CHAPTER NINE: CONFESSIONS
I pulled into the parking lot of the Pizzaplex, the place looking empty as if it was left abandoned by society to rot away and be long forgotten by time. However, I knew the Pizzaplex was still in business, even though it shouldn't be, to be honest. Despite the fact I'd worked here for over 5 months and the good memories I made here, I wished that it would rot away and be nothing but a long, distant memory.
I pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine, sitting there for a moment. As I did, my mind flashed to what happened just a few moments ago, along with the memories of that particular day coming back. To say that it shocked me would be an understatement. It shook me, scared me a little. To think that I actually met the one who would be my girlfriend when I was only 17 years old took a massive toll on me.
To top it off, the feelings I had for her at the time made me a little sick. The disdain, the annoyance, the need to slap her for her arrogance. All of it. I remembered how I felt about certain people and their personalities. To be honest, it wasn't just my pale skin that made it hell for me to make my friends. It was also because I couldn't stand how arrogant people can be, especially kids at that. Their fragile egos, their need to put other people down, and to drive others to doubt themselves were awful. I stayed as far away from them as possible.
I sighed as I looked at the building. As I did, I noticed 2 black cars parked in front of the building. Curiosity struck me like a ton of bricks as my eyes remained glued onto them. Something about them didn't sit right with me. I had a bad feeling about them and whatever was going on inside wasn't anything good.
I hopped out of my truck, slamming the door shut behind me. I began to walk over to the front doors, my heart suddenly beginning to pound rapidly in my chest. I didn't know why, but I was suddenly growing very nervous with each step I took towards the building. Like I was about to bump into something I was NOT supposed to see or witness.
I stopped in my tracks as a familiar washed over me. The feeling of being watched. I looked to the right at one of the cars and felt my stomach churn. There was somebody sitting in the vehicle, though I couldn't tell who. The tintness of the windshield made it very difficult to make out who it was.
What I could tell was that there was a man sitting in the driver's seat. I could be wrong, but it looked like there was someone else in the car with him. Another man. I tried to pick up any details about who it could be, but I couldn't. Something in my gut told me that the windshield was probably tinted that way on purpose. To prevent anyone from seeing their identities.
'I'll call Leon once I figure out what is going on,' I thought to myself as I started walking to the front doors.
I reached the front doors and slowly pushed them, entering the building. I pushed the second set of glass doors and officially entered the Lobby. As soon as I did, I saw something that made me freeze.
There were four men standing in the center of the Lobby, all of them towering over a slightly intimidated Kyle with Mangle standing behind me, looking terrified. Each one had a stocky build to them and they looked like they were ready to pounce on Kyle. What made the sight worse was that one of them was pointing a gun at Kyle's head.
The sight made my blood boil. I didn't know what was going on, but I was ready for a fight if it ever came to that. Not only that, but that man was using that gun to get Kyle to comply with whatever he wanted. Cowards wanting to be in control. That's what they were. It was sickening, but also laughable.
I slowly began walking towards them so I could find out what was going on without too much attention to myself.
"I'm not going to say it again," the man with the gun said angrily and venomously. "Give… us… the fox."
"We don't have time for you trying to be all tough and defy us," one of the men said. "You made a deal and you're going to fulfill it right now."
"Gotta tell ya, the bosses are losing their patience," one of them said. "Do as you're told and no one gets hurt. If you don't, we'll make you wish you didn't defy them."
That sentence almost made me stop in my tracks, but I kept going. What did they mean by 'deal'? Did Kyle do something that he should not have done? Whatever it was, I wasn't going to let them take her away, if that's what they plan to do. More importantly, who were their bosses?
"Fuck you," Kyle said, trying to be strong but failing miserably. "I don't care what you do to me. I won't hand her over to someone as sick as them."
The man with the gun pulled his arm back and swung it as hard as he could. The impact struck Kyle across the face, sending him to the floor. Kyle weakly got on his knees and spat on the floor, groaning in pain. The sight fueled my rage. I was going to destroy their lives… and their bodies.
"KYLE!" Mangle cried out in fear.
"I've had enough of you," the man growled before he turned his attention to his men. "Boys! Get the fox and let's go!"
They nodded and began walking over to Mangle, who was walking away backward.
"NO!" she screamed in terror as they grabbed hold of her. "Let me go, you brutes!"
'I can't take it,' I thought to myself as I got about a foot away from them. It was time for my appearance to be known.
"I'm afraid you won't be leaving with your prize… or your lives for that matter," I said coldly. The men jumped and turned to look in my direction, surprise on their faces. Probably due to the fact I came in here without them noticing.
"Mihael!" Mangle cried out.
It didn't take long for the surprise to wash away and scowls to take their place on their faces. I returned the gesture with a cold and intimidating expression on my face.
"Who the hell are you?" one of them asked.
"I'm Mihael Patel, the security guard of the Mega Pizzaplex, and just so you know, I saw everything so I'm only going to say this once," I began to say very slowly and threateningly. "Leave this place or I will put you all out of your miserable existence."
The men looked at each other for a moment before they all began to laugh loudly. My rage grew some more, but I kept my composure. From the looks of it, they were making their choice, one they were going to regret very quickly.
It took a moment for them to regain their composure and look at me like I was just a kid.
"Look at you, trying to be tough and brave," the man with the gun said mockingly before his face became angry and aimed his gun at my forehead. "You're the one who's about to be put out of their life. And besides, you're just one guy and there are four of us. What are you even going to do?"
I smirked at him, keeping my eyes on him for a moment before with one swift motion of my left hand, swiping the gun out of his hand like it was covered in butter. Without giving him time to react to what just happened, I grabbed his arm and pulled him close enough for me to deliver an uppercut with my right fist. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and spun for a moment before I kicked him in the chest, sending him sliding on the floor.
I looked at the last 3 men, who looked at me with shock and slight fear. It wasn't long before they let go of Mangle, all of them balling their hands into tight fists.
"You're going to regret it, punk," they growled and began charging at me. "YOU'RE DEAD, ASSHOLE!"
I stayed where I was for a moment before one of them swung their fist at me. I leaped over him and delivered a standing dropkick to his back. The impact of the kick sent him flying a good few feet before he fell onto his stomach.
I looked at the other two before they lunged at me. I jumped and split my legs, kicking them in the face. They both fell on the floor and groaned in pain. One of them got back up. Before he could react, I performed a flashkick, sending the guy falling onto his back.
The other guy got up and prepared himself to strike before I gave him a powerful compass crescent to the side of the head, knocking him out instantly. I straightened my posture, rubbing my hands like I was cleaning dirt off of them.
I heard someone running at me from behind. I looked to see one of the men coming at me, screaming like mad. Once he was close enough, I delivered a spinning hook kick to his face, knocking him out in a flash.
I regained my balance and looked around to see the first three all knocked out cold. I turned my attention to Kyle, who was looking at me in shock. Mangle was also looking at me in surprise.
"You both okay?" I asked calmly, despite the lingering rage that flowed throughout my body.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said as he got up. "Thanks."
"I'm shaken, but I'll be fine," Mangle said reassuringly.
I nodded before I looked behind me to see the one who formerly had the gun was finished doing something with his phone before he turned his attention to me, putting the phone in his pocket. It wasn't long before I saw one of the cars drive away in a hurry. I knew right away that he informed whoever his 'bosses' were that things didn't go their way. I wasn't surprised in the slightest.
I walked over to him, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and looked him in the eyes. He did the same, though he looked like he had seen a ghost a little bit.
"What did I say was gonna happen if you didn't leave when I gave you the chance?" I growled in his face. "Now, you're going to tell me who sent you and why they want Mangle. Don't and I'm going to pop your family jewels. Pick and choose."
"Fuck you," He growled angrily before he spat in my face. I wiped the spit off my face before I slammed my right foot onto his family jewels. He screamed in agony before I punched him in the face, his nose bleeding profusely.
"You made your choice and now you paid dearly for it," I growled menacingly. "Tell me right now or I'll shoot you in both of your fucking kneecaps. So, are you going to give me what I want?"
"Go fuck yourself!" he screamed.
"Wrong answer," I growled before I let him go and stepped back. I aimed the gun at his left kneecap and pulled the trigger without giving him a chance. He screamed in utter agony before he clutched his leg.
"Who… who the fuck are you?!" he cried out before I aimed at his right kneecap and pulled the trigger. He screamed once again before I got on top of him and began punching repeatedly all over. His chest, his ribs, his mouth, everywhere. I stopped once I felt like he had enough.
"You gonna talk?!" I shouted.
"Yes! Please! No more!" he cried like a baby.
"TALK!" I screamed.
"They… they are brothers!" he began. "They call themselves Ben and Ian! They were the former mechanics of this Pizzaplex! They've been talking obsessively over some guy named Mihael Patel and how they want to get revenge on him for something that happened! I guess they were talking about you!"
I glared at him, despite how sick to my stomach I felt. I couldn't believe what I heard. Ben and Ian were behind this?! That didn't make any sense. They were taken into custody by Leon. I believed that they were going to get what was coming to them, but I guess not. Something didn't sit right.
"I see…" I said slowly before I glared angrily, my eyes locked onto his. As much as I wanted to know about Kyle's connection to all of this, I decided to ask him myself once I had what I needed from this guy. "What is your and your goons' connection to Ben and Ian?"
"We used to work here a long time ago," the man continued in a groan. "Some of us knew Ben and Ian personally. After they got out, they approached us and asked us if we wanted to get a little bit of payback for what happened to us a few years back. We all agreed and that's when we came here to take Mangle. I swear, that's all I know."
I glared at him for a moment before relaxing a little. I had a feeling that it was all the information I was going to get out from the guy.
"Thank you," I said venomously. "Now, you get to take a nap."
With that, I got up and slammed my right foot onto his face, the blow knocking him out instantly. I straightened my posture before I turned my attention to Kyle. He had a guilty expression on his face as if he just got busted. Mangle was standing beside him, looking very upset.
I sped walked over to him, my anger still strong as ever. I could sense the tension in the air… and in our minds. Whatever it was that Kyle promised to the brothers, he better have had a very good reason for this betrayal.
"Kyle, is there something you want to tell me?" I growled angrily. He sighed before he looked me in the eyes, guilt strongly present in his eyes.
"About a month ago, December 13th, sometime after you left for the day, I was checking on the others to make sure nothing was wrong," Kyle began. "While I was in the Lobby, I heard someone walk in. I was about to tell them we were closed when I saw them. Ben and Ian. They were here with a bunch of guys behind them. Some of them were the ones you beat just now. They were all smiling at me. Evilly. Like they were the Devil's children.
"I warned them that if they didn't leave, I was going to call the cops. That's when they told me that they were here to discuss some things with me. My curiosity got the better of me and I asked what they wanted. They were talking about you. How they wanted revenge and that the key to that was through… Mangle. Mihael, they wanted me to hand Mangle over to them once she was finished. They were planning to use her to lure you into a trap so they could get rid of you.
"I refused so they…" He paused. "Mihael, they threatened that if I didn't give them Mangle, they would go after my family and friends. I didn't believe them… until they started giving out their names, their places of work, and home addresses. I don't know how in God's name they got that information, but they gave me an ultimatum; I give them Mangle and everyone I loved and cared for will be safe. If I didn't and I told anyone about it, they would go after them and kill them.
"I… I had no choice but to give in and do what they wish. I didn't know what to do. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I didn't want them going after my family and friends. I didn't want to do it at all. During that time, the finishing touches on Mangle were on the way, but I did what I could to stall it. However, I knew I could not stop it forever so I decided to finish her 2 days ago.
"They must've learned about Mangle yesterday because they pulled up and sent four men to come pick her up. I brought her over and as they were in the process of taking her away, I decided to stand up. I couldn't bring myself to do that to her, so I stood my ground as best I could. You saw how that turned out for me. I was so relieved when I saw you, but I knew I had to tell you what happened after that. I'm so sorry, Mihael."
Silence took over. I didn't know what to say. A part of me wanted to scream at him in anger at his betrayal. However, another part of me understood why he did it. It was fear for his friends and family that drove him to keep quiet and not say anything.
I sighed. I understood. I really did. However, after this, some of the trust I had for him was shattered. I couldn't get over the fact he hid this and did not tell anyone. Then again, if I was in his shoes, I would've felt conflicted as well. However, I would've tried to handle the situation on my own as I had back in the day.
"I'm really disappointed, Kyle," I said softly. "I really am. I don't know how I can trust you after this. However, I do understand the situation you were in so I can't fully blame you for it. Right now, we need to call the cops and inform them of what's happened."
Kyle nodded. I took out my phone and flipped it open. I dialed Leon's number and pressed the green phone icon. I held it to my ear and waited. As I did, something crossed my mind. Leon must've known about this. No doubt decided to keep it secret from me and Roxanne.
The thought of that made my blood boil a little bit. If that was the case, did he not think about how one of us was going to find out and cause some conflict between us? I hated it when people kept secrets from me. Although I had done such things, I had my reasons and such. However, when it came to stuff like this, it was a whole other story. Secrets like that can be dangerous, especially when it involves someone who has hurt you in the past and is known to be capable of petty things like staying in someone else's house and trashing it over having to move their stuff in there.
The phone clicked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Hello?" came Leon's voice.
"Hey, Leon, it's Mihael," I said as calmly as possible.
"Ah, Mihael, good to hear from you," he said happily. "Is there something you need?"
"Yes," I said. "Get your ass and a few officers to the Pizzaplex. We have a situation."
I watched as the men that I had beaten were placed into the backseat of a few police cars. A wave of satisfaction washed over me when I knew that their lives were completely ruined because they decided to join sides with wanted felons. However, I knew that this was far from over. Ben and Ian were still out there and I had a feeling they were going to try something like that again. If so, I wouldn't be surprised by how cowardly they were.
I felt something wrap itself around me. I looked to see Mangle hugging me from behind, a smile plastered on her face.
"Thank you again for saving me, Mihael," Mangle said softly. "I was so scared."
"Don't worry about it," I said softly. "Those people will be going to jail for a long time. However, this is far from over."
"How so?" she asked, curiosity forming on her face.
"Ben and Ian are still out there," I said simply. "And if I had to guess, they were probably in the car that just took off after I took those guys out. I have a feeling they are going to try something to get back at me. They're petty like that."
"What do you think they will do next?" Mangle asked.
I thought about it for a moment. There were many things they could try. Like breaking into the family house in the middle of the night while we're sleeping, ambushing us while out shopping, bribing someone to poison us while going out to eat, etc. As that thought came into the front of my mind, I thought about what my mother said we were going to do today.
It didn't seem possible as getting that kind of information would be difficult unless they used unconventional means. Ben and Ian wouldn't be that incredibly dumb to come after us at Robin's Fine Dinery to take us out. There will be too many witnesses and it would put whatever they had in mind in jeopardy. The best way to do it would be to send more men after us. I could be overthinking it, but I had to be ready for anything.
"All right, that's all of them," Leon said as he stood beside me. "You sure did a number on them, Mihael."
"My father taught me martial arts," I said. "You should know I do not hold back when it comes to that."
Leon chuckled. "I can see that."
I couldn't bring myself to smile at that, even if I wanted to. I knew Leon knew something about Ben and Ian and I wanted to know. The thought of Ben and Ian roaming free out there doing God knows what troubled me greatly. The knowledge that Leon hid this terrible news made it worse.
I sighed, looking Leon in the eyes. "Leon, I need to know."
"Know what?" he asked curiously.
"How did Ben and Ian escape?" I asked. "And why did you hide this from me and Roxanne? And don't try to hide anything from me. I need to know right now."
Leon looked at me like a deer in headlights. That look alone told me all that I needed to know. Ben and Ian running on the loose was indeed something he didn't want me to find out. I waited patiently for what he was going to do. I could only hope that he wasn't going to hide anything from me and tell me to not worry about it. If he was going to do that, I had every right to be worried.
Leon sighed. "I didn't want you to find out, but I guess I have no choice but to tell you."
There was a long pause, one that was agonizing as the anticipation of what I was going to learn grew.
"It was about two weeks before you and Roxy got together," Leon began. "I was out on patrol that night, watching over the town for anything unusual. I love doing patrols during the night. The town is so peaceful, except there being a few people walking about with bad intentions.
"As I was driving, I got a call from the station. I listened in horror as I heard many officers screaming in fear or the sound of their life leaving them. It sounded like something that came out of a horror movie. I snapped out of my trance and drove as fast as I could back to the station.
"When I got back to the station, I went inside and saw the mess that was left behind. Guns were lying on the floor, shell casings littering next to them. Some of my fellow officers were either out cold or had puncture wounds as if someone stabbed them. I went to the cell blocks and saw all the prisoners lying there on the floor rolling back and forth or were comatose.
"However, when I got to Ben and Ian's cell, they were missing. The bars were bent aside like someone with immense strength did it. I called for an ambulance as some of them were injured while others weren't so lucky. While they recovered, I did my best to look for them without much luck.
"When some of the officers were back on duty, we did our best to do it discreetly without you and her knowing. Of course, Ben and Ian's escape hit the news, scaring the townsfolk. We didn't want to worry you both as you both went through enough at the time and had things to worry about. I also knew that you would want to help with finding them and nothing will convince you otherwise. But now that you know, you want to help in finding them and stopping them."
I stared at Leon for a moment, doing my best to process all of the information that Leon laid out for me. To think they escaped two weeks before Roxanne and I got together was troubling, to say the least. And to think they were on the run for that long didn't help either. It just made the whole situation many times worse than it already was.
I snapped out of my thoughts as something came to mind. "I see… Do you know who could've pulled this off by any chance?"
He shook his head. "After I called for help, I checked the security footage to see what happened… only the footage was all static and corrupted somehow. It was like someone messed with it, but there were no signs that someone tampered with the footage."
As soon as those words left his mouth, I felt anger and panic swell within me. There was only one person in this world who could do something like that, one that I feared would show himself one day in the future.
William Afton.
There was no one other than him who could've pulled that stuff off. It had to have been him.
Only, there was one problem. Why would he go to the lengths that he did to do that? Why would he be interested in the brothers? And why did they wait this long to strike? Those questions alone made me very uneasy. This was more than just getting revenge on me. They were planning something. Something that will take place if they all fail to take me down. Whatever it was, I didn't like it in the very slightest.
Aside from all of those troubling facts and questions, Leon was right about one thing. I was indeed going to help them find those sons of bitches. For all I knew, they could endanger an innocent bystander to get my attention and do God knows what. I couldn't risk that. I wouldn't allow it.
I looked Leon in the eyes.
"You're Goddamn right about one thing, Leon," I said, a hint of determination clear in my tone. "I'm going to get involved and I will do whatever it takes to find them and make them pay for this. You can try to talk me out of it, but it not only involves me, but it also involves the safety of Hurricane. They could try to put someone in danger to catch my attention and I can't have that. I'll do what it takes to put them back behind bars."
Leon looked at me for a moment before he sighed. It was clear he knew that I wasn't going to be swayed.
"I knew this was going to happen," Leon said, defeat clear in his voice. "I guess there's no way around it." He reached into his belt and took out a walkie-talkie before handing it to me. "Take this with you. If you find anything or I need something, we will call and inform each other. Not a second later. Got it?"
I took the walkie-talkie and nodded. He nodded in response. With that, he turned and walked over to his patrol car. Once he and the other officers were gone, I turned my attention to both Kyle and Mangle. I walked over to them with only one thing in mind.
"Kyle, I think it will be best to call Cress and inform him of the situation," I said. "And I think it will be best to close the place down for a few days. It's not safe with Ben and Ian on the loose. If they are willing to do stuff like this, they could endanger many guests, possibly cause a few casualties."
Kyle went into deep thought. I could tell he felt conflicted about the whole thing. It was bad enough they had to close it down for a few days five months ago, but to close it down a second time could be bad for business. Not that I cared. They could lose at least a few hundred for the time being.
Kyle looked me in the eyes, traces of slight defeat present in his eyes.
"I don't think Cress will be willing to do it a second time," he said. "We already did it before because of Afton. I doubt he will be willing to do it again because of Ben and Ian. There is a chance he will want the place to be open, despite the danger. He cares about the reputation of the Pizzaplex. In his mind, this could hurt the business."
"If I have to beat it into him if he still wants it to be open, I will do that to get it through his thick skull," I said coldly. I didn't care if that would get me in trouble. I wasn't going to let that greedy son of a bitch put people's lives in danger just so he can get some profit.
"I will see what I can," he said. "In the meantime, I think you should head home, Mihael. I will do what I can to convince him to close it, but I doubt I will succeed."
I nodded. I looked at Mangle, who looked troubled. I felt bad for her. For something like this to happen shortly after she had her big reveal had to be shocking. This was the last thing she needed or wanted.
"Mangle, are you going to be okay?" I asked softly. She looked me in the eyes.
"Y-yeah," she said, her voice a little shaky. "I will b-be fine. I just need to calm down."
"Let me know if you need anything," I said, doing my best to calm and console her. She smiled and nodded at that.
I nodded. I turned and began walking over to my truck, wondering how I was going to spill the news of this to Roxanne and my mother. I had to tell them, no matter what. They had every right to know.
I pulled into the driveway of the house, turning off the engine. I stayed where I was for a moment, letting everything that happened a few moments ago sink in. To think that Ben and Ian had been on the run since October 6th of last year. And it was all thanks to that bastard, William Afton. I knew it had to be him.
And them being on the run wasn't the only thing that worried me to hell. There was also the possibility of innocent people getting caught up in this. For all I knew, they could endanger someone to get my attention, knowing I would do anything to keep people safe. The very thought of that made me sick to my stomach.
To top it off, I knew that Roxanne had a nasty history with the brothers. They always put her down and make her cry. I remembered the first time I saw them in the Lobby shouting angrily at Kyle to do something about her. It still makes my blood boil every time I think about that moment. They were very lucky I wasn't there to see it for myself. Otherwise, even if Roxanne didn't forgive me, I was willing to knock their teeth out.
'I have to tell her,' I thought to myself. 'Although I don't want to, I can't hide it from her. It will put her in danger if I keep it from her.'
I calmed myself down and hopped out of the truck. Slamming the door shut behind me, I slowly walked over to the front door. The trepidation of having to tell them made my heart begin pounding in my chest. Walking up the steps made the feeling grow some more. The anxiety felt like a bomb ready to explode at any second.
I reached the front door and tested it. It was unlocked. I opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. I sighed loudly.
"Mihael?" came the surprised voice of Roxanne. I looked to see her sitting on the couch looking at me in surprise. My mother was also sitting on the couch, looking just as surprised. "You're home very early today."
"Yeah, I am," I said very softly, my voice showing how mentally exhausted I was. Roxanne sensed that and hopped off the couch. She placed her hands on my shoulders.
"Mihael, are you okay?" she asked, her tone filled with worry. I tried to find the strength to speak, but I couldn't for the life of me.
"Mihael, is everything okay?" my mother asked, sounding concerned. I sighed.
Although I knew there was a high possibility that Roxanne would be scared out of her mind, I had to be forward with her. I didn't want to keep it a secret from her, unlike Kyle and Leon. This was very important to her as it is to me.
I looked Roxanne in the eyes as I forcefully found the strength to speak.
"Roxanne, you remember Ben and Ian, the mechanics who used to work at the Pizzaplex?" I asked. Roxanne looked at me with a strange look on her face for a moment before she nodded slowly. "They… they are on the run."
Her eyes widened in fear and shock. I could feel her trembling as if there was an earthquake. She began shaking her head in denial, clearly not wanting to believe it.
"No… no… that can't be…" she began as oily tears began building up in her eyes. Her grip on my shoulders tightened. "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!"
"On October 6th last year, Roxanne," I said softly. "Literally two weeks before we got together. Leon didn't want us to know so he has been looking for them as discreetly as possible. It doesn't help that they came to the Pizzaplex with the plan to take Mangle and use her in their plan to get revenge about a month ago. Kyle didn't say anything to me because he was scared for both his family and friends. They threatened that if he didn't do what they said or if he told anyone, they would go after them and kill them. They just tried that earlier by sending men to take her away. Mangle is okay if you want to know."
Her shaking intensified. The oily tears that were building up in her eyes. Small whimpers escaped her as she continued to look me in the eyes. She pulled me closer, hugging me tightly. I returned the gesture. That was enough for her.
Roxanne began crying hysterically. After watching them being taken into custody 5 months ago, she must've believed that we were never going to see them again. But now hearing that they were on the run and tried to do something terrible, she must now be both terrified and worried. I sympathized with her because my fear about William Afton might be coming true as well.
"I can't believe this…" Roxanne whimpered. "I never thought they would escape and try this… How did this happen…?"
I hesitated for a moment. I wanted to say it was William Afton as he was the only one who could pull something like that and cause the footage to become corrupted and glitchy. However, it very much could've been something else.
"Someone broke them out," I said. "Leon's not very sure who the culprit could be, but I do think they are responsible for what's going on right now."
Roxanne didn't say anything. She continued crying, whimpering as she did. As I did my best to comfort her, a sickening thought came to mind. One that made me turn my attention to my mother, who was still sitting on the couch.
'Does she know anything about this?' my mind raced. 'Did Leon tell her about their escape? If she did, why would she keep it a secret? How could she do that?'
Those thoughts made me sick to my stomach. The idea of my mother keeping something like this hidden was a lot to bear. She knew what they were like as she got to see how petty they were with her own eyes. I secretly hoped that she didn't know anything about this and kept it from us.
I snapped out of my trace and glued my eyes onto her.
"Mother, did you know anything about this?" I asked, my tone dark.
"No, I didn't," my mother said sincerely, shaking her head. "This is the first time I've heard anything about this. However, I did notice some cop cars driving around town like they were patrolling whenever I went out on my own to do errands. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now that you told me this, it makes much more sense."
I nodded in acknowledgment. I was both satisfied and relieved at what she told me.
Relieved that she didn't keep any major secrets or hide the fact she knew about their escape from us.
Satisfied with the answer she'd just given me, along with bringing forth some information of her own.
I continued to comfort Roxanne until she finally stopped crying. I patted her back softly as she did her best to get a hold of herself after learning such horrible news. It didn't take long for her hug to loosen and release me. I looked to see her face stained with oil and a frightened expression plastered on it.
"Leon and I will take care of this, Roxanne," I said softly. "I promise you."
I continued comforting her as more oily tears began trailing down her face once more.
