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Hearts Entwined: Love begins - By Stephen Alexander 2005
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Chapter 6 - Thief!
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It was now about 3pm and Sacred had just finished early from work, he thought he would call up Xing and then pick him up for the walk and dinner. Then Sacred remembered he didn’t have Xing’s number and smiled

“Silly me, guess I will have to go there”

He drove back to Xing’s flat and almost ran up the stairs to his room and knocked

“Xing? Are you awake yet, its Sacred”

There was no reply so he tried the handle, which opened and he stepped in to find the room deserted.

“Xing are you in the shower”

He peeped into the bathroom but there was nothing at all, its was silent.

“Where could he be” said Sacred worryingly “Well lets see perhaps he went to town or something, I’ll have a look”

He left the room and took Xing’s key and locked it for him just in case and headed for the car.

Meanwhile in the town centre the gang of thugs led by Mike were walking along the sea front being there normal annoying selves disrupting the lovely town. Xing was walking a little distance from them looking at the floor sadly, he looked up at one of the buildings. It was the gym and surely Sacred was in there, he tried to look in but then he saw it was closed for a refit.

“He must have gone to my place, darn why didn’t I leave a note, I hope he has an idea where I am…”
“Oi! Mutt stop dawdling and get over here” snarled Mike

Xing sighed and walked slowly over to Mike and the gang. Mike pointed to a large sweet shop, which was well know in the town for its wonderful sweets and chocolate.

“You’re going to steal from a sweet shop?”
“Oh no Xing, WE are, all of use”
“But Mike…”
“God dammit mutt do as your told or I will knife you”

Mike pulled out a pocketknife and pointed it at Xing. 

“Is that understood mutt?”

Xing sighed and nodded slowly a tear in his eye. Mike saw this and laughed

“Pull yourself together and don’t be such a loser”

The gang started moving towards the shop Xing forced to go first and he slowly went into the shop with the others behind. Sacred meanwhile had just parked up on the front a little way from the shop and was now looking all round for Xing. There was a yell of ‘Thieves!” from down the street which caused many people to look around to see what the commotion was, Sacred hurried off down towards the source and saw some people running out of the sweet shop, one whom he recognised as Mike. Sacred got nearer when a Police car came and two policemen and Panther and a Lioness headed into the shop. What Sacred saw next was a surprise to him, the policemen came out leading someone in handcuffs, it was Xing.

Xing looked terrified and looked around and saw Sacred standing there surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, Sacred didn’t make eye contact with Xing and walked away from the crowd as the police car took away Xing. Xing looked back around looking at his feet and starts to cry.
“Oh Sacred, I didn’t do anything, don’t leave me now” he thought sadly to himself.

Sacred couldn’t believe this had happened, he was sat in his car for a while thinking hard.

“Would Xing Steal?”

Sacred thought about Xing and how he acted with him last night and this morning

“No” he said, “Xing wouldn’t do it, not the Xing I know”.

He then thought about Mike and his gang running off from the shop.

“Of course it would be them who put him up to it like they did last night at the restaurant, those bastards” he muttered angrily.

Sacred put the key in ignition and decided to go down to the Police station and see what they had to say and try and talk to Xing if he could, Xing wouldn’t lie to him.
He arrived at the station just a short drive into the town centre and went to the front desk and began enquired about Xing, Sacred insisted that he could see him for a bit but it was no good the receptionist wouldn’t let him see him.

“Please sir, I know I am not a family member but I don’t think Xing has any family near here to see him, I am the closest person to him right now”
“I’m sorry sir but I just can’t let you see him” said the large Rhino calmly.

Sacred stared at the receptionist, his eyes filling with tears, the Rhino couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, and knew that Sacred had never been in trouble before and had also helped the police a few months back by giving them money.

“Please, please let me see him, I just want to talk to him and give him some company”

The receptionist sighed. 

“Very well I guess it can be arranged but the guard will accompany you at all times”
“That’s alright and is fair, thank you sir”

Xing sat alone in a cell, it wasn’t very interesting, four walls and a small window and the bed was rock hard, he sat in a corner crying sadly, the way Sacred had looked at him and walked away must have shown he was disgusted and didn’t want to know a “Thief”.
 A guard came to the door
“Someone is here to see you”
“A visitor”? said Xing quietly

The friendly tiger guard nodded and opened the cell door and entered behind him was…

“Sacred? You came to see me”

Xing rushed forward and hugged the bull tightly a fresh wave of tears soaking Sacred’s shirt. Sacred rubbed Xing’s back gently

“It’s ok, I’m here, come on sit down now”

But Xing wouldn’t let go of Sacred so he just sat down and Xing followed sitting with his arms tightly around Sacred’s waist.

“Xing, come on now we need to talk about what happened”

Xing looked up at Sacred then to the guard. The tiger smiled and nodded

“So Xing, did you really steal anything from that shop”?
“No I didn’t, it was Mike and his gang who stole the stuff” he stuttered.
“But Xing” spoke the guard “Why did you get involved if you didn’t have a part in this?”

Xing looked at his feet then up to Sacred, which gave him more confidence and he spoke again.

“Mike came to my flat this afternoon, he wanted to go and get some food, well I would have been the one who had to get it but I had no money”
“Go on” said the tiger softly.
“Mike usually uses me to get stuff for him, so as I had no money to use he decided to steal instead, I didn’t want to get involved but…he threatened me”
“That Mike and his gang are always causing trouble in this town” said the tiger “There have been many reports of threats or abuse from them but they always seem to get away”

Xing was still holding tightly onto Sacred, who put an arm around Xing making him feel much more comfortable in the small cell. The tiger didn’t mind, he had never seen two guys so close to each other before but he wasn’t offended at all and smiled

“So what happened in the shop”
“The pushed me to the front and I was told to ask for something which was obviously not real but Mike insisted the shop keeper checked in the back room. I was stood at the counter and the others started pocketing stuff behind me, but then the shopkeeper came back and saw the clumsy fox Malcolm pocketing some liquorice and started shouting ‘Thief’”.
“So then what?” asked the tiger.
“Then the others legged it, I was about to run too but then the shop keeper grabbed me and made sure I didn’t escape”.
“So he thought you was one of them, are you?”

Xing shook his head “No I only was seem with them because they harassed me at home and everywhere I went and they wouldn’t leave me in peace unless I started helping them out”
Sacred looked at Xing “I never knew that” he thought to himself

“Well then, why was you found with some of the shops confectionary in your pocket?”
“It must have been slipped into my pocket by Mike”
“This isn’t the first time that Mike has left Xing alone to take the blame for something sir”
Xing nodded.
“Well Xing I’m afraid we cant let you out until we have more proof of this or unless we find Mike”
“But Sir” said Sacred in alarm “Mike is very good at hiding away, Xing could be here for years based on that”
“I’m sorry sir but we cannot make exceptions to this rule, if someone can find one of the gang members and we get a confession out of them then Xing will be allowed to go but for now he will have to stay here”

Sacred looked down at Xing who sat up slowly. Sacred wrapped his arms around his Dingo; Xing buried his face into Sacred’s chest sobbing again. The Tiger watched sadly, what a stupid rule that was.

“Don’t worry Xing, I will get you out of here as soon as I can”

Xing looked up to Sacred once more and tear still brimming with tears kisses Sacred, the kiss was returned with a tight hug too.

“I love you Sacred and I know you can help me”
“I am determined to help you, Mike has gone to far and has to be stopped”
“I’m sorry you two but its time to go” said the Tiger quietly a small tear in his eye.

Sacred got up and Xing let go of him slowly, a tear running down his cheek. Sacred pulled out a hanky and wiped the tear away.

“Be good Xing and I will see you soon, I promise”

Sacred was lead out of the cell and the door closed behind him and a lock clicked into place. Xing rushed to the doors tiny window and watched his love disappear from site.

He sat back down and began crying again but this time he knew that Sacred hadn’t given up hope on him at all. The Guard looked in a few minutes late and smiled; he didn’t think Xing had done it either, he was just a victim for sure.

“I wish you luck Sacred” he said to himself.
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All characters and names Copyright © of Stephen Alexander (Sacredbull) and (Syriko) 2005