Witness

•CHAPTER 17•

Luckily, I was facing the wall so he didn't see the phone right away. I fumbled with it and heard the man on the other end asking questions, but I hung him up.

"Follow me." George said and left without another word.

Reluctantly, I stood up and followed him through the door, both the guards eyeing me on the way out.

I followed him into a long hallway that had spiderwebs everywhere you looked. Rooms branches off leading into who-knows-where. There was one room with no door that led into a black abyss.

George glanced over his shoulder just to make sure I was following and then he went into the strange abyss. I had no choice but to follow him.

Inside the room was a single lit lantern in the corner which only illuminated a quarter of the room. Inches of dirt and scraps littered the floor.

Maybe this is where the SWAT will find my body...

George turned to face me so only half his face was lit. Before he had a chance to speak, I pulled out his phone form my pocket and gave it to him. I didn't want to go through another beating. Besides, I got one call in.

George tore it away from my grasp and immediately checked the calls. Luckily, I remembered to delete the call, so he never found anything.

"Tell me exactly what the police know. Or you and Ashley won't live to the day you're rescued." He warned.

"They know I'm gone and they know who you are. They are probably outside right now spying on you." Even though I knew they weren't.

George believed me. Maybe too well. Anger welled up inside him and he slapped me across the face, which only made my head feel worse-which I didn't think possible.

"Damn you! Kyle Grayson, I swear on my life that you will never see life outside of this wretched house!"

I began to laugh. "I'm sorry," I began. "It was funny when you said damn you."

I couldn't tell if I was crazy or not, but it felt good to laugh.

A guard came in and said, "Ricky, not now. Save it for later. If he was right," he pointed at me, "and the cops are outside, then they won't hesitate to kill us all if they find him dead."

George took a deep breath and sent me back with the guard while he stayed in that mysterious room. He seemed... off in that room. Like something bothered him...

With a shove, the guard pushed me back into the room and slammed the door.

"You good?" Ashley asked. No, I felt like crap.

"I'm amazing." I replied sarcastically. "What would you do if you got saved, but I didn't?"

She seemed taken back by this question, but answered like it was an obvious answer. "I'm not leaving without you."

"Why? If you knew what I did before I met you, you would leave me instantly and without hesitation."

"Kyle, it doesn't matter who you were in the past. You've changed! You are willing to die for a worthless stranger like me."

"You're not worthless!" I don't know where this was coming from, but something inside me was telling me to say it. "You're priceless." The old me cringed.

Ashley blushed and went deeper into the room, out of sight.

I turned around and my heart stopped. I froze with fear. Another hallucination stood in front of me, almost nose to nose.

"Shh." She held a finger to her mouth. "Tick tick. The mouse ran up the clock." She giggled and repeated it carelessly.

"What do you want?" I hissed. She became angry and held another finger to her mouth.

"Shhh! The mouse ran up!" The laughed hysterically and then disappeared.

The mouse ran up the clock. What does that frickin' mean??

Jadon's POV

I was at home when I received that call. All calls relating to Kyle's case were redirected to me.

And it honestly freaked me out. I've never really seen someone die on a case before, and I desperately hoped this would not be my first time.

Sometimes, I really hate being in the SWAT. Yet I loved the pain of it... does that even make sense?

I was about to call the station and my team to inform them, but stopped myself. I could go to Kyle's location alone and just see what's going on, then report back here. I would have all the information needed.

Yet it was risky. I could get fired, killed, or... succeed.

I'll succeed. But I need a plan, a disguise.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Yet I continue...

I decided to call my specialty team- they are secret and no one is allowed to screw up. Only the best of the best.

"Hey, I got some news." I said into the phone.

"The whole team is here." Zander replied. "Jack, Issac, Winnie, Tyler, and I." It's always weird how teams seem to have only one girl...Winnie.

"A sleepover and you didn't invite me?" No one laughed. "Tough crowd." I murmured.

"Jadon, what's the news?" Snapped Winnie.

"I got a call from Kyle. He said there are a few guards-all armed. I think if just the six of us goes there, we can get Kyle and the girls out. Sending the whole SWAT unit would be too obvious."

"Jadon, we could lose our jobs!" Tyler began. He always is worried about what will happen.

"We could lose a life!" I spat. "Zander, Tyler. How will you feel if Kyle died on your hands? How about you, Winnie. Jack? Winnie? Isaac?" Everyone was silent for a minute, so I knew I got my point across.

"Uggg!" Jack moaned.

"Damn it, Jadon! Why do you have to do the guilt trick?" Issac complained.

I smiled. "Meet me at my place with your gear in two hours- precisely 20:00."

Then, one by one they left the call.