"I've already spent too much time not trying to find Logan. I need to do something…I need to try something. And I want my two best friends with me when I do anything I'm thinking about doing." Neither of them said a word, because neither of them could argue with me. They could sure as hell try. And Kendall even has. When I asked Carlos for a favor, he said he wouldn't let Carlos do something, with Louis, by himself. I then asked him if he was okay with the thought that Louis could be hurting Logan, and that shut him up quick. Carlos has been fairly quiet through the whole thing. Since me asking and now us leaving the hospital. He just sat in the back of the car and stayed quiet. Until now I guess…
"James…the cops already did this. And…and maybe you should be resting. Your head ya know." I looked down at my right side and dug my hands deeper into my sweater pockets.
"Carlos look around. My house…my whole life I built with Logan has been burned to the ground. I've been unconscious for three days, and in that time what have the cops done?" He folded his arms across his chest and looked ahead of us at my now burned down house. It was the first time I had been back here since I almost died in it I guess. I was crying, not hysterically, but enough for Kendall to put a hand on my shoulder and keep it there. They both told me, after the doctor did, that I shouldn't be walking around, using energy. Fuck that.
"I think he's right babe." I swallowed hard looking away from Carlos and watched Romeo scope out the burned pieces of rubble that used to be the foundation, my furniture, my pictures…my life with Logan. "Yeah…the cops are investigating and are searching for Logan but…in the meantime, that they don't actually find him, what's happening to him? And more importantly what's happening to this behemoth besides us? Friends…brothers stick together and he needs us right now. I'm not happy with his plan, especially because it revolves directly around you but…I think Logan would do it for you."
"Really nice asshole. Make me feel guilty." I saw in the corner of my eye Carlos kick at a piece of black wood by his foot as he groaned loudly and bent down at his knees calling Romeo. Romeo of course, being the ham that he is ran over quickly. Carlos scooped him up gracefully, stood himself up, and turned to face Kendall and I. "Alright…but if and when we get there, and we find nothing and we find nothing out…" He stopped and sighed softly shaking his head staring at me. "You will let the cops take care of it, and get some rest." I nodded once and he groaned turning to walk back to the car. "Estoy demasiado viejo para esta mierda."
Our car ride to Louis's house was quiet and tense. Kendal drove while I got in the passenger seat and Carlos sat in the back with Romeo who was passed out form the excitement. My plan seemed fool proof to me. We would show up at Louis's house. While I asked him if we could come in and talk, Carlos would have to use the "bathroom" and disappear until he found Logan. Or…not. I just needed to know for myself. I was having a hard time trusting any police officer especially the one who "saved" me. And while they did search Logan's office at work, searched my burned down house, and even searched Louis's house, I need to do some digging on my own. The digging came sooner than I would have liked. One minute I'm thinking about the plan and the next, were parked across the street from Louis's house and Kendall is shutting the car off. "So…run this by me one more time. You two are going in there…and while you ask him questions about…if he has heard from Logan, Carlos is going to need to pee and sneak off to try to find Logan?" I nodded taking off my seatbelt and heard the door open behind Kendall's. "Babe…wait!" Kendall jumped out quick making Romeo jump up into his seat and bark at the now closed driver door. I sighed and gently pat Romeo's head as I got myself out of the car, painfully and slowly. My head was throbbing, but was worse was how bad my heart hurt. I just wanted to see Logan. And I wanted to remember what happened. "Please me careful…if anything happens…if he says anything to you or does anything to you, you come running out and get me, or if you can't just stay with James. Promise me, alright?" Carlos rolled his eyes but nodded kissing Kendall's chin. "And you…" He turned to me shaking his head as well as a finger, in a very motherly way. "If something doesn't seem right, get the fuck out of there and I'll call 911, alright?" I nodded and rolled my eyes much like Carlos did, getting a giggle form him, and a sigh form Kendall. I walked to Carlos linking arms with him because I was starting to feel dizzy and led him across the street to Louis's house. "I love you Los…you too buddy."
"God he acts like were going to war." I laughed quietly letting him pull me in closer to his shorter body. "I don't' know if I told you this but…" We walked up to the front door of Louis's house and before I reached out to knock he got in front of me, stopping me. He put his hand son my forearms and squeezed gently. "Thank you for being there for Kendall. If you and Logan hadn't…" He looked down shaking his head hard. "He's here because of you. And whatever you need me to do to help find Logan, I'll do it." He looked back up at me and smirked turning to the door and knocking. "I didn't want to seem too eager in front of Kendall. He worries."
"With good reason." I was elbowed softly and it made me laugh quietly. Not a millisecond later the front door opened and Henry's very…almost angry face appeared.
"Can I help you with something?" I stayed frozen in my spot as Carlos took a small step forward and opened his mouth, but the whole world seemed to go quiet, and everything stopped moving around me. I knew what was happening. The doctor explained. For someone who suffers memory loss, the memory could not come back at all or come back at any time. When it does come back you experience a feeling like no other. It's almost like watching it play out on a movie screen and my trigger was seeing Henry. Seeing his pissed off face and hearing his voice made me remember, just a little sliver. I was on my knees, getting my hands tied around the back of me. The person who was tying me was Henry. That was when he said how handsome I was and then…
"James? You alright?" I looked to Carlos fast and nodded. "Come on…Louis is in the shower but he says we can wait inside." I followed fast avoiding eye contact with Henry as best as I could. I hurried past him and jumped slightly hearing the big front door slam behind me.
"Just go ahead and make yourselves at home. We just got a…a cat and I'm trying to train him, so if you will excuse me. I'll let Louis know you're here." He left us standing in the foyer of the house as he hurried to the stairs and took them two at a time.
"Seriously…" Carlos sighed and shrugged his shoulders pulling me along to the huge living room I didn't get a chance to see the last time I was here. "That kid is freaky. He's so weird. But now that he's gone," Carlos peeked over my shoulder before smiling and clapping the same shoulder. "Let me go look around downstairs. I'll be right back." He walked past me fast and I turned to follow and I even said his name quietly, but I couldn't get him to stop. I frowned and gently set myself down on the couch because I was seriously starting to get dizzy. I grabbed the arm rest of the couch and looked at my surroundings slowly taking it all in. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, and nothing seemed to point to Louis having Logan. Being able to sit down and really think about made me question myself. Maybe I hit my head way to hard and I'm just…insane. Maybe we had a fight. Maybe I pushed Logan too far and he really did try to kill me? But then again…that seemed more unlikely then this guy kidnapping Logan, especially because part of my memory was coming up as Henry being down in my basement with me, tying me up. I really needed to try to remember the rest of that specific memory. I felt like my body was urging em to remember that specific part.
"James?" I shot up fast and felt chills go up and down my spine as I watched Louis walk out to me zipping up a black hoodie on his body. I was actually surprised how laid back he looked compared to all the other times I've seen him. He had jeans on, a plain white shirt on underneath his hoodie and only a pair of white socks. He looked like a normal guy with probably nothing to hide. "I heard about your house…and that there may be foul play involved but I didn't think it was this bad…are you alright?" He pointed to my head and surprisingly I played it cool. I smiled and nodded scratching at the stiches on my head.
"Minus some miner headaches and temporary head loss, I'm doing alright."
"You don't remember what happened?" That took me by surprise. He sounded…relieved to know I couldn't remember. And he sat down patting the seat next to him for me to sit with him. I did smirking small and cleared my throat nodding.
"Yeah…the doctor said the detective that pulled me out, saved my life. If hadn't of been there I could have burned alive, but I don't really know how the fire started, and then with Logan missing…"
"He's still missing?" I locked eyes with him hard and gritted my teeth nodding. "Gosh…I am so sorry James. I hope he's alright ya know…I mean…I hope whatever happened, was something he wanted, and not something that he is being forced to do." He smiled small and scrunched his eyebrows together hard. "You know what I mean?" I looked away chuckling quietly and nodded again.
"Yeah I think so. It's just so weird to me. This wouldn't be like Logan if it wasn't forced. He isn't this stupid and irresponsible. I mean he just got a promotion that he loves. He wouldn't just give it all up for something stupid." He nodded gently and sat back a little coughing quietly.
"Well he did give you your ring back." I stopped breathing and thinking letting the air around me turn to ice, real fast. I stared at him, seeing that same stupid fucking grin on his face and again I was thrown back to the night Logan was taken from me. We were locked down in our basement. We tried to find a way out, but there was none. Louis, Henry and three other guys, one of them being the detective that "helped" me, came down stairs. Louis made me get up and get on my knees next to him. Henry then tied me up asking if it pissed me off to see Louis so close to Logan. And then he made Logan tell em he didn't love me, and he yanked his ring off his hand, putting it in my front pocket. And then Louis left with Logan, and Henry and told the other three to burn me alive. "Oh Carlos!" I looked down fast closing my eyes hoping the tears I was forming strictly out of fear, wouldn't spill out.
"James? Uhm…I think you should get home…or rather my house. You don't look very good." I stood myself up, not staring at Louis and walked to Carlos who looked pale. Which was odd for Carlos. It took a lot to freak him out. "Come on…" He put a hand on my arm and tugged gently smiling and waving back at Louis. "Sorry to cut this short Louis…"
"It's quiet alright. He should be resting anyway. Please James…if you need anything, or if you hear anything from Logan, let me know." I formed two tight fists down at my sides and bit my tongue so I wouldn't start cussing him out. The cool refreshing air from the open door was the only thing to calm em down, but it was bittersweet. I was happy to be out of that house, but what if Logan was being held there, against his will and what if he was being hurt? My sweet little Logan…
"Kendall?" My head spun back to reality seeing we were by the car and Carlos was bending inside to look in the empty car. Well, it wasn't empty. Romeo was in the passenger seat looking sad but jumped to life seeing me. He leapt in my arms and I caught him but I spun and started to scan the dark dimly light street for a sign of my blonde best friend. "Kendall?!" Carlos got back out and pulled out his phone, to no doubt call Kendall.
"Kendall?!" I squeezed onto my tiny dog looking around still and swallowed hard ready to go up to Louis house and demand to search his house. But as I opened my mouth again and took a step forward I was stopped by a hand on my bicep.
"Shh! Listen!" In the short distance from our spot by the car, and Louis's house, I heard a very distinct ring. A ring form a phone that could only belong to Kendall. I knew it could only belong to Kendall because he is the only guy I know that would have the Sports center music as a ring tone. "Kendall?!" Carlos was running towards Louis house, trampling over bushes, flowers and the grass all the way to the side of the house. I tried to go just as fast but between my head and the squirming dog in my arms, I couldn't be as fast.. Not like it mattered. When I got there, Carlos had already picked up Kendall's phone and was looking around the huge section of grass surrounding Louis's house. But Kendall's phone on the ground didn't make me think he had gone anywhere, other than in the house itself. And just as I was going to point it out to Carlos I heard a thud…something strong and big hit the inside wall of the house, right next to us. Carlos jumped behind me and again I was going to open my mouth to tell him to call the cops but a scream…a distinct and horrified scream came from up above us.
"Kendall?!" I looked up quick but had to step back fast so I could look up. Carlos stayed behind me but when he saw where I was looking he gasped out, covering his mouth fast. Right above our heads were a few windows. All three of them were boarded up. And each of them and a little bit of light poking out between the boards. And I knew…I just knew that, those boards…one of those rooms, was where Logan was, and now, unfortunately Kendall.