Seven People {Completed ✔️}

Chapter 26 (Zach)

"And emotionally?" She askes me cautiously.

"They killed Mylie." She proceeds to look at me blankly. "My girlfriend."

This shocks her, which surprises me. I've always believed that these agents were more steel-faced then my parents.

"I'm really sorry, man." Blake comes up to me. That's when it hits him that I'm still bound to this chair. "Here, let me help you."

I guess he isn't one for admitting his mistakes. I don't get what Cara sees in him.

At that moment, more agents file into the room. They go up to Blake and then look at me.

"Report," Blake orders one of the men.

"We have a few men stationed near the parking lot and two near every entrance to this floor." The agent tells Blake. "Anything else we should be keeping an eye on?"

"Not for now. We need to search this place. Zachary told us that the Stevensons and the Mills seemed terrified about something. They were surprised at the beacon. However, he mentioned that they did take a short while to leave."

"They left something for us."

"Yes, and it wasn't a bomb, or else that would have gone off by this point. And I have a feeling that Zachary's parents are not eager to kill him." Blake says, winking at me. It really isn't making me feel any better.

As soon as he says that, agents begin walking around. They open cabinets, doors and closets. They tap on loose stones and photograph anything and everything that could be a potential clue or hint. At least I think. Once again, no one bothers to tell me anything.

Not 2 minutes later an agent comes running into the room.

"Agent Carson, there is a tape here. It's labelled 'Blakey, Alana May, and to whomever else, this may concern. From Sasha.' It's for you."

"Thank you, agent Macdonald," Blake says as he takes the tape. "Someone find me a laptop! Or something I can play this one."

"I have one in my room. And a tape player that connects to it." I tell him. Although I'm fully aware I'm basically useless in every other aspect of this mission, I literally got captured within 2 minutes, I can at least provide this stupid laptop.

"Please go and get them, Zach" When he says that, I go to my childhood bedroom. A room I'll likely never step foot in ever again.

I lived in a house with murderers, that's a truth that's only just starting to sink in.

Once I get there, I notice that everything is as I had left it this morning. I didn't make my bed, and it was still a mess. My notebooks were open to the same page I had been studying. High school may be over but I still have plans for college. It doesn't hurt to get ahead.

I don't know how those plans are going to play out now that I'm in this situation.

I grab my laptop from my desk and pull open one of the drawers to get the tape player that could connect to it. With that, I left the room, turning off the lights and closing the door, maybe for the last time.

Back downstairs, I hand the laptop over to Blake, who takes it and sets it up on the table, immediately getting to work by setting up and connecting the tape player. Everyone in the room pauses what they are doing to look, or at least listen to the video.

Sasha's face appears on the screen.

"Hello everyone! What a pleasure it is to see all of you. Well, you can see me but I can't see you! Be grateful people like you are even able to lay their eyes on me. Anyway, little Zachy's distress call just activated! I can't believe you, I'm suing if I get a stress rash from this. My skin is precious to me! I've been told to leave this little, how to put it, easter egg, here for you to find. To answer some of your questions, yes, my parents and the Stevensons were behind the death of the Yorks. Poor Cara, It's not as if she had like 4 separate nannies and governesses to care for her. Oh wait, she did! Anyway, in this world, you have to only look out for yourself. And the death of the Yorks would kill 2 birds with one stone. They die, and both of our families would get a paycheck. Yay us! Anyway, Marianne was really upset, because her precious baby boy loved little miss. York. So he obviously couldn't get involved. Yeah, Zachary has absolutely nothing to do with any of this. And I am really sorry about your darling girlfriend, but at least now she doesn't have to live with you loving someone else. So, you're welcome. Go be with Carolina. I have to go now, buh bye!"

Everyone is stunned when the clip finishes playing. No one says or does anything. They all just look at each other, exchanging an unspoken message. Then, all the agents just grab their things and start filing out of the room.

"Come on Zach, we're taking you to the safe house. Cara's there, you'll be safe." Blake tells me. I decided to just quietly follow him along.

The safe house looked incredibly typical. Which, I guess was the point. No one would suspect such an ordinary home.

As we are entering, we are blocked by two guards. Only when both Blake and Talia give passwords, separate, are we let into the room.

I see Cara and the other girls that were in the group sitting together on the couch. When she sees me, she stands and runs over to hug me. She has tears in her eyes.

"I was so worried! Never do that again!" I look at her, and she seems to notice something in my eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry for what my parents did to yours. I'm so sorry." I'm crying now too.

"It isn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done. They'll get what they deserve." She tells me.

"As much as I love seeing beautiful reunions such as this one, we're still waiting for Xavier." Blake chimes in.

I go sit on the couch, and Cara comes and joins me. "What happened Zach? You look... down."

"She's dead because of me," I tell her, looking away.

"Who?"

"Mylie." Cara stares at me blankly. "My girlfriend. I have to let her parents know what happened to her. They deserve to know."

"I'm so sorry Zach. When the time comes, I'll help you, if you want, of course." She takes me in her arms and hugs me.

I've cried more today the I've cried within the last 11 years. I cried when I thought Cara died, but I quickly realized that I had to close myself off if I wanted to make it in this cruel world.

"Do you want to know why my parents never told me about what happened?"

"Why?" She asks me, genuinely curious.

"Because they knew that even at 6 years old, I had a crush. On you. And I know you sort of hated me, but to me, all the joking about how we should get married wasn't really 'a joke'. I really liked you."

"Thanks for telling me this." I know it is cruel to just spring this on her, but I needed to get all of this off of my chest. I was about to continue before she interrupted me. "What about... what about now?"

"I'd be lying if I said I ever stopped caring. I loved Mylie, but I always loved you in the back of my mind. And I don't think anything is ever going to change that."

She looked at me with wide eyes.

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First published November 17th, 2019

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It sure was a long one...

Anyway please consider giving this chapter a comment and a vote if you think it deserves it. I put a lot of effort into my writing, on top of a busy school life, and I would really appreciate if more people were able to see my work.

Happy Reading!

Dani💙