Villains Rise

Chapter 20 -- Of course she's a villain

"Alright, Roush. Solitaire for a week." The guard I had stolen the keys from enters the room. I had placed the keys on a hook beside the entrance door to this hall. I didn't expect him to be back so soon.

"I didn't start the fight, sir." The boy, who looks to be about 15, replies innocently. Well, he looks as innocent as a juvenile delinquent can possibly be. There's still light in his emerald green eyes. I can barely see his eyes because of his curly black hair covering his face.

"Get behind those bars, kid. At least you're getting out of here on Friday. Those other two will be in here for quite some time." Grant scowls at Mickey and Thomas, who smirk right back at him.

Grant pushes the boy into the cell and locks it behind him. Before he exits the room, he fully inspects the area. Grant twirls the key ring in his fingers. That's when I realize he's going to lock the door back. I'm going to be trapped.

So much for getting answers out of Mickey and Thomas.

I make a dash for the open door while I'm still invisible. But not before I use my super speed to collect a strand of hair from the top of Mickey's and Thomas' heads. That's what Drake and Owen told me to retrieve. I may be working by myself now, but I'm still going to get all of the evidence I can, no matter who gave me the advice.

Then I look at the boy who was called Roush. I'm sure it was a last name. He doesn't look familiar at all, but there's something about his features that stand out to me. How does a 15 year old boy end up in solitaire? And why does he still look hopeful?

As much as I'd like to get more information out of Mickey and Thomas, I'm certain there wasn't much more I was going to drag out of them.

I am completely alone with no hints. How am I supposed to find the woman who was following Owen and myself?

The creaking of the door brings me back to real time. I dash through the doorway past Grant, and continue running until I'm out of the building. In fact, I don't come to a screeching halt until I'm almost back at The Undergrounds. I'm not going back in there. I'm not going back to Owen, either.

But can I turn to my friends when I've made it clear I need space?

I sigh as I realize there's only one place I can sleep tonight.

***

Mason's cabin is nastier than I remember. The boarded floor is covered in dust and the walls are lined with cobwebs. Maybe he would clean it up if it weren't meant to look this way; abandoned. No one thinks anything of this place. It's kind of like the warehouse Mickey and Thomas used.

A small smile appears on my face as I uncover the couch underneath a solid white sheet. The beige colored couch isn't in perfect condition, but it'll do for tonight. I just need some place to rest my head where no one will disturb me. Maybe I need to get my own secret lair.

There's a quiet pitter patter of rain that begins to fall on the roof. Then it falls on my forehead. Are you kidding me? I huff as I get up to move the couch over from the tiny hole in the roof.

When I lie back down, my body tells me to go straight to sleep. I'm exhausted. But my brain is keeping me wide awake with questions. I wish I could turn off the questions because I don't have any answers for myself.

Why did that boy look so... familiar? I have never seen him in my life. Do I know anyone by the last name of Roush?

My eyes are wide open in a split second.

Roush is my mother's maiden name.

Is that boy related to me? In a small town like this, it's quite possible. Now I definitely can't sleep until I figure out who the kid is. A cousin? I mean, I haven't ever met him, so that seems pretty unlikely. Although, there is my mom's brother who never shows up to family events. I don't know if I've ever seen him unless I was little. Mom doesn't keep a lot of pictures of family out in the open, either. But if my uncle had a son, that would clear up why his name rang a bell.