Critical (Jamilton)

29. Let's Make A Deal

Hamilton

Gone.

The kids that Alexander told a bedtime story to less than twenty-four hours earlier were gone. Their parents were all waiting on the other side of the door, frantically trying to figure out what to do. Everyone wanted to call the cops, as far as Alex heard through the door, but Andre was adamant about not getting the authorities involved.

From his space in the bathroom, Ham could make out bits and pieces of the argument. He could put together which people wanted him out of the bathroom and into the conversation since he probably knew where the children were, but Peggy, Thomas, and Andre all agreed that he needed to think it out on his own for a second, which he was more than grateful.

After a few minutes of arguing, it died down and someone knocked on the door.

"Alex, can I come in?" Thomas asked quietly.

To his own surprise, Hamilton immediately said, "No."

"We need to talk to you."

"No."

"What about Peggy? I can send her in--"

"Andre." Again, Alexander was surprised by his own words. "I'm only going to talk to Andre."

"What?! Why--" Thomas stopped suddenly, groaned, and walked away. A few seconds later came another knock at the door.

Alex went and unlocked the door, cracking it open slightly. The stressed group of parents in the living looked hopefully at Andre and Hamilton, so he opened the door fully, closing and locking it when John was inside.

"Why are you only going to talk to me?" John asked nervously. "Thomas already wants to kill me."

"You know where they went," Ham said. "We both do, this isn't random and you and I both know it."

"We can't know for sure--"

"So it's not a coincidence that the kids closest to us go missing after both of us get away from there? And if you didn't think that's where they went then why won't you call the cops?"

Andre was quiet for a second. He sighed and nodded knowingly.

"Alright, fine. So I do think that King had something to do with this, and calling the cops is only going freak him out which means he'd kill the kids and run." He stopped for a second like he didn't know if he should say anything else. "This really is a conversation that you need to have with all of them as well."

Hamilton didn't exactly want to face the parents of the children that he indirectly probably got kidnapped, but Andre had a point. Everyone would definitely want to know where their kids were, especially Burr.

He made his way over to the door and hesitated before opening it, letting John leave first then following him out. When he got into the main room, everyone stood up. Alex was almost disappointed to see Charles Lee standing next to Burr since the plan was to explain the basis of why he thought King would take them and why it was important to leave the officials as far away as possible.

"Andre's right," Alex started. "You can't call the cops."

"Why not?" Thomas asked, probably not trusting anyone else to say anything.

"The cops are the only people that can find them, Alex," Peggy agreed.

"If what I think is right, which I'm fairly certain it is, calling the cops. . . will only make things worse."

"Worse how?" Hercules asked, sounding more desperate than Hamilton even thought possible.

Andre stepped in. "We think we know who has them, but calling the cops would only piss him off even more than he already is."