19. Finding Freya
Joel
I was constantly checking my phone if Freya would text me or something that she's fine. Or that she's not, and she needs me. She left hours ago. Or.. well.. twelve hours ago. It was now 11pm. Aleksi left a while ago, and I've been just waiting for a message or a call. I just wanted to know if she's safely at Olli's and Eevi's place. I was sitting around my kitchen table, my other leg was shaking and I kept changing my look between my phone and sleeping pills. I think I should go to sleep or something, maybe Freya didn't want to answer to me. She looked pretty shocked when Aleksi almost revealed that the song we're writing tells about her. Yes, Aleksi stopped talking, but he got to say that "the song kinda tells about..." her. It does. But I'm sure that the song will never see the daylight. It's just too personal for me and of course many people would notice that the song tells about her.
My thoughts were interrupted by my phone buzzing on the table. My heart started beating faster when I took it to my hand and opened it, only to see that the message was from Eevi. But.. why she's awake?
Eevi: Is Freya with you? She hasn't come here, or called or anything...
I freezed. My sight started getting blurry when I kept staring at that screen, my hands were sweating and my heart was beating faster at every second.
Where the fuck she is then? With who? I barely could write her back, I was so nervous.
Me: She's not. She left here at 11am...
Eevi didn't write back right away. My thoughts were fighting with each other, I was thinking about every worst situation that could've happened to Freya. Why did I ever let her go by her own? But I know I can't control her, and I don't want that. She wanted to go alone, but it was stupid from me to be okay with it.
Eevi didn't answer and minutes were passing by, so I decided to write another message. Maybe she got busy with Oscar.
Me: I'll go after her. I will find her, no matter what.
I stood up from the chair and took the phone with me, I rushed to the hallway. I put on my dirty shoes.
Eevi: Take someone with you, don't go alone.
I read her message and immediately I went to my contacts and searched one number. I pressed it and put it on speaker as I put my leather jacket on. It took maybe five seconds for him to answer.
"What is it..?" Joonas' tired and mumbling voice questioned from the other side of the phone.
"Freya is missing. Please come with me to look for her." I explained quickly. I left my house and runned to my car.
"What? Yeah of course I'll come. Do you know where she might be?" Luckily Joonas agreed. I heard that he most likely left his bed and started to prepare himself ready.
"I'll leave my house now and come to downtown. I have no idea, but we have to start from somewhere." I nervously responded as I started the car.
For the whole ride I was nervous. My hands were shaky and sweaty, I wiped them often to my jeans. I was biting my lower lip, then I was putting the radio on and off. I felt anger towards myself. I wanted to scream, I wanted to curse like there wasn't tomorrow.
Every worst scenario played in my mind. What if she's kidnapped? Tortured? De.. dead?
Or what if everything is okay after all, and if I find her, she'll be just mad that I got so worried.
But it's the last thing I'm concerned about that she would get angry. I just need to find her alive.
I parked my car next to a building and Joonas was waiting for me outside. I stood out and locked the car. Joonas looked pretty worried as he was smoking a cigarette. He had his hoodie and leather jacket on. Right now we both looked like some bad guys, but it's only the best if no one will recognize us.
"Where do we start? She can be anywhere." Joonas said a little nervous.
"I don't know." I mumbled as I rubbed my face with my hands. Joonas kept smoking, and I was holding my tears.
"Okay. Why don't we call to the police? They must do something if we explain that Gilbert might be after her. And they are looking for him." Joonas suggested calmly. But as he talked, I paid my attention many feets away to some people. They all were wearing black clothes, and it looked like that they were dragging something. I frowned as I tried to see what they were doing. Then I saw that it was a man that they were carrying. My heart almost skipped a beat, it looked very suspicious. Why they would be dragging a man?
"Hey.. look." I gave a nod to that direction where they were. Joonas turned his head too, and we both stayed silent. Then he took my hand and pulled me closer to the building, so they wouldn't see us.
"What the fuck are they doing?" Joonas whispered like they would hear us.
I started walking to that direction, but still casually, so they wouldn't notice. Joonas was following me close, and I think that he threw the cigarette away.
There was a few man, and they had a black van. They pushed the other man to that car, I don't know if he was alive or not.
I had to stop when I saw another guy coming from the courtyard of the building. Joonas almost tripped because of my quick actions, and he mumbled something angrily. I didn't care.
The man had a neck tattoo, and he was talking to the others like he was the boss.
"Why are we spying them?" Joonas questioned impatiently. I kept my eye on that strange man who had a familiar appearance.
"I have a strange feeling about this..." I answered silently. Joonas sighed behind me.
"Well no shit..."
"Listen. I think that Freya might be included in this." I turned around to look at him. He frowned confused. I just got that feeling. Something was really off. Freya is missing, and I see few man dragging a body to a van. And then I see a guy who is probably their leader, and he seems like I have met him before. But we were still a little far away, so I couldn't really see his face.
I turned around again to observe them, and now it looked like that they were done talking. The van started driving away, but the man with the neck tattoo walked back to the courtyard. Now it was our time. I started walking again and Joonas followed next to me.
"Do you have any weapon?" I asked as I was preparing myself mentally.
"This." Joonas then replied and I turned my head to look at him and what was on his hand.
"A lighter?" I questioned sighing. Now it wasn't the time to make jokes. He shrugged his shoulders.
"We can set him on fire if you want." He put the lighter back to his pocket casually.
We walked through the courtyard towards the door that would lead us in to the building. I think the man went there since the door wasn't locked.
Now it was the time to find the right apartment.
We walked two floors up, and we checked every apartment by listening through the doors if we would hear something that isn't normal. Everyone is sleeping, and we heard nothing.
Until a door slammed open two floors above us. We looked at each other with Joonas, eyes widely open. What should we do now? Would that be the man? Luckily the old building had an elevator and the person went down with that.
Silently we rushed those two floors up and we reached a door that was open only few inches. That man did a mistake by leaving that door open, but it was only good for us.
"What if there is someone?" Joonas whispered as I opened the door silently.
"I hope it's Freya then." I answered.
We went in and Joonas closed the door behind him. There was dark, no furnitures and there was a bad smell. I looked down to the floor and there was some blood. I made shivers all over to my body. Who's blood it could be?
I opened a door of a room, but it was empty. Joonas also checked the bathroom, there was no one.
I went to the kitchen, there was only a small table and three chairs. On the table there was playing cards and an ashtray. It looks like that they have been here for a while. Some empty beer bottles were on the floor.
"Living room was empty. If I don't count those drops of blood..." Joonas suddenly stood on the doorway. I walked past him to check the one last room.
I opened the door, and my whole body got weak when I saw a ginger haired woman on the floor at the other side of the room.
"Fuck." I said underneath my breath when I rushed to her. It was Freya, her eyes were closed and her face was covered by blood and bruises. Joonas followed me in shock. I touched her face carefully as I kneeled down next to her. She was barely breathing.
"Don't you let her die, Joel." Joonas sobbed in shock. He went other side to her and kneeled down while his body was shaking.
"I won't." I hold my tears as I shaked Freya a little bit.
"Freya! Wake up!" I raised my voice. I patted her cheeks gently so that she would open her eyes. She was alive, but at the same time she wasn't here.
Joonas took his phone from his pocket, he tried to call to the emergency number, but there wasn't connection. Of course there wasn't. It made Joonas frustrated. He put the flashlight on from his phone and pointed it towards Freya's face. Now we could see her bruises better, and it made me cry. But I was still trying to stay strong and not show those tears. There is no time for that, I need to save her first.
"Wake up, darling.. wake up." I mumbled through my sobbing
All of sudden she inhaled heavily, she opened her eyes and that flashlight made her squint her eyes. Then she looked at me while I was smiling and chuckling relieved, not believing that she really has waken up. I was stroking her head when she turned her eyes on Joonas. I was speechless. Now I let all the tears out, and my hands were shaky.
"Joonas..." Her voice was raspy and weak, it made me a little confused. She looked so shocked, but yet calm. Joonas moved his phone away, I looked at him and Freya in turns.
"Yes?" Joonas asked confused.
"She loves you." Freya said with tears in her eyes. I frowned in confusion, so did Joonas. At first he freezed, but then his gaze moved to me.
"What are you talking about?" Joonas questioned, now his voice was shaking.
I looked down at Freya, she smiled slightly.
"Saga told me." She almost whispered. Now Joonas was completely in shock. I didn't know what to say either. Did she see her? Or what is going on?
We didn't get to say or do anything when we heard the front door opening and closing. Joonas and I locked our eyes to each other. My heart started racing faster and faster, but I still kept stroking Freya's head.
Then the man was standing on the doorway, we turned our heads to that direction. Now I knew who he was.
Fucking Tuomas. How the hell that crazy man has escaped from prison? He was smirking a little when he looked at all the three of us. What that man has to do with anything?
"How sweet. Sweet indeed." He chuckled silently.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I asked with lower tone. He put his hands on his pants pockets. I remember that stupid way how he stands, he just looks too arrogant and crazy.
"My job, Joel. I could ask you two the same. You don't know who you're dealing with." His smirk disappeared as he talked with his flat tone.
"Oh, I do know. You're a sadist and rapist." I answered just as coldly. His face didn't change.
"If you both leave now, I will let you live in peace. But if you ever say a word to anyone, I'll make sure that my men will kill you both." Tuomas took one step closer as he told that stupid suggestion. I shook my head.
"You think we would leave Freya here?" I questioned frowning. It was so weird how his face stayed the same, he barely blinked.
"Yes. In the end, everyone makes sure that their own skin is saved." He replied immediately. I bit my teeth together.
"What did you do to Gilbert?" Freya asked silently. I looked at her a little confused. Was Gilbert here? And why she worries about him? Maybe he was the one they were carrying to the van...
"Don't you worry about him, sweetheart." Tuomas' tone was more soft to her. It made me sick.
So I stood up quickly, Joonas stayed next to Freya. Tuomas didn't even flinch to my reaction, like he was waiting for it. I went closer to him, I didn't break our eye contact.
"Yes? Police?" Joonas suddenly said to his phone. Finally the connection was working. I started smirking lightly as I kept staring at Tuomas, his face started looking more concerned than before. Slowly he took his hands out of his pockets.
Then he was about to run away from the room, but I was fast enough to get grip from his arm, so he stopped.
"Where are you going, coward? Scared of the people dressed in blue?" It was my time to annoy. And I fucking enjoyed it. I enjoyed seeing him helpless, he knew he was screwed.
While Joonas was talking to the phone, I watched Tuomas. He didn't look at me.
"At least give me the chance to jump off the balcony." Tuomas mumbled desperately, still not looking at me in the eyes.
"You're not so scary kidnapper after all, huh? What would your men think if they would hear that you were a coward and didn't have the balls to face the judgment?" I questioned. Then he moved his eyes to me, and I think I hit the weak spot.
"Police and ambulance are coming. You have no way to go Tuomas." Joonas said, I smiled relieved.
"I need to know where Gilbert is. Is he alive?" Freya asked, her voice was shaking. Gilbert glanced at her, then he looked at me again. I frowned at him, now I wanted to know the answer too.
"Barely..." He mumbled quietly. I started getting annoyed by his hinting. I took grip from his shirt's collar, and he pressed his lips together tightly.
"Barely what?" The question came out of my mouth at the same time when the police were behind the front door beating it. Joonas rushed to the door. I let go of Tuomas, but he didn't answer to me.
He was smirking as one of the police arrested him, I backed up to Freya.
I kneeled down and wiped those tears away from her face. She looked at me with her tired and sad eyes.
"I'm glad that you're alive." I silently told her, she smiled a little bit.
"And I'm glad that you were the first thing I saw when I woke up." She whispered. I kissed her forehead.
Police caught Tuomas, finally. Gilbert is still missing.
I have been feeling a little down lately, and writing has felt hard, since I'm feeling tired. But I'm proud that I wrote this chapter ready for you guys.
Thank you so much for reading this story, every vote and comment means a lot to me <3
Stay safe and strong🖤