No.
There's no way.
"Oh my God! This is all my fault....they took my little sister. Chloe! They took my mom. They didn't know! I never fucking told them!"
Jake still kneeling a few feet away from my front door, continues to rant frantically.
And i can't make sense of any of it.
They didn't know?
He didn't tell them?
Tell them what? That he's involved with the mafia?
"Jake Jake Jake......look at me okay, look at me. I promise i'll help you, but you need to focus okay? Just take a deep breath. You have to be as calm as possible" i say, still kneeling in front of him.
"I can't be calm Rhea! Those bastards have my sister!! My little Chloe....oh God! I fucked up, i fucked up bad" he says, literally crying his heart out.
" look....we need to work things out so we can find out where they are, and the only way we can do that is if you're able to speak clearly."
He nods his head slightly as the tears continue to flow down his face.
"Deep breath in, deep breath out...." we do this for almost five minutes before he stops shaking.
"Now.....think Jake, everything you say at this point is a hundred percent important. I'm going to give you a minute to gather your thoughts, but after that you have to tell me- tell us what happened okay?"
"O-okay...." he stutters in response.
"In the mean time, Shawn get your laptop . We need to go over everything we found yesterday. Mira please get me my phone from the living room. Dray get ready to call Drenad and that other informant" i say quickly as i walk into the kitchen to grab Jake a cup of water.
"Here take this.." i say, as i hand him the glass of water.
He gulps it down in mere seconds.
Once we are all settled in the living room, he starts talking.
"You all know about my Father. Rhea, you know what he was like y-you witnessed it first hand. He always had a drinking problem, but after Chloe was born it just got worse. He'd show up drunk and hit my mom and I.......i never really knew what happened to him, he just lost control. My mom worked as a waitress, she barely made enough but with what my dad was making....we were surviving. And then he got fired, for violence and misconduct. It all started to go down hill from there....."
Tired, weak......absolutely exhausted, hurt, guilty. That's all i can see as i look at him.
"With him out of work......the bills were coming and there was no money. I got a job. But then he'd just come back and take all the money. We tried everything, hiding it -whatever we could......he'd threaten us and then walk away with all our hard earned money. I was barely able to balance work, school and taking care of Chloe....it was all just getting too much. One day i got home from work and he was right there......Chloe was crying and my mom was bruised from head to toe. Once again he wouldn't leave if i didn't give him money, i wanted them to just get divorced and to never have to see each other ever again but he wouldn't do it! He'd leave but come back every damned week......he wanted alcohol, drugs, anything to get fixed. I was frustrated....done. i didn't want to have to deal with all that, so i gave it to him. I told him to leave and never come back and i gave him everything. That night......after my mom and Chloe were asleep, i left the house. I didn't take anything with me, i just walked off. I was sick and tired of putting up the facade that i was happy, content, the party animal, player , bad boy. At that point i wanted to embrace my problems and get lost......i wanted to be quiet, calm....i wanted to be real. So i walked towards the old abandoned playground. I don't know why, but at the last minute i took the wrong turn. I literally went left instead of right. Moments later, i found myself on a dirt path, alone in the dark....heading for the woods."
"Deep in thought, i just kept walking.....wondering w-what my life would be like if i was like every normal teenager with a happy family. This was a few days before you showed up at our school" he says, weakly pointing at me.
" when i realised that i was actually lost and had no idea of where i was, i turned around and tried to retrace my steps. That was when i heard voices.....sounds of cars, it was a whole ruckus. I was confused and intrigued because, the area looked pretty deserted. So like any other idiot, i walked towards the noise. Hiding in the woods, i realised it was some sort of warehouse..."
Oh shit...
" i noticed a gate around the corner so i walked up to it and crawled through a hole that was already there. I got closer to the warehouse and looked through the window. There were two men there sorting out wraps of something.....it took me a while to realise they were drugs. They had guns.....i freaked out and ran away. I was scared.....what were they? A gang, the mafia, a cult? I didn't know but i was scared."
" days after that......we barely had food at home, the bills were coming up and they were about to cut off both our electricity and water...my mom was overworking herself and i was desperate....so i did the dumbest thing. I went back to the warehouse and snuck in, surprisingly there were only about two guys on guard....." he trails off, nervously wringing his fingers together.
"What did you do Jake?" I ask softly, but firmly.
Sure, I'm worried about him but that doesn't change the fact that he has to speak up right now so that we can get to work and bring both his sister and mother back in one piece.
"When i got there the drugs were in wraps, they kinda looked like bricks...i guess they were just delivered or something. I was nervous so i only took four and then i left..."
"You.....stole drugs from the mafia?" I ask in shock.
I thought he joined them.....worked for them or something.
"I know...i was stupid. But at the time it seemed like that was my only option, so i did it. They didn't catch me. I did my research and found out that one wrap of cocaine was worth at least ten thousand dollars.....so i sold it for fifteen thousand each."
"Oh my God..." Ace groans, looking like he's just about to faint and i don't blame him.
I don't even know if i have big enough balls to not only steal drugs from a mafia group but sell it on the streets with added profit.
Still, i don't really blame him.
You know what they say; desperate times call for desperate measures.
You know what a person is truly capable of when they're desperate, enraged with frustration....fed up.
"And what happened next?" I asked taking notes of the important stuff.
"I slowly started paying off the bills....i didn't want my mom to suspect a thing. After all our bills were sorted, i kinda felt like everything was going to be fine...that i had nothing to worry about. I swore to myself that i would never go back there again..but months later i got home and the house was trashed....dad and his friends came looking for money. They took everything we had left. Pushing my fear behind i went back to the warehouse and this time......they caught me." He says in such a feeble voice.
Everyone is looking at him with such sadness in their eyes....i mean, Mira is crying.
"They beat me up and i tried to get away but they chased me.....it took so long but i was able to loose them, but it didn't really matter.....they saw my face. After that i started getting threats; they'd call my number at random moments, sometimes i'd be in school and they'd just call. I knew i had to pay them back so i got another job......i was working my ass off, paying them every little bit i had. But they wouldn't stop, they started dropping little.....presents at my house. I don't know how they got my number or address, but i didn't really put it past them. My mom and Chloe started getting scared....they knew something was up, but i lied to them......i told them it was just some neighbourhood bullies. Then they showed up at Ace's party that night....Rhea caught them following me at the mall. They just wouldn't leave me alone and they wouldn't kill me."he takes a deep breath and continues.
" i got home from work today, i took the back door and went straight to my room.while i was changing i realised something seemed off....it was way too quiet and my mom never sleeps early. So i walked into the living room and everything was either broken or destroyed.......they left a note." He says as he pulls out a crumpled note from. His pocket.
Taking it from him i inspect it then pick up my phone, Calling someone that i know for a fact will have some idea of who these people are.
After a few rings he answers.
"Sweetheart, it's been such a long time. Are you coming to the tracks today?... You know you bring in the crowd so why don't you come more often?"
"I'm sorry Julian....i've been busy with school, you know the drill. However, the deal is i really need your help right now" i say, as i glance over the note one more time.
I put the phone on speaker and listen.
"What is it girly? I do owe you a lot darling, so tell me.... how can i help you?" He asks.
"Could you tell me exactly what you know about a gang called 'el crándo'?" I say, reading the name that was written at the bottom of the note.....you know, underneath all the threats.
A moment of silence goes by before Julian lets out a low whistle, his voice coming out smoothly with a low undertone as he answers my question.
"You have it all wrong my sweet girl.....That is no gang." He says, letting out a breath.
And so what is it?
I swear I'm starting to get tired of all these damned plot twists.
"And so.......what is it or rather, who are they?" I ask him. Everyone's on the edge of their seat as we wait for his response.
" 'el crándo', short for 'el cráneo ilorando' they are as a matter of fact, the group of blood thirsty demons that run the streets."
The weeping skull?
"And what does the name mean?" Freya asks.
"The weeping skull." I say in response.
"It started as a major street gang many many years ago,back then you were still a baby. But then their leader got arrested and it all went to hell. Everyone forgot about them because their leader was gone.
He was a psychopath......absolutely sick in the head. In the span of two weeks, he killed two of the prison guards, five prison mates and the warden. After that he was transferred to a maximum security mental institute.we never heard from him again......until a few years ago, he was said to have escaped from prison. He came back and started rebuilding his empire, but this time with two partners. The police haven't been able to capture him since he escaped......no one has seen him or his partners. They've been stronger than ever, effortlessly involved in every dirty and illegal business you can think of;drugs, weapons, money, women...you just name it."
"And so how do they do business if no one has seen him or his partners?" Dray asks this time.
"They usually do business through a man commonly known as the 'goblin'. However, they killed him over a month ago"
"Why?" I ask
"He stole from them. Plus, those three are known for their bad temper. They kill at will. However, the third is known to love playing with his victims before he kills them. Every single member is sworn in under the gangster code of silence and loyalty known as 'omerta' see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil. If you speak of what you see you're instantly sentenced to death, any attempt to disobey an order or betray them is punishable by death." Julian informs us, ignorant to the effect his words have on us.
Cautiously looking at Jake, he's looking at the floor like he wants it to just open up and swallow him whole.
"What else can you tell us about them?" I ask, still needing more information.
"They own a club; it's called 'inferno'. Only a few people know it's owned by them and it's only about forty five minutes down town."
Trust Julian to know everything that literally no one knows.
Perks of owning an illegal race track i guess.
"Thank you so much Julian. I'll call if i need to know anything else. And i promise, i'll be back to the tracks soon" i say, getting ready to hang up.
"Sure thing baby girl. I guess i'll see you around"
And that's it.
"Rhea...." Shawn calls out, still staring at his laptop.
"Yeah?" I answer as i move towards him.
"I just finished analysing the footage we got from the warehouse.....julian was right."
"What did you find?" I ask, taking a seat next to him.
" do you remember the business card we found in guards wallet?"
"Yes, what about it?"
Clicking twice and then zooming in on the image that pops up.
It is indeed a picture of my hands holding a small business card in front of the camera....at first glance the words appear illegible, but as he continues to zoom in; you can make out the word 'inferno'.
Underneath that in an even smaller print is the address and that's about it.
Nothing pointing to the owner of the said club, the founder or even the date it was founded, there's no reference number, no social media handle, no motto.
Nothing.
"Wait.......y-you guys went to the warehouse?" Jake asks.
"Yes we did" i say, standing up.
"Do you realise how dangerous that was!? You could have been killed Rhea! I don't think i can do this....I'm putting all of you in danger, what if we get killed? What if they kill us because we're snooping around? I have to go." he says moving to his feet, and i just watch him.
"Okay then.....leave." i say.
" what?" Literally everyone in the room asks, confused and surprised by my response.
"Go ahead Jake....leave. Make yet another stupid mistake, all in the name of protecting us. When will you finally realise that we are your friends. Friends are supposed to be family, or at least an extension of family. Believe it or not, but i am willing to risk my neck for each and every one of you here. You came here! to me...to us, asking for help and now you want to leave because it's dangerous? What did you think it was going to be...a fucking tea party!? Oh sweetie wake up! Life is a danger on it's own so get over your stupid obsession with protecting everyone. We've always been in danger, moreso now that we've been snooping around the bloody mafia. You better open your eyes right now and fucking realise that it's too late to go back. Your sister and Mother are in trouble! Can you put your need to protect and common sense aside for one damned second. Who the fuck do you think you're going to go to?! The police? Your brains will be splattered across the floor the moment you step out of the station. You heard Julian. They run the streets! And that includes the police. So make up your mind this moment because i have alot of homework to do. Are you going to man up, grow a pair of balls and take the risk to save your family and explain to them just what the hell it is you got all of us into or are you going to sit around like a scared little bum, waiting for saints to come down from heaven to save YOUR family!"
"You fight for those you love. I don't know about you but i'll kill for my family. Kate was taken from me, i wouldn't let any other sicko walk into my life and think they have the right to just claim the life of someone i love. As bitter and as mean as this may sound this is your problem, your decisions brought you to this point, it's your fault, you decided to walk into that warehouse, and you decided to hide the truth from us even when we begged you to let us in. So now you don't get to play the Saviour. You fight to defend those you love Jake...even if it's to the death!"
"As reckless and as stupid as your decisions may have been....they were all with good intentions. You wanted to protect them, to help out.....i get that. But right now you are in a whole lot of shit- we are in a whole lot of shit. Sadly, only we can save ourselves." Walking up to him, i gently place a hand on his shoulder....hoping to make him see reason.
"You don't protect people by keeping them in the dark and hiding the truth from them. Look around you Jake.......all this while we've been worried sick about you. Asking questions, constantly investigating all because we wanted to help you out. It hurt us to know you were hurting, but it hurt even more because you were too hard headed to let us in. There's no other way..... You have to do this Jake, and i'd be damned if i let you take on this adventure alone. I need a story to tell my grandkids."
Pin drop silence.
We're looking at him...waiting for a reaction.
He needed to hear the truth.
Despite all he's been through, he's always been living in a fantasy.
Constantly thinking that the only way to protect the people he cares about is by cutting corners, lying and hiding the truth from them.
He cracks a small smile and pulls me in for a hug.
"I'm sorry....I'm so sorry Rhea."
"Shhhh.....its okay. You don't have to be sorry for anything, it's all done now. Right now we need a good plan" i say, slightly pulling away from him so i can see his face.
"Thank you so much.....all of you. And Ace.....I'm so so sorry. We swore to never keep secrets and i did just that...im-" Ace cuts off his apologetic rant by pulling him in for a hug and giving him three hard slaps on the back.
That'd probably hurt....bad.
"Its okay bro. I understand" he says.
And so we are all quiet for a while, before Dray reminds us of what we're supposed to be doing at this point.
"Okay......now we know about the club, but i highly doubt they're keeping Chloe and Mrs Anderson in the club" Dray says.
"Yes i doubt that......but this is literally the only lead we have at the moment. Maybe if we snoop around a little we can find something that will actually lead us to them" i say.
"It's a big risk but it's one we have to take. Dray you're in charge of weapons, i'll get us in touch with people that can help us out.......Also, it's only necessary that we train at least once a week.....you know, to give anyone like Mira a chance to fight back."
The sound of a car pulling up attracts our attention.
"Quick Jake go hide in my room, take the laptop with you" i say hurriedly.
"What? why?" He asks.
"You look like shit Jake, one look and my dad will know there's a problem" i say, dragging him to the stairs.
Cooperating, he heads upstairs.
Seconds later, my dad walks in.
"Hey sweetie" he greets as he tosses his car keys on the table.
"Hey dad.......you good?" I ask, eyeing the dark circles under his eyes.
Why does everyone suddenly think it's a good idea to keep secrets.
Like what the hell!
"I'm fine Rhea, just a little tired that's all.......by the way, where's your brother?" He asks, halting on the stairs.
"He's spending the night at a friends house"
"Oh....well i'll be in my room if you need me" he says and slowly walks upstairs.
"It's pretty late guys.....maybe you should get going" i suggest, starting to feel really tired.
It's been a long day.
Moments later and everyone is gone.
Everyone but Jake.
He has no family to go to right now.
I walk in to find him asleep on the floor.
I'm not exactly surprised.....he's been through alot and not just today .
I take my time to clean his feet that had a few cuts on them.
He flinched a few times but never actually woke up.
I get the softest blanket i can find and drape it over him, placing some more pillows around him.
Exhausted to the bone, i get on the bed.....
But couldn't even fall asleep.
All the things we've been through and everything that's been happening.......it's only going to get worse.
I just know it.
.......and that scares the shit out of me.