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Kinsley's POV
It's been over a week since Victor's been gone and three days since I last spoke to him and all he rambled on about was a riddle. When he told me all about it, all I could figure was that lady was off her rocker because it didn't make sense.
At least it didn't make sense to me as I sat here frustrated over it.
"Give it a break Kinsley, you've been sitting there for hours and haven't figured it out. You're stressing too much over it by yourself," Armelle sat beside me as she handed me a plate of food. I put it on a table turning to her, furious.
"Well no one else is helping! I'm stressing over it because it could help lead us to where mama and dad is---you're not stressing over it enough!"
"Don't grow balls now, calm yourself. Everyone is helping to find them but continuously running yourself down and piling too much on yourself as if it'll do some good is what will get them killed and what will make you useless. You need to take a break and sleep; eat as well."
She got up kissing my forehead and pointing to the food as I sighed. I just really need to find them. We don't even know if they're alive at this point.
I put away my notebook where I kept writing out the riddle and took up the plate of food. I haven't been paying attention to my wellbeing but I can't possibly focus on anything but finding them. Even though I wasn't so impelled to eat, I'll do so if it makes Armelle feel better.
"Kinsley, you in here still?", Yaheem walked in as I nodded. He sighed sitting next to me on the couch, laying out papers on the table. I eyed them and resisted picking them up--who knows, I might go back into my previous state completely closed out from everything.
"I thought you were supposed to be with your people trying to figure out who's been watching us. I wonder how long they have been watching us and what they've been planning to do."
"If they've been watching for this long, they're plotting on what to do with you. They probably have their plan figured out but executing it...making three kids disappear like that along with their parents without drawing attention, I don't know about that. But I think we may have found out where our traitor lives," he pointed to the folder as I immediately dropped the food picking up the stack.
I flipped through it seeing pictures of registration plates, brief descriptions, and addresses.
"What are we waiting on, we need to find out who it is--let's go!", I was going to stand out but I was pulled back down as he yelled for someone to come in.
And in the door came Armelle---Victor? When the hell did he get back and why are my uncles following in behind him?
Uncle Messiah and Jairo followed in behind them as Yaheem got up motioning for my siblings to sit next to me. Victor gave them an annoyed look as well Armelle as I was still confused. Did Yaheem call them here because it's not safe, someone could be watching them too.
"This whole operation here stops for y'all. Your uncle told us about what's been happening and your parents should've let us known sooner no matter if we didn't want any part in this life anymore. Family is an exception but you kids don't need to handle this. We got it from this point on," Uncle Messiah said as I felt my eye twitch. There is no way in hell I'm letting up on this.
"We're not---we don't need your help. Mom and dad have been depending on us to do this and to be frank, I don't feel too well not knowing what's going on when someone wants to kill us too. You can't step in like this and take over, we're so close to finding them!"
"Kinsley, watch yourself. We understand how your parents have been preparing y'all for stuff like this because someone will always be plotting on you and that you've been putting in work to find them...but this is not for y'all. I'd rather y'all stay protected and under our supervision then going out where it's dangerous. You're risking yourself taking this on blindly---some of y'all have already been too in deep," Uncle Jairo looked at Victor with a side eye as he scoffed.
"So what I've been shot at? I'm still breathing and well. And it'll stay that way just like I'll continue to find my parents and you guys won't put a pause on that," Victor voiced out crossing his arms as Armelle did the same, me following behind. Stopping now is just not what I'm in for. I've taken initiative this far and I'm damn well not giving it up. Call us stubborn but I stand with them, we'll find our parents just like we've been doing. They can't possibly find more than us.
"Vic, drop the funky ass attitude before you get dropped little boy. This is your only and final warning so listen closely. None of y'all will be handling shit from here on out. Let the adults take care of this and you guys take your mind off this. We'll get your parents back and I promise you that---they're family to us too," Uncle Messiah left out the room with his ending words.
Uncle Jairo did the same along with Yaheem as I scowled at them.
"They're wrongly mistaken if they think we'll actually listen cause I ain't listening to shit," Armelle lowly grumbled as I nodded. I took pictures of the addresses listed in the folder just in case they plan on confiscating everything.
"They won't get anything. There will be too many missing pieces to fill in without us and I'm not sharing anything especially since I figured out the riddle and I found a gun supply that dad has stashed away. That old hag, rest in peace, did us some good," Victor smiled as my heart jumped. I've been trying for forever trying to get one riddle figured out and he's got the whole thing.
It's not a competition---I'm just glad he got it.
"Of course the smartass gets it, what the hell does it mean?! My dumbass didn't even try or else I'd probably lead us halfway across the country," Armelle snorted as I shook my head.
I pulled out my notebook with the riddles as he pointed to each as he listed them out:
"Your voice can raise in volume and break silence but how does it travel? If you raise your voice in volume then you make noise---sound and sound travels through waves in echos. I add five to nine, and get two. The answer is correct, but how? Nine would be 9am and add five hours to that and you'll get 2pm. I never was but always will be. No one ever saw me but everyone knows I exist. I give people the motivation to better themselves everyday. What am I? That was too simple and that's tomorrow, duh. I was born on March 25th and died March 25th alongside my victims and protectors. What am I? This was some shit and took some researching but on March 25th in 1911 and 2011 was the start and finish of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire right here in NYC. It's still standing and I have a bet some shit will take place down there."
"What's the date today?", I asked as they answered exactly what I hoped. There's still time.
"Today's March 22nd. My theory is that they're gonna be underground because the factory is in the public, they couldn't risk police being called or commotion going on. It's abandoned and the building is pretty big, it'll echo like hell. It'll take place on the 25th---they're huge dicks for plotting to kill people in a building where over a hundred people died."
"Then what was the whole tomorrow thing about? Are we sure it isn't March 26th, come in guns ablazing on the 25th is embarrassing to my own pride," Armelle said as I was still reveling in the fact all this is happening. We found our parents but I may have to put someone down...that's a lot to take in. A whole lot for a person like me to take in but I'll do it if it means I get to see them down in the kitchen cooking breakfast while dancing all silly or even see them smile.
"I personally think Rahida was encouraging hope on that part for us not to give up. Corny but the riddles urged me to continue on. Just in case, we'll check on the 24th and the day after the 25th--go there and set up cameras."
We all nodded beginning to set up a plan for how we can go about this when I finally got around to the topic of who's watching us. I showed them all the information and all they could do was sit in silence like this isn't something major.
"Why aren't you guys happy about this---you guys can probably take out who's been watching us! We can find out who they are a-and probably get them to tell us where mama and dad are," I shook their shoulders as they looked at me with a blank face.
They looked between each other and sighed before turning to me. It'll be something else if these two are...no, they aren't.
"First, get the idea out of your head that we'd want to kill our own parents. We aren't as crazy as Mama to do some shady shit like that, well...I'm not," Armelle said throwing a little shade towards Victor as he scoffed.
"Second...I think you should take these just in case," she got up getting a box of tissues from the bathroom and tucking it into my hands as I was bracing for the worst. Judging by their reactions and the ongoing silence, it would be the absolute worst for me.
"Don't beat around the bush Mell---Kins, your friends are some lying whores. I don't think it clicked yet that these are the addresses to Luca and Lexi's second home with their mother and their father's company. Sorry to say but your 'friends' are some bastards who have been trying to kill us," Victor let out as he folded his arms with an angry expression.
"No...they wouldn't---they could never!", I tried my best to deny but looking at those addresses now and seeing it..
"They did and they'll suffer for it. I would say there's no doubt they will be at that little meeting to report whatever bullshit they need to and that's when we'll off them. However you have a relationship with them so you can choose what happens----you kill them or we will. There's no negotiation on this and you know it sis," Victor said lowly before planting a kiss on my hair and then walking out of the room.
"Mell, how...", she shook her head holding my hand.
"We'll be here after. They aren't your friends if they're helping to organize our deaths, our family deaths. I'm sorry Kinsley."
I have to pull the trigger on them both...who would've thought it'd come to that?
Ara's POV
Once again I'm in another hospital bed, in a beige room with that same television set playing some children's show. This will never stop so long as I'm living and because I'm so lucky, the doctors say my lifespan is still pretty normal although the many complications, surgeries, and diseases have invaded my life.
I'm sick of this. I shouldn't know the name of almost every single nurse, doctor, assistant, and some patient's name in this fucking hospital! I want to be normal and I want to feel that way but I'll never get that. I'm stuck with these things for life.
I heard a knock on the door and then I saw my boy enter in. Kamar Woods with dozens of multicolored flowers and food is a sight I haven't seen. I swear I love him to death.
"Hey baby, I got you some stuff. I'm sorry I haven't been able to come earlier this week, your parents wanted to make sure you were completed rested up."
I waved him over as he looked a little confused, "Why aren't you speaking or even saying wassup? You usually scream my name baby," he joked as I hit his arm.
"I can talk but it kinda hurts, burns a little too. If we talk, I'll just sound airy and I feel like that'll be really annoying to hear," I spoke out as he sat in chair next to the bed laying his head on my thigh. I rubbed his hair as he closed his eyes moving in closer. He's such a clingy teddy bear, mine.
"What happened---how'd they stop the bleeding?"
"That's what we need to talk about. It's about time that you know about everything and before you get mad over anything, just know that I was afraid. I didn't just want to lay all my problems on you or to possibly make you stray away because who'd want to be with someone who's got all these issues."
"All your problems are my problems and I ain't got no problem with that. Tell me what's going on," he moved in the bed with me as I relaxed into him, heart swelling at the kiss he put on my temple.
"I'm a walking medical itinerary, somewhat. I think I have too many diseases and illnesses that I could take and bless those who have a lot more than more because I can barely take it now. Imagine listing six to your name," I bitterly chuckled as he tightened his grip on my hips.
"You want the list from what I think is alright to severe even though they're all hell?", I asked him with a short chuckle as he pressed a kiss to my lips.
"Stop using humor to deflect from this, I know you're hurting. I know you going through it and that's understandable so I'd rather you cry this shit out rather than trying to get a laugh out of the fucked up cards you've been dealt," and a tear dropped. It rolled down and onto my chin, splashing onto my hospital gown.
I kissed him again before splitting away and out tumbled the list, "ADHD, depression, insomnia, coeliac disease, malignant hypertension, bronchiectasis, and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. I'm sure the ADHD, depression, and insomnia you can figure out but the others are what put me at high risk now and in the future. Malignant hypertension is high blood pressure that can shoot up any moment. I have high blood pressure also---runs in the family. It's why I had that seizure one night in my room," I looked to see his reaction as he sighed pressing his forehead onto mine.
I continued, "Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition where my immune system reacts when I eat gluten which causes chronic inflammation. I was untreated for a while since my parents didn't have the funds so it lead to the development of my leukaemia. Chronic lymphocytic is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells which can cause infections, persistent tiredness, swollen glands in my neck, armpits or groin, and unusual bleeding or bruising. It happens slowly and serious symptoms will show up when I'm sixty-something but it's another problem. And then bronchiectasis is the current situation at hand. It's a long-term condition where the airways of the lungs become abnormally widened. I can cough persistently and cough up phlegm but of course I'm more high risk. Severe cases are coughing up large amounts of blood."
"How does that happen?"
"One of the blood vessels in my lungs split. I had to have an emergency surgery called bronchial-artery embolisation where they basically clot the vessel with small particles to stop the bleeding. If I coughed up anymore then they would've had to remove part of the lung that was bleeding which I most likely would've died from," I finished as I looked to Kamar, waiting for him to say he couldn't keep up with me or worry about me all the time. He probably wants to jet out of the door and I wouldn't even blame him.
"You got me with you, you know that right? None of that changes the way I feel about you---we've been best friends since we were like babies. I'm mad that you thought I'd leave you because how in the hell could I do that? You hold me down and I'll do the same. I love you Ara, do you understand that? Do you understand that I'm here to stay...to get through college together, get married, argue, and have kids till it's time for us to watch our grandkids together?", he pressed kisses onto my face as I squeezed his hand.
I couldn't find my voice, may be the surgery, but I am speechless. I know he loves me but with all that my parents and I have to go through, to still love me after I tell you this? To want to be involved is a lot and I'm grateful that he isn't backing away from me right now.
"I love you Kamar, thank you."
"I love you more."
Kamar's POV
I fixed Ara in a position where he's comfortable and left his room but not before leaving a little sticky note on his forehead. I headed downstairs to the front desk with one intention on my mind.
"Hello, visiting hours are over at this time but if you have other questions or concerns, I'd love to help," the lady said as I pulled out my wallet.
"I wanted to look into putting myself down as a legal dependent for someone and to possibly set up an insurance plan also with annual payments if that can be arranged tonight or through legal reasons? Also wanted to pay off a hospital bill," I stated as she started to hand me pamphlets of information, explaining it all.
He may be extremely angry at me for this but I don't care. I have the ability to take care of him and to take away the money issues because I know how much it's a strain for him with even just clothes. I'm gonna do it because I care.
I love him.
This was very informative and we finally learned all of Ara's health issues. Also figured out the riddle and who's been watching them closely.
Messiah, Jairo, and Yaheem?
The Canuo Kids?
Ara?
Kamar?
Next chapter is gonna be whew, guess who's birthday it is? Demon time 😈