"But ain't nothing little about this."
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE — FAMILY TIME
Diego turned the key and the engine of the car stuttered to a stop. "I know this Jenkins dude has to have a record. We just gotta get our hands on this file."
Allison scoffed. "And your plan is to what? Waltz in there and just ask for it?"
"I know the station like the back of my hand, sis. I've spent a lot of time inside."
"Handcuffed, and jailed," I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever. Here's the plan."
"Plan? I'm just gonna blink in and get the file," Five scrunched up his face.
"No, that's not- you don't know the ins and outs of this place, okay?" Diego glared at Five.
"We literally just did this yesterday," Five sighed.
"What?" Diego asked in confusion.
"Our yesterday, not your yesterday," I lightly punched Five's upper bicep in one move.
He winced, rubbing his arm. "It'll take me two seconds. Why don't I just go?"
"Listen to me. You are not going in there. I made a call," Diego looked at his side mirror. "That's what a leader does. He leads."
"Shut the fuck up, Diego. I'm coming with you," I walked through the car door and dragged myself into the shadows, slipping into Diego's shadow as he stepped onto the sidewalk.
-
-
A man approached the alley where we waited.
"Beeman," Diego said.
"Jesus Christ," he jumped a mile high.
Diego stepped out of the doorway as I lingered in the shadows behind him.
"You shouldn't be here," Beeman commented.
"I need to look at a file," my brother replied bluntly. "Guy named Harold Jenkins."
"No, you need to leave town. I shouldn't be telling you this, but they're looking at you for her murder," Beeman crossed his arms.
Murder?
"You can't be serious," Diego looked sideways.
"Your prints were all over the crime scene. You two had a lot of heated arguments over the years. It doesn't look good, that's all I'm saying."
"Unbelievable," Diego muttered.
"The only reason I'm telling you this is 'cause I know you and her used to be close. Personally, I think you're a real pain in the ass."
I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips.
Diego cast Beeman a levelled glance.
"-I also know you'd never do anything like that."
He handed Diego something and continued, "Just do me a favour and just stay out of sight, until I have more to go on."
"I will. I just-" he sighed. "I can't leave without that file."
"You understand I could lose my job, right?" Beeman scoffed.
"That file, it won't- bring Patch back, but it could save some lives. I can't explain to you how I- I just need you to trust me," Diego looked at him in the eye.
Beeman sighed. "Fine, but you owe me one."
Beeman quickly returned to the station, not looking back as he left us.
"Damn, I was so close to going full 'bad cop', you know?" I smirked, stepping out of the darkness to look at Diego.
"Shut up."
Once we got the file, Diego thanked Beeman for the millionth time and we approached our other two siblings.
"So?" Five asked, reaching out for the file in Diego's hands.
"You're welcome," Diego held it out of his reach.
Allison grabbed it from him quickly, flipping the file open quickly and widening her eyes. "Holy shit!"
"What?" Diego asked.
"Harold Jenkins is Leonard Peabody," Allison flipped the file and showed a picture to us.
"Isn't that Vanya's boyfriend?" I asked.
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-
We pulled up the street to Leonard's house.
"Be careful, okay? We don't know what Peabody's capable of," Allison spoke in a motherly tone.
"Yeah, he didn't seem dangerous when I first saw him," Diego raised a hand to block the sun. "Looked kinda scrawny."
Allison rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, so are most serial killers and mass murders. I mean look at them," she pointed at me and Five.
"Thanks," Five smiled.
"Is that an insult or a compliment?" I looked sideways at Allison.
"Good point. So what's this guy want with Vanya?" Diego questioned.
"I don't know. How about we ask him after we kill him?" Five replied bluntly.
Allison walked away from us and head to the side of the house.
"Whoa whoa. Hey, look, I'm gonna burst through-" Diego paused. "You know what? It would be nice for people to stick to-"
Five didn't hesitate to blink away.
"-the plan." Diego trailed off.
I walked through the door, looking around the house just as Diego burst through the glass window on the door.
"Subtle," Allison smirked.
"You know, the door was unlocked," Five pulled the door open before closing it back again to make his point.
"Yeah well, my way works just fine," he groaned, pulling himself up. "Spread out. Yell if you, uh, you know, you're in trouble."
"Ah, inspiring leadership," Five smirked,
"One of the greats," Allison shook her head.
"Best of the best," I sighed.
I walked upstairs, peeking into rooms and shifting through some of Jenkin's stuff.
"Guys, you need to see this," Allison yelled from the corridor.
I followed her up to the attic.
"Holy shit," I breathed as I looked around the room.
"All our faces are burnt off," Allison's voice wavered slightly.
"Well, that's not creepy," Diego replied sarcastically. "This guy's got some serious issues."
"Shit," we all said in unison.
"This was never about Vanya," Allison stated the obvious.
Five breathed heavily, pulling up his shirt slightly before tugging it down when he caught me staring.
"This was about us."
Five stared at me as he groaned.
"Five-"
I barely had time to dive to the floor and catch him as he crumbled on the spot.
"Five, what-"
I laid him down gently on the floor.
"Blood," Allison said, peering down to see blood seeping down his knee.
I yanked his shirt aside, revealing a bullet wound. Fuck, no.
"Jesus, Five," Diego breathed. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"You have to keep going," my baby breathed out, twisting on the ground in pain.
"Why didn't you tell me!" I gasped, looking around the room for anything to stop the blood from coming out.
"Just leave me be, Zero!" He snapped from below, his eyes blazing as he stared at me.
I flinched, nearly bumping into Diego in front of me.
"Woah, calm down," Diego glared at Five before patting my leg in comfort.
"Zero, shit, I-"
I looked away, "It's alright, Diego, I-I should leave."
"Shit, Zero!" Five called out as I climbed down from the attic.