Chapter 14

Warning, this story contains dark scenes with graphic detail that some readers may find distressing.

The four boys reached the Archfiend’s residence. To no surprise, police cars were lined out in front of their porch, some officers talking over their radios while some were just standing about as if waiting for further commands. Bryce parked the car at the far end of the neighbourhood, walking the remaining gap towards their front porch. One police officer noticed the boys and he quickly ran up to them.
“Surely you boys know where this girl is??” The police officer asked quietly.
“We have her. We’re just going to have a little chat with the sheriff.” Bryce replied without bothering to look at the officer.
“Well, you boys be careful. He’s a bit on edge about his niece being gone. I’m not sure if he’s worried or furious. He’s a crazy one, that new sheriff.” He commented. Kingsley smirked who was walking just next to Bryce.
“Don’t worry. Just act as if you men are still in his command. We’re going to talk to him. Just wait for Elijah’s signal just in case he decides to go on the offence.” Bryce instructed and the officer quickly nodded before walking away. As the four boys reached the front porch, some of the police officers took notice of them but stayed silent. They were under the boys’ order, but the new sheriff wasn’t aware of that just yet.
Sheriff Archfiend’s intense babbling to an officer quickly halted when he spotted the four boys entering his front porch. His nostrils flared before he broke out into an exaggerated sigh of relief.
“Oh, I am so glad to have you boys here! Just in perfect timing—I need your help finding my niece!” Sheriff Archfiend exclaimed as he neared them. They’d already met. The sheriff’s first day. The sheriff didn’t know much about them, just that they helped the police a lot and were good at it.
“We need to talk first, sheriff,” Kingsley told him in his deep voice.
Sheriff Archfiend was taken aback by his words, his eye slightly twitching afterwards. “Excuse me?”
“We have a few matters to discuss. It’s about your niece.” Bryce replied. Sheriff Archfiend looked like he was about to say something, but he stopped himself as he looked around at the officers. Most of them had their eyes on the two parties.
“Let’s talk in my study.” The older man suggested with a strained voice as he made his way inside and the four boys followed behind. As they entered Lilly’s house, Kingsley couldn’t help but be impressed at how clean and tidy it was. Considering that Victoria didn’t look like the type of girl who would clean up after herself and spotting Peggy Archfiend by the living room reading a magazine, oblivious, he expected their house to look the same as their personalities—ugly, dirty, and fake.
They reached the sheriff’s study, and the old man closed the double doors behind them, Elijah hearing the lock clicking afterwards. He had his hand ghost over his little radio in the back pocket of his jeans, ready to send the signal to the police just in case a fight would break out inside. The four boys watched in silence as Sheriff Archfiend sat on his chair, leaning his back against the rest and clasping his hands together, his judging eyes gazing over his visitors one by one.
“What do you want to talk about?” He grumbled.
“We have your niece, sheriff,” Kingsley replied. The old man’s eyes widened as he leaned himself closer against the table.
“And why do you have her?”
“She’ll be living with us from now on. She’s been suffering in this hellhole after just being taken away from another hell she endured for the past year, and she’s hurt. She’s got cuts and bruises and she’s barely had a proper meal ever since she left the rehabilitation centre. You’re supposed to help her, not make her life worse. And now she almost ended her life on the edge of a cliff, ready to give up on herself and let her body be crushed against jagged rocks and strong wave currents.” Kingsley replied. With every word that left his mouth, he could feel the anger and irritation rising in his throat. He was aware he was rambling but didn’t care.
“We will be taking her in. She’s one of us now. And she doesn’t want to live with you and your family anymore.” Bryce finished.
Sheriff Archfiend’s nose flared in anger and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Without stopping himself, he slammed his fists against his table as he sat up and eyed Bryce angrily.
“Who are you to take my niece away from me?!” He yelled angrily, veins popping out of his neck as he did so.
“We are the Fab Four. We do not only save those who get lost in this small town, we also save those who silently suffer within the four walls that they call home. And you, Robert Archfiend, could wind up in prison for what you did.” Bryce replied calmly, unflinching at the sheriff’s fuming rage.
“And who are you to imprison me?? You do not have any proof of what my family did to that bitch. If anything, she should be thanking us for taking her in and letting her go to school! She’s a murderer! You just set yourselves a trap inside your homes!” the sheriff exclaimed followed by a laugh that sounded almost psychotic. Kingsley could only breathe out a sigh of relief knowing that Lilly was now safe from this monster.
“We have proof, sheriff. We have copies of your files, family history, CCTV footages, voice recordings, and any other media that could be held against you and your family.” Carter piped in as he pulled out a small USB from his pocket, waving it in the air with a smirk. “And we have more. Even if you take this, we’d still have hundreds of copies.”
The rage in Sheriff Archfiend’s eyes wavered as he caught a glimpse of the small object. Though it may be small, it could mean the end of his dignity and his family’s reputation.
He closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath before looking at the boys again. “Just give me back the girl, and I will make sure that she will eat properly, sleep well, and give her more clothes and things from now on.”
But none of the boys was buying it.
“Yeah, too late for that, sheriff,” Bryce replied with a smirk. The triumphant look on Bryce’s face was enough to trigger the sheriff’s anger again.
“Give me Lilith Archfiend or I will pull a trigger against your useless heads!” he exclaimed as he pulled out his drawer and took out a small rifle. Elijah’s hand-dug deeper in his pocket and pressed the red button on his radio, which sent a signal to the police outside that something was wrong. Sheriff Archfiend pointed the gun at Bryce and all hands were up in the air, but their faces remained calm and easy.
“Who are you to mock my position?! I am this town’s fucking sheriff and I have been the best wherever they put me! Four boys cannot simply take away my badge and my power so easily! If you want me out of the office, then one of you is going to have to die in this office right now!” he fumed. Just as he cocked his gun, the double doors burst open and in came the police, shielding the four boys from gunpoint and one officer jumped at the sheriff before he could pull the trigger or react to the new situation. Once they were certain that they were safe, Bryce nodded at Elijah, who then ran outside and gathered all the police. He relayed Bryce’s instructions to them while the remaining three boys stayed in the study, watching as the police tied up the sheriff in his seat.
Kingsley could hear Victoria and Peggy screaming from outside as the police calmly escorted them from their home. He ran out of the room and saw the two women being held, Victoria’s eyes filled with scared tears and Peggy looked like she was ready to kill the officer who held her.
Victoria caught sight of Kingsley.
“You!” she gasped out. “What did you do to my father?!”
He breathed out as he neared the two struggling women. “Everything is under control. We are not here to cause war. We are here to keep you women safe.”
“Who are you?!” Peggy yelled at Kingsley.
“He’s just a senior from my high school, mother! But I don’t know why he and the rest of his friends have taken control over the police!” Victoria replied before Kingsley could open his lips. With this, Peggy’s eyes widened both in confusion and shock.
Kingsley took in a deep breath as he took something out from his pocket. He then looked up at the officer who held Victoria.
“Take her to her room. Don’t let her out until it’s safe.” Kingsley instructed.
The officer then began pushing Victoria up the stairs despite the young girl’s restraints and screams. Once her protests died to a minimum, Kingsley neared Peggy and handed her a piece of paper.
“On behalf of Lilly, she wants to thank you for providing for her when your husband was too much on her. She appreciates the kindness you showed her no matter how little it was. Still, it was more than enough to keep her alive and sane.” Kingsley said. The anger and confusion in Peggy’s eyes softened a little at Kingsley’s words.
“In return, she wants me to give you this.” He said and gently tucked the piece of paper in the front pocket of Peggy’s jeans since she was still held by an officer. “It’s our contact number. Whenever you feel unsafe or if you want to run away from that husband of yours, we will be happy to help you.” Although Lilly had no idea that they had gone to her former home, he’d learned from Taylor that Peggy had shown her subtle kindness.
Before Peggy could open her mouth, Kingsley returned to the study where Sheriff Archfiend was now tied up in his chair and the three boys were staring at him with a calm look.
“What are we going to do with him?” Carter asked.
Bryce could only smirk.
“Probably give him a taste of his own medicine.”