Chapter 38

Jack placed his hand on the wall behind him because he was about to fall. The noise and the words in his head were getting louder and louder until it was all he could hear or feel. It was slowly draining him, wiping out his energy.

Alanya stalked over and grabbed him by his arm, the one that was hanging limply by his side. It felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. Alanya pushed Jack back against the wall and grabbed his throat in his clawed hand. Jack looked into those eyes and was powerless to do anything.

Brad slowly got to his feet and prepared to fight yet again.

"Stay there Brad!"

Brad looked and was about to go over but he saw that Alanya now had the upper hand so he stopped and stood where he was.

Jack continued to stare into the demon's eyes, unable to move or even cry out. Alanya removed his hand from Jack's throat and moved it to touch the doctor's chest and Jack began to breathe heavily, his eyes going in and out of focus.

Brad watched in fear, but was afraid of what he'd do to Jack if he approached. He knew he needed to do something but he wouldn't risk Jack.

"Get over here," yelled Alanya. He was staring intently at Jack but was talking to Brad. Slowly and deliberately Brad walked over to where the two were. Brad stole a quick look at Jack, not liking what he saw.

"Jack," Brad was nervously looking at him. Alanya grabbed him and pushed him against the wall, right beside Jack and grabbed his head. Brad braced, waiting for the pain he knew would come. He closed his eyes and held his breath, confused when it didn't happen. Brad opened one eye and then the other. Alanya was grinning from ear to ear and Brad knew that he understood.

"Well, well, well," said the demon amused. "What do we have here?" He looked at Jack and shook his head. "I don't believe it. This is priceless." He laughed wickedly and more evilly than ever before. Jack was confused. He had no idea what Alanya was talking about, but Brad did.

"So that's why you fight so hard for him huh?" Brad didn't answer. "My, my, my, am I going to have some fun with this." Jack frowned, still not understanding. Alanya's eyes went cold, the temperature in the cave dropped and he glared at the two captives standing before him.

He grabbed Brad's arm and spun him around until he was face to face with Jack, and close enough for them to touch each other. Their eyes locked. Jack started to breathe more heavily and Brad noticed he was very pale.

"Tell him," said Alanaya. Brad shook his head. He didn't want to tell him, not right here, not like, but Alanya slapped him hard in the back of his head causing him to see stars. "I said tell him Brad!"

"Wha…What," choked out Jack questioningly. He still couldn't move and even if he could, he didn't have any strength left. Alanya stepped around behind Brad, placing a hand on his shoulder to keep him still.

"I'm not going to tell you again," he warned. "TELL HIM!" Brad closed his eyes, then opened them again.

"Jack," he began carefully. "I know why I can do the things you can do." He swallowed hard, when Jack didn't answer, and winced when Alanya hit him again. "I know why we're connected. Why we can communicate like we do."

"Why?" asked Jack weakly. It took too much effort for Jack to say that one word and his breathing became ragged. He felt light headed and disconnected.

"We're brothers," said Brad finally. For a second Jack didn't say anything but then his eyes went hard as stone. He would have hit him if could have moved.

"Wha….What?" He stared at Brad and slowly shook his head. He was in so much pain physically and now this?"

"You're my brother Jack." Brad tried to hang on to him, but Jack shook his head again and glared at Brad angrily.

"You…bas…tard!!" said Jack, his words coming out chopped and spaced.

"It's true," Brad answered gently.

"How dare you?" said Jack with as much conviction as he could manage. Alanya was enjoying himself and the conversation immensely

"Jack listen to me," said Brad. "You're mother, our mother had twins."

"What!" yelled Jack angrily? At that moment he wanted nothing more than to be able to move so he could punch Brad in the face, but Alanya still wouldn't let him.

"You're mother didn't go into labor Jack. It was induced," said Brad figuring he'd better get it all out in the open. Jack just stared, not believing that Brad, who'd become a very close friend, would do this to him, would say those things. His mind slowly slipped from him. Brad saw it and got scared.

"She was drugged," said Brad. Jack shook his head. "She was drugged," repeated Brad. "They knocked her out, induced labor and she delivered me."

"YOU!" yelled Jack but Brad cut him off. "I was taken Jack." Jack stared and Brad continued. "I was abducted. She never knew she had two sons, twins. When they kidnapped me they forced her to wake up and she had you. She never knew about

me. I was raised by demon worshipers. I was tortured and used. My parents, the ones who raised me, used me in rituals, until I was old enough to fight back. That's why I became a hunter Jack." He watched Jack carefully. He felt him slip a little more.