and play that stupid game Nate had. But no, we had to come tromping out here because you got curious. Again." Syd says.
"Um, excuse you! You volunteered to come! It's not my fault you're trapped!" I say hotly.
"It kind of is! It was your idea to come!" He hisses.
"We've come full circle! You said that and got this who argument started!"
Syd opens his mouth to argue but Carson intervenes.
"Guys! What's gotten into you! Syd you're normally so quiet and never fight, what the heck bro? Lexi, I can't say the same about you but can you let this go please? Fighting will not help our situation!"
"This is not normal circumstances, Carson, but Lexi he's right. We shouldn't fight." Syd says.
I huff and roll my eyes. I hate losing arguments. "Fine. But please stop blaming me. I'm," I take a breath, "I'm sorry."