Chapter 2: Punishment

3 days later…Alex had hitched several rides and managed to get to LA in one piece.

Alex stumbled across an LA neighborhood. His shoulder had stopped bleeding and was now a lump of bloodiness. He was hungry, moneyless and exhausted.

Passing a grocery store, Alex stumbled to the back where he collapsed on the ground.

I give up.

He laid there while hope was leaving his mind and strength leaving his body. What could he do? He had looked practically everywhere in LA, asking strangers if they knew of a Jesse Wilkins. But no one seemed to know.

Maybe Jesse hadn't come to LA like he said he would. Alex began to doubt.

He thought back to the day when he had last seen his brother.

Flashback:

"Jesse! Get your fucking ass down from your room!"

"What the hell do you want?" Jesse smirked as he came out of his room.

"Don't you dare use that tone with me young man or that will be last thing you say!"

Alex, who had been playing video games in the living room, was startled when he heard his father using his harsh tone. He quietly paused the game sensing that a storm was brewing.

"I fucking send you to school and this is how you show your gratitude?"

Jesse stood silently at the stairs not making a sound.

"How the hell did you FAIL all of your classes! How is it fucking possible? You lazy son-of-the-bitch! ANSWER ME!"

When Jesse still didn't answer, his father got angry. He grabbed Jesse by the hair and dragged him to the middle of the living room.

From where he was sitting, Alex knew exactly what's going to happen next and he wanted to prevent it.

"Dad! Stop it! Please stop it!" He tried to prevent his dad to do the inevitable, but his small 10 year old frame just could not shake the resolve of a 200 lb full grown man.

"I'll teach you!"

Before anyone else could protest, Alex's father punched Jesse straight in the nose. Blood oozed out and splattered the carpet.

For a second Alex's father looked stunned. But then he continued to punch Jesse in the face.

"I'll teach you a lesson! How DARE you be impertinent with me! How DARE you have an attitude! You fucking asshole! You are nothing but a worthless piece of shit! Get out of my house!"

"Fine!" This is the first word that Jesse had spoken all evening. Without another word, Jesse stood up, hurdled over the couch and headed for the front door.

That night, Alex had pleaded with his father to go look for Jesse when he didn't come back at midnight. But his father merely shrugged and went back to his drinking. When Alex insisted again, his father had lost his temper and had punched him in the head.

The last thing that Alex heard before passing out was "You wanna join your brother and rot in the streets? BE MY FUCKING GUEST!"

End flashback.

Alex sighed. That was 4 years ago. Fuck, I can't believe I endured 4 fucking years of that shit! Alex knew that he should have run away with his brother when he had the chance but he had hoped tirelessly that through some miracle, his family would reunite.

Suddenly, he heard the side door open and heard a woman's voice.

"Come on, Dom! We gotta do something! We can't just stay here and hide when both Jesse AND Vince were shot! Who's gonna be next?"

Fuck! Did I hear the name Jesse?

An unintelligible voice can be heard in the background. Alex sat up more, alert now and pressed his head forward to listen.

"What do you mean "stay put"? I HAVE TO talk about it! If I don't fucking talk about it, how am I supposed to fucking plan?"

Alex didn't know what Mia and Dom were talking about. All he had heard was a "Jesse" being mentioned. Either way, he knew that he couldn't stay in his hiding spot forever…imagine being found there by the owners of the angry voices….

As he rounded the front of the building, Alex tried to straighten his hair and brush the dust and blood off his clothes. At the door, he pushed gently on the door and entered into the store.

A beautiful woman with well shaped body was straightening out the shelves. She didn't seem to notice him until he sat down at the counter.

"How may I help you?" Her voice was pleasant although her eyes seemed distant and worried.

"Yes…please." Alex remembered to be polite. "I would like to have something to eat. How about a tuna sandwich for me…oh yea…and no crust."

Mia raised her eyebrow in surprise. Another tuna lover? Mia knew that no one other than the Team would appreciate her tuna sandwich.

"I wouldn't trust the tuna here. It's crappy."

Alex smiled. "I'll be the judge of that."

Mia lingered her gaze on Alex's face and frowned. Her eyes traveled down Alex's greasy hair to his bloodied shoulder. What happened? Mia wondered. She shrugged. After all, she should just mind her own business and worry about the other things.

After gulping down the tuna sandwich with a glass of milk, Alex felt that his hunger was a little sedated. Just as he was about to leave the store, he heard a stern voice behind him.

"That will be $3.30 please!"

Alex sighed. He extended his hand into his pants pocket and searched. Nothing came up except for a quarter which he was saving for a phone call if he ever need to do so.

He looked at the woman standing before him with her hands on her hips. Gosh, she has a beautiful body! Alex eyed the distance to the door and decided that she can take this punk girl any time.

"I'm sorry. I don't have any money." Alex smirked.

"What do you mean you don't have any money? What the fuck did you think this is? A soup kitchen?"

That woman was faster than she looked. Before Alex had time to react, Mia had him trapped between herself and the wall.

"Mia!" A deep, gravel voice called. "Mia! Stop it! What's going on?"

Mia dropped her hands which just seemed to find itself at Alex throat. She blushed. As she turned away, Alex was face to face with a gigantic man with huge bulging muscles and menacing eyes. Actually Alex is pretty short for his 14 years, so he was actually staring at the man's broad chest.

"Dom, this kid here thinks he can just come in here and eat whatever he wants and not pay for it." Mia explained.

"Is that so?" The huge man's voice was dangerously soft as he took a huge step to confront Alex. "Mia, get back to work, I'll take care of it."

Mia shrugged. She has had enough to deal with for the past few days.

Dom turned to Alex who was shivering against the wall.

"What's your name, kid?"

Alex was scared. He didn't know what to do. He doesn't want to tell his real name—

"WHAT'S YOUR FUCKING NAME?"

"Alex…Burnham". Alex was shocked that a lie just came out of his mouth, but at least he didn't lie about his whole name.

"Alex Burnham what?"

Alex was confused and when he didn't answer immediately. Dom lifted his fist and smashed it on the wall next to Alex's head.

"My name is Alex Burnham, sir." Alex was now truly scared. He wished that he didn't spend his last $10 on beer.

Alex shrank from the big man. He pleaded.

"Please, sir, I'm sorry but I don't have any money. Please, I will never do this again? I'm sorry, sir, so sorry—" Alex couldn't help but ramble.

"—Are you a cop?" Dom intercepted.

"Wha..? of course not. Why do I look like one?" Alex tried to crack a joke but his smile withered as he saw Dom growl.

"What the fuck! They send younger and younger ones everyday!" Dom roared. He lifted his fist to Alex's face.

"No! I don't know what you are talking about!" Alex shut his eyes and whimpered.

Dom looked at Alex for a second and nodded, convinced for now that Alex is not threat. He backed off slightly to give the whimpering boy just a little more room.

"Ok kid, if you think you can fuckin' come in here and fool around then you can better be ready to face the consequences. Since you say that this is your first time, I will go easy on you. To pay off for what you owe me, you will work the rest of the afternoon for me."

"That's not fair!" Alex said without thinking then regretted his outburst. "I only owe you $3!"

"Not fair?" Dom gripped Alex by the hair. "Does a knucklehead sandwich sound fairer to you?" Dom put his other fist under Alex's chin.

Alex hung his head, defeated, might as well do what the big man says and get this over with.

Alex glumly followed Dom into the small kitchen in the back of the store and he immediately found himself on all fours and scrubbing the dirty tiles with a toothbrush.