Chapter 30 - Finn (Originally Published: 26 February 2016)

"Can you please explain to me why you would need your backpack with you when you're hanging out with Ashley?" Jake asked from the driver seat.

His brother hadn't been suspicious of Finn's new friend at all until now. Jake had wrongfully been more than trusting, assuming that Finn would have been smart enough to stop hanging out with Ash. He wished that had been the case. Instead, he'd blindly followed Ash into this grave that was so obviously dug and labelled for him.

"We're going to study for a bit. I brought some games too." Finn drummed his fingers over his knee. "Where did you tell Mum and Dad I was going to be?"

A long, worrying pause came in between them. He was about to ask if his brother had heard him when Jake turned on the radio, filling the awkward space lingering in the air with quiet static. He didn't change the dial in search of a new station - it was just meant to keep things from becoming awkward while he took a moment to think. Finn felt his stomach plummet even further down. He knew that deep conversations with his brother never turned out good.

"I covered for you. Don't worry about that," Jake said, eventually. "Listen… Have you ever had a feeling that something bad was going to happen? Like, you couldn't figure out what it was. You just knew?"

Finn could certainly say he knew the feeling. In fact, he'd been feeling it at that very moment - like a cloud hanging over both of their heads, leaking thick droplets of despair on them in agonisingly slow drips. "Yeah, I guess. Why?"

Jake shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Maybe you should just stay home this time. I have a bad feeling about tonight, and I don't want you to go out at all."

"I'll be okay." Finn tried to think of a topic to steer the conversation away from his safety, but he was drawing a blank. The only thing that appeared to occupy his mind was the depressing realisation that this was likely his last night on earth. Not that he truly believed he would die or anything, but no one was going to see him the same way ever again. Finn just knew he was going to get into a lot of trouble before this night was over with. No matter how many times he told himself that it was just the mindset of a first time criminal, he couldn't shake the miserable feeling roiling in the pit of his stomach.

Jake turned the radio dial to a different station - a soft, classical melody fluttered into their ears. "Your phone's charged and everything, right? You can always call me if you want to come home early."

"Alright, Mum. It's just Ashley. Nothing crazy is going to happen tonight. We're studying, okay?" Finn said, trying to be reassuring… but just for safe measure, he checked the battery life on his phone. Staring at the device reminded him that he hadn't responded to Bea earlier. Sliding his finger across the screen, he opened the message application. The last text his best friend had sent him glared back at him, demanding answers.

"I know that everything you told Bonnie was just to get her off your back. Please don't go through with this, Finn. I don't know what you're doing, but I know it can't be good. Please, please, please, please stay home tonight. I don't want to do anything rash, but if your safety is at stake then I will do what I have to..."

Finn took a deep breath, hoping to steady his shaky hands. "You're right. I'm not going to waste my time on Ash... Would you like to come over? Jake's taking a nap right now, but when he wakes up we can come get you. My parents won't care if you stay the night either, as long as you sleep on the sofa in the basement."

He looked at his older brother, feeling more sorry for himself than he had in awhile. Hanging out with Bea was a much more pleasant thought, but he didn't think the two of them would ever be allowed to speak to each other again. Finn's parents were going to ground him for the rest of his life once they found out about this, and Jake was never going to want to do anything for him again. Jake's going to get in trouble too. Mum and Dad are going to know how many times he's lied for me after this.

The phone buzzed in his lap. "Wait, you're really going to stay home tonight? Promise?"

"I promise," Finn typed back. "I'll text you as soon as Jake wakes up… You're my best friend, Bea. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting lately. I'm sorry for everything."

"Finn? Are you okay?"

There were tears in his eyes. It was almost too dark for Jake to see him crying, but Finn couldn't seem to control himself. Sniffling, he turned his head away to wipe his face on his sleeve; the warm, salty liquid soaked through his shirt. "I'm sorry for being such a dick to you when you've only ever been good to me, and for not listening to you about Ash. I'm sorry for fighting with you about Phoebe, and for getting you in trouble in class so many times. I'm just sorry, Bea. I'm the worst friend ever."

The next text from Bea came after a long pause. It was disconcerting, to be sure, but he was thankful for the bit of time it gave him to compose himself. "It's okay, Finn. Everything is going to be okay… I'll see you later tonight." Somehow, even coming from Bea, he still couldn't believe it.

"Okay. I'll talk to you later." He put his phone on silent and shoved it into his backpack quickly. If Jake had happened to glance over and see the contents of his bag, Finn's lie would be exposed. "You know, it's not too late yet. Maybe you and Aeryn could go out for dinner?"

Jake looked over at him, and a small smile played at the edge of his lips. "That sounds brilliant, actually. I'll have to see if she's free."

He pulled into the car park of the grocery store on the edge of town. It was a weird place to meet up with some friends, but Finn had no other choice. Jake knew where Ash lived, and any closer to the older boy's house would likely raise some alarms. Secretly, he kept wishing for Jake to catch him speaking to Ash. If anyone could help, it would be his brother... This notion was absurd, of course. Finn knew his brother would hate him after tonight; it was just nice to think of someone miraculously saving him from the mess he'd gotten himself into.

"Here we are," Jake said, putting the vehicle in park. "Are you sure you don't want to come home still? We can finally beat that one level in the new game we got."

Finn shook his head. "That sounds like a lot of fun, but I promised Ashley we would hang out again soon." A chill ran down his spine as he caught a glimpse of the big, intimidating doors to the grocery store in front of him. The metal border of the sliding glass looked like menacing teeth, beckoning him to come forth and be swallowed whole. "I don't tell you how much I love you enough," Finn said, randomly. "I know we're brothers and you're supposed to know that I do, but I just… wanted to make sure I told you."

Jake's brow scrunched up. "Is everything okay, Finn? Is there anything you want to talk to me about?"

"No, no. That's not it." He waved a hand dismissively. "I just know I've been kind of distant lately, and I'm really sorry about that. I've been a real wanker to you and everybody else. I just hope you know that I care about you guys."

Jake scratched his beard, examining his younger brother with narrowed eyes. "It's fine. You're just… Making things sound so final. You sound like you're about to go off to study and then never come back."

Maybe. Finn pulled his backpack into his lap, laughing nervously. "Well, if that's the case - tell Bonnie and Aeryn I'll miss them. Bea too. Be sure to sound as dramatic as you possibly can." He threw the door open and jumped out, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'll be home tomorrow. We can spend the whole day trying to beat that level if it makes you feel any better." He waved and walked away, worried that if he spoke to his brother for any longer he would crack, or cry, or something.

The glass doors of the grocery store opened automatically, propelled by an unseen mechanical device and accompanied by a loud 'ding'. Finn hadn't seen Ash's vehicle in the car park, but he knew his 'friend' would be far more clever than to just leave himself out in the open like that. Ash had some kind of plan for the night, and he wasn't going to let it be ruined by allowing Jake to catch him. Finn watched for his brother to drive away, and then went to the predetermined meeting spot in the back of the store.

"Well, look who it is," Ash said, grinning from ear to ear. He clasped Finn's hand in a firm handshake. Ash's rough, calloused fingers were dirty - as usual - and they only made him feel even more disgusted with himself right now.

Tiffany, Gareth, and the twins all greeted him with uninterested glances. He was used to that at this point, having met the lot of them on at least three separate occasions now. "So, what's the plan?" Finn asked, carefully. He'd been terrified of Ash ever since the night he'd met the others. He was just glad that Billy of all people was not there to make matters worse. I should have listened to Pat, he realised suddenly, ashamed.

"Let's walk," Ash said. He and Finn left the others behind, going again towards the front of the store. "We'll meet back up with them in a minute. If we're seen together leaving, things might get out of hand. That'd be well bad, yeah?"

Finn agreed that it would be. He walked alongside Ash to the car park outside. The older man seemed to have a destination already in mind. "You still haven't told me what we're going to be doing?"

"Be patient, kid. We've got a little bit of time to kill before we do anything." Ash shoved his hands into his pockets, looking both ways down the empty street before crossing over. If a normal person had done the same thing, they would appear cautious. However, this was Ash - so everything he did looked shady. "You hungry?"

"I don't think I could eat right now." He hadn't been able to keep anything down that day. Finn's lack of an appetite was probably the reason for Jake's hesitance about taking him out tonight.

Ash shrugged. "Suit yourself, man. We're going to the local anyway. If you can hold onto your knickers until then, I'll tell you the plan." He playfully punched Finn in the arm. "Don't worry. You've got a pretty big part in it. I'm guessing you went about and gathered the stuff I asked you to, since you've got that big knapsack with you."

"Yeah, of course. I told you I wouldn't forget, Ash." He hiked the backpack up on his shoulders. Maybe no one will find out about tonight. Ash knows what he's doing. I could get out of this yet. Just do whatever he says, and never speak to him again afterwards.

The pub they arrived at was a questionable place in the basement of a more reputable restaurant. According to Ash, the two establishments were not affiliated; they just happened to share the same building. Out back, behind the pub, was a seating area where Ash said his friends would be.

The downstairs balcony was in clear view of the street, a main road that Finn knew quite well. He was beginning to worry that Jake would pass by again on his way to pick up Aeryn, or that anyone else who knew him would see him with Ash. Finn hid his distinctive green backpack between his legs, and turned his face away from the street. Gareth was to his right, sitting directly in his field of view.

"Look at him. He's going to crack," Tiffany said, in a mocking tone. He really hated that guy.

Ash slapped Finn on the back. Hard. "He's not going to crack. Are you, lad?" Then, without waiting for a response, he said, "Where's the bar girl? I need a pint."

"I already ordered you one, Ash," one of the twins - Sam, if Finn had to guess - said. "Did Tiffany tell you yet?" he asked, his face splitting into a wicked grin. "Tell him what you found, Tiff."

Tiffany looked as though he hadn't cleaned his long, blond hair since Finn had met him several weeks ago. From the toothy smile he wore, it didn't look like he'd washed his teeth either. "On our way over here we passed by an antique shop. We saw a section for cool stuff in there too - not just stuff my nan would buy - guitars, old electronics, jewellery, comic books. They probably make a decent bit of money."

Ash silenced him with a look. A girl around Bonnie's age sauntered over to their table. In front of him, she set a plate of fish and chips and a tall glass filled with some kind of piss coloured brew. The way the other boys ogled the girl made Finn immensely uncomfortable. It brought to mind the things that Keila and Bongo had told him about Ash's meeting with Bonnie. The memory made him nauseous.

"Go on," Ash said, when she was out of earshot.

"Anyway. There was a sign in the window that said the antique shop would be closed for a while. The owner's away on business or something like that." Tiffany rubbed his hands together, like a villain from an outdated film.

Ash took a swig of his drink, spilling a bit down the front of his shirt. He didn't seem to notice, but Finn certainly did. Ever since the day where he'd seen them for who they truly were, Finn had noticed every excruciatingly gross detail about the boys he'd previously admired. "And?" Ash asked, clearly not as enthused as his cohorts. "What about it? It's just some stupid antique shop."

"That's what I thought at first too…" Tiffany leaned forward, conspiratorially, "but when I looked closer at the notice, I saw that it was signed by one 'Simon Petrikov'."

Ash froze in his seat, his expression unreadable. The new revelation meant nothing to Finn, but the slow upturn of Ash's lips gave him chills. "Change of plans, boys. Did any of you happen to scope it out while you were down there?"

"I did," the other twin, Tom, said. "It's pretty low security, nothing more than a basic padlock. I'd wager the money is kept in a wall safe though. There didn't look to be any other rooms but the one. It's probably hidden behind something unsuspecting."

Gareth leaned forward in his seat, speaking with a low voice. "I hope your boy's ready. It looks like he's going to be the star of this show."

Finn pointed a finger at himself. "M-me?"

Tiffany scoffed. "You're only going to get us in there. I'll be breaking open the safe. I brought along a little home-made something to blow that baby wide open."

Ash shoved a handful of chips in his mouth and chewed them until he could form a big ball in the side of his cheek. "So, here's the deal: Tiffany and Finn - you'll both be going in. Finn, I need you to pick the padlock and get inside. Help Tiffany look for the safe in the wall. Tiffany, I need you to blow it open. You two are going to stuff all the money and jewellery you can find into Finn's backpack. On your way out, grab anything that looks valuable. We won't be keeping any of it, so don't grab shit just because you think it looks cool." He swallowed what was left of the food in his mouth, the rest having spattered out onto the table while he was talking. "Gareth, you'll be standing out front. You're charismatic enough that no one will suspect you're related to what's going on. If people come towards you, direct them away from the shop. Tom and Sam will be hiding out a ways down from you." He turned to the twins, pointing at them with both hands. "You lot will be there to try to distract people from getting close to Gareth in the first place. Throw your voices, mislead people, whatever. If they get past you, it can't be helped."

"What are you going to be doing?" Finn cut in. The look Tiffany shot him made him regret opening his mouth.

"I'll be driving the getaway car, of course." Ash took another sloppy sip of his drink to wash down his food. "Any more questions?"

Finn lifted his hand. "Uh, yeah. I don't want to be nosy or anything, but who's Simon Petrikov? The name sounds kind of familiar to me, but I don't think I actually know him."

The mention of the name elicited a chorus of laughter from all the other boys at the table; only Ash remained calm.

"Simon's the guardian in charge of one of my ex-girlfriends." The older boy steepled his fingers. "You might of heard of her? Marceline Abadeer?"

For a moment, Finn could no longer hear the howling laughs that surrounded him. His head was completely blank, devoid of thought. Then, all of a sudden, everything hit him at once. The voice in his head had duplicated, morphed into hundreds of voices asking hundreds of questions. Only one thing was clear to him - I can't do this. When he zoned back into the present, everyone was looking at him. They were waiting for confirmation that he wasn't going to abandon them. No one thought he would keep his word, and truthfully, he never even wanted to have any part in their mental plan. Even if he hated Marceline, he couldn't do this to her or her guardian. It was too much. The only problem was that if Finn didn't go through with the plan, they were going to hurt him. After a moment of regarding them, he laughed. It was perhaps his waning sanity that made it sound so convincing, but the others appeared to be pleased with this boisterous act.

I can't do this. I can't.

Finn opened his backpack. Ash had asked him to bring torches and balaclavas for each of them, as well as the supplies he would need for lockpicking and a total change of clothes so that no one who saw him that day would recognise him if they'd been compromised. It was unnerving, how much experience Ash appeared to have with this kind of thing. Finn's cell phone told him that it was nearing midnight, and after spending several unpleasantly captive hours with the other boys, he was just ready to get this over with.

The cool air pricked his skin as he stripped down to his underwear. Finn grumbled, annoyed with the irregular weather patterns as of late. He donned the all-black spare clothing and shoved his day clothes into the bottom of the bag. Then, he fished out the balaclava and pulled it over his head; since their plans had undergone an impromptu change, only he and Tiffany needed to wear the masks now. Obtaining the black clothes without raising suspicion had been rather hard. Finn had to sneak around right under his family's nose to purchase the extra ones, and initially he'd hoped to get them back. However, the thought of Tiffany putting one over his gross face made sure to abolish that idea.

After grabbing the other black garment and gathering all the torches into one arm, Finn closed his bag and hoisted it onto his back. The others were waiting for him on the side of the building he'd changed behind. They were using the shadows as cover to allow for more time to examine their mark.

As Finn came from around the back, the antique shop fell into view. The building was old, and far from elaborate. If the property was owned by anyone else, Ash's gang would not have paid it any heed. For that, he pitied Simon Petrikov.

"Here's your torches," Finn said quietly, loosening his grip on them so that the others could each take one.

Ash slung an arm around his shoulders. "Listen, kid - things are going to be a bit… tougher than we initially realised. How well can you see in the dark?"

"Well enough. Why?" Finn felt ill-at-ease, although that was nothing new. Just more intense now.

Tom tapped his shoulder, and then pointed ahead of them. A police car was driving slowly down the street, patrolling the area. In spite of the low lighting, it was apparent that the driver hadn't noticed them yet. "We've got trouble. You and Tiffany won't be able to use your torches. Hang onto yours though, in case you need to whack an officer."

"He's joking," Ash said quickly. "Just go on about as usual. We'll keep them off of you."

Finn stared down the street in incredulity. "What? We're still going through with it?" he asked, shaking himself free of Ash's grip. "I think this is as good a sign as any that we shouldn't be doing this." The beating of his heart was so loud in his ears, that he wasn't sure if he'd been heard. How on earth did Ash think he was going to get into the shop without being seen? The past few weeks he'd been practising his lockpicking skill non-stop. Finn was fast, but this was just dangerous.

"I told you he couldn't be trusted," Tiffany muttered from the front of the group. "Don't be a twat, Finn. We've done fine on harder jobs. The only thing that's going to mess this up is you."

Finn's torch slipped out of his shaky hands, clattering noisily on the ground. His skin was cold and clammy, and he couldn't stop his hands from violently twitching. "C-can't we just go back to the other plan? Why does it have to be this place?"

"Because, Finn," Ash said, through gritted teeth. "I want Marce to know what happened here. I want her to regret ever leaving me. When she sees her poor Simon's shop in shambles, she'll know."

The others all turned on him, watching Ash for their next move. Finn's heavy feet worked automatically, taking a few steps back. "I'm sure she does, man. You're a great guy, really," he said, nervously. "But the police-"

"Are you really going to bail on us now, Finn?" Sam said. He cracked his knuckles, falling into motion behind Ash who countered Finn's backwards steps with forward ones.

This was it. Finn was going to pay the consequences for doing the right thing, but at least he would be following his heart. Was this nauseating fear - this intense sense of vertigo - what Jake felt two years ago? If I survive this somehow, I'm going to be better than I was. I'm going to fix myself. God, if you're out there… Well, you know. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the worst. If he went down, he would go down swinging.

"How do we know he didn't call the police on us?" Tiffany said, tightening his hand around the torch Finn had given him only moments before.

"Because I did!" a voice shouted.

What happened next was a blur. One minute, Finn was expecting the worst beating of his life, and the next - Ash was on the ground clutching his head. Standing over him was Marceline, holding Finn's fallen torch.

She turned to him, waving her arms as if she were trying to scare away a bird, or some other stray animal. "What are you doing?! Get out of here!"

His feet were stuck to the ground. The circuits in his brain shorted out, unable to process words or actions. All Finn could seem to do was stare dumbly back at her.

Marceline kicked a can at him. "Go, you fucking fuck nugget! What do you think they're going to do to you if they catch you?!"

Behind her, Ash's friends were helping him to his feet. "You fucking bitch!" he roared.

"Go!" she yelled again. There was no fear in Marceline's eyes, no hopelessness. All he could see was resolution. That look gave Finn the boost he needed to pick up his feet and run.

It was not until his lungs were burning that he finally stopped. Finn took off his backpack just before collapsing under the loss of momentum, falling into the grass in somebody's garden. He had no clue where he was, but his legs felt like jelly, so he wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

He wheezed, sucking in huge gulps of air until his breathing returned to normal. The cool grass under him was soothing, even though it tickled his neck, and before long, he fell asleep. Pleasant dreams came over him - laughing with his friends, conquering his fear of the water, and…

"Marceline!" He sat up quickly, jolted awake. The night was eerily still, as if nothing had even happened earlier. How long was I asleep? Twilight still loomed over the sleepy town, so it could not have been too terribly long. Finn grabbed his bag, rummaging through the remaining contents for his phone. Marceline's contact information had long since been deleted from the device, but he owed it to her to make sure she was all right. There was still, however, the issue of Ash and his gang. His eyes quickly scanned through the contacts he did have on his phone, but Finn found that his only solution was to call his brother. If Jake was there, the two of them could drive around in search of her. Then when they found her, they could take her to safety. Determined to make things right, he put the phone to his ear.

"Hello-"

"Jake! I need you to come and pick me up! I'm in town somewhere - I don't know where, just call me when you're here. It's an emergency! Ash and his friends are after Marceline and we need to save her!"

"Whoa. Slow down. What?!"

Finn berated himself mentally. Of course. Jake knew nothing about any of this. "Look, man. I lied to you about where I would be going. I'm sorry. We can talk about it later, but right now I need you to help me."

His brother was quiet for a long time. "Where are you?" he finally said, his voice stern.

"I don't know. Somebody's garden. Just tell me when you get here so I can guide you to me." Finn chewed his nails, a habit he thought he'd overcome. "Please hurry. She's in serious danger."

The line disconnected without another word. Finn knew Jake would be furious, but it was time to pay the piper.

Jake's car pulled into park on a long stretch of road. Houses lined either side of the street, appearing vacant in the dead of night. There was a single street lamp to light the pavement Finn was on, and in the yellow glow he could not make out his brother's expression.

Finn had somehow figured out how to navigate Jake to a meeting spot via street signs. His brother was quiet on the phone, only talking when the conversation required him to. He ignored Finn's every attempt to lighten the mood, and barked orders when Finn goofed around too much while they were talking. Earlier that day, Finn had been terrified of Ash and his friends, but Jake somehow managed to scare him more.

However, Marceline's whereabouts were still unknown. Steeling his nerves, Finn flung his bag into the boot of the car and sat down in the passenger seat.

"I know you're mad at me. That's totally understandable, but we-"

"Buckle up." Jake didn't offer him a friendly smile, he only stared ahead, completely stoic.

Finn fastened his seatbelt. "Marceline's still out there somewhere. We need to go find her."

Jake didn't say a word. The car rolled into motion, driving through the centre of town.

Thank goodness he's at least trying, Finn thought, as he looked out for his unlikely saviour. They reached the end of the street where he'd last seen her, and kept driving. "We can't just search one street! What are you doing?!"

"Taking you home."

Finn sat up straighter, and clutched onto his seatbelt with both hands. "We have to find Marceline! Jake, you don't understand. She saved my life!"

Jake ignored his pleas to turn around. "What I understand is that you betrayed my trust. I don't even know who you are anymore, man. I thought you already learned your lesson about hanging out with her."

"I wasn't hanging out with her! I was with Ash." He knew his argument had no weight in this conversation. He'd been the one at fault this time, there was no denying that.

Jake laughed bitterly, throwing a hand into the air. "Even better! You were with the worst of that lot."

"I didn't know he was a bad guy-"

"Really?" Jake cut in. "After everything I told you about them? What, did you think that it was only Marceline that I didn't like?"

Finn sat back in his seat, resigning himself to silence. There was no excuse for his recent behaviour. Once again, he'd misplaced his trust, and this time it had cost him much more than shattered pride. How long would Jake be mad at him? What would his other friends think of him now? More importantly - was Marceline okay?

The only consolation that he could hold onto was that she wasn't where he'd seen her last. Neither were the others, but maybe she'd run away just after he did. She saved me. Even after all those mean things I said to her… She saved me. Finn found that thought reoccurring throughout the entire ride home. He'd been so lost in his own musings, replaying the events of that day in his mind, that he hadn't even noticed they were home until the car's engine shut off.

A blanket of darkness covered their house. There were no street lamps out here, and their parents had already gone to bed, evidently. With only the moonlight to guide them, Finn exited the vehicle and gently closed the door. He would get his backpack in the morning.

Jake stopped in front of him, his figure shifting in the darkness. "Finn," he whispered, "I'm really glad you're okay. I'm still… really pissed off at you, but I'm glad you're okay. We'll talk about everything tomorrow, or whenever. I'm not sure I can face you right now…" He sighed. "Go straight to your room, okay? Don't make a sound… I sort of… Got into a fight with Mum and Dad earlier. They're not going to be very happy if they know I've been out again tonight, and I'm sure they're going to be especially discontent if they see I brought you home early for some reason."

"Okay." Finn was too exhausted, both mentally and physically, to say anything further. He just wanted to go to bed. Maybe by the morning, if he still hadn't heard anything, he would text Bea to find out if Marceline was okay. She had to be. He wasn't sure how much more guilt he could take before it broke him to pieces.

Jake led the way to the front door, tiptoeing cautiously through the lightless path. He slid his key into the door knob and jiggled it slowly, careful not to make any noise, but the handle twisted on its own and swung inward. Just then, the light in the lounge flickered on. Both of their parents were standing there, staring back at them with anger in their eyes.

"Uh-oh," Finn found himself saying.

Joshua crossed his arms over his chest. "Uh-oh is right."