Chapter Thirty-Two: Do You Copy?

(The Bathtub, Pt. 2)

***

The Wheeler home was crawling with government agents.

Rowan sat in the passenger seat of her aunt's car, biting her nails, as she watched the agents stand like sentries around the Wheeler house and take things from the basement, her heart rate spiking with the thought of the Man being there, of somehow seeing her, of somehow seeing Alistair and recognising him, taking him, hurting him. Aunt Aco looked at her, noticed her panic, and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Hey, the fact they're obviously looking for Alistair, his friends and that girl means they haven't found them yet," her aunt assured.

"I know, but I can't stop thinking if they did," Rowan said as she put her hand down, giving her nails a respite from her nervous assault on them. "It's our nightmare come to life, Aunt Aco. All that needs to be added is the Man and the Place somehow being here like it teleported or something."

Her aunt snorted. "At least your humour is intact."

"I joke to cope. I got that from you."

They gave each other small smiles, but they faded away like early morning mist in the sun, Rowan watching the agents like a hawk as her aunt gripped the steering wheel tight, obviously just as panicked and worried that her nephew had been found, that he was being experimented on right now, like Rowan was.

That panic spiked when a loud noise came and they saw a helicopter in the sky. Rowan gaped, staring at it in wide-eyed horror.

Oh God.

There were several tense seconds, until they heard the screech of wheels and Rowan saw Hopper's car peel away. She looked at her aunt, who had a look of hope in her eyes.

They'd found a way to find Alistair, Mike, Lucas, Dustin and El.

Her aunt put the car into drive and drove after Hopper, tyres squealing. Rowan looked out the window, worrying her lip, watching the helicopter.

Please be okay, she pleaded. God, Al, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, El please be safe. We're coming to find you.

We're coming to find you.

***

When they stopped driving, Rowan saw they were at the Byers' house. Aunt Aco parked the car and they got out, following Hopper, Mrs. Byers, Jonathan and Nancy inside—only Rowan had to stop and gape at seeing the living room.

Black wires were slung around the house, the bulb holders telling Rowan they were Christmas lights. Above the couch, was the alphabet in thick, capitalised black letters with more Christmas light-less wire hovering over each letter. And on the ground, like glass shells, were the Christmas lights, discarded and rolling on the carpeted floor. Rowan heard a breeze and looked with gawking eyes at an admittedly large, boarded-up hole in the wall. What the hell...

"Whoa," Nancy muttered, obviously bamboozled by the state of the Byers living room as Rowan was.

But they didn't have time to gawk. They had to find the boys and El. Now.

"Come on," Rowan said, and the two girls and Rowan's aunt headed deeper into the house, walking to Will's room. Rowan again stared in bewilderment, at seeing all the lamps crowding it.

Inside, Jonathan and Mrs. Byers were looking about for something, until Mrs. Byers dropped to her knees and looked under the bed and saw what she was looking for.

"Got it!" she shouted, pulling it out. Rowan huffed out a laugh.

"Byers, you genius," she muttered as she looked at Jonathan, then at the walkie.

If she knew her brother and his friends, they would be guaranteed to have a walkie with them—a walkie who's channel could already be accessed by the one in Joyce's hands, that they would answer, and tell them where they were.

Nancy instantly grabbed the walkie, yelling into it, "Mike, are you there?"

When no response came, Nancy tried again. "Mike, it's me, Nancy. Mike, are you there? Answer if you can. Mike, we need you to answer."

Again, no response. 

Rowan could see the agitation growing on Nancy's face, mixing with her frustration, saying through gritted teeth, "This is an emergency, Mike. Do you copy? Mike, do you copy?"

But like the first two times, there was no answer.

Nancy sighed in frustration, but before she tried again, Rowan stretched out a hand. "Hey. Let me try."

Nancy gave the walkie to Rowan, who raised it to her mouth and said, "Al, if you're there, we need you guys to answer and let us know where you are! And since I can already guess what you are probably thinking, tell Mike that if I'm talking then he isn't making me or Nancy say anything! Just please respond and let us know where we can find you! Do you copy? Over."

They waited, Rowan feeling the stares on her, the confusion over what she meant by a "he", the confusion she knew Alistair was probably receiving on the other end, but she didn't care. She didn't even care if she lost control and let off another surge—which hadn't happened in a while, surprisingly. Not since the Friday before Will disappeared and all this shit started—as long as her brother responded, as long as they could find him and she could hug him and he was safe, a feeling her aunt must be feeling right now along with her.

But despite her hope that if Alistair heard her voice they would respond, there was no answer.

Rowan looked back to them, helpless. If her voice hadn't been enough to convince them, convince Alistair...

Nancy took the walkie from her, trying again. "I need you to answer. We need to know that you're there, Mike."

But before they could wait, Hopper grabbed the walkie and said into it, "Listen, kid, this is the chief. If you're there, pick up. We know you're in trouble, and we know about the girl. We can protect you, we can help you, but you gotta pick up. Are you there? Do you copy? Over."

They waited, but again, there was no response.

Rowan watched as Hopper put the walkie on a shelf, then turned to her, Nancy and Mrs. Byers from where they sat on Will's bed while Jonathan paced and her aunt gripped her arms, forehead developing new lines from how her eyebrows were furrowed together in worry and anxiety.

"Anybody got any other ideas?" he asked.

Rowan didn't need to look to know that they didn't, that their one chance of finding Alistair, Mike, Dustin, Lucas and El before the Man and his agents did was blown through the roof.

But then, the radio crackled and Mike's voice came through.

"Yeah, I copy."

All eyes turned to the radio as Mike kept speaking.

"It's Mike. I'm here. We're here."

Rowan sighed in relief, feeling her heart rate settle into a normal rhythm.

They'd responded back. That meant they were safe. They were all safe. Alistair was safe.

"Okay. Kid, where are you?" the chief demanded, tone short but Rowan didn't blame the chief, or care. She was just too happy to know the boys and El were safe.

"We're at the old junkyard," Mike replied, static returning as they all looked at each other, at now knowing there was a location. The chief was already moving, until a new voice came through.

"Rowan?"

Rowan launched off the bed, grabbing the walkie, hearing Aunt Aco behind her. "Al?!"

"Rowan!"

"Al!" Rowan exclaimed, smiling and holding back a relieved sob. "Oh my God, Al! You're okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. You?"

"Fine, squirt. Especially now I know you're alive."

Alistair chuckled as the walkie was snatched out of her hands and her aunt was now talking to Alistair. "Hey, kid."

"Hey, Aunt Aco. Sorry for, um... disappearing."

"Kid, I'm just glad to hear that you are okay. You and your friends stay put, okay? We're coming to get you and bring you home," Aunt Aco said, a determined glare on her face. "You hear me?"

"I hear you. We all hear you."

"And also, I think there are some things we should talk about when you're back."

Rowan gulped as her aunt's piercing look fixed on, the audible silence radiating from the walkie telling. Her aunt definitely wanted to know how Alistair knew about El, and how much Rowan knew, and why they kept it secret from her. But Rowan found that she didn't care. As long as Alistair was safe.

"O-Okay. I... I'm glad to hear you're okay as well. See you in a few minutes. Over."

"See you in a few minutes. Get ready for hugs. Over," Rowan replied, and the radio went silent again. She looked at Aunt Aco, a wobbly smile on her face.

Alistair was okay. He was safe. 

He was safe.

But their little conversation had caught Hopper's attention, who'd been barking orders at Mrs. Byers, Jonathan and Nancy to stay put. Now, he looked directly at them and said, "Aco, I know you and your niece want to get to Alistair, but I need you to stay put."

"What?" Aco yelled, glaring at Hopper with a heat that could make a fire seem cold. "Jim, I just heard from my nephew, who I've been worrying sick about all day and is in potential danger, and you expect me to stay here? Do you expect Rowan to stay here?"

"Yes, I do," Hopper responded immediately. He sighed, and added, "I'm gonna find your kid, Aco, and I'm gonna bring him and the rest of his friends and the girl here safely. You can trust me on that."

He gave them a look, and again Rowan saw that same flicker she'd seen in the police station. Beside her, her aunt gave a tight nod, visibly displeased but for once listening to the chief.

Satisfied, the chief walked out, heading straight for the front door and his car, the screeching of tyres soon coming after.

Rowan looked at her aunt, and then at Jonathan and Nancy, seeing her own relief mirrored on their faces, but also worry.

They knew where the boys and El were, and Hopper was coming to get them right now.

But would he find them in time... before the Man did?

***

Welcome to the chapter where Rowan's fears over being taken and losing her little brother are amped up to a hundred and don't get alleviated until her little brother is back home!

Yeah, until Mike came over on the walkie, it was NOT a good time for Aco or Rowan since they were INSANELY worried about Alistair being found. They were worried about Mike, Lucas and Dustin, of course, but Alistair was their main worry

With the walkie scene, Rowan would have guessed the boys wouldn't pick up if they thought Nancy was being forced to say it, so she thought if she talked, it would let her brother know that it isn't a trap. And because Alistair knows his sister, he knows it isn't and was the most convincing to let the others know it's not a trap

And then Alistair talking to his sister and aunt over the walkie... it made me soft 🥺

Yeah, Aco is appropriately angry that she nor Rowan aren't going. But there may be a reason that has to do with some certain files...

And now, they wait

Next chapter will be soon! Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!