A.N I know, I know. It's been longer than a week, but I have the world's greatest excuse as I have just been shortlisted for an original novel competition run by literary agents. They want the rest of my unfinished novel so I have been working like a crazy person to get it done. Good enough excuse? I hope so. Enjoy :)

Into the Lion's Den

Sodapop was a man on a mission as Steve pulled the car to a stop on Carson Street. The old furniture store was derelict now, it's windows and doors boarded over with wooden panels.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Steve asked him as he climbed out of his Buick.

Soda put his baseball bat under his arm and slammed the passenger door hard. He looked across the car roof at Steve and Two-Bit.

"If either of you wanna back out, now's the time to say."

Two-Bit snorted like it was a ridiculous comment and Steve looked annoyed.

"I wasn't backing out, Curtis. But we walk in there, there's no guarantee we're walking out. I'd walk in there for you, sure, but I'm just making sure you wanna walk in there for Lily." As he spoke, Steve walked around the trunk of the car and popped it open.

"Of course I do." Sodapop was shocked he'd even asked.

"Well, alright then." Steve hoisted the wrench out of the car and let it hang by his side. Then he slammed the trunk shut determinedly.

Soda started up the sidewalk, quite ready to bang on the boarded up windows.

"Hold on a minute." Two-Bit put a hand on his friend's shoulder and steered him round so he was facing a side gate. "Let's go in that way. Catch 'em unawares."

Soda liked his way of thinking. Surprise would be one of the few things they had in their favour.

"Let's do it."

The back door was held with what looked like an ancient lock. The door had a big crack in it and Steve used the wrench to jimmy it open in no time. They didn't even make that much noise. Once they were in, Steve put a finger to his lips and the three of them tiptoed into the back room which had previously been used for storage.

It was obvious straight away that there were people downstairs. Up here it was dusty and practically untouched but from down the basement stairs, there was the unmistakable sound of voices.

Soda had had enough of searching for Lily. He couldn't stand the thoughts that were circling his mind and he sure as hell wasn't gonna hang around in the hall until someone came up with a plan. He was going in. With a last nod at his friends, he took a breath and started down the basement stairs.

He came off the bottom step with a leap and crashed into the basement door. Had it been locked, it would have flown open anyway but it wasn't, and the door hit the wall behind it with a ferocious bang as Soda skidded in.

"What the fuck-" It was none other than Neil Macdonald but Soda didn't give a shit if it was Paul Newman. He was taking down whoever he needed to.

Hoisting the bat up onto his shoulder, he glared at Macdonald.

"Where the fuck is she?"

The other three Tigers were on their feet by now and coming towards him like a hungry pack of wolves. He felt Steve and Two-Bit come to stand behind him and thanked God that there were only four of them in here and they were only just outnumbered. Outnumbered or not, Soda didn't take his eyes off Macdonald. If the shit hit the fan, he was taking Macdonald down. Simple as.

"Where the fuck is who?"

"Don't fuck around," Soda's voice was a low growl. "What's Daniels done with her?"

Macdonald didn't look confused enough for Soda's liking.

"I ain't got any idea what the hell you're talking about. But I do know you just steamed into private property and fucked with the wrong people…" Macdonald's eyes were like stone.

As he jerked forward in an attempt to wrestle the baseball bat away, Soda leaned back and swung. He got Macdonald right above the eyebrow and split a good gash in the skin. Two of the other guys came at him while Steve jumped at the third and Soda went down onto the cold tiles, the bat slipping from his grasp.

It seemed like the noise of the bat rolling away echoed across the room and lasted an eternity. Somebody kicked him in the head and he saw stars.

He saw Two-Bit leap over him to tousle one of the guys out of the way but that still left Macdonald and one short stocky guy. Macdonald was hurt but he was not out of the game. He kicked out at Soda but only managed to get one good kick in his shoulder before Soda rolled clear. He might have gotten up if the guy fighting Two-Bit hadn't stepped back and crushed his hand underneath his boot. Soda yelled out, momentarily distracted, and Macdonald dived for him, coming right down to the floor. Soda still had his hand trapped and by the time he got it free, Macdonald had his own great hands wrapped around Soda's neck. He was literally choking the life from him.

Soda struggled with flailing arms before realising he couldn't get a good swing from the position Macdonald had him in. He tried with all his might to foist the guy off but it was no use. He started to feel light headed first before the light started to blur at the edges and he realised he was going to lose consciousness. If only he hadn't dropped the bat….Christ, how would Darry hold onto Ponyboy if he was dead?

Ponyboy! The answer came to him like a message from God and he suddenly remembered the switchblade his little brother had given him. Christ, he'd forgotten all about it. Even back at Tim's when he'd swiped Two-Bit's knife.

Soda stopped trying to fight Macdonald and slid a hand into his jeans pocket. As much as Macdonald was trying to kill him, he didn't want to be up on a murder charge himself. All it took was to knife somebody in the wrong place. Johnny was proof of that.

It took him a couple of tries to flick out the knife and by the time it was open, he didn't know if he had the energy to use it. He was woozy as hell. But somehow, he managed to pull the knife away and slice it across Macdonald's upper arm.

"Fuck!" Macdonald yelled and his grip loosened some. His shout distracted Steve's guy and Steve took this as an opportunity to knock him down. Two-Bit was fighting two of the Tigers by now and Steve darted a look between his friends before deciding Soda was the one who really needed him.

He rushed across the room and kicked Macdonald off of him. Macdonald sprawled across the floor and Soda dropped the knife, gasping for air. Oxygen had never felt so good.

"Get up, man. Come on!" Steve pulled Soda up off the floor using sheer strength because Soda didn't have the power to sit up, let alone stand. He leaned back against his buddy, panting and heaving as the two of them were backed against the open doorway. They weren't going to win this fight and Soda knew if not for Two-Bit on the other side of the room, Steve would have made him beat it out of there.

Not Soda though. Soda wasn't going anywhere until he found out where Lily was.

It was just as Soda and Steve were preparing to get jumped by Macdonald 's stocky hench man and one of the guys who had been fighting Two-Bit, that there was a clatter of noise from behind them. Someone was coming down the basement stairs. Just what they needed. More Tigers.

Steve, who was holding the only weapon now, swung the wrench behind him without looking. Soda felt it whistle past his ear and then heard it connect and somebody howl in pain.

"Whoah!" said a familiar voice, and when Soda turned, he had never been so glad to see anybody.

"Darry?" He gasped as his big brother yanked him out into the hall and slammed a fist into the short stocky guy's face. He went down like a bag of lead.

Soda turned to see who Darry's companion was and was shocked to see Ronnie Parker, holding his head beside him, blood seeping through his fingers from a large wound on his head. As promised, Steve had hit him with the wrench.

As soon as the first guy went down, Darry swung for a second and Steve ducked past them all to help out Two-Bit who was boxed into a corner trading blows with a tall blond guy. Macdonald had almost all but disappeared from sight but as Steve approached Two-Bit, he stepped out from nowhere. As if in slow motion, Steve turned towards him and put up his fists. Soda was baffled when Macdonald slid under Steve's arm, and bent down to pick something off the floor.

Ponyboy's knife. Shit.

Soda felt his blood run cold as Steve threw a punch, Macdonald caught his arm, twisted it and yanked him towards him.

"Alright, that's it. Everybody hold it!"

Soda, Darry and Two-Bit froze as Macdonald pressed the blade of Pony's knife tight against Steve's throat, his arm holding him tightly in place.

This was the second time tonight someone had been held up with a knife, but this time it wasn't Soda holding the knife because he was desperate to find his girl. It was Neil Macdonald, leader of The Tigers, because his turf had been invaded and he was seriously pissed.

Tim Shepard had known the last thing Soda wanted to do was kill him, but Steve and everybody else in this room knew Macdonald didn't have such a conscience.

"Alright, take it easy." Darry's low calm voice echoed out across the large basement and Soda was glad as hell he was there. He had no idea how Darry had found him but he had, and with him here, the scales had been tipped back in their favour. Until Macdonald had gotten hold of Steve.

Steve, to his credit, was managing to keep his cool, but Soda could see he was nervous, his eyes a little wild and his breathing uneven.

"I don't think you're in a position to be telling anyone to take it easy." Macdonald shifted and the knife nicked Steve's throat. Soda wondered if he'd looked as dangerous when he'd held up Shepard. Probably not.

"Look, our beef's not with you," Soda said, edging forward towards them. "All we want to know is where Daniels is."

"Yeah, after you bust in here and the big guy there puts two of my men out of action."

Darry looked almost guilty for the act as Steve squirmed under the knife.

"We ain't telling you shit." Macdonald spat.

"Well, that's gonna be a problem."

Soda was shocked to hear Steve's raspy voice answer Macdonald's sneer.

"...'Cause we ain't going until then. And after you kill me, you're gonna have to kill every one of them too."

"Damn straight," came Two-bit's voice from the corner.

Soda could almost feel tears in his eyes at the show of loyalty. Man, he had the best buddies in the world. He took a second step forward.

"Don't make another move," Macdonald warned. "Or your buddy here gets it."

Movement from behind Soda caused him to turn, and in came Ronnie Parker, still bleeding profusely from the head but not showing a shred of fear in the face of Macdonald's knife.

"Did you hear what I said?" Macdonald snapped.

"I heard you," Ronnie replied. "But frankly, I don't give a shit if you kill the kid."

Macdonald finally recognised him through the blood.

"Parker? What the fuck are you doing here? Are you in on this shit?"

For Christ's sake. When did this suddenly become a fucking reunion?

"No!" Soda said desperately. "This is not about Brumly or the Tigers or any stupid fucking gang shit. This is about a girl in big trouble."

Ronnie Parker kept walking and as Macdonald stepped away, his knife slipped against Steve's throat. Steve made a choking noise and Soda's heart plummeted as Ronnie dived at Macdonald and Steve stumbled before falling.

That was when they heard it. The loud noise of a bullet from a shotgun.

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