A/N: As usual, suggestive comments, but nothing happens. Nothing will happen in this story that has anything to do with any sexual assault except for comments, to those of you who are worried it might be gearing up to something. I don't like writing that, so I don't. Thanks!
Consciousness came back in waves.
It ebbed and flowed in time with the fire in my veins, my heart thudding rapidly in my chest. My breath wheezed in my lungs, shallow slivers of air barely satisfying my breathlessness. I was jostled with each step, and I soon put together that I was draped in someone's arms, held steadily.
The knowledge was distant, and I knew I should be more panicked. I should be fighting to get away, to wake up and figure out what was going on, but I felt so bloody awful that I couldn't make myself.
Had I gotten sick? Was Ian carrying me to bed or something? Why did that sound so wrong?
Muted voices were chattering around me, but they all seemed too far away to be from the person carrying me. My limbs hung bonelessly, swaying with each step. God, I'd never felt so sick…were we to my bed yet? And why was it so cold?
I was jolted further into awareness when whoever was holding me stumbled, coming dangerously close to dropping me before righting himself, muttering a quiet curse laced with pain and exhaustion. It was distinctly not Ian's voice.
Wait. I knew them. That was…that was Bear.
In an instant, everything came flooding back. I'm…Matthew. Not Alex, Matthew Smith…Ian's dead, Jack's dead, Sabina's dead…I joined the SAS to hide, and I'm Jaguar…and right now…
Shit.
I'm a bloody hostage.
"It'd be easier if ye carried him over yer shoulder," a deep Irish voice commented, sounding exasperated. "Moving at de pace of a glacier, ye are."
"I can't," Bear said, and I could hear the exhaustion clearer now. He didn't sound much better than I felt. He readjusted his grip on me, his arms shaking. "His blood pressure is nearly bottoming out. The last thing he needs is to be upside down."
"Want me to take him for a while?" A new voice said, one that sent shivers up and down my spine, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. Whose—
Shit. Hollis.
"No," Bear said resolutely, his voice little more than a growl.
Hollis laughed. "Just offering to help. You SAS kids are birds of a feather, aren't you?"
"What?"
I heard a pause, letting myself gradually adjust to the world, trying to control the pain wracking my arm and shoulder. Hollis voice started again. "When we came in, you were out cold, and he dragged himself in front of you like a little guard dog. He told us to take him and not you. Adorable, really."
Bear didn't respond. His arms tightened imperceptibly.
Oh. I had done that, hadn't I? Fat lot of good it did now.
The last thing I remembered as I wracked my pounding head was being loaded into a car. I assumed we'd stopped somewhere and had to continue on foot, but I didn't know where we were going or why we were abandoning the faster method of transportation. It didn't feel like we were moving very quickly.
I felt Bear's arms quiver more heavily under my weight, his chest heaving in breaths, but he didn't let go, and he kept moving. I didn't know why he was doing that for me. I did, but…it didn't make sense. I remembered he probably had a nasty concussion…he was killing himself to make sure I didn't deteriorate or that Hollis or the others didn't touch me.
Bloody hell. I didn't deserve them as a unit. They were far too good for me.
I came to fully in that moment, intent on taking some of the pressure off of Bear, but I wasn't sure how well I could support myself.
I groaned, rolling my head on Bear's arm where it lolled and trying to lift it, opening my eyes. I felt him come to a stop as my vision cleared.
"Jaguar?" He asked, his voice rough in poorly disguised relief. I blinked up at him, squinting in the sunlight.
"Where…?" I breathed, trying to get a firmer handle on the situation.
"Oh, soldier boy's awake," Hollis' voice commented, and I heard him coming closer, branches snapping under his feet. Bear took a step back, turning slightly, moving me away from him.
I heard Hollis chuckle as I tried to keep my eyes open, taking in our surroundings. "I'm not going to do anything. Just checking on the well-being of my hostages."
As far as I could tell, we were somewhere in one of the Czech forests—I couldn't have been out long enough for us to flee the country, and there was no way they'd been able to pass through a border with two passengers unconscious and bleeding. They must have ditched the vehicle and were continuing through the forest to a extraction site or a safehouse of some kind to plan their next move.
Through the thick branches hovering above us, I could just make out shafts of sunlight coming from the left at an angle…the sun was maybe a couple hours from setting, it seemed. My brain couldn't do the calculations at the moment, but I filed the information away for later.
Hollis, it seemed, was walking in front of us, toting a machine gun slung over his shoulder, I supposed provided by his friends. He'd taken his jewelry out, I noticed…I supposed he no longer needed the gadgets. One of the Irishmen was with him. Turning my head slowly, my brain pounding from the head wound I'd almost forgotten about, I saw the other Irishmen and another man behind us, similar weapons in hand. I grimly recognized the unknown man—it was the man who'd been reading the newspaper behind the counter when we'd stopped for gas.
Damn, they'd had this entire thing planned.
"I can…walk," I breathed quietly, not liking how unsteady Bear looked, though I knew I probably looked a sight worse.
"You sure?" His voice was dubious.
Swallowing, I nodded, though I wasn't sure how much of my weight I'd be able to hold. I needed help soon, but first we had to get out of this mess.
Bear set my legs down, keeping a firm arm around my waist. Dried blood crusted his hair and neck as I got a better look at him, but he seemed to be cognizant and aware of everything going on, at least. And if he was able to carry me for God knows how long, he must be physically alright.
My knees collapsed as soon my feet hit the forest floor, but I forced myself to stand on principle, because Hollis and his band of pricks weren't getting anymore humiliation from me.
I felt something shift on my ankle, under my pants, and nearly laughed in relief. The stupid bastards had probably assumed the gun in the truck and the one they'd probably taken from Bear had been our only weapons, doing a quick search of our pockets in their haste and calling it a day.
Amateurs.
"How do you feel?" Bear asked as we struggled to keep moving, one of my arms slung over his shoulders. He stumbled under my weight, but righted himself quickly when one of the goons behind us shoved a pistol into his back.
"…not good," I breathed reluctantly, my left arm tucked against me in an effort to keep it stable. I tried to stay quiet so the others wouldn't hear, in case we weren't supposed to be talking. "Where…are we going?"
"Think they said to a cabin of some kind," he said quietly, wincing. He must have had a killer headache. I didn't envy him. "Spending the night to wait for a bigger transport. Dunno what they plan to do with us, though."
I nodded slowly, trying not to aggravate my head wound, and took a shaky breath. "Right."
"Why don't ye quit gossiping and focus on moving yer prissy little arses a bit faster," the Irishman in front of us growled with a backwards glance. "If we're not dere in de next hour, so help me, I'll shoot one of ye."
Well, that would suck, considering we were both already unsteady.
"Offer stands if you need an extra shoulder," Hollis threw back with a smirk, and I steadfastly avoided his gaze, sweat rolling into my eyes despite the cold.
Bear tried to take a bit more of my weight, but I shook my head, hissing in pain. "Don't. You're barely…moving as it is."
Bear took a steadying breath. "Hate to tell you, mate, but…you're on a downward slope. I'm a lot more worried about you than me."
I didn't comment.
We moved steadily, stopping once to rest when I well and truly felt like I was about to keel over, much to Hollis' amusement. Fifty minutes and some change later, we arrived at a disheveled looking cabin standing firm against the elements, the wood weathered and the iron porch rail considerably rusted.
"Get them inside," Irishman 1 ordered, the fake store attendant and Irishman 2 corralling us inside. "Hollis."
Hollis, after a wink in my direction, and he began talking in hushed voices, keeping an eye out as they did so, while we stumbled inside the little cabin.
There was a kitchenette to one side, the sparse counterspace covered in dust and leaves. A rusty tin coffee pot sat on the gas stove, which looked like it had been built with spare parts from a forgotten rubbish yard. The chair and couch in what was supposed to be the sitting room were covered with clear plastic, also shrouded in dust. A thin hallway led to what I assumed was a bedroom and bathroom, but we didn't get that far.
Irishman 2 kicked aside the rug with his foot, grabbing the metal ring protruding from the floor and heaving, revealing a short ladder and a dark, dank basement, covered in cobwebs. From what I could see, a naked bulb hung from the ceiling, earthen walls filled with weeds and crumbling remnants of brick.
Shit. This was going to make escape loads harder.
Getting down was tricky, but somehow, we managed. "Behave yerselves and we'll consider killing ye quickly," one of the Irishmen said with a smirk.
Bear helped me slump against one of the rough walls, dirt staining my hair as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, panting. The heavy boom or the trap door and the rustling of the rug being replaced was thunderous, and I know Bear saw me flinch.
"Shit," he echoed my thoughts, running a hand through his blood-stained hair and standing, walking the small basement. It had obviously been brick-walled, once, but probably decades of disuse and elemental weathering had reduced it to little more than an earthen cellar. "Shit."
I agreed with him.
"We have…to get out," I panted, using most of my strength just to keep my head up.
"Obviously, mate. How?" Bear asked, hands on his hips as he surveyed the space, his lanky frame stooping as his head brushed the low ceiling. "Unless you want to go completely Shawshank Redemption …"
I gave a breathless laugh, gripping my arm as another wave of fire speared through me. "That's exactly…the plan."
Bear raised a dubious eyebrow. "Please, James Bond. Give me the plan."
"My…right ankle…" I said, nodding to my foot. "Didn't…find my knife." I coughed shakily, my breathing shallow. "The bricks are…loose enough to…pry away, and the knife will help you…with the thicker patches of…of dirt."
I gasped, shutting my eyes against the exhaustion and panic I could feel welling up inside of me. I was deteriorating quickly. "You've gotta…work quickly."
Bear didn't question it, rolling up my dirt-stained cargo pants and unsheathing the knife, setting it aside. He put a hand on my forehead, glancing at my wound. The bandages were bloodied and yellow, dirt staining the outside.
"You're not doing well," he said quietly, eyes worried. "Lie flat, come on."
With a wince and a lot of Bear's help, I managed to get myself lying flat, which made breathing easier. He rolled up his windbreaker and put it under my head, leaving him in just his long-sleeved shirt. The weather was too cold for that.
To make matters worse, he knelt beside my injured arm and used the knife to cut off his sleeves, slitting one side, and began to peel away the soiled bandages.
I couldn't stop the grunt of pain that left me, my back arching off the ground as the inflamed, open wound was pulled. "Sorry," he said quietly, eyes focused. "I don't have anything to disinfect it, but we need to get something relatively clean on it. With the dust and dirt down here, your infection is going to get a lot worse if we don't."
I nodded breathlessly, my muscles coiled tight as he continued. "Bloody…hell…"
He laughed, but it was humorless. "Yeah, yell at me all you want, mate."
He finished quickly, tying off the makeshift bandage as tightly as he could without sending me back into unconsciousness. "That should hold for a while."
I rolled my head across the makeshift pillow, breathing heavily. "Get started…now, then. Start on…the place where…the dirt crumbles fastest, and…go quickly." I closed my eyes, thinking as quickly as my addled mind could manage. "Find a spot on…the back wall where they…can't see if they don't come down. How long…did you carry me?"
I wasn't under any illusion that we'd have infinite time alone down here, but working with what I had, this was the best I could come up with. The earth was loose this time of year, with late summer rains loosening the dirt. Two distinct voices were above us, which meant that two were probably outside, patrolling. We'd take their own strategy, the one they used on us at our campsite, and Bear would sneak out when they came in to change guards. We'd be listening, and the second there was a different voice, he'd go.
I hadn't yet told him he'd be going alone. I had a feeling he wouldn't take that too well.
Bear was feeling around the walls, knife in hand. Heavy footsteps echoing above the wooden floor stopped him cold, muffled voices filtering through the floorboards, but we didn't hear the rustle of the rug. He continued, saying quietly, "Maybe two hours. I woke up in the back of the car, and we stopped…I dunno, half an hour later. Ditched the car and continued on foot. I'm not sure how long we'd been in there."
I nodded, running calculations as quickly as I could. "It was…11:30 ish, when we stopped…you carried me two hours…we continued for an hour…when I woke, the sun was…maybe…I dunno, it might've been around four o'clock…"
I distantly remembered that it was late October, and Prague had undergone its time change. "No…three…Ian said late October meant…everybody in Europe set the clocks back…"
I took a shaky breath, coughing weakly and ignoring Bear's worried look before continuing, listening to the steady scraping of the knife in the wall. "So it's probably…four now…three miles an hour, maybe…we walked nine miles…and drove for an hour and a half…"
I swallowed. God, what I would give for some water. "When they ditched…the car…what did you see…?"
"We ditched it in a rubbish yard, I think," Bear said, voice strained as he worked steadily at the wall. "There was an office, but no one seemed to be in it. I'm not sure if there was an arrangement or if they just took advantage of an empty scrap yard."
I nodded, swallowing again. "Let's hope…the latter. Can you get back to the…the yard?"
Bear continued, his pace quickening as the plan began to take hold. "I think so. This is…actually easier than it looks."
I laughed breathlessly. "It's actually…a lot easier to…tunnel through loose dirt than people think. Make it…small so you…don't compromise the foundation, and…maybe a little over four meters long," I breathed. That should get him past the house of the wall with some buffer room. "How far…in are you…?"
"Maybe a third of a meter," he said, grunting as he wrestled with what I assumed was a particularly stubborn root. "Dirt keeps falling from the ceiling and getting in my bloody way…"
A third of a meter…that was actually good progress for such a short time. The dirt must've been looser than I thought. I figured it would take him…eight hours, maybe, and then we'd wait for the changing of the guard. Luckily, he'd have the night to hide him.
"You're going to get dirty," I supplied, shifting with a hiss of pain. "When the time comes…you'll need to…crawl like hell, and dig up. Digging up will be a lot easier than…than this. Hold your breath, don't breathe…in the dust or dirt…if you can, and when you reach…the forest floor, run like hell."
Bear stopped, then, and turned, incredulity painting his usually buoyant features. "You're absolutely not asking me to leave you here."
"Keep going," I insisted. "We don't have time. And…yes, I am. You can't…carry me and run, and I'm…bloody useless right now."
Bear, begrudgingly, kept digging, but that didn't stop the argument like I hoped it would. "I'm not leaving you here, Jaguar. You heard Lion. No man left behind."
Ah, shit. I didn't have the energy to argue this right now. "It's not up for…debate."
"I outrank you," Bear reminded me pointedly. "I don't know if you've noticed, but you're dying, Jaguar. If I leave you here by yourself, who knows what they'll do to you when they find me missing? And I am absolutely bloody not leaving you with Hollis, that creep."
All excellent points. That didn't invalidate my argument, though. "How quickly…could you travel ten miles…carrying me? Not stopping?"
He was silent for a second, only the sounds of muted voices laughing above us and loose dirt falling as he dug. "I don't know, Jaguar. Maybe…maybe four hours or so."
I resisted the urge to scoff, breathing heavily. That was generous. I'd give it no less than five. "And alone?"
"I'm not leaving you here." He didn't want to prove my point, then.
"I know…you don't want to. I don't want…to be left behind," I admitted quietly, staring resolutely at the ceiling. It swayed and dipped, my vision fading in and out. "But…the others…can't track us. Not with…with how careful these guys are. And I…Bear, you said it. I'm dying. I can't…stand, let alone run, and you'll need…to run."
He didn't say anything, his actions growing more aggressive. I heard him curse under his breath. "I need…help, and…I'm not going to get it…here. If you can…get to the others before the…transport arrives, we have…a shot." I breathed shakily. "They're going to kill us. We stay…we both die. You take me…we both die. You go…we both…have a chance."
"And what if, when they find out I'm gone, they cut their losses and kill you, huh?" He asked angrily, swiping a dirty hand through his hair. "What then?"
I swallowed. "They took hostages…for a reason. They'll probably need me…to bargain their way out…of the country or through airspace," I reasoned quietly. "And Hollis…much as I hate it…I don't think he's…finished taunting me. And his ego is huge, so…I doubt he'll let them…kill me." I hoped, anyways.
He didn't respond. Despite the panic in my heart, the pain wracking my body, I took it as a win.
…
We had a scare three hours later when Hollis opened the trap door to taunt us, but luckily, he didn't come down. Bear adjusted himself to stand in front of the hole he'd made so much progress on, his hands shaking.
I heard the rug rustle, rousing me from the doze I'd slipped into, and my heart skipped a beat of panic as I heard Bear scuttling quickly back to the room, hastily shaking the dirt from his sandy hair. The lock clinked as he haphazardly moved bricks quickly to the entrance, coving a portion of the small hole before he stood quickly, moving a few paces away as the door opened.
Hollis crouched at the entrance, and I opened my eyes slowly, blinking him into focus. "How you doing, soldier boy?"
I didn't respond, a weak cough rattling my lungs. He held a water bottle in his hand, and I couldn't help but hope it was for us. I was so dehydrated I was sure that would kill me before the infection.
"He's not well," Bear said after a second of hesitation, his voice quiet, but confident. I glanced at him. He was standing at his full height (well, as much as he could when his taller-than-average frame brushed the ceiling) hands fisted at his sides. His face betrayed none of the fear he must have felt, and I suddenly knew exactly how he'd passed Selection—the guy may have been the Energizer Bunny on some occasions, but he was a damn good soldier. "He needs water and clean bandages."
Hollis raised an eyebrow. "Making demands now? I guess I picked some high-maintenance hostages." He shrugged, his predatory grin sending shivers down my spine as he glanced my way. "What do you think, kiddo? What are you willing to trade?"
"He's barely conscious," Bear cut in, anger coloring his words.
Hollis smirked, and I closed my heavy eyes, electing to listen to the interaction rather than participate. "Fine, then. I'll come back later, when my friends are asleep, and we can…retry this conversation." I opened my eyes in time to see him waggle the water bottle, open it, and take a long drag before closing the heavy door without another word.
Bear let out a string of expletives under his breath, dragging a dirt-covered hand down his face. His dark skin let the dirt blend in more, luckily, so Hollis wouldn't have known that he'd been digging.
Bear came to sit beside me, hand settling on my shoulder. "Stay awake, Jaguar."
"Mm," I managed, eyes closed. "How long…?"
I couldn't finish, but he got it. How long did I have before the sepsis killed me?
Bear might have shrugged. I wasn't looking. "It…depends, mate. Could be a couple days…could be a couple hours."
I nodded quietly. "Listen…if I…" I took a ragged breath, coughing weakly again. "If I…don't…"
"Cutting you off right there," Bear said, hand squeezing my shoulder more insistently. "You're going to be just fine."
I wheezed a thin laugh. "I've been…near death…before, Bear. Lots…lots of times." Well, if I was dying, I might as well be a little more open. I figured Bear deserved that much. "I know…how it feels when it's…creeping up, and I've…been living on…borrowed time for a while."
There was silence for a moment, only my thin wheezing and the jeering voices from above drifting through the dank space. The air was thick, and it didn't make breathing easier.
"Has anyone told you about Elliot?" Bear asked quietly.
I blinked, turning slowly to look at him. His hand was still on my shoulder, but his eyes were far away, his other fist clenched in his lap. His nails and fingertips were bloody, his palms raw. A wave of guilt crashed over me. Here I was giving my last words, just in case, and he was tearing his hands apart to try to get us out.
"No," I breathed, wondering who it was. I was banking on their former unit-mate who'd died.
Bear nodded, blinking quickly. "His code name was Raven, and we sometimes called him Ell, for short. He hated them both. Said they made him sound like a girl." A small smile curled his lips, but his eyes were far from happy. "It was…I dunno, around a year ago. We were in Iran, helping the British and American militaries with a stealth op. The mission was kind of like this one—a cluster from the start. Murphy's Law.
"Anyways, we were pinned down by enemy fire out in the open, us and two other teams. Our formation was shot to hell, along with a couple of the other soldiers. We were practically surrounded." He looked away, his dark eyes hard, glinting like steel in the dim light. "I got clipped in the shoulder. Nothing bad, only took two months for a full recovery, but…I was bleeding pretty badly, and it knocked me out for a minute. I was shot out in the open trying to get to another injured guy behind one of the other jeeps, so I was completely exposed, bullets kicking up sand all around me…it's a miracle I wasn't hit again.
"Elliot raced out to grab me and haul me back under heavy enemy fire—didn't even wait for cover. He took three bullets and he still kept dragging me. I could hear him, cussing up a storm, even as he was dragging me." He dragged a hand down his ashen face, leaning his head back against the wall. "When we got back behind our cover, Tiger started helping me, and Lion started helping Ell, but…he bled out twenty minutes later. One bullet clipped his brachial artery, another clipped his femoral artery, another damn near blew out his knee, and the bastard still managed to drag me to safety."
He shook his head, his hand tightening on my shoulder, shocking me out of his memory and back to the present. "Don't make me do that again. Don't…I can't do that again, Jaguar. I know we haven't known each other long, but you're a friend, whether you planned it or not. So you're damn well going to stay alive until the others and I get back, guns blazing, and get you to a hospital, or I'm going to kill you myself, and that's a promise."
He grinned, a shadow of his buoyant personality rising to the surface, but his eyes were still serious. It was a complete turnaround from the chipper man I'd grown to know. "Guess I should get back to it. I've said my piece, so…shut up."
I breathed a quiet laugh, trying to keep my wheezing to a minimum. Composing myself, dragging in enough air to get the words out, I tried to say my piece. "I guess…after your heartfelt declaration…I'll have to do my best."
"Damn right."
I smiled, feeling safe to close my eyes and slip back under, if only for a bit.
…
I woke what I assumed was a few hours later to someone shaking my shoulder, his dark eyes worried. "Hm?"
"Thank God," he said, his head dropping low as his shoulders slumped in relief. "Christ, I thought you were a goner. I was shaking you for two and a half minutes."
I blinked, the words barely making sense. "Uh…"
"Just…just rest," he said, patting my chest with a heavy hand. He smiled, I supposed in an attempt to make sure I wasn't worried. What did I have to be worried about? "I managed to dig all the way…you've been sleeping for a long time. They came once to check up on us, but nobody came down. Figure that'd be a stupid move on their part, anyhow."
I nodded absently, blinking. "What're you…digging?"
His eyes shot to me, concern creasing his brow. He looked way too young to have that many wrinkles. "The tunnel. To escape…Jaguar, do you know where you are?"
I blinked again, the ceiling and his face swimming in and out of focus. "Oh. I…we're…trapped? In…In India. We were trying to…stop McCain from…poisoning everyone. I…wait, you're not Rahim…"
"I'm Bear," he said quickly, putting a hand on my forehead. Bear sounded familiar. "You're not in…in India, Jaguar, you're in the Czech Republic, with me. Remember? We were escorting a prisoner?"
I blinked. "Why would…MI6 have me…escort a prisoner?"
It was Bear's turn to blink in surprise, his eyebrows almost touching his hairline. "No, you're…with the SAS, mate. Your codename is Jaguar."
Taking a shaky breath, the fog cleared in an instant, and my memories became fuzzy. "I…oh. Bear."
"Yeah. It's me."
"I…what was I…?"
"Don't worry about it," he said with a tight smile. "Listen carefully. Do you remember what we were doing?"
Breathing heavily, I nodded. "I…you're…digging. Waiting for…the guard change…"
He nodded, his eyes hard as steel once again. "I…do you remember what you said I had to do?"
I nodded, remembering now. Panic seized my heart in a vise, and I almost begged him to stay. To not leave me alone in the cold, dark dungeon to die. Because I was sure we both knew that there was a very slim chance he would get back in time. Either the infection would kill me, or they'd shoot me.
"Go," I whispered, not having the strength for little else. My arm burned with a fierceness I hoped I'd never feel again, sweat rolling into my eyes even as dehydration wracked my frame with cramps. "Take…the knife…run as…as fast as you…bloody can. Just…"
Bear took my shoulders, gearing up to say something, but he looked quickly up as voices filtered through the wooden floor.
Three different voices…then…then four. Heavy laughter. They were changing guards, and their guard was down.
It was now or never.
"Go," I said, pushing weakly at his chest, blinking my heavy eyes. "Go. Run."
For a split second, Bear looked utterly torn. We both knew I was damn near out of time. I could tell he wanted with everything in him to stay. With everything in me, I wanted him to stay.
"You listen to me," he said, a hard edge to his voice. His hands gripped my shoulders almost painfully, which helped me focus on him. "I am coming back for you. You understand me? I'm damn well going to get you out of here, so you'd better be alive."
I nodded, giving him a weak smile. It was all I could do. I couldn't tell him how badly I wanted him to stay. I couldn't tell him how much I didn't want to die alone, surrounded by my enemies. I didn't tell him.
"I'll be here," I lied, the words bitter in my mouth. "Go."
With one last squeeze, wet eyes, and an angry grunt that was surely far too loud, he tore himself away from me, running to the hole. He tossed the bricks aside, which he'd replaced for cover, and crawled.
A few seconds later, ears peeled desperately for any sound, I heard the dirt falling as he clawed his way up out of the earth. I heard his muted grunts and gasps as he levered himself up, his tall frame helping him reach the top quickly.
I closed my eyes, exhaling a rattling breath, still listening intently. I heard the dirt fall, his shoes skid against the sides of the vertical tunnel…and then nothing.
And then, a few seconds later, chaos and shouting.
I opened my eyes, praying to any God listening that they didn't catch him. I heard things like "After him," and "Shoot the bastard!" Spurts of machine gun fire echoed through the floor, rattling the dirt walls. They were shooting for a long time before curses finally filtered through the floor, words of anger and frustration. Words of failure.
And despite everything, I managed a weak laugh, raising my good arm to wipe the sweat from my brow.
He'd done it. He'd escaped.
No matter what happened now, he'd bloody escaped. No matter what they did to me now, I wouldn't have to add his name to the list of people I'd killed.
I had a few seconds to rest, to soak in the feeling of relief that Bear was away and help was coming eventually, before heavy boots stomped into the upstairs so hard dust and dirt fell from the ceiling.
The rug was thrown away and the trap door was wrenched open. Dimly feeling Bear's jacket still under my head, I rolled over in an attempt to prop myself up against the wall and salvage some of my dignity, but they didn't even bother using the ladder. Irishman 2 dropped down into the cellar with murder in his eyes.
He didn't even waste a word before he sent a vicious kick to my midsection. I cried out in pain and surprise, the movement having jostled my arm, my surely failing organs squeezing at the treatment. My heart thudded against my chest far too quickly.
"You little shit," he spat, surveying the room before finding the hole in the wall. "Son of a bitch."
I struggled to breathe, my lungs spasming as my eyelids fell heavy. I distantly saw Hollis drop down behind his friend, the other two stomping around upstairs, yelling in angry voices. They sounded like they were fighting.
Through blurred vision, I caught a glimpse of Hollis' face, and my gut dropped.
And suddenly, I realized I'd probably miscalculated, because I'd forgotten exactly who Hollis was. Thus far, his comments had been dehumanizing and cruel and scathing, but I'd been able to handle them. In my mind, that meant I was able to handle him.
Now, looking at the cold beady eyes that focused on my prone frame, understanding just how defenseless I was against this monster, who was a murderer, rapist, terrorist, and more…
…maybe I should've gone with Bear after all.
The thought didn't take long for me to get rid of, considering if I'd done that, we'd both be dead. I had a feeling, though, that I may have preferred that to the alternative.
"I'll give you this, soldier boy," Hollis said, his voice cold and flat, his tone completely unlike the teasing lilt he'd maintained until now. "You got me. I wasn't expecting a Shawshank escape. But let me promise you this."
He crouched beside my head, his movements slow and deliberate, everything done to instill fear and control. I tried to move away, sluggishly adjusting myself, but he fisted a hand in the hair at the base of my neck, wrenching my head up to face him.
I could only stare as the murder in his eyes grew darker.
"Your friend may have escaped, but you're going to be the one to pay for it. And trust me. You will pay for it."
My shallow breath hitched in my chest, and despite how well I'd done until now to avoid his eyes, I couldn't tear myself away from his gaze.
With another few seconds of the stare, my body absolutely immobile in fear, he released me. I slumped against the ground, my hand brushing Bear's jacket.
"Don't shoot him," Hollis ordered, his words cold. "He's a waste of bullets at this point. We're going to go upstairs and figure out how to proceed." He put a foot on the ladder, turning back to me. "And then you're going to tell us every damn thing you know about your friends, and when they're going to get here. You're going to squeal every last secret, boy. I'll make damn sure of it."
And he and Irishman 2 disappeared up the ladder, the heavy thud of the door even more final than before.
The difference was that now, I was alone in the damp, dark hole.
Back to normal, I supposed.
My last thought before drifting off was that I hoped Bear ran bloody fast.
A/N: Hehe. I'm evil. I know it was kind of another cliffhanger, but in exchange, it was also very long XD.
I hope you liked the chapter! I'm glad we got to look at Bear a bit more as a character, because I really love him. And we found out about the mysterious former unit member. Unfortunately, now Alex is alone, so…stay tuned to see what happens.
Getting on my soap box again: Alex is 16 and kind of dying atm, so no, he's not going to be the perfect spy and be able to save everyone and himself all the time. Thank you.
Final announcement: for those of you who came here for K-Unit, I PROMISE they're coming. They are a very large part of this story—this is a slow burn story. I'm estimating like 50 chapters, at least, so…just be patient, please, and enjoy the adorable boys of L-Unit.
Now, I LOVE each and every ONE OF YOU for all of your support! Thank you so much to everyone who has followed and favorited, and ESPECIALLY to my incredible amazing reviewers: hunterjk123, jinxlovespride, Asilrettor, Guest, LoveRider, Master of Procrastinating (relatable tbh), Konstans, RiderKitty, Em0wolf, Guest, OwlQueen08, Guest, Charlotte, and Gabrielle Nightingale!
Guest (Gracias por escriber un capitulo): Muchas gracias!
LoveRider: Thanks! Yeah I figured superspies weren't the only ones with cool gadgets XD
Konstans: Omg THANK YOU so much! What a great compliment!
Em0wolf: Aw thank you so much! And thank you, I'm glad you agree! I'm all for a realistic storyline.
Guest (I must say this story is kinda amazing): Omg thank you so much! And hahaha I know the nicknames are adorable.
Guest (Ahhh! This story is so good): Thank you so much!
Charlotte (Thankfully Bear is with Alex): …oops. Thanks!
Next chapter, a twist I doubt anyone is going to see coming…;) Haven't decided if I'll do the rescue or not next chapter. Stay tuned!
