Chapter 10
Back in the communications tent outside...
"The basement the kid was talking about? It's not shown anywhere here on the map." one of the Generals announced.
"Oh, it's there all right, I've been in it." replied Sting, pointing to the map. "There used to be a building back here, where the kitchen is. Right there, lies a separate basement."
General Stevenson said, "So, the building's directly above it, sir."
"Yes."
"So if the hostages were in the basement, and the building blew up, then there'd be a good chance that they'd survive." he continued.
"Well, the building was built back in 1881." said Sting.
"And a lot has happened since then. What about the explosives?" he asked.
"Well it's interesting what the kids say about switching the chips in the remote control receiver." another guy there said.
"Could it work?" asked Stevenson.
"It's possible. I wouldn't want to take the responsibility for letting the kid try this, but it could work." he replied.
"Men, it's over. Washington has authorized me to make a deal." announced Otis.
Sting looked up towards him, intrigued.
"What are we giving him?" asked the guy.
"Whatever it takes to get the hostages free." he replied.
"We have a shot at a successful assault here." announced Stevenson, looking at the map of the school. "We know the location of every terrorist! The boy can get the other students out there in the line of fire."
"Look, this kid has been kicked out of two schools..." began Otis.
"Three schools." corrected Sting.
"THREE schools, so come on! All of this is unreliable." he finished.
"Well, that's not entirely true. I mean, I'd never rely on AJ ever getting to class on time, but I would rely on this." Sting said surely.
"Why?" asked Otis.
"Because he's got guts, he's the leader of the pack!" he exclaimed. "By the looks of this, it's obvious he's really thought all this out. And if AJ says that he can do it, then like I said...I believe in him."
Otis stared at him. "If everything goes perfect, can we guarantee no casualties among the hostages?" he asked.
Sting paused for a moment.
"Guarantee? Of course not." Stevenson said, shaking his head.
"Then our orders are to cut some kind of deal." replied Otis.
Back in the office, Hugo was on the phone with Otis and the guys outside...
"That's unacceptable." he said.
"Well, I'll have to go back to the authorities, and we'll need time to discuss this." replied Otis.
"I understand. In recognition to your willingness to negotiate, the execution schedule for 5pm today will be postponed. However, if we have not concluded a deal by 5pm tomorrow, there will be no further delays." he replied, hanging up.
In San Diego state prison, the angry inmates were screaming incoherently as about 5 cops arrived to Hugo's father, Guliano Chavez's padlocked cell room. They shoved him out and began shackling his ankles and wrists with handcuffs as he himself looked pissed.
A little later, he was talking to someone in the interrogation room.
"We just got a message from Joseph Aries." the man said. "Aries' kid Austin goes to the Rockmore school, and obviously with the situation going on there, he wants him out. And if you're a good guy, you'll do us a favor."
"Give me something to write with." Guliano said.
He handed him a pad and paper, and Guliano wrote down some numbers for some apparent reason. "Give these numbers to my son." he replied.
Meanwhile...
"They're receiving another message." an FBI agent said. The numbers that Guliano had written down were said over the monitor in the office at the school, where Hugo was writing them all down. The question was, what were these numbers even for?
Outside, Kaz was taking care of the horrible wounds spread over AJ's back from the attack from earlier.
"I can't believe he did this to you, man." Kaz muttered, patting a towel across his back.
"Hey, I survived, that's all that matters." Styles replied as he put his shirt back on. "I'm sorry I almost let you guys down by getting back to the cafeteria so late."
"Hey, man, don't apologize for anything." Austin replied. "You managed to complete the deed AND still make it back alive. You've got balls, kid, and I really respect what you did for us."
AJ turned to him. "You really mean that, man?"
He nodded. "You're not so bad after all."
Alex smiled. "Aw, so does that make you two friends now or something?" he asked.
Aries and Styles looked at one another.
"Frenemies is more like it." Styles said, holding out his hand.
Aries chuckled and shook his hand. "Done deal." he agreed.
Soon after that, Eric Bischoff joined the gang.
"How are you feeling?" he asked AJ.
"Fine." AJ nodded quietly.
He nodded back. "Uh, Jake, please come to the office." he told Austin. "They want to talk to you for a sec."
The boys turned to Austin and he looked confused. "Why me?"
"I don't think they want to hurt you. I'll come with you if you want." Bischoff replied.
He looked at his friends and paused before he quietly replied, "All right."
As Eric led him away, AJ and the boys couldn't help but to feel a sense of worry for their new friend.
...
In the office, Austin slowly approached Hugo at his desk.
Hugo glared at him before saying, "We're letting you go."
Austin's eyes widened. "What?"
"You're free to go." Hugo repeated. "This man will take you to the main entrance. All you have to do is walk down the driveway."
Austin was still at a loss for words before he asked again, "Why me?"
"Because we respect your father, Austin." he nodded, saying his real name.
He stepped back a bit. "N-No, my name's Jake! Jake Stone! My father's name is Thomas Stone, remember?" he asked.
Hugo chuckled. "Oh, don't play dumb with me, Mr. Aries, I know exactly who you are and why you came back here under a new name."
"How?" he demanded.
"A simple shave and a change of hair color can't fool me! I knew you from the moment I called you out that day, but I didn't want to say anything until I heard word from your father." he explained.
"But if I was the one you wanted the entire time, then why terrorize everyone else? Why didn't you just take me instead?" Austin demanded.
Hugo smirked. "Because I just wanted to have a little fun. And since I know who your father really is, the former assistant judge AND mafia boss, I respect him for the actions that he's done for us."
Austin shook his head. "Fuck my father." he said scornfully. "And fuck you!"
All Hugo could do was laugh.
Eric tried to control Austin, but he continued, "I am not going ANYWHERE without my friends!"
"Oh, yes you are." Hugo replied.
Austin shook his head and was about to protest, when Eric called, "Don't fight him, just GO!"
Soon after that, the guard grabbed Aries by the arm and shoved him out of the room while he grunted and cried, "NO! Damn it, LET GO OF ME!"
His screams could be heard down the hall, and Eric turned to glare at Hugo as Hugo chuckled. Down the hall, the guard was trying to force Austin to walk ahead, but then, Aries' quick instinct came in when he saw the gun that the guard was carrying.
"Ok, ok, wait!" Austin cried.
"What?"
"I'm going." he said calmly. After following orders, he caught the guard by surprise when he kneed the terrorist in the gut, kicked and punched him down a few times, and then managed to snatch the machine gun. Aries whacked the guard in the back a few times with the gun for good measure, and then ran off. Right after that, he emerged in the front doorway, and looked around to find his friends.
The boys were all huddled around a water fountain, when Jeff caught him first. "Guys, guys look, he has a gun!" he cried. They all whipped around, but one of the other guards who were already positioned outside caught the teenager holding the gun and acted on first instinct to begin shooting towards him. Aries fought back by shooting towards the guard, and hearing all the gunshots, the boys stared in wide eyed horror.
"Austin, NO-AUSTIN!" AJ, Kaz, Jeff, Chris, and Alex all yelled.
But the guard got the upper hand as he managed to shoot Aries a good 5 or 6 times in the chest. Aries' round of shots stopped as he looked down at his chest and then collapsed onto the stairs, lifeless.
"NOOOOOO!" AJ screamed while Kaz was the one to hold him back. "AUSTIN! GOD, NO!"
Hugo, Dodge, and Eric all sped out to the front doorway, where Hugo angrily screamed something towards the guard who shot and killed Austin, as Eric sighed and stared open mouthed in shock.
AJ, along with the others, were still devastated. "GAH! FUCKER!" he screamed towards Hugo. "Let go of me!"
"Come on, man, shh. Shh..." Kaz calmed him down.
Once Hugo, Dodge, and Eric went inside, the boys, who were still in shock, slowly approached their slain friend on the stairs, with the machine gun still clasped in his hand. All five of them looked down at him and bowed their heads in silence as a show of respect for him and what he did, while AJ tearfully and slowly removed the gun from his hand. But before anything else could happen, the guard who killed him ushered the boys back inside.
AN: Austin fans, don't kill me! :S Same exact thing happened to one of the boys in the movie, so I was just following that. Just wanted to tell ya.