Gangs and Roses

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

The door slammed behind her, silencing everyone in the room. No-one heard the clicking of the lock behind her, just the distant footsteps of her running away from the door.  

"Where did she go?" Seb asked, even though no-one in the room knew the answer.  

"I have no idea," Sam replied truthfully. He had just come down the stairs to see if anyone else knew where Will was. It was weird that he wasn't back yet from work - he was never normally late unless he'd texted someone. Was it Paige who had gotten that text?  

"Ring Will," Luke commanded to Seb. He then pointed at the phone on the couch. "Whose is that?"  

Seb picked it up, taking his own phone from his pocket. "Paige's."  

"Great," Luke said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "What's happening? Will's gone missing and Paige has just taken off."  

"She had phone call earlier," Sam piped up, the event coming back to him. He leant against the back of the couch while he thought, his eyebrows joint together, thinking hard. "She got really scared and she shouted out." 

"Who was it?"  

Sam shrugged. "I have no idea. She then left the room, still on the phone."  

"Did you see her out on the basketball court?" Luke discussed, changing the topic slightly. "She was seriously stressed out; like something was bothering her. Yet angering her at the same time."  

"Could it be Mack?"  

Seb's theory surprised everyone.  

"Could it?" Luke looked doubtful.  

"Maybe." Sam drummed his fingers against the couch, staring out the window in front of him. "It isn't a coincidence, though. Will and Paige are obviously connected in some way. Will just doesn't go missing like that; and for almost three hours, too."  

"So if we find Paige, we'll find Will?" Luke's face seemed to brighten at the thought.  

"Yes," Sam answered confidentially. "But where did they go?"

* * * * * * * 

I got to Mum's apartment on the third floor. When I came out of the elevator doors I saw that her door had been kicked in. I ran in, seeing the empty living room I sprinted into her bedroom. That was when I saw Harry in the flesh. Mum sitting behind him in a chair, tied up and gagged.  

"Mum!" I cried, starting to move forward but Harry held up a silver gun, ready to shoot.  

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," he said in a calm voice.  

I stopped dead in my tracks. I stared between Harry and my Mum and a sudden fear flickered into my brain. I had never seen my Mum the way she was looking at me now; so pleading and panicked because she had no idea what was happening.  

I didn't know what to do. Stall? How did people stall in the movies? But this wasn't a movie, I said to myself. This was real life and I was witnessing it with my own eyes. How did they do it? What was I meant to say?  

"Think about what you're doing," I said confidentially. But Harry just laughed, as if it was something to joke about.  

"I am," he replied, smiling. "And I have. You've got my necklace and I want it back. Do you have it?"  

Did it look like I had it? "No." I held up my empty hands. I gave my Mum an apologetic look.  

"That's really too bad. But who's it going to be?" Harry looked between my Mum and I. "Someone's got to pay. Who will it be, Paige?"