𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟎: 𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧

Jacob Rhodes

Yesterday, 11:39 pm

Jacob shivered. He wasn't cold, just anxious. Nervous energy was building up, making his right leg bounce and his knuckles crack. Sitting in the police station was about one of the worst feelings he had ever experienced.

This is driving me insane.

He looked at his hands. One was wrapped up and already stitched, the other was covered in some sort of dirt and grime. He desperately needed to get clean.

"Here, snack on this until we can get you taken care of," a woman at the front desk handed them some granola bars.

After not eating for what felt like forever, Jacob tried to enjoy every bite. It was no use, he could feel the hunger pains still lurching and asking for more nourishment.

"How's your hand?" Julia spoke quietly. She looked like she was doing a lot better after making it to safe grounds.

Jacob looked down at his bandaged hand. Underneath the fabric laid stitched thread sliced right in the middle of his palm and ran down to the curve of his thumb.

"Better," he said, not trying to focus on it too much. His lips felt dry and his brain felt fuzzy.

 He was afraid to get asked a question he wouldn't have the answer to.

"It's going to be okay, nobody can hurt us anymore," Julia tried smiling. Jacob found it encouraging, but it only lasted a minute until a tall male police officer came over and looked down at the two of them.

"Come with me, we need to make your statements."

They got up and followed the officer to a back room. The lights were dim and the room looked bland. It reminded Jacob all too much of the traumatizing concrete rooms where his worst nightmares had pretty much come to life.

"Sit down, we're going to be doing this one at a time, then you'll be able to contact your guardians."

Jacob sat down and tried to swallow. 

"Alright," the police officer started, sitting down across the table from them with a clipboard in his hand, "let's start from the beginning..."

~~~

Carmen Yates

Today, 3:24 am

It was three in the morning when I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing. Someone from the front desk had the lady on line 1. I tried being quiet, but talking to her over a phone call made everything more complicated. I didn't understand why she couldn't just come over here and talk to us, face-to-face.

She said she was still in New York and the chances of her getting on a plane to come over here were very slim. She did say she was still willing to help us. She also told us that they got a call from one of South Carolina's police stations, mentioning two teenagers who apparently had been involved with a guy that goes by the name of Walter Warner.

Jacob and Julia. Finally. I knew where they were and things were all coming together.

The phone call ended with her telling me to go get Julia and Jacob from the police station and there shouldn't be any problem with me bringing them back to the motel. Our only chance of hiding out until the coast is clear.

Putting the phone down and slipping on his running shoes, Carmen tried being as quiet as possible. In the dim lamplight, he could see Blake asleep slightly slouched in the chair with his eyebrows slightly furrowed.