I jogged up to the city hall building and pushed open the door. I’d never been here before now but Mitch spent 99% of his time here. I stood in the entrance looking around when a person rounded the corner. He was tall and slim with dark eyes and shaggy hair. I bounced on my toes in nervousness and the guy stopped and crossed his arms, “Who are you?” he barked. I lifted my head, “Tyana. Tyana Emerson. Who are you?” I asked, making eye contact. He shifted, “That, is none of your business,” he said and I rolled my eyes. “Oh, so what are you, an agent?” I snapped and he stared at me. We stood staring at each other for a while until he broke his composure, “Tina do you need something?” he barked. This time it was me who crossed my arms. “It’s Tyana. Yes I need something otherwise I wouldn’t have come here,” I said and smirked while he waited. “Well what do you want?” he sighed. “A name, I don’t really want to explain my dilemma to a str anger,” oh it was fun watching his reactions. “You are impossible!” He said, exasperated and I smiled, “You’ve got a temper,” I replied. He rubbed his face, “I know you’re here for Mitch,” he said and I nodded calmly, “so you knew him?” I asked and he nodded and motioned for me to follow him. He led me down to the basement where I recognized Mitch’s posters and a few new ones. He held up a book, “Is this familiar?” he asked and I nodded, “Mitch carried that with him everywhere,”. The guy just looked at me, “So you did know him,” he mused. I rolled my eyes. “My name is Conor Elliot, by the way” he said. I laughed, “I follow you to a dump and now you tell me your name? Smooth,” I said sarcastically. He smiled, “You’re not all that nice you know,” he said and I mock-bow. “So, how did you know Mitch?” asked Connor. “Mitch was my friend,” I reply and Connor just nods, “do I get any more info than that?” he asks and I shake my head. Conor smirks, “Nice to know you care,” he says. I do care buddy, more than you ever will.
“That book must not have been important if Mitch left it behind,” I said. Connor shrugs, “You could say that,” he says. “Can I see it?” I ask. Connor steps back and I follow him.“Give me the damn book,” I snap and Conor takes another step back. “It’s not for you to see,” he said. I glare at him. “So is it a dangerous book?” I asked. He looked at me and shrugged, “you could say that,” he replied. “Is it or isn’t it?” I asked, louder this time. Again he shrugged and avoided the question. “So if it’s so dangerous, why do you have it anyway?” I ask and Conor sighs, “I was his best friend, his brother,” he says quietly. I look at him, “No, you’re not his best friend, T-” “Taylor Emery? Not a chance. Emery annoyed the s*** out of Mitch, and besides, he only had a crush on you,” says Conor. “Why me?” I ask, “Really Tyana? ‘I’m a friend’? Please. You’re Mitch’s sister. You can’t fool me,” he says. S***. “Ok. Yeah. I’m his sister,” I snap and Conor sighs, “also his enemy. You were the kind of child he could never be; patient, bright, kind, funny…” he finished. I know that Mitch hated me you ignorant idiot, you don’t have to rub it in. I pace around the room. “Assuming Mitch did hate me-” “he did” “I’m guessing I wasn’t supposed to have the book?” I asked and a smile flickered across his face, “so you do have brains,” he says. I roll my eyes again, I was never his friend, I know that. I’m not stupid about my own brother. “So you know where he went, then? Where Mitch went?” I ask and Conor pauses, mid-thought; “yes. I know,” he said. 

Days later, Conor walked silently beside me, the sun warm on our faces. We had packed a bag and started walking. “Do you have any idea where we are?” I asked and Conor nodded. “Going to tell me?” “Nope, you should know,” said Conor. I thought of home, and strangely, of Taylor Emery. Taylor was always at our house, enough to where my aunt treated him like a third child. He was younger than Mitch and I, but we had fun with him anyway. Or at least I thought we did. Now I’m not so sure.
We came upon a tall, grey brick building and Conor looked at me. “Here we are,” he said. I nodded and followed him in. We hadn’t so much opened the door when two men in black approached, holding guns to our heads;  “Keep silent, kneel and put your hands on the floor.”
Conor knelt and I followed suit, only to be met by a shiny black boot on the floor. I looked over at Conor and although he looked calm, I could see the pain written across his face. “Rise, and keep your hands at your side,” barked a voice. As I rose, I could hear Conor groan. I looked over, where the two men kept beating him down. I leapt forward but two more men held me back. I watched Conor rise over and over until a man with a nasty smirk walked in and demanded that Conor remain standing. “Master Stevens” said Conor. Stevens yanked Conor’s chin up, and his smirk grew, “Conor Elliot, we meet again.”
I looked at Conor, we were trapped. Stevens had trapped us and we had absolutely no way out. Conor pulled me toward him and held me, only then did I realize I was shaking. “The book needs to make it out,” he whispered. I shook even more, thinking on what he said. “What do have we here? A girl, Elliot?” I looked up, Stevens was standing over us with a shotgun. Conor’s grip tightened and Stevens cocked the gun.
Pulled the trigger.
At me.
Conor pushed me away.
And took a bullet in the shoulder.
Stevens then brought his boot into my stomach, once, twice, thrice. I lay on the ground gasping in pain. “Tyana, move. Now. Tyana. Up. Now. Get my bag. Up. Now,” Shoulder would and all, he’s still talking, I thought as I crawled over to him. He handed me his bag. “Run Tyana. Run away fast,” he whispered hurriedly. “Conor you’re-” I started but he cut me off, “Don’t give a s*** about me. Run. Run. RUN!” he shouted. I stood up and I ran. My stomach screamed at me to stop but I ran, I ran, I ran I ran.
And I left Conor there to die.