Not Much A Poet But A Criminal

-12-

Frank held the phone to his ear, trying not to lose focus of the dark road ahead.

The beeping finally stopped and a tired voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Brendon? It's Frank"

"Holy shit Frank, what the fuck happened? Are you ok? Where's Gerard?" His sudden burst of questions made Frank weary and he had to refrain from closing his eyes to think.

"Look I need your help, i'm almost out of gas, can you come pick me up? Im in Henderson, Nevada" Frank spoke quickly, unsure of how much battery his phone had left.

"Shit man, umm sure, do i have to leave now?"

"What the fuck do you think? My phones almost out and I have no money and i'm about to have no car either. Also im being hunted down by a fucking drug gang" Frank spat into the phone.

"Who is it?" He heard Ryan's muffled voice come through the speaker, pressumabley in bed with Brendon.

"Okay okay, yeah i'll leave now, i'll be a few hours though, can you stop and hide out anywhere?" Brendon's voice became muffled as he started getting dressed and head for the front door.

"Yeah probably, just hurry man please" Frank's voice lowered again, becoming tired of shouting.

"Okay im leaving the house now, text me the street name you're at and don't move!" Brendon said before hanging up.

Frank put down his phone and pulled onto a dusty road, leading to an abandoned barn a few yards from the main road.

He texted Brendon the name of the main road and attached a photo of the barn, before placing his phone down on the passenger seat and leaning back, closing his eyes.

He still had one LMG and a shot gun in the back of the car, acompanied by box of ammo, incase Javier's men miraculously found him and started shooting again.

He thought he'd be safe for now, knowing the remaining gang members in Las Vegas had been caught by the cops.

If Javier sent out more men, they probably wouldn't reach him before Brendon did.

Frank reached down to tilt his seat back until he was lying remotley flat and closed his eyes again.

He awoke four hours later to the rumbling and crunching sound of an approaching car.

Out of habit, he shot up in his seat and reached back for the machine gun and ducked low out of sight, ready to fire.

The car pulled up a few metres away and two soft voices emerged from the open door.

"I dont know Ry, I'm sure he's around here somewhere"

Frank let out a sigh of relief as he lowered his gun, retreving the the duffle bag from the back and climbing out of the car.

"Frank! Found him" Brendon called back to Ryan, who remained seated in the car.

Frank approached Brendon, who leaped forward to pull him into a hug.

Frank didnt resist and gave in to his embrace.

"I never thought i'd be so happy to see you man" Brendon exclaimed.

Frank laughed, letting go of Brendon and climbing into the car "Me too"

Brendon returned to the wheel and started up the car, reversing away from the barn and back onto the main road.

"So Frank, where the fuck have you been? And where's Gerard?" Brendon asked.

"Er it's a long story man" Frank sighed, zipping up the duffle bag before Ryan saw the interior.

"We've got time Frank, so what the fuck?" Brendon pushed, so Frank told him everything.

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They finally returned to Phoenix, Brendon pulling up outside a small apartment building.

Brendon had informed Frank on their journey that the club had been closed down because of unfixable damage and one fatality.

Frank grabbed his bag and followed the two men into the building and upstairs towards his floor.

He unlocked a door and walked in, Frank following behind him and Ryan.

Brendon's apartment wasn't actually that bad. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't tiny either.

Ryan approached a clean white couch and turned on the flatscreen TV against the far wall.

Brendon headed for the kitchen, calling back to Frank "You want a drink?"

"Fuck yeah man, i've hardly eaten in days, you got any food aswell?" Frank joined Ryan on the couch, groaning as he fell onto the smooth leather.

Brendon returned with three glasses and a bottle of red wine.

"Wine? Are you kidding me?" Frank complained.

"Its all I got" Brendon defended, pouring a small amount into each glass.

They watched a few movies and talked untill Brendon and Ryan went to sleep, leaving Frank the couch for the night.

He'd offered his place to Frank for a few nights untill he could find somewhere else, which Frank had kindly accepted.

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Frank was woken from a midday nap to his phone ringing.

He groaned and reached across the table to answer.

"Hello..."

"Frank" A soft voice breathed out.

"G..Gerard?" Frank sat up straight, not believing it was his voice.

"Gerard is that you?"

"Yes it's me sugar"

Frank let out a slight whimper, holding back tears.

"Oh thank god you're okay, i didn't know what to believe. Gerard, where are you?" His words came out fast and muddled.

"I'm in jail Frank. In Nevada" Gerard said quietly.

Frank's face fell. He could have assumed Gerard was in jail, but he wanted to believe he had escaped the cops and was hiding out somwhere, waiting for Frank to return.

"Oh..."

Gerard stayed silent.

Frank continued "Can i see you?" His voice quiet and hopeful.

"Of course sugar, visiting hours are every Friday, which is tomorrow I believe"

Frank's face lit up again, happy that he could atleast drive up and see Gerard.

"I'll have to get Brendon to drive me up, i'm staying with him and Ryan until I can get my own place" He informed Gerard.

Gerard didnt reply for a few seconds, then sighed, answering "Frank i gotta go, they dont give you much time on the phone, but come by tomorrow at 3pm okay?"

"I will, I love you Gerard"

"I love you too su-"Gerard's voice cut out before he finished his sentence, leaving Frank with adead line.