Escapade - Larry Stylinson (Re-write)

XV - Hit List

 "See Victoria's Station over there?" Harry asked, pointing from the clock face down to a large tower by the river. "Agatha Jordan, a chef, poisoned forty three year old Michael Harland at the Wetherspoons, back in 1983. She slipped a millimetre-long poisoned needle in his fish, and it cut Harland's tongue, killing him in his own home three hours later. The needle was too small to be found, and no remains were left at the restaurant. Cold case."

"How did they find out who did it?" Louis asked, squinting at the station through all of the city lights.

"All truth comes up, eventually." Harry said. He tapped his nose and smiled at Louis, "You just have to know where to look."

Harry pointed to the opposite side of the river, to a housing estate among many others. "In there lived a six year old child named Paula Rose Beaken. She was victim of a kidnapping in 1942. The whole country was looking for her at one point—the case was massive; everyone knew about it. Rumours came out that gangs had taken and sold her on the black market, or that her uncle had done something to her."

"Did they ever find out the truth?" Louis asked.

Harry smiled briefly and turned to Louis. He tilted his head. "Clive and Georgina Beaken, parents of Paula Rose Beaken. Guilty of murder and consumption of the remains."

Harry looked at Louis and put a hand on his face, stroking his thumb over Louis' cheek. He turned away to the City and pointed over to a street near Louis' house.

"Over there is the home of a drunk father who spent twenty years in prison for multiple armed robberies. His wife cheats on him with a dentist who holds illegal blackjack games beneath the Hall of Justice. The couple have a daughter and two sons. The daughter has to look after the entire family and works three jobs, despite being seventeen. Her brothers are fifteen year old twins. The boys grew up around abuse and have become abusive themselves. They've sexually assaulted fifteen women and seven men since their thirteenth birthday. They rape adults so the victims stay quiet. No regrets, they'll do it again."

Harry watched Louis while he spoke, deep green eyes boring their way through Louis' blue ones. Those eyes dragged Louis' heart and soul out with each word, and tightened his chest until his legs gave way and he fell on the floor, in tears.

Harry sat by him, and waited. No one in Louis' home could have guessed why Louis had been so closed-off all day. Louis himself hadn't known. All that he'd felt was a tormenting discomfort that he'd been able to soothe with food and a bath, but unable to get rid of. The discomfort had been trapped in him all day, and it was the best relief he'd felt in a long time to understand why he was so hurt. The truth, however, of what those twins had done to him was a harsh one.

He put a hand out to Harry and gripped onto the man's jacket. Harry waited. Louis shifted closer, making his mind up on what he needed, until he gripped Harry with the other hand. Harry put his arms out, Louis crawled up to him, and those arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"We need to go to the police, Louis. Tonight." Harry said. "If you don't speak up, those twins will hurt more people. You won't be safe until they're jailed."

Louis shook his head, gripping Harry and tugging his jacket angrily.

"They won't arrest you. I promise. You did nothing wrong."

"But I'm an adult and they're minors! I don't want to go, I didn't do anything— I didn't.. I didn't like it, I really didn't!"

Harry hushed Louis, rocking him from side to side. Louis pulled away after a moment, with the saddest face Harry had ever seen, and said, "I can't go to prison, Lilly will be so sad."