Knights And Pawns

Chapter 22: Meeting Warden Jones

As soon as I left my house, I text Ben numerous times. At first I demanded to know where he is, but then I suddenly felt scared.

"Hello, this is Luke. Leave a message." said his voicemail.

After the thirtieth beep, I hopped into my mother's minivan.

"Sherlock, it's Irene Adler." I say, through my clenched teeth.

"I have been calling you, texting you, and so far you haven't been answering me!"

After that, I sighed.

"Look, if you are in trouble, just tell me before you leave my bedroom window. I am your best friend, your crime partner...your girlfriend, remember?"

"I will be there for you always, just tell me what's going on."

After a long, dreadful silence, I told him that I loved him and hang up again.

I stare at the window sadly and at my Pretty Little Liars phone case.

It had a rich burgundy color with my favorite Pretty Little Liars character, Spencer Hastings.

She had a dark brown hair, light olive skin, brown eyes, and a pretty purple dress; it was something that a movie actress could wear.

Before Ben revealed his identity to me, he said that I had the brains of Spencer and the bravery of Hannah.

I chuckled to myself when he called me Spannah.

Sighing to myself, I push the gallery icon and looked through photos.

One by one are pictures of me and Ben kissing each other's cheeks, making faces, and eating ice cream.

One time, I remembered Ben making a romantic dinner on Valentine's Day. We would play Scrabble, dance, and Ben would say, I love you in his lovely, English accent.

We dated for nine months, I thought. Nine lovely months.

Ben and I are like the couple most kids gasp and envied. Sure, we have fights now and then, but we stick together as a team.

In order to take my mind off of Ben, I start the car, and head straight forward to the unknown.

Meanwhile, I speed dial Seth's number and prayed for him to pick up.

"Hey-O." a cheery voice said. "What do you need?"

"I want you to put a tracker on Ben's phone." I instructed.

"You mean a digital one, right?" ask Seth.

"Yeah, I answer. "will you do it?"

"Sure, if you tell me what happen between you two."

"Did you guys...breakup or something?"

"No," I say, tightening the wheel. "we're still together."

Seth let out a sigh in relief.

"Thank godness!" he sang.

"I thought he's getting back together with Madison."

So, Ben hasn't even told him where he is going.

"Where is Ben, anyway?" he continued.

"Out being Bruce Wayne?"

Ben didn't tell him, I thought angrily. Of course, he didn't tell him.

"He said that he is going to talk to the financial advisor."

That's when Seth chuckled.

"Wow, you are a terrible liar." he said. "he doesn't like to talk, especially to a financial advisor."

The drive instantly went silent.

I badly wanted to tell him the truth, but I didn't know what to say.

"Okay, enough with the jokes."

"Where's my bro?"

"He's not making out with you, right?"

I take a deep breath then reluctantly told him everything.

I told him about meeting Jordan at a diner, his wish, and his plan to protect his only relative.

"What?" Seth ask. "You're not bluffing? Are you pregnant?"

I roll my eyes as my left hand turn the car around the curve.

"I'm not pregnant, Seth." I retorted.

"Ben's in trouble, and we need to be there for him."

"Got it, Janet Jackson." he stated firmly. 

After I hear him type the keys across the board, Seth told me that the tracker is on.

"He won't suspect a thing."

Since this is Ben's second request, I ask Seth about giving me the address to Warden Jones' workplace.

"He's at the Teen Help Center right near Tooth, Floss, and Smile."

I didn't have to ask him where it is; I knew it's chained into a crappy strip mall, like a dog on a leash.

I thanked him for the address, turned off my phone, and put it in the cupholder.

Teen Help Center is a place where cops drop bad teens, who took way too many chances, and they're encouraged to stop smoking, drinking, and taking drugs.

It is also a place where teens can finally have a home, food on the table, and warm beds. It's like a bed and breakfast, I think.

I took a left through Main Street and kept heading straight, until I see a slightly small, rusty blue center with a painted yellow sign, glass door, and an empty parking lot.

It was just next to a tooth shaped building. Like the center, it had poor Halloween decorations and looked abandoned.

I reach up the dark gray hill and park in front of the blue building.

I guess this is where the trail ends.

I take my bag with me, got out the van, and slam the door in front of me.

When I first got out of the musty car, I was glad. Boy, Seth is right: that van is a piece of crap.

"Get ahold of yourself," I thought to myself.

"you're doing this for Ben."

My feet shuffle against the thick, rocky sand; I didn't even like the fact that I'm going to an abandoned strip mall.

It's not because of creepy buildings, but because I loathe strip malls.

The clothes look ancient, there are rarely any people around, and the sales look a bit stiff. It's like winning prizes from a claw machine, it's fun at first, then it gets pretty boring.

I check inside the dusty glass door and squint in the dark to see if someone is in there. 

Inside I can see a little light in a slightly clean room: teens were secretly playing with their lighters as if they're toys, some were roaming around, and others were on the phones.

Politely, I knocked the door until it automatically open by itself.

The next thing I knew is that I am standing in front of an elderly, built man, whose name is written across a yellow nametag: Warden Jones.

"Hello, miss." he says politely. "Why don't you come in?"