Tattler || 5sos

Twenty-four

        ~Ashton~        

            "I don't understand why we're not calling the police," Luke pulls his hands from tugging on his hair long enough to look up to where I'm wearing a hole in the floor, pacing.

            "Are you stupid? We can’t call them after what happened," Michael rises from the couch and moves to the bottle of scotch I had opened. "We can never call the police. We have to do this ourselves."

            "And how do you suggest we do that?" Luke snaps, staring down at the rug with blank eyes. Neither of us answered, because we didn't know.

            After a moment, Michael returns to sit on the couch again, taking a gulp of his liquor. "Well, let's assume that the guy that took her is the same one that sent me that video. He has to want something."

            "So we just wait?" Luke says with a sigh. "We wait for him to contact us?"

            "What else are we supposed to do? We have no idea who he is or what he looks like or where he's going. We have no clue."

            "I know what he looks like," I speak up for the first time. Both of them look up to me with gaping mouths. "I think he's been following Emery for a while now. It was really freaking her out."

            "So what does he look like?" Luke cracks his knuckles and stands up. I shake my head.

            "Generic. We'll never find him."

            Michael's phone rings in his pocket. With a curse he stands up, answering the phone. "Hello?"

            Luke glances from me to Michael. We're both quiet. Michael nods and then says, "Yeah, yeah he's here." Michael moves the phone from his ear and holds it out to me. I swallow before answering.

            "Who is this?" I ask, trying to remain calm.

            "That's not important," the man replies, his voice calm. Bored, almost. "Are you Mr. Irwin?"

            I swallow again. "I am."

            "Emery Baker over here claims that you're her boyfriend."

            "I am. Is she-"

            "Good, then you too are one of the seven."

            "Excuse me?"

            "Does the name Tara Oakes mean anything to you?"

            I don't answer.

            "Well, it should. My client has been biding their time since that… unfortunate incident. To teach you all something."

            "Are you the one that took Emery?"

            There is a low chuckle on the other end. "It was nice work, don't you agree? A very clean job, if I do say so myself. She is here though, right across from me. Would you like to speak to her."

            I pause for a moment. "Put her on."

            There is a shuffling on the other end. Then-

            "Ashton?"

            I breathe out in relief. "Emery. Are you hurt?"

            "Well," her voice is strained. "My head is throbbing- I-"

            "I'm going to get you, okay?"

            "No," she breathes. "Ashton, don't. Don't come looking for me."

            "What do you mean-"

            "Ashton just let this happen, it's about Tara, nothing else. Go away, get out of town. Don't come looking for me. Don’t save me."

            "I'm getting you out of there-"

            "Ash, I love-"

            There's a cry on the other end. I flinch at the sound.

            "Well that's enough of that," the man says into the phone. I feel anger rise in me, more than I can control. I clench my fist at my side.

            "What the hell are you doing to her?" my voice is low.

            "Ah, don't worry about that," the man casually replies. "You'll find out soon enough. You all will."

            "Why is your client doing this?"

            The man sighs on the other end, as if frustrated. "Have you still not figured it out yet? Think for a second. Just think."

            I rack my brain, trying to think of who would ever want to do this. The man groans on the other end, obviously disappointed.

            "Think back on the days after the accident. Think about everything. Just think," the man pauses. "I'll be seeing you soon, Mr. Irwin. Oh, and please inform Clifford that he will be next."

            The phone clicks off. I look down at it for a long moment.

            "Well?" Michael asks, staring at me. I look at him, his hands pulling through his hair. I look at Luke, his hands in his pocket. I clear my throat.

            "He said you're next," I say to Michael.

            "What!"

            "And- and I know which one of us told."

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sorry for being MIA lately. the holidays and school drained me, hopefully ill be able to write more now. 

let me know what you think! who do you think did it?

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