Walter Warner
"What do you mean the van isn't there anymore?" Warner looked at the two large guys standing in front of him.
"We got to the alley where the tracker was leading us, nothing was left, not even the body."
"That doesn't make sense. Didn't you hide the tracker where I told you to?"
"Boss, you hid the tracker, we didn't touch anything."
"Don't get smart with me, Kyle," Warner growled. He sat at his desk in a concrete room, his head started to pound, his arms started to feel achy.
"Nothing was left?" He asked, looking up at them. One guy held out his hand where a small object was revealed.
"Only the tracking device-"
"Impossible... how?!" Warner stood and snatched the broken tracker.
"I don't know boss, but that's not all that we found."
"What else did you find, then?" Warner sat back down, feeling more dizzy than achy this time.
"This note."
They slid a crumpled piece of paper across the desk. Warner grabbed it and unfolded it. Black ink and a bit of dried blood smudged some of the words.
Let the games begin, WW.
- VV
"I should have known..."
Warner ripped the piece of paper into shreds. His heart started to thump faster and faster, he was overheating through his anger.
"Get Carmen. Meet me in the room with the others."
"Yes, boss," the men replied.
~~~
Julia Welch
"Ah, good, you're all still alive."
The same dark voice came prowling in the room once again. The four teenagers sat strapped to their chairs, unable to move.
"Julia, Jacob and Jorge, guess where you'll be headed by tomorrow?"
"Home?" Jorge squeaked from his corner of the room.
Warner's mean smile vanished. "No, and at this rate, Jorge, you're not going to see your home again."
Julia sat there in pain, more emotionally than physically this time, listening to the horror of his words. She had no more tears to cry out. All she had were her thoughts. Meaningless thoughts.
I'll never see my family again. I'll never see my friends again. I'll never be able to graduate school or fall in love. I'll never be able to achieve anything because I'll be stuck in this stupid, stupid room tied to this stupid, stupid chair.
"You get this job done, and I'll let you go."
"Isn't that what you said last time?" Jacob murmured.
"Don't go walking into areas you don't want to get trapped in, my boy."
Warner stepped through the room, he told his men to untie three of them.
"Carmen, get Julia for me, but be careful, she's weak."
The tall blonde headed over to her. She could feel the shaking in his hands. She wondered how someone so young could get involved with a group like this.
The ropes were loosened. Her wrists were bruised and the cuts from the rope burned. To her advantage, Carmen grabbed her by the forearms and pulled her up. His hands were cold, which made goosebumps scale through her. Unlike the other men that she saw grip the boy's arms, Carmen only supported her. It only made her mind start to question more than before.
Does he feel sorry for me or something? I must look horrible right now. Or maybe those biceps are deceiving, he might not be super strong to throw me around...
"Get in the van, we have a long car ride before us, especially if we want to make it on time," she heard one guy yell outside.
"Where are we going?" Jacob ducked once the guard pushed him in.
"You'll see."
Jorge got shoved in as well. The guards returned back into the building when Carmen let Julia go. She stood there, unable to think for a moment.
"Here," he started to pull something out of his jacket.
Julia just stared at him. A gun? A knife? What on earth was happening? Was this part of the plan?
"Once the guard drops you off at whatever church you'll have approximately ten minutes to run to the nearest convenience store and buy food or Advil or whatever you need. I wouldn't dare to run anywhere else or to try to call anyone, these guys are too dangerous. Don't pull anything and don't get a taxi. I know it's not much, but it'll help you."
"What is this?"
"Money... but hide it."
"Where did you get this?"
"Doesn't matter, just remember what I said."
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"Do you want to not die or no?"
"I- well, yes, but, I mean..."
Carmen gently took her arm and placed the few bills of cash in her palm.
"Take it. And share it with your friends."
Julia looked into his eyes, but he quickly let go of her arm and stepped back.
"Now get in."
Instead of pulling her in, he simply helped her up.
"10 minutes," he repeated.
Julia nodded. "Thank you," she said, and she meant it.
He glanced once more at her before letting out some sort of sigh. He closed the side door.
Julia shifted in her seat, sliding the few bills into the pocket in her jeans. Too many questions went flowing through her head just then.
Was it some sort of joke or prank? She didn't check to see if it was real money he had given her. What if there was some sort of tracking device printed on it just like she heard them yelling about in the other room? What if this was all to really get her dead for good.
But those eyes... They were too honest.
Maybe he was more than what she gave him credit for.
The blonde-headed boy looked intimidating, that was for sure. And working with a gang? That seemed to set the tone of "don't mess with the badboy."
But now she found herself second-guessing her poor judgement.
Maybe he's in here for the same reason as I am. Maybe he's stuck... and he can't get out...
"Julia, you okay?" She heard Jacob calling from the back.
"Oh, uh, yeah... never been better," she lied, plastering a fake smile on her face.
~~~
Carmen Yates
"Did you do it?"
Carmen didn't say anything, he just glanced at the guy still tied to the chair.
"Aww yeah, you did it, didn't you," his voice bounced off of the walls.
"Will you shut up before I break your other arm?"
"Alright, alright, but tell me it didn't feel good," Blake said.
Carmen shook his head.
"Oh come on- you can't be for real."
He looked at the guy, his eyes immediately drawing to the cast and bandages.
Carmen sighed. "I just hope she remembers what I said"
He could see Blake start to smile. "I think your heart just grew three sizes today."
"Okay, enough, shut up or I'll break all of your bones."
Carmen looked at poor Blake. The guy turned his head away and kept his laughter to himself. Carmen cracked a grin before exiting the room. He made his way down the dark hall into another room.
"You wanted to see me?"
"That Blake guy still hurting?" Warner called, taking a drink of whatever was in his glass.
"Yes, sir, he's in the worst pain of his life," Carmen tried to keep a straight face.
"Good, good, let's make sure it stays that way until we need him to be useful."
"Yes, sir."
Warner then put down his glass and left the room with a hard pat on Carmen's shoulder.
The boy stood there...
In Warner's office...
All alone.
And smiled.
Now to commence Plan B.
A/N
maybe Carmen's heart did grow three sizes...
or maybe it was all part of the plan...
let the games begin, my friends
(even though we're 17 chapters in already lol)