Lelia and Thomas are gone.

At first, we thought they left early. Perhaps got drunk and messed up or something. But we couldn't find them in either of their rooms, or any place we thought they could be.

Minho and I already had a theory. Either that drug dealer or Thomas's father has interfered, as expected.

The worst thing is just that we're already past the forty-eight hour thing at the police. They are, officially, missing.

A part of me wants to rot in my bed forever. Another part wants to get up and find them right now. I guess last time we tried to do something like a damn police, we did succeed, because we found out about a lot of things Lelia was hiding, but this... this is a whole different level.

"Name every single place in this neighborhood where they could be," Minho says. He has already written like two hundred options for them down.

"Ask ourselves this first," Eli starts, "I believe they're actually kidnapped by one of these crazy guys, but do we think they believe in holding people hostage in special places that have to do with their pasts, or would they hide them at a random place? If it's like that, we have no chance of finding them in this way."

Minho rubs his chin. "Okay, true. Maybe if we figure a few things about this dealer out. Where he lives and all. Perhaps... wait, did Lelia have her phone with her?"

"We were searching for it earlier but there was no result, so yeah, I guess," Eli replies.

"If we find this guy's house and break in, maybe we can check the location of her phone. I feel like this guy put a tracker in something she uses daily. Does that make sense?"

Eli runs a hand through his curls, then nods. "Yeah, it does. And what if it's Thomas's father?"

"Why would he take Lelia with him, though?" Minho asks in return. "It doesn't make sense. She did tell Thomas about the dealer. But she also told me, so... I don't know."

"Maybe to hurt the other even more. They'd feel guilty for causing their best friend to get kidnapped. But it can be both guys."

"Exactly," I mutter.

Minho's head turns to me. "Aren't you helpful today. Do you have any other ideas than us?"

"Yeah. I literally just told you." I rub the back of my head, praying that I'm wrong. "It can be both guys. That they both kidnapped Lelia and Thomas. Together."

"Or it's a real coincidence and they just kidnapped them at the same time, which means there's two places—"

Minho buries his face in his hands, frustrated. "Newt, you are not helping. I say we start at figuring this guy's name and address out."

"And how do you want to do that?"

"The idea I've had since the beginning. Making him our bait." Minho points at Eli.

"He knows all of us, so that won't work. He might know everyone we're bloody connected to."

I blink a few times, then announce quietly, "Eh, remember when Lelia went on that walk? She was on drugs that day. She didn't want us to track her location. She must've gone to that guy's house, which means it can't be far away from here."

"Ah, fuck, man. We should've looked at the location back then and—"

"And I think I know where he lives," I add.

I mentioned before that instead of walking home from school in the fast way, I took another path so I wouldn't have to cross those boys who'd sit somewhere and then start bothering me.

What I did cross on that walk was a house. Sometimes, I'd hear music. I'd always smell weird things, like alcohol and weed. A woman was yelling in front of the door once, something about how she needed more.

"You are a genius!" Minho gives a strong hug. It comes so suddenly that before I even hug back, he is already at the front door. "Let's go, let's go."

☀︎︎

"It looks abandoned but also like... not," Eli says once we're standing in front of the place. He looks over at us. "We're just gonna step inside?"

"Backyard," Minho says. He points at a small part of the fence at the side of the house, then walks straight to it.

"Dude, you can't just go in there! Who knows who's also there? That guy? A freaking bodyguard? A—"

"Dude," Minho mimics. He eyes Eli for a second. "What else are we gonna do? Besides, I brought this." He lifts up his shirt, revealing a knife he tucked in his waistband.

"Oh, god." Newt presses his forehead against my shoulder. "You're not going to—"

"I would," he says. "You would, too, Newt. For both Thomas and Lelia."

Would I? I stare at the knife. I don't know. I've always said I'd hurt anyone for Lelia, but... stabbing is pretty crazy.

Maybe when it comes to it. When I, with my own eyes, see someone hurt her, then yes. But I'd rather not think of someone hurting her.

"But let's go now," Minho continues. "Wait until I finish looking."

I'm about to hold my hands in a cup so he can use it to reach the fence, but with a small run and jump, he's already looking into the backyard.

"No one's there," he announces. "Let's go."

"Minho, w—" Too late. He has already vanished.

Newt and I share a glance before, with a sigh, I hold my hands out so he can stand on it. Newt hesitantly climbs over the fence. With a jump, Eli and I both make it.

The yard is literally just grass and some stones that are placed in a weird way. The grass looks like it hasn't been cut in years.

Then we're already walking to the backdoor. Minho pushes against it, attempting to open the thing. Unfortunately, it doesn't open.

"Fuck," he curses as he glares at the other places. "You think anyone's in there?"

"Probably. Why—"

He stabs his knife into the center of the glass, then starts pushing against it. Taken aback, I watch little crystals form into the glass. At some point, it breaks, and Minho steps into the house like he didn't just... do whatever he did.

Newt and I share a second glance. He shrugs, and follows Minho inside. Unsure, I walk after them.

This is not a good idea, my mind keeps telling me. I don't know what's stopping me from running away. I swear I would if I could. But I'm not leaving Newt behind, nor Lelia and Thomas.

The disgusting smell of drugs then cuts my thoughts off. Minho's walking so fast that it stresses me out, and the way he's mindlessly opening doors with many sounds makes it even worse.

Newt gifts me a small smile. "Here. In case we need it." He presses a piece of the glass Minho broke in my hand.

I stare at it for a while, nod, and then silently follow.

"No one's downstairs," Minho says after a while, out of breath. "I saw something that looks like an office. Let's go there."

It rather looks like a messy work room than an office, but alright. There's one of those devices that counts money on the desk, an ugly couch, and many drawers.

When Eli tries to open one, it doesn't. It's locked.

"Hold up." Minho opens the laptop on the desk. "It's unlocked," he mutters, eyes trailing over the screen.

I peek along with him. There's an online calendar with things written down almost everyday. "LB" it says, plenty of times, especially the last weeks. Lelia Blake.

Minho clicks on the camera roll. There's pictures I wish to burn off my retina, but once they're on there, I can't get rid of them. I don't think Lelia was the only one he was stalking.

"Even we are all to be found here," Minho says. "Pictures of your backs and things like that."

Then he opens a notes app, revealing hundreds of phone numbers. I recognize one of them— when I see "LB", my mouth somewhat drops open.

"Look in his messages," Newt whispers.

All the contact names there are also created by names' first letters. Minho clicks on the most recent chat.

Got them.

Good. Deliver them.

Already done.

I'll be there.

He seems to have been very careful with the information he sent.

"AD," Newt reads. "As in—"

"Austin Davis." Minho nods. "I think this proves a lot."

"He's typing," Eli suddenly whisper-yells. It nearly gives me a heart attack.

"Let Newt reply. He's naturally a dry texter like that," Minho says.

Nervously, Newt moves closer to the laptop

It's boring here. I wanna spice things up.

We stare at the screen for a while. Newt gives us confused looks, then starts typing.

Tell me your ideas.

You had new shit, right? Perhaps you need some people to test it.

I don't want to waste my shit on a few kids.

Wow, Newt is quite good at this.

Will be fun, come on. Who knows what they start blurting out.

Fine. But not too much.

Got it.

What are they doing now? Behaving nicely?

No. Little whiners. Boy hasn't stopped crying since.

Perhaps you should've been easier on him.

That was risky. What if Austin didn't do anything to Thomas? What if it's not even Thomas we're talking about?

Nah. If you're allowed to beat him up in some woods, I can, too.

A string of curses leave Minho's mouth. I see his fist closing around his knife, so hard that his knuckles turn white.

What about— Newt stops typing and scrolls up the chats. I don't know what he's looking for until he sees what they call Lelia.

What about the girl? he eventually goes for.

Hasn't said anything. Mostly worried about S.

For a second, I frown. I thought the thing about beating the boy up in the woods proved it's Thomas.

"Stephen," Minho whispers. He must've seen my face. Gratefully, I nod.

You gonna do something about that?

Do you want me to?

I don't know. Maybe let them suffer in silence and tension for now.

Got it.

I feel like we should play around a little bit, though.

Yeah, I'm going to give them the drugs.

Let them think you're freeing them. Good way of playing with their feelings.

How the hell do you want me to do that?

Just let them go as they're under drugs. I'll make sure they don't get far. We can have some fun with it.

I guess.

Where do you want me to stand?

Just outside the fields, perhaps. 

Send me an exact location so there is no miscommunication.

No. You told me to never, ever share this place.

Ah, man. Almost got it.

Awesome. Needed some way to test if you're loyal.

Right. But we'll still let them go?

Yeah. Give them false hope.

Newt's halfway through typing the next message, when we hear a noise close to the front door.

Shit shit shit shit shit shit— my windpipe blocks in shock. I stand frozen, watching Newt put the exact tabs on as before. Then he closes the laptop.

"Hide," Minho whispers. "Go outside the second you get the chance and just run to Lyndon's house."

Newt takes my arm and pulls me under the couch. It stands quite a distance off the ground, so we fit right under. Had it not been for the orange blanket covering the whole gap, we would've been in perfect sight, though. So if whoever entered removes the blanket, we're dead.

The space contains heavy air and it stinks. Definitely doesn't help with my breathing trouble at the moment. I can't breathe. At all. I hold my breath to stop making sounds without even having to— I stopped breathing the second that door opened.

But still, I press my hand against my mouth to muffle the frightened cries. At both my fear and the dusty air, tears start leaking for my eyes. I can't see Newt very well in this darkness. Gosh, I don't even like darkness. I think I'm going to die.

Then I feel his hand touch mine. A gentle squeeze that helps the tiniest bit.

"Dad?" A female voice calls. "Someone broke into your fucking house!"

I press my eyes closed. Please, let her leave. Please, please, please— as fast as possible.

"Where the fuck are you?" She mutters. I hear someone tapping a few buttons on a phone. "Hello? There you are, yeah. Someone broke into your house. The glass is shattered."

The voice on the other side of the phone is inaudible for me. This girl already feels miles away. Like I'm drifting off as I hold my breath.

"Yea, I'll do a check. Where are you?" A pause. "Right. And where have you been the last two days? I was searching in our own house and even this one. Literally nothing." Another pause. "What do you mean that's none of my business?"

It feels like a million years until she speaks again.

"I can't hear a thing. Wait—"

She puts him on speaker. Somewhere, where I'm not panicking, I cheer.

"It's none of your business where I've been," the dad replies. "You know what's also not any of your business? You interfering with my business. I know what you've been doing the last months."

"What—"

"You're the worst daughter ever. Going on vacation with a few friends is not the same as going to a place I told you not to interfere with, so you could warn the people I have to deal with."

"I wasn't warning anyone. What are you talking about?"

"You were. I know about every single step you take. Every, single, one. You think I don't know the real reason to why you were in the hospital?"

"So what? At least I made it clear that I don't respect queers. What is it that you're so pissed about? You literally motivated me in that shit, my whole life."

Wait a minute.

"I'm talking about the fact that besides letting them know about what you respect or not, you were also faking things. Faking things to get them away from me. Because 'in the open air, they're in more danger than in their houses', am I right?"

"Dad—"

"Don't even call me that," he snarls. "Never ever interfere with my life again, you little—"

"I just didn't want you to ruin any other people like you did with—"

"Do not."

She lets go of a cry. "I'm sorry, alright? I understand you want your money back and I don't care about bullying someone, but some of the things you do or have done go way too far. Sometimes, I really, really, despise you."

"And all of the time, I despise you," he snaps back. "Now get out of my fucking house, Noelle. Never show up again, for all I care. Just—"

And then beep, she hangs up, the sound of it morphing into her little cries.

Of course she's the daughter of this awful man. But I can't pity her. She tried to help Lelia? Clearly not in the right way. And she's homophobic as shuck—

"Lynn, let's go." Newt shakes my shoulders. "Fast."

"We haven't tracked Lelia's phone yet," I whisper. Now that Noelle has left, and Newt's speaking to me, I feel my breaths returning, but awfully slow. "Take the laptop. He knows we broke in my now anyway."

"Maybe he also tracks his laptop. He'll know it was us," Newt says as we crawl away from the couch, and then rush outside because both of us silently decided I agree.

Wow, fresh air has never felt this good before.

"I'm never getting over this," Newt mutters. "Of course she's related to that—"

"Shh!" Eli presses a finger to his lips as he jumps away from the high grass, scaring both of us. "Only talk once we're out of here."

"Where's Minho?"

"Right here, Newt," Minho says from the other side of the fence.