"I will not calm down!" Audrey growled angrily into the phone. She'd called the police imediantly after seeing what had Drake so terrified at the mailbox. "Those creeps were here, they put those things in the mailbox."
"Ma'am," The Officer tried, "We have warrents for their arrests, as soon as we find them,"
"Until you find them they're out there," Audrey snapped. "They know where my boys live, what's to stop them from stalking them and hurting them again?"
There was a pause on the line as the phone was handed to another Officer. "Audrey, this is Miles." Officer Miles said, having just been told what happened.
"They were here." Her voice was still strong, but there was a hint of fear within it.
"I know." He replied. "I don't think they're making a threat against your boys. Some rapists like to torment their victims after the crime. It's probably just their way of reminding the boys about what happened, that they were in power."
"Is that suppossed to make me feel better?" She asked sarcastically.
"No." Miles said apologetically. "We've got men going to the listed residences for each of the men who did this, everything will be okay." He wanted to calm her down. Her anger was understandable, in her position, he'd be just as angrey.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
He couldn't promise anything. Each of those boys had a long list of offences, and so far none of the parents knew where their sons were. "We'll get them." He said simply.
"Thank you." She said before hanging up the phone.
Audrey leaned against the wall, tears in her eyes. It hadn't been enough for the monsters to rape her children and leave them hurt. No, they had to come back and leave a reminder of what they'd done, what they'd taken. She'd seen the fear in Drake's eyes as he'd clung to Josh. The way Josh had trembled... She wanted this to be over for them, for all of them.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"It's going to be okay," Josh said, looking over at Drake. "They wont hurt us again."
"They were here..." Drake said bitterly. "Right outside of the damn house."
Josh dropped his gaze. At least Drake was angry now, not terrified and crying. It was good to see another emotion in him. "I know."
"What if they decide to burst through the door and..."
"They wont!" Josh snapped. He didnt want to think about that. Remembering what had happened was bad enough, imagining it happening again was too much.
Josh's sudden anger quieted Drake's rage. All of this had happened because of him. He'd led them to hat double date, he'd failed to do anything to stop what had happened first to Josh, then himself. All the while Josh had been the strong one, taking care of him while he'd been hiding in this room. Crying and cutting.
"I'm sorry." Drake said, looking at Josh.
"For what?" Josh asked, seeing the sudden change in Drake.
"For what happened. It was my fault. I couldnt stop them, what they did to you. If I'd have been stronger, faught harder, then they would'nt have been able to... And since then you've been taking care of me, because I'm a wreck. I failed you, and, I let you down..." He said, pulling up his sleeve to show the macabre collection of scabbed cuts.
"No," Josh said. He wanted to tell Drake that it wasnt his fault, that they'd only been there because of Meghan. "You can't take the blame for what happened in that ally, I was just as weak and powerless when they hurt you. What they did to you," He choked back the tears. "Was so much worse then what they did to me. I'm here for you brother, I'll be here for you no matter what."
Silent tears streamed across Drake's cheeks. He looked at the wallets sitting on the table infront of the couch. "What if they do come back?" he whispered.
"I wont let them hurt you." Josh promised. "If they come back," he said, his voice darker, more hate filled then Drake had ever heard it. "they will regret it."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Josh burst into meghan's room, startling her away from the book she was reading.
"You havent told him." Josh said bluntly.
"No..." She replied queitly, avoiding his gaze. "I'm afraid to...'
"Not as afraid as he is. He needs to know the truth, he deserves it."
She nodded. "I'm sorry." She said, looking him in the eyes. "I diddnt mean for that to happen."
"I don't want your apology." Josh said. "I know it wasnt your intent, but it still happened. If you don't tell Drake, then I will. I'm not letting him blame himself for this anymore."
"I'll tell him." She said. She was more afraid of Drake knowing then of Josh. Drake was her big brother, and even though they didnt get along the best, he'd always been there for her. To tell him that she had put him in the place of his worst nightmare would leave an unrepairable gap betrween them forever. "promise."
Josh nodded and walked out of the room. He diddnt want to be the one to tell Drake what Meghan had done, but he wasnt going to sit back while Drake hurt and blamed himself for it.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"They got Sean." Mitchell shouted as he burst into the gangs hideout. "The fucking cops were called while we were buying beers and they arrested him."
The rest of the members looked up at as Mitchell paced around the room, fists clenched.
"What do you mean?" Ryan asked.
"Those kids identified all of us, the cops are looking everywhere. They;ve got signs out and the clerk called the cops." Mitchell sneered.
Paul got up out of his throne-like chair. "we're leaving the state." He announced calmly.
"Not without my step brother." Mitchell growled.
"The cops got him," Patrick snorted. "We cant exactly walk into the jail and bring him with us."
Mitchell turned toward Patrick, eyes glowing.
"Hey!" Paul shouted. "Calm down boys."
"We arent leaving without him." Mitchell snapped.
Ryan laughed. "How do you expect to get him out?"
Paul walked to the middle of the room, a smile on his lips. "First thing we do is take care of that clerk who opened his big mouth." paul said. "Then we get Sean back and leave the state for a few months."
"How?" Mitchell asked.
"We propose a trade." Paul grinned maliciously.