Emil didn't remember falling asleep, but waking up suggested that he did. He was laying on the couch. That's right. He had been waiting for Lukas to come home. A quick jog through the house told him that Lukas still hadn't come home. Emil checked the clock. 4:00 AM.
Emil went up stairs and took a shower, he got dressed and headed down stairs for a breakfast of toast. Finally, he went out and got Leon's sister's bike. It was early enough to get to the North's warehouse and back to return the bike without raising any more concern in Leon. Before he set off, Emil ran back inside and filled a backpack with licorice, his, Lukas and Mathias's phones, and his and Lukas's earpieces. He added an extra jacket since it was looking overcast and an umbrella.
The road was empty and Emil made good time to Berwald's. He knocked and the door was almost immediately answered by Peter. Peter was still wearing the same cloths from yesterday and didn't look like he had slept much.
"Did Lukas not come home?" Peter asked the moment the door was open.
"No." Emil said, peering around Peter into the dark house, "What about Berwald?"
"No. He didn't come back and Tino didn't either and they won't answer their phones and I don't know what to do!" Peter's words spilled out of him and he looked about ready to cry, "Emil! What do I do?"
Emil sighed. What to do? Emil wasn't even sure what he was going to do. "You'd better go home. We both have school tomorrow and your brothers must miss you."
"I don't want to go home! I don't want to go to school!" Peter wailed, "I want to know where Berwald and Tino are!"
"And I want to know where Lukas and Mathias are. I don't want to go to school either and I don't want to ever step out of my house again." Emil said, his tone flat, "But I have to. I can't just sit back and wait."
Peter's eyes grew wide and the tears threatened to fall, but the blonde boy blinked it back, "Please! I want to help!"
Emil turned and walked back to the bike, "No. Go home Peter. I'll call you if I find them."
"Let me come with you!" Peter called, chasing after Emil.
"No." Emil said and started off, "Go home Peter!"
Emil didn't have to look to know Peter had started to cry. Peter was scared and didn't know what was going on. At least Emil knew about the North and their basic plans, Peter knew nothing. Emil never thought he could feel anything but annoyed toward Peter, but now he wanted to turn around and give Peter a hug. He wanted to explain things and show Peter the safe house. He wanted to help Peter. Emil didn't look back. Emil kept pedelling. Emil left Peter crying on Berwald's driveway.
Maybe that's why he was a bad person.
Emil got to the safe house easily. It was the only blue warehouse in the area.
Emil didn't know how the North had gotten a hold of the warehouse, he only knew that Mathias owned it. Usually, they stored whatever they had stolen here. The only reason they hadn't stored all of the birds there was because birds need to eat and it was easiest to feed them all if they were closer. Plus, since Tino was going to be helping with the transportation of the birds, it only made sense to keep them at his apartment. Sometimes, like when they took the Vargas's trunk, it wasn't worth the effort to drive one trunk all the way out to the warehouse, so Berwald had stored that until the drop off. Anything more than that, they brought here. The roads in this part of town didn't have surveillance cameras and the other warehouses in the area where empty or stored old automobiles.
Plus, their warehouse looked just as empty and unused. Emil pushed his bike to the back of the building and noted all of the crushed grass surrounding the building. There had been a bunch of cars. That wasn't right. The North never drove up on the grass or even all the way up the road. The door to the warehouse was ajar. That wasn't right either. The North never used the door. Emil leaned his bike against the back of the building and pushed one part of the wall open. It was a panel that swung open like a whole portion of the wall was a door. It had probably been used for a forklift entrance when the warehouse was still in use, but now it was the only entrance that the North used. People who knew nothing about warehouses, would never notice this door.
The inside was as spotless as ever except a table was set out near the center of the building. Emil walked cautiously around, his footsteps echoing in the emptiness. There really was no one here. The floor had been swept recently and it felt abnormally cold.
Emil wandered around the interior without a goal. They weren't here. That was clear. They weren't here and Emil was alone. They had been arrested. Emil knew that. Then why did Arthur order his release? Well, it wasn't like he would be hard to find if they needed to arrest him again.
Emil didn't know what to do He could go back to Arthur.
Emil finally sat down at the table and stared at the far wall He felt empty. Why was he even here? He had been deluding himself. When Lukas didn't come home last night, he knew they had been arrested. He knew that they were gone.
Emil's hand found his pocket and he pulled his phone out. Numbly he dialed Lukas's number and listened as it stared to ring. In his backpack. Lukas's phone buzzed, but he let it go to voicemail.
"You've reached Lukas. Sorry I missed you,please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
Emil hung up. He pulled Lukas's and Mathias's phones out of his back pack and laid them on the table. He pulled out the his and Lukas's earpieces and laid them next to the phones. Emil dialed Mathias's number. On the table the phone lite up and a chipper ringtone filled the warehouse.
"Yo! It's Mathias! This is my voicemail, so leave a message!"
Emil hung up. He dialed Tino.
Unavailable.
Emil almost dialed Berwald, but he didn't want to talk to Peter again. He didn't want to know if Peter had gone home yet or not. Emil didn't know what he wanted.
Emil flicked his ear piece on and fitted it to his ear. These were good quality earpieces, there was no static and unless they used the voice distortions, everyone sounded like they did in real life. Emil hadn't brought his distorter. Not that it mattered.
"Hey guys." Emil said softly, "Iceland here. Please answer."
Arthur walked slowly down crossed the room and carefully watched the faces of the North.
"It's Iceland here. Please guys. Reply."
Tino's head hung limply and he stared sightless at the ground.
"Guys. This isn't funny. Reply. I need to know where you are."
Berwald's face was stony and his eyes were locked one the far wall.
"Please. Answer me. Where are you? I need to know."
Mathias was red and he glared at Arthur, "Why are you doing this? It's not like you need a confession or any more evidence against us! Why would you do this?"
"I need you to talk to me and during normal questioning, you were less than cooperative." Arthur said evenly, but somehow, he couldn't meet Mathias's eyes.
"Guys. Please! Where are you? I need to know you're okay!" Emil's voice cracked and for a moment he was silent, "If this is some sick joke, I hate you all! If this isn't, talk to me!"
Lukas was pale. His hands were clenched together so tightly that his knuckles were white and bloodless. His face was blank, but those eyes burned with a hatred that Arthur understood.
"Let me talk to him." Lukas said, his voice unsteady.
"Please tell me where the items you stole from the summer home are." Arthur said.
"We don't know!" Lukas snapped, "We don't know where things go after we get them to the drop off!"
"Who hired you for that job? Where was the drop off?"
Lukas's jaw clenched. His eyes burned into Arthur.
"Please! Where are you! Talk to me!" Emil choked and gave a soft sob, "I have to know you guys are okay!"
"You are a sick twisted person." Mathias growled, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Why are you doing this to him?" Lukas hissed.
"I'm not doing anything to him. You may speak to him if you tell me what I need to know." Arthur said, but part of him agreed. This was wrong. Listening to Emil made Arthur feel like the bad guy for the first time. Still.
Tino lifted his head and smiled at Arthur. It was that same smile he had give Arthur before Berwald won the card game, "I should have shot you. I should have shot your knee caps in first, then your throat so you couldn't even scream. Then I should have let you bleed to death."
Emil seemed unable to talk, but his choked sobs could be heard with crystal clarity.
The North all looked at Arthur. Arthur's throat was tight. Did they seriously think he enjoyed this? Did they seriously think he like this? He had a job to do. He had a little brother too.
"Where the hell is Peter?" Arthur snapped, unable to stop himself.
The only sound in the room was Emil's crying. Arthur'a hate for them was matched, they where showing their true colors. They detested Arthur.
Still, a shiver ran through Arthur. Even though he was the one with the gun now. They were the ones handcuffed. He was the one surrounded by allies. He was scared. These were some enemy he wasn't sure he would win against.
Ha! How could they get out of this? There was no way their lawyer would get them out of jail time and breaking out of custody would be impossible. Arthur had all the winning cards and he knew when he needed to play them.
Arthur walked back to the door and let Alfred back in, "Please take them back to their cells."
The North rose and started to file out of the room. Lukas was the last in line and stopped without looking at Arthur.
"I want to talk to you alone." Lukas said, his voice passionless.
Arthur nodded to Alfred to take the rest of them and let Lukas back into the interview room.
They sat down and Arthur looked at Lukas expectantly. Emil's soft crying was the only sound for a moment then Lukas sighed and looked up at Arthur.
"At this point no one is winning." Lukas said, "I would like to propose a deal."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. He could almost hear Lukas's hate for him, "What sort of deal?"
"The sort of deal where Peter goes home and I answer all of your questions to the best of my ability."
"I'm listening."
Lukas took a deep breath, "If I do this, I have one request."
Arthur just looked at Lukas.
"I want you to ensure that Emil's name is clean when this is all over."
"I can't do that."
Lukas gave a sharp bark of laughter, "Oh yes you can!"
Arthur glared at Lukas. He already knew what Lukas wanted, "No."
"You are a private detective agent. Who says you have to turn over all of the evidence when you turn us over to the police?" Lukas gave Arthur a tiny smile, "Who says that the evidence against Emil ever existed?"
"No." Arthur said and sneered, "There's this thing called professional pride. Ever heard of it?"
Lukas sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, "Tino was right about you, you care only for yourself."
"You're not going to guilt me into this. Emil is guilty and it's my job to see that he is brought to justice."
"No," Lukas said, "Your job is to get back the items that the agency was hired to get. Justice has nothing to do with your job."
Arthur stared at the table. He could hear Emil and the image of the boy came to him. In his mind's eye he saw Emil back in the cell, skin pale and stone still. "I'm listening."
I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update! I don't plan on abandoning this story, it's just that school has taken my life and put it in a blender. Hopefully updates will come sooner, but it won't be weekly like over the summer.
Thanks again for your support and I am so sorry about the slow update!
