CHAPTER 14

                I couldn't believe my eyes, and thought for a minute that I was just seeing things. One of the groups had brought back two people from The Tags, and it was Kira and Brandon. I watched carefully as they led her up the walkway and into the house. The others with me just stared as they walked in the door, but I walked up to make sure that it was her.

                She instantly turned to me as she walked into the living room, "Coolie?"

                I shook my head slowly, not wanting to believe what I was seeing, "Kira?"

                It had been Carson's group that had caught her. Carson let her go and sent someone upstairs to get Spencer. Kira and I stared at each other for a few minutes before saying anything. Brandon just stared at the floor, obviously upset that he had been caught.

                "You disappeared on us, Coolie," Kira said as she pulled her arm free, "What's up with that?"

                I shrugged my shoulders slightly, I didn't have to answer to her, "I just needed to get out."

                "Yeah," she said as she nodded her head, "There's more to that story... I can see right through you."

                I shook my head at her, "Yeah, but you don't need to know. Anyway, you're the one on trial here. Why and when did you two become part of The Tags?"

                Brandon finally showed signs of life, and looked up at me, "How do you think we knew who to hit up for the stuff in the park?"

                I turned away and looked at Katie, who was now sitting on the couch behind me, "These were the people who showed me this neighborhood in the first place."

                Katie stood up and walked up to Kira, "So, if you were part of The Tags, why did you show off this neighborhood?"

                Kira shrugged her shoulders, "Because we don't like being with The Tags, and we didn't want her to end up there either."

                Katie looked over at me, "Can we believe her?"

                I walked up to stare Kira in the eyes, "So, can we?"

                Kira lowered her eyes for a moment, and then brought them back up to mine, "I wouldn't lie about something like this."

                Katie stepped in again, pushing between Kira and I, "So, you knew she was going to run away, and just wanted to make sure you knew where she was running, huh?"

                Kira looked over at Brandon, who was still silent, and then back to Katie, "We knew what her parents were doing to her, and we only figured that it was a matter of time."

               Katie wasn't stopping now, "Oh yeah? How did you figure that?"

                         Kira stepped up to the plate, staring Katie straight in the eyes with as much confidence as she had, "Because we I used to be like her."

              My mouth fell open, I'd never even suspected anything like this, "What are you talking about?"

              Kira pushed past Katie and me in the eyes, "I had a feeling you were going to run. My parents were doing the same thing to me, that's why I was so upset when you defended them."

              I finally ended up believing her, feeling almost sorry for her, "I thought you lived with your parents?"

              Kira shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, "I did... I left."

              I looked over at Brandon, "Were you in on this, too?"

              Brandon looked up at me casually, and shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe."

             I looked over at Katie and then to Kira again. I wasn't sure whether this was all true or not, and whether or not I really believed it. I figured it was all gone and done now, so it didn't really matter. What did matter to me was the fact that Kira and Brandon were here, and were obviously members of the opposing team.

             Spencer finally came downstairs, as casual as you could get. The big giant of a man who was our leader, looked no more threatening that Brandon had. I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out, but I wouldn't let anything happen to Kira or Brandon. I didn't see what they'd done as betrayal, even though it could be. All I knew was that they were the only ones to ever talk to me, and I wouldn't throw them out.

             Spencer sat down in the nice brown-leather recliner in the corner of the room, and motioned for Kira and Brandon to sit on the couch to his left. After he made sure they were set, he motioned for the rest of us to take a seat on the opposite couch to his right. I sat closest to him, making sure that he knew I was involved with these two. Everyone else piled in behind me, sitting silently for a couple minutes and waited for Spencer to talk.

             Spencer sat back and crossed his arms over his chest loosely, looking back and forth between Brandon and Kira, "So, you two got yourselves into a bit of trouble, hmm?"

             Kira shrugged her shoulders slightly as she lowered her eyes to the floor. She glanced over at Brandon, who was also staring at the floor. The two of them looked so helpless, I almost wanted to run in and rescue them. Katie had told me that Spencer wasn't as bad as he made himself look, so I sat back and relied on her word.

             "Well," Spencer said as he shook his head at them, "I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do with you two."

             Kira shook her head slowly as she cautiously looked up at him. I watched as Kira and Spencer seemed to talk for a minute with only their eyes and slight body language. Was he reading her? Was she reading him? I'd never really been able to express myself without words, but they seemed to be doing fine on their own.

             Spencer turned to look at Carson, who was standing with his arms crossed at the entrance to the room, "What happened? How did you find them?"

             Carson nodded his head slightly and walked forward a couple feet, "Sir, we saw these two standing at the corner of Third, two blocks outside of their boundaries."

             Spencer turned and looked at Kira, calling her to match his gaze, "What were you two doing on the corner of Third?"

             Kira bit her lower lip, and then turned to look at me, "We were looking for someone, and we heard they were in this neighborhood."

             Spencer now focused his eyes on me, sending a chill up my spine, "Taya, how do they know you?"

             "I knew them before I left," I replied quietly, as I stared at his shoes, "They were the only ones that ever talked to me."

             Spencer turned to look at Kira again, "Is this true?"

             Kira nodded her head, "Yes sir, we had an idea she would be here."

            I was curious now and bypassed Spencer completely, looking directly at Kira, "Why were you looking for me?"

            "We wanted to see how well they'd taught you," Kira replied.

            Brandon elbowed Kira in the side, and finally spoke up, "Kira wanted to make sure that you were safe."

            Kira elbowed Brandon back, "Shut up, will you?! Taya, I know the middleman, and he told us you were here."

            Spencer put his hand forward, quieting the room, "Middleman, what middleman?"

            Kira looked to the other end of the room, realizing she'd said to much already. She stayed silent for a couple minutes before Brandon decided to jump in.

            "The middleman," Brandon said as he looked directly at Spencer, "Someone who was working for The Tags, to get information about you people."

            Spencer started looking mad now, I wasn't too sure how someone his size was going to behave when they were this mad, "So, we've had a traitor in this house. Just what type of information were they collecting?"

            "The size, numbers, weaknesses," Kira spoke up, "But it's all over now, you don't have to worry."

            Spencer leaned forward, clasping his hands tightly together, "Why is that?"

            "They were planning on something," Brandon said, "They were going to take your numbers down, but... "

            "But they had an unplanned meeting with the cops," Kira interrupted, "They were meeting up to prepare, when they had a surprise raid on the main house."

            Brandon grinned wide, "We couldn't let them do something like that anyway."

            "The house we busted had some of the weakest players, too," Kira said as she shrugged her shoulders, "We knew they'd crack when interrogated."

            Spencer looked as shocked as everyone else did, "What does this all mean to me?"

            Kira shrugged her shoulders, "The Tags are now less than half the size of your gang, with their esteemed leader behind bars."

            Katie finally decided to start asking questions again, "So why did you bust them?"

            Kira looked at the floor, "Well you see, I used to have an older sister who got me into The Tags. They ended up beating her and raping her, but they never had a clue that I knew it was them."

            I looked over a Katie who's eyes were now wide with shock. I think she was having a hard time piecing this all together, and i was too. This all seemed too wacky to be true. I wasn't too sure what I thought. Kira had never mentioned a sister.

                        "You never told me you had a sister," I questioned her, "Why all of a sudden do you bring it up?"

                        "She was three years older than I was," Kira said as she started playing with her fingers, "My parents were told she died in a car accident. I didn't find out what really happened until one of our members admitted to it, and bragged about it... I almost killed him."

             I knew that this was all true now, as messed up as it sounded. I could never forget how Kira would play with her fingers whenever she told the truth, and how she'd bounce a foot whenever she lied. Simple body language that was always useful.

             The room stayed silent for nearly a full five minutes, nobody made a sound. I think everyone was trying to filter out the lies and make sense of everything. I found myself trying to make sense of it. It was true, but it still seemed like one big massive lie. How could anyone really live through this?

              Spencer threw two red bandanas at Brandon and Kira. Neither of them had been marked yet. I could tell by the look on Spencers face that he was willing to give them a chance to prove themselves, a chance to earn their way in. They both looked surprised and relieved at the same time.

              Kira walked over and sat down between Katie and I. I introduced Kira, and then Katie. We watched as Brandon made his way in with the same group that had caught them, tying the red headband over his head. He was ready to join our ranks.

              Spencer stood up and walked out of the room, shouting over his shoulder, "You two are on probation!"