Jack looked out the window for what felt like the hundredth time that night. He had come down from helping his father and brother to find his sister putting the last of supper on while Jake sat at the table drawing yet another picture. Looking around, he had realized that the house lacked Rose's presence. He had asked Janie where she had gone, and all his sister knew was that Rose had left two hours ago, taking a much needed break, even though she had thought that she'd be back by now, not wanting to be away from Jack and Jake for too long. That conversation had been an hour ago and now Rose had been gone for three whole hours now.
"Where is she?" He questioned aloud, his voice tinged with worry. What if Rose had tripped and gotten hurt? What if she was lost? What if Hockley had finally made his move and snatched her and was now holding her against her will? He should go look for her. Just in case...
"Maybe we should give her five more minutes," Irene frowned, not liking this herself. The girl really should have been back by now.
"It's already been three hours," Jack walked away from the window and grabbed his coat. "It's getting cold out...she might have had a flashback or something...I'm going out to look for her. Will you put Jake to bed for me, dad?"
"Sure son," Albert nodded, his face full of concern as well as he scooped his grandson up into his arms and carried him upstairs, promising him to read Jack and the Beanstalk to him.
"Want me to come with you?" Richie asked.
"No, I can probably find her on my own," Jack answered, opening the door and nearly tripped over the rock that was holding down a piece of paper in front of the door. "What the hell?"
Jack kicked aside the rock and picked up the paper. His eyes widened as he read. "Oh shit..."
Richie frowned as he notice the tension enter his brother's shoulders. "What is it?"
Jack turned around, the color in his face gone as he handed the note to Richie.
"Fuck," Richie hissed as he read the paper. He looked at Jolene, then back down at the note.
"Ok, what's going on?" Jolene asked, not liking how Richie looked at her then back at the note. Janie came up to stand beside her, also concerned.
"I forgot the fuckers were still in town," Richie frowned.
"Richie, what is it?" Janie asked, impatience in her voice.
It was Jack that answered. "They took Rose. They took my Rose and won't give her back until we hand over Jolene."
"What?!" Janie gasped in horror.
"Oh no! How did this happen?" Irene cried out, frightened for her daughter in law.
"They had obviously grabbed her while she was on that walk...," Richie crumpled the note into a ball. Those bastards!
"Where's the gun," Jack's words were focused and full of anger.
"What? Jack, wait. We don't need a gun. I'll go. It's me they want. They'll give Rose back once I give myself up," Jolene spoke up, feeling her stomach drop. She had known this day was coming. She had known that the dream with Richie and Jason was about to come to an end and she had been prepared.
"Jolene no!" Richie protested, grabbing her shoulders. "You are not going anywhere with those people!"
"There's no choice Richie! What are you going to do? Let them keep Rose? She's not cut out for that lifestyle, you know that! And what of Jack? And all they've gone through on Titanic? You can't expect him to give up the love of his life, just so we can be together...," Jolene tried to reason with Richie. She loved him and his family more than anything and Rose had been nothing but a friend to her. This was the right thing to do. For all of them.
"Of course I don't! But there's another way! We'll get Rose back without sacrificing you!"
"I don't see how..."
"We will. We'll do what Jack has already said. Grab what we can and go teach those bastards who they're messing with," Richie nodded. "I'll get pa's rifle, Jack my gun is in my room, beneath the mattress."
Feeling helpless, Jolene watched as the boys went to retrieve their weapons and were on the way out the door, determined to rescue Rose. She looked at Janie, who looked as terrified as she was.
"I can't let them go alone..."
"We'll watch Jason and Jake...," Was all Janie said, knowing that she should probably try to talk Jolene out of accompanying the boys, but at the same time knowing that there was nothing to say to change the girl's mind. The self blame in Jolene's face all too clear. She had to help...even if that meant offering herself up. But Janie couldn't let it go at that either. "Just don't do anything foolish...something that would make Richie a wreck, ok?"
In other words, do what you can. Just don't give yourself up. Jolene got the message. She could only nodd and rush out the door, calling for Jack and Richie to wait. That she was going too.
"Like hell you are," Richie shook his head, rejecting the idea all together. He didn't want Jolene anywhere near that place, but just by the steely look in her eyes, he knew that there was no arguing with her.
"I have to go help too, Richie. Rose is like a sister to me and I'll be damned if I let them hurt her, not when I can put a stop to it. You can either let me come with you and Jack and have some amount of protection, or I can just go it alone. Either way, I'm not just sitting here where it's safe while Rose is in danger!"
"Fucking hell," Richie cursed, something he rarely did in front of her, unless hopefully frustrated, which he was. He knew that when she got like this, there was no winning an argument. "Fine! But you stay behind us and no trying to give yourself up! And no trying to talk me and Jack out of doing what we have to! I'm putting an end to this nightmare tonight, Jolene! Just be aware! They're not coming back from this."
Jolene swallowed down her fear and trepidation. She didn't like what Richie was implying. He couldn't become a killer. He didn't have that in him and she was afraid that trying to do something he couldn't would just get them all in deep trouble.
"We should go to the cops first...let them..."
"Do you want to come with us or not, Jolene?" Jack asked, impatient. The longer they waited, the longer Rose was in danger.
"Let's go. Whatever you guys decide to do, I'm fine with," Jolene sighed, afraid for Richie and Jack, but even more afraid for Rose if they wasted time arguing about what to do next. She rather have the police there, but there may not be time for that.
…..
Rose groaned as she began to wake up. Her head was pounding and her face hurt. Her arms were aching and she realized why when she tried to move, just to find them tied behind her back. She was sitting up in a chair and there was a dirty rag stuck in her mouth. Her face also hurt, probably from being hit. Looking around, she took note of her surrounds. She was in a one room cabin, with mostly boarded up windows and was lit by a lantern. Blankets and sleeping bags were scattered about the room, along with empty food containers. The place had definitely been in use for the past couple of days. Her captors were sitting up against the far wall, drinking whiskey and playing cards it looked like. She tried to talk, but the rag stuffed in her mouth stopped any sound from escaping.
"Looks like she's awake, Luke," Bo smirked at her when he looked up from his cards.
"Are you sure we can't have fun with her, pa?" Luke queried.
"Leave the girl be for now. If they do something stupid, I'll reconsider," was the gruff reply.
Rose whimpered, wanting to go home, wanting Jack. He must be worried sick by now. Hopefully he'll find this place and get her out. She didn't know how long she'd be able to handle this and there was no hope of escape. The ropes were tied too tight and it was three against one.
She looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. She did see that the three men now had guns of their own. Why they would need them ran her blood cold, knowing that they were here for Jolene. If only she could get her hands on one of those guns...if only...she closed her eyes as a tear slid down her cheek. Who was she kidding. She had fought tooth and nail and they had still gotten the best of her. There was no escaping. At least not on her own.
"I'm bored!" Luke tossed the cards down. "Come on pa, let us have a little fun with her! We won't break her, we promise."
"You already damaged her face, boy. I'm not taking any chances. Besides, what would your poor ma think?" Jessie glared at his son. "Do not test me."
Meanwhile, Richie pulled the car that was purchased a few weeks ago up in front of the abandoned house that Jolene's folks said they would be holding Rose. Jack was ready to go in there, guns blazing, wanting to get Rose back as soon as possible, but it was Jolene's hand on his arm that kept him from doing just that.
"What is it? We have to do this now," Jack kept a hold of his temper, not wanting to take his anger out on Jolene, but out on the men that had taken his Rose.
"You can't just go in there shooting. What if you accidentally hit Rose?" Jolene reasoned, looking at both men. "There is a better way of getting Rose out of there."
"If it involves you giving yourself up and going with them, forget it, Jo. Not happening," Richie shook his head.
"It kind of involves that..."
"Jo...," Richie began to protest, but Jolene held up a finger, silencing him.
"Hear me out. I go in there...pretend to be giving myself up. Once Rose is free, Jack gets her out and you guys go to the police and tell them that I've been kidnapped. We won't get far. The police will come find us and throw them in jail where they belong."
"That could work," Jack admitted.
"Or this plan backfires and they get further away with you than you think," Richie hissed.
"Well at least Rose will be out of their hands. That's important to me, Richie! She's been good to me! I'm not going to leave her to them if I can help it! I rather go back in that case!"
Richie sighed, feeling as if he wanted to pull his hair out. On one hand, he wanted to keep Jolene as far away from her brothers and father as he possibly can, but on the other hand, he wanted to do whatever he could to get his brother's wife back...and unfortunately it looked like putting Jolene right in the heart of danger. Sighing, he relented. Jolene felt responsible and wanted to do her part in helping Rose, so he'll go along with her plan...as much as he could tolerate anyway...
"Fine. Be careful. Jack and I will be right here...," Richie gave in.
Jolene kissed him long and hard and hugged him tightly. "I love you."
"I love you too," Richie tried to smile as she slipped out of the car. "I guess you guys better come with me. Make it seem like an even trade."
Jack nodded and got out of the car, not saying much. He simply walked beside Jolene while Richie walked on her other side, as if they were escorting her. Once they were at the door, Jolene knocked, pushing down the urge to flee. It was her father that opened the door.
"Well look at what we have here. The little bitch has returned," Jessie looked her up and down.
"Your note said that you have my wife, where is she?" Jack demanded, his voice tight with repressed rage.
Jessie looked at Jack then at Jolene and nodded, as if making a decision. "I see you've brought my girl back to me. It's only fair that I give you back yours." He stepped aside for the three of them to enter.
Jack wanted to explode when he saw Rose, tied up, her eyes wide and filled with tears and fear. A bruise was forming on her left cheek and her hair was coming out of the braid she had fixed it in that morning.
"Rose!" He rushed to her and gently touched her face. He immedieately glared at her captors. "What did you do to her?!"
"Her own fault. Should have came along quietly," Luke snorted.
Jack wanted to shoot him. He really did, but seeing that they were out gunned and out manned, he kept his temper and began untying Rose's ropes. "It's alright now, Rose. I'm getting you out of here..."
"How touching," Bo rolled his eyes and turned to his sister. "See all the trouble that you caused. You should have just came with us the other day. None of this would have happened."
"I'm here now. Just let Richie and his family go and we can go back to Louisiana..." Jolene stammered, wondering if her idea was a good one after all.
"The boy and the girl can go. As for the man that stole you from us...well that's another story. He had committed a crime that must be punished," Jessie eyed Richie. "Where I'm from, there's only one punishment for theft..."
"Pa no! Let Richie go! I came back! There's no need for you to punish anyone but me!" Jolene gasped, her heart sinking into her stomach, knowing that things were going downhill fast.
Jack finished untying Rose and pulled her up into his arms, holding her tight. He watched everything happening as he slowly backed towards the door, determined to get Rose outside and away from whatever was about to happen here.
"Where there are witnesses pa?" Luke nodded at Jack and Rose, who were just inches away from the front door now.
"I see your point. Looks like we're going to have to keep there from being witnesses...," Jessie nodded to Luke who moved to block Jack's path to the door. "Change of plans. There will only be four of us leaving this building tonight."
"Pa no!" Jolene gasped, wishing that she had never come up with this idea that was going horribly wrong. This was not what was supposed to happen. Richie, Jack, and Rose were supposed to be allowed to go so they could get the police...not...trapped here and murdered.
"Shut it! You should have thought of this before you ran off with this little punk!" Jessie growled.
"Ok, you're mad," Richie decided to try to calm the situation, at least get his brother and Rose out of this. "You want revenge against me. Fine. But my brother and his wife have nothing to do with this. Let them go."
"So they can go to the police? Do I look stupid? No, they stay. I take care of you, than them, then we take my daughter and leave. That is going to be the way of it."
Jack watched as the old man took out a gun and aimed it at Richie.
"You should have kept your hands off my daughter, asshole," Jessie aimed.
Jack didn't think. He just saw his brother in danger. He pushed Rose behind him as he drew out his own gun, aimed, the way an old soldier he had met in France had taught him, and fired straight into Jessie's head, killing him instantly.
"Pa!" Bo cried out, taking out his gun and aiming for Jack. There was a gun shot, just as Richie grabbed Bo's arm and pulled it up to the ceiling. Jolene screamed at the gunshots and the struggle. Jack managed to get Rose moving again towards the door, but Luke was there blocking the way, aiming his gun again. This time there was another shot, this one from Jolene, who had picked up her father's weapon and used it against her older brother.
The door now free, Jack managed to get Rose outside. He turned around to see Bo and Richie in a struggle and gasped as there was another gunshot, this time between the two men. This time it was Bo who slumped to the floor, dead. Relief filled Jack as he saw Jolene rush into Richie's arms.
"Jack!" Rose cried, terror clear in her voice.
"Come on Rose...the car...it's ok now...," Jack managed to half carry her to the car. Once there, he leaned against the side as he opened the door and allowed her to go in first. It wasn't until he was inside and seated, that he felt the pain in his side. Frowning, he touched his side and was a little surprised at the stickiness he found there.
"Oh my god, Jack...you're bleeding!" Rose cried out.
"I guess I was hit...after all...," He didn't want to panic. He needed to stay calm and comfort Rose somehow...but he was starting to feel lightheaded and it felt like the world was spinning. He grabbed on to her hand, trying to stop the spinning sensation. "Rose..."
He wanted to tell her that everything was alright, that he was going to be fine and she was out of danger and they could go home now. But the spinning got worse, and his side hurt too much and all he wanted to do was rest. Darkness was closing in and he couldn't find the words. He just hoped that Richie could tell her for him. That was Jack's last thought as he fell over into Rose's lap, unconscious.
"Jack!" Rose cried out, her voice full of devastated terror. "Jack! Oh my god, Jack!"
Hearing Rose's screams, Richie and Jolene quickly returned to the car and were horrified to find Jack not only unconscious, his head on Rose's lap, but also bleeding profusely.
"Oh my god," Jolene gasped.
"That bastard must have hit him," Richie frowned, his heart dropping into his stomach, knowing that Jack had only been shot because he had saved his life. He had no idea where his brother had learned to shoot like that, but if he hadn't, Richie wouldn't be here right now.
"Help him! Please, help...I can't lose him," Rose sobbed.
Richie didn't waste anytime. He and Jolene were in the car and they were heading back into town. There was only one place to go now. To the hospital, where they can hopefully save his brother's life.