Sing

Chapter 20: Won't Just Sit Around

"'Keep running,'" Ray murmured. "Keep running. What does that mean?"

"It means they don't want to kill us," I said, running my thumb lightly over the new scar on my left cheek. "Stop touching it," Ray said, swatting my hand. I shot him a look.

"That's not cool," he snapped. I rolled my eyes. "Dude," he said. "Really?"

"What do you want me to do?" I snapped. "Stop looking at my surroundings? Listen, it isn't my fault that that happened."

"Why don't we stop arguing and start figuring out how the hell we're gonna save Grace?" Mikey suggested, an edge to his voice. Ray and I glared at each other, then nodded at Mikey.

"Well, I don't have anything except continuing to headquarters," he said as he walked around to fix the bandana around Ray's head.

"That's all we really can do," Gerard said, biting down on his thumb. Ray nodded, and Mikey grabbed a hunk of his fro. "Stay still," he commanded. Ray obeyed.

"You guys might not want to look," Mikey said. "Somehow, this got tangled in his hair, do I have to take it off."

I immediately faced the other way. There was no way I was going to look at Ray's injury. It was the worst. He'd gotten it bad with one of the better Draculoids and ended up losing his right eye. I'd had the misfortune of being the first one to see all the blood.

"Aw, Ray," Mikey said softly. "I know this has to hurt. Are you okay? I mean, you're still bleeding, but does it feel any better?" I heard Ray sigh. "I mean, it doesn't really feel any different."

"Oh..." Mikey leaned down and kissed Ray gently. "You'll be okay. You're tough." Ray sighed. "Thanks."

"So... Headquarters, then," Gerard said. I looked at Mikey, who nodded. "Headquarters," he confirmed.

"How exactly do you plan to do this?" I asked. "I mean, we can't just waltz up to BL/ind headquarters and expect to get in. Especially not when they have Grace."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Ray asked. "We have nothing else! We just go for it, I guess. It's all we got."

"We can at least have some stealth to this," I said.

"Maybe Steve and Ricky will help us now," Gerard suggested. "Ricky can't still be hurting. And even if he is, maybe they can just be an escape for us or something."

"I can try to get to them," Ray said. "I th-Shit."

"What's the matter?" Mikey asked. "I think I left my phone back at their place."

Gerard swore, kicking up some dirt angrily.

"Look, we can still get to them," Ray said. "Easily. I just... Come here."

We followed him over to the car, which they had taken full pleasure in beating the hell out of. Ray leaned in but didn't sit down. He probably didn't want to drive like that.

"Watch me," he said. He took the key out of the ignition and dropped it into the cup holder. He pulled another key out of his pocket.

"YOU INTENTIONALLY SABOTAGED US?!" Gerard screamed. He tackled Ray to the ground, yelling about how he never should have trusted Ray in the first place.

Mikey and I fought to pull Gerard away from Ray, but it was hard. Every muscle in Gerard's body wanted to pound Ray.

"Look, you don't understand!" Ray cried, scrambling away from the redheaded boy. "I put a fake key in so no one could steal the car. I didn't know they'd find us!"

"You're a dickhead!" Gerard cried in exasperation. "Who the fuck is gonna steal a fucking car in the middle of the goddamn desert?!"

"You'd be surprised," Ray said casually.

"I feel like you'd do it," Gerard said. He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, shifting his weight to his right leg. I tried not to giggle when he poked his lips out and flipped his hair. He was so much like a girl sometimes.

"Look, can we please just go wherever we're gonna go?" Mikey sighed. He helped Ray to his feet. "Hell, I will drive if you two need to be separated."

"I can drive," Gerard said. "Come on."

Ray and I started towards the car, but Gerard took Mikey aside.

"How can you trust him?" Gerard asked quietly. "I just do," Mikey said. "And if you just gave him a chance, maybe you would. He's a good guy, Gee. He means well. He just... Has a couple of secrets, is all."

Gerard sighed. "I just don't want him to hurt you," he whispered. "Well, how can you trust Frank, then?" Mikey hissed.

"Frank hasn't given me a single reason not to trust him," Gerard defended. "Ray? That's a different story."

Mikey glared at his brother. "I trust Ray," he said firmly. "I don't care if you don't. I do."

"What if he proves you wrong?" Gerard snapped. "Then what? What if he's leading us into a big trap to get us all killed?"

"Why would he do that?!" Mikey said. "Grace is his neice!"

"What if he was lying about that?"

"Grace is too open to be lying about being his neice."

"What if BL/ind has had her all along and we're gonna die?"

"Gerard!" Mikey said. "You're overthinking this. We're gonna go in, get Grace, get out. It's just that simple."

Gerard opened his mouth, but Ray called out for them. "Are we going or what?" he asked. "We should leave soon if we want to get Steve and Ricky and get to headquarters before they brainwash Gracie."

The brothers exchanged glances, then got into the car. Ray directed Gerard onto the road, then back off.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Steve and Ricky's, remember?" Ray said. "This is a shortcut."

Soon, we found a group of silos. Gerard and I immediately perked up. "I know where we're going," he said. He sped around, following the path of the trees we'd been given when shit went wrong.

Steve answered the door instead of Ricky today. As soon as he noticed that Grace wasn't with us, his face turned stony.

"What do I have to do?"