Chapter 10

May 9 8:12 am

Soda stepped silently out of the car with Darry and Randy, shoulders tense and barely breathing. In front of them was an old shack, incredibly shabby and worn down. Soda's mouth turned down in a frown. Why was it then that a new and rich looking car was parked next to it?

Gritting his teeth, Soda glanced at Darry to see his older brother signal silently for the three of them to approach the small shack.

As they neared the structure Soda's breath quickened and when they reached the door, Darry motioned again for them to stop. Leaning forward to put his ear to the door, the oldest Curtis strained to hear any noise coming from inside.

He heard the faintest murmuring of voices coming from inside but it was impossible to pick out any words, let alone who might be speaking them. Stepping back from the door slightly, Darry reached out with a shaking hand and very slowly twisted the doorknob.

To all three of the boys intense surprise the door swung open without any resistance. Whoever was in here obviously wasn't expecting any unwelcome company.

Darry continued to let the way into the house. The room they entered was practically bare with only a very old couch in one of the corners. There was a staircase at the far end of the musty room and Darry signaled his two companions to follow him over to it.

Walking slowly down the stairs taking care not to make any of the old fixtures creak under their weight, Darry, Soda and Randy finally reached the bottom. When Darry peered around the corner and the sight that filled his vision nearly made him openly shout out in horror and anger.

Bile rose in Darry's throat as he looked out into the dark basement room. At the far wall, tied to the chair they had seen in the photo was his baby brother. The blindfold was gone but there was something very wrong with his beloved Ponyboy.

Pony's head was rolling back and forth on his plainly bruised neck and seemed to be muttering to himself. The boy was extremely pale but also seemed to have a grey pallor which made him look very ill and much younger than he really was.

Daniel Walker was pacing back and forth in front of their tied up brother, watching his Greaser captive with something like dismay. If Darry had been in his right mind he may have noticed that the Soc seemed to be extremely distressed but as it was the only thing Darry only saw the state of his baby and the person clearly responsible.

`With a roar of complete and utter outrage Darry barreled into the room, going straight towards Daniel, tearing across the space like a linebacker. All the fear and anger that had amounted over the last week suddenly burst forth and directed itself solely and the rich Soc boy in front of this little brother.

The Soc looked up in shock turning to horror as Darry shot towards him and struck him like a full grown bear. Daniel attempted to say something but was cut off as Darry's huge fist swung over to strike him in the face.

Daniel's face snapped back he stumbled back into the wall. Darry was back on him in a second his hand curled around the younger man's throat. Daniel chocked and spluttered as Darry leaned in close and snarled into his face, "You fucking bastard! What have you done to my brother?"

As Daniel tried desperately to get some air into his lungs to answer Darry felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. Darry turned furiously to look into Randy's steely eyes.

"Leave him be for now," the boy said quietly, "You need to be with Pony. Don't worry, I'll watch him, he isn't going anywhere."

Darry's blind rage cooled as his brain caught up with his body and he dropped Daniel who fell gasping to the ground, hands clutching at his own bruised throat. The oldest Curtis turned to see Soda already crouching next to Pony, whispering gently to him.

Soda had gone instantly to his baby brother and thrown himself down at his feet. The sight of Ponyboy staring blankly out into space almost made him lose it right then and there. He reached out with a shaking hand to touch Pony's face. His skin was clammy and oddly cold.

"Pony?" asked Soda, his voice choked, "Baby?"

Pony gave no sign of hearing him. Soda heard distantly his other brother beating the crap out of that Soc boy, Daniel, but it didn't really register with him. The only thing Sodapop Curtis saw was his little brother's chalky face and those eyes that looked at him but didn't seem to actually see him.

Soda cupped Pony's face in his hands and shook him gently. "Honey, can you hear me?" he asked, trying desperately to stay calm for his brother's sake. Why couldn't Pony hear him?

Just then Darry was suddenly there beside him. Soda turned to him and exclaimed, "He can't hear me Darry! What's wrong with him?"

"Drugs," was Darry's only answer as he began to run his hands over Ponyboy's face. As he stretched one of Pony's eyes open to look at the pupil, the damaged boy groaned.

Darry's head snapped around and he called to Randy, "You need to go get help. This doesn't look good."

Soda watched as Randy fled the room as a dead run and then saw Daniel sitting against one wall, looking dazed. They would defiantly have to deal with him later. Soda had a thing or two he wanted to do to the Soc, both involving a knife.

However, now wasn't the time. Darry was currently stroking Pony's hair over and over, speaking softly to him. Soda turned back to their little brother and felt his forehead.

"He's burning up," Soda said worriedly, "Darry we need to get him out of here and to a hospital. Who knows what kind of drugs they've been pumping into him! Pony could be in some serious danger!"

Darry nodded stiffly and very gently reached under Ponyboy's legs and lifted him up into his arms. Pony moaned, his head falling to one side and saliva falling from his open mouth.

Bile rose in Soda's own throat but he forced himself to calm down. He needed to focus on helping his little brother right now. The time for grief and anger would come later.

Darry carefully and slowly moved up the stairs as Soda walked in front of him, supporting Pony's lulling head. They had almost reached the door when it suddenly swung open with a bang. Soda craned his head back to see the intruders praying that it wouldn't be Soc reinforcements.

Instead Randy stood in the doorway, looking pale and excited. He didn't say anything but instead moved aside as Detective Kendall strode through the open doorway. He looked calmly around the room, taking in the situation as Darry and Soda stared at him in shock.

Kendall took one look at the white boy in his brothers' arms and instantly took charge. "It's a good thing I came to investigate Daniel Walker when I did. Come on, my police car is parked out front. We need to get Pony to a hospital."

Darry stared at the police officer in shock and spluttered, "When the devil did you get here, Kendall?"

Kendall cracked a small smile at the oldest Curtis boy but just gestured for them to follow him. "We need to go," he told them, "You've got your brother back but this isn't over yet."

xxxxx

Ponyboy's been rescued! YAY! Hope you all enjoyed this emotion packed chapter but don't start crying yet, it's going to get even worse in the next few chapters, I can guarantee it. REVIEW!