Chapter 19 - Locked Out

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Noah’s heart slammed against his ribs. 

For the first time he felt the cold air and sharp smell of floor wax in the Administrative Building burning through his nostrils.

He had to get to Elliott. Julian needed to be stopped by all means. It had gone beyond possibly losing a scholarship to being charged with grand lacery. 

He shoved his hand into his right blazer pocket. Nothing. He tried the left. A crumpled receipt. That was it. He froze.

He began to pat his trousers desperately.

"Noah? What is it?"

Bena was at his side in a second, worry written over her face.

"My phone," Noah whispered, his voice cracking. “I can't find my phone."

He spun around, eyes scanning everywhere as he retraced every step. And then, he remembered the ‘accident.’ The collision with Sebastian.

"Sebastian," Noah hissed, his eyes darting toward the double doors. "He must have taken it when he bumped into me."

Bena’s jaw tightened, a flash of irritation crossing her features. "Are you serious? Right now? Why would he take your phone?"

"I don’t know! To mess with me? The guy is a jerk."

"Ï know you don’t like him," she interrupted, her voice sharp enough to draw looks from the passing students. "Sebastian has no reason to steal your phone and he will never do it. It’s easy for you to think the worst of him because you have gotten to know him."

Noah stepped back, "I am thinking it was him because until he bumped into me, I had my phone.” 

"Really???" Bena snapped, “And you are 100% sure of this?” 

Noah looked uncertain and didn’t see the need to argue. He couldn't. He had far more important things to attend to. 

"Look, I have to go," Noah said, his eyes wide, looking through Bena rather than at her. "We’ll talk later."

He turned on his heel, his sneakers squeaking against the linoleum as he broke into a sharp, desperate stride.

"So typical of you," she threw the word at his retreating back, her voice dripping with exhaustion. 

***

Hours later, Noah was on Lockwood Street. 

It was certain now that Julian orchestrated the mail and was all out to ruin him. He needed to warn Elliott and maybe he could help throw Julian off his game. 

But as he reached the lobby door to Elliott’s high-rise, the security guard stepped out in front of him, his expression firm and serious. 

"Hey Rob, I need to see Elliott," Noah panted, his lungs burning from the long walk. "Is he home?"

“I can’t say,” Rob answered. 

“Okay. Let me check.” Noah headed for the elevator, Rob blocked him. 

Noah is taken aback, his eyebrow arching. 

Rob offers him an empathetic look, "I’m sorry Noah but Prof. Vance made it clear he didn’t want you here anymore. You are no longer on the permitted guest list and your access code has been deactivated."

Noah felt like he’d been slapped. 

"I see…" he whispered. “I have an urgent message for him. I would have called but I lost my phone. You can call his landline from here, right?”

Rob shook his head. “Not for you.”

Noah backed away, his head spinning. He turned to leave, and then a car pulled to a stop. 

Julian Thorne stepped out.

"Still chasing ghosts, Noah?" Julian asked, his voice smooth as silk. "Elliott has reclaimed his life. You should do the same. Though, I imagine a 'Legend' without a stage finds the world a very cold place."

"The email was you, wasn’t it? You lied to Elliott and now you lie that I stole from you." Noah hissed, his hands curling into fists. 

Julian stepped closer, his presence invading Noah’s personal space. "If only you had accepted my offer. You would have been living your dream.”

“I’m going to expose you for who you are,” Noah snapped.

“You should be more worried about how the school’s investigation into your activities at Black Halo is going,” Julian mocked, “You’ve lost Elliott. Your scholarship is gone too. You don’t have to lose your dignity also."

Julian didn't wait for an answer. He walked past Noah into the lobby leaving Noah dumfounded. 

***

The club felt different in the daylight. Without the neon strobes and the pulse of the bass, it looked… exhausted. The velvet was frayed, and the air smelled of stale smoke and bleach.

Noah found Damien in the back office, the scratching of a pen against receipts was the only sound in the room. The manager didn't look up when Noah entered.

"You’ve got a lot of nerve showing your face here," Damien said, his voice flat.

“I guess you’ve heard,” Noah said in a low voice. 

Damein’s head snapped up with furious eyes aimed at Noah. “Heard? My phone hasn’t stopped ringing. Clients are panicking. The boys are terrified. No one wants their name dragged into this mess.”

He focused back on the receipts. “What do you want?”

"I need your help please. Someone from the school might call to ask questions-”

“They already did,” Damien interrupted. 

Noah froze. 

“Not once. Not twice.” he continued, finally dropping the pen. 

He looked up, seeing the blood drain from Noah’s face. “Relax, I didn’t tell them anything. And I have warned the boys to keep their mouths shut.”

Noah heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. It was not for you,” Damiend snapped. “I am protecting my business. My other clients.”

Noah nodded. 

“I warned you, didn’t I?” Damien stood up, closing the distance until he was inches from Noah’s face. “Where is he in all this?”

Noah’s eyes were filled with a sudden, stinging regret. He couldn't even find the words. 

Damien nodded slowly. “Yeah, I thought so. The wealthy always protect their own.” 

He pointed toward the door, his voice dropping low. “I have lost top-tier clients since that mail blast. I can’t lose anymore. You need to leave, Noah. And never come back."

Damien’s words didn’t just sting; they stripped him bare. For the first time, Noah hated Elliott. 

As Noah stumbled out toward the alley exit, a hand grabbed his arm, pulling him into the shadows between the dumpsters.

It was Leo.

He looked terrified, his eyes darting toward the office door. "Noah, I’m sorry. I didn't know he was going to out you."

"What are you talking about, Leo?"

"Someone came around a few nights ago," Leo whispered, "asking questions. He had this... this way about him. Like he already knew everything. I blabbed, Noah. I told him you had a big shot you were now with."

Noah’s heart stopped. "What did he look like?"

"Tall. Blond. Looked like a million bucks," Leo said. "But it was the watch that caught my attention. It had a crest on the back, a gold 'V' with a laurel. A legacy student watch."

The air left Noah’s lungs. He’d seen that watch. He’d seen it on Sebastian’s wrist while Sebastian was "comforting" Bena.

"Sebastian," Noah breathed.

“Give me your phone.” He stretched his hand to Leo.

For what?

“I need to find mine right now.” 

He snatched his phone and opened the 'Find My' app, typing in his Apple ID with trembling fingers. The map loaded. A pulsing green dot appeared.

"He's at The Gilded Room" Noah gasped, thinking what could have taken him there, then…  "Julian. Of course."

Leo watched Noah in total confusion while Noah watched the screen with manic intensity. That dot was his only lifeline. It contained what he could use to blackmail Elliott to call Julian to order. Julian wouldn’t want Elliott hurt and would definitely back down. Now it made sense to Noah when his phone had been targeted. 

As he made to move, a sharp, final ding echoed. A notification dropped down: Erase Started.

"No," Noah whimpered. "No, no, no..."

He watched, paralyzed, as the pulsing green dot flickered and turned a dull, flat grey. The "Find" button went dead.

A haunting message appeared: Erase Complete. All data on ‘Noah’s iPhone’ has been successfully wiped.

Noah stared at the grey dot. He clicked it, but nothing happened. The connection was severed. The digital execution was over.

The only arrow in his quiver to fight Julian was gone.