Darry picked up the note first that had been folded in half.
Forgive me, God, for I have sinned.
I don't deserve to be forgiven for the misdeeds that I have done to Scott, and now Ponyboy and Jonathan.
I sold my soul to the devil, but I will not do his bidding any further.
Be with me Lord as I try to reason with him not to carry out his disgusting plan to take Ponyboy and Jonathan. If I succeed, then I vow to spend the rest of my life making up for my sins. If not, then I gladly sacrifice my life, but only if you protect Ponyboy and Jonathan from their fate at Lynch's doing.
Whatever plan you have in store for me, I will gladly accept it in the name of your son, Jesus Christ.
Evan Anthony Glass.
"You really did sell Pony and Johnny to Lynch, you ba*****," Darry muttered. He set the note down and then picked up the journal. The first few pages were about Scott Gregory including classes, after-school activities, close friends, and how he got to and from school. There was also an underlined word that said "skipper," and the route he took to get to Bucks or a baseball field. The next few pages were about Ponyboy and Johnny with similar information to what they had found in Glass's car. Darry skipped ahead until he came to the last few pages.
11:00 am-11:20 (Ponyboy and Jonathan's lunch)
11:15 (Frank enters school) {Excuse self from class, and be ready for Ponyboy and Jonathan}
11:20 (Frank starts shooting) {Get Ponyboy and Jonathan out of the lunchroom and out the back door for safety. Lynch and Jose will take care of getting boys into the truck.)
11:25 (Frank runs out of school before police arrive, jumps in the car with Lynch and Jose, and we take off.) {Go back and assist with student control and police. Second half of money under doormat}.
"Wait, the second half?" Darry asked. He walked over to the front door, walked out as police were still dealing with the crowd, and lifted the mat. There was nothing under there.
'I guess he didn't pay him until after he got Pony and Johnny; which he wouldn't have to since he killed Mr. Glass at the school,' Darry thought to himself. He then went back in and walked to the backroom where Agent Carlos was.
"Sir? Do you remember that theory that Glass sold Ponyboy and Johnny? I think I found a confession in his desk," he said.
"Did you, now? Let me see," Carlos said. Darry took him back over to the desk and first gave the note to him. "Yes sir, I'll definitely take this as a confession to the crime of assisting with a kidnapping of not just two, but three minors," he said.
"I also found a journal with the entire plan laid out to the kidnapping and the shooting," Darry continued. Agent Carlos set the note down and picked up the journal to read it.
"Damn. Well this didn't go according to plan, did it? This also counts as evidence of attempted kidnapping on Frank Silos, who was the school shooter. Good find, Curtis. Start documentation, and I'll start photographing and getting these things analyzed for more evidence. Anything else you found?" Carlos asked.
"Not really besides the fact that the key to the drawer they were in was tapped to a file and then thrown in the trash," Darry said.
"Ummm…that isn't really important as the file could have easily been knocked into the trash by mistake, and the taped-up key may have just been an unusual hiding place. The key itself isn't really useful to the case besides it opening the drawer where the journal and note were."
After Darry did his documentation, an officer came running inside.
"Excuse me sir, but your radio is being called," he said.
"Thank you," he said. "I'll be right back Curtis." With that, he walked out of the apartment. Darry finished up his documentation and reread through his notes. A few minutes later, Agent Carlos walked back in.
"Hey, Curtis. Some of my men are getting ready to question the school shooter. You wouldn't want to come and listen in, would you?"
"Are you kidding me? Yes!" Darry said.
"Alright. My men and the officers will take care of the rest of the crime scene. Let's go."
Break*Break*Break*Break*Break*Break*Break*Break
Darry and Agent Carlos walked into Tulsa Police Station where the shooter, Jose was being held. They walked into the jail interview room with Darry making sure to keep his dark glasses up. Inside sat a man chained up to a desk.
"Alright, just how long are you gonna keep me here?" Frank Ross asked.
"Oh, you're not goin' anywhere for a long time. We've just been making sure we have all our evidence to charge you with multiple counts: including one that we just discovered. You've been working together with Harrison Lynch, haven't you?"
"You've got no proof that I was working with Lynch. It was just a coincidence that he happened to be at the school the same time I was," he said.
"Oh really? Because my partner here and I investigated the house of that substitute earlier this afternoon. Evan Glass, right? We found a detailed timeline listing everything that was supposed to happen that day Ponyboy Curtis and Jonathan Cade were kidnapped. Funny thing is that your name was listed as the shooter. You, Lynch, Jose, and the substitute were all in cahoots with each other and planned the kidnapping. I'm already charging you with two accounts of accessory to kidnapping, and if anything happens to those boys, I will have no problems with charging you with Felony Murder that will send you straight to the chair," Agent Carlos said.
"Whoa, whoa, hold up. I wasn't tryin' to kill no one. I wasn't even going to shoot any kids or nothin' like that. I just went in there and shot at the ceiling. No one got hurt," Frank admitted.
"But two kids were kidnapped by a serial killer because of you," Darry said.
"Two separate counts of kidnapping is a serious felony Mr. Ross and most of our Federal prison inmates don't take too kindly to those kinds of crimes; some of them even have kids of their own and take crimes involving children very seriously. If you cooperate with us, we may just lighten your sentence a little. Tell us about what happened with Lynch and how did you meet," Carlos said.
"I…I was low on cash and…I was debating on my options to get it. I even started asking around the local gangs how they scored the cash. A man came up to me one night when I was walking and told me he could hook me up with some cash, but I had to do exactly what he told me. So I agreed," Frank admitted.
"No questions asked?" Darry asked.
"Hey, as long as he was willing to pay me, it doesn't matter what he needed me to do. He even told me he'd pay me 400 bucks for it. He gave me an address that we were going to meet at to discuss all the details later that night and that's where I met the others. He ordered me to do the school shooting as a distraction, while he grabbed the kids. Then, I'd run out of the school, he'd pick me up, and then we'd go our separate ways after he paid me. End of story."
"But that's not what happened that day. Something went wrong," Carlos said.
"By the time I got out there, that double-crossing ba***** was gone, and I was tackled to the ground by your crew. Does that about cover it?" he asked.
"Do you have any idea where he might have taken them?" Darry asked.
"How the hell should I know? He was never one to go around and start spilling his guts to his crew," Frank explained.
"Well, this has gotten us nowhere. Santiago, take this son of a b**** to prison," Carlos told someone who was looking at them through the window. The agent Santiago came in and then grabbed Frank.
"Wha wha wait! I did everything you told me! You said you would lighten my sentence and not put me in Federal!" Frank screamed.
"True, but that was only if you could help us further. So far you've given us nothing to go off of. I think our session is over. I'll let the inmates teach you how to behave around children," Carlos said.
"B-b-b-b-but I can't! Lynch will kill me if he finds out and he always finds out!" Frank said. Then Carlos grabbed the shooter's shirt and got inches away from him.
"Maybe you should have thought about that when you agreed to work with that ba*****! I hope you rot in hell!" Carlos said, pushing him away from him while Santiago led him away. Darry just watched the scene unfold in shock. As Frank was led away, he began to sob and scream.
"PLEASE! DON'T TAKE ME THERE! PLEASE!" He begged.
"You're gonna die regardless. It's up to you by whom," Santiago said.
"ALRIGHT! I'LL TALK! I'LL TALK!" Santiago stopped and dragged him back to the table. All of a sudden, Carlos slammed Frank's head to the table and held one hand around his neck, and the other holding his loaded gun at Frank's temple. Darry jumped in the air and gasped.
'Jesus Christ, Carlos. What the hell are you doing?!' Darry asked himself.
"You better not be wasting my time!" Carlos warned.
"N-no! I swear! I lied about just meeting Lynch that day to kidnap Ponyboy. I was involved with all three kidnappings in Tulsa along with Glass," Frank admitted. "We kinda worked together as a team. Since Glass was in the school system, he could get Intel about the victims' Lynch wanted without being suspicious, while I could go out and start following them to see their life outside of the school system."
"So you were the one who was stalking them and taking some of those pictures?" Darry said.
"Yeah, I admit it. It's not like Lynch could go out in public. But when it came to kidnapping his victims, he wanted in on the full action.."
"Then why was Glass the one who had all those photographs in his car and information about my b…about Ponyboy and Jonathan?" Darry asked.
"I already told you that we all worked together as a team. I gave him the photos I took so he could start gaining their trust, based on their interests and what they do for fun. I was the one who grabbed Scott Gregory from off the streets, while he just stood there in public to get someone's attention. Then, one of the neighbors nearby saw us, and we sped off before they could call the cops. Then I took him to the house and helped Lynch chain him up in the storm cellar so no one could hear him. He paid me and that was that. Then, a few days later, he called my house and said he grew tired of Scott since he found another kid that he wanted to play with."
"Is that all?" Carlos asked.
"Y-yeah. I swear!"
"You didn't tell us s***!" Carlos said. "five…four…three…two…"
"ALRIGHT! HE'S…HE'S GOT A HOUSE!"
"A house? Where?!" Darry asked.
"I don't know if it's his personal house or just a house he owns, but I heard him talking on the phone to a relater or something. He keeps burning down those houses when he's done with them, but I don't know where the hell he gets all that money from. We alternate the houses we meet at so we don't arouse suspicions. Glass wasn't there because he had to make sure he could get into Tulsa High for a long period of time and not just by luck. It was me, Lynch, and Jose. He picked us up and he took us to his house!"
"Was there a locked storm cellar or anywhere he could keep his victims locked up?!" Darry asked.
"I don't quite remember," Frank said, and Carlos took the safety off the gun.
"I CAN TAKE YOU THERE! I SWEAR! I know exactly where it is!" Frank said.
"Good," Carlos said and removed the gun from his head while one of the other agents took care of the shooter. "Get this piece of trash into a car so he can take us to the house. I want all agents and officers to have their weapons loaded and ready to fire. One single sign of trouble and you shoot that son of a bi***. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir," the other agents said and started to drag a petrified Frank away. Carlos then turned his attention back to Darry.
"Was all that necessary?" Darry asked.
"Do you want to find your brother and friend or not?" Carlos asked.
"Of course I do, but it's just…." Darry started.
"If Lynch wants to play dirty, then so do we. I told you, we're going to do everything in our power to take him down and stop this murder spree. Come on Curtis, man up. This type of stuff shouldn't be too much for you to take; especially with the people you hang out with."
"Excuse me?"
"Take Dallas Winston for instance," Carlos said. "He does this kind of stuff to people and especially police all the time."
"Dally is a special case. And just because he's part of our group doesn't mean my family and I go around and threatening people just to get what we want. I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told your boss; I do exactly what I have to do to keep my family safe and together. And guess what? We're doing just fine," Darry argued.
"Then you should understand why I do the things my department and I do. We do what we have to to get the facts we need which will bring us that much closer to putting an end to Lynch permanently; even if we have to break some rules and protocols to do that; just like you do with your brothers." Darry remained silent at that. Carlos then looked at his watch. "Speaking of your brother, I'd better get you back home before Sodapop comes home. I'll pick you up at 8:30 tomorrow morning so we can go over what we found at the house; if anything."
"You're still going to the house? Won't Lynch get mad that I won't be involved?" Darry asked.
"You've been involved in the investigation all day; especially at Glass's place. Word will reach him somehow, and it's not like you're not going to be involved in the house raid. I'll fill you in on everything tomorrow after I pick you up. Unless you want to come and have Sodapop find out what you're doing. You're the one who decided not to involve him."
"Alright, fine. Let's just go," Darry said. With that, the two left the interrogation room back to the car.
Tuesday, September 28th, 1965
Ponyboy and Johnny
"Is he coming back?" Ponyboy asked. Neither boy had heard a peep out of their captor in two days.
"Glory, I hope not," Johnny said.
"Maybe the police found him," Ponyboy suggested.
"That'd be nice," Johnny commented. That's when Ponyboy began to quickly imagine what it would be like to hear the police outside the barn and them coming to rescue them.
All of a sudden, the lock outside the barn was being moved around as someone tried to open it making Ponyboy snap back to reality.
"Darry?" Ponyboy whispered to himself. The door opened, and in walked Lynch, and the dream was shattered. He was carrying/dragging a cooler into the barn.
"Hi boys! I hope you didn't miss me too much, but I sure missed you. Gotta give your marks a chance to heal themselves, otherwise, you'll eventually get to a point where you won't feel pain at all; and where's the fun in that? Had to learn that the hard way, unfortunately. Then by the time I realized it, I was already started to get bored with my guest. So I just did my final challenge, brought them back, got some matches, and the whole place went up. It was beautiful. It's rare to find someone who appreciates the true beauty of it with all the colors though. If the FBI wasn't my most hated group of people, then it would have to go to the firefighters who try to silence her beauty," Lynch explained. Ponyboy and Johnny just looked at each other.
"You're insane," Johnny said. Lynch then gasped dramatically.
"Why thank you, Jonathan. That's the greatest compliment I could ever receive from anyone. Would you boys like to see a gift I just bought?" Lynch asked.
"No!" both boys said immediately.
"Great! Now first, I'll need a volunteer from the audience. How about you Jonathan? Since you gave me such a compliment," Lynch said, and then started walking over to him. Ponyboy saw him pull something out of his pocket, bring it to the lock on Johnny's chains, and Johnny was freed. Johnny's arms fell limp, but Johnny didn't move. That's when Lynch went over to grab another set of arm shackles with a longer chain almost the width of the entire barn. Johnny tried to move, but his still broken body wouldn't allow it. Lynch attached the second pair of shackles to Johnny's wrists even with Johnny's weak kicks to his chest. Afterward, he went over to the cooler and opened the lid. Then he pulled out a chainset that looked like a necklace with a small piece of meat hanging from it. He walked back over to Johnny and put the necklace on Johnny with the meat attached to the chain.
"What are you doing?" Johnny asked.
"Relax, I'll show you in a second," Lynch said. Then he walked over to a rope that was tied up near one of the three stalls the barn had. Lynch untied the rope and started to pull. Every time he pulled, the chains dragged Johnny across the hard floor until he eventually started to rise in the air and hang by his hands. Suddenly, he stopped and tied the rope to hook nearby.
"How's it lookin' up there Johnny-boy?" Lynch called. Johnny said nothing. "Let me show you my new present," he said. He walked out of the barn, and the boys were now left in silence.
Suddenly, vicious barking was faintly heard. It got closer and closer until four big German Shepards ran in. They all stood underneath Johnny barking and even began jumping up at him. They jumped so high, that Johnny felt their sharp teeth through his shoes. He screamed and tried kicking the dogs off and away from him.
"Johnny!" Ponyboy called. The dogs paid no mind to him and growled and barked at Johnny. Suddenly, one of the dogs latched onto Johnny's foot and bit hard.
"AHHHH!" Johnny screamed, kicking the dog as hard as he could
"Hey! Don't you dare hurt my boys, Jonathan!" Lynch yelled.
"LET GO!" Johnny screamed still kicking. Finally, the dog let go of Johnny after a hard kick. Unfortunately, the other dogs jumped higher and more vicious with that act.
"Now you've done it," Lynch said watching with his arms crossed, but with a big smile.
"Let him go!" Ponyboy screamed, ignoring his wrists that were screeching with pain.
"Not yet Ponyboy. Oo wait! This will make a perfect photo for our scrapbook! Heel!" Lynch yelled. All four dogs stopped jumping and laid down on their bellies.
"Good boys. I'll be right back. Boys, wait!" Lynch said. The dogs didn't move from their spots. Lynch ran out of the barn leaving the group alone for a few minutes.
"J-Johnny?" Ponyboy called. Johnny didn't make a sound or move. He just stared in the horror of the animals that sat just below him. One of the dogs suddenly looked at Ponyboy and his stare caused Ponyboy to shiver.
A moment later, Lynch came back with his camera and the dreaded scrapbook. "Alright, boys. Ready? GO!" All four dogs got up and started barking and jumping again at Johnny. Johnny held his legs up as high as he could while preparing to kick any of the dogs off him again. Lynch took various pictures and placed them carefully on the table after the photo came out of the camera. Ponyboy meanwhile looked around the room for any little thing that could help him get out, or not feel as helpless as he currently felt.
"I think that'll do for right now," Lynch said placing the last photo on the table. Then he went over to the tied-up rope that was connected to Johnny's chains. Johnny's attention was now directed completely to Lynch.
"Please don't," Johnny begged.
"Don't what? Oh! You mean this?" Lynch asked, and let go of the rope causing Johnny to free fall towards the bloodthirsty dogs. Johnny screamed himself hoarse as he fell on top of the dogs, who then all proceeded to jump on him and bite wherever they could.
"JOHNNY! NO!" Ponyboy screamed too. Lynch meanwhile grabbed his camera again and started taking more pictures.
"Yes! I really think Dallas will love these. Don't you think Ponyboy? I hear he just got out of jail again and was looking everywhere for you two. Maybe this will give him some much-needed encouragement. He's been going around and beating up random people to get his anger out so he doesn't cry again."
"D-Dally doesn't cry!" Ponyboy insisted.
"You'd think so, but it's not true. I saw him with my own eyes the other day. No matter. HEEL!" Lynch screamed, and once again, all the dogs backed off of Johnny and laid down on their bellies. Johnny meanwhile was gasping for air as most of his clothes were ripped in multiple areas, and the meat around his neck was completely gone. That's when Lynch came over. "Say cheese!" he said cheerfully and snapped a few pictures of the petrified Johnny.
There you go! We're getting somewhere, but what's going to happen with the boys, and what's Dally been up to? You'll find out next time.
See you then, and let me know your thoughts.
LaurenHardy13