Falling Asleep on a Stranger

I left the next morning. I didnt know what the hell I was doing, driving-wise, but I needed to get on the road and figure out what was going on. I got a fake ID, packed my stuff, and Mom gave me about 50 grand as well as the spare car. She didn't know how long i'd be gone and I needed food and hotels and all the necessities, plus gas money. It was enough. I hoped.

But first, I had some business to take care of. And that required going to the police station.

I got there and walked inside to the desk. That same girl was there, with a new set of fake nails and chomping on her gum. She spotted me and glared, for some reason unknown to me, then returned to staring at her computer screen.

"Can I help you?" came her snotty remark, directed at me. I rolled my eyes and stepped forward.

"Yeah, uh, Tony Perry, what's his bail?" I asked her in the nicest way possible. Apparently he was okay and innocent, he just needed someone to bail him out. She seized the mouse and rapidly clicked away for a few seconds.

"24,000." she said boredly. Wow, I was not expecting that much... Something like, 2400, maybe, but another zero? Damn. At least I had it. Thank god for my parents jobs and their willingness to hand out money to those who need it (namely me).

"Okay, here," I said and took out my wallet, stuffed to the brim with cash. I couldn't guarantee a credit card would work and if anyone wanted money for blackmail, we'd need cash. I took out enough for his bail and gave it to the lady. She counted it, then gave me a blank stare.

"Doug will show you." she said nonchalantly and I turned around to see a cop coming towards me. He seemed okay, not arrogant like the officer from the other day or annoying like the lady at the desk. He gave me a small smile and led me down a short hallway with a room at the end. Tony was sitting there, bent over and staring at the floor with his hands folded. The officer took a set of keys out and they jingled, making Tony look up suddenly.

"Mike?! You came!" he shrieked and I nodded and bit my lip. He came right up to the bar and smiled softly, and I missed that smile so much, I didn't trust myself. I still didnt know if I trusted Tony, but he was necessary to finding my brother, at least I hoped.

"Mr. Perry, you're free to go." Doug said and he laughed and shook Tony's hand. Doug escorted us out the back door and we walked around in silence to my car. It was silent for a bit, and then I started the car and left the parking lot. I figured Tony didn't have anything with him, so we had to go to his house and get him stuff. And first, he had to agree to help me.

"Where are we going?" he asked about halfway there.

"Your house," I said, and got a hum in reply.

"Why?" he said and I looked over at him quickly. He looked sincerely confused.

"Well, you need to go home, right? What's your address anyways, I know you live near me," I wanted to put off that conversation until we actually got to his house. It didnt seem like Tony would let that happen though.

"242 Meadow. Mike, how come you came to get me? I mean, I know my parents wouldn't have gotten me, but why didn't you just leave me there?" he asked. I hesitated before answering, mostly because I really wasn't planning on all the questions, but I figured I should tell him now.

"I need your help," I admitted. He stayed silent for a minute or two.

"You want to find Vic." I nodded. Still silence. By the time I got to his house, it had been silent for a good solid five minutes.

"Well, uh, we're here," I said awkwardly, and Tony got out of the car and went to the front door. I followed him inside and didn't bother giving myself a tour, just walked to the room he went into. His bedroom. He sat down on the little chair in the middle and put his head in his hands.

"How am I supposed to help you, Mike?" he whispered.

"I don't know, but you're all I've got. I just need to find Vic, okay?" I told him. He took a deep breath, and then another.

"Okay. I'll help you." He sighed. I was overjoyed, I ran over and engulfed him in a hug. I felt him tense up, but his arms found their way around my body.

"Well, you want to find him soon, i'm guessing?" he said after I stepped away and he stood to get some things.

"Yeah, I do. But that's why I need you, cause I mean, you know Jaime pretty well..." I said uncomfortably. He chuckled.

"Y-yeah, I guess I do..." he mumbled. I helped him get some clothes and things for the road, and he grabbed his wallet and phone on the way out to my car.

"So do you have any idea where they could be?" I said after we got situated in the car. He thought for a moment and nodded.

"Yeah, um... The last three people he's taken ended up in northern California. He's got a safe house up there." Tony said quietly.

"Uh, okay." I said and started the car. It was a very quiet ride up, mostly because I was still uncertain about a lot of things and Tony probably knew that. I got on the highway and started our long drive north, still silence.

"...Go ahead." Tony blurted out at some point.

"What? I didnt hear the first part," I told him.

"I know you have questions... You can ask them. Go ahead." he said. It was true, I had about a million things to ask him, but some were more important than others.

"How old are you?" I said without thinking. "Y-you and Jaime, I mean." He laughed uncomfortably, but looked over and smiled.

"I'm 19. I failed a year back in elementary school, I just so happened to get involved in that business with Jaime. He's 26, he does this for a living. Impersonates high schoolers, kidnaps kids, kills them. Never changes his first name, only his last. It's the one thing that continues to trip him up. For a criminal and a psycho, he's not very intelligent." Tony said. I smiled, because no, that wasn't very smart, and looked over at Tony.

"So you haven't done anything since November, of last year?" I confirmed, remembering when the detective was questioning him.

"N-no, I haven't... How'd you know?" he said. I told him about when I went up to the station, on that first day, and he was rather shocked.

"You came to see? Why?" he asked.

"I wanted to know. I felt like it was my business, and besides, I didn't know what to believe." I admitted to him. He seemed almost shocked that i'd done that for him.

"You know, no one's ever stood by me or helped me after something like this. You're the only one. Not even my parents." he said.

"Really? Why not?" I asked. He just shrugged. Wow, I really did feel special now. Tony hadn't had anyone to help him out after anything? And here I was, bailing him out and everything? Sure it was for my own personal gain, but I did feel obligated.

I took one hand off the steering wheel and fumbled around on my right side for a minute, until I held on to thing I really wanted; Tony's hand.