The Ghost Of You

Chapter Fourteen

Atwood, Colorado Thursday, July 11th

"So" I heard Lily ask.

"We need to get Marks key ring to get the basement key" I responded sitting up to look at her.

"Figures" Lily replies.

"Okay, so we need to think of a plan" I say running my hands through my hair and tugging a bit in frustration.

"Well..." Lily starts.

"Well?" I ask.

"I don't know, it's risky, especially since Marks so pissed at you...but maybe we could use that to our advantage" she says, standing up and pacing back and forth in front of me in thought.

"Okay?" I ask, wanting her to continue.

"It's really dangerous Zack" she stops pacing and looks at me. "Like I'm talking, you could get hospitalized if it doesn't go according to plan."

"I'm ready" I say. I'm willing to do anything for Hannah and whatever Lily has planned I know is the only way we're going to get what needs to be done, done.

"Well, we start by watching Mark, we know he drinks A LOT, so we wait for him to be drunk out of his mind. That's when you just happen to bump into him. We use that anger he has to get him to fight you, then we take his key ring when I pull him off of you" Lily explains.

"Okay, so most of that plan sound great except for you pulling Mark off of me. No offense Lily, but there's no way you could pull a drunk, pissed off Mark off of me... At least not by yourself" I smile when i think of someone who could help us.

"Do you know someone who could help us?" Lily asks.

"Maybe" I say standing up out of bed and walking over to my dresser. "Be ready to leave in ten minutes."

We walk into Carols antique shop and I hear the bell above us jingle.

"Carol?" Lily asks, giving me a look that tells me I'm crazy.

"Hello how can i- Oh hi Zack" Fred says walking up to us. "Whos this?" He asks, gesturing to Lily.

"This is Lily, she was friends with Hannah too"

"Oh, Smith?" Fred asks.

"Yeah?" Lily asks confused.

"Your parents bought their living room set from us" Fred says smiling. "Anyway what can I do for you two?" Fred asks. He's wiping his hands on a towel. My guess is he was staining some furniture.

"We need your help with something Fred, but I can't give you too much information because I don't want you getting involved. But we really need this favor from you. Just know, I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important" I said. Trying to show my sincerity through my eyes.

"Okay?" Fred questions.  

"I just need to know, if I tell you where to be and what time to be there by, would you be there?" I ask.

"Okay, when you said no information you meant it. But yes. I would be there" Fred says. "You mean the world to my grandmother and I know she'd want me to help you do whatever you're doing."

"Prefect Fred, give us a little bit and I'll give you the time and place" I said.

"Here" Fred said pulling a pen and paper out of his pocket. "This is my number, just text me when you need me and I'll be there."

"Thank you Fred, this means more than you could ever know" I said before turning to leave.

"Goodluck Zack and Lily" Fred says waving to us. We wave back.

"Okay, so there's our help" I said putting Fred's number into my phone so I have it ready to go.

"Okay, ready to head to the Bar and see what Marks up to?" Lily asks.

"Lets go" I respond.

The walk over to Barny's is silent, I'm too lost in thought and honestly scared out of my mind. When we get to the window of Barny's I stop in my tracks and grab Lily's arm making her stop too.

"What?" She asks.

I point through the window, and theres Mark, sitting in a bar stool drinking a beer. Lily and I both get closer to the window and I notice that he has five empty beer bottles next to him.

"Well, this might be going down sooner than we thought" I say.

"I don't know Zack, I think we should wait" Lily responds.

"Why? We have him right where we want him now, we know Fred is as the antique store, so he can get here in ten minutes max. I really thing we should just do it now. Everything's set up perfectly" I tell her.

"Okay..." She says with hesitation in her voice.

"Here" I give her my phone. "You text Fred when it looks like things are going to go down. I'm going to slowly walk past and hope he sees me and follows me into that ally" I say, pointing to the ally just on the other side of Barny's.

"Zack I know this was my plan, but maybe there's another option. I'm scared" Lily says. I see the worry in her face. I grab her and wrap her in a hug.

"I'll be fine Lily, just make sure he sees me." I say.

I feel her nod in my shoulder. So I let go of her, give her shoulders a quick squeeze of reassurance and start walking toward the front of Barny's.