Chasing Isla ✔

Chapter 22

I walk down the sidewalk with my cell phone pressed against my ear. I've been searching for Ely and his siblings for hours now. Apart of me wants to just give up and catch a late bus home, but another part of me doesn't want Ely and his siblings sleeping in the cold another night.

"Where the hell are you?" Hank cries over the phone, "do you have any idea what time it is?"

I glance down at my wristwatch that reads nine thirty pm.

"It's nine thirty" I roll my eyes.

"It's also a school night" he retorts "Must I remind you that you don't exactly have the best track record-"

"What you don't trust me?" I raise a brow as I spot a Walmart up ahead.

"I don't trust the people who are walking the same streets as you, Emma," he tells me.

Right.

I see very few cars in the Walmart parking lot. I see only one van. It has to be them. Ely has a lot of siblings, there's no way they are all sleeping in a small car.

Bingo.

"I promise I'll be home soon," I tell him.

"Emma-" he cries as I end the call.

I quickly approach the van, as my heart rate increases. I have no idea how old his siblings are, but there is no way they can sleep in that van for God knows how long.

Using my fist, I knock on the window, on the driver's side of the car as releasing my deep breath slowly. The door swings open where Ely enters my sight. His eyes are wide open as he jumps out of the van.

"What are you doing here?" He moves towards me in fear.

"You weren't at school" I gulp, looking into his chocolate brown eyes. "I thought you could use these" I flash him my notes.

He blinks. Out of all people, he definitely was not expecting me.

"Tell me that you have not been searching every Walmart parking lot in this neighbourhood" he softens his eyes.

I've only searched three all together. I thought they would be at the closest Walmart to their home, turns out I was wrong.

"Okay, I won't" I half smile.

He sighs "You should not have come"

"I wanted to" I half smile before peaking through the van windows.

I see six children. The oldest probably being fifteen. The youngest looks only a year old. All were sound asleep. God this is sad.

"You're going to scare them," Ely says softly, with a touch of amusement in his voice.

"How long were you planning on keeping them in there?" I raise a brow.

They can't be cramped in a van for long periods of time.

"It has only been two days Emma" he assures.

"Two days is a long time to be cooped up for a kid" I retort.

I know for a fact that Brandon couldn't even sit in his room for twenty minutes, he always had to be moving around. I don't imagine these kids to be any different.

"Yeah, I am aware..." Ely sighs, "but what else am I supposed to do?"

"Come to my house" I blurt out without thinking. "It's only my brother and dad...we have the room"

It's better than sleeping outside in the cold, cramped in a van, and possibly without food.

"I cannot do that Emma" he shakes his head slowly.