Grand Theft Autumn

Chapter 21

Pete's POV

I was still in my room. It had been a day since I had figured out who Lukas was, and I hadn't heard from Natasha. I haven't left my room since coming home from the library. I caught up on some much needed sleep, and worked on the song I had wrote a few days ago. I was calling it "Alone Together" for now. I briefly wondered if it would get anywhere.

Once Patrick was safe, would I show it to him, or would be be annoyed that I looked through his stuff?

If he ever becomes safe, A voice chimed in the back of my mind. I ignored it. There was no 'if". I had to save him. Or at least make sure that he is safe.

I was currently laying on my bed, fiddling around on my phone. I was pretty bored at the moment. There were no leads for me, and nothing to do.

My stomach gurgled loudly, reminding me that I had skipped. A glance at the clock told me that it was 4:56. Close enough to dinner time.

I got up to grab my shoes, looking around the room for my jacket. There was a pub that I had seen the other day that looked good. I could go there. Eating pretty much all of my meals at the diner got old pretty quickly.

I had located my jacket, and started heading for the door when a loud noise came from the outside.

Someone was banging on my door. I jumped back in surprise, startled. This wasn't a quiet knock. It was banging with all of someone's might. I glanced at the door hinges, not sure if they would hold. They were already shaking.

Bang. Again, someone hit the door. I started walking backwards, and was startled again when my back hit the wall. Bang. Whoever was outside, wanted to get in.

"Get out here!" A deep voice came. I started to shake. "Pete, I know you are in there!" Bang, bang, bang.

The "knocks" almost sounded like gunshots. They were loud, but short. This person was impatient.

Bang.

I slowly slid down against the wall, terrified. They were going to get in.

Bang, bang, bang.

Then silence. Nothing. No more shouting, so more loud knocks. I got up from the floor and walked over to the door. I looked through the peephole, and saw nothing. Slowly, I opened the door, bracing for someone to jump out of the shadows.

There was nothing. No one was there.

I quickly stepped back into my room, shutting and locking the door behind me. I had lost my appetite.

I sat in my room for a while, not knowing what to do, until there was a soft knock at the door. It was soft, and if I wasn't completely silent, then I probably wouldn't have heard it.

Was it the same people? I tentatively walked towards the door, and looked through the peephole again.

It was Natasha.

I quickly opened the door and let her in. Natasha seemed broken, and exhausted. She walked in without a word, and sat down in a chair.

"Natasha? Are you okay?" I asked, keeping my voice soft. I locked the door behind us, and sat in the bed, facing her.

"Lukas is my brother." She said softly. "Well, was, I guess." Natasha looked at the ground. "He died in 2002. I assume you know that whole stuff."

"Not a lot. I am still pretty confused on a lot of it." I admitted.

"Patrick is being kept by a gang. They have been sending him out on drug deals, and giving him drugs. He is in danger. It has gotten worse."

I stood up, my mind whirling. "Really?" Natasha nodded remorsely, and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a folded piece of paper, and handed it to me.

It was a picture. A picture of Patrick. Oh God, what had happened to him? There were bruises on his face, and his eyes were red. His cheeks looked sunken in. When was the last time he had eaten? When was this photo taken? He had that blond hair, the bleached hair. I looked up at Natasha.

"You have to help me. We need to get him out, now." I said. Natasha wearily looked up, and I thought she was going to say no.

"Okay."

I blinked. Did she just say 'Okay'? As in, she was going to help me? I placed the photo gently on the bed.

"Okay, then." I replied. Natasha looked up at me. "What is our plan?"