Happy Birthday?

After questioning was over and done with, Officer Goode brought Shark to another room. He then seated him into a booth with a glass showing the other side. A phone was attached to one side of the booth.

"You stay here. We'll bring Mister Rotter in now." After he left, Shark waited patiently for a few minutes. Then, a barred door on the other side of the glass opened. In came Sinbad, handcuffed and wearing an orange jumpsuit. His eyes widened when he saw the teen.  

"Five minutes. That's it. I'll deal with you when you get released." Sinbad looked over and smirked at Officer Goode.

"Yeah, sure. We'll see about that when you get kicked in the nads." He then looked back over and became serious again. He took his seat in front of Shark and took hold of the phone on his side. He motioned for Shark to do the same.

"Hey. I'm guessing you talked to the police? Don't see why else you'd be here."

"Yeah. I told them everything that happened. I...had to. Is...Is that the reason you turned yourself in?" Sinbad nodded. "I told them the only reason you went through with it was because you were following orders."

"Damn straight." Sinbad closed his eyes and sighed, before continuing. "Your dad called me up, telling me it was the opportunity of a lifetime. He said if I did him a favor, I'd get bumped up in the ranks so high, I'd instantly be his right-hand man." The redhead bit his lip.

"But the thing was, I sort of hesitated when he told me what exactly I had to do. Or more specifically, who."

Shark looked down, trying not to crack. "I guess you don't need to elaborate there. But what happened if you refused?"

"He'd have blown my head off. It was all or nothing for him. I will admit, messing with people is fun, but not in that way. Not...that shit was horrifying. That went against my own rules."

"Rules?"

Sinbad nodded. "Rape's a special kind of evil. Con artists and thieves are one thing, but rapists..." Sinbad shook his head and tried changing.

"Look, when this is all over and done with, I'll...I'll try to make it up to you. What your dad did, what he planned out...that's horrifying. I honestly think he should burn in Hell for it. And knowing me, that's saying something. So...I guess I want to help you out?"

"Huh?" Shark was genuinely taken aback by the request. "No...No, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do. Birthdays are supposed to be happy, not hellish. I was involved in the breaking, I may as well get involved in the fixing."

When Sinbad was sent back to his cell, Shark was at the main part of the station. His Uncle Dudley and the female cop approached him when he entered.

"Were you able to have your little chat with Mister Rotter, bud?" Shark nodded. "That's good. Now, Officer Sargeant and I here are going to tell you what you need to do."

The female spoke up at this point. "Obviously, your father committed a grave crime against you. This has essentially opened the door to a possibility that he may be arrested. There have been numerous...operations surrounding the Racket Family for quite some time now."

Officer Sargeant cleared her throat before continuing. "This may be the break we've been looking for. Obviously, you're no longer safe living with your family at 53 Puddlewick Drive. We have to consider the possibility that they may have all been in on this."

"Even Lolly?" Both adults nodded. Dudley crossed his arms and leaned slightly in towards his nephew.

"Here's what I want you to do, sport. You're going to have to spend one last night with them. However," the older man put up a finger for emphasis, "what I want you to do is pack some things. It really doesn't matter what, maybe some clothes. Just pack a bag or a suitcase, and get ready to leave come 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. Can you do that?"

Shark nodded. Officer Sargeant spoke again.

"We'll bring you to your uncle's house, as a sort of save haven. No doubt your relatives will come after you. Just stay there until we deem it safe, all right?"

"I will," Shark said as he felt his mouth getting dry. "I promise."

The house was almost as dark as it was when Shark left. He knew, however, that his relatives were home now, especially his father.

Shark was afraid. He didn't want to get caught and have to explain himself. The boy had never been a good liar.

When he reached the floor where his room was, he could hear Dennis' snoring coming from one of the bedrooms. Though he had no chance of being found out, hearing it still made Shark's blood run cold. He reached his room, thankfully undetected.

Lolly was asleep, her back turned to the door. Shark quietly crept around as he looked for a bag. Occasionally, she snorted in her sleep, causing him to freeze, but otherwise she didn't stir.

After finally locating his backpack, the teen quietly grabbed a couple of shirts and an extra pair of pants, and began packing.