One Last Hope

Four

✽Kaylee's POV✽

I went back to our room to find Jazz sitting on her little bed with a phone book looking through the names that start with B. And the house phone in her hand. 

"Jasmine, what are you doing? We don't know anyone here anymore." She just keep looking through the names, not saying another word. 

"You'd think this phone book would come with it's own zip code, it's huge." She still didn't look up from the book with strange names.

"Who are you looking for anyways? You have to be looking for someone specific as hard as you're looking."

She didn't speak, she just kept her eyes on the book, ignoring me.

"Found it." She said putting her finger under the name and started typing the number beside it. 

"Jasmine, who are you..." I froze. She can't be serious. I slammed the book shut. "You can't be serious."

"You're lucky I had already typed the number into the phone." She swallowed hard and put her thumb on the call button.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I looked at her. She looked unsure. 

"I'm not. That's why I'm calling where he can't call back." She put it on speaker and pressed send. It rang 3 times then someone picked up. 

"Hello?" We looked at each other. 

"C-cody?" We both said. Then the line went dead. 

"No!" She almost threw the phone, but i caught it before it hit the floor.

"Jasmine, calm down. Dad might get suspicious." I sat the phone under my bed.

"He didn't hang up! It was disconnected! He unhooked the whole phone system! I know it." Jasmine started to have a little freak out. 

"Are you guys okay? Jon said you guys were acting odd." Cristal asked from her and her sister's room below us. 

"Yeah, we are fine.. just talking. Tell him we are fine and we'll be down soon." She nodded and walked out of the room. 

"Kaylee, we need to find him. We have the address. We have his number. We have everything we need. We have to." She had tears in her eyes.

"But, you don't know it was him. I mean we haven't seen him and all. People change." I had to talk her out of it. Yeah, it was him. I was 110% positive. But, she couldn't go.. Dad would catch us before we reached the front porch. 

"Kaylee, both of us know it was him. I'm going soon no matter what. Come with me or stay here with them but I'm still going." She left down stairs and I just sat there. What was I to do?

I ran downstairs and sat across from my dad at the big tabIe. In the corner of my eye, I saw Jasmine sneak into the kitchen and grab dad's keys. Uh oh. 

"Daddy? Why isn't the home phone working?" I asked him even though I already knew why. I was just stalling so Jasmine could walk back upstairs unnoticed. 

He took a long pause and stared at me with anger. So I smiled because he couldn't hit me this time.

"I don't know, sweetie. I'll call the company and see what's going on." He glanced at Elena and Cristal looking at us.

"Sure, dad. You do that." I sarcastically said and grimly smiled at him then walked away. 

I was walking back to my bedroom when I saw Jasmine climbing out the window.

"Jazz?! Where the hell are you going?" I whispered down at her.

"I'm gonna find our brother." She jumped off and landed on the lawn. 

"Jasmine! Wait.. Wait for me!" 

I climbed out the window and got into Dad's car. We followed the directions that she had printed out from Google maps to the house. It was a creepy looking old thing so I kinda hesitated to step out.

"This is it.."Jasmine got out of the car and ran to the front door with me nervously behind her.

We rang the bell and an old woman was at the door.

"Excuse me, but.. were looking for our brother.. Cody?" I told the old woman.

"Oh, dear.." The old woman looked like she was about to faint, "Come in, girls."

She led us into the elegant, cozy living room and shut the door.

"So, you know our brother?" We all took a seat.

"Yes, he came to me when he ran away.. I let him live here for as long as he wanted and needed to." She sipped some of her water. She was acting a little off like as if she was making it up. She took sips of water every time we asked a question. 

"So, is he still here?" Jasmine cut to the chase.

"No." The old woman chugged down some more water.

"Where is he then?" I had to ask.

"Where is everybody? That's the ultimate life question." She was definitely stalling.

"Seriously, where can we find him?" Jasmine was losing her temper.

"I don't know." The old woman took more sips of water.

"Will you stop drinking that damn water?! Jesus, nobody is that fucking thirsty! Are you going to tell me or not?" Jasmine snapped.

"He's dead, alright?" The old woman wasn't going to take crap from some teenager.

Tears came to both of our eyes. 

"He can't be dead! Cody can't be dead!" Jasmine started yelling as she bawled.

"I was trying to tell you as softly as I could. I'm sorry.." The old woman rubbed Jasmine's back.

"Kaylee.." Jasmine looked at me with red eyes.

"Thank you for letting us know," I sniffled and dragged Jasmine out of the house.

*******************

▲NO POV▲

The old woman waiting until the girls had driven away before making a phone call.

"They're gone." She said into the phone.

"Did they believe your story?" The man said.

"I don't.."

"ANGELA! DID THEY BELIEVE YOUR STORY OR NOT?"

"Yes, yes. They did." Her voice cracked as she tried to hold in tears.

"They better come home and think that their brother is dead or else little Henry is gonna get it!" He hung up.

Angela ran upstairs to check up on her beloved grandson, Henry. She sobbed as she stoked his blonde hair.

"Grandma? Am I gonna die?"

 "No.." She held his hand, "I won't let that man hurt you."