"Rodney," Jackson hissed. "If there is anything left of our relationship you will stop Creu." Jackson hesitated, staring hard at Rodney but Rodney wasn't moving. "Rodney, I don't have time for this. Please." Jackson hadn't ever been one to wait around for people to comply. Rodney hadn't ever seen him like this before. Caring.
Creu seemed to have paused to watch the scene play out before him, but now he dipped down to Melissa. "How did that feel, girly?" Creu asked. "Bet it hurts, that hope being torn from you."
"Why are you doing this?" Melissa asked, her voice hoarsh, barely above a whisper.
"I'm one sadistic pup, kid," Creu breated against Melissa's neck. "And you're the bone."
Nathan and Daley stroke forward in unison, almost reaching Creu. "Wait for it, kid, your hope's about to be distinguished." At first it was a few branches broke but then much more as the rest of Rodney's gang stepped out of the trees. Nathan and Daley froze in mid stride.
"You didn't honestly think I'd travel lightly, did you, little brother?" Rodney asked coyly.
Jackson shook his head. He'd messed up so completely the entire time. He didn't have the gun anymore so any thoughts of immediate pain to Rodney was now impossible and now that they were handcuffed Rodney basically couldn't die anyways. He should've just killed him when he had the chance. It was stupid to aim low, and he knew it even then.
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"Sup, fellas?" Beaver asked, rising to his feet. Three guns were immediately trained on his chest, effective red aiming dots and all. Beaver glanced down at them, slowly raising his hands. "That's unnecessary."
"Shut up Cassidy," one of the gunsmen commanded.
"This is too much," Taylor gasped.
"Yeah, get over with it and kill us already," Eric told them. "Just stop taking us hostage. I'm sick of it."
"Eric," Taylor and Lex shouted at the same time.
"Don't give them ideas," Beaver added.
One of the gunsmen stepped forward, grabbing Beaver hard by the arm and pulling him forward. His name was Carl, and he was no stranger to Beaver. He'd put Beaver in the hospital just last year with a fractured arm and a brocken cheek bone. "Not so rough," Beaver commanded, trying to cover up his flinch.
"What's the matter?" Carl asked. "Is the busy Beaver still scared?"
"No," Beaver answered indignantly.
"What are you here for anyway?" Eric asked, now standing up. "Dude, we weren't gonna move anyway."
"Orders," Carl commented.
"From Rodney?" Beaver asked. "He didn't have time to change plans..." Carl cocked an eyebrow and gave Beaver a hooded look. "But if not Rodney then who?"
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Rodney had finally unshackled Jackson from himself (or he from Jackson, really) and instead he shackled Jackson to a tree branch, unlucky for Jackson because he couldn't sit, which right now is the second most thing he wanted to do, after 'rescuing' Melissa. But now he had to 'stretch' with his arms above his head, and he didn't want to admit it but it hurt more than anything.
"Let the girl up," Rodney relunctantly told Creu. "And give me my money, bitch."
Creu hesitantly slid off of Melissa and angrily jerked her to her feet. He shoved her towards Daley and Nathan who were standing idly off to the side. He jerked his head at one of the men in the trees and that man produced a sack. He tossed the sack to Rodney who searched it hungrily. His cash was there.
"Good," rodney murmured, suddenly giddy. "Now let's get the fuck off this island." He turned to leave but one of his men stopped him.
"You're just gonna leave these kids?" he asked.
Rodney nodded like the guy was stupid. "Yes."
"Even the girls?" Another asked.
Rodney nodded again. "Yes. I'm bleeding, bitch."
"You're not even gonna kill them?" Creu asked, even though he knew Rodney wouldn't ever kill his own brother.
"No," Rodney replied. "They'll eventually starve. Let's go."
As Rodney went to walk one of his men put a hand on his chest. "No."
"What?" Rodney asked. "What the fuck you mean no?"
The man snatched the bag from Rodney's hands. "Selfish bastard. You're not coming with us."
"What the fuck you mean I'm not coming?" rodney demanded. "That's my fucking boat. I fucking paid for this shit."
"Mutiny, Cap'n," Creu announced, humming. Humming was a classical warning of mutiny.
"Mutiny," Rodney repeated. "I've known you since we were kids, Creu," he breathed. "You wouldn't do this to me."
"Obviously you haven't known me at all," Creu murmured, walking toward Melissa. "It was just a matter of time." He licked his lips.
"Let's go," the man holding the money announced, turning around. "If I see you again, Rodney, I'm doing what that pussy bitch of yours couldn't."
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"Wait," Beaver gasped. They'd been walking through the forest for a few hours now and Beaver's seps had become heavier and slower. He was breathing hard, his breath coming out in short gasps. "Carl," he gasped, trying to stop the man that had a hold of his arm. He tripped over a root in his delay, but this finally broke the man's grasp n his arm, as he landed hard on the ground.
Beaver clutched his chest, trying to slow his breathing. He hadn't remembered to bring his inhaler when Rodney had snatched him. "Can't..." he wheezed. "Breathe." His vision was dimming as the oxygen flow to his brain was diminishing. What left of his vision had blurred due to the tears that was rising to his eyes. Taylor was the first to kneel beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Deep breaths," she told him gently. She took a deep breath. "Follow my breathing." She took another deep breath and then another. After a few short gasps Beaver finally managed a deep breath and then another. He was concentrated real hard on just breathing but it seemed to be working. "That's good," Taylor told him soothingly. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," Beaver said in a hoarse voice after he was sure he could breathe. "Yeah," he told her again, massaging his chest.
