Vanished

Chapter Twenty-Two

Henry didn't want to drive with some kid named Devon. He was one of the battered passengers, jumping in his seat. Stick sat in front, his eyes directed toward the ground. Since the incident that killed Vickie, Stick hasn't been himself. He has frequently isolated himself and drank excessively.

Stick wasn't exactly one to drink a lot of bottles of beer in a single sitting. Seeing his friend act like this made him annoyed. It wasn't that he'd call him out for his crime. This place didn't seem to care that much. Well, Greyson's side anyway, which had left him beaten. Henry wasn't sure who had the better side.

"I can't wait!" Devon exclaimed.

"Shut up, kid," Henry barked.

Greyson had told them to bring him to Burger King and to make sure nobody saw them. Doing this would result in them being in the prewar, before Greyson and Jason fought. If he ends up being in the prewar with Finn, Stick, and even Maverick, it would be a cool experience. Henry would be glad when Jason got kicked to the curb.

They pulled up behind Burger King. Devon got out, while Henry grabbed his pistol. Stick came out slowly, his gaze fixed on the ground, his hair covering his eyes.

The back door had been open, and they crept in behind it, where there were two white doors on the wall. They both had grey handles for a freezer and a fridge, storing whatever drinks and food were still there. It didn't seem like there had been anyone around except for the sizzling of the food in the fryer.

"This feels wrong," Stick mumbled.

"We get something out of it, dude," Henry said. "I get that the Vickie event is rattling, but don't let it get to you. It's a girl we barely knew in our class."

Devon opened the large fridge door, peering inside, where two long racks settled on the opposite side. One rack had drinks such as water bottles and orange juice. On the other side, there were boxes of ingredients, such as lettuce.

"We need the actual frozen stuff," Henry said.

"Watch!" Devon gloated, lifting his arm back and smashing a hole in the wall. On the other side were boxes with freezing air flowing inside. He made multiple holes, looking around at the many brown boxes. "Uh, what are we looking for?"

"Stick, you need to lift those boxes of whoppers," Henry said.

All the boxes were stored on the top shelf. He stared at the box before lifting it down and dropping it onto the slippery ground.

"Stick, we have to put it in the SUV. Do you want to be tortured again?" Henry pestered.

Luke's punishment wasn't something he wanted to go through again. It wasn't just that, but Greyson's punishment could be worse. Devon wasn't healed from the previous night; he was still wobbly at times.

Henry had to take orders from Greyson, but it's better than siding with what Jason did before. It's not just focusing on the aspect but also receiving minor punishments for wrongdoings.

"It's freezing," Devon said, shivering in his shirt and shorts.

The temperature hasn't been chaotic or anything, but rather neutral. Pushing open the freezer door, he tripped, crashing against the cream wall. The juice landed with a thump before meeting eyes with Nelson. In his hand, he held a large kitchen knife, staring at the three.

"Put it back." Nelson's tone was reasonable.

He was dressed in a grey Burger King uniform with black sweatpants, and his brown hair was pulled back into a man bun.

"Why?" Devon snarled, holding a box of packaged frozen fries in his hand.

"Burger King is my business," Nelson said. "Thieves aren't allowed in the store."