Next chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it means a lot!

FRANK

I woke early. The clock read 4:30am. I was having another nightmare about my little brother. They kept recurring every night, and they were getting worse. This one had me watching Tom torturing my brother, physically and mentally.

"Hon, are you okay?" Callie whispered to me. She had spent the night, we both fell asleep rather early. I nodded, not looking at her in the eyes, "Did you have another nightmare?". I nodded again. She sat up and started rubbing my back slowly.

"He… he was torturing him, Cal. And I couldn't do anything to stop it." I whispered.

"It was just a dream. Joe will be okay." She tried to reassure me, "Let's go get some breakfast."

"I'm not hungry Cal, but you go down."

"Frank, you need to eat something. You won't be doing your brother any good if you collapse."

"You're...you're right." I sighed and got out of bed, "Thank you for being here, I'd be going crazy without you." I gave her a small affectionate kiss.

"I'm happy to be here"

A few hours later, the gang was back at my house. We were just missing Chet, but he texted saying he wasn't feeling well.

"Should we go check Chet?" Biff asked the group, after we got situated in the living room, again.

"Maybe, the text he sent was a little weird." Tony answered.

"How about in a couple of hours?" Vanessa offered, taking into account why we were really meeting up, to comfort each other in this terrible time.

JOE

Everything hurt. I was having trouble breathing. Chet kept giving me looks of concern and I told him not to worry. But, that was a lie. I was getting worried, I knew I needed medical treatment sooner rather than later.

"What did he do to you, Joe?" My friend asked, slowly, breaking the silence.

"Where...do I...begin?" I breathed out.

"If it's too hard to talk" Chet started but I cut him off,

"No...I need...someone to...know. Just..in case." Chet gave me a look but said nothing, "After the...hospital, I...woke up..in a room. My..hands and...leg were...tied to the...bed. In...walked Tom. He...was acting...like my family...gave me soup...let me..go to the...bathroom. But then" I had to stop talking to catch my breath. I took a couple of deep painful breaths and kept telling my tale, "He wanted...to play..trouble. Ironic...right. I kept...rolling good...numbers...and he...got pissed...That's how..I got..all the face...bruises... like it...was my...fault the dice...were weird… I knew…after that...I needed...to get out...soon...or I was...a goner."

"Jeez Joe. I'm so sorry," Chet shook his head, "So how'd you get to my house? And with a broken leg no less."

"Honestly...that was...just luck. I hit...him with...the back...of the toilet.."
"You're kidding!?" My friend chuckled.

"Completely...honest...I knocked...him out...and got out...of the...house."

"And you came from the creepy house on the hill? That's like a 10 minute walk!"

"Yea...it was...long...My leg...really hurts…"

"You aren't supposed to put weight on a broken leg. Let alone walk 10 minutes." Chet gave me a look.

"I...I didn't really… have a… choice." I whispered, "He..was going to..kill me...probably still..will."

"Joe, don't say that! Help will be coming!" I didn't answer right away, "Your dad and Frank haven't stopped looking for you, Joe. They're going stir crazy."

"Frank..is okay?"

"Of course he is. He has a sling for his shoulder wound but other than that, he's okay. They've been looking into every lead trying to figure out where you are. The guys and I have been skipping school, trying to do anything to help."

"Thanks... Chet." I spoke with emotion.

"You're family, you've been since you guys moved here years ago. I mean, you can get annoying sometimes and are a handful, but you're my little brother." I cringed at that word. Tom kept calling me his little brother and I hated it.

"You okay?" Chet asked, looking concerned.

"Yea...i'm okay… He... he keeps...calling me..that, ...thinks he'd...be the..older twin."

"And that's why he was making you call him…?" I nodded, my friend just shook his head and looked at me with sad eyes, "We need to get out of here."

"I...have an..idea...and you...aren't going...to like it"

"Joe, if this idea is you sacrificing yourself or something, no. It's a non starter."

"No...it's you...leaving to...go get...help"

"No, absolutely not! I'm leaving you alone, with him."

"Chet...hear me...out. I...can't walk...and...let's be...real...I need...medical attention...soon."
"You told me you were okay."

"You...know me…" I gave Chet my goofy grin. He just shook his head.

"How would I even get out? I'm still tied up."

"Don't...worry. I...have a...plan…"

CHET

I didn't like it. Joe's plan, but seeing as we had no more options, i guess we were going with it. Joe believed that Tom was going to bring down food, and with food, a fork or knife. While Joe made a distraction, I would attempt to grab anything to cut myself free. What Joe's distraction was, I didn't know and didn't really want to know.

"You sure about this, Joe?" I asked my friend.

"Yes...we...are good." He gasped out, he was looking paler and paler. Worry was setting in, but I couldn't focus on that now, because Joe's twin was coming.

"Hello, hello." Tom smiled at both of us, "I brought some sandwiches, peanut butter and jam. I raided your fridge Chet, I hope you don't mind."

"That's..that's fine." I answered.

"I don't want to feed you, so I'm going to untie one arm. But don't test me." Joe gave me a look. He was right. Imagine that.

"Thanks...big...brother." Joe mumbled, forcing a smile. Tom went and untied my arm first, handed me a slice and then went over to Joe. He left the tray of sandwiches near me and true to Joe's word, there was a butter knife sitting on the plate. I slowly moved my hand closer to the knife, trying to grab it.

"These...are some...good sandwiches," Joe told his twin.

"Thanks little bro." Tom answered with a smile, playing with Joe's hair, "Knew you would like them." Joe gave me a look, asking if I got the knife. I moved my head slightly, indicating no. But I was close.

"Big...brother...what's...your plan…?" My friend asked slowly, Tom turned his head towards him. His eyes were off me and I quickly grabbed the knife and hid it in my shirt. The twin was oblivious.

"Would you stop asking me that!" Tom raised his voice slightly, "We've already talked about how I hate your questions!" Tom suddenly slapped Joe hard in the face, twice. Joe gasped hard and spat blood onto the floor. His twin was shaking his head, "I do nice things and this is how you act!". Tom looked like he was going in for another slap.

"Hey, hey." I spoke up, "Stop this. Joe didn't mean it like that." Tom ignored my comment and went in for a slap, then another and another. I winced but didn't say anything. I thought I would upset him more. Tom finally stopped and Joe had closed his eyes, his breath coming in short gasps. Tom grabbed Joe's arm and secured it back to the arm. Then, doing the same treatment to me. He didn't notice the missing knife as he picked up the plate and left the room with a sigh.

"Oh my god Joe" I looked at my friend. His eyes were still closed, "are you alright?" Joe shook his head slightly, slowly opening his eyes to look at me.

"Get….it?" My friend whispered softly.

"What a stupid plan. You knew he'd go off his rocker, and you still went along with it! Yes, I got it, but god Joe…" I stopped talking.

"I'm...okay…." My friend mumbled slowly, I didn't believe him for a minute.

"That was stupid Joe. You knew that was going to happen." Joe shrugged, the pain still evident in his eyes. I began to cut myself free. As I was only using a butter knife, it took quite a while.

Finally, the arm restraint came off and I untied myself. Slowly, I got up and walked over to my friend, "Joe, I don't want to leave you here…",

"Chet… I….I don't...have...any energy...left...No way...I'd be...able to...walk…."

"Then, I'll carry you if I have to. Joe, I'm not leaving you here with him. This isn't up for discussion." I looked at my friend, then cut his restraints off. Joe shook his head in disbelief, but I could tell in his eyes, he didn't want to stay, "Here. I'll help you up". I gently grabbed his arms as Joe tried to stand up. He winced in pain, but kept quiet. Sweat was already pouring off of him from the strain. I put his arm over my shoulder, to make it easier for him to walk. Our eyes met and with a look of determination, we slowly made our way out of my furnace room.