Pentatonix: Was I Mistaken?

Chapter Nine

Kevin's P.O.V

"You all remember the plan right?" Mitch asked.

The rest of us nodded.

"Don't worry Mitch, there's five of us and one of him." Kirstie gently patted his arm.

Mitch sighed.

"I know but the one of him will most likely have a gun."

Kirstie hugged him.

"It'll be ok, we'll get her back."

I flicked my eyes down to my watch.

"Uh, guys?" 

They looked up at me.

"It's time to go."

I pulled my jacket closer around me. Although the night itself wasn't that cold, a cutting breeze blew through the park we were in. Mitch and Scott were standing where they were supposed to meet Michael, while the rest of us were spread out in a sort of semi-circle in the nearby bushes.

It was quite a foggy evening. To keep myself calm I went through my cello scales in my head. I was just about feeling relaxed when I saw someone walking towards us through the fog.

My entire body tensed when I realised it wasn't just one person, but two. And as they came closer it was clear who they were.

Michael and Grace.

Michael looked about the same that he had when I had last seen him, although slightly crazier and a bit scarier. It was Grace that I almost didn't recognise.

Bruises and cuts covered her entire body. Her clothes were ripped and there were dirt smudges everywhere. But worst of all was the immense fear in her eyes. Her forest green orbs locked onto Mitch and she seemed to have trouble focusing on him. Her mouth moved and although no sound came out, it was clear what she was saying.

"Mitch..."

Michael stopped just in front of Mitch and Scott. I was too far away to hear what they were saying, but after about two minutes of them talking, Scott folded his arms, the signal for me to do my part. I pulled out my phone and sent a text to the nearby police station.

You see, although we were all terrified that Michael would hurt either Grace or us, we weren't crazy enough to just charge in without a plan. We had alerted the police and along with them, had come up with a plan.

We had been waiting about five minutes, with Michael, Mitch and Scott still talking quietly, when several figures appeared out of the fog.

"Michael Wayland Grassi, you are under arrest for murder, kidnap and torture. Please come with us quietly and without resist."

Michael shook his head slowly and reached into his jacket, laughing.

"Oh, dear brother," he said loudly. "You think I didn't expect this?"

And then without hesitating he pulled out a gun and shot both the nearest police officer and me.

Luckily, the bullet only just got me in the leg. It still hurt like crazy though. I clamped my hand over the wound and shouted in pain.

Pleased that his distraction worked, Michael swung Grace over his shoulder and ran off. Unfortunately, no one seemed to have noticed.

"Mitch!"

I had been about to yell out to him but Grace found her voice and beat me to it.

The young dark haired male seemed torn between staying with his newly wounded friend or going after his twin. I helped him make up his mind.

"Go Mitch! He's getting away!"

Mitch nodded and ran off.

Glad that Michael wasn't escaping, I allowed Avi and Kirstie to help me over to the side of the road to wait for an ambulance.

Mitch's P.O.V

I chased after Michael as he raced through the back alley ways with Grace over one shoulder. I couldn't let him take her away again. I needed to know she was safe. There was no way he was getting away this time.

I saw him duck around a corner just ahead and I internally smirked. I knew that that alley was a dead end. I skidded around the corner and just missed the bullet that flew past my head.

We were both breathing heavily. Michael scowled at me.

"You really don't give up, do you?"

I shook my head.

"Please Mike, just let her go."

I was begging, but only because I was scared of what he might do. He was holding Grace with one arm and had the gun in the other hand. Suddenly, he pointed it at her head. I tensed, wanting to jump forwards and rip him off of her, but I knew that he'd shoot her if I moved.

"Mom and dad always liked you best," he sneered. "You were always everyone's favourite. 'Oh, darling little Mitch, with his chocolate eyes and angelic voice. Isn't he just so perfect? Not like Michael, the mental boy, the weird kid, the stuff-up, the mistake!'"

My brother's voice broke on the word mistake and tears were flowing freely down his cheeks. And that's when it clicked.

This wasn't just Grace, this was years and years of pent-up emotions. Michael had always been the kid that people pitied or shunned. He was the boy that everyone tried to pretend didn't exist when he wasn't in the room. I had been the only one who had been his friend, the only one who didn't act like he wasn't supposed to be alive. Until that day at the park.

"You let them take me! You were the only one who knew that it was an accident! But you stood there and let them take me away from you!"

He was sobbing now, and every word made me feel worse because it was all true.

"Over the next few years in that mad-house, I had these dreams that you would come and rescue me and take me out of there. But you never did, you never even visited and you promised that you would, you twin-promised!"

"Mikey-"

"No! I spent the rest of my childhood in that place! You could have stopped them, all you had to do was open your mouth and just tell them! But you just stood there and said nothing!"

I took a cautious step forwards, and then another and another. Soon I was standing right next to him. I gently put an arm around his shaking shoulders. He dropped both Grace and the gun and hugged me back. Grace stepped back and looked at us.

"Mike, I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. There hasn't been a day gone past when I don't regret keeping silent. You were my best friend, my play mate, my partner in crime. But most of all, you were my brother. I loved you, and I let them take you. I wanted to visit, but after what happened, mom and dad said that I wasn't allowed. They banned me from seeing you. I'm so sorry."

I pulled back and held him by the shoulders.

"But you killed people Mike, that's not the brother I knew. Sure maybe you accidentally hurt a few people. But you stabbed Liv to death! Our cousin! Remember when you, me and her used to play hide-and-seek in the park? Remember all the things we did as kids with her? How could that kid I played with be the same person who killed Olivia?"

Michael had stopped crying. He seemed to be spaced out for a bit. Then he mumbled something incoherent.

"What was that?"

"I'm not the same person."

His silver eyes locked onto mine.

"Who am I, Mitchy?"

I was about to say that I had no idea, when I realised that he was holding something. I glanced down.

The gun.

He swallowed hard and whispered,

"Take good care of Grace. I'm sorry."

And with those final words, he brought the gun up to his head, pulled the trigger and dropped to the ground without even finishing his very last breath.