Deadpan - Bennoda

Chapter Fifteen

"I can't believe they won't take us seriously, we fucking saw that asshole hurting Chester," Sage growled angrily as we were leaving the police station. I was too mad about the situation to respond to him, so I simply checked my phone as we walked to my car. I saw I had a message from Chester and I opened it, wondering what he had to say. Just as I was about to read it, Sage spoke. "Did Chester text you too?"

"Yeah," I said and continued reading the text. I nearly dropped my phone when I reached the end, immediately making a mad dash to my car. I tried calling him when I got in the driver's seat and waited for Sage to get in, which didn't take him too long, but I was already cursing because Chester's signal was busy.

"Go, go, go, drive!" Sage yelled as soon as he got in. I could tell he was as worried as I was as I floored it and started going towards Chester's apartment. "Fuck! We're gone for barely an hour and that fucking creep takes it upon himself to fuck with Chester! Dude, I think I'm actually going to kill him if he hurt Chaz."

"Call the cops, tell them what's going on," I directed, not wanting to admit I felt the same way about the creep. As Sage called them, I thought about Chester and how worried I was in this moment. I need him to be okay, I can't stand the thought of him being hurt, let alone seriously injured.

"Hey, we were just in the station reporting - or trying to - report this creep who raped my... friend?... and lashed out at me twice. You motherfuckers-" Sage was already getting angry again at the cops for saying they weren't - couldn't - do anything about our situation, so I stole his phone out of his hands before he could piss off the people who could help us.

"Hi, sorry, he got a little upset because you told us literally minutes ago you couldn't help and now the guy is trying to break the door down at our friends apartment," I explained and fed them his address. The dispatcher tried telling me not to go to his apartment, but I hung up, not wanting to hear that. I gave Sage his phone back as we parked in front of Chester's apartment. I didn't even turn off the car as I raced into the building, Sage following closely. When I reached Chester's apartment door, my stomach dropped. It was broken down already, we were too late. Tears stung my eyes.

"Oh fuck, no," Sage croaked once he saw what I was struggling to accept and he looked to me with scared eyes. "Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no-"

My phone started ringing, interrupting Sage's panic.

"Ches?!" I nearly yelled in the phone, needing it to be him, but it wasn't.

"I take it he texted you too, look, come to the studio, now," Brad said and hung up, he sounded distressed, I didn't like it.

"Who was it?" Sage asked and everything was beginning to dawn on me. Chester wasn't here, the creep had been after him, his door is broken down, the police were on their way, and it seemed like Brad knew something.

"Brad. Stay here and wait for the police, explain what's happening, tell them Brad and I will be back to answer any questions they have," I said, even though I knew he was going to freak out on the cops. I couldn't help but think they deserved it for not listening to us.

"Wait, wait, wait, where are you going? Is there something you're not telling me?" Sage asked, grabbing my arm before I could leave. I shook my head and sighed.

"No, all I know is that Brad told me to go to the studio, I need to go," I insisted and tore my arm away from Sage, who was clearly petrified by the situation at hand. I raced to the studio, not bothering with the car since it was just down the road. I entered the building and saw Brad standing outside of what would've been our studio door, but it knocked in, just like Chester's was. "What happened?!"

"Chester called me, he told me the guy broke his door down and he escaped to the studio. I warned him that the guy probably would know he went there, then I was unfortunately right. I could hear the banging, but I didn't... I didn't know he got in, the call ended before it got that far. I came here as fast as I could to see the door broken and Chester..." He trailed off, tears starting to fall down his face. "He's gone. He's fucking gone, I-"

Both of us started breaking down into a fit of tears. I wasn't sure what to do and the police probably wouldn't help. I felt stuck and hurt, I need Chester. I need him. I don't know what to do without him. Brad pulled me into his arms, letting me cry into his shoulder.

"I don't know if you should see this, but the creep left a note, pretty sure it's for you and Sage," Brad said, gesturing into the studio. I stepped into the room and saw the creep had used one of my sharpies to write a note on the wall. My eyes devoured the words as though they would direct me to Chester.

'I'm sure pretty boy's boyfriends are going to read this, so hello! Nice seeing you again. Originally, I was going to just get you both out of the picture, but when I saw you leave pretty boy all by himself, I couldn't just waste the perfect opportunity. He's so pretty, I see why he has two boyfriends, though this would be much less complicated if he only had one. I guess that means I'll have to give pretty boy up, but I'm gonna play with him a little first. It's my turn to have him, the boyfriends had him for long enough. Good luck on your search for him! You won't find him until I release him.

-XX'

"What does he mean by two boyfriends?" Brad asked and I bit my bottom lip, knowing I'd have to tell the others too about that.

"I'll tell you when we see the guys, another family meeting," It hurt to say that knowing the whole family wouldn't be there. Chester wouldn't be there. My heart dropped at the thought and I started crying again, I couldn't help myself. I struggled to speak, "The cops are at Chester's place with Sage."

"I called the cops too, they should be here in a little bit. Maybe the more cops, the better chance we have at finding him," Brad said half-heartedly, but we both knew the creep wasn't about to let Chester go. Everything seemed hopeless.