Circled by The Wolves [Brustoff]

Chapter 44

"Everybody just chill okay." I said as adrenaline immediately entered my blood. "It's Dusty and panicking won't help." 

"And what will help?" Sam almost snapped. 

Could I really blame him though? All of this was so new to them all while I played Dusty's games pretty much my whole life. And if I learned anything from them is that surprise effect is your best friend.

Ben looked at me. "Denis, what should we do?" He asked me.
I thought about his question for a second. Maybe I had the most experience, but I was so unsure of everything. 

"I... um... the couch. Get the couch to the front door and lock the door to the bunk area." I said nervously. "If this is really Dusty, then The Night People are gonna back him up and we at least need one strength."

James and Cameron immediately went for the couch, Sam locked the door and Ben shut the windows. When we were locked inside one small room having the 'tower that we can defend' effect all that was left for us was to wait. 

James turned the table over placing it in the middle of the room and we all sat behind it in case they target the windows.

"As soon as you get the chance run, okay?" I looked at all of them after a few moments of paranoid silence. 

"What do you mean by that?" Cameron shot at me.

I sighed. "Dusty wants me. He'll leave you guys alone if he gets what he wants."

I saw Ben taking a breath to spill out a tornado of words, but Sam was faster.

"Oh, shut up!" He snapped. "We just got you back and you seem to not learn anything form what happened!" All of them dead stared Sam even tho he had a huge point, but he kept going. "We are a team! A family! We stick together! We're not letting you go this time. What's happened, happened, but I'm not doing the same mistake again. You belong with us. You fit here. You're a part of our future and the future of this band. You're staying, and I don't care if that means we all go down with you." 

"Plus," Cameron spoke after we all took a moment to take Sam's words in. He was right, but I couldn't help but feel guilty because of the stuff I'm getting them all into. "That's predictable."

"What?" 

Cam held his gaze on my eyes. "Well, Dusty... If he managed to fuck as all over like this then, his goal now won't be so obvious as getting you back - no matter how fucked up that alone sounds. He's not - predictable..."

"Yeah, that's true... But what would he want then?" I asked. 

"You said Denny was involved..." Ben said. "Well, if Danny's goal was to be back in Asking and that's obviously out of the picture now, then what would Danny want now? They're working together, right? What is a win-win situation for them both?"

"Asking Alexandria not being a band anymore." James said quietly then looked at us. 

I could sense the fear in the air around us. I knew Dusty's limits - he doesn't have any - and the guys are starting to realize that now too, but what limits actually are in this case, or any case really? 

"What does that mean?" Sam asked. "What are they going to do? Like, how can you force a band to break up?" 

Sam crossed his arms and frowned. He was so irritated with this whole situation and considering his temper I couldn't blame him for being the least calm one of us.

"They are not going to force us..." Ben muttered. 

He looked up and as my gaze met his I knew we shared the same thought, but before any of us could get it out, there was an explosion and all of us along with the floor were suddenly covered in glass dust.