The Clifford Project

Chapter 15

Right when I parked the van I could smell the cigarette smoke radiating off of the warehouse.

"I'll try, I promise. If I can get you out I will." I kept my eyes ahead of me not being able to look him. I didn't know if I could get him out, and definitely knowing I couldn't get Luke and Paisley out.

"I'm not going to thank you Calum. You've ruined my life."

"I don't blame you..."

"Good. You don't know the pain I've gone through since I moved. Never knowing if my family was still alive, you could have killed them by now. I never knew if I'd see my parents again, but I knew it was better to stay away from them."

"I never thought about your parents Mike.."

"Well I did. They don't even know if I'm alive. They might think I'm dead, they wouldn't think I ran away they know me too well."

"You're going to go home to them Michael."

"Sure I am."

"You're getting out of here alive. I promise you."

"I don't trust you."

"Someday you will."

"That's not for you to decide."

"Well you better get used to it, because you're going to." I unbuckled my seat belt and walked over to his side of the car. "We're going in."

"I'm not."

"Michael please, it'll only be harder if you resist."

"Well then, I'm making it hard for you."

"I'd have to knock you out."

"You won't do it." He was giving up, I could tell.

"Please Michael.."

"Will it keep Paisley and Luke safe?"

"It could." He lifted himself off the seat with his tied hands and stood in front of me.

"Are you gonna take me in?"

"Yes just follow me and don't don't get out of line, they could kill Paisley and Luke in an instant." He nodded fearfully and walked behind me with his head down. I saw him look up only slightly to see Luke and Paisley being carried in ahead of us.

"Where are they taking them?" He asked quietly, not looking up and saying it straight to the ground.

"I don't know Michael."

"That's bullshit, you know exactly where they're going. You just can't tell me, can you?"

"He didn't tell me what he was going to do."

"That's an outright fucking lie."

"No! It's not! I've got no fucking clue now shut up!" I yelled. He became completely silent. It was even hard to make out the sound of his foot steps. I could feel the fear taking over his body, the instinct to run almost overpowering his want of the safety of his girlfriend and friend. But he's too good. He'll do what he can do to keep them alive.

As we entered I led him to a steal chair, sat him down, and tied his arms behind it, then his legs to the front. I tried my best to lighten the mood.

"I guess now would be a bad time to make a bondage joke?" He rolled his eyes before setting his head back and staring at the ceiling. Across the room the same was happening to paisley and look, while they were still out cold. I stood off to the side and waited for him to show up, his awful smile brought to his face by the pain of others. A few empty foot steps echo through the building and I close my eyes tight.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here." His feet were heavy on the concrete floor. Michael stayed quiet, looking down at his lap. "Lover Boy, Pillsbury Ho Boy, and Punk Goes Pussy." He walked in a circle around the chair. "It's like a reunion, isn't it? You, Calum, Luke and I, all together again, and you even brought your lady friend... And I do have to say, she is quite the looker..." He walked over to her, putting a finger under her chin. He moved her head around, trying to see her features in the dim lighting.

"What a pretty girl..."

"Get your hands off her you perv!" Her eyes fluttered open. She jerked her head back. She didn't know about him yet. She looked confused. She had expected me to be there.

"A-Ashton?" She stuttered out.

"Aw she even knows my name. It'll probably be easier to scream it out later if she knows it" Michael thrashed in his seat. She looked around the warehouse, her gaze catching at mine.

"What's going on?" She asked looking me straight in the eyes. I was about to speak but Ashton cut me off.

"You poor naive girl, you still think he's the one you should be afraid of? Well surprise! It's me! All me! Calum couldn't have done this without me." She looked at him in disgust.

"I knew he was innocent, I just never thought such a smiling face could do all these awful things." He smiled even wider.

"Don't judge a book by its cover babe." Michael struggled to watch as Ashton put his hands on her waist.

"Cut that the fuck out Ashton!" Ashton laughed at him.

"What? Do you think I'm going to rape her? Is that what I did to Mya?"

"Shut up?"

"You think I'd actually rape that girl? Oh no Michael, she wanted it."

"She didn't want anything to do with you."

"She loved it. She was moaning my name all night." Tears gathered in his eyes.

"That's a lie!"

"She wanted me, she needed me."

"She didn't need you to kill her!"

"Well I didn't tell her her fate... Unless you think she would've followed me out to get murdered... Do you know what it feels like Michael? To kill?"

"I swear if I weren't tied up I-"

"I still remember it. The light leaving her eyes. You know how I did it?"

"Stop." His voice cracked. Ashton pulled a knife from his pocket, it glistening as the light hit it.

"I had her all tied up. Took this blade and pushed it, right into the soft, sweet, sensitive skin on her neck. And I slit it." He took the back of the blade and pushed it against his skin, demonstrating what he had done to her. "cleaned the handle and the body so there were no finger prints, as far as her friends and family was concerned it was a suicide. I was home free, and Mya? Sweet little Mya was dead as a door nail." You could see the tears running down Michael's face. He may have moved on, but he was still salting an open wound. He looked down at his lap, small sobs escaping his mouth.

"Did I get you? Are you still crying over your dead ex? You're weak!" He looked down at him pitifully.

"You're going to burn in hell!" Michael spat up at him. He laughed again.

"You think I care!? You think this about Heaven and Hell!? About God!? This is you and me buddy! You ruined everything!"

"You asshole! I made a fucking mistake! You murdered someone! You threaten and kidnap everyone I love! I can't wait for you to get caught and spend the rest of your life, rotting in a jail cell!" Ashton back handed his face hard and the whole building, went silent.

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(A/N): So it took a lot longer for me to write this than I thought so I sorrrrrrrry. BUT DAMN THAT ASHTON EDIT AT THE TOP/SIDE! AHHHHHHHHHH! Also Ashton is really spooky in this.

-Sophie/Cashton Baby