Sorry about the wait for this chapter. I actually finished it at 3am, but didn't want to post it until a slightly more awake me and my beta read it through.
I'm sorry for the cliff hanger last chapter but they are just so fun to write.
(It's like the book 13 Reasons Why where every chapter is basically a cliff hanger cause you need to know WHY IS CLAY ON THESE TAPES... anyway...)
Please enjoy!
TW: Abuse
~TH~
Race paced back in forth in the alley. He could see Jack's apartment. Why wasn't he back yet? Why hadn't Jack answered his phone?
He checked the time again, counting down the final few seconds. Fifteen Minutes. Time was up. He was going after him.
The apartment was old looking and it wasn't kept up well. Race stood at the bottom of the building. He probably shouldn't use the front door. Maybe the fire escape? He counted the windows, hoping he had the right apartment.
Race stood to the side, craning his neck to see if it was the right apartment. He'd just have to guess, but he didn't want to walk in on some random person's apartment.
His heart stopped. Jack was in the room. Lying on the floor. He wasn't moving.
The window was open a crack and Race wasted no time opening it the rest of the way. He ducked in and was at his friend's side in a second.
"Jack?" He said quietly, not knowing what to do with his hands. Did he touch him? Shake him? Would that just cause more problems? "Jack, come on, don't be dead. Please don't be dead." Spot was going to kill him. He never should have let Jack come back!
"Jack! Come on answer me!" The door to the bedroom was closed, but Race was still afraid of being too loud. He looked at his friend. His face was a mess, swollen and covered in bruises. And… there was blood coming from his mouth. This was bad. This was really bad.
Race put two fingers on Jack's neck and was relieved to feel a pulse. He had no clue what kind of pulse. Was it too fast? Too slow? Weak? He didn't know. All he knew was that there was a pulse."Come on, wake up!"
He couldn't breathe. Jack wasn't waking up. He may have been alive, but he was hurt. Bad.
Race was panicking. This was bad. No. Not now. He needed to focus. But how was he supposed to focus when there was blood all over Jack's face!?
He made a decision. Forgot promises. Forget everything. He pulled out his phone and dialled 9-1-1. His hands were shaking. This was bad. This was bad.
"9-1-1 what is your emergency?"
"I-I need an ambulance."
"Tell me where you are."
Race gave her the address. "I don't- I don't think he's breathing right.
"Okay," a calming voice answered. "Tell me what happened."
"I, I don't- there's blood coming from his mouth and I-I don't, I don't know what to do!"
"Okay, blood coming from his mouth, whose mouth?"
"My friend. He's hurt. Bad."
"Can you tell me how he got hurt?"
Race remained quiet for a moment. What was he supposed to do? To say?
"Hello? Are you still there?"
"Yes, yes, I'm here."
"Okay, good, can you tell me your friend's name?"
"Jack, his name is J-Jack."
"And what's your name?"
"Tyler. Please, you gotta get here!" He was starting to cry. He couldn't cry. He needed to calm down. Just calm down!
"Okay, Tyler, we have someone on the way. Can you tell me how Jack got hurt?"
"I-I," He didn't know what to say. "I'm not supposed to tell you!" Stop. Breathe. Not now.
"Tyler, I need you to stay calm. Who doesn't want you to tell?"
"I don't- Jack- He- he made me promise." His free hand was gripping his hair. No. He needed to calm down. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe!
"Tyler, I know you don't want to tell me, but I need to know what happened."
Race shook his head. He couldn't.
"Tyler, I need you to talk to me. Who hurt Jack?"
"His, his foster dad. I dunno what happened! I told him not to go back!"
"Back where? To his house?"
"But he said he wouldn't be there. But he must've been because, because," Why couldn't he just be like a normal person and breathe?!
"Okay, it's okay, stay on the line. We'll have officers there in about ten minutes, okay? Can you hang on for about ten minutes?"
"I-I don't-"
Jack started coughing, red spewing out of his mouth. Race gasped, dropping the phone. He helped his friend sit up. He was nearly convulsing. "Jack, come on Jack, breathe for me."
His eyes blinked open and in a weak voice he whispered, "Race?"
"Yes, yes! It's me! We're gonna get you help, okay?"
"Chest... Hurts..." He mumbled letting his eyes slide closed.
"Nononono, come on Jack, keep your eyes open." He sniffled, relieved that his friend was awake but still scared because he was so… hurt.
"Tryin'. Why, why are you here?"
"I told you I would come after you if you took longer than fifteen minutes." He let out a half sob, half laugh. "What happened Jack?"
"I di'n know he was here. He was watin' on me." He leaned into his friend. "I thought he was gonna kill me, Race. He took my phone an'-" Jack's eyes widened and he pushed Race away, "You gotta go, you gotta get out'a here!"
"No!" he responded, "I'm not leaving you!"
"He'll kill you if he finds you!"
"You're crazy if you think I'm leaving you here with him!"
A muffled sound came from the phone.
"Wha-what are you doing?" Jack said, beginning to panic, More blood dripped from his mouth as he was overtaken by a vicious cough.
As soon as Jack had begun to breathe again, Race picked up the phone.
"Tyler? Is everything okay?"
"He- he's coughing, but he's awake."
"You called the cops!?" Jack hissed.
"I thought you were dead!" Race justified, still holding the phone to his ear.
Both boys stopped as they heard it. Footsteps. Angry footsteps.
"He's coming." Race whispered into the phone.
"Get out of here!" Jack tried a final time. "Please, jus' go!"
"I ain't leavin' ya!"
"Tyler," the voice was still calm, Race didn't know how. "Stay on the line. No matter what happens, don't hang up."
The door slammed open. Race put his phone down and slid it to the other side of the room.
"Ah. So you must be Race." Snyder growled, holding up Jack's cell phone. Race didn't know what he expected to see, maybe some kind of monster, or creepy old man, but what he saw was a well-dressed gentleman. The only thing that gave him away was the evil look on his face.
"Mr Snyder, p-please." Jack spoke up. "Please just leave him alone."
The man clucked his tongue. "Leave him alone? Maybe I'd be able to if you hadn't blabbed about everything!"
Race was tempted to shy away as the man got closer, but he wouldn't leave Jack alone. The older boy was propped up against him, too weak to sit up on his own.
"Leave him alone!" Race hissed, holding his friend closer to his chest. "Just leave him alone!"
The tears were dried now, but the feeling of helplessness was still there.
"I don't think I will." Race wasn't fast enough to stop the blow from coming down on Jack's midsection. He cried out, coughing up more blood. He'd already lost more than he should have.
Race didn't know what to do as he was grabbed by the arm and pulled into a standing position. Jack barely caught himself before hitting his head on the floor.
"My ward here wants me to leave you alone. And I suppose I can if you run home and never speak of this again. But if you say one thing to anyone I swear I'll-"
Sirens sounded in the background, coming closer. "You called the cops!" Snyder screamed.
Race gasped as Snyder shoved him into the wall. His eyes darted around the room desperately trying to find a way out. It had been a while since he was in a situation like this. A knife blade was pressed to his throat, causing him to go still with a stuttering breath.
"You called the cops on me, boy." Snyder spit in his face.
Race just tried to remind himself how to breathe. He needed something to distract himself. He needed something to do. Was that Jack's phone in the man's pocket? Could he get it without him noticing?
"Stop!" Jack called weakly, pushing himself onto unsteady feet. "Please,"
The older man didn't move, "Why should I?"
"You, you have time. They aren't here yet! You can still get away!"
Race pocketed the phone. It should not have been that easy.
Snyder turned his head towards Jack. "I can get away?"
Race could see Jack pale even more. "We, we can still get away."
"What?!" Race didn't know if he was angry or scared. "Jack, you can't!"
The blade was pressed closer to his neck and he could feel a trickle of blood. "This conversation doesn't concern you." The force of the words caused Race to close his eyes and stifle a whimper.
"I'll, I'll, go with you, just please, leave him alone." Jack managed a couple steps before falling to his knees, breathing hard.
Snyder loosened his grip slightly. "How can I trust you anymore? You only have a couple months left in the system."
"I'll stay!" He broke into a coughing fit, blood dripping from his mouth. "Please, I'll stay, just leave him alone!"
"You won't run?" Snyder was getting what he wanted. Race could see it in his eyes. He was excited at the prospect of keeping Jack even longer.
"No, I promise. I won't run, I won't talk to anyone. You can do whatever you want with me, just leave him alone. Please." Jack was crying. He sounded almost panicked. Race had only known him for a month and yet Jack was sacrificing his freedom for him.
"Anything?" Snyder smiled. Race struggled harder against the man's grip.
Jack looked even more terrified, his breathing becoming a little more erratic at the implication. Then his eyes met Race's. "Anything, just let him go."
"Jack, no you can't!"
Snyder removed the knife and threw Race to the ground. In one swift movement, he walked over and grabbed Jack by the wrist. "Then let's go,"
He jerked the boy up and Race could see all remaining colour drain from his face. Jack didn't struggle as he was dragged towards the window. Race got to his feet and started running towards the two. Snyder stopped, spinning them both around and placing the knife at Jack's throat. "Don't. I'd hate to have to kill him here."
Race stopped and watched Jack's face. He looked panicked, eyes wide and a gasping erratic breath. Whether it was because of pain or fear was anybody's guess.
Snyder turned and continued pulling his ward through the window.
~TH~
Sorry... that cliff hanger probably isn't any better than the last...
Same goes for the next chapter...
Let's just say that we have to have a lot of angst before it can come down to comfort, okay?
I warned you guys there would be a rough couple chapters!
Anyway...
Let me know what you think!
Stay safe my friends 3
God bless,
Jamie
