N: So I have good news and bad news. The good news first: I only have one more chapter to write before I finish the story and can post the rest of the chapters at a quicker pace! The bad news: I have no idea when I'm going to get the last chapter written, because I'm going back to school tomorrow, and classes start up again on Tuesday. Don't worry, I won't keep you guys waiting around for chapters while I try and write the last one, and I'm planning on getting it written within the first week, when I don't have very much homework to deal with. However, if there's a delay in posting, that's why (although I'm going to try my very best not to delay anything). Secondly, when this story is finished, I do plan on staying and writing some more in the Four Brothers fandom. However, because of school, I"ll probably be writing one-shots more than anything. I do have some good ideas already, though, and I can't wait to start writing them. If anyone else has any ideas for one-shots that they'd like to see written, just drop me a line, and I'll see what I can do. Lastly, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your reviews. You readers are seriously too much. I love you.
Okay, that's it. Here is your chapter!
It took Jack a few long, confused moments after waking to figure out whether his eyes were open or closed. He felt the tell-tale fluttering of his eyelids in the first couple seconds, after the sleepy fog lifted from his mind, but his world remained pitch black no matter how his eyes moved. His initial reaction was panic, thinking that perhaps he'd gone blind without realizing when or how, but he forced himself to calm down, taking deep breaths and focusing on recalling what had happened...
"John." His voice was a frenzied whisper, the panic returning in full force. I'm not blind, but this might be worse.
Jack sat up quickly, feeling the blood rush to his head as he wrapped his arms around his knees. His mind was slow in recalling what had happened, but he sat still for a couple of minutes, letting his brain catch up to the rest of him as he went through the day's events in his mind.
After leaving Chad's, he remembered John's firm grip on the back of his neck, leading him to the old truck that was sitting in the driveway. He'd been too scared to speak, and he'd known that running for it was out of the question. He's a lot bigger, a lot stronger...I'd have never made it. In the truck, Jack had pressed himself to the window, trying to stop himself from trembling as John remained silent, starting the engine and pulling out onto the road. Most of the ride had been dead quiet, John refusing to speak and Jack too afraid to make a sound.
However, Jack had suddenly realized that they'd passed John's house, and were now driving out of the city. He'd tried to form a question, resulting only in a small, confused noise in the back of his throat, but John had lashed out, slapping Jack across the cheek with the back of his hand.
"Shut the hell up, you fuckin' ungrateful little bastard!"
Jack winced, touching his cheek softly in remembrance. If that'd been all there was, he thought wishfully. But it definitely wasn't. John had driven for quite a long distance, until he'd pulled onto a gravel road, the mailbox at the end reading 24 Sullivan. As they'd driven up the long driveway, Jack had experienced an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. No one's ever going to find me here.
The house was a normal size, but was sitting on a rather large piece of land, so that it was secluded and a good distance from any houses around it. When John had pulled up to the house, he'd shut off the engine violently, jumping out of the truck and slamming the door with all his might. After that, he'd dashed around to the passenger's side, wrenching open Jack's door and pulling him out with such force that Jack had stumbled out of the truck, tripping and falling to the ground. John hadn't said a word, just hauled Jack to his feet and pushed him along towards the house.
Inside, John had immediately forced him through the door and down the staircase that led to the cellar, a cold, damp, extremely dark room that looked as if it hadn't been inhabited in years. He'd thrown Jack to the ground, and when Jack had fallen to his knees with a muffled cry of pain, the beatings began.
Jack let out a small whimper, burying his head in his arms. The beatings had been worse than he'd remembered, and he blamed that on both John's newly acquired strength, and his lack of practice in defending himself. He winced again, feeling the bruises developing on his back as blood dried and caked to the fresh wounds. His arms were stiff, his legs tired and shaky, and his stomach was in knots. John's words rang through his ears, reopening mental scars that had only just begun to heal.
"Goddamn it, Jack! You worthless piece of shit! I spent too many fuckin' years of my life on you for you to turn out like this. You're a selfish fuck, you always were! I gave you a home, and you turned your fuckin' back on the only person that ever cared and ever will care about you! You're worthless, you hear me! Worthless! No one wants you, no one will ever want you except me! Goddamn it, you ungrateful son of a bitch! I'm the only one that loves you, and you're so goddamn stupid that you can't see that!"
At least they were only beatings, Jack tried to reassure himself, but it hurt all the same. The words were painful, and Jack couldn't help but think that, perhaps, they were true. No one's ever wanted me. The Robinsons didn't want me, Chad kicked me out, Bobby...has his own family. Chad even said that I was ungrateful...maybe I am.
The turning of a doorknob shook Jack out of his mental stupor, and he looked up to see a light coming from the top of the stairs. His hands began to shake, his stomach twisting nervously. He's coming. Not again...
"Jackie-boy," John called, his voice dripping with twisted humor. "You awake?"
Jack clenched his eyes shut, trying to find his voice as his throat swelled. He didn't want to answer, but he knew that John would come down regardless. I don't want to find out the penalty for lying. "Yeah," he managed to say, his voice barely louder than a whisper. John apparently heard him, though, because Jack heard his footsteps on the stairs. Listening closely, Jack heard another pair of footsteps as well, sounding larger and heavier than John's.
"I've got someone I'd like you to meet," John drawled as he reached the bottom of the stairs, flipping on a light switch that bathed the room in a dingy yellow glow. Jack forced his eyes open slowly, and what he saw made him nauseous, a new fear sparking within him.
He was immediately familiar with the man standing before him, even though he'd only seen him once, and he'd never heard him speak his own name. It seemed so long ago to Jack, now. He'd been sitting at a bar after a show, talking to a bartender he'd never met but knew all the same, and the man at the end of the bar with the big white coat gave him the chills. He knew his name...
Victor Sweet.
"Mmmhmm," Victor murmured, staring at Jack with a threatening smile on his face. "Jack Davis. I am certainly happy to see you." He paused for a moment, watching Jack's trembling form, before breaking into a wide grin. "Boy, do you know who I am?"
Jack nodded. "Victor," he whispered, moving his eyes to stare fixedly at the floor. "Victor Sweet."
Victor laughed, looking back at John with humor in his eyes. "Damn, John, you raised this boy right. And you told me he wasn't smart."
"He has his moments," John shrugged, staring at Jack with an odd glint in his eye. Jack shivered, a chill running down his spine.
Victor nodded, rubbing his hands together anxiously. "So, when does this little business deal go down tonight?"
"The message was set to be delivered at eight," John said formally, mentally reciting the information he knew. "I have the van comin' in at eight thirty. I also have three guys on reserve upstairs, in case somethin' goes wrong. Right now it's," he paused, raising his arm to look at his watch, "seven."
"Good, good," Victor said, continuing to nod. "I already paid my new piece of ass for tonight, so this shit better happen on time. I do not wanna miss out on that." He looked back down at Jack, smirking. "You sure are a quiet thing. You don't wanna say nothin' to me?"
Jack looked up at Sweet, gathering all the courage he had and swallowing hard. "Why am I here?"
Victor let out a bark of laughter. "What, your daddy didn't tell you?" He looked at John, who only shrugged sluggishly, then turned back to Jack. "You make any new friends lately?"
Bobby, Jack thought immediately, but stayed silent, refusing to move or speak.
"We had a lot of luck, findin' you," Victor continued. "I sent John back home for the first time in months, for one hour...and look what fell into our laps. A little phone call from a certain friend of yours, and suddenly we're up and runnin'. You like our new establishment here?"
Jack didn't speak, his head spinning. What is he talking about?
"Why don't you tell your boy what you do now?" Victor said to John. "Make him proud, show him what a real man...a smart man...does for a living."
John nodded, stepping up to stand next to Victor. "I just investigate whatever Vic tells me to."
"You sell yourself short, man!" Victor exclaimed, clapping John roughly on the back. "You're the best damn spy I got. That little one room shack you've been livin' in is history after this deal goes through. This place is yours, brother."
John smiled, but Jack could tell it was forced, as Victor grinned widely. "I sent John away for a little while, back to his old house to wait while I relocated. He got the phone call, formed a plan, and I told him to bring you here."
"Why?" Jack croaked. This isn't making any sense.
"Why?" Victor repeated, chuckling. He looked over at John, who chuckled as well. "Why? I'll tell ya why...because Angel's been gone and Jeremiah is too goddamn smart, that's why." At the bewildered look on Jack's face, Victor laughed harder. "I've had John spyin' on Bobby Mercer for weeks, tryin' to figure out the best way to get to him. You caused quite the commotion in his bar the other night, and I got a hunch that you could be of some use to me."
"What?" Jack couldn't think of anything else to say. His mind was reeling. Bobby? What does Victor Sweet want with Bobby? And what do I have to do with this?
"Bobby's too nosy for his own good," Victor said with a scowl. "I run a very...private business. I don't like too many people diggin' around in shit that they ain't supposed to be diggin' around in. So when I offered to help Jeremiah Brown with his own business, and he refused, Bobby took it upon himself to...assess the situation. Now, I've given him fair warning to back off, but you know, some boys just do not listen."
"I saw you and Bobby talking at the bar, saw you two leave together. When this Chad fella called John, sayin' that you two had been spending some time together, I knew I had to take a chance. If Bobby Mercer won't quit on his own, I'm sure he'll be open to...negotiations. That's where you come in." Victor squatted down to Jack's level, resting his arm on his knee. "You don't think Bobby'd come here if I left him a little message, do you?"
Jack's eyes widened, his insides churning. "Why...why would he come here?"
"He wouldn't be lookin' for anything, would he? Or...anyone?" At Jack's silence, Victor stood. "Bobby Mercer's a smart guy. If I sent him a message saying that somethin' he's looking for is here, with me...do you think he'll figure out what's missing?"
Oh, God, Jack thought. He doesn't mean...
"We won't need you to do much," Victor said. "And I'm sure Bobby will understand what he has to do when he gets here. If everything goes right, you should be safe and sound with your daddy in a couple of hours. And Bobby...let's just say Bobby will think twice about messin' around with my shit again." He paused, smiling. "Or else he won't be thinkin' at all."
Won't be thinking...no. The meaning of Sweet's words sank in, and Jack felt himself beginning to panic. Sweet's using me as bait...
"No," Jack whispered, forcing himself to his feet as Victor headed towards the stairs. "You can't..."
"I don't think you understand, boy," Victor said, turning back around and fixing Jack with a cynical glare. "I can do whatever the hell I want. When Bobby Mercer arrives, a vanload of armed hit men will be waiting for him. If he refuses to negotiate, I'll be forced to take drastic measures. End of story."
Jack stepped forward, opening his mouth to protest again, but a hard fist suddenly connected with the side of his face, sending him stumbling backwards with surprise and pain. He heard Sweet's laughter coming from the stairs, and looked up to see John looming above him, a snarl on his face.
"I'll leave you two to get reacquainted," Victor said. "I'll be upstairs, giving directions to the extras." As he left the cellar, John approached Jack slowly, his lips turning upward in a sinister grin.
"You remember all the fun we used to have, Jackie?" John hissed. Jack rubbed his cheek and backed away as John advanced. "You wanna have some fun again?"
As Jack's back came into contact with the wall, the panic he'd felt moments before abruptly disappeared. Instead, his thoughts were clear, only one objective on his mind: escape. I won't let this happen. I won't let John do this to me again, and I won't let Bobby come here and get killed for my sake. His eyes darted around the room, taking in his surroundings as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He noticed a glint of silver coming from John's waistband, realizing that it was a gun. If I can get the gun and get out of the house...and Victor's upstairs...we're not too far from the road...
"Remember how we used to have fun?" John practically whispered, reaching out to touch Jack's face with his callused fingers. Jack closed his eyes, shuddering as John's palm cupped his cheek. "Felt good, didn't it?"
"Yeah," Jack breathed, calming himself. Now or never, now or never... "It felt a lot like this." Suddenly, Jack's knee came into contact with John's groin, and John fell to the ground, moaning and cursing. Jack kicked him in the stomach as he curled into himself, eyes clenched in pain. Squatting down and plucking the gun from John's possession, Jack pointed it at the man, hand shaking.
"You son of a bitch," John wheezed, eyes still fixed shut. "You're gonna pay for that."
"No, you're gonna pay for everything you did to me!" Jack said loudly, keeping the gun pointed at John's head. "When I get out of here, I'm going straight to the cops. With everything I'm gonna tell 'em, your ass will be behind bars for the rest of your life."
"Jack," John struggled to lift himself onto his elbows, his voice now pleading. "You can't do this, son. I love you, you know I do. I would never hurt you on purpose..."
"Yes you would!" Jack yelled, pointing the gun closer to John's face. "You did! Every day for three goddamn years!" He fell silent, glaring at John's pale face, his own eyes watering. Standing up quickly, his wiped at his eyes with one hand, keeping the gun pointed at John with the other. "I'm getting the hell out of here. If you move, I'll shoot you."
"You wouldn't..."
"Try me!" Jack backed toward the stairs. "Just try me, and I swear I'll fuckin' do it!"
John stumbled to his feet, shuffling towards Jack slowly with an outstretched arm. "Please, Jack. Where you gonna go, huh? Who wants to take you in? Come home with me."
"Don't take another step," Jack warned, and John froze. "I'm leaving, I don't care what you say. I do have people that care about me, and I won't let you hurt them like you hurt me."
John snorted. "Who? That Bobby asshole? It's too late for him, Jackie. When Victor wants blood, he gets blood." He moved closer to Jack, hand reaching out again. "Come on..."
Jack's fist connected with John's face, and he fell back to the ground, clutching his nose. Taking the opportunity to catch him off guard, Jack kicked him in the stomach again, and when John was fully curled on the floor, delivered one hard, swift kick to the back of his head. Not waiting around to see if he was unconscious...or even dead...Jack dashed up the stairs.
At the ground floor, Jack looked around carefully, making sure that Victor wasn't nearby, before sprinting for the door. Throwing it open, he dashed into the snow-covered front yard, not looking back at the house. He ran as fast as he could, keeping his eyes locked on the driveway and the road beyond as the wind rushed through his ears. Just get to the road...someone there can help you. Get to the road. Get to Bobby. Get to the police. Get to...
He saw a car approaching in the distance, turning off of the main road and onto the gravel driveway. The hit men? he thought anxiously as he ran. Not yet, please not yet. Jack suddenly felt the gun slide out of his sweat slick hand, dropping to the snow below. He shuffled to a halt, whirling around to pick it up again. However, when he'd turned completely around, his heart almost stopped at what he saw.
A man stood there, his face covered by a hockey mask and a hood over his head. The gun in his hand was pointed straight at Jack, and Jack lifted his hands defensively, eyes wide. I didn't even hear anyone following me...
"Go back to the house, and I won't kill you," the man snarled. When Jack opened his mouth to speak, the man cocked the gun, jerking it towards Jack. "GO!"
But Jack couldn't move, his legs numb as his entire body felt like it was beginning to freeze. His vision blurred and his mind felt fuzzy, as if his brain was wrapped in a thick fog. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder, and his own voice screamed in his head.
"Bobby!"
He gasped, feeling the cold dampness of the snow seep through his clothes and into his skin. Tears and snot and spit and sweat covered his face, his fingers digging into the pole like it was his lifesaver. All he could think was pain and Bobby and help.
"Jack!"
"Bobby!"
Suddenly, he was lying on his back, Bobby and Angel and Jeremiah surrounding him, and he was dying. He knew he was dying. Blood choked him and pain engulfed him and it was getting so dark and so hard to stay awake...
"Don't you die on me, you little fairy!"
I'm sorry, he thought. I have to.
Jack blinked, terrified, staring wide-eyed at the gun that was pointed at him, his head spinning. I'm gonna die. Jack had no idea how he knew it, but at that moment, he was positive that this guy, this random hit man, was going to take his life. The man in the hockey mask was going to shoot him, and he was going to die mere minutes later, choking on his own blood in the snow. He closed his eyes, his legs still numb, his shoulder still burning, his throat closing and his chest heaving. He couldn't move. I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna...
His muscles clenched in anticipation, his breath coming in shallow gasps, as a gunshot split the silence...
Ophelia Hyde: I'm so glad my update made your day, and I'm so flattered that my little story would have that effect on someone! Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked my characterization again...I always saw Jerry as the peacemaker, so it just made sense that he'd try to fix Bobby and Angel's problems. They're so cute working together, aren't they? I do love my brotherly teamwork! Good work with the theory, I just love to see it when people get it right! And Bobby getting the weird feelings isn't a bad thing, I can assure you. It'll just bring him and Jack closer together (insert love and cuteness here). Ah, my story's a drug, is it? I hope it's a good addiction, then! Like...my addiction to chocolate and Coca Cola...right. Thanks again, babe!
rekirika: The gym part had some of the best quotes in it, and the best facial expressions, like Jerry's "what the hell are you doing" face, and Jack's "here we go again" face. I love it. I do have a small bit of first hand experience when it comes to Angel's Iraq situation. My brother in law went to Iraq for a year, and was very different when he came back, and I just can't even imagine what it must have been like. I thought I needed to add something like that to Angel's life, because it's a sad but true reality. No problem, I love answering reviews. It's so much fun! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!
Dicefreak: Ah, yes indeed, the plot thickens yet again. Perhaps I should water it down a little...then agian, perhaps not. My brother was in the Marines for a while, and he was strong, so I would imagine that it would hurt...alot. But hey, if the librarian would have just cooperated, maybe it wouldn't have happened ;) Jerry and Angel are slowly coming around. I think perhaps they'll come around a little more in the next couple of chapters, we'll see. Thank you very much, I'm so glad you're enjoying it!
Sparks Diamond: Sorry again about that lack of Jack...I hope this chapter made up for it! As for the suspense...I'm afraid I kind of loaded it on again, didn't I? Whoops. I assure you we haven't seen the last of Chad. I'm glad you liked the weird feeling scenes from the movie, I just had to include them because I loved the movie so much. Thanks, I'm glad you liked it, and don't apologize for the long review. I love them! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!
anime-queen46: Indeed, the interest does kind of peak in this chapter. I'll update as soon as I can! Thanks for reviewing!
GavinVenom: No problem, I like to update as quickly as I can so I don't keep you guys waiting. Fourteen chapters is definitely long for me, as I usually don't write more than one-shots. I'll write some Four Brothers ones, so you'll have those to read when the story is done. I really, really wanted to write a story where all four brothers are invovled, because hey, the move is called Four Brothers, isn't it? I love Bobby and Jack as much as the next fangirl, but we can't forget the other extremely vital parts of their lives. Thanks very much, I'm glad you're enjoying it!
mackie: No problem. And thank you so much, I'm really glad you like it! Actually, before I began writing this story, I had it in my mind that I wanted to write a prequel, but this popped out instead. Maybe I'll write one some day...we'll see. And it was my pleasure to answer your review. I love answering reviews so much, because I think that if someone takes the time to comment about my writing, I definitely owe them at least a thank you, if not so much more. So thank you again!
Minka: I loved the gym part so much. Interesting that you wrote those lines from the movie there...we'll see if that quote will work it's way into the story somewhere, yeah? Well, this chapter had more Jack in it (it actually had all Jack in it), but I'm afraid you might be left a little on edge again with the eding. My bad. Bobby and Angel are definitely both stubborn, but they're still brothers, and they're still loyal to each other. Don't worry, Davis and Sweet will definitely be regretting what they did to poor Jack. I wrote one LotR story, a long time ago, but it was a Faramir story, because I thought he didn't get nearly enough attention in the fandom. Ack, Mary Sues...the root of all evil, right? Thanks again for reviewing!
jill: Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I really appreciate you saying that, I work so hard on my characterization, so thank you! I'll update as soon as possible, I promise!
pwrhungryjr: Thank you! Definitely still mysterious...and suspenseful...but that's the way I like it! Thanks for reviewing!
pen lidden: Thanks! I'll update as soon as I can! More Jack in this chapter, but I'm afraid a few of your questions weren't really answered by the ending. Next chapter, then! And honestly, I'm not a big fan of supernatural stories either, but this plot just wouldn't leave me alone! Thank you, I'm glad you think it's believeable!
Skydance1110: Bobby thinking...I know, right? Of course, I did think the one quote in the movie was very telling..."As bright as Bobby is, he just does not like to think." Or something along those lines. I think that Bobby has quite the temper, and is quick to jump to conclusions, but when he needs to think something through, he will. And don't worry, Jerry'll definitely have some input! Thanks, I'm glad you like it, updating asap!
stefanie: I'm glad you're so intrigued, but I'm afraid that the ending of this chapter may leaving you wanting more again. My apologies. Thanks so much! You'll find out Jack's fate in the next chapter!
Padfoot4ever: Thank you very much, I'm glad you like it! More coming as soon as I can! And...is your name possibly a Sirius Black reference? (squeals)
Miroku loves Mel 4 ever: Thanks, I'm glad you're so interested! I do love Bobby and Angel's relationship, even though they didn't touch much on it in the movie. I thought I'd expand a little, since I figured they'd been much closer than the movie let on. I really thought I needed to add that dynamic...even though they're fighting, they're still so loyal to each other. I love brothers. Thanks again, update coming soon I hope!
Kuriei137: Thank you so much, that's such a compliment! I'm really glad you're enjoying it! Characterization is what I work the hardest at, so I'm always glad when someone tells me I'm keeping true to form! Thank you again! Hopefully I'll get the next chapter out soon!
Ebz: Don't apologize, it's quite alright! I love any reviews I get! Thanks, I'm glad you liked the past couple of chapters! The next chapter will be coming shortly, I hope!
liz: lol, I enjoyed your jumbled letters at the beginning. That's what my friends and I type to each other when we're generally excited about something. I'm glad you liked it, and you didn't actually have to wait too long for an update! Thanks again for reviewing!