Fanatic (G/T)

15: Discovered

POV: Thomas Williams

Three months out of the house, and I've already lost my daughter. She's been gone for about two weeks, and she was last seen at a concert she went to. Was she kidnapped, killed, what happened? Search teams have found nothing, and there aren't any witnesses or leads to follow up on. I just want my Avery back.

POV: Avery Williams

"What does he do with phones?" I ask, messing with a loose string on the knee of my jeans.

"I'm not sure," Missy replies. "I know mine was broken, but he didn't show what he did with the others." She tugs at lint on her pastel blue sweater.

"Well, if I can get mine back, I can send out our location and get us!" I run my hands together and grab onto a bar, hoisting myself up and clinging on with my boots, ascending upward.

"What a smart idea, if only someone had thought of that and had at least a year to try." I strike my eyes to Riley, who smiles.

"What are you even trying to do?" Jason asks.

"Get to the top of the cage," I huff, halfway up. "So I can scan the room. It'd make sense to put them in here." I reach the top, holding on with one hand and trying to look out with the other. The cage is in a corner, so I have a full view. I scan closely, and spot a little orange rectangle with a red circle, a pop socket, on a table halfway across the room. Yes, my phone! I don't know where the others are, but they don't matter as long as we have one to send out a call. One problem, however: how am I supposed to get over there?

The layout of the room from here to there is relatively simple. The bed is about thirty feet away (from my standards) and from there to the table is about another ten, the bed being a bit over 100 feet long by estimate.

"Do me a favor," I say to them, and they look up. "I need you to rock this cage as much as you can. Just sway back and forth and make it go as high as possible, I'm trying to swing out as far as I can." I can barely fit between the bars as I wiggle through and slide down to the bottom, feet on the edge. I begin trying to rock it by pulling it and kicking in, which doesn't really work.

"This is so dumb, and I don't know you well enough to trust you, but I can't not trust you either. Get that phone." Riley begins running back and forth, which helps. Jason and Missy look at each other, then begin running. We get it swaying, but try to go as fast as possible. With this being a metal cage, it's squeaky and loud, which is what we don't want. We're moving at least fifteen feet in the air at a time when I finally let go and rocket myself toward the bed.

I undershot. Bad. I whip against the side of the mattress, clinging desperately to the blanket hanging off. I'm light enough to not weigh it down a lot, and begin climbing up. When I reach the top, at the end of the blanket, I run the length of the bed and throw the blanket over to get my phone. I test it, and it doesn't fall, so I run over and grab my phone, pocketing it. I run back over, but my timing is fucked as Kevin walks in. 

"What is even happening?" He booms to the three, and I grab a tuft of blanket and hide myself underneath, gripping tightly in case he lifts it up. "There is absolutely no reason for the cage to be this loud unless you're all doing something you shouldn't do." There's a pause and I cling tighter. "Where's the new one?" My breath hitches. I feel him move around the room and look around,  but I never truly feel motion until I'm swiped up as he looks under.

POV: Missy Washington

She's not going to make it. I saw her hide under the blanket, but he's obviously going to look under. He reaches the bed and finally swipes it off in answift movement, and I brace for the worst. I notice a terrified Avery clinging to the fabric, only a few feet under where Kevin's hand holds it. She looks to us and smiles weakly, preparing for whatever will happen if she's caught. Or so I thought. She screams as loud as she can, in fear? Kevin moves the fabric to himself and smiles as he grabs her.

As they walk out of the room, Avery in a tight-looking fist, she winks at me. What?

POV: Kevin Cunningham (so many povs in a chapter sorry)

Usually I feel tension when I carry someone in a fist, but I don't right now. She was terrified five seconds ago, why not now?! I decide to get her in the mood by setting her on the counter and just looking at her. She doesn't flinch, just stares back at me.

She really is a pretty thing. Probably perfect weight, a bit on the shorter side (but that makes it even easier for me), dyed hair and everything. I think her eyes are dark blue or black, but I can't see them well. She has thin framed glasses. It bothers me how something I have such a love for is so different.

"Why did you leave the cage?" I ask calmly as I lay my head on my hands, for a mix of reasons. I'm sure calm will be new for her, which is unsettling, and I'm also immersed in her.

"I wanted to leave, and I'm skinny enough to fit through the bars." She's blunt in her answer, talking to me like a normal person who isn't clearly threatening her. Skinny enough? Do I underfeed them so much they can escape easier? They could all get through, couldn't they? I can't install new bars.

I lift up my head so I'm above her now. "...interesting. You're not allowed to try to escape again, or it won't end well for you. Do you understand? Be lucky you're going without punishment."

"Wha-" I cut her off as I swipe her up again and carry her back to the cage.