Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I've been swamped with tests and projects, but your kind words gave me the motivation to keep writing (even when I should have been studying)
Last Chapter:
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't hang up right now," Roy demanded.
"Because if you hang up the phone they're going to slit my throat open."
Roy did his best to stay calm as his heart raced on ahead of him. His mind was still half asleep as it tried to find the words to say in this sort of situation. Images of Edward held captive somewhere clouding over sentences that he was trying to find.
"No one is going to slit your throat while I'm alive, Fullmetal," Roy started, doing his best to keep his voice calm and even.
"Mustang," Ed's voice was low, maybe even a little tired, "they keep asking about a case file, they say you'll know it."
Roy had already flicked on the lamp, pulling on a new pair of pants and button-up shirt as his shoulder pressed the phone to his ear, listening to his subordinate's words.
"Who's they?" Roy inquired, remembering briefly that Ed had called him merely two hours ago; even at 12:30 he had been out investigating. Damn, who was it he was investigating again?
He could hear Ed scoff through the phone, "They are a bunch of low-life thugs who-"
There's a brief, painful sound of metal hitting flesh, a poorly suppressed scream, and Roy loses it.
"Edward!" He yells into the phone, "You sick sons of bitches, whoever the hell you are I swear to god-"
"You swear to god what?" There came a new voice on the phone. This one lower, almost gravelly, taking care to pronounce the venom in each word.
Roy choked back whatever he had been about to say.
"Mustang, before you get too carried away with your threats," the same voice continued, "let me lay all the cards on the table. You have something I want, I have something you want-"
"You're using his life to bargain?" Roy growled into the phone. Even before he could get the whole sentence out he heard another scream from Edward.
"Did you hear that, Colonel?" the man on the other end laughed, "every time you interrupt me I'll break another rib. Now let me finish."
Roy Mustang couldn't believe this was happening. He clenched the sheets on his bed until his knuckles turned white, grinding his teeth together as he thought of the way their ashes would look after he was through with them.
Than man continued.
"There's a case you've been working on, Mustang. You've been gathering intel on me and some of my friends, and considering the current situation," he paused for a second so that Roy could hear a low smacking sound and a whimper come from his subordinate, "I think it's best that you do as we say."
Immediately Roy knew who this guy was. It was the man he was currently investigating- Stephen Gaelman, leader of one of the many mafias that pollute Central's back alleys. Roy wanted to scream all the air out of his lungs, but instead he settled for negotiating, "What do you want me to do?"
He heard a laugh on the other end of the phone, "So easy to bend to the will of the enemy, who in God's name promoted you to Colonel?" He laughed a bit longer before continuing, "Okay, Mustang, here's what I need from you."
Ed listened to the man laugh at his superior. He seethed with anger- not just at his situation, but because he was the only one allowed to mock the Colonel. Not that he could do much from his current position; he was tied to an uncomfortable chair, his automail arm having been removed so as to disarm his alchemy. Each ankle was tied to a separate leg of the chair and two angry-looking men stood watch behind him, making sure his hand didn't carve out any transmutation circles.
Edward's head hung down, his chin nearly resting on his chest. God he was so tired. It was, what? Sometime after two in the morning? Sleep deprivation aside, his ribs hurt like a bitch, the pain from the broken bones preventing him from taking anything more than shallow breaths.
Ed couldn't believe he'd landed himself in this mess. It had been just after his first call with the Colonel, he hadn't even had time to phone Al to let him know he'd be home late. From where he had stood inside the telephone booth, Edward swore he could hear murmurs from outside.
By the time he had turned around to face whatever was waiting for him, a figure dressed in all black was already bringing the butt of a gun down to connect with Edward's temple, knocking him out cold.
He'd woken up maybe an hour later in what he assumed to be some sort of abandoned house, tied to the chair, his arm already missing, a knife already pressed to his throat.
"Okay, Mustang, here's what I need from you," he heard the man- who he gathered to be the leader- say. Ed snapped his head up to see the man on the phone, he was tall, with short blonde hair and dark brown eyes that seemed to shine with malice. The man continued, and Edward cursed inwardly for allowing himself to be used as a bargaining chip, "You're going to drive to your office, get every single file you have on me and my friends, and you are going to hand them over to me. I will be waiting in the harbour, you will walk to the end of the third dock, and only once I've verified that you've handed me all the documents will I tell you Edward's location. No harm will come to you if you follow my every order."
The leader paused for a moment, twirling the knife in his hand, then continued.
"Now I know what you're probably thinking right now," the man grinned, "You're thinking that you've got enough time to maybe copy out the most important information onto other papers, you're wrong," the man laughed, turning to look at Edward as he spoke his next words, "See, because as soon as I hang up this phone, I'm going to slice open Fullmetal's wrist, and if you don't hurry, he might just bleed out before I can tell you where he is."
Edward's heart jumped into his throat, beating erratically and threatening to choke him. Before the man hung up the phone, Edward could hear the Colonel yell something from the other end, something that might have sounded like his name, but through the fear and the panic, Edward really couldn't be sure.
As Edward watched the man approach him, still twirling around the knife, he could see just how sharp it really was. Panic setting in, Ed began to frantically pull on the ropes that kept him tethered to the chair, his breathing getting faster and faster despite his injured ribs.
"Get away from me," Edward ordered, his voice wavering in fear, "don't come any closer I swear to God get away from me," but it was in vain. All his attempts to break free were useless.
The leader stood behind Edward, he crouched down to be level with his wrist, wrapping cold fingers around Ed's pale forearm.
Ed flinched at the touch, still trying to pull away from the grip but to no avail.
"Don't do this!" Edward cried, but it was too late, the man was already dragging the cold steel across the flesh, blood spilling out of the wound, dripping down the chair and onto the floor. Edward ground his teeth in pain, doing his best not to give the leader the satisfaction of his cries.
The leader and his followers began to exit the room, but before the leader closed the door, he turned back to his captive with a sadistic smile and asked, "You're Colonel is gullible isn't he?" The man laughed, "As if I'm going to let either of you live through this."
Ed looked up, golden eyes filled with pain. He didn't answer.
The man left, closing the door behind him, leaving Edward in the dim lights listening to his blood drip, drip, drip onto the floor.
He struggled once again against the ropes, but any movement in his arm caused the ropes to jostle the deep cut painfully, sending waves of pain up his arm. Maybe it was best not to move.
So Edward closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing, an erratic pulse would only make him bleed out faster.
Okay Edward, he thought to himself, it's time to get yourself out of this.
That's all folks! Sorry if you find it short, it's the best I can do at the moment between work and school.
But more to come of course!
As always, reviews are love 3