A/N: So this chapter, has now been known as "the bane of my existence". Seriously, this chapter has caused a headache and a half working out. Hence, long update delay. Black Sunday is only delayed cuz the update is gonna be LONG so I'm procrastinating on finishing. Plus this fic is almost done, so it's a bonus to work on this one and it's a big larger of a cliffhanger. So the lightbulb went on last night about this chapter and it progressed well. I hope you all like it – even if the end is scream worthy.
Chapter 46
Next Day
I breathed out a heavy sigh and bounced on my heels, glancing down at my watch. I looked up and rolled my eyes. Damien had gotten in touch with me earlier today and we arranged to meet at some out of the way alley where there was no chance an illegal transaction was about to take place. I had worked my ass off to sell off various investments to get the cash and thankfully, didn't have to answer too many questions to get it, only had to convince my financial advisor that it was necessary – which wasn't that easy to do. Damien was officially 20 minutes late and I was more than beginning to wonder if I was being played for a sucker.
I looked up as a car pulled up and parked a short distance away. The passenger door opened and Damien got out and came up to me and I grabbed the briefcase that was resting against my leg and kept a tight grip on it. I wasn't about to hand him over a couple hundred grand for nothing.
"You got the money?"
"You got my girl?" I countered.
"I don't think you're in the position to be testy, Quincy."
"I got your cash."
"Good." Damien said, smiling.
"Where's Jude?" I asked, and Damien shrugged.
"Not here." I closed my eyes a moment to keep my anger down.
"We had a deal."
"You think I'm stupid enough to do this in public? When the girl could scream? Not likely." Damien smirked. "I'm smarter than you think, Quincy."
"I still think you're pretty dumb." Damien glared at me and I wasn't all that unnerved by it. I knew the kid when he was a punk 8 year old. He couldn't phase me over a decade later.
"Let's go and finish this." Damien stated, stepping back and gesturing to the car and I raised an eyebrow.
"You think I'm dumb enough to get in a car with you?"
"The way I see it, you don't exactly have a choice." Damien pointed out and I scowled. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. He had Jude and I wanted her more than anything. I'd give up a lot more than cash to make sure she's happy and safe. "What's it gonna be Tom?" I sighed and clenched my jaw and started towards the car. Damien smirked and followed me.
"I thought you'd see it my way."
And you're lucky I have some restraint. I thought, fist tightening around the briefcase I had and would not hand over until I had Jude.
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After driving around the city in circles for several long minutes, presumably to lose a tail if I had one, before stopping at a warehouse near the docks. A lot of these places were either so run down that they were deemed unsafe and forced to close, abandoned, nearly abandoned, or so damn large no one would notice anything out of the ordinary. I gave myself a mental kick, not knowing why I didn't think of this before.
I followed Damien, silently, through the maze of warehouses to one in the middle of the mess, one of the old run down ones that was probably a safety hazard and filled with asbestos. Damien led me inside and I followed, momentarily blinded by the darkness. I stood for a moment, trying to get my bearings before following his echoing footsteps through the inside of the warehouse, having no idea where I was being led.
Damien stopped and opened a door to a lit room. The sudden light was harsh to my eyes from the darkness and I flinched.
"Welcome to my office, T." Damien said, his voice tinged with laughter and he stepped into the room and I followed. My eyes quickly landed on Jude on the other side of the room, lying on the cement floor, a gag covering her mouth and hands and feet tied together. Her eyes met mine and I saw relief fill them. I took a step towards her and Damien stopped me by grabbing my arm. I turned to look at him and Damien looked down at the briefcase and then at me. "The deal, first." Damien stated and held out a hand. I handed him the briefcase and he smiled, and set it on the desk before us and opened it, smiling at the bills and then closing it.
"Ya know T, who would have thought you'd end up some rich bastard." He said, clicking the clips into place and turning around to face me. "I mean, remember how we met"
"I don't see what the past has to do with this." I stated, staring him straight into the eyes. I know my past and I didn't need Damien spinning it for his own sick pleasure for Jude to hear. If she was going to hear about my criminal record, it'd be from me.
"I guess, you're right." Damien said with a shrug. I glanced over at Jude who was watching us, an unreadable look in her eyes and I turned my attention back to Damien, hoping I'd be able to get a chance to explain all this to her.
"You got what you want, now I get what I want." I stated and Damien sighed. "You take that cash, and you leave Jude alone. I don't give a shit what you do with it, but I don't want you to call her, me, or anyone else again. I don't even want to hear your name. You let Jude and me go and you disappear."
Damien's eyes narrowed but he nodded. I watched him go over to the briefcase and pick it up and head towards the door. I turned around and started to Jude. I saw her eyes widen in horror. I started to turn around when I felt the knife tear into my left side, below the shoulder. I couldn't hold back to cry of pain and I heard Damien's sickening laugh. I lost my balance and fell onto the floor, jarring the injury and wincing. I heard Jude making some kind of a noise against the gag.
Damien stepped over me and walked over to Jude, taking the gag out of her mouth. "Go ahead and scream. No one will hear you." He told her before standing back up and moving back towards me. I tried to get up, but it hurt too much. "Pleasure doing business with ya." Damien stated, reaching around me and pulling the knife out. I grunted in pain, determined not to cry out and heard Damien leave. I closed my eyes and bit my lip, trying to ignore the pain. I had to get up, I had to get Jude out of here.
"T-tommy?" I heard Jude say, my name coming out with a sob. I lifted my head to look at her, careful not to jar my shoulder.
"I'm ok." I managed to say weakly, feeling anything but. My head was swimming, darkness was starting to cloud my vision. I felt hot and my side-back where the knife went in was throbbing, shooting pain throughout me. I heard Jude sniffle and watched her scoot towards me.
"Don't lie to me." She said and I lay my head back down on the floor, the coolness feeling good against my hot forehead.
"Do you really want the truth?" I managed to say, my voice sounding not at all like me and I knew it was because of the pain. I didn't know how much longer I could stay awake. Between the pain and, I'm sure, blood loss…I felt my eyes grow heavy and darkness covered more of my vision. Just giving into the blackness seemed like such a good thing right now. Pain-free bliss and obliviousness was never a bad thing.
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I saw Tommy's eyes drift close as I closed the gap between us. I reached down with my hands, awkwardly, and ran my fingers through his hair. His eyes opened and he rolled his eyes up to look at me. He looked like hell, pale, shuddering breaths, and a look of pure pain in his eyes. I felt tears sting my eyes and I didn't bother to keep them back. I reached behind him with the intention to place my hands over his wound to stop the blood flow, but he reached up and stopped me.
"Scoot closer." He murmured, his voice sounding weaker than it had before. I didn't ask questions and did what he asked. I didn't know what he had planned, but it was obviously different from what I did. I heard him grunt and looked down as he reached up, with both hands, shaking slightly, and picking at the knots.
"Tommy, don't worry about-"
"I don't get you untied…" He stopped and took a deep breath, his fingers faltering over the ropes a moment as he took a moment to collect himself. His fingers started to go at the knots again as he continued what he was going to say. "We're both not getting out of here."
He was right. I knew he was, but tears fell freely from my eyes as I watched him struggle with the ropes that kept my hands together. Finally, I felt them give and he collapsed back down as I pulled my hands free. I felt a sob escape my throat and I reached down and pulled his head into my lap, stroking his face with one hand, pressing down on the bleeding wound with the other, hoping it wasn't too late to keep him alive.
"Tommy?" I managed to say, and he looked up at me, his eyes glazed over and not all the way there, but focused right on me. "Cell?"
"Pocket." He muttered weakly. I removed my hand from his cheek and checked his pockets, careful not to move him too much. Finally, I found it and pulled it free. I flipped it open and started to dial when I felt his hand on my wrist. I looked down at him and saw his eyes flutter and I knew he was struggling to stay awake. I felt a sob at the back of my throat. I was too late.
"Jude…I'm," He took a shaky breath. "Sorry. Love you."
"I love you too," I managed to say, tears falling more freely from my eyes. He smiled at me weakly and saw his eyes flutter close and his body go limp. The sob escaped and I pressed down harder on the wound, no longer concerned if I hurt him, only with keeping him alive. I flipped the cell open, and dialed 911 with shaky fingers and gave them all the necessary information to find us. The dispatcher stayed on the line with me, telling me things to do to try and keep him alive until the paramedics got here to save us before hanging up, not able to do much because he had passed out. I could only hope and pray that they'd find us in time. If they didn't…I couldn't even think about if they didn't. They had to find us.
I set his phone next to me and reached down and brushed some stray hairs off his forehead. He had to make it. I couldn't do this without him.
