Saving Lucas

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Sooooo," Alice said, stretching out the word. "Does anybody want to tell me what happened?" 

They were sitting around the dining table, picking on their food. None of them had the appetite for dinner, except maybe, Alice. Winter and Anton fell asleep in her parent's bedroom and Alice let them. She proceeded with cooking dinner; porkloin steak with blanched string beans on the side. It was well past nine in the evening when she woke them up.

"We're in trouble, Alice," Winter managed to say. Her food was untouched. She picked on them with her fork and swirled them around slowly. Alice waited for her to continue. Winter didn't.

"Okaaaay, so you're in trouble. And...?" Alice waved her hand urging Winter to say more. 

Winter's eyes welled up again, and her breath hitched. She slumped on the table and cried silently, her shoulders hitching as she did. Anton held her hand and looked at Alice. He gathered his breath and told her everything, from what happened to him in Iloilo, to the incident at the warehouse. Alice listened silently, unblinking. After he was finished, Winter sat upright and smiled at her sadly.

"That's what happened," Winter said. "I don't know why, I don't know how. Everything happened so fast, Alice," she whispered as she looked down. "Maybe this was all a big mistake. Maybe I shouldn't have succumed to Lucas' requests in the first place. I thought..." she ventured. "I thought it was just a harmless task. But look where it led us. Two people died already..." 

Anton put his arm around her shoulder and shushed her. "This isn't your fault, Winter. You didn't know. And maybe this is hard for me too. The not knowing. I know eventually I'll have all the answers, but right now, I don't want to see you like this. I don't want you to blame yourself. That's the harder part."

"Whew," Alice whistled. "Soooo, you have the hots for each other?" Alice pointed at them.

"Alice," Winter rolled her eyes.

"What? I'm just lightening up the mood, that's all," Alice smiled. "So if you have the hots for him," she pointed at Anton, "that means you're over me already," she said as she put her hands on her chest, feigning shock. "And there I thought I was so hard to get over with."

Anton looked at them with clear confusion. "What is she saying?" he gestured toward Alice.

Winter just smiled. "You do manage to lighten up the mood every time, Alice," she said as she turned to Anton. "You see, Alice is my ex."

"Woah, wait a second," Anton said. "What do you mean ex?" 

"Ex. Past. History. She had been my girlfriend," Alice said simply.

Anton shook his head, smiling.

"What?" Alice shrugged. "Does that offend your masculinity or something? Oh please."

"No, no," Anton waved his hands. "Nothing like that. I was just... surprised. I guess." 

Across the dining room, Ringo stirred. Anton stood up and checked on him. Ringo fell back to sleep. Anton went back to his seat in the dining room.

"Is he going to be okay?" Winter asked, gesturing her head toward Ringo.

"He's going to have to get some rest for a while. I managed to pull the slug out of his arm. I'm no ballistics expert, but I can say that it might have come from a large rifle," she looked at her. "But the fever somehow subsided. I also gave him a couple of painkillers. Just let him sleep for a while."

Winter remained silent.

"What? You're not convinced?" 

"No, it's not that. I'm just worried, that's all. I trust you, Alice. I know you'll make him better."

" Good," Alice said. "Now, why don't you two go upstairs and wash yourselves? The house smells like shit."

"Alice," Winter rolled her eyes again.

Alice held her palms up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, geez. Just saying."

Winter smiled as she and Anton got up to clean the table. After they did, they both went upstairs. Alice waited a beat, and checked on the stairs just to make sure they've gone. When she was sure they were, she pulled out her phone and sat on the chair for a while. She weighed the pros and cons. She didn't want to be part of this. This is too dangerous. Her career was slowly blooming like a flower in May, and tainting it by being an accomplice to a crime was a very, very, bad idea. After a few moments, she heard the shower. Then she dialled the number.

"Police department, what's your emergency?" a woman asked.

"There are people in my house," she said softly, her eyes darting in panic. "You might be looking for them."