Truth, survival, a grave injury and for the first time, a fatal injury. Yes, a death, in the flesh. (But it's not gory. Yet. Wait a couple of chapters . . .)

Star presents to you . . . PICK UP THE PHONE, CHAPTER 7 . . .

Disclaimer: Don't own it. No lie.


Sharpay walked fast. It was still daylight, they'd only been to see Maye a few hours ago.

Jason had gone the moment they'd left the asylum, but he said he'd see them again soon.

"We have to go to my house. It might be the last time we'll be able to," she said firmly to the boys.

"Shar, what if he's broken in and put a bomb, or a camera or something?" said Ryan worriedly.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." said Sharpay firmly. "If you're not, go back to Taylor's house, before he finds that too. Anyway, Maye didn't tell us where the house is, I'll have to look it up."

They got to the Evans' residence, and raced in. Sharpay researched the location of the house, and Ryan put some stuff in a rucksack that they might need, including a notebook and pen that Sharpay told him to chuck in.

Chad and Troy searched the place, to make sure it was safe. The window to the balcony was still open from the night they escaped, so they shut it. The Evans' obviously hadn't been back.

Then, they left, and set off for Taylor's house.

HSM…

"Ah." said Mr McKessie. "You'd better come in."

Sharpay didn't like the way he said that, and went to find Taylor immediately.

"I tried Sharpay, I'm sorry. But how can I hide Troy, Zeke, and Kelsi walking around our house, as well as Gabriella's injured body?"

"So, what did you say?" Sharpay, worried. Taylor sighed.

"I told my parents everything." Sharpay cursed loudly and glared at Taylor.

"Don't worry, honestly!" reassured Taylor. "They can work from home, they don't have to eave the house often -"

"Stop." said Sharpay. "It doesn't matter." She thought of Maye's story, and her eyes started to water.

"Whether they know or not . . . they will still be targeted if they have something to do with me . . ." a tear ran down Sharpay cheek.

"That's why I'm going to the Dicantios' house. I have to get to the bottom of this." Sharpay went to find the others, to let them know.

They listened as Sharpay spoke, and everyone felt like this task was a last mission. "Guys . . ." Sharpay swallowed.

"I don't know how this whole thing will end up . . . but if you have special people – parents, sibling, friends . . . say goodbye. While you still have to chance."

HSM…

"Is everyone ready?" murmured Ryan to Sharpay, Chad, Troy and Zeke. Kelsi and Gabriella were too weak to come, and Taylor was looking after them with her parents.

They all nodded, and entered the Dicantios house.

No-one had bought the house; it still legally belonged to Maye . . . as long as she got out of there healthy, and more importantly, alive.

They split up, and searched the place. Sharpay remembered what Maye had said, and headed for the bedroom.

She looked behind the painting of their once perfect family, and put the pass for the safe; Julian, like Maye said.

The safe swung open. It only contained a diary.

Sharpay didn't even have to read it all. On the front, Ellarae had written in capital letters;

NO ONE EVER FINDS APC. EVER. NO ONE KNOWS WHO HE IS. HE NEVER DOES HIS DIRTY WORK, UNTIL IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY DIE, AND HE LEAVES NO TRACES. YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR YOUR TIME TO DIE . . . KATY-ROSE ROBERTS, GEORGINA FLORIDA, AND NOW ME. ELLARAE DICANTIOS.

"And Sharpay Evans after that . . ." Sharpay almost dropped the book in shock. "There's no point in reading all of it." She told the empty bedroom. "Everything I need to know is in the front of this book – and once again, I found out nothing."

"No . . ." Sharpay whispered. "I can't do this anymore." she made herself read the last section before the first diary entry.

I'M ALONE IN MY HOUSE. I CAN'T TAKE LIFE ANYMORE; JULIAN'S DEAD. THE ONLY PERSON I HAVE LEFT TO PROTECT IS MAYE. ALEX TOO. BUT I CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.

BECAUSE I'M ALONE IN MY HOUSE AND HE'S COMING TO KILL ME . . .

Suddenly, Sharpay's cell started to ring, scaring the shiit out of her. "Leave me alone!" she cried angrily into the phone. She could almost hear APC smile.

"Why do you insist on digging up the past, Sharpay Sweetling? It just brings more trouble . . ."

Right on cue, there was a creek from upstairs, like somebody was up there . . .

Sharpay ran to the landing, and looked down at everyone standing in between the stairs and the door; Troy, Ryan, Chad, Zeke.

"We have to leave. Now!" she ran down the stairs, but before she even got halfway, there was a gunshot from upstairs, so everyone scattered, panicking . . .

"Zeke! You got out!" Chad shouted to him, running across the lawn.

"Yeah, by the mercy of God." he panted.

"You guys, let's get out of here!" said Troy loudly.

"No, wait!" yelled Chad, and they all froze. "If we're out here . . . where's Sharpay wand Ryan?"

They all looked slowly at the house, and said in unison,

"Oh shit!"

HSM…

Sharpay peeked round the corner and down the stairs, terrified. Ryan was at the bottom of the stairs.

A guy with brown hair, grey eyes and a thin face stood on the top step, pointing the gun straight at him. Was this APC?

They were waiting for Sharpay.

"I'm not gonna let him hurt my brother." she told herself fiercely, and threw herself at him.

"Sharpay!" Ryan yelled, as they wrestled with the gun. Sharpay was strong, but the intruder was a lot stronger . . .

The Brunette guy grabbed Sharpay's hair, and smashed her head into the glass cabinet with the Trophies in it. Glass went everywhere. Sharpay only saw stars as she cried out in pain.

"Enough of this." came the Brunette's weak but eerie voice. "Girl . . . I'm sorry. But if I don't follow orders, my death will be more painful then his."

HIS?! Sharpay scrambled up just in time to see the Brunette point the gun at Ryan . . . and see Chad and Zeke come back in though the front door . . .

. . . and shoot Ryan just to the left of his heart.

"RYAN!" she screamed.

In her rage she grabbed the nearest Trophy to hand and whacked Brunette round the head . . . he tumbled right down the stairs, and lay still at the bottom.

Sharpay jumped over his body and ran to Ryan.

"Sh . . . Sharp . . ." Ryan choked.

Zeke said quietly, "Troy went to a payphone to call the police, but I'll call him and say to get a ambulance too . . . he said he would go to Taylor's after . . ."

"Ryan, save your strength!" she said softly.

"Shut up, you," he said jokily, "I might not get . . . another chance . . . to say this . . ." Ryan coughed, and the sounds of sirens in the background grew louder.

The Cops were coming! Already?!

"You're the best sister I've ever had . . . I've found you annoying in the past, but . . . I will always love you . . . I'm sorry for everything . . ."

The ambulance was coming too . . . Troy had thought of everything.

"No, Ryan don't, don't say that!" Sharpay whispered, tears pouring rapidly down her cheeks.

"Ryan, we need to get you to the ambulance," Chad said urgently, and Sharpay helped him carry Ryan there. Chad glanced at her, "After this, we need to disappear too." She stood up, numb.

"Oh really?" came a husky voice. It was the guy with Ginger hair, the one Sharpay saw pick up the gun and throw her of the rooftops!

"Sharpay!" Zeke yelled, running in front of her, "Get do-"

The gun fired.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Zeke's eyes went wide, as his body crumpled to the floor, as the ginger guy grabbed his accomplice and left . . .

Sharpay felt like a metal band was curling round her chest as she left Ryan with Chad and rushed to Zeke. She couldn't breathe. This couldn't be happening.

"Zeke? Zeke! Talk to me!"

"I'm . . . s-sorry . . . I c-couldn't . . . "

"Couldn't what?" Sharpay asked him, shaking him. "Zeke! You have to stay with me!"

"Tell Kelsi . . . I . . . lo -" Zeke struggled as he tried to get the words out, and he finally went still.

Sharpay felt her eyes well up with tears. "Tell her what? Zeke? Zeke, c'mon, you can make it. Stay alive . . . please . . ."

Sharpay sobbed as her world crashed and burned around her.

While this was going on, the police had come in and shot the Ginger guy in the leg to stop him doing any more damage. They took both of the men to the police car, and Zeke and Ryan to the ambulance.

Chad and Sharpay said nothing. They didn't need the paramedics to tell them Zeke was dead, because they already knew it.

Not to mention that they was no way they could sneak off with Ryan either. If APC got him in the hospital . . .

Without a word, they silently left the scene and headed for Taylor's house. There was no more to be said.

HSM…

APC was angry. He was freaking furious.

They had killed some random boy, fine, but instead of bringing Sharpay's brother to him to be used for blackmail, they'd shot him.

Bastards.

APC wondered about killing the two failures, finding new hit men, when he discovered from his two other associates that they'd already been caught by the police. Son of a bitch!

So the four horsemen of the apocalypse becomes two. Killing the assholes was an easy way out for them, and why torture them when he was saving those resources for Sharpay?

He was seething. But at least something has gone right . . .

His scowl slowly melting into an evil grin, he pulled up Target List Number 3.8, and used it to make 3.9. He'd told Maye that if she didn't interfere, he'd spare her. He told her!

Foolish girl. She disobeyed. She died.


Target List Number 3.9

Target Status:

Evelyn Dicantios-Hyde . . . DEAD

Maye Hyde . . . DEAD


Well, the 3rd Target lists were finished. Moving on to 4th . . .

Sitting at his laptop, he printed off Target List Number 4.4, an opened a new document, titled Target List Number 4.5. He made changes.

But he didn't know the name of the brother, or the surname of the boy who'd died . . . never mind. He would find that out later . . . along with the names of the other people Sharpay was hiding with.

The black girl. The boy with the wild hair. Soon, they would be on the hit list.


Target List Number 4.5

Target Status:

Jason Cross . . . LOCATION UNKOWN

Sharpay Evans . . . LOCATION UNKOWN

Martha Cox . . . DYING

Kelsi Nielsen . . . LOCATION UNKNOWN

Gabriella Montez . . . DEAD / DYING (?)

Troy Bolton . . . LOCATION UNKNOWN

Zeke (surname unknown) . . . DEAD

(First Name unknown) Evans . . . DYING


Yes, APC knows about Chad and Taylor now! The question is, will he find out who they are . . . hope you liked that! Even though you're probably furious about Zeke . . . *sighs*

Star x x x