Too Much Clickbait - Sequel to Clickbait

90

I got out of the truck, running to grab her. "Katie! Katie! What happened?"
Katie looked up at me, her face blank as her voice was monotone. "You didn't pick up the phone."
"We were out and-"
"You said you would always pick up the second ring, no matter what." Katie looked at gabbie, handing her Charlie and mumbling something. Gabbie shook her head, looking over at me through narrowed eyes.
Katie walked away and to the truck, hopping onto the middle seat. Gabbie looked at me, shaking her head. "Someone broke into the house. She's fine. But... Fuck, man. I'm calling the cops on the way there."
"Don't. Not yet." I felt my stomach begin to turn in a familiar way. "I know what this is about. We are headed back to my place and waiting."
"Heath, are you-"
"It's David." I shook my head, feeling my skin began to feel like it was shedding. "Believe me, it's David. weird shit has been happening at my house and just.... It's David. Trust me on this. Take a call if you have to, just buy me some time, Gabs."
Gabbie pauses before shaking her head yes, mumbling through Charlie's fur as she kissed his head to calm down his panting. "You better be right."

*****

Gabbie managed to fake a police call on the way there as Katie sat with her arms and legs hugging Charlie on the way to my apartment. I looked over at her, looking back at the road as I spoke in a low volume. "This one is on me. I'm sorry."
Katie adjusted herself, putting her head on my shoulder and letting out a breathe I didn't realize she had been holding in. "I know."

*****

Silence has fallen as we got to our apartment and saw Kam and Zane in the living room. Zane peered over the couch before spinning around happily. "Charlie! My man!"
Charlie ran up to Zane, hopping next to him on the couch to kiss him eagerly. Zane hugged him, scratching the sides of his body happy as he coped at him. Jam cleared his throat, jutting his head towards Katie. Zane looked over at Katie, who was still comatose. He stopped hugging the dog before getting up and walking over to her, looking down at her. "What happened?"
"Someone broke into our house." Gabbie ran her hand through her hair, signing. "Katie was the only one home."
"Why didn't you call the police?" Zane looked down at her.
Katie looked up, her bottom lip quivering as she spoke. "Something told me not to."
"Something or someone?" I wrapped my arm carefully around her shoulders, rubbing my thumb up and down her shoulder blade and through the black, Salty Crew hoodie she stole before getting out of my truck.
"Something." She shook her head before explaining herself. "I wasn't scared for my life. I was scared because I knew something was wrong."
"You ran away!" Gabbie half laughed, trying to make sense of the situation.
"I saw... I didn't see, really. Well, kind of. I think I saw the eyes of whoever it was and it was like I knew them. It was like-"
The front door had loud pounding noises, as if someone was donkey kicking it repeatedly. Katie jumped closer to my side, clutching onto my hips. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, kissing her forehead quickly before releasing her. I began to walk towards the door as quietly as I could when there was the sound of broken glass coming from Zane's room. Knowing it was the only bedroom with an outside entrance that anyone in the building could get to, I felt my stomach flutter with nerves.
I spun around, pointing towards my room as I pushed Katie to go with me. Everyone, Charlie included, pulled into the room quickly and I locked the door behind me. Katie grabbed Gabbie and Charlie, throwing them into the closet. I saw she was going to close them inside and I went up to her, putting my hand on the small of her back. I looked down at her, shaking my head no, when I pushed her back lightly.
Katie looked back at me with sad eyes, tears threatening to fall, before reaching into her pocket and grabbing my hand. I bent down, kissing her quickly, before closing the closet door on her.
I walked over to my desk, hearing more banging around the apartment. Zane looked over at Kam, whispering. "It sounds like there's more than one. Heath... What do we do?"
I knelt down, opening the bottom drawer of my desk swiftly. I dialed in Katie's birthday into a miniature safe, I pulled out a .357 Magnum Revolver, loading in a few clips before standing up. Both Kam and Zane's eyes went fearful before seeing me put a hand up. "Relax. I'm not shooting unless they do some dumb shit."
"You're the only one stupid enough to have a gun here, baby." Zane smiled, trying to joke.
"Are you sure about this, man?" Kam rubbed he back of his neck.
"Stay behind me." I walked forward, my hands wrapped around the gun, ready.
I heard Charlie run to the side of my bed as he used to when Katie and I would argue, knowing something bad was going to happen. Taking a few steps forward, I gripped the doorknob. I let out one final breath, one that I realized was too loud and would have blown our cover anyway, before swinging the door open and drawing the gun.