Chapter 4, Open Threats

Chapter 4: Open Threats

6:25pm

        “I can go pick it up for you, mom” Noah insisted as he watched his mom circle ‘pick up cake’ on her list entitled To-do list for Leigh’s party. After a moment, Roselyn reluctantly lifted her head to respond. “…yeah, okay. Umm, you can do that, I guess”.

        Grabbing the address from her purse, she handed it to him as she read a new text on her phone.

        “w/ Leigh now. nede me 2 hold her off? -Tyle”

        Only Tyle signed his texts, so she instantly knew who it was. Roselyn was running slightly behind schedule and it wasn’t time to take Leighton to her aunt’s just yet. She wasn’t sure how he was going to do it, but she needed Tyle to keep her busy for a few more hours.

        “yeah, can u do that? i’d appreciate it” She responded.

 

        As Noah was about to pull out of the garage, Danni and Jaime flew around the corner and slung themselves over the passenger side window. “Can we come?”

        Already knowing what his answer would be, they began piling into the backseat before he had time to respond.

        After a leisure drive, a few giddy conversations and an unscheduled detour at McDonalds, they finally pulled into the driveway of Eddie’s Baked Goods. They were in and out in just a few minutes, and with cake in hand, they made their way back to the car.

        “…and then Emma took the extra ticket and went to the game with him, because she, quote “LOVES FOOTBALL”! Can you believe that?! She hates football!! She only went to get back at me. ” Danni exclaimed with her giddy, high pitch, gossip voice… with hand gestures to match. “Noah! Are you even listening to me?” she shrieked, when she saw her brother’s attention was not on her.

        After stepping foot outside, Noah’s attention was immediately stolen by the presence of two unidentified men, who stood in the distance watching their every move. “Yeah, I can hear you. Emma loves football! That’s great sweetie”, he mumbled, never taking his eyes off the men.  

        “…hate to interrupt this rejuvenating girl talk, but I have to use the bathroom” Jaime insisted, but got no response. Once he noticed how worried his brother looked, he changed his mind. “…but I can wait”  

        Cautiously ushering his brother and sister into the car, Noah noticed the men were quickly approaching, which put a sudden pep in his step. “Com’on guys, hurry up” he ___ as he slid into the front seat and started the car. Looking over his shoulder to see if it was clear to back out, he was startled to turn back and see the men in his face.

        One slumped down and leaned his head in the window with a smug look on his face. The other stood behind with his arms crossed. Danni and Jaime noticed the peculiar behavior of the men, but pretended not to because they saw how nervous they made Noah.

        “Noah, Noah, Noah. You are a VERY hard man to get ahold of, my friend…” The man insisted, in a draggy unrecognizable accent.

        Whispering, Noah leaned into the man as far as he could without drawing extra attention to them. “Not now Haroon…please” he begged.

        After a brief pause, Haroon noticed that Noah kept peeking at the backseat from his rearview mirror.

        With a sudden forced smile, he leaned back to look into the window. “Are these the precious twins you’re always ranting about?” He smugly asked, having no desire to know the answer.

        After looking back at the man who stood confidently behind him, he whipped a gun from his waistline. Waving it around loosely, he scrunched his nose and starred intensely at Noah for a moment, “Noah, you’re gonna make me do some things that… I really don’t wanna do”.

Banging the gun one time against the side of the car, he leaned down and pressed it against the steering wheel. “We need some time to catch up…10:00 tonight. You know where”. He initiated, as he leaned back to wink at Jaime and Danni. “You better be there, I don’t like waiting”.

        The second he backed away from the car, Noah zoomed off.  The car was suddenly very quiet and awkward, and after driving a few blocks, Noah pulled around a corner and the car slowly came to a stop. Taking a deep breath, he leaned over his seat to face his brother and sister in the back. Sweeping his hand across his face, trying to disguise his fear, he began to speak. “Umm… that wasn’t-… You guys understand right? It’s not-”

        “We saw nothing”, Danni quickly interjected. “It’s none of our business, right Jame?”

        Never speaking a single word, Jaime gazed down at his PSP, trying to seem completely unbothered. They had never even seen a gun in person, before today; and that alone startled them both. More so though, they were worried that they’re brother hadn’t really given up his old ways, and that this was a pretty obvious clue of that, but who were they gonna tell? They weren’t close to their parents, and Leighton probably wouldn’t care, so the only thing that came to mind was denial.

        “Okay then!” Pushing aside his obvious embarrassment, Noah seemed more than relieved. “Who wants ice cream!!” He roared as he pulled away from the curb. The twins weren’t six anymore, and ice-cream couldn’t keep them quiet… however, fear for their brother’s safety, could.