The funny thing about water is, that even if you try to kick it away, it just comes back. It takes no physical damage, it doesn't shy away from pain. And when its pouring from an unending source, it shows no mercy or compassion for whatever sits in its path.
The pipes were leaking at full force now, the water coming out in rushing waves and quickly exploring the small basement prison. Drake had tried kicking at it with his bound feet, not knowing what else to do as the panic set in. Every time it came back, spilling over the tops of his converse sneakers and soaking into his all ready damp socks. It had met quickly with the walls of the basement, finding no where else to go and decided that it would climb the walls until it his the floor above. To that cold water, it didn't matter that Drake was trapped there, it was going to escape this place no matter the cost.
Drake had watched its sluggish craw across the basement floor, seen the way it had given a new life to Frankie's old blood and watched it spread in a morbid ring around his body. As first those diluted traces of blood had made his flesh crawl, the thought of any more of Frankie touching him making him sick. But right now he couldn't worry about what was touching him. Now he had to try and focus, because the flow wasn't stopping and he did not want to die this way.
The part of him that had wanted to give up, ready to just sit and die had faded after the initial panicked tears had fallen. Nothing could chase away the grief and guilt within him, but those tears were only adding to the deathly waters entombing him. Knowing that Josh was dead, that his last hours had been nothing but suffering was hard, but Drake had decided that he was not going to let what fight Josh had given him be in vain. Even if Hayden didn't make it here in time, if he was going to die in this awful place, he was going to die fighting the fate he'd been forced into. Josh wouldn't just give up, so he refused to allow himself to simply drown.
Drake squirmed as the cold waters continued to rise, slowly working through his denim jeans and splashing against his stomach. He could feel the all ready tormented limbs slowly growing numb from the cold, and he knew that he needed to do something before he completely lost feeling in them. His vision was still blurred from Vince's last hit to his head, and movement made him dizzy, but he was determined to try. Pressing his back against the beam, its rough wood scratching through his shirt and tearing at the skin beneath, he prepared to stand himself up.
He brought his legs as close as possible, trying to set them as flat against the floor as he could before gripping at the beam with his crossed hands. It took a few tries before he could get a solid hold on it, and he could feel the splinters breaking off in his palms. The pain gave him adrenaline, and he needed that extra edge. Drake arched his back, pushing up with his legs, and slipped hard against the floor. Grunting in frustration, he tried again. It took a few attempts before he was successfully able to hoist himself off of the ground, using his hands to try and pull himself up as he hopped back a few spaces to aid the lift. Despite the chill in the room he was sweating by the time he'd gotten himself to his feet, the water now knee high and still rising.
Drake leaned back against the beam, his eyes closed as he tried to stop the spinning in his head. It took almost all of his focus to remain standing, his bound ankles straining against the effort. He'd already lost most of the feeling in his feet, and the pain of standing was starting to spread through his legs to his now exhausted arms. He'd managed to buy himself some time, but now what?
Looking around the small basement offered little to aid his attempts. The table in the corner didn't have anything useful that could eventually float toward him, and there was nothing else laying around. Except for Frankie's body, whit thankfully was mostly hidden beneath the rising water. He couldn't let himself be distracted by that terror now. Frankie was dead, he couldn't hurt him now and the memory of what he'd tried to do was just that, the memory of a failed attempt.
Drake could think of nothing else to do. So he started screaming, his muffled cries echoing softly against the walls as he cried out for help. He was no longer afraid of what Vince and the others might do if they heard him, they were all ready trying to drown him. Maybe someone outside would hear him? If there was anyone outside... He thought sadly. He didn't know where the house was, or if there were any others nearby, but he was determined to try. To do anything but just wait to die.
~.~
"He's making a lot of noise." Joey said, looking toward the basement door, the faint cries drifting through the wood. "Maybe we ought to go down there and stuff a sock in his mouth or something."
Vince chuckled, imagining the kind of filthy sock he knew Joey would use. "We aren't trying to make him sick." He murmured, peaking through the living room window. It'd been twenty minutes since he'd talked to Hayden, and if Hayden had put the pieces together, he would be there very soon. "The neighbors won't be able to hear him, but Hayden will. Once we get him inside, he'll have to listen to those screams." The thought was a morbid sort of comforting, the mental image of Hayden's tough exterior crumbling as he listened, unable to hep the boy brought a creeping smile to Vince's face.
"We may actually see the tough guy cry." Joey laughed, his fingers tracing over his gun. "After his anger fades out, I mean, how angry can the guy be with those pathetic cries in his ears?"
Snaps sunk back against the couch, watching the old Tom and Jerry cartoon on the television. The clever little mouse once again fooling the foolish cat, too blinded by his own intentions to see through the predictable ruse. "He'll be furious. The more he listens to those cries, the angrier he'll get." Snaps muttered softly. "He isn't going to break down unless the kid is dead, and he sees it for himself. Even then, he'll be to full of anger."
Feelings Snaps knew all to well, pain fueled rage so strong you would think your body would break rather then try to contain it. The kind of anger that made cartoon cats' eyes turn red as smoke rose out of their ears. That pointless, hateful determination that kept the cat always chasing the mouse, no matter how many times he was humiliated and defeated. Watching the old cartoon, Snaps couldn't hep but wander which they were right now: Were they the clever mouse, setting the perfect trap to wound and stop the cat? Or were they themselves the cat, pointlessly chasing a mouse that would leave them grasping blindly for another trick to try and catch their prey?
More then anything, he wanted to hurt Hayden. For tricking him, being so kind only to send him to prison where he'd been destroyed. He may have deserved prison after all of the things he'd done working under Antony, but what had happened there, he couldn't imagine deserving that. And he would make Hayden suffer. At first he'd been nervous about hurting the kid, but now, now Snaps wanted nothing more then to prove he could do his part. He wanted whatever glorious relief waited within the arms of his revenge. The innocent, confused kid he had been was gone now, but he guessed, that was the price he had paid in making the decision to live all those years ago. He could never be that kid again, and when this was finished, it wouldn't just be the kid he'd been that he would destroy.
"Maybe," Vince said, pacing impatiently around the room. "But when this is over, after Antony is through with them, Hayden will be begging for death, tears and all."
Joey crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes on Snaps. Something in the kid had changed after the other night, and that quick change had him worried. He hated worrying, the sense of seriousness it forced upon him bummed him out. "If Hayden doesn't get here quick enough, then half of Antony's plan is dead." He mused out loud. "Unless you think just the body will be enough. We could put some hooks in him I guess, dance him around like a marionette?" Imagining it, he couldn't help but grin. Hayden would be so furious it would probably make him sick.
"He'll be here in time." Vince snorted, looking towards the basement door. "He wants that kid back, and he'll do whatever it takes to try and take him home. Unfortunate for him that the address is gonna change after tonight."
"At least that underground room will be a bit dryer." Joey smirked. "Nice and peaceful."
Vince grinned, walking back towards the window to peer through the heavy curtains. That peaceful end would be a hard destination to reach, and before Hayden and his brat got there, Hayden would regret everything he had ever done. Each breath and choice of action. Vince watched carefully as a few cars moved down the street, all of them at normal speed, paying no interest to their hideout as they passed. But his interest wasn't entirely on them, but on the shadowy blur of a man moving down the sidewalk. He didn't like the waiting, not when he was so close to getting another taste of Hayden's suffering, but he supposed that a few more minutes wouldn't kill him.
~.~
Hayden parked his car near the end of the block in front of an empty house with a large for sale sign planted in the front lawn. If this was the right street, Vince wouldn't see him coming and hopefully no one would be suspicious of his car. He'd already wasted so much time, between those bittersweet moments with Audrey and the two wrong turns he'd made forty-five minutes had passed. There was no more time for hesitation or careful planning. If Vince had been honest on the phone, then Drake had roughly fifteen minutes before whatever plan Vince had set in motion came into a deathly halt.
Reaching for the glove compartment of the car, his fingers hovering just a moment on the release, Hayden closed his eyes. Today could end in many ways, and it was impossible to imagine each outcome in his limited time, but he had made a promise, and even if he died in the effort, he was going to get Drake back to his home. Dead or alive, he would get him there. And Vince, Antony, all of them would suffer for whatever harm had come to him, and for what they had done to Josh. That kid had been through so much, and he hadn't deserved it.
Opening his eyes against the bright sunlight of the early day, Hayden opened the compartment and pulled out a small easily concealable knife. It had been years since he had held that blade, a gift from Audrey and Drake when his son had been three. Hayden didn't look at the old family photo he kept there, pushing it away as he pulled the knife out and slid it deep into the back pocket of his faded jeans. It wasn't the most reliable knife he could carry, but it meant more to him then any other he'd owned.
Another deep breath, a quick movement of his hands and he was writing out a small note for Audrey on the back of an old napkin. If he didn't make it back, if they came looking for him, they would need to know what to do next. It was easy to tell himself that he could do this on his own, that he was better then Vince and the others, but if he failed, if anything at all went wrong, they would need to know what to do next. He truly hoped that it wouldn't come to that, but he had to risk the chance that it might.
Hayden sighed, leaving the note on the driver's seat and stepped out of the car and into the street. Moving down the peaceful streets, Hayden could see why they'd choose this neighborhood. It was almost too peaceful, full of well established families who wouldn't suspect that one of these houses was full of criminals. No one would think to look for them here. It wasn't until he reached the end of the street that Hayden found the house he was looking for. A small, nicely painted ranch style house with marigolds planted around the front porch and a small Cyprus growing in the far corner of the front yard. It had to be this one.
The curtains were closed, but he could see the gentle movement as they swayed and kept himself out of sight, slipping around the side of the house and crouching below the windows. He knew that he must look suspicious, and a part of him wanted a neighbor to be concerned and call the police. But the rest of him knew what that would do, and he was thankful for the lack of curious eyes. Reaching the small chain link fence, Hayden pushed the prongs securing the lock up as quietly as he could, lifting the gate as he pushed it open to avoid the sound of its metal grating on the cement walkway.
~.~
"Hhp..." Drake's head fell against his chest, new tears falling over his cheeks. "phls." Despite the thick leather belt muffling his cries, Drake continued to plead for help.
He pulled at the tight ropes around his wrists, barely able to feel the irritation on his skin anymore as the old sores tore open, stinging as the blood became invisible in the now chest high waters. He had foolishly hoped that the water would loosen the ropes enough for him to squeeze his wrists through, but they felt as tight as ever. Every minute that passed the water had continued to rise, faster and colder then he'd expected. He wasn't sure how long it had been since Vince had broken the pipes, it felt like mere minutes had passed. He'd been so distracted by how quickly the water was filling the room and trying to keep himself on his feet that he'd stopped trying to keep track of the time. Vince had told his father he had an hour, and if the water kept rising like it was, Drake was sure that hour would be up very quickly.
All Drake could do aside from try to keep himself alive was hope that Hayden would get there in time. That somehow, he'd be able to fight off all three of the men upstairs and get him out of this hellish place. Hayden had promised that he would save him, and despite all the hate Drake had had for the man over the last fourteen years, he forced himself to believe in that promise. It was all he had.
The water was still rising. Frigid droplets converted into nipping waves as they splashed against Drake's chest, pulling him away from his thoughts and back into reality. The cold made the bruises all the more painful, and breathing was getting to be exhausting. With the feeling in his legs almost completely gone, he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to keep himself up. He was so tired, his icy body weak from the lack of food and sleep, the constant beatings making the muscles unwilling to cooperate. He didn't have the strength to keep fighting, there was no way he'd be able to keep this up much longer.
Drake shook his head, trying to chase the dark thoughts away as the dizziness again took over him. There was something wrong with his head, since Vince had last slammed it against the beam it had been hurting, and his vision still wasn't straight. If Josh were here, he'd know what was wrong. Josh had always been so smart... No! Again Drake tried to chase away his grieving thoughts, trying to force himself to remain present. He had to get out of here, to do something, anything! Before the water got too high, before his legs finally gave out.
"hhlp me," He struggled to make the words complete through the belt between his teeth. His throat ached as he tried to scream, forcing the sound out as loudly as he could. "HHLP!"
~.~
Outside, Hayden couldn't hear the running water, nor the screams for help soaked within the basement walls. He closed the metal gate and pulled him gun from the holster at his side, creeping towards the back door. It wouldn't be as easy as simply bursting through that door, even if they didn't know he was here yet. Outside, in the warm sunlight he was completely in the dark. He didn't know what they had planned, what was happening to Drake.
Hayden knelt down a few feet away from the door, checking the clock on his cell phone to see how much time he had left when he heard it. The sound was barely a whisper but his eyes followed in the direction his ears were pointing, towards the bottom of the house. Right next to him was what must have once been a basement window, covered by a thick, tight fitting piece of plywood held up by a stack of bricks.
We were in a basement... Josh had said. The closer Hayden got to the covered window the louder the sound became, ghostly whispers growing into a static buzz... and finally a voice. Hayden forgot where he was as his fingers moved behind the bricks, trying to get a grip on the plywood to pull it loose.
"Smone, ples," the disembodied voice pleaded brokenly. As broken and muffled as it was, Hayden knew that it was Drake's. That same voice he'd heard briefly over the phone, his sons voice.
"Not too smart Hayden," Vince chuckled, standing on the back stairs with his gun half pointed at Hayden. "Letting yourself get distracted like that, you're lucky to be alive right now." He said coolly, nodding to Joey who made his way out the back door.
Joey maneuvered around Vince, carefully approaching Hayden with a length of rope in his hands. "Gun on the ground and hands behind your back Hayden, time for some role reversal." Joey grinned, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for Hayden to comply.
Gritting his teeth, Hayden laid his gun down, hesitantly crossing his wrists behind his back as Joey tightly secured them. "I'm here now Vince, you've got what you wanted, now let my son go." He kept his voice calm, almost emotionless as he glared at Vince.
"The funs only just beginning Hayden, we wouldn't want either of you to miss out on anything." Vince replied, moving over and taking Hayden's gun from its spot on the concrete. "Bring him inside." He said to Joey before turning back toward the house.
"Vince," Hayden growled, pulling at Joey's hold on his arms. "You don't need Drake anymore, let him go." The desperation he felt had been replaced by pure anger, and even though Hayden understood how dangerous that anger could be to Drake, he couldn't help it. He was tired of being messed with.
Vince stopped, looking over his shoulder with a twisted smile. "If we didn't need him Hayden. He'd be dead. And if you don't calm down, I'll let him die right now. Antony will understand." He said dangerously before continuing into the house.
Hayden allowed Joey to push him up the stairs of the small back porch and into the overly clean kitchen. Every trace of use had been cleaned away, leaving the room bright and filled with an odd air, like it wasn't a real room at all, but one of those setups that you saw in a magazine. From inside, the sound of Drake's voice was stronger, but still very distant. The easier those pleads became to hear, the stronger the hate coursed on Hayden's pulse. It took everything he had to try and remain calm, to wait and see what further use Vince could have for the poor boy. He went to keep following Vince into the living room, but was stopped by Joey's hand on his shoulder.
"Why don't you have a seat?" Joey asked, his voice think with mocking pleasantness.
Hayden said nothing as he sat in the wooden kitchen chair that Joey pulled out for him, watching as Snap's entered the kitchen with more ropes. Snaps handed them to Joey, his cold eyes never leaving Hayden's. He could see it there, the change that had consumed the youngest member of the old gang, Snaps wasn't the kid he used to be. He was dangerous, now more then ever. As Joey worked the ropes over his chest, securing him to the chair Hayden tried to think. He'd seen everyone except Frankie, and with those cries still coming from the basement, he didn't want to think about what must be happening.
"Where's Frankie?" What are you doing to Drake then?" He asked calmly.
Snaps winced, shaking the name away as he turned away from Hayden. "He isn't a concern anymore."
"Then what's happening in the basement?" Hayden strained to listen, hearing Vince's footsteps move over the floors of the house, the slight creak of the basement door as it was cracked open. Drake's defeated pleads grew louder, strained and almost hopeless as the faint sounds of running water splashing against the walls whispered against Hayden's ears.
"Kid looked thirsty." Vince chuckled, making his way back into the kitchen. "Its too bad, you showing up so late, getting caught so easily. I don't know if we can help him now Hayden, I'm not the best swimmer."
"You're drowning him?" The words feel in from his lips in quiet shock. "He's just a kid Vince,"
"Not just any kid, your kid." Vince cut Hayden off, stepping closer and hitting Hayden hard across the face. "The only child of the man who dared take on Antony Franco and his men. The kid who, under threat caused you to come out of hiding and come at us like a man. No more hiding, no more false leads. Wand when we have you now, and when Antony is done with you, you're gonna wish you had never made the mistake of showing off your little family." Vince spat the last words, his hand searching Hayden's right arm for the bullet wound and driving his thumb hard against it.
Hayden ground his teeth together, repressing the pained cry as the burning pain ran through his arm. To his surprise, it was Snaps who made the next move, grabbing him roughly by the hair and jerking his head back until all he could see was the white ceiling above them. Then he felt the cold steel against his throat, lightly tracing over it.
"You are going to pay, for everything Hayden. And that kid, you'd better hopes he drowns down there." Snaps murmured, pulling the knife away and releasing Hayden's hair.
Vince leaned against the kitchen archway, his grin growing wider as more, desperate pleads rose from the basement. "He's running out of time Hayden."
Hayden glanced over his shoulder, seeing that no one was behind his he pulled against the tight ropes on his wrists, reaching down toward his back pocket. If he could keep them distracted, then he could reach the knife and cut through the ropes. "So whats the plan Vince?" He asked almost casually. "Do you keep me here until Antony arrives with that smug smile on your hideous face?"
Vince frowned, glaring down at Hayden with pure hatred. "As soon as we get the call back, you'll find out Hayden." He snapped, turning towards the others. "Get everything else loaded into the car. I need a moment with our guest." Vince moved forward, cracking his knuckles.
~.~
Drake couldn't stop looking at the light bulb overhead. Just last night he had hated it more then anything, and now, now watching it was one of the only things keeping his mind off of the water splashing against his chin. The basement had grown darker as the water rose, the threat of death looming in the frozen darkness. And once the water rose over him, when he could no longer breath, he hoped that it would keep rising just as quickly, hitting the light and hopefully electrocuting him. Anything to keep him from slowly dying underneath these damned waters.
"Ples!" He begged between choking coughs as the water splashed over his chin, leaking in through his teeth. He tried to spit it out, cursing the leather belt that only allowed the water in, forcing him to struggle as he swallowed the filthy liquid. His throat burned, and all he could do now was cry, aiding to the effort to kill him as he pleaded with uninterested ears to make this stop.
The effort to stay standing was taking its toll on his weary body, weighing it down as the all but lost feeling prickled painfully from his neck down. Breathing was hardest, between the numbing cold and the constant splashes of water forcing their way in he was barely managing to draw in enough breath to breath, let alone keep calling for help that he was sure wasn't coming. He pulled at his wrists again, unable to feel that comforting burn as he gripped at the beam to keep from falling. Drake had to wander as he watched that dull light if it was really worth it to keep trying like this, to hold out when there was no hope left. It would be easier to give up now, to let the icy death take him and end his misery. He had tried, surely that was enough.
Another splash of water hit him across the face, bringing him out of the lights trance and forcing him to breath. It seemed to be rising faster now, he had to tilt his head back just to keep his mouth out of its path. The tears falling from is eyes barley traveling before they met with the rest of the water, adding their own grief to its misery. When he heard the basement door open he turned his head, staring at those hidden stairs as he waited for anything to happen.
"Shmne plese!" He screamed as loudly as he could, closing his eyes against the tears in an effort to stop them. He waited, his hopes daring to raise as he listened for the footsteps that would tell him his captures were coming back, either to free him or mock him. Those men were ruthless, but a part of him couldn't believe that they were just going to let him die down here. And what about Hayden? He should be there by now, coming to save him like he'd promised. He'd promised...
It almost didn't matter which, live or die, he just didn't want to be alone for it. "Plese..." He choked out the plead, his head resting against the beam as he felt that cold silk against his face.
Carefully, Drake forced himself onto his tip toes, wobbling as his bound ankles struggled to support the movement. His hands gripped for the beam, loosing what little hold they had and he felt his body slid down into the cold waters. Instinctively, Drake bit down on the belt as hard as he could, trying to keep the water from entering his lungs and loosing most of his breath in the effort. He felt fresh splinters penetrating the skin of his palms as he tried to grab the beam and keep from falling further. In the effort to gain footing and try to get back up, Drake lost more of his air, his lungs burning with the need to breath as he softly hit the concrete floor.
Drake looked up towards the light, struggling to try and maneuver himself back up again. It was useless. His limbs were sore and numb, too distant for him to have any real control over now. There was nothing he could do except wait. Underneath the cerulean, murky waters the basement almost looked peaceful, like some kind of hazy dream. The horrors of the last few days could have been nothing more then fragmented nightmares, waiting to mock him when he finally woke up. Drake shook his head, his hair brushing against his face and over his heavy eyelids. This wasn;t the kind of nightmare you just woke up from. It was real, and soon, there would be no waking up at all.
Holding what breath he had maintained, Drake turned his water logged eyes toward the basement light, watching it dim as the darkness slowly crept across his vision.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
A/N: Dun dun duhn! Such a vicious place to leave off! Okays, so, I do apologize for the wait on this chapter, my computer contracted a nasty little virus and I had to wait a few days for it to be cleared out ready for use again. I am all ready working at the next chapter, so I'm hoping to get it to you guys sooner rather then later.