The Good One (The Ones)

“You can call, but I’m not waiting on the police or Liam. We’re not far from her place, and I’m not dealing with police procedure when Kasey and Lindsey are there. Who the fuck knows what this girl will do to them if she feels cornered by the cops.”

Jackson and Aiden make their calls. Jackson tells the police who he is and who I am. He gives them Helen’s dress and tells them we are only a few minutes away. Of course, the person on the other end of the line tells us to wait for them to show up. Yeah, that’s not gonna fucking happen.

Jackson hangs up as we pull up to the run-down two-story house Paul gave us the address for. We park in front and get out of the car. I quietly make my way to the side yard and spot a basement window that’s been boarded up. I jog lightly back to Jackson and Aiden, who have just come around from the other side of the house.

“I see a window to the basement. That video could have been taken in there.”

Aiden and Jackson follow me around to the window as we all make our way to the back. I find a steel door that looks like an entrance to the basement with an old, rusty lock on it.

“Jackson, you go wait in front for the cops and tell them what’s going on. Aiden, did you see any movement on the first floor?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean someone isn’t in there. The windows are dirty as shit and the blinds are drawn,” he tells me.

“All right. Aiden, I’m going to need you to pick the padlock so I can get in the basement. I want you to go in from the front. If anyone tries to escape, then you can head them off. This bitch isn’t getting away today.”

“I don’t think you should go down there by yourself,” my brother tells me.

“I need you to stay and wait for the cops to show up. I don’t want them coming in guns blazing and scare Helen into doing something even more drastic, but I can’t wait.” As I’m explaining this to Jackson, Aiden has quietly gotten the padlock off the door.

“I’ll give you a minute to get in the house, then find the basement and meet me in there. Jackson, go to the front.” Aiden turns to leave, but Jackson stays rooted to the ground.

“I don’t like this, Donovan. I want to go with you,” he tells me.

“Listen, I know you want to go with me, but I need you upfront. I don’t have time to argue.” I give him my commanding look and he finally nods and turns to walk to the front of the house.

I take a deep breath and open the door to the basement, praying I find Kasey and Lindsey down there.

“Here goes,” I whisper to myself and walk through the door.