wanted (phan) || book #3

seventeen

(a/n: really awesome fanart by GalaxisAkita ,, I love the detail omg)

P H I L ' S P O V

"He doesn't have a phone!" I cried.

"I woke up to see a car driving that way," Layla pointed out. I furrowed my eyebrows, cigarette nudged in my between my lips. I took a drag and pulled it away.

"Gas station," I breathed out. "They must have."

"Check the news,"

"We don't have cable. This house has been empty for years. We're lucky we even have electricity."

"So we'll go out. I mean I've got a few bucks for a small cafe lunch."

"Yeah. They'll have TVs in there. We'll eat then go find him. You need food, you've barely eaten and the stress you're being put under isn't helping your health," Alex piped in. I exhaled another puff of smoke, nodding.

"Meet downstairs in five minutes."

"Wait- we don't have a car." Oliver tilted his head.

"We'll walk. Take weapons just in case."

✗

"It's freezing balls out here." Oliver frowned, shoving his hands into his hoodie.

"I can't imagine how Dan and Matthew must feel," Alex muttered under their breath. I shot a glare over to the person next to me and they cleared throat. "I mean, uh, I'm sure they're f-fine?"

I rolled my eyes and we continued walking, and my heart dropped. Cop cars surrounded the building, the glass windows shattered by bullets. I ran forward and looked around, searching for any sign of the two boys.

"Oliver and Layla, you guys check the back of the building. I'll go inside, Alex you stay out here and look for them."

Everybody spread out and I headed inside, instantly being questioned by the cops.

"I've been in the car for hours and my stomach isn't happy if you know what I mean," I acted.

"Right. . . Okay fine, bathroom's in the back- just hurry it up." The man eyed me and I forced a sheepish smile, speed-walking to the bathroom. I paused, then noticed the open vent and blood stains.

Then I noticed the white bracelet hanging onto the very edge.

"Dan," I breathed out. Quickly I moved behind the aisles and jumped up, snatching the bracelet and shoving it into my pocket. I hurried past the cop, muttering something about feeling better before pushing open the door and finding Alex wandering to the woods.  "I found something!"

They exhaled and looked up at me. "Yeah, so did we."

I furrowed my eyebrows but then Alex moved out of the way to reveal Oliver trailing over, Daniel cradled in his arms covered in mud and scratches.

I ran over, taking him from his arms and setting him down on his knees. I sat in front of him and held his face, staring at him.

"He's still breathing, but not very well. I think being outside gave him a bad cold."

I simply nodded, grabbing the back of his head and pulling him to my chest. I held him carefully, my grip on him gentle as if he were a porcelain doll.

"How do we get him out of here? There's cops all over the place," Layla pointed out.

"Cause a distraction," Alex offered.

"We can't afford having you guys caught. You're asylum escapees, they could recognize you. I could pretend to throw up- I already told one of them I felt sick. While I do that you can have Dan on your back and walk away with the rest of them," I told Oli. "And if anyone asks, just say he was in the building when the robbery happened and isn't feeling too hot. They'll fall for it."

Alex nodded. "I brought water. Use that to vomit."

I shook my head, laughing. I took the water bottle from them and hoisted Dan up, handing my unconscious boyfriend to Oliver. "Keep him safe, please."

Oliver nodded and pat my shoulder before pulling Dan onto his back, and the three of them began to hurry back to the house. I took a huge gulp of water and ran back, placing a hand over my mouth and hurrying to the middle of the parking lot.

I crouched over and spat the liquid out, dropping to my knees dramatically. All cops came rushing over and asked what was wrong. I took a huge breath before looking at them. "There was a dead body in the woods. . ." I lied before gagging again. Stupidly, they all ran to the other side of the building, and I took off running.

I caught up to the others who were already around the corner and I handed Alex the water.

"Uhh, keep it."

I chuckled before tossing the water into the bushes, taking Dan from Oliver's back and carrying him bridal style the rest of the way. Oliver pushed open the door to the house and I placed Dan on the couch.

"Wait."

We all froze at Alex's stern voice.

"What?"

"Do you smell that?"

My eyes widened. Smoke.

"It's coming from upstairs!" The four of us ran up the steps and I pushed open my bedroom door to see every object in the room aflame.

Including the dead bodies I nearly tripped over.

Layla let out a blood-curdling shriek and I jumped back. "They did this. They killed them and dropped them here."

Then I heard the laughing.

I turned to see a figure in a mask, holding a camcorder.

"Smile, you're on camera!"

He then jumped and Oliver dodged the flames to watch him running down the yard.

"Get the fucking camera!" I cried.

We hurried down in time to see two of them grabbing Dan and I ran forward, snatching a vase from the coffee table and smashing it on one of them. They dropped and the other tried to run, but I knocked them down and began beating them.

Oliver yanked me off and the stranger got away, and I looked at Dan before I glared up at Oli.

"Whatd you do that for?" I snarled. The fire alarm went off.

Oliver pointed a shaking finger outside, and the figure with the camera stood in the truck's trunk, recording everything.

They set us up, I thought. They'll show everything to the police and make up a story. 

I picked up Dan when they drove away and we exited the burning house, all of us standing outside and watching the building go down in flames. I felt Dan shift but his eyes stayed closed. I sighed. We had finally made a home, only to have it torn down.

Sirens began echoing throughout the streets, and I held Dan close.

"We are so dead."