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The karaoke bar has mostly emptied out. Dan is sitting next to him at the bar waiting for his turn to sing. Venti is a little ripped and butchering a song, but it's all in good fun. At least the guy running it hasn’t muted her mic yet. The fun is interrupted when Colt comes bursting in with Jean-Claude. He is almost tripping over his own feet as he asks immediately where Jody is. Dan answers. She left, very upset that Colt no-showed and apparently had gone home. The fact that he’s here right now directly contradicts that.
Colt takes a seat next to Ryland, orders a tropical drink for himself and a water for Jean-Claude before sticking his hand right in his large, fancy, umbrella adorned glass. Colt is definitely looking a bit worse for wear. His clothes are scuffed and dirty, hair a mess and his breathing is labored. The cut on his face has reopened and is slowly oozing. His knuckles appear scraped and reddened like he had been in a fist fight.
“What happened to you? Why do you have Jean-Claude?” Ryland frets. He can't help the way his voice pitches up in concern. Not only because of Colt's appearance. Though that is his main concern. But also, Jean-Claude should be with Alma right now. Or doggie day care. Did something happen to her? He certainly hopes not. They don’t talk much but Alma is a delight even with her slightly caustic personality.
Colt sighs and rubs his face with his unsubmerged hand, “You have Tom’s phone?”
Ryland pulls it slightly out of the interior pocket of his jacket. “Yeah, but what does that have to do with whatever made you look like you got run over?”
“I almost did. Got pretty close to becoming a smear on the pavement a couple times actually.” He says it like it's not a big deal. Colt almost died today. The thought of Colt dying so soon after they've started to figure things out makes Ryland's stomach turn. At the same time, Ryland almost wants to punch him for talking about his life so carelessly. “Some goons just picked Alma off the street looking for it. She’s safe, but it got pretty dangerous for a bit. There’s something on there that they want,” Colt reveals. Ryland has to take a moment to process this. Alma is safe. Colt is alive. Everything is not fine. But no one is dead.
“If there is something on here, I haven’t seen it,” Ryland admits. “I don’t know his passcode.”
Ryland puts his hand back in his jacket pocket. Tom’s phone feels heavier than it should. This tiny device almost led to multiple people being hurt or dead. Whatever is on here is putting people at risk. Ryland feels fear spike in his heart. He’s afraid for himself, of course. This thing being in his possession is terrifying enough. It's outweighed by the fear he feels at the thought that someone else might get hurt or worse.
Ryland tries to swallow down as much of his panic as he can. Now is not the time to freak out. It's not working. The scenarios in his head feed his panic.
His spiral is interrupted by Dan, “We could try Venti?” he tilts his head in her direction. She's almost done butchering a song on the karaoke stage.
Before Ryland can stop him, Dan is already calling her over. He really doesn’t want more people to become involved in this. What if it puts them in harm’s way? She ends up being a dead end. They need the passcode if they want to find out what is on Tom’s phone. Ryland is already thinking it when Colt makes the suggestion. Somewhere in Tom’s loft there has to be a sticky note with the code on it. Ryland hesitates. Whatever is on this phone could alter his life in a permanent way. Could destroy his relationship with Tom beyond repair.
Colt gives him an expectant look, “This is about more than just Jody’s movie or your relationship with Tom, Ryland.”
Ryland knows he’s right. They need to follow through and investigate this. He knows he could hand off this burden onto Colt right now and step away. It doesn’t feel right. Dan and Colt stand up. Jean-Claude hops down from the bar stool he’s perched on. They’re waiting on him.
“Okay, let's go,” Ryland agrees.
Colt offers to take the phone anyway. Ryland appreciates the out, but he wouldn’t feel right accepting it. They can share this weight if Colt and Dan want, but Ryland knows it's his own first and foremost. He isn’t as brave as Colt or as strong as Dan, but he can still be of use. Ryland wants to help. Needs to help. He can’t turn a blind eye. They can find Tom. Get him out of hiding. Fix this mess. Save Jody’s movie. Whatever is on this phone is the answer to unraveling everything. As Colt and Dan turn to go out the front with Jean-Claude in tow, Ryland stops them. The black SUV parked across the street makes him pause. Kietel is on a call as he exits the vehicle. He starts walking over. Almost halfway across the street and rapidly approaching.
“We need to sneak out the back,” Ryland directs.
Colt looks out the front to see the tactically dressed man approaching. He looks back with a strange look of recognition on his face. Like he’s putting another piece in the puzzle. Ryland turns not waiting to see if Colt and Dan follow. The sound of footsteps behind him is enough to tell him that they are. They manage to get out undetected. As Dan drives away in his own borrowed car, Ryland notices Kietel talking to the bartender.
Once inside the loft, they choose to divide and conquer. Ryland sticks to the main area while Dan and Colt each go for a branching room. After about 20 minutes of searching, it is Dan who finds a potential passcode in the kitchen. They decide to meet in the main area in front of the television. Ryland is surprised when Colt walks out with a different outfit. The Miami Vice jacket is definitely not Tom’s. It's one of Colt’s most prized possessions, he’d recognize it anywhere.
“Where did those come from?” Ryland motions at Colt.
“I left them behind when I was here a couple nights ago. Or was that just last night? The days are kinda a mess right now,” Colt responds. That doesn’t make sense. There’s no reason he should’ve been here. Ryland remembers the neon outfit that Colt was wearing at the front desk. It had just seemed oddly familiar at the time.
“You were wearing Tom’s clothes the other night,” Ryland states, putting two and two together. “Why were you wearing those?” Ryland questions.
“Gail sent me to come find Tom,” Colt answers. “Iggy was here, apparently to watch the place. She told me to go talk to Doone at the club. Had me change first.”
Something isn’t adding up here. Ryland knows the overall narrative has been that Tom is missing, but Gail had told him that Tom was laying low due to a threat on his life. She had refused to tell Ryland where Tom was hiding. Yet she’s sending Colt to go look for him. One of them has been lied to.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Ryland says. “Tom is in hiding. He’s not missing. Not really anyway.”
“What are you talking about?” Colt’s brows knit together in confusion.
Even though Gail had told him to keep it close to the chest, Ryland can’t stop himself. They need to at least try to figure this out. He tells Colt what information Gail gave him. Their eyes meet. Ryland is certain they probably have pretty similar expressions and thoughts. Colt’s face mirrors exactly how Ryland feels. This whole thing is perplexing. A spark of suspicion takes hold in Ryland’s mind. Trust is becoming brittle. It's not enough yet. He needs more information.
“This is all very interesting guys, but I think we have a mission to complete first,” Dan cuts in. He hands Ryland the sticky note. Ryland notes that he’s holding a bottle of champagne. He considers taking a jab at Dan for raiding the fridge, but decides against it. Dan is right.
The bottle is popped, glasses are poured. Colt and Dan cheers to finishing the movie. Ryland can understand why a bit of celebration feels appropriate. It doesn’t fix the pit in his stomach. There’s an undertone of anxiety and dread that just won’t go away. Whatever they find on Tom’s phone is likely not going to be pleasant.
Ryland pulls the phone out of his pocket and takes the sticky note. His hands are trembling, but he manages to type in the code. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for at all. His thumb hovers over the screen before landing on the gallery. It’s a reasonable spot to start. He feels apprehension take over as he looks at all the options. He has never invaded Tom’s privacy like this, but it feels like he has no choice. Ryland worries his lip.
“Hang on a sec,” Dan turns on the television. “There now we can screen mirror it.”
Ryland goes through the drop down menu to set it up.
“Let’s see what he’s got,” Colt says. He seems to notice Ryland’s struggle. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Ry”
“I think I do actually,” Ryland tries to push his unease to the back. He reminds himself again that people are in danger. He can’t be selfish. He’d never forgive himself. He takes a second and tries to steady his hands.
The first video he picks is honestly embarrassing to watch with his brother next to him. Ryland remembers receiving it. Tom thought he was being funny. He fumbles as he tries to back out before anyone (other than himself) sees a side of Tom they’d rather not. Colt gives him a taunting look. Ryland tells him to keep it to himself.
Ryland tries another video. Nope, still not it. Just Tom doing a monologue from Richard III.
“You try,” He hands the phone over to Colt.
“How about this?” Colt says as he selects a video.
Ryland feels like he’s been submerged. It looks like an accident. It has to be an accident. Tom wouldn’t do that. Not on purpose. That doesn’t change the fact that by all definitions it looks like Tom killed Henry. Dan and Colt are talking, but it sounds muffled against the beat of his heart and the rush of blood in his ears.
Colt comes into focus in front of him. He feels a hand on both sides of his face. Colt’s voice starts to permeate the fog. His name comes through. When he comes back to himself he notices that the news is playing. It just keeps getting worse. Ryland almost falls right back into the fog, but wills himself to stay in the present. Tom killed Henry. Colt is being pinned with it. Nothing feels right.
Tom’s phone vibrates on the table. There’s a message from an unknown number.
(323) 123-5555: get out now
A gunshot. Two.
They all stand abruptly and look at one another.
Colt forces the phone into Ryland’s hands.
“We’ll hold them off, you get that to the police,” Colt ushers Ryland to the door. Ryland tucks into the corner to hide. When the door opens he’ll be behind it. Colt and Dan choose their weapons. Colt readies himself to be a distraction so Ryland can hopefully slip away.
It works. Not perfectly. They notice him, but Colt manages to hold them at bay with some well timed hits. Ryland makes a run for it. He feels terrible leaving Colt and Dan behind, but he has a goal to complete. He needs to clear Colt’s name.
The black SUV that almost collides with him causes Ryland to stumble and fall. He hisses as he scrapes his knee on the pavement, closing his eyes for just a second. Tom’s phone falls to the street. The screen cracks but it's mostly intact. He picks it up and tucks it back into his jacket as quickly as he can. Two car doors slam. He sees Gail now standing in front of him with a familiar security guard standing to the side. He quickly gets up and attempts to back away.
“Oh, Ryland, are you okay?” Gail asks. She sounds perfectly normal. Nice even.
The pieces are there. That little bit of discrepancy between the narrative that he had received as compared to the one Colt had received enough to plant the seed. Gail isn’t to be trusted. Kietel wasn’t for Ryland’s protection. He was a watchful pair of eyes. Someone who could keep tabs on Ryland. He doesn’t know where Gail falls into whatever scheme is occurring that has Colt being pinned with murder, but it's clear she’s involved.
He manages to stand. His first option is to try and make a break for it. It's likely to fail. Just looking at Kietel he can tell it won’t take him long to catch up. That’s if he doesn’t just shoot him with the gun strapped to his side. Ryland isn’t going to go down without a fight, though. He can at least make this inconvenient for them. He takes two more cautious steps back before running.
Ryland doesn’t make it far. Maybe a few yards at best, before two arms grab him around the middle. He tries to throw an elbow. It connects. He’s dropped in a way that has him meeting the ground again. His shoulder hits the pavement painfully. He tries to get up. Not fast enough. A kick to the ribs has him curling in on himself. He feels tears in his eyes. He tries to blink them away. Come on, come on. Just get up, get away. Ryland tries again. No good. Another kick knocks the wind out of him. Before that same foot is pushing him over onto his back. Kietel crouches over him. A knee lands in the joint of his hip. A hand finds his throat. Not choking, but a threat. Stop resisting. He’s pinned. It feels like Kietel is enjoying this. It doesn't matter. Ryland tries to get free anyway. He grabs at Kietel's wrist and attempts to dig in his nails as he wrenches at it. Extra pressure is added to his neck, he can still breathe, barely. The gun comes unstrapped. His breath hitches. Ryland freezes for a moment. The hand on his throat doesn’t even need to be there anymore with the way panic grips him and stops his lungs from working. This is it?
The butt of it strikes him near the temple. It makes his vision blur. Ryland feels the world tilt. Blood is trickling down the side of his face. The pressure on his neck is removed. Temporary unfounded relief hits him as he takes in an unrestricted breath. Then the sudden movement of being turned over onto his stomach. A knee driving into his back. Ryland hears a zipping sound as his wrists are strapped together. Almost too tight. Nausea fills his body as he feels himself get roughly picked up and shoved in the back of the SUV. He tells himself to stay awake. It's taking everything in him not to just pass out.