The 640

Chapter 5

The park was a great place for Gray and I to discuss our plan. In order for me to potentially get into the 640, Gray and I would need to pretend to be a couple. It would be the safest, fastest and easiest way to get in.

I was hesitant at first but once Grayson explained the alternatives, it seemed like the best bet.

But something within me was slightly afraid I was doing the wrong thing. I needed to talk to Ethan but it had been 4 days since I last saw him and he wasn't taking any of my calls.

It was Wednesday night, meaning my mom was out for girls night and my dad was working or whatever. So I decided to walk the 10 blocks down to his house.

When I arrived I called and texted asking him to come outside. His bedroom light was on and I saw movement but he ignored me.
I went to ring the doorbell and his sister Cameron answered.

"He's not home." Were her first words.

"Well hello to you too. Could you just tell him it's the last time I'll be bothering him, but that I really need to talk to him." I practically begged.

"He has nothing to say to you. And even if he did, he's not home." She slammed the door in my face. I rang again but nobody came to the door.

So I thought I'd annoy him out. I picked up a handful of little gravel stones and started throwing them at his window. But he didn't budge. It was beginning to get cold and I was beginning to get annoyed. He's window was slightly open and there was a tree close enough to the house.

'Right! Here goes nothing.'

I Troy Bolton'd my way up the tree, shimmied the window open and landed in his room. He was lying on his bed, one arm behind his head, the other holding his phone and his headphones where obviously on full blast because he hadn't heard me.

Or at least I thought he hadn't.

"What do you want?" He didn't lift his eyes from his phone.

"I need... to talk." I said, out of breath.

"Then talk." He glanced at me, moving his phone from his face to reveal a bandage over his nose.

"What happened." I rushed to his side trying to get a better look.

He propped himself up quickly and turned away from me, "Nothing, nothing happened. Can you just... Ouch." I had touched his arm. I lifted his shirt, "Could you not, jeez..." He winced as I inspected the bruising. It was much worse than Grayson's had been.

"What in the hell? Why did you guys even start fighting?" I asked as I covered him up again.

"You're so intrusive, I should call the police, this is practically breaking and entering. And if you must know, we were just messing around. Nothing major." He spoke as though he had a stuffy nose.

"He broke your nose?"

"What do you want Jamie?" He got up and closed the window. The breeze was cold.

"Okay, don't get mad. But Gray told me you called Kyle that night. Why?"

"Gray? So you're on nicknames now? What's next, you're gonna be dating?" He scowled.

I didn't reply but apparently my face did.

"Oh my word! Jamie! Are you insane?" He was yelling.

"It's just to get close to the 640." I defended myself.

"That's exactly what you shouldn't be doing. Oh my-  you're infuriating. I don't even know why I'm doing this. Why am I risking everything for you?" He started pacing, talking more to himself than to me.

"Ethan, what are you talking about?" I was confused and a little scared.

He stopped, turned towards me and then grabbed my hand. "Come with me."

We tumbled down the stairs and out the door. Cameron shouted something I didn't quite catch but I know she wasn't too happy.

Ethan didn't speak but his pained expression made me scared. His driving didn't help either. We arrived at a strange ominous building. The blinking street lamp lit up the building name. Saint Barnes' City Library. Ethan grabbed his jacket and tossed it at me before throwing his door open and exiting the car.

I hurriedly put the jacket on after I got out of the car. Struggling to get my one arm in while trying to keep up with the crazy loon who was now kicking in the side alley door of the library.

Once inside, we flicked on the touches on our phones. Ethan walked with confidence and I stumbled about behind him. The dust fogged my vision.

"Doesn't smell much like a library" I whispered. I looked around but couldn't spot even one book.

"It's not a library." Ethan replied before yanking open a door disguised as the wall.

I was astounded. I followed him into an extremely beautiful room. Completely opposite to what we had walked through. The walls filled with beautiful art and a grand piano in the centre of the room. There were some books on shelves. There was a polar bear rug which I dared not step on. To the left of the rug and the room was a drinks table... With what looked like recently poured whiskey.

My heart started to beat as I looked around and Ethan was gone.

"Here." His voice scared me but I quickly followed it into the adjacent room.

"Ethan, what is this?" I was getting more and more scared.

"The 640 isn't a gang. They're more like a society. This was one of their first 'houses' as they call them. They have weird rituals and initiation practices. Members have different ranks and with them, different power. People have gone missing Jamie. And that's what I'm trying to figure out. That's what Kyle and I were working on. And if you get too close or too involved you'll tarnish years of research and work that Kyle and I have done. But worst of all you could get yourself and me killed." He spoke in a calm but very serious tone.

"Are you telling me they're a cult?" I frowned as a stared at his face. Ethan had a reputation of organizing elaborate pranks and I had been the butt of them many times. But this was no prank. This was serious.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you."