Unnamed

Raiden

I rest against the wall, scrolling through the information in my notes. How can there be so many holes? I sigh, about ready to bang my head into the wall when Kody bursts through the door.

"R-R-Raiden... I..." He trails off, looking back over his shoulder as if he's being chased. "I found something... I-It's really bad..."

"What did you find?" I shut the door behind him so he would at least feel somewhat safe.

"I-I-I can't say it here...! You trust me... r-right?"

"Yeah. I trust you. What's going on?"

"I-I know who the killer is."

My eyes widen as he fiddles with his phone. "You what...?"

It's very slight, but Kody flinches at my words. He doesn't reply, choosing instead to stare at the floor.

"...This could be a very serious accusation." I try to make eye contact, but it's no use. "Are you sure about this? Please tell me that you're completely positive before you say anything else."

He nods. "I'm sure... Th-there's no other w-way... I-I-I s-saw it..." He finally looks up at me, still avoiding eye contact but at least no longer staring at the floor.

"And you have proof?"

Kody's eyes fall back down to the concrete lining the room.

"No, you don't..." I murmur, "Don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"Wh-what...?"

I smile a little to reassure the shivering teen, but it's completely forced. Not genuine. "Kody, I trust you, you're my friend, we've both been through a lot here. I just can't convict someone on your suspicion alone. I need proof."

"I..." He trails off, still refusing to meet my gaze. "I'll... I can g-get it... I'll get proof..."

"It doesn't have to be definite proof. Anything that might raise concern around the individual. I can help you if you want. I just..."

"I-It's okay... I get it..." He turns away from me, reaching for the door.

"Kody?" I ask without really thinking it through. He looks back, finally meeting my gaze. "I'll go with you. I don't want anything bad happening to you. You're a valuable friend here."

"A-Am I...?" He almost smiles, but the hint of a smile quickly disappears under his worried expression. "D-Don't worry about me... I'll be okay." The shift between his words is hard to notice but there. I can't help but pick out the confirmation in his tone.

"If you're sure..."

He reaches for the door again.

"Wait! One more thing." I say, unable to stop myself from prolonging the conversation. "Where's Caspian? Does he know?" Two more things.

"C-Caspian...?? O-Oh, he's with um... h-he's with the group..." Kody ignores my second question, reaching for the door handle and exiting the room.

"Kody?" I call after him, but it's no use. I could follow him, but that would be dangerous for both of us. Nobody could know we work together. Nobody except Ashlynn and Caspian.

I sigh, jotting down some notes on my phone before leaving the room myself. If Kody can't answer me, Caspian will have to.

Locating the group isn't difficult. They remain outside the food room, near the entry point, the center of attention.

"Raiden..." Asher says, his tone as dead as he looks. His eyes are void of all hope he had last I saw him.

"Asher." I nod to him respectfully. He doesn't nod back.