"Huck...Huck! Just wait a second, we need to think about how to handle this!" Olivia followed him as he walked to the kitchen and opened a drawer where he had stored several guns and extra bullets. He filled the one strapped to his ankle, snapped another one to his belt.
"I've got this, Liv, this is my mess," he said.
"No, Huck, this is all of us. we're a family, remember? You can't just run off alone, you're going to get yourself killed."
Huck whipped around to face Olivia. "And waiting isn't going to save Quinn!" He ran out to the car and drove off, leaving nothing but a cloud of gravel dust and two people clueless as to how to help.
...
Quinn's heart started pounding at the sight of the tool box. Charlie smiled at the sight of a light sheen of sweat appearing on her brow. He took a sucker out of his pocket, unwrapping it and popping it in his mouth. "So. Lets talk," he said, opening the box. "You ran off with Huckleberry Finn, knowing what happens when you try to leave. Correct?"
Quinn ground her teeth and looked at him in defiance, refusing to answer. Charlie looked up at her. "Aw, well, that's a shame. I was hoping we could have a conversation first, but I guess I have to get answers the hard way." He pulled out a small green power drill. "You know," he said, placing a drill bit in, "Huck used a drill to torture me for information I had. You remember Amanda Tanner, I'm sure. Well, he very literally tore me several new ones. All for the body of a dead girl he didn't know." Charlie looked back at Quinn. "Yours, though. Yours he'll get for free. But I get to play first. Revenge, you understand. What do you think is a good ratio, hmm? Two holes for every one I got?" He laughed as Quinn's eyes became frantic, and he held up the drill, turning it on.
"Oh, we'll just keep the number a surprise. Feel free to scream as loud as you want."
The drill plunged into flesh, and Quinn's scream could have shattered glass.
...
Huck pulled up to the house. The van was in the driveway. He pulled the gun from his ankle holster and went up the steps, the door wasn't even locked. He walked in. He could feel the anger radiating through his skin.
The anger of betrayal.
"Come on," he called out. "I know you're here."
"Of course, it being my day off." Kim walked into the living room.
"Where's Javi?"
"He's spending the night at a friend's." Kim smiled. "It worked out well, didn't it?"
"What did you do?" Huck demanded.
Kim shook her head, her curly hair bouncing. "Oh, no, honey. What did you do? I can answer that for you. You abandoned your family. You came back into our lives, still pining for another woman. Then you ran off to play hero for her, just as I knew you would. What did I do? I gave you a test. You failed."
"Where is she?" Huck asked, pointing the gun at Kim.
"Oh, I'll take you to her. You'd have to hand over your guns first, of course." She held out her hand. Huck paused, but he already knew he had no choice. He would do whatever he had to. He turned the gun and gave it to her. "And the rest?" He pulled the two guns from his waist.
Kim smiled. "You can drive, dear."
...
Quinn slowly floated back to the present, and immediately wished she could knock herself out again. She was no longer taped, but she was sure she couldn't have moved if she tried. Charlie stood over her, the stick of his sucker at the corner of his mouth. "There you are. Good morning! Or, technically, good evening, but that really doesn't matter, does it?" He bent down, looking at her shoulder. "That must hurt." He smiled. "So, do you feel like answering my question now?"
She squeezed her eyes closed and slowly nodded. "Good, very good. So. You ran off with Hucky, and thought...what, I was just going to let you go?"
"I dont know, I don't know, I was scared, I don't know!" Quinn sobbed.
"I'm not sure I like that tone." Charlie picked up the drill and revved it twice. "Would you like to try again?"
Quinn didn't know what to say she knew either way, he wasn't going to like the answer.
"That's okay." He smiled, turning the drill on again. "I like a challenge. How about...well, this arm already looks injured," he said, stripping off the brace and tossing it to the side, "so how about we do this one first?" He shoved the drill at her arm, and Quinn's blood splattered his face.
As Quinn screeched, the door behind Charlie opened. "I brought you a present, Charlie." Charlie put the drill down and turned around. Kim walked in, holding a gun to Huck's head.
"Huck…" Quinn breathed.
Hucks eyes widened as he took in the sight of Quinn in the midst of being tortured. He took a step forward and Kim cocked the gun. "Ah ah, loverboy. That's not how this works." Charlie got up and walked to Kim.
"Well, this is a nice surprise." He stopped in front of Huck and looked him up and down. "I was going to just deliver her body to you, but this just makes it so much more interesting! Me, torturing your little girlfriend the same way you tortured me, and all you can do is watch. Maybe I'll even drill on you a little before I finish with her." He looked at Kim and held out his hand. "Here, I'll take the gun. You go grab that tape by the box." She handed him the gun, but before she could take a step, Charlie pulled the trigger, and Kim's body slipped to the floor, a puddle of blood immediately blossoming under her head. Charlie whipped the gun at Huck's head, hitting him hard, and he fell to the ground several feet from where Quinn lay helpless.
Charlie bent down. "You know, Huck, you think you're better than everyone, but you're not. I showed you everything, I gave you a way out, I kept your family alive and you thank me by torturing me? No. You don't get to have the fairytale."
"Quinn was pregnant, Charlie!" Huck spat. "You beat her, you did things to her, and you killed your own child!"
Charlie threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, oh God, that's even better! Really? She was…..Hahahaha!" Charlie doubled over before catching his breath. "Huck, you don't think I'd be having unprotected sex if I could father a child, do you? Come on. I'm sterile! Oh, this is great. The cherry on top of my day."
Huck's eyes glimmered with anger. His fist shot out, catching Charlie's jaw and whipping it to the side, and the gun flew through the air and landed next to the toolbox. Charlie rubbed his jaw and moaned, looking back at Huck. Then, he struck out, punching him in the gut. Huck doubled over in pain.
"I guess I should get started on you sooner rather than later." He picked up the drill, revving it, kneeling closer to Huck. Just as huck felt the metal touch his skin, a shot rang out.
Another, and another.
Charlie froze, looking down at Huck, a confused look on his face. "Well….I didn't...plan for this…" Charlie slumped over to the floor, eyes wide open. Dead.
Huck scrambled to his feet. Quinn was standing in a pool of her own blood, white as a sheet, blood dripping from the arm the held the gun up. The delicate lace of her gown was torn at one shoulder, where blood continued to flow. Her eyes met Huck's, and her legs gave out just as Huck ran to catch her.
"Quinn!" He pulled her into his lap. "Quinn, it's okay, you're going to be okay, just hold on." He pulled a burner phone out of his shoe where he had kept it hidden and dialed 911. "Yes, I need an ambulance. The old storage warehouse on Chesney, hurry!" He tossed the phone aside, brushing the hair from Quinn's eyes, which were drooping. Huck took her hand, trying not to think about how cold it was.
"I guess...you dont...have to worry...about him...anymore," Quinn whispered.
"I don't care about Charlie, Quinn," Huck said. "Just hold on."
"Huck...It hurts…"
"I know, I know, but you're strong, you're so strong."
Quinn's eyes fluttered closed.
"Quinn! No, you hold on! You're a gladiator, Quinn, you hear me, you fight! I love you, please just hold on…" Huck heard the sirens in the distance, getting louder. "I love you, Quinn, please hold on…"
…
2 weeks later
…
He drove down the street, thinking only of his destination. A bouquet of daisies lay on the passenger seat.
Her favorite.
It was hard not to think of the good times they had together, the laughs they had shared. The events of the recent past couldn't erase all of that.
Huck stopped the car on the side of the drive, just inside the gates, and grabbed the flowers. He stepped out into the grass, smoothing his suit before slowly making his way between the gravestones. Finally, he found the one he was looking for. Hers.
"Hi," he whispered, setting the flowers on the ground in front of the headstone. He couldn't think of anything else to say, and so he just stood, letting the good memories play for a final time, saying goodbye.
"Waiting for me?" A voice chirped behind him. He turned and smiled. Quinn, in a rose pink dress, her cheeks glowing, the sight marred only by a sling holding her injured arm.
"Yes." He held out his hand, and she took it.
"Is Javi settled in at his aunt's okay?" She asked.
"Yes. I'm glad he wants to visit me, but I know he feels more comfortable living with someone he's known his whole life. He'll be fine." Huck squeezed her hand.
"I'm glad you agreed to meet me here. I don't think I could have stood you seeing me in a hospital bed another second." She rolled her eyes. "No matter what she did, I wanted to come pay my respects to the woman you knew years ago."
"I understand. And that's who is buried. The woman I had fallen in love with. Not the jealous monster she became." He let go of her hand to slide his arm around her waist. She rested her cheek against his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I am," he said, looking down at Quinn and smiling. "I really am."
…
Here ends Part 1
…
A/N: Sooooooooooo….intense, eh? I had to take several breaks while writing the torture scenes. As a writer, you see your story so vividly in your head that sometimes it's really hard not to let your own feelings get caught up in it too.
I know you're probably going to threaten me with death or burnt cookies or something at that last graveyard scene bit, but hey, you had to admit I had you for a second, didn't I?
Anyways. I'm not giving up on this story yet. Think of this as your midseason finale. I've got another plan to set up. I won't be able to post as often, as I'll be gone tomorrow, and I've got two of my three summer college courses starting Monday. Plus I'm sick. So, if it turns out this chapter sucks balls, blame it on that. I can't wait to start on the next chapter, though!
Again, thank you all so much for your kind comments! I'm so glad you like the story!
