Deal With It - Sidemen Fanfiction

Chapter 19 - Double Crossing

"Walk," the bored voice of Deji was the only sound above the splashing of three sets of feet as we walked, or in my case half-dragged, ourselves towards the dimly lit staircase. I turned my head as I mounted the stairs, my hand regaining a shaky grip on the dilapidated bannister, earning a push from behind as I took in the scene of the damp cavern I had found myself in one too many times in one morning. Ethan was a couple of steps in front, his head constantly turning around as if he expected to blink and I would be gone.

"Where are we going?" he asked tiredly as Deji took the lead in the main hallway. Looking through the window, the sun was now higher in the sky but it couldn't have been later than 8 o'clock. There seemed to be no hope of rescue unless anyone else like Cal was lucky enough to stumble across us in an unscheduled visit to pick something up. Deji remained silent, a noticeably strained expression infiltrating his previously stony face, an indication of the tension that arched his back and clenched his fists with its invisible grip. Ethan fell into step with me, offering an arm to lean on which I took gratefully, still leaving a trail of water behind me.

"Where are the bodyguards?" he muttered softly, trying not to attract Deji's attention although the latter was so deeply lost in his thoughts, he bore us no attention. I shrugged, not up for much of a conversation and also unsure of what my reply would be. Like some conspiracy theorist I had several ideas swirling through the fog of my brain, one sticking out more than the rest unpleasantly. Ethan must have noticed a shift in my expression as I contemplated it as he immediately pointed it out.

"What if they're getting worried about hiding us here?" I asked in explanation, "They might end up moving us somewhere else; who knows how we'd get out of there." He replicated my expression of concern and nodded slowly, resigning himself to a silent walk, his spare hand buried into his pocket firmly. Deji finally stopped, pulling up short at a door I didn't recognise. He pointed through, indicating for us to enter. Ethan shifted his arm to support me better and moved in cautiously.

I barely had chance to build up a mental image of the room before Ethan was pulled away from me and a rough piece of fabric was shoved over my eyes harshly, blocking out the light as I found myself pushed against a different body, my hands bound in front of me with rope. I heard Joe's voice ringing out over the commotion, recognisable shouts and calls rising up from the darkness around me. He seemed angry, shouting at a Deji about something or other.

"Josh?" Simon's voice reached me, directly in my ear as a hand patted my arm blindly. I reached up with my own hands, his fingers intertwining messily with my own and he pulled my head on to his shoulder. For the first time in a few days, I heard his soft laugh reverberate through my limbs as his own head rested atop mine.

"How did you guess?" I asked above the continued confusion. He sounded amused once more, the melodic sound blanketing me in a new sense of warmth that cut through even the most numb coldness I was feeling.

"You're soaking wet," he replied, the small smile evident in his words, a dimple punctuating each syllable. I allowed myself a small laugh too, rubbing my dripping hair into his shoulder lightly. He tousled it affectionately, falling into a comfortable silence. The rest of the room grew quiet too as the door to the left of me was closed, a key sounding in the lock.

"Are we all here?" Vik's tentative voice floated across from the void in front of me. I almost nodded before remembering our predicament, feeling my cheeks heat up sheepishly. There was a perplexing moment as everyone tried to complete a mental register in their heads.

"Cal?" Tobi asked questioningly, and upon receiving no reply, "How did he manage to get himself lost?"

"There was only Jide and Joe who came for us," Simon reasoned rationally, "He could have easily slipped away as we all fought back." I heard Ethan close by make a thoughtful sound, the confusion clear in his tone.