1| WAKE UP LITTLE ONE ( zalfie)

Chapter 22

Zoe's POV

"Doctor?" I said to my brother's doctor. "My brother seems to be a little... Occupied at the moment."

I nodded towards Joe and Elise, who were cuddled up together, arms round each other on the bed, Elise's face buried into Joe's chest.

The doctor smiled. "Young love is so sweet."

"Er...Yeah," I said. "Anyway, can you tell him that I went to see my boyfriend? I'll come back, I just don't want to see my little brother being all lovey dovey with one of my friends, plus I haven't seen my boyfriend in ages and have some things to sort out."

"Of course dear," the doctor said. "I wouldn't want to interrupt."

I nodded and smiled at the man, before exiting the hospital. I took out my iPhone and called Jack, longing to hear the voice I'd fallen in love with. It was the only thing that could soothe me at a time like this.

The call went to voicemail, and I sighed. I really needed to talk to him! I left him a voicemail and texted him twice, then called Finn. Then I remembered they may still be in their meeting, and not even know what had happened.

I sighed again. I guessed I'd call them again later. But should I go back to the hospital and see Joe, or go searching for more clues as to who was out to get us YouTubers?

After a few minutes of thinking, I decided. Joe had Elise, and the sooner this case was cracked, the sooner we'd be safe again.

I texted Marcus, telling him I was going to go back to the hotel, but instead I headed to where the shooting had taken place.

Maybe I could find some clues there. I called a taxi and asked them to drop me off there.

"In the middle of nowhere?" the taxi driver asked. "Didn't you hear about the shooting that took place recently? It's not safe."

"Er... I'm meeting someone there," I lied.

The taxi man shrugged and we drove for about half an hour before he ditched me on the side of the road.

I walked into the field beside the road where the gunman had been shooting from and started to look around. Then I gasped and backed away. Because there on the ground was the gun. The exact gun that'd been used for shooting. I hurried over to it, using a stick to turn it around.

I frowned as I saw that, lodged into the trigger, was a white blonde hair...Tyler? No... I put my hand over my mouth in horror, before rooting in my backpack to find some gloves I'd taken from the police station in case I'd need them for evidence hunting. I picked up the heavy gun and stuffed it into a plastic bag, which I then stuffed into my backpack.

I looked around a bit more, but couldn't seem to find anything, so I hailed another cab and got it to take me to the police station. The taxi man seemed as confused as the last one as to why I wanted to be picked up from a field on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere and taken to the police station, but drove me there anyway. Either way he'd be paid, so what did it matter that he had a strange girl with a gun in her backpack in his cab?

Forty five minutes later I sat in the police station waiting room. I had my backpack in my lap, because this could hold the secret to finding out the mystery.

Finally I was called into a room to privately speak to the officer I'd seen the last time I was here, John.

I pulled the gun out of my bag and handed it to him. His eyes widened.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are you bringing guns in here, little missy?" he asked sternly.

I shoved it onto his lap. "I don't know how to use it," I said, rolling my eyes. "Do you remember me? Zoe? I was here earlier about the shooting."

"Yes, of course I do. My memory's not that bad," said John.

"Anyway," I said. "I went back to where it happened and found this gun. I thought it may have fingerprints on it. I also found this lock of hair, which looks like the guy on the top of the suspect list, Tyler's."

"Do you know how dangerous it was to go back there?!" John scolded.

"John, never mind that. Can't you analyse the hair? Please. I just want this to be over!" I wailed.

"I know," John's gaze softened.

"You don't know, though," I said. "You don't know how it feels to have your friend bleed to death in front of you. Your best friend kidnapped. Your friend suffocated in front of you. Your little brother shot. Threatening messages and phone calls. Having your other best friend attacked in front of you. Your power cut. Your tyres slit. Being able to trust nobody! You don't know how it feels to always be scared that someone else is going to die, that everything you love is going to be taken away from you. Never knowing what's around the corner. Who will live to tell the tale. What else will happen! I'm so scared, John. It's like I'm living a nightmare. And all I want is to wake up."