Fourteen
He looked like hell.
Cody's eyes were sunken in and dull with dark circles beneath them. His skin was pale beneath the dirt and grime of his journey coating him in patches over what used to be Randy's dark green shirt and blue jeans, his arms and neck, and some on his cheeks. His eyes kept fluttering. His vision blurred every time he blinked. He was ready to drop but the two blonde men holding his arms kept him from falling, instead just letting him sway on his feet with his knees quivering, threatening to give out. It made him dizzy. Actually it fucked him completely.
But that didn't stop Cody from showing his bravery. He'd come for his brother and damnit he wasn't about to give up now. "Where's my brother?" He asked for the third time since he'd been dragged into the circle and when no one answered him yet again he gathered what was left of his strength, wrenched his arms free, threw his elbow into the closer gut and didn't realize everyone had pulled their guns until Randy burst through the tight circle with a frantic shout.
"Wait!" Randy threw himself in front of Cody without thinking and was lucky the rebels didn't shoot him instead because his actions didn't change a thing.
With a gun pointed at him from every direction Randy quickly reached over and forced Cody behind him, shielding Cody against his back before he threw his hand out with another firm shout. "Stop! Don't shoot!"
Everyone froze.
"Guys, please! Don't shoot! I know him!"
It was a tense few seconds and Randy's heart was pounding but one by one they slowly lowered their guns and clicked the safeties back into place. Except for Michael who held a gun in one on hand and a furious Chris back from the inner circle with the other, frowning at Randy. "The fuck you mean, Orton?"
Randy shook his head and appeared calm even though his heart was racing as he counted just how many guns there were. He could disarm most of the men but not all. He couldn't save Cody. Not that way. So he tried reasoning.
"I know him." Randy told them again. "He's Dustin's brother."
Michael's eyes widened and everyone gasped and Randy pushed Cody just that much tighter behind him, snaking an arm behind himself and latched onto Cody's hip to keep him as close and as safe as possible. Cody didn't object, he clung to Randy but kept his eyes scanning the angry faces around them, swallowing hard as he realized none of them were his brother and tucked his face into Randy's shoulder. It didn't matter that just days before Randy was threatening to kill him. That certainly wasn't the case now and with no one else jumping into save him Cody wasn't about to question it.
"You-You mean he's Zak's lover." Michael said and without warning Chris slapped Michaels hand down and broke through into the circle before anyone could stop him.
"You fool! You led him right to us!"
"Impossible." Michael said. "We had guys trailing behind us to make sure that didn't happen."
"Well I'm looking at him so he must have!"
"No. I found my own way." Cody dared to speak up over Randy's shoulder. "I know the island well enough to find you people without any help. You're not the only ones who cross the boundary lines." Cody had done plenty of exploring on his own, especially during the weeks Justin wasn't there and yes he'd even crossed the line a time or two just to see how far he could go without being spotted. Turns out it was pretty far. But that suddenly changed when he bumped into Jake and found himself at the long end of Jake's gun.
It was early morning when they'd startled each other in a small clearing but thanks to the river that washed away Cody's pistol just minutes before Cody had nothing to defend himself and despite the size difference Jake had him down on his knees with his hands tucked behind his head in seconds. Cody was trapped. Jake showed no mercy and the abrasion on Cody's cheek told the story of just how little Jake managed to bring Cody in without much of a fight.
Cody didn't want to fight though and he didn't hold a grudge. Jake was just doing what he thought was best and perhaps it would be when Cody finally got to see Dustin again. Then it would all be worth it. Including clobbering Zak with a massive tree branch hard enough to knock him out so that Cody could flee and never look back, off to rejoin his brother. His blood.
Cody would do anything to make that happen.
Even take on Chris.
He just wasn't in any condition to do it then and it showed because if he'd stopped clinging to Randy's body he would have fallen. He was so dizzy it hurt. He was relieved Randy was there.
So was Randy. It gave them a chance. Or so they thought.
Little did they know the wheels in Chris's head were already turning, the ideas coming one right after the other until he decided what to do, and it wasn't pretty. But it never was. Chris would show Cody no mercy just as he had the others before him. The individuals who tried to infiltrate the rebels just to impress their foolish Chief only to be caught, tortured for information and then hung for their trespassing. They were few and far between but often enough that Chris had developed a plan, one that usually involved Randy using his "skills" to empty the poor souls of every bit of information they had about Zak, even down to his likes and dislikes.
And Randy could see it in Chris's eyes, he knew what he was thinking and it made his stomach flip with pure horror. "Don't even think about it, Chris." Randy shook his head. "Just leave him alone. He's not here for Zak. He's just wants to see his brother-."
"You don't know that for sure. You didn't even know that he was following you."
"I wasn't following him." Cody said. "Get the facts straight, would you? I left Zak and came to find my brother on my own."
"Bullshit."
"It's not bullshit." Randy cut them off. "He's here for his brother and I'm sure Dustin would be happy-."
"Shut up. Back off, Randy." Chris growled. "Now."
"No." Cody clutched Randy just that much harder as he glared at the blonde stranger trying to tear them apart. "He's right. I don't want any trouble with you. I'm not here for Zak. I just want to see my brother. Just let me pass and be on my way-."
"Your brother? You're a fool. Don't you think that if he wanted to see you that he would have come for you? I think you know that and I think you're here for something else." He glanced at Randy and shook his head. "Zak won't win this time, Cody. You can tell him that after we're finished with you."
"No. Fuck that." Randy pushed back against Cody protectively. "You're not doing shit to him." Randy wasn't going to let Chris or anyone else torture Cody the way they did everyone else they'd caught from the village. He'd fight them until he couldn't.
That's exactly what happened. Chris was silent for a long moment, just glaring, his chest rising and falling faster and harder until he threw his chin up and swiped his hand through the air and with it came another ambush that tore them apart.
Randy punched, ducked, twisted but nothing helped because every face he hit, every hand he twisted out of was just replaced with another and another until Randy was down on his knees, his arms held painfully outward, paralyzing them and his torso and he didn't think of moving with the cold, hard barrel of Wade's gun digging into the back of his neck, forcing him down so far he couldn't look up even if he wanted to.
He did want to. He wanted to find Cody and save him from the hands of the men he thought were his friends. "Chris! No! Don't you fucking touch him! Stop! Chris! CHRIS!"
"Get your hands off of me." Cody spat in Chris's face as he struggled against Michael and Darius, a ruthless brute who didn't hesitant to drive his knees into Cody's back so hard Cody couldn't even breathe as his body gave way and fell to the ground where he writhed and rolled back and forth on his back that was arching uncontrollably in agony while Chris smirked and savored the satisfaction of the sight.
Cody couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
"Darius, Michael, take him inside. Secure him."
"Chris, stop!" Randy demanded, throwing his head up despite the cold metal still pressing into his neck and couldn't believe what he saw when Darius and Michael roughly yanked Cody off the ground by his hair and arm. His stomach churned. He knew Cody wouldn't exactly be welcome here but he had no idea that Chris would hurt Cody. He thought Chris would give Cody a chance, like he did him.
"Chris, don't do this. Just let him go-."
"Stay out of this." Chris barked and finally turned his attention back to Randy, his face twisted in a snarl. "Whatever happens to him from here is your fault, Randy. You brought this on everyone when you failed to tell me about your little affair with the chief's lover. This is your fault. YOU did this. You have no one to blame but yourself."
"Chris." Michael stopped him in a firm tone and would have rushed to his lovers side to pull him away but he had his hands full with Cody and couldn't leave Darius to carry the weight so he just stopped in his tracks and waited for Chris to catch up, telling him to do so until Chris finally did, leaving the question of who was really in charge.
After a few steps Chris and Michael stopped but Darius kept going, dragging Cody along through the dirt and only further enraging Randy into wrenching himself free and shot up like he had a spring under his feet. "CHRIS!" He shouted and went after him, slapping away the hands of his friends who tried to get in his path until there were no more and he and Chris were face to face. Randy wasn't afraid.
"You have no right to do this." Randy pushed further into Chris's face, their chests almost bumping but neither of them backed down.
"Let him go." Randy hissed through his teeth. "Now, Chris! You call Darius back! You call him right now!"
"Are you fucking drunk?" Chris said and looked at Randy as if he were. "What the fuck are you thinking trying to man-up to me? Step off. You don't want to fuck with me right now."
"I don't give a fuck. I'm not going to let you hurt him and I'm not "stepping off" until you give me your word that you won't so much as lay a finger on him. I don't give a fuck what it takes."
Chris just shook his head, astounded by Randy's sudden distaste for the torture when Randy was typically the one in the lead. "You didn't care about the others before him." He pointed out and arched a cocky brow because he had a valid point to make. "You were content with the task of torturing them for information, making them beg for their lives while you got off on it like the twisted fuck you are. So don't play games with me, Randy, because I know just how sick you really are. You don't believe it's wrong, you liked it. You thrive on it. Just like you will when you do it to him."
"And if I refuse?" Yes, he'd enjoyed what'd he'd done to the others but forget about them. Cody was different and Randy didn't have to explain that to Chris, the bastard already knew it. So why was Chris doing this? Why was he putting Randy threw the agony of having to torture his own lover? Randy didn't know and he just couldn't understand. It wasn't like Chris to be so cold-hearted like that. True he had a temper but Randy never imagined it would lead to anything like this.
Chris just shrugged. "Then you leave me no choice but to have someone else do it. I gave you that. I can just as easily take it away."
"Or, you could just forget the whole thing and let him go see his fucking brother. Who, by the way, would not be pleased to hear that you tortured his baby-brother so you might want to stop and think about this, Chris. Dustin will be furious. This isn't right."
"Oh so now you know right and wrong? That's surprising coming from you since your concept of right or wrong is tragically skewed." Chris said. "How convenient. But don't worry about Dustin, he'll understand because he knows what it takes to keep the rebels safe where as you don't. You don't get it and if you're refusing well then, that's your choice. I will just pass the responsibility to someone who is man enough to take it."
"The hell you will." Never mind the insult about his shortcomings. Chris wasn't getting away with this. "Cody's mine."
"And, so, you here by lay your claim to him?"
"YES."
"Fine." Chris stepped back. They were finally getting somewhere, Randy thought. He was wrong again. "Then it's you who will get information from him and you will do it the way I say or I will reject your claim and give him to someone else."
Randy's eyes grew wide with horror and he couldn't believe his ears. Chris was teetering on the verge of breaking their ultimate law, the only law they held above all others. "You bastard, you can't do that. He's mine. I laid my claim and that means you can't touch him-."
"Watch me."
"No!" Randy's shoulders slumped. He'd lost. He didn't know how but somehow he just knew at that moment that the battle had been won and it wasn't by him. "You're so wrong for this." He shook his head as he fell further into despair. He couldn't believe Chris was doing this. "I'll never forgive you."
"Yeah, well, that makes two of us because I can't trust you either. That's why Darius is going to be there to make sure you don't try anything stupid. Given your history-."
That was it. Randy broke, deep inside and couldn't stop the wave of rage bursting out of its dam, his back straightening, his shoulders spreading out in a confident stance. His eyes narrowed. "Fuck you."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, you judgmental piece of shit. Fuck you."
"You better watch it, Orton." Chris closed the distance between them again but Randy was fired up and the act of dominance only fueled Randy to do the same only this time they bumped chests and Michael had to shove his body between them, forcing them apart.
"What are you going to do, Chris?" Randy snarled, breathing hard as his skin burned with the rage coursing through his veins. "I'm not afraid of you. Come on, take a shot. I fucking dare you. Do it. Fucking hit me, you weak bitch!"
"I'll show you who's weak, you son of a bitch!" They lunged towards each other at the same time, nearly knocking Michael over as he struggled to keep them apart. He couldn't. Randy landed a solid punch to Chris's cheekbone and if it hadn't been for Michael he would have been able to hit him with another.
Chris stumbled back, cupping his face, checking for blood for a second or two before lunging for him again, his eyes ablaze with fury. "You worthless piece of shit, I'll fuck you up!"
"Guys, stop it! Stop it now!" Michael stopped and shoved Chris hard and if he hadn't been his lover such an act would have set Chris off but since it was and Chris knew better he just kept backing off, shaking his head, gritting his teeth, his fists clenched at his sides, and so were Randy's. Both men were equally fuming.
"You fucking asshole, Randy. I'm going to fuck you up."
"I'd like to see you try, old man."
"Keep it up, Randy. Keep it up and watch what happens.-"
"Chris, enough!" Michael advanced on his lover with a furious scowl. "You two are acting like a couple of kids fighting over their shiny new toy. Grow up." He poked Chris's chest firmly, scolding him with a strong finger. "I mean it, Chris. Knock it off. You need to calm the fuck down you're acting like a fucking dick. Do you hear me? I'm not going through this shit with you again so you had better reel it in because you're about two seconds away from me stepping aside to let Randy kick your ass, and then you can go home and lick your own wounds because I sure as hell won't be around to do it. Is that clear? Do you get me, Chris? I'll make you regret this."
"Michael-."
"No. That's enough. Just let this sit for a couple of days until everyone's had some rest and time to clear their heads. We don't need to fight with each other like this, baby, and you know it. If we start turning on our friends now then Zak wins. He wins, baby. How can we let that happen?"
"We can't." Chris said and he was much calmer, breathing slower as he melted under the gaze of his lovers blue, touching eyes and already knew he was right. Michael was always right.
But Randy didn't care. To him this was unfinished business. He still wanted Chris's word.
He came forward to get it, his confidence at full peak. But he only took but a few steps before he heard someone call his name, someone he had expected to have interfered a whole hell of a lot more by now and was truly shocked that he hadn't.
"Randy!" Wade ran ahead and darted in front of him, planting a hand on Randy's chest. "Hang on, wait here with me. Please? Don't go over there. Just let Michael and Chris work this out."
Randy looked down at Wades hand and wanted to knock it away but thought better of it and somehow managed to oblige him without complaint. He still didn't like it though.
"Thank you." Wades hand dropped and Randy nodded skeptically, wondering why in the hell Wade hadn't come unglued over this. But then again Wade was acting very strange ever since Adam told him their plan to extract Justin, he was much calmer even. Or scared. Randy thought he might be scared.
But why? What was Wade hiding? Randy had a feeling he would be the one to find out.
"Look, I'm sorry." Wade said as they stared at each other. It was the first time Randy had seen warm in Wade's eyes. "I tried to help you guys by talking to Chris before you got back but he's completely irrational about this. Right now he's capable of anything so it's best if you stay out of sight for a while. Especially since Cody is here."
"What do you care? You should be happy to see me in the doghouse. You hate my guts, Wade."
"Yeah, okay, I deserve that. I haven't exactly been very welcoming."
"No. You haven't. "
"I know. I'm sorry. I don't hate your guts I'm just not the easiest person to get along with. I don't trust people easily and I wasn't sure about you until you went off with Adam and tried to bring Jake back, even if you were also going to see your lover. You still risked your life for one of us and I know Chris doesn't see it this way but if that doesn't prove your loyalty to us then nothing else would.-"
"What about Jake? Is he okay? I didn't see him." Randy wanted really wanted to. It also changed the subject since as they were talking Michael had calmed Chris down enough to get him to walk away and his chance to get the blondes word had passed, despite his best efforts and his worst. And also, what did Michael mean by Chris wasn't putting him through this again? He didn't get it. That part stuck in his head too, beneath the rest of mess he would sort through later.
"He's alright." Wade replied. "From what I saw he's a bit banged up but he's a tough kid. I don't know any specifics but I promise I will keep you updated if you do me the favor of staying out of sight for a few days until we leave for our real homes. Can you do that?"
"No." Randy frowned at Wade's request. "I have a right to see them."
"I know you do but now just isn't the right time. Adam just wants to be alone with Jake and Cody's out for the night. Let them rest. And get some yourself, Randy. You're exhausted, I can see it."
"I'll sleep when I know Chris isn't going to do anything to Cody."
Wade gave an understanding nod. "Okay, how about this? I give you my word that I won't let Chris or anyone else touch Cody until you've had a chance to see him. As for anything after you've seen him I can't promise but as of right now I can keep him safe from Chris and give you my word. Do you accept?"
Randy didn't have a choice. "Yes." He took a deep breath in threw his nose and let it out slow as he looked around at everything and yet saw nothing but the red of his rage quickly fading around the edges of his vision. "I accept." As angry as he was if he wanted to get anywhere with Chris then he had better shut up and play along with Wade because damn the irony but Wade was the only chance he had left.
"Thank you," Wade said as he respectfully laid a hand on Randy's shoulder and squeezed. "Now get some rest, Randy. I promise everything will be better after everyone's had a chance to clear their heads."
Randy scoffed. He couldn't believe it. He wanted to see Cody and he should be able to damnit. It should be Randy at his side, not fucking Darius. Fuck he hated Darius, the pompous fuck-tard. He just got under Randy's skin and irritated the hell out of him with his cocky face and smile and attitude. Randy just wanted to deck the pretty right off his face and Chris knew it. That's why he picked him. He knew it would kill Randy to know that Darius had his hands on Cody and he was right. Randy couldn't even bear the thought.
"This is such bullshit." He seethed despite his fading rage. He was still furious but the only difference was he'd accepted that he couldn't do anything about it and unfortunately Wade was the one he was going to vent to about it. "I thought we were all free men here?"
"We are."
"Oh really? I can't even so much as spit without Chris getting bent out of shape. It's like one minute he wants me to lead with him and the next he doesn't. I step up to help and the thanks I get is all of the blame and a ripping like I'm some fucking kid? That's fucking bullshit. I didn't act alone and this wasn't even my idea. And even if it was how in the hell was I supposed to know that Cody was going to follow us back? When I left him he was in Zak's arms and I assumed that's where he would be when I came back."
"So…You were going back, then?"
"…" Shit. He hadn't meant to say that last part but it just slipped out. "Yes." He admitted, momentarily dropping his gaze.
"What about Zak?"
"I was going to kill him." Fuck it. He might as well just be honest.
"Even though we need him alive?"
"…Yes."
"Well, then, there you go. That's why Chris is so angry with you. He probably knows you well enough to know what you weren't going to leave this alone."
"Chris didn't know shit. He just doesn't like it when I take charge because he feels threatened by it. And why do we need that fucker Zak alive anyway? I could have killed him already, do you realize that? I could have put an end to his reign of terror three days ago when I had the fucking chance!"
"Randy, no, listen to me. You can't kill him, alright? It has to be someone else."
"Why? I can kill him in ways you couldn't even imagine, Wade. I should be the one to do it."
"No listen you don't understand-."
"Then by all means please explain it to me because I'm sick of this shit, Wade. I'm done playing this fucking game. If you guys want me to leave him alone then I need to know why I can't kill him. I need a legitimate reason not to tear his guts out with my bare hands and choke him with them. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Randy's eyes narrowed, his chest tightened. The feeling was overwhelming. "I've never wanted to kill someone so badly in my entire life. I need a reason not to kill him other than Chris doesn't want me to. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"I do understand you." Wade said and he was a bit panicked but kept his cool. If he just explained Randy would simmer down and get some rest right? That's what he figured as he went against Chris's orders and blurted out one of the last few secrete they'd kept hidden from Randy. "But it's different out here. You keep what you kill."
Randy's head titled with a frown. "Keep what I kill? What's that mean?"
"It means that you would become chief if you killed Zak."
"…Huh?"
Wade paused with a sigh, searching for the right words. "It's…It's like this: in nature its survival of the fittest. In a lions kingdom it's nothing for a younger, stronger male to come along and kill the alpha just to take over the pride. The stronger male wins so obviously he should be the leader. The King. He keeps what he kills."
"So if I kill Zak then-."
"Then you would become Chief of the island. Which isn't something to take lightly and I can't imagine it would be something you want."
"Hell no." Randy as chief? Ha! He almost laughed out loud. He wanted to kill Zak just to end his miserable life, not to become leader of that godforsaken hell hole of an island. "I just want to be free here. I don't want to take anything from anyone.-"
"But haven't you already?"
Randy was confused again and started to grow irritated with Wade. "What? No I haven't taken anything. Well, besides Justin."
"Right, except for Justin's extraction are you certain that you haven't taken anything from anyone? Like say…the chiefs chosen lover?"
"No. I didn't take him. He came to me."
"True but not before you came for him first…Do you see what I'm saying? You already took the chiefs lover and you're ready to kill Zak like you were meant to do it. That's why Chris is threatened by you. You're trying to take his place."
"But, I'm not. I don't want Chris's place. I just want to-to belong somewhere. I just-." He stopped. He had to. His throat was aching he was so tired and honestly he just didn't have it in him to talk about this anymore. Goddamn it he was so sick of feeling so fucking out of place. "Look, being with Cody isn't about taking anyone's place. I don't know why I couldn't stay away from him but now? I can't because I gave up everything I had back home to be with him. I lost everything I had the moment I touched him and I-I just can't walk away from that. It has nothing to do with him being the chief's lover. That's not why I wanted him so it was never my intention to take him from Zak. It just happened." And the worst part was Randy spent all that time thinking Cody hadn't cared and that he'd done all of that for nothing. That part he was still trying to sort out.
"I know. I know, Randy. Chris is just threatened by you because he thinks you're doing it on purpose. I know you're not. You're just being you and you can't help that you're a natural born leader. You just have to keep that in mind and tone it down for a while or this shit with Chris is going to escalate and neither one of you is going to end up happy and you know I'm right. Now I wish I had more advice other than to stay out of sight but that's all I've got at the moment. I hope you take it."
Randy nodded and couldn't deny that he was calming down as he felt the familiar emptiness growing inside as the rage receded into the depths of his inner core, draining throughout his entire body with such force it almost left him staggering and Wade seemed to know it because he gave his shoulder another squeeze then pushed him off in the direction of his home with a light order for him to get to bed. Their conversation wasn't over. It was just on hold. Randy still had a ton of questions. They just didn't seem so important with the crippling exhaustion, not to mention the terrifying worry over what was happening to Cody…
Still though Randy somehow pushed on and did as Wade suggested. He went home to sleep. He just couldn't carry on. He was out of choices. He had to listen to Wade and trust his word that nothing would happen to Cody, for now…
His mind was already numb as he walked when the cold set in. Or maybe it was just the loneliness he felt as he approached the dark, empty house that he knew would be freezing without a fire or another body to curl up next to, not even Jake's, or Adam's.
He hated being alone. Especially in that house where he constantly worried that if he didn't find a purpose to serve then he couldn't secure his place with the rebels. He'd lose his home because that was just it, this wasn't his home. Randy didn't belong there and every time he turned around there was something or someone there to remind him of it.
That night it was painfully obvious as he staggered into the dark, empty house alone and tore his jack off, tossing it onto what he hoped was the couch. He made it into bed and only there did he have it in him to peel off his shirt and threw it aside too.
The bed was freezing, just like he thought it would be. But it didn't stop his body from giving out within seconds of touching the sheets. He couldn't have turned over even if he wanted to.
He was just so goddamn tired.