Release Me

Chapter 13

"No shit, Sherlock."

My vision is completely blurry now, and I think I'm slowly starting to lose consciousness.

"Thea! Thea! Please stay with me! Thea!"

Mike's yelling is the last thing I hear before the world goes completely dark.

Dammit, not again!!

******

I feel like I have a terrible hangover. My head is pounding and my body feels like I have run a marathon. Groaning, I slowly open my eyes and get up from my bed. For some reason, my surroundings feel weird. As I looked around the room, none of my stuff is here.

Was I robbed?

Then the smell of food hits my nose and it is delicious. Wait—Jake never cooks this early in the morning. Heck, he never really makes food that smells this good.

Where the hell am I?

Slowly getting up, I walk over to the door. My muscles protest in pain and my head feels like it is having a mini party in there.

God, what did I do last night?

Before I reach the door, I see something sitting on the desk that looks familiar. Steering my feet towards the object I recognize it as a camera. But it isn't just any camera, it is my best friend Mike's special camera.

I'm in Mike's apartment?

And slowly the events start to return to my memory. The illegal trade, Claudia, and my boss dying, getting kidnapped, Jake getting kidnapped—Jake dying.

I let out a sob as I remember Jake's death.

My brother is dead. I will never see his smile again. Never hear his laugh, and roll my eyes at his stupid jokes. I will never have a person to run to for help. I will never have someone to argue with over silly things. I will never have another older brother. Tears start to form and fall down my face, and I let them.

"Thea," Mike's soft voice and knock break me out of my thoughts.

I wipe away all the tears and face him with a small smile, but I am greeted with a concerned look from him.

"You're awake."

"Yeah," I croak out.

"Oh Thea!" Mike runs up to me and gathers me into a small hug. "You were out for about a day, and I was so worried."

"Wow, I slept for a day?"

"Yeah, and I was so worried because I couldn't do anything. I mean, I can't even take you outside much less to the hospital."

I looked at him, confused.

"Why couldn't you take me to the hospital?"

Mike looked at me and scratched his neck.

"Um...Thea you just woke up, maybe you should get something to eat and, you know, to try to gain some energy."

I stare at Mike, suspicious. He is lying, I can tell. Mike will always scratch his neck and fidget around when he gets nervous or is hiding something.

"Mike, what's going on?" I ask.

He lets out a breath and walks out of the room.

Rude much?

I follow him into the living room and he picks up the daily newspaper. He turns around and looks me straight in the eyes.

"Read this, Thea," he says, holding the newspaper out to me.

"What's going on?" I repeat.

"Just read the paper."

I take it from him and read the heading that is printed in big, bold, letters. My heart stops and my breathing becomes uneven.

How?

This can't be real.

I re-read the words and they haven't changed.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" I ask Mike, waving the paper.

"No—no, it isn't Thea,"

But it can't be—this can't be me!

"You're a wanted criminal Thea. For murder."