The pills. He was looking at the bottle of pills, grimacing. Charlie had no clue what the stuff did, whether it would put someone to sleep or kill them if he used too much. He wished he could call the Doc and ask, but that was exactly the problem. He needed to get to the phone, if possible, undetected.
It was late. The house was once again silent. He tried to squeeze his left hand into a fist, but it sent a stabbing pain up to his forearm. Cursing, Charlie popped the bottle open. He wasn't willing to overdose Ben even by accident. He asked for a painkiller not a sedative, so that's probably what he got.
Shaking the bottle, he grabbed one of the pills and swallowed it. One pill shouldn't do all that much. Either it would put him to sleep or help with the pain. He might still use it to his advantage somehow.
Charlie sat down on the bed and leaned his back against the wall, grabbing a novel. He would wait and see. Even if he fell asleep, he still had two days to get to the phone.
He had managed to read over three chapters when he yawned and raised his hand to cover his mouth.
Charlie blinked. He was sleepy, but hardly in that drugged sort of way. It was after all around midnight and he still had the lagging effects of the concussion to deal with. What he did notice though, was that his hand hurt less. He still winced when making a fist, but the pain wasn't as bad. The headache was pushed into the background as well.
Charlie put the novel down. Maybe he won't be able to use this to drug Ben, but what he could do was take advantage of being relatively pain free and get some much needed sleep.
The next day, Charlie woke feeling refreshed. He had slept through the night for the first time in a week. True, it might've been more out of exhaustion than the pills, but he wasn't about to complain. He made himself a breakfast, almost cheery. He could do this.
Caleb came out once or twice, but he ignored Charlie and any attempt at conversation. Ben only stopped by once to check if they were alive and then he rushed out, obviously busy with something. Charlie noted he seemed irritated and snappy and wondered if something went wrong or if it was the stress of the oncoming fight. Though why would that make Ben nervous Charlie didn't know.
He shrugged it off. Not like he could do anything about it. Ben had ran up the stairs and slammed the door shut before Charlie could so much as open his mouth.
The day seemed to pass by excruciatingly slowly. By late afternoon, Charlie felt almost as cranky and irritated as Ben. He wished to move, to do something, but the time wasn't right. He settled down at the bottom of the stairs with the book, but he wasn't reading. He was listening.
He counted at least three different voices but no one came down the stairs. There was no screaming, only talking, an occasional curse escaping one of the men louder and allowing Charlie to identify the men as Kenneth and Douglas. It was past nine in the evening when Charlie heard the footsteps retreating, then a slam of the door.
Charlie sat there for quite a long while. He had settled down at the top of the stairs, head leaning back against the door. Listening.
Hearing absolutely nothing.
Maybe this was it.
Charlie rushed down the stairs into his room, grabbing the lock pins. He paused when he spotted the bottle with pills. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, and he knew it would take a bit for them to start working, but he supposed getting around more easily wouldn't hurt. He swallowed one pill dry and headed back upstairs.
He hoped that Caleb's self imposed prison would last through the night. Last thing he needed was for him to appear when he was trying to get out. He might just as well decide to turn on Charlie if he thought he was endangering his living situation.
Tiptoeing across the hall, Charlie was back up at the door in a bit.
He took a few more minutes to listen, wanting to make sure that the house was empty and the guys haven't returned during his absence.
The coast seemed clear.
Now he only needed a bit of luck... and maybe for the damn pill to start working faster.
He fumbled with his left hand. The lock pins fell clumsily to the floor twice, before he managed a semi-good grip. He still had to grit his teeth as his hand protested all the way. But he decided this was no time to wimp out. In two days he would be taken for his third, and admittedly last fight. He wasn't sure if the fight was one for life, but he sure as hell knew that Kenneth wouldn't let him go free even if he won.
His only chance now was to get hold of Johnson... or run away.
Something clicked.
Charlie froze, sure he had just imagined the sound.
Nope.
His left hand was trembling as he tried to hold the lock pins in place, while also turning the knob.
It worked.
Charlie couldn't believe it. He managed to open the damn lock while his mind was about a mile away. He wanted to cheer, but knew there was no time. This was only the first step. There were so many more separating him from success.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door slowly open. The hall was dark. It was night after all.
The door creaked just a little and Charlie paused, trying not to even breathe. Nothing moved.
Letting out the breath, Charlie pushed past the door, then quietly closed it. He didn't want Caleb to notice the open door, or Ben to see it in case he came home anytime soon. Every second could count in Charlie's favour.
Now came the second step. He had to find the phone in the house flooded in darkness.
Charlie knew from earlier where the light switches were, but he didn't dare to turn them on. He didn't know where was Ben and he didn't want anyone to see the lights in the window. Which meant he had to go blindly.
Charlie allowed his sight to adjust to the darkness. At least the moon was up and the curtains on the windows were pulled open, letting in some light. When he was first brought in, he hadn't seen a phone or even a phone line on his way to the basement. Still, he had to check the kitchen and living room.
There had to be a phone after all. Ben had called the doctor that one time. Charlie was pretty sure he haven't left the house to make the call, though maybe that was just wistful thinking on his part.
As he was slowly making his way through the kitchen, Charlie began to feel nervous. What if there was no phone? What was he supposed to do then?
He could still run, but that would mean the last week and a half was just a loss of time. Not to mention it would mean leaving Caleb. Charlie doubted he would manage to convince the boy to come with him before Ben's return.
The doubt was eating heavily at his stomach, but Charlie tried to ignore it.
'Focus, Davis. And stop panicking!' Lawson's voice rang in his head.
Charlie headed for the living room, cursing as he stumbled into a small table on the way there. The room was rather well lit by the moonlight but Charlie couldn't see any phone.
Made sense.
Whatever ringing he heard, it sounded very muffled. Which meant, if there was a phone, it was most likely upstairs.
Charlie cursed. He should have thought about it sooner, instead of losing time.
With a new verve, he headed upstairs. This time the stairs creaked and he cringed at every sound, hoping fervently that his assumption about the house being empty was correct. Otherwise he would be in big trouble.
Navigating the upstairs was even more complicated. There were five different doors, all closed. The moonlight came from one lonely window at the end of the hall. Charlie looked around, hoping to find the phone on a small table in the hall, as it was in Blake's house.
No such luck.
Feeling his hopes falling, Charlie started the scrupulous work of room to room search. He had quickly eliminated two doors as they led to the toilet and bathroom. That left... three more, he noted with disdain.
The first one led to a bedroom. The bed was unmade, there were clothes lying haphazardly on the floor as Charlie found out when his foot got caught on some pants. Stumbling, as quickly as he could, Charlie walked the room's perimeter with one hand on the wall. No phone.
Second room was also a bedroom. This one either belonged to someone much more tidy or it wasn't used lately. The floor was clean and the bed seemed to be made. No phone there either.
Charlie's stomach felt like lead now.
How much time had passed already?
At least half an hour since he took the pill, he could tell. His hand hurt less, though his heart felt like jumping out of his chest. Where did Ben go? When was he planning to return?
Charlie wanted to look out the window, to check if there wasn't a car approaching, but he realized it would be a loss of time right now. If a car was coming, he would hear it.
Last room.
Charlie said a silent prayer as he opened the door.
The drapes in the room were closed, there was practically no light at all. Charlie was blind.
"Damn," he uttered, taking a step inside. The floor creaked. 'Double damn!'
He closed the door behind him and paused. If the drapes were closed, he might chance turning on the light. At least for a second. He didn't hear any car approaching... it would be real bad luck if anyone saw him, right?
Coming to a decision, Charlie reached for the light switch on the wall.
Another curse left his lips as the light flooded the room.
His eyes shut and it took him few seconds of blinking and squinting to adjust to the light.
As soon as he did though, his heart jumped.
There, on the desk only a meter from him. A phone.
Charlie turned on the small desk lamp and quickly turned off the room light. That was better. All he needed was a bit of luck now. And to remember the correct number.
Charlie grimaced.
What was it? Two numbers... Johnson made him memorize two numbers. One for his desk at work and one for his home. It was night, Charlie assumed Johnson might be at home. He dearly hoped so. Otherwise he was screwed.
His fingers trembled as he dialled the number.
Then waited.
One ring.
Two rings.
Charlie swallowed, looking around the room. It was a small library slash office setup. One of the walls was covered in books. Charlie numbly tried to open the drawers of the desk, but they were all locked. Unsurprisingly. He might've tinkered with the lock, but that wasn't a priority now.
What mattered was that Johnson picked up the damn phone.
Charlie's hand clutched the receiver so hard, he was sure his fingerprints would be embedded in the plastic.
Third ring.
Charlie couldn't even breathe.
'Come on! Pick up the damn phone!'
What day was it? Maybe Johnson had a night shift? Should Charlie try the number at work? What if Kenneth picked up? He would be screwed.
There was a myriad of catastrophic scenarios rushing through Charlie's head. So much that he almost missed the click and the clearing of the throat.
"Hello?"
Charlie blinked. Then let out a rush of breath.
"Gary?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
There was a second of silence, then an equally relieved sounding: "Charlie? Bloody hell mate, I thought you were just about dead!"
Charlie wanted to laugh, feeling a surge of giddiness hit him.
"That's still a possibility," he said and his mode turned sombre with a snap of a finger.
"Let's hope not," Johnson conquered. "Where are you? What happened?"
"Listen, I don't know how much time I have. They left the house, but I don't know when they're coming back."
"House? Can you tell me where you are?"
This one was more tricky.
"A few kilometres outside of town. I don't know it around here, but... we took a right turn from St. Patrick road? Then it was about a ten minute drive."
Charlie could hear the scratching of a pen against paper and he hoped Johnson knew this town better than him.
"Anything else you can tell me? How big is the house? Who took you there?"
"Two storey house, quite big. It has a basement, that's where they keep us. Uh... Kenneth and Ben. I think this place belongs to Ben, but I can't be sure."
There was a pause.
"Ben? Who is Ben?"
Charlie frowned.
"You don't know?"
"Sorry, I don't know everyone in town," Johnson said with only a hint of irritation.
"Well... you should know this guy. Kenneth spends a lot of time here. Ben looks just a bit younger. He was driving the car they put me in. A dark Chrysler Royal?"
"Ben..." Johnson seemed to be thinking, trying to remember something. "Oh!" he suddenly exclaimed and Charlie knew he just had a eureka moment.
"What?"
"I think I know who that is. Kenneth's half-brother. Of course, Kenneth only mentioned him once and called him Benjamin. I thought that was a nickname or something."
"Half-brother?" Well, that made some things clearer. Like Ben's reaction to Charlie's question about why he was doing all of this.
"Yeah. I don't know where he lives, but can find out the address in the morning I'm sure. If not, I'll just go by what you told me. There are not that many houses around that location."
Charlie nodded, even though Johnson couldn't see him.
"Can you tell me anything else, Charlie? You said they were holding you in the basement. Is there someone else too?"
"Yeah. There's a kid, Caleb. He's nineteen. Not from this town, I think they snatched him off the streets about two months ago. We need to help him, Gary."
If Charlie didn't manage to do anything else, he wanted to make sure Johnson knew about Caleb and helped him.
"If you raid this place, you need to know he's there and not to hurt him, okay?" He was aware his voice sounded pleading, but he didn't care.
"Alright, calm down. Will he be a problem if we go there?"
"He might be," Charlie said unwillingly. "He's... he's a kid, Gary. He needs help."
"Any idea why they are keeping him there?" he wondered, just as Charlie did before.
"They used him in one fight, nothing else."
"Alright. I will make sure our guys know about him. Now you... are you alright? Anything else you can tell me?"
Charlie gave Johnson a rather quick description of the first two fights, of the gym and the people he saw involved. He mentioned the doctor, and it seemed to catch Johnson's attention most.
"Can you tell me anything about him? I know they have a contact from the hospital, but we don't know who it is."
"I didn't catch any name," Charlie admitted sourly. "And the whole night was a blur for me," he said, remembering the confusion and headache. What he didn't forget was the cold, dead eyes.
"He had black eyes, dark hair. Cold look. And he was an asshole," he added and Johnson sighed.
"Unfortunately, that fits at least three doctors in the area that I know. Never mind, we will figure it out. As soon as you get out of there."
Charlie bit his lip.
"I don't think I can. Not yet."
"It's up to you."
"Do you have enough to take those bastards down?"
Johnson hesitated.
"Maybe to get them suspended. But right now... it would be your word against theirs. The best we can get is running an illegal betting circle and fight ring."
"They would get out within a day," Charlie muttered, knowing well that with their parents influence it would be barely a slap on the hand.
"When is the next fight happening?"
"Day after tomorrow," Charlie said. "I don't know where though or what time."
"Are you willing to stick around?"
"Will I have some backup?"
That was the main question.
"We will stake out the house... and I will put a tail on Kenneth. You said he is the one taking you to places. We should be able to locate you."
Charlie gave it a moment of thought.
Really, leaving now would be just useless.
"Alright. I'll... stick around," he said with a sigh. He wanted to say more, to ask Johnson about what was going on at the station. Did he have any information he could use? Who would be coming as backup? But he didn't get a chance.
There was the familiar rumble of the engine.
"Shit! I gotta go!" Charlie said, slamming the phone down and turning off the desk lamp.
His heart once again beat hard against his chest.
He had to go... get back to the basement, or he was screwed.
He stumbled towards the door, praying that he hadn't dislodged anything to give up his presence. He had to get downstairs. Even if he got caught, it had to look like he was trying to run away. There was no other option.
Charlie took the stairs by two and he just landed on the bottom, when he heard the front door open. No time and no chance to return to the basement. Maybe if he hid? But if they found him hiding they would figure out something was amiss. No, he had to at least attempt to get out of the house.
Swallowing down the sudden nausea, Charlie quickly made it across the hall. He could hear Ben and Kenneth. At least there was no one else. Maybe they would go right upstairs, giving him enough time to go back to the basement...
"Grab me some beer, will you?" Kenneth called out and was headed towards the bathroom. Charlie pressed himself against the wall behind the corner, barely breathing. That was good. Kenneth was out of the way for the moment. Trouble was, the door to the basement was clearly visible from the kitchen and except for the living room, Charlie had nowhere else to go.
Only outside.
The back exit was right there next to him.
But should he risk it? What if he actually managed to run away? It would screw up the operation most likely. But he couldn't stay there either. If Kenneth came out of the bathroom and headed for the living room, he would run into Charlie. Going upstairs was out of the question too.
Charlie cursed internally. He had to move. Maybe if he slipped outside, he could wait until Kenneth and Ben moved upstairs or settled in the living room. He might be able to return to the basement unnoticed, especially if they will be busy drinking beer.
Decision made and hearing the toilet flush, Charlie went for the back door. It was surprisingly unlocked and he felt a rush of hope as he stepped out.
First thing that hit him was the smell of fresh air. He haven't realized until now how stale the air inside the basement was. He took in a deep breath, looking around.
That's when he saw it.
The dark shadow.
It was moving towards him slowly.
Charlie frowned, taking a reflexive step backwards.
The shadow gave a guttural growl and Charlie saw sharp yellowed teeth glinting in the moonlight.
"Bloody hell!"
He couldn't help it. He stumbled backwards, hands reaching for the doorknob as the wolf like dog approached him. Charlie could now see it's raised heckles, the heavy chain being dragged behind with ease. He prayed that it was short and it wouldn't allow the beast onto the porch, but that was not the case.
The dog knew that.
Charlie knew that.
He much more preferred Kenneth's wrath than being mauled by the beast.
Charlie turned, ready to lunge through the door, when he felt the air move. Sharp teeth snapped at his leg, catching his pants and ripping off a bit. Charlie yelped, kicking back. His heel connected with something, but it didn't seem to deter the beast. Another attack followed and this time Charlie felt teeth pierce skin before he swiped at the dog, grabbing it's collar. He wasn't sure what possessed him, be it fear or anger, but he managed to show the dog off of him for long enough to make another attempt at escape.
The door was already open as Charlie stumbled through it.
Right into Kenneth's arms.
It wasn't a friendly hug.
"Fucking bastard!" Kenneth cursed, showing Charlie harshly to the floor. "Were you trying to run?!" he spat and before Charlie could protest or try to defend himself in any way, he got kicked in his side.
Charlie rolled across the floor, then promptly curled up. He knew he won't be able to get up fast enough to face Kenneth's wrath, so he had to at least try and protect himself as much as possible.
He received a few more kicks and curses but the onslaught was surprisingly short.
Ben was there, pulling Kenneth back.
"Stop, you will kill him!"
"So? The fucking ass tried to run!"
"He's not the first one, and Beast stopped him. Now-" Ben cursed and pushed at Kenneth as he was about to deliver another kick, this time to Charlie's head. "Stop! We need him alive for the fight!"
Kenneth spat angrily, but stopped.
"I hope the kid will slice you open, you fucker. Eviscerate you like a rabid dog!"
Charlie jerked, expecting another kick.
It didn't come.
"Get him back to his room before I do it myself," Kenneth growled then grabbed the beer bottle Ben had put down in the skirmish.
Charlie didn't make a sound of protest as Ben hauled him up and pushed him in front of him back to the basement. Kenneth was giving him the death glare and Charlie was pretty sure that if Ben wasn't there, Kenneth would have just thrown him out the back door and let Beast finish him off.
What a damn name for a dog anyway.
It was clear Ben was pissed at him too, Charlie noted as he was manhandled to his room. Once there, Ben pushed him so hard he fell against the bed. Charlie hissed in pain.
As if things couldn't be worse, Ben took a look around the room.
"You fucked this up, Charlie," he said in a low voice, disappointment filling his eyes. Charlie frowned, feeling an ire of anger.
"I had to try at least."
"Well... next time you try... you better succeed," Ben growled. Spotting the bottle of pain pills, his eyes glinted as he grabbed it.
"No more privileges for you," he said, put the pills into his pocket and headed out. He paused at the door and took out the key. "No more running around either. Bathroom breaks when I come around," he said, slammed the door shut and locked the door, leaving Charlie alone to ponder his faith.
He looked down at his dirty shoes, at the ripped up pants. He sighed and leaned over, pulling the pant leg up to inspect the damage.
He was lucky it seemed. By some miracle, most of Beasts teeth didn't get through skin, leaving only white scratch marks. Only two managed to pierce through, leaving a sluggishly bleeding wound. Wonderful. Charlie hoped the dog wasn't rabid. He wished for some water and soap, if only to wash off the grime and slobber from his legs. The door was locked though and all he had was a glass of water. With a sigh, Charlie tore off a piece of the already torn pants and wrapped it around the leg. Least he could do was to stop it from bleeding onto the bed. Once done, he changed his clothes and lie down. There was no sense in doing anything else.
This might've looked like a loss. The fresh bruises on Charlie's body definitely told a story of failure. Despite the pain though... Charlie's lips curled up in a smile.
He managed to call Johnson.
And Kenneth and Ben were none the wiser.
Charlie hated waiting. The minutes seemed like hours and hours seemed like days, especially with his door locked now. He felt at least partially secure in the thought they needed him alive for the next night and thus there wasn't a big threat of Kenneth dropping by to kick him around some more.
Charlie wasn't sure about Ben either. If Johnson was right and he was Kenneth's half-brother, well. He would be harder to convince to turn against him, once they were caught. At least that's what Charlie assumed. Despite his situation, he bore no hard feelings against Ben, even though logically he should. The man was an adult, capable of making his own decisions. But Charlie also had brothers and knew that sometimes, blood went deep. He would do a lot for his brothers.
Ben's comment however left him on the fence. It sounded... almost as if Ben hoped he would've managed to escape. Maybe the man has had enough of this but didn't know a way out. Not one that wouldn't involve him betraying his brother.
Charlie sighed, his right arm curling around his chest. Damn, but Kenneth didn't help with the soreness he felt since the second fight. Charlie wished he had the presence of mind to stash those pills away, but he left them out in a hurry. Not that there was water or anything to wash them down, Charlie thought blankly.
Finally, Ben appeared in the late morning. Charlie didn't even ask, he rushed to the bathroom as soon as the door opened.
Ben waited in silence. He let him grab water and food from the kitchen, then nodded towards the room glumly.
"Come on, I had to try," Charlie grumbled.
"Yeah well. Maybe if you'd taken the kid with you, Beast would have let you pass. He is quite fond of Caleb."
Charlie froze in the door, then frowned himself.
"Maybe if I'd known there is a rabid dog at the door, I would have," he snapped back. He still felt Beast's teeth biting down on his skin.
Ben didn't seem impressed.
"I told you there were traps."
Charlie looked at him, exasperated.
"Well, you could've been a bit more clear! What the hell is your problem? Are you being an ass because I didn't manage to run away?"
Ben just glared, then gave a nod for Charlie to move. Charlie let out a frustrated sigh, entering his room and putting down the plate of sandwich and water pitcher on the table, then turning back to Ben.
"You know you can stop this, right?"
Ben shook his head.
"The fight is tonight. Get some rest... or don't. Up to you."
With that, Ben pulled the door closed, the sound of the lock turning making Charlie cringe.
He looked at his watch. Half past ten in the morning.
With a sigh he settled on the chair and took a bite of the sandwich.
He hated waiting.
Charlie was pulled out from his slumber by a sound of voices. He rolled off the bed before he knew it, standing in place frozen. Was it time?
He watched the doorknob, expecting it to turn any second.
Nothing happened.
The voices became muffled and Charlie realized whomever it was went to Caleb's room. That didn't make him feel any better. He went to the door, leaning his head against it, hoping to figure out what was going on. Who was it with Ben?
He couldn't hear anything but rustling and muffled tones for a few minutes. He tried the door knob, hoping against all that Ben might've unlocked the door during his short nap. No such luck. His lock pins had been confiscated as well and it wasn't like there was a big need to escape again. This was the plan after all. As long as Johnson managed to locate the house or trail Kenneth of course.
Charlie's thoughts and doubts were interrupted when he heard the door to Caleb's room open. He didn't hear Caleb, but he definitely recognized the voice speaking.
"He's in good shape. Give him this half an hour before and it should do the trick."
It was the blasted doctor!
Charlie gritted his teeth.
Suddenly he remembered the man's words "I'll be back before the fight, as usual". What the hell did that mean? He wasn't checking up on Charlie that was sure. He could hear the man and Ben heading back up the stairs.
"Sure thing, Doc. Will you be available for the night or do you have a shift at the hospital?"
"I have the morning shift. I should be able to stop by for a moment if needed, but I have other plans as well."
Charlie didn't hear about the plans, he didn't much care anyway. The freaking bastard worked at the hospital no less! And did this mean Caleb was meant to be Charlie's opponent? Or maybe there was more than just one fight planned...
Charlie turned away from the door, sliding down the wall.
If he had to fight Caleb...
His mouth felt suddenly dry.
He knew one thing. He couldn't hurt the kid.
Now all he could do was pray that Johnson and the backup arrived in time.