Legacy
Chapter 5

For a sheltered rich kid, Seth was surprisingly calm during their strained 'family' meal. He kept smiling at Ryan, nodding to himself satisfactorily. If Rick and Dawn noticed, they didn't say anything; but perhaps the appetizer of a quick cocaine hit had dulled their edges.

It wasn't until Dawn was grabbing more beers, and Rick was in the bathroom, that Ryan kicked Seth's chair and whispered, "Tell me."

"Dude, I so got us covered; Dad got that Assist program in the Beamer. I hit the little SOS button when we got out of the car. They'll call his cell, he'll think it's stolen, we're good."

Ryan's face fell. "You didn't. Tell me you didn't."

"What? It's cool, man. There are probably cops on the way right now. We're rescued!"

Only Seth could make being held hostage sound exciting. Ryan shook his head and stole a quick glance at his mother rustling though the litter on the counter for a cigarette. The absolute last thing they needed in this situation was the police. If Rick saw the cops pull up, he wouldn't hesitate to start shooting. What else did he have to lose with two hostages in his living room and a gram of coke spread out on the coffee table?

Ryan stood from the table. "Mom, we really have to go."

"What?" She looked up distractedly, her eyes matching Rick's glassy look perfectly.

It would have been nice to feel surprised, even hurt by her appearance, but instead Ryan felt nothing but acceptance. It had been this way for as long as he could remember, empty promises that she would change hadn't made him forget.

"We have to leave. Seth's parents are going to worry."

"Oh, sure, baby, that's fine." She stepped forward and kissed his cheek lightly. "Thanks for coming all the way down here."

He closed his eyes and accepted her kiss; there were no words to respond with even if he had wanted to. Nodding as she stepped away, he avoided Seth's eyes and headed for the door. Seth was supposed to be right behind him, he was supposed to get that this was dangerous and he had to be careful, but Seth often got caught up in moments; let his mouth make the decisions where his brain should have. Seth was still in the kitchen saying goodbye to Dawn when Ryan noticed the red and blue lights flashing across the walls. One thing you could count on in Chino—prompt police response. Damn. They had to get out of here before Rick noticed. Ryan shot a look back at Seth who was enveloping Dawn in a hug. Mentally, he measured the distance between himself and the door; he could make it—dive for the lawn head first, grass stains be damned—instead he just stood there, waiting for Seth, as Rick exited the bathroom and noticed the same lights.

"What the fuck?" Rick was across the room and pushing Ryan away from the door before he could react. "What are the cops doing here?"

Through the thin curtain covering the front window, Ryan saw a cop car parked next to Sandy's BMW; the lights on top of the car highlighting everything in their path. He glanced over his shoulder at Seth then warily looked back at Rick.

"You called the fucking cops, God damn it!" Rick kicked the door and peered out through the blinds. "Fuck!" He paced a few steps away from the door, then turned and repeated the motion.

He was fuming and Ryan's mind raced as he tried to control the situation. "Take it easy, man. I didn't call the cops, I swear."

Rick looked up, eyes glassy, head shaking. "I know you didn't, but that little punk…" He gestured to Seth.

Ryan kept his eyes on Rick, legs tensing to pounce. When Rick moved for his gun, Ryan exploded from the starting blocks. He was across the room in seconds; he should have had time to stop him, but Ryan Atwood's life never seemed to work out like it was supposed to.

The gun exploded as his shoulder collided with Rick's gut. The motion propelled them backwards, two bodies crashing into the wall in a flurry of fists. Ryan couldn't hear anything, his whole body vibrating like a human tuning fork. Instinct took over and he just kept pounding whatever felt soft. It wasn't until he realized that the shrieks he heard were actually coming from himself that he stopped. Then he heard the voice.

"Oh shit."

He pulled back, head shaking. Rick was lying on the floor, face bloody; had he caused that? The voice spoke again and Ryan turned.

Seth was standing in the middle of the room, hands pressed to his side, red dye staining a growing circle on his shirt. It was his 'Have you hugged my shirt today' shirt; his favorite. Behind Seth, Dawn's mouth was moving but Ryan couldn't hear her voice. Instead his eyes were fixated on Seth's lips. As Seth dropped to his knees, his mouth opened and with one word he asked all the questions in the world.

"Ryan?"

/-/

The world was moving in slow motion. Ryan could see Seth there before him but couldn't make his legs move. He tried crawling but the carpet, like quicksand, reached up and held him fast.

"Seth! You're okay, Seth!"

Seth was lying on his side, staring at Ryan; his eyes wide and frightened, mouth opening and closing like a dying fish. If Ryan could just move, just pull his legs. A heavy thud to his back stopped his progress and he collapsed to the floor. Somehow, Rick was on him again, fists connecting with an already screaming side. He kicked, fighting to free himself. Then he felt the steel gun press into his neck, searing metal leaving its mark on his skin. He howled and pushed upwards but Rick had climbed up on him now, pushing down to make him one with the floor. Far away he could hear screams—high-pitched, like a banshee wailing—but right there in his own personal hell he could only focus on Seth. On getting away from Rick and saving his friend.

The gun was burning its way into his spine, digging for the best hold. Rick was going to pull the trigger. Through clouded-red vision he locked eyes with Seth. He'd failed. It was his fault Seth was here in Chino, bleeding on filthy carpet. He had to make it right, he had to tell him. Jaw mashed into the floor, Ryan gasped, "I'm sorry!"

Rick shifted his weight and fireworks went off in Ryan's head. He moaned, bringing his hands up to block out the sound. It was pointless—he was seeing stars and hearing nothing but waves of pain. This was it, Rick had finally won. Ryan lay very still, trying to sense the edge between pain and reality. He felt the weight on his back shift, slide away. Tensing, he testing his muscles; he could move, he was okay. Not understanding way, and caring less, he crawled toward Seth on his elbows, half-dragging his legs behind him.

Seth's face was streaked with tears. He was panting, shaking his head and rocking slightly. "He didn't miss, Ry. He didn't miss."

"I know, I know. Stay with me." Ryan struggled to his knees, a sob escaping his lips as his ribs threatened to cave in against the movement. His head was vibrating at a frequency beyond pain and his eyes blurred as he tried to focus on Seth. He was bleeding—there was blood all over his shirt—but where was the wound? He was running his hands all over Seth's chest, searching for the source of blood when he was suddenly plucked away.

Arms and legs flailing, he rallied to get free. His side was on fire but someone was pulling him back, slamming his face down into the floor and kneeling on him again. Ryan bucked against the force but it was useless. His arms were wrenched behind his back and he closed his eyes as he felt the cool metal of handcuffs lock around his wrists.

The police. They had been just outside. They must have heard the gunshot. Ryan tried to breathe as he waited for help, for someone to help Seth. From his place mashed into the carpet all he could see were boots—heavy black boots moving about the room. A pair stopped in front of his eyes, then knees appeared, then arms—someone was leaning over Seth.

You okay, son?

Someone was lifting Ryan to his feet, away from Seth. "Wait! Is he okay?" His questions went unanswered as he was herded toward the door. Over his shoulder he saw paramedics crowding around Seth—they'd help him. He'd be okay.

He's lost a lot of blood.

No. "Help him!" He was almost out the door. He had to make sure Seth was okay!

Get the paddles.

We're losing him!

Ryan screamed as he was pushed out the door. Into the cool night air of Chino, he let his anger fly. Seth was his responsibility, his brother; he couldn't live with himself if anything happened.

As the officers pushed Ryan's head down into the police cruiser, he begged them to go back. Just go back and help, make sure Seth was okay. But they ignored his pleas. Slamming the door, they climbed inside and pulled away from the house. Ryan stared over his shoulder as the car coasted down the road; today was his fault and no matter how it turned out, he was never going to forgive himself.

/tbc/